Thursday 20 November 2014

The Gallette!!

Ok, so firstly apologies... it's been like a seriously long time since I've done a post. So crazy busy at the salon with the 'Big C' coming up and with doing a whole re-brand my head feels like it going to explode! So, I have made a conscious effort tonight to put up a post and will try to do at least one a week - fingers crossed!!
Anyhoos, the galette!! It's amazing! super quick and easy, tastes great and can be used to empty the content of your fridge in - oh and also you can use it for sweet and savoury! Such a great little thing to have up your sleeve!

This is a little bit delayed I know, but you could use it like I did for the day after Sunday Lunch or any meal with leftovers. You can either make your own pastry or just buy ready rolled - I like to make my own but that's probably because I'm a fussy bugger like that ;)

Here's the recipe... hope you enjoy xx

P.S. It's meant to look rustic, well I say so anyway! ha ha



Ingredients:

Pastry: 100g butter
            210g plain flour
            1/4 cup ice water (maybe more)

Filling: Leftovers of your choice

Method:


  • To make the pastry by hand start by rubbing in the cold butter into the flour until you have something that resembles breadcrumbs. 
  • Add the cold water until it starts to come together and make pastry
  • Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for around 20 minutes or until you're ready to use it.
  • When you're ready roll out the pastry and begin to fill it
  • Or, if you're using ready rolled, skip the above steps and get right into filling it!
This is the best bit now, you can fill it with whatever you like! I had leftovers from Sunday lunch which were roasted vegetables and chicken so I just chopped everything up in to smallish bite size pieces. I squeezed all the garlic out of the cloves and to 'spice it up' a bit I mixed the garlic with some leftover red thai curry paste and spread it on the base. This added a whole different dimension to the gallette - I mean I love roast dinner, but I don't need to have the same flavour two days on the run right!
Then, once it's filled, fold the edges of the pastry over the filling in a rustic design. You could brush it with beaten egg, but I find it can catch/burn quite easily when you do this if you're cooking it for extra time. 

When you're ready to cook it, put a baking tray into the oven to heat up and turn it on to around 200 degrees Celsius

When the oven is ready, carefully put the gallette onto the tray and bake for around 20mins, test the bottom with a skewer to see if the bottom is cooked - nobody wants a soggy bottom! If it's still a bit soft, slide it off the baking tray and straight onto the oven rack and cook for a further 15-20mins being careful not to burn it.

Serve with a nice green salad 

Tips: 
Make sure the filling is not too 'wet' or too 'saucy' otherwise you will end up with a soggy bottom!
Maybe change it up and use some fruit and cinnamon to make it into a dessert instead, the choice is yours!!

Enjoy!

Lots of love

Emmaline xxx

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Sunday 14 September 2014

Mega Yummy Side Salad that tastes as good as the mains!

So, the other day I made one of my favourite things...ROAST CHICKEN!
Anyhoo... I don't always like to have a big roast type meal with it, how can I do something that's tasty but is light and fresh at the same time...? I came up with this super tasty salad with all my leaves picked fresh from the garden :) I've not given exact measurements as its all to your own tastes really, if you like lots of tomato or cucumber add a little more or miss it out if you don't like it!



Here's the basic recipe...

Salad Ingredients (Feel free to mix it up to suit your tastes)
Salad leaves
Plum tomatoes
1 carrot chopped into large chunks
1/4 cucumber (peeled and seeded) chopped into large pieces
handful of fine beans
edamame beans

Simple Dressing:
2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
1/2 tbsp chilli infused olive oil
1 tsp coconut sugar/honey
juice of 1/3 lemon
salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Simply toss all the ingredients together with the dressing except the fine beans and the edamame
  2. Fry the fine beans and edamame in a little chilli infused oil with some salt and when you've fried it for a few minutes and the pan is hot, add a splash of water (be careful, it will splash and sizzle!)
  3. Once the beans are cooked, add them to the salad and toss everything altogether!
  4. Serve with some chicken/fish or whatever takes your fancy - I could even eat this just by itself :)
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Grow your own!

Can I say that there is nothing that I find more satisfying than growing my own vegetables. They taste super fresh and can be so easy to do! I don't go in for anything that takes up too much of my time, so growing salad leaves and herbs is so so easy! All you need to do is sow your seeds and water them regularly - done!
As I do so many 'monster salads' to eat, along with lots of fresh side salads with dinner, I'm sure you can imagine how expensive it can be to keep buying bags of salads at £1-£2 a pop! I therefore decided to grow my own and it was so easy and so much fun watching the little shoots grow and now to turn into a big salad garden in such a little time!
Once they are ready to eat (maybe after about 2-3 weeks), I cut the leaves, fill the sink with water, wash them and then dry them in a salad spinner. I do this around once a week and usually pick enough to last me, but if I run out, I can just cut some more :)

I urge you to try a little bit of 'cut and come again' type gardening and then see where you go from there - you never know, you might turn into a bit of a green-finger!



