Green Veggie Pesto & Goats Cheese Pancake Pizza

I know Pancake Day was a few weeks ago but mostly that day just re-establishes my love of pancakes...cue me making them every day for the next month. Okay not quite, but I have managed to succeed in keeping a relatively consistent intake of pancakes since then mostly in the form of standard lemon and sugar crepes and my cookie cookie dough pancakes. I’ll be honest I ate cookie dough pancakes twice the weekend following pancake day although I did use coconut sugar instead of muscovado and caster and really that’s just the same as eating fruit right?

Garlic & Rosemary Baked Camembert with Cranberry Relish - Bakemas Day 18

Stuffed Mini Peppers 3 Ways - Bakemas Day 9

I've been meaning to make stuffed peppers for a while now and what better time to shrink them and fill them with some ridiculously easy comfort food style fillings.

20 Minute Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Pesto Roasted Cherry Tomatoes – Bakemas Day 3

Sometimes you just need a big ol’ bowl of pasta and today is definitely one of those days.

10 Minute Jacket Sweet Potatoes with Curried Tuna and Feta

Lazy food is something I’ve been loving recently. I’m very good at putting off eating a meal because I’m so indecisive eventually I just end up hangry and need to eat. Even if you don’t do that I’m sure you’ve been in that situation where you’re too lazy to cook but you want to eat something relatively healthy. At the moment my answer is jacket sweet potatoes, they’re so simple and I can guarantee if you’re making for one you can have this on the table in 10 minutes, or on your lap on the sofa, whatever floats your boat.

Watercress & Rocket Soup With Garlic, Ham & Feta Welsh Rarebit

I’ve had an odd craving for green leaves recently. There’s something about green food that’s ridiculously appetising to me, I love a good salad but even though it’s spring, most days it feels way too cold for salad. Soup is kind of like a hug in a bowl and you have no idea how happy it makes me to have a bowl of green food in front of me and I get the added bonus of sort of stomping on those leafy cravings.

I like soup but honestly I tend not to eat it that frequently, I always find a bowl is too much because it makes me feel all sloshy; you know like when you’re really thirsty and you down a glass of water and then it feels like there’s a river in your belly, it’s kind of like that but a little more ...swampy. I probably shouldn’t say stuff like that, I think I’ve really perfected the art of saying things that potentially put people off eating, never mind, this is obviously called waffle and whisk for a reason! This soup is delicious though and you know it's good when I still eat two bowls regardless of the potential stomach sloshing.
Also, I can’t sing the praises of this Welsh rarebit enough; I’m all but drooling thinking about it. Do you know what Welsh rarebit is? No? Well we’re on the same page then! I Googled it about a week ago when I decided to make this and apparently it’s sort of like cheese sauce on toast.

I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m going on about seeing as I made it but this is another one of those “how my mother makes it” kind of things where that’s all I ever knew Welsh rarebit to be. Turns out, not that much like Welsh rarebit at all, although I only briefly looked it up and it seems relatively open to interpretation.

I’m not sure why I’ve never thought it switch it up before and add garlic and different types of cheeses but I just opened myself up to a world of possibilities, next stop anything I can find in the fridge! For now though this is the best Welsh rarebit I’ve had and I’ll still stand by that fact you can’t really go wrong with cheese and garlic, add in a little ham and I’m about ready to get back in the kitchen and make more of this.

Ratatouille Stuffed Pancake/Crêpe Enchiladas

It’s pancake day in T-minus 170 hours, in other words it’s in 8 days and I intend for you, me, your neighbour’s cat and anyone else who applies, to be fully prepared.
In all honesty I’ve always been a little bit put off by the idea of savoury pancakes because occasionally I have these weird things about certain foods. I am far from a picky eater but there are just some things I can’t deal with like bread and cheese together, especially when it involves butter but I also love anything with melted cheese on and that includes bread, making sense yet? Yeah, it never does. I’m pretty open minded to re-trying things though, like that time my mum gave me liver straight out the frying pan, give me a second while I involuntary shudder at the memory, but out of everything I’ve tried on here that I was a little unsure I’d like, I think this might just be my favourite.

