Lili in the Kitchen

My Dad Beets All the Rest

2010-08-28T23:07:00.002+01:00

Firstly, sorry for being away for so long. I realised I needed to catch up on my blog when even my Dad mentioned that I hadn't updated it for a while! Work has been busy and my weekends have been taken up with a short photography course (the results may not be obvious for a while as I need to practice what I've learnt!).

This weekend has been lovely. I took Friday off to make the Bank Holiday weekend a day longer and spent it with my sisters, Sarah and Claire, and my gorgeous nephew Ben in Tunbridge Wells.

Today I started with a run, and finished with cooking from Nigel Slater's Tender. In between, I managed to pick some delicious Victoria plums from a local fruit farm, buy some lovely produce from my favourite organic farm and also visit my parents where I had my pick of their home-grown produce. They have been eagerly awaiting the first of the beetroot, and I was lucky enough to get the cream of the crop. This beauty weighed in at 350g and I had to scour my recipe books to find a recipe to do it justice.

Nigel Slater's Tender Volume 1 is a beautiful book. Think of a home-grown vegetable (in the UK) and there is a whole chapeter dedicated to it with notes on growing, harvesting, cooking and eating. Here I found a lovely recipe for Chickpea Patties with Beetroot Tzatsiki. The patties were made by blitzing chickpeas with ground cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic and an egg with some flat leaf parsley and fresh mint (also from Mum and Dad's garden) in the food processor, then shaping and frying in a little olive oil. The tzatsiki from finely grating the beetroot and mixing with natural yoghurt and fresh mint. Both served with a wedge of lemon. Delicious.

My parents maintain that there is no favouritism in our family. The order goes as follows:

Sarah - first born, so pretty special

Claire - third (and youngest) daughter, and mother of my parents' first grandchild, so also pretty special

Dominic - youngest child, only son, and soon to be father of my parents' second grandchild, so also pretty special

Me, I'm the second born... middle daughter... I regularly visit with my cakes and cookies... BUT I was given the first beetroot, so I guess that makes me pretty special too.

My Dad x

Rhubarb and Blueberry Crumble

2010-06-14T21:39:00.002+01:00

I finished off yesterday's soup tonight and the flavours were even more intense, especially the sweetness of the chestnuts. (Mental note to get more chestnuts for the store cupboard...) As I didn't need to cook, I had time to make a dessert instead and just had to decide what to do with the lonesome stick of rhubarb that was lurking in the fridge.

I recently made a delicious rhubarb and blueberry compote from Nigel Slater's website and thought I would try this fruit combination again in a crumble. The crumble topping I've been using recently is from Tessa Kiros's Apples for Jam as it's so quick and easy. I'm not sure I'll ever make a crumble as good as my Mum's but this was pretty good for a Monday night!

Rhubarb and Blueberry Crumble for 2

100g rhubarb sliced
75g blueberries
A sprinkling of caster sugar
35g caster sugar
100g plain flour
25g soft brown sugar
75g butter, softened (strange but true)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 190 C or gas mark5.
Place the fruit in a small oven proof dish and sprinkle over the caster sugar.
Mix together the caster sugar, flour and brown sugar in a bowl.
Add the cubed butter and vanilla extract and rub with your fingertips until the mixture looks like "damp, clustery sand" (I love Tessa's descriptions).
Sprinkle topping over the fruit and bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top and the fruit is starting to bubble around the edges.

Allow to cool a little, if you can, and serve with your choice of custard, ice cream or cream. Mmmm...

Nigel Slater's Rhubarb & Blueberry Compote

Chestnut and Chorizo Soup

2010-06-13T20:42:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite blogs is Cocina de Lina, following Emmalene cook her way through the tome that is 1080 Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega. Emmalene's exploits are honest, informative and extremely entertaining, and I'm making a note of all of the recipes I want to try for myself (i.e. the ones that work!). I also have a real passion for Spanish food and have a few other excellent Spanish recipe books. One of my favourites is José Pizarro's Seasonal Spanish Food (more on that to follow) and another, whilst not purely Spanish food, is Moro The Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark.

Having a small piece of cooking chorizo to use up and being in need of some comfort food, I decided on this wonderful soup recipe, Sopa de Castanas. It is probably more of a cold weather soup, but as it quick to prepare from mainly store cupboard ingredients, I would make it any time. Here is my slightly adapted version:

Chestnut and Chorizo Soup - serves 2 for lunch or supper

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 stick celery, thinly sliced
60g mild cooking chorizo, skinned and cut into small cubes
1 garlic clove, sliced or crushed
1/2 tsp (2.5ml) ground cumin
1/2 tsp crushed chillies
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tsp fresh)
1 tomato, fresh or tinned, roughly chopped
200g cooked peeled chestnuts (I used vacuum packed), roughly chopped
10 saffron threads, infused in 2 tbsp boiling water
500ml water/chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat the oil and gently fry the onion, carrot, celery and chorizo for about 20 minutes or until lightly caramelised.
Add the garlic, cumin, chillies and thyme and cook for a further minute.
Add the tomato and the chestnuts and cook for a few minutes.
Next, add the infused saffron and liquid and the water or stock.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher until almost smooth but with a bit of texture.
Season to taste, serve and enjoy (with a glass of Spanish wine if you can)...

It's Friday!!!

2010-05-28T21:26:00.002+01:00

When you've had a day like I've had, all you can do when you get home is kick off your shoes, put on the TV and mix yourself a cheeky little cocktail to put that day behind you. Here is my current favourite...

Eldertini - serves 1

1 measure extra dry martini

1 measure vodka

1 measure St Germain Elderflower liqueur

1 measure = 25ml (unless you've had a VERY bad day, in which case make it 50ml)

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

Add all of the ingredients to the shaker and shake until your arms ache.

Pour into your favourite martini glass.

ENJOY!!!

Happy Birthday Jamie O!

2010-05-27T21:58:00.002+01:00

Today is Jamie Oliver's birthday and I send my very best wishes! I'm a big Jamie fan, always have been. I love his books, his recipes, his programmes and his Jamie at Home kitchenware. I especially love his latest book, Jamie Does... and really must try out some more of the recipes (the chorizo and tomato salad was delicious).

