The making of my debut cookbook, 𝘕𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯 has been one heck of a ride! Here’s a little behind-the-scenes action! I cooked, styled and photographed over 80 recipes to create this book, and although I’ve been presented with a fair few obstacles during this entire process, the creativity has continued to fuel me! It’s what I LOVE to do 😊

Portrait shots by the talented @emmahburne and @ellikouthouri 📷💛

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who has pre-ordered a copy - I can’t wait for you to receive it and start cooking my recipes! 🙌🏻👩🏻‍🍳

For those wanting to grab a copy, just head to the link in the bio💫

Erica 💛
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#cookbookbehindthescenes #themakingofacookbook #selfpublishing #selfpublishingcookbook #debutcookbook #behindthescenesreel #cookbookreel #selfpublishedauthor

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐄: 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞

The ultimate nourishing comfort food 😊

Here`s how you make it 👇🏻

INGREDIENTS

400g minced beef
X2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
X1 400g tin of pinto beans
X1 400g tin of black beans
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
Handful of frozen sweetcorn
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (optional)
20g dark chocolate (70%)
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked garlic granules
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon tamarind paste (optional)
2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder(more if you like it spicy!)
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

METHOD

Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt, cook for 5-6 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the red pepper and chilli, cook for a few more minutes.

Add the minced beef, cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. Then add the tomato paste, garlic granules, and all of the dried herbs and spices. Give it a stir, then add the tinned tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, molasses, Worcester sauce, sugar and tamarind paste (if using).

Turn the heat up, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Taste, and add salt and pepper if required. Add the dark chocolate and sweetcorn 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir through to combine.

Serve with rice, avocado, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, fresh coriander and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Enjoy!💛

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! 📣
(Oh. My. Goodness. I did it!!!….)

𝘔𝘠 𝘋𝘌𝘉𝘜𝘛 𝘊𝘖𝘖𝘒𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘒 𝘐𝘚 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓𝘓𝘠 𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘋𝘠!!!

𝙋𝙍𝙀-𝙊𝙍𝘿𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝙑𝘼𝙄𝙇𝘼𝘽𝙇𝙀 𝙉𝙊𝙒! (Link in bio)

As some of you know I have been busy in the background, working on completing my debut cookbook 𝘕𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯 for the best part of 3 years. I have poured my heart and soul into creating this book and i’m so beyond thrilled that I finally get to say IT’S READY!!!

It has been such a wildly expansive creative journey for me and i’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a tad emotional right now, simply because I have given so much of myself to this over the years and it has become so very close to my heart. I also chose to self-publish, making the book even more special to me since it allowed me to have full creative control over every tiny last detail. I’m proud of what I have created with one mind and one pair of hands, and to be very honest with you, there were most certainly moments when I felt utterly overwhelmed and defeated, and it seemed almost impossible to complete, but here I am, at the finish line with a beaming smile across my face (accompanied by a few tears)!

𝘕𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯 is a collection of over 80 nourishing, vegetarian recipes to suit any occasion, including breakfast and brunch, hearty comfort dishes, curries and dahls, flavourful salads, soups, snacks, sides, and something for a sweet tooth.

It’s now available for pre-order and will be shipped out to you in the second week of December (I said the first week in the vid - ignore that!) so you’ll receive it in time for Christmas!

For a sneak preview of the book and to place an order, please head to the link in the bio. I’m so excited I can finally share it with you all! 💛

Note: I’m currently only shipping within the UK however if you would like a copy shipped to another country, please DM or email me and I’ll see what can be arranged.
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#cookbookreveal #debutcookbook #selfpublishing #selfpublishedauthor #happy #cookbookauthor #nourishedkitchen

As much as I love cooking, if I can simplify the process by having some parts prepped and ready-to-go, I will! When making a meal, it’s often the prep work like the chopping, peeling, mincing that can slow things down.

I use a fair amount of ginger in my cooking, mostly as I enjoy curries and dahls so much but I also like to use it to add a little fiery heat to dressings and dips. Let’s be honest though, when I want to make something quickly, the peeling/mincing of the ginger is a fiddly faff.

This little hack ensures you have frozen ginger paste at the ready. It takes no time at all to defrost but it can also be thrown into the pan straight from the freezer.

RECIPE:
200g peeled fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
100ml water

Blitz together in a high-speed blender until it forms a smooth paste. Fill an ice cube tray with the paste and pop in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from the tray and put into a sealed bag and back into the freezer. Ta da! Life changing stuff.

Tip 1: Make a note of how much paste you add to each ice cube cavity - then you’ll know how many you’ll need for a recipe. The tray I have takes 1 tablespoon of ginger paste per cavity.

Tip 2: I like to use the edge of a teaspoon to remove the skin from the ginger.
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#kitchenhacks #cookinghackreel #gingerpaste #savetimeinthekitchen #cookingtips #recipereel #mealprep #mealprepreel

I didn’t have a pumpkin so I turned my sourdough into one 🪄 🎃
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#sourdoughreel #sourdoughpumpkin #sourdoughreel #sourdoughvideo #breadbakingreel #sourdoughpumpkinreel #sourdoughplay #breadbaker #kitchentherapy