My Top 10 Nifty Kitchen Tricks

Over the past year I've become quite a nifty, thrifty cook and I'm always on the look out for tips and tricks to use in the kitchen. Ensuring no food goes to waste is one of my top priorities, with the average UK family wasting up to a shocking £50 worth of perfectly good food every month.

Here's my top ten kitchen tricks - all tried and tested. The freezer has become my key money-saving, quick-fix companion and many of the below tricks are catered to using this trusty friend.

1. Red Wine Ice Cubes

If you (manage to) have some leftover wine at the end of the evening, freeze it in ice cube trays for easy addition to soups, sauces, casseroles and your favourite spag bowl in the future.

2. Pimms Ice Cubes

Summer is (nearly) round the corner and I’m already counting down the days to lazy picnics with copious jugs of Pimms. To save buying the traditional mint, apples and oranges over and over again (and wasting half in the process), fill up a large ice-cube tray with a couple of mint leaves, a slice of orange and a chunk of apple and pour over water – perfect for Pimms in a flash.

3. Keeping Salad Fresh

Keep lettuce fresh in the fridge by lining the bag with a clean, dry paper towel inside the salad bag – the towel will soak up any extra moisture and keep your leaves fresh for days longer.

4. Ever-lasting Fresh Lemon Juice

Zap citrus fruits in the microwave for 15 seconds before squeezing them and the fruit will yield twice as much juice. Rolling the lemon on the countertop (before you slice it) also helps to break down some of the fibers and the juice will flow more freely when you squeeze it. If you only need a little bit of lemon juice, pierce the lemon with a skewer or toothpick and squeeze out the amount you want. Then rinse with water and place back in the plastic bag in the refrigerator – it’ll last a lot longer. 

5. Bottled Spring Onions

Speed up prep time by freezing chopped spring onions and putting them into a plastic drink bottles as a handy dispenser. Once frozen, simply remove the lid and shake out as much as you need. 

Don’t forget - moisture is the freezer's enemy, so make sure you dry the onions thoroughly before chopping.

6. De-Seeding Peppers

The easiest way to de-seed a bell pepper is to take the stalk and push it inside the pepper. Once it's dislodged, you can pull it straight out - taking the seeds, most of the membrane and the stalk with it. Easy peasy. By doing this, you'll ensure you won't waste any of the vegetable (which is actually a fruit, so I've just learnt - but let's not get started on that!).

 

7. Ketchup Bottle Pancakes

Who needs fancy kitchen gadgets when you can make perfect pancakes with an old ketchup bottle dispenser? Make sure you clean it properly first, then pour in the pancake mix and pour away! If you're feeling arty, you could even try making these flower pancakes.

8. Frozen Fruit

Frozen fruit is ideal for keeping in the freezer to use in smoothies and desserts. Not only is it approximately half the price but it's also much fresher. With shipping and storage, fresh fruit can often sit around for as long as two weeks before it hits your supermarket - losing most of it's Vitamin C.
 

9. The Magic of Ice-Cubes

If your sauce, soup, or casserole looks like it's got a little too much grease or fat in it, drop an ice cube into it. The ice cube will attract the fat, which you can then easily scoop out with a spoon - but be quick, as the ice cube won't stay frozen for long. 

If you need ice-cubes in a hurry, make them with boiled water. Water that has been boiled and allowed to cool will freeze faster than water from the tap.

10. Pasta Sauces

For a creamier, more flavourful pasta sauce - save a cup of the pasta's cooking water before you drain it, and add the water to your sauce as needed. The starch in it helps the sauce adhere to the pasta. 

You can also make use of cooled boiling pasta water by using it to water your house plants - the water contains nutrients that plants will love. 

What's your favourite kitchen trick? Pin It

Rainbow Surprise Cupcakes

"Somewhere over the rainbow... dreams (really do) come true."

There's no doubt that cupcakes have truly taken over the world. Every corner you turn you're surrounded by pastel-coloured, sugary things in an ever-increasing range of colours.

