The Scotsbridge Mill

I know I haven't blogged in ages, I could use the usual excuses of being too busy working and there not being enough time in the day. However, if I'm being honest I've been saving my money for my trip to America in November and moving out in August (who knew there was such a array of home stuff to purchase).

A while back I went to the beautiful Scotsbridge Mill in Croxley Green, nestled in the charming suburb of Rickmansworth. This beautiful riverside pub was chosen by my lesser half's family as the location for their Grandfather's birthday. This recently refurbished traditional pub also has a charming working mill attached.

We had a delicious meal including starters and mains, we passed on desert to save room for the birthday cake! My choices were Salt and Pepper Squid with garlic aioli followed by Roasted Mushroom, Feta and Onion Tart with asparagus and pea shoots. Being the greedy devil I am I also ordered a portion of twice cooked chips.

The Scotsbridge Mill

The Bar

Pimms

Artisan Rustic Breads with Dukkah, Olive Oil an Olives - £4.95

 

Artisan Rustic Breads with Dukkah, Olive Oil an Olives - £4.95

Salt and Pepper Squid with Garlic Aioli - £4.95

Home-made West Country Beef Burger with Gherkin, Mustard Mayo, Emmental Cheese, Relish and Frites - £10.95 with added Chorizo - £1.50

 

Roasted Mushroom, Feta and Onion Tart with Asparagus and Pea Shoots - £9.50

The Scotsbridge Mill is excellent value for money, 10 of us ate and drank for a very reasonable £30.00 a head.

If you are ever over in Croxley Green, Rickmansworth I highly recommend a visit. The staff are very pleasant and attentive and the food was delicious. Ever better, on a Monday to Friday until 6pm The Scotsbridge Mill offer a fixed priced lunch menu priced at £11.50 for two courses or £14.50 for three courses.

Why not have a look at The Scotsbridge Mill's fantastic website and scrummy menu here - at the moment you can sign up to their newsletter and get a free bottle of Champagne on your birthday. You can also follow them on twitter @ScotsbridgeMill

Banana Blondies

After suffering from "one of those days" I fancied making something that was sensationally sweet and fabulously fudgey. Following my recent love for my Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies, I trawled the internet for something just as yummy but a little different, that is when I stumbled across Banana Blondies. Blondies are pretty much white chocolate brownies and for those of you who aren't aware BROWNIES ARE SO LAST YEAR!! This recipe very naughty but contains banana so that's at least one of your five a day right?

How do I make these delicious treats I hear you cry?

Ingredients
100ml Double cream
225g   Caster sugar
225g   Plain flour
200g   White chocolate
200g   Unsalted butter
100g   Soft dark brown sugar
  50g   Toasted flaked almonds
    3     Bananas, chopped
    1     Egg
    1     Vanilla pod
¼ tsp  Baking powder

The Ingredients

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the sugar, cream and 100g butter into a saucepan for 5 minutes to form a thick sauce. Allow the sauce to cool slightly and add the bananas, chopped.

2. Melt the remaining 100g butter and the white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of water.

3. Into a large bowl beat the egg with the brown sugar and vanilla seeds from one vanilla pod. Once mixed fold in the white chocolate mixture.

4. Next sieve the flour and baking powder and gently fold. At this point add the banana mixture and flaked toasted almonds.

5. Place the mixture into a lined baking tin and bake for about 35 minutes.

The Finished Product

I will admit they do not look the most appetising but they are honestly incredibly scrumptious. Why don't you give this mouth-watering recipe a go and send me the pictures of your Banana Blondie attempts!

The Warehouse Grill

In my home town of Colchester sits The Warehouse Grill, a restaurant that never disappoints. If you are a lover of steak or you enjoy a tasty burger or even love a good cocktail; it is safe to say that The Warehouse Grill is your perfect dinner location.

Their website claims that The Warehouse Grill is the home of "the best burger in town".
 With an impressive grill based menu of ribs, steaks and burgers its safe to say you won't leave hungry. The quality of the food and cocktails is superb and excellent value for money.

