THE RETURN OF THE GUILT FREE CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

This chocolate fudge cake was the first cake recipe I posted on my blog. That was over three years ago now (thank you for everyone who's read the blog over the years!) so when I had some Greek yogurt in my fridge to be used up I thought it was a great time to revisit the recipe and give it another bash. I'm pleased to tell you that it's still the sticky and sweet chocolate based piece of loveliness that I remembered. Plus as it's made with yogurt instead of butter, it has less calories which makes it guilt free! Hooray!  

PROPER DIRTY LEFTOVER CHILI ENCHILADAS

Whenever we make a chili con carne we always have loads leftover. A batch we make can last three days sometimes if we go all out! Just having chili and rice for three days straight would be boring though so you need to think of ways to breath life into it each evening. Enchiladas are a perfect way to do this. Wrap your leftovers in tortillas, cover in a tomato based sauce, cheese and fresh herbs and voilà, your chili is transformed into something new right before your very eyes. It's proper dirty but proper delicious!

REFUGE MANCHESTER (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

It's funny how you can walk past somewhere fairly regularly and not even notice it's there. When we travel up to Manchester for concerts and theatre visits we often get off at Oxford Road and we'd never noticed Refuge before. We spied this offshoot of "Volta", a successful Manchester restaurant by chefs Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey (also know as the Unabombers - according to their website anyway!) online when planning a birthday meal in the city and we loved the sound of the menu so we decided to give them a try. Off we popped on the train to Manchester once more ready for a delicious celebration meal.

BOOZY THAI FRIED HALLOUMI

When you're living with a (mostly) vegetarian person it can be quite difficult sometimes to make meals were you can enjoy a bit of meat whilst being able to make a meat free version to satisfy the veggies as well. You may of seen my recipe recently for Boozy Thai Red Curry Fried Chicken I posted on here earlier in the month but here is a vegetarian version I made using 8 batons of halloumi. It works just as well as my chicken drumstick version and more importantly, is equally as fragrant, spicy and tasty!

LULLY LEMON AND GINGER SHORTBREAD

I was feeling a little under the weather for most of the last week and so on the weekend I decided that I wanted to make something that was super quick and simple to prepare using lemon and ginger, two ingredients that always make me feel a little better when I'm run down. Shortbread was the answer to my prayers, a simple bake that only uses a few ingredients but the result is a deliciously buttery biscuit that is the perfect accompaniment to your medicinal pot of piping hot tea.

BOOZY THAI FRIED CHICKEN

Thai fried chicken is something you may not of come across before and that is because I don't think it exists! This creation came about as I was trying to make some Korean fried chicken but couldn't find any Gochujang paste so I decided to use some red Thai curry paste instead and you know what, it really worked. Add this newly created sauce to some chicken, battered and deep fried in a vodka based batter and you have a proper homemade version of a Saturday night takeaway that's 10 times better than going the chippy! 

BOOZY BBQ BEER CAN BIRD

Beer can chicken is not something I have invented but it's certainly a craze that has been going around on the foodie scene for a while now that I hadn't tried yet. I tried it this weekend just gone for the first time and I'm so glad that I did because it's absolutely phenomenal. I mean what could go be wrong with the combination of beer and chicken? Add to this boozy bird a lully BBQ butter rub made with paprika and cayenne pepper and applied to the skin before roasting and you are in for the best Sunday roast of your life. 

MINI EGG EASTER BROWNIES

Last year I made a delicious Easter Eggstravaganza Cake that was one of the highlights of my baking year. This year I wanted to celebrate Easter with a new bake and so, ready for the holidays here are my Mini Egg Easter Brownies! A gorgeously gooey, sticky and fudgy brownies with oodles of Cadburys Mini Eggs and Mini Creme Eggs baked into them to basically create a brownie that is perfect for anyone who can't wait to dig into the Easter Eggs on Easter Sunday. It's soooo naughty but oh so nice!

YARD AND COOP LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Chicken joints used to be few and far between in Liverpool but over the last few months more and

more venues have been popping up. The latest chick on the block is Yard And Coop. Opening its second venue in England after it's flagship in Manchester, can Yard And Coop really call itself "The Home Of Buttermilk Chicken?" We booked a table to find out for ourselves.

THE EVERYMAN BISTRO LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

A theatre wouldn't be my first point of call when looking for somewhere to eat but when looking for somewhere to eat after going to see a matinee performance of the Everyman Theatre's Company production of Fiddler On The Roof (which was stunning btw!) we saw that they had their very own Everyman Bistro offering up food prior to evening performances. Somewhere to eat right where we were spending the afternoon? Made perfect sense to give them a try and so we made a table reservation and after enjoying the show we headed down into the Everyman's basement to take our seat.

