Lemony Prawn & Chorizo Rice Pot

Our dinner on Friday night consisted of the below lemony prawn and chorizo rice pot, a recipe that was featured in a copy of Good Food magazine a couple of months ago (February or March 2012 I think). Before I made this for the first time, I had never attempted anything like this before, so I was a little wary about how complicated it would be, but having made it several times now, it's actually relatively easy and quick to make. My main tip would be to prepare all the ingreadients as much as possible before starting to cook it, as once you get going, you have to be really quick, or it will burn (as I found out the hard way the first time I made it!).

The main reason that I wanted to cook this dish was that it was the first dish that I had ever cooked with prawns in it. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I hadn't tried prawns until very recently, so when I cooked with them myself for the first time, I wanted it to be a dish that was going to be full of flavour, and this really is one of the best dishes I could have chosen!

It is a really light and refreshing dish, that has a bit of heat from the chilli, and warmth from the chorizo and turmeric, and is really lifted by the lemon zest and juice. The colour from the turmeric and contrast from the peas and peppers makes it so appealing, that you just want to dive in, particularly on a warm summer's day!

The finished product can be served with an extra wedge of lemon, and I think this would be a great meal to serve if you were entertaining a small group of friends, as it is relatively quick and easy to prepare, yet is impressive  to present, and if served in a large bowl in the middle of the table (similar to a paella), it would be a great social meal too!

And as you can see from the photo, it went down a treat with Dan too!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Last night I made a butternut squash and sage risotto, and we thoroughly enjoyed it (despite the fact that it was a little bit burnt around the edges, as you will see from the photo!). I found the recipe on the Good Food website a few months ago, as I had been looking to make a risotto for a while, and I thought that the creaminess of the squash would complement the risotto really well, and it didn't disappoint. Since we first tried it, it has become a firm favourite in our house.

I have adapted the recipe a little, as it does call for fresh sage, and as we only had dried in the cupboard, but it works just as well. I also used Grana Padano cheese instead of Parmesan, but again, the taste was just as good.

As you will see from the recipe, half the squash is mashed and stirred through the risotto, while half is kept aside, and served whole on top of the risotto, which gives it a lovely chunky texture.

Although it can be quite laborious to peel the butternut squash, I think that the end result is so delicious that it's worth the effort!

East One Noodle Bar Review

I had the day off work today, so I took the opportunity to have my lunch out rather than making something myself. I had decided to go to Meadowhall to do some shopping but rather than pick up something quick at the Oasis Food Court, I paid a visit to East One Noodle Bar, located in the West One complex, just off the junction between Glossop Road and Fitzwilliam Street. I've been many times before, so I knew what to expect, and that they would be offering a lunch-time menu.

For those of you who haven't visited East One before, it is a noodle bar specialising in food not only from China, but also Japan and Thailand. The food is cooked freshly to order- you can hear, and from certain locations within the restaurant, see, the food being cooked. Unlike other restaurants serving Chinese food, the food isn't greasy or 'unhealthy'; indeed they themselves say that their "aim is to serve healthy, quality food", and the food certainly lives up to this claim. The prices are also very reasonable, again, something that the restaurant aims to do.

Once I was seated, I was handed a lunch-time menu. I usually have the vegetarian Phad Thai when I visit this restaurant, as the meat version contains chicken and prawns, and as I've only just started to eat prawns (as I have said previously, I used to be a very fussy eater!). I was therefore hoping to have the meat version today, but alas, the vegetarian option was the only one available. I was also able to choose a side dish, so I opted for Chinese samosas. To drink, I chose a three-in-one juice, which consists of freshly pressed apple, orange and carrot juice. See below for a picture of said juice (please excuse my terrible photography skills!)

The juice is absolutely amazing, and I would recommend that anyone who visits this restaurant to try it at least once. They also serve all the juices separately, so if you prefer just apple or orange juice, you can have just that! Of the single juices, the apple is my personal favourite.

For those whp prefer an alcoholic beverage with their meal, a selection of Asian beers are available, including Kirin Ichiban and Tsingtao.

Phad Thai is one of the most popular Thai meals, and flat rice noodles are cooked with tofu (or chicken and prawns), vegetables, beansprouts, egg and spring onion, and a sprinkling of ground peanut. It is served with a sprig of coriander and a wedge of lemon, which is a nice refreshing addition to the meal. It's a really fresh, light but filling meal, that I personally could eat any day of the week, and the Phad Thai at East One is the best I have ever tried.

The samosas were absolutely beautiful; very crispy and well-filled, and are served with a side of sweet chilli sauce which complements them really well.

The whole meal came to £10, which I think is very reasonable for a meal, side and fresh juice. I believe that the restaurant is family-run, and the staff are always so lovely and welcoming. The restaurant itself is filled with rows of  benches and tables, and is filled most nights of the week (well it has been every time I've been, which is many times!). The only downside I would give the restaurant is the abundance of mirrors throughout, which can be quite off-putting if you happen to catch a glimpse of yourself slurping up noodles! However, this is a minor point, and pales into insignificance compared to the tasty, fresh food and welcoming atmosphere that can be found here at East One!

*The main menu can be viewed on this website, which isn't the restaurant's website, but it does show the variety of food served

Hello!

So, this is my first ever blog entry! As you will hopefully have read in my About Me section, this is my little space on the web for me to post photos of food that I've made myself, or general food-y things that I like!

Over time, I hope to create Twitter and Facebook pages, and maybe even a food-related Instagram stream at some point. But for now, I'm jsut getting my head around how this whole blogging thing works!

So to get started, here is a selection of some of the food that I have made in my cooking journey so far!

Here was the first Cottage Pie I ever made! Many people confuse Cottage and Shepherds pies, but who heard of a shepherd looking after cows?! Shepherds pie is made with lamb mince, and Cottage pie with beef!

Another firsr for me - this was the first Toad in the Hole I made. The recipe came from my trusty James Martin cookbook (which I will do a post on later), and it got the seal of approval from Dan, my boyfriend!

Unbelievably, I managed to get to the age of 26 without making a Sunday dinner! So this was my first attempt, and if I must say so myself, it was pretty tasty. And it must be noted that this was also the first time that Dan ate parsnips, and he really enjoyed them.

You will probably notice that all of these dishes are traditional 'meat and two veg' meals, but I do live in Yorkshire, and Dan is a Sheffield native! I wouldn't call myself a one trick pony though, so watch this space for more to come....!!