Spring Green and Bacon Potato Cakes with Cheddar and Chive Sauce

Spring greens offer so much in their name. They suggest that either spring is here or is just around the corner, they have disguised their cabbage relations with their seasonal pseudonym. I happen to think that spring greens also deliver a lot. They look shrivelled and unwelcoming with their leaves closed to the outside world but once you start to snap them off and slice them up they are wonderfully versatile.

Classic French Onion Soup

For some reason I have a bit of a thing for French food. It's the food that never fails to put a smile on my face; partly because of the flavours but also because it's a great excuse to showcase local, British ingredients in different ways. It's a funny time of year, I feel it's almost time to crack out a salad but at the same time I still want comfort and warmth. What better than the absolute classic French onion soup?

What influences you to choose something from a menu?

I was having dinner the other day and found it very hard to decide what to order. It seems that choosing what to eat from a menu is something that takes a lot of consideration. Things that tick along in the back of your mind maybe without you even realising. But what is the deciding factor, the one thing above all others that will make you choose one thing over another?

Liebster Blog Award

A few very kind bloggers have awarded me the Liebster Blog Award. Thank you very much to Ruth, April and Gerry who all have lovely blogs, it is much appreciated.

Valentine's Day Pudding - Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Tart with Rhubarb and Blood Orange Compote

You can’t have Valentine’s Day without a little chocolate. This tart is great because you can make it in advance and leave it in the fridge so there is no last minute pudding fretting! It's beautifully rich and very easy to make; made even easier if you use a food blender for the pastry. If pastry is your nemesis, it used to be mine, I have a previous post that will make you feel much more relaxed about constructing this tart.

Valentine's Day Main - Boeuf Bourguignon with Dauphinoise and Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Beautiful, traditional and French; a perfect meal for Valentine's Day. This one's a winner because the bottle of wine you need for the boeuf bourguignon you can then drink with the meal or yourself during the preparation as a reward for all your hard work. Being a slow cooking dish means once it's on the go you don't need to worry about it and you can get on with other things. If that wasn't enough, it's also incredible and actually quite cheap. 

Valentine's Day Starter - Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Risotto

This is the first of a three part post for Valentine's Day. It's designed to be seasonal, sumptuous, divine and stress free. The quantities are meant for two. The dessert is one that can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge; the main is meant for long cooking so you have ample time to make the simple starter. All this spare time means you're not rushing around desperately trying find that Barry White CD at the last minute. After all, it's your Valentine's dinner too.

What better way to kick off a Valentine's dinner than with a lurid pink risotto? If your dining partner is somewhat faint hearted, the candlelight and romantic music should distract from the intense bowl of fuchsia before them. Throughout the last few months I've cooked with the whole available rainbow of beetroot and it's about time the classic purple had its moment.

Sloe Port - how to use leftover sloes

Luscious sloe gin will inevitably result in spare berries when sloes and gin are separated. There is only so much sloe chocolate you can eat and extra sloe gin you can make before boredom sets in. I was informed by a kind friend that sloe port was worth a try but receptacles were thin on the ground. Fortunately my Granny had given me a Rumtopf a while back which was perfect for transforming my gin soaked berries into deep red port.