Scotland will be celebrating St Andrews Day on the 30th November. Not only is it a Scottish celebration and bank holiday but it’s also the day that marks the start of the advent countdown to Christmas!
Amanda has already started our Christmas preparation and made her traditional English Christmas cakes. She’s been feedings them with brandy so that they’ll be perfect and boozy for Christmas Day!
I’ll leave you with this next week’s meal plan of winter classics.
Monday: Prawn and sweetcorn chowder
On the plan this week, we have a prawn and sweetcorn chowder which is so delicious that it doesn’t really need the prawns! I would recommend keeping them in the recipe though as they are a good source of protein. I was wondering where the name chowder came from and have since found out that it may have originated from the French word “chaudron”, or cauldron, as it was the name of the cooking pot that chowders were first cooked in.
Tuesday: Broccoli and blue cheese pasta bake
Next up we have a broccoli and blue cheese pasta bake. My top tip with this recipe is to make sure you have a really thick sauce before mixing it with the pasta and broccoli. Also, drain the pasta and broccoli well so that you can avoid any excess water making your sauce thin!
Wednesday: Chicken legs with caramelised chicory
For this recipe, I would recommend putting the sauce on the plate first and then topping with the chicken legs and caramelised chicory. I think it looks more attractive than pouring the sauce over the top!
Thursday: Cauliflower volute with smoked trout
Thursday’s recipe is a very elegant cauliflower velouté with smoked trout crostini. I really like using smoked trout as it has a wonderful flavour and is cheaper than smoked salmon. If you are unable to find it, then you can easily use smoked salmon instead. The crostini are a must for this recipe as the acidity of the fish balances out the light sweet flavour of the cauliflower soup.
Friday: Lentil and mushroom bourguignon
Last but by no means least is the lentil and mushroom bourguignon, I promise you won’t be missing the beef from this bourguignon. There is a wonderful crunchy texture from the lentils mixed with the amazing flavour of the bourguignon sauce. Feel free to serve with mashed potatoes as an alternative to rice. This is a definitely a tasty, warming recipe for a cold winter’s night.
