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Griddled Welsh Lamb Steaks With Lemon, Garlic and Herbs

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Welsh lamb has a special place in my heart, for a few reasons. Of course the first reason is that I am Welsh and grew up amongst some pretty glorious countryside where lambs grazed close by. The second reason is that as a child one of my favourite home cooked meals was Cawl. My mum would make huge batches of it and it was a comforting meal which always reminds me of home. Since moving into my home and starting my own family I’ve enjoyed cooking with lamb, generally the typical roast lamb dishes or chops with a mint sauce but I’ll be honest I haven’t experimented too much with it.

PGI Welsh Lamb got in touch last month to ask if I would like to collaborate and create a recipe using PGI lamb. I was incredibly keen, especially after my recent press trip to a salt marsh lamb farm and wanted to make something easy but tasty and healthy which would suit the whole family.

But firstly, what is PGI?

The European Commission (EC) has awarded Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef the coveted status of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). This puts Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef in the same elevated company as Parma Ham and other speciality and protected food name products from around the world. 

You can find a list of the butchers in your area which serve PGI Welsh Lamb by clicking here and there are even online stockists which deliver to your door. I quite enjoyed the discovery of a very local butcher to me and after the quality of this meat I will certainly be paying them a visit again soon!

Pretty much immediately after I was asked to create the recipe I began buying different cuts of lamb and trying different dishes. Research is key after all and well lamb is pretty tasty! I finally decided after plenty of testing on this recipe for griddled lamb steaks marinated overnight in a mixture of lemon, garlic, honey and herbs. It is summery and light and with the right sides can be a really special meal. It is also very good diced finely the next day in a wrap or pitta with loads of salad.

I also thought up a fun adaptation using diced lamb so that kids could get involved in the recipe too. One of the things I’ve recently picked up on with my two young daughters is that the more I involved them in cooking the more they want to eat the food. They have always been enjoyed baking cakes or biscuits but everyday cooking is fun for kids too. We call it cooking club. Both of the girls enjoy rubbing herbs into potatoes for crispy air fryer potatoes, helping to butter bread or chop veggies or in this case threading meat and vegetables onto skewers for kebabs! Always be careful when little ones are touching raw meat or using sharp objects such as kebab sticks and it goes without saying they need constant supervision but they can do it and what’s more they will enjoy it.

We began our prep the night before with Izzy helping somewhat reluctantly to rub the marinade into the diced lamb while I did the same to the lamb steaks. She soon got over her initial squeaminess and enjoyed helping out.

The next day at my parents house the girls sat at the kitchen table and had so much fun creating their very own lamb kebabs.

We used halloumi, peppers, new potatoes and sweet potato to layer up our lamb kebabs but you could use any veggies you like.

 

To make the lamb kebabs just us the marinade recipe from the lamb steaks below and use chunks of veg and halloumi. Drizzle with oil and bake for 25 mins until golden brown or pop on a bbq until cooked thoroughly. If using wooden skewers pre soak to avoid burning.

The finished product:

Moving on to the main event – Griddled Welsh Lamb Steaks – sounds simple you say? It is, extremely simple yet tasty and satisfying. Lamb doesn’t need an awful lot of fuss but an overnight stay in the fridge after being massaged with a good marinade can make a basic dish an exceptional one. I love the light summery combination of lemon, herbs and garlic, throw in a little honey for sweetness and a good rapeseed oil to bulk it up and that is all that’s needed. Lamb has quite a strong flavour on it’s own, don’t try to overpower that flavour, just subtle enhance it. I had planned to make these on the BBQ and this recipe can be easily adapted for that particular style of cooking just by firing up your gas barbecue or lighting some charcoal for a real smokey taste. The Welsh weather this weekend had other ideas and a particularly wet Sunday meant that an alfresco lunch was out of the question. A griddle pan is a perfect swap for a bbq when you need to eat indoors, you get the look of bbq’d food and a lot of the flavour too. Just remember to oil the meat, not the pan and keep some windows or doors open as it can get a little smokey.

Griddled Welsh Lamb Steaks With Lemon, Garlic and Herbs

You will need:

6 Lamb steaks

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 lemon

75ml of a good quality rapeseed or olive oil

2 tbsp of fresh diced herbs – I used oregano

4 garlic cloves minced

45ml honey

a good pinch of salt

a good pinch of cracked black pepper

Mix all of your marinade ingredients together well and add to your lamb steaks in a bowl, massage for a few mins and cover. Pop in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours.

Remove your lamb from the fridge 30 -60 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature ( this helps it cook more evenly ).

