Sunday lunch at Chandlers

To continue with our weekend of relaxing Emily thought we should skip cooking for ourselves (and doing the washing up) and go for Sunday lunch at a nice restaurant in Lichfield before I headed back to London.

Chandlers is in an old corn mill building and is beautiful, it has huge wooden beams holding up the gallery around the top floor that looks down into the main restaurant with loads of nostalgic french prints adorning the walls. It felt like a treat without being stuffy, ideal for another chilled out meal - the now apparent theme of the weekend.

They offer a 3 course prix menu for lunch and yep, we went for the full three courses... Emily went for prawn and salmon cheesecake for starters, then the roast beef (she was swayed by the yorkshire pudding) and ended with the glazed lemon tart and raspberry sorbet. The only weird comment was as the starter was like a cheesecake the texture and look went against everything Emily's brain believed to be right, it didn't stop her finishing it though!

I went for the spinach tagiatelle with chicken and chorizo to start which was really tasty, the chorizo flavour infused with the tomato sauce and was the perfect amount. I then went for a vegetarian main, which is quite unusual for me but I needed a cheese fix! This was satisfied by two perfectly cooked and light Stilton and Leek Souffle with asparagus and then something sweet rounded off the meal perfectly - a simple creme brulee.

The meal was the perfect end to a great weekend. I then headed off to the station and instantly feel asleep with a very full tummy for the journey home.

Platters with spark

Visiting Emily in her home town of Lichfield we belated celebrated her birthday. We had a relaxing day at Eden day spa where we were indulged in a three course lunch that included (shock horror) a chocolate option for pudding.

All that doing nothing all day meant we had worked up quite an appetite so we headed to a newish cafe/restaurant that also specialises in craft workshop during the day in the heart of Lichfield City called Spark. With quirky decor (I especially like the bold wallpaper print) and an inviting and welcoming atmosphere meant it was the ideal place to relax on a Saturday evening.

We decided to go for two platters and share them, they have six to choose from and deciding took quite a while. We were so surprised by the size of the dishes, there was six 'bite-size' things to taste but bite-size they were not, each platter had one or two stand out favourites. It ended up betting Emily but I pretty much finish whatever was left.

On our 'Olympic Flame' platter we were treated to...

• Halloumi and vegetable stack

• Feta, caramelised red onion and spinach tart

• Stuffed vine leaves

• Tomato, rocket and red onion salad

• Pitta

• Heavenly hummus

This greek inspired platter had lots of different textures and all had that lovely fresh mediterranean flavours that complimented each other so well. I loved the halloumi stack, it was golden and slightly crispy on the edge with soft and slightly sweet roasted vegetables, where as Emily seemed more drawn to the feta tart. We both enjoyed the hummus which tasted homemade as it was so garlicky, but it was great.

The second platter was my favourite as I couldn't stop going back for more, it consisted of...

• Lamb and veg pot

• Tandoori chicken

• Vegetable samosa and onion bhaji

• Minted onion and cucumber salad

• Poppadoms

• Mango chutney

I always know when something is great as it makes my mouth water as I start to talk about it again and I conjure up how it tasted and how it made me feel. It made me feel good, the flavours were as good as any quality Indian restaurant I have been too, it was comfting and even though there was a lot going on every bites was a delight. I could not get enough of the lamb curry and the salad.

I would love to go back in the day (and prob will on my next visit) to do a class, have a coffee and one of those cupcakes that were tempting me as I paid.

Birthday Chilli Almond Biscuits

Emily's birthday was a week or so ago but we only managed to meet up this weekend and I wanted to make something a bit different, something that would travel well (the journey from London to Lichfield can be a bit tricky with delicate baked goods) and included almonds - one of Emily's favourite ingredients.

I went straight to my bakery book of the moment - Dan Lepard's 'Short and Sweet' and looked up almonds, I was spoilt for choice but as something different was high on the list I skipped the predictable cakes and went for a savoury biscuit instead. I thought the chilli almond biscuit would also celebrate Emily's new found love of spice.

I decided to pop them in a kilner jar and tie on a ribbon with the recipe on the tag to make them feel like a special treat. I just hoped Emily would like them! I did when I tried one warm straight from the oven, the mature cheddar hit the spot and they were crumbly with only a mild tang of spice, the almonds add crunch and sweetness.

