November Restaurants

I don't eat out all the time, but when I do, I like it to be enjoyable. I love quick lunches in Cafe Rouge, bowls of pasta in Strada and pizzas in Pizza Express. Any eating experience is usually pleasurable for me, but in these regular places, it is the company (family and friends) and the conversation that matters.

It is always nice though when you make a bit more effort and go somewhere new. November brought two such places, the first being Iberica in London. My good friend Suz happened to be in London and we arranged to meet when I finished work. I had had this place on my list since reading about it on Bellaphon's blog and as usual, the recommendation was spot on.

We shared beautiful croquetas de jamon (iberico ham croquettes), a selection of Spanish cheeses served with membrillo (quince paste) and the prize for best dish of the night went to the "broken eggs" served with iberico ham and fried potatoes. Great service and delicious food in a stylish setting. If you like Spanish food, give it a try. We finished the evening saying hello to two fellow bloggers, easy to spot by the size of their cameras! Check out Food by Mark and the LondonEater - these guys are much more qualified to give London restaurant reviews than me so check out their excellent blogs.

Another new restaurant I tried this month was The Cuckoo in Cuckfield, a local village restaurant which has been around for years, but recently had a change of ownership. It had been recommended by my cousin John and his wife Caroline, and already tried out by my brother Dom for my sister-in-law Lynne's Birthday. My Dad treated us to Sunday lunch yesterday to celebrate my sister Sarah's Birthday.

For November there was a special set menu at 10.00 for 2 courses and 15.00 for 3. The choices were very good with something to suit everyone and the food came beautifully presented in generous portions. The starter of gambas pil pil was absolutely delicious, and I throroughly enjoyed my local Balcombe pheasant served with parsnip mash and game chips. The roast lamb looked very impressive, and the sea bass served with olive mash and cherry tomatoes was so good, nobody even offered me a mouthful. Desserts were equally tasty, with the chocolate fudge cake served with pistachio ice cream a clear winner.

The building is full of character, with small cosy seating areas, and the interior has been brought up to date with stripped floors, crisp table cloths, soft grey woodwork and funky artwork. Service was friendly and efficient, and there was no problem when a couple of us chose affogatos (espresso poured over vanilla ice cream) rather than the set menu desserts.

Owner Toby and Chef Matthew should be very proud of this lovely little place which is destined to become a local treasure. Their Christmas menu looks fantastic value and we will definitely be back before too long.

November Cookalong 2: Sweet and Simple Bakes Brownies!

Having really enjoyed last month's Cookalong from the lovely Sweet and Simple Bakes, I couldn't wait for the November recipe and I wasn't disappointed to find that it was for delicious snow-flecked brownies! I have made these once before and couldn't wait to make them again but then I got the dreaded flu which developed into an ear and sinus infection. Not only did I feel lousy and lose my appetite but I couldn't taste anything for almost 2 weeks!

Having lost a couple of pounds, I can safely make and enjoy these now! The recipe can be found here, and it is easy to halve the quantities, as I did. Dark chocolate brownies with white chocolate within, what's not to like? My Dad has decided these are the best brownies I have ever made so I'll be sticking to this recipe from now on!

November Cookalong 1: Breakfast Bars

A bit late I know, but there have been two fab Cookalongs to join in with this month. The first is from the nigella.com forums and features in Nigella Express, with a recipe for these very easy breakfast bars. The recipe can be adapted easily, swapping the peanuts for other nuts (I used cashews) and using a variety of dried fruits. The end result was very tasty but they are a little too sweet for my taste, and rather calorie laden! Good for a post-run treat though.

Nigella Express

I have had this book as my recipe book of the week for quite some time now... I am still working my way through it but already have a few favourite recipes. All those that I've tried have been very quick and easy, many made from store cupboard ingredients and those that need any fresh additions can easily be put together after a quick stop at the local supermarket after work. Many of the recipes can be found at nigella.com but I really recommend getting this book for anyone who is short on time but still enjoys cooking and entertaining at home. If you fancy a warming bowl of chilli or a comforting dish of pasta with ragu sauce but can't face the thought of chopping onions and endless simmering to break down tinned tomatoes, Nigella has some nifty shortcuts. If you're like me, you'll have the odd jar of ready made pasta sauce lurking in the cupboard (although to lessen the guilt of buying "convenience" foods, I try to make mine organic at least!) and one of these can form the basis of a satisfying meal with a few other additions.

