March Box Degustabox: Hello, Spring and Easter

 Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in March Box: Hello, Spring and Easter Degustabox?

Bisto Signature Chicken Ready to Use Gravy (£3.50) is Product of the Month. Made with natural ingredients, it's slowly simmered with succulent meat juices for maximum flavour.

Heat up on the hob, or in the microwave, and serve with the roast chicken.

If you have any leftover gravy, add it to your homemade pies or casseroles.

Nutritional values: 32kcal and 0.73g of salt per 83ml portion (one package = six servings).

Available in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

Urban Noodle Soba Noodle/or Ramen Noodle/ or Udon Noodle (£1.50) are designed for rich broths and hearty bowls.

These Japanese style noodles offer an authentic taste and texture. Ready in just 3-5 minutes.

Crafted with quality ingerdients and free from artificiail flavours, these noodles will make a quick and easy meal.

You will receive 1 item out of three. We got Soba Noodle, made from a mix of wheat and buckwheat flour, perfect for any stir fry meal, with chicken and vegetables, tuna or tofu.

Typical values: 346kcal and 1g of sugat per 100g.

Paxo Quick Cook Sage & Red Onion stuffing mix (£2.65) will come handy for our Easter meal.

One pack makes 12 stuffing balls, crispy outside and fluffy inside. Thanks to a blend of tasty herbs and rich flavours, the stuffing will enhance any roast meal.

Nutritional values: 45kcal and 0.26g of salt per 22g portion (stuffing ball); vegan; no artificial colours or preservatives.

Available in Sainsbury's, Morrisons and ASDA.

Kanzen Meal Japanese Curry (£3.50) is a quick and easy meal, which provides optimal nutritional balance at any time.

Each meal contains more than 20g of protein, 26 types of vitamins and minerals, and controls the amount of fat, sugar, saturated fatty acids and salt that are of concern. Kanzen means complete or perfect in Japanese.

Nutritional information: 129kcal and 0.57g of salt per 100g as prepared.

Available online.

I used this pot of rice as an ingredient for stuffed sweet peppers, as I have been trying to use odds and ends in the pantry before grocery shopping. I'm not quite sure what the meat-like pieces are supposed to be. I added less than a half of the curry seasoning.

It was tasty enough (but I do prefer meals with a simpler ingredients' list).

Sweet Freedom Fizz Pineapple & Coconut/ Lime & Mint/ Raspberry & Cranberry/ Mango & Mandarin sparkling water (£1.50) is a range of low calorie drinks.

There are four light flavours available, and you should receive one of four. We got Pineapple & Coconut. It was light and refreshing.

Nutritional values: 14kcal per can and 2.4g of sugar, no artificial sweeteners; made of all natural ingredients (pineapple and cocount, and also surprisingly, dandelion leaf and baobab, naturally sweetened with upcycled cocoa juice).

Available on www.sweetfreedom.co.uk and Amazon.

And finally, Nescafe Iced Classic Unsweetened Espresso Concentrated (£4.99) is the ultimate coffee hack.

If you enjoy iced coffee on hot days, this is a cost-effective concentrated coffee. 

A big bonus is that it is unsweetened. As much as I love iced coffee, most of the bottles/tins made by the major coffee brands are way too sweet, you can barely taste anything for the amount of sugar, so thumbs up for the unsweetened variety. 

To make a glass, just add milk of your choice and ice. One bottle makes 16 servings.

Nutritional values: 43kcal and 4.1g of sugar per 100ml prepared.

We had the same Espresso bottle last summer, which had the right weather for iced drinks. So far spring has been quite blustery and still chilly. If not iced drinks, what would you make with this coffee concentrate? Have you tried making a tiramisu with it? Please let me know.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

What's your favourite product from the latest box?

Photo diary: Project 365, weeks 7 and 8, 2026

 Typically I finish Project 365 posts on Monday mornings, and would have done so with week 7, but last Monday morning we had a call from the son of our dear friends, telling us that his father died. We knew the end was imminent, and still, the news hurt. Our friend and his late wife were more than friends, they were part of our family, wonderful special people who kind of "adopted" us when we were a young couple. We got married from their house (while living with them). They helped and supported us in so many ways. I could never repay their kindness. A big part of our lives is gone with them.

Too upset, I kept crying all day.

Running into town on Sunday, I saw these white doves on the rooftops, and they made me think of the musical notes.