Of the other Jamie books I have, there is one that I really haven't cooked from enough and that's Jamie's Kitchen. I enjoyed a couple of amazing dishes from this book at Easter when my brother-in-law David made the most fantastic Bouillabaise (p.173) with croutons and rouille, followed by the Plum and Almond Tart (p.295) but made with blueberries rather than plums. Both were delicious and really professional looking. Here are the pics I took:

So, I have added this book to my pile and chosen a recipe to try at the weekend, more of that later!

Veggie Week!

2010-05-25T22:19:00.000+01:00

National Vegetarian Week started yesterday and I will be doing my best to avoid meat this week. I tend to stick to a vegetarian diet mid-week anyway (although with some fish) and then have good quality (preferably organic and/or locally sourced) meat at some point over the weekend. So tonight was a perfect opportunity to make a delicious veggie dish, and join in this month's Cookalong on nigella.com at the same time. The recipe for Griddled Aubergines with Feta, Mint and Chilli is just my kind of dish as I love all of the individual ingredients, and it was so easy to put together. Pefect to make at a barbeque or for a picnic, especially for any vegetarian guests, and just as good for a light supper when you get in late from work (as I usually do!). Yum!

Delicious Date and Apple Cake

2010-05-21T20:21:00.001+01:00

A few months ago, after running in the Brighton half marathon, I had a piece of cake in my favourite Brighton coffee shop Coffee@33 called lumberjack cake. It was heavy with date and apple, with a delicious caramelised coconut topping. It was the first time I'd heard of this cake but I was smitten! After a little bit of research, I managed to find a couple of recipes and the favourite so far has been from the forummers recipes on nigella.com and you can find the original here.

Apparently this cake is delicious without the cocunut topping but to me, this is the best bit!!

Anyway, I made this last night to take to a lovely afternoon tea picnic today for my Mum's birthday. The weather in the south east was wonderful, and I spent the afternoon at Wakehurst Place with my sisters, parents and beautiful Ben (my nephew). Sarah made perfect finger sandwiches, Claire made heart shaped scones and I made cake. Ben provided the entertainment.

Happy Birthday to the best Mum in the world! x

Healthy Granola Bars

2010-05-15T13:54:00.002+01:00

Well, detox week was a success! The scales are being kinder and I feel better in my jeans (jeans never lie, scales sometimes do!). I stuck to the healthy breakfast smoothie all week, salads for lunch and healthy soups and stews (all veggie) for dinner (except for lunch out on Thursday and a Chinese takeaway last night... oops). Now, I love my food and that diet alone would not be enough as I am out of the house for 12 hours each day in the week, so I needed some healthy snacks. Having been initially inspired to detox after discovering goop.com, this week's newsletter had some healthy lunchbox ideas. The granola bars suggested looked good, and here is the version I made to get me through the week:

Homemade Granola Bars

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup rolled oats, blitzed in a food processor
A pinch each of the following:
fine salt
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
ground ginger
1/4 cup flax seeds/linseeds
1/2 cup dried cherries*
1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped*
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds*
1/4 cup groundnut oil
1/4 cup high quality maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Line a 8” square baking pan with parchment paper (my pan was 9" so my slices were quite flat)

Combine the oats, spices, nuts, seeds and dried fruit in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the wet ingredients and then stir them into the dry ingredients.

Put the mixture in the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula and bake for 25-30 mins or until pale golden.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, remove the parchment and cut into individual bars or squares.

* Use any combinbation of dried fruit and nuts, made up to 1 cup measurement. Next time I'll be trying date and walnut I think.

Detox and a Chocolate Cake...

2010-05-09T19:27:00.002+01:00

The last few weeks have seen my weight creeping up due to lack of exercise and a fair bit of comfort eating. It was definitely time to kick start a more healthy way of eating and the best way for me is to have a mini detox. But, the weekends are the perfect time to do some baking so I got the cake making out of the way on Friday and swiftly delivered it to my parents on Saturday!

The recipe is a delicious one: Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake from Nigella's Feast. Now, I hadn't made a proper chocolate cake for quite some time, and I hadn't attempted this one before. I chose it because it was going to use up the carton of sour cream I had in the fridge that was fast approaching its sell-by date. I couldn't have chosen an easier recipe as both the cake and the icing can be whizzed in the food processor, saving lots of kitchen mess and washing up. I really loved Nigella's suggestion of placing four strips of greaseproof paper under the cake before icing it, as once you remove them you have a lovely clean plate with not a splodge of icing in sight (well almost!).

The recipe can be found here: http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=191

And here is my cake being assembled:

The cake went down very well with everyone, it was light, moist and very chocolatey! Definitely one to make again, and next time I'll find some pretty sugar flowers for decoration.

So, even more reason to detox today and keep me away from the cake!

Breakfast comprised a hot water with fresh lemon slices, followed by a blueberry smoothie* made with almond milk and ground flaxseeds and my mid-morning snack was a handful of natural almonds. By lunchtime I was ravenous and had a HUGE bowl of delicious watercress soup which I made after being inspired by Lucie over at Cooking at Marystow. I didn't add the milk as I am trying to be dairy-free this week, and I added a handful of freshly chopped chives, parsley, oregano and basil - delicious and healthy!

To keep my mind off food (unsuccesfully!) I kept busy with housework, sorting out clothes and ebaying.

Mid-afternoon I made a refreshing drink, blitzing half a peeled cucumber in the blender with some fresh lime, basil leaves and apple juice and served it over ice*.

And finally, it was dinner time! Wanting to use up vegetables but also add some protein, I made up a big pot of this delicious mediterranean bean stew which I found over at nigella.com. I halved the recipe, substituted carrots for the red pepper, passata for the tinned tomatoes, and topped it with some freshly made basil and oregano pesto.

*My new favourite website is goop.com which is beautifully written by Gwyneth Paltrow, very inspiring and great for healthy recipes including the smoothie and cucumber drink.