Vogue magazine pronounced that: 'Owning a cupcake bakery is the career fantasy of our times.' And they're right: this is one money making machine with a single cupcake going for anything between £2.50-£5 a piece.  'Tis a crazy thought - however with these sweet treats it's all about eating with your eyes.

Candy Cakes, Hummingbird Bakery, and Primrose Bakery are among the hundreds of London cupcake establishments - however cupcakes made it 'big' after Miranda and Carrie from "Sex in the City" (watch it here) enjoyed cupcakes outside New York’s Magnolia Bakery back in the early 2000s.... the power of celebrities!

These Rainbow Surprise Cupcakes were inspired by my latest obsession: Pinterest (if you're not on it, it is incredible). It has opened up a whole new world of ideas and as soon as I saw these, I shot straight to the Home Baking aisle to get my hands on the necessary ingredients! Although a little more fiddly than your average cupcake, they'll bring a smile to anyone who bites into them - what's not to love?

Rainbow Cupcakes (makes 12) Pin It

1x basic cupcake recipe (see below)

500g icing sugar

160g unsalted butter

50ml whole milk

2 drops of vanilla essence

blue food colouring

handful of mini marshmallows

rainbow sweets

edible glitter (optional)

cupcake cases

4 mixing bowls

piping bag

1. To make these Rainbow cupcakes, I used the "ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe". If you're short for time, you could take a short cut and buy a shop-bought cupcake mix (just hide the evidence!). 
2. Heat the oven according to your chosen cupcake recipe instructions.
3. Once you've made your cupcake mix, separate the mix into 4 bowls and mix in the different coloured food colourings. For a deep colour, you'll need approximately 24 drops in each bowl.
4. Line a cupcake tray with your cupcake cases.
5. Here's the tricky part - layering the colours. Put a teaspoon of your first chosen colour into the cases, then smooth the mixture evenly.
6. Continue with your second, third and fourth colours, making sure you smooth down each layer - to make it easier, get a mug of boiling water and dip your spoon into the water to make moulding the icing an easier task (just make sure to give the spoon a shake to get rid of most of the water!). Your cupcake mixture should fill half of your cases. 
7. I'd highly recommend baking a single cupcake first to make sure you've got your timings and your temperatures right.
8. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe instructions and leave to cool.
9. For the vanilla frosting, beat 500g icing sugar, 160g unsalted butter, 2 tbsp milk, couple of drops of vanilla essence and blue food colouring until light and frothy,
10. Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe the blue icing onto your cupcakes, then decorate with rainbow sweets and mini-marshmallows. If you're feeling extravagant - top with edible glitter.

These make me proud. Now that would be bragging. They do however, take quite a considerable amount of time to make - time well spent though, I'd say.

The best thing about cupcakes is that they can be dressed-up to suit every occasion - so watch this space for future cupcake adventures.

Other EatDrinkPlayLondon cupcakes to try:

• Strawberry Daiquiri Mini Cupcakes
• Chocolate Malteser Cupcakes

Pick-Me-Up Juice

When we're feeling a little under the weather it's instinct for most of us to reach for the nearest pack of pills to pop, in the hope they'll instantly make us feel better. 

However, after 2 days of a cocktail of paracetemol and aspirin I felt no better - so I decided to dust off the heavily-neglected juicer (the one I impulse bought over a year ago) and concoct my own medicine.

I bought my Philips Alu-Juicer (the best in it's class, so I'm told) after a friend of mine raved about the Jason Vale juice diet. Needless to say I bought the juicer, the diet book and I've rarely used either - until now. The aptly names "Juicemaster" has an impressive portfolio of success stories - however the idea of drinking juice for weeks on end and not having anything to "chew" scares me somewhat - so think I'll stick to drinking these juices as a health-kick instead.

This juice is loaded with vitamin C, which is not only a natural antibiotic but helps dissolve mucus, so essential for getting rid of that cold! It's also full of beta-carotene, the anti-cancer king, and jam packed with anti-oxidants that will all help to build your natural defenses.

