THIS LITTLE PIGGY LOVES FOOD!

LEEK & DOLCELATTE RISOTTO

2018-08-26T17:31:00.000+01:00

It has been a very long time since I last posted a recipe but gradually I am starting to cook again. My little monkey has now turned two and life is slightly easier albeit she still wants to be carried / held as soon as I start cooking. Thankfully she can now be bribed with TV. My husband and I decided to cook this for lunch today and it was the perfect recipe for such a cold, rainy day. Risotto has always been one of my favourite foods and I am obsessed with blue cheese. This is a recipe from the Waitrose magazine last year and it took around 50 minutes in total to prepare and cook.

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 medium leeks / 3 large leeks
50g butter
350g risotto rice
125ml dry white wine (I left this out)
1.5l fresh vegetable stock, heated (I only had chicken)
100g dolcelatte, cut into cubes
2 handfuls of grated Parmesan (plus extra to serve)

Slice the leeks, both the white and the green bits, into rings. In a large frying pan, fry the green parts in about 15g of butter with a pinch of salt until softened. This took about five minutes. When they are ready, tip into a bowl and cover.

Melt the remaining butter (35g) into the same frying pan and fry the rest of the leeks with a pinch of salt for around 8 minutes, until they are soft. Next stir in the 350g rice for a minute or two until hot and thoroughly coated in the butter. If you are using wine, this is the point where you turn up the heat and tip in 125ml dry white wine. Bubble and stir until the liquid has been absorbed.

Add two ladlefuls of hot stock and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Add another ladleful and repeat. Carry on doing this until the stock is finished and the rice is al dente. This normally takes about 17-20 minutes.

Stir in the 100g dolcelatte and the two handfuls of Parmesan, season and cover. Leave to stand for 4 minutes. We turned the heat down very very low at this point.

Serve in bowls, topped with some of the fried leeks, a drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of Parmesan.

This was delicious, very creamy but not too rich as the leeks balance out the cheese. Ours definitely needed seasoning but it all tasted incredible. I loved the combination of the leeks and the blue cheese and I would be tempted to add some lardons next time. Unfortunately there is no way I will be able to persuade the kids to eat this as they are not blue cheese fans, however that just means more for me :-)

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BYE.......FOR NOW.....

2018-02-25T21:21:00.000+00:00

You may (or may not) have noticed that I have not posted for a while. Unfortunately I have had to put the blog on hold for a while as my darling toddler Olympia hates it when I cook. I think it's because she is a Leo and LOVES attention and so cannot stand it when I am focused on something else! Anyway that means for the time being I don't have time to cook new recipes and instead am just rehashing old easy ones or cooking kids' stuff from the Annabel Karmel cookbook. Hopefully it won't be long until I am back.....happy eating everyone xx

MACELLAIO RC, SOUTH KENSINGTON

2017-12-12T21:51:00.000+00:00

Last weekend I had a massage at home (from Urban Massage). It was my first one in a long time and it was utterly amazing. I love beauty treatments but I rarely have them anymore as my life has been overrun by a very demanding toddler. The same goes for eating out, my daughter Olympia is not keen on sitting in her push chair or a high chair, so that makes going to restaurants quite a tricky experience. I remembered from when my other daughter Arabella was young, that Italian restaurants are always great with kids, so a couple of weekends ago we tried out Macellaio RC on the Old Brompton Road.

Macellaio RC is basically a butchers with a restaurant - you can even choose which steak from the counter that you want to eat. Plus it is not just an ordinary steak - it comes from the Fassona breed in the "special mountain valleys" north of Genoa. Every cut of meat is hung for the exact right amount of time and precise care is taken to ensure the meat tastes incredible.

We were short of time due to Olympia's attention span and so we quickly perused the menu. It is quite simple - there are a selection of small bites, starters, charcuterie and cheese, offal, mains and grill or pasta.

We started with lardo bruschetta with honey and walnuts and stracciatella served with rocket.

Both were unbelievably mouthwatering and utterly delicious. The stracciatella was incredibly creamy and I think the best I have ever tasted. I adored the lardo but it was a little too much for me, however Pascal demolished the very generous portion.

For mains, I ordered the rump steak served with sweet gorgonzola and walnuts and I can honestly say I have never had a steak quite like this in London. I loved the way it was was sliced and cooked perfectly rare. Pascal ordered rump steak with Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and salt. His was cooked blue and was also faultless.

We had fries and spinach as sides which were great although the steaks were definitely the stars of the show.

Unfortunately there wasn't time for pudding, Olympia had half terrorised and half charmed the restaurant and it was time to go home after an incredible meal.

There are four Macellaio RC restaurants on London, this one in South Ken, another in Battersea, one in Clerkenwell and another in Bankside. The menus are very similar in all of them and each offer a butchery and bakery masterclass.

I will definitely be adding this restaurant to my favourites list.....perfect for all carnivores.

Macellaio RC

84 Old Brompton Road,
London
SW7 3LQ
Tel: 020 7589 5834

PENNE PASTA BAKE WITH PEAS, PANCETTA & RICOTTA

2017-11-14T14:14:00.000+00:00

I am rarely cooking new recipes nowadays. It is impossible to cook when my toddler Olympia is awake as she constantly wants to be carried or is hanging onto my legs. Plus it is the last thing I want to do when she is having a nap. As a result, I have just been rehashing old recipes and cooking lots of baby recipes which thankfully my elder daughter Arabella is a huge fan of too, such as salmon and broccoli pasta in a cheese sauce, or jacket potatoes with a filling.

Anyway I decided it was time to up my game, stop being lazy and cook a family dish that we can all eat and I can then freeze the leftovers - I started with a mac and cheese, then a cottage pie and on Sunday I cooked this recipe from Waitrose website.

Ingredients for 6 people:

500g dried pasta (I used penne)
Around 200g pancetta
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (I left this out)
500g ripe vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
110g frozen peas
250g tub of ricotta cheese
50g Parmesan, grated
25g fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200C / gas mark 6.

Prepare and cut all the ingredients.

Dry fry the pancetta in a frying pan for around 5 minutes until golden and crispy. Then remove with a slotted spoon and place to one side.

Using the same pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until it begins to soften and then stir in the chilli (if using) and tomatoes for around ten minutes until it starts to form a sauce. Then mix in the pancetta.

Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the packet's instructions - mine took ten minutes until al dente. For the last 4 minutes, add the peas and then drain.

Finally mix all the ingredients together and pour into a baking dish.

