Monthly Archives: April 2014

Cinnamon Rolls make for a Happy Easter!

20 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by in Food, Recipes

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Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Every year I give up chocolate for lent as it is only the time of the year I can ever do it! It’s funny how our minds work and when set with certain challenges we can manage to accomplish them whereas with others we just can’t find the motivation!

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Cinnamon Rolls

I was actually looking forward to the challenge this year which sounds a bit odd but I had realised I had started incorporating chocolate in to every day and even sometimes just having it because it was there rather than actually wanting it. I was also snacking on it at night occasionally which isn’t always great for the waistline! So with the promise of lent in mind and giving up something I enjoy I went fully into it and managed to give up not only chocolate, but sweets and cake too (I found I actually missed pic n mix and cake the most as well as baking!) I’m excited to be getting back into that again for sure.

Therefore with Easter only a couple of days away, on Friday with my day off work, I decided to make some cinnamon rolls! I couldn’t eat them until today but risked making them as unlike baking with chocolate I wouldn’t be so tempted to pick as I went along! I actually found the recipe for this on a blog I love, however the measurements I followed really didn’t work for me so I’m changing them so that for you the recipe will turn out hopefully better than mine did! Here it is:

For the Rolls
  1. 8oz strong bread flour
  2. 12oz plain flour
  3. 10oz natural yogurt
  4. 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  5. 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  6. 1 7g sachet instant yeast
For the Filling
  1. 2oz unsalted butter (very soft)
  2. 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  3. 1oz granulated sugar
  4. 1oz soft brown sugar
For the Icing
  1. 2oz quark
  2. 1/2 cup icing sugar
  3. 1 tablespoon maple syrup

(I didn’t love this icing and in future think I will try cream cheese and vanilla essence as the icing was a bit too tangy for my liking but give it a go and see what you think!)

Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4
  2. Line a 16cm cake tin with baking paper.

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New Spring Specials at Wahaca

13 Sunday Apr 2014

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empanada

Last week, with the sun shining out of the heavens, I headed to Wahaca in Islington, a five minute walk from Angel station to sample some of the new dishes that have recently been added to the menu. I have been to other Wahaca’s in the past and have always enjoyed it’s laid back feel and colourful decor and the one in Angel is similar but actually a bit more chic. There is a foosball table as you walk in to the left and different levels for where to sit. I loved that we were surrounded by plants and the quirky decorations such as the beaded door you have to walk through to go to the ladies.

Wahaca was born from a love for ‘fresh, honest, Mexcian market food’ and I love that they quote it is ‘healthy but hearty eating’. I would most definitely agree with that. You can order lots of lovely dishes but not feel too indulgent or bad about it.

The menu ranges from street food where you can order mini tacos, tostados, taquitos and quesadillas or you can choose to go for a main meal such as marinated grilled chicken, a burrito or one of their varied salads which comes in a crispy tortilla bowl.

There is a wide selection of drinks to try from soft drinks such as the passion fruit and hisbiscus cooler (highly recommend this) to something stronger such as the classic wahaca margaritas.

We took our time looking over the menu and two dishes caught our eye straight away which were the chorizo and butternut squash empanada and the crab noodles which were both specials of the day. On top of this we ordered the winter vegetable, a new addition to the menu which consisted of Savoy cabbage, mixed mushrooms and borlotti beans sautéed in a rich pasilla chilli salsa. It is then garnished with roast chipotle salsa and feta. The winter vegetable was fresh with a touch of spice to it which meant we were reaching out for our drinks, however it wasn’t overtly spicy but rather just added a tasty kick to the dish. Our final two dishes were  the sweet potatoes (always a winner) and the classic pork pibull (another popular dish). One time I came to Wahaca and ordered what I thought was the sweet potatos but when the dish came it was the Sweet potato & feta taquito. Although still flavoursome in its own way I was a bit disappointed. The sweet potatoes  with caramelised onion accompany the other dishes so well and the sweet flavour is incredible moreish .

sweet potatoes

With hardly any leftovers I can say that five dishes between two turned out to be plenty and is also a really great number in being able to try out a variety of dishes and flours. The three new dishes were especially good, I loved the empanada to begin with but then struggled a little to finish it as it was quite filling and heavy in comparison to the others but the flavours worked together really well. One of my favourite soups is chorizo and butternut squash so I am pretty much sold every time I see a dish containing the two.