If you try one recipe, make it the Quick Chilli. I am a big fan of chilli and usually turn to Jamie Oliver's recipe which uses a jar of blitzed sun-dried tomatoes and a cinnamon stick to produce a deeply aromatic dish which never fails to disappoint, but I was really impressed and quite amazed at this extremely quick recipe. Here is my version of the recipe:

Nigella's Quick Chilli - serves 4
150g chorizo sausage, chopped
500g minced beef
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cardamom pods, bruised
1 x 500g jar tomato and chilli pasta sauce
1 x 390g can chilli beans (I used Biona organic ones from Waitrose)
2 tbsp chilli sauce
A good pinch of chilli flakes

Heat the sliced chorizo in heavy saucepan over a medium heat and cook until a little crispy. Add the mince and cook until browned.
Stir in the spices and cook for a further couple of minutes. Add the pasta sauce, chilli beans, chilli sauce and chilli flakes (there's no such thing as too much chilli!).
Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-30 mins.
I served mine with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chilli from my brother Dom's garden.

Can also be served with rice, topped with grated cheese, guacamole or sliced avocado, or as a topping for jacket potato.

And the no-churn Margarita ice cream makes the perfect dessert - I can't be without a tub of this in my freezer and have converted my friend Suz from her all-time favourite chocolate ice-cream! Next, I'm going to try out some other cocktail flavoured ice-creams, strawberry daquiri could be very good.

Ben's Birthday Brunch!

Today was a VERY special day. My beautiful nephew, Ben, was one today! I can't quite believe he is one already as the year since he was born has flown past. He has brought so much joy to our family and is an absolute little star. To celebrate my lovely sister Claire and husband David decided on a Birthday brunch, and we enjoyed:

Pomegranate bellinis
Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels
Sticky aga-baked sausages
Crispy bacon
Homemade organic wholemeal bread*
Slow cooked herby tomatoes
Welsh rarebit muffins*
Banana bread*
Pear and ginger muffins*




Ben's Birthday cake was a delicious spiced honey cake*, made by Claire.



Ben had some lovely presents and really enjoyed his day, almost as much as the rest of us! The great thing is, Christmas isn't too far away and we'll be able to do it all again very soon (and even better, Claire and David are hosting - yay!).




So Happy Birthday Ben with lots and lots of love from your fairy godmother, Aunty Lili xxx

* Recipes to follow!

A Flying Visit to Stockholm

When I say flying, I mean flying! Arrived early hours of Saturday morning and left on Sunday morning. This was my first visit and although brief, I really liked what I saw of the city and will definitely go back. We concentrated on the central island of Gamla Stan, which is one of the oldest parts and home to the Royal Palace. It also has very pretty streets, cafes, restaurants and cute little shops, which is probably why I liked it so much! We stopped for morning coffee in a little bar, and isn't this the cutest looking latte you have ever seen?

Dinner consisted of traditional swedish meatballs, served with creamy mash and lingonberry jam, all washed down with an organic beer - delicious!

Sweet & Simple Bakes - White Chocolate & Orange Cookies

Oops, I can't get used to having a new blog, please see Bitching in the Kitchen for details of these delicious cookies!

Weekend Eats

After a busy weekend of eating, I need a rest and a detox. Mine started on Thursday evening, when I was invited to the launch of the Natural Beauty Yearbook 2010 at Neal's Yard Remedies on the Kings Road in Chelsea. My brother (hey Dom) had invited me to take photos for his company and my reward was being able to drink organic wine, eat delicious canapes and take home a Neal's Yard Remedies goodie bag. Of course I couldn't resist taking some pics of the food too...

My brother

Friday, I managed to "work" from home... Now, I don't normally make banana bread, chicken and cashew nut curry and do my food shopping whilst "at" work, but who was to know as long as I was answering e-mails and being available if anyone needed me on the phone?