Spoon the ricotta evenly over the top, then scatter with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the top layer of pasta is golden and crusty. To serve sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil.

This was really good, I loved the combination of flavours and the fact it was cheesy but not overpowering. Olympia, my 15 month old, adored it and I think it's so important that she sees us eating the same thing as her. Not surprising my husband enjoyed it so much, he ate for 2....resulting in not much left to freeze for Olympia for next week!!

BEEF & AUBERGINE FATTEH

2017-09-27T14:51:00.001+01:00

My baby Olympia is very different to my first child Arabella. I know I am probably looking back with rose tinted glasses but I know for sure we never needed cupboard locks and stair gates etc. It is not the same with Olympia however.....I know she is going to be one of those children who will draw on the walls!!! Anyway our kitchen is now equipped with cupboard locks and even though they were initially super annoying, they are very beneficial health wise for us adults. It is such a hassle to open the cupboards, we have stopped eating so many biscuits and chocolate......extremely helpful for my husband!!

This recipe is from the Sunday Times magazine and it took about 50 minutes.

Ingredients for 4-6 people:

For the base:
4 (approx 250g) pitta breads, split open and cut into nacho-sized triangles (we actually used mini pittas)

For the topping:
500g Greek yoghurt
5 tbsp / 75g tahini, at room temperature
1-2 lemons, to give 3 tbsp of juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

For the aubergine-beef layer:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 aubergine (250g-300g), cut into small cubes
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Aleppo pepper or paprika, plus more for sprinkling
500g minced beef

To sprinkle over:
125g pomegranate seeds
50g pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp finely shredded mint leaves

The recipe says to preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan. Split open and cut the pittas into triangles and then spread them out onto a large baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes, or until they are crisp. I actually skipped this part and popped my pittas into a toaster and cut them after. Do whatever is easiest for you! Put them on a large plate and set aside.

Beat the yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 tsp sea salt flakes together in a heatproof bowl that will later sit over a saucepan. I actually used a large china bowl that was easy to mix in and then transferred it to a smaller bowl after. It is really important the tahini is at room temperature, otherwise it is very hard to mix.

Warm the oil in a wide, shallow, heavy-based saucepan and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, over a medium to low heat for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and carry on cooking, stirring every so often, until a soft pale colour. This will take another 4 minutes or so. I obviously didn't read the recipe properly, I used a frying pan and I think my heat was too high and so they were cooked through by about 5 minutes. We then had to move onto the next stage so they didn't burn!

Turn up the heat to medium and add the aubergine cubes and stir well to mix in with the onions. Cook for around 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly so it doesn't catch.

Stir in the cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper / paprika and season with salt. Increase the heat to high and then add the mince. Use a fork to break it up a little in the pan, until it has lost its red colour. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 10 minutes until the meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Taste to see if you need anymore salt and then take off the heat while you return to the tahini-yoghurt sauce.

Meanwhile dry fry the pine nuts in a frying pan for a few minutes....keep your eye on them as they burn quickly!

Pour some freshly boiled water into a fresh pan, to around 3cm depth and put over a low heat. Ideally you want to sit the bowl with the tahini-yoghurt sauce on top, making sure it doesn't touch the water. My bowl didn't do this so I just plonked it in the water! Beat well until the yoghurt is slightly above room temperature and resembles a lightly whipped cream. My husband did this manually however I think it would have been easier to use an electric whisk.

Top the pitta triangles with the aubergine-beef mixture, followed by the tahini-yoghurt sauce. Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper / paprika to give a light dusting. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts and finally strew with the finely shredded mint leaves. Eat with your fingers, nacho-style or keep your fingers clean and use a knife and fork.

Just before we served this Pascal said to me - I don't like yoghurt! However he changed his mind once he started tucking in. It was really delicious, such great flavours and I love the way the pomegranate seeds literally pop in your mouth. It was quite messy though and we absolutely needed some cutlery.

I would definitely do this again - I love Middle Eastern food but normally it needs an abundance of spices whereas this was quite straightforward. I will admit when I cook this next, I will make it even more simple and just use hummus rather than the tahini-yogurt sauce. A perfect quick supper or even dinner party starter. Powered by https://erecipe.com

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE PALM COURT AT THE LANGHAM, WEST END

2017-09-23T22:24:00.000+01:00

It was my birthday last week and we wanted to celebrate as a family and go somewhere special - (I definitely wanted something a little more exciting than Pizza Express)! We decided to go to the Palm Court at the Langham, we had gone for afternoon tea there at Easter and I remembered there was a pianist playing which drowned out Olympia's moaning!!

Pascal and I had the Wedgewood afternoon tea and my daughter Arabella had the children's afternoon tea with Hamley's which includes a cuddly teddy bear.

I love afternoon tea and what I love most about the Langham is the free flowing sandwiches - they are amazing and we definitely wanted more than one plate. The sandwiches were classic English cucumber, cream cheese and chives; Burford Brown egg, marinated artichoke on rosemary bread; beef pastrami, sauce "Albert", watercress on caramelised onion bread; Scottish smoked salmon, Sarawak pepper and preserved lemon cream; and finally classic "prawn cocktail", iceberg and tomato powder on a potato bun.

I have to say they were all divine. The pastrami one was definitely my favourite although I was also obsessed by the egg and artichoke - what an original fantastic combination.

Arabella had the jigsaw sandwiches which were also delicious. They were more child friendly flavours - hummus and red pepper, cheese, jam and I can't remember the last one. She adored them and also our cucumber and cream cheese which she kept stealing. Thankfully there was no limit on the amount of sandwiches you can have so Pascal and I had two plates and Arabella a couple of extra. Even the baby Olympia tried some too!

Next up were the scones which are Pascal's favourite part of afternoon tea and these did not disappoint. They were freshly baked - some plain and others with sultanas and then served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Not surprisingly we had two plates of these as well!

Arabella's cakes were adorable. They consisted of Pedro Pig, a strawberry ganache with vanilla sable. Billy Bee was a mango and passion fruit jelly with chocolate sable whereas Lily the Ladybird was a vanilla sponge with raspberry whipped ganache. Finally Cecil the Sheep, was a crunchy choux with Langham cremeux.

Arabella isn't the biggest fan of cakes but she did enjoy the Pedro Pig and Billy Bee. She kindly gave me Cecil the sheep which was scrumptious and Olympia gobbled up Lily the Ladybird.