I visited The Warehouse Grill with three friends a few weekends ago and divulged in the following:
- For starter, Half a Pint of Shell on Prawns with garlic and parsley mayonnaise and homemade bread.
- For mains I ate the Chilli Dog, consisting of 1/4 pound of Cumberland sausage, spiced beef chilli, mature cheddar, mozzarella, sour cream, pickles and shoestring fries. 
- For desert the White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis and Fresh Raspberries.

The Menu

 The Chilli Dog

The White Chocolate Cheesecake

 

The food itself was, as always, delicious. I can safely say I have recommended the chili dog to my friends and family. My only gripe is not receiving a finger bowl with my half a pint of prawns. I personally feel that this is something that should be automatically done and not something that needs to be requested. Nobody wants to be left with fishy fingers!!

 

We were being bores and on this occasion didn't drink any of the delicious cocktails, however I do recommend the Bellini's which I have tested numerous times on different visit's! Therefore our bill was rather low, around £25.00 per person including a tip!

 

I surprised myself by not ordering my usual, one of the delectable steaks! However, if you want my advice go there on a Monday - Thursday for lunch or dinner and save a few pennies with mouth-watering steaks starting from just £10.00.

 

Check out there website for menus and  special offers www.thewarehousecolchester.com
If you have dined at The Warehouse why not share your experience with my fellow readers in the comment section below.

The Stockwell

With family friends over from the Czech Republic who have a keen interest in history and art we decided where was better to eat than The Stockwell. Situated in the historical town of Colchester in Essex, sits the recently refurbished Medieval Restaurant and Real Ale Hall. It's one of Colchester's most historic buildings located in the Dutch Quarter.

The Stockwell has the most incredible lunch and dinner menus, as well as producing beautiful Afternoon Tea's (I have previously reviewed the Afternoon Tea at The Stockwell, and you can read this review here http://fallingjess.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/mothers-day-madness.html).

On this occasion we were seated in The Empire Room. Their website states that The Empire Room which is "set off by an imposing chimney-breast ... offers lavish and luxurious dining at its secluded best and is ideal for private dinners or family celebrations for up to 16 guests. Escape into a world of majestic opulence as dedicated staff cater to your every need". I can honestly say that the secluded and intimate dining experience wowed our guests and that the enthusiastic, friendly, informative and attentive staff satisfied our every need.

On to the crux of the matter, the food. My choices were:
- For starter the "Surf and Sty" consisting of warm flavoursome pig’s cheek terrine, sauté baby scallops, wilted English chard and wild garlic velouté.
- For the main event myself and my lesser half shared their signature dish, "The Stockwell Sharer". Served on a medieval style metre long banqueting board, were the delicious garlic infused chicken breast, pulled pork, stuffed Hiso cabbage leaves, roasted belly of pork, Peasant’s Catch, squid bolognaise, mashed potatoes, saffron cereals, roasted spring vegetables, grilled field mushrooms and cured tomatoes. (With our eyes bigger than our bellies we also ordered a side portion of their incredible Triple Cooked Chips!)
- And finally for desert I indulged in the "Heaven Scent Lemon Sharer" for Two (I did share honest!). This sharing board contained a glazed lemon tart, lemon sorbet, chilled lemon cello shot and lemon meringue pie.

The Stockwell Sharer

The Stockwell Sharer from a different angle

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, I even surprised myself and enjoyed the Nettle Tea and The Peasants Catch; which is The Stockwell's take on medieval porridge containing mussels, semolina, samphire and spring onions in smoked haddock milk, finished with baby watercress.

Other diners within my party enjoyed for starters the Soup of the Day, Line Caught Cornish Mackerel, Chargrilled New Season Asparagus and The Stockwell Snag. For mains they feasted on the Steak and ’Umble Pie, Crispy Pork Belly and Sweet Spiced Pulled Pork, Garlic Chicken and Crispy Salted Pork and the 28 Day Aged Chateaubriand (8oz). Their desert choices consisted of Stockwell Eton Mess, Warm Poached Rhubarb and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich.

As a large group of 10 we consumed a fair amount of alcohol, however our final bill was around £44 per person. For the vast amount and impressive quality of the food it is safe to say that I felt this was superb value for money.

Check out there website for menus, special offers and private dining information
http://www.thestockwellcolchester.com/
 If you have dined at The Stockwell why not share your experience with my fellow readers in the comment section below.