We recently bought an art poster from Postera for Eddie's room. It was his choice. I love the fonts of Hokusai's name, with the red sun instead of the letter O. He also has a huge Dune poster on one of the other walls, unframed. It's not a scene from the film, but an illustration from an old edition of the book.

I wasn't feeling well, and ordered McDonald's meals for my guys for dinner. Now we have two Friends toys from the collection, Monica and Chandler.

Abel & Cole delivery day, with one pot recipe for a vegetarian curry, with sweet potatoes, black beans, spinach, coconut milk etc. It was really tasty.

I read another book by Dick Francis, named Decider - my Mum recommended it enthusiastically. I didn't like it as much as To the Hilt. It is entertaining enough. The plotline is centred around the multi-million pound Stratton Park racecourse, which faces ruin in the hands of a squabbling family.

Lee Morris, architect by education and builder in real life (and also a father of six sons) who restores derelict houses, has inherited a small share in the race course (his mother was the ex-wife of one of the vile Strattons). The family can't seem to agree what to do with the Stratton Park, either to modernise it or sell to the highest bidder. One day Lee is approached by two gentlemen running the race track, asking to help preserve the race course. His eight votes could make a difference. Little does he know how quickly a simple request will escalate, putting him and his family in mortal danger.

The Strattons are a dysfunctional family and quite cartoonish too. Potential triggers: domestic abuse and violence. 

On Saturday Eddie visited our friends for dinner, I tagged along, and stayed for dinner as well. The guys played Catan. I watched and chatted. 

What else did we do this week? Watched Knowing with Nicolas Cage, a sci fi/dystopian thriller about a mysterious list of numbers that has predicted future disasters. I'm usually a fan of the genre, but I would not recommend this film. The ending in particular is absurd. Have you seen it?

A couple of years ago I was attending a book club at the local Waterstones. It was great fun, and I enjoyed it. Sadly the mid-week days were not super convenient, as that's when my husband is often away, which means I couldn't leave my guys on their own. I recently found out that the club is meeting on Sundays these days, and I'm considering of re-joining it. Not sure of the latest book choice, it's not really my genre. Perhaps I should wait until the next month.

Crocuses in town are looking much perkier than mine in the garden, which were left bedraggled after incessant rains. The snowdrops are almost all gone too. For some reason, there were not as many snowdrops as there used to be. I wonder if I can blame the rain?! Was it too wet for them? Typically our garden is carpeted with spring flowers, but this year it was less of a carpet and more of a scattering.

We have plenty of primroses though, yellow and white.

Painting a sketch with a strong brewed coffee. This was the initial stage, I have finished this piece by now, so it looks quite different. From 1 March I will be collaborating with Penandinkchallenge, creating a list of prompts for art journalling. I am very excited about it.

The fields nearby are still under water, though it is subsiding a little. You can pass through, probably even in big wellies.

Believe it or not, I started reading the third Dick Francis' book in a row, this time it's In the Frame (another recommendation from my Mum, who, as you can guess, is a big fan of Dick Francis). I managed to find the original 1976 edition from Amazon sellers for £3.50 with postage included.

The book cover design is a typical 1970s psychedelic cover.

The main character is an artist Charles Todd who loves painting horses. He travels to Australia to see his old mate who paints abstract art, and together they try to solve the conspiracy of racing, art and murder. 

The thriller starts dramatically, and the characters are very vivid. I'm half way through, and enjoying it immensely. 

It was my birthday on Saturday. Eddie and I went to Oxford, while my husband looked after Sasha. We had a late lunch at Itsu, and hit the shops at the West Gate centre, traipsing through the usual suspects, Uniqlo, T K Maxx, John Lewis etc. 

We happened to watch some Latin and modern dancing in the little square next to John Lewis. I liked the youngest group the best, they were performing a dance routine to Mamma Mia, and people around were singing along and dancing too. I might have wiggled my bum as well. 

I wanted to buy a patisserie cake to bring home. Sadly, all cakes at Paul's were of a mousse variety, and I didn't fancy any in particular. Eddie insisted we walked further up High Street to Saint Claire Valentine patisserie. When we came in, there were a couple of cakes in the window, alas, they were only for display. The chef happened to be there and we started chatting. I told him we were totally chancing it, and I was happy to buy a selection of delicious looking pastries. The  chef kindly offered to make me a cake, if we would wait.

