A Little Bowl Of Sunshine

I have been eating a lot of sweet potato. I mean, a lot of sweet potato. Sweet potato wedges, sweet potato mash, sweet potato in my burritos (another thing I have been eating far too much of), you name it, sweet potato will be in it. But I thought I'd give something else a go. I'm trying to eat a bit cleaner, get rid of the winter blubber, feel good on the inside, so a gave a soup experiment a go - and it was a roaring success!

Here is how to make my sweet potato, ginger, lime and chilli soup:

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes

1 medium/2 small onions

4 garlic cloves

2 tbsp oil (I used sunflower)

2 vegetable stock cubes

1 litre water

1 lime (juiced)

1 thumb sized piece of ginger

1 red chilli (or more if you like it hot!)

Method

Heat the oil and sweat the onions and garlic until soft

Add the water and stock cubes to the pan

Once the stock is boiling add in the sweet potatoes and allow to simmer

After 10 minutes add the ginger, chilli and lime juice

Simmer until the sweet potato is soft

Blitz, blitz, blitz until smooth!

Little Scouse Secrets

You may have noticed in my last post that I briefly mentioned that I had moved back down south. I won't go into details on here with you as they are personal, but yes, I am okay now, and am back residing with parents back in Southampton. I thought as a fitting tribute to my adoptive I would give you my top five places to eat, drink and visit.

First up...it's food!

An American sensation swept over Liverpool in the last few years, and saw the opening of several 'Man vs Food' style burger joints. My favourites of these would be Nolita Cantina on Bold Street and Free State Kitchen up by Hope Street. As a massive fan of corn dogs, Nolita is my go to place for these little nibbles of joy - can anyone tell me how to make these myself as they are my numero uno comfort food? FSK has a lovely little garden out the back which is great to enjoy your burger and fresh lemonade in (check out the specials on offer, you won't regret it).

TriBeCa is a yummy yum yum pizza place that has two restaurants in the city, one on Berry Street and other on Smithdown Road (most dangerous when you live a quarter of a mile from it). With such a range of toppings you are sure to find something you like, and the best thing is they're all under eight squid! Sticking with the pizza theme is a brilliant alternative to a regular fast food joint; American Pizza Slice also has two restaurants, one in Whitechapel and one in Waterloo, providing slices of American pizza pie for £1.99. Utterly delicious!

Now, I've saved the best until last because to say I love this place would be an understatement of gigantic proportions. I will confess something to y'all now...I may or may not have eaten at Lucha Libre three times in one week. Okay. I did. I admit it. But this place is beyond amazing! Opened by born and bred Mexican Luis Michel, Lucha specialises in Mexican street food and does the best tacos this side of the Atlantic. If you go to Liverpool - or Manchester, as they have just opened a branch there too - and do not eat a Cali Steak Burrito then you might as well not have gone at all! Plus, you can wash all this down with frozen marguarita from their sister bar, Maya, but I'll talk about those in the next section...

Who could resist this? (Sorry Lucha, had to nick this from your Facebook)

Next up...drinking! As a cocktail waitress and bartender I spent a lot of time in bars doing 'research' so here are my favourites.

This part is most likely going to be very biased by my old boss, the legend that is Danny Murphy, honestly co-owns the best bars in Liverpool; one of them has only just opened so I haven't actually been able to see it, but Jenny's I am coming for you! First up is Aloha, my old second home for eighteen months. It is a provider of blue skies in the grey clouds of northern England, bringing a firm sense of Polynesian paradise to Liverpool. Specialising in rum and tequila the bartenders (best in the biz, dontcha know) will shake you up anything you can dream of whilst the barbacks and waitresses bring the party, often dancing along with the guests. My personal favourites are the Junglebird (rum and Aperol based), the Saturn (gin based) and, for the brave, a Trinidad Sour (Angostura Bitters and Whiskey based...yes...be brave).