I’m sure the majority of you are versed in the whole savoury pancake thing but in the very slight chance that you’re not you need to try this. I never imagined melted cheese and pancakes could taste so good, but here we are, and possibly the best bit of this is the crispy ends, can I just cook a batch of pancake ends up? This is a little time consuming however it’s pretty simple and if you’re making it for a family dinner it’s a good all hands of deck kind of recipe and how can anyone turn down the prospect of pancakes?
I’m sure your neighbour’s cat will be eagerly awaiting the next pancake post.

Bolognese Quinoa Bake

I’ve been way too into quinoa bakes as of late which is probably partially to do with my slight laziness right now but if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life I would probably pick quinoa bakes. It’s honestly the best thing when it gets to dinner time and you can just take pre-prepared quinoa out the fridge grate some cheese on top and bung it in the oven, I also don’t feel bad having a "lazy dinner" because quinoa and veggies are healthy, win win!
I’m not really sure why I’ve never thought of this before, wheat is not my best friend but bolognese is my favourite and why just put bolognese on top of quinoa when you can add cheese and bake it in the oven. I really wouldn’t put it past me to try “add cheese and bake it in the oven” to everything.

This is a good way to switch up your leftovers rather than just eating spaghetti bolognese a few days in a row, not that I would be opposed to that, but if you have a little wheat issue or get bored of the same thing two or three days in a row this is perfect and you can add more vegetables which I’m always up for too, although I used peas because they're my lazy vegetable of choice.

Healthy Spaghetti Bolognese

You know when you’re a child and some things are just a certain way and you never question anything to be different. Example: both my granddads and my dad were/are really into photography so growing up my sister and I had film cameras and as a kid I thought it was normal to have multiple cameras in the house and found it extremely odd when I had friends at school who’s parents didn’t even own a camera. I feel like this is making me sound old. Anyway the point I’m trying to make is at a young age you never really question some of the things you grow up with, well obviously I didn’t, case in point I never knew white spaghetti was a thing.
We ate multi coloured frusilli pasta, I think I vaguely remember eating white bow pasta and shells but when it came to spaghetti it was always brown and that was just normal to me. It wasn’t until I was about 10 maybe that I realised white spaghetti existed, I was probably at a restaurant but I mostly remember thinking why is this pasta so slimy. Obviously I’ve been on the whole wheat bandwagon since birth and even though I now know it exists I’ve still never bought white spaghetti.
This is another one of those “mother knows best” recipes! Spaghetti bolognese has been my favourite meal for as long as I can remember but specifically this Bolognese. It’s the way my mum makes it, and due to my life time obsession it’s the way I make it and I think it was probably one of the first meals I learnt to cook.
Let’s talk healthy; you don’t need oil to cook this, if possible buy the minced beef with the lowest fat content and always cook the meat first and drain the fat that comes out. We usually add courgette and carrot but when I was at uni I added pretty much any vegetable I could find, it’s a good way to bulk it out and make it stretch further, you might need another tin of tomatoes but feel free to go vegetable crazy. Like I said earlier I’m a supporter of whole wheat pasta which makes things a little healthier too but it also tastes great with courgetti if you have a spiralizer.
Even though this is healthy I can’t resist adding all the cheese, a few parmesan shavings would be the healthy way, or no cheese I guess but that thought makes me incredibly sad. If you’re trying to resist your love for cheese avert your eyes, I like to double up on my cheese; grated mature cheddar mixed in so it melts into everything and parmesan on top, I can almost taste it. I mean you’re being healthy with the bolongese you can splurge on the cheese right? If you’re going to eat it, eat it right! but shh I didn’t say that.

Sausage & Vegetable Stuffed Mushrooms with a Cheesy Garlic Breadcrumb Topping

Mushrooms are probably one of the only vegetables I always turn down, I won’t talk about the ins and outs of my distaste for them because I’m sure it will make this recipe seem oh so inviting but what I will say is if I had to eat mushrooms I would eat them like this. I think cheese, garlic and sausage can make anything enjoyable (maybe I should put that theory to the test GMM style) but these stuffed mushrooms are delicious, so delicious a mushroom-disliker may potentially like them! I can’t guarantee it but I’m definitely an advocate for trying things anyway and if in doubt...just add more cheese!

