I am linking this in to the monthly In My Kitchen event, hosted by Maureen of The Orgasmic Chef.
It may mean something that I first titled this post "In my kitchen - April 2016". I knew we were in May, but my brain seems unable to grasp that we are moving forward and now mid-year. On the plus side, June brings the start of summer, beautifully long days, and the prospect of equally long days for at least another few months. As I write, it's cloudy rather than sunny, but then this is England...
With the (variable) warmer weather I have been eating more salad vegetables and fewer cooked ones. Mushrooms have been a particular fancy. In addition to eating them raw (as per above impromptu salad with kale and pineapple), I've been a bit obsessed with grilling them. I like them sprinkled with paprika and/or jerk spice seasoning.
Less seasonal, but equally delicious, was Tesco's 'festive nut roast'. I bought it on special after Christmas and as Mr Bite doesn't like nut roasts, have been waiting until I felt inclined to get through it myself. I didn't expect it to take quite so long (nearly 6 months!) but it kept well in the freezer. The roast was very enjoyable with the hearty nut component complemented by a cranberry sauce.
I know we're out of winter when I start considering overnight oats as an alternative to porridge. The above apple-carrot cake mix is a particular favourite: oats, yoghurt, grated carrot, grated apple and sultanas/raisins.
Periodically Mr Bite will request 'pancake night' when we have pancakes for dinner. He makes his according to this classic pancake mix, but I enjoy the opportunity to experiment with different vegan varieties. This month I made a lemon-yoghurt-chia batch, with 100g plain flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 3/4 cup of almond milk. I liked the result although not enough to share the pancakes in their own post.
For those of you in the UK, Waitrose have a buy-one-get-50%-off offer on their entire 'free from' range this week. I used it to buy a pack of cocoa-raspberry 9 bars and some peanut butter puffs that have long intrigued me. They are made with peanut butter, corn, oil and salt and are not really an everyday food. They are also a bit odd to eat - airy and fluffy but also very peanut buttery! I'm glad to try them but probably won't need them again.
Those cocoa raspberry 9 bars look good, is it a Welsh brand? Your makign me a bit jealous with your goodies. I have to go into Cardiff or the posh part of the valleys to come across Waitrose :( though I shouldn't grumble as a M&S Food store has opened up in the town i work, makes for a treat when I don't make my lunch for work! D is not that keen on nutroast, so I smile that you are still able to enjoy it on your ownsome.
ReplyDeleteThe 9 bars are a Welsh brand :-) I like their whole range. I am lucky having all the supermarkets available fairly close by but if I had to pick, would probably take M&S Food over Waitrose (although both would be nice!).
DeleteI ended up eating some Christmas nut roast about a couple of weeks ago too! It must be the season for it! I love peanut puffs - I've never seen that brand before, so I need to get myself into Waitrose! I love the look of the overnight oats, though with this weather, I can't help wondering if you've gone back to porridge!
ReplyDeleteI am back to porridge! ;) And that is funny about the nut roasts - although in your case, I imagine study time has lead to freezer raids and nut roast sounds like a good option for fueling exam prep.
DeleteWe have a christmas pudding we bought on special and still haven't eaten - and it is only for 2-4 people so at least it is not huge - honestly I would prefer a nut roast like yours than a pudding on special - I like the sound of pancake night - and I would be interested to try the peanut butter puffs - nice to hear about your summery eating!
ReplyDeleteI would have guessed nut roast to be more to your tastes than Christmas pudding :-) Maybe you can use it for Christmas in July. I am sure Sylvia would like pancake night too so perhaps you can introduce it!
DeleteI've been eating a lot of salad vegetables as well. Perfect meals during the summer. Also, pancakes for dinner sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll try that out tonight.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely makes for a fun evening :-)
DeleteWhat deliciousness you have in your kitchen this month Kari. I would have been happy to share that nut roast with you. I was introduced to them from Johanna and I still haven't made my own, lol...good to know it keeps well in the freezer. Those Peanut Butter Puffs sound intriguing. I've been on a Cracker Jacks kick lately. Now I'm wondering whether the puffs would be just a wee bit healthier:)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing, Kari...enjoy the weather:)
I suspect the puffs aren't healthier, but they are tasty ;) Thanks for stopping by Louise!
DeleteWell...it's definitely not summer here in Sydney - torrential rain, gale force winds and flooding! I'm not putting a toe outside the front door. I have never made a nut roast but it's something I really want to try. And pancakes for a wet and miserable Sunday morning breakfast would be wonderful xx
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I feel like Sydney has had particularly poor weather over the last few years! Staying in with pancakes sounds very indicated.
DeleteYou've reminded me that my husband has a Christmas pudding from 2014 that he still hasn't eaten. He assures me it will just mature... it's the cheapest no-name brand possible that goes down to a few bucks well after Christmas so if it tastes awful I won't mind so much! I love anything peanut butter (except sandwiches!) so those puffs look good to me :)
ReplyDeleteI am really amused by the Christmas pudding from 2014 not even getting eaten at Christmas 2015! Is he thinking of starting a vintage pud collection, as per wine connoisseurs? ;)
DeleteKari, your "time warp" made me smile. (You are not alone!) The grilled mushrooms with Jamaican jerk seasoning sound fantastic... so does your overnight oats recipe. I also loved your pancake plate "tree" -- is there more to the quote about "everything?"
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim, and I'm glad I'm not alone with the time warp! The plate is one of a set that I love - this one has the phrase "We had nothing...We had something...We had everything". Each plate is about a season and they all have nice little words on them.
DeleteI'm intrigued by the mushroom/pineapple salad combination. Also by the idea of pancakes for dinner. I love pancakes all the time myself :) The peanut butter puffs sound... interesting. I was enthused until I saw them and then I was a little bit put off. While I love peanut butter everything I'm not sure I could love those... :)
ReplyDeleteThat was kind of my reaction too, on the puffs :P
DeleteWoah those pb puffs look so good!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm totally on the mushroom bandwagon. Like 24/7 haha ;p
It's a good bandwagon to be on!
Deletenut roast? made from nuts obviously. i seem to remember such things from my youth when i lived with lots of vegan/vego types.:) Sorry not a fan. Hope you are getting some warmer weather now. we are starting to get a bit of cold weather after a 9 month long summer.!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about certain old fashioned nut roasts - luckily they have evolved a bit since the 70s ;)
DeleteI'm glad you're getting some seasonally appropriate weather!
I am not a mom yet. A young girl, so I always eat fast foods all the time. I always felt tired after work, just wanna take a quick meal and go to bed. But when I read this post, I have a feeling like wanna cook something tonight. Thank you
ReplyDelete