QUICKIDY QUICK SWEET HOT DOG MUSTARD

 

It's a lazy tea tonight at MattyB Bakes. Hot dogs and 2nd day pasta! Who doesn't love hot dogs? There is the age old hot dog question though isn't there? Ketchup or mustard?

Me? I'd normally say ketchup however I may be turned around with fantastic way to really make your hot dog mustard pop just by adding a few little store cupboard ingredients to some Dijon mustard.

In this latest quickidy quick sauce/dip recipe I'll let you in to the secret. All you need is:

1 Heaped Tbsp Apricot Jam

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Tsp Whole Grin Mustard

A Pinch English Mustard Powder

1 Tsp Dried Parsley

Whizz all these around in a bowl until a smooth sauce has been made with no traces of the jam or mustard powder and then pop in the fridge for 30 mins or so whilst you cook your hot dogs to allow the flavours to meld together. This will really add a sweet punch to your mustard and reduce that nose burny sensation you can get from a strong mustard which is what often puts me off eating it.

Its that simple. Next time it's hot dog/burger day then whip up a little batch and turn a simple meal into something a little bit more special!

LULLY LEMON AND RASPBERRY RIPPLE TARTLETS

 

I love using lemon in my baking. Hands down its my favourite dessert flavour. That beautiful sharp and zingy lemon taste is too die for. I also love making my own pastry. Crumbly and delicious homemade shortcrust is always miles ahead of shop bought. So I combined the two along with some fresh raspberries, raspberry jam and toasted almonds for these lully little lemon tartlets. The perfect way to round off any meal.

MATTY'S (NOT SO) MINTY CHILI SLAW

Here's an extract from the Scouse dictionary:

Minty: Adjective:

Dirty looking, off, out of date, undesirable

Therefore to describe this slaw as just "Minty" wouldn't sit very well with me. Therefore I shall call it my "(Not At All) Minty Slaw."

Perfect for a summer dinner or BBQ. It can be whipped up in no time but is even better when prepared in advance to allow the fresh chili mint flavour to really infuse with the other ingredients.

JON'S PERFECT PAELLA

 

Paella is of course something best eaten on the med. All the spectacle of having it cooked in front of you with local and so fresh its still breathing seafood in a ginormous pan is something you really cant match back home. However, with the gorgeous weather were having at the moment, Jon got right in the holiday mood so he whipped out our new paella pan to create the perfect Spanish treat just for us!

MEET MARY BERRY FOR AFTERNOON TEA!

The BBC Good Food Bakes And Cakes Show is drawing closer and today they have released details of a fantastic competition where you could win the chance to have afternoon tea with the legend that it Queen Mary Berry Of Cake. If you think you have got what it takes to make a cake or bake good enough to win, give the official press release below a read for a guide on how to enter. Good Luck!

FABULOUS FOCACCIA

My growing adventures into bread making continues today with this gorgeous recipe for a stunning focaccia that is a great way to use that pizza stone you bought for your homemade pizzas. Crispy, salty and punctured with fresh herbs, it makes a stunning centre piece to a meal as well as being truly scrumptious. The pizza stone will give your focaccia a delightful crispy base that is so crunchy and satisfying when you bite into it. A greased lined baking tray will work too, the layer of polenta you sprinkle over the tray will still give the base a nice bite.

MATTYB BAKES 100TH POST BONANZA

 

 Well here we are! 4 months in and I'm celebrating my 100th post. I didn't realise when i started the blog just how into it I would get but I'm enjoying it so much. I've had so many people say such nice things about all the recipes and even a few who have tried a couple and told me how great they are which really puts a big smile on my face.

That's one of the reasons I started this blog. When i started posting pictures of my food on facebook like one of those really annoying foodie people a lot of people would ask me how I had so much time to make all this food. They also wanted to know how I managed to lose 3 stone in 3 months and still bake all these cakes and tarts.

