Bread and Butter Pudding

If you cook anything from this blog, cook this. It is a different take on a classic, sort of a cross between a Creme Brûlée and a Bread and Butter Pudding. I have never cooked this for someone that didn't love it, give it a go and let me know how it goes down!

Review: Fluffy Puff Puffs

I was contacted by Louisa at Fluffy Puff Puffs and asked if I would like to try their Marshmallows. It's not everyday someone wants to send you Marshmallows, as you can imagine it was one of my better days.

They sent 5 flavours, here they are with a bit about them.

Lime Punch - How to describe it other than really green! It was really delicious with a nice, soft texture. The flavour was zingy and full of lime. It was quite a surprise that something so soft and light could be so full of flavour!

Sugar and Spice - This was my favourite. I liked it because the texture was interesting with the soft marshmallow and crunch of the sugar and spice coating. The coating tasted nice and toasted and was really well balanced.

Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Drizzle - I thought I was going to love this flavour, and peanut butter seems to be all the rage at the moment. For me though the chocolate was too strong for the amount of peanut butter. Don't get me wrong, to get a marshmallow to taste like peanut butter is no easy task but I felt it needed to pack more of a punch.

Love Current - This didn't appeal to me really as I am not overly keen on currents, again I was wrong. This was delicious, a delicate subtle flavour. I find current flavour foods often overpowering but this was excellently flavoured and balanced.

Raspberry - Again, really well flavoured with a lovely spongey texture with a strong flavour and smell.

I think Gourmet Marshmallows are a great idea and when executed to this standard they would make a really good alternative to after dinner chocolates or a gift. They all had a really lovely bouncy texture, just how they should be. After eating these you will never eat Flumps again!

There is a Key Lime and Ginger Pie that looks like it would be great as it has different textures to it. Give them a try at http://www.fluffypuffpuffs.com/






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Hello Fresh - What I thought

If you have seen my last few posts you will know I have been working my way through a Hello Fresh box. This was a 3 meal box for 2 people. It would cost £39, but I can get you £10 off (more on that later).

The quality of all of the ingredients really stood out. It was better than most things you would find in most supermarkets. The mackerel especially was just lovely. The recipes are easy to follow and understand and I think even the most novice cook could make a really tasty meal using them.

I had a couple of niggles, measuring in cups being my biggest one. Thinking about it this is probably done as they expect you not to have scales but it is not a measurement that is familiar in the UK. Although I'm sure most people will not find it an issue, to be honest, I'm not sure why I do. Also a couple of things were light in weight. But at the same time some things were over so it really evens itself out and to get exact weights with some things can be just impossible. The packaging it came in was very impressive, my box was ice cold when it arrived.

I was thinking about people this would appeal to and if they would "get it". Before receiving the box I thought that would be aimed at a busy professional couple, with little or no cooking knowledge that wants to eat balanced fresh meals with as little hassle or time investment as possible. It is perfect for these people but also extends so much further. The variety of the recipes and the quality and freshness of the ingredients really set this apart from anything else. I am a competent cook and I would buy these boxes, just for the recipes and convenience. They are well thought out and executed, providing a real treat at meal times for the whole family.

There is no doubt that the ingredients would be cheaper to buy in the supermarket. But you do not get the creativity and the inspiration included. The quality and freshness probably wouldn't be as good, as well as the convenience of it being delivered to your door (for no extra charge).

Overall I would really recommend Hello Fresh, the beauty is that there is no commitment so buy a box and see how you like it. If you do want to give them a try then enter the code mogfood at the checkout and get £10 off of your first purchase. Again there's no commitment so for as little as £29 you can have a box of top quality ingredients with great recipes on it's way to you. Click on the banner below to visit their website and place your order.

Day 3 - Smoked Mackerel Salad

The third and last dish from Hello Fresh (www.hellofresh.co.uk) is called "A 'Simple' Smoked Mackerel Summer Salad with Green Beans and New Potatoes."

Again, the recipe card is easy to follow, this really is a simple dish and perfect for the good weather we've been having. The smoked mackerel was simply amazing. Just a lightly smoked flavour with a good amount of fat, it was delicious. There were a few bones in it but this can be forgiven as they are fiddly little things! There was only 150g and the recipe stated 200g, although the 150g did seem enough.

The recipe is pure simplicity. Just some potatoes and green beans to cook and a dressing to whisk up. This simplicity is welcome as the mackerel really was that good. Here's some photos.

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Hello Fresh Meal 2 - Tuscan Sausage Linguine

And onto day 2. This recipe is right up my street. 'Tuscan Pork Linguine with Courgettes, Chilli and Lemon'.

Looking through the ingredients again I am impressed with the quality. The sausages were really nice, well seasoned and they gave me one too many! The pasta was also good quality, I had 230g and the recipe asked for 250g but that's just nit picking really.

I'm not going to bang on about cups again. Needless to say this was also a measurement used in the recipe (I explain this in my previous post Butterflied Mexican Chicken). The recipe wants a third of a cup of red onion, I used it all, who knows.

