MY BLOG, MY RECIPES, MY FOOD!
Cauliflower cheese! Where would we be without it. A duller place that's for sure. For me it's 
My favorite hangover food is chicken, especially that of the battered variety. I can easily polish off mountains of the stuff in no time. I'm always trying to recreate my favorites so that I can enjoy them at home with the veggie. This inspired me to create these delicious beer battered "chicken" pieces covered and baked in spicy buffalo sauce. I've had to rush this post out super quick today the response I've had online to these and I'm not surprised at all! They are brilliant hangover fodder but quite frankly just blatantly brilliant in general!
I'm always striving to think of new ways to make delicious and healthy veggie meals and this week I hit on this little beauty. Here we have Quorn chicken pieces and leeks cooked in a oregano based vegetable stock made deliciously creamy with the less calorific choice of adding creme fraiche. We all need a little bit of naughtiness in our life so a little bit of cheese and soy "bacon pieces" tops the dish to give a crispy topping to add texture and some zing to the bake. It's quick and simple to make and great for the busy veggie looking for something new!
This delicious dish (inspired by Jamie Oliver's "Kushari Al Forno") is a fabulous comforty meal that is perfect now that these spring evenings are getting warmer and staying brighter for longer! It has a carbalicious base of tomato, chili, rice, pasta and lentils topped with fresh parsley, mint and crumbly feta to create a hearty dish perfect when piled high on your plate flying solo as a main, dished up as a side with some salad or presented at a BBQ or party for people to help themselves too with their sausage and burgers. 
Banana loaf is always a winner in my eyes but is there anyway that you can make my classic Boozy Banana Bread recipe even better. Well thanks to my recent discovery of Coconom sugar I think I have! This fab new coconut based sweetener helps to create a gorgeous crunchy caramel like crust to the loaf which is to die for. I've also updated the recipe to make what I think is a much less simpler version that any avid baker will be able to whip up in no time. It might be simpler but it's still a beautifully light and fluffy loaf to die for!
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!
Having really enjoyed chef Judy Joo's recent Korean Food Made Simple series on the food network we were delighted to see she had just open I new restaurant in London. With plans to head that way we booked a table to go and sample her delights for ourselves. The experience began before we had even left our Liverpool home when in the morning we received a call from Laura to confirm our booking. Having booked the table a couple months back it was great to get a call to reassure us that our table would be waiting for us. We could now make our journey to the capital with no worries.
Happy Easter everyone! Whilst you might be tempted to stick your face into all those Easter eggs over the next few days there is one thing that you can't have Easter without. Hot cross buns! These delicious bread buns laced with mixed spice are peppered with delicious dried fruits and adorned with that symbolic cross are a perfect treat for those looking to get away from the mountain that is properly in your house around this time. Glaze straight from the oven with more mixed spice wash and your glistening masterpieces are ready!
I can't believe it! My little blog MattyB Bakes is a year old today. When I started writing about my foodie adventures I genuinely thought I'd probably get bored and stop after a few weeks but here I am talking about its first anniversary. This blog has become a real passion of mine and sharing my recipes, tips and recommendations and seeing people's reactions makes me smile everyday. It's a good time to for me to get all nostalgic and look over the last 12 months! 
Sometimes when your forced to get creative in the kitchen you can create something truly magical. Having wanted to make my Chicken Kiev's again last night I was dismayed to find I had no eggs to dip the breasts in to make the breadcrumb coating. "I need something sticky!" I thought and instantly thought of honey. Let me tell you; the sweetness it gives the coating around that juicy white meat is a revelation. I'm glad I didn't have those eggs! If your a fan of fried chicken, do yourself a favor and try it today!
Listen, I don't need an excuse for adding a little booze into my bakes especially when I'm baking something for a dinner with friends. So when I was raiding our drinks cupboard to see what I needed to get in for my next gathering a came across a nearly empty bottle of Malibu and I instantly had the inspiration to bake a cake with a truly tropical twist. Packed with orange juice and zest and of course that touch of coconut rum, this loaf cake is covered with chocolate cream cheese and sprinkles and dessicated coconut to really give you a taste of the Caribbean!
Umami is described as the fifth taste sensation on your taste buds. It's a savory taste that is used widely throughout Asian cuisine. Us westerners are cottoning on to it and now you can find Umami paste sold in the UK. It's great in stir fry's such as this one. It is hard to describe the taste but if you are a fan of Asian food you'll recognize it instantly from restaurant made meals. All you need to know is that its yummy and when combined with a simple Asian sauce and the best fresh veg you can get hold of you are in for a right treat!
Today I really wanted chips. I'm not really a fan of them to be honest but today I just had a mad craving for them which is weird. It was at this point I realized that I had never tried to make my own chips. "Madness" I thought and set about rectifying this straight away. Boy had I been missing out. All I needed was to cut some potatoes, blanch and then roast them in some garlic and chili and I had some phenomenal crispy chippies with fluffy insides that taste so much better than a bag of frozen oven chips. 
When you realize how easy it is to make a classic that you might just buy premade from a supermarket you wonder why you have never tried to do it before. Then when you eat it, you wonder if you'll ever buy shop bought again. That's what happened when Jon bought me some chicken and seasoned breadcrumbs this Sunday and prepared some special garlic butter so that I could have a go at making homemade Chicken Kiev's. Let me tell you; these cheeky little treats are incredible and you must, I repeat must give them a go immediately!
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MattyB Bakes is delighted to help announce the dazzling line-up of celebrity ambassadors appearing the Cake and Bake Show 2015. You won't believe the incredible guests they have in store for you!