Three Slow Cooked Citrus Recipes and an Omelette Arnold Bennet (don't ask!)

There's something rather nice about the sharp flavour of citrus after the rich foods eaten in December.  Many thanks to the four bloggers who joined the Slow Cooked Challenge for January, even though one naughty blogger cheated (no change there then!)


Slow Cooking champ Lucy from Baking Queen 74 brings us a lovely fresh Slow Cooker Malaysian- Style Veggie Curry with Lime

I would describe this, Slow Cooker Pork with Star Anise and Orange from Gingey Bites, as a hug on a plate.  A rich slowly cooked meal with warming spice and the sweet zing of orange, just perfect for the cold weather we have been having recently.

Lamb Shanks have such an amazing flavour and are made for slow cooking.  Sarah has been busy in her Kitchen Shed (Tales from the Kitchen Shed) again and brings us a recipe featuring that January citrus favourite the Seville Orange!  Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Seville Oranges and Marmalade could easily grace a dinner party plate or make a great alternative to a roast for Sunday lunch.


This is Dom's Omelette Arnold Bennet here is what Dom said on his blog Belleau Kitchen:

" I am entering this recipe into the Slow Cooked Challenge hosted so beautifully by Janice from Farmersgirl Kitchen. The theme this month is soup but i've bent the rules of this challenge so many times I think Janice has given up caring... I will no doubt be making a soup at some stage this month but until I do..."

Soup?  No, Dom it was 'Citrus', even a wee squeeze of lemon on your smoked haddock would have done it, and then you didn't even add it to the Linky!!  You might wonder why I don't disqualify Dom, well it's because (shhh don't tell anyone) sometimes I cheat at Random Recipes ;-)

Next month there will be no theme, so bring me all and any slow cooked recipes, the linky will go up on Sunday. 

Labels: Citrus, Lamb Shank with Seville Orange and Marmalade, Omelette Arnold Bennet, Pork with Star Anise and Orange, Round Up, Slow Cooked Challenge, Veggie Curry

posted by Janice @ 07:30 4 Comments

Wine, Chocolate, Green Tea, Noodles and Nuts on My Kitchen Table in September

Welcome to my kitchen table, if you haven't visited before then let me tell you that this is where I review a variety of different products that have been sent to me and I'd like to share with you.


So let's start with a nice chilled glass of wine.  I wasn't able to attend the Matua Sessions launch, but I was offered a bottle to try in the comfort of my own home!  Matua are a New Zealand Winery and the Matua Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is fresh with a real citrus zing, reminiscent of grapefruit and perfect for a warm summer day, an ideal match for fish and seafood. 7/10


Ever thought you might like to be a Chocolatier?  Well you can design your own chocolate bar without all the hassle of tempering with Chocolat Chocolat.  The website is easy to navigate and you can choose both the base chocolate for your bar from different types of chocolate, dark,  white  and caramel chocolate, then you choose from a variety of toppings.  Here is what I chose:

Bar 1 - 70% Dark, toppings - apricots, pecans and amaretti biscuit crumble
Bar 2 -  34% Caramel , toppings - Cappucino Buttons, Honeycomb and caramelised almonds
Bar 3 - 55% Dark, toppings - cinnamon, cardamom and chocolate coffee beans

I usually prefer dark chocolate, but I also loved the caramel bar with it's sweet and crunchy toppings.  This would be a perfect gift for a chocolate lover, or a special treat for yourself.

One custom bar costs £5.95, two custom bars cost £10.95 and three custom bars cost £14.95

As well as ordering online you can visit the Chocolat Chocolat shop in Cambridge for the full range of glorious chocolately goodness.  9/10



It's no secret that we are lovers of really good tea.  Brian is particularly keen on chinese green teas and he was so impressed with the Emperor Sampler Set from Adagio Teas.  This Sampler contains generous portions of the following:

• gyokuro - Deeply sweet, aroma of freshly buttered greens - no grassiness or harshness. Soft with a balanced, delicate finish.
• jasmine chun hao - Sweet perfumy cup, notes of warmed sugar, slightly toasty like a fresh biscuit. Light, refreshing and not overwhelmingly floral.
• jade snail - The tightly rolled fuzzy buds unfurl to deliver intricate notes of roasted nuts, soft smokiness and a hop-like crispness. Delicate yet bold.
• dragonwell - Inviting, toasty aroma and sweet rounded flavour. Nutty, buttery texture, pleasantly dry finish.

We loved them all, but the dragonwell was probably the one that came out top in our tasting test. the Emperor Sampler costs £13 for four teas 62g , Dragonwell costs £15 for 85g which works out at 40p per cup  8/10


I must now declare that I have NEVER eaten a Pot Noodle in my life!  So when I received a pack of Itsu Crystal Noodle Cups  I was somewhat sceptical.  However, I was pleasantly surprised as the broth, which comes as a paste in a foil pack, was really very delicious and had not artificial flavours or after-taste.   I adored the 'spork' which was really necessary to drink the soup and fish for the noodles,even better each cup is only 171 calories.