Place your griddle pan over a medium to high heat and heat the pan completely before adding your meat, cook for around 3-4 minutes each side for medium rare, 6-8 minutes each side to be cooked through or to your liking.

All meat should be left to rest slightly after cooking, this makes the meat a little more moist and allows the flavour to develop. Just a few mins will do the trick.

Serve with some super sides. Here are some basic recipes for the sides I served:

Flatbreads:

I have been using this basic recipe for flatbreads for years now, it always works well and they are kind of addictive. These quantities make around 16 small flatbreads, believe me everyone wants at least two.

500g Plain Flour

300ml warm water

30ml of rapeseed oil

Method here

Aubergine: 

Slice your aubergine into chunky rounds, rub in some chilli oil and sea salt. Bake for 25 mins.

Yoghurt and mint dip:

Blend together half a tub of natural greek yoghurt with a heaped tablespoon of jarred mint sauce.

Buttery potatoes:

Not a recipe as such but a serving suggestion, get the best new potatoes you can find and cook to perfection. Add some herb butter for indulgence.

We had a lot of fun creating this recipe for PGI Welsh Lamb. I also enjoyed an afternoon with my mum where she taught me how to make her homemade cawl, would you like that recipe too?

  • This recipe is in collaboration with PGI Welsh Lamb and I have been compensated for my time in creating it.

Nozstock Hidden Valley 2018 Review

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You may remember a few weeks ago I shared a preview post my younger brother wrote about Nozstock Festival, well here he is again after a really enjoyable time at Nozstock last month. Over to Josh:

The 20th anniversary of the prestigious festival brought many surprise acts and a plethora of upcoming talent. As the sun shone over Herefordshire for the weekend, the heat rose in more ways than one. A festival oozing in art, culture, great food and a brilliant family ethos was always set to deliver nothing less than excellence.

I arrived at the festival on the Thursday with ease. There were signs pointing you in the right direction for around 3 miles prior to the festival gates ensuring a swift arrival. Upon entering Nozstock the staff were extremely helpful and friendly offering information and making the whole experience unforgettable. 

Walking through the festival was an experience in itself. There was unique artwork everywhere with inspirational quotes and colourful décor all around. It was a breath of fresh air to see people of all ages roaming around freely and immersing themselves in the Nozstock vibe. 

At festivals I have previously attended there’s usually a target audience, usually ages 16-30. Nozstock is rightfully a festival catered for every person of any age or background. The festival is perfect for families without taking away the goodness that will attract young adults, something that is very difficult to most but the curators of the festival make this seem effortless. The family vibe is one that will stick with me for a long time, you see the same faces around in the most friendliest of atmospheres.

The line-up included some stellar acts such as Chase and Status and Goldfrapp.  The line-up offered much diversity with genres for all music lovers. It infused elements of rock and roll with jazz and funk in the most unique way. Nozstock was a massive eye opener of just how successful an event can be in such a small capacity in comparison to heavyweight festivals. Its ethos is surely one that can be looked at by other small festivals to replicate.

There was an array of options when it came to food. There were options for all needs with almost every food stall serving gluten free and vegan options. Personal favourites were the ‘Pimp my Fries’ and ‘Super Tidy Burgers’ (The Grazing Shed) both of which delivered excellent service with delicious food. The topped fries from Pimp my Fries have to be the most delicious I’ve ever tried. Pimp my Fries seemed to be a general favourite of attendees with continuous queues throughout the day. The price of food and beverages was also very reasonable considering the quality of the goods.

Performances 

Honeyfeet delivered one of the most unique performances I’ve ever witnessed. The 7 piece (you heard it right) offered a unique twist on jazz and folk combining it with huge riffs and impeccable vocals. The band are real crowd pleasers for all the right reasons.

We Are Scientists played predecessor’s to Chase and Status prior to their headline performance on the orchard stage and they more than got the crowd raring to go for the headliner later that evening. The indie-rockers from USA have been touring the UK of late much to the pleasure of fans. Their performance was impeccable offering a real engaging show with the ‘Nozstockers’. 

Chase and Status as always delivered sheer excellence in their headline performance. The crowd was jam packed with just about enough room for everyone to have a boogie. Their set list comprised of classics and some new tracks. MC Rage literally has the audience in the palm of his hand throughout the show creating a special bond between artist and audience. The show was a perfect performance with Chase and Status living up to their reputation.

Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 finished Friday nights events in the one of the most culminating performances of the weekend. Chali’s silky smooth voice comprised with dance beats offered a unique twist on Jurassic 5’s classics. One of the most groovy performances I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing live.

