Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Risotto

 A rich risotto that's full of flavour, a great alternative to pumpkin soup after Halloween

I don't like throwing away perfectly good food so I'm always on the lookout for things to make with my pumpkins after the festivities have finished but often get tired of having soup. This recipe mixes it up a little and as it only uses half the pumpkin, you don't have to ruin the nice carving you've made. Out of season you can substitute butternut squash for the pumpkin, it takes about 1 medium sized squash and the rest of the recipe is the same.

Down, But Far From Being Out

So if you follow our twitter (@gingerskyltd) you’ll have seen me break the news this week that Ginger Sky is not going to be trading in time for Christmas. I had been hoping to start in November which would have given me enough time for the Christmas rush but unfortunately that is not going to happen now. While it would have been great to start with the holiday period this is not the end of the world, just one more challenge that I have to overcome.

After such a positive post last week and a lot of hard work this week it is slightly disappointing to have to break the news. I mentioned last week that I had visited a suitable storage site, this week I reserved a unit and next week I’m going to meet with them to get my hands on the keys. This is a huge weight off my mind as this had been proving to be a problem area for me but with this now looking like it should be sorted I was feeling confident of getting Ginger Sky up and running asap, and then came Wednesday.

Recipe: Patatas Bravas

A great authentic Spanish tapas dish

This is great when teamed with other tapas dishes to create a tasty Spanish-themed spread. The sauce alone is yummy and can also be used over things like pork, calamari or even Spanish omlettes. If I’m just making this for myself I like to make it with shredded pork or a simple chicken breast.

Still Playing Catch Up

So after last week where, unfortunately, I didn’t make much progress, this week I have. I’ve solved many of the issues from my entry a couple of weeks ago and am well on my way to solving some others too. All being well I’m still hoping to go live and start trading in the next month or two so not too far away from my original plan.

Let’s start with the biggie shall we? Well, I think I may have finally cracked the storage problem. Went to see a place this morning and, although it’s smaller than many of the others I’ve looked at, it’s within my budget (ish) and is big enough to get started. The plan was always to start small anyway and to grow steadily and within my own means so this is a great place to start. An hour or so after I left the place they emailed to say one of their units is coming free from mid-week this week and Ginger Sky is now on the list to reserve it, just need to work out the finer details.

Recipe: Leek and Ginger Soup

 Traditional leek and potato with a twist, perfect to keep you warm on cold winter nights

I love my soups and am always on the lookout for new flavours to try. This one adds a bit of a kick to the traditional leek and potato recipe and really does warm you through just when you need it. As a lunchtime idea, you can heat this up in the morning and take it in a flask to work as a lovely warm alternative, just be prepared for the jealous looks from your colleagues. 

Helpful Cooking Tips for Those Starting Out

If you follow us on twitter (@GingerSkyLtd) you know I’ve been ill for most of last week, and if you don’t follow us on twitter, why not? You should J. Anyway, because of this there hasn’t been much progress here at Ginger Sky. I’m looking to catch up this week and next so hopefully have some exciting news to bring you in the coming weeks. But this gave me a dilemma, as I haven’t been able to do much what can I blog about? Well, I’ve got together with a couple of local chefs I know and have put together some top tips for beginner cooks.

I love my food, but for a long time I relied on others to do the cooking, although I wasn’t afraid of throwing some inspiring recipes and ideas their way. Over the last couple of years I’ve slowly begun to cook for myself but still would not profess to be any kind of expert. Having just learned to be a bit more adventurous I thought I’d share some of the tips and advice I’ve found really useful.

Recipe: Minced Beef Chilli

 Perfect to use for tacos or just to spice up your minced beef

This is one of my personal faves (although to be fair I do have a lot of faves). I often make it when I have friends round and just stick it in a bowl on the table with tacos, Mexican rice, guacamole, sour cream and anything else I have in the cupboard.

A Challenging Week

This past week has been fraught with challenges, it’s been one hurdle after another and has been a real struggle to make progress. Fortunately I had a weekend away at the end of it to de-stress and re-focus ready to tackle the challenges head on this week.

The biggest issue recently, and one that you’re probably sick of hearing about (I know I’m getting sick of writing about it), is storage. A couple of weeks ago I thought I had this sorted but a miscalculation on my part meant a facility I thought was within budget was actually well over, so I was back to the drawing board. This past week I’ve roped a friend into helping give a fresh perspective to see if they can help find something suitable and affordable. This delay is really holding me back at the minute as without storage I’m unable to order any stock which in turn means that even if the website was ready I wouldn’t be able to launch.

Hopefully, after a nice refreshing weekend and a helpful hand or two, I’ll be on top of this challenge by the end of this week.

Recipe: Simple Tomato Pasta

A classic tomato sauce that works with most pasta,

a good base to add other flavours

I often make this one to have as a working lunch. It takes literally minutes to make so I can make it in the morning and take to work or even the night before and so long as it's sealed and refrigerated it will last a good couple of days.