Cookbook Challenge 2013 - Week 24

I’d been eyeing up the Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake in the latest issue of BBC Good Food magazine for the past few weeks but couldn’t really justify making it for the two of us, so when I was asked to bring a pudding to a BBQ there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation as to what I’d be taking. As it was a baked cheesecake I made it the night before because I wanted it to chill overnight, though it did prove a risky venture as the temptation to dig-in every time I went into the fridge was immense. Still, I managed to resist, and it survived the journey up the M40 (still snuggled in its tin). Although the weather was not as hot as predicted, there’s nothing like sitting outside enjoying good company, good food and a few drinks – many thanks to our hosts for a very enjoyable and meaty BBQ (I’m sorry if we ruined the two-tone effect…but personally I blame Jamie Oliver!). I think we must have all engaged our ‘pudding tummy’ later in the evening when we decided we probably could squeeze in a small piece of cheesecake, and rather pathetically we only managed to consume about a third of it – but there were only good noises coming from around the room so it seemed to go down well. I was really pleased with how it turned out as I realised that I’d never made a baked cheesecake before, but definitely will be doing so again!

Given that tartiflette is an indulgent French dish usually saved for a post-ski meal, it may sound slightly bizarre that I cooked up Rachel Khoo’s Nids de Tartiflette, from The Little Paris Kitchen, on a swelteringly hot June day…nevertheless that’s exactly what I did. Though I did serve them with a freshly-dressed green salad to compensate, because I believe that does make a ton of potato and cheese the healthy option! They were really easy to make, mainly because I used the food processor to shred the potatoes nice and finely, and then sat back with a chilled glass of wine while they continued to cook in the oven. I must have added more potato that strictly necessary because we ended up with more than the recipe stated, but hubby wasn’t complaining when he took the leftovers to work the next day (nuke them in the microwave and they’re just as tasty…apparently).

Wanting to feel a bit more virtuous after consuming my own weight in cheesecake I opted for Green Sindhi Fish Curry from I Love Curry for the following day, it looked nice and light and just the thing for a quick mid-week dinner. It was very easy to prepare but I needed to cook the sauce down for a lot longer as it was still very watery towards the end, I removed the fish and continued to reduce it down even further as I didn’t want it to be overcooked and flaking into the sauce. I think that next time I won’t add so much liquid as it did dilute the flavour somewhat. I served it with naan bread but I think rice might be a better idea in future.

My final new recipe of the week was Broad Bean, Pea & New Potato Quesadillas from Wahaca: Mexican Food at Home. This one takes a bit of prep, and a few saucepans (although I waited until the potatoes were done and then used the same pan for the beans and peas, don’t want hubby complaining about the washing up!) but is definitely worth the effort. I prepared the filling and then sat down with a cup of tea before continuing with the griddling a bit later on, with all the windows open naturally – my griddle pan does have a tendency to set all the smoke alarms off! Once griddled, I kept each quesadilla warm in the oven while I completed the batch. These were exceptionally tasty, nice and crispy on the outside, though I might add an extra chilli next time for a slightly bigger kick, I served them with just a dressed salad and it was the perfect dinner.

Recipe Count: 74
New Target: 104