Fellow Aloha-ite Sarah and I enjoying a Dead Reckoning

My other two favourite Murphy bars are Berry & Rye and Some Place. Both of these places are going to take a little digging to find. If you walk along Berry Street, almost to the end at the Chinese Arch, you'll see a black door. Give it a little knock and (if you've got the right door, if not you'll look like a right ninny) you shall be transported back to a prohibition style speakeasy fresh from the back streets of New York, Chicago or Hollywoodland. Classic whiskey and gin cocktails are served with elegance and class, often accompanied by the gentle tinkling of the ivories or the lull of a blues guitar. To find Some Place (only open Thursday-Sunday, sorry) you need to walk down Seel Street until you see a little green light - no doubt powered by Green Fairy dust - follow the lights up the stairs and you will find a tiny little bar serving the best absinthe in town. Absinthe? Oh no! I couldn't possibly drink that! Well why not? Be a little adventurous! Like a mojito? Try the Absinthe Frappé - Scott knew as soon as I came up those stairs that is what I'd be ordering!

I mentioned Maya above and now I'll tell you why. Tequila is a beautiful liquor. Tequila is not just that scary shot you do at the bar that makes you feel sick. For beginners, try one of their flavoured Frozen Margaritas and for the advanced go for a Tommy's Magaritas (its with agave syrup rather than triple sec). They also have an amazing selection of cocktails designed in-house for a range of tastes. Again, be adventurous and put down the vodka!

Sticking with tequila, El Bandito is another hideaway underneath Santa Chupitos. It is the perfect place to finish off your night as it stays open until 5am, and sometimes even 6am! It's a great place for a last beer and shot before getting those chips and hitting the hay. But be warned, it is tiny. And I mean tiny. Be prepared to get squished if you do venture down there!

I do love me some tequila!

One last bar I'll mention is Salt Dog Slims. More American influence is felt in these walls from the décor to the drinks to the hot dogs you can munch on to line your stomach. Yes. They sell hot dogs. The most famous thing Salt Dogs is probably known for - apart from their eating contests - is their steins of Dortmunder beer. One pint is just not enough in this bar!

Last but by no means least I will give you some ideas of where to go in this fair city...

I suppose I am killing two birds with one stone with these first two suggestions. Lark Lane and Sefton Park are right next to each other but deserve their own separate nominations. Sefton Park is a famous and historical open space which is amazing all throughout the year. Many a day was spent there this summer, basking in the glorious heat by the lakes. It is equally beautiful in autumn and winter (try to catch the big fireworks display on Bonfire Night if you can!), and provides the perfect amble with a rest stop at the cafe. Or, a rest stop at one of Lark Lanes numerous restaurants and pubs perhaps? (That was a smooth link, wasn't it?) I tried to make it to most of these venues at some point in my Liverpool life - for a while I was going to live just off of it - and its variety caters for all. Bier does a great selection of beer, you have to get a patty from Raggas Caribbean restaurant, and Archer's ice cream parlour does gin and tonic flavoured sorbet! What more could you ask for?!

I caught a rainbow over one of the lakes at Sefton Park this summer

Liverpool is famous for having two cathedrals, one Catholic and one Anglican. Both are worth a visit for their architecture but if I had to choose one I would say the Anglican one, mainly because its more my thing, plus is surrounded by the most amazing cemetery. I kinda like cemeteries, don't judge me, blame the archaeologist in me! It's a Gothic wonder and the biggest in the world? Is that right? Someone correct me please.

I might as well stick with cemeteries at this point and guide you towards another. It's nothing special but I went past it nearly everyday for three years so it stuck in my heart a little. Toxteth Cemetery on Smithdown Road has some form of beautiful peace about it, and I often found myself just wandering around there looking at the gravestones and imagining what the people were like. I was lucky enough to be friends with the people at lived in the house at the entrance - boy did we have some parties!

I used to go to a lot of parties with the 'Graveyard House' people and one of our favourite haunts was the Kazimier. Apart from the bars I mentioned above, this is my favourite venue in Liverpool. The team there put on great gigs and nights in the main venue, but also convert their garden space in the summer to provide an open air bar and general hang out. I believe they have done another conversion for the winter, but I haven't been able to see it for myself yet. From vintage fairs to crazy and off the wall nights out, the Kazimer is the place to have you mind blown. Oh...and they have an absinthe bar too!

This summer, supping gin, at Curious Orange's Vintage Fair @ Kazimier Gardens

So that's it from me! These are my favourite places in Liverpool. It has been a fabulous three years and I look forward to visiting it again!

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Vintage Vegetarianism.