Tomato & Vegetable Quinoa Bake

There’s something about new year and me getting a cold, okay so I only have 2 two year running streak which I don’t wish to continue but I’m pretty sure the cold I had before Christmas that didn’t quite go away came back with a vengeance when the clock struck 12, actually it was when I woke up on the first but let’s say it’s when the clock struck twelve for dramatic effect. It’s safe to say with the way I’m feeling I’m not in a new year new me kind of mood, I’ve got more of a new year, same slob kind of thing going on although post cold I’ll potentially be ready to kick some serious butt...potentially! Usually when I get a cold I’m in a constant state of hunger and I always find the more I eat the faster I get better but now I find it ridiculously easy to skip meals and have to end up eating at midnight to get enough food in and am usually all around too tired to be bothered to cook anything nutritious. This quinoa bake is pretty much the answer to my cold and maybe the answer to your dinner woes, do you have dinner woes? It’s healthy and still pretty much comfort food which is exactly what I need at a time like this.

Garlic, Cheese, Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Crumble - Bakemas Day 21

I was already a little obsessed with putting every fruit and all the flavours in a crumble topping, now that I’ve made my first savoury crumble I might just have to put everything in a crumble, and I mean everything! Parsnips in a crumble? Roasted parsnips with cheese and garlic in a crumble add in carrots and did I mention roasted garlic? Seriously it’s like all my dreams coming true.

I love roasted vegetables, I would eat a plate straight out the oven and this crumble was me wanting roasted vegetables with crumble on top and cheese, who wouldn’t add cheese if they could. I didn’t want this to be remotely like a casserole because I am not a fan; I think I’ll have to tackle those in the New Year because I mostly remember them being overcooked and full of beef and I’m sure there must be light at the end of the beef stock soaked tunnel. What I’m trying to say is if you’re looking for a recipe for a saucy gravy filled vegetable crumble you’re looking in the wrong place but whatever you’re looking for make this because you won’t regret it. This is a perfect vegetarian main for Christmas or any day in the colder months, as I’m sure my family will find out next year, or as a vegetable side to your turkey, ham or whatever it is you like to eat on Christmas day.

Wensleydale & Cranberry Turkey Burgers with Tangy Sautéed Slaw - Bakemas Day 15

Can we take a second to talk about how flippin’ cute these cocktail sticks are? I’ve been seriously lacking in the “Christmasy looking shots” department and while these burgers were under the grill I found a bunch of those, what are they called, table confetti? As you can see these are highly sophisticated confetti trees stuck on cocktail sticks, did I just shatter the illusion that I came prepared? I’m back to burgers, and in the Christmas spirit they’re turkey burgers with Wensleydale and cranberry cheese. Can you buy Wensleydale anywhere else other than the UK? I only thought about it after I finished making these. Anyway Wensleydale is definitely one of my favourite cheeses, but what’s really nice about it when you use it on burgers is it doesn’t run off, it melts but stays pretty much in shape which means if you’re grilling your burgers half of it doesn’t end up in the bottom of the pan. Weirdly one of my favourite parts of this is the slaw; I would eat a plate of it just on its own but the tangy sweet vegetables go so well with the rest of the flavours. If there’s some left after burger assembling you can have it on the side or just stuff more in your burger which is what I ended up doing, and if you’re a big cranberry fan eating this with cranberry sauce makes it even yummier according to my mum.

Brie, Cranberry & Caramelised Onion Toasted Sandwich - Bakemas Day 13

It’s sandwich Sunday! Actually I think this is only the second sandwich I’ve posted on here and the likelihood I posted that on a Sunday is slim but it sounds like it would be a great segment. I think I can finally take a bit of a break tomorrow, although I say break, that break includes tidying, sewing, present related things and a blog post that still needs to be put up. What I really mean is I can spend all day in pyjamas and not in the kitchen which would be a nice change of scenery.

I made this seasonal delight for my mum, I only made myself a half sandwich which looked pretty sorry for itself but it blew my expectations to smithereens! I wasn’t expecting it to be quite as moorish, is that a bad thing to say about your own food ideas? Well it’s pretty quick to whip together and would actually taste really good with turkey leftovers in as well, someone try that out, turkey leftovers aren’t much of a thing in my house.

