SUMMER SMOOTHIES: BREAKFAST ON THE GO

Next in my series of summer time smoothies comes this delicious oaty version that is brilliant for a breakfast time treat and ideal for whipping up the night before, leaving in your fridge and then grabbing in the morning if you don't have time to enjoy a proper sit down brekkie. This recipe is a simple strawberry and banana version with a smidge of honey for sweetness but you can experiment with different fruit to suit your own taste and create your very own individual and unique "Breakfast On The Go".

INGRID'S CURRY WEDGES

Our dear friend Ingrid commented on one of my posts recently suggesting I gave this a go. Curry powder, thyme and salt baked wedges! She said it was a right treat and she certainly was not lying. I've add some chili and garlic into the mix as well for extra oomph. I'm not sure if this is how she makes them but I've taking her idea, ran with it and given birth to these fluffy yet crispy bad boys and so I dedicate this recipe to her for giving me the inspiration. X 

DIRTY DEEP FRIED MAC AND CHEESE BALLS

Ladies and gentleman please feast your eyes on the most dirtiest, heaviest creation to ever grace Matty B Bakes. These balls of mac and cheese and chorizo dipped in panko breadcrumbs and deep fried are so incredibly naughty that if they didn't taste so absolutely awesome you would feel so guilty that you would be handing yourself into the police straight away for crimes against your waistline. They do take a while to prepare but trust me once you have your first, you will see they are well worth the wait.

2-4-£20 CAKE AND BAKE SHOW TICKETS

With the October Cake and Bake Shows are fast approaching here is an exclusive offer of 2-4-£20 tickets, great for those who haven't picked there's yet. What are you waiting for!

MATTYB'S GREEK SALAD

The flavors of Greece are fabulous. I've used the like of feta and halloumi in a couple of my recipes over the years but I've never attempted to give thee ultimate Greek dish a whirl. That my friends is the Greek salad. I'm jazzing my version up by baking a marinaded block of feta in the oven and then serving it on top of a fresh salad fulled of little treats all dressed in a sharp and zingy herby lemon and vinegar dressing.  It's so quick to prepare but will look an absolute delight when you bring it over to the table ready for everyone to dig in!

PRONTO PASTA SAUCE

Pasta smothered in a tomato sauce! Why that's one of our favorites over at MattyB Bakes towers. Sometimes when you don't want the heaviness of a bolognase or a lasagne, a chili, garlic and basil flavored tomato based sauce with a few mushrooms and little sweet peppers topped with soft and stringy mozzarella is all you need. The best part of a pasta sauce though is that you can knock one up in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for busy folk or when it's a day when you just need something no frills and delicious.

URBAN COOKHOUSE MANCHESTER (MATTY B RECOMMENDS)

Manchester's food scene continues to grow and grow with numerous new places to eat popping up on what almost seems to be a weekly basis. One such venue is the Urban Cookhouse which was handily close to the hotel we were staying in during our latest visit to Manchester and with an appetizing looking menu on offer we thought we would go check it out!

SUMMER SMOOTHIES: TOTALLY TROPICAL

Not all smoothies need to contain yoghurt to make them delicious. In the third of my series of

delicious summer smoothies I've used some tinned pineapples, peaches and banana along with a good swig of complimentary pineapple juice to create another refreshing concoction perfect for cooling you down on a blistering warm day. Its also great for vegans out there as well as those who are lactose intolerant, why should they miss out on all the smoothie action!

FABULOUS FRESH GREENS FRITTATA

Remember when there was a time when me having a frittata was a rare thing. Well when I did get around having one and created my fabulously fiery frittata I vowed that I wouldn't leave it so long until I made another. Nearly on year later and it was about time I stuck that promise and so long along came this equally scrummy fabulous spring green frittata. This time using peas, asparagus, potatoes and chili jam, a final sprinkling of feta cheese makes this one pan dish great for tucking into on a warm summers evening.

