Pumpkin & Pear Soup

It's another food post! Well, I hadn't done any for a while, so I suppose I had some catching up to do. Today's recipe is an easy-peasy soup, an adaptation of one my Mum used to make me when I was little. It's basically a hug in a bowl. She used to make it with Pumpkin, but I prefer Butternut Squash - it's easier to carry and cut. This is really good for: dinner parties, hangovers, depression, studying, dieting, and putting on your face and pretending you're an Oompa Loompa. This recipe makes a FUCKLOAD (no specific quantity) of soup, so eat it, give it to friends, or if you have no friends, freeze it. Ok, picture time!


You Will Need:

1 x Butternut Squash (have a competition with yourself and try and pick the biggest one.)

4 x Pears (2 x smooth-skinned, 2 x rough-skinned - I do not know the actual names of the type of pear, I have a life.)

1 x WHITE ONION (not in the photo, hence why I've capitalised it here)

CHICKEN STOCK (also not in the photo...I wasn't very on it)

Single Cream

Sour Cream (Greek Yoghurt if you prefer/are weird)

Ground Nutmeg

Lemon Juice

Butter

[Oil, Salt & Pepper]

What To Do:

1. Peel the Butternut Squash. This can be a long and tedious process, especially if you won the competition and picked a monstrously large one. Put on some Masterchef and get stuck in.

2. Once peeled, dice the Squash into roughly inch-shaped cubes - obviously discarding the seeds, or putting them aside so you can grow your own squashes in your window box.

3. Heat up some oil and butter (salted, obviously) in a large pan. A pan big enough to fit a baby in. (No babies were harmed in the making of this recipe)

4. When the butter's just about melted, chuck in the HUGE PILE of diced Squash, and pop a lid on it. 

5. While it's doing its thing, peel and dice a White Onion. Add to the squash when it's just beginning to soften. Here's some I made earlier...

...colourful!

6. Peel the rough-skinned pear and dice. Ignore mental jokes about 'lovely pear'. You don't have to peel the smooth-skinned pear, just dice that.

7. Add to the pan.

8. Boil a Kettle and add it to a Chicken Stock cube. If you're rich, you can use those Knorr jellies, or perhaps you already make your own - in which case...good for you.

9. Once the stock cube has dissolved/you've finished patting yourself on the back about your homemade stock, add it to the pan. You don't need much, only about an inch and a half. It doesn't need to fully cover the veg. Add a VERY TINY sprinkle of Nutmeg, as well as a good crack of Pepper.

10. Have a cigarette/drink. 

11. Once the Butternut Squash is edible, but not soggy, dust off your blender and turn off the stove. Ladle as much of the veg as you can into the mixer, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of single cream - and BLEND! The soup should be thick and heartwarming.

12. Pour into bowls, top with some sour cream and coriander (optional), and serve with some warm bread rolls with lots of butter...

...delicious.

Love,

Belle x

Beef, Chicken & Haloumi Salad

First off - I have to 'fess up. This recipe is technically the culinary creation of my foodie mastermind friend, James. He invented it to pay me back for me cooking him lunches and dinners during our time together in first year halls, and it's an absolute cracker. I was inspired to put it on the blog because A) it deserves to be shared with and loved by all, and B) it's the perfect dish for this time of year, when you're longing for summer salads, but aren't ready to part with the warmth of a hearty meal just yet. It's also great for those of you gearing up to embark on the yearly bodily overhaul in preparation for bikini season - this dish has no carbs (before Marbs), peeps. So turn up the heating, switch on some trashy telly, and wait out the final chilly weeks of hibernation while tucking into this guilt-free salad. This recipe makes enough 4-6 people, so invite some friends over and make a night of it! 

