Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary
cooking up a storm at the edge of the world
My husband is an ectomorph, bless his 69% merino wool Smartwool socks. This means that it doesn’t matter what or how much he eats he just doesn’t put on weight. Sometimes I stare at him from the other side of the dinner table, nibbling on yet another low calorie salad, glaring at him while he, …
I’m always looking for speedy supper ideas. As much as I love spending time over the cooker, some nights I really can not be bothered. Those nights tend to be the three nights in the week I’m working in our village co-operative – my ‘getting out of the house’ job where I work a few …
I’m not a boxed dry cereal with milk for breakfast kind of gal. I used to be. When I was a child I loved my Alphabits, Froot Loops and Cornflakes (sprinkled liberally with sugar – ah the things we did in the 80s!), but as an adult… I’m not. I’m not sure when that transition …
Happy New Year! I hope you have had a lovely festive period, and that the New Year was greeted with a bang. Have you made any resolutions? What sort of things did you get up to? Over the last few years we’ve started a new family tradition of bringing in the New Year watching the …
The idea for these raw chocolate and clementine mini cheesecakes with a chocolate hazelnut crust has been bumping around inside my head for quite some time now, ever since I tried The Rawtarian’s raw cheesecake recipe a few months ago and was really impressed with how light and creamy the cashew based filling was after blending …
Fried sage and white truffle-infused olive oil transform this soup into something really special. I’m not a big fan of dried sage. There’s something stale and unpalatable about the herb, I feel, so I tend not to cook with it. That was until fresh sage leaves began appearing in my veg box and I discovered …
aka how to salvage a failed attempt at making chocolate hazelnut spread. I like experimenting in my kitchen, I really do. Sometimes (quite a lot of the time, if I am to be honest!) it doesn’t quite go according to plan. I had a notion to make some homemade chocolate hazelnut spread recently. Ok, if …
Freshly toasted and ground cumin and a touch of cayenne give this hummus recipe a nice kick. There must be at least a hundred different ways to make hummus, and we each tend to have our favourite version. Mine includes plenty of toasted and freshly ground cumin seeds and a generous pinch of cayenne for …
This quick and easy Hungarian plum cake is a great way to showcase fresh, seasonal plums. It’s very nutty and delicious, perfect with an afternoon cuppa. Post updated 16 August 2018. “Mum, why it so windy?” It’s that time of year again. The gales have returned causing ferry transport disruptions. It’s getting dark early and …
In collaboration with Green Giant. Challenge #1 – Green Giant Minions Challenge The brand new Minions movie hits cinemas on June 26th and to celebrate, Green Giant is challenging bloggers to create the ultimate Minion-inspired summer snack. Green Giant Sweetcorn is a perfect ingredient for family mealtimes: kids love the delicious, naturally sweet flavour, and …
A grain-free pancake recipe packed with protein! We’re pancake fiends in this house. With three growing children I can stand at the cooker making a batch and they’re devoured within seconds of coming out of the pan. I can barely keep up! Regular readers will know I’m one for trying new things, so when my …
aka: what to do with all those ignored vegetables at the bottom of the fridge! Let’s talk Lego! My husband, bless his cotton socks, doesn’t do a lot of cooking. He can peer into a full refrigerator and not come up with a single idea for dinner. Shelves of vibrant vegetables get ignored in favour …
All the flavour and nearly half the calories! I love a hearty, creamy bowl of soup, me. Especially when the winds are howling outside and you want something warm and comforting. Alas, most creamy soup recipes use a ridiculous amount of double cream – something I just can’t afford to eat right now while I’m trying …
Packed with the flavour of lycopene rich tomatoes and slow roasted garlic. Nothing beats the humble tomato. Packed full of lycopene, its antioxidant properties and health benefits are well documented. Plus, a bowl of steaming hot tomato soup is the perfect comfort food, wouldn’t you agree? Especially when accompanied by a gorgeous, oozing, freshly made …
A vegan post workout protein smoothie. Dear Reader, I have a confession to make. I’ve become fat. I’d always been one of those skinny people. When I left high school I weighed just over 7 stone. I was very active: swimming, cycling, skateboarding, horseback riding, climbing (and falling out of) trees in the summer, skiiing, …
A gluten-free Autumnal skillet breakfast crumble. I have a confession to make. I love cold fruit crumble for breakfast in the morning. When the days begin to grow colder I start craving warm puddings like saucy hot fudge pudding, sticky toffee pudding or fruit crumbles. I will often scoff any leftover fruit crumble, cold, straight …
A vegan, all natural, refined sugar free frozen dessert. My ice cream machine died last year. It was a gruesome, horrible death with a cracked bowl and bright blue coolant oozing all over the contents of my freezer. This was the second time this happened (same model) and I haven’t replaced it yet. I’ve had …
ideal for sipping from a tin cup on the rocky sea shore Hot soup sipped from a tin cup while sitting on the rocky shore watching the waves dance. What can be better than that? There are nine years between my eldest child and my youngest. This means it can be difficult to find something …
I am in love with this machine! It’s got curves reminiscent of a 1950’s classic car. Its deep metallic red colour is so alluring that I want to get out the wax and start buffing it while Frank Sinatra croons in the background. The knobs and switches remind me of a vintage radio, as if, …