There was a choice between Red Velvet or Joconde. We opted for the Red Velvet. We waited while enjoying a coffee and a pastry. It was the end of the day, everyone left. The staff were chatting to us, wishing me a happy 21st birthday, so sweet. Really lovely friendly people working there.

The house where the cafe is situated, is many centuries old, like most buildings nearby.

The cake was superb, with chocolate cream, and a layer of fresh strawberries inside. Truly, one of the best cakes I have ever had in my life, and I surely had plenty of cakes. So delicate, not too sweet, the flavours were balanced perfectly. We all loved it. Eddie declared that he wants a cake for his birthday in summer from the same patisserie.

Top marks for the cake and brilliant service. I was so touched that the chef made a cake for me personally.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Degustabox January Box: Breakfast & Brunch

January is a month of new beginnings, resolutions and renewal, even if it's often considered to be the most miserable month after the excesses of December festivities. Ultimately it depends on your own outlook and perceptions. It can be a bit of both. To help you eat healthier (if indeed that one is one of your new year's resolutions), here is a January Breakfast & Brunch Degustabox.

Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in January Box Degustabox?

Let's start with the Product of the Month - Bisto Creamy Cheese Sauce (£2.25), a new product from the well-known range. 

Like many British families, we buy Bisto gravy granules for a quick and easy gravy. We were quite curious to try this new product.

Simply add 4 level tbsp of Bisto cheese sauce to 250ml boiling water and give it a quick stir until the sauce thickens.

Lovely with homemade pasta bakes, lasagne and cauliflower cheese.

Each tub contains 19 individual servings. 

Typical values: 41kcal and 0.56g of salt per 50ml portion as prepared; no artificial colours or preservatives.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Clearspring Organic Silken Tofu - Single Serve (£1.89) is made in Japan, using fresh water and real Nigari.

I have bought Clearspring silken tofu before, it is very delicate, and easily broken. For our favourite Teriyaki tofu dish I prefer a more robust tofu that would hold its shape after being cubed and fried. 

Silken tofu is great for recipes where it can be added and scrambled, or used in a tofu cheesecake recipe, where its delicate texture would be appreciated.

Typical values: 67kcal and 0g salt per 100g; gluten free, high protein, plant-based, vegan, non-GM.

Available on www.clearspring.co.uk, www.hollandandbarrett.com and in Planet Organic and independent health shops.

Sharwoods Chef's Special Tikka Masala Curry Kit (£2.80) is a curry kit with garlic & ginger paste and a creamy tomato Tikka sauce, crafted in India, using quality ingredients to create an authentic flavour.

The kit contains two pouches. Super convenient and very tasty too.

Just add diced chicken and serve with rice, naans and mango chutney. For a vegetarian version, use roast cauliflower or roast squash.

Typical values: 153kcal and 1.53g of salt per 1/2 pouch (this pouch contains appr. 2 portions); suitable for vegetarians; no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.

Available in Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ASDA.

Cirio Passata Rustica (£1.50) is crafted from 100% Italian tomatoes, grown by dedicated farmers.

Always happy to have a Cirio product. Cirio is well-known for its delicious tomato-based products and brings a true Italian authentic flavour to your kitchen.

Cirio Passata Rustica consists of crushed tomatoes, perfect for a variety of homemade meals, from hearty pasta to pizza toppings. It has a chunky texture and a rich tomatoey flavour.

Nutritional information: 32kcal and 4.2g of sugar per 100g.

Available in Ocado, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

Linwoods Overnight Oats 400g (£4 each) is part of the healthy breakfast range (a blend of oats, chia and plant protein). Protein & Energy overnight oats come in 4 flavours.

You should receive 1 variety in your box. We got Chocolate flavour protein overnight oats.

Just add milk & chill. 

Nutritional information: 195kcal and 0.2g of salt per 50g; gluten free; with fibre, Omega 3 and minerals.

If like me you're not a fan of chia or overnight oats, may I suggest using the blend as one of the ingredients for bakes (add a couple of tablespoons to the oat cookie dough for a healthier cookie).

Available in the major supermarket chains, health store chains and at www.linwoodshealthfoods.com.

nakd. fruit & nut bar Blueberry Muffin/ or Cocoa Orange (£1.50 each) is a raw fruit and nut bar, made with 100% natural ingredients and no added sugar. Their motto is "No ultra processing, no added sugar & no labels that sound like science kits". Amen to that.

