From quick and easy noodles to slow-cooked lamb, here's what's on the FOOD&WINE menu this week...
Some advice? Don't look at your weather app this week – it won't fill you with much joy.
Somehow it's the middle of May and yet, one glance out the window will convince you that it's still November. Temperatures are colder, the winds are forceful and the rain just won't give in. On weeks like this, it can be all too easy to feel blue.
But something that helps? Food.
On the menu this week, we're looking at quick and easy dinner ideas that will get you excited about dinner again; summer-inspired desserts to make it feel like summertime even when outside won't and we've even got a handy lunch recipe or two that are just calling out to be packed away on a picnic.
So whatever the weather has in store for us this week, at least we'll have some tasty dishes to go with it.
Chilli Pork Noodles
Ditch the takeaway and try to make your favourite dish at home with this gorgeous chilli pork noodle recipe. It's really light and jam-packed with flavour, so you'll definitely want to make it again and again, plus it tastes just as good cold making it perfect for picnics. Get the recipe, here.
Wild mushroom risotto
Making risotto is a simple skill to master, and once you make one, you can experiment with a variety of ingredients. The trick is to continue adding the hot stock slowly, stirring as you go, until the rice is just cooked. This takes time. For extra flavour, try frying the mushrooms on their own separately, before adding them in. Try the recipe, here.
Lemon And Polenta Cake With Blueberries
This cake is full of summery flavours and is so easy to whip up. The method of boiling and blitzing the lemons makes the cake really moist and moreish. If lemon and blueberries aren't your favourite flavours, try it with orange and raspberries instead. Try the recipe, here.
Ginger beer-soaked chicken
Cooking chicken over a can of ginger beer may be an unconventional method but once you taste it, you'll wonder why you didn't try it sooner. The ginger beer gives the sauce a delicious flavour and ensures the chicken stays moist. It’s best served with simple boiled rice and steamed green vegetables. Get the recipe, here.
Crab Cakes With Radish And Cucumber Relish
Hugo Arnold's recipes are always great, but we're particularly obsessed with these crab cakes right now. They're so easy to whip up and pack a great punch of flavour, so we know we'll probably make these crab cakes a few times this week. If you like the relish as much as we do, make a double batch and save some to use throughout the week. Get the recipe, here.
Croatian lamb shoulder
Slow cooking often gets regulated to the colder months, but we're here to tell you that this helpful style of cooking is perfect at any time of year. This Croatian recipe has a distinctly fresh flavour and if you buy a large enough shoulder, you should get several meals out of it. Try the recipe, here.
Eton mess with a twist
Before we even explain – just trust us on this one, okay? This classic summer dish gets an upgrade with the simple addition of black pepper. This dish is easy to make and super flavourful and because the weather has been so good lately, we can't wait to enjoy it outside in the sun. The black pepper perfectly sets off this strawberry and cream-based dessert. Try the recipe, here.
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