SAUSAGE ROLLS WITH CHEESE & WHOLEGRAIN MUSTARD

One of the mummies at school is a chef and she makes the most amazing sausage rolls - in fact they are so good she sells them at a butchers in Notting Hill. We had them at our school Christmas party recently and Pascal couldn't stop eating them....he then raved about them so much that I had no choice but to try and make them myself! I don't think mine were a patch on hers but Arabella, Pascal and I all adored them and they were super easy so I will certainly be making them again over the festive season.

Ingredients for 6 sausage rolls:

375g pack ready rolled puff pastry sheet
6 sausages (I used Cumberland)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon of milk
9 tablespoons of cheddar cheese
6 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard

Take the pastry out of the fridge at least 10 minutes before you start cooking and preheat the oven to 200 C (fan) / 220 C / gas mark 7.

Then unroll the pastry and cut it down the middle length ways.

Next remove the skin from the sausages - I have never done this before and it was pretty icky but I think it is a necessity for the recipe. It did make me think of dodgy things too rude to post!

Then place the sausages down the length of the pastry, evenly spaced, and cut the pastry across so that each sausage sits on its own rectangle.

Next it is time to add the cheese and mustard. I put 1.5 tablespoons of grated cheese and 1 teaspoon of mustard with each sausage but you can put more or less depending on what you prefer. Arabella chose to go without mustard and I think next time I will adding more cheese (surprise surprise)!

Mix the milk and egg yolk and brush it on to the edges of the pastry and then wrap it up - like a sausage roll! Press the edges gently together and lay joined side down on a lightly oiled baking tray (to save on calories I used the 1 cal 1 spray oil for the tray).

Brush the tops with the rest of the egg yolk and milk mix and if you like you can sprinkle with some sesame seeds (we didn't as Pascal doesn't like them). Finally bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes until golden and then serve - they are best hot!

And voila!

These were delicious - Arabella had one, I had two and then Pascal liked them so much he had three! We were very naughty and served them with some fries and ketchup but next time I will probably add salad. Arabella enjoyed them with carrot and cucumber sticks. 

These are brilliant for a quick supper or for a party or even a picnic as you could also eat them cold and they are just so simple to make. Plus you can play around with the fillings....next time I am thinking of mixing the sausage meat with some pancetta or adding some tomato with the cheese or even just using different types of sausages would make a difference - my favourite are always the Toulouse ones.

If you are having a Christmas party I bet these will be a real crowd pleaser and your guests will be begging for more!!

ITSU, SOUTH KENSINGTON

I find it so funny how kids eating habits have changed in the past few decades. 25 years ago the only beans I knew were baked or stringy green ones whereas my daughter tells me she absolutely adores edamame beans....as well as salmon sashimi & teriyaki. I think it's a good thing though as it means when you go out to eat with your kids it doesn't always have to be McDonald's or pizza express & they can have a healthy meal which is a treat as well.

Last night we had another Christmas tradition - visiting Santa at Harrods. This is something we do every year & I have many photos to prove this!! In all honesty I think the whole experience at Selfridges is better but the downside there is your child doesn't spend time with Father Christmas on their own and you do not get the all important photo!!

Unfortunately Pascal had to work so it was just Arabella & I, although to be honest it was probably for the best as we did spend a LOT of time in the toy department - especially the doll & barbie area.

Anyway after seeing the great man, it was time to get a bite to eat. Last year we treated Arabella to her first McDonald's after seeing Santa (my brother had said he'd report me to the NSPCC if I didn't let her at least try one)! Needless to say she absolutely loved it but it's not my idea of a nice supper so we decided to go to Itsu this time instead.

I love Itsu & come here regularly, I try to have a new dish every time although I do have plenty of old favourites. As soon as I arrive I always order the hot food - the vegetable gyoza (my favourite), chicken teriyaki (Pascal's favourite - we had it in honour of him) and then the crispy chilli squid, (all our favourites especially Arabella) and some rice.

