Dark November

My kitchen is not that interesting this month, I haven't been spending much time in it either cooking new or experimental recipes, just making the usual tried and tested recipes for ease and convenience. 

I don't have very much to share, but here goes with the little I do have. 

I picked up this salt pig when we went to Hay-On-Wye a couple of months back. I don't any more salt pigs, but this was one was so pretty with trailing flowers and being sold at a bargain price, I dithered as I knew D would not be very pleased at my purchase..what to do?...it was just too nice to leave behind.  

The woman selling it gave me a fantastic idea and said, you don't have to use it as a salt pot, but perhaps put a jar in it containing a trailing plant.  Sold.  I bought it there and then.

I also picked up this handmade terracotta snack tray for holding nibbles: peanuts, olives and the like, but thought it would be nice to hold some small cactus plants. I think it will come into use around Christmas time, by the way these are the last of the tomatoes from the greenhouse.  

We also went into Bristol and just outside St Nicholas Market, there was a young woman selling home made Ethiopian sauce.  I picked up two. I thought they'd be good t perk up some of our pasta dishes.

This Squash is waiting to be roasted.  

I don't know what came over me a few weeks back, but i really wanted to eat some paneer which is Indian cheese, so i picked up a packet from a supermarket.

That weekend I made Paneer Swiss Chard an adaptation of Saag or  Palak (Spinach) Paneer that you often find at South Asian take-aways and restaurants.  I'll share the recipe later this week. 

Now this was an impulsive buy.  

I picked up not one, but two types of Black Charcoal Cheddar Cheese.  D was none to happy as they were not cheap, but i said, they will last us up into Christmas and we don't indulge that often with cheese, so he forgave me - but I put my hands up, it was excessive, thank goodness they expire in February 2020.  

I have already used one block of the Black Charcoal Cheddar Cheese for Black Macaroni cheese a late Halloween meal for friends. 

I introduced these Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio bars to IMK last month, I quite liked them and picked some more up they are essentially sticky nuts glued together with blueberries and pomegranate molasses.

And finally some herbal tea: Blackberry, Apple, Beetroot and Ginger.

I am sharing this blog post with Sherry's Pickings for the In My Kitchen series.  If you would like to join in, send your post to Sherry by the 13th of the month

Black Charcoal Cheddar Macaroni Cheese

Last year I made a Black Garlic Macaroni Cheese for World Pasta Day and Halloween that has become a big thing in the UK in the last five years, but this year I had neither the energy or  or motivation to do anything at home or for the trick and treaters banging on the front door. 

This Black Charcoal Cheddar Macaroni Cheese only appeared on my table as some friends rang me out of the blue wanting to come on over for a short visit  last weekend; and as good hostess I wanted to make them something to eat and as it was short notice, I made do  with what I had at home - pasta, milk and cheese.

Despite how it looks, it tastes just as you would expect - like Mac'n'cheese.  To break the grunge grey-blackness, I did scatter over some chopped spring onions. 

I had picked up the Black Charcoal Cheddar Cheese whilst I was in Cardiff recently.  I had bought some Black Charcoal Cheddar last year but never got round to sharing what it looked like, so partly with blogging in mind and partly because we liked the black charcoal cheese I indulged and paid a few extra pounds to bring this cheese home. Look this one is even designed to look like coal!

This is not a sponsored blog post 

I also spotted this creepy graffiti art on the side of a building in Cardiff recently and thought it would compliment my blog post and a late Link to other Black coloured food recipes 

Black Charcoal Cheddar Macaroni Cheese Bake
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
75g butter
1 medium onion - peeled and chopped
75g plain flour800g milk

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

200g-225g Charcoal cheddar cheese, grated plus extra for topping
Salt and ground pepper

300g macaroni pasta

Method
Melt butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onions and cook gently until soft, then garlic and cook until soft.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then gradually add the milk, whisking all the time.

Then whisk in about three-quarters of the cheese and allow to melt into the sauce.  

Cook until you have achieved the required thickness.

Season to taste and combine well.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente. 

Drain, then stir into cheese sauce and gently transfer into an ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
Bake in oven Gas mark 6 for 20 - 30 minutes until golden.  
This dish can be made in advance and reheated. 

Chocolate 'Beef' Chilli in Blue Tacos

I'd like to say I made this for Halloween , but the truth is this blog post Chocolate Chili in Blue Taco's has been languishing in my draft box for over a year.  

I was actually meant to be working on Halloween night, so had given D instructions to give out the trick and treating children sweets when they came knocking on the door, that responsibility often falls upon me, but as it turned out - the evening event got cancelled, so I was able to still be the giver of sweets to trick and treaters banging on the front door, but there were not many children as in past years.  I think the sodden weather kept many of them away, I have to be honest I was kinda glad as I did not have much energy to be jumping up and down like jack in the box to answer the door.  

Anyway, back to this Chocolate Chili in Blue Taco's - the recipe was adapted from a meat based recipe from Clodagh McKenna's Chocolate Beef Chilli.  I replaced the beef with soya mince and omitted the bacon lardons.  

I remember it being  very rich and 'too chocolatey' for my liking and I wasn't a great fan of the Blue  Corn Tacos either.  They broke on folding. 

I was glad that I was able to try the Blue Corn Tacos having admired them afar before, but I am in no rush to try them again, unless I go to Mexico and they are fresh. 

Last Eat Your Greens

Well November is upon us bringing with it plenty of rain.

I also bring some news, this will be the last Eat Your Greens challenge.  Both myself and The VegHog my co-host have had a the pleasure hosting and meeting so many lovely bloggers contributing their recipes to  the #EatYourGreens over the past few years.

So for the very last time, please do join in.  All you have to do is make either a vegan or vegetarian recipe with green vegetables or fruit on your blog.  

Then copy the blog link to the comment section below and I will share it at the end of the month.  The use of the #EatYourGreens logo is completely optional, but is appreciated.  The deadline is the 29th November and the Round up will be on the 30th November 2019.

And if you want some inspiration, then please pop on over to the VegHog to see what was shared last month.