Recipe: smoked mackerel and chive quiche

The summer may have been a bit hit and miss this year but you've still got to take advantage of the hot weather when it appears! One of my favourite things to do when the sun starts to shine is to eat al-fresco. A dish that always reminds me of summer is a quiche. This time I opted for a smoked mackerel and chive dish from one of my favourite cookbooks, Faye Makes It Easy. I actually almost followed this to the letter which is very unusual for me but everything from Faye's cookbook is great the way it is.

Paired with some refreshing Galvanina*, the quiche went down a treat! Offering organic flavours - in beautiful embossed bottles - such as Red grapefruit, Ruby orange, Sicilian clementine and Sicilian lemonade, the 100% fruit drinks are absolutely delicious. My personal favourite is the Sicilian Clementine - so fruity!

Ingredients:
1 pack of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
2 large eggs, beaten
200g smoked mackerel fillets
100ml milk
200ml half-fat creme fraiche
I bunch of chives, chopped

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees for a fan oven/ 220 degrees/gas mark 7.

2. Roll out the pastry and line a small tart dish, roughly trim the edges. Prick the base a few times with a fork and blind bake - with baking beads and a sheet of parchment paper - it for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the paper and beads once baked and brush with beaten egg before baking for another five minutes. Set aside once cooked.

4. To make the filling, take the skin off the mackerel, tear the fish into little pieces and scatter over the pastry base.

5. In a large jug, whisk the milk, eggs, creme fraiche and chives with a couple of grinds of pepper and a few pinches of sea salt.

6. Bake for 25 minutes on a baking tray until the top is golden and set.

7. Cut into wedges and serve with a fresh salad - I've gone for roasted vegetable and goats cheese - and a homemade potato salad to up the carb intake!

Please do let me know if you make it, simple drop me a tweet!

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Recipe: cous cous, rocket and feta salad with harissa dressing

I've only recently become a salad convert. I used to avoid them like a plague but I think I just hadn't experimented much. Warm vegetables, cous cous or pasta, leaves and a good dressing is what works for me. A little bit of cheese makes everything ten times better too! Lakeland sent me a handy Kilner salad on the go airtight jar. With a small metal cup that slots in the top, it's the perfect trick to combat a soggy salad. No more sacrifices for lunch at work!

Ingredients:
1/2 bag of mixed salad leaves
100g sweetcorn
50g cous cous
100g feta cheese

For the dressing:
1/2 teaspoon of harissa paste
A pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

1. Cook the sweetcorn in a pan with boiling hot water. This should take about 10 minutes. Let it cool down.

2. Cook the cous cous according to packet instructions. Let it cool down.

3. Layer the heaviest items first. So start with the cous cous then the sweetcorn, and salad leaves.

4. Put the chopped feta cheese in a separate tub.

5. To make the dressing, mix all three ingredients together and pour into the silver dish that slots into the top of the jar.

It couldn't be simpler! It's a really filling salad for a work lunch - the salty feta cheese and spicy harissa work perfectly together. As always, I'd love to know if you make it so please do tweet me.

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Recipe: grilled avocado barley bowl with Lakeland

Lakeland got in touch to see if I wanted to try out the new Davina McCall range and test them out with a recipe. Always one for kitchen equipment, I said yes and soon a parcel arrived. Consisting of a pair of kitchen scissors, crinkle cutter, grater, peeler and a pairing knife, they were the perfect addition to my kitchen. I decided it was time to try out a recipe from one my favourite cookbooks at the minute, A Modern Way To Cook by Anna Phillips - the recipe called for most of the items to be used. So what did I think? I loved the bright colours as I think aesthetics are everything in a kitchen, they felt sturdy to withhold my clumsiness and were simple and quick to use whilst preparing a meal. Who has time for complicated equipment on a week night? The price point is great too - good quality at a really reasonable price.

Serves 2 with leftovers for lunch

Ingredients
1 large avocado
300g pearl barley
1/2 bag of baby spinach
50g chopped walnuts
Zest and juice of one lemon
100g feta cheese
200ml plain fat free Greek yogurt
A handful of roughly chopped fresh basil
A few pinches of sea salt
A pinch of black pepper

Method
1. Rinse the pearl barley under cold water then boil it in a saucepan. Include a good pinch of sea salt, the juice of half a lemon before putting the squeezed lemon half into the pan too. Cook for around 25 minutes.

2. Cut the avocados in half - leaving the skin on but discarding the stone. Put them cut side down in a griddle pan and cook until they have black griddle marks.

3. To make the yogurt sauce, mix the chopped basil leaves with the zest and juice of the remaining half a lemon. Add a good pinch of sea salt and pepper for some extra flavouring.