Despite the fact I was already fit to burst, it was then time for my cakes. They were described as an exquisite selection and they really were. They included a Paris Brest (Crunchy Choux pastry, lightened Pecan, caramelised pecans), Babalicious (Blackcurrant and star anise soaked baba, Jivara whipped ganache, crunchy pearls), Decidedly Madeleine (Madeleine sponge, passion fruit jelly wrapped in a coat of dark chocolate), Spherically Challenged (Creamy coconut, liquid raspberry and Manjari mousse) and One in a Million (Caramelised Puff Pastry, vanilla infused mascarpone).

I am salivating as I write this....wow these cakes were outstanding. The Paris Brest was my favourite - I love these - I need to eat more of them!! Between you and me, I ate all my cakes and Pascal's, I couldn't stop.....but it was my birthday!!

Then the waitress surprised me with a birthday cake....

What a fantastic tea - amazing service, huge amounts of delicious food and beautiful piano music. Together it made a very special birthday and I would really recommend it.

The Palm Court at the Langham

1C Portland Place,
London
W1B 1JA
Tel: 020 7636 1000
Email: book@palm-court.co.uk

FAY'S SAUCY SICILIAN MEATBALLS

2017-09-18T14:57:00.000+01:00

It has been quite a shaky weekend after the terror attack on Friday. I have always been quite blasé in the past and never expected anything like this to happen in the little bubble of London where we live. I was at my daughter's school attending a PTA meeting when we heard the news of an explosion just down the road. The school and police were amazing and we were in lockdown within minutes. I felt completely safe and looked after however as time has passed, reality has sunk in, and our family have realised what a scary world we live in.

Anyway I have been trying to explain to my 9 year old Arabella that we can't let the baddies win and instead we need to make the most of each moment and practise an "attitude of gratitude". Therefore it was a weekend of indulgence......Diner Style Chilli on Friday night, afternoon tea at the Langham on Saturday and then these meatballs on the Sunday (plus lots of donuts, ice cream and sweets in between)! This recipe is from Fay Ripley's first book, it took about an hour and ten minutes to make and is baby friendly.

Ingredients for 4 people:

For the meatballs:
60g fresh breadcrumbs
500g lean minced beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated
50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated (plus more for serving)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 medium eggs, beaten
Plain or spelt flour for coating
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
Olive oil
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
250ml low salt vegetable stock
2 tbsp red split lentils

To serve:
400g pasta or mashed potato or fresh baguette

Put the breadcrumbs, mince, garlic, thyme, lemon zest, Parmesan and nutmeg in a big bowl. Beat the eggs and then mix them in. Using a spoon and your hands, form into balls (about two bites in size) - mine were far too big but I don't think it mattered. Roll in flour and put in the fridge until needed.

Meanwhile make the sauce. In a large pan, fry the onion, celery and carrot over a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Next add the chopped tomatoes, puree, stock and lentils and gently simmer for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, preheat the oven to 180 C (fan) / 200 C / gas mark 6.

Whilst the sauce is cooking, fry the meatballs in a splash of olive oil, turning until brown on all sides. Keep them moving by shaking the pan so they don't stick. In an ovenproof dish / pan, mix the tomato sauce with the meatballs and then pop into the oven for 25 minutes. Ideally you want to put a lid on the dish / pan but I didn't have one - I don't think it mattered but keep your eye on the food as you don't want it to burn. Don't forget to cook your side if you are having one - we did pasta and it took 10 minutes in salted boiling water.

Once the pasta and meatballs are ready, serve them with a sprinkling of cheese or even a topping of sour cream. Not surprisingly I went for the cheese!

These were really good - not your usual Italian meatballs as you can clearly taste the lemon and thyme which goes wonderfully together. We all really enjoyed them especially Olympia - she actually preferred the meatballs to the pasta which I was most pleased about as I often worry she does not eat enough red meat. I loved the fact the sauce is packed with vegetables too. Another successful recipe from Fay. We froze the leftovers for Olympia although I was thinking I might have them myself with some garlic bread - a perfect autumnal supper.

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

2017-09-06T19:33:00.001+01:00

I am sure I have mentioned before that I am a HUGE Reese's peanut butter cup fan. In fact my greatest food find of this year is the Reese's chocolate peanut butter spread....it has revolutionised our weekend breakfasts as the whole family loves it. In fact I rarely had breakfast before.....now I can't get enough....which is really not good for my figure especially as I have it with both baguette and butter!

Anyway my daughter Bella and I made a board on Pinterest last week dedicated just to Reese's and this is one of the recipes we came across. It was very easy to make, it took about 15-20 minutes and then needed to be chilled in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients for 25 squares:

397g tin condensed milk
300g white chocolate
200g peanut butter
25g butter (can be salted or unsalted)
100g icing sugar, sifted
Around 200g mini Reese's peanut butter cups
Around 150g Reese's Pieces (You can add more or less if you want)

Line a tin/dish with baking paper. The recipe recommends one that is 9 x 9" however mine was 10 x 7". I don't think size really matters (this time!), just use what you have.

In a heavy based saucepan, mix in the white chocolate, peanut butter, butter and condensed milk. Melt on a very low heat so the chocolate doesn't get stuck on the bottom and burn, and that all the ingredients combine together. It might take a while but it is important to do it over a low heat. Mine took around 10 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl.

Sift the icing sugar and beat well. I just used a spoon rather than an electric mixer. Once completely combined, add in most of the peanut butter cups and Reese's pieces and fold. Keep some left over to sprinkle on top.

Pour into the baking tin and smooth over the mixture. Sprinkle with the rest of the Reese's and press in. Put in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours but ideally overnight.

We did try the fudge after a few hours in the fridge and it was good but it was much better after it had set overnight. Once set, cut into squares and enjoy. Our squares were obviously very large!!

I love Reese's and I love fudge so this combination was the dream!! My only alteration I would make next time is I would probably add some big Reese's peanut butter cups too....in my opinion you can never have enough. I also added some of this fudge to my bowl of ice cream last night which I highly recommend if you are a little piggy like me!! Powered by https://erecipe.com

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CHORIZO & ROSEMARY RISOTTO

2017-09-04T16:14:00.001+01:00

Risotto has always been one of my favourite recipes, although I rarely have it in a restaurant unless it is a very smart one, as it is easy to get wrong. Before I learnt to cook, my sister would very kindly make me risottos of all different combinations depending on what was in the fridge. My favourite would always be mushroom, bacon and lots of cheese however as my daughter Arabella is mushroom-phobic, we rarely have them.

