Breakfast muffins

I'm always looking for something new to have for my breakfast.  I'm a cereal killer (zing!) as I find them more filling then bread-y products but equally I'm a big fan of getting as many of my five a day in first thing as I can.  So I decided to create something banana and oat-y that could be combined with fruits and yoghurts for breakfast, or lain into with a coffee mid morning.  The result was something filling and delicious with the right hint of banana but not quite sweet enough for me. 

The changes I plan to make next time will be added at the end of this recipe.  These muffins are heavy, but considering the reasoning behind their invention that's the texture I was aiming for.  The basic muffin recipe was discovered on a website some time ago (like so many things before it) and as I prefer to make cake-y goods with oil over butter, I love it.
  

• 250mls milk
• 80mls vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 120g caster sugar
• 280g self raising flour
• 250g porridge oats
• 2 medium bananas, diced
• 2 tablespoons clear honey

1. Preheat oven to 180c.  Line a muffin tray with muffin cases.
2. Beat egg and sugar until light and fluffy.  In another bowl mix milk and oil.  Add milk and oil to egg and sugar and beat until combined.
3. Stir in flour until well incorporated.  Spoon in the honey and add the diced up bananas and stir.
4. Pour in the oats and stir vigorously(!) until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mix.
5. 3/4 fill the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I found these bad boys to be a little bit not sweet enough (that makes sense).  So next time I attempt them I suggest using 3 tablespoons of clear honey and one of golden syrup.  This will add sweetness and moisture, rather than just adding more sugar, which will risk drying the mixture out.

Caffe Piazza, Sheffield City Centre

My boyfriend and I have been going to this Italian restaurant for months.  Whenever we are in the city centre and feel like going for lunch, this is my default setting.  We had a few hours to kill before the England game last night so we decided to grab a bite to eat at what is easily my favourite restaurant in the city at the moment.

At approximately 18.30 the restaurant had one other couple dining, with the owner serving tables as he does when it's busy.  We ordered the vegetarian pizza and the chicken milanese, with the speciality breads.  The breads are homemade, soft and spongey.  I'm not normally a big fan of focaccia bread but the pieces on this platter are topped with whole green olives and tomato and so soft that when dipped in the provided olive oil even I find them irresistible.  My vegetarian pizza was salty and topped with courgette, artichoke and black olives.  The base was thin and very well cooked to say that we were served within 10 minutes of ordering.  Slightly soft underneath in the middle but that's how I like my fresh pizzas.  Including the breads, my meal was so light (despite being topped with plenty of cheese) that I ate every bite without feeling over full.  I have never tried chicken milanese before and to be honest anything that is battered and fried isn't something I would order.  James decided this was the dish for him last night and I'm very pleased he did.  The butterflied chicken escalopes were crispy and freshly cooked.  Despite being fried, the chicken was incredibly moist and the batter light and very crispy.  Served with a salad and large diced potatoes again the dish was substantial without being heavy.

But James has the kind of sweet tooth that means he cannot resist a dessert.  The desserts are on display behind a glass case at the bar which means one can browse the sumptuous display to choose what they want.  The owner explained what each dessert was and recommended the homemade treats.  I've made James crackers for tiramisu (see previous post) but unfortunately they didn't have any today so he ordered the homemade cheesecake.  I'm a massive sucker for cheesecake and when it was brought to the table and the owner asked if I wanted a spoon I couldn't say no!  The base was very crumbly and the filling light and airy.  It was a set cheesecake and anyone who knows me knows I personally prefer the baked kind.  There wasn't a big base-to-filling ratio and as James had the whole thing smothered in Belgian chocolate sauce I wasn't able to taste the vanilla filling very well.  If chocolate is your thing however the sauce was thick and so rich that it was almost cloying.  Perfect for my chocolate monster boyfriend!

