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! 

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!).

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.

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.

LITTLE LEMON BISCUITS FROM THE LAND OF LULLINESS

I hadn't made biscuits in a long time and this Saturday I really felt in the mood to make some little nibbles to enjoy with a nice cuppa whilst watching comforting weekend movies on the TV. If you look back at some of my old recipes you'll notice that lemon is possibly my favorite flavor when it comes to sweet treats and so when it came to deciding what biscuits to make it really wasn't too difficult decide. These little lemon biscuits covered in a zingy citrus icing are so buttery and crumbly that it's like they are giving you a warm hug.

THE RETURN OF THE COCO-OATY BARS

Many months ago I made these delicious oaty bars as an alternative to my Fab And Fabulous Flapjacks. I decided to revisit them this weekend as, after all my tray bake tales recently I was feeling a bit caked out. Last time I made them with strawberry jam however, this time round I had a jar of lime and mint curd from Scarlett and Mustard and it complimented the coconut mixed in with the butter, flour, oats, sugar so well that I had to revamp the recipe and share it with you all. These bad boys have gone up another level and you are going to love them!

BANGIN' BANG BANG SALAD

"Bang Bang" is a traditional Chinese dish which refers to the noise made by the bashing of the chicken normally served with the dish with a wooden mallet in order to flatten it and make it easier to shred and scatter over the top of the accompaniments. The chicken is then normally served with a satay like peanut sauce and that is where the inspiration for this salad has come from. As this is a veggie salad there is obviously no chicken, just lots of fresh raw vegetables dressed in that delicious nutty sauce, perfect as a side dish at your next summer BBQ.

TOM'S KITCHEN ST KATHERINE'S DOCK (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I've been a fan of chef Tom Aikens ever since I'd seen him on the Great British Menu so I was excited to find out that I would be staying close to one his restaurants, "Tom's Kitchen" during our recent stay in London. Would it live up to my high expectations? We headed off to St Katherine's dock to find out.

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.   

BUSABA LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Another restaurant opened in the old Stockton's building in Liverpool City centre last week and it's the one I was most looking forward to trying. I love Asian food so the prospect of a new Thai restaurant in the city was to exciting to resist and so, a couple of days after its official opening, three of us popped on over to Busaba on Hanover Street to see if our expectations could be matched.

ZINGY CHILLI CHOCOLATE COCONUT 'CAROONS

I use coconut a lot in my baking that it seemed strange to me that I had never made coconut macaroons before. Having read up on how these little spheres of joy were made I was surprised at how easy it was so it seemed like a no brainer that it was going to be the next bake for me to try. My twist? It's a small one but by adding in some lime zest as well as dipping your balls into some melted chili and lime flavored chocolate, you give them an added zing as well as some heat which give these coconut macaroons something of an grown up edge.

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!

CLASSICS REVISITED: MY THAI!

One of my most earliest recipes and one of the most popular is my Thai green curry. Super simple and easy to whip up after a day in work I would just highly recommend you give it a whirl. But what if you have a bit of time to really make your green curry pop? How could you achieve that? Simples! Make your own Thai green curry paste of course! You can really taste the difference between a homemade paste and shop bought. Trust me, that extra effort you put is going to blow your mind!

"GIN FIZZ" CAKE

Gin and tonic, G&T, whatever you want to call it is a Great British summertime tipple. Me personally, I tend to stay well clear of the stuff for fear of the dreaded "Gin Tears". However one way to enjoy your gin without worrying about crying into your glass by the end of he night is to whip up my "Gin Fizz" loaf cake. Packed with zingy fresh lime juice and zest flavors and with a laced with shots of your favorite Gin and fizzy drink, this is defiantly one just for the grown ups! As the old saying goes; "Lets get busy with the fizzy!"