Chew on Juicy Fruit...and Bacon

Can you believe this is blog post number 101!!!!

To celebrate I have put together sweet and savoury and it worked beautifully.

I am in Ibiza and fancied something light, juicy and salty, so instead of adding salt to the next thing I got out the fridge... there was some bacon.

The local supermarkets have fresh ripe fruits and it's so nice not having to wait for the melon to ripen.

This is a work holiday so no partying, but next time I do come with the girls this is a dish we are having before we hit San Antonio.

Look it works well, the picture might not do it justice but try it yourself then talk about it...mention me of course.

x

Salsa Steps

Yes it's a Monday, but I was moving my hips Sunday night...youtube Sierra Maestra.

My salsa steps were made up and pretty awful actually, but I think I looked good!

This inspired me to make my own salsa tonight, and anyone can follow these steps:

5 large tomatoes chopped

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

Olive oil

Tabasca 4 drops

Oregano sprinkle like fairy dust

1 Avocado chopped

1 spring onion finely chopped

Handful of Pimientos del Piquillo (red peppers roasted, peeled in a jar with oil)

Put the tomatoes and garlic in a bowl, don't be aggressive combining all the ingredients! If you want to puree it you can.

I'm all about chunky.

Add all the others and refrigerate for about an hour.

Serve with whatever you like.

The Vanilla Bakery

Album - not really sure, Jay has some old school remixes. Now its Babylon Zoo, before that it was Dubstar.

This weekend I am in Bury St Edmund's and let me tell you this is little town has surprised me with a sweet secret...

We went to the market yesterday and of course being a foodie I wanted to check out what sort of food was sold, especially baked goods.

I came across a stall that made me smile and made me feel loved.

Customers that were in the que knew what to expect, home baked quality goodness.

As for me, the chocolate brownie was staring and wanting to be taken!

Jay went for the Spinach and Feta muffin, Vina I think was drooling a bit.

Hold on Oasis is on

They are called the Vanilla Bakery and I had the pleasure of being served by Gemma, she was kind enough to offer me advice about setting up my own stall and what her company meant to her.

The selection she had looked and smelt amazing, a great range of sweet and savoury. The Patisserie was so diverse and at that point I wish I took out more cash.

So if you ever go to Bury St Edmund's please visit the Vanilla Bakery on a Saturday and I promise, you will leave happy and with a bit of chocolate on your face.



www.vanilla-bakery.co.uk

The brownie was perfect in every way

The muffin was moreish and we were like three cave people, still picking bits off the muffin case.



Finishing on Saint Etienne 'Only love can break your heart'.



xx

Power Loaf

KT Tunstall 'Eye To The Telescope'

So what was the weather like today hey?

Clear skies...red dress no tights

Grey clouds...keep the jacket close

Dark grey clouds...oh crap please don't

Drizzle..put the oven on, you know your not going out

There it goes...full on rain thumping on your window. Sounded beautiful, and happy that I had my Melissa boots on :)


This is my story:
1pm
Oven 180°C
peeled and squashed one clementine with a potato masher
did the same with one banana
mixed together
poured some caster sugar...now I think it was about 150g.
The mixture looked like I added egg and butter...but clearly not

Switched to KT's new album 'Tiger Suit'

Poured some vegetable oil...200ml
splash of milk
two handfuls of self raising flour (white was the only one available here)
tipped in some baking powder
and some raisins

Sorry about the estimates, I will try this cake again and be accurate.

Mixed and poured into a loaf tin.
Baked for 20minutes until golden brown.

I was so surprised that it turned out looking so nice, stressing about the texture I let it cool for one hour.


But it turned out perfect. If you tasted it you would not have guessed it contained no eggs or butter.

Drizzled icing

More weird fruit cake combinations soon.

'Power Loaf' because the whole process got me through the rest of the day, and has made my week a whole lot sweeter.

Next time I will try:

using gluten/wheat free flour
soy milk
pineapple

Trout with Flaked Almonds

My housemate Emily inspired me to try this after her trip to Paris.

Oven on 190°C
Feeds 2

Trout with head and tail off
olive oil and parsley
cook for 20 minutes

Once out top with flaked almonds and dig in.

The bone will easily come away, so cook it first don't take it out before!

The week is nearly over and I just can't wait for SATURDAY!!!

x

Food Playlist

Not a great start to the week...food and music will sort me out.

Poached egg with chilli powder and turmeric

While you enjoy breakfast or even cooking get some of these tracks on....

