Nachos With Homemade Guacamole....

Saturday night is nacho night. I love Tex Mex food and nachos are always top of my list. I especially love them with sour cream and homemade guacamole.

I mash 3 large avocados in a bowl. I do like my guacamole chunky so I don’t mash them too much. If you prefer a smoother mix you can always purée the avocados in a blender.

I add lemon juice which stops the avocados turning brown. It also adds a nice tang to the dish. Usually 2-3 Tablespoons is enough but tasting and seasoning as you go along is important.

I also add salt and pepper and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic to taste. If you like a bit of extra spice you can add some chilli flakes.

Guacamole is great with nachos but I also love it on toasted bagels too!

Puffed Cauliflower Cheese....

This is an absolutely amazing cauliflower cheese recipe! It works well as a main course but it also makes a great side dish. The real treat with this dish is the whipped egg whites which create a beautiful puffy texture and the bread crumbs on top which give it some added crunch.

While this might be slightly more labour intensive then other cauliflower cheese recipes it is absolutely worth it.

Tonight I made some minor adjustments to the recipe. The cauliflower I had was quite small so I also included a few boiled new potatoes in the mix. The result was a big bowl of comfort.

Give this recipe a try – you won’t be disappointed!

Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich....

Growing up I remember my mum making the best grilled cheese sandwiches. I would have them when I came home from school for lunch, usually with some tomato soup or ketchup on the side and The Flintstones on the T.V.  Although my television tastes have changed, this magical combination of fried bread, melted cheese and tomato is still top of the list of foods I would want if I was stranded on a desert island.

Sure there are all kinds of ways to jazz it up but for me the best way is still;

• 2 slices of plain white bread buttered on the outside.
• Some cheddar cheese to put in between (of course!).
• A hot frying pan in which to grill the sandwich until it turns a rich golden colour on both sides.

The tomato soup and ketchup are optional but they are great for dipping the sandwiches into.

I consider myself a pro when it comes to making this for lunch but I am the first to admit that my mum still makes the best ones. I guess it’s just one of those meals that will always taste better when mum makes it!

Kitchen Tools: A Main Ingredients Hand Grater....

It’s important to purchase good quality kitchen tools. Not only can they make your life easier in the kitchen but they can also help introduce you to new techniques and cooking methods.

I recently purchased a large Prestige Main Ingredients Hand Grater which is the perfect tool for zesting lemons, limes and oranges. It is also wonderful for finely grating garlic and ginger and for putting those extra special touches of parmesan cheese on pasta dishes, salads and soups.

For ages the only grater I had was a box grater. It is perfect for grating large blocks of cheese but I found it hard to use when I needed things finely grated or zested. The hand grater is a great and inexpensive kitchen tool and I would recommend one of these for anyone who is serious about cooking.

One of the first recipes I used the grater for was Nigella Lawson’s, Linguine with lemon, garlic and thyme mushrooms. In fact, I bought it so I could make this very dish, and it was absolutely worth it!

Give this recipe a try. It is simple, elegant and delicious and while you’re at it, why not treat yourself to some new tools for your kitchen!

White Bean and Turkey Chilli....

This is the perfect lunch for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The recipe comes from one of my favourite chefs, Giada De Laurentiis and is a real winter warmer.

Although I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand for her white bean and chicken chilli, I compromised and the results were just as good.

I halved the recipe as I was making this for two, but I still used one whole onion and 4 cloves of garlic.

Instead of chicken I used turkey and substituted savoy cabbage for the swiss chard.

This also gave me an opportunity to use cannellini beans which I have never used before. For my version of the recipe I only used 1 can.

I also made a few changes to the spices as I was missing both fennel seeds and chilli powder. Instead I used;

• 1 heaping Tablespoon of Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon of dried Oregano
• 3 teaspoons of Garam Masala

I added salt and pepper to taste and actually forgot to add the red pepper flakes towards the end of cooking, so it wasn’t as hot and spicy as it could have been.

Everything was in the pot and cooked within 20 minutes – then it just simmered away for another 45 minutes before I served it up with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I will definitely make this again!

Yummy Hot Chocolate....

I am tired today. It was a late night last night, and I am midway through a working weekend. So to reward myself and have a break, I am going to have a special hot chocolate.

Made with  1 Cup of semi skimmed milk and 4 heaping Tablespoons of semi sweet organic hot chocolate I will add a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg, lots of whipped cream and some marshmallows.

It’s just the treat I need before I get back to work!

Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies In The World!!...

Well it’s that dreaded time of year…. tax time! Tonight I will be sorting through receipts and paperwork which isn’t the best way to spend a Friday night. So, to make the task more enjoyable I have made some chocolate chip cookies.

I am not much of a baker but this recipe for the best big fat chewy chocolate chip cookies is quick, simple and foolproof.

Some top tips for extra chewiness;

• After mixing the wet and dry ingredients allow the mixture to rest for at least 45 minutes to an hour. This allows the hot melted butter to cool.

• Half way through baking take the cookies out and bang the oven tray once on a heat proof surface before placing back in the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.

When making these I like to substitute half the chocolate chips for some chopped walnuts or pecans .

If you like cookies then give these a go – they are simply delicious! Now to put the kettle on, I think it’s going to be a long night!

Grilled and Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Gorg...

Tonight was a night for trying something new. A few weeks ago I saw one of my favourite chefs from the food network, Giada De Laurentiis, prepare a wonderful looking meal for her friends.

Mushrooms have always been one of my favourite foods and Giada’s recipe for Grilled and Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Gorgonzola looked too yummy to pass up. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get all the ingredients so I did have to make a few compromises.

Instead of turkey or chicken sausages, I used plain pork ones. I also didn’t have any mascarpone cheese. The mixture did need some moisture to help blend everything together so I added just a touch of double cream.

I served the mushrooms with a simple watercress salad on the side. The peppery flavour of the watercress complemented the gorgonzola nicely. This was a huge hit and I will definitely be making it again.

Late Night Snacking: A Healthy Option...

Sometimes, even after a good dinner, I can feel a bit peckish in the evening. It’s important not to eat anything too heavy or sweet so close to bedtime as it can affect your sleep, but I have found the perfect night time snack for me.

When I get a late night food craving I reach for a piece of whole wheat toast and spread it with some organic all natural peanut butter and a mashed up banana. It has that perfect salty sweet combination that I love and also has the added benefit of promoting a deep and restful sleep!

Bananas are known for being one of the top foods for helping you get a good nights sleep. They are rich in melatonin and serotonin which have soothing qualities. They also contain magnesium, which is a muscle relaxant.

Whole wheat bread is another good late night food choice as its great for balancing your blood sugar and it’s also rich in serotonin.

If you get a late night craving, try this healthy snack!

Smashed New Potatoes with Garlic and Dill...

Tonight we are having fresh organic salmon fillets. I like to put a little bit of butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and some crushed garlic on them before I wrap them up in tin foil and bake them in the oven. I always find this keeps the fish really moist and flavourful.

My favourite side dish to have with oven baked salmon is Smashed New Potatoes with Garlic and Dill.

I boil up some new potatoes (usually about 5-6 potatoes per person). Once cooked, I drain them and put them back into the saucepan. I then add a knob or so of butter, 2-3 minced garlic cloves (depending on how much you like garlic) and add some chopped fresh dill. I give the saucepan a vigorous shake and if needed toss the potatoes around with a spoon.

They do get smashed up this way – but that adds to the flavour as all the buttery garlicky goodness seeps into the flesh of the potato.

It’s an easy side dish and a perfect match for the lemon garlic oven baked salmon.

….and yes those are creamed leeks on the side!