Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

Seasonal Recipes

Simple and in Season – December

How is it December already?! Seriously, I don’t know where the time goes. I’ve just been reading through the round up for November’s Simple and in Season, hosted beautifully by Katie over at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter. Thank you Katie. 34 stunning seasonal recipes – honestly, it’s like a cook book! Soups, starters, sharing plates, winter salads, cakes, crumbles, home made liqueurs…I can’t wait for December’s entries now. The link up is below. I’ll be rounding up as early in January as I can.

Froothie Optimum 9400

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40 Seasonal Recipes (October’s Simple and in Season Round Up)

October was a great month for Simple and in Season, with over 40 seasonal recipes and pumpkins aplenty!

This month, Katie at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter is hosting, with plenty of entries already flooding in.

In the meantime, here are Octobers recipes.

Seasonal Recipes October

Above

  1. Sausage and Sweet Potato Skillet Supper by Feeding Boys and a Firefighter
  2. Pumpkin, Ginger and Orange Traybake by Feeding Boys and a Firefighter
  3. Iranian-style Sweet and Sour Olives by My Custard Pie
  4. Roasted Beetroot and Butterbean Soup  by Nutritious Deliciousness
  5. Pumpkin Spice Latte with Pumpkin Seed Milk by Veggie Desserts
  6. Creamy Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup by Tinned Tomatoes
  7. Chocolate and Pear Quesadillas by Food to Glow
  8. Chunky Guacamole by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary

Seasonal Recipes October

Above

  1. Rhubarb, Blueberry and Honey No Churn Ice Cream by The Gluten Free Alchemist
  2. Roasted Cauliflower Salad by The Taste Space
  3. Spiced Pumpkin Blondies by How to Cook Good Food
  4. Roasted Squash, Red Onion and Goats Cheese Pave Bread Rolls Franglais Kitchen
  5. Apple Fritters by My Little Italian Kitchen
  6. White Chocolate, Beetroot and Cardamom Mousse by Bangers & Mash
  7. Patty Pan, Purple Carrot, Pine Nut and Cheese Savoury Muffins by The Gluten Free Alchemist
  8. Welly Boot Crumble (Apple, Blackberry & Walnut) by Family Friends Food

Seasonal Recipes 3

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  1. Parsnip Soup with Pears. Ginger and Coconut by Food Family Friends
  2. Simple and Sweet Spiced Apple and Yoghurt Cake by The Teal Tadjine
  3. Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple and Pecan Bundt Cake by The More than Occasional Baker
  4. Guernsey Gâche Melée by Tales from The Kitchen Shed
  5. Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables by RenBehan.com
  6. Halloween Chocolate Apples by Fab Food 4 All
  7. Pear and Stilton Toast by Food Friends Family
  8. Kale, Brown Rice and Red Quinoa Salad by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary

Seasonal Recipes 4

Above

  1. Halloween Spider Pumpkin Mini Pies by My Little Italian Kitchen
  2. Squash Walnut and Goats Cheese Pizza by Chocolate Log Blog
  3. Greek Potato and Courgette Bake  (Boureki) by We Don’t Eat Anything With a Face
  4. Butternut Squash, Black Garlic and Blue Cheese Bake by Kavey Eats
  5. Rustic Courgette Bake by Lancashire Food
  6. Vegetable-Stuffed Baked Squash by Eat Live Travel Write
  7. Vegetable Chilli Stuffed Marrow by Searching for Spice
  8. Healthier Trick or Treats for Halloween by The School of Balance

Seasonal Recipes

Above

  1. Nigel Slater’s Chocolate Beet Cake by The Lass in the Apron
  2. Barley Veggie Rainbow Salad by Eat Well Feel Good
  3. Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables by Fab Food 4 All
  4. Bavarian Apple Tart by Fenton Eats
  5. Poblanos with Puy Lentils, Vegetables and Cheese by The Gluten Free Alchemist
  6. Italian Style Roast Pork by The School of Balance
  7. Halloween Pumpkin Cookies by How to Cook Good Food
  8. Easy Winter Vegetable Soup by RenBehan.com

So that’s the round up for October. Thank you for all these wonderful entries. They’ll all been pinned onto my Simple and in Season board which has over 36,000 followers! So keep pinning :-))
Follow Ren Behan Food’s board Simple and in Season on Pinterest.

Simple and in Season Badge

Simple and in Season April – Seasonal Recipe Round Up

If you’re in the UK, I hope you enjoyed the unusually lovely long and gloriously warm British Bank Holiday weekend – I’m still in shock! Elsewhere in the world I hope it’s sunny and warm, too!

