Peanut butter cookies

This recipe comes from Port and Finn and for me anything that uses a jar of peanut butter as the base is a definite winner. I'm technically meant to be gluten free, not that you'd know from my pasta intake, but anything without flour in is only a bonus.

Street Feast Dalston Yard

Street Feast Dalston is one of the best summer pop ups. 2 minutes from my flat, full of good food, drinks and free entry before 7pm it is a winning combination for me. The fact that BOBs Lobster has a stand, and that you can play competitions to win alcohol (buy one try and win another) further entices! Street food with a side of fun. 

Nutella cheesecake

I'm a big fan of desserts. Desserts that are easy to make are even better. This one is loosely based on a Nigella recipe and has fast become a dinner party staple. Who doesn't like Nutella and cheesecake? Surely together they are even better? Well there we go. Supper fabulous! 

The Londoners Fish Tacos

If you're looking for a simple summer supper The Londoner's fish tacos are a perfect choice. Bring the beach to the table with fresh flavours, good quality ingredients and most importantly full tummies. Fish, guacamole, salsa yumminess. 

Magical moules

One of our favourite meals to cook in the flat is mussels. I've always loved them but until I moved to London last year had never cooked them. So Sarah and I experimented. And my gosh they are so easy to make. We recreate on a regular basis and it is now our go to simple weekend supper when we're both home. 

Banana and Nutella bread

This is good. Really really good. Moist, filling and (almost!!) healthy. Banana bread with a twist. A gooey nutella centre, good crust and it even looks pretty. Simple to make, not too many ingredients and perfect for afternoon snacking. The hardest part is waiting the hour that it takes to cook! 

Spring vegetable stew

I'm continuing with the stew theme this week, this time with a delicious green vegetable number, filled with spinach, fresh mint and spring freshness. This one sort of just happened. I was raiding the fridge when babysitting for my niece in an attempt to cook her something yummy for supper and the abundance of Spring veggies just couldn't be outdone. This is the perfect kitchen supper on a spring evening, quick to put together, full of flavour and perfect with some fresh crunchy bread, torn apart and warmed up in the oven or on the aga.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

Olive oil or coconut oil
1 leek
1 white onion
2 cloves garlic
1 courgette
1 sweet potato, peeled
1 aubergine
A bag of spinach
Frozen peas
A handful of fresh mint
Salt and pepper
A litre or so of veggie stock
A good loaf of bread for serving

Begin by chopping your onion and leek finale and popping it into a large heavy based pan with some oil of choice. Cook for five until softened, then add in the garlic and courgette. Cook for another five on a medium heat, stirring often.

Next, add the stock to the pan, pop in your cubed and peeled sweet potato and cook off for a further five or so minutes until the potato begins to soften. At this point add chopped aubergine and season well with salt and pepper. Pop the bread into the oven to warm through.

You're nearly there! When all the veggies have softened (this will only be 15-20 minutes after you start cooking, told you it was a simple one!) add in the spinach and allow to wilt down, along with the fresh mint and frozen peas. Grab the bread, tear onto a big wooden board. Choose some bowls, get the spoons, turn of the heat and devour. 

Healthy, wholesome and most importantly delicious!

For the love of Cod

When I arrived home on Friday afternoon Mummy asked, as she normally does, if there was anything I'd been craving for dins over the weekend. Being a poor impoverished student coming home is when I get to eat the food I love and I'm very good at making the most of it!!

This is one of my favourite dishes, adaptable from cosy supper to dinner party and everything in-between. Its so so simple but oh so delicious and I guarantee that if you try it you'll love it! Herby cod is adapted from a recipe from Jamie's 30 minute meals and most of the ingredients are things that are likely to be in the cupboard anyway. We served it with tabouleh and some broccoli. Fresh, green and healthy. 

So, here goes…

For the fish:

Ingredients (serves 2, 2 cod fillets or one large piece of cod loin)

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 cod fillets / 1 large piece of cod loin

Some good olive oil - we used flavoured garlic and rosemary oil

200g chunk of white crusty bread (we cheated with Waitrose bread crumbs as we had some in the larder!)

2 gloves of garlic

1/3 of a tin of anchovy fillets in oil

1/2 a jar of sun dried tomatoes

A handful of fresh basil

1/2 a fresh chilli

1/2 a lemon

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Some fresh rosemary or thyme if you have it!

Begin by drizzling some oil, fennel seeds and seasoning in a baking tray. Place the fish skin side down and drizzling a little more oil and seasoning on the top. Place in a preheated oven at about 180 degrees while you prepare the crust.

Pop the sun dried tomatoes, anchovies, along with a little bit of their oil, half a chilli, handful of basil, glug of balsamic and the juice and rind of half a lemon in a food processor. Season well and whizz to a paste. 

Pop the paste in a bowl to the side and add the breadcrumbs, glug of oil and whole peeled garlic to the processor and blend once more. Take the fish out of the oven and spoon on a generous layer of the sun dried tomato paste over the top of the fish, press down slightly as you do so to hold. Place the breadcrumbs on top of the paste and put back into the oven to crisp for another 10 minutes or so, dependent upon the thickness of the fish. If you have fresh rosemary or thyme it can be placed on top of the breadcrumbs at this stage for added flavour!

Open a good bottle of white wine and pour two glasses. This stage is crucial!!

While sipping lovely wine, put the tabouleh in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for ten minutes until tender. Pop the broccoli on in a separate pan and chop your ingredients for the tabouleh. We used a whole red onion, a couple of garlic cloves and some tomatoes, along with a good bunch of fresh parsley, all chopped finely. When the tabouleh is cooked, simply mix in the chopped ingredients along with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of a lemon and some seasoning.

The combination of chilli on the fish and herby freshness in the grain is perfect and the broccoli is the perfect veggie to serve along side. 

Pasta yumminess

This dish is perfect for either summer or winter. Quick to make, healthy, cheap and delicious; what's not to like! 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

Dried or fresh pasta (either work well)

Good quality Olive Oil

1/2 Lemon

3-4 Spring Onions

1/2 Cloves Garlic

Salt/Pepper

1/2 bag of Rocket/Watercress/Spinach leaves

Handfuls of Mint/Basil/Coriander/Parsley - whatever is growing!

Creme Fraiche to Serve

Taking inspiration from a gorgeous recipe by Delia Smith, this pasta really is deliciously simple! It uses what ever is growing in the herb garden at the time as well as spare salad leaves to make a great light meal that can be served anytime of day, either hot or cold.

Put a pan of water on the hob to boil and once bubbling rapidly, add the pasta, following cooking times and serving amounts as recommended on the packet.

Peel 1/2cloves of garlic and add them to a food processor, along with a a few spring onions. Add the salad leaves that you have in the fridge - rocket works well, as does watercress and spinach. Take small bunches of any herbs growing - i think mint, basil and parsley is a great combination but you could also use coriander. The key is to just keep the flavour combination fresh so things like rosemary and thyme aren’t so great for this dish. To this mix, add the juice of half a lemon, a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and a few twists of salt and pepper. Then whiz.

It really is that simple!

You can either leave the sauce fairly large and course or add a little more oil while its whizzing and make it into a smoother paste.

Drain the pasta and stir in the sauce. You can add more seasoning as required and a dollop of creme fraiche is also a nice touch if you fancy it. Serve hot or cold as a pasta salad.

This is a recipe where the quantities and ingredients will be altered to particular tastes the more you make it! Lemon zest, fresh chilli etc. could all also be included for example…

Enjoy!