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.

SWEET AND SPICY SPEEDY STIR FRY

When you've had the most horrendous week in work, you want to walk in on a Friday evening and have one of your favorite meals without having to stand around for hours preparing and cooking it. This is where my sweet and spicy stir fry comes in. Asian food has to be my favorite and this oriental dish takes some of those classic flavors including the holy trinity of garlic, ginger and chili, mixes it with some Quorn chicken pieces, five spice powder, fresh vegetables, coriander and a liberal helping of sugar to create this super quick and simple dish.

FANTASTIC FENNEL SOUP

One day it will get warmer. Probably that one week in May when everyone goes mental and has to have BBQ's everyday until we are forced back inside for the rest of the year. Until then there is always going to be a need for delicious soups to warm up your core and get you through the chilly evenings. In my continuing endeavor to use fennel more, here is a fabulous vegetable soup which uses all parts of the fennel bulb alongside an array of other delicious herbs, veg and sweet potato (and a splash of red wine for good luck!).

MOWGLI MANCHESTER (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

When I finally got round to visiting Mowgli Street Food in Liverpool last year I was incredibly delighted that I enjoyed it as much as I expected too what with all the positive comments I'd heard about it from my friends and family. Because of this, I didn't think twice when there was a possibility of visiting their new opening in Manchester over this Valentines weekend to see if they could carry over the good work to a second city. So off we went on an extremely cold Friday in February to the newly revamped Corn Exchange in Manchester's bustling city centre. 

EASY PEASY VEGGIE BOLOGNESY

Spaghetti Bolognese is a dish that just screams out to be eaten when you just fancy a big bowl of comfort food, served up in a big bowl and placed on your lap on a chilly evening to warm you right up to the core. Sometimes you want that bowl of goodness as quick as humanly possible and this vegetarian bolognese is so quick and simple it's ideal for busy working or sleepy tired folk who want to put in the minimal amount of effort at tea time! All you need to a bag of good old Quorn mince, lots of veg, stock, herbs, spice and most importantly a good glug of red wine.

MATTY'S HONEY LEMON BICCIES

I haven't been at all well this last week. Proper bout of man flu going on here. It's very sad for me let me you! When you're feeling a little under the weather then nothing is going to get rid of that foggy head better than some honey and lemon. Combine those medicinal flavors in a baked treat and you have my honey lemon biccies. Don't worry, they don't taste like chewing a cough drop, the suitableness of these two healing flavors combined with a classic biscuit dough is just what you need for a little pick me up to put a smile on your face!

"NOT AS GOOD AS NANS" CHEESE AND ONION TART

My Nan is my number one food inspiration. She had some classic dishes in her repertoire from her "Pea Wack" to her coleslaw. It's this recipes that take me right back to when I was young, helping her out in the kitchen and then eating her fabulous creations. One of my favorites of her's was her cheese and onion tart which I've tried to recreate it in her honor. Its obviously not as good as hers but the nostalgia it conjures up is worth making it for alone! If you love a good quiche, and you love the flavors of cheese and onion this is the perfect bake for you!

VEGGIE SAUSAGE ONE POT PAPRIKA WONDER

It's still that time of the year when a good stew is what you need after braving the windy winter weather outside. When you get in after a long day you also want something that is not just tasty but quick to make as well. Wanting to combine all these idea's together is what inspired me to create this one pot veggie sausage stew flavored with fabulous fennel and garlic, packed with vegetables and finished off with some paprika to give the stew a warmth that will transport your mind to more sunnier parts of the planet.

LILY'S WHITE CHOCOLATE AND MACADAMIA TRAY BAKE

I dedicate this recipe to Lily; whose 80th birthday party I made this white chocolate and macadamia tray bake for. Topped with cream cheese frosting and gorgeous little pastel colored sugar flowers in keeping with the color theme of the day, they went down a storm and I just had to get them up on here so that people could give them a go at home. The recipe is super easy to follow but they look and taste so great that it goes to show that you don't always have to make something complicated to treat someone on their special day!

"APPLE PIE" CAKE

I love apple pie but I don't always want to make apple pie. As much as I love making pasty

sometimes I just want to make a bake that I can just whack together with a minimal amount of fuss and effort. With that in mind, this apple pie cake was born. Taking the flavors of apple pie and mashing it up into a cake will satisfy those pie cravings without you having to worry about making a pastry, ideal if you don't have enough ingredients for a pastry or aren't confident enough with pastry making. Even if you are a pastry whiz, you should still give this a go! It's too darn delicious not too!

