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.

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!

LULLY LITTLE CARROT CAKES

Did you know there is a national carrot cake day every year? Well there is and it's on the 3rd of February. Who knew! This year when I spotted this celebration of all things carrot cake was about to swing by I decided to honor the occasion by baking these little carrot cake cupcakes. I filled my cake batter with crunchy pecan nuts and chewy raisins and topped them with a delicious lemon cream cheese frosting. They make the perfect little mouthful to pop in your mouth of a lully afternoon treat!

POSH PORCINI PATE

Vegetarian food has come a long way over the last 10 years. I'm not a vegetarian but with having to cook for one regularly, I've come to love meat free food and I've discovered ways to make it so tasty that I don't particularly miss meat on a day to day basis. One thing I'd never made before was vegetarian pate. Shop bought stuff is so expensive so when I saw a recipe for a version in Mary Berry's new book I instantly wanted to try it. Now Bezza is the queen of cookery but I thought of a way that I could make her recipe better; by using porcini mushrooms!

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.

CHINESE VEGGIE SLOW COOKED "YEAR OF THE" ROOSTER

Saturday 28th January 2017 was the start of the Chinese Year of the Rooster and so to celebrate I decided to rustle up an Asian inspired dish but as it was a Saturday, I wanted to make something that would require a minimal amount of effort (well the weekend is a time for chilling isn't it?). This dish of five spice Quorn chicken slow cooked in a soy, ginger, garlic and chili broth was the answer to my prayers. All you need to do is add the ingredients into your slower cooker in stages and you'll build up a dinner that is defiantly going to get you in the mood for a party.

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.

MATTY'S HOMEMADE CHEESE AND ONION SANDWICH SPREAD

Have ever tried Heinz sandwich spread? The pale slightly tangy concoction they sell in the little jars with the green label? Well this tastes nothing like it even though it was my homemade attempt to emulate it using an array of fresh vegetables and pickled gherkins chopped very finely and processed together with cream cheese, herbs and mustard powder. What I ended up with was a spread that is more like the cheese and onion spread you get on pre-packed sandwiches in supermarkets. Was I disappointed? Err no! It's super scrummy delicious.

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.

MATTY'S CRACKIN' CRANACHAN

Burn's night happened last month (as it does every year of course!) and this year I was inspired to rustle up a dish to honor this annual celebration. Scouring the internet I came across a pudding known as a Cranachan. This traditional Scottish dessert consists of crumbled up honey roasted oats, fresh raspberries and oodles of whipped whiskey cream. Well, I knew that was the dish I had to make, it just sounded so decedent and naughty. Without wanting to face the wrath of the Scots, I've added my own little twist by adding some seeds to the oats and a mixed fruit medley to the base. I think it's proper bonnie like! 

BOOZY CHOCOLATE AND RAISIN NO FUSS FUDGE

This is the perfect recipe for any chocolate lovers out there who want to make a little treat for
themselves but without having to do too much hard work. This boozy fudge can be whipped up easily by soaking some raisins in some Amaretto, melting some chocolate and mixing everything together with some condensed milk. Transfer everything to baking tin and then pop the mixture in the fridge for a few hours and let the magic just happen. That is basically it! Doesn't get much simpler than that does it?

SUPER SLOW COOKED VEGGIE SAUSAGES AND LENTILS

So it's now mid January, it's raining everyday and it's just too grim to step outside the house. What you need is a bit of comfort food to cheer you up and this is where my slow cooker veggie sausage and green lentil dish comes in. The best part about this recipe is that it takes minimal effort to prepare and then you simply have to let your slow cooker do all the work for you. As with all slow cooked meals though, that low and slow cooking just ramps up the flavor to create something truly scrumptious to get you through these winter months.