Who Will It Be??

2010-05-06T22:17:00.003+01:00

For somebody who is pretty much apolitical, I am quite enjoying the UK's general election. Well, I'm enjoying Channel 4's Alternative Election Night if that counts...!

I also liked seeing Tyrrell's Crisps election special flavours in Selfridges today: Cameron's Crunchies "Eton Mess", Clegg's Cocktail "Roasted Veg & Hummus" and Gordon's Gourmet "Scotch Egg & Brown Sauce". I also had the pleasure of meeting the top man at Tyrrell's who was very interested to hear about my favourite flavour which is usually a Valentine's Day special edition but should really be available all year round.

So, the polling stations have now closed and the fate of the nation has been decided. So who will it be?? I won't be staying up all night to find out as I need all the sleep I can get at the moment and the morning will come all to soon!

Sorry for the recent lack of posts, technical issues (lack of laptop) and time have been against me, but I do hope to make amends as I have been eating and photographing as much as I can and have plenty of things that I would like to share with you. :D

Birthdays Continued...

2010-03-30T22:06:00.001+01:00

Before I move on to more recent cooking, I must post a few words about my Birthday meal at the Cuckoo which was a lovely leisurely Sunday lunch with my whole family. We were once again looked after by the lovely host, Toby, and treated to hearty portions of home-cooked foods.
I started with delicious gnocchi with crayfish in a light creamy tomato sauce which had a subtle hint of chilli. Followed by roast beef with all the trimmings, one of the best I've had. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding - delicious!
Unfortunately we have no more family Birthdays until May, but we're looking forward to our next visit.

Birthdays!

2010-01-30T22:45:00.001Z

I have been absent for far too long, and need to make amends. There was lots to talk about in December but no time to write it down! January, until this weekend, has pretty much been a month of eating healthily, not going out much and training for a half marathon. But today was my Birthday (can't mention the number out loud) so time to enjoy myself!

Today has been brilliant, starting off with a short run to blow away the cobwebs, in freezing conditions and a light sprinkling of snow on the ground, but the sun was shining and it was lovely to get out there. After a lovely hot shower and a modest breakfast came a trip to London with good friend Suzanne, who had bought me a ticket to see The Misanthrope with Damian Lewis, Keira Knightly and Tara Fitzgerald.

We started off with the most amazing brunch at The Wolseley on Piccadilly (sorry, no photos allowed), then shopping in one of my favourite stores, Anthropologie, which almost made us late for the theatre! The play was fantastic, and an absolute "must see" especially for anyone who studied the original version for A level French like us!

There was even time for margaritas and nachos after the show - the perfect end to a perfect day!

More celebrations tomorrow to look forward to, with lunch at family favourite The Cuckoo, and drinks with the girls in the evening. More on all of that to follow.

I may have missed my blog's first anniversary which was earlier this month, but it's lovely to be back!

November Restaurants

2009-11-30T10:05:00.000Z

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!

2009-11-28T20:12:00.000Z

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

2009-11-28T19:13:00.000Z

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

2009-11-14T09:22:00.001Z

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!

2009-11-07T19:53:00.000Z

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

2009-11-03T10:01:00.000Z

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

2009-10-28T22:56:00.000Z

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

2009-10-26T13:29:00.000Z

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

2009-10-21T15:43:00.000+01:00

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...

2009-10-20T22:07:00.001+01:00

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

2009-10-19T22:01:00.000+01:00

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

2009-10-10T19:39:00.000+01:00

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...

2009-10-08T09:16:00.001+01:00

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

La Belle France

2009-08-10T16:35:00.000+01:00

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

2009-07-23T10:01:00.000+01:00

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

2009-05-31T17:54:00.000+01:00

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

2009-05-30T21:27:00.000+01:00

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

2009-04-20T08:49:00.000+01:00

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

2009-04-20T08:45:00.000+01:00

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

2009-04-19T23:21:00.000+01:00

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

2009-04-14T22:22:00.000+01:00

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!

healthy brownies

2009-04-14T21:14:00.000+01:00

I decided on Bill Granger's new book, Feed Me Now, for my recipe book of the week as it is the newest addition to my collection and there are quite a few recipes i want to try.
At the weekend i made "healthy" chocolate brownies to give as Easter gifts, and packaged them up in cellophane parcels with some Cadbury's mini eggs for a touch of colour. You'll have to trust me that they looked pretty cute, as i forgot to take any photos. Bad food blogger...
Anyway, here's the recipe when you need a virtuous chocolate fix.

healthier chocolate & date brownie - makes about 15-20
140g unsalted butter
140g pitted dried dates, finely chopped
60g good quality cocoa powder (i use Green & Black's)
90g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
95g soft light brown sugar
3 medium eggs
1 tsp natural vanilla extract

here's how:
Preheat oven to 160C/gas 3.
Lightly grease a 20cm square baking tin and line the base with baking paper.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the chopped dates, take off the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Sift the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together, then stir in the dates and butter.
Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes or until set.
Turn out and cool on a wire rack (i always wait for 10-15 mins to allow the mixture to set a little) and then cut into squares and enjoy without feeling too guilty.

mushroom monday

2009-04-06T20:38:00.000+01:00

Before I move on from my recent recipe book of the week, i needed to mention another little recipe from Breakfast, Lunch, Tea which i tried last week.

I really love risotto but often think it's just too much faff for cooking midweek for one... but i tried not one, but two risotto recipes last week and this one was delicious:

mushroom and porcini risotto - serves 6

1 handful dried porcini, soaked in 400ml hot water for 30 mins
4 tbsp olive oil plus extra for frying
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and ground black pepper
60g unsalted butter
2 onions, finely diced
400g carnoroli rice
About 1.5 litres vegetable or chicken stock
150g grated parmesan cheese

Here's how:
Strain the porcini and reserve soaking liquid. Set both aside.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms with the garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Put 4 tbsp oil and the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over a very low heat, stirring occasionally, till the onions are soft but have not yet started to brown.
Pour in the rice and cook over a medium heat, stirring, till it becomes translucent.
Add the porcini and some of their liquid and the sliced mushrooms.
Pour in the stock a ladleful at a time and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid before adding some more. Carry on adding the stock until you have a creamy consistency. The rice must be cooked but slightly 'al dente', and the mixture must hold together.
Remove from the heat and add the parmesan.
Stir well and check the seasoning.
Pour the risotto into bowls and serve immediately.

