52 recipe challenge

I have read lots of brilliant blogs about New Years resolutions and goals over the last week and it got me to thinking about the year ahead and what I want to achieve. There are so many things. I have some big goals - like me and Mr E buying a house of our own. Some big dreams - like my plans for The Swan's Nest. And some smaller challenges to help me stay creative all year long - the 52 recipe challenge is one of them.

The idea of the 52 recipe challenge is to make one completely new recipe every week this year. I hoping that we'll uncover some delicious new recipes and improve my cookery skills along the way as well.

I spent about 3 hours on New Year's day searching through recipe books for things I want to try and now have a notebook full of ideas - these range from elaborate pork belly roast dinners to simple granola breakfasts but each one is new and I have never made it before. Each week we'll choose the recipe we want to try  and each month I'll let you know what I've made and how it went. I might even share a few recipes as I go along. So far I've made guay tiew nam moo (pork meatball noodle soup)- it was yummy!

This week's recipe challenge is a spicy kedgeree.

Does anyone want to join me in my recipe challenge?

H x

Handmade weddings: framing flowers from your bouquet

Image by: Chamonix Thurston-Rattue, Bouquet from: The Real Cut Flower Garden

Flowers are such a beautiful part of a wedding day but often very little thought is given to what to do with them after the day itself. This handmade weddings project is a way to keep and display a few of your beautiful blooms.

The day after our wedding I found myself bundling up little bouquets and giving them to friends and family as they left so that they wouldn't go to waste. However, I kept hold of my bouquet - I loved it. It sat on my knee all the way back to London. We were about to catch the Eurostar to Paris and I hadn't really thought about what I would do with the bouquet.

In a hopeful attempt to preserve a little of it's loveliness I quickly picked out a few of my favourite flowers, laid them out  between sheets of paper and kitchen roll and then placed them between the pages in a pile of heavy recipe books to press them and left them there while we were away (there are slightly more tried and tested ways to press your flowers - Martha Stewart explains how here). 

When we got home I was happily surprised with the results, some flowers didn't work so well but I was left with enough to frame.

   

Creating this display was very simple, I spent a few minutes arranging the pressed flowers, then used a small amount of spray adhesive on the back of each flower to stick them on a piece of brown parcel paper - you could obviously use any paper you like but I rather like the rustic look of brown paper. I put the finished display into a mount and frame. I'm quite pleased with the final result. What do you think?

x

Simple and scrumptious - a restorative New Year's day broth

If, like me, you may have had one rum and coke too many last night this recipe is for you. It's a delicious simple broth that is quick to make and really tasty. It feels like comfort food without being heavy and I promise you'll feel a little bit better with every spoonful. This is an adaptation of a recipe for the brilliant Leon cookbook (I can not recommend this book enough - every recipe I have ever cooked from it has been great). 

You'll need (recipe serves 2 for a big dinner):

- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced
- 75g of rice vermicelli noodles
- 750ml chicken stock
- a thumb-sized chunk of root ginger, grated
- About quarter of a red chilli, finely sliced 
- 2 chicken breasts - chopped into bite-size chunks
- half a head of brocolli, cut into pieces
- 100g french/green beans
- a small handful of chopped coriander.

Put the sweet potato, stock and ginger and chilli into a deep, wide pan and bring to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes before turning down to simmer for 5 minutes more. Now put in the chicken pieces abd keep cooking for another 5 minutes. Finally add the noodles, brocolli and beans and cook for a final 3 minutes. Serve in big bowls with some fresh coriander sprinkled on the top. You can add a little soy sauce for seasoning if you fancy it.

I hope you enjoy it!

x