Fish pie | Sunday supper club

For yesterday's supper, I tried out Jamie Oliver's fish pie recipe (minus the prawns) and it turned out to be perfect for a cold winter's evening. We had a salad on the side to balance out the potential potato overload ;)

Yesterday

So another sunday came speeding by, and I decided to make lamb burgers with an extra kick i.e with green chillies, garlic, lime zest and a handful of coriander for the sunday supper club. To accompany the burgers, I made potato wedges (with a healthy amount of spicy seasoning) and flat mate made a salad to balance the rest of the meal out. Lets just we were warmed up by spice, just what was needed on a cold sunday evening.

Baking festive cookies

At home with a cold, so the best way I can cure myself is to do some baking. I bought some cookie cutters from John Lewis (during the week) and my flatmate very kindly went out and bought the ingredients. Below are some photos from the baking session, we had particular fun adding designs to the cookies.

SSC - sunday supper club

Sunday supper club at my newish place, has become a nice way to end on the weekend on and prepare for the week ahead. Each sunday, my flatmate and I take it in turns to make supper. I made a roasted vegetable (aubergine, peppers, onions) tart with goats cheese sprinkled on top - my own recipe.

What's your favourite meal of the day?

My flatmate and I decided to treat ourselves to a proper home cooked sunday brunch. So, we cooked up a mighty feast of pancakes, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs with jalapeño and cheese; and topped off with fresh strawberries. Brunch certainly is the best meal of the day. What's your favourite meal of the day?

hmm, pancakes

crispy bacon...

grated cheese for the eggs

eggs scrambling away

all set with a lovely glass of apple juice

A quite weekend

Gastronomic Sunday

So, spent most of yesterday doing absolutely nothing - which was sheer bliss. Although, today was a different story. It's been a good while since I cooked at home and so decided to bake a cake and make a spiced lamb stew to beat the winter blues away.

The morning started with a simple breakfast of toast with a quarter sliced tomato garnished with black pepper and a pinch of salt.

Preparing the Bramley apples for the cinnamon, apple and pecan nut cake.

Mixture poured into the baking tin and ready for the oven to be baked for an hour or until it has risen.

Time for a cinnamon latte while the cake bakes. It's hard being a domestic goddess!

Voila - homemade baked cinnamon, apple and pecan nut cake. The house was filled with spice and cinnamon fragrances, perfect for a cold day.

Time for a short break. Went to the cinema to watch Where the Wild Things Are

Highly recommend it - brings back memories of being a child.

Back home and refreshed; and ready for the next part of the cooking. I have a spiced lamb stew bubbling away on the hob.

Spiced lamb stew with couscous served for moi....yummy!

A small slice of cake for dessert (good thing I had a small lunch)

Decided to share some of the cake with colleagues and so, have boxed up half the cake to take to work tomorrow. I'm stuffed and tired; time for bed...night night.

Weekend activities - Banana Bread

Voila my baking result in years

Guilt free enjoyment

Washing up as you go a long

My baking stuff

My baking view

Banana Bread

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 3/4 cups (260g) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2/3 firmly packed cup (150g) dark brown sugar
• 3 large over-ripe bananas
• 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Lightly grease an 11cm x 22cm loaf pan and line base and 2 long sides with a sheet of baking paper, leaving 2cm overhanging.
2. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl with the brown sugar, then add the nuts.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher, then stir in the eggs, vanilla extract and cooled melted butter. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they're just combined - don't overmix.
4. Scrape cake batter into prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the loaf in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Cut into 8-10 slices - and enjoy with a cup of chai :)

Pottering around in the back garden

The Garden needs to be rescued!!

And then sun came out, so I was slightly distracted ;)

All cleaned and ready for visitors

I think I may have chopped a bit too much of the passion fruit plant. I'm sure it's not meant to droop in the sun.

Having fun with the camera

The end to a lovely day at home.

Rajma - tastic

Garden delight's from Manchester

Peach beauty

Holly delights

Red Velvet

One random shot of a arcade in Manchester city centre