MATTY'S GARLIC MUSHIES

 

I always try and eat a balanced diet but I will treat myself to delicious homemade fried foods every now and then. I've said many a time that a little bit of what you fancy won't hurt you! Today I indulged by recreating a classic pub grub starter from the comfort of my kitchen. Juicy mushrooms covered in a crispy, herby batter all ready to be dunked in a luscious garlic mayo. Go on! Make some tonight, you deserve it.

SWEET AND LULLY LEMON LOAF

I think the lemon drizzle cake is a go too recipe for any baker. So simple to make yet so uber delicious that I cant think of many people who would turn down a slab. Now that I'm getting more confident with using yeast I though Id try something a little different with this sweet loaf version of a lemon drizzle with lashings of cream cheese frosting. Its so light and soft that if your like me you will want more than a slab but to demolish the whole thing in one go!

MY BIGGER FATTER GREEK VEGGIE PASTA

My big fat Greek veggie pasta bake has become one of the most popular recipes on MattyB Bakes but its more suited to a warm summers day. This recipe originally came from a family friend and is great for a more warming and comforting evening meal on a wet and chilly night. Spread over the top is a Greek yogurt layer which really adds a twist to the traditional tomato pasta bake. I'd never seen anything like it before but its such a fab idea I implore you to give it a go and experience it for yourself.

CRUMPS!

Its as simple as the title suggest. I always like to try out new things and seeing them being made on telly I thought I'd give crumpets a try (or crumps as we like to call them). They are a big hit in our house and so armed with some freshly bought crump rings I set off into the kitchen ready to give them a go. Now they are time consuming to make so don't think you can whip a few up at breakfast time. I suggest you knock out a large batch of them on a quiet day, keep some out to eat and freeze the rest so you some ready to take out the night before for brekkie.

FIGGY ROLY POLY BICCIES

 

When talking about classic puds, one that will always come up is the Jam Roly Poly. My nan used to make a cracking one and serve it with lashings of custard. Yum! What what about classic biscuits. Well I'm sure the fig rolls would be mentioned by a lot of people as well. So here is my mash up of the two. Vanilla dough filled with fig jam and baked into these bite sized gems. Two classics together to create a new one!

COFFEE AND WALNUT WORLD CUP CAKE

The World Cup is nearly over and done with for another four years. Wasn't one to remember for us English folk this time around but one good thing that did come from it was the spotlight on Brazil and all the fantastic food stuff they have on offer. One thing that Brazil is famous for is its coffee and it inspired me to whip up an old classic, Coffee and Walnut cake slathered with a chocolate cream cheese frosting. It'll make a perfect dessert to tuck into whilst you watch the final this weekend.

FABULOUS CHILLI CORN FRITTERS

 

Ive talked in the past about my love for Liverpool's top Thai restaurant, Chaopraya. The highlight of any visit there is their yummy sweetcorn fritters. This recipe is my tribute to those little morsels of crispy goodness. Mine add a bit more spice chili wise but then again I do love the punchy flavour that chili gives to any meal. I'm not saying they are better than Chaopraya's but they come a very close second.

VOTE FOR LONDONS BEST BAKERY!

I'm uber excited to be visiting the BBC Good Food Bakes and Cakes Show this October and I'm thrilled to see that they have launch a competition to find the best bakery in London. It can hard at the moment to make a business work particularly when your trying to compete with massive chains and supermarkets so I think its great that they are given recognition to all these fantastically talent people. I wish there were more of these small bakeries all over the UK as you can really taste the love that goes into every bake. Keep reading to see the press release from the 

BBC Good Food Bakes and Cakes Show and to find 

out how to vote for your favourite.

ONE SHOT SUNDAY ROAST CAKES

Now we all know I love a Sunday roast. I love them so much though that sometimes I go a bit overboard. Portion control is defiantly an issue here. I hate wasting food so with my left overs from this weekend I made these delicious potato cakes and all I needed was a bit of flour, breadcrumbs and an egg and Ta-Dah! Leftovers were transformed before my very eyes. Jamie Oliver would be so proud.