This liquid magic contains the full works: Vitamins A, B, B6, C, E, K, Beta-carotene, Folic acid, Niacin, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Sodium, Sulphur, Chronium, and Iodine. Now there's a long list! If that doesn't get you going, I don't know what will.

So how exactly does each ingredient help battle the sniffles? 

• Grapefruit - In just a single serving of pink grapefruit there is more than 150 percent of the necessary vitamin C and 22 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A making the juice an excellent solution to the common cold.
• Orange - On top of the vast levels of vitamin C, it's great for destroying free radicals that cause signs of skin ageing; scouring the intestine and flushing toxins from the body.  
• Raspberry - Good for promoting healthy skin.
• Strawberry - Good for boosting the immune system.
• Carrot - Good for promoting healthy skin, eyes, and cleansing the liver.
• Celery - Good for reducing acidity and is a natural dieretic, calming the nervous system.

Pick-Me-Up Juice (Makes 1/2 pint)
1 orange, 1 pink grapefruit, 1 stick of celery, 1/2 carrot, 6 strawberries,10 raspberries, couple ice-cubes

 

1. Peel the orange and grapefruit (leaving the pith intact)
2. Juice the orange, grapefruit, celery and carrot.
3. Transfer to a blender and add the berries and ice-cubes. Blend until smooth.
4. If you're not a massive fan of the tangy-ness of pink grapefruit, use 2 oranges and 1/2 pink grapefruit instead for a sweeter taste.

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Pollock Fish Fingers and Minty Crushed Peas

Fish fingers and chicken nuggets are things I never really consider making from scratch, always lurking in the freezer section down the aisle I rarely visit. But why not? These tasty treats don't have to be as unhealthy as their massly produced fast-food cousins, and they're surprisingly easy to rustle up. Making them at home also gives you the freedom to pimp up the breadcrumbs with your favourite herbs and spices - be as creative as you want. This fish finger recipe goes down the tradition route with dried basil and oregano.

Mushy peas are another dreaded school dinner memory, however ditch the tinned variety, make them fresh and you'll be presented with something that's actually not only more visually appealing but delicious on the palette.

This meal is a perfect low cost mid-week supper full of goodness. Pollock is a really cost efficient option and surprisingly sustainable too - so not only is it good on the bank balance, it's great for the environment too. This eco-conscious seafood choice is available all year round and is low in fat and a natural source of protein, vitamins, calcium and Omega-3 oils.

Pollock Fish Fingers and Minty Crushed Peas (Makes 2 generous portion) 

300g Pollock, cut into 'fingers'
1 cup of Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil 

1 egg

Vegetable oil 

For the peas:

Knob of butter

1 cup of frozen peas

1/2 tsp dried mint leaves

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Get two small bowls. Beat the egg in one bowl and pour the breadcrumbs in the other. Mix the pepper, salt, oregano and basil into the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Cut your pollock into 'fingers' and one by one, dip them in the egg. Then, roll them in the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated. Repeat with each and every 'finger'.
4. Heat a small saucepan with 0.5cm of the vegetable oil. When hot, place 3-4 fingers into the oil and cook for 45 seconds before turning over. Transfer to a baking tray and repeat with all of the pollock. You may have to top up the oil if it's running a little low. 
5. Once you've cooked all the fingers, transfer to the oven for 8-10 minutes to finish off.
6. To make the crushed peas, boil your peas and then smash them with a fork alongside a large knob of butter, salt and peppers and 1/2 tsp of dried mint leaves. Delicious.

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Review: Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa Restaurant, London

There can't be many places in London that beat Barbecoa's meal with a view. Jamie Oliver's collaboration with the top New York barbecue chef Adam Perry Lang is situated with an almost 360 degree view of the stunning St Paul's Cathedral. Wherever you're seated - you're sure to overlook one of the most famous and recognisable sights of London, which has been dominating the London skyline for over 300 years. The restaurant draws on traditional cooking techniques from around the world to celebrate the relationship between food and fire- and it does it brilliantly.