Monday Monday - The Mamas and Papas
Feeling Good - Nina Simone
Sunshine on a Rainy Day- Zoe
Moving on up - M People
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Bet that you look good on the dance floor - Arctic Monkeys
Andy your a star - The Killers
That's not my name - The Ting Tings
Weather with you - Crowded House
Jenny Don't Be Hasty - Paolo Nutini
Gave you all - Mumford and Sons
About a boy - Badly Drawn Boy
8 days a week - The Beetles
Mushaboom - The Feist
Anyone Else But You - Juno soundtrack
Coffee and TV - Blur
Tender - Blur
Alright - Supergrass
Ooh Wee - Mark Ronson feat. Ghostface Killah and others
Jenny from the block - Jennifer Lopez
Flavour of the old school - Beverley Knight
She drives me crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
Don't Stop The Rock - Arman Van Helden
The Sign - Ace of Base
Blue Monday - New Order
Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
Valerie version revisited - Mark Ronson feat Amy Winehouse
Dreadlock Holiday - 10cc
You Know whats up - Donnell Jones feat Left Eye
Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
Illin N Fillin it - Arman Van Helden
Honeybear - Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Sunchyme - Dario G
One (Blake's got a new face) - Vampire Weekend
Giving Up The Gun - Vampire Weekend
Would I lie to you baby - Charles and Eddie
Ghetto Supastar - Pras featuring Mya
J'y Suis Jamais Alle - Yann Tiersen
What a mixture! I will still add as I blog along.

So now you should know I love 90s music and eggs.

I think I need a holiday, soon I will be inhaling the tantalizing aroma of spanish food.....mmm.

x

LOOK AND COOK

'Lungs' is on and I'm on a creative roll....

This is a random post but just realised how many of us look at pictures of food and say or think how good it looks or how delicious that would be this weekend.

So look then cook

because you can!

The next picture you see of a dish that you like...cook it.

Even if it's on TV, it's tempting to send someone to the supermarket to buy it ready made but it will work out cheaper if you buy the ingredients and cook it. This way you might even find yourself adding some cheeky extras.

I see so many kitchens with cookbooks gathering dust. It makes me a bit upset and I think its a shame that you choose to struggle with cooking something when the inspiration could be on the top shelf.

Sorry if the above sounded harsh or unfair, I understand most people have a hectic routine and don't have time.

Even feeding a family can be tiring after your day at work.

BUT even throwing a salad together or looking in a recipe magazine could inspire and possibly make you happy by releasing the stress while whisking or stirring.

Try and get loads more people involved, you will be surprised there might be a little Jamie Oliver in the making.

Email me if you are unsure. About the food maybe not the stress.

It's healthier, because YOU know what's going in your mouth, and this my friends is very important :)

So spread the word about this blog post.

Some Sardine Salad

Now SOME in this recipe means however much you want.

some sardines

some rocket

some mushrooms fried in chilli flakes and olive oil

add the cherry tomatoes to the mushrooms

some mozzarella

some balsamic vinegar

some good salad hey?

Make it a great start to the week.

x

Cherry and Almond Cake

Album 'Fur and Gold' by Bat For Lashes


I've eaten so much today.

This wasn't breakfast, it was part of lunch!

Oven 200°C

4 eggs
200g sugar
1 tsp almond essence
1 tsp strawberry essence
whisk

200g soft butter
whisk in the mixture

180g wholemeal self raising flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
100g glace cherries chopped in quarters

fold in

Bake for 50 minutes

I had to get a second picture in, just noticed the cherry smiling in the first picture looks a bit bruised.

This album is getting a bit depressing...need something more upbeat tonight.

I can always rely on Florence :)

So when cake has cooled down, cut off the top and cover in cream, flaked almonds and fresh cherries.

I entered this cake in the Tesco Real Food Challenge:

http://www.tescorealfoodchallenge.com/recipes/heartbreak-healers/cherry-and-almond-cake

Strawberries and Muesli

Good morning

This morning it's all about Jennifer Lopez...her old stuff.

Then I feel like Queen will take over.

Eat Natural Toasted Muesli

Rachel's Organic Cherry Yoghurt

Strawberries

Yummy.x

Thai Pancakes

Yes after last night's mussels I still felt like some Thai flavour this morning.

2 eggs
100ml milk
handful of wholemeal plain flour
crushed kaffir lime leaves

whisk

fry, flip, eat.

Breakfast is getting loads better.

x

MY CAKES ARE GOOD FOR YOU

When I was at Rushmore School last Sunday quite a few people felt 'bad' or guilty about buying a brownie or cake.

All I have to say is:

"IF YOU WANT IT GO FOR IT" and this doesn't always apply to food.

Hopefully you should feel better after this:

I only use wholemeal plain or self raising flour

The chocolate is ALWAYS organic and majority of the time Green and Blacks. Costs me a bit more than dairy milk but definitely worth it.

Brown sugar baby

Unsalted butter all the time

Good oils and a variety of them too

Yeo valley full creams

Fruit from Clapton Village

Organic semi skimmed milk

No salt ever added, there is enough natural salt in food already.

BIG jumbo raisins
BIG nuts

Philadelphia cream cheese full fat

It sounds like I use wholesome, full fat, low salt ingredients.

When I want to make a sponge interesting I squash a few fruits. No harm, it will just taste a bit sweeter :)

I will keep on adding if something new enters the bowl....

Show me some Thai Mussels

Album 'Blur The Best Of'

I fancied some mussels tonight so did a late night shop and bought the following:

Cooked mussels in butter (yes yes I know but I don't have the luxury to go fishing in Hackney...you don't know what I might find)

lemon grass

kaffir lime leaves

ginger

chilli

Thai jasmine rice

Cycling back home, all that was on my mind was what to do and how to do it. I want a quick dinner.

