Dinner - Poisson Meuniere

Another gem from The Little Paris Kitchen cookbook by Rachel Khoo. It is quick, easy and cheap (as long as you use white fish!) It was a hit with me and Daddy, so it will be one I can make when I am allowed control of the kitchen! Rachel recommends lemon sole, but white fish is lovely too. I had mine with noodles and fried mushrooms, but this would also work well with boiled new potatoes and a green salad. You can find the recipe and watch how to make it on BBC Food here

Ferndale Garden Centre

Me and Mum spent the bank holiday wandering around the very pretty Ferndale Garden Centre, and I spotted some foodie delights on the way out :)

First up, these little stock and spice packets from Gordon Rhodes for the slow cooker. Great for trying something new, a very easy dinner or a gift for someone who is not so sure on their spices but still likes a good stew/curry/chilli and they have the recipe on the back. 

http://www.gordonrhodes.co.uk/recipes/

Similarly, these are spice packets for various yummy sounding dishes with the recipe included.

http://www.spicentice.com/home.php

These are some awesome looking pickles of weird and wonderful combinations 

And here we have the sweet jams and curds....

....yummy stuff

http://www.thepickledvillage.co.uk/

Locally produced honeys - save the bees! My favourite was the blossom honey in the middle. You can't get the good stuff online, but you can get a Beekeeping Experience Gift Voucher and see how the whole thing is done :)

http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/marketplace/vendors/sheffieldhoney

And these beauties, which reminded me of the lovely cheese lady in York I used to visit, and her Smoked Chedder...Mmmmm.....cheesey. Me and Mum tried the Jamacian Jerk Spicy Gourmet Chedder and it was good but my, was it spicy! Teaches me to read before I eat. Take a look here

I went for the Chicken Jalfrezi and Slow Comfortable Stew mixes for Dad for Father's Day, and this lovely looking bar of chocolaty goodness for me. It is Sicilian Hazelnut Fine Dark Chocolate and the hazelnuts have been roasted and milled to a paste, creating something like super dark, rich Nutella in a bar, only better. It is also Organic and Fairtrade - I love saving the world with chocolate! Find more yummyness here. 

All in all, it was a good foodie day!

The Hummingbird Bakery Cards

I found these delightful notecards in TKMaxx and had to get them, they are so pretty! The best bit is that they have the recipe of the cupcakes pictured on the back, which I just think is a brilliant idea! I would love to get one of these, so I bought them to send to my other baking friends and put a smile on their faces too :D

Marshmallow Cupcake, the pretty tin, Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake

Vanilla Cupcake, the back of the pretty tin, Lavender Cupcakes

You can find the recipes in one of the cookbooks available from the website here. Or go and visit if you are in London! They also have a blog and twitter competitions, as well as doing various treats to order :) 

The Vanilla Cafe, York

When I lived in York, this cafe was literally 2mins down the road from my flat, alongside Crumbs, and across the road from Coffee Culture :) It was the perfect place to be. I recently went back to visit my friend Becky and decided to take some pics of the very pretty Vanilla Cafe we visited. Hopefully I will be back soon and can take more pics of my favourite places! Next time I will get a pic of the outside as well...

 The view from the window upstairs, isn't that blossom tree gorgeous?

Mine and Becky's favourite sofas, and the super pretty teas sets :)

Link to Google maps - 12 College St City Centre York YO1 7JF‎

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Dinner - Daddy's Pastitsio

This is one of my favourite recipes from my Dad, having always loved pasta and this is fantastic comfort food. I had always assumed it was Italian but it's actually Greek, another gem from my Dad's old and slightly battered Reader's Digest Classic Favourites cookbook. I actually really love that it is old and battered! It has a love-worn look to it which is homely :) You can make it for omnivores with beef mince or veggies with aubergine and mushrooms - I prefer the veggie one for once! We always serve it with a green salad and hunks of bagette, but the book also recommends a Greek salad accompaniment. Mmmmmm.....

Pastitsio
Serves 6 - 8

1 large onion peeled and chopped
2 tbsps sunflower oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
750g lean beef mince
or
750g cubed aubergine and mushrooms
60ml beef stock
125ml red wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
500g macaroni or penne, cooked
700ml cheese sauce
3 tbsp parmesan
*you can also add 1 tin of tomatoes if you are not intolerant like me!

Cheese sauce

600ml milk
40g butter
40g flour
1 tsp dry mustard
125g chedder or parmesan cheese
A pinch of cayenne pepper or 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Gently heat the milk until warm, then cover and set aside
Melt the butter over a gentle heat
Mix in the flour and stir for 2-3mins
Add the mustard
Remove from the heat and stir in the milk
Still stirring, bring to the boil
Simmer for 5mins, stirring occasionally
When the sauce is creamy, add the cheese a little at a time, stirring
Season with the pepper or nutmeg

Pastitsio

Gently fry the onion in oil
Stir in the garlic
Stir in the beef mince or aubergine and mushroom until browned or tender
Add the stock and wine
Stir until it comes to the boil
Add the cinnamon, bay leaf, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper, and simmer for 45mins
Mix with the macaroni or penne
Cover with the cheese sauce
Sprinkle the Parmesan over
Bake for 45 mins

Green Salad

Mixed lettuce leaves
Chopped fresh; parsley
                        chives
                        thyme
                        mint
                        chervil
                        dill
Spinach
Watercress
Cucumber

Dressing

8tbsp sunflower oil
4tbsp lemon juice
or
8tbsp olive oil
4tbsp lemon juice
1 crushed garlic clove
1tsp dried oregano


Greek Salad

1 lettuce
2-3 medium tomatoes, wedged
1 cucumber, sliced
1 large onion peeled and sliced
6 radishes, sliced
125g black olives
100g feta cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp oregano
125ml garlic dressing

Serve with hunks of bagette and butter, and enjoy!