this week in my kitchen

This week has been busy busy. With our house move drawing ever nearer and Christmas just around the corner. There’s a lot of prep going on here!

Never the less I made these flapjacks from Jamie Oliver. Seriously these are good. Definitely add the stem ginger that he says is optional. And I even added some of the stem ginger syrup. Delicious.

If you have young children I can’t recommend the River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook enough. It’s full of healthy recopies you actually want to cook and eat with your kids. I tried the roasted vegetable sauce with pasta this week. It has fennel in it which I love and butternut squash that my children love.

1/2 butternut squash

1 fennel bulb

1 large carrot

3-4 garlic cloves (though I only put in 2 because my kids don’t really like garlic)

2-3 tbsp olive oil

150ml – 200ml chicken or vege stock

salt and pepper

To serve; freshly cooked pasta & grated hard cheese (lots)

Preheat the oven to 190/gas 5. Cut the squash half in half and half again and scoop out the seeds. Lay, skin side down, at one end of a roasting tray. Trim, core and roughly slice the fennel and add to the tray. Peel and slice the carrot and add this too, along with the unpeeled garlic cloves. Trickle a little olive oil over the whole lot. Roast for 45-55 minutes, or until everything is very tender and starting to caramelise. Don’t forget to give it a stir half way through.

Now the original recipe tells you to scoop the squash flesh out  before blending but I just blitzed the whole lot, including the fennel and carrot. Squeeze out the garlic flesh and throw it in too. Poor in about 150ml of hot stock and blend to a thick, smooth puree. Add more stock or milk if needed and season. Serve tossed into hot pasta, with plenty of grated cheese on top.

wise words

right now

this week in my kitchen

I’m desperately trying to get out of the ‘same old same old dinners’ rut, because I always seem to be making the same things! BORING! In a quest to fix that I’ve been trying some new recipes.

After having a chicken tarragon dish at a friends house the other week I thought I’d try my own. This creamy mustard & tarragon chicken was dead easy and super tasty. The kids were a little unsure of the sauce but they still ate it. I loved it! What a great combo of ingredients.

I’m also going to try and use my slow cooker more. I mean how easy is it to chuck a load of ingredients in a pot, leave it cooking all day and then come dinner time you’ve got a delicious meal ready and waiting. My type of cooking. This lamb tagine recipe isn’t specifically for a slow cooker but I just browned the onion, carrot and lamb before throwing everything else in for about 6 hours on low. We all really liked this, kids especially! Winner!

new cafe at peckham rye station

A new cafe in Peckham isn’t big news, they seem to be opening every other day now. But today I walked through Peckham Rye Station and saw a gorgeous looking space being fitted out in the arches next to the cycle hub. I saw a coffee machine. I saw exposed bricks. The builder mouthed through the doors it would be opening in 2 weeks. It’s the first sign of the regeneration of the new station area and I’m excited! Watch this space.

snapshot

the trophy sweatshirt

A sweatshirt is the only thing to be seen in this winter. I just bought this one from Pull & Bear for the grand total of £22.99! Seriously?! I’m going to wear it with leather skinny jeans and leopard print slip ons. Done.

painted pumpkins

There’s been an awful lot of crafting going on here this week.

Farrow and Ball pumpkins? Whatever next!

autumn garland

ibiza’s quiet gems

Seasoned Ibiza goers are going to kick me. This year, for the first time ever we went to Cala Comte, a beach on the west of the island. Oh man. Oh jeez. I just want to kick myself! We’d seen the signs before but never went till now. It is jaw droppingly gorgeous. Aqua blue clear water, and a double sided beach. Quiet and spectacular.

We have a tendency when we’re there to stick to what we know is good. So another visit to La Paloma was definitely needed and it’s still worth the drive. We did try a couple of new places though…

A really amazing cafe called Passion Cafe opposite Space. They serve smoothies and the best breakfasts on the island. We tried their blueberry pancakes and green eggs (!) and bacon. The eggs were scrambled with a little bit of pesto and lots of grated Parmesan cheese. Delicious.

Another little gem, hidden away in the residential streets of Playa d’en Bossa is new restaurant, Clandestino. It was the very end of the season when we were there so it was quiet but the food was fresh and and the service worth going back for.

For the first year ever we also made it to the DC10 closing party. Clubbing for us now is a special treat, a once in a while occasion. So to be able to go to what is the pinnacle of the season was more than amazing. It’s hard to describe the energy and atmosphere at one of the best clubs in the world. With the best dj’s. And the best sound systems. At one point dancing on the terrace I remember thinking… It doesn’t get much better than this.

Ibiza. It keeps on surprising me.