You should receive 1 item of 2. We got the Blueberry Muffin flavour, which is made with dates, raisins, cashews, almonds, freeze-dried blueberries and natural flavouring. So flavourful.

Nutritional values: 166kcal and 22g sugar (naturally occurring) per bar.

All nakd. bars are gluten free and vegan.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

UP&GO Protein Chocolate/ or Vanilla (£2.50 each) is a convenient, high protein breakfast drink, designed to fuel your busy mornings.

Packed with 35g or protein, essential vitamins and minerals, it delivers sustained energy and nutrition in a smooth shake. 

You will receive one flavour of two. We got Chocolate breakfast drink.

Nutritional information: 397kcal and 33.5g of sugar per 500ml; high in protein, high in calcium, 11 essential vitamins and minerals, no artificial  colours.

Available in Tesco and Co-Op.

Mission Carb Balance Original Wraps (£1.80) are a healthier choice for any mealtime.

With only 9g of carbs per wrap (66% less than Mission Original Wraps), they balance high fibre with lower carbs.

There are four wraps in a pack. Enjoy them for breakfast or lunch or any mealtime, as burritos, tacos, fajitas or dessert (with chocolate spread and chopped bananas).

Nutritional values: 125kcal and 0.55g of salt per  wrap; high fibre, suitable for vegans.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Pip Organic Pineapple & Mango Smoothie (£1.50) is a delightful organic fruit smoothie.

Each smoothie provides 1 of your 5 a day. Each carton contains 1.5 apples, 1/4 of a banana, 1/4 of a pineapple, a chunk of mango and a dash of squeezed orange.

Typical values: 53kcal and 11.9g of sugar (naturally occurring) per 100ml; no added sugar, no nasty additives, no added sweeteners, non-GM.

Available in Ocado, Abel & Cole and Pip Organic website.

You should receive 2 items in your box.

If you subscribe to a Degusta Plus Box, you will receive an extra treat.

What is your favourite product in the latest Degustabox?

Aubergine, butternut squash and tinned peach curry

As I was sorting the recycling today, I noticed just how many tins I have used in the last couple of weeks. Being in the lockdown and not being able to go out shopping whenever we need some fresh produce, we rely on tins a bit too much.
Also I promise myself, after all this ends, and if I am here to tell the tale, I am not going to eat pasta for a long-long time. I'm sick just of the sight of it.
I try to vary different sauces, and pasta shapes, but it's still stodge.

Last time I went out shopping, I managed to buy a nice aubergine and a pack of cubed butternut squash and sweet potato. I do like chickpeas in a curry, but they are as rare and valuable these days as loo rolls.

Aubergine, butternut squash and tinned peach curry
Ingredients:
1 medium aubergine, cubed
1/2 red onion
4tbsp olive oil
350g butternut squash and sweet potato
1 cube Knorr stock pot kaffir lime and ginger
1tsp mild curry powder
1 tin (227g) of chopped tomatoes
1 tin (160ml) coconut cream
1 tin (410g) of peach halves in juice

Start by heating up half the oil and frying the finely chopped red onion. Stir for a couple of minutes, then add more oil and cubed aubergines (I keep the skin on, but peel it off if you prefer). Add the cubed butternut squash and sweet potato.
Season with sea salt and spices and add the Knorr stock pot.
Next add the tinned tomatoes (chopped or plum), coconut cream and stir well. Slice the peaches and add to the curry. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and cook, simmering, for about half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the aubergines and squash are soft but still hold the shape.
If the curry is too thick, you might want to add some of the juice from tinned peaches.

Serve hot, with rice or/and flatbreads.

This is a variation of a vegetarian curry, which I cook quite often. You can swap ingredients - for example, use a dairy-free coconut yogurt or plain yogurt instead of coconut cream/milk. No tinned peaches? Add raisins or chopped apricots for a sweet note. Flaked almonds or chopped cashews for extra texture.
Make it more tomatoey by using two tins of tomatoes instead of a combination of tomatoes and coconut cream. Again, play around with whatever curry spices you have.

This curry has a lovely combination of flavours, and is easy to make.