4. Wilt the spinach in a frying pan.

5. Once the pearl barley is cooked, drain away the water and crumble in the feta cheese and chopped walnuts. Add the wilted spinach to the dish and mix it all together.

6. Divide between two bowls - remembering to keep some aside for lunch leftovers! Top with the grilled avocado and spoon on the yogurt mix.

As always I'd love to know if you try this recipe out, drop me a tweet to let me know!

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Recipe: Thai vegetable curry soup

Thai is fast becoming my favourite type of food to eat. It's always so quick to cook, packs a punch with the flavours and lets vegetables take centre stage. So when I found a Thai curry paste in the selection that Goldfish Sauces sent over, I knew I wanted to make some kind of soup. Packed full of my favourite veggies, it tasted quite similar to a red Thai curry. It was the perfect fresh, light summer dish for a warm evening.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pack of rice noodles
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 aubergine
A bunch of spring onions
1 pack of baby sweetcorn
1/2 of sugar snap peas
60g Goldfish sauces Thai Curry paste*
1 can of reduced fat coconut milk
1 litre of vegetable stock
A handful of chopped basil

Method
1. Heat up the olive oil in a large wok and place all the veg in it. Cook for around ten minutes.

2. Once tender, add the stock, curry paste and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the chopped basil.

4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

4. Once cooked, divide the noodles between four bowls. Then spoon in the broth before dividing the vegetables equally.

5. It's as simple at that! Tuck in and enjoy!

As always, let me know what you think or if you made it via a tweet. I'd love to know!

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Recipe: Japanese turkey katsu curry

Goldfish brand got in touch and offered me some curry concentrate sauces with a cooking challenge to rustle up some delicious meals. Challenge accepted! Goldfish Brand have been making curry sauces for over 30 years and were founded by Mr Lee for professional chefs. As soon as I spotted the Japanese style curry sauce I immediately had a kind of Katsu curry planned. I wanted to make it a little healthy so opted for lean turkey escalopes and a cornflake coating instead of bread crumbs. The curry sauces are delicious, it tasted just like my favourite Wagamama dish. We opted for a thick sauce like you get in the restaurant. They're really simple to use and you just mix with water. You just add more water depending on how thick or thin you prefer the sauce.

On another note, anyone else struggle to make curries look photogenic?!

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 turkey escalopes
1 egg
A handful of cornflakes
200g white rice
100g Japanese style curry sauce*
300ml water
1 tsp of olive oil

Method
1. Put the rice in a pan of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Crush the cornflakes into crumbs using your hands. Coat the turkey escalopes in the egg before coating in the crushed cornflakes. Put to one side on a white rack.

3. In a small saucepan, mix the curry sauce and water together until it has dissolved completely. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-3 minutes.

4. Fry the escalopes in the olive oil 3-4 minutes each side depending on their thickness.

5. Drain the rice, put on a plate and plate the escalope on top. Pour over the sauce.

As always I would love to know if you attempt this, make sure you drop me a tweet! Use the hashtag #curryoncooking

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Recipe: Apple cider cake

When Waddlegoose offered to send me some of their cider to try, I immediately thought of baking with it. Coming in two delicious flavours, crisp apple and fruity berry,  the first flavour seemed the perfect one to create a cake. The flavoursome new launch from Aspell, gave the cake a delicious flavour without being too over-powering. It's even better the next day served with a steaming hot cup of tea!

Taken from a Paul Hollywood recipe

Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
100g unrefined light muscovado sugar
2 free range eggs
225g plain white flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
150ml of cider

For the glaze
Icing sugar
Cider

Method

1.  Heat the oven to 160 degrees - adjust the temperature if you don't have a fan oven. Grease a cake pan and line with baking paper.

2. Beat the better and sugar together using an electric hand mixer. Once fluffy, beat in the two eggs.

3. In a separate bowl, shift the flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda together.

4. Using a metal spoon, fold in a third of the flour into the beaten mixture. Then half the cider. Fold in another third and then the rest of the cider. Finally fold in the final third of flour.

5. Transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Cook for around 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it as mine was ready within 20 minutes.

6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before taking it out and leaving it to cool full on a wire wrack.

7. Once cool, it's time to make the glaze. Mix icing sugar and cider together to create a thin glaze. How much you use is depending on your taste. Pour over the cake before leaving to dry.

8. Tuck in and enjoy!

As always please do tweet me if you try this cake at home. It's definitely one I'll be trying again!

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Recipe: Prawn pad thai

Borderfields got in touch and asked me to put together a recipe using one of their oils. I racked my brains and decided to make something from one of my favourite cuisines. The garlic infused oil was the perfect accompaniment to use in a pad Thai. The flavour really came out in the vegetables and added a tasty spice to the dish. It would be great to add a subtle twang to a curry too.

