#AtoZChallenge / Chilli Con Carne Revisited

I first posted my favourite way to cook chilli con carne back in 2012. It is by far one of my favourite comfort foods to cook, and because of late, I have been trying to eat really healthily, I wanted to share my revamped version.

Firstly, I put a very small amount of olive oil in to a wok or frying pan. To the oil I add a sprinkle of all the spices I want to use: smoked paprika, paprika, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds and sometimes a pinch of cinnamon and chilli powder. The amount is purely to taste, but I like my flavours really strong so add quite a fair amount of each spice. 

After letting the wok get hot (*poetry alert,*) I throw in a pack of lean turkey mince. Turkey mince is a great alternative to beef mince and much less fatty, so great if you are on a health kick. I let the turkey start to brown, and then add one diced red onion. Once the turkey has started to turn golden, I drain one can of kidney beans and one can of chickpeas, followed by a handful of diced mushrooms. You can add some chopped peppers too, but this time I chose to keep it really simple I stir this regularly until all the turkey is completely golden, the kidney beans and chickpeas soft and the mushrooms tender. 

After checking to make sure my turkey mince is cooked, I add one can of chopped tomatoes and a few glugs of mushroom ketchup for added flavour, and extra spices to taste. You could also try adding some chopped ginger or garlic too, but sometimes it's nice t keep the ingredients really simple. I used to sometimes use one of those packets of chilli con carne spices, but now I just make my own spice concoction, just because then I know what's going in to my food. 

I let the chilli simmer on a low heat for about ten minutes until the sauce has thickened, then plate up. I don't cook rice to go with it so instead either sprinkle some grated cheese on top, or some fried onions for extra crunch. (I love the French's French Fried Onions!) 

If you've got a favourite comfort food, please share it in the comments. I'd love to know what meals  everyone else loves to eat!

Cook with Ginger: Pasta Perfection

Bon Soir Universe! 


After putting it off for nearly a week, today I embarked on my first giant home-cooking session since I got back from my holiday! 


Shocking...I know! 


At lunchtime, I cooked a recipe found in Jamie's 30 Minute Meals . 


I had it on good authority that it is an amazing dish... 


And it did not disappoint!! 

Yes...I am aware that it doesn't look very appetising at this point (a bit like mush), but stay with me!

I've added tomatoes now - much better colour!! By this stage it smelt amazing too!! 

Et Voila!!! 

There was loads left over after my lunch, so I'm saving it for tomorrow to take round to my friend's house to eat!

I'm sure there's a video on the internet somewhere with this recipe (Jamie Oliver did a TV series in the UK based on his book.) 

I was so impressed, I had to Instagram! 

I'm @gingerjax if you are want to follow me!

If you like pasta, and quick lunch ideas, you definitely need to try this dish!! 

Happy Cooking Everybody!! 

Cook with Ginger: Pork, Apricot and Celery Burgers

Bonjour Universe!

I am ALWAYS looking for new recipes to try that are simple, quick, and make me go "Nom nom"!

The flavours in this recipe were inspired by the stuffing that I had at a roast dinner my friend cooked me last week, and the recipe itself from an old favourite (found here.) I kind of improvised a teeny bit, but it turned out really well, and was cooked in under 20 minutes, so perfect for a quick lunchtime bite!

I used pork mince, a stick of celery, and a handful of dried apricots as the main ingredients for this dish, and it was d-eeeelicious!

I whizzed the dry ingredients up in a blender for speed. I cannot praise the blender enough if you are in a hurry...it saves SO much time and means that I can fix myself something nutritious and yummy in a flash!

I decided to grill my burgers...it's a lot healthier, and considering I spent most of the morning shoving chocolate in my mouth, I thought I could do with being a bit more careful about what I had for lunch!

This meal can be cooked in under 30 minutes, so even if you are in a rush or can't be bothered to cook something...YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE!!! You can eat them with salad, with beans, with just a burger bun...