So beautiful!



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Tuesday 12 August 2014

My version of the ULTIMATE Roast Chicken!

I know everybody has their own 'favourite roast chicken', whether it be their own version, their mums version or somebody elses! Well, this is mine :)
It's lemony, garlicy, herby and extremely tasty! Serve with whatever suits your mood - roasties? Salads? Veggies? Nom nom nom



Ingredients:
  • 1 whole chicken
 For the marinade
  • 2 Lemons (halved)
  • 1 Head of Garlic (broken into cloves - leaving the skins on)
  • Bunch of fresh Rosemary
  • Handful of fresh Sage leaves
  • 3 Banana Shallots (chopped in half lengthways)
  • Garlic Oil
For the glaze
  • 1 Tbsp Redcurrant Jelly
  • 1 Tbsp Golden Syrup
  • 1 Tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Bolied Water

Marinading Method:
  • Put the chicken into a large resealable freezer bag
  • In a bowl, mix together the garlic oil and juice of one lemon.
  • In the cavity of the chicken, add half of the cloves of garlic (skins on), the sage, bunch of rosemary, 1 1/2 shallots and half a lemon cut up into wedges
  • Pour the liquid mixture over the chicken
  • Then in the bag, put in the remaining garlic cloves, lemon wedges and shallots
  • Leave to marinade or put in the freezer until ready to use
 Cooking Method:
  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
  • Put the chicken into a roasting tin (breast side down) and cover with foil
  • Roast the chicken for half the cooking time (depending on the size of the chicken) covered in foil
  • After the time has elapsed, remove the foil, turn the chicken and continue to cook for the remaining time - minus about 15 minutes
  • Turn the oven up to 225 degrees and remove the chicken from the oven
  • Mix the glaze up in a small bowl and brush over the chicken
  • Put the chicken back in the oven uncovered for around 10-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked so all the juices run clear
  • Serve with all your favorite trimmings :)

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Sunday 10 August 2014

Tasty Snacking - Garlic and Herb Pitta Bread Chips

Ok! Firstly, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write a new post - I've been so busy it's been scary! Anyhoo! That's my problem not yours ha ha
Ever had it when you have guests over and have nothing to give them?? Fear not! I bring snacks :)
These pittas are super quick and healthy and can be served with any type of dip - I served them with some homemade Harrissa Hummus and some homemade red pepper bread. So so tasty!!



Ingredients:
  • 2 Wholewheat pittas sliced into triangles
  • 3tbsp Garlic oil
  • 1/4 tsp dried mixed herbs
Method:
  • Pre-heat your grill to med-high heat
  • In a small bowl mix herbs and garlic oil in a small bowl and brush over the pitta triangles
  • put under the grill for around 5-7mins or until golden brown - make sure you watch these little beauties, they can burn quite quickly!
  • Serve with some yummy hummus and dips 
  • ENJOY ! X

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Wednesday 23 July 2014

Super Tasty Quick Snack!

So... I was a little greedy! I know... Shock!! ha ha! After 2 blood tests in a week I thought I'd be naughty and treated myself to a big, veggie fry up at Y McGregor - mmmm.....
Anyhoo! By the time it got to lunch, I wasn't majorly hungry but thought I'd make myself a little snack otherwise I won't get a chance to eat anything until tonight. So, I raided the fridge and came up with this super tasty snack which is quick and also actually really filling!


Ingredients:
  • 2 wholemeal crispbreads
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 4 squares of feta cheese
  • 2 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. crispy onions
  • Drizzle of balsamic glaze
Method:

Its a simple assembly job now! Start with your crispbread, then sliced avocado, tomatoes, feta, onions and finally drizzle with some balsamic glaze! Oh so tasty!!
Now all you've got to do is figure out how to fit it all in your mouth :)

Enjoy peeps!