And after a weekend that involved a chinese takeaway with my friend Suzanne and then delicious chocolate cake in Tunbridge Wells (thank you Sister Claire!), it's back to mid-week healthy meals.

Having checked the fridge last night, it was a case of "shit-ake!' - i'd forgotten they were in there! So i picked up a delicious organic salmon fillet on my way home, and some baby pak choi with a Nigella Bites recipe in mind. And i think this can now be my new recipe book of the week...

salmon with greens and shitake mushrooms - serves 2

2 skinned salmon fillets, preferably organic
1 clove garlic, finely minced or chopped
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
125g shitake mushrooms, destalked and sliced
400g choi sum, roughly chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper to taste

Here's how:
Grill or fry the salmon fillets - preferably in a good non-stick pan or on the smooth side of a griddle - until just cooked through and remove them to warmed plates while you get on with or finish the vegetables. (I pre-heated the oven to 150C, pan-fried the salmon flesh side down until the surface was golden and the fillet looked almost cooked, then flipped it over and placed the pan in the oven, reducing the heat to 100C while I did the rest of the cooking. It was cooked to perfection, which is almost a miracle for me when it comes to cooking fish!)
In a heavy-based pan, fry the garlic in the oil until it is warm but not catching. Add the sliced mushrooms together with the choi sum stalks, stirring everything together for a minute or so. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, remove the lid and add the roughly chopped choi sum leaves, soy sauce and sesame oil, then let it cook for another 2-3 minutes until the leaves have wilted.
Pile the mushrooms and greens on the plates with the salmon and eat!
Nigella suggests making a little sauce to go with, by mixing Colman's mustard powder into a smooth paste with a little cold water, adding a few drops of soy sauce and a scant, pulpy puree of fresh ginger. I sprinkled mine with some black sesame seeds (and then, off-camera, a very generous dollop of sweet chilli dipping sauce...).

books by rachel: recipe keeper

2009-04-02T11:33:00.000+01:00

Books by Rachel: Recipe Keeper

I had to sneak in a little post during my lunchbreak as i have just spotted this beautiful "recipe keeper" book made by the lovely Rachel at Books by Rachel.

I am waiting to see if this is going to be available on Toggle, and if so will be ordering one asap! My recipe "drawer" is overflowing with print-outs, magazine/newspaper clippings and scribbled down notes, so it's time to get organised.

What a lovely way to record your favourite tried and tested recipes, and then perhaps one day pass them on to someone who will cherish them.

rose bakery's quinoa and pepper salad

2009-04-01T22:32:00.000+01:00

When i first started reading Breakfast Lunch Tea i was lusting after all the cakes and sweet things but as i'm trying to be healthy this week, the cakes will have to wait until the weekend!

So i made up a batch of this delicious salad instead to take into work for my lunches.

Rose Bakery's Quinoa and Pepper Salad - serves 6
170g (1 cup) quinoa
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red, 1 green and 1 yellow pepper (bell pepper), finely diced
2 medium onions, finely diced
1 courgette (zucchini), finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 dried red pepper (bell pepper), crushed
pinch of cumin (optional)
dash of lemon juice (optional)
chopped fresh parsley or coriander (cilantro) to garnish

Put the quinoa in a saucepan with 500ml (2 cups) water and a pinch of salt.

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 15 mins, until the quinoa is soft and the water has been absorbed. Set aside.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the peppers, onions and courgette over a medium heat with a pinch each of salt and pepper, add the garlic and dried red pepper.

Keep stirring unitl the mixture just begins to turn soft - the vegetables must not soften too much - and the colours blend into the oil.

Check the seasoning (adding a little cumin or lemon juice if you wish).

Pour the sauce into the quinoa and mix well.

Garnish with parsley or coriander and serve warm or allow to cool to room temperature.

I've been enjoying it with some salad leaves, avocado and feta cheese - who says healthy needs to be boring?

bills and ben

2009-03-29T23:51:00.000+01:00

This weekend was a busy one... Starting with a night out with the girls on Friday to see Dave - a really good local band who do the BEST covers. We planned to eat out first, then meet other family and friends at the gig. Unfortunately we then got a call to say that the band had had to cancel as the lead singer, Paul, had pleurisy... So we enjoyed our meal out and had an early night instead! We wish Paul a really speedy recovery, hopefully in time for our next girls' night out!

Saturday was a day out with the girls, this time my mum, two sisters and sister-in-law. I am blessed with a fantastic family, and like nothing more than spending time with them. Now and again, we manage to have a girls' day out having coffees and lunch, with a bit of shopping thrown in. Brighton is our usual destination and Food for Friends is a favourite for lunch.

What really made the day was the addition of my almost 5-month old nephew, Ben. He is THE most gorgeous baby ever (ok, so i may be a little biased...) and he delighted us with his smiles and baby noises all day.

The other delight was managing to get a table at Bill's for afternoon tea, and my first ever Lamington - raspberry if you will. It was made from the softest sponge cake, covered in a light rasberry jam and coconut, and topped with a white chocolate dipped strawberry. Yum!

Sunday brought the loss of an hour in bed (but yay for the lighter evenings!) and a 10-mile walk, getting into training for the London MoonWalk. I have done this fantastic 26-mile walk twice before, and am really looking forward to taking part again for this very good cause. More details to follow.

And then the weekend was nearly over, leaving just enough time for a flick through the Sunday papers, and finding a few recipes for the week ahead...

banana smoothie

2009-03-25T22:30:00.000Z

Most mornings, I start the day with a smoothie. I get up and leave home at early o'clock but have to have something to eat/drink or i end up feeling sick on the train to work. I then have a second proper breakfast at my desk, which keeps me going until lunchtime (ok then, elevensies!).

