CHOCOLATE BOOZY BOULDER BISCUITS

Its Sunday and its time to open that liquor cabinet for a little tipple before the working week starts again. But as tempting as it would be just to stick a straw in a bottle of vodka and get on with it (remember kids, drink responsibly!), I'm just going to use a splash of Amaretto in these beautiful chocolate biscuits. Dipped into icing sugar before baking, these little rocks of cocoa goodness will rise and crack in the oven like little snowy mountain tops. They look stunning and taste just as good too.

ONE SHOT SUNDAY ROAST (LEMON AND THYME STYLE)

 

Ready for the weekend, its time for another One Shot Sunday Roast Recipe. This time were staying relatively traditional with a simple citrusy fresh lemon and thyme tray. You can use fresh lemons but its also a great way to use up that bottle of lemon juice that gets paraded out on pancake day before going to sleep in the cupboard for another year. So quick and simple its another flavor combination you can to your growing repertoire of one shots. 

"HEART ATTACK" PASTA

Caution! This post is not good for your health. You have been warned!

If your still reading this let me explain. I'm always one for promoting good healthy recipes but you know sometimes when you've had a long week and you just need to have something that's comforting and naughty, Well this is the dish for you. 

A creamy buttery and cheesy chorizo pasta that is the complete antithesis to my healthier Mac and C. You can just grab a fork, tuck in and then collapse on the sofa with a stuffed belly ready to veg for the evening. Just don't expect your arteries to thank you for it!

MATTYB'S CHARITY BIKING ADVENTURE

Hello you fantastic people who read my blog. I thought I would take a day away from sharing my kitchen adventures with you and talk about a different kind of adventure I went on this weekend. I took part in a 25mile bike ride from Chester to Liverpool with some of my amazing colleagues from work in order to raise money for the Candice Colley Foundation. I hope my story will make you dig deep and donate to this fantastic charity!

"TOTES OATY" CHEWY CHOCCY COOKIES

After the success of my "Honey Honey" biccies the other day I thought I'd have a go at making more to serve with my "Fancy Dancy" Raspberry Mousse. Now I love chocolate (then again who doesn't?) and I also love oats, my go to recipe for any occasion are my Fab And Fast Flapjacks, they always go down a treat. So I thought why not combine the two and that is exactly what I have done these beautifully chewy chocolate chip cookies. Great with my mousse, with a cup of tea or even as a breakfasty treat on the weekend.

"FANCY DANCY" RASPBERRY MOUSSE

I never used to mind making my cakes by hand in my pre-mixer days. I liked getting stuck in and it's also great exercise for your arms doing all that beating and whisking. One thing I used to hate however and therefore avoided at all costs was whipping cream. It takes ages to do by hand and baking is supposed to be fun, not laborious. But now that I have my mixer I can whip anything with the greatest of ease, like this delicious raspberry mousse, topped with fresh raspberries and served in a little tea cup. Super cute!

"HONEY HONEY" BICCIES

Well today was a very exciting day at MattyB Bakes Towers. As a belated Christmas treat I was bestowed with an actual electric food mixer. I had wanted one for ages and the day had finally arrived (Thanks Jon!)

Well it was like Christmas day. I had to unwrap my present and bake something immediately to try out my new baby. So I went to this simple honey biscuit recipe. Even without a food mixer they are easy to make and the result are these soft and chewy golden discs of joy.

"IT'S TOO WARM" CARROT AND BEET SALAD

Don't know what it's like where you are but things are sure heating up in Liverpool. I don't cope well when it's warm. After a whole days work in a stuffy basement office even I don't want to come home and spend hours over a hot stove in the evening. Neither do I want something heavy and stodgy. So with some left over beets and carrots in my kitchen I rustled up this delightfully fresh and crunchy salad. It takes minutes to make so you can whip it up as soon as you come through the door and then leave to marinade.

Done!