You will need:

Frying Steaks

Chicken Breasts

Haloumi

2 x Red Bell Peppers

1 Large Red Onion

Iceberg Lettuce

Coriander

Baby Plum Tomatoes (not in the photo, I forgot them...woops)

Chillies are optional

Olive & Sesame Oils

(Salt 'n' Pepper etc - you're not idiots)

What to do:
1. Heat up some olive oil in a large pan, adding some salt and pepper.
2. Slice up the beef and chicken to roughly equal size so they cook at the same time, innit. Add them to the pan when the oil's piping hot. Then rejoice in the sizzle.
3. While the meat is doing its thing, heat up some sesame oil in another pan. Chop up the haloumi into half-inch cubes, and slice a chilli (or two, 'Some Like It Hot' and all that) - add it all to the hot sesame oil. Do not stir.
4. Slice up your red peppers and add them to the meat - it should be nearly cooked through by now.
5. The haloumi will probably be releasing a lot of water - DO NOT PANIC, this is normal. It will suck it all back in - that's when it's alright to stir it to get a golden crust on all sides.

6. Slice up an onion and add it to the meat pan. Ideally, you want the onion with a little bit of crunch still in it.
7. Finally, rip off some coriander and tip in the punnet of baby plum tomatoes. Wait a few minutes until they're warmed through, then take the haloumi of the heat and tip it into the meat pan. Mix it up and turn off the heat.

8. Arrange your lettuce on a plate, and heap on the meat. (That sounds vaguely sexual.)
9. Sprinkle your favourite sprinkle-ments on top - I like walnuts, but pumpkin seeds work just as well, as does some extra coriander.
10. SERVE!

Bon appétit!

Love,
Belle x

Sausage & Rosemary Spaghetti

Last week, me and my boyfriend had - as most couples do from time to time - a bit of a domestic. Nothing major, just a bit of a tiff. I'm a girl who can't stay in a negative environment, so I went off to have a few drinks with a girlfriend and clear my head. Unbeknownst to me, my lovely boyfriend had gone out and bought a whole load of ingredients for dinner, and was busy cooking this dish when I walked through the door. Let me just say: this is no ordinary sausage pasta. And this comes from a student who eats a lot of pasta. Not only does it use up whatever you have left in the fridge, it smells incredible and tastes damn good. I was so blown away by this pasta that the disagreement of earlier was totally forgotten about... Forget make-up sex, I give you: Make-up Pasta. Bon appetit!

Serves 2 (or one person who didn't eat lunch...)

You will need:
Sausages (around 6)
1 x Large White Onion
Garlic (to your taste)
2 x Courgettes
Spaghetti (approx. 250g)
Rosemary
Butter
Oil 
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan to sprinkle, if you are that way inclined.

Saucepan
2 Frying pans

What to do:
1. Put on a big pot of salted water to boil.
2. Dice up half an onion, chop up some rosemary, and crush some garlic.
3. Skin the sausages. In other words, make a slit down their casing and take the inside out. (Here's what I made earlier...)

4. Break down the sausage meat so it essentially resembles a pink goo. It will look better later, I promise.
5. Preheat a saucepan with oil, butter, some salt and pepper. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add it all in, stirring it around as you go.
6. Dice up the other half of the onion. You may also crush some more garlic if you wish.
7. Grate your courgette.
8. Heat up the remaining saucepan with oil, butter, salt, pepper, and add in the rest of the ingredients. Don't stir. You want the courgette to be a bit browned. Here's one I made earlier...

9. Your water should be boiled by now, so chuck in your pasta.
10. Keep stirring your sausage meat until it gets a nice golden brown on it. Like this...

11. Once your pasta is cooked, drain and add to the sausage saucepan. Turn the heat down low. Stir.
12. Your courgettes should be cooked by now too, so take them off the heat and chuck them in as well. Stir.
13. You'll end up with something like this...

14. To serve, throw in a couple of rosemary leaves and sprinkle on some parmesan.
15. Eat.

Full Moon, Half Moon, Total Eclipse!

Love,
Belle x

Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday I turned 22. Birthdays, like Christmas, come but once a year. I like to take advantage of this by stretching out the anniversary of my birth a few days - so celebrations started the night before with a trip to the theatre. I'm lucky to have a boyfriend who actually listens when I talk, so months ago when I mentioned that I'd love to see The Woman in Black (having already seen the film adaptation), he stored it away in his thinking cap for a rainy day. This was the rainy day. Off we went to Covent Garden to the Fortune Theatre to be scared out of our skin for the next two hours. For those who don't know, The Woman in Black has been described as "the most nerve-shredding play in the West End". Simple, uncluttered staging encourage you to utilise your imagination, and in turn, this amplifies your fear considerably. If you haven't seen it, check it out - it's a definite experience!

