LULLY LEMON VICTORIA POLENTA CAKE

So earlier in the year I made a lemon polenta tray bake and it was totes yummy. It got spotted online by some work buddies of mine and I was asked to make it for a meeting in work as a little treat for all the attendees. This was my cue to show off so I thought, "how can I make that lemon polenta cake even better?". Simple, bake two cakes and add a layer of lemon flavored whipped cream to sandwich them both together like a Victoria sponge. I'll call it my lemon Victoria polenta cake if you will!

PERFECT CITRUSY POLENTA BICCIES

These have to be the best biscuits I've ever made. Yup, I'm going to open with that line. It's true though, these polenta based biscuits which are flavored with fresh lemon and clementine juice and zest are to die for. They look amazing with their little cracked tops and they have the most incredible texture of any biscuit I've ever made thanks to the addition of the polenta into the dough mix. I was in love on first bite and quite frankly I don't see a reason why I would ever have to buy a shop bought biscuit ever again!

RED HOT RICELLA SALSA

So as with every Christmas I got a great selection of new cookbooks as presents. Two of my favorites were Nigella Lawson's new offering and Rick Stein's Road To Mexico. Both are fabulous and both also contained a recipe for a roast tomato salsa. I didn't know which one to try first so I decided to bang both the recipe's together to create a "Ricella" salsa (see what I did there!). I've taken the red peppers from Nigella's recipe and combined them with the lime and coriander leaves from Rick's and the combination really works well.

HANDMADE NO FRILLS GORGEOUS GUACAMOLE

Now I know I’ve already posted a recipe for guacamole before but this is my new take on the Mexican sauce to try and be a smidge more authentic having been inspired by Rick Stein's TV series about his road trip to Mexico. It’s a simple guacamole without any bells and whistles that you bash up using a pestle and mortar followed by a fork before seasoning to taste. No machines used here which is a good thing as your guacamole not only tastes better with its more interesting texture but also because you know you’ve put the effort in! 

ONE LAST NIGHT AT MANDRAC (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Yes, I'm well aware that I've spoken about my visits to Mandrac several times already but as it is one of my most favorite places in the world and we did visit it for a third time when we visited Lopud in September that I think it's perfectible acceptable to talk about it for another time, especially when the food was once again utterly delicious. No surprises here, this isn't the day that Mandrac mess up and the food was awful, it's just me showing you some more of the amazing food that was served up too us on our final night on Lopud.

BRILLIANT CHOCOLATE ORANGE BUNDT CAKE

I love a good old chocolate orange. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it's my favorite flavored chocolate and so to be able to transfer those flavors to a cake to me sounds like heaven. I totally did it with this gorgeous looking chocolate orange bundt cake. A delicious light and fluffy sponge smothered with a glossy chocolate icing all flavored with big juicy fresh orange juice and zest to give it that amazing classic chocolate orange flavour combination that not only tastes yummy but looks divine!

CURIOUSLY DELICIOUS COURGETTE, LEMON AND PISTACHIO TRAY BAKE

Sometimes I see a foodie trend pop up regularly in magazines and on TV which I'm not really quite sure will work. Courgettes being used to make cakes was one of them. I just didn't like the sound of it at all but last weekend I bit the bullet and decided to give it a go as I had been quite curious about how it would taste. I'm so glad I did as it transpired that it would actually taste most delicious especially when flavored with ground pistachio and plenty of zingy lemon both in the cake and the lemon curd icing on top!

PERFECT PESTO PASTA

I've been getting a bit more adventurous lately when it comes to trying food that I thought I didn't like. I did it with satay when we were in Singapore (I now love the stuff!) and this weekend we decided to make some homemade pesto to see if it's better than the ready made stuff that I don't like. Well I like basil, garlic, lemon, pine nuts and parmesan so why wouldn't I like them all blended together. Turns out homemade pesto is well lush, super easy to make and I'm gutted I've been missing out for so long.

LULLY LEMON POSSETS

This post was actually meant to be a recipe for scones but once again I managed to make a batch of scones which were like bullets and so they went into the bin and these lemon possets were born instead from the lemons and cream that were going to be served with the scones. I looked on the bright side though, out of disaster came the most simplest and yummiest of desserts which you can whip up in no time in the morning and leave to set ready to eat in the evening whilst you crack on with the rest of your day!

