Today’s Blog Post
Today, I wanted to share with you some of the recipes that we have been using over the past few months. Our last “Five Recipes We Are Loving” was actually back in October, and we have definitely tried out some good recipes since then. While we often play things by ear in the kitchen when it comes to cooking, it can be fun to use recipes for inspiration! When we aren’t baking our own recipes, we also love to try out other blogger or celebrity recipes. Plus, when you find yourself in a situation where you have very few ingredients in the house but want to make something, you can always Google it and come across something fun to try out! That’s how I baked one of the recipes I am going to share with you today. Anyway, enjoy this blog post – we hope you give some of these recipes a go!
Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli from the BBC
This ravioli recipe is great for those who have not previously made homemade pasta. It is simple and very easy to follow, and I can vouch for the fact that you will end up with a super delicious meal. The filling is made with spinach, ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. It is super creamy and savory but also has a lovely flavor from the lemon and the spinach. The pasta dough itself is relatively easy to handle, and can even be rolled out by hand. Don’t be fooled by the recipe telling you that you need a pasta machine! I made it without one and was still able to roll the dough out until it was nice and thin. Definitely try this one out if you are looking for a fun project for a weekend evening!
Baked Granola Bars from Downshiftology
I have definitely mentioned these in a previous blog post too, but I love these baked granola bars. They are so customizable, which is super important to me. I don’t love when I have to go shopping for specific ingredients, especially for a snack recipe that I want to whip up pretty quickly and with minimal effort. I would recommend including something crunchy and dry like cereal, though, or else the bars might fall apart. They turn out wonderfully chewy but crispy along the edges. You can always bake them for longer if you want them to be entirely crispy! But seriously, put whatever you want in these and they will become a weekly go-to recipe for you as well.
Hot Cross Buns from Mary Berry
Since we just celebrated Easter, I had to make hot cross buns! And this is a fantastic recipe. The buns were easy to make and turned out so fluffy and delicious. To be honest, can you ever go wrong with a Mary Berry recipe? I also love how customizable hot cross buns are. I know that lots of people love the original kind with dried fruit and citrus peel (I do too!) but it can be fun to mix it up. Next year, I’ll probably try making a chocolate version, a lemon-blueberry version, and maybe even one based on a Danish kanelsnegl! Now that I’m thinking about it, I might not actually wait a whole year to do that 😉
Irish Guinness Bread from Platings and Pairings
A few weeks ago, I was planning on making soup for dinner. But while soup on its own is delicious, nothing is better than a hot bowl of soup with some freshly baked bread. So, I wanted to make a loaf! However, I did not have time to make a bread dough, let it proof twice, bake it, and let it cool. It was around St. Patrick’s Day, so I had seen a TikTok of someone making Irish soda bread earlier that day, which inspired me to Google some recipes. Eventually, I realized I also had Guinness in the fridge that I could use, and I found this recipe! This bread was so easy to make and seriously so delicious. It is meant to be quite sweet, so I would warn you to add sugar based on your own preferences. I added a bit less than the recipe called for an it was just amazing! I will be making this again, for sure.
Aubergine and Tomato Rogan Josh from Jamie Oliver
Finally, I wanted to share a recipe that is a great option for a quick homemade meal. It uses store-bought curry paste, which gives the vegetables plenty of flavor and spice. The aubergine (or eggplant, as we Americans call it) gets very soft and tender, while the tomatoes also become soft and juicy as they are roasted. The recipe calls for topping it with crushed pistachios, which is very delicious, but you can really use whatever nuts or seeds you have at home. Anything that adds a nice crunch! I have also added other vegetables before, like mushrooms, which just gives it even more flavor and makes a larger quantity. Serve with naan or rice and you are all set!