China Chef

Recently I have been a rubbish girlfriend and have failed organising our regular date nights, I'm blaming the stress of revision and the return to my real job as an air hostess (hence my lack of posting blogs and socialising within the Twittersphere). Last night myself and the lesser half decided to rectify this problem. We attempted to book into, what I feel is one of the best restaurants in town, the North Hill Noodle Bar - but unfortunately they were fully booked and couldn't squeeze us in. As I was in the mood for Chinese and as all men are aware, what a woman wants, a woman gets; we booked ourselves in at the China Chef on Crouch Street, Colchester.

We arrived at 8.30pm and the China Chef was full of atmosphere with couples, families or parties filling every table. The restaurant itself has a great layout with the ability to watch the kitchen staff work their culinary magic. I love this within a restaurant as I can not help but constantly people watch, people fascinate me! We were seated near the door and next to the window at the front of the restaurant. Funnily enough I wasn't affected by the draft from the door but the freezing cold air conditioning, which has resulted in me waking up with the sniffles.

As my regular readers will know that my restaurant reviews come down to 3 key points:

1. How much is it going to set me back?

2. Is the alcohol affordable?

3. What's on the menu?

 

1. How much is it going to set me back?

This is a difficult question to answer, it is very dependant on whether you select a rice and main dish to yourself, share a few  dishes between you or select one of their set menus. We decided on a set menu and selected the Banquet Dinner priced at £24.00 per person (minimum of two persons). Totalled up with the alcohol we spent just over £58.00.

 

 2. Is the alcohol affordable?

If you was to divide our total bill you can see that just over £10.00 was spent on drinks. Of which I had a small glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a sparkling water, and my lesser half had a Tsingtao. In my opinion the cost of the alcohol is reasonable if you compare it to other restaurants.

 

3. What's on the menu?

As I've already stated we decided on the Banquet Dinner, which China Chef define as a "Leave it to the Chef – Three Course Dinner" consisting of Gourmet Mixed Starters, Crispy Aromatic Duck with Pancakes and a Main Course.

 

Our Gourmet Mixed Starter included Fried Crispy ‘Seaweed’ with Grated Scallops, Chicken Satay on Skewers, Japanese Deep-fried Tempura King Prawns, Crispy Spring Rolls and what I believe were their Capital Spare Ribs. All deliciously tasty, which no complaints from myself and my lesser half, we enjoyed the starters that much that we demolished the dosh within minutes.

 

This was followed by the sensational Crispy Aromatic Duck with Pancakes. This is my favourite part of any Chinese and in my own personal opinion you can't have a Chinese, whether it be within a restaurant or a takeaway, with out it. This particular dish arrived at our table as a leg of duck and was skilfully shredded in front of our eyes by our speedy waitress, this certainly was a talent that amazed us both! Once again, we picked our way through this dish at some speed!

 

Lastly we had our selection of main courses. If I am honest I was a little disappointed with the service here. We had a rice dish, a vegetable dish, a prawn dish, a beef dish and a chicken dish. None of the dishes were audibly explained, which I wasn't impressed with especially as we were unaware of what dishes we had ordered. The only one I would dare to give the correct name for is the egg fried rice!! Do not get me wrong, I tried every dish and enjoyed them all, but with so many flavours it was hard to decipher what dish you was actually eating.

 

The China Chef definitely believe in the saying that you eat with your eyes, every course was presented beautifully with edible roses and edible baskets. The portion sizes are also great, leaving us both full and struggling to move - we didn't even finish all the main dishes (that would shock both our friends and families!).

 

The menu at the China Chef has many dishes from Seafood to Curry Dishes, Specials to Hot Pan Dishes - it's safe to say you will not be disappointed. Best of all, if you don't fancy getting changed from your slob gear or your onesie, they also offer a takeaway service. The full menu can be found on their website http://www.china-chef.co.uk/

 

Have you dined at the China Chef? If so why not share your experience in the comment section below.

Le Talbooth Restaurant

Last Thursday I was thoroughly spoilt on my last day of 9 to 5 employment to a delicious lunch at Le Talbooth in Dedham, Essex. The stunning award-winning restaurant has a beautiful riverside location and stunning grounds that are guaranteed to impress even the grumpiest restaurant goer!