This recipe was adapted from Fay Makes It Easy. Such a good book and all the recipes are so simple!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tbsp of Borderfields garlic infused oil*
1/2 pack of flat pad thai noodles
1/2 bag of beansprouts
1 pack of tenderstem broccoli
2 mini pak choi
Half a pack of spring onions
1 pack of king prawns
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
A handful of coriander
A sprinkling of chopped salted peanuts (optional)

Method:
1. Chop the spring onions and broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Shred the park choi.

2. Heat up the garlic oil in a wok and then add all the vegetables including the bean sprouts too. Cook for around 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the prawns and cook through.

4. Cook the noodles according to the packet instruction.

5. Add the soy sauce and fish oil to the dish. Give it a good stir.

6. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them in cold water and then add to the wok. Mix everything together.

7. Divide between two bowls. Sprinkle on the chopped coriander and some chopped peanuts if you wish - then tuck in!

As always I'd love to know if you made this, please do tweet me!

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Recipe: Ultimate mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my all-time favourite comfort dishes. It's so hard to get right but when it's cook to perfectly, it tastes heavenly. Just not the most photogenic of food dishes! So when I was kindly sent some Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese I decided to attempt it for the first time. I used a Jamie Oliver recipe as a base. Jarlsberg is a great cheese to use because it still keeps it's intense nutty flavour when it's melted.

Feeds 4

Ingredients:
20g butter
1.5 heaped tbsp plain flour
4 tsp of lazy garlic
3 bay leaves
1 pint of semi-skimmed milk
300g macaroni pasta
1 pack of cherry tomatoes
4 rashers of bacon
Splash of Worcester sauce
150g grated Jarlsberg cheese*
100g grated parmesan cheese
1 big handful of breadcrumbs
Olive oil

Method:

1. Grill the bacon under the grill until it is nice and crispy. Once cooked, put aside to cool down.

2. While the bacon is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat, add the flour then turn the heat up to medium. Keep staring until you get a paste like mixture.

3. Add the garlic and keep stirring until the garlic is nice and golden. Add the bay leaves.

4. Slowly add the milk and keep stirring until the sauce is lovely and smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave it to simmer. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Preheat the oven to around 200 degrees.

5. Boil some water and add the pasta. Cook to the packet instructions.

6. Meanwhile roughly chop the tomatoes and bacon. Season them with salt and pepper to your taste.

7. Once the pasts is cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce. Then add the grated cheeses, tomatoes, bacon and Worcester sauce.

8. Make sure the sauce isn't too thick as it will thicken in the oven. Add some water if you need too.

9. Transfer the mixture into a oven-proof casserole pan before popping in the oven for around 30 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and golden brown.

10. Whilst it cooked, heat some olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat before popping in the breadcrumbs. Stir and toss the breadcrumbs around until they're crispy but not too burnt!

11. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the finished mac and cheese for a lovely cranky topping before tucking in. Enjoy!

As always, please do let me me know if you give this a whirl and drop me a tweet!

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The £3.50 ASDA wonky veg box - what can you make?

ASDA got in touch and challenged me to rustle up three recipes using their new Wonky Veg box. Priced at just £3.50, the cardboard box is full off seasonal vegetables. With the only snag being the fact they're all a little bit misshapen. But they taste perfectly fine! It's to encourage the public to waste less food and trying the imperfect vegetables that usually get thrown away.

So what did I make? Well I put together three different recipes and still have so much left over! The below menu fed five people comfortable. The only vegetables pictured below that were bought separate was the radishes and the spring onions and I didn't have many salad items. 

Prawn cocktail

Ingredients:
Half a cucumber
3 peppers
1 bag of radishes
1 pack of cooked king prawns
8 spring onions
5 heaped tbsp light mayo
4 tbsp tomato and chilli chutney
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp creamed horseradish
A splash of lemon juice

Method:
1. Mix the mayo, chutney, Worcester sauce, horseradish and lemon juice together to make the seafood sauce.

2. If you have one, used a spiralizer to create cucumber ribbons. Place the chopped salad nicely in a small glass bowl.

3. Place 5-6 prawns in the middle before pouring a couple of tablespoons of the sauce over the top.

Cottage Pie - taken from Hairy Bikers Dieters cookbook with a few weeks

Ingredients:
800g potatoes
3 leeks
150g low fat creme fraiche
500g extra lean mince
1 can of chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp of tomato puree
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 parsnip
2 carrots
3 small onions
500ml of beef stock made with one stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cook the mince, parsnip, carrots and onions in a large dish for around ten minutes - until the meat has browned.

