Pizza

Sorry that I have been a bit quiet lately, finding time to write up all my goings on is proving quite hard! But I am taking five minutes to tell you all about some amazing Pizzas that I made this week. Even if I do say so myself! Ever since I found out I can't have cows milk, it has upset me that I can't just order a pizza or get a ready made one from the supermarket anymore. But now I have made my own, I know that it is so easy and they taste so much better!

I used a recipe by Paul Hollywood and it uses figs. Now, I had never had figs before so I decided to have a try and oh my I have been missing out! They are now my new favourite thing! Lovely :)

I made the basic base and changed the topping according to the required taste. My man went for parma ham, mozzarella and sweetcorn.

I myself went for Parma ham, figs and goats cheese! A nice oozy melty goats cheese. How lovely :)

Okay they are not perfectly round, but how the heck do they manage that?! This way they look more home made and rustic, which is always good :)

But I am definitely a fig lady now!

Pea and Roasted Garlic Soup

I first had this soup at a friends. She made it for me, telling me how lovely it was, and it certainly is, but I will also say it is a Friday night soup. It is a Friday night soup because of how garlicy it is, and how garlicy you will be after eating it. People won't want to kiss you after eating it, that's for sure haha. But it really is gorgeous with some nice crusty bread. Yum!!

What you need to make this gorgeous soup:
* 1kg frozen peas
* 4 heads of garlic
* 50g butter
* 1tbsp olive oil
* 1litre good vegetable stock
* 2 onions peeled and roughly chopped
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

How to make:
1. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast at 180°C for 40 mins or until soft.
2. Fry the onion in butter and oil for approx 3 mins until soft. Add the frozen peas and coat in the oil and butter mixture. Add the stock and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins.
3. Bring the garlic out of the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins. Cut the tops off and squeeze the soft roasted garlic into the pea soup then puree roughly.
4. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and chopped chives.

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Mothers Day

Today is Mother's Day! A day in which people celebrate their Mothers. Why not?! I know that mine is such an important person in my life, she is my best friend, my councillor, my stylist, and my teacher. Without my mum I would not be where I am today!

So, today me and my man took our mums out to a new (to us) place in Birmingham. It is an amazing little place called The Lost and Found. The concept originated from an explorer and professor from the Victorian era called Hettie G. Watson. She travelled the world finding new and different variations of botanics. She kept these in her little hideaway which is why the Lost and Found is tucked away and inside is a magical botanical library. There are different areas to this place and because of this it doesn't feel like your all on top of each other, the atmosphere is great, the food was amazing and the mums felt like they were being treated to a lovely day!

Okay, as usual I got a bit snap happy. So here is some pictures of the food...

The Burger

The Cannelloni

The Roast Chicken

I suggest that if you are near Birmingham, you try here. You will need to book, but it is most certainly worth it! 

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A beautiful day

Yesterday I had a really lovely day. I was invited to go to the Orangemabel tea room in Alcester, Warwickshire. It really was such a beautiful place. Every tea cup, tea pot, plate and piece of cutlery was different. It had so much character. Everywhere I looked I found a new favourite piece. The menu was simple, but you don't need much choice when it comes to sandwiches and cake, they had all the options anyone could need! So a mini high tea was had. When it came, the whole room stopped and stared at the most amazing double tiered cake stand with sandwiches, salad, cake, a scone, cream and jam. It was stunning! I recommend that if you can, you should go. My friend got so excited, and loved it so much, that we visited Alcester as soon as we left and went into every charity shop looking for mix matched tea sets. She then went home planning on setting up her own vintage tea room, just for her friends, in her dining room. X

Pancake Day

Tomorrow is pancake day, and while traditionally it is the day proceeding the first day of lent, it is just an excuse to pig out on scrummy pancakes!!

Yesterday I couldn't wait for the day itself and decided to make myself a stack of Blueberry and Banana pancakes. I threw into the mixture a handful of blueberries and chopped up a banana and I must say it was extremely scrummy!

I am not one for English pancakes I must admit. For a start I can't flip them right and I have been known to dispose of them on the floor or even the ceiling. So a big podgy American pancake it is! The recipe I use is here, and it is great whether you are going for sweet or savoury! I have been known to stick a lot of different things in my pancakes, but this has to be one of my most favourite fillings :) That and covering it with Bacon and Maple Syrup, mmmmmm, nom nom!

But what other ideas are there out there that I have found?
Check out some of these!

Wow look at the colours! Not sure I would want to eat that it looks so pretty!

This looks like a giant Oreo cookie stack! Or a big ooozy chocolate cake. Whatever I want it in my tummy now!

This is so cute, and you could have it as a combined pancake/valentines day treat :)

MMM, I do have a thing for blueberries at the moment!

What is your favourite filling?
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Coconut Macaroons

These Coconut Macaroons are from this gorgeous cook book from Leon, a restaurant chain from London. I have never been to this chain before as they are all a little too far away for me, but their food looks amazing. So homely and lovely. Nom nom. So getting the cookbook for my birthday last year was great! Their recipes are all traditional family style recipes. I can't believe this is the first time I have made something from it. But it was worth it, and I suggest you try them too!

What you need:
* 3 free range egg whites
* 150g caster sugar
* a pinch of salt
* 2 tsps honey
* 150g desiccated coconut
* 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional, it's not essential)

What to do:
1. Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey and coconut in a large pan over a medium heat.
3. Stir in the mixture constantly until everything is dissolved and it just begins to scorch on the bottom.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
5. Let the mixture cool completely, then use an ice cream scoop (about 50ml) to scoop out 12 even-sized macaroons, and place them on the baking sheet.
6. Bake in the over for about 10-15 minutes, or until golden and set. Let the macaroons cool completely before peeling off the paper.