Firstly, let me apologise, due to copious amounts of champagne, white wine and mojitos I failed on the delivery photographs for you lovely readers, once again please accept my sincerest apologies. However, I can tell you all about my delicious meal. 

Upon arrival at Le Talbooth we were shown to the bar where we enjoyed a round of drinks, nuts and olives whilst ordering our choice of lunch. May I add the bar staff make a mean mojito.

My choices were:
- For starter tempura soft shell crab with crab mayonnaise, confit onion, pickled ginger and sardine dressing
- For main I enjoyed a delicious lamb dish accompanied with exquisite potatoes 
- And finally for desert I divulged in a jazzed up version of the the childhood classic, jelly and ice-cream with walnut crumble, conference pear jelly, vanilla and damson Arctic roll

In my own humble opinion, my choices were far superior amongst our group. Other choose croquettes of Talbooth smoked salmon, leek and potato velouté and pressing of ham hock for starters; and all selected the cod for mains. All stated they were delicious, but as always I picked the best!

The service was second to none, with the staff being extremely attentive.

As this was a leaving treat I was extremely lucky to not spend a penny. However, as you can see on their website it is a little pricey, but in my opinion worth every single penny. However, if you head to Le Talbooth for lunch Monday to Friday they offer a reasonably priced, special luncheon where you can spend as little as £24.50 for two courses or £30.50 for three.

Hands down Le Talbooth was one of, if not the best meals I have eaten this year. I would highly recommend Le Talbooth.

Check out there website for menus, special offers and private dining information http://www.milsomhotels.com/letalbooth/restaurant/

If you head to Le Talbooth why not share your experience with my fellow readers in the comment section below.

Guest Post by Alexander Ward

My first ever Guest Post on my foodie blog goes to a new twitter friend, Alexander Ward. He and his better half appear to enjoy dining out as much as me. They had a recent trip to Nandos in Colchester which he blogged about and has given me his permission to share his witty tale.

“Prompted by an unapparent mood of despair and desperation, myself and my good lady decided to have some food at the Nandos in Colchester. Little did I know at the time when I gleefully accepted the proposal of attending that it would be my last.

I say my last in the sense I’m not looking to return until either my budget dictates it, or I forget about my rather poor experience and gleefully accept a proposal to attend. Something is flashing in my mind, something about a pattern. Pushing that aside, I’ll continue.

What I should state from the outset is that I actually quite like Nandos, although it goes against my immediate annoyance at a non-table-service element, I actually think it’s quite good. The food is, well, consistent, the staff are usually friendly and typically it’s a vibrant atmosphere. Plus, there’s the 25% discount I get from my job (which shall remain nameless).

Not this time, nope

Perhaps it was the choice to come during half-term, perhaps it was the choice to come to Nandos full-stop after eating at so many good places recently, but I quickly regretted our decision. Upon entering the restaurant we were seated towards the back, it was a romantic little spot beside a big wall blocking your view. What’s that? What could make a big wall blocking your view better? I’m glad you asked. A vibrating, whirring big wall, no doubt containing some machinery.

The venture was improved by the small table we were placed on. Can we get this whole two-person table sorted and put to bed please? Those tables are not big enough, Borrowers would struggle to eat here.

Oh, he’s going to be in that mood

No doubt my very lovely girlfriend was also regretting things at this point. She always has a sixth sense for detecting my annoyance at a restaurant. It could be the grumpy face. Or the huffing and the mentioning of the whirring. And the vibrating. Having sat down and considered smashing my face against the floor to improve my experience, I ventured off to order.

Now for those of you not blessed with the experience, the Nandos Queue is a terribly interesting affair. In Colchester it’s typically a long queue stretching across the entrance (NB: Fire Exit) and into the eating area. Having someone’s arse at eye level beside you whilst you’re trying to eat half a chicken is a true gift. A. GIFT.

Worth a note is that these queues are also full of, well, idiots. I had the pleasure of watching five fully grown males (who I believe live in a gym, or at least have to undergo a series of physical challenges before leaving the house) mocking a chap’s coat. His black coat. Because it was black. There was much laughter and then wonder and awe as they discovered fire.

Having ordered food and returned to my good lady (who at this point, in her usual way, cheered me up with some silly faces and talking about how good cocktails are), we waited a good while and received our chickeny goods. The food was, well, as expected. It’s always consistent at Nandos, never incredible, never terrible. In a way that’s commendable, but in others it’s the restaurant version of magnolia.

