It feels like a hot minute since I joined Sherry and friends for In My Kitchen, is it just me or is 2024 flying by? I feel like the first rolls around faster each month. I can’t believe it’s April 1 already! As it’s April Fools’ Day let’s start with a joke… Why do omelettes love April Fools’ Day? Because they love practical yolks! Sorry I couldn’t help myself!
Lets get back to regular programming with a look back at what went down in my kitchen in March. I started off strong in March with Recipe Tin’s Asian Glazed Salmon which was delicious and the first time turning on the grill in the now not so new house. As it turns out, the grilling was such a success we followed it up with a cheese on toast chaser the following day!
Talking of firsts, I’ve had my Ninja 15 in 1 for more than a year and although I use it regularly, I usually just use the airfry function and also the dehydrate setting to make Teddy’s treats. After my friend Lucy made a delicious dinner of slow cooker pulled chicken in her ninja, I was inspired to try the slow cooker function for the first time. Unlike a regular slow cooker pot, the ninja pot is only heated from the bottom not all the way round, so it cooks slightly differently.
The trick is to saute the veg and/or meat and heat the liquid on the saute function first so that the ingredients are hot at the start of the slow cooking process. I didn’t even realise I could saute in the ninja so that was a nice surprise especially as it meant less washing up! I made this super easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew and served it up with some Thermomix mash and green beans. It might be my first dish in the ninja using the slow cook function but it won’t be my last!
It was Greek week at Lidl and I was very excited to get a jar of these green peppers. I love them so much. My only regret is that I didn’t get more!
Our kitchen is definitely the heart of our home and we spend a lot of time sitting in it on our IKEA Ogder chairs. While the chairs are (in our opinion) quite stylish they are not very comfy at all and even someone with a well padded posterior like my own will soon end up with a numb bum after a sit in at our kitchen table. Weirdly, IKEA UK doesn’t sell seat pads for these chairs but I found this fab company, Feltd in Germany that make Ogder seat pads.
Even better, the seat pads are made from Feltd’s own ecofelt which is made from 96% recycled PET bottles and they’re fully washable too. Now we can sit comfortably and with a good conscience, no more numb bums for us!
I wasn’t going to do an Easter recipe this year because a) Easter is so early and b) I’m so disorganised but then I was inspired by a Waitrose recipe card and I came out with these Double Chocolate Hot Cross Brownies. I know it’s another brownie recipe – I am definitely in my brownie era – but these are for life not just for Easter!
Talking of Easter, I’m thrilled with this year’s Hot Cross Bun situation. These Salted Caramel ones from Sainsburys are my standout although David’s votes goes to Marks and Spencer’s extremely cheesy hot cross buns.
My dear neighbour gave me another jar of her homemade Seville orange marmalade. This gift was perfectly timed as I’d just finished the previous jar that she gave me. I have officially turned into my nana because now, like her, I am a slice of toast with marmalade for breakfast kind of girl. I am sure Nana (and Paddington) would approve.
Friday is market day and we always go for Mr Fowler’s free range eggs and some fresh flowers. One week we got some strawberries from Brandon’s Market Fresh – all female 3rd and 4th generation costermongers – with all local produce. The strawberries were so sweet and juicy, you could really taste the difference.
I showed great restraint not visiting my favourite shop Country Traditionals last month but I made up for lost time with the purchase of these side plates. I’m one step further to my dream of having a complete dinner set of this blue and white goodness!
Most excitingly I got my paws on a Thermomix cutter which effectively turns my Thermomix into a food processor at least in terms of cutting, grating and slicing. I never thought I’d get this excited about a kitchen tool but never say never! The first thing I made was this super simple coleslaw – so simple and so yum!
While we’re on the subjects of gadgets, I finally got my paws on a pie maker. I miss my Kmart pie maker so much I was going to ask one of my Aussie friends to bring one over when they visit! Sadly, my beloved Kmart model has been discontinued and this British version looks very similar to the new Kmart one. The unboxing was a bit disappointing as it doesn’t come with a cutter and the pie holes are very small but undeterred, I will report back next month!
Back to the Thermomix, my Thermomix friend finally got an outing – I don’t use it nearly as much as I should. We had a curry night at home and I made Dharish’s Chicken Curry, Pumpkin Curry and had a crack at my own pilau rice.
I steamed the rice in the Thermomix friend and while it was cooking, I made the tarka in the regular Thermomix. The pilau wasn’t colourful but it was super tasty! I wanted to practice the rice before the long weekend because…
We went rogue with the Good Friday menu enjoying a homemade curry banquet with our friends James and Lucy. I made Chana Masala, Chicken in Yoghurt and Pumpkin Curry, James made some epic naan breads and Lucy brought a delicious Dishoom inspired Dal Makhani. It was so good!
I made a trio of desserts to finish – Mini Easter Bunny Malteser Cheesecakes, Double Chocolate Hot Cross Brownies and the Easter Fridge Cake – but you’ll have to take my word for it because I didn’t get any pics, just of the fridge cake before serving. It’s like a chocolate crackle crossed with Hedgehog Slice and all kinds of scrumptious if I say so myself.
Now I’m off to spend the rest of Easter in a food coma! If you’re celebrating I hope you have an eggcellent time and if you’re not, I hope you’re enjoying a lovely long weekend!
So now I’ve told you about what’s been happening in my kitchen, I’d love to hear what’s been going down in yours. Tell me in the comments!