SMOKED TOFU SPRING ROLLS

 

So to really treat myself, as part of my special weekend Asian dinner I thought I'd give making

homemade spring rolls a go. I'll be honest, it looked like it was going to go belly up but thankfully I managed to produce these beautifully stuffed smoked Tofu rolls. Packed with veg they were miles better than some of the little greasy monstrosities you can order from the chippy. Once you go homemade you'll never go back.

STICKY & SWEET STIR FRY

This weekend i actually had two days off work and I was excited to get into the kitchen and just lose myself in my cooking. As a treat to myself I went all out and made a little Asian meal for us what with it being my favourite cuisine. This sweet chili stir fry I dished up really hit the spot. My stir frys normally have a light and fresh sauce such as on my Speedy Stir Fry but this was my weekend off and time to indulge. The sweet chili sauce on this stir fry is beautifully thick, sticky but also just on the right side of healthy to not feel to guilty. Just!

MATTY'S SPEEDY SPECIALS (VOL.2: "WIMBLEDON LEFTOVERS" MERINGUE)

This speedy special is designed to use up any leftover strawberries, cream and jam you may have left over from making my Wimbledon Tart or Vicky Sponge. I hate waste and so by purchasing some ready made meringue nests (yes, you could make your own but this is a speedy special) you can make this super quick and easy dessert, use up all your left overs, save pennies and still look like you made an effort!

All you need is the following:

Strawberry and Cream Meringue

1 Meringue Nest

1 Tbsp Strawberry Jam

2 Tbsp Whipped Double Cream

2 Strawberries (Halved)

Simply get your meringue nest and spoon in the strawberry jam. Spoon over the whipped cream to conceal the jam and then arrange you strawberries on top. Repeat per serving!

It's as easy as that. The purpose of this post was not only to encourage you to use your leftovers but to so you just how simple it is to make a beautiful looking dessert. Whip yourself up a batch today:

Pronto!

MATTY'S SPEEDY SPECIALS (VOL.1: VIETNAMESE COFFEE ICE CREAM)

I've made a couple of treats over the last week which are so simple and quick that I thought I would share them with. These treats I call my speedy specials and are ideal for making something that will still impress your family and friends even if you have no time for a full on baking masterpiece or you think that you can't cook (or won't cook!).

First comes this deliciously smooth and creamy Vietnamese coffee ice cream. A traditional recipe to the region, it's speedy in the sense that it takes 10 Min's top to prepare. You can then ether serve it straight away as a beautifully sweet cream or if you prepare it in the morning and freeze, it will be ready to serve as an ice cream come dinner time the same evening. All you need is the following:

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

600ml Double Cream

397g Condensed Milk

2 Tbsp Coffee (Dissolved In 50ml Cold Water)

2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Simply add all your ingredients into a bowl and whisk away until the mixture can form soft peaks. You want the ice cream to be light and fluffy so don't over whisk as it will be too thick and heavy. Serve immediately or pop in the freezer and after 12 hours you will a more ice cream like consistency.

It doesn't get much easier than that!

HUMMINGBIRD BAKERY'S "SNICKERS CHEESECAKE PIE" (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Ive never really been a fan of Snickers (or Marathons if your really old school). Not sure why, think there were more appetising chocolate treats out there. So i was surprised that when I saw this recipe for what is essentially a giant snickers pie by the Hummingbird Bakery that i was instantly enamoured. I had to try it. I wasn't sure i would like it but myself and everyone who tried it had nothing but "umms" and "aaahs" to say about it.

 Basically its a peanut butter cheesecake pie. But that really doesn't do it justice. Let me talk you through it:

MA'AM'S WIMBLEDON TART

Its Wimbledon time and that calls for one thing. Strawberries and cream! There are many recipes for S+C based cakes on line but when I had to think of something to make for a chocolate lovers birthday today I thought chocolate tart with strawberries on top! Perfect.

Wheres the cream you may ask? Well not only is the filling essentially just a beautifully rich and smooth chocolate and double cream ganache but a nice dribble (or lashing!) of single cream makes the perfect accomplishment.