Rachel’s Organic sent me some of their new Greek style lemon yoghurt which I have been enjoying for breakfast. I wasn’t sure how sharp lemon would work with tangy yoghurt but it was very nice and zesty, the yoghurt was lovely and creamy too. My last blog post was for some delicious blueberry, almond and poppy seed cereal bars and they worked a treat with the lemon yoghurt; I think the lemon and blueberries worked particularly well together. I don’t tend to be fully functioning until about half an hour after I wake up so anything that tastes nice that doesn’t involve too much effort on my part is good for me!
Thank you to Rachel’s Organic for the yoghurt. All opinions and words expressed are my own.
Archives for April 2014
Dried Blueberry and Almond Cereal Bars
Ingredients
You will need (for 12 cereal bars):
- 225g oats
- 100ml maple syrup
- 150g butter
- 75g dried blueberries
- 50g flaked almonds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Method
Preheat an oven to 180C and lightly grease a baking tray. The one I used was about 20cm x 20cm.
Melt the maple syrup and butter together in a saucepan on a low heat until melted and well combined.
Mix the oats, dried blueberries, almonds and poppy seeds together then pour in the syrup and butter and stir together until well mixed.
Press the mixture into the prepared baking tray and then place into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Mark into pieces while still hot then remove from the tray when cooled.
Review: Make your own Easter Egg
I was surprised how easy it was, I didn’t get chocolate everywhere and layering up the chocolate was quite enjoyable. The instructions said to use a microwave to melt the chocolate, and I don’t have a microwave, so I was picturing having to reheat the bowl of chocolate on the hob all the time but the chocolate stayed liquid long enough to do three coats no problem. The chocolate itself was really nice; I’m not one for eating a whole chocolate egg in one go but this one I did! If you’re looking for Easter weekend ideas, rainy day inspiration or want to know what exactly goes into your Easter egg then I can thoroughly recommend making your own.
Thank you to Stay in Devon for the Easter egg kit. All opinions and words expressed are my own.
The Good Life Farm Shop, Me vs. Quiche
I tried the quiche of the day which was salmon and courgette and as it turns out, I quite like quiche. A lifetime of avoiding any quiche apart from my Granny’s was over. The pastry was crisp and crumbly, the filling soft but not mushy or overly eggy, well seasoned and a generous amount of salmon. I’m a quiche convert.
The salted caramel cake that followed was sublime; made by a lady called Mama Brown. The wedge I had was huge (as all sweet things should be!) and the caramel on top of the cake and in between the layers tasted great; without that strange caramel flavour you can sometimes get. Being well satisfied just gave me another excuse to peruse the shop; I saw it as ‘walking it off’!
Thank you to The Good Life for my lunch. All opinions and words expressed are my own.
Ultimate Cheese on Toast with Lea & Perrins
I can’t have cheese on toast without a dribble of Worcestershire Sauce. I’ve added it to countless different meals; cottage pie, risotto and spaghetti bolognese to name a few. Lea and Perrins are working with the guys from Sorted to show different dishes you can add your Worcestershire Sauce to and I was asked to see what I could come up with.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- 3-4 medium onions, finely sliced
- 3 tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for cooking
- 1 tsp sugar
- 150g strong Cheddar cheese
- 2 thick slices bread
Method
Make the caramelised onions by getting a heavy based frying pan on a low heat and adding a drizzle of oil.
Tip in the onions, Worcestershire Sauce, a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Leave to soften for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until sticky.
Beef Braised in Beer with Onions and Carrots
As I rent a house I am in the unfortunate position of being lumbered with the oven and hob that I’m given. Don’t get me wrong; having a hob and an oven is certainly one up from having no heating implements at all but they definitely leave a lot to be desired.
Creamy Pea and Bacon Pasta
After my last £6 supper on BBC Radio Berkshire, Paul Ross was quite disappointed that the recipe included no frozen peas. It got me thinking that actually there’s plenty to celebrate in the humble frozen pea. They’re cheap, you can always keep some in the freezer and they are a welcome shot of greenness and sweetness at this time of year. This quick, easy and cheap meal is a little mid-week fanfare of the frozen pea.