Emmaline x


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Thursday 17 July 2014

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus - Quick and Easy

So, I made chicken the other night with a lil cous cous - oh my god! I love chicken and cous cous with a few chickpeas in it, but - there is a but... You HAVE to have hummus with it. So, as I rummaged around in my pantry and fridge for chickpeas, lemons etc I realised that I had some sun-dried tomatoes lurking in the fridge that I had used to make Sun-Dried Tomato Bread! - Oh so tasty (will put up a recipe soon)
You must try this hummus recipe, it's super smooth, tasty and has a sweetness to it that you can't really get from anything other than a wrinkly dry tomato ;) I use the oil that the tomatoes were steeped in as it was extra virgin and packed full of flavour, but feel free to use normal olive oil if you prefer, it just may not taste as flavourful



Ingredients:

  • 1 large can of chickpeas (when I say 'large' - I mean not the half-can types'
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/2 a garlic clove minced
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil or the oil the tomatoes were steeped in
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2-3 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional)
  • sprinkle of ground paprika for serving
Method:
  • In a food processor, blitz the tahini and lemon juice together for about 30secs, scrape down and process again.
  • Add the garlic, olive oil, salt and cumin (if using) and blitz again
  • Add the drained chickpeas and process until thick and smooth
  • With the processor running, add 2 tbsp of lukewarm water to get the desired texture then add the final tbsp if necessary
  • Scrape into a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle over some ground paprika
  • Serve with pittas, naan or as I like it with cous cous - nom nom nom! Enjoy peeps 

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Wednesday 2 July 2014

Super Quick Chicken, Cous Cous and Salsa

Ok, so this is quick! Super quick in fact! Put it this way, I left work just after 7, nipped to the co-op to get some peppers and had tea on the table by 7:50! I would say that's pretty quick for a home cooked plate of grub :)
I was going to mix the salsa in with the cous cous, but I decided not to and I'm so glad I did. The warm soft cous cous and then a fresh, cool hit of the salsa made my little tastebuds do somersaults!
Anyway, this is how I did it, I was super lazy and had some M and S marinated chicken escalopes in the freezer (these are amazing for a quick tea! Just pull it out of the freezer in the morning and voila! Dinner is served)





Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces of marinated chicken escalopes - I had the M and S pri piri ones
  • 1/2 cup wholewheat cous cous
  • 3/4 cup hot chicken stock
  • small can of chickpeas
  • 1/2 yellow pepper
  • small chunk of cucumber
  • 8 cherry tomatoes
  • handful of pomegranate seeds
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 tbsp chopped mint
  • juice of 1/4 lemon
  • tbsp garlic oil
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
Method:
  • Put a griddle pan on a high heat and allow to warm up
  • Cover the cous cous in the chicken stock then add the chickpeas on top
  • Give a gentle stir with a fork then cover with clingfilm or a plate
  • Chop finely the cucumber, tomatoes and pepper
  • Add to small bowl and stir in the lemon juice, parsley, mint, pomegranate, olive oil and sugar
  • Cook the chicken on the griddle until charred and golden (and cooked through)
  • Layer up on a plate with the cous cous on the bottom, then the chicken and the salsa on top
  • Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil if needed and a little hummus...enjoy!
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Monday 30 June 2014

Rich and Creamy Oat and Chia Breakfast Pudding

So, I've tried and tried to get chia puddings right. They never seem to come out right, I've tried all sorts of recipes and they always seem to come out lumpy and just eugh! So, after doing a bit of trial and error and getting some inspiration from looking at all different recipes online I've finally come up with one that seems to suit! FINALLY!
So here it is! I'm not usually one of those people who can be bothered or have the time to do 'overnight breakfasts' as I always seem to forget to make them - but this one... this one I never forget! I'm just so excited to eat it I can't wait to make it!!
Here's my recipe that I use and it seems to work, I like CoYo yoghurt but you can use normal organic natural yoghurt as a replacement and it works just as well - just a bit more tart. you may need to beat a little honey into the liquid ingredients first to take away that sharp, 'yoghurty' taste.





Ingredients
  • 5 tbsp Almond Milk (or normal whole milk)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Dairy free coconut yoghurt - or natural yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp honey (if using natural yoghurt)
  • 4 tbsp Oats
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp roasted almond butter
  • 2 tsp cacao nibs
  • 1 tsp bee pollen
  • handful of frozen raspberries
  • handful of blueberries
  • 1 tbsp goji berries
  • 1 tbsp flaked coconut
Method
  • Beat together the first 4 ingredients into a bowl and stir through the oats and chia seeds
  • Place a plate on top and put in the fridge overnight
  • In the morning, arrange on top all the remaining ingredients
  • Eat and enjoy! :)

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Sunday 29 June 2014

Sexy Homemade Granola!!

