DK Books Press Officer, Fran, took advantage of a lazy weekend to cook her way through Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley’s Good + Simple. Keep reading to find out how she got on.
Who: Fran Gizauskas, Press Officer at DK Books
What I made: Mexican Beef and Carrot Burgers, Smokey Parsnip Chips and a Ruby Slaw side from Good + Simple by Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley.
What I thought: A lazy weekend recently was the perfect opportunity to try out some recipes from Good + Simple by the Hemsleys. Recipes for spicy Mexican Beef and Carrot Burgers, Smokey Parsnip Chips and a Ruby Slaw side sounded like a winning combination to try together.
The spicy Mexican Beef and Carrot Burgers were really easy to make, preparing and mixing all of the ingredients together in a large bowl to make patties perfect for the oven. Infused with ground cumin, paprika, thyme, fresh chilli, parsley and dried oregano, the end result was smokey, spicy and moreish. Grated carrot made the burgers juicy, virtuous, and added a little sweetness too. I imagine a batch of these sizzling away on the barbecue come summer, making any shop bought burgers grilling alongside them weep.
The Smokey Parsnip chips were peppered with paprika and went so well with the burgers. Next time I’ll be less heavy handed with the oil – I did this by eye rather than following the recipe – but the result was still sweet, golden and delicious. I usually keep parsnips for Sunday roast dinners, but will be inspired by this recipe to knock up a batch of parsnip chips in the future.
The Ruby Slaw was the star of the show, a few fresh ingredients mixed together to make the perfect zingy, fresh side dish. Crunchy red cabbage, fresh red chilli, tangy lime juice, aromatic ground cumin and fresh parsley complimented the burgers perfectly. It was so popular around our dinner table I made this the following day to serve alongside a Keralan curry.
The Hemsley recipes are flavourful and feel so good to eat. I made meatballs with the rest of the Mexican Beef and Carrot batch, and can’t wait to try these with pasta or courgetti for a quick and easy weeknight meal soon.
From the book
Good + Simple
Delicious, wholesome recipes from the Hemsley sisters
Creative cooking for lunches and midweek meals
Satisfying recipes with a healthy twist
Want more from Good + Simple? Why not try Huevos Rancheros with Guacamole, Mum’s Philippine Beef Sinigang, or Spicy Miso Salmon with Broccoli Rice.