Last week I found this recipe in the Sunday Times magazine however it used pumpkin rather than butternut squash. I couldn't find pumpkin in the shops so I substituted it for squash and it worked very well. Risottos are simple but time confusing and this took about 40 minutes.

Ingredients for 4 people:

450g pumpkin or squash, skinned, deseeded and cut into small pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

50g butter

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

300ml dry white wine

300g risotto rice

200g chorizo, finely chopped

2 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped

1 litre hot stock

100g Parmesan, grated

Chop all the ingredients in preparation and make up the stock.

Bring a large pan of boiling water to the boil, add the pumpkin / squash and cook for around 6 minutes until it begins to soften. I did about 7 minutes. I forgot to cut my pieces so just did it after they were cooked.

In a large non stick frying pan over a medium heat, fry the celery and the onion in the olive oil and half the butter until it begins to soften. This took about 5 minutes. Next add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn up the heat, add the rice and stir until it becomes opaque (a couple of minutes). Add the wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.

Add the chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the pumpkin / squash and stir in half of the rosemary leaves.

Now for the time consuming part! Add the stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly to give a creamy texture for about 15 minutes. This is good exercise for your arm!

Season with salt and pepper, add the remaining rosemary and butter and about half the Parmesan. Cover and rest until creamy - we were all starving so only waited a few minutes! Serve with the remaining Parmesan and tuck in.

The combination of the rosemary, squash and chorizo is powerful but it works very well. It is a perfect meal for this autumnal weather that is starting to appear. My husband, daughter and I all loved this and will be fighting over the leftovers. I am definitely keen to try this again with pumpkin - I reckon around Halloween will be the perfect time when we are trying to decide what to do with all the leftover pumpkin!!

CHICKEN, BACON & CHEESE ROLLS

2017-09-02T16:39:00.001+01:00

These school holidays I have found all the cooking so tiresome and I am constantly trying to decide what to serve for both lunch and dinner, stay healthy (ish) and have some variety in our diet. It is not easy.

When I was growing up, my father did most of the cooking for the family. My mother loved food (she used to drive us mad with her menu reading - a trait I have now inherited) but she had no confidence in cooking. Despite this, she LOVED to do cooking classes. I have kept some of her recipes and I know she will be so happy that I am cooking them......as she never did!! I decided to try this simple chicken dish of her's that took around 35 minutes.

Ingredients for 2 people:

6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (I only had 5)
3 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Around 90g of Gruyere or Cheddar cheese
6 slices of smoked streaky bacon
Wooden cocktail sticks

To serve:
Garlic Mayonnaise
(You can just buy this but I made it myself with):
100ml mayonnaise
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
10g spring onions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 200 C.

Unroll each chicken thigh and cut away all the nasties. I love chicken thighs, I much prefer them to the breast, but I hate this part of preparing them!

Spread about a teaspoon of mustard on to each thigh.

Cut the cheese into fat matchsticks of around 15g each and place one in the middle of each thigh. Then roll up the chicken.

Wrap each chicken thigh with a rash of bacon and secure with a couple of cocktail sticks. Put the chicken rolls in a baking tray (I lined the tray with foil) in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Cut into the chicken to check it is cooked before serving.

While the chicken was cooking I made the garlic mayonnaise and I basically just copied a random recipe from the Internet. However I had to change the measurements as otherwise I was making a week's supply of mayo!! it was very simple to make, I just mixed all the ingredients together in a bowl and voila!

Despite all the cheese melting out of our chicken rolls, I scooped it all up with a spoon (waste not want not) and these worked perfectly. I love how tender chicken thighs are and I am a big fan of the cheese and bacon combo. These worked perfectly with a green salad for me and cucumber and sweetcorn for my daughter. Another easy recipe to add to the list. These can also be made up previously and frozen until needed. Just defrost fully before you cook. Perfect for the busy school afternoons that are soon to be upon us.

PIZOOKIE (A PIZZA SIZE COOKIE)

2017-08-28T21:17:00.002+01:00

A couple of months ago I went to a fantastic restaurant on the Chelsea / Fulham border called Megan's and I had the most amazing pudding. It was basically a warm giant cookie with Nutella in the middle served with vanilla ice cream. The waiter tried to suggest it might be too much for just me but of course being such a piglet, I managed to finish the whole lot off and I have been dreaming about it ever since. Megan's isn't very pram friendly so I decided the quickest way I can have this pudding again is to make it myself.

This recipe is from Waitrose magazine and it took about 45 minutes to make. You need to leave it to cool for at least 10 minutes at the end.

Ingredients for 8-10 slices

125g salted butter, at room temperature
150g light soft brown sugar
100g golden caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
250g milk chocolate, broken into chunks

Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4.

Put the butter and sugars in a bowl and using electric beaters, beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Then beat the eggs in one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Tip into the butter mixture, beat until just combined and then stir through the chocolate chunks.

Spoon into a 20cm ovenproof frying pan or similar size cake tin. I used a 23cm cake tin which I sprayed with cooking spray and then lined with baking paper so it was easy to remove.

Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes until golden, (25 minutes yields a molten centre whereas 30 minutes will be slightly more set).

Cool for 10 minutes at least and then serve with a big dollop of ice cream if you like.

There are no words to describe how absolutely scrumptious this is.....it is so good I have made it twice this week! This pizookie is very easy to make and it tastes heavenly. Mine was incredibly soft, warm and gooey and it went perfectly with the ice cream. One word of warning, it is not good for the bikini body!!! If you manage to resist eating it all in one go, it will keep for a few days.

VALENTINA, PUTNEY

2017-08-19T21:18:00.001+01:00

Last weekend we wanted to do a family activity, however it is quite hard to find something relatively inexpensive, local and suitable for a baby, a tween and two adults! After much deliberation, we settled on a trip to Battersea Park as there is mini golf and a great playground. We decided the winner of the golf, could choose the restaurant for lunch. I wanted to go to Tendido Cuatro but Bella was desperate for us to try Valentina which is her favourite restaurant near her father's house. In the end Pascal won and he went for Bella's choice.

Valentina started as a small family delicatessen in East Sheen in 1991 however it soon expanded into a restaurant as well and now there are 8 branches in London and Surrey.

We went to the one in Putney and I was impressed as soon as I walked in as there were tasters of mortadella and mozzarella on ciabatta in the entrance...I love a bit of free food. The Valentina concept reminds me of Carluccio's with the blue and white colour scheme and the gorgeous appetising food on display. I wanted to pull up a chair there and then!