Thank you for all your April entries into Simple and in Season – a monthly community blog event that brings us all together to share seasonal recipes and stories. I’ve rounded up slightly differently this time, to hopefully make it easier to scroll through and find recipe links to follow – I hope!

I’ve already welcomed in the British asparagus season and I hope to see lots more of it in May. We’ve also had plenty of wild garlic stories and recipes, otherwise known as ramons or bear’s garlic, as apparently bears like to eat it in the woods!  I hope you have time to go and explore all of the links below.

Simple and in Season

Simple and in Season April Seasonal Recipe Round Up

Simple and in Season April 1

Above – from top left

  2. Wild Garlic Pesto Chicken created by Food Eat Love
  4. Smoked Mackerel Pate created by Best and Beyond

Simple and in Season

 Above – from top left

  1. Broad Bean Salad created by My Little Italian Kitchen
  2. Roasted Carrot Hummus Salad created by The Taste Space
  3. Pick and Pluck Artichokes with Anchovy Garlic Mayo created by Delicieux
  4. Rhubarb Upside Down Cake Created by Utterly Scrummy Food for Families 

Simple and in Season

Above – from top left

  1. Whole Wheat Penne with Prawns created by Ren Behan
  2. Bear’s Garlic and Pine Nut Filled Rolls created by Yum and More
  3. Cheese and Wild Garlic Scones created by Thinly Spread
  4. Asparagus and Mushrooms on Toast created by Ren Behan   

Simple and in Season

Above – from top left

  1. Rhubarb Fairy Cakes with Edible Flowers created by Choclette
  2. Orange and Rosemary Cake with Swede created by Recipe Junkie
  3. White Asparagus Risotto created by My Little Italian Kitchen
  4. Spicy Mango Chips created by The Taste Space

I hope you have all enjoyed the round-up. The two entries added for May have been moved across to the May link and will be included in the round up in early June.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part!

Don’t forget to check our other food blog events to link your posts up to at the same time over on The Food Blog Diary

 

Simple and in Season: February Round Up and Winner

I think this month has been one of my favourite rounds of Simple and in Season so far! We had such an array of seasonal produce, from blood oranges and a glut of lemons, to figs, rhubarb and apples in the sweet selection. Savoury recipes included grouse, pheasant, oxtail, as well as delicious salads of broccoli and pomegranate,  the lovely golden colours of swede and butternut squash, warm spices as well as fresh herbs including rosemary and wild garlic.

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Simple and in Season Blog Event on Fabulicious Food! – February – Now Open

I’m very pleased to open up a new round of Simple and in Season here on Fabulicious Food! This is a monthly blog event, which showcases some of the best seasonal produce from all around the globe through simple recipes.

If you haven’t joined in before, you can check out the January round-up and winner post to get an idea. Just add your link to the Simple Linked box below.

FEBRUARY LINK UP HERE:

If you’d like a badge to add to your post, feel free to grab the code to the right and add it to your blog posts/sidebars to let people know you are taking part.

Here’s a quick re-cap on the guidelines:

  • All you have to do is come up with a dish using any seasonal produce you like (savoury or sweet) post it on your blog, add a link to this post mentioning Simple and in Season/Fabulicious Food! and then manually add the link to your post in the box above (via Simply Linked)
  • This is the eighth round and it will run up until Wednesday 29th February 2012. I will pick a winner shortly after (excluding myself obviously) and will include a round-up post including everyone who has entered.
  • You can take inspiration from anywhere – adapt a recipe from your favourite cookbook, try something from a magazine, make up your own creation or share a family favourite. The usual rules apply when using someone else’s recipe, please either get permission from the author to post it or adapt it in some way stating how/why you’ve changed it.
  • Include any seasonal produce you fancy including fruit, veg, herbs, meat or fish.
  • Link as many recipes as you like. You can link posts entered into other blog events or carnivals as long as it involves a seasonal food item (and fits in with their rules).
  • The linky-up is open to anyone, anywhere. I’m happy to post prizes abroad and although it will be nice to feature as much British produce as possible, it will be interesting to see what’s in season elsewhere.
  • By entering your link, you are giving me permission to add your photograph to the round-up. I will link back directly to your post when I include you.
  • If you have questions or problems, email me or leave me a comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post.
  • If you are on Twitter, tweet your link adding the hashtag #simpleandinseason and I will re-tweet it.

The winner this month will receive a copy of The Good Cook by Simon Hopkinson published by BBC Books.

I’m looking forward to seeing all your seasonal treats again!

Happy Cooking!