After a very late-night drinks party, I managed to drag myself out of bed and awake my boyfriend. Desperately in need of food and fresh air, we headed out once again to Covent Garden...

How?!

...to visit my favourite Mexican Restaurant: Wahaca. Dotted around London, the restaurant in Covent Garden is a brightly coloured underground cavern; a hive of activity with amazing smells hitting you left right and centre. Meeting a few friends, we sat down and immediately wanted to order everything on the menu... (unfortunately I was too distracted by my hunger to take my own pictures, but I managed to find some on Wahaca's FB page)

Fennel-Covered Pork Scratchings

Passion Fruit & Hibiscus Cooler

...we started with Fennel-Covered Pork Scratchings, served with Guacamole dip. Sounds weird, but probably the best combination I've tasted in a long while. I sipped on a Passion Fruit & Hibiscus cooler, while the boys drank Mexican Beers. Our appetites still raging, the boys ordered a couple of plates of 'Street Food', while I chowed down on a Pulled-Pork Burrito and an Avocado and Pumpkin Seed Salad...

Pulled Pork Burrito

Avocado & Pumpkin Seed Salad

Our stomachs feeling very content, we wandered back through Covent Garden. Having spent my Summer in France gorging myself on macaroons, I couldn't resist stopping to pick up dessert for dinner at...

Scurrying back to Chelsea, we took a trip down the Kings Road to pick up ingredients for my Birthday Dinner. For starters, I served my friend's Dad's recipe of 'Prawn Pate', followed by a Garlic & Rosemary Stuffed Leg of Lamb for main - with Sautéed Curly Kale, Twice-Cooked New Potatoes & Spring Onions... 

With his permission, I give you:
Jimbo Jones's Perfect Prawn Pâté
(Serves 6-8 (or 4 very hungry human hippos)

You will need: Prawns (preferably soaking in brine)
Pancetta (crisped up under the grill)
1 Full Fat Tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 Packet of Garlic & Herb Boursin
2 Cloves of Garlic (crushed)
Finely Chopped Parsley
Lemon & Pepper to taste (no salt needed)

Simply mix all the ingredients together and serve with toasted baguette. Calorie-laden heaven.

Garlic & Rosemary Stuffed Leg of Lamb

...but a birthday wouldn't be a birthday without presents! When my parents arrived with a GIANT BOX, I knew it was gonna be good. First I unwrapped a very pink, very girly, bottle of birthday champagne...

...before tentatively untying the ribbon on my big white box. Inside this big, white box, was a big, brown bag. Inside this big, brown bag was another box. Inside this box was a large, felt bag. And finally, untying this bag revealed my very own Mulberry Bayswater - wishlisted all those weeks ago! 

Isn't it gorgeous?!

Let's just say this: if Carlsberg did Birthdays, they'd all be like this one. Thanks to all who made my day so special - the year has gotten off to a most magnificent start.

Much love and Happy New Year,
Belle x

Christmassy Courgette, Chilli & Chorizo Linguine

I haven't done a recipe in a while, so I thought I'd put one up. Pasta is something I usually associate with Italian summers, but this dish looks rather Christmassy, and makes you feel all warm inside on those dark rainy nights. It costs pennies to make, and uses up those sad-looking leftover vegetables in the fridge - win win all round. It makes enough for 2 very hungry people, or 3-4 for lunch. Here's how to make it...

You will need:

1 Large Courgette

1 Onion

1 Curl of Chorizo

2 Small/1 Large Chilli

1 Punnet of Baby Plum Tomatoes

As much Garlic as you see fit

Linguine

Oil

Salt

Pepper

Cheese for topping - I like Mozzarella or Parmesan.

1 Frying Pan

1 Saucepan

What to do:

1. Put on a large pan of salted water for the linguine, with a splash of oil (so it doesn't stick).

2. Crush the garlic and finely slice the chillies. I like to de-seed mine a little so it's not too spicy, but if you like it hot, leave them in.

