Truffle Oil Linguine

Another simple, yet delicious and easy dinner for when you don't have a lot of time in the evening. All you need is fresh linguine, mushrooms, garlic and white truffle oil. Top it off with parmesan and a crack of black pepper and enjoy!

To add to the collection...

I have already tried the bacon and cheddar loaves from Mr Hollywood and my god were they good! Post to come once I make them again this weekend.

Tribute to Alio's

When I was younger, we used to take regular trips to the local deli run by an Italian family - Alio's - and pick up a hamper of treats including breads, cheese and antipasti. There was always one dish I would look forward to over anything else - buffalo mozzarella with big juicy beef tomatoes on the vine, basil and olive oil.

It is one of the most simple meals to make but always leaves me satisfied and wanting to eat it all over again!

Mary Berry's Devonshire Scones

The secret to good scones is not to handle them too much before baking, and to make the mixture on the wet, sticky side - these certainly are very sticky. 

Ingredients

450g self-raising flour
2 rounded tsp baking powder
75g butter
50g caster sugar
2 large eggs
about 225ml milk

KITCHEN AID

I GOT A KITCHEN AID FOR CHRISTMAS! HURRAH!

Dorset Apple Cake

I came across this recipe as I had a load of apples that were so pappy, noone in the world would want to eat them. I didn't want to puree them or make an apple sauce so searched through my fellow blogger's recipes for apple cake and came across this little treasure. I added more ground almonds and less sugar than the original recipe, but that's only because my apples were Pink Lady's so already quite sweet. Definitely serve this warm with a dollop of clotted cream!

Carrot Cake

I have never been a fan of carrot cake, and would always choose a citrus-y based cake over anything else but after a work colleague requested I make it, this has fast become a favourite bake of mine to do. It is a really simple recipe and the use of mixed spice gives off an amazing aroma throughout the house as it's cooking. 

Oreo Brownies

For once, I actually had some time to do a bit of baking over the weekend, so made these delicious cookies and cream brownies, recipe courtesy of the beautiful Lorraine Pascale. They were fudgy and luxuriously rich with the dark chocolate.

NYE meal

After deliberating over what to do for this year's New Year, we both decided to stay in and celebrate with a home cooked meal and lots of champagne (Prosecco...). Being the last day before the inevitable New Year diet, I decided to go all out with rich and hearty ingredients that I won't feel an ounce guilty about. So the meal I cooked was chicken thighs in red wine sauce, celeriac and potato mash (with cream and butter!) and Savoy cabbage with carrots and bacon. Here's how I made it:

Butternut squash, spinach and blue cheese risotto

When I have the time to cook a risotto, this is my go-to recipe as it always manages to hit the spot and tastes delicious. The autumnal warmth from the squash, mixed with the acidic hit from the blue cheese works so well in this winter warmer.

Meatzza

For any of you out there also hooked on Nigellisima, you will have heard of her infamous Meatzza. It looks like a pizza, but the base is made out of meatball mixture which is pressed into a tin, rather like a big fat juicy burger!

Sticky Pecan Cinnamon Bun

Despite not having a KitchenAid (sob), I feel that when making my own bread, I have really achieved something so decided to embark on a yeasty and sticky adventure for these scrumptious pecan cinnamon buns:  

Nigellisima: Book Review

I am loving Nigella's new aptly named series, Nigellisima, airing on BBC Two at the moment. Within just 10 minutes of watching the first episode, I was already logged onto Amazon and buying the accompanying book.

GBBO: The Best Banana Bread

I am hooked on the marvel that is 'The Great British Bake Off'. What with Paul Hollywood's piercing blue eyes and style icon Mary Berry (for wearing that Zara silk bomber), there really is nothing better to watch on Tuesday nights. Oh, and of course for the baking.

I was gutted to see the wonderful Cathryn leave last week as I was really gunning for her to win. You can't help but love her down-to-earth attitude and of course for bringing back phrases such as 'Oh my giddy aunt' and 'Heavens to Betsy'.

After much inspiration, I decided to bake Shetland's finest James Morton's banana bread with some extremely overipe (practically black) bananas I had leftover in the kitchen. I made little individual loaves using these cardboard moulds from Lakeland.

Ingredients:

125g soft butter

250g caster sugar

4 over-ripe bananas

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

250g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

Method:

1) Preheat oven 160°

2) With an electric whisk, mix the butter and sugar together until combined

3) Mix in the bananas, eggs and vanilla until you’ve got a lumpy wet mix.

4) In another bowl, weigh the flour and mix in baking powder.

5) Very slowly and carefully, fold the flour into the wet mix until no flour is visible but the mix is still lumpy.

6) Add in a large handful of sultanas into to the mix and pour into your moulds.

7) Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Melanzane alla Parmigiana

We have been going to the same Italian restaurant - L'Antipasto in Battersea - for as long as I can remember, and my parents for years before that. With half price food four nights a week and a whole chalkboard of daily specials, this is definitely somewhere to go after a hard day at work or for a quiet Sunday lunch.

I am a quarter Italian, and despite never having been to Italy before (I know), I will never get bored of this cuisine. You really can not beat a proper, homemade Italian feast.

One of the best starters there is Melanzane alla Parmigiana (aubergines, mozzarella, tomatoes all baked together) with home made garlic bread. So, I decided to make my own version of this on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Ingredients:

4 medium sized aubergines

4 cloves of garlic

1 onion

4 balls of mozzarella

2 tins of good quality chopped tomatoes

1½ jars Lloyd Grossman Tomato and Chilli pasta sauce

Method:

1) Slice the aubergine into around 1cm thick slices and fry in a tiny bit of olive oil until softened

2) Chop the garlic and onion and sweat in olive oil 

3) Add the chopped tomatoes and pasta sauce into the garlic and onion mixture and heat for around 10 minutes

4) Slice the mozzarella into around 2cm thick slices

5) In a deep rectangular baking tray, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce to the bottom

6) Add slices of aubergine so they are tucked in tightly

7) Layer slice of mozzarella on top of the aubergine and spread another layer of tomato sauce on top of that

8) Repeat the layering until all ingredients are used up and you are left with a topping of tomato sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan for an extra crispy finish

9) Whack in the oven at around 180°C for 40 minutes or until golden on top. Top with fresh basil if you have it (I didn't)

10) Enjoy!