The weekend then continued with a trip to Tunbridge Wells to see Amor Flamenco, a fantastic show, far removed from the tourist shows seen on the Spanish Costas. The atmosphere was more that of a late night Spanish bar, with earthy gypsy singing, two fantastic Spanish guitarrists, and two dancers who all put on a fantastic performance. The talent behind the show is Ana, who is a brilliant flamenco dance teacher (I have lessons with her but have a very long way to go!).

Saturday was spent in a rainy Brighton, where my sister Sarah and I went from having delicious coffees at Coffee@33, to brunch at Bill's Produce Store, and then on to a couple of shops just to show willing. Anxious to get home as I had left a curry simmering in the slow cooker, I then had to get me, my flat and dinner ready for my siblings and their spouses, all in time to watch Strictly Come Dancing.

On the menu was slow-cooked lamb rogan josh, chicken and cashew nut curry and a very quick prawn and mango curry, all served with rice. Dessert was my current favourite "margarita" ice-cream which finished the evening off nicely. We then all took it turns falling asleep whilst watching Robbie Williams on the Electric Proms. This was no reflection on his performance, which was great, but more due to the consumption of food and wine...

Nigella's No Churn Margarita Ice Cream

Sunday was a little more relaxing, enjoying coffee and chocolate & banana bread at Dom's whilst deciding on Christmas menus, then home to make the Christmas chutney from Nigella's Christmas. This wasn't quite as succesful as the cranberry & apple chutney, as it seemed to stay quite runny. I decided to turn up the heat, only to then burn the bottom of the pan... (ok, so I got distracted signing up for Twitter). I think I managed to salvage it, but only time will tell. I'll post the recipe, but if you want an easy life, stick with the other chutney recipe!

The weekend finished with a Chinese takeaway with my friend Suz, and a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy (who can resist a weekly fix of McDreamy...?)

So, excuse me while I have a food rest and prepare for next weekend which will be spent in Stockholm. If anyone has any suggestions for places to see and things to eat, please let me know.

Cookalong: Lamb Patties with Hummus and Pitta

It's impossible to blog about everything you cook, after all, I don't want to bore you all with some of the stuff I throw together! Mostly, I just make regular meals and these are hardly newsworthy as they are made during the week from whatever is lurking in the fridge or from store cupboard ingredients. It's nice to venture out of the comfort zone though and follow something that has been suggested by someone else. As a regular follower of the nigella.com forums, I have joined in the last few Cookalong recipes, and this one for October is a real winner.

The recipe can be found using the link below, or in Nigella's Forever Summer book.

http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=307

The addition of soaked bulgar wheat into the patties adds a lovely wholesome texture, and the dried mint and lemon zest really come through once the're cooked. I made a couple of slight variations at the end, using rocket leaves rather than little gem, I skipped the onion and instead of spritzing over the lemon juice, I added it to the hummus/yoghurt mixture. Falafels instead of the lamb patties would make a lovely vegetarian alternative.

What to do with lots of apples...

I'm not really one to think about Christmas until at least 1st December, but every year I have a burning desire to make presents for friends and family, and preferably edible ones. The problem with this is lack of time, and the fact that I think I can make lots of goodies on Christmas Eve, whilst writing cards and wrapping proper presents. Anyone who is a little more organised than me, would tell me that any edible gifts of the chutney variety, should be made at least two months before Christmas... so that would be now then.

So having recently treated myself to Nigella Christmas, and being given a couple of kilos of apples from a friend's garden, it was time to chop fruit, sterilise jars and set about making some cranberry and apple chutney. I started prepping at about 8:30pm after making a big batch of leek and potato soup for my supper, and it was all done before 10pm. How easy is that? I should point out that this is the first time I have ever attempted making a chutney.

The results, even without two months maturing time, are pretty tasty. I'm looking forward to trying it with cold ham and turkey, and I think it will be lovely with a good strong cheddar. My batch made one largish jar (0.5 litres) and two smaller jars, so at least I can test one before deciding whether to give them as presents!

Nigella recommends that this chutney is made up to 2 months before using or giving (the longer it has the mature, the better) and then stored in a dark, cool place for up to 1 year. Once opened, it should be placed in the fridge and used within 1 month.