Yum yun yum!


Happy Cooking Everybody!

Cook with Ginger: Bacon and Asparagus Brunch

Bonjour Universe!

When I got back from work this morning, I had a severe craving for bacon, so I thought I'd throw together a quick bacon and asparagus brunch.

I don't really eat breakfast; when I get up it's too early for me to eat, and by the time I get home from my first stint at work of the day I'm usually in the mood for something more substantial.

And this bacon and asparagus salad really hit the spot today! It only took about 10 minutes to cook and it was b-e-a-utiful.

Nom nom!

To the salad I added some flaked almonds, and a few teaspoons of red onion chutney (and a vanilla hot chocolate as a warming beverage!)

Such a simple, throw-together dish that is perfect for a rainy mid-morning snack!

Until next time!

Cook with Ginger: Walnut, Goat's Cheese and Asparagus Slice

Good Evening Universe!!
I don't know about you, but sometimes when I get home from work I am just too tired to cook anything fancy or extravagant. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook...LOVE to cook, but sometimes, I just want to eat something quickly and then veg out on the sofa and watch Friends!

Does anybody feel like this too?

I had this the other night. I was really tired during the day, so decided that I would cook myself a savoury slice.

Savoury slices are SO easy to prepare and cook. I didn't really know how the flavours for my slice would taste together, so this one was a bit of an experiment...

But it turned out beautifully, so I thought I'd share it!



The beauty of this recipe is that you can use pretty much anything on your slice. The base is just a sheet of puff pastry, which you can pick up from most supermarkets. The topping is up to you! I used grated goat's cheese, asparagus spears and crushed walnuts on my slice. Goat's cheese is one of my favourite types of cheese...I nearly used a whole block for this!

I scored around the slice (about 1 inch away from the edge.) I then brushed the edge with milk to help it go golden.  I cooked my slice for 20 minutes on Gas Mark 5 (190 degrees Celsius/375 degrees Fahrenheit,) turning it half way through for even coverage...

After the slice came out I drizzled it with honey.

Then I ate some!!

How easy was that?!

It's a simple idea for those nights where you just want to flop down and relax and do nothing. Other toppings that I've tried that really work are:

Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella

Goat's Cheese, Red Onion, Bacon and Mushroom.

Go on...get creative!!

Happy Cooking!

Cook with Ginger: The Roastie Review

Ahhh Roasties...

In my opinion they are one of the best, if not THE best part of the Great British roast dinner!

Not that I confine myself to eating roast potatoes just for Sunday lunch, or on special occasions. Please observe the photo above....my dinner last night!

No, this wasn't a side dish accompanying the main part of a meal.

This WAS my main meal!

Oh yes!! Three kinds of roast potato, all on one plate. I...was...in...HEAVEN!!!

In this post, I wanted to share with you some of my tips for cooking the best everyday roastie.

1) ALWAYS par boil your potatoes. You only need to do it for about 10 minutes in salted water. This means that they will fluff up better, and leads me on to tip number two....

2) After you have par boiled, let your roasties steam in your colander, and then gently fluff them up by shaking it up and down. Those little broken bits will make for crunchier pieces of potato.

3) Get creative with your herbs and spices...don't just think that roast potatoes can go with salt and pepper. Get creative. Think about what you are going to be eating your roasties with.

My personal favourite is fennel - it kisses your roasties sweetly, and make them taste B-E-A-UTIFUL!!!

Dinner last night.
From left to right:
Coriander & garlic with salt & pepper
Basil & thyme with salt, pepper, & garlic
Cumin, paprika, with a hint of cinnamon, with crushed chillies & salt & pepper

4) Make sure you turn your roasties round halfway through cooking for even coverage. The best time for roastie cooking is about 45-50 minutes, so cooking for 25 minutes, then rotating your tray means your roasties crisp up all over! 

Now, go forth and make epic roasties...

Me....

I'm doing it all over again tonight!

Happy Cooking!