Upon finishing our food with whirring vibration, we sat back and quickly realised it was time to have some cocktails.

The thing with Nandos is, and I don’t know why, but I always become hungry 30 minutes later. Maybe it’s the amount of protein, or because I feel like a forager. Or a wild animal. Scraping chicken off bone. Laughing at men in black coats.

So, to conclude

I would give this experience a resounding 1.5 chicken bone out of 5. Yes I could’ve asked for a new table, but with the busy restaurant and a deep yearning for food, I had to prioritise”

Let me know what you think about Alexander’s blog, and if you want to stalk him on social media you can check out his blog: http://fluffnotincluded.wordpress.com/

Or follow him on twitter: @tigertoosh

Mama Kekes Cooking Sauce Review

I was contacted recently, via Twitter, by a lovely lady named Yolande also known as Mama Kekes from Kekes Foods.

Kekes Foods make cooking sauces based on their own family recipes. Their cooking sauces are 100% natural with no preservatives or artificial colourings. Yolande informed me she was inspired to come up with her range of cooking sauces by selling her mother's recipes for 6 months in Brick Lane Market, London. She received great feedback and decided to sell her cooking sauces to local deli's. Yolande is hoping to supply supermarkets such as Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Whole Foods Market. With a distributor, brand expert and a manufacturer in place, Kekes Foods is ready to hit the big time!

Mama Kekes cooking sauces come in three flavours:
Mango and Root Ginger
Tomato and Scotch Bonnet
Coconut and Lemongrass

I selected the Tomato and Scotch Bonnet cooking sauce to review. Yolande informed me that this particular sauce is suitable for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free!

The Tomato and Scotch Bonnet cooking sauce recommends using beef as an accompaniment. After Yolande's suggestion I decided to cook mine in a pasta bake, full of fresh and simple ingredients. These ingredients were:

Lean beef mince

Fuseli pasta

Red onion

Red pepper

Mushrooms

Mozzarella

The flavour was wholesome and consistent throughout. There was an underlying pleasant heat from the scotch bonnet chillies. However, I will be honest the sauce was neither as spicy or tomatoey as I had imagined. I guess that isn't necessarily a bad point though, it would make it suitable for the whole family.

The Tomato and Scotch Bonnet cooking sauce is rich in colour and taste and I would recommend anyone to try it. You can contact Yolande through the Kekes Foods Twitter account, @MamaKekes or via their website http://www.kekesfoods.com/

Watch out for the Kekes Foods products in a supermarket near you!

Let me know if this is a brand you have tried and share you opinions and photographs on your dish.

Mango and Raspberry Muffins

This versatile yummy muffin can be served as a desert or eaten for breakfast. It's deliciously fruity and is topped with a crunchy crumble topping. This is another recipe that is sure to wow your friends and family.

Ingredients for the Crumble
75g Plain flour
65g Unsalted butter
50g Caster sugar

Ingredients for the Muffin
380g      Mango yogurt
370g      Caster sugar
360g      Plain flour
250g      Fresh raspberries
  70g      Unsalted butter
1 1/2tsp Baking powder
   1/2tsp Bicarbonate of soda
   1/2tsp Vanilla extract
      2      Eggs

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases.

2. Crumble: Add all the ingredients into a bowl and rub the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Then set the mixture aside.

3. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and mix together

4. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture and mix until smooth

5. Melt the butter and add to the mixture ensuring the batter is smooth and even.

6. Gently fold in the raspberries.

7. Spoon the mixture into the cases before sprinkling the crumble mixture on top.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and bounce back when pressed. 

The only downside (if you can call it that!) to this recipe is the raspberries sink to the bottom so you panic a little that its under baked, fear not its just the gooey raspberries.

Does this recipe tickle your fancy? Why not try baking this at home and send me your pictures.

Oaty Raspberry Traybake

This super easy bake is jam packed with healthy ingredients, that will satisfy your sweet tooth in a low calorie and guilt free way. This Oaty Raspberry Traybake takes around 12 minutes in the oven and is so quick to whip up you'll be making it over and over again.

