I
have always been a fan of Jo Pratt's books. For me they always seemed
to echo where I was in my life at the time of reading so they have
always appealed that little bit more than usual. Her style of cooking
and writing and the food she enjoys resonates so easily with me that
I managed to convince myself that of course if I knew her, we would
be best friends! (Don't worry Jo – I now live on the other side of
the world!) But like a true, trusted friend that you can rely on here
we are once again with her third book and surprise surprise it's just
what I am looking for!
Her
latest book, Madhouse Cookbook, comes from the current time in her
life where she is a busy parent juggling work and young children so
it is only natural that she deems her home a madhouse! Her latest
book is all about trying to balance her work and home life and still
have time to cook dinner for family, friends and of course, herself,
so this book is all about simple, quick to prepare and easy to shop
for meals that cover all eventualities! The book has three main
chapters – Monday to Friday Survival, The Busy Weekend and Cling on
to Your Social Life. Each chapter is further divided into different
categories for even more direction and organisation, such as 'The
Need for Speed', 'Quick Prep – Leave to Cook', 'The Family Meal'
and 'Saturday Night (Kids are Banned)'.
The
book is packed full of recipes as well as ideas for transforming
leftovers. In the end I tested 4 recipes plus a leftover recipe.
The
Tested Recipes:
Very
Special Fried Rice
Simple
Beef and Barley Casserole and
Beef and Barley Pasties
Leek,
Bacon & Brie Pasta
Sticky
Toffee and Banana Pudding
The
first recipe to be put to the test was the Very Special Fried Rice
which comes from the chapter “Monday to Friday Survival/ The Need
for Speed”. I decided to make this for a quick midweek meal for my
son and I as hubby was away. It was full of flavours that Wee One
loves so I knew it would be a hit and it was. I did have to cook my
own rice as I didn't have any left-overs but next time I make a dish
with rice as a side I will definitely make extra so that I can make
this the following day. It was a perfect quick meal with plenty of
flavour and a healthy dose of protein, vegetables and carbs all in
one dish.
The
next recipe to be put to the test was the Simple Beef and Barley
Casserole. The instructions for the recipe couldn't have been
easier – you literally tossed the beef in some flour with s&p
and then add everything into a large casserole dish. I had planned to
try it in my crock pot/slow cooker but due to having to go and buy
some wine for it I left it too late so stuck to the original recipe.
That being said it's definitely a recipe suited well to a slow
cooker. After 2 hours of cooking (and smelling delicious) we were
eager to try it. The first thing was it was a little too reduced for
my liking so I had to add a splash of water to make sure there was
plenty of sauce. The taste was fine but really nothing special. To me
it just tasted like a standard stew and there was no wow factor to
it. I was a little hesitant about using Pickled Silverskin Onions and
to be honest we weren't a fan but they were great for convenience
just not to our tastes as they stayed too vinegary. I really liked
the barley through it so will do that again, but overall I just felt
it needed something extra to make it better than just fine.
Since
we had a lot of left-overs I decided to use it to make the Beef
and Barley Pasties which she suggests on the same page. It's a
great idea as really it is a much thicker stew recipe so it was
really easy to prepare and they tasted great. I think I actually
preferred the casserole like this rather than the initial recipe!
These were a definite win and I would make them again – even if
with a different casserole recipe.
Next
up and for a quick Friday night dinner (having spent the day getting
organised for our Halloween Party!) I made the Leek, Bacon and
Brie Pasta. It was really easy to make and only took 15 minutes
so a perfect quick and easy meal that was really delicious. Hubby was
really happy with this one since we rarely eat cream based pastas so
this was a special treat and it really was delicious. I'll definitely
make this recipe again – in fact it's so easy I told hubby that he
could even make it!!
For
a Sunday night treat I finally got round to making the Sticky
Toffee and Banana Pudding
which I had had my eye on from the moment I saw it! It was
ridiculously easy to make and was soooo good! I will definitely make
this again and already have it marked for dessert for a special
family meal in the future.
