QUICKIDY QUICK APPLE SAUCE

Sometimes you buy in your fruit for the fruit bowl with all the best intentions of tucking in and getting your five a day but when that doesn't happen and you end up some poor little apples sadly about to go on the turn then do not take the easy root and lash them in your compost bin. Take them to the kitchen and with a bit of lemon juice,  sugar and nutmeg you can have a bowl of homemade apple sauce made in no time all ready to go next time you serve up pork for your Sunday roast.

BRAVO FOR PATATAS BRAVAS

A few years ago if you asked me what Patatas Bravas were I wouldn't of had a clue. Then, all of a sudden with the growth spurt of the tapas restaurant in Liverpool they became all the rage, so much so that I was actually beginning to get board of them and started giving them a right swerve. Time has passed and I thought I should try and rekindle my initial love for this Spanish tapas favorite and and came up with this delicious recipe for a delicious bowl of tomato and herb goodness poured over crispy little potato cubes of joy.

NATIONAL BBQ WEEK HALLOUMI

It can be so hard to find BBQ alternatives for vegetarians when you want to step away from a boring burger or hot dog. This national BBQ week why not try my char grilled blackened halloumi fingers. Marinated in a spicy herby dressing, these bad boys really benefit from that authentic smoky flavor being pumped in from your grill. Grill them on kebab sticks for that true campsite BBQ experience and your going to have everyone fighting to grab one of these tasty treats, not just the vegetarians at your shindig!

"GIN FIZZ" CAKE

Gin and tonic, G&T, whatever you want to call it is a Great British summertime tipple. Me personally, I tend to stay well clear of the stuff for fear of the dreaded "Gin Tears". However one way to enjoy your gin without worrying about crying into your glass by the end of he night is to whip up my "Gin Fizz" loaf cake. Packed with zingy fresh lime juice and zest flavors and with a laced with shots of your favorite Gin and fizzy drink, this is defiantly one just for the grown ups! As the old saying goes; "Lets get busy with the fizzy!"

MOWGLI LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECCOMMENDS)

I had been dying to come to Mowgli for months! I love Indian food and ever since I first saw the menu online and listened to the high praise I had heard from friends and family it was time to see if this street food restaurant could live up to the hype.

"TROTTERS" CHILI CHOCOLATE CAKE

Chili and chocolate is a flavor combination that I had read about over and over again in magazines and seen done many times on TV cookery shows but for some reason it just didn't appeal to me. That all changed with the arrival of a jar of "Trotters" hot pepper jelly in this months Flavourly box. I bit the bullet and added some into a chocolate cake and wow! This brownie like chocolate sensation melts in your mouth leaving a unique sweet taste in your mouth from the chili which needs to be tried to be understood.

CAKE AND BAKE SHOW HARROGATE CLASSROOM SESSIONS

The first Cake and Bake Show in Harrogate is nearly upon us. On the 19th - 21st June the HIC Centre will be hosting the first show and there are still tickets remaining for the exciting interactive classroom sessions.

"THE FORAGING FOX" BEETROOT BURGER BAPS

A yummy bake for you now inspired by another addition from my Flavoury box this month. "The Foraging Fox" are an independent company making a fabulous beetroot ketchup and on their website they advise adding a dollop into bread dough for added flavor. So that's what did with these burger buns I made for some veggie burgers I was making and they worked a treat. The sweetness the beetroot ketchup brings to the buns is a nice twist and a simple way to jazz up the humble burger bap. You'll be baking batches of these bad boys all the time!

CHETNA'S "DRINK ME" SPICED CHAI LATTE CAKE

This months Flavourly box was delivered to my door and it was one of the best yet. One of the many treats in there was a tub of "Drink Me" Spice Chai Latte powder along with this fantastic recipe from GBBO contestant Chetna Makan for using your powder to create this delicious cake. The mixed spices in the Chai Latte powder are wonderful and give this cake a beautiful sweet flavor. I would describe it as cinnamon on steroids! Jon described it as one of the best tasting I'd ever made so I knew I had to share the recipe with you!

DINKY RASPBERRY AND LIMONCELLO CAKES

Having stumbled across some old Lakeland vouchers last week I thought it was time to use them and bought myself a 12 hole mini loaf tin. As soon as I got home put it straight to good use and got baking these scrummy little limoncello cakes with a raspberry and poppy seed sponge and mascarpone and lemon pie topping. All individually wrapped in baking paper, they are perfect little portions to nibble on after a meal. Defiantly a most delicious and dinky delight!

BOOZY BATTERED HALLOUMI

My obsession with beer battering random food items continues with this recipe inspired by one of my favorite restaurant dishes. I've spoken before about my love of Bistro 1847's beer battered halloumi and it was about time that I took the bull by the horns and tried to recreate this fabulous meal at home. It might not of been the same but this is certainly up there in close second place. Great for veggies, it's simply a couple of slabs of halloumi soaked in buttermilk and then fired in a beer batter. Simple yes. but sometimes the simple things in life are the best!

BEER BATTERED ONION RINGS

This weekend I've been making a veritable feast of deep fried goodies. Well it is the bank holiday

after all and quite frankly I deserve a little treat. First on the menu are these fabulous herby beer battered red onion rings. A delicious accompaniment for a steak or fish, chips and mushy peas these herb and breadcrumb circles of joy are super crispy and more importantly super tasty and when they are this simple to make then you really don't have any excuse not to treat yourself! Go on you know you want to!

SPEEDY SUB PIZZAS

Hey, we're all very busy people now-a-days and we don't always have hours to spend in the kitchen making lunches for families and you might not always have left over chili in your fridge to make my leftover chili pizza's. This is where my speedy sub pizzas come in! All you need to make these yummy little treats from scratch are basic store cupboard/fridge items and a couple of sub rolls and in less than half an hour you can have four little pizza's perfect for mum, dad and the two kids (or one very hungry baker!). 

MATTYS MINTY MUSHY PEAS

Mushy peas! In my opinion there is something wrong with you if you don't like mushy peas. Either with you your Sunday roast or with fish and chips, it's a classic great British side dish. Most people just crack open a tin but not little old me, I'm weird and like to make them from scratch but then this way I can add a little butter, mint and lemon to give those little green pearls a super tasty boost. Perfect with some roasted lamb and potatoes or dolloped alongside some  battered fish and chips. Yummers!

ASALIAN STIR FRY

That's right folks, we're going fusion on MattyB Bakes today with this Italian inspired stir fry that

uses fresh basil to really give this quick evening meal some real pizazz! I got the idea from Ching Le Huang's new book (buy it! Its brill!) and whilst basil might not be something you would expect in an Asian dish but it does work really well. Add in the stir fry holy trinity of garlic, ginger and chili and you are onto a winner. Whats better is that once you have prepped all the veg, you can this this done from wok to plate in less than 30 minutes!

HELP KICKSTART BISTRO 1847 LIVERPOOL

Bistro 1847 is one of my favorite restaurants in the UK. My review from last year gives you many reasons why. So when I heard they were trying to raise funds to open a new branch on my door step in Liverpool I had to help the only way I could by letting everyone know about their Kickstarter campaign to achieve their goal.