There is a deal which we usually go for, which is any pizza, pasta or pancake for five pounds (this laptop is all American and I can't find the pound sign).  I have tried several of the pizzas and pastas and I am never disappointed.  The tagliatelle bolognaise and carbonara are dishes I would particularly recommend.  The pastas are well cooked with rich homemade sauces which are seasoned to perfection.  Whilst many pasta dishes in restaurants can be oily, this is not the case at all at Caffe Piazza.  The pasta dishes are simple and delicious.

The service is always fast and friendly.  The decor is rustic and whilst the tables and chairs are somewhat more shabby chic, the atmosphere is comfortable and accommodating.  I've never felt rushed despite how fast the table turnover is.  I would give Caffe Piazza a 9/10.  The restaurant is due to open for longer hours soon but at the moment closing times are earlier then one would think.  However I've been reliably informed that the owners also run La Luna, an Italian restaurant on Banner Cross.  I have not tried it yet but I intend to very soon!

Tomato and chorizo soup followed by Nigella's tiramisu

James and I threw a dinner party on Saturday night and aimed to serve dishes that wouldn't need much cooking once our friends arrived.  We settled on soup, risotto and tiramisu.  I'm one of those people who always thinks that cooking and baking is a lot harder then it actually is.  I scanned the Internet for  recipe for tomato and chorizo soup, only to realise it's so freaking easy to make that you really don't need a recipe.  But the narcissist in me wants to share what I actually did.

• 400g tinned plum tomatoes (1 tin)
• Approx 100g chorizo, chopped into chunks
• 2 garlic cloves
• A handful of chopped fresh basil (or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil)
• 1 table spoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan until it smokes. Add the garlic and chorizo and fry until coated with oil and starting to brown.
2. Squash the tinned tomatoes one at a time by hand over the pan to remove the skin and stalk.  Stir until well mixed.
3. Pour the lot into a blender or food processor (or use a hand blender) and whizz into the desired consistency.  It makes a pretty darn thick soup, which is what I was aiming for.
4. Pour back into the pan and add the basil.  Add salt to taste.

I didn't add any pepper to this recipe as you get a real punch from the chorizo. I also added way too much salt!  I'm a bit of a salty sea dog myself so it worked out ok, but I'd add it a tiny bit at a time to avoid potentially ruining it.

The wonderful thing about tiramisu (just think of the wonderful things), is that it requires no baking whatsoever and can be made either the night before or the the morning of the day that you need it.  This recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson's (swoon) website and involves a healthy swig of Irish Cream (Bailey's).  When looking for the sponge fingers I was confused as I was expecting to buy spongey sponge fingers.  They come in packets and are actually dry and crunchy prior to being soaked in anything.

•  350mls coffee (approx 9 teaspoons, but I used 3 tablespoons)
• 250mls Irish Cream liqueur
• 400g sponge fingers
• 2 eggs
• 75g caster sugar
• 500g mascarpone
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1. Mix coffee with 175mls Irish Cream in a shallow bowl.  Dip the sponge fingers one at a time into the liquid until they become damp but not soggy.  Line the bottom of a dish (about 22cm and preferably glass to see the layers, but I didn't have a glass one big enough) with a single layer of sponge fingers. 
2. Separate the eggs, keeping one white.  Whisk the two yolks and sugar until thick, then fold in the Irish Cream and mascarpone (I struggled to get the mixture thick so I whisked it and it worked out fine) until the mixture is thick and moussy.
3. Whisk the single egg white in a separate bowl until frothy.  Fold the egg into the mascarpone mix, then spread half of this on top of the sponge fingers.
4. Repeat with another layer of soaked fingers and top with the rest of the mascarpone mix.
5. Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave in the fridge over night.  When ready to serve, push the cocoa powder through a tea strainer to dust the top of the tiramisu.

Apologies for the blurryness of the photo, two bottles were down by the time we got to the dessert!  I simply loved this dish.  It made a fair bit but we left just two servings by the time everyone had their fill of it on Saturday night.  You can really taste the Irish Cream, I love Nigella for bringing this one to life!