Dub Pistols are almost of residents of Nozstock , they deliver a quirky twist on Dub, electronica, hip-hop and alternative music. They’re sound is so distinctive and hard to replicate. No other group can captivate a crowd like them and their performance provided no disappointment. Mucky Weekend was a personal highlight and the track depicted the weekend perfectly (despite how clean the site is kept).

Grandmaster Flash was a sight to behold from start to end. Prior to his performance there was a VT showing his origin and how he grew to love all kinds of music through his upbringing. This was not just special, but also hugely inspiring to any musician who wants to make it in the industry. ‘Flash’ also paid homage to many artists who had passed away in a touching and personal way. This performance exceeded all expectations I ever imagined I’d have.

Childcare started the last day of Nozstock with a bang. The 4-piece from London who’s name derives from lead singer Ed’s previous occupation as a Nanny delivered one of the most exciting performances of the weekend despite it being so early in the day. The band played the Orchard stage at Midday and didn’t look out of place. Ed’s footwork on stage was also a sight to behold, if a music career ever fails the band he’ll no doubt have a fair crack at making it as a footballer. After this performance however I have no doubts that the band are destined for success. Film Club was the defining song of the weekend for myself, it made me and others huge fans of the band.

Oh My God It’s The Church sure know how to put on a show. The outfit offer a bit of everything, they have trumpets, saxophones , organ and a combination of brilliant drumming and covers of classic songs. If there was a band/performance to sum up Nozstock in a nutshell this would certainly be it!

Goldfrapp are the greatest performers I have ever witnessed. Alison Goldfrapp is captivating to say the least, her stage presence alone cannot be compared with any other. The whole show was angelic and perfect in every possible way. The lights and sound of the whole performance had no imperfections and the crowd were absolutely incredible. Alison also immersed herself with the crowd especially when spotting a fan (who was stood next to me) who knew the words to every song. The front-woman made a special moment of pointing and singing to the fan which made his whole weekend. Personal highlight of the show ‘Anymore’ the lights flashing, fast drumming and vocals of this track cannot be compared. The most perfect possible ending to one of the most perfect festivals I’ve ever attended.

The Cabinet of Lost Secrets deserves the most honourable of mentions as I’ve never had anything blow my mind the way this did. Have you ever watched a TV series and wanted to be able to un-watch it and be able to re-watch it all over again? This has the same effect but 10x more. For those reading who haven’t been to the festival I’m not going to give away exactly what it is, but it is mind blowing to say the least.

The festival in a nutshell was a bag of surprises, a festival that is literally like no other. A festival full of colour, vibrancy and the friendliest people you’ll ever have the pleasure of partying with.

Welsh Nduja & Samphire Potato Salad – Food & Drink Wales

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Quite often I’ll return from a press visit full of ideas. It generally comes from time spent with like minded people but this time it wasn’t just the people I was inspired by but the environment. The weirdest part is that a lot of the trip with Food and Drink Wales was within an hour of where I live. This recipe for Nduja and Samphire Potato Salad was very much based on my trip and all of the wonderful produce we enjoyed.

Part of the trip was spent learning about Gower Salt Marsh Lamb and what they graze on which gives them their unique flavour. We wandered down the Marsh and tried the Samphire which was in abundance. I was in love, I had had Samphire previously in restaurants etc but I had never just eaten it fresh or cooked it myself at home. The Estuary we visited runs quite a few miles and almost leads to the back of my home so I thought maybe just maybe I’d find some there…and I did! Loads of it. I didn’t take too much as the general rule with foraging is take just what you need.

It was a gloriously sunny day and apart from a few bramble scratches when I went the wrong way it was fairly effortless. Samphire doesn’t need much in the way of fuss or cooking. Give it a good wash then fry lightly in butter, it is naturally salty so don’t season without tasting but a little pepper works well. I added mine to the recipe below which uses mainly Welsh ingredients ( with the addition of a generic mayo ).

My other ingredients for this recipe included Pembrokeshire earlies, these most delicious and almost buttery pale yellow potatoes are so tasty and again don’t need much added to enhance them. We picked these literally from the ground with the help of Farmer Will from Windmill Farm and wow I was so impressed by the flavour. Great news for Aldi shoppers, you will be able to buy these in store very shortly under the specially selected name.

Have you heard of Nduja? It is a fairly new ingredient to UK supermarket shelves and you will more often be able to source it from local deli’s or farmers markets. Ruth and Andrew from Cwm Farm create an incredible Nduja using meat from their farm in Pontardawe, South Wales. They have a new spreadable version available on sale soon but the version I have used is similar to a chorizo in texture and flavour with a little extra spice. You can buy the products here.