Simple and in Season: January Round-Up and Winner

Welcome to the Simple and in Season January Round-Up on Fabulicious Food! January seemed like a long month. I have no idea why, but it did. I’ve been longing for the weather to warm up, so we can walk/scoot to school instead of having to de-ice the car and avoid ice patches, but now snow is forecast! I’m sure this is why this month has been about comfort food and food that brightens up our day or keeps us warm!

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Simple and in Season on Fabulicious Food! Winter Round-Up Part Two (And Winner!)

Here we are again, after rounding up the first half of the Simple and in Season Winter entries, we’re back with Part Two for more seasonal adventures. This time, the theme is definitely orange, with plenty of butternut squash, pumpkin and plenty of fresh, seasonal autumnal cooking…

Entries 1-20 are here.

21. Just past the half-way mark, Wonder Woman I am Not, sent across her Pecan Topped Sweet Potatoes. Unfortunately, there was no picture with the post, but I’m sure we can all imagine the luscious sweetness and the recipe is on the blog.

22. Janet at The Taste Space came back to us with a White Bean, Quinoa and Kale Stew with Fennel. I’m always looking for ways to cook kale so this is bookmarked.

23. Next, Choclette, over at the Chocolate Log Blog made Pumkpin Butter – which Choclette was intending to use in some of her wonderful chocolate recipes – thank you for sharing!

24. Sweet Tiny Blessings (Mandy in Colorado!) joined in for the first time with a Mexican Chicken and Bean Pizza – thank you so much for joining in. This is made with beef (in place of chicken), garlic, cumin, pinto beans, fresh avodaco, fresh tomato, sour cream…the works! AND it’s a Weight Watchers.com recipe if anyone is weight-watching. Also bookmarked!

25. Clare from The Vegetarian Experience made a wonderfully seasonal Pumpkin Risotto or Risotto di Zucca, which was part of a series of pumkpin recipes on her blog. Thanks Clare! I had problems with the photo, so below is a photo for Clare’s Stuffed Pumpkins instead.

26. More loveliness from Janet at The Taste Space, this time a Dragon Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Vegetables and a Miso Gravy. Who needs meat? This is quinoa, topped with zucchini (courgettes) bell pepper, eggplant (aubergine) and brocolli and cubed tofu, topped with a rich miso gravy, sesame seeds and spring onions. Health in a bowl I’d say!

27. Helen from Fuss Free Flavours linked up her Maple Cumin Mash, that she had served with an Asian Beef Wellington – a dish simply packed with flavour and perfectly cooked beef too. I have sweet potatoes, I have carrots, I have cumin, I have maple syrup…I will be making this!

28. Richa in Seattle from Hobby and More joined in with a salad of Roasted Delicta Squash, with Rosemary and Olive Oil, which was gluten free and vegan. Delicious – thank you!

29. Richa also linked up her family recipe for Green Beans with Potatoes – also vegan and gluten free –

30.  Clare from The Vegetarian Experience also linked up her Pumpkin Pie recipe inspired by lots of trips to her Dad in the States – thank you! Again, so sorry, struggling with a photo!

31. The Space Taste came back again with another seasonally-inspired dish, this time a Lime-Spiked Black Bean and Quinoa Wrap

32. Shaheen from Allotment 2 Kitchen made a Brussels Sprout and Blue Cheese Tart inspired by a Brussels Sprout tree.

33. Laura from How To Cook Good Food made these gorgeous little Chestnut Pasties with Sour Cream Pastry and Pickled Cabbage – perfect party food – perefct for anytime.

34. Nazima from Working London Mummy linked up her very scrummy Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Crostini and Parmesan. We are definitely going to make this, we love butternut squash, we love garlic bread, we love Parmesan!

35. Michelle from Food, Football and a Baby joined in with her take on Mary Berry’s Devonshire Apple Cake. Apart from chocolate cake, I think apple cake takes second place and I love this one! Also made with apples from her neighbour’s garden. Thanks Michelle for sending this across!

Devonshire Apple Cake

36. Michelle also came back with Grandma’s Apple Sauce and Cocoa Cake (with Coffee Glaze) – also inspired by a glut of apples from her neighbour’s garden.

Applesauce Cocoa Cake

37. Clare from The Vegetarian Experience linked up again, this time with her Pumpkin Soup – great colour and a very lovely swirl!

