MY BLOG, MY RECIPES, MY FOOD!
Having cooked vegetarian food regularly for at least ten years now it's always great when I see a new meat substitute product come onto the market. Quorn's latest offering is a sausage patty that instantly reminded me the type you get in a certain fast food chains breakfast muffins. I couldn't wait to try and recreate them using this exciting new product alongside the already popular veggie bacon strips and the humble egg. Cook them and pop them all on a toasted muffin and you have a scrummy vegetarian breakfast treat 
For me, a lazy Sunday is all about tucking into a massive Sunday roast and if I had my way it would always be with a plump and juicy chicken. Therefore when it came to choosing somewhere to eat last Sunday in Liverpool, the tasty sounding chicken dishes on KO Grill's menu sounded like just what we needed, I mean sometimes you don't always want to cook that chicken yourself do you? So our decision was made and off we popped to Bold Street, Liverpool's continually expanding foodie hot spot to see if our wishes for a fabulous Sunday dinner could be fulfilled.
If there are two things that go well together its Tapas and a warm sunny day. Last week in Liverpool as the sun continued to shine over the city, I headed up to Neon Jamon on Berry St with a friend to take advantage of the glorious weather and pretend that I was outside a small cafe on the Mediterranean coast enjoying fine wine and great food. Having opened their new site just over six months ago, had Neon Jamon managed to transfer that taste of Catalonia from it's Smithdown Place branch near Penny Lane to the bustling streets of Liverpool's vibrant, multicultural city centre?
Now here's something a bit different for you. Having acquired a packet of Portlebay lemon sherbet popcorn I decided that it would make fabulous topping for the top of a loaf cake. Of course a lemon loaf cake was going to work well but I wanted the cake to sparkle as much as the popcorn topping. I'd seen thyme being used in lemon cakes before so I couldn't think of a better time to try it for myself. The subtle flavors of the sherbet in the popcorn and the thyme in the sponge together with the lemons is amazing! 
We love to have cauliflower cheese with our Sunday lunches in our house. The problem is, it's not the most healthiest of dishes to serve up at the dinner table when you are trying to shed a couple of pounds before your summer holidays. This is where these cheesy cauliflower bites come in to play. Roasted cauliflower seems to be very much on trend at the moment so I've taken that idea and roasted my florets in some yogurt, Parmesan cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs to create a healthier alternative to this comfort food classic.
Ah the carrot cake! Possibly the most loved of all the vegetable cakes. When you can try the courgette, beetroot and even the avocado cake, for me they don't hold a candle to this tea time classic. How can you make a carrot cake better? Alcohol of course! Thats right, this version contains sultanas which have been soaked in my favorite liquor, Amaretto so that in the midst of the grated carrots and the warm cinnamon and nutmeg spices, you'll get a hit of booze that makes it's a lot more naughtier than your average carrot cake.
I couldn't think of any better way for a foodie to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death then having a spot of lunch at The Swan on London's Bankside. Practically attached to the famous Shakespeare's Globe theatre, this bar/restaurant caught our eye as we strolled along the length of the Thames last week with it's tasty looking menu proudly on display by the main entrance. That night when we got back to our hotel we booked a table for two at 2pm the next day. Would the food taste as good as it sounded in writing? I couldn't wait to find out!
We had decided on having a spot of lunch today washed down with a refreshing glass of cloudy lemonade but it appeared a lot of the other diners had come for the popular "Midsummer's Night Dream" afternoon tea. It looked a treat; three tiers of delicate sandwiches, scones and a top tier of some gorgeous little cakes and shot glasses of some moussey looking things washed down with pots of loose leaf tea, prosecco or a "love potion". The tea is served in some beautiful looking Midsummer's Night Dream tea sets which I'd quite like to own myself. I've got my eye on this for the next time we visit.
I suppose by saying there will be a next time I've given away that I'd like to come back. Well, it's hard for me to disguise this fact as the food was stunning. Our first starter was the tomato gazpacho which was delicious. A fabulous cold soup perfect for a warm day like today. You could taste the freshness of the tomatoes in every drop. Add to it some pesto, a drizzle of oil and crunchy croutons and you'll find it difficult not too scoop up every last drop and you'll find it difficult not to scoop up every last drop with the freshly cut bread served up from the centre of the dining room.
Our other starter was also fitting for a spring afternoon, a fried duck egg served surrounded by a delicate arrangement of broad beans, spring onion, pea shoots and sliced baby radishes and finished with a drizzle of oil. Not only was the plate visually outstanding (so much that I didn't want to touch it, it was so beautiful) but once you cut into that vibrant yellow yolk and allow the golden insides to ooze out all over the tender veg then the dish really comes alive. Loved the little crispy bits of egg white too, just how I like a fried egg! It was that good I didn't want it too end! 
Our other main was another vegetarian stunner of roast halloumi, English asparagus and Jersey royals. Love a Jersey royal and these bad boys were so buttery and soft. The asparagus was tender with a bit of a bite too them and the halloumi was perfectly cooked and minus the squeak that dodgy halloumi can have. Large circular pieces of charred onions added another layer of flavor to the dish alongside the "mystery" sauce. The sauce isn't highlighted on the menu so we had no idea what was in it but it was fabulous and I'd love to know what it was. As well as tasting stunning, it is also a right looker on the plate. Perfection all round.
Did we go on for pudding? With food this good it would of been rude not too! First off the block was an old favorite of ours, the bakewell tart. I love baking a bakewell tart but I love eating them more and this version did not disappoint. The pastry was crisp and buttery and topped with a layer of fruity jam. The frangipagne body of the tart was soft and moist and melted in the mouth. Served alongside it was a spoon of Devon cream that took me right back to childhood memories of holidays in the south west with it's intense creamy smoothness. The definition of a Great British bake on a plate.
With my summer holiday booked it is now time to get working on that beach body. This is a nightmare for a foodie like me but it's OK! You can still have your favorite dishes if you just make a few little changes. This recipe for my vegetarian take on a beef stroganoff is automatically better for you as it uses Quorn rather than beef and the main calorie adding culprit, the cream is replaced with creme fraiche. Adding some peppers in to bump up the flavors is all you need to turn this classic dish into a guilt free feast!
Yes, you read that right, chocolate mayo cake! Don't run away and take a minute to think about it. Mayonnaise is essentially oil and eggs and therefore by adding it into a cake you are merely replacing some of the fat and egg content that would be standard in any cake recipe. Trust me when I say that if you hadn't been told it had mayonnaise in it you would never know; you would be more transfixed on the fudgy chocolate sponge, chocolate glaze and the Oreo and Flake's used to decorate this chocoholic's dream!
I do love a good cheesy pasta bake. It's one of those things I love to make when I just want some proper home cooked comfort food in my belly. It's also such an easy meal to whip up once you know how. Start by just prepping everything, cook up some pasta, fry up some tasty veg and make a gorgeous tomato sauce, simmer, bung everything together, slather with cheese and then bake. OK, so it sounds like a lot of steps but trust me it's a walk in the park and when you taste the results you're going to be transported to a very happy place I promise!