2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil and then let it shimmer for around 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

3. Once the meat has been shimmering for around 20 minutes, peel the potatoes. Chopped into small chunks and cook them until they are soft.

4. Once the potatoes are nearly done, sautéed the chopped leeks for five minutes. They must be softened but not coloured.

5. Drain the potatoes, tip back into the pan and add the creme fraiche and leeks. Mash everything together until it is smooth. Preheat the oven to 200 - adjust accordingly.

6. Pour the beef mixture into an ovenproof dish and layer with the mashed potato.

7. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until the topping is lovely and golden. Serve with savoy cabbage or a veg of your choice!

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

I've actually made this before and posted the recipe on the blog.

Overall I was so impressed with the box and really couldn't believe just how many different types vegetables were in it. It's fantastic value for money and a great way to encourage people to eat healthier.

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Recipe: Fruity breakfast bars

Breakfast is the most important meal of a day but so easily missed. A quick slice of buttery toast, a flaky croissant from the coffee shop or a plastic bowl of cereal hurriedly eaten on the train are often the choice for busy commuters. But you can be healthy and still eat something substantial on the go. Flahavan's challenged me to #betteryourbreakfast and put together something a little different for the morning. Make these simple fruity breakfast bars on a Sunday night and you'll have something tasty and filling for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:
50g desiccated coconut
250g Flahavan's Irish Porridge Oats Multi Seed*
100g chopped dates
1 can of condensed milk
125g mixed nuts
75g apricots

Method:
1. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan. Pre-heat the oven at 130 degree - adjust if you're using a fan oven.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl before pouring in the milk. Give a good sure to ensure everything is coated.

3. Line a 9x13 inch pan with greased parchment paper before pouring on the mixture. Make sure it's all evenly spread and pat it down with a spatula.

4. Pop in the oven for around 30 minutes or so. Keeping checking them as some ovens cook quicker or slower.

5. Leave in the dish for around 15 minutes.

6. Cut into 16 chunky slices and let them cool down completely. Store them in a cake tin to help keep them fresh.

As always please do send me a tweet if you make them, I'd love to know!

Inspiration for the recipe taken from Queen Nigella!

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Recipe: leftover turkey Vietnamese-style broth with Brita

Brita got in touch and asked me to put together a soup recipe using their snazzy Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Kettle. During the winter months soup is my go-to. It's healthy, filling and really doesn't take too long to rustle in the kitchen. I love a spicy Vietnamese inspired broth. This won't win any awards for authenticity but it's great way to use up the leftover turkey hogging your fridge.

Feeds 2

Ingredients:
1 litre of vegetable stock
2 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 bag of beansprouts
1 chilli, deseeded
1 tbsp Fish sauce
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp of Chinese 5 spice
Leftover cooked turkey
150g dried wholewheat noodles
A handful of fresh coriander
1/2 pack of baby sweetcorn
1 lime, cut into wedges for decoration
4 spring onions and one chopped chilli for decoration

Method:

1. Pour the stock into a large saucepan, stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce and garlic before popping in the finely chopped chilli. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Pop the baby sweetcorn, Chinese five spice and pepper in the stock. Leave to cook for around 15 minutes - keep stirring. I prefer the vegetables to still have a crunch to them.

3. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

4. Pop the turkey into the broth to warm through. Add the beansprouts too.

5. Divide the noodles equally and poor over the ready made broth.

6. Garnish with the chopped spring onions, a sprinkling of coriander, chopped chilli and a wedge of lime.

As with all my recipes, I'd love to know if you attempt them so please drop me a tweet!

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Video: Banana and nut chocolate fudge

Another baking video for you to feast your eyes on! This time I've gone for a really simple fudge recipe. Nothing fussy but delicious all the same. Banana and chocolate have always been a winning combination and nuts just make everything tasty right? Nothing like a satisfying crunch when you bite into something sweet.

They make great stocking filings or even little presents for the neighbours or work colleagues. Wrap in a cute cellophane bag, tie with a pretty ribbons and you've got a thoughtful gift. Have a little look at the video below and let me know what you think.



As always please do subscribe to the channel if you're enjoying these videos. I'd love to know if you're enjoying them!

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Video: Festive Flapjacks with Whitworths

After over five years of blogging, I decided it was about time I dipped my toe into Youtube when Whitworths asked me to create a festive recipe. The result was some amazing, fruity flapjacks filled with all the best Christmas spices.

It was a little shaky and I know exactly how I'm going to improve next time but I'm really proud of it. It was a lot of trail and error but a whole lot of fun. Have a look at the video and let me know what you think!

I would be over the moon if you gave my channel a little subscribe, I've got lots more videos planned in the future - including a vlog at Kew Gardens and another baking recipe within the next week.

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