I was given a Hamilton Beach Classic Blender over 15 years ago (which has just made me think what i actually did just over 15 years ago... but that's a whole other story which i will have to come back to at some point) and it's still going strong. I know a recipe for a smoothie might seem a little simple, but this one from Breakfast Lunch Tea is my new favourite.

So here it is, and it's a lot quicker than making granola (especially for you miss baglady).

Classic Banana Smoothie - Serves 1
1 banana
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp apple juice
125ml natural yoghurt or soya milk (i use half and half)
Put all the ingredients in a food processor/blender and liquidize until smooth and frothy (does anyone remember Cresta? I can't say the word frothy without thinking about the large white polar bear wearing sunglasses)
Variations:
*Add a handful of strawberries in season
*Replace the apple juice with lime juice, the honey with 1tbsp sugar and add a handful of desiccated coconut (i would have to add a shot of rum with this one to make a delicious tropical breakfast cocktail, mmm...)
*Replace the banana with chunks of ripe mango and add a dash of lime juice to the apple juice
*Use any poached fruit and some of its liquid, especially apricots, and you won't need the apple juice

rose bakery's honey granola

2009-03-23T22:22:00.000Z

I have been lusting after this book for some time now... I first saw it at the top of Gemma's book list on Dressing for Dinner. I added it to my shopping basket on Amazon a good month or so ago and had resisted completing the order until last week. I knew i had been neglecting my blog and was in need of some culinary inspiration! Anyone who knows me well, knows that i would love to run a little coffe shop one day - serving the freshest, tastiest coffee, home baked biscuits and cakes and healthy quiches and tarts.

For now, i will keep attempting to write the business plan and try out as many delicious recipes as possible so when the time comes, i will be ready!

After a weekend of cake-eating, i thought I'd better start with a healthy breakfast recipe:

Honey Granola - serves 6

Ingredients:
400g rolled oats
125g whole almonds (I used flaked)
100g sunflower seeds
100g pumpkin seeds
50g sesame seeds
1 tbsp wheatgerm
125ml sunflower oil
250ml honey (I used half honey and half maple syrup)
50g brown sugar (I left this out)
a few drops of vanilla extract
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 handful dried fruit, such as sultanas (golden raisins) or dates
milk or soya milk to serve (i like it stirred through natural yoghurt and drizzled with honey).

Preheat oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
Mix together the oats, almonds, seeds and wheatgerm in a large mixing bowl.
Place the sunflower oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan with 125ml watwe and bring up to just boiling point, stirring constantly.
Stir this into the oats and seeds and mix everything together well.
Spread out evenly onto a large baking tray (i line mine with parchment/bake-o-glide) and place in the oven for 1 hour. (i gave a little stir halfway through).
Turn the oven down to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and bake for a further hour (again, i gave a couple of stirs).
Finally, turn the oven off and allow the granola to dry out for a further hour or overnight.
Stir through the dried fruit and allow to cool completely before placing in sterilised jars (i also put some in cellophane bags to take in to work).
I have tried quite a few different granola recipes and what i like about this one is that the mixture stays quite loose rather than clumpy and it has a lovely toasty, nutty flavour.
I will try it with different combinations of fruit and nuts next time too - pecans and cranberries would be lovely.

happy mother's day!

2009-03-22T20:26:00.001Z

Remember me?? Apologies for my extended absence... life's been hectic. It started with my parents moving house after two years of trying to downsize. From agreeing a sale to moving house, it all happened in under six weeks and i was tasked with selling furniture on ebay and helping on move day. I've only just recovered...

Then i had to go to France for work and in between i've been catching up with friends and family...

Long story short, i've been neglecting my blog and my lovely readers so i now need to make amends!

To kick off with, i thought i'd share some sweet treats from our Mother's Day afternoon tea.

My sister Claire made this delicious cake from a Domestic Goddess recipe:

Cherry Almond Loaf Cake - recipe can be found here.

And i made these yummy gluten-free brownies, also courtesy of Nigella, which has got to be the easiest brownie recipe ever:

Flourless Chocolate Brownies - recipe can be found here.

feel the love

2009-02-14T18:48:00.000Z

I'm not one of those cynical singletons who rejects the notion of love and romance... but what's a girl to do when she finds herself home alone on february 14th?

Sorry? What was that? Drink cocktails and eat crisps? Oh, ok then...

Especially for the lovely Cottage Cheese, here is my Valentine cocktail:

Misty Bitch (taken from "the cocktail - 200 fabulous drinks" by Jane Rocca)
30ml vodka
30 ml Campari
1 lime
splash of pink grapefruit juice

Mix vodka and campari in a highball glass. Add fresh lime to taste and top with pink grapefruit juice. Oh how i love thee...

And how wonderful of the clever people at Tyrrells to bring back their "lovely chips" in time for this special day. Their "strawberry, sweet chilli and white wine potato chips" are the most heavenly creation and i'm almost through a whole bag already...

For each case sold, 10 % of the sales price will be donated to Breast Cancer Haven, so get them at Waitrose while you can!

And my final treat of the day will be a cup of "love" tea from Pukka. I couldn't resist the packaging... With a relaxing blend of rose, chamomile and lavender in an "organic blend to warm your heart", i'm looking forward to a night filled with sweet dreams...

birthday extras

2009-02-10T21:46:00.000Z

I know my Birthday was over a week ago, but i haven't really had a chance to post since then, and i wanted to share with you some of my lovely food-related presents! And i do love an extended Birthday...

My wonderful guest blogger Biba from Inspiration Bubble sent me a parcel containing not one, but three delicious presents! The first was this adorable vintage crochet apron which i absolutely love:

Next was this lovely book on soups and vegetables by Marie-Pierre Moine, published in 1994, which I can't wait to cook from:

And last but not least was "the cocktail, 200 fabulous drinks" by Jane Tocca which she knew i had been coveting since she featured the cover illustration on her blog!

I am currently studying this beautifully illustrated book for my February cocktail of the month, which i think is going to have to be something romantic with Valentine's Day just around the corner. My current favourites are the aptly named "Valentine" and "Misty Bitch"! Watch this space to see which wins. This will obviously require some thorough research, not to mention taste tests...

