Back at the end of February last year I joined
Lucent Imaginery and others in a year long challenge to cook my way through a cookery book. The book I chose was
"River Cottage Veg every day", by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, see opening post
here.
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| Tahini dressed courgette and green bean salad |
So looking back at the year how did I do? Well, unlike Lucent I didn't manage to cook every recipe in the book! I did however manage to attempt about 50 of the 200 recipes. This book has been so well used, compared with the majority of cookery books that are sitting on my kitchen shelf! Have you ever thought how many recipes there are contained in books in your home? How many have you tried?
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| Pizza using magic bread dough |
I have enjoyed taking part in the challenge and now the majority of our main meals are vegetable based compared with a year ago. Many of the recipes in the book have become our regular favourites. I realised as I wrote this post that I wasn't very good at photographing the dishes! We were too busy enjoying them!
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| Squash and puy lentil and rocket salad |
This l
ink will take you to the River Cottage site which has few recipes from the book including my
mushroom-risoniotto and
squash stuffed with leeks. I will still be carrying on trying out new dishes from the book!
Sarah x
Congratulations on continuing the challenge!! Where there any recipes you weren't keen on or were they all A*?!! I love your new 'header' (think that is the jargon!!!). We are off to get a storm strap for the awning before we head Bridport way at the end of March!! Hope we won't need the strap, but just in case!!!! I can't wait, whatever the weather!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy your blog, the heading is so pretty too. Love this post as it's such a good idea - I have the book so I'm going to dig it out and actually try some more of the recipes - thanks for the inspiration.
Impressive Sarah! I probably try 10% at most from any cookery book and that I own. The problem is that we all dislike different things, so it cuts out many of the recipes. also, some are SO complicated, I just can't be bothered or can't afford it. x
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly good to continue the cookery challenge Sarah! The dishes look absolutely delicious and your photos are just great!I love too your new header, you have chosen some magnificent pics!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your week end, it's carnival time by us!
Olympia
I love this book too. The mushroom risonotto recipe introduced me to orzo which I now love. I serve the peanut wedding dip up as a main meal as it is so yummy. I have a way to go before I can claim as many recipes as you, well done xxx
ReplyDeleteWe also had never eaten orzo before ( tiny pasta the size of rice grains). It is good used as a base for pasta salads. Sarah x
DeleteI agree with Rabbitquilter's comment. I really like your new header! I happen to have that River Cottage cookbook and really haven't used it very much. I might even have purchased it when you started your year of cooking your way through it. I need to get it out and start making some of the recipes.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend all the recipes using either lentils , mushrooms or aubergine. Sarah x
DeleteI can happily live on vegetable recipes and your dishes all look delicious. Love Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipes, but I have noticed that he seems to be branching out into other areas. I watched three fascinating programmes very recently called Scandimania showing his insights into Sweden, Denmark and Norway - with one or two local recipes thrown in of course.
ReplyDeleteWe only saw part of the Denmark one we were interrupted by a long phone call. We will have to catch up on the other ones. You must have enjoyed the Norway one in particular. Sarah x
DeleteI love the look of the pizza and try and make at least one veggie meal per week. Its a great challenge.
ReplyDeleteHmm, quite a few recipe books on my shelves too. What a wonderful idea to cook your way through one.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea but I don't think I would be able to keep it up - husband wouldn't be too pleased with a meatless diet that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteI have this book but haven't cooked any of the recipes yet. That's how I am with cookery books. I buy them because I like the look of them, then don't use them much. We eat mainly vegetarian meals, so perhaps I'll have another look at River Cottage Veg
ReplyDeleteI am a sucker for buying cookery books and only using one or two recipes out of them. The latest is Nigel Slater's 'Eat', which I have stuck with more than most, mainly because the recipes are intended to be easy and quick! I wish I could go more towards vegetarian, Mike is too much of a meat man. Slowly slowly catchy monkey..
ReplyDeleteI have found Nigel's receipts good too. Recipes that are too complicated or have too many ingredients are not for me. We have found mushrooms are a good substitute too meat especially in dishes like chilli. Sarah x
DeleteI must investigate that MAGIC BREAD DOUGH, for I love pizza and these recipes look fabulous! HI SARAH! Anita
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ReplyDeleteYou have made some beautiful recipe's Sarah...
I absolutely love your header...
