Friday, 23 January 2026

Smaller Portions ... and Mix and Match

 


Up until the start of this week the only book that I had read this January was this new book by Ella Mills, as lots of you know I read recipe and cook books as though they were fiction. 😁

It's a really good book and there are lots of corners of pages folded down now to remind me to make more of the recipes from it ... book purists look away, yes I fold corners.


I had all the ingredients in to make this recipe, Creamy Coconut Lentils, so I did.


I find myself eating much smaller portions these days so the recipe that said feeds four gave me seven me sized portions.


I cooked up a double quantity of rice and had one portion along with a pot of curry for my tea, I put the other half of the rice into the fridge along with another pot of curry for the next night and four went into the freezer for future use.

The one left was claimed by Alan, who diluted it slightly and used it as a gravy to pour over his Christmas turkey and ham pie that he had cooked from the freezer.  He said it was delicious, I cannot really imagine it, but he's always enjoyed mixing his flavours and textures up.


Sue xx  


20 comments:

  1. Smaller portions was definitely the way to go when I realised my weight was creeping up. I find portion sizes in recipes and restaurants and ready meals are all too large. When we were in Canada years ago a single portion would feed THREE of me!

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    1. Oh gosh, I had no idea that Canadian portions were as big as those in the US. 🙂

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  2. I don't buy cookery books these days. I don't often try a new recipe, unless it's baking. That new-to-you recipe went a long way. I am a book purist, and always use strips of paper to mark a page. We are all different.

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    1. I do mix and match my 'place saving' methods. I use receipts and old cards as bookmarks occasionally, I also leave fiction books just open and facedown when I'm at home. But for something like a recipe book it has to be lots of folded corners. 😀

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  3. That look a great book and I’m with you on turning down corners, although books are precious, cookbooks in particular I see as tools , the more folds and scribblings the better ! Love the look of the curry, I’m a big fan of coconut.
    Alison in Devon x

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    1. Yes exactly. Some of my older Ella Mills books have lots of little notes and smiley faces on the recipes, it's a good reminder for me. The curry is lovely. 💚

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  4. That looks delicious and I agree about portion sizes. Norrie would have put some cooked chicken into the sauce. Catriona

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    1. That's exactly what I do when I'm cooking for me and Alan. Take my portion out, then stir some ready cooked chicken through his. 💚

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  5. I like finding experienced cookbooks at thrifts with turned down corners and notes. Gives me confidence to try the recipes.

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    1. I love old books with other people's notes in them, especially cookbooks. 😀

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  6. Shhh…corner folder here too, rebels we are I tell you, REBELS!

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  7. I usually hate anything with "cream" in the title but I could just eat those lentils! xxx

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    1. Because it's coconut milk it was just 'creamy' enough. 😀

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  8. I love lentil curry, coconut milk just gives it a bit of extra creaminess.

    God bless.

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    1. It adds something really special to curries and soups doesn't it. 😀

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  9. I adore lentil curry!!! PIty they do not agree with my bowels!!! I still eat them though!

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    1. Aw, that's a shame, but sometimes it's worth it for the flavour and the goodness ... just not too often. 😬

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