Tapas ideas/recipes

I have already posted individual recipes for Patatas Bravas with chorizo and sweet potato fries but just wanted to share some other 'tapas' ideas and quick recipes to make at home for the perfect Saturday night in!

1. Cheesy garlic pizza bread with brie & red onion

Shop-bought cheesy garlic pizza bread then simply slice a red onion, and whack on some brie and freshly chopped parsley! Heaven.

 2. Smoked cheese & tomatoes

 Visit your local fresh cheese counter and see what you can find - I bought some smoked cheddar with a paprika crust (to die for), and just bought some simple cherry tomatoes.

3. Lamb & mint meatballs with tzatziki

 You can't make everything... so you can pick these delicious meatballs up from Sainsbury's - they have amazing flavour and taste so good dunked in tzatziki (which was also not home-made...)

4. Chicken & mushroom wholegrain mustard wraps

Fry some chicken chunks in olive oil until cooked, then add in some fresh garlic and mushrooms. Once cooked, stir in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and some soft cheese (e.g. Philadelphia). Serve in a bowl then spoon into wholegrain wraps with some fresh spinach leaves. Delicious!

5. Don't forget the dips!

Of course you can make your dips from scratch but if you don't want to be slaving in the kitchen all night long then opt for some ready made salsa, tzatziki and garlic mayonnaise - perfect dips for all of the above dishes.

Enjoy :)

Leek and potato soup with brie

Another wintery recipe - sorry I know it's only August! I had all the ingredients for this in the house and had never really made soup before so I was really excited to try it out. I didn't expect the texture to be so thick and smooth so was really pleased and it tasted so creamy and delicious! If you prefer a chunky soup then feel free to alter the recipe slightly - you don't have to blend it in a food processor, you could just chop the potatoes smaller to begin with. This tasted great on it's own, but once I added a few chunks of brie it just made it so much better - more creamy mm mm. I served this with a tear and share bread.

Serves 2 

- knob of butter

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, crushed

- 1 leek, sliced or chopped

- 1 large baking potato, cut into chunks

- 1 chicken stock cube with 300ml water

- dash of milk

- salt and pepper

- few slices of brie

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions, garlic and leek. Cook for around 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the potato.

2. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Then cover with a lid, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the potato is softened.

3. Put the soup into a food processor and add some milk. Blend until smooth (a minute or two). Season to taste.

4. Return the soup to the pan to heat through, and add the slices of brie. Stir until melted, then serve!

Enjoy :)

Brie and cranberry parcels

These make perfect starters and are actually more ideal for Christmas time, but I had all the ingredients in the house so couldn't resist! They're really messy and all oddly shaped (as you can see...) but I love that they're a bit different. The filo pastry I used was the jus rol brand and had actually been opened for quite a while so had dried out a fair bit, making these harder to shape - so if you use the pastry fresh then they will probably look neater and more appealing. 

*I'm not going to put exact quantities because it becomes pretty obvious when making them and it depends how many you want to make for however many people*

Ingredients

- Filo pastry cut into squares

- butter, melted

- brie, sliced

- cranberry sauce/jelly

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 / 190 degrees.

2. To make one parcel, take 3 squares and brush them with melted butter. Layer them on top of one another with the points sticking out at different angles, like a star shape.

3. Place a slice of brie in the middle and a teaspoon of cranberry sauce and lift the pastry corners up to form a parcel, pushing together gently with fingers.

4. Brush the outside with more melted butter and place on a baking tray.

5. Repeat as many times as you desire!

6. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and melting, and the pastry golden brown and crisp.

Enjoy :)

Brie and bacon on fresh, rustic bread

 A delicious Mother's Day breakfast! We are lucky to have a bread machine - my mum prepares the mixes and puts the machine on before bed so it is ready in time for the morning. This is a rustic loaf, half wholemeal half white flour and is so delicious. There is nothing like fresh bread, I seriously recommend getting a bread machine if you love soft, fluffy bread with a crispy crust, and don't want to be rushing to the supermarkets at opening time! I will not put the recipe for the bread on here as if you have a bread machine, it comes with a series of recipes and instructions, and this is where this recipe came from. I decided to finish off the bacon and open a fresh pack of brie to melt on top of the bread and it was yummy as anticipated. Quick and simple but thought I would share anyway if you were ever stuck for breakfast, brunch or lunch ideas!

1. Simply slice the fresh bread and butter it, dry-fry the streaky bacon in a pan until crisp all over, and place on top of the bread.
2. Cut slices of brie and place on top of the bacon on the bread, and grill until the brie has melted.
Enjoy :)

I made a tiramisu cake yesterday for mother's day today so will post the recipe for that later today - it looks and smells delicious can't wait to taste it and share it with you! We are going for lunch/dinner at my sister's today for a Chinese-style feast - she is roasting pork belly with sweet chilli sauce and a noodle stir fry mmm. I may take pictures and post the recipes but not sure yet, check back soon!

The perfect baked potato

Why ruin a perfectly simple jacket potato by shoving it in the microwave for 10 minutes and making it soggy!? For some reason I am far better at using the hob or the oven than a microwave anyway, since every time I use the microwave for my porridge it ends up exploding all down the side of the bowl, and in the case of the famous jacket potato - no matter what I do, whenever I bake it in the microwave the skin wrinkles and goes tough. Although I like jacket potatoes when my mum bakes them in the microwave, I think it's safe to say that everyone loves a fluffy potato with a crisp, flavoursome skin. And here is how...

You will need a jacket potato, olive oil, salt and any other seasoning you like.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6. Prick the potato with a fork or knife (this is very important - my dad once caused a potato explosion in the oven for not doing this...). Place the potato on a baking tray and brush with olive oil so the whole skin is coated. Sprinkle with salt and any other seasoning (like pepper, season all or fresh or dried herbs), and turn so that the whole potato is covered with seasoning. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes - 2 hours. Turn halfway through cooking. The potato will be done when it looks brown in colour and crisp - stick a knife in the potato to check it is cooked through. Don't forget to extend the time if you are baking lots of potatoes at once or if it is particularly large!

Jacket potato toppings:
- Butter
- Any cheese
- Pesto
- Soured cream and chives
- Tuna mayo
- Egg mayo
- Sweetcorn
- Bacon and leek
- Fried onion and mushrooms
- Baked beans
- Coleslaw
- Chilli
- Cottage cheese
- Any flavoured spread like Philadelphia
- Chicken and garlic mayo

You can obviously mix and match any of these toppings to get some delicious flavours
Some of my favourites are:
- Green pesto and cheddar
- Brie and bacon
- Tuna mayo and mozzarella
- Sweetcorn, mushrooms with soured cream and chives
- The classic cheese and beans!

Enjoy :)