Ingredients
200g  Rolled oats
150g  Punnet of fresh raspberries
  75g  Clear honey
  50g  Butter (plus a little extra for greasing)
  50g  Ground almonds
1/2tsp Almond extract

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees and grease a 20cm x 20cm baking tray.

2. Roughly mash the raspberries in a bowl and set aside

3. In a saucepan melt the butter and honey. Once melted, take the mixture off the heat and stir in the oats, ground almonds and almond extract.

4. Press half the oat mixture in an even layer on the bottom of the baking tray.

5. Spread the mashed raspberries on top.

6. Press the remaining oats on top and evenly smooth over.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before slicing into 16 slices.

Is this a recipe you fancy trying? If so, why not send me pictures to share with my twitter follows and blog readers. 

The Artcafé

With birthday shopping to purchase and errands to run, I met my coffee loving Grandmother in the town centre. As the shopping became heavier and our stomachs began rumbling we headed to one of her favourite coffee shops, The Artcafé which is located in the heart of Colchester Town Centre (there is also a second site in Mersea Island).

With a gorgeous interior and a delightful winter menu to match, The Artcafé is a very popular choice amongst the coffee shop lovers within the town. Combining both good food and the ability to purchase art work, jewellery, teas and coffee's as well as beautiful greetings cards; The Artcafé is guaranteed not to disappoint.

I ordered a cloudy lemonade and a tuna mayonnaise sandwich on white bread which was accompanied by creamy coleslaw, salad and chilli corn crisps. Absolutely delicious. My Grandmother treated herself to a warm cheese scone and an Earl Grey tea. My Grandmother's choice has inspired me to make my own cheese scones and I shall be posting my recipe for this very soon.

The Artcafé has a beautiful selection of fresh cakes and pastries, as well as a daily interchanging specials board for main meals and soups. Today's extra was pan fried gnocchi with pesto and parmesan shavings with salad and the soups of the day was curried root vegetable or pea, potato and rocket. I snapped a few photographs of their specials, menus, cream teas and cakes for you all to admire. The price is extremely reasonable, as you can see from the photographs of the menu's below.

To keep up to date with all The Artcafé's latest news and events take a look at their website http://www.islandartcafe.co.uk/

Or if you are a fan of social media you can find them on both Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter: @artcafe1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artcafe.westmersea

If you've eaten at The Artcafé why not share your experiences and photographs with me in the comments section below.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Blondies

I fancied baking something a little different to the traditional brownie, after scrawling through cook books and the internet I found blondies. A white chocolate alternative to brownies. These delicious brownies are simple to make, super tasty and a hit with all your friends and family. There are so many different recipes out there but I decided to go for the White Chocolate and Raspberry one. Still naughty but surely the raspberries make it super healthy!?!?

Ingredients
200g   Plain Flour
200g   Unsalted butter
150g   White chocolate (broken)
150g   Caster sugar
150g   Fresh raspberries
100g   White chocolate (finely chopped)
3          Large eggs
1/2tsp  Vanilla extract
1/2tsp  Baking powder

Method
1. In a heatproof bowl place, the broken chocolate and butter. Put the heat proof over a pan of steaming water and let it melt gently, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat thoroughly until the mixture is mouse like.

3. Mix in the chocolate mixture.

4. Sift the baking power and flour into the mixture and fold in. Stir in the chopped white chocolate.

5. Place the mixture into a lined tin and ensure it is evenly spread. Scatter the fresh raspberries over the mixture.

6. Put into the oven at 180 degrees for around 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out almost clean. Allow to cool before cutting.

The masterpiece pre-baking

The finished product

Why don't you give this mouth-watering recipe a go and send me the pictures of your blondie attempts!

Guest Post

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to write a guest post on the fabulous blog Tea With Me and Friends, written by the dynamic sister duo Rachel and Lorna. Go visit their blog and take a read of my guest post on The Stockwell Arms in Colchester, Essex and let me know what you think!

http://teawithmeandfriends.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/time-for-tea-mothers-day-specialthe.html?m=1

Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya

A simple, quick and simple 'one dish' wonder. This delicious Jambalaya will become a firm favourite amongst your friends and family. It's a dish inspired by a Cajun recipe, which I came across whilst searching the Internet for healthy chicken dishes whilst counting the calories, and with my lesser half constantly trying to eat clew even hi cheat meal has to be reasonably healthy.