There was a fantastic musician playing to the diners and it was a pleasure to listen to him while we perused the menu. There was a lot to choose from - antipasti, salads, pizza and pasta. There is also a children's menu for £6.50. It was a spacious airy restaurant with an outside terrace that looked very inviting.

We decided to share the pizza fritta to start which is fried dough sprinkled with rock salt and rosemary and served with garlic aioli. This was really good - even the baby liked it although we had to wipe off the salt. We were fighting over the last bits. It made a great change from garlic bread.

For mains Arabella had her usual all time favourite, spaghetti carbonara served English style with cream. I have to say I had serious food envy. It was a huge portion with big chunks of bacon and a heavenly creamy, cheesy sauce.

Pascal had the veal Milanese with spaghetti in a tomato and basil sauce. Like Arabella, it is his all time favourite dish. However unfortunately he wasn't very impressed. The veal was greasy and there was too much sauce on his pasta.

I ordered the Cappella Romana which is al forno tagliatelle with Italian sausage meat, cherry tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan and wrapped with smoked speck ham. I have mentioned in my blog before that I love Parmesan and I really hate it when you aren't allowed to keep the cheese at your table. The waiter very kindly covered my pasta with Parmesan but it still wasn't enough. My dish was lacking something - I am not sure what as to me it sounded like the ideal pasta recipe - sausage, cheese, ham and tomato but it wasn't as good as I was expecting. I think it needed more cheese! It wasn't bad but I just didn't love it and didn't finish my plate which is unheard of for me.

We had no room for pudding unfortunately, I had my eyes on the Italian pastries in the deli but decided to give it a miss and tuck into some ice cream at home. I was surprised when the bill came, it was nearly £70 for 3 of us which I thought was extremely steep considering we had only had one starter, no alcohol (just water and a Diet Coke) and no puddings.
However the service was very friendly and efficient, the music was fantastic and we had really enjoyed half the meal.

I wouldn't rush back but if a friend wanted to go, I wouldn't say no. Maybe I am just spoilt because there are so many good Italians around London. Having said that I am keen to try the deli......especially the pastries!

Valentina Putney

75 Upper Richmond Road,
London
SW15 2SR
Tel: 020 8877 9906
Email: putney@valentinafinefoods.com

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2017-08-16T19:47:00.001+01:00

My one year old Olympia tried a blueberry muffin the other day and she absolutely loved it so I decided I should bake some. I haven't made any since I was about 15 and so searched online for an quick and easy recipe. I feel I am cooking all the time at the moment. I like to cook in batches and then freeze it for Olympia but she seems to get through it all so quickly....a little piglet like her mummy!!

This recipe is from Inspired Taste website.

Ingredients for 10 muffins:

195g plain flour
150g granulated sugar
A pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
80ml vegetable oil
1 large egg
80ml-120ml milk (dairy or non dairy)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
200g fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 200 C.

Line a muffin tray with 10 muffin / cupcake paper cups. Fill the remaining two cup holes with a couple of tablespoons of water to help the muffins bake evenly.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. I just used a handheld whisk.

Pour the oil into a measuring jug, crack in the egg and then add enough milk to reach the 240ml line. I added about 120ml. Next pour in the vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

Add the milk mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a fork to combine. Do not over mix - you want the batter to be quite thick and "scoopable". If the batter is too dry, add a little bit of milk whereas if it is too runny, add a little flour. I had absolutely no idea whether my batter was the correct consistency, but I just went for it. Finally fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes. I did 20 minutes. To check if the muffins are cooked, the tops need to dry, not wet and if you insert a toothpick, it comes out with crumbs not wet batter. Mine didn't come out with crumbs but it wasn't wet either so I took that as a sign they were cooked.

Transfer to a cooling rack and then tuck in.

I gave one of these to my baby Olympia to do the taste test....and I am proud to say they passed with flying colours. She devoured it in a matter of minutes. I loved how many blueberries were in each muffin (so they are not too naughty). They will only last a few days at room temperature before going stale but they can be frozen. A great snack for the baby (and me)!!

ITALIAN SEARED BEEF

2017-08-12T22:05:00.000+01:00

I have many Jamie Oliver books although I will admit I am not crazy about his recipes. They generally taste very good however I find he always needs so many ingredients and they aren't written in a very straightforward way.....not like my beloved Fay Ripley!! Anyway - good news - in the Sunday Times last week, Jamie shared a few recipes that only need 5 ingredients - heaven for me. Plus they are quick ones too, this one took about 15 minutes. I did alter it slightly as my husband thought it looked a little "light"!

Ingredients for 2 people:

2 tbsp pine nuts
400g rump steak
2 heaped tbsp green pesto
90g rocket
40g Parmesan

Put a large non stick frying pan on a high heat, toasting the pine nuts as it heats up, tossing regularly and removing when golden. This is quite a quick process so watch the pine nuts carefully.

Cut the fat off the rump and chop it finely. Place it in the pan to render and crisp up.

Meanwhile place some cling or greaseproof paper over the steak on a chopping board and bash with a rolling pin or mallet until the steak is about 1cm thick. This tenderises the meat as well. Season generously.

Scoop the fat out of the pan and place to one side. In the same pan, sear the steak for 1-2 minutes on each side (depending on how you like your steak cooked) but ideally you want it golden on the outside but still blushing in the middle. I did Pascal's for a couple of minutes as he likes his steak as rare as possible (still mooing in fact) whereas I prefer mine a little more cooked. Once ready, remove to a board/plate and cut into strips.

Spread the pesto between two plates, add the rocket and steak, and finally scatter over the Parmesan, pine nuts and crispy fat (if you like). Drizzle with some olive oil and serve.

This was a beautiful dish, so simple yet so flavoursome. Individually all the ingredients are strong flavours, yet they mesh so well together. Whilst it felt like a proper supper, it didn't sit heavily in your tummy due to the lack of carbs. Perfect for my husband as he needs to increase the protein intake and cut the carbs which isn't easy when you are a pasta fiend!!

RAREBIT CAULIFLOWER STEAKS

2017-08-07T14:57:00.000+01:00

My husband needs to eat less sugar and less carbs....basically his two favourite things. Whilst I believe I am healthy and in pretty good shape, I could do with a little more "clean living" however I love comfort eating, covering everything in cheese and I am addicted to milky coffee with sweetener.