Itsu Crystal Noodle Cups are available from Ocado at £2.29 per cup (currently on special offer for £1.75) 7/10


Nuts are such a great ingredient in recipes and also a delicious snack on their own.  Jumble Bee nuts are available through Tesco stores with 175g packs retailing for £2.39.  I decanted a portion of nuts into a small plastic box and took it to work to keep me going through the day.  The nuts were lovely and fresh and the fruit soft and sweet, absolutely delicious.  8/10

I hope you have enjoyed my eclectic mix of foodie treats this month.  I'll be back with more in October.  

I was supplied with these products for review, I was not paid and all opinions are my own. 

Labels: adagio teas, Chocolat Chocolat, chocolate, designer, Green Tea, Itsu, jumble bee, Matua, noodles, Nuts, On my Kitchen Table, Reviews, Round Up, wine

posted by Janice @ 20:54 8 Comments

We're Jammin' - Slow Cooker Challenge Round Up, Aug 2014

The theme for the August Slow Cooker Challenge was 'Preserves' and my regular entrants didn't disappoint.  Sarah from 'Tales from the Garden Shed' brought a ray of French sunshine, and some inspiration,  with her recipe for Peach Jam.

Now this is a brilliant and unusual combination which I would never have though of.  Slow Cooker Carrot, Lemon and Almond Chutney is the entry from Strong as Soup and is reminiscent of middle eastern cuisine.

Baking Queen 74 has taken to jam making in the Slow Cooker with the enthusiasm of a convert!  In her entry for the challenge she brings us two jam recipes a zingy Blueberry and Ginger Jam AND Blackberry Jam  both look really delicious.

My own preserve created in the slow cooker was Lazy, Luscious Beetroot Relish.  The beets were baked in the slow cooker and then the chutney made in the usual way on the stove in only 20 minutes.

Thanks to all who joined me for the slow cooker challenge, look out for the new challenge which will be posted early in September. 

Labels: Blackberry Jam, Blueberry and Ginger Jam, Carrot, chutney, jam, Lemon and Almond Chutney., Peach Jam, Round Up, Slow Cooker Challenge

posted by Janice @ 20:31 4 Comments

July in Review at Farmersgirl Kitchen

I thought I'd have a look back at what I had posted during July and was surprised by just how many posts I found.  Some of the events took place earlier but all have been written and posted in July, here is a little reminder of the food and the fun!


Berrytastic Strawberry and Blueberry Cake; Peanut Butter, Oat and Chocolate Chip Cookies, The Slow Cooker Cookbook Giveaway, Crab Cakes by the Ocean at Pictou Lodge.



Hugh's Honey and Peanut Butter Flapjacks; At the Royal Highland Show with Quality Meat Scotland (and Chef Jacqueline O'Donnell); Appleby and Ullswater Staycation: On My Kitchen Table.

Super Simple Chicken Curry from Dhruv Baker's new book Spice; Mexican Chicken in the Slow Cooker and Courgette and Hummus Pizza.


The Slow Cooker Challenge Round Up - Summer Slow Cooker

Labels: chocolate chip cookie, curry, flapjacks, Hotel Chocolat, iced tea, July, Pizza, Round Up, slow cooker, strawberries, Ullswater

posted by Janice @ 19:00 2 Comments

July Slow Cooker Challenge Round Up

Canellinni Bean Dip is a hummus style dip made in the slow cooker, what a clever idea from Corina at Searching for Spice



Slow Cooker Provencal Style Chicken with Rice  is the delicious summery entry from Sarah at Tales from the Kitchen Shed

Slow Cooker Orange Pistachio and Honey Cake  oh my goodness Baking Queen 74 has excelled herself with this delicious moist cake full sticky syrupy goodness.

Camilla at Fab Food For All has cooked up this Slow Cooked Italian Chicken, a tasty dish and ideal for summer.

Many thanks to all of you for entering the Slow Cooker Challenge in July, remember to check out my Mexican Chicken recipe too and I'll be back in a day or two with a new challenge for August.

Labels: Canellini Bean Dip, Mexican Chicken, orange, Pistachio and Honey Cake, Provencal Chicken, Round Up, slow cooker, Slow Cooker Challenge

posted by Janice @ 18:00 4 Comments

7-a-day Slow Cooker Challenge Round Up

It seems that packing 7 fruits or vegetables into a slow cooker recipe was quite a challenge as, other than my own, I only had two excellent entries which I will share with you.

First up was Pravina from Indo-Global Food with a simple vegetable curry: Aloo-Palak (Potato and Spinach) Curry which can be eaten with rice, naan, roti or paratha.

 My own dish was Chicken with 7-a-day Mediterranean Vegetables a great one pot meal best served with something that will soak up the delicious juices.

Natalie at The Tofu Diaries brought a Vegan dimension to the Slow Cooker Challenge.  Regular readers may have noticed I have a real love of paprika, so this Sweet Potato and Three Bean Paprikash is going on my recipe wish list.

Many thanks to Natalie and Pravina for taking part in the Slow Cooker Challenge.  I hope you will join me on 1st of May to find out what we will be making in our Slow Cookers as we move towards the warmer weather.