Roll on Christmas!

Dehesa

I've just had a lovely evening in London with my gorgeous friend Fi. We studied Spanish together so more often than not, we spend our evenings together over tapas and a decent bottle of red wine. Tonight was no exception, and it was a good excuse to try one of the many fantastic places recommended by Bellaphon, one of my favourite food blogs. It was a tough choice between Iberica and Dehesa, but as we found ourselves close to Oxford Circus, the latter won and we were not disappointed. For more detailed reviews and some delicious looking photos please read here and here (another favourite blog and I share Ms Marmite Lover's love of Spanish sherry).

We enjoyed pimientos de padron (Fi got all the hot ones), hand carved Teruel ham, the trio of manchego with membrillo, croquetas de jamon and boquerones. All these were washed down with the house red which at 15 quid a bottle, was remarkable value. For dessert, we shared the most delicious rice pudding made using calasparra rice, with submerged roast figs, topped with vanilla ice cream (and a cheeky glass of moscatel each). We had to move tables after eating as our table had a reservation but the staff were so lovely about it, this wasn't a problem. Thinking they would have to move us again, they gave us a glass of wine on the house, only to then not move us!

I have been really looking forward to coming here and can't wait to visit again. Thank you Bellaphon, you give good restaurant review.

p.s. photos are taken from Dehesa's website, I'm not brave enough to take my camera to restaurants yet!

Feeling fig

The title of this post should be "feeling fit" as I was due to run in the Royal Parks Half Marathon tomorrow... but, I've had cold and been feeling very sorry for myself for the last couple of days. I slept for 11 hours last night to try and get over it and it has almost done the trick but I know I am not fully fit. But in case I make a miraculous recovery, I've taken it very easy today, been drinking lots of water, and made myself a lovely pasta dinner to give me my energy boost for tomorrow.

I have a passion for figs, usually served with prosciutto or serrano ham and shavings of parmesan then drizzled with a lovely balsamic dressing in a salad, yum. I had never thought of putting them with pasta until I discovered this dish in the River Cafe Pasta & Ravioli pocket book. The combination of lemony cream, caramelised fig and slight hint of chilli is quite delicious.

Tagliatelle with fresh figs and chilli - serves 4

350g dried egg tagliatelle

8 black figs, stalks removed, cut into quarters

2 dried red chillies, crumbled

zest of 2 lemons

juice of 1 lemon

100ml double cream

50g freshly grated parmesan

extra virgin olive oil

Here's how:

Mix the lemon zest and juice into the cream and season. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan large enough to hold the figs in one layer. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil and when smoking, place the figs in the pan, turning them immediately to caramelise on each side. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the chillies ans season.

Drain the pasta, return to the pan, then stir in the cream mixture and toss together. Add the figs and serve with the parmesan sprinkled over.

Welcome...

to Lili in the Kitchen! Please bear with me while I make a few changes, more posts to follow soon!

La Belle France

So, before i get back to talking about food, here are some shots of my other holiday (which is now also a distant but wonderful memory..).

I spent a week with my wonderful parents, lovely sister (Claire) and gorgeous 7 month old nephew (Ben), in a beautiful house in south west France. It was a very chilled out holiday, although Claire and i managed to fit in some running, lots of swimming (very cold pool) and a little bit of yoga to start the day. We visited food markets, Bergerac, St Emilion (where we had a lovely lunch here and enjoyed some wine tasting) but mainly hung out at the house, being entertained by Ben, preparing nice food and drinking good wine.

The Dordogne

Lovely food market

Stopping for refreshments

The house had a few cookery books which we flicked through for inspiration, this being my favourite and I might have to get my own battered copy now...

Home made tortilla

Tarte Noir from the Patisserie

Monsieur Cyrano

It was so lovely spending quality time with my family and a week wasn't really long enough. But there's always next year...

Granada 2

I'm still here and following lots of your lovely blogs... just don't seem to have time to write much these days! Life is good, a little too good really so i can't complain. Before i tell you about my latest holiday, i promised to post photos of Granada, so here are some of one of my favourite places in the world, the Alhambra...

