White Chocolate, Coconut and Mango Mousse

This recipe is perfect for a romantic night in (what I made this morning for this evenings Valentines meal!!). Relatively easy to do and easy to mix up the fruit, strawberries would also work well

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

2 bars green and blacks white chocolate

1/2 pint double cream

2 tablespoons milk

1 mango

150g coconut (desiccated)

Method:

1. Melt the two white chocolates bars in a microwave on 15 second blasts until smooth and add tablespoons of milk

2. Whisk  1/2 pint of double cream until it holds the whisk shape.

3. Pour in a couple of spoons of the white chocolate at a time and fold in with a metal spoon.

4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the chocolate/cream mix a spoonful at a time.

5.  Dice the mango and add a layer into a jar, add two tsps of the coconut to add another layer and fill up halfway with the egg, chocolate and cream mix.

6. Repeat until the jar is full. Sprinkle more coconut and add mango decoration

Eggs St Vincent

What better way to get over an awful hangover than rustling up a feast of chorizo and eggs! Not sure how I managed to avoid just having a bacon sandwich but it was very much worth it. Well I do know, I was banished from the kitchen, and gratefully stayed on the couch!! No need to go out and get some brunch.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 eggs

1/2 cucumber sliced

Handful chopped frozen garlic

Handful chopped frozen shallots

Punnet of cherry tomatoes 

6 inches of chorizo diced

2 Romano peppers

Sprinkling piri piri rub

Handful of frozen basil

Olive oil

3/4 small pittas

Sprinkling of chilli flakes

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat a frying pan on high and add the garlic and shallots until soft

2. Add the tomatoes until they start to break down

3. Add the chorizo, peppers, piri piri rub, basil, salt and pepper. 

4. Whilst this is bubbling away in another pan add a tsp of oil and fry the eggs.

5. Toast the pittas, and place on a plate. Add the chorizo, pepper and tomato mix. Place the eggs on top and the sliced cucumbers on the side. 

Try it next weekend! 

Carrot and Sweet Potato Stew

With the new year and very expensive items coming up (moving and wedding) I decided to start making my own lunches. This was very much using what was in the fridge and cupboards, which meant throwing some things I wouldn't normally. It ended up being a lot less simple as planned as put more and more items in but still very easy

Ultimately it worked out well in the end, but would leave for longer before eating in future as thickened up well and flavours were even better fused together.

Ingredients:

6 carrots peeled and cut into chunks

1 sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks

1 red onion diced
1 can baked beans

1 can lentils

1 can chick peas

1 1/2 pints veg stock (would recommend having this thick as I had to add in a decent amount of corn flour after)

Good sprinkling oregano

Good sprinkling cayenne pepper

Good sprinkling Worcestershire sauce

4 large tbsp good bbq sauce (I used American Stockyard bbq sauce from Marks and Spencer)

Salt and pepper to taste
Corn flour if needed

Method:

1) Place the onion, carrots, sweet potato, chick peas, lentils and baked beans in the slow cooker.

2) Add the oregano, cayenne pepper, veg stock and Worcestershire sauce. If too watery then add the cornflour to thicken up slightly and stir well.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Prior to cooking 

3) Put the slow cooker on low for 2 hours.

4) Add the bbq sauce and keep on low for about 8 hours.

In the morning after cooking

At this point I then this off the heat to take some to work. I came about about 12 hours later and it was the perfect consistency, so you may want to do the same before eating.

Elizabeth's Garden Cocktail

Apart from the great wines for the 30th party we also put together fantastic gin cocktail, a take on English Garden. Went down a storm and everyone ended up wanting more, fortunately we had some Hendricks in reserve!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 measures Hendricks Gin

1 measure elderflower cordial

3 measures cloudy Apple juice

3 dashes lime juice

2 measures sparkling water

5-6 blueberries

Method:

1. In a tall glass add ice up to 1/3 up the glass

2. Add in each of the above in order and to taste. Don't overdo the elderflower as can overpower.

3. Add the blueberries in and serve

Happy New Year (and some Majestic wines)

Happy New Year to all. Apologies the posts have died away, but the last month has been crazy. Not just the usual busy Christmas period of drinks, work does and family meet-ups, I also got engaged and had a huge 30th party. Very exhausting! Posts will be forthcoming, some great restaurants in the Cotwolds from December are due.