When I was making the dough I was worried the garlic paste was going to be too strong but it was softer in flavour when baked.

I halved the recipe and that is the one which is below as 40-50 biscuits seemed a bit much but you can freeze the dough and then you can always serve something up at 30 minutes notice as a pre dinner nibble with drinks.

Chilli Almond Biscuits

Makes 16-20

Ingredients:

• 87g unsalted butter, softened

• 87g grated strong cheddar

• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes

• 1/3 teaspoon paprika, sweet smoked is best

• 1 small clove of garlic

• 87g plain flour

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 75g whole blanched almonds

Method:

1. Chop the butter roughly and beat in the chilli, salt, paprika and garlic by hand, then mix in the cheddar well. I think I would grate the cheddar finely next time I make them. If using a food processor just put the above in and whizz together for a minute.

2. Add the flour and milk, work everything together to a smooth soft dough, then stir in the almonds - by hand.

3. Spoon half the mixture onto a sheet of non stick baking paper and roll it up into a cylinder about 4cm thick by 20-25cm long. Chill or freeze until firm.

4. Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

5. When firm remove from the fridge or freezer and slice into 1cm thick slices. I found when slicing the disks they lost their circular shape so I just gently reshapped them into rounds.

6. Place them a few centimetres apart on a lined baking tray for 20-25 minutes until golden.

7. Eat warm or leave to cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Short & Sweet - My new favourite book for baking

I have been dying to try something from my new baking recipe book - Short and Sweet by Dan Lepard, a chef who often writes for the Guardian and is an award winning baker. The book itself is divided into different sections and offers loads of troubleshooting advice for the amateur baker making everything seem like a doddle.

I went for something suitably wintery to follow our Sunday lunch - A Cobnut and Plum Tart. It is basically a really tasty crumble but you layer crumble at the bottom as well as the top. I couldn't find cobnuts but the recipe recommends hazelnuts as a substitute.

The flavour combination was great and the brown sugar added depth to the crumble and the milk stopped it being dry, the hazelnuts added a lovely crunchy texture - I will definitely make it again.

Hazelnut and Plum Tart

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the crumble:

175g plain flour
100g soft unsalted butter
50g hazelnuts (or cobnuts), toasted and finely chopped
50g dark soft brown sugar
1 tbsp milk
½ tsp baking powder

For the filling:

300g ripe soft red plums, pitted and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp cornflour

50g dark soft brown sugar

Zest of ½ lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/gas mark 5½.

2. Rub the dry ingredients and butter together quickly with nimble fingers before mixing in the milk and nuts.

3. Divide the mixture in half and place one portion, covered, in the fridge. Press the remaining portion into the base and sides of a lightly greased 20cm tart tin (with a removable base).

4. In a bowl, stir together all the filling ingredients, then spread over the pastry.

5. Finally, crumble the remaining pastry over the fruit and bake for 50 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the top lightly browned. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before slicing. I served mine warm with cream or custard.

Sunnyside Sunday Lunch

Since moving into our new place we were yet to cook a Sunday roast so took the opportunity to do the full works when we had friends visiting.

We went for beef cooked medium rare, rubbed with garlic and herbs - sage, rosemary and thyme. Then served with carrots, broccoli, yorkshires (cheated by using Aunt Bessie's but still good), amazing roast potatoes made by the boyfriend and some delicious cauliflower cheese by me.

The cauliflower cheese was the most complicated I have made but well worth the extra effort and silly amount of pans needed. It was by James Martin and found on UKTV good food website.

Cauliflower Cheese

Ingredients:

For the cauliflower

• 1 large cauliflower, divided into florets

• 3 tbsp butter

For the cheese sauce

• 1 cloves

• 1 bay leaves

• 1 small onion

• 600 ml milk

• 25 g butter

• 25 g plain flour

• 200 ml single cream

• 1 tsp English mustard

• 250 g mature cheddar cheese

• 1 pinches black pepper

• 1 pinches nutmeg, freshly grated

Method:

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and lightly cook the cauliflower florets. Drain.

