Category Archives: RECIPES

saving with jamie

     

I am obsessed with Jamie Oliver’s new cookbook Save with JamieAbby gave it to us as a hostess gift when she visited us in September and I have cooked from it so much this fall. When I looked up some reviews of this cookbook, the press referred to it as Jamie’s “austerity” cookbook (Oh, I love this country), meaning all of the recipes cost a few pounds per serving. He achieves this by dressing up leftover Sunday roast throughout the week. You spend £8 on a beef brisket for Sunday and have curry on Monday, tacos on Tuesday, stew & jacket potatoes on Wednesday, etc. There are lots of tips for using up leftover veggies, overripe fruit, stale bread, etc. and turning into useful kitchen standbys. It is so practical and very user-friendly but the recipes are really delicious.

We are in austerity mode up here in north London, so needless to say, I have been all about saving with Jamie. Here are some my of favourite recipes from the book that are available online. I’ve made all of these and they are so good.

Meatballs alla Norma / Lamb koftas / Veggie korma with cauliflower pilaf / Hit & Run chicken tray bake

I think this would be a fantastic housewarming gift, hostess gift, Christmas gift, etc. Who doesn’t want to save money on groceries and still crank out delicious meals? And on an expat note, this cookbook has everything from piri piri to roast to cauliflower cheese – a pretty good overview of all the things you might find on a British dinner table. When Americans say there is no good food in England, they just haven’t been invited over for dinner. Or supper. Or tea. Or whatever.

Photos by David Loftus / Recipes by Jamie Oliver from Save with Jamie 

quiet moment

quiet moment

Things have been so busy since I’ve come home. I’m singing with MPJ on his first UK tour (check his site for dates), planning some shows for when I come back to America in August and listening to mixes of the new album! But yesterday I had a little quiet moment over a really good salad. It’s the small things…

Our fridge has become a museum lately – lots of dinners out, eating Pret on a bus. So the majority of our CSA box went into a roasting pan. I’ve been throwing it into haphazard meals eaten at odd hours, but this one turned out well. Spring mix + avocado + roasted seeds + sultanas + roasted beets + green onions + simple vinaigrette – nice mix of earthy, savory & sweet!

Tune in tonight at 10:30pm (4:30 CST)- Matthew & I will be with Simon Lederman on BBC London 94.9 – listen online here

paleo snack ideas

i’ve confessed my switch to the paleo diet and shared some fitness milestones (i.e. regularly going to the gym). i thought i would share some of my favorite snack recipes.

if i can get into the kitchen on sunday afternoon to prepare some food for the week, we keep our budget in check and i eliminate those moments of staring into the fridge, starving. one thing i can’t get consistently right with this way of eating is the fullness factor. some days i will eat a bowl of soup and am full until dinner, other days i will eat a salad with protein and loads of veggies and be starving by 4. anyone have any ideas? 

when the moment of hunger strikes, definitely don’t grab a snickers. maybe make some of these healthy snacks. your body and your wallet will thank you.

have a great weekend. throw open the windows, crank up Radio 1 and make some SNACKS – that’s what I do.

PALEO SPICED NUTS from Paleo Comfort Foods - Mix in some golden raisins for a salty-spicy-sweet thang.

PALEO GRANOLA from Cheeky Kitchen – Kind of an indulgent treat – very addictive, so be careful on your portions!

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS from Paleo Comfort Foods - served these with tea at a meeting – they were a big hit

PALEO BREAKFAST BARS from Elena’s Pantry – I added poppy seeds – really good!

 

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