Friday, 29 November 2013

Chorizo and Brussels Sprouts Pasta Bake

Brussels sprouts are definitely not on my favourites list, but lately I have been somewhat drawn towards them maybe because of the season and because the ones at my green grocers seemed to have my name written all over them (Weirdo). The only way brussels sprouts ever ended up on my plate was if someone else put it there, usually at Christmas. 'TGIF

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Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Chewy Coconut Cookies

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Coconut Cookies

I never really planned on making these, but it just so happened that I had time to kill in between waiting for the dough for my Petits Pains au Lait to prove; plus the ingredients I needed were all around me.

Saturday, 23 November 2013

Baking:: Petits Pains au Lait

The combination of the recent falling temperatures and my "carb craving" seems to have awaken the baker in me. And so I have generally been browsing through several recipes to find whatever takes my fancy. And find I did! I enjoyed the entire process of making these Petits Pains au Lait, particularly kneading the dough which was a great way to vent my frustration with the Olivia Pope/Fitz tension on Scandal; I tell you Shonda Rhimes has got to stop doing this to me every week.
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Petits Pains au Lait
They turned out so well that they were just too good not to share. My taste panel was made up of my adorable nieces and nephew who were thoroughly impressed. I have a feeling I will be making these for them again very soon. ☺

Thursday, 21 November 2013

Good Food Show London - 2013

It was the BBC Good Food Show last weekend - 14th to 16th November 2013 - at Kensington Olympia. A major meeting point for food enthusiasts which has been taking place annually for several years now, this year's show was a dream. So many things were on offer, but I must admit though that the highlight of the day for me was the opportunity to attend one of Michel Roux Jr's cooking presentation.With so much to see from the exhibitionists to the cooking demonstrations, I had a blast trying out most of all I came across. I even bought a couple of things that I am now thinking about incorporating into some of my recipes.
Of course I came across some familiar old tried and tested products, which have now earned my loyalty.
Definitely worth mentioning is The Wine TubeMap Tasting Tour which was both a delight and a revelation to some fantastic producers.......particularly Hungarian wines (See pictures 35 - 38
The collage is a summary of my time at the exhibition and the products that caught my attention. As they say "A picture is worth a thousand words".

Michel Roux JrMichel Roux Jr
IMG_00001455BBC Good Food Show London - 2013
1 and 2: Michel Roux Jr's cooking demonstration in the Supertheatre | 3 and 4: View of the show

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Some Loving From My Oven - Apple Pie

I must warn you that before you read any further than this paragraph that this is going to be a calorie packed and scrumptious yummy delight. So if calorie-counting is a concern, then you will probably be disappointed. Sorry! Its just that I feel that this is an appropriately seasonal recipe as it embodies many things autumnal/wintery to me. All things comfort food.

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Saturday, 16 November 2013

Honeyed Lime and Chilli Skewered Prawns

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Honeyed Lime and Chilli Skewered Prawns

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Inspirations for my cooking comes from alot of things, places, people and ideas. So a couple of days ago I somehow wandered into Robert Dyas, for a browse through, and I came across some amazing stainless steel skewers. I usually go for the wooden/bamboo ones, which if I am being honest make me feel guilty because I almost never re-use them thereby making me feel so wasteful (now I sound like a tree-hugger)☺.

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Tastes of Nostalgia:: Moi-Moi (Bean Cake)

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Moi-Moi
I am so excited to be sharing another Taste of Nostalgia post. So today I bring you Moi-Moi (Bean Cake). This is mainly eaten as a breakfast meal in basically all Nigerian homes, but can also be enjoyed as a snack on the go at any time of the day.
It is protein-packed so it won't weigh you down whatever time of the day you decide to indulge in it. Growing up, hardly any Saturday morning was complete without the presence of Moi-Moi on the breakfast table.