In this recipe I used a pot of Knorr Kaffir Lime & Ginger stock, which was one of the products in March Degustabox.
Knorr's range of veggie flavoured stock pots are an easy way of adding depth of flavour to meat-free dishes. They are gluten free and suitable for vegans.
You can substitute it with whatever type of ginger you have - grated fresh root, or ginger paste in a squeezy tube or from a jar.
Also add a squeeze of lime, if you have it.

Be creative and stay safe!

Roasted cauliflower with flaked almonds

I'm a big fan of Dan Toombs aka The Curry Guy. He is well known for perfecting the art of a homecooked curry. His books, blog and Youtube channel are a true inspiration.

Last week I was browsing The Book People, looking for Emma Carroll's books to read with Eddie, but of course, I got diverted into the cook books section and just had to buy The Curry Guy Easy - at £4.99 it's a steal.
I've been bookmarking lots of delicious-looking recipes.

The first one I fancied trying was a recipe for Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Almonds and Coconut (<--- click on the link for the full recipe).

I have adapted the recipe, as I didn't have some of the ingredients, and slightly changed the method, as I first quickly pan-fried it and then finished by roasting in the oven.
All my supposedly non-stick frying pans get sticky despite me being careful with them, using only wooden spoons inside, not scratching, not using the dishwasher etc, so frying cauliflower with lots of bits and bobs until it's cooked through wouldn't work on my pans.
I also added a natural yogurt and swapped some of the spices, but otherwise, it is Dan's recipe, and I'm thankful for the inspiration.

In fact I liked it so much that I cooked it twice in just a matter of days. The second time I have pre-blanched the cauli, so it would take less time to cook. And the 2nd time I added a fresh chilli rather than paprika which I used in the first batch.

Roasted cauliflower with flaked almonds
Ingredients:
3tbsp coconut oil with turmeric
1tsp black mustard seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 big red onion, sliced finely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1tsp chilli infused oil (leftover from Domino's takeaway)
1/2 tsp paprika or finely chopped fresh chilli
2tsp garam masala spice mix
4tbsp flaked almonds
3tbps dessicated coconut
1tsp turmeric
1 cauliflower, broken into florets, with the green parts chopped into chunks)
125g coconut yogurt (or natural yogurt)
sea salt

I never throw cauliflower's leaves, and in this recipe I used both florets and leaves. Just chop off the most ungainly-looking bruised bits, and chop the rest.
I was surprised to read in one of the Guardian Feast issues back in summer that "it's only now, with the alarm around food waste, that we are discovering how remarkably tasty its [cauliflower's] leaves are". Who says, we are only just discovering it now? I've been doing it for as long as I remember.

Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan, when hot, add the mustard seeds and fry till they start to pop. Lower the heat, add the cumin seeds and finely chopped red onion. Fry for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and all the spices.
Add the almond flakes and dessicated coconut, stir together and add the cauliflower, cut into florets (and leaves, if using). Stir fry for about 3 minutes, add the yogurt, then transfer the contents of the pan to the roasting ceramic dish and put it in the oven preheated to 180C.

Cook for about half and hour. You might want to cover the cauli with a foil, so that coconut and flakes don't get burnt. If you pre-cook cauliflower in the steamer, then roasting time will reduce a lot.
I like the cauliflower soft and melty, not mushy, when it still holds shape, but not crunchy either, so it's up to your personal taste how long you will want to cook it.

This dish will make a tasty side dish, or just have it on its own, with a good chunk of bread.
I used a coconut yogurt, so this dish is an accidental vegan meal.

I love cauliflower in most dishes, and Dan's idea of cooking it with almond flakes and coconut is a great one. When I say "most dishes", I mean savoury. I tried a cake once at the food fair, it was made with mashed cauliflower, and believe me, it was very unpleasant. It might make the cake moist, but surely you can achieve that with a variety of other, more suitable ingredients.

Adding this post to #KitchenClearout linky hosted by Cheryl at Madhouse Family Reviews, as I used the leftover oil from Domino's as well as some of the dessicated coconut which needs using (still have some left).

Fruity aubergine and chickpea curry

It was the hottest day of the year yesterday (so far), and I was cooking a curry for dinner, rather than having a light salad and an iced tea. I had two aubergines in a bowl on the kitchen window, and quite a few tins in the pantry to choose from. This is a variation on a curry I cook quite often, changing and swapping some ingredients, like a dairy-free coconut yogurt (or just coconut-flavoured dairy yogurt) instead of coconut milk, adding flaked almonds or cashews, raisins or tinned peaches etc, so it's a very much flexible recipe, depending on what you have and like.
It could be either vegetarian (if you use milk-based yogurt) or vegan, or if you can't live without meat, chicken would be really nice in this curry too.