MATTY'S VEGGIE "BB" CURRY

One of the food based highlights of our holiday to Bali recently was our meal at Skai Beach Club and the chef's signature chicken "Too-Too". This was a twist on the traditional Balinese be tutu dish, a fragrant and spicy yellow curry that is absolutely to die for. I've tried to recreate a vegetarian version here using Quorn pieces instead of chicken which I toss into my own slow cooked take on this yummy sauce along with some vegetables, which I'm calling my "BB" curry (see what I did there!).

STAR CINNAMON SINGAPORE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I wouldn't normally recommend food which you can pick up in a food court but then again I had never been to Star Cinnamon until recently. We stumbled across Star Cinnamon in the basement of the Bugis Junction shopping centre on our way home from visiting the Gardens By The Bay in Singapore and we couldn't help but be enticed by the wonderful cinnamon buns on display. We just had to try some so we stood and began to make our selections. What a hard choice this was going to be!

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE ORANGE COOKIES

Well after our holidays this month I am now officially skint. No money for buying fresh baking ingredients this weekend so I worked with what I had. That is what lead me to create these gorgeous chocolate chip cookies which are laced with the classic flavor combination of chocolate and orange thanks to some leftover birthday chocolate I had sat in the fridge. If you are a keen baker like me you should have all the other ingredients you need in your kitchen which shows that you should never let a lack of funds stop you getting your baking fix.

"MELT IN THE MIDDLE" CHEESE AND ONION POTATO CAKES

These cheese and onion potato cakes came about when I was trying to make a vegetarian version of a fish cake on Good Friday this year. I wanted to make them really special and so with some leftover cheese in the fridge I set about making a delicious potato cake with an amazing melt in the middle cheese filling in the centre that would explode over the plate once you cut through the golden panko breadcrumb coating. They take a little work to make but trust me when I say that it is really worth the effort. Who knew potatoes could be so exciting!

HOLY GUACAMOLE BAR AND GRILL BALI (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So at the beginning of this month I was very lucky to go for two weeks holiday exploring Bali and Singapore. I love Asian food in all its forms so I couldn't wait to try all the delights of these two regions. You might be surprised to see then that for our first meal away we actually ended up in Holy Guacamole, a Mexican bar and grill near our hotel in Legian. Well, when you're still adjusting to a country's time zone, temperature and culture sometimes it's best to stick a little too what you know.

LULLY LEMON AND GINGER SHORTBREAD

I was feeling a little under the weather for most of the last week and so on the weekend I decided that I wanted to make something that was super quick and simple to prepare using lemon and ginger, two ingredients that always make me feel a little better when I'm run down. Shortbread was the answer to my prayers, a simple bake that only uses a few ingredients but the result is a deliciously buttery biscuit that is the perfect accompaniment to your medicinal pot of piping hot tea.

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.

LULLY LEMON SLICES

Classic recipes might not be terribly exciting or have all the bells and whistles of a show stopping celebration cake but for when you want to whip up something easy after a stressful week of work then they are perfect. A favorite of mine is the lemon slice, a simple zesty lemon sponge topped with a layer of even zestier lemon icing. This all in one recipe can be in the oven in less than 15 minutes if you have a handle on your baking skills  it's also a great recipe for beginners to try too. Most importantly; its makes some right lully cakes!

LULLY LEMON OATIBIX

Sometimes you need a good biscuit to have with a cup of tea on a Saturday afternoon after a long, hard week in work. The ultimate way to fulfill this need is to make your own homemade biscuits as not only do you get to taste the deliciousness, hot and fresh straight from your oven but your house will also acquire that amazing baking smell with is just as comforting as being wrapped in a big fluffy duvet. These oaty lemon biscuits can give you that feeling with no problem whatsoever as they are the easiest bake on the block!

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.

MATTY B'S AMARETTO BAKEWELL TART

The time has come for me to update my recipe for my my signature bake! My Bakewell tart!  This tart is one of the reasons I started writing this blog as people kept asking me for the recipe! It has the crumbliest almond flavored pastry, an Amaretto frangipagne and toasted almonds on top. The addition of the Amaretto adds a beautifully sharp boozy almond taste to the tart that makes it defiantly one for the grown ups.