ola, sangria!

shopping list
♥ a bottle of red wine

♥ a bottle of non alcoholic ginger beer
♥ a cup of orange juice

♥ a cup of lemonade

♥ a large, juicy orange

♥ your best summer jug

well there isn't much to this recipe except open, pour and serve.

though after making this same sangria for the last year or so, here are a few top tips:

♥ don't worry about getting good red wine. if anything, somehow the cheaper the better.

♥ do not add too much ice to the main jug as it will water the sangria down, to get a really cool summer drink, keep the glasses in the fridge beforehand.

♥ add brandy for a real kick.

♥ warning, it tastes just like a soft drink and is therefore lethal.
♥ cocktail umbrellas and swirly straws are a must.

pesto and mozzarella chicken.

shopping list

♥ a breast of chicken per person

♥ two teaspoons of red pesto

♥ a mozzarella ball

♥ fresh garlic
♥ a knob of butter

♥ vegetables to serve, or alternatively a ciabatta bun

begin by making the marinade. this is simply made up of a few spoonfuls of pesto per breast and finely chopped garlic.

butterfly your chicken breast/s. this makes it easier to pan fry and also, as in my picture, could make it into an attractive valentine's treat. prick the chicken so that it will take in the flavour as much as possible. place your chicken into the pesto mixture and make sure it is well coated. leave for up to half an hour in the fridge, the longer left the better.

next, pan fry the chicken on a low heat as not to let the pesto burn. whilst keeping a watchful eye on the chicken, slice the mozzarella into cm thick discs.

after around 10 minutes, when the chicken is golden and almost ready, place the mozzarella on top of the breasts and allow to melt.

when melted, plate up and enjoy. if it makes it that far.

again, apologies for the rubbish picture on my phone! x

diy sushi.

shopping list
♥ sheets of nori (toasted seaweed)
♥ salmon fillet, cooked
♥ one avocado
♥ sushi rice, seasoned with a tsp of rice wine vinegar

♥ mayonnaise

these handrolls, also known as temaki, are great as a snack, as a starter, shared with friends, or as part of other japanese treats.

for mine i used grilled salmon, with a slice of avocado and a little mayonnaise. i used cooked salmon with just light use of olive oil as i did not want to risk use of fresh sushi-grade salmon on my first attempt and knew regular supermarket salmon could be dangerous raw. i bought the nori from a local chinese supermarket though i am sure there is such thing as a fish based japanese mayonnaise or added sesame seeds for that extra something.

sushi rice can be as simple or as complicated as you want to describe it. to put it into better words, follow this recipe.

handrolls include fillings such as crab sticks, soft shell crab or veggie options.

we also tried making a crispy salmon skin roll, for which we asked for the offcuts at a local fish counter, fried them up in a pan and served in a temaki.

i used a diy video to help me prepare the roll like so.

beef welly.

shopping list.
♥ one piece of beef fillet or rib eye
♥ 200g of your favourite mushroom or chicken pate
♥ 200g button mushrooms, sliced
♥ one small egg, beaten
♥ a knob of unsalted butter
♥ salt and pepper
♥ a block of puff pastry

impress your friends, lovers, pets and even your nan with this sunday classic.

firstly, preheat the oven to gas mark 8, or a whopping 240 degrees.

next you will need a pan with a little melted butter to sear the beef. get some tongs and gently manoeuvre the steak until all the pink sides have browned. season as you like, as you go. once browned, let the meat settle for a few minutes on the side as the heat may have made it contract and could make the meat tough.

whilst it is settling, roll out the puff pastry in the same way you might deliberate how big a sheet of wrapping paper may need to be for a beef fillet sized present.

the next part is, in my opinion, the most fun. paste a layer of the pate over the beef, and, when covered, stick the mushrooms on all sides but the ends.

then place the mushroom decorated beef onto the pastry and pull the sides upwards. pinch the seam at the top, and cover the ends, as in the picture. if there are any leftover strips, use these to let your artistic pastry-related flair flow. glaze with the beaten egg once done.

place it in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190C, Gas 5 and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden. remove from the oven to a carving board and allow to rest for 5 minutes before carving into thick slices

apologies for the awful phone quality picture, by the way.

but i suppose it proves i really made it that easily, eh?