2. To make the sauce, first stud the clove through the bay leaf and into the onion and place in a saucepan with the milk. Warm the milk slowly, this will allow the flavours to infuse into the milk.

3. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter, and stir in the flour. Cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the simmering milk, a ladle at a time, continuing to stir, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Bubble gently for 5-6 minutes.

4. Remove the onion and add the cream. Stir in the mustard and 200g of the grated cheese. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a little nutmeg.

5. Warm 3 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and add the cauliflower florets. Roll them in the butter, without allowing them to colour, and then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Set the oven to 200°/gas 6. Spoon a little cheese sauce into an ovenproof dish; arrange the cauliflower on top and coat with more of the sauce. Sprinkle the last of the grated cheddar on top and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Jeremy & Tonic

Just when you think your cool, crisp G&T couldn't get anymore fabulous Tanqueray teams up with fashion designer Jeremy Scott to produce this well dressed bottle of Tanqueray Ten.

The sleek geometric black casing opens to reveal a glamorous Martini inspired print, bringing a modern twist to a classic bottle.

And to make it even more fabulous I own one. Being a gin and design enthusiast meant it was completely impossible for me not to buy one. Available from Harvey Nichols it's this seasons must have.

Perfect Match

It has long been a faux pas of mine, I mean no cook in their right mind wants to mismatch there kettle with their specs?

Thankfully those days are long behind me, I now own this beaut...

Pasta with butternut and blue cheese

Another one of Nigella Lawson's from the Kitchen recipe book and another attempt at cooking something new. This is pretty straight forward and simple to make when you have been at work all day, there is a bit prep due to the butternut squash - it always takes me ages to chop up but as there was loads of it I popped some in sandwich bag and froze them for the next time I make this.

It was a surprisingly light dish and not what I was expecting, the amount of masala gives it an indian cuisine flavour which when combined with the blue cheese makes it creamy almost like a korma. Once you get all the flavours of the sage, butternut squash, pine nuts and blue cheese combining it is tasty and I will make again but I am not sure yet if it will become a regular on the dinner circuit.

Nigella recommended using pappardelle pasta but I just went for rigatoni (as that is what we had in the fridge!) and adapted it to serve two people.

Pasta with Butternut and Blue cheese

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Marsala
• 100ml water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage)

• 300g fresh pasta, a robust variety is recommended such as pappardelle or rigatoni
• 70g pine nuts
• 100g soft blue cheese, crumbled

Method:

1. Fry the onion in the olive oil over a medium heat in a large, heavy-based pan that can accommodate all the pasta later.

2. When the onion is golden, add the paprika and cubed butternut squash, then add the butter, stirring everything together well in the pan so it is coated in the butter. Add the Marsala and water. Once the mixture starts to simmer, put the lid on, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender but still holds its shape.

3. Season to taste (keeping in mind that the cheese will be salty too), then sprinkle the sage into the squash mixture, reserving some to garnish.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions. Toast the pine nuts in a separate hot, dry pan, tip them into a bowl and set aside.

5. Before you drain the pasta, reserve a mugful of the cooking water. Add the drained pasta to the squash and slowly stir to combine. Add some of the pasta cooking water to help the sauce emulsify, then add the blue cheese and half the pine nuts. Gently combine, then sprinkle the remaining pine nuts and sage on top and serve.

Bryon Burgers - the best burger in town?

I have been wanting to try Byron Hamburgers for ages, with new branches popping up all around London on an almost weekly basis and lots of people raving about them. I was lucky enough to go on a work outing, all in the name of research of course.

What attracted me was that every restaurant is slightly different, the one in Islington feeling slightly grungy but the one I went to in Covent Garden was more slick but still had a cool and relaxed feel to it with the muted colour palette, warm leather booths, old school style chairs, glossy tiles and stainless steel counter. The advertising outside is really cool too and I am a big fan of the stripped back branding.

The companies ethos is really nice too, simple food done well - so good quality meat, basic toppings, freshly made everyday in a nice environment, all inspired by the good old burgers from New York. They even have a special charity burger on the menu called the Gizz-mo, it was created by chef and TV presenter Gizzi Erskine with 50p going to Movember, a charity that raises money for men's cancers (usually by men sporting tashes during the month of November).

