Better Late Than Never...

I've finally managed to push myself to cook something during the working week that is not simply a re-heat of a dish made at the weekend nor one that can be 'knocked-up' in half an hour.

Making the most of an evening to myself and therefore the chance to spend more time on the preparation and thus eat a little later (not to mention turn up the heat factor), I decided to make a Thai Green Curry.

I don't normally buy 'hot' chillies but they were the only green ones left in Tesco and so I decided to give them a go. 

I was a little concerned whilst removing the seeds and rinsing the chillies because with every chilli came a dry hit at the back of the throat and lots of coughing.  As I had decided to go with the six chillies recommended in the recipe, I did start to wonder what I had let myself in for.  However, once the paste had been made, sauteed and then tempered with some coconut milk, the heat seemed to die down a little and the finished result was a delightful Thai Green Curry with a good balance of individual flavours and a rather pleasant kick at the end of every mouthful.

Tomato risotto with basil and truffles

Now this is more my kind of thing.  Cherry tomatoes gently cooked in butter before being mashed and combined with the cooked risotto rice, Marscapone and Parmesan cheese!

Smoked salmon ravioli with a red pepper and fresh basil dressing

Keen to experiment with a fish recipe while I still have the urge to do so, I decided to start with a smoked salmon ravioli dish.  As things stand, when it comes to fish, the jury is still out. 

It smelt divine but there again I do love the smell of smoked food (with the exception of kippers!).  I ate it and it tasted okay.  However, salmon will never excite me and the chances of me making this dish again are relatively low.

Lemon and treacle tart...

by Jacqui, vanilla ice cream by Haagen Dazs!

Chicken stuffed with chorizio, sundried tomatoes and cannellini beans

Although roast chicken is a dish that I am very familiar with and one that requires next to no input during the cooking process and therefore, not much of a culinary challenge, I feel that I probably shouldn't be including it on the blog for it's not stretching me and it's not new to me.  However, I have never before tried stuffing it with chorizio, onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, cannellini beans and a whole lemon, until that is, I was rifling through the Gordon Ramsay book previously mentioned. 

I almost didn't go ahead with this recipe, preferring at the time to look for something more 'adventurous'.  However, I'm pleased that I changed my mind because I have never before cooked a roast chicken that was as succulent, or as delicious, as the one below.  Definitely one to be recommended.

The chicken that laid a golden lemon:

Some like it hot...

I certainly do!

Tonight's meal was another dish taken from the recipe book: 'Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course' (meat balls in a fragrant coconut broth) and it wasn't as hot as I had anticipated during an initial seasoning tasting, although the chilli flakes do provide quite a pleasant kick.  I was also pleased to discover that the freeze dried lemon grass (a substitute for the fresh lemon grass that the shop had sold out of), didn't have a detrimental effect on the overall taste of the dish which was absolutely divine; far better than I imagined it would be.

Some of the spices contained in the dish:

Savouring the aroma:

The end product:

The only downfall with this dish is that it is a recipe for two and if you happen to be making it when you are in the house on your own, then you may find that you eat far more of it than you should do!  I managed to reign myself in after a second (smaller) helping and save some for another day.

Coconut pancakes with mangos and lime juice

Due to the need to tighten the financial belt until late January, new and exciting meals will be thin on the ground for the next few weeks!  However, given that I still have the urge unwind in the kitchen and as I was unable to concentrate on writing evaluations this evening, I decided to abandon ship and instead focus on making coconut pancakes with mangoes and lime syrup; I'm pleased that I did, the result was delicious.

I now need to try and focus on making something a little lighter and healthier.

Following on from a conversation with a good friend yesterday, I now have the urge to try a dish with monk fish and my desire to try cooking with scallops has intensified.  If anyone knows of a good fishmonger in or around Falkirk I'd love to have your recommendations.