Kitchen Magic with #OXOHerbsandMore

When it comes to cooking, I have some very willing helpers in my kitchen.  My children have always been encouraged to pick up a spoon and join me for some baking or cookery in the kitchen.  I think it is a really important thing for them to learn from a young age, and they really enjoy it.

When we were challenged by OXO to take part in the OXO Herbs and More Kitchen Magician's project, my 12 year old Kizzy was happy to don the Kitchen Magician apron and wield the Kitchen Magician's Wand (aka a wooden spoon) to come up with some family meals using the OXO Herbs and More Flavour Pots to add a little magic to the recipes.

OXO Herbs & More are all about the perfect pairings of herbs and flavour reductions such as lemon and thyme, rosemary and red wine, tarragon and chive, rosemary and thyme and roast garlic and parsley, conveniently sealed into little pots for freshness, helping you to add a bit of magic to your family meals.  They make it easy to make tasty family meals and the exciting flavour combinations inspire you to try something new.  The flavour pots are extremely versatile and can be melted over vegetables, stirred into sauces or added to any favourite recipe. They transform everyday meals into something special that will become new family favourites.

Kezia  decided to make a quick and easy Quorn bolognese sauce using the OXO Herbs and More Red Wine and Rosemary flavour pots to add a rich flavour.  The recipe can also be used to make the sauce for a vegetarian lasagne.

As her Kitchen Magician's Assistant, I cut up the onions and mushrooms and supervised her as she cooked the bolognese sauce on the hob.  I'm lucky to have such a capable and willing budding chef in my kitchen, making dinner for the family!

Kezia melted the OXO Herbs and More Red Wine and Rosemary flavour pot into the dish while it was cooking, stirring the contents of one pot through the Quorn Mince.  It is such an easy way to get a perfect dose of seasoning into a dish, and Kezia was excited trying out the new product.

Quick and Easy Bolognese Recipe

1 pack of frozen Quorn Mince

olive oil to fry

1 chopped onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

5-6 sliced white mushrooms

1 carton of tomato passata

1 pot of OXO Herbs & More Red Wine and Rosemary flavour pot

Method

Fry the chopped onion and garlic until golden brown.

Add the mushrooms and Quorn Mince and cook through.

Add the carton of tomato passata.

Stir through the OXO Herbs and More flavour pot.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes. (Add a little water if needed.)

Serve with pasta.

                            

As it was Kezia's big sister Megan's birthday on Monday, she wanted to cook her favourite home cooked meal, which is a mushroom pie.  Inspired by the OXO Herbs and More range, Kezia decided to adapt the recipe to make a Garlic Mushroom Pie using a Roasted Garlic and Parsley flavour pot. The different flavoured pots allow you to add a twist to any dish, putting a new spin on an old favourite!

The Roast Garlic and Parsley added a deliciously tasty flavour to the mushroom and cream cheese filling.  It really did work exceptionally well!

The pie was served with carrots, cabbage and mashed potato.  You can use the OXO Herbs & More to season side dishes by melting over hot vegetables or adding to mashed potato - I prefer it used sparingly so the flavour is not too overpowering.  We tried some mash seasoned with Roasted Garlic and Parsley, which made a really interesting change to an everyday food.

Garlic Mushroom Pie Recipe

2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry

olive oil to fry

300 g sliced mushrooms

1 sliced onion

1 chopped clove of garlic

75g cooked rice

150g cream cheese

1 pot OXO Herbs and More Roasted Garlic and Parsley

twist of pepper

squirt of lemon juice

milk wash

1 teaspoon marmite

Fry onion and garlic.

Stir through the flavour pot.

Add mushrooms and fry down until liquid evaporates.

Add cooked rice.

Stir through cream cheese and season with pepper and lemon juice.

Pile filling onto a sheet of pastry and spread towards edges.

Pop on second sheet and seal edges using a little brushed milk.

Glaze with milk and marmite mixed together for a savoury crust.

Cook at GM 6 for about 30 minutes.

                           


Kezia was impressed with the OXO Herbs and More Flavour Pots as they made it so very easy to season dishes with a well complemented blend of herbs and flavourings.  They definitely inspired some culinary experimentation and Kezia enjoyed thinking of ways of using the different flavours. It's nice to get kids enthusiastic about cookery and I enjoy having another pair of hands in the kitchen helping me to conjure up some memorable family meals!


I'm working with BritMums and OXO on this project and have been compensated. All opinions and editorial are my own.

Fun Family Dining with OXO Shake & Flavour #OXOMealtimeMagic

If variety is the spice of life - OXO's new Shake & Flavour range is the perfect way to add some spicy mealtime magic to a variety of dishes this summer!

