ANOTHER Veggie Triumph!!! And one for dieters!! And well cheap.

Here it is...veggie soup/broth with whatever veg I had topped with harissa and creme fraiche (low fat on this occasion)

Perfect for using up all your left over veg from the wk.

It's so good!! And the easiest thing to make in 20 mins- probs less.

1/2 White Onion roughly chopped- quite thin so it doesn't take too long to cook- apply this thought to all veg- it's a good tip if you're hungry!!

2 x carrots-roughly chopped

3 x garlic- crushed and finely cubed

 Glug of olive oil

Salt & black crushed pepper & WHITE pepper (key to any good soup)

Add at least 2 pints of water

2 x veggie stock cubes

fresh thyme or dried oregano

let this all cook for 10 mins then add the following (this can be any type of quick cooking veg)

peas

brocoli 

cauliflower

and lastly when you're happy with the flavour and ready to serve up add your finely sliced cabbage.

Cook for a further 2 mins so you're cabbage is still crunchy.

At this stage you can either save the creme fraiche for when you serve and just add a dollop or mix a spoonful in pre serving.

What really turns this dish into a winner is the dollop of harissa..this doesn't even sound or look special but trust me...it is!

Always use white and black pepper in soups, it adds some heat.

If you're a soupy person you're gonna love this or if you've had a big wknd and need some veg and spice then it's ticking all the boxes.

Look...

So good.

Enough for 6 people and lunch the next day!!! 

Smug!

WELL GOOD Sweet Potato & Aubergine Curry :-)

Make this the day before your dinner party & it will be EVEN better!! Or knock it out in 40 mins no probs!!

 Sweet Potato and Aubergine Korma

Muddle up in either a pestle and mortar or one of those weird Jamie Oliver plastic things with a ceramic ball in... the following spices;

2 tsp of coriander seeds

4 x cardamon pods

1 x birds eye chilli

2 x tsp of ground ginger

Then gently heat on a medium heat until they smell really fragrant- make sure not to burn them.

Then Add;

2x inches of fresh ginger finely sliced /crushed and mushed

3 x garlic coves

1 x white onion

Lightly fry off in oil for a few minutes then add 1 x tin of coconut milk and add your chunks of sweet potato-peeled and cubed into 2cm x 2cm pieces and the same for the aubergine.

Add 1 x pint of Vegetable Stock

1 x cup of dried green lentils

20g of crushed almonds

1 x tsp of sugar

Fresh Coriander

(Frozen peas- add in 2 mins before serving)
Big dollop of Creme Fraiche to serve.

Take it off the hob and let it cook for 30 mins in a hot oven on about 200.

Before serving add a big dollop of creme fraiche and fresh coriander

Mushroom & Coriander Rice

For the mushroom and coriander rice, rehydrate the porcini mushrooms in a bowl of warm water, drain and finely chop and add to your cooked rice, add a glug of oil and chopped coriander, add a bit of salt for flavour and mix it all up and you're ready to go. (I'm in love with this)

Don't be put off by the colour...it's tastes well good :-)

As a last thought we added frozen peas...a great addition.

YUM!!! 

WELL YUM!

Keep and eye out for my new BLOG SCHEDULE!!!

Dinner Party Dishes will go up every THURSDAY lunch time.

Weekend leftovers and quick dinner ideas for the week will go up every SUNDAY lunch time.

Sure there will be extras in there too along with restaurant reviews and cooking tips.

DETAILS ON THE NEXT POP-UP RESTAURANT AND COOKERY CLASSES & ARE COMING SOON!!!

Feed Me Italian- Chiao Bella- Literally the BEST Italian

www.ciaobellarestaurant.co.uk

86-90 Lamb's Conduit St Bloomsbury

WC1N 3LZ

I kind of don't want to tell people about this place...that's how good it is and already too many people know about it. Always packed, Always!! In fact so packed that they have seating outside under heaters because I imagine they need the room!! 

This place is chaos, in the Italian sense of the word, the waiters have been there for years, you arrive at your table where they immediately place two bowls down, one full of hunks of parmesan cheese and one full of black olives, already the diets out the window..it's impossible here, the pizzas are ridiculously good, the chilli oil actually has some heat, the carbonara creamy in the eggy way, like it should be and above everything they're happy to leave you with a bottle of lemoncello at the end of the meal...so we demolished a good 3/4 of it and they were still as happy as we were. 

This really got us off on the right foot and plater of olives and huge chinks of parmesan. INTO IT.

It's old school family run Italian.

Mussels with a choice of red or white sauce...white please!!

Love the 70's edge to everything. Heros!

Not my doing but great, tomato garlic pizza to start!!

