This week's cheap eats

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Ok stay with me on this one, admittedly it doesn't sound the best, but I had a cauliflower languishing in the fridge and decided to give it a go. Much to my surprise it was lovely, really creamy with a nice salty bite from the cheese. Using a Good Food recipe with some modifications it was made and ready to eat within an hour. If you fancy giving it a go then here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• onion, chopped
• 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
• 400ml chicken or veg stock (from a cube is fine)
• 400ml milk 
• Bay leaves
• Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Parmesan Cheese rind

 Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Tip in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 mins, stirring often. Add the cauliflower, stock, milk, bay leaves, Parmesan rind and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 30 mins until the cauliflower.
2. Allow to cool sightly, remove the rind and bay leaves then liquidize until you get a creamy, thick soup (add more milk if it's too thick).
3. Ladle into mugs or bowls, top with the grated cheese and drizzle with a good olive oil, 
4. Eat!

My Moussaka

Not the most authentic recipe admittedly, but still a tasty one, and more importantly easy! Serve it with a salad that has lots of mint leaves in it. This receipe it enough for 2 hungry people with a few left overs:

Ingredients

• olive oil
• onion, finely chopped
• 300g lamb mince
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼tsp cinnamon
• ¼tsp allspice
• tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 bay leaves
• 1 medium aubergine, cut into thin slices
• Plain flour, butter and milk for Delia's All-In-One White Sauce.
  
  

 Method:

1. Heat oil and brown off the mince, then add in the onion and garlic and leave to soften
2. Add in herbs and spices, mix throughly then add in tomatoes
3. Leave to simmer for 20 mins mimun.
4. Whilst that's simmering get a griddle pan (or frying pan) really hot and cook your aubergine, making sure you get some good colour on each piece.
5. Then make the white sauce, I use Delia's all-in-one method.
6. Once everything is ready, build your Moussaka, layer the mince micture and aubergines and then top with the white sauce.
7. Bake in a preheated oven (at 180) for 25 minutes, in order to get a good colour on top place it uner the grill for a couple of mintues.
8. Eat!

Sugarcarft Practice

After my Bake180 workshop last week I decided it was time I gave some of the things I'd leaned a go at home, so I made these lemon flavoured cupcakes with handmade yellow roses....

The Ice Queens

What feels like an absolute age ago now, but was probably last month some time, my Sister purchased two vouchers through Living Social to attended a Bake180 workshop in Tamworth. We booked our places almost immediately and have been patiently waiting for the evening to arrive and finally put out of our misery yesterday.

Both me and Sue enjoy baking and turn our hand to a bit of cupcake icing but always wondered how people create this magnificent specimens of goodness. Thankfully the Bake180 workshop gave us a few of the trade secretes.

For two and a half hours we got to play with molds, cutters, glues, sparkles, luster, colourings and glitter shakers and just when you think the evening couldn't get any more girly a classic Dirty Dancing tune came on the radio, ahhh bliss!

Sue getting to grips with the sugarcraft molds

The biggest revelation of the evening were the sugarcraft molds, I didn't know these things existed but it means you can create elaborate and complicated designs like flip flops and butterflies with real ease. You can buy them for around £6 for the small ones but would soon get your money's worth from them.

The top tip of the evening was to use cornflour rather than icing sugar to help stop your icing from sticking then leave your items to dry before brushing off the excess with a small, soft paint brush.

Designs using molds and cutters

As well as the molds and cutters we were also shown how to create roses from scratch, I loved doing these and once you're shown how it's so easy and means you don't have to spend any money on molds.

My first sugarcraft rose

Once you're created an array of toppers you're handed 12 beautifully even cupcakes to decorate, along with with a big piping bag full of luscious butter cream.

Sue decorating her cakes

Sue's finished designs

The Tupperware Tub of Happiness - I aspire to own one of these one fine day

I was really chuffed with my designs, I picked up lots of things that I know I can use again and I also had a lot of fun at the workshop. I think I have finally created cupcakes worthy of the beautiful cake stand Lisa gave me for Christmas, so a little photo shoot was in order. Here are my finished creations....

Very proud of my rose cupcakes...

Mum's Birthday Treat

Last month my Mum, Sister and me were treated to a Birthday dinner by my Dad. The four of us enjoyed a three course lunch at Netherstowe House in Lichfield.

I've been here before and enjoyed Afternoon Tea with Jade and Cheese and Wine with Lisa and once again I wasn't disappointed.

It's a strange place, not in a bad way mind you, maybe magical is a better way to describe it. The Grade II Listed Boutique Hotel sits within a very unassuming housing estate in Lichfield, shielded from the modern world by trees and weathered brick walls I've spent years passing by not knowing of it's existence. When you arrive you feel like you're in an episode of Downtown abbey, greeted at the door by a smartly dressed man who invites you to in and leaves to relax in the sitting room.

The attention to detail is astonishing ever clock, cushion and candelabra is is perfectly suited to the surroundings and this attention is carried through in the service. You can't help be feel calm and relaxed when you're here, everything is taken care of and the real world seems to be in a parallel universe left at the entrance to the house.

The menu is very classic with obvious French influences which you'll see from the food we had below...