I also had a get together with my gorgeous friend Suzanne. Having studied Spanish and lived in Spain together, we both adore all things hispanic. Suzanne also knows how much i love recipe books, so Movida by Frank Comorra and Richard Cornish was the perfect present:

This really is an amazing read. The recipes and photos are truly inspirational and i can't wait to try some of the recipes.

So i think that's my birthday done for another year but i now have a whole year of cooking and eating to look forward to!

eye candy

2009-02-06T11:25:00.000Z

This is kind of like a guest appearance from me, Biba! As Lisa is having a rather busy week to put it politely, i thought i would pop over for a lovely brew and some cake, then post some eye candy while i'm here!

I'm far from a proper foody recipe kind of person, maybe because my main focus on food is what is looks like not what it tastes like - which, yes i know is wrong wrong wrong!!

But these cupcakes below are soooooooo pretty who cares what they taste like. Maybe this is why i stick to interiors ;)

pics via flickr NOT made by moi

birthday celebrations

2009-02-02T14:00:00.000Z

Well, what can i say? I have the best family ever and they spoilt me rotten! Friday night was a sumptuous feast of tapas (marcona almonds, serrano ham, chorizo, manchego, prawns and bread) followed by THE most amazing fillet steak EVER! My brother Dom (a very good cook) was in charge of preparing it, and i believe the whole fillet had been marinated in olive oil, fresh rosemary and garlic, then pan-fried and put in the oven to finish off. It was then rested, sliced and served to everyone's personal preference, and it looked so succulent, most of us went for the perfect rare (vegetarians please look away now...). Served with proper chips, a spinach salad and a home-made roast tomato sauce. Amazing...

Dessert was just as delicious. My talented Dad makes a mean ice-cream and tonight's was coffee and turron flavoured from Casa Moro. A real caffeine hit in a bowl, and served with heart-shaped Granny Boyd's biscuits (made by Dom) from Nigella's HTBADG.

And as if that wasn't enough, i even had a birthday cake! This is Mum's area of expertise and she made a gorgeous orange semolina cake, featured in this month's Delicious magazine.

Recipe's to follow!

So what with delicious food, nice wine, fantastic company and lovely presents (not to mention seeing my gorgeous nephew Ben), i couldn't have wished for a better Birthday!

happy birthday to me!

2009-01-30T13:41:00.000Z

Yes, today is my birthday and i'm stuck at work... so i thought i would cheer myself with a virtual cupcake and a cup of tea!

I don't mind too much as it IS friday (yay!) and my family are planning a birthday feast for me tonight. Not exactly sure what is on the menu but my Dad has hijacked my sister's copy of Casa Moro and i know one of their ice cream recipes will be making an appearance. Yum!

Even though it won't be any of my own work, i will take plenty of pics and post all the details on here tomorrow. Watch this space!

cocktail of the month - january

2009-01-28T22:05:00.000Z

Yes, i know it's still january and everyone is detoxing... and it IS only wednesday... but yesterday's post on Inspiraton Bubble got me excited about cocktails... there also happened to be a fab article in the latest Observer Food Monthly entitled "48 Cocktails to Make at Home"... and it's nearly the end of the month so i'm running out of time to post my cocktail of the month... oh, and it's my birthday on friday... do we need any more excuses to have a cheeky midweek tipple??

This one stood out from the OFM artcile and really was delicious.

Ballet Russe - serves 1
2 shots vodka
3/4 shot creme de cassis or Chambord
1 shot freshly squeezed lime
1/4 shot sugar syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into a chilled glass.
Garnish with a wedge of lime (oops - I didn't)
1 shot = 25ml

Goodness knows how I stopped at only one... oh yes, it IS only wednesday.

slow cooked chicken dhansak

2009-01-27T21:46:00.000Z

Last night i enjoyed leftovers of chicken dhansak and rice that i cooked at the weekend. And it was pretty good. This classic curry is my all-time favourite indian restaurant dish and my test of a good curry house. I've had various attempts at recreating it in the past, none very successful, but this has been the best so far. Not sure whether the secret was in the actual recipe or the fact that i cooked it in a slow cooker but the lentils had melted beautifully into the sauce, and the chicken was tender and tasty. It had the right amount of spiciness (sometimes they are a little too hot to handle in the restaurants, depending on how generous they've been with the green chilli...). Give it a try and see what you think, and you don't need to use a slow cooker, just seal the chicken in the pan before cooking the onion and spices, double the amount of stock (and more if it needs it during the simmering time) and cook on a slow simmer for as long as you can, stirring often.

Recipe taken from Slow Cooking Curry & Spice Dishes by Carolyn Humphries and feeds 4...

Chicken and red lentil curry with tomatoes

2 large potatoes, cut into walnut size chunks
4-6 skinless chicken breasts, cubed
175g/1 cup red lentils
15ml/1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 fat green chilli, chopped (and seeded if preferred)
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cloves (i used 2 whole cloves)
2 tsp garam masala
750ml/3 cups boiling chicken stock
30ml/2 tbsp malt vinegar
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp demerara sugar
salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped gresh corainder
Rice and/or naan bread to serve

Put the potatoes, chicken and lentils in the slowcooker/crock pot and stir well to mix together.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and fry, stirring, for a minute. Stir in the chilli and dried spices and cook, stirring, for a further minute.

Add all the remaining ingredients* except the coriander, seasoning well. Bring back to the boil and pour into the pot with the chicken and lentil mixture. Stir, cover with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until everything is tender.