Being a bit of a novice with a digital camera, i managed to lose some stunning shots that i'd taken during the first couple of days of my stay. It goes without saying that i won't make that mistake again! Still, i know i'll be going back again next year so i'll just have to try recreating some of the shots i lost.

Granada really is a stunning city and if you ever get the chance to visit, i can assure you that you won't be disappointed.

My latest trip was to south west France where i had an equally lovely time, more on that to follow.

And i've still found time to cook and eat (they'll never replace food you know!) so will also be sharing more recipes soon!

Thank you for all your lovely comments while i've been away! :)

Granada

One of the reasons for my recent absence was a holiday to Spain. Many moons ago, I studied Spanish and had the joy of living in Granada in Andalucia for a year. During this time, I became fluent in Spanish, learnt to dance Sevillanas, visited the Alhambra on a weekly basis, became obsessed with Spanish food (tapas in particular), developed more than a liking for vino tinto and hence managed to put on at least a stone before coming home to finish my degree...

I hadn't been back to Granada for over 20 years and unfortunately had no imminent plans to, until getting back in touch with a very good friend last year. Suzanne and I went to the same school and college, and spent our year in Granada together. After nearly 20 years of no contact, last year we discovered we were living in the same town and a revisit to Granada was one of the first things we talked about. The holiday became a bit of a road trip, with six like-minded girls driving from Alicante to Granada for Las Cruces festival. Suzanne had booked fantastic apartments in the Albaicin, which had views of the Alhambra and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. We revisited old haunts, enjoyed delicious tapas, danced Sevillanas and decided that we would definitely be back next year.

Whilst much of the juerga* has moved on, one of the mainstays of the traditional tapas scene is the Trastienda. This gorgeous place looks like typical shop from the front, with legs of ham hanging in front of the counter, but behind the scenes is the cutest little tapas bar with tiled walls and low tables. Nice to see it mentioned here. We enjoyed a plate of aged pata negra ham and some tapas, before heading here for lunch, where we had traditional Moroccan food and the most beautiful views of the Alhambra.

Photos to follow...

* juerga = the good time (ir de juerga = to go out on the town)

Eldertini

Firstly, i must apologise for another absence. I have so much i want to mention, i don't really know where to start... so, i thought i would put together a little cocktail while i think.

I picked up a gorgeous looking bottle of St Germain elderflower liqueur from Waitrose recently (currently on introductory offer) so here goes my version of an elderflower martini:

Eldertini - serves 1 (in a martini glass with enough for a second helping)

50ml vodka
15ml elderflower liqueur
10ml extra dry martini
100ml organic apple juice

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Add above ingredients and shake.
Strain into a martini glass and enjoy.

leek & potato soup

Quite frequently i discover that i have a fridge full of vegetables that are almost past their best. This stems from over-zealous shopping trips to the supermarket when i want to be healthy and stock up on seasonal fruit and veg. I then find that life takes over and i'm not at home long enough to use it all up. Combined with an organic fruit and veg box delivery, i discovered that i had leek, potatoes, aubergine, sweet potato, celeriac, peppers, celery... oops. Poor neglected vegetables.

Anyway, back to those in a bit. An indulgent weekend started off with a chinese takeaway on friday with old school friends - a fab night as always.

On saturday, i had a great pub lunch here with old college friends and house-mates, Suze, Fi and Marianna. It's been 19 years since we were all together and this meet-up was long overdue. Great food accompanied a really good catch up on each others lives and we promised not to leave it so long until next time (which would take us to an age i don't even want to think about for a long while yet).

The girly chat continued into saturday evening and then the early hours of sunday morning, aided by champagne, wine and Suze's homemade sloe gin.

Needless to say by sunday, it was time to make amends with my liver and i made a vat-full of this delicious creamy soup from Tessa Kiros' Apples for Jam.

This book has been on my wishlist for quite some time but as i have a self-imposed ban on buying any new cookery books this month, i decided to order it from my local library instead. The theory here is that if i really love it (and i already do), i can reward myself after payday.