Anyway the sun was shining yesterday so we decided to barbecue some beef to up our protein intake and then as a side I made these rarebit cauliflower steaks. This is a recipe from Olive magazine although I omitted the beer (!) and it took about 25 minutes.

Ingredients for 2 people:

1 large cauliflower
25g butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
100g grated mature cheddar
1 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard
1 small egg yolk
A couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C / fan 180C / gas mark 6.

Chop the cauliflower in two down the middle and then cut a thick slice from each half to make 2 steaks. You will have some cauliflower left over - we ate this dipped in hummus.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the cauliflower steaks and then fry on each side until golden. This took about 8 minutes.

Lift the steaks onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Next time I will cut the stalks off the the cauliflower steaks as they are pretty tough.

Meanwhile put the cheese, mustard, egg yolk and Worcestershire sauce (if using) into a bowl and mash together. Season once again. Spoon the cheese mix over the cauliflower steaks when they are ready and grill for 4-5 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

These were really good and could be a meal in itself. I love welsh rarebit, it is something we had at weekends for lunch during my childhood and using cauliflower here is certainly a healthier version. I reckon my daughter Arabella would also be a fan. A great alternative side dish.

FAY'S LEMON & RASPBERRY TART

2017-07-16T21:10:00.000+01:00

I love a pudding, in fact nowadays it is my favourite part of a meal and at a restaurant, I have been known to choose my pudding before my starter and main. When we had our friends round for supper on Friday I was tempted to go to Cook and buy the Chocolate Salted Caramel Vacherin but it was a bit extravagant as it served 10-12 and there was only 4 of us.....and I didn't want to spend the rest of the week pigging the leftovers myself as I have to get in a bikini in a week!

Instead I decided to cook Fay Ripley's lemon and raspberry tart as I also adore a lemony pudding. This feeds 6-8 people and it took just over an hour to cook and prepare.

Ingredients for 6-8 people:

1 x 375g pack of sweet pastry (this needs to be taken out the fridge about 45 minutes before using)
3 medium free-range eggs
75g caster sugar
220ml double cream
Juice and zest of 3 unwaxed lemons
200g fresh raspberries
Icing sugar, for dusting (I forgot this part)!

Equipment:
24cm loose bottomed flan tin
Baking beans

Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6.

If your flan tin isn't loose bottomed (sounds quite rude!), I would recommend that you line it with baking paper - I didn't which meant the tart was tricky to cut at the end. My tin was also 28cm and so a little big for the pastry.

Roll out the pastry into the flan tin, cover with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and then pop back in the oven for 5 minutes to dry out.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4.

Meanwhile whisk the eggs, sugar, cream, lemon zest and juice together.

Scatter raspberries evenly over the base. Pour the filling over the berries and bake for 30 minutes. Cool and then dust with icing sugar just before serving.

I also served the tart with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

I have always been a fan of Fay Ripley's cookbooks, in fact her first book inspired me to learn to cook and this recipe did not disappoint. I had made this the day before and I was a little worried as to whether it would still taste as fresh. Thankfully it did. We all loved the combination of the lemon and raspberries and it was light and delectable. A couple of days later, I am just finishing off the last slice....so much for the bikini diet!!

BAKED FETA WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND GARLIC TOAST

2017-07-15T21:18:00.001+01:00

We have barely done any entertaining since our baby was born almost a year ago and I have forgotten how much I enjoy it. In the past year I think I can count on one hand the nights I have stayed up post 9pm! However last night we had our friends Hard and Fran round for supper and so I decided to cook a couple of new dishes. The first one being this baked feta which I did as a starter / canapé whilst we had some drinks. The recipe is from Olive magazine and it was very easy and it took about 25 minutes.

Ingredients for 4 people as a canapé or 2 people as a starter:

Olive oil
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
200g feta
4 slices of sourdough
1 clove of garlic, halved
A drizzle of balsamic vinegar
A few leaves of oregano, chopped (I didn't have some so just used dried leaves)

Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6.

Drizzle a little oil in the bottom of a oven proof dish and then add the tomatoes, the feta and season. Add a dash more olive oil and then cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Just before it is ready, toast the sourdough, rub with the cut side of the garlic (you don't need to rub too hard - a little goes a long way), and then drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Remove the feta from the oven, drizzle with some balsamic vinegar (I was a little heavy handed here) and sprinkle with some oregano.

If you are into presentation, I would definitely recommend fresh oregano leaves as it will make the dish look so much better. Even though I had used dry herbs, this was still mouthwateringly tasty and I am very pleased to say everyone enjoyed it. It was a little messy to eat - my husband Pascal suggested next time I use bigger slices of toast - but I don't think it mattered. According to my daughter, making a mess is a sign of food appreciation!

This would also make a great lunch and you could serve it with a green salad.

CUSTARD CREAM BLONDIES

2017-07-09T09:47:00.001+01:00

I cannot eat a custard cream without being flooded with memories of my silver Duke of Edinburgh walk in Wales about 20 years ago. Even though I was not a keen camper (I still am not), I did have fun and I think I consumed my body weight in custard creams and Bourbon biscuits. I found this recipe in Olive magazine and decided to cook it for when my ex mother-in-law came for tea - it took under an hour and was very easy.

Ingredients for 12-18 bars (depending on the size):

175g butter, plus extra for greasing

200g light muscovado sugar

125g golden caster sugar

4 tbsp custard powder

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

250g self-raising flour

Salt

15 custard creams, roughly crumbled

150g vanilla white chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Preheat the oven to 180 C / fan 160 C / gas mark 4. Butter and line a baking tin / dish with baking paper (around 20 x 30 cm).

Melt the butter, both sugars and custard powder gently in a large saucepan. When the mixture is smooth and you can't feel any grains of sugar left, take off the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes. This didn't take long. I used this "cooling" time to cut up the biscuits and chocolate. I was on a diet day so couldn't even nibble the milky bar - it was torture!!

Stir in the eggs, one by one, until smooth. Then follow with the vanilla extract, flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Quickly stir in two thirds of the custard creams and the chocolate chunks and pour into your baking dish / tin.

Scatter over the remaining biscuit bits and bake for 30 minutes until golden and set on top. Cool the blondies in the tin before cutting into bars.

I found 30 minutes wasn't enough for me - it was still too gooey inside. My daughter loved it but I preferred it a bit more cooked so I did a further 20 minutes, keeping a constant eye on it so it didn't burn on top.

