Simply Cook: Thai Red Prawn Curry - REVIEW

I was recently emailed to ask if I wanted to try out a Simply Cook recipe box*. Having never heard of them - I checked out their website and was quickly intrigued with the nifty concept; a box of spices and flavours featuring four recipes, posted through your letterbox to make quick, tasty and healthy meals.

So, a couple of weeks ago came the familiar sound of the letterbox going, and among the usual bills and leaflets was a slim box carrying the precious ingredients for my next week's dinners.

In each box you get four recipe cards, and four containers of the spices you need to make each one. All you have to do is buy the fresh ingredients, follow the simple step-by-step guide whilst cooking and then voila - eat!

Four spice boxes: Malay Laksa, BBQ Tandoori, Bokkeumbap, Thai Red Prawn Curry

The recipe card and shopping list

I decided to cook the Thai Red Prawn Curry - I followed the steps exactly, although I added a load of extra vegetables and cooked rice noodles, instead of plain rice (my small act of rebellion). I think this just shows that the recipe is very versatile and allows you to tweak it. I love a lot of vegetables, and the only drawback, or negative thing I have to say about the recipe is that I felt the recipe lacked vegetables. But this was easily rectified, by adding some tenderstem broccoli and green beans to the dish.

Three spice pots

Overall, the dish turned out to be delicious. A tangy, flavoursome and more-ish meal - that had a good hit of heat. It was also even more yummy the next day, reheated. I found it to be the perfect balance of creaminess with a punch of chilli - the ideal feast on a cool night while curled up in front of the TV, or shared with friends over a few drinks. It's comfort food at its best!

If you want a quick, tasty and crowd-pleasing meal (they really do only take 15-20 minutes to make from scratch) then Simply Cook have provided me with a discounted trial box for only £3 to offer to you - click here to get this awesome deal - your taste-buds will thank you!

Have you ever tried a recipe kit box? What were your experiences like? 


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*DISCLAIMER:
Simply Cook kindly sent me a box to try, free of charge, and they have provided an affiliate link for you to use for your first box, at a discounted rate. However, the opinions above are all my own, nor was the box sent with any proviso that I would write a review (favourable or otherwise). 

Recipe: Wiener Schnitzel

This recipe is for Wiener Schnitzel. Traditionally made with veal - I'm using pork loin steaks instead. Wiener Schnitzel is the national dish of Austria and are delicious and simple, if a little naughty (because they are fried). I have played around with the traditional recipe by adding herbs to the crust, as I think it adds so much to this already yummy dish.

Wiener Schnitzel's make an ideal light supper or decent lunch when served with a salad in summertime. I ate mine two days on the trot. I had one serving for dinner hot out of the frying pan and one cold for lunch - both options are equally tasty.

Ingredients: (makes 3-6 portions depending on appetites)

2-3 stale pieces of bread
A large handful of fresh herbs (I used a random mixture of thyme, mint and basil)
6 pork loin steaks
2 eggs
A splash of milk
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Blitz together, using a food processor, the bread and herbs. Enjoy the incredibly fragrant wafts of fresh herb-y goodness. This mixture is now your breadcrumb mix; simple! Spread the mixture onto a plate.

2. Whisk together the eggs, milk and seasoning. You could always add some chilli, cumin or other spices to this mixture if the fancy takes you. Place this egg-y mix on a plate (be careful not to slop it over the kitchen counter in your haste, like I did!)

3. Put a little oil and a teeny amount of butter in a frying pan and get the pan hot , but not smoking.

4. Take each pork loin and dip it first into the egg mixture, coating each side, then place it into the breadcrumbs and pat each side so that the pork becomes covered in the herb-y crust.

5. Place the pork loins in the hot pan and let them cook and crisp for a 3-4 minutes on each side.

6. Serve the Wiener Schnitzel with a salad, or with your favourite kind of potatoes (chips, mash, potato salad etc.) and vegetables. Either way, douse the schnitzel liberally with freshly squeezed lemon juice, for a deliciously zingy, fresh and tasty meal.

 What meal are you enjoying cooking? Have you added your own twist to a classic recipe that you love?

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Offally good? Braised lamb hearts recipe

This isn't the usual type of recipe I would normally publish however the result of this off-the-cuff recipe was really very delicious (if I can say so myself.)

I'm not one to be squeamish - gutting fish, filleting meat etc. doesn't bother me however the thought of eating a heart made me feel rather uneasy. It's certainly not something I would usually choose to cook let alone dine on myself. But someone I love has a fondness for all things offal and so to please them, I have gradually been working my way up to tackling a meal made with heart by cooking the more minor(?) organs first.

Hearts are actually a really sensible choice for the meat portion of your main meal. The heart is an incredibly lean part of an animal as it is doing so much work so you won't be eating lots of unhealthy fat when cooking this or any other heart-based dish. It is also one of the most inexpensive cuts available. You only need one heart per person (hmm, that doesn't sound quite right but you get my meaning) the cost of which is between 30p and 50p. So you can feed a family of four for under £2. I would highly recommend trying out this recipe as it's not only tasty but wholesome for your bank account and body too.

The finished meal.

 

Ingredients: (serves 2)

 

For the stuffed hearts:

• 2 lamb hearts
• 1 slice of good quality brown bread
• Handful of fresh parsley 
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 free-range egg

For the braising liquid:

• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced finely
• 2 celery sticks, sliced finely
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced finely
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. tomato puree
• 2 leeks, finely sliced
• Lump of unsalted butter
• Sprinkling of flour
• Splash of red wine
• 1 litre of good quality chicken stock

Method:

 

1. Sear the lamb hearts for a few minutes in a casserole dish on the hob until brown all over and then set aside on a dish to cool.
2. In the same casserole dish you used to sear the hearts fry an onion and the three cloves of garlic until softened and starting to brown. Keep the casserole dish (plus the meat and onion scrapings) until later for the braising liquid.
3. To create the stuffing for the hearts tear up the bread and place into a blender. Blend until it creates a breadcrumb texture with no big lumps.
4. Add the softened onion and garlic mixture along with the parsley and thyme to the blender and blitz until a fine consistency.
5. Mix in the egg and stuff the hearts with the mixture. If you have any leftover stuffing form it into balls and place to the side.
6. 
   To make a good base for the braising liquid add the carrot, celery, onion, leeks and garlic to the casserole dish and fry gently until they are starting to soften.
7. Melt some butter in the pan and then add a sprinkling of flour and stir thoroughly. Add some tomato puree and ensure all the vegetables are fully coated before adding the chicken stock to the pan.
8. Allow the liquid to come to the boil then turn down the temperature to simmering point and add a splash of red wine.
9. Place the stuffed hearts and any leftover stuffing balls into the liquid and simmer on a low heat for 1 to 2 hours before serving.