Warm Duck and Crunchy Red Cabbage Salad

If you're anything like me Monday night is not a night when you want to be coming home from work and cooking something taxing. I'm loving my new job but even so, the start of the working week after the weekend off usually requires that little extra effort to get you going and into it, especially in the winter when it's cold, wet and windy outside. So when you've travelled home in the dark on a train-full of tired commuters like yourself you probably don't want to be spending ages in the kitchen just to get a good meal on the table. Well that's certainly how I felt this evening, anyway.

So tonight I opted for duck breasts, which take only about 20 minutes to cook, with salad. To liven up the usual salad leaves I added some raw, shredded red cabbage and drizzled over a simple dressing of 3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part white wine vinegar, whisked together.



To cook the duck breasts season them and put them skin side down (assuming you haven't gone for skinless) in a frying pan and cook over a medium heat. They will release their lovely fat into the pan - which you can save for roast potatoes (store in the fridge). After about 10 minutes turn them over and give them about another 10 minutes if you like them deliciously rare, as I do. Make sure you leave them to rest for 5 minutes so that their juices go back into them.

The Frugal Cook...In a Book!

Even in the best of times it makes good sense to be cost effective when planning and cooking meals, but when you’re in an economic crisis with spiralling unemployment and rising food costs it may become essential to pull in the belts, make the food on your table go further and become altogether more thrifty. If the credit crunch is making you have to re-think your food shopping and cooking fear not: help is at hand.

Fiona Beckett is a renowned food writer and the author of the blog and the book of the same name: The Frugal Cook. If you haven’t yet visited the blog you should - on it we follow Fiona on her journey of thriftiness, picking up lots of tips and recipes along the way. And now there’s a book too; one that I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of ever since I first heard Fiona talk about it on her blog. Now that I finally have a glossy copy in my hands I’m certainly not disappointed.

What I particularly like about this beautifully illustrated book is the general advice scattered through it. Not only do each of the original recipes come with a ‘thrifty tip’ to help you get even more for your money, but there are whole pages dedicated to frugality (isn’t that a great word?) such as ’20 Ways to Cut Your Food Bills by 20%’, ‘The Frugal Storecupboard (and Fridge)’ and ‘How to be more Energy-Efficient’. There’s also a handy A to Z of ingredients and leftovers which gives ideas on what to do with them.

It’s a great book, coming at a time when it’s needed most, and I just know you’re going to love it.

In the Bag: Cooking the Month of October - The Round-up!

Last month I hosted a Halloween special 'In the Bag' and invited you to carve or cook a pumpkin. Here are the spectacular entries in all their glory.

Frolicking Foodie:





...and a Little Bit More:



Yum in Tum:



Dil Se:



My Kitchen Diaries:



Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes:



I'll Eat You:



Not Quite Nigella:



Coffee and Vanilla:





Apple Pie, Patis and Pate:



R Khooks:



eCurry:





Good Things Come in Small Packages:




Aren't they just fabulous? Thanks to everyone who entered!

'In the Bag' is a monthly food event run by Julia from A Slice of Cherry Pie and Scott at Real Epicurean

Bonfire Feast

Yesterday afternoon our parents, my cousin, his wife and their little daughter Hannah (our gorgeous god-daughter) came over to have dinner with us and then watch a firework display. My cousin's wife had suggested that she and I make a chilli and she found a quick recipe by Gordon Ramsay. We made a great team - and this is a good dish to make in a team as there’s quite a bit to do like chopping the vegetables, browning the meat while the dried spices are added to the onions, cooking the rice. We must have done a good job as the response of our chief taster, 2 year old Hannah, was “more!”.













We doubled the recipe up so used 2 red chillis, but didn't use the seeds so that we'd keep it mild, particularly as Hannah was eating with us. We did find though that it was very mild indeed - perhaps the chillis we used weren't very hot - so next time we'd probably use some seeds. Even so it was really flavoursome and everyone enjoyed it; I'd happily make it again. If you decide to try this recipe be aware that there's an error; the tomato puree is listed twice with different amounts, but the recipe says to taste so go with what you think is best. We used 4 tablespoons (remember we doubled the recipe) and found that was plenty for us.

For pudding we had a fantastic pumpkin pie spiced with cinnamon that my cousin's wife made. It was delicious with vanilla ice cream and went down really well. Here’s the recipe, which I can definitely recommend.



After dinner we all wrapped up warm and headed out to watch the fireworks. Hannah was squealing in delight all the way over to the park as she saw fireworks through the car windows. The typical British Bonfire night rain held off for long enough for us to see the display but we did get rather wet on our way back to the cars. The excitement was all too much for little Hannah, who fell asleep in her Dad’s arms as he carried her back.