So as soon as I got in I boiled some water in pot and added about 50g jasmine rice and let that boil for one minute, stirred it and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile chopping time:

ginger

lemongrass

kaffir lime leaves...I actually crushed them.

fat garlic clove

fry in a pan with a drop of vegetable oil.

add some peas to the rice

tip in the mussels and simmer for 3 minutes. Put a lid on the pan and shake it around so all the juices start kissing the mussels.

turn off the heat for both pans, drain rice.

serve, it looks a lot but it actually it isn't!

THIS TOOK ME 25 MINUTES.

If you don't believe me I can come round and show you.

x

Sexy Carrot and Orange Cupcake

WHAT A SHOT!!! It looks stunning and tasted good too.

They went down very quickly with the kids and parents after school.

Makes 21 cakes

No fancy apps on this just pure iphone 4 quality.

When making this I did think about adding raisins but ended up putting them on top.

Oven on 190°C
200g soft butter

3 eggs

whisk

250g brown sugar

whisk

add 1 medium grated carrot

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

two teaspoons of vegetable oil

stir

200g wholemeal plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

stir

Fill cases half way

Bake for 20 mins.

Take out and leave so they harden up a bit.

Cream cheese

Icing sugar

Orange juice

Raisins

Wholesome and delicious :)

Wonder Spice TURMERIC

Album 'Breakaway' by Kelly Clarkson

SO....

Want great skin?

Detoxify your liver?

Boost your immunity?

Add a teaspoon of turmeric to your savoury dishes

In India turmeric has been used for thousands of years, firstly it was a dye.

Over the years the more it was used in cooking the more health and healing properties started to appear.

Now you know:

For us ladies...it helps regulate the female reproductive system
For the men...it purifies and builds semen
Also a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent to sort out your cuts and burns

So much more, the list could go on but I have work tomorrow.

My mum and dad use this spice in every dish, and I turned out alright! If anything my skin is always clear and I hardly wear make up. Well yes exfoliating and investing in Dermologica also contributes but I ate fresh food whilst living at home and still do to this day.

Thanks Mum and Dad.


Sorry starting to get emotional.....

Basically every curry HAS to have turmeric.

It is very healthy and you can hardly taste it!In a fish curry it actually masks the fishy smell you hate. This could save you an argument with a housemate.

Yes your fingers stain but a bit of fairy liquid can sort that out.

Turmeric can also be called:

haldee

huldee

haldi

I add turmeric to:

pesto
all soups
all curries
on all meats
any fish
home made chips
roasted carrots, parsnips and aubergine
bacon
sausages
risotto
mashed potato
rice
grilled tomatoes
cheese on toast
curry pies

It's a wonder spice, so cheap, and so good for you.

Green Breakfast Sandwich

Good morning

It's going to be a day full of interesting blogs that have been on my mind this week.

This mornings sandwich was wierd but it tasted so good.

big bread
delphi avocado and houmous dip
2 eggs fried together with tiny bit of veg oil
half handful of rocket, spinach and watercress salad
bit of ketchup

spread avocado and houmous on bread.
add eggs
salad
ketchup

TRY this or spread something else on your bread instead of butter! Let me know your crazy creations.

x

Seafood Spaghetti

Yes this is for kids who like loads of things mixed together...it's not my Tuesday bowl.

half a handful of Waitrose Fruits de Mer

organic spaghetti

half teaspoon turmeric, very important ingredient SO good for you.**

frozen peas

few capers

crushed garlic clove

teaspoon of organic pesto

** yes turmeric, I will blog about this soon.

The Killers are still on...."Andy your a star, in nobody's eyes..in nobody's eyes but mine"

SSS Salmon

Spicy:

This little foodie went to market...

Album:

Hot Fuss by The Killers

This is also Clare's favourite album, because I had it on nearly everyday throughout second year at university.

I bet it's still the last song they play in Oceania, Kingston.

Look how cute my table is...

I was at Rushmore School in Clapton last Sunday with the following treats:

Orange chocolate brownies with macadamia nuts

Almond sponge with black cherry jam and cream

Milk chocolate brownies

Lemon cupcakes with chocolate icing

Kids cake with smarties and no butter

It's different when you bake or cook for friends because they know you and how much effort you put in. But to a complete stranger it has to look, smell and be worth the price after the first bite.

Also not many people will buy cake in the morning, so I put some free tasters out so people could taste and come back later.

The bread stall to my left me was very busy and the kids stall to my right had a big fan club. There I was in the middle smiling and greeting every single person that looked my way.

Sales started to pick up at 12 and I sold out of nearly everything by half 3. It was a learning experience because I got most things right but forgot that some people didn't want to eat the cake or brownie straight away.

Next time:

wooden forks

paper bags

cardboard boxes

napkins

It was a great atmosphere and YES I will do this again.

Watch this space for WHERE and WHEN.