A twist on the classic chicken curry

A new week for me means trying my hand at cooking a different dish in the kitchen.

This week I decided to make a curry. I have been reading Red Online (the online magazine from Red) a lot and have found some great recipes on there that are beginner-chef-friendly. Usually this magazine will go unnoticed by myself (maybe it's because of my age?) but I feel that their online magazine can appeal to any woman of any age.

Now where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you about the delicious curry I cooked- chicken and spinach. The recipe on Red Online is actually called 'chicken and cauliflower curry' but I subsidised the cauliflower for the broccoli that I had left over in my fridge.

The recipe is quite easy to follow.You will need the following ingredients and a couple of pans to cook with:

• Diced chicken
• Garam masala
• Coconut milk
• Turmeric (I used cumin instead, I suppose any spice could work)
• Garlic
• Onion
• Green chillies
• Tin of chopped tomatoes
• Rice

I won't bore you by blogging the whole recipe, instead you can find it on their site here.

I will say though that you might like to add a few extra spices to the curry, depending on hot you like it. I have found that when cooking with tomatoes that they tend to dominate the flavour of the dish, so I suggest blending any other spices that you might have lingering in the backs of your cupboards to give the curry a bit of hit. Also remember to season well!

Here is what my curry turned out like.

I was quite chuffed with the results and it wasn't too hot for my liking. I will be following another of Red Online's recipes sometime soon so watch this space ;-)

Abigail

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Peanut Butter Cookies...Yummy!

I am totally obsessed with peanut butter I have it on almost everything which is kinda weird!!


Anyway I found this recipe on Instagram on how to bake peanut nutter cookies and thought I'd give it a try. It is so easy and quick to make and I am not the ideal baker as it is.

All you need is:

• 1 cup of peanut butter (preferably organic) 
• Tbs of honey
• 1 egg
• Chocolate chip cookies or coconut (chocolate chips are my fave though!)

Then just mix the mixture together, separate mixture into 6 round pieces on greased baking tray and then pop in the oven for approx 9 mins!

Whalaaa!

That's how simple it is and they are delicious topped with nutella spread on top!!

Enjoy :)

Lucy

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Dior @ PFW AW13

(Images from Elle.co.uk)

Sorry that we are a bit late blogging about PFW but we just had to mention Dior. Did you see the show? We knew it was going to be exciting after Susie Bubble and other bloggers and editors tweeted and posted pictures on Instagram of the location. And the collection didn't disappoint. 

In the mist of well tailored dresses and classic trouser suits were pops of pink and lilac. However we were surprised to see that dog tooth would be returning for yet another season- a print which we like to refer as marmite, you either love it or loathe it! Anyway, here are three of our favourites from the A/W'13 collection...What were yours?

Lucy & Abigail

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Friday night with the girls

There's no better way to finish the week than to spend a Friday evening with the girls sipping on cocktails and  having a bite to eat followed by a dance to Beyonce. Don't you agree? Here's what I wore when I met up with the troop last Friday. I sort of channelled the gothic look and added a bold purple lip for a splash of colour..What do you think?

Abigail

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Mulberry LFW AW13

Here are my key favourite pieces from the Mulberry AW13 show at London Fashion Week.

(Images from Elle)

Mulberry AW13 Trends

Burgundy

Luxurious Leather

Tweed

Sophisticated Heritage

Pops of Colour - lime green/bottle green

Fur and Knits

Oversized Straght Hemed Coats

Depth in Darkness 

Playful Skater Skirts

Fishermans Jackets

Lucy

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A Weekend Treat - 'Seren Fach' Tea Rooms

So finally the sun had made a sneaky appearance this weekend. As I am strapped for cash at the moment my mum decided to treat me for some mid morning cake! (Always the best way to cheer someone up).  

There is this lovely tea room sat on the side street in Porthcawl called 'Seren Fach' which means 'Little Star' in welsh. As many decide to opt for the quick cafes along the seafront, Seren Fach is a hidden in gem in Porthcawl town. But this tea room is very inviting and bang on trend with the Cath Kidtson/Shabby Chic interior.

If you are not worried about the calories, their cakes are to die for!! As its the weekend I tried the enormous triple layered sponge cake and my mum opted for the carrot cake, they are beautifully decorated and would give Mary Berry a run for her money!

The tea room is a very ditsy and homely, the setting reminded me of being back in my great aunties country cottage in Garway. It is truly cosy and welcoming and the staff were very friendly and helpful. It is a great place to escape the madness and catch up with close ones on the weekend. 

They also have a shop full of sweet gifts you won't find on the high street, even if it is for a quick browse, it is definitely a little treat for Porthcawl town. And I think this is what small towns need to be thinking of doing instead of opening more poundland and bargain shops, they need to be more adventurous and create inviting places where people can escape and socialise together on the weekends. 

I would truly recommend Seren Fach for their remarkable service, delicious food and a great atmosphere... Put a smile on my face anyway:)

Hope you all had a great weekend

Lucy

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Nigella's sausages with beans & peppers served with Italian roast potatoes

Recently I have taken an interest in cooking. Now I am far from becoming the next Nigella and even further away from baking cakes that are on the same par as Mary Berry (my last cake took an hour to bake!) but I am improving! My speciality at the moment is Italian cuisine, I guess it's because most of the time you are not made to slave over a hot stove as most of the dishes involve throwing everything into a pan and watching it simmer away for no more than an hour.

For Christmas I had quite a few recipe books (I think someone is trying to tell me something!). One of them was 'Nigellisima' by Nigella Lawson. So as the weather signalled a lazy day indoors, I took the opportunity to cook up a storm in the kitchen. I have tried my hand at pastas and Nigella's 'meatzza', which was another success, and now it was time to cook more of a hearty dish. I ended up making the sausages with beans and peppers. The recipe does recommend to eat with chunks of bread to dunk but I chose to serve it with another of Nigella's recipes, Italian roasted potatoes.

Both recipes were easy to follow and most of the ingredients you will find stored at the back of your cupboards, apart from the fresh herbs and potatoes of course!

Here are a few pictures to show you how easy these dishes are to make.

Begin by roughly chopping the potatoes into mini quarters. Throw in a few cloves of garlic and chopped rosemary and coat with oil. Cook in a hot over for about an hour until golden.

Then cook the sausages in garlic oil for a few minutes until they brown slightly and add red vermouth (I used red wine instead). Add a can of drained butterbeans, sliced flame roasted peppers from a jar, a couple of bay leaves, a can of cherry tomatoes and half a cup of water, and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 15 minutes then turn up the heat and simmer for another five minutes. Above is my end result :)

I have to say I was very impressed with it and quietly chuffed with my effort. I will definitely be cooking this again as it's so easy to make. It's a delicious alternative to a Sunday roast or sausage and mash dinner!

(Image not my own!)

Abigail

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