BANANA AND POLENTA LOAF

Ok, so this is a bit of a weird way to open a food post, but I hate to bake. There, I said it (again).
I don't know if it's because we inherited our oven from the previous owners and it's a bit crap (they didn't leave it because it was the best oven in the world, did they now?) or just because the whole process is so exact and regimented. I find the fact that you do a little bit, then have to wait sometimes up to an hour to see a result, really, really frustrating. I'm an impatient soul by nature, something I wrote about briefly in 2012 (whilst posting photo's of food with god-awful graphics), so I like to see results fast! I guess that's why salads are my favourite thing ever, and why hob-top cooking appeals so much.

So, where's she going with today's dose of inane babble you may be asking yourself at this point? Well, I made you a cakey loaf type thing. A banana & polenta cakey loaf type thing, to be exact. AND it wasn't rubbish! Hurrah. It's semi sweet and it's fairly dense, and when cooled goes insanely well with a big spread of salted butter (says's she who isn't meant to eat too much dairy - ssssshhhh)!

Hope you like :)

WARM HALLOUMI SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS & LIME

Is it still February? Just? Phew! Then here is my second salad of the year, just in time. This is a lovely warm and comforting salad with just enough zing to keep it fresh tasting. Halloumi is one of my most favourite cheeses, and it's the one way that I can guarantee I'll get a salad down my kids necks ;)

So, c'mon #getyoursaladon

PORTABELLO MUSHROOM BURGER

Every now and then, I crave burgers - who am I kidding, I'm always craving burgers, but as a fully signed up member of club grown-up, I realise that I can't eat them every day. Every now and then though I notice I've got some lonely little leftover Portobello mushrooms sitting in the fridge, and what better way to use those up than with a juicy vegetarian take on the old fashioned cheese burger ?! 

This recipe is simple stuff. I served it with some Mexican Slaw and a homemade ketchup / mayo / pickle combo and it was delicious. It would also go well with some sweet potato wedges and a big old dollop of homemade tomato ketchup!

FIG, AUBERGINE & ROCKET PIZZA

I think this is the first pizza recipe that I have posted on here, so yay for that. It's also the first time I've had fig on a pizza, so a round of applause to that too. It's also the very first time that I've posted a recipe that is semi-shop brought so hooray for occasionally taking the pressure off!
I made this pizza last Thursday when I wanted something that could be made and consumed in the 1hr 15 minutes that my big kids were at their Woodcraft folk club (hippy street cred? check!). 
India was in bed, I poured a glass of something that may, or may not have been alcohol free, and I made this delicious pizza topping - lovingly created on top of a Sainsburys pizza base (other supermarkets are available people ;).
Had it been the weekend, I probably would have made my own dough, because let's face it, it does taste much better that way, but for a quick supper, this is 100% the way forward for me and I don't feel guilty, not one. little. bit! 

KALE & QUINOA SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE, APPLE & FETA

I had a plan for this year - I was going to make and blog about a new salad every week. Partly because I think salads get a bad press, especially in the stodgy wintertime, and partly because salads are one of my favourite types of food. But, as with all plans I seem to make regarding this blog, it hasn't quite worked out that way, and here we are in week 3 of January and I've only got one salad under my belt. Oh well, let it be 'a salad a month' instead, or 'a salad when I get around to it'.

We are really onto a winner here, with our debut salad of 2014. It's got kale, it's got quinoa and it's got pomegranate - all great for you and perfect for this time of year. The added apple gives it an extra sweet kick & the walnuts provide a really nice texture. 

This salad really is quick, easy and tastes absolutely delicious - enjoy!

VEGAN CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDING

So, 2014 here we are. Here we are and my first recipe of this delightful new year is a pudding. That's not right, is it, puddings in January?!
Well, yes actually because if there ever was a pudding that was super good for you, then this one would be it. I'm not talking about fruit salads here, or melon boats harking back to the '80's (now there's an idea), no,  I'm talking about a pudding pudding. Rich, chocolaty and so good you'll find yourself eating it at 9am on a Sunday morning whilst writing a blog post, when your husband is sweating it out on the badminton court (ahem).