Sultana Oat Cookies

I forget where I got the actual recipe from for these but somewhere in the great Internet ether I got the inspiration for these cute, cakey little cookies.  The original recipe called for raisins but I find sultanas better as they remain a bit juicy.

• 225g unsalted butter
• 210g light brown sugar
• 65g granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 195g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda (same thing as bicarb of soda-normal people may know this but I had to ask James)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 260g rolled or porridge oats
• 140g sultanas

1. Preheat oven to 180c (350F, gas mark 4).
2. Beat butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time.  Beat in vanilla extract. 
3. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add to creamed mixture and beat until well mixed.  Stir in oats and sultanas.
4. Scoop on to a baking tray to about 1/2 inch thick.  I tend to grease the baking trays then use greaseproof paper.  I'm sure both isn't necessary but I find i easier to remove the cookies from the tray this way.
5. Bake for about 14-18 minutes.  Cookies are ready to remove from the oven when the are golden brown on the edge and soft in the centre.

This recipe will make roughly 25 cookies depending upon how big you blob the raw mix on the baking trays.  I've stuck them in an airtight container and James is munching through them like there's no tomorrow.

The Old Vicarage, Ridgeway

I'm new to the world of blogging but I have been inspired by a friend of mine to get stuck in.  Any and all comments and suggestions will always be welcome!  I also intend to add photographs as and when I attempt baking and cooking tomfoolery.


As a reward for putting up with my patheticisms I took my lovely boyfriend James out to The Old Vicarage in Ridgeway, the only Michelin starred restaurant in Sheffield.  Naturally it was a Travelzoo voucher purchase!  Anyway, it was a 5 course taster menu.  

The first course was a tomato tart.  Is it too obvious to relay that it was very tomatoey?  Ok, so it was very rich but perfectly offset by a (I think pesto?) foam.  The pastry was the shortest I've ever tasted.  Of course James ate it in one mouthful but when you have 5 courses ahead of you I imagine small helpings are key.  The second course was a sole fillet, perfectly cooked and incredibly light but disappointingly served with what was clearly cultured samphire.  I overheard another diner ask the waiter what it was and he couldn't tell her!  His response was 'some kind of herb'.  In any normal restaurant it would make me chuckle but in a place that is so fancy you end up whispering to each other I would have at least expected the poor boy to offer to ask the chef!  The sole was also accompanied by another sort of foam. Fond of the foam they are at The Old Vicarage.  The third course was old spot pork fillet with risotto and asparagus (no foam this time).  I found it too creamy and without enough seasoning.  The asparagus was tender with just the right amount of bite.  James enjoyed it more then I did, as after this course I did start to feel a bit over full due to the richness of the risotto.  One of the benefits of there being so many courses was that there was also large gaps between them.  Next was a cheese course.  Blue Ribblesdale goats cheese with toasted brioche and Ridgeway honey.  I'm not usually a fan of honey (it tastes like bees) or blue cheese but it was sensational!  I had no idea that blue cheese and honey went so well together!  James and I were so inspired we repeated the experience minus the brioche the following evening and it has inspired me to sometime soon bake a savoury blue cheesecake and serve it drizzled with honey (you may find posts regarding this at a later date).  The final course was a desert of strawberry millefeuille, strawberry sorbet and strawberry coulis with chantilly cream.  The desert was absolutely my favourite dish of the evening.  It was light, fresh, sweet without being cloying and the cream desert came in a mini desert glass with a tiny spoon!  I know that's incredibly girly but it did make it that bit more special.


Overall I enjoyed the experience and I'd give the taster menu a 7.5/10.  I expected more due to the apparent prestige of the restaurant.  The tone was set by the waiter leading us to the dining room and carrying our drinks on a silver platter, yet we constantly felt as if we were dining in a library.  But on the bright side we did spill water all over the table cloth.  I'd go back, but I doubt it's worth the money one would have to spend on a full price menu.