CHERRY BAKEWELL LOAF CAKE (WITH A KIRSCH KICK)

Anyone who knows me and has been reading my blog over the years will know there is one bake that holds a special place in my heart. The Bakewell! My tart has seen me through a couple of competitions and I love to try and incorporate that classic cherry almond flavor combination into other types of bakes. When I had a tub of glacé cherries in the fridge left over from baking my Christmas cakes I was instantly drawn back to the Bakewell and so began the birth of my Bakewell loaf cake with a grown up twist of a kirsch kick!

VEGGIE PEPPER "CHICKEN" CURRY

If you don't like spicy food then I suggest you turn away now! This veggie pepper Quorn chicken curry is a great dish for blowing away those January cobwebs with its intense chili kick and fiery pepperiness. Its definitely one that's not for the faint hearted! What's also great about this curry is that it's packed full of veggie goodness with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes and Greek yogurt so that it's also good for anyone who still wants to enjoy their curry night whilst being able to cut down on some of the calories. 

TERRIFIC TURKISH EGGS

Now this dish was a bit of a revelation. Its popped up a few times recently in magazines, books and the internet as a new idea for serving eggs at breakfast time. It might seem a bit strange to be called Turkish eggs when it uses Greek yogurt but I don't really care. All I care about is knowing that yogurt, eggs, garlic, herbs and chili oil can all work together to create a brilliant breakfast (or lunch!) time dish that I'll be honest, I was hesitant to try but can now confirm is delicious. Who'd of thought it eh?

5 DAY OVERNIGHT OATINESS

I've never been one to have breakfast. I know it's the most important meal of the day but I can't normally face eating anything at 6am when I'm getting up for work. That was until I tried overnight oats. These bad boys are so easy to prepare in advance and can be removed from the fridge in the morning and eaten straight from the jar meaning there is no extra dishes to wash. Bonus! My guide below will make enough overnight oats for 5 mornings. Prepare them on a Sunday evening and that's 5 midweek breakfasts ready to go in less than 10 minutes. 

BRILLIANT BUTTER BEAN AND VEGGIE SAUSAGE STEW

I think the best thing about the winter months is that you can crack out the soup and stew recipes and whip up a bowl of comfort in less than an hour. This veggie sausage stew is also very good for those trying to lose a few Christmas lbs. It's packed with an array of vegetables such onions, celery, sweetcorn and spinach as well as a tin of delicious butter beans and just simmers away on the hob whilst you crack with your evening so by the time you come to serve, the sausages will of soaked up the chili paprika sauce and become proper plump and moist.

PERFECT HONEY ROAST PARSNIP SOUP

Please don't be put off by the picture, I know that this doesn't look like the most exciting dish in the world. However sometimes it's those dishes that don't look the best that are actually some of the most tastiest. This parsnip soup came about from having purchased a big batch of parsnips on the cheap from the supermarket so naturally I had to think of ways to use them up. A nice healthy soup was my first thought and what better flavor to pair with parsnips than sticky sweet honey. My honey roast parsnip soup was born!

NEW YEAR COFFEE AND BISCOFF BUNDT

Happy New Year! Did we all have sore heads yesterday? I was actually alright if a little bit tired. We always have a big family do on New Year's Eve and I always like to take a cake to add to the buffet by way of a thank you to our hosts. This year I took this coffee and walnut bundt cake round which I decorated with a selection of cranberries, almond and coconut which sat upon a scrumptious biscoff flavored frosting. Imagine dunking one of those little biscuits you get in hotels into a cup of coffee and that's the flavor combination you have here!

GROWN UP STICKY TOFFEE BUNDT

This sticky toffee pudding recipe that I've adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe has become one that I like to crack out on special occasions (Christmas Day for example!). It's a proper showstopper. The gorgeous sticky toffee sponge bundt looks stunning with little golden brown caramel popcorn jewels scattered on top. The best part of the pudding however is that it is laced with a generous helping of amaretto whilst the caramel sauce is spiked with a good helping of Madeira to make it a bake that is most definitely just for the grown ups!