I don't want to miss a week of the Meal Planning Monday post on my blog - partly because I will lose track of what number week it is otherwise! But there isn't much to say for this week as I am on holiday in Mexico! If you fancy leaving a comment why not tell me what your favourite Mexican dish is, and I will look out for it when I'm there!
Monday, May 11, 2015
I don't want to miss a week of the Meal Planning Monday post on my blog - partly because I will lose track of what number week it is otherwise! But there isn't much to say for this week as I am on holiday in Mexico! If you fancy leaving a comment why not tell me what your favourite Mexican dish is, and I will look out for it when I'm there!
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Named after a cult 80s movie, the Breakfast Club near London’s Liverpool Street station is going for that cult, Shoreditch, trying hard to be alternative kind of vibe. Its website is like a computer game – again, an 80s version – and inside, the décor is almost overwhelmingly on trend, from the ‘sex, drugs and bacon rolls’ neon sign in one corner, to the collage of photos as you walk in. There’s even a secret bar that you access by opening a retro fridge – inside the fridge instead of shelves there is actually a flight of stairs leading downstairs.
All that was possibly a bit much when I went in one morning for breakfast with colleagues, having already been in the office since 5am. But it is definitely more interesting than your average restaurant!
I ordered the apple and cinnamon French toast (£7.50) which was very tasty; thick slices of bread that were not too soggy and served with roasted apples on the side. Next time I’d probably have the posh sausage sandwich which as well as sausage has smoked Applewood cheese, Portobello mushroom (which I’d ask to be left out) and red onion chutney on a crusty roll. Or maybe the American pancakes… or the eggs royale with fried potatoes…. There’s a lot of choice, and that’s just the breakfast menu!
The lunch and dinner menu has a wide range from salads (with silly names like ‘You’ve got Kale’) to burritos, pulled pork sandwiches, chilli, lots of burgers (including a vegetarian option called ‘don’t have a cow’) and various late breakfast options (this is the Breakfast Club, after all). I enjoyed my breakfast here and while it didn’t completely blow me away, I would come back for lunch and try something else on the menu some time.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
The next Formula 1 Grand Prix is taking place in Spain, and as I'm on holiday I made this Spanish paella in honour of the race a couple of weeks ago. It's really easy and a lot quicker than 'proper' paella as I used microwavable rice. I often don't have the time or patience to cook rice from scratch and am usually only doing it for one or two people anyway, so the microwave pouches are just right. But that's not to say I don't want to add my own twist to it!
I had some leftover red peppers in brine in jar in the fridge and also some leftover chorizo which were perfect for this recipe. I'd bought a big bag of frozen king prawns from Iceland for - if I recall correctly - £4.99, which seems expensive for Iceland but it's a huge bag that has lasted ages.
I fried some onion and garlic in the base of the pan, added the red pepper and chorizo, then the cooked rice and some vegetable stock - also left over from another recipe in the fridge - and some seasoning plus a spice mix of saffron, paprika, and oregano. Stir it all around, heat through until the prawns are cooked, and serve!
I'm not pretending at all this is the correct recipe for a paella but it is a dish along those lines and I like the fact that it's quick and I can throw in whatever I have in the fridge or store cupboard!
I'm sharing this firstly with the blog challenge I host, Formula 1 Foods; the idea is to cook something inspired by the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
I'm also sending this to Kitchen Clearout, hosted by Madhouse Family Rules, as it uses up leftover and storecupboard ingredients.
The theme for this month's Spice Trail challenge, hosted by Vanesther at Bangers and Mash, is spice mix - my own blend of spices for this paella fits in with that.
I had some leftover red peppers in brine in jar in the fridge and also some leftover chorizo which were perfect for this recipe. I'd bought a big bag of frozen king prawns from Iceland for - if I recall correctly - £4.99, which seems expensive for Iceland but it's a huge bag that has lasted ages.
I fried some onion and garlic in the base of the pan, added the red pepper and chorizo, then the cooked rice and some vegetable stock - also left over from another recipe in the fridge - and some seasoning plus a spice mix of saffron, paprika, and oregano. Stir it all around, heat through until the prawns are cooked, and serve!
I'm not pretending at all this is the correct recipe for a paella but it is a dish along those lines and I like the fact that it's quick and I can throw in whatever I have in the fridge or store cupboard!
I'm sharing this firstly with the blog challenge I host, Formula 1 Foods; the idea is to cook something inspired by the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
I'm also sending this to Kitchen Clearout, hosted by Madhouse Family Rules, as it uses up leftover and storecupboard ingredients.
The theme for this month's Spice Trail challenge, hosted by Vanesther at Bangers and Mash, is spice mix - my own blend of spices for this paella fits in with that.