This is the first recipe i have tried from the book and it produced the most velvety smooth soup i have ever tasted, let alone made for myself.

leek & potato soup - serves 6
6 leeks
40g butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
2 tsp brandy
600g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
freshly grated nutmeg
100ml single cream
grated parmesan, to serve

here's how:
Trim and thoroughly clean the leeks - you'll need about 400g of trimmed leek. Slice the leeks quite finely and put them in a sink with cold water, then drain and wash them again if they are still sandy.
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the leeks and garlic and saute over medium-low heat until all the water has evaporated and the leeks are soft and faintly golden. Add the brandyand carry on cooking until it has evaporated. Add the potatoes and season well with salt. Add 1.5 litres of hot water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down slightly, cover with a lid and simmer for abour 45 minutes, or until the leeks and potatoes are very soft. Grate in a little nutmeg.
Puree the soup until it is totally smooth. If it is too thick, add a little hot. If it is too thin, return it to the pan and cook uncovered until it is has thickened a bit. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Add the cream, heat through and serve immediately, with a good tablespoon of parmesan sprinkled over each serving. Top with freshly ground black pepper, and ideally, some very fine slices of truffle. I made do with a few drops of white truffle oil - heavenly!

recipe keeper part 2

It's here! My fantastic hand-made recipe keeper book arrived all the way from New Zealand last week! It took me completely by surprise as it only took about a week in the post - things take that long being sent from one side of London to the other using Royal Mail!!!

So a huge *thank you* to Rachel of Books by Rachel for making this especially for me! I will now be able to organise my random clippings and scribbled notes, and I won't need to borrow cookery books from friends and family anymore (which is always a nightmare as you don't actually want to risk cooking from them in case they get splattered!).

I also love the receipt book i ordered, which again will help me get organised (i so need to).

Rachel also sent a lovely letter and a gorgeous little gift of a "matchbook" book, perfect for keeping in your purse and for writing down reminders or possibly even phone numbers... well, you never know... ;)

banana bread

Another useful recipe from Bill Granger's Feed Me Now... delicious for breakfast, but also nice with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

melt & mix banana bread - makes 2 loaves
45g soft light brown sugar
30g almonds, chopped
255ml sour cream
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g unsalted butter, melted
230g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
250g mashed ripe banana (2-3 bananas)

here's how:
Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4.
Grease and line two 10 x 18cm loaf tins (i used 1 large loaf tin) with baking paper.
In a bowl mix together the brown sugar and almonds and set aside (this will be sprinkled on the loaf before baking).
In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream and bicarb, leave to stand for 5 mins, then stir in the melted butter, caster sugar and beaten eggs.
Sift flower, baking powder and cinnamon into another bowl. Gradually fold in the sour cream mixture, followed by the mashed banana.
Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top. Bake for 1-1.5 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each loaf comes out clean.
Cool in the tins for 20 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Nice on its own and can also be toasted and spread with butter or honey (just make sure you don't slice too thinly or it may fall apart and your toaster will never be the same again...). I've put some individually wrapped slices in the freezer so i can have a quick fix before i make it again.

easy chicken dish

Having not had a proper cooked meal for quite some time now, i was craving roast chicken... here's a simple one-pot chicken dish adapted from Feed Me Now that hit the spot last night.

baked chicken with lemon, potato & green olives - serves 2

500g roasting potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small red onion, peeled and cut into wedges

handful of green olives

1/2 lemon, sliced

30g diced pancetta

1 x bay leaf

generous teaspoon of tomato puree

generous teaspoon balsamic vinegar

60ml chicken stock

4 x chicken pieces (with bone and skin)

extra virgin olive oil

4 x chicken thighs (or any chicken pieces)

1 small red onion

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

here's how:

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.

Place potatoes in a roasting tin or ovenproof dish.

Scatter over the onion, olives, lemon, pancetta and bay leaves.

Stir the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar into the chicken stock and pour over the potatoes.

Lay the chicken pieces on top, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a warm plate, cover with foil and set aside to rest in a warm place.

Increase the oven setting to 220C/Gas 7 and return the roasting pan to the oven for 10 minutes or until the potatoes etc are well coloured (you may wish to drain off some of the cooking juices).

Place the chicken pieces back on top of the potatoes, scatter over some fresh herbs if you havew some, and serve.

This was delicious on its own but could easily be served with extra veg, however you like it.

Yum!