baked caprese style risotto.

 

Bringing together two of my favourite Italian recipes - the iconic Caprese salad and the reliable risotto - this dish is a warming take on usually more summery flavours. You still get the bursts of tomato and fragrant basil coming through, whilst combining with a great quality mozzarella which oozes and turns golden as it bubbles in the oven. 

For this recipe, I'm working with the new Ciao Gusto range from Ocado, a place where fellow fans of Italian cuisine can find all the best, authentic ingredients. This wholesome dish features their Auricchio P.D.O. Buffalo Mozzarella Campana, which, like many Italian ingredients and good cheeses, is beautiful served simply on its own. 

homemade pumpkin spice syrup.

We're fully into Autumn now, and I'm loving it. Autumn for me means cosy nights in, my birthday month, an excuse to buy a new coat... and of course pumpkin spice lattes. I've already made PSL macarons so the obsession is loud and clear (PSL and macarons that is). So I've taken it upon myself to make some homemade pumpkin spice syrup and bottle it up for when those red cups make an appearance. Pumpkin spice forever.

almond & pumpkin muffins.

An autumnal bake to brighten up your weekend. Spiked with warming spices and topped with flaked almonds, this basic pumpkin sponge recipe is the perfect base for some autumnal muffins. If you're wondering how to create a simple sponge mix with pumpkin puree you've come to the right place. This recipe creates the perfect base for seasonal bakes galore - such as my super easy pumpkin spiced baked doughnuts with maple glaze. Can you tell it's my fave season yet?

the wine list: a wine tasting experience, direct to your door. plus 30% off your first box.

Did you know that wine is the most popular alcoholic drink in the UK? According to The Wine List, half of adults actually drink it every month. From fans of Pinot to lovers of Lambrusco, ask someone who loves wine their favourite, and they'll come straight back to you with an answer. But perhaps they wouldn't be as forward with an opinion. I know I'm like that anyway, I know I love dry white wines and citrus flavours you'd find in a Sauvignon Blanc. I know that New Zealand varieties are said to be better. And if I'm enjoying a steak or cheese board, I'll have a fruity red, please. But like many others, I shy away when it comes to technical tasting notes, knowing all about aromas and the perfect pairings.

That's where The Wine List comes in. And with home-based experiences becoming increasingly popular lately, that's another big tick. The Wine List is essentially a wine course, at home. As well as receiving two premium bottles of wine (worth £16 each) a month and interactive tasting notes for £39. It's totally flexible too, so you can opt in for 12 months or just try it for one, with your first box at 30% off. The team sent me a complimentary first box to review and share my thoughts with you. So without further ado...

Get 30% off you first box here

CODE:  30%OFF

easy chocolate brownie recipe.

People often ask my go-to brownie recipe. And I only realised recently that I haven't ever shared the basic one. An accidentally gluten free brownie recipe, I use ground almonds for an extra nutty and rich taste. I have loads of brownie recipes on my blog, but they always feature some kind of chocolate bar, topping or filling. Plus adding chocolate chunks from your favourite bar is always a winner. But I thought I'd share the base recipe, for you to customise as you please.

sea salt and dark chocolate cookies.

Milk and cookies; the perfect combination. Just like tea and toast, cheese and wine and jam and scones, this American tradition goes together like peas and carrots. One of the latest foodie trends though is mixing sweet and savoury in baking. Like salted caramel, sea salt with chocolate can add a little extra flavour and texture to sugary bakes.

Inspired by America's famous Sweet Corner Bakeshop and their sea salt chocolate chip cookies, I've created my own recipe featuring a duo of sea salt and dark chocolate. Warmed up and slurped down with a glass of milk? Perfection!

homemade beer burgers with beerwulf.com.

Beer and burgers; no-one can doubt they make for a delicious combination. I love a homemade burger stacked up with my favourite toppings and served with skin on fries. Throw in an ice cold beer on a sunny day and you're on to a winner. I've recently teamed up with Beerwulf.com to try out the latest addition to their beer packs, especially for Father's Day. I thought it made sense to put their beers into some tasty burger patties, alongside various paired cheeses.

For those who aren't familiar with Beerwulf.com, they're an online craft and speciality beer shop with loads to choose from. You can discover something new with their variety packs or handpick your own box from your favourites. There are also some helpful reviews and tasting notes over on their site to help you pick the perfect box. At the moment they actually have an offer with the promo code discount5 which entitles you to £5 discount off a £25 minimum spend. 

vegan sesame mushroom gyoza + a simple homemade dumpling pastry recipe.

Gyozas, potstickers, wontons, mandu... all with their very slight differences, shapes, fillings and quirks of the culture they are from. Gyozas in particular, hailing from Japan, are a favourite of mine, whether fried or steamed. The most fiddly part is probably the assembly, but actually making the dumpling pastry and filling is very simple. And if you didn't want to create the classic pleated gyoza shape, you could always just create a simple half moon shape at first. The best part is, for the dumpling pastry recipe you only need two things. Plain flour and water. As for the filling? Let your imagination go wild...

When Indigo Herbs got in touch asking if I'd like to try out a few of their products to create a vegan recipe, I couldn't wait to bring a really exciting plant based flavour together. As well as mushrooms, spring onions, ginger, garlic and chilli, their Japanese Maitake Mushroom Powder adds a smoky flavour, the sesame seeds an extra nutty taste and their Irish Seaweed Salad of course introduces that beautiful umami taste you often find in South Asian cooking. Think nori in sushi, soy sauce and miso,  for an idea of that slightly salty and savoury essence.

easy banana bread with chocolate spread.