I loved the combination of the custard creams and white chocolate and it made a great lighter alternative to a brownie. It wasn't my favourite though. My daughter on the other hand thought it was incredible and was begging to have some at breakfast as she couldn't wait for tea. Plus luckily my ex mother-in-law enjoyed it too.

SMASHED CHICKPEA & FETA SALAD

2017-07-02T22:09:00.001+01:00

It was so good to see the sun today; like true Brits we were immediately in our flip-flops, the paddling pool was out and a barbecue planned.

In my family, there is always a disagreement over what side to serve with the meat - I like a vegetable kebab of mushrooms, courgettes, onions and peppers. However that is my daughter Arabella's idea of hell. She would normally opt for something simple such as chopped cucumber but that is far too boring for me. Pascal's ideal would be a pasta or potato salad but I try and push him to something a bit lighter as neither of us are "summer body ready"!! So instead today we compromised on this salad which I found in Olive magazine. It took about 15 minutes in total to prepare.

Ingredients for 4 people:

Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 small red chilli, seeded and diced (optional - we left this out)
2 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 a cucumber, diced
12 baby plus or cherry tomatoes, halved
100g feta, crumbled
A small bunch of dill, parsley or mint, chopped (I used mint as that is what we had in the garden)

In a large bowl, lightly mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or the end of a rolling pin. I didn't realise I was meant to rinse the chickpeas first and thankfully it didn't seem to make too much of a difference. Add the onions, cucumber and tomatoes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon juice, 4 tbsp of olive oil, cumin seeds and chilli (if using) and season generously. Then pour into the chickpea mix and toss together.

Leave to marinate for 5 minutes and then stir through the feta and herbs to serve.

This was a super successful salad. We are all huge hummus fans (despite the effect it has on my husband's bottom) and so love chickpeas. This tasted very fresh and flavoursome and I loved the Greek salad aspect - feta is one of my favourite cheeses. I think my daughter Arabella would have preferred it with goat's cheese which would also work. This was a perfect barbecue side however it would also work on it's own as a main with or without some fresh bread depending on how good (or naughty) you are feeling!

CREAMED SPINACH

2017-06-27T21:25:00.001+01:00

I had been planning on cooking this recipe last Saturday night but I got carried away with the pic n mix selection in Sainsbury's and ended up just scoffing sweets for supper. I really need to give up sugar one day as my sweet tooth is out of control....but I am not ready just quite yet, especially when ice cream season is upon us.

Anyway I had to cook this tonight before the spinach went off and despite the rain, we served it with barbecued steak topped with blue cheese (my favourite). It took around 25 minutes in total.

Ingredients for 4-6 people as a side:

500g spinach, washed and chopped
25g butter
1 tbsp plain flour
200ml milk
150ml double cream
A few gratings/pinch of nutmeg
75g Gruyere, grated
75g Parmesan, grated

Put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettleful (or two) of boiling water, to wilt, then cool and squeeze out as much excess water as you can.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Keep stirring and gradually add the milk to make a white sauce. After about 5 minutes, stir in the cream and season. Add the nutmeg and Gruyere and cook until the cheese has melted. Stir in the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Tip into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and heat under a hot grill for a couple of minutes until golden and bubbling.

I think the final picture speaks for itself....this was incredible. My husband Pascal was most surprised that this is the second dish he has loved which is made with a white sauce. It went perfectly with our steaks but I would say it would go with anything or you could even serve it on its own. Amazing!

MUSHROOM & TARRAGON LASAGNE

2017-06-25T21:17:00.001+01:00

Years ago I had the most amazing mushroom lasagne at Carluccio's restaurant however it was then removed from the menu and much to my disappointment, never returned. As I had leftover lasagne sheets from my Spinach, Ricotta & Pesto Lasagne, I thought I would finally try and make my own mushroom one. This is a recipe from Olive magazine and it took around 1 hour 40 minutes to make although you can make it and cook it later or the next day.

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 shallots, finely chopped

Butter

500g mushrooms, sliced (we used closed cup but you can use whatever you like)

1 bunch of tarragon, leaves stripped and chopped (about 15g)

3 tbsp flour

500ml milk

200g mascarpone

6-9 lasagne sheets (depending on the size of your dish)

4 tbsp Parmesan, grated

To serve:

A green salad

Preheat the oven to 180C / fan 160C / gas mark 4 and prepare the ingredients.

In a large frying pan, fry the shallots in a knob of butter until they are soft but not too dark. Add the mushrooms and some more butter, and cook whilst turning continuously. There will be a large pile, however they do reduce. Fry the mushrooms until they are cooked through and golden brown.

Turn up the heat, add the tarragon and cook for another couple of minutes.

Meanwhile melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, stir in the flour and make sure it is absorbed before adding the milk over a low heat. Pour in the milk a little at a time until you have a smooth sauce which will gradually become thicker. This took us about 10-12 minutes.

Season well and stir in the mascarpone. Finally fold into the mushroom mixture.

Next it is time to assemble the lasagne. Start with a layer of pasta, add a third of the mushroom mixture and then repeat to make three layers finishing with a layer of the mushroom sauce. Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan and then cover with foil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Finally take off the foil and brown the top for a further 10 minutes.

As my husband and I were cooking this, he repeatedly told me how he didn't like milk, he wasn't keen on mascarpone and he much preferred tomato based pasta dishes. I was just thinking "disaster"!!! Thankfully he was still willing to give the lasagne a go and he was in fact very pleasantly surprised. We both were - we loved it. Pascal even had seconds.....so much for not liking a white sauce. I would really recommend serving it with a salad too. An excellent dish, although I am not sure I can convince my daughter as mushrooms are her number one most hated vegetable!

Like with some other pasta recipes, you can make this the day before which makes it perfect when entertaining. Plus different mushrooms will change the flavour, you could even use a combination. I bet the leftovers will be even more amazing....if there are any!

SPINACH, RICOTTA & PESTO LASAGNE

2017-06-05T21:02:00.001+01:00

It was awful on Sunday to wake up to the news of yet another terrorist attack, it is so devastating. It certainly makes me wary about going into central London and all I wanted to do on Sunday was hanker down with my family at home. We decided to cook this lasagne as it sounded a little healthier and lighter than a normal lasagne which was just what we needed after a week of indulgence.

It took about 45 minutes to prepare and then 45 minutes to cook and it is freezable.