Frequent and long standing readers of this 'ere ramblings might remember that last year I gave up meat for lent. Well, I've done the same again this year. It's day one, I'm ill and there is left over chicken pizza in the fridge - it's torture! Anyway, onto the purpose of this post...

I've decided to do a bit more research into vegetarianism this year, and try to expand my food palette from veggie sausages (they are delicious though) and bland risottos. With a little tap into Google I've discovered a whole world of vintage vegetarian recipes! The best seem to come from the website called 'Vintage Recipes' (Imaginative, I know) although some digging has revealed quite a few have meat in, naughty naughty! They date from 1672 (how to boil samphire, and how to fry pompion - whatever that is!) to the 1920s. A lot of these recipes appear to be just how to prepare and cook vegetables, hardly enough for an entire meal! I will attempt to recreate some of them though, and share with you my successes - or failures!

Glancing down the list these seem to be my favourites:

Brighton Stew (1892) - a haricot bean based stew, yum yum yum!

Croquettes of Salsify and Celeriac (1898) - Although apparently I need a fire for this, gas hob will probably do!

Flan of Vegetables (no date) - This sounds like a good one hot for dinner and then cold for lunch

German Lentil Curry (1915) - Sounds like a dhal curry to me, not sure if I have to use German lentils (what are they?), so might substitute for chickpeas instead.

Legume Loaf (1918) - This is from the book 'Foods That Will Win The War & How To Cook Them' and sounds like a nice, nutty bread.

Minestra (1915) - Vegetabley, ricey dish mmm

Nut and Pepper Croquettes (1920) - I'm sensing a croquettey kinda Lent

Savoury Pie (1915) - Another beany, eggy recipe

I managed it last year, I'm sure I'll do it this year! What are you giving up/taking up for Lent? Do you have any favourite vegetarian dishes?

Student Suppers - Risotto

I was only introduced to this Italian rice dish earlier this year when I turned vegetarian for Lent, but even since turning carnivorous again it has remained firmly on my menu being eaten at least once a week.

The good thing about risotto is you can make it exactly what you want; whilst I keep mine simple  using the recipe below, my house mate Heather tops her's off with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Sometimes I swap the veggie stock for chicken stock for a creamier taste, sometimes I use red wine instead of white, and sometimes I don't add any wine at all - usually because I've drunk it all!

So, here's my simple risotto recipe for one serving:

Ingredients:

• 100ml of rice (white or special risotto rice - much more expensive, so I stick to just white)
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 a white onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 glass white wine (optional - if you leave it out, just add an extra 50ml of stock)
• 400ml of vegetable stock (more if the wine is left out)
• Peas
• 1 tbs of olive oil

Method:

1. Soften the onion in the oil, and then add the garlic (careful not to burn it!)
2. Add the rice to the onion, garlic and oil. Stir it thoroughly to coat the rice in the oil.
3. Pour in the wine and stir constantly - so the rice doesn't stick to the pan - until all the wine has been absorbed into the rice.
4. Add the stock a little at a time, adding more once the liquid has been sucked up by the rice - and keep stirring!
5. Chuck in the peas when you have about 100ml of stock left so they are cooked.

The cooking should take about 15 minutes (your arm will ache but it's worth it) and should use up all your stock, but just add more water (or wine!) if you run out.

Enjoy!

Student Suppers: Courgette Fritters

For anyone that reads my ramblings regularly you’ll know that I am a student. It is a well known fact that students are generally poor, but I want to bust the myth that we just live on beans on toast and bowls of cereal so we can spend on money on beer and vodka (or rum, in my case). So, I’ve decided to run this series called ‘Student Suppers’: they are recipes that I’ve found, come up with or tweaked that are cheap, tasty and fulfilling (hopefully healthy too, but I can’t promise anything!).

Ahh the sun is shining and the temperature is creeping up here in Blighty. It's got me in a very summery mood and reaching for some more Mediterranean style food. Mediterranean foods are great for vegetarians as they revolve a lot around fresh vegetables, but can meatified with grilled chicken or fish. Oh, and did I mention its the most healthy diet in the world? These courgette fritters are very Greek inspired and can be eaten as a meal in itself (just make them omelette sized) or as part of a meal, perfectly served with cous cous, a Greek salad and grilled meat. The recipe below will make one large fritter or several small ones.