If you haven't made banana bread yet, you've probably seen slices scattered all over your social media. I've no idea how every household has ended up with so many surplus bananas, but when life gives you bananas, I guess you make banana bread. It's a super easy recipe too, where you can use any leftover spread to dot into the mix, as well as any extra nuts to scatter over the top. For this, I made a classic easy banana bread recipe, then using some leftover chocolate spread and some flaked almonds from the back of the cupboard. Adapt fillings and topping as you wish, but always enjoy with your favourite tea or coffee.

maltesers buttons millionaire's shortbread.

I finally found them... the new Maltesers buttons! And like most delicious chocolatey inventions, I couldn't help get creative in the kitchen with them. From cookies to cupcakes, I couldn't decide what would really show off the crunchy texture of these moreish morsels. And so here is my take on a millionaire's shortbread with a twist. 

Scroll down for my recipe for Malteser buttons millionaire's shortbread...

slow cooked beef with gnocchi.

A wholesome, comforting beef recipe which is super simple to make and won't break the bank either. This season, Red Tractor and Simply Beef & Lamb are leading the #LivePeasant campaign to encourage every day home cooks to embrace a more simple, rustic approach to cooking. Stew and casserole recipes are at the heart of the campaign, making affordable cuts of beef and lamb tender and tasty using traditional one-pot methods. 

This slow cooked beef recipe is teamed with warming cinnamon, spicy cayenne pepper and smoky paprika before being stirred through with gnocchi and topped with fresh parsley. Just perfect!

sushi and robata, high street kensington, london.

Found on the second floor of High Street Kensington's Wholefoods Market in the Barkers Building, Sushi and Robata is the latest venture from Japanese Genji. Proud to offer up creative, healthy and authentic Japanese cuisine, the menu is roughly split into small sushi places and grilled dishes from the robata grill. Not forgetting bento boxes and sushi treats to takeaway! Opening it's doors back at the end of June 2016, I couldn't wait to whip out my chopsticks and give it a whirl.

malteser macarons.

Mad about macarons? Can't resist a packet of Maltesers or three? These Malteser macarons might be your dream come true. Made with chocolate macaron shells and filled with a crunchy Malteser buttercream, you can make these a gift and package them all back up in the original box. Or, you know, eat the lot to yourself...

charlotte's, w5, london.

Charlotte's W5 is the new kid on the block amongst the other London eating establishments of the same name. Unsurprisingly found in the W5 district of Ealing, the baby sister of the Charlotte's group serves up brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails between the sandy walls of an old stable block. Depending what time of day you go, you might find business meets over breakfast, ladies what lunch or cocktail connoisseurs lining the bar. The cheeseboard is on all day every day, which is good with me.

saucy recipe ideas for fishcakes + offer and giveaway.

Enjoy them with rustic chips, skin-on wedges, some crunchy salad, garden peas, mushy peas, baked beans or even with an egg on top - everyone has their favourite fishcake recipe. Usually we just stick to the classic chips and peas combination, with a delicious haddock fishcake. Working with super fun The Saucy Fish Co. brand on their brunch campaign got my foodie ideas flowing though, when I made homemade sweet chilli salmon fishcakes with a poached egg, smashed avocado and tomato and chilli chutney.

This time they've challenged me to conjure up some recipes with their melt in the middle fishcakes, as well as let you know about their fantastic offer for fish lovers nationwide. The Saucy Fish Co.'s  fishcake products are currently on offer at Sainsbury's stores until 12th February 2020 - now just at £1.75 for two fishcakes. With potatoes, vegetables and rice costing just a few pennies, you've got yourself a bargain midweek meal there! The frozen fishcake flavours include the likes of Salmon and Cod with a Heavenly Hollandaise Centre and Smoked Haddock Fishcakes with a Delicious Vintage Cheddar Centre. Here are a couple

What's more, scroll on to enter my giveaway to win yourself some delicious goodies from the The Saucy Fish Co.

plant based kashmiri spice pizza.

As well as grab-and-go snacks, convenient vegan ready meals and delicious desserts, Co-op have added a pizza to their GRO range, their plant based options that have proved popular with vegans and omnivores alike.

Aside from the fact that it is totally plant based, I was intrigued by the Indian inspired flavours. Not to mention how these would work the the addition of cheese that is anything but paneer. The clever Co-op chefs have created a spiced cauliflower and chilli topping with Kashmiri-style sauce and stringy MozzaRisella - a well-known vegan cheese brand. So what were my thoughts?

vegan piña colada style smoothie.

Combining fruity flavours inspired by the Piña Colada cocktail, this tropical inspired drink features creamy coconut milk, wholesome banana and tangy pineapple juice to create a refreshing Summer treat. Simply whizz up the ingredients to create this dairy free, gluten free non-alcoholic Piña Colada style smoothie which goes towards your five a day. I've teamed up with the lovely lot at Wayfair to bring you a bright and bold smoothie idea, featuring their quirky mason jar glasses and rustic wooden holder. 

vegan starter, main and dessert ideas with coop.

Did you know that there are now over 600,000 vegans in the UK? A study by the Vegan Society in 2018 discovered this incredible stat - which compares with around 160,000 people following a vegan lifestyle back in 2006. It's no surprise that with this great rise comes lots of incredible plant-based options on our supermarket shelves, restaurant menus and street food stalls. Long gone are the times where dairy free diners could only choose from the likes of sad salads, portobello mushrooms that call themselves burgers or fruit medleys for dessert. With so much amazing choice - the rise of vegan junk food, beautiful bakes and scarily realistic mock meat is now on the menu.

When Central England Cooperative challenged me to create a three course meal with their new products - as well as low alcohol drinks for Dry January - I couldn't wait to take on the challenge for plant based perfection.