Check for seasoning. The sauce should be thick but not stodgy, so thin it if necessary with a little boiling water. Serve garnished with the coriander with rice and naan

* I reserved some of the tomatoes which i added to the pot 10 minutes before the end.

bitchin' kitchens

2009-01-26T15:21:00.000Z

I have been planning to throw in a few kitchen themed posts, rather than just recipes and photos of food. My first was going to be some kitchens to die for... and my lovely friend Biba from Inspiration Bubble has very kindly beaten me to it! Have a look at some of her favourite white kitchens, which are all rather beautiful:

http://inspirationbubble.blogspot.com/2009/01/kitchen-on-mission.html

And here is a glimpse of my very own little kitchen!

choco-latte

2009-01-25T17:31:00.000Z

So i wake up on a sunday morning planning to go running, but i hear the wind and rain outside and think... run... schmun...! There were much more enjoyable things i could be doing with my time. I needed chocolate and there was only one woman to turn to. The one and only Domestic Goddess. I flicked through her books but couldn't find anything quite chocolatey enough so i tried the website and found this. The results speak for themselves. Latte anyone?

me and my blog

2009-01-22T09:47:00.000Z

A little bit about me and the inspiration for this blog... I am an Aquarian female who loves food! I like nothing more than getting people together to eat and drink, and have had a growing interest in food over the last 15 years. I have collected a good number of cookery books over this time and plan to feature one of these each week, sharing at least one recipe and more if time allows.

I like to try to keep as fit as possible so that i can eat more than my little frame allows! So i run and walk (and occasionally go to the gym...) as much as i can.

Whilst eating is the main inspiration for my blog, i am working on my photographic skills and thought this would be a great way to take and share my photos.

I had been thinking about starting this since discovering the wonderful world of food blogs last year but it would never have got off the ground if it hadn't been for my lovely friend, the very talented Miss Biba. She was so excited about it that she has designed and set up the whole thing! Interiors are her thing and you can find out more here.

I hope i haven't offended anyone with the title of my blog but it is very much tongue in cheek, and what else rhymes with kitchen?! The name was inspired by the Livingetc forums and regular contributor Griffo, who established the popular Bitchingetc thread. Designing the monthly Bitchingetc cover is only one of his talents, and you can see many more of them here.

So thank you Biba and Griffo and welcome to one and all, i hope you enjoy what's to come!

chicken soup for the soul

2009-01-21T22:05:00.000Z

After a hard day at work, i was struggling to think what else to do with left over roast chicken! I settled for a comforting soup which i wasn't planning on writing about, but it was so good i decided it was blogworthy...

Here goes - these quantities will feed 2 comfortably but just increase the quantities if feeding a family:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 pint good chicken stock

150g cooked chicken, shredded

50g pasta for soup (optional)

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, celery and carrot, cooking for a few minutes until they start to soften.

Add the stock, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 mins.

Add the chicken and allow to heat through, then the pasta and simmer for the time indicated on the pack (i used a spanish short spaghetti called fideo which takes 5 minutes). Add a little more hot stock if required.

Season to taste and serve in your favourite soup bowls.

Delicious, comforting and credit crunch cheap!

new year, new way of eating

2009-01-20T22:12:00.000Z

I feel that i have been neglecting my blog! My excuse is that i had a hectic and very sociable weekend, and i haven't quite mastered the art of cooking for other people, being hostess AND taking photos to post on here!

Last Friday was a mexican night in with the girls, when i produced my famous guacamole, nachos, beef fajitas and vegetable chilli (Lee's Hippy Farm Beans from the Leon cookbook). Dessert was the most delicious Chocolate Pots from Nigella Bites.

Saturday was spent eating leftovers from the night before and going to a fantastic wedding reception in the evening.

Sunday was all about planning and preparing a roast dinner for a friend (who happens to be a very good cook - no pressure then...) when i made Jamie Oliver's perfect roast chicken (taken from The Naked Chef), crispy roast potatoes and parsnips, sweet potato gratin (from Ottolenghi The Cookbook) and some simple peas and carrots. I hadn't cooked a roast for ages, but it all turned out well and we finished it off with some home-made apple crumble and cream (should have been freshly made custard but it curdled beyond repair...).

So tonight, i was determined to cook AND blog! But first i will explain my new year way of eating. I have spent the last couple of weeks sorting out my finances, my cupboards, my life in general... This was brought on by reading The Thrift Book by India Knight which is a modern day guide to living well and spending less. Tying in with all things credit crunch, i have decided if i make less visits to Waitrose each week, i will definitely save money and not waste so much food. It is all too easy for me to get carried away deciding on a must-cook recipe and ignore the actual contents of my fridge. So, i am making the most of the food i have and only shopping for fresh essentials as and when i need them. The secret of this is having a well-stocked cupboard which, thanks to the aforementioned Waitrose, I do!
A book i will be referring to often and which i have had for a good number of years is off the shelf by Donna Hay. Tonight i needed to use left over roast chicken and this recipe was perfect:

lemon chicken pasta

I didn't realise there were so many recipes on her website so i am off to explore some more...

Note to self: do not post too many pasta recipes!

dim sum lunch

2009-01-15T16:36:00.000Z

As i haven't had time to post details of my latest creation (beautiful savoury pastries from Ottolenghi - more on those later...), i thought i would share one of my secret lunch locations with you which i visited today...
Known as one of the most expensive chinese restaurants in London, the Princess Garden of Mayfair serves delicious food but you really don't have to completely blow the budget. It's worth knowing that they serve the most delicious dim sum at lunchtime, with more food than you can eat and a bottle of wine coming to under £40 for two people (obviously considerably less if you opt for green tea rather than wine!).
Each of the dishes (imagine chinese tapas) contains 3 pieces and today we enjoyed spring rolls, mango salad cups, paper wrapped prawns and a selection of steamed dumplings (we had 8 different dishes in total each costing between £2.30 and £2.80 each).
The setting is quite formal so it is perfect for a business lunch although i regularly meet a friend there for a good catch up and the staff are always very friendly. If you haven't enjoyed dim sum before and aren't sure what to order, you can ask them to bring you a selection of dishes (you could mention if you particularly like the steamed or fried dishes, meat or seafood etc).
Sorry I didn't take any photos but I promise to next time!
http://www.princessgardenofmayfair.com/home.htm

leon's (not very) kashmiri rogan josh

2009-01-12T20:49:00.000Z

When i was first given this book for Christmas, this is the dish i couldn't wait to make, and it didn't disappoint. It's worth getting organised and marinating the lamb the night before. I didn't, so can only imagine just how good this dish would have been if i had been a bit more organised!