BISTRO PIERRE LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So having enjoyed the £12.95 pre theatre menu at Bistro Franc in my previous post and being lucky enough to have tickets to go and see Sheridan Smith star in Funny Girl at the Liverpool Empire last week, we decided to give their sister restaurant, Bistro Pierre a whirl. Their pre theatre menu offered a different selection of starters and mains so it's practically like visiting a completely different venue isn't it? Could Bistro Pierre offer a tasty trio of courses similar to that of Bistro Franc? We headed off to go find out.

PLEASE SPONSER ME FOR RED NOSE DAY

One of the good things about having this blog is being able to reach out and try and connect with people for a good cause. So this post is a bit of a begging one but I don't care because I'm doing it to raise money for Red Nose Day 2017. Myself and a bunch of guys from my work are riding a stationary bike in a relay for 180 miles from our hotel in Liverpool to our head office in Hammersmith. We are hoping to raise £1000 for Comic Relief and you can help by donating as much or as little as you can to support our bike ride!

CHICKEN "NOODLE DOODLE" SOUP

As I had two chickens brought home for me the other day (chicken based presents are the best!) I decided to go all out and not waste a thing so, I digged out my old chicken stock recipe and made a big batch of delicious stock which I then used to make some homemade chicken noodle soup (maybe I was inspired by seeing Fiddler On The Roof at the theatre over the weekend!). Making a soup right from scratch (stock and all!) is totally satisfying and you can really taste the difference compared to a shop bought version.

BISTRO FRANC LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Looking for a three course dinner in Liverpool priced at just £12.95? Not possible I hear you cry! Well let me take some time to introduce you to Bistro Franc on Hanover Street, Liverpool. This French restaurant has been operating in the city for a fair few years now and is famous for offering it's patrons a three course pre theatre menu for just that. Cheap? Yes, but is the food any good? With tickets to the Liverpool Empire theatre one evening last week to see the touring production of Rent and without wanting to spend an arm and a leg on dinner; it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it and find out.

CRACKIN' CORNFLAKE CRUSTED MOZZARELLA STICKS

Oh, I do love a good mozzarella stick! Biting through that crispy breadcrumb coating and letting that stringy cheese just dribble all over your chin? Yup, it's totally messy, dirty and wrong but I bet there are a lot of people out there reading this agreeing me right now. One question? How can you make mozzarella sticks even better? Simple! Make your own home made versions and use crushed cornflakes mixed with panko breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powder to make the most delicious, crispy coating ever!

CHEAT'S CHEESY GARLIC AND HERB DOUGH KNOTS

I think most people who have ever stepped through the doors of a Pizza Express will of tried their dough balls at least once in their life but I don't think many people would consider trying to make them at home. That can seem like quite a lot of faff but this is were my cheat's version comes in. By using ready made pizza dough you can have these herby, cheesy, garlic knots on the table in under 1 hour but don't worry; the guilt of cheating will disappear once you try your first one. Trust me, they are proper lush!

LULLY LEMON SLICES

Classic recipes might not be terribly exciting or have all the bells and whistles of a show stopping celebration cake but for when you want to whip up something easy after a stressful week of work then they are perfect. A favorite of mine is the lemon slice, a simple zesty lemon sponge topped with a layer of even zestier lemon icing. This all in one recipe can be in the oven in less than 15 minutes if you have a handle on your baking skills  it's also a great recipe for beginners to try too. Most importantly; its makes some right lully cakes!

POSH PORCINI AND CELERIAC SOUP

Don't get me wrong, I love a tin of Heinz cream of mushroom soup but you wouldn't dish it up at a dinner party for your friends and family now would you? What you need is a posh version which will blow the socks off your guests. It's also super simple to make so it's a stress free starter too. The posh elements in your soup come from the porcini mushrooms and the celeriac but you will get your money's worth as you will use all the mushrooms and the soaking broth to really add flavor to your soup whilst the celeriac give it it's body.

SLIM'S PORK CHOP EXPRESS (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Liverpool has a very rich multi cultural heritage but could a restaurant advertising a unique British take on American classics with a sprinkling of dim sum dishes inspired by the neighboring China town be fusion to far? Based right on the top of Seel Street, Slim's Pork Chop Express takes a lot of its influences from the movie "Big Trouble In Little China" with the retro references lining the walls to the names of the dishes on the menu, it really sounds like an 80's child's playground. I went down one Friday to see if it is all a bit gimmicky or a fun and playful place to bring a bunch of mates for chilled out meal.

LULLY LEMON OATIBIX

Sometimes you need a good biscuit to have with a cup of tea on a Saturday afternoon after a long, hard week in work. The ultimate way to fulfill this need is to make your own homemade biscuits as not only do you get to taste the deliciousness, hot and fresh straight from your oven but your house will also acquire that amazing baking smell with is just as comforting as being wrapped in a big fluffy duvet. These oaty lemon biscuits can give you that feeling with no problem whatsoever as they are the easiest bake on the block!