Sourdough, Tagine, Eggs and Stir-Fries: A midweek selection of images and recipes as shared on my Instagram account. From bread to stir-fries, it’s all here, as part of my Words on Wednesday series.

Some of February’s Instagram

Images and Recipes

Thus far February has been a month of white frost, snow, rain and drizzle, but with some dazzling days of sunshine in between too. Picking up from my last post Winter Words on Wednesday, I’m again sharing some images, words and recipes from my Instagram account. So far in February, we’ve had the Chinese Lunar Year, which is the year of the Pig, Valentine’s day and some Snow Days too! So, I’ve taken some of the images I’ve shared on Instagram and have added the recipes here, as well as some of my more popular photos. Some of the recipes are already shared on Lavender and Lovage, and some are new, but whatever takes your fancy I hope you’ll find something inspirational to look at or make, whether it be Sourdough, Tagine, Eggs or Stir-Fries! Karen

Kicking off with a stir-fry, this proved so popular that I shared the recipe on Instagram, and I will share it here too.

Sweet Chilli & Garlic Beef Broccoli Stir Fry

The recipe has been hurriedly copied from my notes but it is:

Ingredients:

350g beef, cut into strips
1 x head broccoli, cut into florets
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh ginger, minced
1 x bunch spring onions, sliced
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Fry light spray oil
Fresh coriander

Method:

1. Boil broccoli for 3 mins. Drain.
2. Spray wok with oil and stir fry beef.
3. Add rest of ingredients including broccoli and stir fry for 3 to 5 mins.
4. Add water if too dry, to make a little sauce.
5. Serve with fresh coriander and serve with rice or noodles if desired.

Today’s freshly baked sourdough loaf is just out of the oven…..trying some new scoring here and I love it. This is my usual overnight prove (12hrs) in a cold pantry then baked in a cold enamel pan in a cold oven for 1hr at 230C/450F/Gas 8 with the lid on. Smells utterly divine and I love the crust. Good morning the weekend.

The first bake of the day is out of the oven, and sliced ready for bacon butties for breakfast. A new sourdough recipe using 400g @dovesfarm strong white flour and 100g of their rye flour. This loaf had a 14hr prove and was cold oven baked in a cast iron @lecreusetuk cocotte for 1hr. Looks and smells great and will be fabulous for soup dunking later!

I forgot to share my sourdough loaf from yesterday….baked in a new (old) Le Creuset cocotte @lecreusetuk after 14hrs in a very cold pantry – using the cold oven method, baked for 1hr with the lid on. Perfect for dipping and dunking on soup as well as toasted for breakfast.

Our B & B guests have left happy and here’s my latest sourdough recipe – using extra strong white bread flour with Red River mixed seeds and grains, which is an iconic and warming Canadian breakfast cereal from Manitoba. I made a smaller loaf this morning, for toast and the bread basket with assorted homemade jams and marmalade. It’s all gone now and I’m back in the kitchen later this afternoon starting off another loaf for us.

The delicious crumb and texture in my sourdough ciabatta bread from yesterday – beautifully chewy with a slightly sour taste and lots of holes for receiving butter when toasted! I’m delighted that I’ve added another type of sourdough bake to my repertoire. Thank you @elaine_foodbod again for all the very handy tips! I’ve decided to write this recipe up on the blog, as it’s a very handy loaf to have for sandwiches or to accompany salads and pasta. It’s also amazing when toasted too.

All of these bread images and recipes are based on the recipe I shared in this post here:

CLASSIC SOURDOUGH BREAD MADE EASY

Not my brunch I hasten to add, I had a bacon butty, but this is a lazy, relaxed and tasty delicious brunch for Malcolm. Fresh local free-range egg, smoked back bacon, local pork sausage and cherry tomatoes all served with a rather large stack of home-made sourdough bread…..a meal to set him up as he needs to sort out some wind damage in the garden, we’ve had a very wild night and it continues to blow a gale around us. Have you had a slow start to Sunday? What are your plans? I’m going for a long walk later after making my last batch of marmalade for the time being.

A late lunch after a busy morning and before an afternoon of @sixnationsrugby where I’ll be darting in and out, as I’ve also got a bit of baking to do. Here’s a delicious plate of fried potatoes, bacon medallions, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, onions and parsley served with a free-range poached egg. On the side is a crusty slice of home made sourdough bread with @shirgar_ Welsh butter, which we all love here at Chez L & L. What are your plans today and for the rest of the weekend? We’ve still got high winds here, so it’s been mainly inside work this morning. This is a WW UK recipe, which I have shared below:

Breakfast hash with poached eggs

New potatoes, bacon and veg, topped with a perfectly poached egg – this tasty dish from the Healthy You cookbook makes a great family weekend breakfast

2 WW Points – Serves 4

Ingredients:

New potatoes, raw

250 g, halved
Calorie controlled cooking spray

4 spray(s)
Bacon medallions, raw

150 g, trimmed of all fat and roughly chopped
Red onion(s)

