Egg on toast.

Fried egg on toast nothing more nothing less..
A perfect start to your day - if you fancy a treat or you need a hangover cure. On soft wholemeal bread, lashings of real butter and cracked black pepper.

I even had one of these on Saturday night when I came in after a few martini's. However I made two fried eggs which joined together and three pieces of toast. Random.. But they did the job as I woke up the next day feeling fresh as a daisy!

Enjoy!

The last of the sunshine.

So I would look like the illustration and I would live in the house with the yellow door. I would have the whole ground floor knocked through and a fabulous big kitchen. In the cellar I would keep a large cooler just for champagne and Ice cream.

One can dream, can't one...

Mum's Mini Pies.

My mum doesn't get a look in when I am home, but when she does get the chance this is her famous dish, home made pies with her own pastry. These pies had goats cheese and courgette with a red onion marmalade on the top. These where perfect for a winter evening. I wanted boiled potatoes but I opted for the slightly healthier salad and asparagus.
I can't cook pastry as good as my mum, but I would like to learn. Are there any good tips for the perfect shortcrust pastry?

Carrot Cake/Bread/Loaf

I have never made carrot cake, I followed a recipe from a baking book and I expected this to be a sweet cake, obviously once I had topped it with the cream cheese and icing sugar. Anyway - I had a disaster as the cake was cooked perfectly but I couldn't get my hands on any cream cheese locally. So I forgot about the cake and my mum wrapped it up. The next day I cam home and the cake was sliced and the butter dish out. Overnight the cake which was maybe never actually a cake had morphed into a bread of the savoury variety.
This bread/cake/loaf stayed fresh for 6 days!!! It was such a treat when smothered with real butter. It tasted slightly bitter as I had added some raspberries, used wholemeal flour and some seeds it definitely was better with some salty butter to even the taste out.

Interesting....

Midnight Feast in the Garden.

A midnight feast of delicious-ness.

Just as we enjoyed the last of the sun I cooked up a little nibble nibble of chickpea dahl, roast butternut squash and red peppers with slightly overdone aubergine chips.
The reason for the aubergines being overdone was an in depth conversation with my mum. One of those moments when you remember "Oh no... "

The chickpea dahl was a tricky one as the chickpeas stay quite firm and I expected them to soften so I kept adding more water which I think diluted the flavours slightly. Are chickpea's meant to be soft when cooked?

I cooked the roast vegetables in balsamic vinegar and oil, some tumeric, chilli and cumin.

Delish!

Dinner on the roof in late September.

Could you believe the weather in September, now those sunny days feel like a lifetime ago as we are all snuggled into our cosy homes. I enjoyed a full on day off, I sat on the rooftop all day and bathed in the sunshine. This was literally the first day of the year that I had sat in the sunshine!!
I made a quick roast vegetable cous cous salad with roast feta cheese and herbs and popped a little bit of mixed salad and balsamic glaze on the side. Not wanting to miss a moment of sunshine this late summer dish was perfect!

Birthday No.2 Shopping List.

Can you see that this shopping list includes no food...

Turned 28.

I wish..

This is what I look like when I am cooking and baking in the kitchen. Honestly...
No really this is what I would love to look like, hair in a loose chignon, couture evening dress on and scarlet red kitchen walls.
The drawing is from a book called Fashion Illustration Now by Laird Borelli, the illustration is by Demetrios Psillos.

What makes up the perfect cheeseboard?

Manchego/Brie/English goats cheese/Chevre/Blue cheese/Watercress/Onion marmalade/grapes/oatcakes.

Olives/Houmous/Bread/Baguette/Sundried tomatoes/Olive oil and balsamic vinegar.


Delish!!

Tom Yum Soup.

Tom Yum Soup.
That moment when you open the cupboards and inspiration just jumps out at you.. well nearly. I found a tin of coconut milk, some dried lemongrass and a chilli. I typed in to Google "thai vegetarian soups" and Tom Yum Soup was discovered!
I followed the recipe as much as the cupboard ingredients would allow, if I was to make again I would not use dried lemongrass, I would also purchase a fresh lime and soy sauce, this was definitely missing in the final taste test!

I am aiming to try different soups from around the world but I need better planning, as the nights get colder and you want something comforting in your belly - this will be a great experiment.

Christmas is coming.... honestly..

Why does it start earlier and earlier.....
I love Christmas as much as the next person, in fact probably more - I love the build up to it, the dinner parties, the feast on Christmas Day but really with this heatwave and the sight of chocolate santa's it is throwing me right off my seasons!

Eton Mess.

Here is the Eton Mess I was talking about - one of my three meals in Manchester. The waiter told us that in Social Rehab, the boar across the street they do an Eton Mess cocktail. What would be in it?
We thought maybe Chambord, vanilla ice cream, cream,strawberries, crushed meringue and I thought about Baileys?? Then to top it off place a meringue on the top of the glass and fill with eton mess.
Here is the picture of the Eton Mess from the Market Restaurant Manchester.

And it was delicious!

If anyone knows how to make eton mess cocktails please do send your answers on a postcard...

My first restaurant review..

I love Manchester's restaurant and bar scene. I have ventured down the M602 twice this week, once for a Birthday night out and another to see Peter Kay with the boy. I don't think I have ever gone into detail about the boy's eating habits, he can eat 6 meals a day; breakfast/snack/lunch/snack/dinner/snack. When we go on a day out together I think it rude not to keep up with him. This meant on our afternoon trip to Manchester I ate 3 meals...

