Salmon and Broccoli Pasta

A fairly quiet weekend this week as the weather has been fairly rubbish again! Promised the kids we would go cycling today with the promise of a picnic but the weather looks horrid so we played Cluedo instead - Jon pipped me to the post and had blatantly ignored the fact it was for the kids not him!

Anyway - just sharing a rather nice recipe (I do like my comfort food!!) that I made with the help of my girls yesterday- this is great in summer OR winter - a nice hot pasta dish but containing salmon, prawns, white wine and tomato but a good dollop of mascarpone cheese to enrich it. You can use any fish you have in the freezer but I tend to use salmon & prawns as they add texture and colour. I believe that Parmesan with prawns is a supposed food faux pas but I don't care! I always add it at the end for extra flavour but you don't have to if you are adhering to the food police!
The girls thoroughly enjoyed helping and this always means that they eat loads as they know what's gone in it!


So check out my Salmon and Broccoli Pasta on the website and give it a go - it is really scrumptious!

Fish and Chorizo Soup

Last week at work was all quite exhilarating lets say and I am now moving departments to hopefully a more manageable job in the hours I work (9 till 3). My friend Sam Millergill is also moving departments which means our food banter on a daily basis will no doubt come to an end. What a shame!! The good news is that she brought a recipe in anyway and said it was the best thing she had cooked and tasted in a very long time.

With that as a recommendation I had no choice but to cook it at the weekend. Fish and Chorizo Soup (well, more of a stew by the time I had added a few new potatoes and extra seafood!). It was completely up to all she had cracked it to be - completely tasty, comforting, different and was even better the next day when we had the remainder for dinner. The kids enjoyed it even though I had added a little extra chili as I couldn't get hold of any really spicy chorizo.





Serve with good crusty bread and butter and a good sauvignon blanc.

I have to mention that although I got it on a scrappy piece of paper I believe via Chinese whispers it needs to be attributed to the legendary Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - one of my all time heroes. Thank you Hugh. I hope you don't mind me spreading the word!

Victoria Sponge and Lamb Burgers!

Bit of a random entry here, but there we go!! Have got a day off work today to look after the kids but the weather is terrible again so we are stuck at home this afternoon. We have just made a Victoria sponge to kill the boredom and it reminded me to post something about Victoria Sponges! I am not a big fan of baking (I've never had a sweet tooth luckily) but the first time I attempted a proper cake was after much nagging from my two little girls to make a cake for their Daddy on his birthday. I dug out Delia and ploughed on but unfortunately there was great disappointment. It just didn't work.
I was fairly traumatized by my ability to mess up a Delia recipe (only once before done with a homemade chili with chunks of beef in?) but was relieved the next day at work when my friend Lolly Finnear agreed with me and advised if ever attempting a Victoria Sponge again, reach for the Nigella "How to Eat".
I've never looked back - Nigella's is perfect - just off for a slice in a minute!

Lamb Burgers
Just a quick comment on ready-made lamb burgers. I normally make my own, but when pushed, it is handy to pick some up ready made. I have discovered Tesco's Finest lamb burgers (not cheap - I think they might be around £3.88 for 2??) but they are completely scrumptious! They are big, juicy, tasty and really a meal on their own with a bun and a bit of salad. Thoroughly recommended and the kids love them.
Being clever (or so I thought!) last time I was in Asda I noticed they had lamb burgers (Extra Special) at 2 packets of 2 for £5. Bargain - much cheaper than Tesco but sadly they were disappointing - my daughter thought too sweet (we checked - they had red current jelly in), a bit dry and a bit rubbery. Won't be buying them again! Never mind!

The cake is calling...

