When I say I’m a foodie, I’m not lying. I probably have a borderline unhealthy obsession with food – I like to think about what good meals I have coming up, I like to plan trips to certain restaurants months in advance, then dream about the food I have eaten for months afterwards. I get over-excited to try new things, I have a new foodie favourite virtually every week (case in point – beetroot, goat’s cheese, chickpeas are all recent favourites!). Here’s the latest things I’ve been trying and (mostly!) loving…
HECK Products*
I was a lucky girl recently, receiving a massive parcel of Heck products. I actually didn’t think much of their standard pork sausages (a bit bland for me), and unfortunately I couldn’t eat their Italian chicken ones (due to their tomato content – though W enjoyed them!). However I loved their sausage squares as part of a massive fry-up, they went perfectly with black pudding and Scottish potato scones.
The biggest highlight, however, was their new Veggie Bites.The Super Green Balls turned out to be my favourite, witha mix of quinoa, spinach, kale and ginger they were the perfect lunch-time snack with some courgette couscous. The Thai Bites were slightly less successful as their texture was a bit sloppy, but I loved the flavours of the fragrant Thai pesto, sweet potato & sticky rice. Great with a chopped Thai salad!
Homemade tacos!
We’ve been meaning to make these @wahaca inspired Pork Pibil tacos for years, it was well worth the wait! Plus I am also discovered how easy it is to make tortillas…
A post shared by Chloe Ellen (@ninegrandstudent) on Apr 2, 2017 at 8:16am PDT
Pork Pilbil
Wahaca will always be one of my all-time favourite places to eat, we’ve been heading there pretty much since their first restaurant opened. And my all-time favourite dish? The Pork Pilbil tacos. Tender shredded pork in an addictive sauce, creamy refried beans and spicy pickled onions. I mean, most things on the menu are amazing (my other must-order is the chicken tacquito) but these are divine – and we’ve finally made them at home. Trust me, they aren’t cheap to make and it’s a two-day process but it was so, so worth it. Plus we have leftover marinade so they’ll be made again soon!
I also figured out how to make my own flour tortilla wraps – I’ll never buy them again, homemade are SO easy and far tastier!
When you get baking before 8am on a study day, and end up having a slice of cake for breakfast. Then lunch. Then an afternoon snack… There won’t be much of this Chocolate Beetroot Loaf Cake left at this rate
A post shared by Chloe Ellen (@ninegrandstudent) on Mar 29, 2017 at 6:38am PDT
Chocolate Beetroot Loaf Cake
I’ve made no secret of it, my favourite form of procrastination is baking. This loaf cake is perfect as it’s ridiculous quick to mix up and is absolutely delicious. I originally made it to use up some leftover beetroot (following this risotto) but it’s become another of my favourites. Rich, chocolately, studded with dark chocolate chips and just a tiny bit of sweetness. It was rather nice served with yoghurt and raspberries as an indulgent Sunday brunch too…
Dirty Chicken Burger @ Meat Market
Just typing this is making me hungry! I have to admit none of us had high expectations for Meat Market, but my dirty chicken burger was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. Deep fried chicken fillet, mayo, lettuce, cheese, and red onions into a soft bun – it was definitely messy! The coating on the chicken was spicy and crunchy, the cheese perfectly melted, the lettuce and onion fresh. It was so, so good – the only downside was the slightly ‘meh’ bun, some brioche would have been perfect. Sides of fries and onion rings were also excellent – and I can only regret not leaving room to try some ‘Filth Pie’ (oreos, marshmallow, coconut & chocolate pie served warm with ice cream). Maybe next time!
Low Carb Oomi Noodles*
High in protein with 75% less carbs, Oomi noodles* are made from fish protein. Not the most appetising description, and nor did they smell great out of the packet (to the point W refused to eat them and cooked himself some rice!) however I actually really enjoyed them. Tossed with stir-fried kale and sugarsnap peas in ginger, garlic, chilli and soy they tasted exactly like normal egg noodles. Perhaps a bit softer than I would like, but they were enjoyable and extremely filling. I served with salmon fillets in a soy glaze, a perfect Friday night tea!
Herby Pomegranate Quinoa Salad
This is definitely a new favourite! Wholesome quinoa, crunchy pistachios, flaked almonds, red onion, fruity pomegranate seeds, salty feta all tossed in a zingy dressing with coriander and mint. It’s delicious for dinner served with lamb, chicken or falafel and makes a great packed lunch too. I can imagine we’ll be eating a lot of this over the next few months!
St Helen’s Farm Goat Products*
Another parcel recently arrived featuring a whole host of goat products, as well as an adorable cuddle goat toy. I surprised myself and really enjoyed the goat milk, although unfortunately my skin seemed to react in the same way as it does normal dairy milk (I tend to stick to lactofree where possible). However I loved the Goat’s cheese, which we served in salads, omlettes, tortillas and pretty much everything for a few weeks. Another highlight was the butter, perfect on homemade crumpets…
Chocolate Overload @ Choccywoccydoodah
It feels far too long ago now (I have an extreme backlog of posts to write!) but I finally, finally visited Choccywoccydoodah. I have to admit I thought it was be a bit of a tourist-trap, style over substance kind of thing – but the chocolate was really high quality and the portion sizes massive. We each ordered a dipping plate (definitely mistake, two would have been more than enough between three!) and I ordered a hazelnut milkshake.I’ll be heading back for sure. Just maybe not after a pub lunch…
Alpro Go On Plain*
Ah, the only negative on this post. Alpro’s newest plant-based alternative to yogurt is designed to be versatile – in their press release they suggested using “as a base for delicious dips, stir it into fragrant curries and spicy stews, or mash with avocado on top of toast.” For me, whilst I loved it as yoghurt (with chunky granola and fruit) it was far, far too sweet to use in cooking. I managed to make a passable chickpea curry with it, but not a fan!
A post shared by Chloe Ellen (@ninegrandstudent) on Apr 16, 2017 at 10:36am PDT
Hay Roasted (Half) Leg of Lamb
A tradition I’ve developed over the last couple of years is to cook lamb at Easter – quite a traditional tradition to follow I guess! Last year I cooked a whole leg in red wine (it only just fit in my oven), this year I practically fought over the last half-leg in Sainsburys and picked up the rest of the ingredients in Pets At Home. Roasting it in a bed of hay gave it a lovely subtle sweetness and flavour and it was a definite hit. We then used some of the leftover hay to infuse a strawberry ice-cream. A posh version of the raspberry ripple I loved as a child…
What’s been your foodie favourites recently?