Welsh Nduja & Samphire Potato Salad

You will need:

500g potatoes – I recommend Pembrokeshire Earlies

4 inch chunk of Nduja or a spicy chorizo diced – I recommend Cwm Farm

A few handfuls of Samphire or some other type of greenery if you aren’t able to locate ( asparagus would work well )

5 tablespoons of good quality mayo

1 heaped tablespoon Chilli Jam – I recommend Radnor Hills

Cook your potatoes in lightly salted water until cooked through – there is not hard and fast time for this. As farmer Will said: I cook them until a fork will sink in. Drain and leave to cool. Whilst they are cooling, chop your Nduja/chorizo into small chunks, most come in a removable peel/skin. Dry fry in a large shallow frying pan, no oil is needed as they will create enough oil due to the fat content. Once starting to crisp up and look golden, remove from pan and set aside. Add a little butter to your pan then pop in your washed and dried samphire and saute for a few minutes before removing and adding to your Nduja. Your potatoes should have cooled just enough for you to add the mayo and chill jam, stir well to get an even coating, now add your Nduja and samphire and stir through again. Season with pepper. Eat immediately.

 This is the perfect side dish at a barbecue or to accompany a picky lunch.. you know the kind. It would be great served with a roast chicken and oodles of salad bits or eaten on it’s own as a standalone dish.

  • This recipe was created for Food and Drink Wales and I have been compensated for my time.

Nozstock Hidden Valley’s 5 Top Attractions 2018

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You may remember that a year or two back my younger brother Josh covered Livestock Festival for me, he did such a good job that this year he will be covering Nozstock on my behalf. This is his preview of this years festival. Over to you Josh:

Nozstock’s 20th anniversary speaks volumes of a successful festival that’s stuck to its origins and has continued to deliver on excellence year in, year out. The festival is deemed more of a 3 day, non-stop party as opposed to a festival, but don’t be mistaken for thinking the line-up isn’t utterly impeccable. I was really chuffed o be asked to review the festival in all of its glory and am overly excited to attend. This blog post is going to show the five things I’m personally most excited about for Nozstock 2018. The festival won the ‘Mind Blowing Spectacle’ award last year so there’s a lot to live up too. Judging by the lineup, it’s not going to disappoint…

Goldfrapp

Electronic duo Goldfrapp offers a unique twist to the festival game with eclectic music that everyone will know. The duo’s hit single ‘Ooh La La’ gained the band notable success. The song has been used in many high-end adverts, making it a catchy feel-good anthem that’ll have the crowds going crazy. Goldfrapp has many classics which will make for a groovy night for certain.

Notable Track – Ooh La La

Chase and Status (DJ SET)

When asked about drum and bass, only one name springs to mind. Chase & Status have absolutely dominated the industry for over 10 years. The duo has created some of the most recognisable music in the UK in recent years. Their hard work and consistent deliverance of brilliant music have led to many accolades and festival headline shows. Chase and Status are on most peoples ‘to see list’ as they always put on a show.

Notable Track – Blind Faith

Dub Pistols

Dub Pistols have been on the festival circuit for years and continue to impress with their hard-working ethos and dreamy drum and bass sounds. 2017 saw the outfit release ‘Crazy Diamond’ an album that seems almost perfectly designed for summer days in festival fields. The band bring trumpets, feel-good rhythms and atmospheric anthems, destined to be the highlight of the weekend for many.

Notable Track –  Mucky Weekend

We Are Scientists

The band’s genre is hard to decipher, what I do know is We Are Scientists are utterly sublime live. They offer a mix of post-punk/indie and electronic to create music to dance to. The band wreak of nostalgia from the early 2000’s and despite being around for over 15 years are continuing to release brilliant music.  The band are no stranger to playing big crowds, this will be their first appearance at Nozstock and we’re all very excited for what’s inevitably going to be a brilliant performance.

Notable Track – No Wait At Five Leaves

Grandmaster Flash

Innovator of hip-hop Grandmaster Flash is going to be headlining ‘The Garden Stage’ much to the excitement of fans.  Since his debut over 40 years ago, he has pioneered the way hip-hop has been created and has cultivated a generation. Grandmaster Flash is renowned for his on-stage performances and getting the crowd going. It’s going to be a sight to see, a groovy one at that.

Notable Track – White Lines

 

Notable Mentions

The Blockheads- Cult heroes will be bringing ‘sex, drugs and rock n roll’ to Nozstock.

Oh my God! It’s the Church- Funky evangelists will provide a sermon with a smile.

S.P.Y- D&B with a surprising pure sound that’s incredibly unique and utterly divine.

Black Sun Empire – Netherlands D&B heroes are intending on flushing down the Cubicles stage with ‘dramatic neurofunk’.

Catholic Action – The Scottish outfit offer a unique twist on modern day alternative music.