Granola is one of those super tasty breakfasts that you can have with yoghurt or milk in the morning. There's nothing like that crunch of nuttiness! But... there is a but... there is no reason that this has to stop at breakfast! It's great as a yummy snack mid-day too!
I'm not a great fan of dried fruit - any of my friends will tell you the thought of a raisin or dare I say a sultana *shudders* makes my skin crawl - one of those weird phobias of mine! But, with this granola, YOU are in charge! I love dates and have a slight addiction to goji berries too but you can add any dried fruit you wish, or even leave it out! It's your call! Granola can also be used in my love bowls in place of the oats, it can be used in cookie recipes too amongst other things.
Please feel free to adjust the recipe to suit your taste - if you don't like something, simply leave it out. Please be aware that you may need to adjust liquid ingredients accordingly.




Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups of oats
  • 1 cup of pecans (hazelnuts and brazil nuts are tasty too!)
  • 1/2 cup almonds or flaked almonds (just do not process the flaked ones)
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 2 cups mixed seeds (I like sunflower, sesame, pumpkin and linseeds)
  • 1 cup chopped dates
  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 1/4 cup of flaked coconut or dessicated coconut
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp raw maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tbsp redcurrant jam
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
Method
  • Preheat the oven to 175 degrees or 150 fan oven, line two baking trays with greaseproof paper
  • Process the nuts in a food processor for about 30 seconds so that you have some rubble and some chunks
  • In a large bowl add the nuts, seeds and oats
  • Warm the coconut oil, maple syrup or honey and jam in a pan until all combined
  • Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla
  • Add the liquid ingredients to the bowl and stir through until really combined
  • Pour onto the two baking trays and flatten out as much as possible
  • Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes checking every 10 minutes and stirring frequently
  • Cook until golden brown and then pour back into the large bowl
  • Stir through the dates, coconut and goji berries
  • Allow to cool and then store in a large air-tight jar. This should last up to 3 months if stored correctly.

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Thursday 19 June 2014

Super Excited!

Ok, so my life isn't that interesting I know! I just HAD to show you my new toy! Oh my god! I'm so excited - meet my new little baby... my KitchenAid

Ta Dah!!

Oh, it's so beautiful! I'm not really one for 'love at first sight' but me and this little baby fell in love straight away! It's the 'Cafe Latte' version which is an off-white with a metallic (dare i even use the term glitter?) running through it that you can't really see in normal daylight but as soon as a spotlight hits it - SPARKLE!!
Ok, now I've calmed down a bit and had my showing off moment he he, I also want to tell you I've started a course on nutrition! I'm so excited to share everything I'm learning and try to develop new recipes which are healthy, super tasty and also good for people with diet probs and also just wanting to be generally healthier - with the side effect of weight loss.
I've also got a new obsession with bread making - ok, I know not the healthiest but lets be realistic, I'm NEVER going to be able to cut bread out of my or my husbands diet so why not make it myself - organic and super tasty! I made the most delicious onion bread the other day and also a sundried tomato and black olive bread - just HEAVEN! Didn't get to eat too much of it though as it all got eaten so quick!
Will be posting some piccies soon of all my new things I can make with my KitchenAid - Yah I know its no different than a handheld whisk, but it just looks so much nicer!

Hope you all are having a good week!

Emmaline xx
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Thursday 12 June 2014

JUICE!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE JUICING! It's great! I make fruit and vegetable juices nearly every day and nutmilks once or twice a week. I highly suggest that you get into it too! Whether it be just making a good old-fashioned apple juice, orange juice or a green juice, it's a great way of getting what I like to call 'a mini multivit' into your diet. Now obviously, green juices are far better for you than the usual apple or orange due to the high sugar content they have. I love to do a green juice maybe 4 days a week and at the same time make hubby a more 'normal' coloured one for his breakfast.
I have included a recipe for my green juice that I tend to use, but I highly suggest that you change it up a bit and don't always include the same veggies just as I think it's good for your body not to have too much of them same thing - that goes for more than just juice in my opinion too!

I always try and use organic wherever possible - I'm sure I don't have to explain why, but you do whatever suits you and your budget.





GREEN JUICE - approx 500ml

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Romaine lettuce leaves
  • 2 large handfuls of kale
  • 1-2 large handfuls of spinach
  • Small bunch of mint
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 1 gala apple
  • 1 pear
  • 1/4 average size cucumber
  • 1/4 of a lemon - peeled
  • 1/2 inch of fresh ginger peeled
  • 1 tsp. Green Magic Powder (optional)
Method

Well, basically juice it all together! I like to add my green magic powder to my glass first then when I pour in the juice it mixes easier together.
You can mix up the ingredients and as I said before - I suggest that you to too. Maybe use watercress instead and some rocket, switch up your herbs - maybe try parsley instead. Add a kiwi instead of the pear and so on...