While we waited for that, Arabella & I chose off the conveyor belt - the best invention ever - I wish they did this at Shake Shack!! Unfortunately I actually forgot to take photos but luckily I managed to find plenty on the Internet so here you go.

Anyway Arabella chose edamame beans first of all which we shared and dipped into soy sauce. They were very good and I love the way Arabella is so excited about greens!

I love the tuna and salmon nigiri, Arabella tried one but there was too much wasabi for her however I enjoyed them....but to be honest I would prefer a little less wasabi too! I always make such a mess of eating these as I drown them in soy sauce and then they fall apart. The salmon and tuna are always really fresh.

Another plate I always have is the one with California rolls - I think they were the first sushi I ever tried and I have loved them ever since. The Itsu ones are great but also tricky to eat as they are too big for one mouthful and then full apart if you do it in two....I normally just pig it and do it in one.

The hot food is fantastic here - as I said before we always have the same the chicken teriyaki, the gyoza and the squid. Arabella finds the gyoza too spicy, for once I didn't even suggest she tries one so I could eat the whole lot!! The chicken is delicious, really tender, it comes with the great sauce on the side so you can choose how little or how much you want and the squid is so yum, we actually ordered it twice (Arabella's request)!!

We couldn't fit in anymore in after the second portion of squid but one of the other things I love about this place is the fresh fruit they have on offer for pudding - pineapple, berries etc - still on another level to most kid friendly restaurants!!

Itsu is a fantastic place to come for sushi - so much fresher, healthier and tastier than yo sushi but still reasonably priced (the conveyor belt dishes range from £2.99-£4.99). One of my only complaints is they regularly change the menu and I miss lots of the old dishes such as the seared beef - please bring it back!!! The other dishes we had here which I couldn't find a picture of were the broccoli with sesame sauce (chosen by Arabella) and a chilli prawn crystal roll which is like a Vietnamese roll and full of healthiness and deliciousness - there is plenty to choose from. 

Itsu was the first place I ever tried sushi and I have been coming back for years - it's quick, easy and delicious and I feel healthy when I leave which NEVER happens!! Plus this one is the perfect location, just a hop, skip and a jump from Harrods and the King's road and a lot more reasonable than most of the surrounding restaurants.

There are several itsu restaurants/shops around London but not all of them do the conveyor belt - only South Kensington and Notting Hill - I wish they all did. Their sushi boxes that they sell in the other locations are still excellent as are the "potsu' dishes so try one if you pass by but I would really recommend my favourite, this one at South Ken.

Itsu

118 Draycott Avenue,

London

SW3 3AE

Tel: 020 7584 5522

PATTY & BUN, CENTRAL LONDON

Whilst I absolutely love Christmas, I absolutely hate the Christmas shopping crowds and so avoid Oxford Street like the plague. Unfortunately Pascal's battery pack for his phone stopped charging so we had to go to Selfridges to exchange it. The tube was slow and busy, there were so many people on the streets it was hard to move and then to top it off the battery pack started miraculously working again so the entire journey was a waste!!

As Pascal felt guilty about dragging me over there, I was allowed to choose the restaurant for lunch....I knew I wanted a burger and exactly where I wanted to go. I have read about Patty and Bun on other food blogger sites and some describe it as one of the best burgers in London. I needed something stodgy as we had Arabella's class Christmas party that evening and I more than anyone know the dangers of drinking on an empty stomach (cue super embarrassing moments)!!

Patty & Bun is a couple of minutes walk from Selfridges and as we walked in I realised it is Pascal's idea of hell - loud music, tables joined together and absolutely packed (they only do 30 covers). We took the last two seats on a table with another guy and I could tell Pascal was super unimpressed!! Anyway I wasn't going to let this ruin our meal and I ordered for the both of us - service was very good and quick.

There is a choice of 6 different burgers and 3 sides. We both went for the Ari Gold burger which is a beef patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled onions, ketchup, P&B smokey mayo & brioche. You can add bacon but for some very stupid reason we forgot!! I had mine medium and Pascal had his rare and they are served to you on a tray (I think they copied this from McDonald's)!