I was starving so went for a classic cheese burger with mature Cheddar, cooked medium and courgette fries on the side. I was worried it would not leave up to the hype but I need not have worried as it exceeded my expectations, the meat and flavour of the burger was amazing, really... well meaty, thinking about it makes my mouth water all over again. It was topped with the Cheddar that had been melted over the burger, topped with crisp lettuce, tomato, red onion and mayo, all served in a bun that was just right, not too flourey and a big gerkin on the side. Delicious.

The courgette fries were great too, they almost felt healthy and the batter was light so not to overpower the flavour of the vegetable.

For me the icing on the cake was the milkshakes - served in a frosted metal cup, the vanilla one I had was thick and rich but not overly sickly, it is so moorish you just keep drinking it down but a word of warning - watch out for the brain freeze!

I loved Byron and would recommend to anyone who loves a good burger, it was such a world away from any fast food or pub burger I have had. I can't wait to go back!

Mat expands his recipe repertoire...

...with a chorizo and chickpea soup. This recipe was taken from Jamie's Dinners, a cook book that is getting a lot of use lately in our house as we try out new (and hopefully quick and easy) dishes.

The boyfriend found it took ages to prepare and spent about two hours all together cooking it though - not really what you want when you have been at work all day. I kept out of the kitchen as I tend to interfere and for some reason stress him out a little so I did not see the process but did taste the results, to check out the process the recipe is below!

It was delicious, really hearty with lots of lovely textures as part was blended and the other left chunky, every time you got a piece of chorizo it just burst with flavour. The soup got better as you got to the end and left you wanting more, a really satisfying soup for dinner.

Mat will definitely be cooking more!

Spanish Chorizo & Chickpea Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• olive oil

• 150g chorizo sausage, finely chopped

• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

• 500g fresh spinach, washed and chopped

• 8 fresh tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped

• 1 x 410g tin or jar of good-quality cooked chickpeas, drained

• 1.3 litres chicken stock

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 55g pata negra, Spanish ham or prosciutto, finely chopped

• extra virgin olive oil

• 2 hard-boiled eggs

Method:

Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot and add the chorizo. Allow to heat up and cook for a couple of minutes until the fat comes out of the chorizo, then add your onion, garlic and celery. Turn the heat down and cook slowly for 15 minutes with a lid on and without colouring the onions. Now take the lid off – the smell and colour will be fantastic. Stir it around and get some colour happening now. Add your spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for around 40 minutes.

At this point you can remove about a third of the mixture and purée it in a food processor. Pour it back into the pot, give it a good stir and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the pata negra or ham and 2 or 3 tablespoons of good Spanish extra virgin olive oil. Divide into bowls and grate some hard-boiled egg on top. The egg was a bit unexpected when I was given this in Barcelona, but it actually adds a lovely richness to it.

Boozy Guinness Gingerbread

Nigella has not yet failed me with baking recipes and being a massive fan of the chocolate and guinness 'best cake I have ever eaten' cake I decided to try another guinness filled recipe - The guinness gingerbread.

It was moist and squidy with the guinness taste really coming through stronger the next day adding an unbelievable depth of flavour. It looks so simple with its glossy top (I guess due the amount of golden syrup in the recipe!) but the combo of tangy sour cream and warming winter spices of cloves, cinnamon and ginger combined with the black irish stout make the taste quite complex.

I served it with some clotted cream as a treat after dinner. It was just as tasty plain with a cup of coffee at work the next day though making it a great Monday afternoon pick me up, I think everyone around me agreed as it disappeared pretty quick. In a tuppaware box I think it would keep for a few days but I never managed to test this out.

The recipe is below and taken from Nigella's Kitchen, just a watch out (and something I have noticed with lots of really yummy cakes) is that it is a bit pricey compared to your regular fairy cake ingredients.

Guinness Gingerbread

Serves 24 (small squares) or 16 (generous rectangles)

Ingredients:

• 150g butter, plus some for greasing

• 300g golden syrup

• 200g dark muscovado sugar

• 250ml Guinness

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 300g plain flour

• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

• 300ml sour cream

• 2 eggs

• 1 x 23cm square baking tin or 1 x foil tray approx. 30 x 20 x 5cm

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees/gas mark 3. Line your square tin with foil and grease it, or grease your foil tray

2. Put the butter, syrup, muscovado sugar, Guinness, ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves into a pan and melt gently over a low heat.