CAKE AND BAKE SHOW TICKET GIVEAWAY

The October Cake and Bake Shows (in association with NEFF) are nearly upon on us and it's my privilege to be able to offer you all two chances to win a pair of tickets to the show of your choice. The October shows are taking place at London, (2nd – 4th October) Manchester (16th – 18th October) and Edinburgh (30th October – 1st November) and (judging my the events at the last show in Harrogate in June) promise to be incredible with a host of celebrity chefs, demonstrations and of course, oodles of cake and other yummy treats all for you to come and watch and sample!

SPICY BEAN BURGER BONANZA

We eat a lot of veggie burgers down at Matty B Bakes towers and we can honestly say we have never been fussed on bean burgers. They just never really feel like your eating a burger in the same way that the like of Quorn burgers do, especially for myself being a carnivore. Of course though I have a mantra and that is that everything always tastes better when it's homemade and when it comes to these beautiful bean burgers that is defiantly 100% true. All you need is a tin of beans, an onion and some herbs and spices and your ready to roll!

CHEEKY CHERRY CAKE

Cherry flavors in cakes and bakes is always going to be a winner in my kitchen. My Bakewell tart and boozy marbled Bakewell loaf cake are testament to this fact. For the ultimate in cherry bursting flavor and for those you aren't a fan of that almond frangipane taste you can't go wrong with plopping some actual cherries into your bake. It saves on having to resort to using jam or flavoring which is also a plus. This cheeky boozy little number is super easy to make and can be whipped up in no time or an impromptu adult only cakey feast!

ROZAFA MANCHESTER (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I spend quite a bit of time in Manchester going to concerts and gigs and several times I had walked past Greek restaurant Rozafa and thought "you know what, we should really give them a go one day". Today that day finally arrived and we finally took a walk down to see if the food could take us back to our holiday in Rhodes a few years ago. The weather certainly was doing that as it was in the centre of a Great British heatwave so all Rozafa needed to do was provide the authentic Greek dishes to send us back to that fabulous island!

SUMMER SMOOTHIES: MIXED BERRY

My next installment of summer smoothie madness is this delicious mixed fruit version. What's great about this recipe is that it shows how you can boost the goodness of your smoothies using a mixture of both fresh and frozen mixed berries. The joint pleasure of this is that you get the fresh fruity burst of the fresh berries as well as the cold hit of frozen berries which gives an instant chill to the smoothie without the need for having ice cubes around which you may not always have in your freezer. From ingredients to glass in less than 5 minutes! Perfect!

"DIRTY" REFRIED BEAN BAKE

Now when I say dirty I don't mean that in an actual filthy kind of way. That would just be wrong now wouldn't it! What I mean it is that this refried bean bake is just so wrong that it is just oh so right, one of those guilty pleasures that you know you shouldn't be in love with but you could eat by the bucket load. What's great about this too is that although you can make it from scratch if you so please, it's the perfect quick dish to knock together when your pressed for time using simple store cupboard ingredients.

WIMBELDON "GRASSHOPPER" PIE

Nigella Lawson's Grassshopper pie is one of my most favorite things to make. That creamy, minty and most importantly boozy filling on a chocolate biscuit base is a dessert that is so easy to make and delicious in these warm summer evenings. With Wimbledon now in full swing I decided I to put my own spin on this classic dish by using a strawberry and cream liquor instead of the usual creme de menthe to create a pretty pink pie packed with those traditional Wimbledon flavors. Place it centre court on your dinner table and it's game, set and match.

SUMMER SMOOTHIES: STRAWBERRY, LIME AND BANANA

You might find this bizarre what with me being a total foodie but I have a proper aversion to eating

raw fruit. It's a texture thing more than a flavor thing. I just can't handle it! Blend it into a smoothie though and I'm sorted. With summer here and a beach body needed to be achieved before October and the super warm days now upon us here in the UK, here is my first summer smoothie recipe. a simple strawberry, lime and banana connection that's great to get down you at breakfast time or as a refreshing afternoon treat!