It was our second trip to Barbecoa and our experience was just as good as the last. The menu is focused around 3 different cooking methods: texas pit smoker, wood oven and charcoal and wood grill - they've really pushed the boat out with this exciting range of techniques and what's more, all the meat is sourced in the UK from the Barbecoa butcher's shop adjacent to the restaurant. On the menu there's a wide range of items to choose from and a whopping extensive yet surprisingly affordable wine list to accompany your meal. 

For entrees, we had the Bread Board with Home-Made Garlic Butter - and were presented with enough bread to sink a ship! The warm "fresh out of the oven" pumpernickel, sourdough, garlic ciabatta and flat bread were delicious and surprisingly not as filling as expected. I loved the presentation too. For starters, I had the Burrata and San Daniele Prosciutto with sweet figs, almonds, rocket with a chilli and white balsamic vinaigrette. Mouthwatering bitefuls of my absolute favourite flavours - the burrata quite literally melted in the mouth. 

We also had the Pit-Smoked Baby Back Ribs with coriander and chilli - one of Barbecoa's signature dishes, and it's easy to understand why. Sticky, succulent, tender ribs bursting with flavour, leaving a satisfying tingle on your lips from the chilli. This massive 9-rib portion is a meal in itself!

For mains, we had the Pulled Pork Shoulder with Waffle, BBQ Sauce and Coleslaw, and the Pit Smoked Beef with Smoky Baked Beans. Both were delicious, although the waffle accompanying the pork shoulder didn't really do much for me (I had expected a potato waffle). The meat was cooked beautifully, and both the pork and beef were so tender. The pork came with coleslaw which accompanied the meat perfectly, just my kind of coleslaw - fresh, crisp cabbage tossed lightly in a mayonnaise dressing (not a soggy mess drowning in runny mayo).

Desserts were Dulce de Leche ice-cream (I was so full from the previous courses that this was all I could wedge into the little space remaining in my stomach!) and Gooey Chocolate Tart with Blood Orange Sorbet. The gooey chocolate tart is exactly that - a surprisingly light tart accompanied with fresh slices of orange and an orange sorbet that actually seemed a little too creamy to qualify as a sorbet. Nevertheless - it went down a treat.

Aside from the incredible view and the tasty dishes, the staff at Barbecoa provide a slick, efficient service and are quite simply, delightful. Friendly, highly knowledgeable and on top of their game - not once was my glass left to get empty and not once were we rushed to be replaced by the next sitting. 

  

I'd highly recommend a trip to Barbecoa as a special treat, brilliant food and a great all round experience. Granted it is a little pricier than our normal nights out, however the portion sizes are surprisingly large so you definitely won't go home feeling hungry! Yet another success for Jamie Oliver...

Overall Rating:    4/5

Ambiance:          4/5

Service:              5/5

Food:                 4.5/5

Value for Money: 4/5

Address: 20 New Change  City of London, Greater London EC4M 9AG
Transport: Nearest Tube Mansion House or St Paul's, or a short walk from Cannon Street National Rail
Telephone: 020 3005 8555
Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:30am - 11pm, Sunday 12am - 10pm

Sweet Chilli Turkey Meatballs

There’s something about meatballs that brings back happy childhood memoriesand that warm fuzzy feeling inside. The meatball’s appeal isn’t exactly a head scratcher though – they’re hearty, flavourful and have that novelty fun factor. Although my memories are bizarrely centred around family trips to IKEA and copious hours spent in the children’s ball-pit play area, the trusty meatball is the hero in that one dish that brings me great comfort and should be eaten the sofa with a glass of red wine – spaghetti and meatballs. Alas, I feel that this recipe doesn’t really push the boundaries so today’s recipe is a twist on the classic with a hint of the orient.