Serves 6 (generously)

200ml natural yoghurt

1 heaped tsp dried chilli flakes (or chilli powder)

1 fat thumb-sized piece of root ginger, grated

1/2 tsp turmeric

4 cardamom pods

3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1kg diced lamb or mutton

4 tbsps groundnut or sunflower oil

1.5 tsps mustard seeds

1 medium spanish onion, chopped

100g ground almonds

400-500ml chicken stock

500g pumpkin or butternut squash, diced

150g frozen peas (I didn't add these)

1 green pepper, diced

4 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges

a big handful of coriander

salt and pepper

Put the yoghurt, chilli, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon into a bowl. Add the meat and move it around to make sure it's well coated and leave to marinate overnight (or for as long as you can).

Next day, heat the oil over a medium heat in a large heavy-based pan and fry mustard seeds until they begin to pop.

Add the chopped onion and stir for a couple of minutes, then tip in the meat with its marinade and gently cook on all sides for 5-10 mins. Next, add the ground almonds and stir well.

Pour in enough stock to just cover the meat, season with salt and lots of black pepper and bring to a slow simmer. Leave simmering with the lid on for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the almonds sticking to the bottom of the pan. After this time, the lamb should be softening nicely (might need longer if you use mutton).

Then add the diced pumpkin and green pepper and push under the surface of the liquid (adding more stock if required).

Let it bubble away for 20-30 mins longer with the lid off, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin is just beginning to lose its shape and the lamb is nice and tender.

Turn off the heat, add the tomatoes and peas and stir so they are all submerged, then put the lid back on and leave for 10 mins to allow them to soften up.

Check the seasoning, give a good last stir to smash up the tomatoes a bit and serve with rice, yoghurt and a handful of coriander on top.

My friend enjoyed it (and took the photo for me!)

white chocolate and cranberry biscuits

2009-01-11T22:52:00.000Z

These are delicious! I made a batch last week and had to give them another try...

Recipe taken from the Ottolenghi Cookbook and makes 25-30

90g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g unsalted butter at room temperature

1tsp vanilla ectract

110g soft brown sugar

25g caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

80g whole rolled oats

60g white chocolate chips

75g dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 170C/Gas Mark 3. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and set aside.

Put butter, vanilla and sugars in large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is lighter in colour and texture. Gradually add the egg, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Fold in the flour mixture and the oats, then the chocolate and cranberries. Do not over-mix.

Chill the mixture slightly to help shape the biscuits. Scoop out a teaspoon of the dough and shape into a ball (the size of a walnut). Press the balls lightly on to baking trays lined with baking parchment, leaving 6-7 cm between them as they spread. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, but keep an eye on them as they are ready as soon as they are a good golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the trays before serving.

If you don't have time to make all the biscuits in one go, the dough will keep in the freezer and you can make another batch at a later date - just allow the dough to thaw a little before shaping into balls.

pasta with pancetta, leek & mushrooms

2009-01-09T21:27:00.000Z

Being Friday night, i was tempted to order a takeaway but then felt guilty about certain items in my fridge that really needed using up, or they would have to be thrown away over the weekend...

As i am also planning to go running first thing in the morning, i decided a big bowl of pasta was required (carbo-phobes look away now...).

I have made this recipe before and whilst it was nice, it seemed to be lacking something so i used some fresh sage rather than the recommended flat leaf parsley.

Recipe below feeds 4 but i did 1/4 of everything (i increased the pasta from 75g per person to 100g as i prefer to have to struggle to eat the last few mouthfuls, rather than want to cook it all over again immediately!).

Adapted from the recipe featured in Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food

400g dried pasta (i used penne)
sea salt and black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
125g pancetta, sliced
a handful of fresh sage, finely shredded
2 medium leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
250g chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
4 tbsp creme fraiche

Add the pasta shells to a pot of boiling salted water and cook for the time advised on the pack or until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the pancetta, fry for a few minutes until golden. Add the leeks and mushrooms and a little salt and pepper. Stir over a high heat for 6-8 mins until the leeks are tender.
Drain the pasta and immediately toss with the leeks, pancetta and mushrooms, and stir in the creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper and serve, finishing with a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh basil.

Yum yum - and now i really DO need to go running in the morning!

winter vegetable broth with haricot beans and chorizo

2009-01-08T21:43:00.000Z

With all the excitement of my blog being launched today, i didn't even think about what i might cook this evening! After getting in at 8.30pm, i would have usually made to with some bread and cheese and a nice glass of wine, but it was cold and i needed comfort food (although being January, it had to be healthy).

After flicking through a couple of favourite cookery books and surveying the sorry contents of my fridge (i really should have started this on the weekend after a trip to the supermarket..) i settled on this comforting soup from Rachel Allen's Rachel's Favourite Food at Home.

The recipe is as follows and is enough for 4-6

2 tbp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

2 small leeks, trimmed and chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

150g chorizo, sliced and chopped*

900ml chicken stock*

1 x 410g tin haricot beans, drained

2 tbsp chopped coriander or flat leaf parsley*

salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion, carrot, leek, potato, garlic and chorizo.

Cover and sweat for 10 mins over a low heat, stirring every now and then.

Add the chicken stock and drained beans, bring to the boil and simmer for at least 5 mins.

Add the herbs, season to taste and serve.

Comfort in a bowl!

*Vegetarians can omit the chorizo and use vegetable stock instead of chicken. A pinch of smoked paprika would add some warmth.

*For a more italian vibe, use pancetta instead of chorizo, basil instead of coriander/parsley and finish with grated parmesan.

unbake that cake

2009-01-07T13:52:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to my brand spanking new kitchen blog. Without a doubt there will be kitchens, food, wine, cocktails and when i feel the urge I will natter (see no actual bitching... sorry!) about my running attempts and my keen interest in photography and interiors! Watch this space!

To celebrate my arrival, here is a "sushi" carrot cake for everyone to share!!!