Mum's starter of  Smoked Duck Breast with a Hint of Jasmine served with Blue cheese and a Sherry & Coffee Jelly

Dad's starter of White Ragstone Stilton and Candied Walnut Parfait served with Pear and Celery Jelly and Wholegrain Croute

Sue's starter of Grilled Red Mullet served with Shallot Puree with Wild Mushroom Panache and Velouté de Champiñones

For my lunch I chose to start with the Velouté of Jerusalem Artichoke with White Truffle Oil, followed by Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Wilted Baby Leaf Spinach and Boulanger Potato and finished off with the Deconstructed Ricotta Cheesecake with Poached Pears and Oat Biscuit Fine.

My Main of Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Wilted Baby Leaf Spinach and Boulanger Potato

Everyone was delicious from the bread we were offered at the start of our meal along with the selection of butters - paprika, herby or plain to the amazing pudding a the end. I'm not one for anything described as 'deconstructed', but, well, it was deconstructed and it was amazing?!

So putting the gorgeous location, the interesting menu, tasty food and attentive service aside the main reason why I love this place is that although it has ever reason to be arrogant and stuffy it isn't, instead it feels like home which is why I keep going back and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Think next time I go I'll have to stay over night, just so I can review the breakfast of course!

Bar Kick

We had a team night out with work and spotted a deal on Groupon for two mains, two drinks and two games of football for £12 at Bar Kick in Shoreditch, so we got enough for the six of us and off we went for a beer filled night of bonding through our mutual feelings towards work.

The place is great fun, the top floor has four mini foozball tables, South American flags hanging from the ceiling, lots of beers by the bottle, the dinner specials written on chalk board and gingham tablecloths over formica furniture.

The menu is basic but inspired by South America - lots of chorizo, bread and olives. I went for the steak and rocket sandwich with tortilla chips on the side served in a tin can. The meat was great, still quite rare but the sandwich and chips needed something to stop them being dry, the bottles of corona helped!

We then went to play foozball and it all got a bit competitive.

Pay Day Lunch: Abokado

Pay day means a nice treat for lunch day! The past few weeks I have been living on cheap lunches and leftovers so as soon as I get paid I am off to grab something yummy and usually different for lunch.

I have been craving sushi for a few weeks and thought I would try Abokado near work. They have a lovely food philosophy which involves lots of affordable fresh sushi and juices inspired by the owners trip to Australia where all this lovely stuff was readily available to the masses. Most things are healthy, they put a huge emphasis on freshness and quality and the staff were brilliant, one guy ran off to get me a tray as my arms was laden with goodies.

I went for the large 'River Run' Sushi box with Edamame beans, a bit pricey compared to a normal take away lunch at about £7 (but I really didn't need the beans I was just being greedy!) but it was worth every penny. The sushi was fresh and the rice not too sticky and the beans were covered in sea salt, which even though bad for me was delicious. I will definitely be returning as i like the look of all the other things on the menu from their signature Shwarps - a western filling in a sushi roll and the hot noodle soups.

Carnivores Only

Following on from the Battenberg cake for the boyfriend's birthday I also took him for a birthday dinner. He is a man who likes good hearty food with little pretence and it seemed like Buen Ayre, an Argentinean steak restaurant on Broadway Market, Hackney would fit the bill.

With amazing reviews and a celebrity cliental this tiny restaurant is always packed. Set up by Buenos Aires chef John Rattagan who had been in charge of the sacred asado (barbeque) within his family since he was 10 so by the time he left home at 18 he was regarded as an 'experto'. When he moved to London he continued to be involved in all things BBQ whilst studying photography and fine arts. He then became head grill chef at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Brixton before opening the first authentic Argentine charcoal grill in the country.

The dinky restaurant is crammed full of striped wooden tables with the grill just at the side so you can see the meat being cooked. Our waiter was brilliant, he recommended an amazing red wine and one of the Parrilladas, a brazier meat platter to share.

When our platter arrived it was piled high with some lovely looking meat still sizzling on the hot plate. There looked like way too much for two people but we thought we would give it a go, we also went for a rocket and garlic side salad which was yummy and the raw garlic gave it a real kick.

The sirloin streak was cooked rare and just melted in the mouth, this was then followed with some ribs that had been grilled to perfection, the charcoal taste really coming through and the rib eye steak was slightly chewier but had hardly any fat on. The three cuts varied so differently to each other in texture and taste but we loved them all especially covered in a homemade chimichurri sauce. The platter also came with black pudding, which was ridiculously creamy in texture with a very deep flavour and the sweetbreads were well seasoned and moorish.

We managed to eat all of it, which was impressive considering the amount but not considering how tasty it was! It was all washed down with Gestos Malbec red wine, it is a combination of two Malbecs's with half the fruit coming from vineyards at 700m above sea level and the other half coming from 1100m creating a well balanced and flavour filled wine that is suprisingly light.

With the bill coming in at under £75 with tip, it seemed great value for money based on the wine, quality of food, staff and the lovely atmosphere. I would recommend it to any whole hearted carnivore!

The night ended with us grabbing a drink from a cute pub, The Cat and Mutton near London Fields park and sitting in the sun drinking a gin and ginger before heading home.