MATTY'S VEGGIE MAPO TOFU

Mapo Tofu is a traditional Szechaun dish that has many variations but in its essence, it is pork and tofu cooked in a chili bean paste broth. I've been experimenting with tofu and Szechaun flavors a lot since the new year and this seemed like a delicious treat to try and make and upon taking my first bite; I loved it! I've made a veggie version of course using Quorn mince, which soaks up that delicious chili broth. The softness of the mince and tofu is complimented by some crunchy beansprouts and onions to create an amazing bowl of gorgeousness.

MATTY B'S "MAC AND C"

Macaroni and Cheese whilst your watching your waistline? Not possible I hear you cry! Well stop your outrage immediately as I have the perfect recipe for you if you just can't live without that rich, gooey, creamy classic. Obviously it's not 100% fat and calorie free but as a dish served on a Friday as a treat for your hard graft during the week, it definitely 100% guilt free!. You can enjoy it without worrying about what the scales are going to say on your next weigh in day (just don't eat it every night OK!).

GORGEOUS GREEK MINI MUFFIN FRITTATAS

When it comes to the weekend, there is nothing I enjoy more than having a couple of eggs for

breakfast. Whether it be as some scrambled eggs on toast or fried as part of a good old full English, its easy to forget how versatile they are. This weekend I took my eggs and used them to make these little mini frittatas. Now I love the flavors of Greece so by popping some feta into the mix alongside some peas and freshly chopped mint, I turned these little handheld treats into gorgeous mouthfuls of yumminess that are perfect lunchbox ammo.

SPICY SALT AND SZECHAUN PEPPER TOFU

Tofu has always been a bit hit and miss for me. I get nervous if I order it when I'm out and about as when it's poorly cooked it can be awfully chewy and nasty. When done right though it can be a delicious vegetarian treat. As I have fallen back in love with the flavors Szechaun peppercorns again I decided to use them to create this yummy salt and pepper tofu. Like my Szechaun stir fry from an earlier post, it is quite the spicy but if you don't mind a bit of a kick to your food then this is definitely one to try!

RAMONA'S MA'S BREAKFAST BARS

I dedicate this recipe to my old work buddy Ramona and her ma! Ramona left our work recently to head off to Australia (lucky girl!) and before she left she gave me a jar of jam that her mother had made and sent to her from Germany. It was such a nice gift that I wanted to want to use it in something special and these breakfast bars seemed like the perfect time. By adding the jam to a mixture of oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, egg and cashew butter, you can create this fabulous breakfast treat.

"NEW YEAR NEW ME" BREAKFAST PANCAKES

I've never been one to eat breakfast, but with my "new year, new me" attitude I've started to try and get on board with what is often declared as the most important meal of the day. To do this, I've been looking for more interesting breakfast ideas to try and make it more exciting. This is how I came to make these banana and flax seed pancakes. Super quick and simple to make, it turns boring porridge oats into something that's worth getting up in the morning for. There aren't many ingredients to really talk about here. It's bananas, eggs, oats and some flax seeds. Flax seeds can be picked up in lots of large supermarkets now due to their increasing popularity but my tip if your in the UK is to keep an eye on Holland and Barrett's penny sale as I got mine from there at a bargain price.

SPICY SZECHUAN STIR FRY

Well it's the new year and I'm back on the healthy eating band wagon and one of the easiest ways for you to have a meal that won't have you crying on the scales during weigh in day is to make a stir fry. I love Asian food and I also love a bit of spice in my meal so a Szechuan stir fry for me is two of my favorite foodie treats rolled into one. All you need is some fresh vegetables, some Quorn chicken style pieces to act as your protein, some bits and bobs for the sauce and a large frying pan or wok and away you go.

GARLIC, ONION AND PARSLEY TATER CAKES

Is there anything in the world that is more comforting than a good old potato product? Potato waffles, crispy roast potatoes, they are all absolute favorites in our house. Another favorite is anything that you can deep fry! Onion bhaji's, falafel, it begs the question "What would happen if you deep fried potatoes." Well quite simply it creates these amazing potato cakes that are the most fabulous little weekend treat to give you a little bit of hug on the inside when you've had a hard week in school or work.

GAILS ARTISAN BAKERY NEO BANKSIDE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

It's noon, your in the capital, your feeling a bit peckish but all you really want is a good butty. What's a boy to do? Why not head over to the nearest bakery like we did on our trip to London when we paid a visit to Gail's Artisan Bakery.

TAS PIDE LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I tell you what, I do love a mezze style dinner. When I was younger we would call it a "picnic tea". We'd place little bits of nibbly food around the table and just help ourselves to all the little treats on offer. When we walked past Tas Pide during our trip to London's Southwark area we were intrigued and when we checked the menu out and saw all the tasty sounding Turkish treats we knew we had to give them a try. We booked a table and off we trotted!