STICKY & SWEET ASIAN ROAST CHICKEN AND GRAVY

I love Asian flavors, I've mention  this in previous posts but the last meal my mum had before she went into labour with me was a chicken chow mien. I must of loved it even as a little Matty inside her belly as I flew out looking for more shortly after. It's possibly why I love chicken so much too. So when I thought about adding Asian flavors to my Sunday roast chicken I came up this fantastic marinade and decided to give it a go.Well I was in heaven come dinner time. If I could of inhaled the whole thing in one go I would of!

MATTY'S MOZZARELLA BALLS

Apart from the naughty but nice pizza, whats the next best thing about a hangover takeaway day. Its the sides of course. Whether it be chicken wings,dippers or garlic bread, it is a necessity that you order a little something to nibble on in between slices of pizza so that you can reach the status of "stuffed" with the greatest of ease. So whilst we are mastering the perfect homemade pizza night why not give my mozzarella balls a whirl. Dipped into one of your homemade dips, the oozing cheese will burst into your mouth as you bite through the Herby coating. Its a little taste sensation every time you pop one into your mouth.

QUICKIDY QUICK HONEY MUSTARD DIP

Last week I showed you how to make some quick pizza crust dips for dipping in your homemade pizza crusts. So simple to make and more tasty than the shop bought versions or those little tubs of sauce you get from takeaway pizza shops. There is one of these sauces I absolutely love though and that's Papa John's honey and mustard dipping sauce. It's incredible and always my first choice when we order in. Imagine my delight when I discovered this recipe for making your own version at home and let me tell you it is exactly the same. I couldn't believe it!

If your giving my homemade pizza a go tonight or even if your ordering in make yourself a big batch of this sauce today. It will take you ten minutes tops to make and my recipe below should leave you with enough left over to store in a sterilised jar in your fridge ready for next time, saving you time as well as the pennies!

KICKIN' VEGGIE KHEEMA

I've always championed the use of Quorn mince in my recipes, not just for veggies but for those trying to lose a few pounds before the summer holidays. We always fall into a trap here though of just using it to make a bolognese or chili and as yummy as they are, sometimes you need something a little different. A bit of spice in your life you could say. So that's how we discovered the joys of Kheema. Traditionally made with mutton, it's a South Asian curried mince dish that seemed like a fabulous way to use our Quorn mince.

NUTTY 'NANA AND CARROT CAKE

I love a good old carrot cake. I find it funny that the thought of a vegetable in a cake used to horrify me back in the day. A perfect example of you should always try everything once, you never know what you might be missing out on. I've had some cracking carrot cakes in the past and this is by far the best one I've made in my mission to try and emulate them. I think the secret lies in the addition of mashed bananas. You would never eat a banana and a carrot together outside of the realms of cake so I've no idea why the two seem to work so well in this recipe but trust me when I tell you it's so beautifully soft, light and moist that's is defiantly one to give a go.

QUICKIDY QUICK PIZZA CRUST DIPS

I cant wait to give my pizza stone another go again. It made truly one of the best pizzas I have ever had. I especially loved the crusts that I added to mine. Super crispy on the outside and super soft and delicious in the middle. Now I know pizza crust divide everyone out there. You either love them or hate them, I've never met anyone who is in between. But for all the haters out there I've got two scrummy pizza crust dips here for you that I promise that if you dip your crusts into these bad boys and still aren't a fan I shall raise my hands in defeat.

JAMIE'S ITALIAN LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

When it first opened in Liverpool  I loved Jamie's Italian, I had the pleasure of going for a meal at their pre-opening and was so impressed with the food and the service. It felt like we had something special that was fitting for the new Liverpool One area of the city centre. 

Sadly, we went last year and were disappointed with the quality of food. The spark had gone, it felt like I could of been in any bog standard Italian chain restaurant and with so much choice and quality in Liverpool I was doubtful that I would be returning anytime soon. So when I was sent a money off voucher to try out their new summer menu and with plans to go and eat out before going to the arena, I thought I would give them another shot. Maybe they were having a bad day and with a new menu behind them perhaps some of that old magic would return. Well, I'm pleased to report that it most defiantly has!

