Chicken Burger

You can't beat the classics. A grilled chicken breast, streaky bacon, macerated avocados, beef tomato, and leaves used with mayo in a brioche bun.

Jerk Chicken

Rum, Thyme, Scotch Bonnets and Lime? Whats not to love. Jerk Chicken, Slaw, Rice, Onion Rings and Salad. I like Jamie Oliver's Killer Jerk for this one, although be warned, those Scotch Bonnets can catch you out!

L'enclume - Restaurant Review

We ventured here for our anniversary and opted for the six course option. Each individual course packed so much flavour and the tastes were truly exquisite, ordinary ingredients like carrots were transformed by Simon's team.

The premise of not being able to choose what you want is unusual, and some courses I may not have personally picked myself, but when they arrived each was outstanding. The menu was very seasonal, using the freshest ingredients around at the time, I particularly enjoy rich earthy flavours such as venison and celeriac, it would be worth thinking about that before booking as this will heavily influence your menu choices.


We booked in advance and they were happily able to cater for one of us who couldn't eat fish or shellfish. The members of staff were very friendly and attentive and really engaged with the mystery and excitement of each course.


Simon's team take you on a culinary journey throughout their menu and is a truly unique experience. I believe he is doing something incredibly different right now, and wish him every success in his other restaurants.

We will definately be returning as we were slightly envious of those enjoying the 22 course option!

Griddled Chicken and Bacon Salad

You can't beat the classics. This griddled chicken and streaky bacon salad with beetroot and avocado never fails to disappoint, I use a simple Mayo/Lemon Juice/Water dressing with dried parsely instead of a Caesar, but thats just preference!

 

Chicken Hotpot

The Girlfriend has a cold, so i've knocked up this winter warmer. Inspired by living in Lancashire, i've adapted this classic using chicken thighs, leeks, onion, mushroom, sweet potato, carrots and potatoes to top it off. I used a tin of tomatoes and chicken stock to keep it saucy, with fresh sage and thyme and plenty of seasoning.

Cannelloni Recipe

A more student friendly recipe, Cannelloni, provides a very cheap but tasty dish that yields a completely different texture to that of Bolognese.

The recipe I used is a Nigella one, i've done it a couple of times, and tend to scale it down for 2 but keep similar amounts of tomatoes and always finish it off with a drizzle of good quality balsamic!

BBQ Ribs!

One of my most favourite treats is BBQ Ribs, I don't have them very often. But when I do, I like to pile them high, cover them in BBQ sauce and serve with chips salad and coleslaw! Unbeatable.

Lamb Koftas!

Summer is here, and it puts me in the mood for Moroccan dishes. Specifically Lamb Koftas, homemade using Lamb Mince, a blend of spices (Cumin, Coriander, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Chilli) and lemon zest served with warm pittas, lightly pickled red cabbage, Portuguese carrots, tzatziki, houmous and salad leaves.

Barcelona!

 

With a recent trip to Barcelona, I have rediscovered Tapas food, slightly put off by the versions that are replicated over here, the traditional Tapas in Barcelona was to die for.

 

 And since have been on the hunt for the same standards over here. One particular restaurant I found was JoJo’s in Whitstable which was full of rustic charm by the sea.

 

Another gourmet experiences whilst in Barcelona was the Icecream! Vioko which was recommended online, had some really exciting flavour combinations. My absolute favourite was the violet and blueberry.

For more of my reviews in Barcelona, check out my Tripadvisor account.

Galvin La Chapelle - Restaurant Review.

We ventured here for a Birthday Meal and were not disappointed. The restaurant is steeped in character. Set in an old chapel with exposed beams and brick, it creates a magical environment for a culinary experience.

The staff were very attentive creating a relaxing environment, with the sommelier being particularly knowledgeable and friendly. We enjoyed a very nice 2010 Chianti which I would recommend to anyone. The restaurant seemed to attract a range of customers, including some very well behaved children which didn't spoil the atmosphere (although this was at lunch time).

The food itself was very nice, with the menu being one of the primary reasons we initially chose to venture here. Each course was well presented, cooked, and seasoned and I couldn't fault any of the food I sampled (see pictures below).

However I did feel it lacked that 'Je ne sais quoi', with the food being similar to *some* non-Michelin starred restaurants of which lack the hefty price tag. With so many Michelin starred restaurants in London, I'm not sure I would rush back but equally I am glad we went.

If you are looking for a culinary experience in the heart of London, with décor to match it's fine menu and great staff, give La Chapelle a try.

Pizza!

As we had some mozzarella left over from Mother's Day we decided to make pizza's during the week. It was very fun to do, and we both could see why kids enjoy it so much. The topping was a passata and bbq mix and we marinated the chicken in bbq sauce first and cooked it off in the oven. We then added sweet yellow pepper, red onion, bbq chicken, mozzarella, black olives and a little bit of cheddar.

 We made some wedges too. They are some what of a staple for us as we always seem to have potatoes lying round. Spices, oil and put into the hottest oven you can conjure. We like them with soured cream and sweet chilli sauce. Tasty!

Mother's Day

It was Mother's Day on Sunday. Unfortunately I couldn't go home seeing as I work full time these days, but as my girlfriends mum lives quite close we made dinner for the family. We had mozzarella and tomato puff pastry tarts to start. For main we had duck breast, with a blackcurrant and red wine reduction, celeriac and potato dauphinoise, braised red cabbage and asparagus. And for dessert we had tiramisu. It was really lovely and we were really pleased with how it all turned out. 

Lamb Tagine

Lamb & Aubergine and Red Pepper Tagine, Moroccan Cous Cous, Chunky cucumber, tomato, red onion and mint salad, Pitta Breads and Yoghurt.

Courgette & Feta Pasta.

Gino D'Acampo courgette, feta and balsamic pasta with salad. 

Recipe can be found at http://ftb.coinsdata.co.uk/home-maker/first-home,-first-meal/fusilli-con-zucchini-alla-scapece

Roast Belly of Pork

Roast belly of Pork with Fennel Seeds on a bed of root vegetables, herbs and garlic.

Roast belly of Pork, roast potatoes, glazed carrots, creamed leeks, celeriac, parsnips and cabbage.

The Punch Bowl Inn and The Daffodil Hotel

For her birthday I surprised the girlfriend, by taking her away for a night The Daffodil Hotel in Grasmere. The hotel was really nice, the bed was huge and the views were lovely. Grasmere also seemed like a really lovely place, with some really quaint shops and restaurants. Unfortunately we were only there for one night, but we would definitely go back to the area.

We didn't eat at the hotel (we had a sandwich in the bar, which was nice) as we had been to The Punch Bowl Inn for a celebratory lunch. The food was lovely, I had butternut squash soup to start, followed by the duck; and the girlfriend had black pudding to start, and the same main course. It was a really lovely place. Cosy and quaint, and the food was really tasty. Below are a couple of pictures of our starters.

So, we have had a lovely couple of days and a really nice birthday weekend. It has certainly helped to blow away those January blues. The only problem is that now, I just want to go on holiday again!

January Blues

It's 2014. And we have that January feeling. Trying to lose the Christmas weight and a bit more. It's the girlfriend's birthday on Friday though and we are going out for lunch, so that will be a nice excuse for a feast. Going to try and keep the blog a bit better this year. One of my many New Years resolutions. I've decided to try and use it as my online recipe book, because it's too upsetting when recipes disappear from the internet (ahem BBC).