Like most things, type “meatballs” into Wikipedia and you’ll discover a wealth of bizarrely intriguing information. It’s started me on a bit of meatball craze so watch this space for further meatball extravanganzas including Swedish köttbullar, Turkish kofte, Italian polpettini, Spanish albóndigas and Indonesian bakso. It turns out that nearly every country in the world has its own national meatball dish – check them out here.

I’ve even got a trip to Meatballs in London planned, a restaurant inspired by The Meatball Shop in NYC. This new genre of restaurant is based on a mix-and-match style where you choose from a variety of meatballs, sauces and sides. And that’s about it – I can’t wait.

From a cook’s perspective, meatballs are great as they’re easy to make, extremely versatile and relatively inexpensive to make. They also a great dish to make ahead and freeze in batches. These Sweet Chilli Turkey Meatballs are bursting with flavour and really juicy and tender after simmering in the chicken stock - perfect served with rice and some steamed green vegetables.

Sweet Chilli Turkey Meatballs (Serves 2-3)
 

500g turkey mince
1.5 tsp dried chilli flakes
4 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp fish sauce
400ml chicken stock
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp corn flour (mixed with 2 tbsp water)
Handful of fresh coriander
2 cloves garlic, crushed
300g basmati rice

1. Mix the mince, chilli flakes, spring onions, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, fish sauce, crushed garlic and coriander together in a bowl. Shape into even-sized meatballs (this mix should make approx. 16 meatballs).
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan or work and fry half of the meatballs until brown all over. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen roll. Repeat with the other half.
3. Add a third of the chicken stock to the pan and bring to the boil.
4. Return the meatballs to the pan and pour in the rest of the stock. Add the remaining 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, the red wine vinegar and the sweet chilli sauce.
5. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
6. Add the corn flour paste and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
7. Cook the rice according to packet instructions and serve with the meatballs and steamed green vegetables such as pak choi or broccoli.

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Valentines Chocolate Shortbread Hearts

There's nothing that says "I love you" more than home-baked goodies. Shortbread is made from a handful of ingredients and is really quick and easy to make - and it's just about manageable on a Monday evening after work (my last minute Valentines activity!). 

Dipping these heart-shaped biscuits into some dark chocolate just gives these treats that little extra oomph - you just can't go wrong! 

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine Chocolate Shortbread Hearts (Makes 16 Hearts)

115g butter (room temperature)

130g plain flour

40g ground rice

55g castor sugar

200g dark chocolate

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
2. Put the butter (make sure it's at room temperature) in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until soft. Slowly add in the sugar and salt until it's all combined.
3. Sift over the flour and ground rice and mix to a smooth dough. If you've got warm hands, keep to using a spoon and try not to use your hands as this melts the butter.
4. Gently roll the dough on a floured surface to just under 1cm thickness (be as gentle as you can as you don't want to overwork the dough).
5. Place the biscuits on a lined tray and place in the fridge for 15-30 mins to chill.
6. Bake for 20-25 mins in the oven until cooked, but not browned. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.
7. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a boiling saucepan of water. Once the biscuits have cooled, dip half of the biscuit into the chocolate and leave to cool on a cooling rack. 
8. Once the chocolate has solidified, they're ready to enjoy!

Review: Brunch at Bill's Cafe, Covent Garden

There's little I love more than meeting up with friends for Brunch, especially on a chilly February morning. That brilliant feeling of waking up with one sole purpose: to get together to enjoy the company of friends (and food) in a casual, unhurried atmosphere (strong emphasis on unhurried).

Bill's Cafe and Produce Store is a relatively new establishment tucked away around the corner from bustling tourist central Covent Garden. I've visited a couple of times now and it's incredible how things have changed since my first visit - word seems to have spread like wildfire, to the extent that, as we were escorted to our (reserved) table, there was a queue of over 20 people waiting which stretched up the entire staircase (!).