This by no means is recipe you have to stick to, you can vary it and add whatever meat, fish or vegetables you want. Essentially, it's cooked the same way as a paella but you use long gain rice instead. How do you cook this delight I hear you scream, we'll scroll down and I shall share.

Cooking time is around 40 minutes

This recipe will serve 4 people comfortably.

Ingredients

350ml    Chicken stock

400g      Plum tomatoes

250g      Long grain rice

  75g      Chorizo

    3        Chicken breasts

    2        Garlic cloves crushed

    1        Red pepper

    1        Red onion

    1tbsp Olive oil

    1tbsp Cajun spice

Method

1. In the pan (make sure you use one with a lid) place the onion and peppers, cook until verging on soft.

2. Place the chicken and cook until golden.

3. Add the garlic, chorizo and Cajun seasoning and cook for around 5 minutes

4. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Pop the lid on and allow it to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender.

My advice when making this yummy and spicy jambalaya is do not use ASDA's quick cook long grain rice, as it takes forever to cook. Let me know if you varied the recipe and how your jambalaya turned out.

Chocolate Fridge Cookie

The simple yet delicious "fridge" cookie. Utterly scrumptious and incredibly moreish! These rich chocolate cookie slices are super easy to make and will make you stupidly popular with your friends and family! 

Ingredients

275g - Milk chocolate

130g - Unsalted butter

  90g - Digestive biscuits

  90g - White chocolate

This is just a simple and basic recipe for you to play around with and alter to meet your taste buds! Why not mix things up a little and swap plain digestives for chocolate digestives or add mini marshmallows, like I did. You could also add other tasty treats such as mini eggs or creme eggs to make them suitable for Easter treats. You can also vary the chocolate type whether it by dark, milk or white, or use flavoured chocolates such as fruit and nut or peanut butter. 

Method

1. Line a 450g tin with baking parchment.

2. Break the chocolate up and place it in a heat proof bowl along with the butter. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir gently until melted. Then allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes.

3. Using your fingers, break the digestive biscuits into small pieces.

4. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces.

5. Stir both the biscuits and white chocolate into the the cooled, melted chocolate until combined.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and pack down gently.

7. Chill the cookie for 2 hours or until set

8. Once set remove the cookie from the tin and cut into slices using a sharp knife. You should get around 10 slices, obviously that could be more or less dependant on how greedy you are!

Why not give these a go and send me pictures of your variations.

The Godfather of Italian Restaurants.

Il Padrino is a quaint Italian Restaurant situated in Church Street, Colchester, Essex. Il Padrino is literally translated as The Godfather so you know from the word go it's going to be good.

The authentic Italian food is to die for with a with a vast menu of pastas and meat or Carne dishes. An example of the pasta dishes would be the delicious "Rissoto con asparagi", which is arborio rice cooked with fresh asparagus, shallots, white wine, cream and parmesan cheese. A meat or Carne dish that is highly recommended by my lesser half is "Petto di anitra al Grand Marnier", which is roasted breast of duck served on a sweet mashed potato topped in a Grand Marniere sauce.

The specials board is plucked out of every fish food lovers dream, over flowing with mouth watering starters and main courses. My favourite specials have to be Fausto's Seafood Special and the Spaghetti Lobster - they are both incredibly scrummy!

    The Spaghetti Lobster

My only advice when booking to request a table downstairs, it alters the atmosphere of the restaurant completely. Downstairs (or the lower floor) is an old brick wine cellar and is perfect for any occasion whether it be a family meal or a date night.

Unfortunately, on my last visit I unfortunately fainted and left the bill paying to my lesser half, he informs me he spent £30.00 per head! I would like to say a massive thank you to the staff who were brilliant and looked after me incredibly well. However, I am venturing there again on Friday 28th March so I will edit my blog and run it past my three trusty questions:

1. How much is it going to set me back?

2. Is the alcohol affordable?

3. What's on the menu?

Have a look at Il Padrino's website for menus and upcoming events: http://ilpadrinocolchester.co.uk

 

If you venture to Il Padrino why not share your thought, opinions and pictures with me! And don't forget to check back for my full review.