The hearts are a sneak peak at a little valentines gift :)

Homemade Bread and Soup

With Winter suddenly hitting hard here in the UK, it is time to crack open the good book of soup and eat some warm and hearty foods! Having a day off I decided to treat myself and spend some time making bread and some chunky soup to welcome my man home from work (aren't I the little homemaker). I followed my previous bread recipe here to make the bread. Starting last night, because some of it needs to be done and left overnight.

Then I searched my book of soups trying to find a really nice and chunky soup. I came across Ham and Pearl Barley. Sorted!

Things you need for the soup:
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely diced
* 30g green lentils
* 30g red split lentils
* 30g pearl barley
* 2 medium carrots, diced
* 800ml chicken stock
* 250g cooked ham - I used Spam
* 200g tinned haricot beans, rinsed and drains
* 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
* 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

What you need to do:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan (a large one), then fry the onion for 10 minutes until transparent.

2. Rinse the lentils and pearl barley, then add to the saucepan along with the carrots, potatoes and stock.

3. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Shred the ham into bite size pieces, then add the ham and haricot beans to the saucepan. Simmer for a further 30 minutes

5. Check that all the pulses are thoroughly cooked, add extra stock or water to adjust the consistency if required.

6. Season to taste, stir in the parsley, then serve. Preferably with homemade bread!! :)

Scrummy!!

A lovely day :)

Today was absolutely lovely. It started with going for a quick visit to the Solihull vintage fair. I bought a beautiful real fur hat, and a gorgeous bag from a lady who runs a little vintage shop in Redditch. Then me and my man went out for the day into Birmingham city centre. I live around 10 miles away from Birmingham, and going is like a treat! I had to go and collect my new glasses and we decided to take a walk down to the Jewellery Quarter and visit the Rose Villa Tavern and have an amazing roast dinner. While we were there we walked past the Pen Museum, sounds a little different but it was great fun, and I got to make my own pen nib! Lately I have been thinking a lot about the home I would love to have and so I have decided to document any pieces of floor, or ceiling, or anything to do with the home in a scrap book for the future.

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Focaccia

On Friday night we had a couple of friends round for dinner. We decided to go Italian for the menu, and what's more Italian than scrummy bread! For the starter, we did a bit of Antipasti, a spread of meats and breads, olives etc. I decided to make my own Focaccia.

I have been making bread a lot recently and I have really enjoyed it. So I pulled out my Baking made easy book by Lorraine Pascale. I have also found the recipe here.

The bread went down a treat but we made so much more than we needed. So what is a girl to do other that waste it? Well today I knocked up a scrummy (even if I say so myself) sandwich! I took two pork chops, then in the pestle and mortar I ground up some rock salt and sage. Then on a board I coated both sides of the chops with olive oil, rubbing it into all the cracks. I then sprinkled the salt/sage mix and rubbed it all over the chops, before popping them into a really hot frying pan until crispy.

The Focaccia I warmed up a little in the oven to make it softer and cut in half through the centre. I spread over some apple sauce and then popped on some left over stuffing from last nights dinner.

When the meat was cooked I sliced it up and added it to the sandwich. I was given a large compliment by my man so it must have been good. Very stuffed now though. Time for an afternoon nap I think!

Spanish Omelette

Going into a bare cupboard looking for lunch always makes me sad. So I decided to throw together some odd bits and bobs and make a Spanish omelette. It's something I have never made before, and I have no idea why. It was scrummy!

I sliced up a large potato, leaving the skin on, in the food processor and boiled them for 5 minutes. After draining the potatoes I popped them in a frying pan with some oil and fried them a little until they were crunchy. Then I took them out of the pan and added 3 eggs I had beaten with the juice of a lemon, some grated cheese and seasoning. Then quickly you pop the potatoes on and put the whole thing under the grill until golden brown and cooked on top. Turn out onto a plate and eat! Yum yum :)

Soup

Soup is one of my favourite feel good foods. When the weathers all rainy and cold out I love nothing better than sitting down with a steaming hot bowl and some chunky rustic bread! After recently finding out I am lactose intolerant I have really struggled to find foods that don't contain cows milk, its hidden in everything, and soup is no exception, all my favourites are inedible for me. So, my mum lent me her copy of the Covent Garden Food Co.'s A Soup for Every Day book, and so far I have made 2 soups completely from scratch, and I am very impressed! A couple of weeks ago I made a creamy chicken, and this week it was Butternut Squash and Goats cheese!

This book is amazing, it contains a different soup for every day of the year, some sweet, most savoury and all special days are covered! Boxing day Christmas left overs soup anyone? YUM! The best thing I love is that so far they have been so easy, and if I can get them right, anyone can! Best of all is that the recipes make between 4 - 6 portions, so if there's just two of you, or even one, I bought these soup bags from Lakeland and you just pop your soup in there and freeze it, or fridge it, and they don't spill! Grand!

Ingredients to serve 4:
2 tbsp olive oil
150g onion, diced
1tsp garlic puree
1tsp dried sage
800g butternut squash, peeled and cubed
600ml vegetable stock
100g soft, mild goats cheese, crumbled (I used Feta)

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, then cook for 10 minutes until soft
2. Add the garlic puree, sage, and butternut squash, then gently cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender
4. Stir in the goats cheese until melted
5. Blend until smooth, reheat gently, then season to taste and serve.

Beautiful with big crusty bread and butter! Nice and warming.. :)