If you haven’t been to Wahaca yet I would highly recommend it, a relaxed atmosphere, reasonably priced, varied delicious drinks menu and fantastic selection of food, you won’t leave feeling disappointed.

Here’s a quick video which captures what we had and gives a look into Islington’s Wahaca. I hope you enjoy.

Wahaca Video

Hope you enjoy!

 

 

A Brunch to remember at Foxcroft & Ginger

04 Friday Apr 2014

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  Foxcroft & Ginger

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Pummel Horse- Foxcroft & Ginger

Pummel Horse- Foxcroft & Ginger

Pain au Raisin Foxcroft & Ginger

Pain au Raisin Foxcroft & Ginger

If you’re looking for a fabulous fun loving place to share a coffee with friends or some delicious food then Foxcroft and ginger is right up your street. Located on Berwick Street, super close to Soho square, Foxcroft and ginger consists of two floors and the most friendliest staff you will ever come across. Greeted at the door as you walk in, if it’s not too busy you can decide where to sit. If you want something a bit off the beaten track you can eat your food off of a pommel horse which is used as a table or you can choose to sit at the back next to the counter of delicious looking cakes, pastries and muffins.

 Foxcroft & Ginger (Soho branch) has been open since 2010 and is run by Quintin and Georgina who are husband and wife. There is a lovely biography of their reasons for opening what they call ‘a laid back all day dining spot, where you can enjoy a coffee and a sandwich or share a couple of dinner plates with great wine’ on their homepage which you can read here.

Although probably best known for their amazing brunch, F & G serves dinner too and you can choose from a variety of different flavoured sourdough pizza toppings. Options range from Chorizo, Roasted Pepper, Goats Cheese and Tomato to a cheesier option with Mushrooms, Bechamel, Halloumi and Parmesan.

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Lemon Meringue Cupcake Foxcroft & Ginger

Lemon Meringue Cupcake Foxcroft & Ginger

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Last Saturday, with the glorious sun shining, Craig and I thought it would be a nice treat to head on down to Foxcroft and grab some brunch. It was a tough choice deciding what to have for Brunch as the menu is so varied,  from healthy options such as poached fruit with yoghurt, honey and seeds (this looked incredible!) to the more indulgent Banana French toast consisting of Walnuts, Honey, Bacon & Mascarpone or the incredibly tempting pancakes with Bacon, Berry Compote, Mascarpone and Maple Syrup.

 Before I arrived I had a quick glance over the menu and I had decided I would go for the eggs benedict however after speaking to our waiter and asking what he recommends; I ended up going for smoked salmon on sourdough bread, w/ Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion and Herbs. For someone who has never been a lover of avocado this was quite a risky choice, however the combination of flavours with the generous amount of salmon on freshly baked sourdough bread resulted in a winning choice. Craig meanwhile went for the F& G BEANS, W/ Chorizo, a Slow Cooked Egg and Sourdough Toast which he scoffed up in a couple of minutes. The sourdough toast was essential to soak up all of the juices from the beans and combined flavours.

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Smoked salmon on sourdough bread, w/ Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion and Herbs Foxcroft & Ginger

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F& G BEANS, W/ Chorizo, a Slow Cooked Egg and Sourdough Toast

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F& G BEANS, W/ Chorizo, a Slow Cooked Egg and Sourdough Toast

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Smoked salmon on sourdough bread, w/ Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion and Herbs

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We both went for traditional breakfast tea however they had a wide selection of teas from herbal such as Ayurvedi ‘Harmoney’ to a sweeter range including Vanilla Chai.

 After devouring our breakfast, but before leaving we were swept away to the cake counter and ended up leaving with two muffins: a mixed berry and a cinnamon and apple – both with a custard centre. We were advised to go for the orange cake with chocolate icing which unfortunately I couldn’t have because I’m off chocolate for lent but this is simply just an excuse to go back!

It was the perfect way to start the morning and enough food to keep us going until the late afternoon. Although saying that we pretty much had the muffins gone within 30 minutes of leaving! However we didn’t mind as we were in good spirits and  strolled off to Regents Park to continue our day. I  already know I want to go back to try the pizza and wine one evening but I will definitely be going back for brunch more than once- there’s still so much I need to try!

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Regents Park

I also made a video for the tastemade, a global online channel which aims to connect the world through food, you can watch here. 

Hope you enjoy!