Tag Archives: Fantastic Food For Less

Autumn Vegetables with Feta recipe

Autumn Vegables with Feta

Autumn Vegetables with Feta

Time 50 minutes.
Per portion: 454 Kcal, 23g fat (8g saturated)
Serves 4

Butternut squash 450g (1lb), about ½ the squash
Sweet potato 450g (1lb)
Parsnips 450g (1lb)
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 2 tsp
Paprika 1 tsp
Olive or sunflower oil 4 tbsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Runny honey 1 tbsp
Feta cheese 200g (7oz)
Chopped mint 2 tbsp to serve (optional)
Warmed pitta bread to serve (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and then peel away the skin. Peel the sweet potato and parsnips, then cut all the vegetables into similar-sized chunks.

2 Crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar or improvise using a mug and the end of a rolling pin. Add the seeds and paprika to a large plastic bag with the oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Squeeze the bag to mix, then add the vegetables and shake.

3 Preheat a large roasting tin in the oven for 5 minutes, then tip the vegetables out of the bag into the tin and spread into an even layer. Roast  the vegetables for 30 minutes, turning once.

4 Turn the vegetables again and drizzle with the honey. Roast for 5–10 more minutes until browned around the edges. Crumble Feta over the top and scatter with mint, if using. Serve with warmed pitta if you like.

Cook’s tips
The beauty of this dish is that you can use whatever root vegetables you have available. Chop the leftover squash and use for soup: fry an onion, add the squash and 1 tbsp curry paste. Cook for 1 minute then cover with vegetable stock. Simmer until tender, then purée.

Recipe taken from Fantastic Food for Less.

 

Fantastic Food For Less cookbookFantastic Food for Less

Enjoy fantastic food and save money at the same time with the new Fantastic Food For Less cookbook.

It’s about cooking delicious meals more economically – each recipe is simple to cook, tastes fabulous and won’t cost the earth.

Fantastic Food For Less features 100recipes that have been triple-tested to ensure perfect results first time!

  • Soups & Snacks
  • Main Courses
  • Desserts & Bakes

Available now for just £7.99

 

 

Read the blogs on our website. 

Competition: Win 25 superb stack-a-boxes

Win Lakeland Storage Set

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Competition: Win 25 superb stack-a-boxes

 

To celebrate the launch of our much-awaited new cookbook, Fantastic Food for Less  we are offering the chance to win a superb set of Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes.

One of the best ways to waste less food is to store well and this huge set offers you the perfect solution. Giving years of service, these Stack-a-Boxes have become a staple in many kitchens.

They can be used in the fridge, freezer, microwave, store cupboard and dishwasher. All the kitchen storage you’ll ever need!

The Set comprises:

10 Stack-a-Boxes 400ml (12cm sq. x 4cm/4¾” x 1½”)
10 Stack-a-Boxes 750ml (12cm sq. x 8cm/4¾” x 3″)
5 Stack-a-Boxes 2.5 Litre (21 x 15 x 10cm/8¼” x 6″ x 4″)

Enter

 


Fantastic Food For Less cookbookFantastic Food for Less

Enjoy fantastic food and save money at the same time with the new Fantastic Food For Less cookbook.

It’s about cooking delicious meals more economically – each recipe is simple to cook, tastes fabulous and won’t cost the earth.

Fantastic Food For Less features 100recipes that have been triple-tested to ensure perfect results first time!

  • Soups & Snacks
  • Main Courses
  • Desserts & Bakes

Available now for just £7.99

 

Try these mouthwatering recipes from Fantastic Food For Less

Fantastic Food For Less sample recipes

 

 

Read the blogs on our website. 

Friendship Month | Competition: Win 25 superb stack-a-boxes

Friendship Month

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Friendship Month

Competition: Win 25 superb stack-a-boxes

Friends, where would we be without them?

My select group of special ladies are my lifeline, my fashion/interiors consultants, my sanity and my guarantee for a great night out! They have seen me through many great times and difficult times too.

So, during Friendship Month I would like to
say thank you buddies – you’re the best!

As well as being fabulous, my pals also test all my recipes for me. As you may know, here at DD headquarters we insist that everything is triple-tested – once by the recipe writer, then by an amateur cook (my friends) and finally at shoot by the food stylist. This is to ensure that every recipe will work each and every time and also tastes delicious.

Win a set of 25 stack-a-boxes

Almost every recipe tested for our new cookbook, Fantastic Food for Less, got 9 or 10 out of 10 for taste so we know that this book is going to be a huge success.

And to celebrate the launch of Fantastic Food for Less this month we have this fabulous set of stack-a-boxes to give-away. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without them and this recipe book!

ENTER NOW

Win a set of 25 stack-a-boxes

And here’s a little taster from the book.

