Matlock Bath

Over the recent bank holiday weekend I was lucky enough to get some time to visit Matlock Bath, which is as well known for it's amusement arcades and fish and chips, as it is for being a meeting place for motorcyclists! It's a small tourist village built along the River Derwent, in Derbyshire, and luckily not too far from where I live, so taking a trip out there is not only fun, but easy! 

Red Coconut Curry

My friend Tia very kindly included my blog for Rocky Road recently on her site. She's a cool blogger currently exploring LA in search of new food experiences!

Lots of her recipes took my eye, but one in particular that really captured the rumblings of my tummy was her recipe for Thai Red Coconut Curry!

Not only is it vegetarian, but it's totally delicious and I'll definitely do my utmost to do it justice soon!

But Tia and I have made a deal...

Chilli and Garlic Steak Calzone

This is EASILY the most MANLY thing I have ever made, a stark contrast to my Rocky Road Bars of yesterday. A calzone is something I've always wanted to make and there's something hugely therapeutic about kneading dough.

Prepare yourself. This is an animal.

Serves 4

430 calories per serving

Prep Time: 45 Minutes Prep

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

600g Steak Mince

200g Mushrooms
200g Cheese (Cheddar)
3 cups of flour
A tablespoon of yeast
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Chilli and Garlic

Classic Rocky Road Bars

This rocky road recipe is not only dead easy to do, but can be a snack for the blokiest of blokes, or girliest of girls. It really does cover every base!

Ingredients:
125g Butter
300g Dark Chocolate
60ml (or 3 tablespoons) of Golden Syrup

200g Mini Marshmallows (but that only because I wanted some to eat whilst I was cooking!)

200g Rich Tea biscuits (or any of the same thickness)

Free Berries!

A great way of minimizing costs for your meals is to go foraging! I'm fortunate enough to have a few blackberry bushes in my garden so I've just been out to pick a few, only a few but it's a start!

It's actually quite therapeutic to go out, either by yourself, as a couple or as a family to pick fruit. To find your own local sites check out Red Pepper or GeoForaging.

These berries are now going straight in a tupperware container in the freezer but what to do with them? That's up to you guys!

Let me know in the comments section below or in the Suggestions Box what you'd like to see get made!

Lemon, Ginger and Soy Salmon with Pepper Salsa

This salmon dish, much like my Chilli Salmon with Fusilli, is another that requires, in general, very little preparation, but a bit of planning. If you know that you're going to be in a rush one night, a little prep the night before goes a long way and really rewards!

Ingredients:
500g Salmon Fillets
200ml Soy Sauce
Ginger
A Lemon and A Lime
2 Peppers
2 Chillis
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

My Mum's Birthday!

So last night was my Mum's 50th Birthday Bash! We had heaps of the family over including my Grandparents who I haven't seen for far too long. Both of them have been very ill, battling cancer, over the past few years so it was great seeing them, AND with them looking and being so healthy. It's amazing what the health service, and a lot of fighting, has done to help.

She's always strived to be the hostess with the mostest, and boy did she achieve it, not only did a party of seven of us have heaps of quality hot and cold grub ALL NIGHT but we were tanked up with booze for the entire night too! Honestly, I felt like I was gonna pop.

I can see why so many people invite me to parties, and always ask me to cook now.... hmm.....

Not only in addition to the shop bought quiches, sausage rolls, salads and pizzas, we had homemade barbecue chicken wings, sweet chilli chicken thighs, samosas, onion bhajis, spicy lamb koftas (one of my favourites) AND more!

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This is one of my previous attempts at Lemon Drizzle Cake, a little heavy on the icing but I think the twirl of lemon adds enough finesse for me to get away with it! I always have butter, sugar, eggs and flour in my house, so if you have any fruit that may be going off, this and my Homemade Banana Bread are absolutely perfect!

Having a recipe like this, or any sponge, is an absolute must for your bakery arsenal. This is the bricks and mortar, and perfect place to start!

Cake Ingredients:
225g Butter (room temperature)
225g Caster Sugar
225g Self Raising Flour
4 eggs
Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Zest of One Lemon
Drizzle Ingredients:
85g Sugar
Juice of One Lemon

50 Random Facts About Me

I thought it would be good for you all to get to know a little more about me, the guy behind the blog! So HERE are fifty random facts about myself!
Enjoy, and remember to leave a like, a comment and subscribe!

Dan
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Minted Lamb Burger Ciabattas with Tzatziki and Rocket Salad

One of my barbecue favourites here, not only really easy to do, but an easier and much healthier alternative to the regular cheeseburger that most people often plump for.

Ingredients:
2 Lamb Steaks, Burgers or 500g Lamb Mince
A Ciabatta Roll
Rocket Salad
Olive Oil
Tzatziki, Sour Cream or Mayonnaise
Fresh Spring Onions and Cucumbers

Banana Bread

Banana Bread is a great way to use up any bananas that may be at risk of going off, not to mention being absolutely delicious with a cup of tea! It's easy to do and very difficult to get wrong, even for the most amateur of bakers...like myself!

Many thanks to my friend Sherena for this recipe!

All you need is:
2 or 3 over ripe bananas,
125g butter (make sure this is room temperature, it makes it easier to mix together!),
150g sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, an egg and 190g of self raising flour.

Riverside Festival

This weekend was the time of year for the Riverside Festival here in Nottingham.

It's a huge culture fair with masses of music, free activities, fairground rides, sports activities, as well as food stalls. It's all based along the River Trent, that runs through the city, and if the weather holds up (which it did...at least for a few hours), it's great for a family day out! This was entirely the intent for me and my friends, Becky and Holly.

Chicken Korma

A takeaway classic here, and one of the requests from the Suggestions Box. It's so easy to order a takeaway but this costs around a third of the price, but it does take a little more time! This requires a marinade and a fair bit of prep so you're best doing this the night before.

Serves 4
Prep Time 12 hours
Cooking Time 60 minutes

Ingredients:
500g Chicken Breasts
A small knob of Ginger
3 cloves of Garlic
1 Red Chilli
2 Red Onions
400ml Coconut Milk
400ml Plain Yoghurt
4 tbsp of ground almonds
Turmeric, Garam Masala, Coriander