As
well as the above tested recipes I also made the Chilli and
Lemon Mozzarella with Pan-fried Avocado
which was delicious and the South Indian Chicken Curry
which we also really enjoyed. I'd make both recipes again, especially
the first one as I loved the Pan-fried Avocado.
As
usual I wanted to try even more recipes but I ran out of time. That
being said this is a cookbook I can see myself turning to on a weekly
basis as it really has everything in it for busy family life. As well
as the above recipes I've bookmarked
lots more to try over the next little bit, including:
Honey
Miso Salmon with Warm Green Salad
Speedy Steak and Pan-fried Avocado
Club Sarnie
Fish Finger Tortillas
Mediterranean Baked
Chicken & Rice
Baked Fish in a Bag with Tomatoes, Butter Beans
and Chorizo
Lifesaver Speedy Chocolate Puddings (yes please!)
Chocolate, Banana and Almond Croissants
Spanish(ish) Chicken
Traybake
Lamb and Redcurrant Casserole with Rosemary Dumplings
Blueberry and Apple Fruit Strips
Raspberry Marshmallow Muffins
Mango and Lychee Bellini
Thai Sausage and Peanut Rolls
Crab and
Avocado Blinis
Spicy White Bean and Red Pepper Dip
Spicy Halloumi
with Tomato and Coriander Salad
Honey and Cinnamon Duck with Lentil
and Pomegranate Salad
Beef Rendang
Effortless Bouillabaisse
Quinoa, Beetroot, Squash and Feta Salad
Chocolate and Salted
Caramel Tart
The
start of the book is clearly all about quick and easy family
favourites and I have to admit when I started reading it I did think
I might be a little disappointed if the book continued that way.
However I had no need to complain because it didn't. Each chapter had
it's strong points and plenty of appealing recipes to choose from
that are sure to keep your family happy at the dinner table. I love
how it covers all eventualities from the midweek rushed 'get everyone
to the table as fast as you can 'cause we're starving!', to Weekend
meals and even recipes for entertaining that won't leave you stressed
out and a mess when your guests arrive! There is a good variety of
traditional family favourites that are tried and tested, mixed with
new updated inspiration to help introduce new flavours to your
family. The recipes are all very straightforward and easy to follow
with minimal fuss and there are no obscure ingredients that are
impossible to find. Being a family cookbook I like how she labels the
quantities such as 'Makes 2 adult or 4 kid-sized portions or 2 adult
and 4 kid-sized portions', although in my opinion her portions are on
the big size so we always had lots of left-overs (although no
complaints there!).
My
only criticism of the book are that the smaller sub-chapters aren't
clearly labeled (in other words no cover page or clear divider) so you go from one
category to a completely different one within the turn of a page and
it doesn't quite flow.... until that is you realise you are in the next
sub-heading (which is labeled at the top of the page). But that is me
being super critical and really is nothing!
Speciality
Ingredients?
No.
The whole point of this book is that it is simple, everyday recipes
using ingredients from your local supermarkets/butcher and
greengrocer. Perfect for family friendly recipes.
Learn
anything new?
Probably
not but I was reminded of some great family favourites as well as
some new ideas. The best recipe of the ones I tried was definitely
the Sticky Toffee and Banana Pudding and our least favourite – the
casserole, although I did
really like the pasties with the leftovers.
This
is a fantastic cookbook for those with a busy family life. It has
great suggestions that kids are bound to love but also caters for
those nights when you want something special once the children are in
bed. I honestly think if you are trying to balance family life and
making sure you get some good home cooked meals on the table you need
this book. The recipes are really straightforward, there are no
strange ingredients that are impossible to find and most importantly
the recipes work and taste good.
Without
any question of doubt Madhouse Cookbook gets the Vanilla Clouds and
Lemon Drops Stamp of Approval!
sounds like a good book
ReplyDeleteIt really is - I highly recommend it! ( For the Sticky Toffee & Banana Pudding alone!)
DeleteLooks like a good book. I would really love to have one. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDelete