VEGGIE "CROQUETAS DE JAMON" (WITH ADDED PEAS)

Last weekend we decided to get our Spanish on and have a little bit of tapas for dinner. The highlight of this feast were these delicious veggie pea and bacon croquettes. They take a long time to prepare but I'm so glad that I took the time and effort to make them as they were one of the best things I've ever made. A bechamel, pea and veggie bacon filling with a touch of nutmeg encased in a crispy golden brown breadcrumb coating that makes for the perfect finger food for eating outside on a sunny day with a glass of crisp white wine.

NEON JAMON LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

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?

CHEEKY VEGGIE CHORIZO AND CHICKEN CASSEROLE

That's right, you read that correctly. This is a veggie chicken and chorizo dish. How is that possible? Well I'm using Quorn products of course. Their chorizo sausages are a delight and perfect as part of this vegetable packed winter casserole that I whipped up yesterday adapting a classic Mary Berry recipe.  It has hints of cayenne and paprika from the chorizo, thyme for that herby note as well as a good glug of Madeira wine just to ramp up those Christmas vibes and quite frankly a little booze in anything at Christmas time is kind of the law really isn't it! 

TRIPLE P CHICKPEA CHICKEN

Triple P Chickpea Chicken? Whats that all about then? Well let me tell you. I love a roast chicken for my Sunday dinner and I'm always looking for ways to jazz it up. This weekend I had a look in the cupboards and I had some pepperoni, roasted red peppers and a little bit of paprika. "That would make a nice stuffing" I thought and then when I stumbled across a tin of chickpeas well, that's when I had my "Eureka" moment and my Triple P Chickpea Chicken was born. Quite frankly I find it to be the most sexy bird I've ever had in my house.

ROJA PINCHOS LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

My quest to hunt out the best new places to eat in Liverpool continues with a visit to a tapas style restaurant with a twist. Whilst the city might be a little saturated with Spanish eateries, Roja Pinchos is (as it's name suggests) serving pinchos - small plates served on bread and skewered to hold it together. It sounded different so we thought we'd give them a try!

RED HOT QUICHE

You know when you wake up sometimes and just go "oooh I really fancy that for tea tonight". Well
that's the feeling I got this morning and my craving was for a good homemade quiche. Sitting in my fridge was some cooking chorizo, roasted red peppers, red chili and cherry tomatoes. All beautifully glowing ruby ingredients that I thought would work amazingly together hence the birth of my "Red Hot Quiche". A spicy, smoky and sweet dish that was exactly what I wanted!

FABULOUSLY FIERY FRITTATA

Many moons ago I said to Jon that I fancied a frittata. At the time Jon did not."Oh well!" I thought, "maybe some other time". This turned into some kind of in joke between us both that any time we saw a frittata being made on TV or in a magazine that we'd say that some day maybe I'll get my frittata. Well today is the day folks. This is my garlic and chili jam frittata stuffed to the brim with asparagus, mushrooms and (for that spicy kick) jalapeno pepper, all topped off with salty feta. My dream has finally come true!

JON'S PERFECT PAELLA

 

Paella is of course something best eaten on the med. All the spectacle of having it cooked in front of you with local and so fresh its still breathing seafood in a ginormous pan is something you really cant match back home. However, with the gorgeous weather were having at the moment, Jon got right in the holiday mood so he whipped out our new paella pan to create the perfect Spanish treat just for us!