Autumn Vegetables with Feta

Autumn Vegables with FetaTime 50 minutes.
Per portion: 454 Kcal, 23g fat (8g saturated)
Serves 4

Butternut squash 450g (1lb), about ½ the squash
Sweet potato 450g (1lb)
Parsnips 450g (1lb)
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 2 tsp
Paprika 1 tsp
Olive or sunflower oil 4 tbsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Runny honey 1 tbsp
Feta cheese 200g (7oz)
Chopped mint 2 tbsp to serve (optional)
Warmed pitta bread to serve (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and then peel away the skin. Peel the sweet potato and parsnips, then cut all the vegetables into similar-sized chunks.

2 Crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar or improvise using a mug and the end of a rolling pin. Add the seeds and paprika to a large plastic bag with the oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Squeeze the bag to mix, then add the vegetables and shake.

3 Preheat a large roasting tin in the oven for 5 minutes, then tip the vegetables out of the bag into the tin and spread into an even layer. Roast  the vegetables for 30 minutes, turning once.

4 Turn the vegetables again and drizzle with the honey. Roast for 5–10 more minutes until browned around the edges. Crumble Feta over the top and scatter with mint, if using. Serve with warmed pitta if you like.

Cook’s tips
The beauty of this dish is that you can use whatever root vegetables you have available. Chop the leftover squash and use for soup: fry an onion, add the squash and 1 tbsp curry paste. Cook for 1 minute then cover with vegetable stock. Simmer until tender, then purée.

Recipe taken from Fantastic Food for Less.

Read the blogs on our website. 

Recipe of the Day | Spiced Cottage Pie

Spiced Cottage Pie from Fantastic Food For Less

 

Spiced Cottage Pie

Cottage pie is one of those timeless favourites; this version is flavoured with a little curry powder and mixed with red lentils to produce a delicious take on a classic.

Time 50 minutes.
Serves 6
Per portion: 737 Kcal, 25g fat (10.8g saturated)
Suitable for freezing.

Sunflower oil 1 tbsp
Minced beef 500g (1lb 2oz)
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Medium hot curry powder 2 tbsp
Carrot 150g (5oz), diced
Red lentils 150g (5oz)
Beef stock 600ml (1 pint)
Tomato purée 1 tbsp
Sultanas 50g (2oz)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potatoes 680g (1½lb), peeled and cut into chunks
Butter 50g (2oz)
Milk 4 tbsp
Ground turmeric ¼ tsp
Cooked frozen peas to serve (optional)

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the mince and onion, stirring and breaking up the mince, for about 5 minutes until it is evenly browned.

2 Stir in the curry powder and carrot, cook 1 minute and then mix in the lentils. Pour in the stock, tomato purée, sultanas and seasoning and bring to the boil.

3 Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are soft.

4 Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a saucepan with just enough lightly salted water to cover them. Cover with the lid and bring the water to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

5 Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan with half the butter and the milk and turmeric and season with salt and pepper. Mash well, adding the milk as needed to make a soft spoonable mash.

6 Preheat the grill to hot. Spoon the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish, cover with the potato and fork the mash into an even layer. Dot the remaining butter over the top and grill for 5–10 minutes until browned. Serve with peas, if you like.

Cook’s tip
Leftover lentils can be used to make a delicious, filling soup. Cook 110g (4oz) lentils with 1 chopped potato, carrot, onion and parsnip (or any other leftover veg you fancy) and 900ml (1½ pints) stock very gently for 1 hour. Purée with a stick blender before you serve.

 

Fantastic Food For Less cookbookRecipe taken from
Fantastic Food for Less

cookbook. which is now
available for just £7.99.

BUY NOW 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A selection of fantastic recipes for you to try:

Thai-Style Chicken Satay
Strawberry Trifle with Pimms
Tomato & Artichoke Tart
Wild Alaska Salmon Picnic Fishcakes
Tomato & Rosemary Gnocchi
Pesto Chicken with Petits Potatoes
Coconut & Plum Pavlovas
Gooseberry & Hazelnut Fool
Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples
Kashmiri Butter Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

#roalddahlday
#familyrecipe
#favouritebooks

#moneysavingcookbook

5 Favourite Books | Roald Dahl Day

5 favourite books on Roald Dahl Day

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5 Favourite Books | Roald Dahl Day

What best evokes childhood for you?

Recently, I have been reading the Roald Dahl books to my six-year old (except the Witches – too scary!!) and they transport me straight back to my six year-old self, freshly bathed in pyjamas smelling of Persil enthralled by a magical world narrated by my mum (who is a great storyteller). With my children I will be celebrating Roald Dahl Day on Saturday with cosy storytelling and Quentin Blake-inspired drawing.

Isn’t it incredible that good books
can leave such an indelible
impression that they recall
feelings more than thirty years’ old?

Many, many books have had a profound effect on me, but here is my top five.

1 George’s Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
Though I love most Dahl books this is my favourite and the one that my son and I giggled at the most. It’s wonderful in every way.

2 Dairy Diary
This had to feature in my top five didn’t it??! It’s the book that changed my life (in more ways than you can I imagine) and the book that helps me juggle everything that life throws at me! Visit the Dairy Diary page.

3 To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
I could write a whole dissertation on this book but don’t worry, I won’t bore you! As a family, we try to live by the quote from Atticus Finch “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it”.