The burger was good - cooked perfectly, extremely juicy, plenty of cheese and a soft sweet bun. I took out my tomato and but enjoyed the onions and lettuce. I did however add some more mayo and mustard. Our only complaints were that it was hard to get in your mouth as it's so big (it's a proper piece of meat), it was very very messy - I used about 10 napkins - and it felt and tasted a bit greasy (it left an after taste).

We had it with fries with rosemary salt and coleslaw.

The fries were incredible - just the way I like them, crispy and salty, I could have had a portion just to me. The coleslaw was also good, flavoured with herbs but could have done with a little bit more mayonnaise.

The meal was over and done with within 30 minutes and the music was so loud that we were pleased to leave. 

I am happy we went and I finally tried an Ari Gold burger as I have coveted one for a long long time (foodspotting is full of amazing pictures). Although I have to say I would prefer a Shake Shack burger while watching Ari Gold on Entourage any day...while the burger was good it was not my best and I would not rush back. I prefer Shake Shack or Five Guys - a much better "no frills" burger experience - better burgers and a better ambiance.

Patty & Bun

54 James Street

London 

W1U 1HE

Tel: 020 7487 3188

THE DELAUNAY, LONDON

Tuesday was one of the best days of the year for me - ice-skating at Somerset House and then supper at the Delaunay with my two favourite people Pascal & Arabella. Last year we took Arabella ice-skating for the first time at the Natural History Museum, she was so cocky and confident....until she stepped on the ice and then it was Bambi all over again. This year she did not fare much better, she was literally trying to run on the ice....I nearly fell over about a hundred times as I was laughing so hard. 

Next stop was an early supper at The Delaunay which is somewhere I have wanted to go since it opened as it has several German dishes on the menu of which I am a huge fan. My father lived in Germany for a year after he finished school and regularly went back there to visit friends and would bring me home German sausages (such a piglet from such a young age). Nowadays the only time I have a bratwurst is once a year at Winter Wonderland and eating standing up in the cold is certainly not the same as a restaurant owned by Corbin and King. My biggest problem was going to be choosing what to eat.

The restaurant is a large open room with marble floors, dark wood panelled walls, white table cloths and smart brass fittings. I had booked a table at 6.15pm and was amazed how busy the restaurant was, however as it is near several theatres and has such a great atmosphere, it is not really surprising.

Despite the restaurant being nearly full, the service was faultless. They served us with drinks and the most gorgeous bread and salty butter almost immediately, much to Arabella's delight. Pascal has been to The Delaunay several times before so he took control and ordered a Tarte Flambee (from Alsace in Eastern France) with smoked bacon and shallots for us to eat while we looked at the menu (at this point I was wishing I had worn looser jeans)!

I was expecting the tarte to be some kind of quiche but instead it had a very thin base and was covered with a creamy white cheese (fromage blanc mixed with creme fraiche) and the bacon and shallots - it reminded me of a very delicious, very thin crispy pizza. I could have eaten one all to myself!!

I was tempted to order another one for my starter but thought I should try something different so I went for the crab cocktail which was great although the lettuce was a little cold (if that doesn't sound too weird?)!

The crab was extremely tasty and there was plenty of it. I ended up eating the bread here as well as it was smothered in butter and I could not resist!

Pascal went for the oysters which he raved about. I even had one, and while they are not something I would ever order, I did enjoy it with some shallot vinegar.

Even though there was not a children's menu, (in fact Arabella was the only child in the restaurant), there was plenty on the menu for her to chose from. She was torn between a hot dog, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon or chicken noodle soup. I think she would have been over the moon with just the bread basket and butter to be honest!! Anyway she chose a smoked salmon and creamed cheese bagel which she devoured and thoroughly enjoyed. The presentation was much better than when I do it at home plus there was enough cream cheese for us to share!