The Selecter – There’s not ‘Too Much Pressure’ on these to deliver, everyone knows they will..

Reginald D Hunter – Guaranteed to have fans in hysterics.

Exploring The Welsh Food & Drink Scene

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I’ve just returned from a press trip around South Wales, exploring vineyards and farms and eating incredible food. The trip was organised by Food and Drink Wales and it was a lot of fun being a tourist in my home country. I have a full post with a recipe using delicious Welsh ingredients coming up next week but first I wanted to share a few photos of the trip to whet your appetite shall we say…

Day 1 we arrived at Jabajak Vineyard in Llanboidy. I can’t recall ever having such a warm, friendly welcome and the trip was brief but special. It is the kind of place where you want to turn your phone off and relax for a week. With nothing more pressing than deciding which book to read or which wine to have with dinner:

The food was amazing too:

http://jabajak.co.uk

Day 2 began drizzly and grey with an early start to head down to Pembrokeshire and to visit the new potato farms. Luckily by the time we arrived some blue skies began to show. We visited Windmill farm run by Will Richards and son Ed. It was interesting to learn the differences in the potatoes and we even had a top storage tip from Will: If you buy potatoes still covered in soil you can dig a hole and store them in your garden for up to a month ..and they are still super fresh!

The farm overlooks St Bride’s Haven which is incredibly beautiful:

Our next stop was the beautiful Gower and The Britannia Inn where I enjoyed a rather sumptuous Steak and Ale Pie:

With full bellies we moved on to Weobley Castle, the home of Gower Salt Marsh Lamb and a long walk onto the marsh was just what we needed. We watched the lamb grazing on Sorrel and Samphire and nibbled a little ourselves.

After an enjoyable afternoon spent learning all about the lambs, playing with puppies and almost off-roading in the back of trailer we were off to our destination for the night. Llanerch Vineyard. Llanerch is very different to Jabajak with a slightly more corporate vibe but beautifully laid out and modern. The rooms were simply decorated, large and airy with a huge super comfy bed. White Stuff toiletries and an abundance of coffee and hot chocolate treats were welcomed gladly! Our evening meal was spectacular, with my starter being my favourite part of the meal. I’ll tell you lots more about the food and wine in my next post.

Our final day was spent visiting Ruth and Andrew of Cwm Farm and their unit in Pontardawe. I’ve met the couple on a number of occasions at local food markets and festivals and I have always been impressed by their incredible passion for food and their business. They create unique and delicious products using meat reared on their farms as well as seasonal and local ingredients. My fave is the Nduja!

We finished the trip with a food and wine pairing, followed by a vineyard tour at Llanerch. More to come on that and what I thought..

Thanks to Food and Drink Wales and everyone who looked after us during our trip.

  • This trip was covered by Food and Drink Wales and I have been compensated for my time.

A Food Filled Weekend In Belfast – Belfeast 2018

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I’ve recently returned from the ultimate food filled weekend in Belfast. I was invited as a guest of Tourism Ireland along with Kacie from The Rare Welshbit to check out the first year of Belfeast Food and Drink festival.

Held in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, Belfeast celebrated the best of local food and drink. We sat through fascinating food demonstrations, strolled around the artisan food market and ate at Michelin starred restaurants…oh and I may have eaten the best ever Pork Crackling that exists anywhere.

The day started with a very early flight from Cardiff, the sun was shining, I had a window seat and the day had a good vibe about it. And coffee…lots of coffee.

On arrival in Belfast we checked into The Bullitt, a too cool for school boutique hotel right in the centre of Belfast. Every aspect of the hotel has been carefully considered with both style and comfort in mind and I’d love to return. The rooms are modern, airy and the bathrooms whilst missing a bath are huge with gorgeous rainfall showers – for once I actually enjoyed the shower experience. Breakfast in the Bullitt is slightly different to other hotels, you hang a slip on your door each day to say what time you would like your breakfast bag to be delivered. The breakfast bag contains juice, fruit and oats and yoghurt which is great if you are in a rush or not too hungry in the mornings.

After checking in and enjoying a blissful cup of Irish Breakfast tea we headed to our first stop on the itinerary – The Belfast Food Tour. The Belfast food tour is such an experience, you meet at the market and get taken on a whirlwind tour of food and drink in Belfast. Getting to try things I wouldn’t have normally chosen was my favourite part. Here are a few pics of the tour:

The most incredible brownies I have EVER tasted from Co Couture. We just had a small chunk but it was so rich that it satisfied every sweet craving that I have.