The Royal Oak, Bitteswell

Well yesterday was a sad day in our department as our student placement, Katie Raven, who has been with us a year, is leaving to resume her studies! We couldn't let her go without a pressie, some flowers and a nice lunch out so off we headed to the Royal Oak at Bitteswell (in Leicestershire - 5 minutes from our offices in Lutterworth).
The village is beautiful and picturesque and the pub is a lovely old building with a big garden where you can sit if the weather is nice. Unfortunately yesterday was raining so we sat inside which was nonetheless cosy and inviting.
We had pre-ordered as there were over 10 of us and with work so busy at the moment an hour is really all we can spare. The service was friendly, efficient and all the food came out at the same time with no waiting time. It was hot, portions were generous and the food itself was really good!
I had sought recommendations as the menu has a vast choice of paninis, jacket potatoes, as well as the traditional steak and ale pie, chilli con carne, fish and chips, fish pie etc. Nothing seemed to be over £7 or £8 which, considering the portions, was very good value.
In the end most of us plumped for the homemade burgers which came with a variety of toppings as well as onion rings, a tangy salsa and a generous helping of homemade chips. I chose the chilli, mozzarella and bacon topping and it was delicious. The burgers tasted homemade and the chips were delicious.
I would thoroughly recommend the Royal Oak - good service, good honest well priced food and a nice atmosphere! Farewell to Raven - Katie Raven and welcome to Zoe, our new student placement for the year!

French Onion Soup

Despite being the middle of summer, the rain made it seem the right time for some French Onion Soup.



Really tasty especially if served with Gruyere Toast.

If you fancy trying some yourself, have a look at the recipe for French Onion Soup

Ask Leicester

What a day! With school broken up on Wednesday I have a couple of days off until Holiday club starts on Monday. As both girls got great exam results I asked what they might like to do as a treat. This used to cinema / Twin Lakes leisure park / a trip to the village play area so was quite horrified to hear at 8 and 10 years old.."Mum, what we'd really like is to go clothes shopping"!!
This is my worst nightmare - I'm a "shop to live" girl, not a "live to shop"! Anyway, we got in to Highcross (Leicester) by 10am and shopped for England! Luckily peer pressure pushed us down the Peacocks and Primark route so no bank balances were damaged and with the sales in full flow I'll be amazed if we spent £100 between the three of us!
Anyway, we needed lunch - do we do a sandwich at M&S or do we take a welcome rest from the shops with a sit down lunch? The latter won hands down and we headed towards Ask in the middle of Leicester.
The weather was lovely and sunny and we were led to sit outside which was glorious! We ordered drinks and garlic mozzarella bread as a starter (Imogen was starving for a change!). Scarlett chose a tropicana pizza and having looked at the kid's menu (and dismissed it) Immy chose the ravioli filled with crayfish and smoked salmon in a butter and dill sauce served with fresh rocket. This was delicious - I would have liked more sauce but Immy enjoyed it. I ordered a starter portion of chill prawns in a tomato sauce served with crisy bread and rocket. This had a good kick with good chunks of green chili, juicy prawns and turned out to be enough once I'd had one of Immy's rather large ravioli! The portion of chips were not really required in the end but were still delicious served with a generous portion of garlic mayo.
The service was good and our waitress Kate looked after our every need. £36 for 3 seemed reasonable and I would definitely go back....can I give the shopping a miss next time??!

Summer Dinner Party Ideas

Wimbledon has been and gone, England are playing Australia in the Ashes, and it's raining, so that must mean only one thing - Summer's here!

The arrival of summer also allows us to fire up the barbeque and invite friends round for a summer party, but rather than serving up the same old frozen beef-burgers and burnt sausages, why not go a little further and set a higher standard this year.

Take a look at our Summer Dinner Party Menu Ideas to get you thinking. If you have any further ideas, why not add your comments at the foot of this post.

Ring up your friends, mix up some Pimms and have fun.

Oh and if it rains, remember - it's only water!

