Lentil and Bacon Stew with Celeriac Mash

Stews are a great way of adding extra vegetables to a meal without the children always knowing exactly what they are eating. My eldest is adamant that he does not like butternut squash, but when I use it is a stew he eats it with no questions asked. Stews can often take a while, especially if you are using a slow cooker. But since I got my Pressure King Pro to review I am able to make a quick and easy stew in a faction of the time. As a busy mum this is something which has made meal time a lot easier and quicker!

This recipe is full of delicious vegetables but also has the bacon and lentils to bulk it up. With the celeriac mash it really is a filling meal.

This is what I did...

Smoked Fish Tagine - 101 Cook Books

One of my favourite Christmas presents had to this gorgeous, traditional tagine.

I have wanted to invest in a tagine for a while now and my lovely eldest son picked up on this and asked the hubby to buy me one for him to give to me as my Christmas present. This gift means a lot for two reasons, the first is that it is something that I have really wanted but secondly, J took the time to listen and realise this was something that I wanted and found this one for me himself. My first born is certainly growing up at a scarily rapid rate! As this is a traditional tagine a heat diffuser is needed to prevent cracking, so once I had one I could not wait to get cooking! 

You may also see in the title I have a new theme. This is the first, what I hope to become a weekly feature, 101 Cook Books posts. Like a lot of foodies I have a huge collection of cook books. I have had a count of the books that are in my kitchen, office and living room bookshelf and have actually accumulated about 101 cook books! Before I counted them I had no idea how many I had and yes, I was amazed by the number. My 101 Cook Books posts are my way of sharing the books that I love but I am also wanting the posts to encourage me to use my books more often. Each week I am going to use one of my cook books to make a meal and I am going to blog about it. My posts will feature the recipe, tell you what, if anything, I changed and tell you a little bit about the book. Over time I hope to tell you about all of my cook books and who inspires my everyday cooking.

Today's recipe is based on a deliciously slimming recipe that I found in Slimming World Free Food Feasts. Since I started to follow the Slimming World eating plan this has to be one of my favourite go to cook books. It contains 60 fantastic "free" recipes. If you do not know how Slimming World works, "free" foods are foods that can be eaten freely, no calorie counting, no weighing and no limit except from your appetite! My Smoked Fish Tagine has been based on the Slimming World Squash, Swede and Chickpea Tagine recipe. The majority of the recipe has been followed, I have not used the garlic as the recipe states as they are high in FODMAP's but have added carrots, red pepper and smoked fish.

This is what I did...

My Escudella Recipe Plus Catalan Foodie Hamper Giveaway

Regular readers will know that I used to live in Gran Canaria and whilst I was there I fell in love with the Spanish and Catalan cuisine. It is healthy, full of flavours and dishes that keep you wanting more!

I was recently asked if I would like to talk about Catalonia. We are due to fly into Barcelona soon so this has got me thinking about one of Europe's most beautiful city that is overflowing with culture. But being the foodie that I am, food plays a big part in my travels. I love to try new foods and discover new cuisines. The cuisine in Catalan is very similar to Spanish cuisine. They use similar ingredients which I love.

Picture courtesy of Inntravel

Today I thought that I would share with you some of my favourite dishes and also share with you a recipe that I have created using some delicious, chorizo style sausage that came all the way from Catalonia. I am also excited to tell you that one lucky Hijacked By Twins reader can also win their very own foodie hamper of artisan foods direct from Catalonia!

The meal pictured above it a dish that would be a perfect lunch. Fresh bread that has been gently grilled topped with a variety of vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, peppers and artichokes then topped with olive oil and deliciously fresh anchovies. This would go down a treat with an ice cold glass of either a local cerveza or rose wine from a local vineyard. I simply adore being able to sit by the sea and eat while basking in the Mediterranean sun, what bliss!

As well as the many sea front eateries Barcelona also is the proud owner of 22 Michelin star restaurants. So you know that whether you are visiting Sagrada Familia, the iconic Gaudi designed church, shopping down La Rambla, or watching the Magic Fountain of Montjuic you are guaranteed to find a restaurant that everyone will love.

Today I am sharing with you my version of an Escudella a Catalan stew. For my version I have used root vegetables and a chorizo style Catalan sausage. This is what I did...

#LivePeasant Challenge - Slow Cooked Lamb Shank Stew

I love to slow cook meat so when I was challenged to create a slow cooked recipe along the theme of peasant style cooking I could not wait to get going. I love one pot wonders. One pot meals are not only easy and convenient to make but are so full of flavour. All of the different flavours from the ingredients marry together to create a truly hearty meal.

So what is peasant food?

Peasant food is a style of cooking that really goes back to basics. Peasant style meals are cooked in one pot, using simple ingredients which are cooked long and low. These meals are perfect to fit in with busy family life. They are easy to prepare and can be left all day in the oven or slow cooker and will fill your house with fantastic aromas as it cooks to perfection. For slow cooked meals I use cheaper cuts of meat. But being cheaper cuts does not mean that the quality is any lower. To ensure that you are purchasing the best quality of meat simply keep an eye out for the trusty red tractor logo pictured below.

When you see the Red Tractor label on packets of meat you can be confident in the knowledge that the background of the meat has been quality checked and has met the highest standard.

For my peasant style dish I have used lamb shanks to create a heary stew. Packed with root vegetables, potatoes which are the cheapest vegetables to buy and finished off with rosemary dumplings. This dish is full of down to earth flavours and will please the whole family!

This is what I did...

Vegetable and Bean Stew

At this time of year I love to use more root vegetables in our meals. Root vegetables make the perfect comfort food for this time of year. They are not only full of earthly flavours but are so versatile.

This dish is full of root vegetables and beans. This is a dish that you can prepare and leave in the oven to let the flavours marry together. My recipe is cooked in the oven but it can easily be adapted for cooking in a slow cooker.

This is what I did...