3. Take off the heat and whisk in the flour and bicarb. You will need to be patient and whisk thoroughly to get rid of any lumps.

4. Whisk the sour cream and eggs together in a measuring jug and then beat into the gingerbread mixture in the sour cream and eggs, whisking again to get a smooth batter.

5. Pour this into your lined square tin, or into a barbecue-type foil tray (I used two separate tins, a lined pie tin and my 20cm round cake tin) and bake for about 45 minutes, when it’s ready it will be gleamingly risen at the centre, and coming away from the tin at the sides.

6. Let the gingerbread cool before cutting into slices or squares.

Nigella also mentions that it can be baked ahead up to a week, just wrap in baking parchment followed by a layer of cling film and pop in an airtight container and store in a cool place. Plus it can be frozen if you wrap in baking parchment and a double layer of foil for up to three months. defrost for 3-4 hours on a wire rack and cut into squares.

Pie No 2: Chicken & Leek (with some cheeky mushrooms)

After the success of the chicken and mushroom pie from the Canteen cookbook a few weeks ago and the fact the clocks went back making the evenings darker earlier I was craving pie again. I went for one in Jamie Oliver Dinners recipe book as it was in his top ten and sold in as 'the best chicken and sweet leek pie with flaky pastry' pie. Plus it seemed like it would be quicker that the one in Canteen cook book.

I ended up modifying it slightly by adding mushrooms and a base to the pie, it feels like a cop out when their is only a lid, I love the soggy pastry underneath but I think the mushrooms may have overpowered the delicate leek flavour but I really liked adding chunky carrots to the dish as it gave it texture and felt like it had more body.

I think both the pie recipes - Jamie's and Canteen are really tasty and both had different merits, the chunkiness and burst of colour from the carrot of Jamie's made it feel really hearty but the flavour in the Canteen one was a lot richer. In the end I don't think there was much difference in the amount of effort either so still definitely a dish for the weekend when you have more time.

Jamie's recipe also includes sausage balls which even though they add another flavour I would probably leave them out next time, but the boyfriend would disagree.

The best chicken and sweet leek pie with flaky pastry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 2 knobs of butter
• 2lbs free-range boneless & skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 leeks, trimmed, washed and cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise and chopped (1/4″) (organic preferably)
• 3 sticks of celery, finely sliced
• Handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked

• Large handful of button mushrooms

• Half a packet of porcini mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 wineglass white wine

• 1/2 pint milk• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 225g pork sausages
• 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 x 500g pack of all-butter puff pastry
• 1 egg

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/gas mark 7.

2. Heat the oil in a large casserole pot over medium heat along with the butter.

3. Add the chicken, leeks, carrots, celery and thyme and cook until the veggies are soft and the chicken is mostly cooked (about 30 minutes).

4. Add the flour (2 tbsp to start) and turn the heat to high and cook for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the wine, milk and a wineglass of water and season with salt and pepper. also add the button and porcini mushrooms.

6. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick.

7. Remove the lid and continue to cook at medium heat until the liquid is thick.

8. Squeeze the meat out of the sausages and roll into small balls.

9. Brown the sausage balls in 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, put to one side.

10. I deviated from the recipe here - let the mixture cool and roll out the puff pastry to create enough to line the bottom and sides of the pie dish, and another piece to form the lid. Grease the pie dish and lay the larger piece of puff pastry in the dish to create the base.

11. Pour the chicken mixture into the pie dish and place the sausage balls around the mixture.

12. Break the egg in a small bowl and beat. Egg wash the edge of the pastry.

13. Drape the pastry over the baking dish, crimp the edges of the base and top pastry together then using a knife cut off the extra. Egg wash the top of the pastry.

14. I also made some leaves out of the pastry to decorate and placed near the centre of the pie , egg wash. I also made two slits to let the steam escape.

15. Place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

16. It was then served with green veg (french beans, tenderstem and asparagus) and mash potatoes.