38. Another new blogger to join us was the Fun & Food Cafe who made these delicious Pumpkin Pie Dessert Bars – mmn these look amazing!

pumpkin bars

39. The Fun & Food Cafe also served us Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins – since I have a whole load of leftover cranberry sauce, I’ll definitely be making these!

cranberry-sauce-muffins

40. Last, but hopefully not least, I linked up Our Favourite Carrot and Parmesan Risotto, just to round-off our lovely autumnal orange-influenced Winter Simple and in Season! 

AND THE WINNER IS…

After much deliberation…the Simple and in Season Winter winner is Clare Rudd from The Vegetarian Experience for her series of Pumpkin-inspired posts! Clare shared her ideas for the many different ways of using seasonal pumpkin, including Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Soup and a wonderful Pumkin Risotto, leading to the Stuffed Pumpkin she made as an alternative to Christmas dinner on Christmas Day. Thank You Clare, a copy of Discover Organic Cook  Book is on its way to you. I hope there are plenty of vegetarian recipes in there to inspire you.

Don’t forget to link up all your seasonal recipes now – the January link up is open until 31st January and you could win a copy of The Good Table by Valentine Warner.

Thank You to everyone for entering!

 

Simple and in Season on Fabulicious Food! Winter Round-Up (Part One)

Wow, thank you again to everyone who linked up to the last round of Simple and in Season on Fabulicious Food! There were so many treats in store, some of them festive too.  Apples, pears, butternut squash and pumpkin were all very popular. The cakes, cookies and sweet treats were truly superb, all of them showcasing a fantastic range of autumnal as well as winter produce, some of it home grown!

 Here are the first half of all your wonderful entries:

1. The More than Occasional Baker started us off with a delicious Apple Streusel Cake, perfect with a nice hot cup of tea.

2. The lovely Shu Han of Mummy, I Can Cook made a lovely Dessert Turned Salad of Cinnamon and Coriander Roasted Pumpkin.

(Unfortunately I can’t seem to get the photo to work, but it was really a stunning salad…)

3. Karen over at Lavender and Lovage made a great Mash O’ Nine Sorts, packed full of seasonal veg for a spooky Halloween supper!

4. Inspired a a trip to my local Morrisons of all places (flagship store no less!) I made Yottam Ottolenghi’s Aubergine with Buttermilk Sauce – SO yummy!

5. Amanda over at Dancing Veggies made Ravioli in Pumpkin Sauce – delicious!

6. Hilani from Handmade by Hillani joined in with her Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies – thank you!

7. Mark over at Mark’s Veg Plot made a very seasonally inspired Polenta with Cavolo Nero – home grown no less! Stunning Cavolo Nero – go have a peek.

8. Mark also came back from his veg plot with this really tasty looking salad of Radicchio with Pears and Blue Cheese (with home made Fougasse too…)

9. Jennifer over at L’Heure du The made The Easiest Cake in The World which was, if fact, a beautiful clementine cake from Nigella’s How to Eat – must try.

10. Helen from Fuss Free Flavours joined in with her Butternut Squash Gnocci with Harrissa Onions. I must say, I have never tried harissa, and I must. Helen also used a great piping bag technique for her gnocci so do go and check that out.

11. I linked up my Spiced Toffee Apple Cake that I had spied on the cover of BBC Good Food. I’ve since made it four times it was so good!

12. Karen from Lavender and Lovage joined in again and sent over her Quince and Pear Double-Crust Pie. I’ll definitely be looking out for more quince again next season to try this.

13. Karen also shared her recipe for Wee Whiskey Doused Hogmanay Dundee Cakes – let me tell you, Karen really knows how to celebrate in style!

14. Jude from A Trifle Rushed showed us how wonderful is is to make your own infused vodka with her Cranberry and Orange Infused Vodka – really inspirational, thank you Jude!

15. Helen came back with another great recipe for Chestnut, Cranberry, Stilton and Sprout Pasta – definitely bookmarked for next year.

16. The More than Occasional Baker also came back with a second cake, this time a Pear and Cinnamon Yoghurt Cake. I love the idea of pear and yoghurt, in a cake.

17. Mel over at Sharky Oven Gloves in Scotland sent over these lovely Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins. I loved these AND they were quite healthy with homemade pumpkin puree and lots of lovely spices.

18. The Taste Space made this wonderful Brazilian Black Bean and Vegetable Stew – a great vegetarian delight.

19. The Farmers Market Vegan made a Christmas Tree Socca (With Beets and Spinach) – so intriguing and super healthy. Thanks for entering!

20. And I got us to to the half-way mark with these Buckwheat and Buttermilk Pancakes with Pears and Maple Syrup (almost healthy too!) 

Come back for Part Two of the Winter round-up of Simple and in Season on Fabulicious Food!

Thank you to everyone for entering.