Ladies and Gents, I present to you this vegan chocolate avocado pudding. It's easy peasy to make, tastes fantastic and is jam packed full of goodness in the form of avocados, walnuts, coconut oil and cocoa. All perfect for easing any New Years diet guilt (life's too short!) and if you want to / need to, you can make it 100% raw by dehydrating overnight or freezing the base instead of slightly baking it, and by being a little strict about a couple of the ingredients. It's good stuff, I promise and even though some of the ingredients may make you raise an eyebrow, go with it because it's worth it.

11.12.13 | CARROT, KALE & APPLE JUICE

I got an email recently asking me if I'd like to review a juicer, and it was possibly the fastest email I've ever responded to (apart from that time Philip Schofield tweeted me. Ha!)

Did I want a juicer? Yes, of course I did! I have wanted to treat myself to a juicer for years, but when you have 3 kids who need things like shoes, or Dr Who magazines, you become last on the list of who gets what, right?!

So, as soon as I could I headed to the Argos website to have a look at what was on offer. They have an great range of juicers to chose from, but I decided on this one because it was really important to me that it could juice whole fruit (I'm lazy), that it could tackle hard fruits & vegetables no problem and that it was a doodle to clean (again, lazy). It ticked all my boxes and this morning I made my first ever juice and it was awesome! With no chopping involved and easy cleaning afterwards, the whole juicing thing was wrapped within 10 minutes - which is good because I'd quite like to send Dexter & Flo off on a cup of this some mornings. Result!

Oh, and if you thought i was going to do my first ever juice post & not drink it from a mason jar with a stripy paper straw, then you were very much mistaken - even if it is so last year, dahling.

CARROT, KALE & APPLE JUICE

You will need:

- 1 bunch of kale

- 2 green apples (i used Granny Smiths)

- 3 large carrots

- 1 large handful of red grapes

Juice and serve over ice if required :)

I was sent a juicer to review. All words my own.

20.11.13 | THE ULTIMATE VEGGIE CHILLI

Finally, it happened.

Finally, I got the urge to get back into my kitchen, turn the radio up, pour a huge glass of wine and make something new. This hasn't happened in ages and I've really missed it (and to be honest i was getting a little worried). Don't get me wrong, we have been eating (mainly tacos I'll admit) but I just haven't seen any recipes that I was desperate to give a go - until the other night. I pulled down my Kitchen & Co book again & whipped up their veggie chilli. It's bloody good, and the way they recommend you serve it with wraps, fresh guac and salads was awesome. 

When i'm testing out a new recipe, I like to do as I'm told the first time around and this time it really paid off. It was like a burrito / chilli mash-up and one I'll be making until the cows lentils come home (see what I did there? Genius).

This is perfect winter grub, ideally eaten in front of a roaring fire. All together now, "ahhhhhhh".

02.11.13 | SPICY CHICKPEAS

Well hello there! It's been ages hasn't it?

 (no one noticed i was gone? oh.)

It's been half term here & it's been a busy one. We've been away, we survived storm St Jude (why do they name them?) I made stressful Minecraft pickaxes for the big kids Halloween costumes and I've consumed my body weight in pickle (not pregnant). We also ate at the most amazing Thai street food cafe, but more on that another time because what I'm here to talk to you about today is Spicy Chickpeas - lucky you! This Indian dish is my new favourite thing to make and eat and because i'm really good at sharing, I'm spending my Saturday morning typing all this out for you. You really need to make it (not just because this is taking ages to get down) but because it's bloody lovely and generally wolfed down by all. Except if you're called India, then you won't eat it because you never eat anything.

14.10.13 | PEANUT BUTTER KRISPIES

 

So, here's a healthy nutriuous snack for you all to ease you back into this drizzly pissy Monday morning.