A selection of some of Ireland’s best cheeses:

Our hostess with the mostess:

This was an ulster fry on a stick from the Market and it was absolutely delicious, worth a visit JUST for that:

belfast food

We also visited some proper old fashioned pubs and this fairly special whisky shop:

After the food tour, when we were already indecently full we called into The Curated Kitchen. The Curated Kitchen had only been open a few weeks when we arrived but word of mouth spreads quickly and this place is popular and for very good reason. It’s a bit different, they have a weekly menu made up of recipes from cookbooks that they love. This is how they describe themselves:

We search at home and abroad for cookbooks, produce and ingredients that are remarkable not just for their taste but also for their story, something that we then aim to celebrate and share with our guests.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Curated Kitchen; good food for the social & curious.

If this was in my local area I could see myself there once a week easily! Our first visit was brief and we had coffee served with deep fried italian dumplings – like doughnuts almost:

We headed back to the hotel soon after to relax before what I would consider the highlight of our visit – dinner at The Ox.

Before dinner we headed to an incredible hotel for cocktails. The Merchant is probably up there with being one of the fanciest hotels I’ve stepped foot in and the cocktail menu is spectacular. It was just the right way to start off a great night.

The Ox is a bit special. Opened in 2013 by good friends Stephen Toman and Alain, it has won a whole host of awards and acclaim in the last five years. Including a Michelin star. It is probably one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten and I’ve had my fair share. But it isn’t stuffy or uptight in the way that you can find in similar restaurants and thats what makes it great. The kitchen is open, the staff friendly and full of smiles and food and wine knowledge. It is a pleasure to dine here and that is before we even get to the food. We were served dishes including seasonal ingredients produced in an incredibly appetising way. The scallop bisque was special as was the Mourne Mountain Lamb and my 70% chocolate dessert served with Jerusalem Artichoke ice cream just blew me away. Every morsel of food was tasty, packed with flavour and thought. The wine to accompany was excellent although as usual I could not keep up with the rest of the table. It was the perfect end to a food filled day.

Day two began with glorious sunshine streaming through my window, we definitely chose the right time to visit Belfast. With the memories of yesterday and the incredible coffee still in our heads we decided to go for a cooked breakfast in The Curated Kitchen to start our day off right. And YES that was the best decision. I could eat this cooked breakfast over and over. I opted for Boxty ( a traditional Irish potato pancake) served with kale in a delightfully creamy sauce and it was mouthwateringly good. So good I want to go back right now and eat it again.

After breakfast we headed to The Mac Belfast for some food demonstrations which were part of the food festival. I LOVE food demos and could easily sit for hours watching. Funnily enough one of the chefs began making Boxty soon after we sat down and I was very glad I had a full belly as it smelled delicious.

After a few hours of demos we headed out into the artisan food quarter, where of course we ate more food:

The food quarter was full of stalls selling cheeses and chutneys as well as brownies, cakes and drinks. It was gloriously sunny and there was a happy, family vibe around the area.

Next up on our itinerary was a cheese and beer pairing at The Black Box. One of the events you could book as part of Belfeast and run by Boundary Brewery and Mike’s Fancy Cheese Co. Now this was a lot of fun. I love cheese, any kind of cheese and I think my favourite was one which was rolled in ash..sounds very weird but tastes amazing. The beer was fairly strong and we walked out feeling ever so slightly giggly.

Dinner that evening was at Babel inside of the Bullitt. I do love when you can have a meal at your hotel especially when you are feeling a bit worn out from the day. Babel was lively and buzzing on a Saturday night although I was so full of food that I struggled to eat much …but I had an amazing Coffee cocktail to finish. Following on from Babel we headed to Cave which is the wine bar attached to The Ox, it was a lovely way to end the day and it was their 5th birthday so we helped to celebrate and even had a slice of cake!

The next day we woke early and headed off to Titanic Belfast. This was a really different experience and I am glad we went. I did find it a little harrowing in parts but that is to be expected and mainly it was just interesting. The building itself is rather spectacular and I couldn’t resist taking a few photos outside:

After our visit we were zooming off once more and this time it was to Belfast Cookery School for a seafood chowder workshop as part of Belfeast. Despite a late arrival after some transport problems we really enjoyed watching the process and eating the results!

Our next stop was at the Ulster museum to visit the Game Of Thrones tapestry. I’ve been exited about this since they first launched it last year and it was so much fun for an obsessive GOT fan to stroll around the rather impressive tapestry.

After our museum visit we headed to our final stop. The Bull & Ram restaurant. By the time we sat down it is fair to say we were absolutely exhausted. It had been a very busy weekend and we were hungry and tired. The Bull & Ram was the ideal end to the weekend. The food was off the scale good. Like how you imagine the perfect Sunday lunch to be. I started with pork crackling which is going take some beating, I would be surprised if I find it that good again served with homemade apple sauce and followed by a beef dinner with ALL the trimmings.