Sausage & Vegetable Pasta with Parmesan Shavings - Bakemas Day 10

Being ill and busy is not a recipe for feeling festive, and not feeling festive is not good considering there’s only 14 days till Christmas WHAT? 14 days! I still haven’t started sorting out Christmas presents; I haven’t even cleared away the boxes from decorating my tree. I’m also seriously lacking in the Christmas film department, usually by this time I’ve watched all three Santa clause movies at least 10 times and I haven’t even got through the first one once, I got half way through and realised it was 4am and should probably go to bed. As of right now I’m being a terrible festive person this year; I need to up the festivities. I think my life needs more mince pies, and more Christmas decorations.
I think this is the first pasta recipe I’ve put up here, I mean I love pasta but I don’t actually eat it that much because it bloats me just a tad. Pasta bakes are usually my favourite though, with a generous helping of cheese, that and sauceless pasta with meat/veg/cheese etc. Spaghetti Bolognese, how could I forget that? Anyway, this is a quick simple, but incredibly yummy dinner. Really easy to throw together, takes about 20 minutes from start to finish so you have more time to do festive things.

Tomato & Basil Soup with Garlic & Cheese Croutons and Bacon & Sautéed Onions - Bakemas Day 4

My day has been filled with sewing, harry potter, a lot of hot chocolate and a trip to the local garden centre to look at the Christmas decorations. I also popped down to Dickensian evening which basically means the town turns into a Charles dickens novel. Okay, so not quite, but they shut off the road there’s stools with tombola’s, crafts, cakes, candyfloss, sausage butties, mulled wine, lots of mulled wine and everyone’s dressed like they’re from the 1800’s. I will say I found it a lot more exciting when I was younger whether that’s because it was better back then or I was just more amused as a child I’ll never know. But on to the food, what we're really here for. I could talk about these croutons all day, so I’d probably be repeating myself a lot but I think I’m officially in love. Cheesy bite sized garlic bread croutons, why have I never thought of this before and I never thought I’d be a “soggy croutons in my soup” kind of person but I was so wrong. I did just give myself more work though, because every time I eat soup I will need these croutons. on the bright side, they're pretty quick to whip up. Did I just stomp all over the soup by bigging up the croutons too much? because this soup is delicious I just can’t stop thinking about those darn croutons. If you ever thought tomato and basil soup was bland make this, then add sautéed onions and bacon, as much bacon as you want...and did I mention croutons? But seriously, homemade soup is so yummy, tomato and basil is hands down my favourite and definitely worth the little effort it takes to make.
This soup is also the perfect thing to eat after being out in the cold and even though it’s not freezing cold tonight it’s still ridiculously yummy, especially with a bowl full of croutons. Okay, I'll shut up about the croutons!

Tuna, Cheese & Vegetable Stuffed Sweet Potatoes - Bakemas Day 2

Healthy comfort food is the ultimate goal when it comes to winter, no one wants to eat salad when it's 5 degrees out unless you're the type of person who uses their heating to make it feel like a sauna. I think I hit the nail on the head, all the comfort and every good intention of being healthy, so maybe the cheese is questionable but everybody deserves a little cheese in their life, especially at Christmas. I’m definitely enjoying that I can prepare this for about 10 minutes then bung it in the oven while I do something else because I seem to have accumulated a lot of things to do again, not to mention I haven’t even started sorting out Christmas presents yet. Okay so being unorganised isn’t rare for me but I think I’m getting slightly better, at least I’m feeling the need to be organised even if I’m not accomplishing it. I spent a lot of the first day of December making Christmassy bags for my granddad to give the kiddos (or just spent time thinking about making them), yes it’s getting festive all up in here, although, I say making I’m still only at the painting stage. The painting stage is the best part though; it gives me an excuse to watch Christmas films while I do it which I’m more than happy to do. Seeing as I stayed up till 3am painting I didn’t find time to put up my tree yet which fingers crossed I can get done today if I get to the end of my to do list, which let’s be honest is highly unlikely. I did help my mum put the tree up outside though, well, I lifted it, then stood there feeding her the lights while she put them on, so all around I was really helpful. If you’re lacking time like I am at the moment this is a really simple and incredibly yummy dinner, like I said, 10 minutes of prep and you can bung it in the oven and come back half an hour later. I put the leftover pepper and onions in the dish but you could even add more veggies in the dish to roast so you don’t have to prepare side vegetables.