I obviously went for the German sausages - it wasn't an easy choice though as they had several to choose from and to be honest I didn't have a clue which was what and the waiter's description wasn't that helpful. I chose the Nurnberger which was flavoured with marjoram and is from Nuremberg (where my dad lived) and then the Berner Wurstel which was filled with cheese and bacon which sounded like Heaven. They were served with caramelised onions, potato salad and sauerkraut. It was all absolutely delicious, I obviously loved the sausages but was most pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the caramelised onions and garlicky potato salad too. I was not keen on the sauerkraut though!!

I ordered chips on the side which were extremely good but I certainly didn't need them....luckily I had Arabella to help me out!

Pascal ordered Choucroute as it is a dish he often has in France and I had never seen or heard of it before. Choucroute is another dish from Alsace and consists of potatoes, sauerkraut, sausages and other salted meats and charcuterie. Pascal said it was excellent, I tried some and the meats were superb however as I can't stand sauerkraut it wasn't my cup of tea.

Despite the wonderful puddings and cakes we were too full to eat anything else, even Arabella. It was a fantastic meal and we will definitely be back - next time I will definitely be having the tarte flambee but I will try the Cordon Bleu Schnitzel for mains...although the lobster roll and burger also looked good!! 

The Delaunay

55 Aldwych,

London WC2B 4BB

Tel: 020 7499 8558

Email: info@thedelaunay.com 

PORK WITH A MUSTARD & CHEESE CRUST

This has to be one of the quickest and easiest recipes I have ever made. I got stuck in the supermarket the other day with the 3 meats/fish for £10 offer - I was buying the cod and salmon for last week and so needed to buy something else but was stuck without my recipe file. In the end I chose pork....and then have been hunting through my cook books all day on how to cook it.

I chose this recipe as for once I even had all the ingredients in my fridge which is some kind of miracle as I like to keep my fridge bare and tidy (as I said before I am slightly OCD).

I had collected Pascal from the airport early afternoon and when discussing supper he had said he wasn't hungry and wouldn't want to eat later....I should have known this wasn't true as by 5pm he was ravenous. Thankfully I had planned ahead and so I cooked this recipe with peas on the side.

Ingredients for 2 people:

4 pork loins

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

50g grated cheddar cheese

2 tbsp creme fraiche or cream

Preheat a medium grill and while this is heating up, mix together the mustard, cheddar and creme fraiche / cream in a bowl.

Cook the pork according to the instructions on the packet as it might vary, however mine needed to be grilled on both sides for a total of fifteen minutes.

So I grilled them for 7 minutes on one side and then turned them over for 3 minutes on the other side. Five minutes before the end, take them out the oven and spread the cheese mixture over the pork. 

Finally cook for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

We served with peas as they were the only vegetable I had in the house but the recipe suggests some potato wedges and seasonal green vegetables.

Another successful dish - so quick and easy to make and ever so delicious. I think I would even consider this as a dinner party meal, with an alternative more exciting side, as it is so yum and something different. I have to say it reminded me of welsh rarebit which is one of my all time favourites! 

HERBY SALMON AND COUSCOUS PARCELS

I am such a recipe fanatic that if I see one in a magazine or book and I like the look of it, I will take a quick picture of the recipe so I have a copy. I do this from magazines at the doctor's surgery etc or from friend's cookbooks. Hope that doesn't sound too weird?! 

This summer we stayed in a villa in Menorca and there was a fabulous little cook book there focusing on meals for just the two of you - I wish I could remember the name of the book as it was full of some excellent cooking ideas....luckily I took lots of recipe photos.

I had not cooked any of them yet but as Pascal was out on Thursday and my lovely friend Ceri was coming for supper I decided to try one out and I was very pleased with the results!

Ingredients for 2 people:

110g pack of lemon and garlic couscous (I could only find sun dried tomato and garlic couscous)
200ml hot vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
A handful of fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, tarragon or rosemary is good)
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
6 sun blush or sun dried tomatoes, chopped (you could always add a couple more if you fancy - I did)
2 salmon fillets, about 140g each

Start by preheating the oven to fan 180C / 200C / gas mark 6.

Put the couscous in a bowl and stir in the stock and oil (I actually used a measuring jug)! Cover with cling film and leave to stand for 10 minutes, then uncover and fluff up with a fork. 