Peanut Butter / Sugar / Golden Syrup or in other words / yep / oh yes / omfg gimme.

(Relax, you can't drink green smoothies and nibble on kale chips all your life, right? Erm, i think we're meant to...)

I made these and vowed to never make them again as they are just too addictive. I'm not even meant to eat peanut butter but my crazy brain decided that if I did get sick then it would have been ok, because WOW these beauties are so worth it.

If you don't like peanut butter then I guess you left already, but if you do then welcome to my party! Lets dance (and eat) like no-ones watching.

30.09.13 | BANANA & MAPLE GRANOLA

Well, I'm pretty sure that I have to accept that Autumn is here. I was really hesitant for the summer to end as it was so lovely, but now that it's getting cooler and the nights are drawing in, I'm kinda loving it. I think Autumn for a lot of people means time for more baking, but I am a terrible baker and can't bake a cake or a muffin to save my life. As you know I love to cook but I really do not love to bake - unless it's something quick & super simple, like granola. I know, I know - making a batch of granola isn't technically baking, but it's as close as I'm planning on getting.

The idea is that I will make a huge batch of granola on a Sunday, and it will feed us for the week. It's one of a few new habits I'm trying to get into in order to make the crazily busy week run a little smoother & so far it seems to be working, but more on that later (like how I'm almost dying on a daily basis doing the 30-day shred). 

For now though, try to erase that mental image of me bouncing around in my living room like an uncoordinated hippo and just enjoy this banana-ry maple-ly goodness in all it's glory. (I know those aren't real words...)

22.09.13 | GIGANTE BEAN SALAD WITH PRAWNS

Let me share this really lovely salad we had a lot over the summer. It's simple, fresh and flavoursome and perfect for a weekend lunch. You could switch the leaves up if you're not too keen on the peppery watercress, i think baby leaf spinach would work well. The key to this is the marinating time, so make sure you let it sit for at least an hour.

09.09.13 | SPICED ROASTED ALMONDS

My new favourite things are almonds. I like them best when they are roasted & salted and by the bucket load. They are so good, and providing you don't actually eat them by the bucket load, they are really very good for you. 

I've been making them a few different ways but this is a lovely spicy version which is as easy as ABC. This recipe quite frankly is (wait for it) THE NUTS!

Boom! I'm back!

31.07.13 | ROASTED RADISH & CHICK PEA TACOS

I featured a taco recipe on one my FFFF posts a couple of weeks back and I've been thinking about that damn taco pretty much constantly ever since. So whilst I was home alone pottering about my kitchen a couple of nights ago I finally got around to creating something similar and wow - just wow!

This taco was a dream to make, a joy to look at and of course amazing to eat - result! The colours of this dish are SO awesome ( just look at that pink!) and the flavours and textures are absolutely perfect together and well, the fact that it was a taco was simply an added bonus ;)

Vegan it up if you wish by leaving out the yogurt and replacing it with a smooth salsa, either way you're onto a winner.

So once again, if you love tacos you've come to the right place and if you don't? Man you must be sick of me by now.

So I'm either really sorry or you're welcome!

C'mon, lets make this thing!

30.07.13 | SUMMER RECIPE ROUND UP

Needing some inspiration for what to eat this summer? Look no further.
We've got Banh Mi, we've got  salsas, we've got burgers, salads and a vegan BBQ heaven. There's something for everyone here - tuck in!

11.07.13 | PEACH SALSA

This is simply delicious. It's sweet, it's sour and it's fiery - it's everything you want from a salsa. Try it along some barbecued jerk chicken or put it in some sizzling chicken fajitas, either way it's a real treat and so summery. Peach Salsa couldn't be more perfect for this glorious weather if it tried!

01.07.13 | VEGGIE TACOS

I'm trying to work out some good veggie taco recipes because (dare I say it) I'm in a bit of a taco rut. 

Tacos Tacos TACOS, they are all i want to eat - ALL DAY LONG.