JON'S CITRUS CHEESE CHILLI CORN-UCOPIA

If you saw my homemade slaw recipe yesterday you may of spotted these cheesy corn cobs stealing the spotlight on the last picture. Jon created a beautiful lime, chili and ginger butter to bake them in and boy they were good.

So fresh and juicy I could of eaten 10 of them and the little sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano gives them a nice sharp edge that really compliments the lime and chili. If your looking for a different way to enjoy corn cobs give this a go today. It couldn't be easier.

(NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS NAN'S) HOMEMADE SLAW

I grew up in a pub and when there used to be an event like a wedding reception or a birthday party that used to be held for one of the regulars my Mum and Nan used to put on an amazing spread. I think it's where my love for food and cooking comes from. One of the things that always used to get asked for was my Nan's "Scouse" and her homemade slaw. It's famous within my family as well. Sadly she and mum left us before I ever found out the secret to her recipe. It was so crunchy and sweet and light, not like the sloppy shop bought versions you can buy.

When the passion for cooking was sparked up in me and I thought about Nan's slaw I had two or three attempts at trying to make it but I never found that secret ingredient something. Maybe it was just because it was made with love? We will never know. My version is the closest I have ever gotten and it's still yummy, it's just not quite there but I think you'll still find it a great treat for a summer dinner or BBQ.

"MATTY PROOF" CARROT AND CHICKPEA BURGERS

I have always had a hard time if any kind of veggie "patty". I don't just mean burgers either. Falafel are not my friend and neither is the onion bhaji. When it gets to the frying stage they just simple disintegrate into a burnt mushy mess no matter how rigidly I stick to the recipe.

That was until I discovered these little beauties. Using mainly grated carrots and a chickpeas, they not only managed to retain their shape under the grill but they also tasted scrummy and fresh, very much like a giant falafel just in a burger shape. When I posted them on Twitter a while back a lot of people complimented me on how delicious they looked and if they could get the recipe. I completely forgot all about them until I was going though my camera pictures today and came across the pictures. 

So better later than never here is the recipe for these "Matty Proof" burgers. Give them a go today.

BUTTON STREET SMOKEHOUSE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

 

Liverpool is such a vibrant and expanding place, especially when it comes to it's food culture. Not a week goes by without news of a new eating experience gracing the streets of this fine city.  A couple of weeks ago we came across the Button Street Smokehouse on Twitter. Describing themselves as the "Deep South Gone Urban", a quick glance at the menu seemed to give the impression that they were offering BBQ/Grill cuisine at what appeared to be very affordable prices and early reviews seems to be favourable. But was this down to wanting to make a good first impression on the city or would the standard still remain high after they had been open for a couple of weeks. We took a trip down their to see for ourselves!

YEE RAH LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

If your anything like me, the week leading up to payday is always difficult when it comes to money. I'm lucky if I have two pound coins to rub together. So what is a boy who loves his food to do if he's going out for a meal before a show and doesn't want to just go grab a burger, a trip to the chippy doesn't cut it with me I'm afraid.

Residents of the great city of Liverpool will no doubt be familiar with the Liverpool One Shopping Centre. Built and opened in time to celebrate Liverpool One becoming the 2008 Capital of Culture it has now becoming the central hub of the city, a great place to meet your friends before heading out on the town or somewhere to grab something to eat after a long days shopping.

Hidden amongst the row of chain restaurants are two culinary treats dishing up great Asian food - Chaophraya and Yee Rah. Now I've been to Chaophraya before and it is amazing. I must give special mention to their sweetcorn cake appetisers which Jon has always said are one of the best vegetarian starters he's ever eaten and I'd have to agree with him. We have been a couple of times over the years and I have never had a bad word to say about any of the meals we have had. If you are really looking to go all out and treat someone special you would never go wrong if you take them for a night out here so visit their website here and book a table today. For those of us who are little more cash strapped like I was today - Chaophraya's baby sister Yee-Rah is a delicious way to still enjoy a great taste of Asia but most importantly, on a budget.