And then it was time to head home, weary and around half a stone heavier I think!

Thanks to Tourism Ireland and everyone who hosted us and treated us with such warmth and welcome. I’ll be back for sure!

  • My trip was sponsored by Tourism Ireland.

10 Brilliant BBQ Sides

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I don’t know about you but if I’m attending a BBQ I am all about the side dishes..yes I love a good burger or chicken thigh but you’ll be far more likely to find me hovering around the potato salad and the dips..oh the dips. Below I have shared with you some of my favourite BBQ sides from myself and my fellow food bloggers, hope you enjoy!

Vegan Potato Salad from The Veg Space

bbq sides

Sautéed Butter Bean Salad from Veggie Desserts

Creamy Beet Hummus from Little Sunny Kitchen:

Vegan Coronation Coleslaw from The Veg Space

Smokey BBQ Potatoes from Family Friends Food

Cous Cous Salad & Yoghurt Dip from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary

Summer Salad with Grilled Veggies from Family Friends Food:

Cucumber Roll Ups with a Garlic, Mint & Feta Filling

Strawberry, Cucumber & Mint Salad With Pimm’s Dressing from Foodie Quine

Finishing with my Chicken Pesto Halloumi Kebabs:

bbq sides

 

 

Festival Food Tips & Ideas

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The first time I went to a festival (Blissfields back in 2011) I think I half filled the car with food and cooking equipment. I seriously overpacked and had no clue on how to do it the easy way. Since then I have been to quite a few festivals and have upped my festival food game each time. Now it is important to remember that festivals these days have incredible food on offer so if cooking by the side of your tent doesn’t appeal well there are lots and lots of options, both healthy and indulgent so you will do just fine. I, however quite like being able to cook meals outdoors and enjoy them tent side whilst also having the occasional meal or snack from a stall and financially it helps me keep to a reasonable budget too.

I have put together a selection of tips and ideas, both from myself and fellow food bloggers to help you plan your festival food for the season ahead. Some will seem obvious but hopefully you will get one or two new ideas along the way.

Freeze everything. Butter, Bacon, Sausages and Milk as well as juices and any bottled drinks freeze well and will keep your cool bag cool without having to add extra bulk with cool packs. I should add that cocktail pouches are especially handy and squish in those little gaps.

Prepare and cook two filling meals before you go, one ready for your first night after setting up camp and one frozen for later in your trip. Bolognese, stews and curries are the best options for this.

festival food

Pre grate your cheese, dice your veggies and portion them up. It is so much easier to make a meal without all of your kitchen equipment when you have everything chopped or diced and ready to cook.

Tin foil is your friend. Washing up facilities on festival sites aren’t always close to hand so sometimes I will line my pans with foil when cooking greasy food like bacon and sausages, yes this isn’t especially environmentally friendly but it’s not something I do at home and foil can be recycled so I don’t feel too bad about it.

Dried fruit and nuts make more sense than a huge basket of fruit. Over ripe fruit in a tent can be a little grim, apples are fairly hardy but bananas will stink up quite quickly.

Take a good, sturdy water bottle for each person, every festival has multiple filling up spots. No need to buy bottled water on site.

Take a bag of tortilla chips, a tub of salsa and some grated cheese and make campfire nachos. So simple but delicious!

For a few days eat cereal bars instead of actual cereal, less milk needed and a lot less mess. Or just opt for bacon!

Make a traybake such as brownies or lemon drizzle cake before you go and cut into squares ready for when you need that sugary energy burst. Those types of cakes tend to stay moist for longer.

Take tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Hot drinks taste better sat outside a tent on a bright, warm morning. It is a fact. Also you kids will be up as soon as the sun rises so ..be prepared with ALL the caffeine.

In terms of equipment you need at the very minimum:

  • bbq or camping stove
  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 frying pan
  • tongs/spatula for turning
  • cups, bowls and plates ( 1 per person )
  • cutlery including 1 sharp knife and a tin opener
  • foil
  • 2 tea towels
  • washing up liquid

Take time to read the festivals rules and guidelines, some will have dedicated cooking areas, which makes sense when lots of festival camping sites look like this:

Helen from Fuss Free Flavours says:

Make sure every member of the family has a mini packet of wet wipes and some cheap unscented nappy bags in their pocket – so useful for small amounts of messy trash, or for wrapping half eaten food in for later.