Ingredients:

1 courgette

1 medium egg

Dash of milk (I usually use a cap full or two of milk)

25g of plain flour

50g feta cheese

Oregano (to taste)

Black Pepper (to taste)

Olive Oil (for frying)

Method:

1. Grate the courgette onto a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess water
2. Mix together the egg, the flour and the milk to make a smooth batter. This doesn't need to be too runny, it is just meant to bind all the ingredients together.
3. Crumble in the feta, add the black pepper and oregano (you won't need salt as the feta will make it salty enough) and stir through the batter.
4. Add the courgette to the mixture and stir until all of it is combined.
5. If you are going to make one big fritter then pour it into frying pan (with the olive oil) and cook for five minutes on each side - or until or feels completely firm. Smaller fritters will only take 2-3 minutes on each side

Enjoy!!

Student Suppers: Toad In The Hole

For anyone that reads my ramblings regularly you’ll know that I am a student. It is a well known fact that students are generally poor, but I want to bust the myth that we just live on beans on toast and bowls of cereal so we can spend on money on beer and vodka (or rum, in my case). So, I’ve decided to run this series called ‘Student Suppers’: they are recipes that I’ve found, come up with or tweaked that are cheap, tasty and fulfilling (hopefully healthy too, but I can’t promise anything!).

This dish has become a staple supper for me - in fact, I have it every Sunday instead of a roast! Toad in the hole, in my opinion, is delicious! I make it with three sausages, a little onion (and/or garlic sometimes too), and serve it with baked beans when I make it just for me, but it could be doubled up and serve as many people as you can. Of course, you could make gravy with it, but seeing as that is the Devil's liquor I would never do it.

 Ingredients:

2-3 (depending on how greedy you are) pork sausages (or Quorn ones!)

1/2 white onion

50g plain flour

1 medium egg

50ml milk

25ml cold water

1 tbs oil (if needed)

Gravy, beans, ketchup, whatever you feel like to serve.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C, and cook sausages for 10 minutes in a metal pan.
2. Meanwhile we can make the batter: sieve the flour into a bowl, add the egg and then whisk in the milk and water mixture until you have a smooth mixture.
3. Add the onions, roughly chopped, to the sausages and any extra oil if needed, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. When the oil is spitting hot (the hotter the oil, the crispier the batter) add the mixture and cook for a further 30 minutes.
5. Serve with your extra little thing and enjoy!

Student Suppers: Spicy Tomato & Bean Soup

For anyone that reads my ramblings regularly you’ll know that I am a student. It is a well known fact that students are generally poor, but I want to bust the myth that we just live on beans on toast and bowls of cereal so we can spend on money on beer and vodka (or rum, in my case). So, I’ve decided to run this series called ‘Student Suppers’: they are recipes that I’ve found, come up with or tweaked that are cheap, tasty and fulfilling (hopefully healthy too, but I can’t promise anything!).

This soup is ridiculously cheap and very delicious. I brought all the ingredients for £1.50, and it should make around four to five bowls of soup – depending on how big you like your portions!

Add another can of beans instead of the stock and a bit more chilli for a yummy vegetarian chilli.

Ingredients:

400g of chopped tomatoes

400g of kidney beans in chilli sauce - or just plain tomato sauce if you can’t handle the heat ;)

400g of Borlotti beans (drained)

1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

1 pint of vegetable stock

1 tbsp of tomato puree

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp paprika

(If you can handle the heat add a dash of Tabasco sauce, fresh chilli, or 1 tsp chilli powder too)

Method:

·         Heat the oil in a large saucepan, fry off the garlic and paprika (and fresh chilli/chilli powder if that’s how you roll) before adding the onion to soften.

·         Add the chopped tomatoes and all the sauce in the can too, along with the tomato puree. Leave this to simmer with the lid of the saucepan for fifteen minutes; this will reduce the tomatoes down, making them sweeter and taking the acidic taste out.

·         Pour in the kidney beans and their spicy sauce and leave to simmer for another five minutes. Then add the drained Borlotti beans.

·         Finally add the pint of stock to the soup, place the lid on the saucepan to stop reducing the liquid, and simmer for a further ten minutes.

Enjoy!