0 Credit Crunch Munch June Round up

                       

June was a busy month for us at Lancashire Food hosting not one but two blog challenges, so here's the round up for Credit Crunch Munch, a blog challenge that encourages frugality yet not at the cost of flavour. Some amazing money saving ideas have been linked up and I must say none of them look frugal but they are, bloggers are just so creative.

                                   

                              

Our first entry is from Fabfood4all with an amazing Rhubarb and marzipan cake which I am sure tastes amazing and is definitely something I will be bookmarking to try later, I'm pretty sure I have some marzipan languishing in a cupboard somewhere.

                                            

Next up is myself with a Rhubarb and anise syrup and frugal jam, utilising rhubarb from the garden to make both syrup and a frugal jam from the fruit leftovers. I even used a recycled bottle !

                              

Jibberjabber kindly linked up a very yummy looking Microwave lemon sponge pudding recipe, which looks so tempting and is whipped up in a flash and belies its humble ingredients.

                              

I love Tapenade, so was very pleased to see A seasonal Veg table - Gothic black olive tapenade being linked up. Using up a half jar of olives she had lurking in the fridge. Great idea !

                             

The above delightful creation is Utterly Scrummy Food's - peach traybake. Created after buying a bargain punnet of peaches for 30p. Doesn't it look amazing....

                              

Next along came Spicy "Kermit" raw green cavalo nero soup from Sarah at Maisoncupcake, this fantastically healthy soup utilising a bogof on the cavalo nero (kale) just screams eat me. If you want to know why kermit check out the post.

                                  

Tales from a kitchen shed linked up an Easy bean burger recipe, I am sure this would be great for garden bbq's for the summer and would be very popular with friends and family.

                                          

Eee Bah Gum linked up a mushroom and cheese risotto, a great moneysaving dish and very tasty too. We eat a lot of risotto in the Lancashire Food household.

                                        

Tales from a Kitchen shed kindly linked up another couple of recipes,firstly a Peach melba rice delight, which would be suitable for serving at a dinner party in my humble opinion. It looks so beautiful and a great use of seasonal stone fruit. I also love that the rice pudding is cooked in a slow cooker.

                              

Another slow cooker recipe this one utilising the humble jacket potato, the ultimate comfort food. Great idea to use a slow cooker to cook the spuds. Thanks Tales from a Kitchen Shed, another one for the must try list.

                               

Lastly we have an Italian fritatta with vegetables from the MyLittleItalianKitchen, as she says an excellent picnic dish if served cold.

                               

A quick late addition is from Choclette over at Chocolate Log Blog with some very delicious chcolate bean burgers with chilli sauce, what an inventive combination.

I'd like to thank all contributors to June's Credit Crunch Munch and to Fab Food 4all and Fuss Free Flavours for letting me host their challenge.

Detail: Credit Crunch Munch June Round up

0 We should cocoa roundup -New Ingredient challenge January 2014

We have really enjoyed being guest hosts for We should cocoa and have been amazed by how inventive this months participants have been in their combination of ingredients with chocolate. I must thank Chocolette for allowing me to host her lovely bloggers challenge.

                                                     

Our first entry was a gluten free Chocolate gingerbread molasses cake, from none other than yours truly Lancashire Food, I hadn't cooked or baked with molasses previously and was intrigued by the deep spicy, earthy sweetness of the molasses.

                                           

Our next entry was from Veggiedesserts a healthy Beetroot chocolate protein ball, the ideal sweet treat for this time of year, almost guilt free. This is a new combination of chocolate and peanut butter for this blogger. 

                                            

Healthy chilli chocolate butternut brownies was our next contribution and  the resultant brownie is a wonderful combination of a chilli paste and moist butternut squash, an excellent entry from the Hungry Hinny.

                                            

Next up was Holey moley veggie and rice soup from The Taste space, with a lovely warming recipe for winter time. I love its rib sticking qualities, a recipe inspired by the bloggers recent trip to Mexico.

                                           

The more than occasional baker joined in the fun with an inspired combination of olive oil cake with rosemary and chocolate, this is definitely recipe to be bookmarked for later as I am intrigued as to how this one tastes. Careful balancing of flavours required I think.

                                           

Eat your Veg was next to bring us a tasty quick recipe for a Chocolate Avocado mousse, I love combining avocado and chocolate, so I can thoroughly recommend this one, its also a great way to get kiddies to eat avocados.

                                            

Alexandra over at The lass in the apron has created the delectable looking double chocolate pomegranate brownie cookies, combining the superfood pomegranate in a chewy cookie. Another recipe that should prove popular with all the family.

                                            

Another cookie recipe this time from Mainly Baking, Chocolate chip cookies with sour cherries and szechuan peppers, this is another recipe that has needed careful flavour balancing so that the mouth numbing pepper can be tasted but not overpowering the rest of the flavours.

                                            

Our next contributor is Grace over at Life can be simple with a stunning flourless chocolate cake, which is gluten free, diary free,sugar free and  free from soya . This cake was made in celebration of a 5th wedding anniversary and is a beautiful thing to make for the one you love. 

                                           

Law students cookbook brought another cookie recipe to the challenge, the new combination being bacon and chocolate chip in a bacon chocolate chip cookie, this is a combination I have tried and enjoyed but in a muffin.

                                            

Next up is Dom over at Belleau Kitchen with Reese's peanut butter cup blondies, springboarding off a Simon Rimmer blondie recipe combining with those wicked sweet salty peanutty cups. Very pretty and very very naughty.