1 small, sliced
Mushrooms

200 g, sliced
Cherry Tomatoes

200 g, larger ones halved
Wholegrain Mustard

2 teaspoons, level
Parsley, fresh

1 teaspoons, chopped
Egg, whole, raw

4 medium, raw

Instructions:

1. Put the potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
Mist a large nonstick frying pan with cooking spray, add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Mist the pan again, add the onion and potatoes, then cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes. Season and stir in the mustard, half the parsley and the cooked bacon.
Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a pan of simmering water and poach for about 3 minutes until the whites are just set and the yolks are still soft.
Divide the hash between 4 plates and top with a poached egg, then season to taste and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

Chicken tagine with apricots and almonds

A warming winter supper of Chicken, Apricot & Almond Tagine served with Flatbreads and some fresh flat leaf parsley from the garden. This was absolutely delectable and just what we needed on a wet and very windy evening. I cooked this in a traditional tagine which is instantly recognisable with its conical lid, that helps circulate the steam keeping the meat moist whilst cooking the vegetables evenly. What’s on your table this evening? Is is wild and windy where you are?

One more photo and a close up of tonight’s supper, Chicken, Apricot & Almond Tagine with Flatbreads…..this was delectable and we both lapped it up!

This big pot of spicy deliciousness will be our lunch today, it’s a new curry recipe I’ve created comprising toasted cauliflower with turmeric, black onion seeds and chickpeas, with lots of golden fried onions added and a handful of spinach leaves. I’ve made enough for several meals and will freeze the excess for future frenetic days when cooking time is at a premium. It’s one of my vegan style curries which we enjoy from time to time and the chief taster sampled it and has proclaimed it to be ten out of ten, which isn’t bad for a carnivorous Yorkshire man! What are you planning for Saturday and the weekend?

Lunch is served – Toasted Cauliflower, Chickpea & Spinach Curry with Black Onion Seeds and Turmeric. Served with Basmati rice, Poppadoms and assorted Sambals, just like we used to have at the famous Sunday curry buffet in the USRC Club Hong Kong when I was growing up. This is a vegan curry, but not because it’s Veganuary, but because we eat plant based meals now and then throughout the year in a healthy omnivore diet.

The recipe for Toasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry is here:

Toasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

Beef Fajita Salad Bowl with Black Bean & Tomato Salsa – a fabulous @ww.uk recipe I adapted and only 7 points. Served with fresh lime and coriander. What’s on your lunch time table today?

Oven roasted Yorkshire forced rhubarb, ready to eat as it is with custard or to be made into a delectable crumble – things to love about this time of year.

Lunch is a healthy baked roasted pepper, sweetcorn & tomato salsa enchiladas recipe. Using @ww.uk wraps, @aldiuk fresh veggies and @barbers1833 extra mature Farmhouse Cheddar cheese, I served this with a romaine lettuce salad and cherry tomatoes. This is a very low 9 WW points and is packed with spicy Mexican spices and jalapeño peppers.

We’ve had sunlight here today…..here it is flooding through the French window onto the dinner table, which is set up ready for the B & B guests. Homemade yogurt is being made as well as some sourdough bread too.

Window views on the 0720 train to London.….

…..clickety clack, creaks and squeaks as I view the passing landscape from my comfy seat.

Scudding clouds cling to horizons whilst the moon still shows its face behind the chimney stacked houses.

Today is all about creating recipes with some really delicious, quality brands…..I love being in the development kitchen, especially when I’m working with gorgeous ingredients and products. Here’s a sneak preview of a recipe I’ve created with Bonne Maman, I’m just sharing the photos for now, but the recipe WILL be shared on Lavender & Lovage tomorrow. Swipe to see all of the images from cooked, served and finished! And, do pop back tomorrow to see what the recipe is and which Bonne Maman conserve/s I’ve used here.

The recipe is here:

BAKED RHUBARB & STRAWBERRY

CLAFOUTIS PANCAKE

Watch out for a new recipe on Lavender & Lovage tomorrow as part of my ongoing collaboration with Bonne Maman Conserves, using the seasons best citrus fruit too. We enjoyed these crêpes this morning after I’d photographed them, and I won’t give anything away, but they were lush!

On Lavender & Lovage today is my new recipe for Sweet Clementine & Bitter Orange Crêpes. These would be wonderful for a weekend breakfast and make the most of the citrus season. Golden, lacy pancakes filled with a clementine, bitter marmalade and Grand Marnier sauce…..we enjoyed these for a romantic Valentine’s Day breakfast yesterday.

The recipe is Here:

SWEET CLEMENTINE & BITTER ORANGE CRÊPES

A fabulous frosty morn’ here with just a touch of a pink sky. It’s going to be a baking day for me, just me with the radio and a pot of tea in the kitchen…..closeted with flour, eggs, sugar and lots of old family recipes. Have a cosy Sunday – what are your plans? #mytaleofwinter #heiterwinter

It’s a milder day today, and the snow has long disappeared around us leaving just the surrounding mountains and hills with snow capped peaks in the distance. We’ve had high winds and rain in the night but I’m noticing the mornings are much lighter which makes me feel more spring like!

My last INSTAGRAM post is here:

WINTER WORDS ON WEDNESDAY