I believe I could live on tacos but I normally opt for chicken or shrimp ones which got me thinking that if I do ever get the confidence to follow my food truck dream (ahem, did I just say that out loud?) then I will need a good veggie option, right? 

Right.

So, I found one and it's a really really good one, and it was so quick to make. I loved it, the mister loved it, and as a Brucey bonus, the kids loved it! Whoo Hoo!

I mixed the sides up a little and served them with some pink pickled onions (which are quick and easy to make) & all the flavours went together perfectly. 

So what are you waiting for? Go on, go make!

(you can grab the recipe for the pink pickled onions here)

23.06.13 | LEBANESE FEAST / CHILLI SAUCE RECIPE

When we were last down by the coast we ended up trying some Lebanese food, something I had not had before. We were served with a giant flat bread filled with beautifully marinated chicken, oodles of fresh crunchy salads and a chilli sauce that was both spicy and sweet. We took it as take-out and ate it watching the sun go down and I promised myself that once we were back home, I'd try to recreate it.

Not long after I made that promise, I got an email from the folks at Eco Market asking me if I'd like to sample some of the Steenbergs Organic range. It took me about 0.3 seconds to spot a few that I knew I'd like to base some recipes around and one of them was a Lebanese 7 spice which helped to make one of the best home made chilli sauces I've tasted - and it was pretty spot on to the one we tasted just weeks before.

It was such a simple yet amazing supper. I marinated some diced chicken in a little lemon juice & olive oil for a couple of hours before griddling it. I made two very simple salads consisting of red onions in a sumac and red wine vinegar dressing, and some cabbage and chopped parsley which I sprinkled with some sea salt & drizzled over some fresh lemon juice. I cooked some wheat berries in some organic chicken stock & a teaspoon of paprika and served it all alongside some giant Lebanese flat breads & some hot pickles. It was however the chilli sauce that stole the show...

Lebanese chilli sauce - makes one jug

- 1 onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic

- 2 tsps Lebanese 7 spice

- 1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

- 1 tin organic chopped tomatoes

- 50 ml distilled vinegar

- olive oil

1. In a food processor whizz together all the ingredients except the olive oil - pulse until well combined.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat a little olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. When warm, add the sauce mixture from your food processor.

3. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat & simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. 

4. Leave to cool and enjoy!

This will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to a week.

16.06.13 | TURKEY BURGERS

I'm in the middle of a burger obsession, which is a bit weird because I normally couldn't give a fig about them. Maybe it's the weather? Maybe no matter how much your try to swish up your BBQ with the latest in grilling trends, it always comes down to the good old burger?
I don't eat any meat other than poultry & fish so I had to search for a good turkey burger to satisfy my craving, and this one was the hit.
I made this for some friends last week when they came over for a BBQ (we have been going BBQ crazy lately) and I promised them the recipe this weekend (Hi Kate!) so here it is.
These are perfect to cook inside on a griddle too but equally they are substantial enough not to fall apart on the bbq.

Enjoy it with some homemade ketchup and loads of crunchy pickles and you'll have yourself a right old treat :)

Lets go!

12.06.13 | CHARRED CAULIFLOWER W/ TOMATOES & DILL

Remember me, the girl who doesn't really like cauliflower? 

Yoooou know, I'm that same girl who absolutely hates red kidney beans!!

Yeah that's me - Miss Fickle, but who cares when I'm ready to once again shout about cauliflower, because it turns out that actually it can be quite nice?

I've worked out the trick is to not cook it but instead just tease it a little bit with a some heat and then BAM hit it with shed loads of flavours.

CLEVER!

Buuut, who do you turn to when you want lots and lots of flavour?
Ottolenghi, right? Has to be.
I was actually looking through the window at his Notting Hill place a couple of months back at all the mountains of gorgeous salad creations and I'm still kicking myself for not getting a single morsel. I'll be brave next time, especially as i made this one at the weekend and it didn't kill me.
Winner right? A salad that won't kill you? Yeah, try telling that to my six year old.

Let's go!