Bill's is a 'homely' cafe surrounded by floor-to-ceiling foodie treasures: own label jams, oils, sweets, herbs, cookbooks, biscuits and chocolates galore - it's about as close to a farm shop as you can get in Covent Garden and they take every opportunity to flog you their bits and pieces. From the ceiling hang garlands of chillies and garlic, bunches of brightly coloured raffia and copious numbers of hand scrawled blackboards with the menu, recipes and quotes of the day. I love the colours, the decor - there's a real buzz about this place.

Unfortunately, although it ticks all the boxes on style, decor and atmosphere, take a quick look at the brunch menu and there's nothing out of the ordinary. I opted for the Scrambled Eggs and Salmon on Toast, which although delicious, wasn't anything out of the ordinary (let alone worth waiting for hours on a staircase for!). Thick slices of fresh white bread, a massive portion of scrambled eggs and delicious smoked salmon - delicious, don't get me wrong. It's just not exactly inspiring. For drinks, we had Bill's raspberry, peach & mango juice which is a glass full of delicious fruity sunshine.

With just a few unique twists on their recipes they could really turn the menu into something special. Taking a look at the lunch and dinner menu and even these seem to lack that "je ne sais quoi" .. fish finger sandwich, green curry, burgers, shepherds pie... sounds like your average pub menu, does it not?

When I first visited the staff were bubbly and efficient, yet now they're so rushed off their feet there doesn't seem to be room for the niceties - so much so that the same woman asked us twice if we needed extra sauces, after having already brought us sauces the first time round. No real service with a smile, no sense of feeling like a valued customer. Shame.

Needless to say Bill's offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or even just a coffee and a cake -  so whatever you fancy it's a great place to stop off for a quick (if you can get a table) bite to eat. Top tip would be to make sure you book a table, especially on the weekends, as it's just not worth hours of queueing.  I have a sneaky suspicion that Bill's will soon follow London's ever increasing "no booking policy" club of eateries - so I'd get in while you can.

Overall Rating:    3.5/5

Ambience:          4/5

Service:              2.5/5

Food:                 3/5

Value for Money: 4/5

Address: 13 Slingsby Place, St Martin's Courtyard, off Long Acre, London WC2E 9AB 
Transport: Covent Garden or Leicester Square Tube Station, Charing Cross Train Station
Telephone: 0207 240 8183 
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday: 8am - 11pm, Saturday: 9am - 11pm, Sunday: 9am - 10.30pm

Chocolate Malteser Cupcakes

It will come as a shock to most of you, but I’m not a massive fan of chocolate. “How can anyone not like chocolate?” I’ve heard people gasp in amazement. It’s not that I don’t like it, I’d just much rather sweets or crisps – I’m a self-confessed-non-chocoholic. There, I’ve said it. However, all is not lost – as I’ve found that baking chocolate based treats seems to easily please the masses, so I’ll continue to ensure my blog has copious levels of artery-clogging, heart-pumping recipes for all you chocoholics out there. *Phew* I hear you think.

There are rare occasions when I pathetically cave in to chocolate, hoping that the so-called scientific research claiming that chocolate makes our bodies secrete 'happy' endorphins - is true. In these cases, I go for Maltesers: “the lighter way to enjoy chocolate”, they are delicious, melt-in-the-mouth pockets of oozing delight. Before my food blogging began, I made some Chocolate Malteser Cakes and they went down a treat, I hope you enjoy them as much as my friends did!

Chocolate Malteser Cupcakes (Makes 12)

For the cupcake

150ml sunflower oil

75ml buttermilk

75ml whole milk

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla essense

240g plain flour

30g cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

330g castor sugar

150ml boiling water

For the topping

200g dark chocolate, in chunks

240ml double cream

115g malted milk powder (such as Horlicks)