                                            

Our next contribution comes from Bakenquilt with Nibby kind bars, a healthy cereal bar recipe featuring brown rice syrup, cocoa nibs and lots of other healthy treats, my kind of baking !

                                                   

Honey chocolate madeleines ! what's not to love, combining honey and chocolate Living is a great adventure's recipe has already gone on my bookmarked list, ideal for afternoon tea and so beautiful too.

                                         

Triple coconut chocolate cake is our next recipe from The Kitchenmaid, stunning beautiful and featuring coconut sugar, coconut flour and coconut oil. Another one for my list, packed full of healthy ingredients and gluten free too.

                                                   

Chocolate chilli pie anyone ? brought to us by the talented "I'd much rather bake than" a traditional pie packed with your favourite chilli with the sneaky addition of chocolate.

                                         

Cookies are popular for this challenge, this recipe from Corner Cottage bakery has the addition of Scottish tablet  to a traditional chocolate chip recipe, inspired choice of combination given its been Burns night this last weekend.

                                          

Next is a Jerusalem artichoke cake from creator of We should Cocoa, Chocolette. This cake looks amazing and is a combination I haven't seen before, It would appear that the legendary effects of the artichoke have dissipated in the baking process !

                                         

The Usual Saucepans contributed a beetroot, feta and chocolate couscous salad which is a beautiful colour, ideal to brighten a winters day, another dish carefully balancing sweet, salty earthy flavours. Great work.

                                           

JibberJabberUk contribution this month is a deliciously moist looking Chocolate and coffee bean cake, as a coffee hater this is Jibberjabbers first foray into using coffee beans that she was given in a secret santa at cake club. I love the combination of coffee and chocolate, so send a piece this way please.

                                               

Secret (mayonnaise) brownies from Tales of pigling bland are the next course on our chocolate menu, another ingredient that the blogger isn't a great fan of, but used creatively its been turned into a delectable treat. I've baked with mayonnaise myself and found that its great for adding moisture to cakes, after all classic mayo is just eggs and oil ! 

                                               

Kumquat and white chocolate muffins, surely one of your five a day ! Thanks to Lapin d'Or and more for this zesty tasty recipe using a great seasonal ingredient that's just that bit more interesting than orange.

                                               

Maison cupcake were next up with these charming creations of Hot stuff brownie lovebites with Oaxacan smoked chilli honey. Suitably glammed up with gold leaf no less as the new ingredient combination. Sarah's planning ahead for her valentines celebrations here. They are gluten free too !

                                               

Another bitesized treat next ! Chocolate dipped rose fudge from nuttytart , a myriad of first time combinations in this post and the results look amazing, another recipe that would make a great valentines gift.

                                            

Our penultimate contribution is from Baking in Franglais, who has linked up a fab looking Chocolate and ginger puddle pudding. This twist on the classic chocolate saucing recipe featuring the novel combination of ginger beer (alcoholic in this case) and chocolate. 

                                           

Finally we have from Cake of the Week, Goats Cheese brownies, possible not the first combination you would think of but I can see how this would work, again balancing the sweet salty flavours. 

Thanks to all contributors to this month's We should Cocoa, you are obviously all very creative to come up such novel flavour combination and also thanks for the stunning photography. Next months challenge is back over with Chocolette at Chocolate log blog. So reader if you are inspired why not join in the fun next month !

                               

Detail: We should cocoa roundup -New Ingredient challenge January 2014

0 Season of Soups, Stews and Casseroles Round Up

                                         

Firstly apologies for the delay in the round up for the blog competition, what with Christmas, a short spell in hospital for me and a change of judge things have got a little delayed. Anyway on with the round up, the blog competition saw some great entries from food bloggers across the country who gladly shared treasured recipes for the chance of winning our great prize from Essential Cuisine.

                                                          

I am also very grateful to Stosi Madi the talented chef from the multi award winning Parkers Arms in Newton in Bowland who stepped in to judge  the competition. The Parkers Arms is a gorgeously situated country inn  in the stunning Trough of Bowland in Lancashire, Stosi is passionate about the use of local produce in her fine establishment and I can whole heartily recommend a visit, I am not alone in singing her praises either as the establishment features in many of the restaurant guides and many a  food critic have sampled her culinary delights too.

A warm welcome at the Parkers Arms

On with the entries , we had 6 diverse dishes to consider, our first entry was from Karen Booths Burns over at the fantastic food blog  Lavender and Lovage, a comforting chicken and corn chowder, Karen got extra marks for using Essential Cuisine Stock in her chowder too !

                               

Karen's second entry was a delicious sounding Highland stew which despite being rib stickly warming is actually a diet food !

                               

Now we are off over to Janice at Farmersgirl Kitchen who's entry was another warming comforting recipe  of Chicken broth featuring that lovely grain barley. 

                               

Our next entry was a German pork, beef and sauerkraut goulash from Claire at Foodie Quine blogging in Aberdeenshire, who came up with this recipe to get her in the mood for her festive trip to the Munich Christmas markets. 

                               

Over to Recipe Junkie now for a man sized chicken pie made with her own stock, just what you need on a cold winters day.

                               

Last but no means least our final entry is from Claire over at  Ooo Bi Doo, who's entry is a sausage and bean casserole, sorry no picture, this is Ooo Bi Doo's first blog post and hopefully not her last.

OUR WINNER IS JANICE AT FARMERSGIRL KITCHEN, CONGRATULATIONS YOU PRIZE IS ON ITS WAY ! Stosi was very impressed by the standard of entries and loved the look of this dish.

Detail: Season of Soups, Stews and Casseroles Round Up