SMOKY AND SPICY TEXAN TATERS

So it's bank holiday Sunday and I'm far too chilled out to be cooking up a big Sunday roast. I need something that's simple, quick and tasty and these Texan potato cubes are the perfect side to whip up under these circumstances. It's just diced potato, onion and peppers roasted in garlic, paprika, Old Bay seasoning and my old friend liquid smoke. In just under an hour you have a delicious tray of super special spuds and what makes these taters so simple to make is that you just chuck everything into a bowl, mix and transfer to a roasting tray. It really is that easy.

QUALITY CORNFLAKE FRIED QUORN NIBLETS

Did you see my Crackin' Cornflake Fried Chicken? Well obviously I had to go ahead and make a vegetarian version for the veggie at home and so out came the trusty Quorn chicken pieces. I wasn't sure that they would work being soaked in buttermilk and then being deep fried in a herb and spice flavored flour and cornflake coating but they worked incredibly well. They were just as good as the cornflake chicken in my opinion and so make a great healthier alternative whilst also being a new way to make those Quorn pieces more exciting!

CRACKIN' CORNFLAKE FRIED CHICKEN

I think I've finally cracked it when it comes to making the perfect deep fried chicken. With the most delicious meat I've ever eaten on a chicken thanks to it having been in a bath of buttermilk overnight, I bring you my crackin' cornflake fried chicken. Not only does the crispy coating of the chicken taste delicious thanks to the combination of herbs and spices in the flour mix but there is also the best crunch ever to them thanks to the addition of oodles of crushed cornflakes. Perfect weekend comfort food after a long week in work!

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!

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.

GINGER NUTTY KEY LIME PIE

I love any citrusy based desserts. That sharp kick really packs a punch and works so well with all
different types of cakes and bakes. It's only natural then that every time I see a Key Lime pie it takes all my might not to jump over and stick my face in it! I'm no food historian so I don't know what's in a traditional Key Lime pie but I say who cares about the rules and just make what you enjoy to eat! That's why for me the best biscuit base to use on a Key Lime consists of crushed ginger nuts. Lime and ginger! A fabulous flavor combination.

THE NEW CLUB BRIGHTON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Sometimes when you're visiting a new city you might spend ages researching places to eat, getting

recommendations from friends and family or trawling the internet looking at reviews and pictures on Instagram. Sometimes though you should just wait until you get there and you never know what you might stumble across. That is what happened with The New Club, which we walked past on our way to our hotel in Brighton. It looked nice inside and the menu sounded delicious so we decided to walk back in the evening and give it a shot.

STREET N4 FINSBURY PARK LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

We're back in the big smoke this weekend and with tickets to see a show at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park we needed to find somewhere nearby to have  pre show nibble. How lucky for us then that Street N4 should be located right next door. When we saw that it sold burgers and burritos we were instantly sold so off we popped on the tube to go and see if the food tasted as good as it sounded.

SMOKIN' SWEETCORN SOUP

It's time for another soup recipe now and this one uses the smoky flavors chipotle along with sweetcorn to create a kind of tex-mex vibe to this gorgeous soup which also blends sweet potato, pepper and veggie bacon to make a truly vegetarian treat. Fresh coriander (stalks and all), cumin seeds and garlic work alongside a hint of cayenne pepper thrown in for a bit of heat to produce a cuddle in a bowl that if you play your cards right, you can have on the table in just under 30 minutes. Quick, simple and tasty, what's not love!

MATTY'S WALDORF SLAW

I do love a good homemade slaw. Comes from the love of my Nan's homemade version we used to have back in the day. I love experimenting with my slaw's, trying to come up with different variations depending on what it's going to be served alongside. Today we were having some BBQ pork belly and jacket potatoes so an all American slaw sounded like it would do the trick so what I did was take some of the flavors of a Waldorf salad, apple and walnuts as well as some sultanas and let me tell you this; it was Da Bomb!

MOOSE AND MOONSHINE LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Moose Coffee have been operating in the North West for some time now and the success of their

American/Canadian diner breakfast experience has led to the opening of Moose and Moonshine on Liverpool's trendy Hope Street. With tickets booked for the Philharmonic hall just a few doors down, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to go and try out their preview menu to see if that passion for producing a great North American brunch could be transferred to an evening offering.   

BOOZY FRUIT AND NUT CINNAMON ROLLS

A friend of mine travels over to America a lot and we would always chat about all yummy stateside food she would enjoy when she was over there. One thing that came up was the cinnamon roll. They are big business over in the States but you don't really see them around here much, well not in Liverpool anyway. To cheer myself up stuck with the rain back home, I devised a recipe for some raisin and pecan packed rolls, spiked with a hint of Amaretto. A little of booze is always a good pick me up when your feeling a bit blue isn't it?

RED HOT BUFFALO CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

If  I had to eat one type of meat for the rest of my life it would have to be chicken. It's my go too meaty treat (particularly when I'm a bit worse of wear after a night on the cider!). It's so versatile and can be turned into many a delicious dish, such as these finger licking buffalo chicken drumsticks. These chicken drumsticks are coated in some seasoned flour and then deep fried so that they are super crispy before getting tossed around in a buffalo sauce which can be as spicy as you like (although for me, the hotter the better!).

BAKED "SOUTHERN FRIED" BREADED CHICKEN BREASTS

If you love chicken then you probably love southern fried chicken! Frying chicken can be a right faff though if you don't have a deep fat fryer like I don't. Getting that oil temperature just right and then handling super hot oil can get messy as well as dangerous. So how about a more healthier, baked version to sink your teeth in. Yes, it doesn't have that heavenly dirtiness that deep fried southern fried chicken has but it's so much more straight forward to make, better for your waistline and is still a super tasty treat!

"ACCIDENTAL" CHUNKY RANCH SLAW

I love a good homemade coleslaw, whether it be trying to emulate my Nan's classic slaw or a minty chili version, they always taste so much fresher than the stuff you buy in packets from the supermarket. This chunky ranch slaw was never meant to be a recipe on here but came about by accident hence the name. We thought we had a bottle of ranch dressing that we were going to use to coat our slaw but upon finding it had in fact been binned we had to create our own. The result was too good not to share with you all!

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.

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!

TASTY TATER TOTS

In my continuing quest to find exciting ways to jazz up dinner time potatoes I think I may of hit upon the finest potato based creation yet. Ladies and gentleman I bring you my totally tasty tater tots. Deep fried potato which has been seasoned with a hint of spice, these golden and crispy bad boys with there little fluffy insides will be a hit on any dinner table up and down the land. They require a tad more work than lobbing a jacket potato in the oven for your tea but effort is totally worth it once you take that first delicious bite!

PATTERSONS LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Anyone who loves meat has to love fried chicken. Well I know I do that's for sure! So when I heard Patterson's Chicken and Tunes bar had recently opened close to my work in Liverpool city centre, I knew I had to give them a try. So armed with an empty stomach, a friend and I headed off to see if the chicken described as "crispy, tender and so tasty" on their website stuck to its word.

"DIET STARTS MONDAY" MAC AND CHEESE

I'm well aware that there is a recipe on this blog for a lully low cal alternative to your regular Mac and Cheese. However recently, now that the cold is biting and the darkness descends over Liverpool earlier and earlier each day you just need to have something that just makes you feel all warm and cosy inside. So forget that diet and tuck into this truly satisfying mac and cheese,peppered with crunchy onions and mushrooms and then covered in a beautifully crisp and golden brown bacony breadcrumb blanket.