#ROTW

Beans and three veg

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#ROTW

When a good recipe gets better!

Dinner

A little while ago I discovered this great Puy Lentil Shepherd’s Pie recipe from the whole ingredient. My mouth was watering just reading the recipe and I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed! I’ve made it a few times now. So much so that I almost know the recipe off the top of my head and that’s why it is this week’s #ROTW.

Garlic

I’ll be honest, I’ve made the odd change here and there. For example, sometimes I use kale instead of spinach, add courgettes, swap potatoes for sweet potatoes, use kidney beans instead of lentils, basically it’s whatever I have in the kitchen. This recipe tastes so good it doesn’t matter what’s going in!

One night while I was stuffing my face with this dish, I had a thought. It’s so good I wanted to eat more of it, so just to mix things up a bit I decided to turn it into a version of enchiladas.

Cheese

I did everything the same as the Puy lentil shepherd’s pie recipe except I ditched the potatoes and cooked off the juices a bit more so as they weren’t too soggy. I served it with green beans with a dash of olive oil and lemon juice. You could serve it with anything really, sour cream, guacamole, salsa or a salad.

Although my enchiladas were tasty, they didn’t feel as nutritious as the shepherd’s pie. It may have had something to do with the mountain of cheese I put on top but it was delicious all the same!

Dinner

Whether it’s shepherd’s pie or enchiladas, this is a great recipe that is a winner in the lovetomtom household so I’ll be making it again and again and again!

xo

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#ROTW

lovetomtom 2 Comments

#ROTW

Coffee

Coffee

I can’t believe it has take me this long to do a post on coffee seeing as it is one of my favourite things so here it is; this week’s recipe of the week.

I know it is not a recipe but it is a permanent fixture in my day and that it why coffee is this week’s #ROTW. It’s not only the taste I love, it’s every aspect about it. From the pot itself to the process of making it, the smell, the sound of the macchinetta, right through to pouring it into my favourite cup. All of this together with the memories of coffees had with loved ones, in all kinds of places and all over the world, and you can see why I take my coffee so seriously!

Coffee in Dublin

Coffee in Dublin

Coffee in Paris

Coffee in Paris

Coffee in Melbourne

Coffee in Melbourne

Whether it’s coffee at home or coffee out, for something I spend so much time and money on, I expect nothing but the best; for myself and for those I’m sharing it with.

Coffee

I might go make another cup right this second!

xo

When good things happen to bad fruit

lovetomtom 2 Comments

When good things happen to bad fruit

Apples or pears?

Ok so describing it as bad fruit is a little harsh so lets just say fruit that’s on the way out.

I’ve been trying to incorporate more fruit into my days and with all my good intentions I probably bought more fruit than I was going to eat. Now it has gone a bit too soft for my liking so there is just one thing to do; bake!

Bake

Apples and pears are my fruit of choice this week and I immediately think of my Apple Sponge recipe in which I would use either apples or pears or both in the recipe, but I wanted to try something different. I started researching recipes using apples or pears and wow is there a lot of versions of apple cake, pear tarts, apple sponge and so on. When I look at recipes I’m a bit lazy and if there is something in there that I don’t have in my pantry, I tend to move on. I was also looking at different types of recipes; paleo, gluten free, low sugar etc but whatever way you look at it, you can always substitute or reduce quantities to fit with your requirements and taste.

The recipe which makes this week’s #ROTW is Upside down pear and almond cakes thanks to Nicole Weston at Baking Bites.

Upside down pear & almond cakes

 

DSCF6310

As usual, I made some slight variations to the recipe. I used a little less butter and sugar and added a touch of cinnamon. Also, I misread the recipe and combined the first two steps but there was no going back! I was hoping to get a really nice caramelised pear but I obviously didn’t leave them in long enough at the first stage in fear of burning the butter and sugar, but you learn for next time.

Upside down pear & almond cakes

I have to say these Upside down pear and almond cakes were delicious and didn’t last long in the house! It’s pretty clear I’m not going to master a career with petit fours. I was hoping mine were going to look a little prettier but they tasted great and there were no complaints from the lovetomtom household. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Happy baking!

xo

#ROTW

lovetomtom 3 Comments

#ROTW

Kale

Kale

I’m probably late to the game when it comes to kale but I feel it’s worth a mention.  I tried kale a while ago and it wasn’t for me. I love greens but I obviously did something wrong as it was too tough and not that nice. I recently gave it another go and I love it which means I eat it all the time! That’s why it is this week’s #ROTW.

With all the green smoothies, kale chips and even kale infused nail polish (yes it exists), I hope people aren’t turned off by all its goodness. I have nothing against green smoothies and kale chips (the nail polish is going too far) but you aren’t going to find them here.

Kale

This week’s #ROTW may seem a bit boring but often the most delicious things don’t take that much effort. I try to incorporate kale into a lot of meals, as a side or as the main star because I like it and it has huge health benefits to me. Lets just say it has something to do with keeping me regular (Too much information?) Right enough of that, let me tell you one of my favourite ways to eat it.

I don’t really have a name for this dish only because it’s so simple and you can make it to taste but this combination is just heavenly.

You’ll need:

kale

olive oil

garlic

lemon juice

salt

chilli

I like my kale tender so I actually boil it (or is it blanch? You get get my drift) very briefly first. Once that’s done, I drain it really well and  put it back on a low heat, in the same pot. Drizzle it with olive oil, add some garlic, a squirt of lemon juice and a touch of chilli. Give it a good stir and that’s it, all done. I can’t tell you how delicious this is. If you don’t feel the need to boil/blanch it first, do the whole thing in a frying pan.

I haven’t included any quantities as like I said, flavour it to your liking. I will say though, always use fresh, good quality ingredients. It really makes all the difference.

Enjoy!

Couldn't resist

xo