Ingredients for 8 people:

100g butter

100g plain flour

600ml semi-skimmed milk

400g ricotta

100g Parmesan, grated

2g ground nutmeg

200g spinach, washed and roughly chopped

2 bunches of spring onions, sliced

Roughly 225g dried lasagne sheets

190g pesto

2 heaped tbsp pine nuts

(I also added some grated cheese as I am a cheese addict but it probably wasn't necessary)

Melt the butter in a large pan, then stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk gradually, one splash at a time, to make a smooth sauce. Bring to a gentle bubble while still stirring, then cook for a couple of minutes until thickened.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the ricotta and half the Parmesan until smooth. Season and add the nutmeg. Spoon out a couple of ladlefuls of the sauce and reserve for the top of the lasagne. Then stir in the chopped spinach and spring onions into the rest of the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 180 C / fan 160 C / gas mark 4.

Spread a third of the spinach sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Add a layer of pasta, then spread over a third of the pesto. Top with another third of the spinach sauce, followed by pasta and pesto and then repeat one more time. Add a final layer of pasta, then spread over the reserved white sauce. Scatter with the remaining Parmesan and the pine nuts (we also added some extra grated cheese). (At this point, if you are freezing rather than cooking, pop in the freezer now). Otherwise bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until bubbling, browned and crisp on top.

A lot of pictures there!! This recipe is quite full on to make, but then lasagnes always are, however it was totally worth it and we really enjoyed this. I am a huge lasagne fan so it was nice to have one that is slightly different to normal plus it felt almost healthy with all the green vegetables. Having said that, both my husband and my daughter recommended we should have had some mince on the side....I reckon a tomato and onion salad would do the trick. I am already looking forward to reheating our leftovers although not this week as it is diet time again (boo)!

SUMMER SALAD WITH MANCHEGO & CHORIZO

2017-06-04T21:58:00.002+01:00

We have just had a wonderful holiday in the Caribbean and now it is back to reality with a bump....piles of washing, tight jeans and post holiday blues. Despite definitely gaining a few pounds, the diet isn't going to start until Monday so we decided to cook a couple of nice meals over the weekend starting with this salad which we had as a side with a barbecue. It took about 20 minutes in total but was very easy.

Ingredients for 4 people (as a side):

350g broad beans
210 peas (frozen or fresh)
150g chorizo
100g rocket or watercress or lambs lettuce
100g Manchego cheese, cubed
10g fresh mint, sliced
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Start by podding the broad beans - I found this to be a brilliant job for my daughter Arabella. Meanwhile as I was using frozen peas, I began by cooking these in boiling water for 4-5 minutes (according to the packet's instructions). Once ready, drain and then refresh under cold running water. If you are using fresh peas, these will only take 3 minutes and so you could cook these with the broad beans (however I did mine separately).

If like me you are using frozen peas, cook the broad beans next in boiling water for 3 minutes and then rinse with cold water once again.

Add the broad beans and peas to a large bowl with the lettuce, mint, lemon juice and lemon zest and season.

Meanwhile either barbecue the chorizo or cut it into slices and fry it in a pan until cooked through.

Cut the cheese into cubes and then add the cheese and chorizo to the salad, mix and serve.

This tasted really fresh and summery and was the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue lunch. My husband Pascal reckoned it tasted "too healthy" and would have added a dollop of olive oil or a portion of pasta. Personally I wasn't complaining, I loved the lemon and mint as it was a reminder that winter is over (although according to the weather forecast it might be back next week)! This is a great side and even though I don't like to tell my husband he is right (ever), I think it would also taste great with some pasta and a good glug of olive oil mixed in.

KID FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS - MUDDY STILETTOS

2017-06-03T12:04:00.001+01:00

I recently worked with the lovely Joanna at Muddy Stilettos Wiltshire to create an article on the best kid friendly restaurants in London. It is not always easy eating out with kids, and if you are like me and want to branch out from the usual Pizza Express and Wagamamas, this should give you some inspiration.

In hindsight I should have posted this before half term but I have been away - my first sunny holiday with the baby. It wasn't as relaxing as previous holidays but it was lovely to have sunshine and family time and we discovered Olympia LOVES watermelon so expect some watermelon based recipes to come up!

https://wilts.muddystilettos.co.uk/health-fitness/food/perfect-eats-town-mudlets/

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TOBLERONE COOKIES

2017-05-22T21:07:00.001+01:00

My lovely ex mother in law came for tea last week and so I wanted to bake something yummy. I initially chose to make a carrot cake but I then decided that it wasn't the best idea as I would no doubt eat the whole thing and I need to get into a bikini in less than a week. So instead my daughter Bella chose this cookie recipe.

I love Toblerone - it was my dad's favourite and so reminds me of him. One summer, I had a friend staying at our holiday home with us and she ate the last piece of Toblerone....my dad was really cross and shouted at her....it was very very embarrassing!! Thankfully this recipe makes more than enough cookies to share and it took around 30 minutes plus an extra 30 minutes chilling time.

Ingredients for 16 cookies:

2 x 100g bars of milk chocolate Toblerone
100g milk chocolate, chopped
50g unsalted butter, softened
100g soft light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g ground almonds
1 tbsp whole milk

Break 8 triangles off one Toblerone and cut each in half so you have 16 triangles. Put them in the fridge to chill. Chop the rest into small chunks. Try not to eat the chocolate (I struggled with this part)!

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and light. Mine didn't look that light but I figured that is because the sugar is brown and when I normally beat sugar and butter, I use white sugar. Gradually add the beaten egg and then the vanilla extract.

Meanwhile melt the milk chocolate either in a microwave or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Add the melted chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until smooth. Next sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt over the mixture and combine.

Finally add the ground almonds, chopped Toblerone and milk and mix well. Then cover with cling and chill until firm (about 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 180 C / fan 160 C / gas mark 4. Cover a solid baking sheet with baking paper (I had to use two baking trays).

On a chopping board, scoop a heaped teaspoon of the dough into your hand and roll into a rough ball. Repeat with all the remaining cookie dough until it is all used up. You ideally want 16 balls. Place them on your baking sheet / tray, spacing the balls well apart. I thought I had done but mine could have been even more spread out (as you can see from the picture). Once the dough balls are on the baking tray, press down lightly and then sit a triangle of Toblerone on each.

Bake for around 12 minutes or until the top is firm but not crisp. I thought mine did not look ready and so left them for another couple of minutes but then they were a little too crispy. A reminder for me to always follow the recipe!

My cookies were HUGE and I was not complaining. They were absolutely delicious, chewy, very chocolatey, slightly crisp and extremely moreish. I am pleased to say they went down well with the whole family - a little too well with me which is not good for the bikini body!