Friday, May 8, 2015
This card would be great for a girl who loves fashion. I bought the black die-cut mannequins in a pack from Ebay and the dress and handbag stickers are from a sheet of stickers I got in a craft shop (I forget the brand - they are with the outline stickers). I chose a bright and bubbly background to contrast with the black but also to match the pink dress, and simply added a few bags and a dress. There is also a pair of shoes from the same sticker pack on the bottom right of the card, though you can't see it that well in the photo.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
The letter for this month's Alphabakes is Q - a little difficult when it comes to baking (I did a Queen of Puddings when this letter came up last time) - but there are a few savoury dishes and ingredients that begin with Q.
I've made quesadillas before and they are quick and easy; they are a Mexican dish so it was particularly good timing as I was looking for ways to use up ingredients in my fridge before going on holiday to Mexico, and as I was in the middle of packing didn't want to make anything that would take too long.
A quesadilla is basically a tortilla, filled with cheese and anything else you fancy, folded over and fried on both sides or grilled, so the cheese melts, then cut into triangles to serve.
I had some soft flour tortillas in the fridge to use up and a packet of ham, and bought some spicy cheese which I thought would work really well in this recipe.
Heat a frying pan and spray with Fry Light, then place the tortilla in the pan. Place the ham and cheese on top - you only need to cover one side of the tortilla with the cheese. Fold in half and cook for a few minutes, then carefully turn over and cook on the other side.
Slice into half to serve. You can see the melted cheese oozing out here - delicious!
I'm sending this to Alphabakes, the challenge I co-host with Ros of The More Than Occasional Baker, as the letter she has chosen is Q.
As I was using up ingredients before I went on holiday this is perfect for the Kitchen Clearout challenge, hosted by Madhouse Family Reviews.
For the same reason I'm sending this to the No Waste Food Challenge, hosted by Elizabeth's Kitchen...
.. and Credit Crunch Munch, hosted by Baking Queen74, on behalf of Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla of Fab Food 4 All.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Many years ago when I was at university I had a meal – probably with my then-boyfriend, or possibly my parents – in the pub opposite the back gate of college. Back then it was called the Bun Shop, but it seems to have changed hands (or name at least) as when I went back to Cambridge this year I saw it was now called the Cambridge Brew House. The meal really stuck in my mind because it was simple, based on something I really enjoyed – a Yorkshire pudding – but a way of serving it that I’d never come across before. Essentially, it was a whole roast dinner – in a Yorkshire pudding.
When I recently came across Aunt Bessie’s Giant Yorkshire Puddings in the supermarket I was reminded of this meal and decided to make my own. You can make your own Yorkshire but it needs to be quite deep with a flat base and high sides – so I thought I was better off using one of Aunt Bessie’s!
You can put anything in that you like, but it needs to be already cooked through as the Yorkshire only takes about ten minutes in a hot oven. It’s a really good way of using leftover meat from a roast dinner – you can even add any leftover roast potatoes or vegetables, and pour gravy over the top. Alternatively you could fry some chicken and bacon and make a white sauce.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
A lunch meeting cancelled at the last minute led to me walking around Spitalfields fairly aimlessly looking for somewhere for lunch. In fact I had somewhere in mind that a colleague had recommended, and relied on his description of the location – ignoring the fact that I have the world’s worst sense of direction – so of course was unable to find it. As I was about to check the map on my phone, I noticed a sign proudly declaring I had stumbled across “The best independent fish & chip restaurant of the year 2014.”
Well, that was enough for me – the chip shop is my favourite kind of takeaway and I needed to see for myself just how good this one was. Poppies has branches in Spitalfields and Camden, and offers both eat-in and takeaway – but at the Spitalfields branch, the restaurant area was very small with a long queue, so I plumped for takeaway. Poppies is definitely a cut above other fish and chip shops even in terms of its website – a well designed site, it has information about the origin of the food, facts about sustainability, and a section about the ‘Poppies experience’. I didn’t realise this at the time, but the owner has been serving fish and chips in London’s east end all his life, and the Camden branch has life music going by the hashtag “fish n gigs”. Check out their blog as well with stories about traditional east end cuisine and which celebrities have popped in recently.
The menu is a bit more varied than my local chippy as well, with jellied eels (which I could never bring myself to eat) and desserts including sticky toffee pudding and ice cream from the Minghella family business on the Isle of Wight – my local only offers deep fried banana fritters! The food really isn’t cheap, which I would put partly down to the quality and provenance of the ingredients, partly the Spitalfields location and perhaps partly the restaurant’s reputation – they charge more for their food because they can. I paid £11.40 for a regular cod and chips which is a lot more than my local chip shop would charge. And was it that much better? The fish was tender and flaky, encased in a tasty batter, and the chips were chunky, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just how I like them.
The takeaway is served in traditional newsprint containers which appeals to the former journalist in me – we always used to say today’s story was tomorrow’s chip wrapper – but would I go out of my way to go here? Perhaps if I was able to get a table, but for a takeaway lunch, it was a bit pricey and actually a lot more filling than I would usually want at lunchtime. But judging how busy they were, a lot of people seem to disagree!
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