50g cream cheese

35g castor sugar

2 small bags of maltesers

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and place the muffin cases in a muffin tray.
2. Beat together the oil with the milk, buttermilk, egg and vanilla essence with a hand-held whisk on a low speed until well blended.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, then stir in the sugar. Pour in a third of the dry ingredients to the oil mixture and beat slowly until everythings mixed in nicely.
4. Pour in a third of the boiling water, followed by another third of the dry ingredients and repeat this process until everything is combined. Make sure you scrape everything off the sides too.
5. Divide the mixture into the muffin cases, filling them about 2/3 of the way up the cases. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until springy to touch. Before adding the frosting, make sure to let the muffins cool completely.
6. Time to get started on the frosting. Place the chocolate chunks in a heatproof bowl and melt the chocolate over a saucepan of bowling water. Once fully melted, put aside to cool slightly.
7. In another bowl, whisk together the cream with the malted milk powder until soft peaks form. In yet another bowl, beat the cream cheese with the castor sugar and once combined, then add the cooled chocolate and mix once more.
8. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, adding half the whipped cream at a time. Divide the frosting between the cupcakes, then decorate each cupcake with a couple of maltesers.

You can even buy white chocolate Maltesers now, so if you’re looking for an even sweeter alternative, why not substitute the chocolate for white chocolate, and the standard chocolate Maltesers for white chocolate Maltesers.


There are actually quite a few Malteser Recipes out there, I like the look of this Chocolate Malteser Cheesecake by Lorraine Pascal, this Malteser Layer Cake on the Maltesers Website, or this Malt Chocolate Ice-Cream.

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Review: The Lido Café at Brockwell Park in Herne Hill

I’ve been meaning to go to The Lido Cafe in Herne Hill for what seems like forever. Finally, I recently visited with a friend for a midweek dinner – and we had a fantastic evening. The Lido Cafe is attached to Brockwell Lido and overlooks the Lido swimming pool – obviously closed for the Winter, however I can imagine it being an idyllic spot in the summer, sitting out on the terrace in the sunshine after a dip in the pool. The cafe underwent extensive refurbishment in 2009 and this modern British Restaurant seems to have pleased a wealth of happy customers ever since. They even won Time Out’s Best Park Cafe Award in 2011. Not bad – needless to say I had high expectations! 

As soon as we entered, we knew we were in for a treat – the light, bright 1930s building overlooking the pool, with its clean interior, large windows and twinkling (yet discreet) fairy lights really make the place look inviting. Large plants in every corner, tealights on every table, local artwork on the walls and a selection of individual tables, long wooden benches and comfy sofas – it may not sound like a lot but it made me feel right at home immediately. It was a cold winter’s evening and we had a table sat by the window overlooking the pool, right next to the radiator which kept us toasty. 

The menu changes regularly (you can see their latest menu online), and offers a small selection of starters/mains/desserts in the evenings. I love the fact there isn’t an extensive list of options – a clear indication that each of their dishes are carefully selected, tried and tested, using the best product they can find! For starters, we both had the Chargrilled Smoked Chorizo, Piquillo Pepper & Rocket on Toast with Roast Garlic Aioli, which really was a glorified version of Tapas Brindisa in Borough Market’s Chorizo Sandwich, served on a plate. However, the Roast Garlic Aioli which accompanied the dish was to die for, a deep yellow in colour clearly indicating that they’ve used the freshest, free range eggs around (they pride themselves in using seasonal ingredients from local producers). There was a generous portion of chorizo, full of flavour and extremely juicy – a perfect starter for a chilly February evening! 

For my main, I had the Fish Pie with Roasted Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Almonds. A really generous portion, with bucket loads of fresh fish and a delicious crispy mashed potato topping – coupled with the best broccoli I’ve had in a while (the novelty of it being purple still hasn’t worn off). Tossed in olive oil and toasted almonds, it was perfect with the fish. So yummy in fact that I’d practically finished all my broccoli before even starting the fish, I was enjoying it so much! 

Of course, the proof is always in the pudding, and despite feeling absolutely stuffed from the starter and main course, I’m a firm believer that you can ALWAYS fit in desert (you’ve got a separate stomach allocated for desserts, don’t you?). So we went for it. I had the Red Wine poached English Pear with Mascarpone and Vanilla – it was exquisite (now there’s a big statement). The flavours were just immense, I ended all conversation there and then to concentrate fully on this dish – and by the time my friend had asked me how it was, I’d already scooped up the last spoonful of the sauce. The pear was soft and melted in the mouth, and coupled with the mascarpone served alongside a vanilla pod – I was in heaven. We left feeling all warm and cosy inside, full of delicious food, nice wine and the feeling that we’ll be back again soon. 