 Woo hoo!  I must have left the linky open longer than I though and the lovely Sarah of Tales from the Kitchen Shed has snuck in at the last minute with a delicious Vegetable Biryani and what a gorgeous vibrant photograph.

Labels: 7-a-day, beans, Biryani, potoates, Round Up, Slow Cooker Challenge, spinach, Sweet Potato, Vegan, Vegetables

posted by Janice @ 21:29 16 Comments

Dish of the Month - September Round up

Lamb 'Osso Buco' with parsley papardelle was the recipe I started out to make, however the eagle-eyed among you will realise that that is not quite what ended up on the plate!  You will have to read my blog post to find out how this morphed into a pot roast.

Courgette Cake was a popular choice as Claire at Foodie Quine also chose to make this moist and tasty 'five a day' in a cake.   Apologies to Claire for leaving her cake off the original post, I must have been seeing double!


I hope you will join us for Dish of the Month in October, the Linky will be posted on 2nd October. 

Labels: Autumn Chutney, Baked Figs with Marsala and Honey, cod, Courgette and Apple Cake, Damson and Chocolate Cake, Dish of the Month, lamb, Nigel Slater, Round Up, September

posted by Janice @ 11:30 2 Comments

July Dish of the Month Round Up

The one advantage of having only a few entries to a blog event is that the round up doesn't take as long to write up! I guess the warm weather is responsible for all but the regulars deserting us and who could blame them, I know I haven't entered many challenges myself. Of course, the standard of the entries we have received is, as usual, exceptionally high, a tribute to Mr Nigel Slater and his lovely recipes.

Let's start with this month's 'hostess with the mostess' my friend and co-conspirator, Sue at A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate with a delicious plate of Pistachio and Lemon Cookies This recipe is a little extra provided by Nigel in the inside of the slip cover of The Kitchen Diaries II.

Rachel Kelly of Marmaduke Scarlet is making a bit of a name for herself appearing almost weekly in the Guardian Cook Magazine on a Saturday, I always look out for her contributions to Felicity Cloake's themed reader recipe pages. Rachel is also a regular here at Dish of the Month and this month brings us these glowing Baked Tomatoes with Fragrant Spices and Coconut In true Dish of the Month style, Rachel didn't stick rigidly to the recipe making a few subtle changes, they don't seem to have had any negative effect on this rather unusal recipe of tomatoes stuffed with tomatoes.

I also took a few liberties, this time with Nigel's recipe for Plum (or greengage) and Almond Tart in the Kitchen Diaries II. I didn't have plums or greengages and I didn't have time to make pastry. I did have cherries, ground almonds and eggs though and the result was these Cherry Frangipane Ramekins which I served warm with some lovely vanilla ice cream.

Camilla at Fab Food 4 All has gone preserving mad, especially after winning her local show with her Peach and Apricot Jam. Congratulations Camilla! This Mixed Tomato Chutney was inpsired by some lovely multi-coloured cherry tomatoes and based on Nigel's recipe for Mixed Tomato Chutney.

Many thanks for entering July Dish of the Month and we hope to see you again in August when I will be hosting. The link and details of a GIVEAWAY will be posted on 1st August.

See all the dishes on our Pinterest Board or have a look at the round ups on the Dish of the Month page here at Farmersgirl Kitchen.

 

Labels: A little bit of Heaven on a Plate, cherries, cookies, Dish of the Month, Fab Food 4 All, frangipane, Marmaduke Scarlet, Nigel Slater, Round Up, The kitchen diaries II, tomatoes

posted by Janice @ 20:43 7 Comments

Dish of the Month Round Up - May 2013

Dish of the Month, Cooking the recipes of Nigel Slater had fewer entries in May,  however the quality of the cooking was not diminished. There are some real treats to enjoy so many thanks to you all.

Sue at Heaven on a Plate hosted the challenge this month and presented this delicious looking dish of Spiced Lentils with Mint Labne from the Kitchen Diaries II. 

Jane from Onions and Paper found an unseasonal recipe from Nigel Slater, on the Guardian website, to match the unseasonal weather!  This Pork Belly and Beans looks like a great comfort feast.



 My own entry is a simple one, Rhubarb with Butterscotch Sauce from The Kitchen Diaries II.  I can recommend it!

I love the look of this Lamb Flatbread dish brought to us by The New Mrs P who seized on the first recipe in the May chapter of the Kitchen Diaries II and I'm so glad she did!

Claire at Foodie Quine, caused a bit of a stir on Twitter and 'himself' seems rather pleased with her delightful Chicken Skin Popcorn

Let's finish with a nice cup of tea and slice of the entry from Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog,  Chocolate Muscovado Banana Bread,  check out the post to find out why "it was a victim of it's own success and had it coming".



Thanks to to Sue at Heaven on a Plate for hosting the May Dish of the Month, I'll be posting the June event at the weekend, I have my dish planned already.

Labels: A little bit of Heaven on a Plate, Dish of the Month, Nigel Slater, Round Up, The kitchen diaries II

posted by Janice @ 21:44 9 Comments