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Is it a mash? Is it a bean?

Ok, I have just discovered cannellini beans - well not 'just' discovered because I've known they existed for quite some time now - Hey! I've not been living under a rock for god's sake!
Anyhoooo.... Cannellini beans are amaze! Such a great healthy alternative to the usual mash potato and you can also give them a bit of texture too!
I made a super quick dinner last night - all in less than about 10mins! It was 9pm and I was hungry so I was working pretty damn fast, but even so, this is super quick!



Ingredients
  • 1 large tin of Cannellini beans
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic - minced
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • (optional) piece of fish - I chose salmon
  • (optional) bunch of watercress
  • Drizzle of sweet chilli sauce
Method
  1. In a cold pan, add the oil, rosemary and garlic and then turn on the heat
  2. Allow the garlic to warm through and the rosemary scent to waft around for a min or so and then remove the rosemary.
  3. Add the beans to the pan and stir around to warm and then begin pressing them with the back of a large spoon to mash them up
  4. Grill the salmon to your liking and serve on a bed of watercress and the mashed beans with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce - nom nom nom :)
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Tuesday 10 June 2014

Super Anti-Oxident Super Food Super Salad!

Yummy!!
Ok, so I was kind of getting a bit bored of the same old 'monster salads' every day. I know! Crazy Right?? I decided to have a bit of an upgrade into 'health-food-ism'. Here is the result of that, it's so super tasty and yummy, you wouldn't believe that it was so good for you! Yes, I know its a veggie - actually vegan salad but its just so tasty you don't miss the meat and I am seriously full after it! It's also packed full of protein even though it does not contain any meat sources but instead you have the sprouting lentils and chickpeas, plus kale too! Mmmmmm.....



Ingredients - 
As with most salads, it's more of an assembly job and also you can pick and choose if you want more, less or none of a certain ingredient, this is just how I like mine. Try and get organic where possible if you can, your body will thank you!

  • Large handful of kale
  • 1 avocado sliced into small chunks
  • Around 8 plum tomatoes sliced in half
  • Handful of blueberries
  • 1-2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • 1-2 tbsp edamame beans
  • 1 tbsp roasted mixed peppers chopped
  • 1 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
  • 10 Olives
  • 2 tbsp sprouting lentils and chickpeas
  • Drizzle of Balsamic Glaze
  • Small handful of cooked and cooled Gluten-free pasta (optional)
Method
  • Place all the ingredients (apart from the glaze) into a large bowl/plate and mixed together
  • Finish by drizzling over some balsamic glaze
  • Eat and enjoy

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Tuesday 3 June 2014

Super Tasty Breakfast Pancakes - The Thick American Ones!!

So.... ok, I can't take full credit for this recipe - I have to thank my fav cook of all time - Ms Nigella Lawson obviously! I've had a play and tweaked the recipe to make it a little healthier and OMG! It's amazing!! :)


So, I advise that you make a large batch of the pancake mix and store it in an large jar until you need it.

Pancake Mix

600g Gluten Free Flour (I like Dove Farm Plain Flour)
3 tbsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. bicarb of soda
1 tsp. salt
40g of caster sugar - or you can substitute it with your fav sugar alternative

Add all the ingredients to a large jar and mix/shake thoroughly

Pancake Batter

150g Pancake Mix
1 large egg (preferably free range organic)
250ml Almond Milk
1 tbsp. melted coconut oil

Method

  • Mix all the ingredients together into a large jug and all pancake mix or almond milk if needed to get to the right 'dropping' consistency
  • Fry Pancake in a pan and serve with yoghurt and blueberry syrup
Blueberry Syrup

Handful of frozen blueberries
Zest of half an orange
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp. Agarve/Golden Syrup/Honey/Sweet Freedom
1 tbsp. Jam - Apricot or Berry 

Method
  • Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 5mins or so until the berries have 'popped' and the juice has turned to a syrup



