THE RETURN OF THE (NO) BUTTER (NO) CHICKEN CURRY

Everyone loves curry night! Getting a takeaway on a Friday is the ultimate in lazy weekend treats. I love creamy curries and my absolute favorite is a scrummy butter chicken. Dipping your naan bread into that yummy sauce, it's naughty but oh so nice! Butter chicken is not the best thing to have really if your trying to shed a few pounds though so it was great when we created this low calorie version a few years ago as it meant I could enjoy this coconut milk based version without any of the guilt. Hurrah!

TREDWELLS LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Having visited the Gilbert Scott at London St Pancreas before this blog was born and really enjoying it we were glad to see that chef owner Marcus Wareing also looked after Tredwells near to the Cambridge theatre. Close to the Seven Dials which we were visiting to see a show, we took a look at the menu and we were instantly sold so we booked a table and headed down one Friday evening to go check it out.

S.K.A.I BEACH CLUB BALI (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Our Bali adventure continued on day two with drinks on the beach during sun downers. I can't think of any better way to finish off a hard day of sun bathing by the pool. How about if there was a yummy meal to be had too? With hungry bellies we headed off down the strip and stumbled upon the SKAI Beach Club. This restaurant is part of the Padman Resort in Legian but we didn't let the fact it's attached to a hotel put us off giving it a try as the menu looked delicious!

GRILL ON THE ALLEY MANCHESTER (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

It wasn't the first time that we had visited Grill On The Alley in Manchester when we visited last month however when we received an email that they were offering discounts on table bookings so that people could sample their new menu and with a visit to the city planned, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give them another shot. So, off we popped with our reservation ready to see what delicious new treats they were serving up this springtime.

THE EVERYMAN BISTRO LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

A theatre wouldn't be my first point of call when looking for somewhere to eat but when looking for somewhere to eat after going to see a matinee performance of the Everyman Theatre's Company production of Fiddler On The Roof (which was stunning btw!) we saw that they had their very own Everyman Bistro offering up food prior to evening performances. Somewhere to eat right where we were spending the afternoon? Made perfect sense to give them a try and so we made a table reservation and after enjoying the show we headed down into the Everyman's basement to take our seat.

BISTRO FRANC LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Looking for a three course dinner in Liverpool priced at just £12.95? Not possible I hear you cry! Well let me take some time to introduce you to Bistro Franc on Hanover Street, Liverpool. This French restaurant has been operating in the city for a fair few years now and is famous for offering it's patrons a three course pre theatre menu for just that. Cheap? Yes, but is the food any good? With tickets to the Liverpool Empire theatre one evening last week to see the touring production of Rent and without wanting to spend an arm and a leg on dinner; it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it and find out.

GUSTO LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Gusto in Liverpool has been around for a few years now so this isn't the first time I've walked through their doors and I'm sure many scousers could say the same. It's in such a handy location for people heading off to the arena or for those you have taken a leisurely stroll around the docks for the day. I've never had a bad meal in Gusto but  the food has been better on some occasions then it has been on others. As part of a large booking, we traveled down to the waterfront one Sunday afternoon to see this visit has going to be one of those better trips or if we were going to leave still wanting more.

LION AND LOBSTER BRIGHTON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

When Sunday rolls around and you can't be bothered to cook there is only one thing left to do; head on over to the local pub and get that Sunday roast cooked for you instead. When we discovered that The Lion And Lobster was just a stones throw from our hotel and was indeed serving this traditional British feast we just knew that we had to go and check them out. Painted bright red, Lion and Lobster's quirky exterior is hard to miss. With its traditional cartoon pub sign it really couldn't get any more quintessentially British. Stepping though the door is like stepping back to a time when the pub landlord was king and everyone came down for a sing song and a gossip down at the local boozer.

GRAFENE MANCHESTER (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Why we booked a table at Grafene earlier this month is still a mystery to us? Not in a bad way you understand but its just we can't remember where or how we discovered it! Having booked said table weeks in advance for a pre-theatre dinner we ventured up to King Street in the Deansgate area of Manchester city centre on quite a wet and windy Friday evening to see if there was method to our apparent madness.

CLASSICS REVISITED: CAULIFLOWER CHEESE

I haven't revisited a classic recipe for a while but a few weeks ago I made this gorgeous cauliflower cheese from scratch and I just had to share the recipe with you. My previous cauliflower cheese recipe was an easy peasy version for those of you who are maybe in a rush or not confident to make it from scratch. This one shows you how to make a delicious sauce using butter, flour, milk, Dijon mustard and cheddar cheese. It's surprisingly easy actually and is even better when you add in some bashed up bread sticks, herbs and onions to the mix.

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER BITES

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.