A lot of my tweets recently have been about some absolutely shocking service from British Airways. This hopefully will not continue and can carry on tweeting about what I love- food and drink. All I can advise is please never use British Airways if you have any choice!

For the 30th party bash I had 2 great wines- didn't want to go to over the top, as had beers and gin cocktails as well!

Both wines were from Majestic and loved the sale and return they offer as we went a bit overboard, and people brought lots of the own champers.

Firstly the Prosecco, an absolute steal at £6.66 at present. Get it whilst it is on offer, as taste better than those double the price. Subtle flavours and incredibly easy to drink, could work with most foods.

Find it here:
Majestic Prosecco

Secondly the Syrah, at the same price of £6.66. This looks to be already sold out on Majestic, so I feel guilty having a case left lonely in the corner of the flat. I normally steer well clear of red wine like this but loved this, very strong smells but ultimately very drinkable. The review below somes it up (no 6). Look out for it, hopefully there are some out there available!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/11273089/Ultimate-Christmas-wine-guide-12-star-buys-for-2014.html

Black & Blue, Waterloo

Friday night the two of us decided to go for something to eat near Waterloo on the way home. Unfortunately out of all the choices within walking distance we made a massive error with Black & Blue.

As the place was busy we went straight to the bar and we probably should have left at this point, as the G&Ts were served in the type of glasses not seen since cheap student union nights many years
ago.

Eventually a table was free and we were shown towards it, well told it was upstairs and left to find our own way. As there was no staff upstairs we just sat anywhere and waited and waited. Eventually we asked the only staff member anywhere near for menus and grudgingly she got some.

Trying to order was also great fun, 4/5 attempts to explain what we wanted as the server's English was almost non existent. What tricky order did you want I hear you say, well Ribs times 2! Could not have been easier to understand and pointing to the menu didn't even help.

When the food arrived it was actually alright, not fine dining but certainly edible and we polished it all off. Would have been nice to have been offered anything else/more sauces but not to worry.

Unfortunate it was just after we received the food that the real reason for this blog posting exists!
Sitting the small table right by the railings were fine, nice view over the rest of the restaurant, however big gaps occur between every post in said railing. Putting cutlery 3/4 centimetres from the edge is a recipe for distaster and as you can imagine when the plates were put down the lack of space meant by girlfriend knocked her knife slightly. This then fell through the railing, fortunately hitting the floor below and not a diner.

This then led to the quickest movement of staff that evening, with the bouncer on the door running up the stairs to berate my girlfriend for 1. doing it on purposes and 2. being drunk. Great way to kill the mood of not only our meal but also all other tables upstairs.

A little later we explained to the server and she apologised and said she would have a word with the
bouncer, shame that when she went downstairs, she walked straight past him (maybe she forgot upstairs had such a good view??)

We finished our meal and paid, again explaining the poor experience. Not really any apology this time but told simply he wasn't part of normal staff so it wasn't the restaurants fault. Oh that makes it alright then.

My advise is simply don't go here, if you need a quick fix food wise at Waterloo hit Mcdondalds instead.

Food 5.5/10
Overall 3/10

I tweeted the restaurant post meal well over 48 hours ago,  but up to now have had no response so have no qualms what so ever in posting this less than positive review 

Honey and Mustard Dressing

On a bit of a health kick recently, so have been a little slack in updating as most of my meals have been monotonous and boring. Although this meal was a salad, it had blue cheese covering it and my famous (well within friends) honey mustard dressing

I love condiments but always think salad dressings are a bit dull and almost always a bit too vinegary for my tastes. I will always try and make something up rather than just pour at a bottle

Ingredients:

1 tsp whole grain mustard

1 tsp american mustard

2 tsp mayonnaise 

2 tsp honey

Method:

1. Simply add the mustards and honey together. Mix well

2. Add the mayonnaise in, small bits at a time and continue to mix

3. Add further amounts of any of the ingredients for preference. If too thick add a little olive oil

4. Drizzle over salad