Clarkes of Queniborough

I've been meaning to write a bit more about fantastic shops instead of restaurants and living in the heart of Leicestershire there are plenty about, but I couldn't possibly start with any other shop than Clarkes of Queniborough! This is the best butcher you will find for miles around and luckily for me is only 3 miles from my home.
Clarkes is a member of the Guild of Q Butchers which, according to my Dad when he was alive, means it is damn good! Apparently Eynons of St Clears in Wales (or Eddie Eynon's to me when I was a kid!), where we used to get our meat as a treat, were a Q Butcher and although Dad used to moan every time about the price of everything the meat was always fantastic!
So Clarkes is the kind of place where you can't expect to nip in and out. Everyone is served by the friendly staff in the same way - nothing is too much trouble. If you want meat dicing, slicing, chopping, de-boning - whatever you need will be done with patience and willingness.
The sausages are all homemade, the bacon is the best in the world and once in a while when we have steak it practically comes with a pedigree of where the cow lived and what it's name was!
Everything they do is worth paying that little bit more - they do great minted lamb chops, great peppered steaks, a whole variety of stuffed joints for a Sunday and marinated meats for the barbecue (don't worry about checking the weather forecast - you know if Paul's barbecue range is out that the weather is looking good!).
Ian Clarke also does an amazing range of ready meals which will be delivered all over the UK. My Dad always used to stock up when he came to stay and would ring me on a nightly basis thereafter with a full review by dish!
Anyway - do yourself a favour and if you are anywhere near Queniborough check it out - this is not just a shop, it's a whole experience!

D Fecci's - Tenby

Just reading in the Times, their review of the Top 50 Beaches in the UK. Not un-surprisingly, Barafundle Beach is listed in the Top 10 and is near to Tenby where I grew up. During my childhood the beach was always deserted (normally because of the half mile hike from car park), but I think that these days with all the good reviews it has received it must have more visitors! We must check it out when we next visit Pembrokeshire.
Interestingly The Times also reviewed 10 of the best seaside fish & chip shops so I was delighted to see D Fecci & Sons of Tenby listed! Now that I live in the Midlands we ONLY have fish and chips when we head off to Tenby yet when I was smaller, Fecci's fish and chips were a must at least once a week! They really are delicious, made from locally grown potatoes and Milford Haven caught fresh fish. I'm not sure if rissoles are a welsh thing? My sister religiously would have rissole and chips whilst we all tucked in to the fish and chips. The curry sauce is a must for me too - to dip your chips in!!
The staff are always friendly and joking - you can eat in or take away - do yourself a favour if you're off to Tenby - plan at least one night for Fecci's fish & chips!

The Golden Fleece, South Croxton

I've been totally up to my eyes in it at work at the moment so haven't had much time for blog entries! Luckily this week was my wedding anniversary - I can't believe we've been married for 14 years! It seems like yesterday! ("You get less for murder..." is the comment from the other half!).
Anyway, with the weather being so lovely we didn't want to get in the car and drive so decided to wander down to our recently refurbished village pub - The Golden Fleece in our very own village of South Croxton in Leicestershire.
Liz, our next door neighbour, arrived at 7pm so off we went (leaving Liz to absorb the over excitement about Sports Day the following day!).
It was a glorious evening so we sat outside in the sunshine. The Golden Fleece has gorgeous outside sofas so we started off with a cocktail each which were delicious and made by the cocktail expert Emily. Jon was worried about how macho a raspberry mohito was but enjoyed it nonetheless! I had an apple cocktail which was refreshing and tasty.
The staff are always very accommodating - nothing is too much trouble - Darren the owner is always welcoming, Lee is always running around doing whatever is needed, to ensure your meal is perfect and the great thing is they love well behaved children too, so we often wander down at the weekend for a cheeky pint with the kids!
Food wise -to start with, I had asparagus with a fried egg & a herby mayo to start (perfectly cooked asparagus with still a bit of bite to it) and Jon had Moules Mariniere which were superb (obviously I had to try them and dip my bread in the sauce!). We ordered a bottle of nice Sauvignon blanc (around £16) and tucked in to our main course after a pleasant rest . I had the classic sirloin steak, chunky chips served with pepper sauce and a big mushroom! Medium rare - it was scrumptious! Jon had the peppered tuna steak which was nicely pink in the middle and probably better suited to the sweltering heat but I'd have the steak any day!
After much deliberation Jon ended up having pudding - Eton Mess which again was delicious.
The Golden Fleece is not a cheap restaurant ( I think the bill was around £80 for the two but included cocktails & wine), but is certainly worth a visit every now and then and is always busy. It has a good, concise menu with around 7 or so choices with at least one fish dish and one vegetarian dish. They also serve brunch on a Saturday (10.30 - 2.00) and a carvery on Sunday which always looks great.
How lucky for us that it is just down the hill in the village!