cherizena coffee: handpicked around the world, blended in leicestershire.

living in the midlands, there are lots of lovely produce local to the area. obviously red leicester and stilton for starters, amongst melton mowbray pork pies and of course bakewell tarts. we most definitely (and much to my sadness) are not recognised for the likes of seafood or good old fish and chips. definitely wouldn't expect coffee to make the list either.

and so when i was told about leicestershire based cherizena coffee i was more than surprised. obviously, the fairtrade coffee beans aren't actually grown in the below zero temperatures of LE14. but this unique family run coffee company creates and produces its delicious flavours right here in leicestershire.

since my november birthday has now passed, people are now allowed to talk about christmas around me. and now i've seen those big ol' famous christmas ads i'm more excited than ever! so when cherizena sent me their latest christmas coffee to try out that was definitely the cherry on the christmas cake.

baked lazy eggs.

A little, compact breakfast for lazy Sunday mornings. Goodbye all day breakfast in a can, hello baked lazy eggs. I'd been wanting to try something like this for a while, so I thought this would be perfect opportunity to pick up some local Leicestershire eggs from a nearby village and try them out. 

So what will you need for these little breakfast treats?

amazingly authentic indian: paddy's marten dhaba bar and grill review

located in the vibrant, asian community of belgrave in leicester, i'd heard nothing but good things about paddy's marten dhaba bar and grill. and no wonder jamie oliver visited leicester especially to try it for himself! 

set in a british pub (still in full jubilee spirit) and with black and white photographs of bollywood stars on the walls, there really is something to embrace about this indian meets british combination of amazing food and bustling atmosphere. the wide-ranging menu of gujarati, punjabi and keralan specialities had something for everyone, with your choice to amend ingredients or heat level - this really reflected in the freshness of the food.

we shared half a dozen poppadoms coming with five different chutneys and pickles. including my fave - chopped onions and mango chutney :) i really could sit and eat poppadoms for days but with the scents of sizzling food arriving at other people's tables - i made sure i left room!

to start, i shared a mixed sizzling platter of lamb kebabs, tandoori chicken wings and chicken tikka pieces. this was delightful if not a little hot. (i am a wimp!) they left the sauce too which was great as they really complimented the sharer. i really love little pieces like this - especially dim sum and tapas - and would often even prefer lots of these to a main meal! this was around £6 and totally worth it for a nice starter. other menu items which caught my eye were the fish pakora, salt and pepper prawns and interesting sounding "crispy ladies fingers(!)"

for my main i went for lamb saag. this was around £8 and came with rice and your choice of naan. bonus! this was a spinach and tomato based mild/medium dish with chunky pieces of lamb served with a garlic naan and pilau rice. we also had aloo methi potatoes - which had fragrant fenugreek leaves stirred through. everything came on metal plates which again was a traditional touch and of course kept our food nice and hot.

i would definitely recommend this pub/bar/grill/restaurant for anyone in search of an amazingly authentic indian meal. there was a friendly atmosphere of what felt like new and returning customers. don't be put off at all by the dated looking menu either - it somehow added to the homely feel of the place. for saying at first i was a little dubious about an "authentic indian restaurant" called paddy's martens inn - i will definitely be returning to try their chicken tikka! top marks!

if like to cook asian recipes at home, you might like my haddock korma - perfect for those who love strong flavours but shy away from heat like me! :)