3. Chop up the courgette and dice the onion. You should get something like this:

4. Once the water's boiled, pop in 2/3rds of a pack of linguine.

5. Heat some oil in a pan and add some salt and a good few cracks of pepper. Once it's hot, add the garlic and chilli.

6. Wait for the garlic to go a little golden (shouldn't take more than a minute) before adding the courgette and onion to the mix. 

7. After about 5 minutes, the onions should be nearly see-through and the courgette still be a bit firm. Like this:

8. Now's the time to turn the heat down a little and add the tomatoes and chorizo.

9. You basically want to warm the tomatoes through - not so much that they burst in the pan, you still want them to hold their shape. Turn the heat off when it looks like this:

How Christmassy does this look?!

10. Once the pasta's cooked, drain, and add to the frying pan with a knob of butter, or an extra drizzle of oil. Gently fold everything together so it looks like this:

11. Pour some wine, get a bowl and serve up!

12. Top with your favourite cheese - I didn't have any parmesan, but I chopped up a mozzarella ball and sprinkled that over with some herbs.

13. Et voila! Christmassy Penny-scrimping Pasta - so you have more to spend on your loved ones.

Buon appetito!

Love,

Belle x

Parisian Onion Soup

1000 Pageviews in 1 week! Thank you to whoever is reading! To celebrate this monumental occasion, I thought I'd give you guys a recipe that I'm obsessed with at the moment. It's inspired by a French Onion soup I had on a trip to Paris this time last year, in Cafe Hugo - a gorgeous little restaurant in Place des Vosges. If you find yourself in Paris with no idea where to go, go there. It's uber romantic and very reasonably priced. I haven't got the recipe from anywhere special, I just thought I'd have a go one night and it turned out rather well. So, with no further ado, here is a little something for those cold Sunday nights - I hope you enjoy it; please send your compliments to the chef.


You will need:

5 or 6 Onions, depending on how 'oniony' you like your soup. I like mine very oniony.
Garlic. Similarly, it depends on how much you like garlic. I heart garlic, so I use half a bulb.
Red Wine. You will be drinking nearly all of this bottle yourself. 
Beef Stock. Doesn't matter whether it's cubes, stockpots, a fancy-ass one you've made yourself...it's all good.
Worcester Sauce.
Balsamic Vinegar.
Oil.
Gruyere Cheese. Although I have used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella in the past and it was ah-mazing
Thyme. Fresh or dried, whatever your preference.
Parsley. Optional, for decoration/sprinkling.
Salt & Pepper.


You will also need:

A big pot/wok/saucepan.

A knife.

A chopping board.

A garlic crusher.

A grater.

A wooden spoon.

A ladle.

What do I do?

1. First up, pour yourself a big glass of wine. Getting drunk is half the fun.

2. Chop those onions and cry about your ex-boyfriend - no one's gonna know those tears are real.

3. Crush some garlic.

4. Put the onion and the garlic into a cold pot/pan/whatever you're using with some oil, salt & pepper. Turn the heat onto medium/low. You don't want the onions to brown. Keep them pale and interesting, like this:

5. In about 10-15 minutes, or after another large glass of wine, your onions should be pretty soft and nearly see-through. Now is the time to add your thyme (see what I did there). 

6. Stir this around with a wooden spoon so the onions get all thyme-y.

7. Add your stock!

8. Add the wine! (Not too much, because you want to save some for the meal.)

9. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and Worcester sauce.

10. Relax and play some music for however long you want. The soup isn't going anywhere.

11. After about half an hour, or when you've finished dancing, you are good to go. Turn on your grill oven and get some bowls out.

12. Spoon the liquid love into a bowl - preferably a big one - and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place this under the grill.

13. Have another dance.

14. When the cheese is going golden, take it out. Be careful though, because by this point you're probably pretty drunk.

15. Place some parsley on the top, or simply dig straight in - all that dancing has made you pretty hungry.

What it should look like

Instagram makes everything look better

Bon Appétit!

Love,

Belle xx