Get In MY Gob

Followed by a pizza which they did half and half for us- half tropical, half American hot, we then ordered a carbonara and shared it all...why miss out. Why even attempt to be decisive!!

And the chilli oil...propper chilli oil. Can't beat it!!

Then the salmon and cream option. Want it all now again.

This was next level!! :-) In fact this x 2 was pretty great too.

6 of these each...WHY WHYYYYY leave the bottle on the table???!! Headache and pissed up!

Toods witha  thirst on!! Can't resist a pint!

OBSESSED 3 thumbs up- LOVE IT!

Thai Red Curry & Tom Yum Goong TRY BOTH

Bit more paradise.

Coconut crush-lunch time version was minus the Malibu. 

SO GOOD- frozen coconut slush puppie :-)

Tom Yum Goong x 4 starters

3 x Medium Sized Chillies- finely sliced
Handful of Coriander- roughly chopped

• 3 tbsp of Fish Sauce

• 4 x Kaffir Lime Leaves torn in 3

• 2 inches of Galangal chopped in slices then bashed a bit.

• 2 x Lemongrass- bash these up with the end of your knife

• 2 x Limes sliced in half and squeezed just prior to serving

• 2 x Tomatoes chopped in 4

• 1 x Spring Onion- finely sliced

• Handful of Button Mushrooms chopped into 4

• 2 x seafood or vegetable stock in 1.5 pints of water

• Add all of these (apart from the veg) to the stock and let it cook for ten mins. Add the veg so it cooks for about 3/4 mins-alongside whatever selection of fresh seafood you have or chicken, crispy duck, whatever you fancy. The seafood will cook in about 3 minutes.

• Chilli oil is also a good extra if you're in need of spice.

Red Thai Curry :-)

Propper pestle and mortar Red Curry Paste

25-30 small dried hot red chilli peppers this will make it spicy.

1 tbsp sea salt

4 cloves garlic, 

2-3 stalks of fresh lemon grass

 1/2-3 tbsp shrimp paste 

1/4 inch piece fresh turmeric 

 1/8 tsp. dried turmeric 

1 can coconut milk

2-3 Tbsp. minced fresh lemongrass,  

1 shallot sliced

1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger grated

4-5 cloves garlic

1 tsp of sugar or palm sugar to sweeten it up is always good.

1-2 fresh red chilies, sliced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper,

2 Tbsp tomato puree

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1+1/2 to 2 Tbsp. chilli powder, depending on how spicy you want it 

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1 Tbsp. brown sugar, + more to taste

1 tsp of shrimp paste

2 fresh limes and lime juice

 

Ground it all together in a big pestle and mortar or in a food processor...then cook up the paste in a frying pan for 2/3 minutes then add the coconut milk and cook for 30 minutes.

Could eat this again...and again..AND agin! Maybe even forever.

Frozen coconut crush

It's too much!! That gorgeous

My spot for my 7am swim

Ratchapraper Dam

Big dive

Love this guy!! 

Couldn't have gone to a more beautiful, non touristy bit.

Our spot for wine, bit of reggae and a sunset. 

And obsessed with this.

Perfect Dinner Party Meal- And An Easy One :-)

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If you spend the pennies on getting a decent free range ideally organic chicken then salt, pepper and add some oregano and you're pretty much done.

Cooking the chickens upside down for the first 45 mins then turn them over to for the last 20/25 mins to let the skin crispin up. Let the chicken rest for at least 20mins before serving it, cover with foil but still let the air get to it so the skin stays crispy :-)

You can stuff the inside with fresh herbs- oregano or thyme or tarragon...you can also add some extra fresh herbs on top of the chicken 15 mins before it's done, the herbs stay more flavoursome this way.

I like to add some of the roasties or all of them so they cook in the chicken juice/fat. this is a good way to save oven space too if you need to.

Burrata, made from mozzarella and cream so it's super extra creamy, tear it up with roughly sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh torn basil and rock salt and fresh black pepper and a glug of extra virgin olive oil. A home made pesto with this can also take this to the next level of fitness.

Gem lettuce with cucumber olive oil, lemon and dijon dressing.

3 x big glugs of olive oil

2  tsp of sugar 

Salt & pepper

Squeeze of half a lemon

1 tsp of dijon mustard

Give it all a thorough mix together and serve over the salad just before you're about to eat.

Yum chickens

I cooked the potatoes in goose fat, bit indulgent and not to be done every time...I added the rosemary in 20 mins before they were cooked to maximise the flavour, it works!!

Also make sure you part boil your potatoes first for 10/12 mins then drain the water and shake them about in the pan- you get them all fluffy and crispy this way-A MUST!

Looks a bit messy but such a good meal.

Coco mid chicken dinner

And the best letter I've ever read.

And a very well stocked fridge..booze heavy :-)