The tinned tomatoes were Biona Organic again (like the beans were in the Butterflied Mexican Chicken). I am a bit of tinned tomato snob. I can not stand the watery, flavourless mess of supermarket own brand. These were of really good quality again, I'm going to look into this brand as I would like to try more of their stuff (http://www.biona.co.uk/).

The recipe again was clear and easy to follow, with clear instruction of what to do and how to do it. Heres some photos.

This is something I would cook. Again and again! It was delicious. The quality of the ingredients really shone in this relatively simple dish. The pecorino cheese and lemon really made the dish. There was enough sauce and cheese for 4 portions so you could freeze half and buy a pack of pasta to have it again. I gave the rest to the kids the next day, they loved it too.

Having now cooked 2 meals from Hello Fresh I'm beginning to see the attraction. When I see this sort of product often my biggest worry is portion size. The portions you get from Hello Fresh are very good, and that is a really good thing. I would be really disappointed if I ate a meal and still felt hungry I would feel let down, I haven't with these meals. 

Next is a Mackerel Salad, can't wait!

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Hello Fresh Meal 1 - Butterflied Mexican Chicken

The first meal I cooked from Hello Fresh (you can see the introduction here) was Butterflied Mexican Chicken

First of all I want to mention how the box is delivered as I didn't cover this in the introduction. They have deliveries either on a Tuesday or Thursday and are delivered via a courier. Their website says that arrangements can be made for boxes to left with a neighbour or at a safe place. I was in when it was delivered so that wasn't an issue for me. The box comes with an ice pack inside and it is all enclosed in wool, the food really was ice cold when it arrived and it is very impressive. The wool packs can be returned to the for re use which is a nice touch.

I chose to cook the Butterflied Mexican Chicken first as when I checked all of the ingredients the avocado seemed to be in most need of using.

The recipe cards are easy to understand and have pictures at each step. A big bug bear for me is that they measure in cups. This is a measurement used in America and not so much in the UK. It is ok if everything is to be measured this way, as long as you use the same cup the ratios will be accurate. But this recipe only wanted coriander measured in a cup, how much is that (without using a converter)?

The ingredients they sent were of really good quality. The chicken and peppers in particular were really good. The chicken breasts were around 200g each and very fresh. The peppers were big and vibrant in colour, better than I can find in the supermarket and a real pleasure to cook with.

Using the recipe provided I cooked the dish step by step, here are some photos.

Apart from having half of the coriander left over everything was very straight forward. This is not something I would normally cook so it was enjoyable for me. The flavour was really good, the refried beans were a highlight, although I think a drizzle of honey for some sweetness would improve them a little. The beans were from Biona Organic (http://www.biona.co.uk/), this is the first time I have seen this brand and they are amazing quality.

I really like the way the recipes are written (apart from that cups business!). Nice and simple and colourful. They are written for someone with limited or no cooking experience which is nice. Although if you are a bit more experienced you can do 2 or three steps at a time and reduce the time it takes.

The avocado salad was a nice touch and made the dish feel really healthy to eat (in fact the dish IS really healthy). I would cook this again, and now I have the recipe there's nothing stopping me.

The next dish I cook from Hello Fresh will be Tuscan Pork Linguine  After this dish I am really looking forward to it.

for more information about Hello Fresh, go to www.hellofresh.co.uk

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Hello Fresh - an Introduction

From time to time something comes along that is a little bit different. I came across www.hellofresh.co.uk a few months back when browsing online. They are a company that send out boxes of food each week and include recipe cards for you to cook them. Everything is included in the box, all you need is oil and salt. Looking through their recipes I was quite impressed, they are not your meat and 2 veg type dinners, nor do they resemble anything you would get in a ready meal. They are fresh, colourful and well thought out recipes. You can choose to have a 3 meal box or a 5 meal one and from 2-6 people.

It got me thinking about who would use this service? After all I cook from fresh everyday, and I immediately thought it would not be for me. I like going to the shops and seeing what looks good, I know what the family likes to eat and what I like to cook. I see this aimed at people with very limited cooking ability who is pushed for time. They want food delivered to the door with step by step instructions on how to cook it.

So it's just another fad? You might as well go to the shop and get something to put in the microwave? My thoughts are not at all. Having raw ingredients and creating a dish is a totally satisfying experience. Whether it's just frying an egg or roasting a chicken, there is something really special about taking something and making it delicious. What I love about this is it is convenient and quick, but you cook it yourself. You create your meals and within a few weeks of using this, you will be a better cook. Use it as a tutor, to learn skills and techniques from. The main benefit I see from this service is you create the meals yourself. You have all the control and in time you will learn your palate and be confident and able to adjust recipes to suit you. Anything that get people cooking is a winner in my book!

So, last week I received an email from Hello Fresh asking if I would like to sample their products and do a bit of a write up. Of course I jumped at the chance, I wanted to see what all of the fuss is about. Over the next few nights I will be cooking the recipes they have sent and I will give you an honest opinion of what I thought. Including how easy the instructions are to follow, the quality of the ingredients and the quality of the recipes themselves. If you have any questions or feedback about Hello Fresh, leave a comment below and I will respond to each of them.

Disclaimer: I was asked to write this review and did not pay for the box. (It will be my honest opinion though).




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