Fruity aubergine and chickpea curry
Ingredients:
2 red onions
6tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1tsp mustard seeds
2 aubergines
2tsp Sri Lankan masala
1tsp turmeric
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
about 100g soft dried peaches and mango
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (Polpa finely chopped tomatoes)
1 tin (400ml) light coconut milk
1 tin (400g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Start by frying finely chopped onions in 2 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, garlic and chilli, as well as aubergines. Slice aubergines in half, then in half again lengthways, and then chop into chunks. As these aubergines are young, I didn't peel the skin.
Add more oil, and season well with sea salt, then sprinkle with all spices. Cook stirring for another 5 minutes, until the aubergines chunks are coated with the spices, oil and onion mix.
Next add the halved cherry tomatoes and chopped dried peaches and mango slices. After cooking for another couple of minutes, pour in the contents of tinned tomatoes and coconut cream.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding to the curry. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and cook, simmering, for about half an hour, stirring from time to time. The aubergine chunks should be very soft, but still hold the shape.

Serve hot, with rice or without (I'm trying to cut down in carbs, so ate my curry without any rice).

This is a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth curry, not too hot, but very fragrant and flavourful.

I didn't specifically plan for this meal to be vegan, it just happened that the products I used were all vegetables and the cream is plant-based too.
I used the last of the Sri Lankan Masala curry mix from Steenbergs in this recipe, but any good masala mix will work. Next week I'm planning to go to the garden centre, where they have a lovely food shop, and I've seen Steenbergs' products there. If I can't find it there, then I'll have to order it online. Love the fruity flavours and aroma of this curry mix.

Mutti Polpa (Finely Chopped tomatoes) is one of the products from the latest Degustabox. This is a new Italian brand for me. Usually I buy Cirio tomato products. Mutti are winners of a prestigious Great Taste Award. Tinned chopped tomatoes were sweet and ripe, and worked beautifully in a vegetarian curry.

As I've finished the delicious curry mix, I'm adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout at Madhouse Family Reviews, hosted by lovely Cheryl.

Aubergine curry

I so admire people who plan their meals a week in advance, and know exactly what and when they would be cooking. I'm rather disorganised when it comes to dinners.
Often I have a vague idea of what I might be cooking, but it would depend on my mood and what I might find on offer. I suppose it doesn't help that I go grocery shopping every day.
I don't drive, and there is so much I can carry home, plus we do love freshly baked bread.
And I do often have a change of plans when I see something tempting.

The other day, while looking for some greens in Waitrose, I came across a big pile of aubergines at a reduced price (29p each) and grabbed three. One of them I used to make a pasta sauce.

Today I cooked an accidentally vegan dinner. I didn't plan for it to be vegan, but it just happened that way.
This recipe is a variation of an Indian recipe for aubergine curry (Baingan bharta).

Aubergine curry
Ingredients:
1 medium carrot
5tbsp+ olive oil
1 big red onion
1 chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1tbsp turmeric
1tsp Sri Lankan Masala
1tbsp ginger paste
2 aubergines, skinned and cubed
350ml tomato sauce (e.g. Cirio Cuor di Pelato)
a handful of raisins
170g coconut yogurt (e.g. The Coconut Collaborative coconut milk dessert)
flat leaf parsley

Peel and chop a carrot, and finely chop an onion. Heat 2tbsp oil in a big frying pan. Fry the onion and carrot for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the chopped and deseeded red chilli and garlic, as well as all spices.
Peel and cube the aubergines. Add them to the frying onion, carrot etc. Stir well, so that the aubergines are well coated. Add more oil, and a dash of water.
Pour in the tomato sauce.
I used a bottle of Cirio Cuor di Pelato tomato sauce with vegetables, which was one of the products in the latest Degustabox food box.
If you don't have this particular product, any good quality tomato sauce, or passata will work, or just tinned tomatoes.
Add a handful of raisins and cook simmering on low for about half an hour. For an extra creamy taste add a small pot of coconut yogurt.
You might need to add a little bit of water, if the sauce becomes too thick.

Serve hot with basmati rice. I added a tablespoon of dried barberries to rice.