Enjoy your weekend,
Penny
Sarah, very interesting. I do not often use my cookbooks, more the bakerybooks. In the moment I use sometimes internet recipes, my daughters make that also.
ReplyDeleteFrom Britain I have some new cookbooks and I see them like big photografbooks, Agabible, books from Nigella etc.
Your pizza looks great!
Sigrun
That squash and lentil salad looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, taking on such a challenge, Sarah! I doubt that I have tried 50 recipes in any one of the many cookbooks I owned. I was able to watch some programs on River Cottage on my computer and like the programs very much. For a little over two years I have been eating a dairy and gluten and soy free diet. I am happy with using almond milk as a substitute for milk and cream, but have not been keen on cheese substitutes. I have been experimenting with Paleo diet recipes. [I think your food pictures look yummy :) ] xx
ReplyDeleteHi Gracie, We too changed to a dairy free diet last year and found the cheese substitutes very disappointing. Although we are no longer dairy free we still use oat milk rather than cow's milk. Have you tried it ? Sarah x
DeleteI have lots of cookery books on my shelves but tended to always fall back on my file of recipes ripped from magazines. It seemed such a waste that I've started my own challenge this year - to make at least one recipe a week from one of my books. I've blogged about the start of the challenge and a progress update - next one due shortly. It's been great rediscovering old favourite books but also trying some I'd barely opened! Hope you keep up with your own challenge maybe with a different book. x
ReplyDeleteAll the food looks so tasty- I really am terrible at cooking with vegetables- I must try harder- you've inspired me!
ReplyDeleteI go through phases with cookery books. When I'm feeling inspired I'll go mad and do a whole week of new dishes, but what usually happens is we change what we eat with the seasons so I have my 'regulars' depending on what time of year it is. It sounds an interesting challenge to try out though x
ReplyDeleteWow, 50! that's great Sarah. I have been meaning to cooks some more of those recipes that I have tagged in my cookbooks. I have prepared a few. Those dishes looks wonderful. Happy cooking and have a wonderful weekend. We are getting pounded here with rain. My poor larkspurs are looking pretty sad right now. They were looking so pretty in the garden too. By Monday, the sun will be back. : )
ReplyDeleteWell done - what a lovely project. The internet is great for these kinds of sharing ideas isn't it?
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, nice to see a foodie post for a change. Your dishes look delicious and very professional looking! I must say I also have several recipe books but I find I tend to use only a few...I love pizza...any chance you might share this magic pizza dough? Sounds intriguing...Have a beautiful week, the sun's been outside and I've planted a few plugs of petunia...I'm not a very good gardener but I'm trying! Hugs xx
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, The magic dough recipe is here http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/beetroot-and-onion-pizza/
DeleteThis quantity will make 3 pizzas or you can use some of it to make flatbreads, breadsticks or pitta bread. Sarah x
Good for you, Sarah. I think this will be a great experience for you. I love recipes from the River Cottage and these all look really delicious.
ReplyDeleteNice post Sarah, I enjoyed reading about Lucent Imagery - and will be a reader - thank you for pointing us in her direction. I was going to ask for recipe for magic dough, but I see that you have posted it. I have way too many cookbooks, that sit unused, but I am concentrating on a few right now and enjoying some new ideas. Best, Kim
ReplyDeleteIt is a good idea to make the most of a cookery book. I have too many that I've just dipped into a handful of times and so they're basically unused. And then there are the books that are falling apart with too much use! I'm like CT, I have phases when I'll try out several new dishes and these are usually seasonal.
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm rubbish at cooking, but I do love HFW. Well done on completing so many. P.S. love the new header images.
ReplyDeleteThe Mr and I have a plan to eat healthily in March that includes finding good veggie recipes we both enjoy and will cook together and HFWs are at the top of the list :)
ReplyDeleteYou did well to try so many recipes! I'm not much of a cook so I probably wouldn't have done that many!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea, I have so many cook books but struggle to think of something to cook for tea, I may set myself a challenge!
ReplyDeleteSarah, I'm so happy to see this post, what a lovely surprise! I am still so honoured by everyone who joined me. It was fun. At the moment I'm challenging myself with buying whatever looks good at the farmer's market and then seeing what we can create out of them. Also, I see in the comments about Hugh's Scandinavian shows, I hope we get them here!
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