4 Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Palin
I absolutely adore Michael Palin; from Monty Python chuckles to admiration of his brilliant travel books/TV programs. Around the World in 80 Days kick-started my love of travel writing and I have read countless travel books since. They continue to be my favourite escapist genre as I am not the most adventurous person so there will be many places in the world that I need to discover through other people as I’m not brave enough to visit them myself.

5 Fantastic Food for Less
This is not a marketing ploy honest!! This is THE cookbook that I had to have in my kitchen before it was even printed. I have loved working on every cookbook that we have produced but the recipes in this one really are exceptional and so straightforward that they perfectly fit into my busy life as a mum. Visit the Fantastic food For less page.

Here’s our family favourite from Fantastic Food for Less.

 

Spiced Cottage Pie

Cottage pie is one of those timeless favourites; this version is flavoured with a little curry powder and mixed with red lentils to produce a delicious take on a classic.

Spiced Cottage Pie recipeTime 50 minutes.
Serves 6
Per portion: 737 Kcal, 25g fat (10.8g saturated)
Suitable for freezing.
Sunflower oil 1 tbsp
Minced beef 500g (1lb 2oz)
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Medium hot curry powder 2 tbsp
Carrot 150g (5oz), diced
Red lentils 150g (5oz)
Beef stock 600ml (1 pint)
Tomato purée 1 tbsp
Sultanas 50g (2oz)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potatoes 680g (1½lb), peeled and cut into chunks
Butter 50g (2oz)
Milk 4 tbsp
Ground turmeric ¼ tsp
Cooked frozen peas to serve (optional)

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the mince and onion, stirring and breaking up the mince, for about 5 minutes until it is evenly browned.

2 Stir in the curry powder and carrot, cook 1 minute and then mix in the lentils. Pour in the stock, tomato purée, sultanas and seasoning and bring to the boil.

3 Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are soft.

4 Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a saucepan with just enough lightly salted water to cover them. Cover with the lid and bring the water to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

5 Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan with half the butter and the milk and turmeric and season with salt and pepper. Mash well, adding the milk as needed to make a soft spoonable mash.

6 Preheat the grill to hot. Spoon the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish, cover with the potato and fork the mash into an even layer. Dot the remaining butter over the top and grill for 5–10 minutes until browned. Serve with peas, if you like.

 

Cook’s tip

Leftover lentils can be used to make a delicious, filling soup. Cook 110g (4oz) lentils with 1 chopped potato, carrot, onion and parsnip (or any other leftover veg you fancy) and 900ml (1½ pints) stock very gently for 1 hour. Purée with a stick blender before you serve.

 

Recipe taken from Fantastic Food for Less cookbook.

 

 

 

Share your top five favourite books with me. I would love to have a new selection to put on my reading list. Thanks!

#roalddahlday
#familyrecipe
#favouritebooks

#moneysavingcookbook

Recipe of the Day: Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples

Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples

 

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Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples 

Serves 6
75 mins plus cooling
555 Kcals/portion
Fat 16g (7.2g sat) per portion
Suitable for freezing
Suitable for vegetarians

Plain flour 175g (6oz)
Butter 65g (2½oz), diced
White vegetable cooking fat or lard 40g (1½oz), diced
Golden syrup 454g tin
Ground ginger 1 tsp
Lemon 1, grated zest and juice
Fresh breadcrumbs 110g (4oz)
Cooking apples 2, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Icing sugar 1 tbsp
Custard or ice cream to serve (optional)

1 To make the pastry, put the flour, 40g (1½oz) butter and fat in a bowl and rub in with your fingertips until you have fine crumbs. Gradually add 2 tbsp water and mix to a smooth dough. Alternatively, you could use a food processor.

2 Knead the pastry briefly, then roll out on a lightly floured surface until a little larger than a 24cm (9½in) diameter fluted loose-bottomed flan tin. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin, place in the tin then ease up the sides, pressing it in place. Trim the top of the pastry so that it stands a little above the tin. Chill for 15 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Pour the syrup into a saucepan, add the ginger, lemon zest and half the juice and gently heat. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Leave to cool.

4 Pour the syrup into the tart case. Toss the apple in the remaining lemon juice. Arrange the slices, overlapping, in rings over the top of the tart. Then melt the remaining butter and brush it over the apples. Bake for about 35 minutes until the apples are golden.

5 Sift the icing sugar over the top and return the tart to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the sugar has caramelised. Leave to cool for 30 minutes, then remove the tart from the tin and cut into wedges. Serve with ice cream or custard, if you like.

Cook’s tips
Place any stale bread you have in a food procssor and whizz into breadcrumbs.
Separate into portions and freeze in polythene bags so that you have a ready-made supply.

 

Fantastic Food For Less cookbook

Recipe taken from Fabulous Food For Less cookbook

 

When you get the book, I would love to know which your favourite recipe is.

 

Read the blogs on our website

Win a copy of Fantastic Food For Less

Save hundred of pounds on your food bills

#recipeoftheday #moneysavingcookbook #foodforless