After a disappointing halloumi salad in the Pitcher and Piano on Deansgate Lock, a fabulous eton mess in Market Restaurant in the Northern Quarter, we went to Wasabi Sushi and Noodle Bar...

Wasabi Sushi and Noodle Bar in Manchester's printworks is like being in Tokyo, there was a Japanese tribute band singing En Vogue's Don't let go on the TV screens. There is the conveyor belt with sushi dishes on just like Yo Sushi! but without the sell by dates on. Then there is a lift to the toilet where a woman waits at the toilet door and gives you a key to get into the toilet. OK.
The meal is 2 options of a set menu - 1 6 plates of sushi from the belt, 2 3 sushi and a noodle dish. The boy went for 1 and I opted for 2.
The picture you can see is of the Tempura Noodle Udon, I also made a rookie mistake by opting for the spicy soup. (In my home cooking I can now eat a 1/4 of a chilli in my dishes so I think I have an asbestos mouth) This is a big mistake.
I think I have to come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of Japanese food, although this restaurant was really authentic in contrast to the european/japanese style of YO SUSHI! I just don't like udon noodles, half a boiled egg in my soup and seaweed.

Sorry.

(note to self if I am to be a restaurant reviewer I need more details)

Yummy Vegetarian Toad in the Hole!

I had a long conversation with my sister about whether toad in the hole is pastry or yorkshire puddings, I said the yorkshire puddings she said pastry.
I did a twitter survey - the lovely twitteries said yorkshire puddings.

By the way you can follow us on http://twitter.com/#!/voguevegetarian - blatant plug there sorry, now back to the food.

I began by halfving some cherry tomatoes and laying them on a baking tray with only a sprinkling of sea salt. I left them on gas mark 4 in the oven whilst I carried on with my prep.
This way of cooking tomatoes is perfect for a topping on a main meal, bruschetta or for garnish on a soup. You could pop them in the fridge for a healthy snack if you wanted, they last for ever!

In a heavy based pan I fried sliced garlic and red onion in some olive oiland placed six Linda Mccartney sausages in with some more olive oil, chilli flakes and rock salt. Once the onions were cooked I put a tin of tomatoes, some chopped fresh tomatoes and tomatoe puree into the mix.
I left this to cook with some fresh basil thrown in for 40 mins until the sauce thickens.

Whilst this cooks I put some roast potatoes into a baking tray with plenty of olive oil and sea salt. I cook my roasties from raw, I don't par boil them - its up to you!

Cook you ready made yorkshire puddings for a few minutes and then you are good to go!

Sprinkle on the cherry toms for a bit of a kick and ...

Enjoy!

My Perfect Brunch.

This was when I decided to detox, it lasted a day and began and ended with a cup of hot water and a lice of lemon.

What brunch is worth its weight in gold if it is not accompanied by the latest edition of Vogue?

This is a super duper omelette. It has all of the goodness in it to set you up for the day. I began by frying off 4 varieties of seeds in a non stick frying pan, after my attempt at the multi seed bread ealier on in the blog I have now every type of seed imaginable. I then added 3 egg whites and 2 egge yolks, some spinach, yellow pepper and chopped red onion. Tossed it about in the frying pan, I say tossed as the omelette didnt really hold its shape. I am going to investigate why this happened and let you know.

I halved some baby cherry tomatoes, drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and you are done!

Enjoy!

Amercian style pancakes with greek yoghurt, blueberries and honey.

This was a real treat of a breakfast.
The pancakes were simple to prepare but the key is a good non-stick pan, this is vital to the success of them.
I would say that this style of pancakes is maybe, dare I say it.. but not so bad for you? The combination of egge whites and no added sugar makes these a delicious Sunday morning breakfast. Top with dollops of greek yoghurt, blueberries and a drizzle of honey.
Perfect!

Must update blog more...

So here goes...

A big deep breath and onwards with the updates..

Morocan Tangine with yellow baby plum tomatoes and baby aubergines.

Moroocan tagines are a tasty dinner and perfect for this rainy dull weather, they should be a warming dish full of spices and exotic vegetables.
This was pretty easy to prepare and even easier to eat!
I will say this though, it was difficult to photograph. I had to add a touch of colour with some peppery rocket on the top. I hope you like it.

I made the tagine by frying off sliced onions, plenty of garlic and some olive oil with cumin, tumeric and paprika. You want the spices to flavour the oil and the onions and get the garlic to add to this richness. Add baby aubergines, sliced down the middle, yellow baby plum tomatoes, chesnut mushrooms and the added extra, sliced Halloumi! I did this so the salty-ness of the halloumi would add to the interesting flavours.

In another pan cook the cous cous in vegetable stock instead of boiling water, this makes the cous cous super tasty and flavourful.

Plate up the cous cous first and add the tagine over the top, as I said earlier I sprinkled rocket on the top with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar but this is totally your choice!

Enjoy!

Two Days Two Snacks

I have been out delivering and collecting dresses a lot recently, when I am driving I feel a bit sorry for myself so I like to indulge in a snack or two.

Here are two examples.

Day One.
A savoury snack from spain bought in The Quarter Deli on Hope Street. These are delicious but way too salty when you are on the motorway and without water, they are also really moorish so you even though you are overwhelmed by the salty-ness you manage to devour the whole packet.

Day Two.
A sugary snack. I know these are not vegetarian and strictly, they don't deserve a place on the blog but I have a terribly sweet tooth and can easily eat a whole bag of Haribo sweets.
This is a snack for a day when I feel a bit tired, a quick sugar boost from the petrol station when filling up and I am good to go!