The fine seasoning granules come in a variety of flavours including Rich Beef and Roast Chicken as well as veggie friendly Tikka, Garlic & Herb, Chinese, Italian and Southern Fried.  They come in a handy shaker for ease of use and can be sprinkled on food before or during cooking or added as a finishing touch.

We were sent some to try out, and I adapted a favourite family meal to add some extra flavour the OXO way.  I made a Sweet Potato, Butterbean and Cashew Nut Flan seasoned with OXO Shake & Flavour Italian seasoning and some chunky chips seasoned with Garlic & Herb served with sauteed white cabbage.

It is a lovely summery menu, perfect for family dining inside or outdoors.  The flan is light and packed with healthy sweet potato, pulses, nuts and seeds.  It is lovely served hot or cold with a freshly squeezed juice to drink.

Sweet Potato, Butterbean and Cashew Nut Flan Recipe

Ingredients

400g sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks

1 can butterbeans

1 oz chopped cashew nuts

1 onion chopped

2 gloves of garlic crushed

2oz chestnut mushrooms chopped

OXO Shake & Flavour Italian Seasoning

Ground pepper

Ready rolled puff pasty sheet

Handful of mixed seeds

Method

Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling water until tender.  Drain and mash.

While they are cooking fry the chopped onion, garlic and mushroom.

Mix the butterbeans and onion mixture into the mashed sweet potato and roughly mash together.

Stir through a generous sprinkle of OXO Sprinkle & Flavour Italian seasoning and some ground pepper to taste.

Place the sheet of pastry onto a baking sheet.

Pile the filling onto the pastry leaving an inch around the edge.

Fold in the pastry edges and glaze with milk.

Sprinkle seeds on top and another sprinkle of OXO Shake & Flavour Italian seasoning.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

***

We made our homemade chunky chips by tossing cut potatoes in olive oil and OXO Shake & Flavour Garlic and Herb seasoning, and putting into the oven on a baking tray for 30-35 minutes at 200 degrees. 

 The children loved helping out with this, shaking the seasoning granules over the oiled potatoes and giving them a good shake - it certainly added a fun element to the cooking!

We served the flan and chips with sauteed white cabbage.  Once cooked we sprinkled a little of the OXO Italian seasoning and some black pepper on top for extra flavour.

I loved how easy the product was to use, simply sprinkle into or onto whatever you are cooking for an intense flavour shot.  It's a handy kitchen trick to make meals even tastier with very little effort. 

The seasoning definitely added a depth of flavour, which was very tasty.  I loved the Italian seasoning with its hints of tomato, fennel, oregano, basil and garlic. It worked perfectly with the sweetness of the sweet potato pie filling.  The chips were really yummy and the kids all loved the garlicky coating!

The scope for adding mealtime magic to my cooking is an exciting prospect as summer approaches.  For seasoning vegetable and halloumi kebabs on the barbecue, to adding flavour to alfresco dining, I have a selection of OXO Shake & Flavour  granules to hand!  They are so convenient, versatile and easy to use, and give a little culinary inspiration when needed.

This post is part of a BritMums project with OXO Shake & Flavour. Shake & Flavour seasoning granules can be sprinkled into food during cooking or before serving. Find out more about the Shake & Flavour varieties. 

Making Strawberry and Chocolate Ice Cream

I have been challenged to make my own ice cream by OXO, and then use their OXO Good Grips Trigger Ice Cream Scoop to serve it up.

Now, I have never made ice cream in my life (unless you count the time I made my own ice cream at Cheshire Farm but all I had to do then was add some flavourings and let the machines do their thing).  Nor do I own a fancy home ice cream maker.  So my attempt is the lazy girl's approach to making ice cream!  It may be cheating, but the end result is great and for that reason I thought it was an idea worth sharing, for other cooks like me who are not adverse to a convenient shortcut now and again!!

It is so easy to make authentic tasting ice cream using the Angel Delight Chocolate Ice Cream Mix as a base.  Simply whisk together 2 packs with 300ml of milk and add some extras to make a delicious, bespoke ice cream that is ready to serve in just 4 hours!

I added a bar of chopped milk chocolate and some chopped strawberries that I picked from my own garden.  

The OXO Good Grips Trigger Ice Cream Scoop made it so easy to serve up.  The strong scoop makes a perfectly formed, good sized ball of  ice cream.  Pressing the trigger releases the ice cream into the bowl with ease.  The handle is soft and relieves pressure on the hand so it doesn't hurt to scoop out the ice cream.  The scoop is strong and robust and does the job effortlessly.

Serving the ice cream with a big, red ripe homegrown strawberry made the job complete.  The chunks of chocolate and frozen strawberry pieces went together perfectly for a delicious summer dessert.

Find out more about the functional, attractive and innovative products from OXO at www.oxouk.com.