Jane from The Hedgecombers says:

Festival food is renowned for being expensive, so if you’re on a tight budget aim to eat out just once a day.
If you have some way of cooking food in your tent there are all kinds of easy one pot camping meals you can make, otherwise just aim to get the calories in with easy no-cook foods. Protein bars, pre made pasta salads and sandwiches. It’s also worth popping some just-add-water foods too (think pot noodles, cup a soup, hot choc sachets) in your kit too. Stall holders will happily fill them up with hot water for a little donation and a big smile.

10 Delicious Camping Recipes

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It is about that time of year when the weather gets a little kinder ( not a lot mind you ) and you can start to plan out camping trips and festivals. I’ve rounded up 10 camping recipes to help with your planning from top UK Food Bloggers.

Starting off with this Chocolate Orange Campfire Cake from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary because camping or not dessert is still needed.

As is breakfast, make your first meal of the day an easy one with these Overnight Oats from Hedgecombers:

As much as bacon and sausages tend to fill a lot of my meal plans when camping its always nice to have some veggie options and these Curried Lentils from Rough Measures look fab:

Another Lentil based dish from Veggie Desserts with this Lentil and Tomato stew:

And one more recipe from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary, these Middle Eastern Spiced Camp Fire Chickpeas sounds amazing!

Fancy something a little indulgent? How about this Coconut, Prawn & Spinach Camping Risotto from Foodie Quine?

This next two recipes both feature in this post from my blog which you can find here:

First up cheesy stovetop potatoes:

And Camping Frittata:

One Pot Camping Mac N Cheese from Hedgecombers

And finishing up with a Simple Flatbread Recipe from Hedgecombers. I make flatbreads a lot at home but wouldn’t have thought to make them whilst camping. These look delicious and so simple!

 

Movies, Meals & Muddling Through Life – April 2018

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It’s between about two months since my last ramble about what I’ve been watching, reading, eating and drinking. It has been a busy and rather stressful time and I have an awful lot on my mind but I am trying once again to turn to my writing, my hobbies and exercise to help clear my muddled mind.

Without further waffle about me and my silly brain let’s get straight to the important stuff:

Movies

I have re watched The Greatest Showman because it’s awesome. I imagine it will be something I watch over and over. The girls love it too and Chloe often wanders around the house singing This Is Meeeeee. And that is it for movies..which is quite shocking for me. I need to get back into the swing of watching films and going to the cinema but quite often I settle for a book or a quick episode of something these days.

TV

Thanks to the wonder of Netflix I have almost re watched every Friends episode. I am now on season 9 and loving it just as much this time around. Also on Netflix I have watched Humanity – Ricky Gervais and the Seth Rogen special.. I forget what it’s called. I have also discovered real trash TV in the form of last years Love Island and woah it is addictive. Proper mindless telly which really does make you escape reality a little.

Books

I am reading more. It was something I really wanted to do this year so I am happy to say I am doing it. I’ll write more about books soon but I have recently read Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine ( which is outstanding ) and I am on the final Harry Potter. I am also enjoying reading magazines such as Simple Things with a cup of tea.

Food

Hmm. Where do I start with this? My appetite really decreases when I am under stress and I have somehow managed to lose over 10lbs in the last three months. I am working on getting it back to normal and eating little and often on days when I just don’t get hungry enough for large meals. That being said I have had some incredible food over the last month. I ate at Michelin Starred restaurant The Ox in Belfast on a press trip and wow it was one of the best meals I have had. Chef Stevie Toman is creating some magic with the tasting menu and I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area but book early!

At home I haven’t created many new dishes but I have made quite a lot of bread and indulgent, comfort food like dauphinoise and lasagne.

Music

I’m still a little stuck on the Greatest Showman soundtrack and I have a playlist of massively cheese 80’s tunes that I am playing over and over.

Everything Else

Life is stressful and hard at times. Right now is one of those times. It will pass, I know that but right now it is hard. I have started with a new fitness challenge, not to lose weight or to get super toned but for my general and more importantly mental health. I am aiming to walk 10k steps a minimum of five days a week which sounds easy I’m sure but it really isn’t. 10,000 steps is approximately 5 miles. Last week I blasted through my aim with an average of 9.7k steps every day rather than just five days and I am going to try and repeat that this week. There are some days where I only do about 4k but then others when I do over 18 so it balances out. The days I walk I feel brighter, more energised and I just have a clearer mind.

I thought I’d finish off with a couple of products I have been using and loving lately:

Primark sleep mask. Was reluctant to try this and kind of expected to wake up a greasy mess but actually yay. Great results. Bargain price. Also..it smells like marzipan!

And one more..also Primark. Overnight lip treatment – I’ve never really had any lip problems but I’ve felt a difference since using this, much softer and supple. Recommended.

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