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Saturday 24 May 2014

Tasty, Healthy Mezze for a light lunch with friends or family

Tasty lunch for some of our closet friends

So, I had a lovely time on Saturday with some friends at home and some nice, tasty food. When cooking for a few people, I like to make a large selection of food that can be put in the middle of the table and then everybody can take what they like and leave what they don't! That way, you have a marvelous spread, a nice busy table and also some good interaction with people - even if it is just 'pass the salt'.
I stupidly didn't photo all the food I made, but I did do a little. Here are some of the recipes of the food that I did, nice and easy :) My favorite way!
I also did 2 whole chickens roasted with garlic, rosemary and lemon, my spicy sweet potato wedges, a big loaf of warm bread and a simple green salad. The sun had his hat on! What a lovely weekend :)

Char grilled Peppers and Courgettes

  • Simply slice up the courgettes lengthways - relatively thin.
  • Grill on a hot griddle pan until nice and tiger striped
  • Drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt
  • Do the same for the peppers- slice them in long strips and place on the hot griddle pan
  • Once nice and charred, drizzle over a little extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and some fennel seeds
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
  • One of my fav things ever! place your tomatoes into a baking dish and drizzle over some balsamic glaze, salt, pepper, honey and mixed herbs
  • Bake in the oven at around 200 degrees for about 45mins to an hour - carefully stirring occasionally
  • Serve with an extra drizzle of balsamic glaze
Miso Baked Aubergines

  • Slice the aubergines into quarters lengthways
  • Brush over some miso glaze mixed with a little garlic infused oil
  • Bake in a hot oven for about 60 minutes
  • Serve with a sprinkle of chopped red chillies, crispy onions, salt, fresh chopped mint and parsley
  • Finish with a drizzle of the balsamic glaze
Caprese Salad

  • Super Easy! Slice the beef tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella and arrange on a plate in alternate colors
  • Sprinkle over some fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper - Finito!! :)




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Sunday 18 May 2014

The ULTIMATE Steak

I LOVE STEAK. There... I said it! I just love it! I usually treat myself now and again - maybe a special occasion to a proper tasty steak.

Here's my recipe for my ULTIMATE steak. I advise that you marinade the meat for at least an hour if possible first...

Ingredients for the marinade
  • 2 tsp. hot sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 tsp teriyaki sauce
  • 1/2 tsp oyster sauce
  • salt and black pepper
  • drizzle of golden syrup
Method
  • Marinade the meat in all the above ingredients except the golden syrup
  • Get a griddle pan nice and hot and drop the steak on it.
  • Cook the steak to your liking - depending on the size and thickness. I usually like around 2-3 minutes on one side then around 4 mins on the other (sometimes less - I like mine really pink)
  • Before you turn the steak, drizzle it with the golden sryup, spread it around and then turn the steak over
  • It's important not to move the steak around when cooking and do not keep flipping it over as you will not get the 'charred lines' and also it will not be as juicy.
  • Once cooked, place on a plate and cover with foil to allow it to rest for a few minutes whilst you prep the rest of your plate.
  • I like to serve my steak with a green salad and fried green beans for some crunch. Then maybe some coleslaw and fried mushrooms... yum!



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Sunday 11 May 2014

Sunday Morning Breakfast - 'You snooze you loose hunni!'

So, it's Sunday morning and I'm up and getting ready for work. Hubby's still snoozing and all I can say is he's missing out! I decided to make myself one of my all time favorite brekkies - Poached Eggs and Spinach on Toast.
This was soo tasty :) - This isn't really a recipe but more of an assembly - but hey ho! Even better right? Super Easy!





Ingredients

2 x Eggs
1-2 Handfuls of Spinach
1 or 2 pieces of Granary Bread (or whichever bread you prefer)
1 tsp. Sweet Chilli Sauce
2 tsp. Mayo
Salt & Pepper

Method

  • Start by poaching your eggs by dropping them into a pan of swirling boiled water
  • Whilst these are cooking pop your toast in the toaster
  • Put the spinach into a bowl and cover with boiled water 
  • Cook your eggs to your liking - I usually like soft boiled (around 4mins)
  • Take your toast out and spread with the chilli sauce
  • Drain and 'dry' your spinach and arrange on top of the toast
  • Bring your eggs out of the pan and 'dry' with kitchen towel and place on top of spinach
  • Drizzle with some mayo or hollandaise (if you prefer)
  • Add a little salt and pepper
  • Enjoy with a glass of fresh juice 


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So Beautiful!

So how gorgeous is this tea?!?!? OMG! I love it!
This is called 'mountain dream' flowering tea - just thought I had to do a quick post on it.
I can honestly say that I find nothing more relaxing than sitting down on an evening with a nice cup of herbal tea, this is definitely one of my favs!




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