I’m a big fan of independent, local eateries and this really did tick all the boxes, great atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious, honest food with great portion sizes, and the feeling that you can leave all your troubles behind at the door, and just enjoy the experience. They also do breakfast/lunch, as well as brunch on the weekend (which I believe are an extremely popular affair!), next time I’ll incorporate a visit after a walk in the park, or even a swim in the pool. I’m already looking forward to it. On Wednesday evenings, they also do a Burger and a glass of wine/beer for £9 – which seemed to be very popular. Check them out on Facebook or Twitter as they’re heavily into Social Media and provide some great offers.If you're not local, it may be a little out of your way - but it's so worth it.

Overall Rating:    4.5/5

Ambience:          5/5

Service:              4/5

Food:                 4/5

Value for Money: 4/5

Address: Lido Café, Brockwell Lido, Dulwich Road SE24 0PA
Transport:Herne Hill rail or Brixton tube/rail then bus 37, free parking after 5:30pm weekdays
Telephone: 020 7737 8183  
Opening Hours: Summer: 7.30am-6pm Mon, Tue, Sun; 7.30am-11pm Wed-Sat. Winter: 9am-6pm Mon, Tue, Sun; 9am-11pm Wed-Sat

(Photos courtesy of http://www.thelidocafe.co.uk/)

Spiced Roast Parsnip and Red Lentil Soup

Carrot and Coriander, Leek and Potato, Tomato and Basil... the list goes on, and on, and on. Being in the peak of the soup season, I've found that the above are getting a little monotonous, somewhat unadventurous nor exciting on the palette. 

In the effort to sway away from the bog standard carrots, peas and brocolli (staple and easy favourites in this household) - I decided to try something new. The snow finally paid us a visit this weekend and to warm our bones we indulged in this Spiced Roast Parsnip and Red Lentil Soup.

I generally eat parsnips once a year at Christmas. They are ugly, oddly sweet vegetables that don’t usually win any awards for Best-Looking Vegetable in Show. Bizarrely a member of the parsley family, their nutritious qualities include being high in fibre and potassium - not bad for a vegetable that looks like a carrot that has just seen a ghost. The red lentils add even more fibre and are a great source of iron.

This soup tastes like your favourite vegetarian indian curry all whizzed up into a heartwarming soup. The blend of spices both roasted with the vegetables and the ground spices added right at the end make this full of flavour and perfect for a winter's day. Although the snow is already melting, I'm sure we'll be indulging in this soup for many chilly days to come!

Spiced Roast Parsnip and Red Lentil Soup (Serves 6 - approx 1.8 litres)

500g parsnips, peeled and diced

1 onion, sliced

1 large potato, peeled and diced

3 garlic cloves, whole

100g red lentils

150g chopped tomatoes

1 litre vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground salt and pepper

For the roast vegetables:

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp tumeric

1 tbsp ground nutmeg

For the soup:

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp cumin seeds 

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees.
2. Mix the olive oil with the spices listed above for the roasted vegetables, then toss in the parnips, onion, potato and garlic cloves. Place in a large roasting tray and roast in the oven for 35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil the red lentils for 20 minutes until soft. Drain, then return to the pan and add the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock, stirring every so often. 
4. When the vegetables are ready, add to the lentils and tomatoes, simmering gently for 5-10 minutes.
5. Take the pan off the heat and blend with a hand blender until smooth. 
6. Add the chilli flakes, garam masala, ground cumin and then add the freshly ground salt and pepper. Season to your taste - your soup may not need any salt depending on the vegetable stock used. 
7. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan for 1 minute and sprinkle over the soup to serve. Serve with a crusty roll and enjoy!