There's more than one cookbook

I've been experimenting with some different recipe books recently. There are now three different books on the kitchen counter ready for use. The Green Roasting Tin which pretty much lives there but doesn't feature any of the dishes in this blog, The Vegan Cookbook which I won in a competition a few years ago, and a book simply called Greek which I'm not sure exactly where I acquired it but possibly in Trago Mills in Newton Abbot.

First up stuffed roasted peppers from Greek. This simple dish included a stuffing of halloumi, mint, lemon rind, thyme and garlic, topped with pine nuts. Served alongside cous cous. 

Next from neither of the cook books was a mozzarella burger from Linda McCartney. I really enjoyed these at a friend's BBQ last month and decided to buy some myself despite rarely eating burgers at home. This wasn't actually what I was planning to cook that night, but it was a hot Friday and this seemed like the best option. The lack of planning meant that I didn't actually have any burger buns to hand so it was more of a burger sandwich with mustard mayo and topped with fried mushrooms. Served alongside the leftovers of a tabbouleh I'd made for lunch and supplemented with extra tomato, cucumber, and parsley. It turned out to be the perfect summer weekend dinner.

Then we get to the Vegan Cookbook with a sweet potato, pasta and walnut dish. Start by cooking the onions and cubed sweet potato in oil. Once starting to brown add mushrooms, turn down and leave to half an hour. Cook the pasta (this would work best with the shells the book recommends but I only had fusilli), mix with the vegetables and stir gently. Serve topped with a herby dressing with garlic, parsley, sage, capers, vinegar, mustard, and oil. The dressing really makes the dish.

Finally another one from Greek - this time a a simple summary salad of broad beans and feta. Cook the broad beans and drain. Add spring onions and feta, along with a dressing made with oil, lemon rind and juice, garlic, sugar and pepper. Stir through and top with dill. Serve with a quartered hard boiled egg, and lemon wedges. Another fresh summery dish, although I might go a little easier on the lemon juice next time.

It's been fun experimenting with different recipes over the last week or so but I'm not abandoning my old favourite just yet. Another bonus of experimenting is having more blog content!

I'm truly confined to home until Wednesday, but luckily have good supplies to keep the Confined Kitchen vibe going until I'm released from my isolation. Despite that a takeaway tonight does seem tempting - a treat to raise the spirits.