Keeping back some of the herbs for later, add the rest to the couscous along with the tomatoes and spring onions and season to taste.

Cut out two large sheets of non-stick baking paper, then divide the couscous between them. Sit each fillet on the couscous and top with the remaining herbs and season.

Fold the paper over and twist the edges to seal - a bit like a Cornish Pasty. Put the parcels onto a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 15 minutes (until the fish feels firm through the paper).

You can either serve in the bag or dish out onto a plate.

I don't like to blow my own trumpet but what a fantastic meal - it was absolutely delicious - Ceri and I couldn't believe it!! It is a great alternative way to cook salmon and the couscous with the sun dried tomatoes goes perfectly with it. Plus it is healthy and roughly only contains about 500 cals and it is very very simple ad quick. 

The next day I told Arabella and Pascal about the success of the recipe and how I must cook it for them....you can imagine the response, Pascal saying "all we ever eat is fish" and Arabella moaning that she doesn't like couscous. I am going to prove them wrong as I think it would be hard not to love this recipe!!

COD WITH BACON, LEEKS AND LENTILS

Arabella really made me chuckle the other day - we were practising her spellings and she got them all right so I praised her and told her what a clever little girl she was. Her reply was "Of course I am mummy, I eat a lot of fish!" 

Since as long as she can remember I have been telling her fish will make her clever and improve her memory...I think it is working!!

No surprise then that we were having fish again tonight, in typical fashion Pascal complained but I was looking forward to it as I have been eating the smokey bacon and two cheese pasta every meal since Sunday!

I chose a Sainsbury's recipe as it looks delicious and only takes about 35 minutes in total to prepare and cook as it's our busy Wednesday. I am looking forward to next term as Arabella and I have decided  that both ballet and gym after school is too much.

Ingredients for 4 people:

2 tbsp of olive oil
250g pack of smoked bacon lardons
1 onion, finely chopped
4 leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced
1/2 x 15g pack fresh thyme, leaves and picked (I hate picking at herbs)!
2 x 410g tins green lentils in water, drained
260g pack of skinless and boneless cod fillets, cut in half
Plain flour for dusting if you prefer to fry the fish rather than grill or oven cook
300ml vegetable stock
5 tbsp double cream
1/2 x 28g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, washed and chopped
A white baguette (optional)

There are a few different ways you can cook the fish, the recipe card suggests you dust each fillet in flour and then fry it. As I am always trying to be that little bit healthy I oven cooked mine after seasoning it and spraying it with olive oil. It probably doesn't have as much flavour as frying it but it saves on calories. I followed the advice on the packet which was to cook it in the oven for 15-17 minutes at 180C in some tin foil. 

Once the oven has preheated and the fish is in, start by heating a tablespoon of olive oil and frying the lardons for about 4-5 minutes until golden and then remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving all the oil in the pan (Sorry no photo)!

In this same pan fry the leeks and onion for about 8-10 minutes. Pascal wanted to add some more olive oil, I was too tight about it apparently, hence the colour of the pan! 

Next stir in the thyme and drained lentils.

If you would prefer to fry the fish, now is the time. You need to put some plain flour in a shallow dish and dust each cod fillet all over. Then heat a tablespoon of oil in a non stick frying pan and cook the cod for 3-4 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

When you are cooking the fish if you choose to fry it, add the stock and double cream to the pan with the lentils and then stir in the cooked lardons. Bring to the boil and cook for about 3-4 minutes and then stir in most of the parsley.

Finally divide the lentil mixture between 4 bowls / plates and top with a piece of cod. Garnish with the remaining parsley and if you like, serve with crusty baguette (sadly for Pascal and Arabella I hadn't bought any)!

It is a good recipe, the lentil mixture tastes delicious with the bacon, leeks and thyme. We had plenty of it left over and I am thinking it will make a nice lunch for me tomorrow on it's own....maybe with some cheese rather than fish though! I was surprised that the recipe only suggests such a small amount of fish per person, you could definitely add more and I think the bread is a good idea as the meal is very "saucy". Pascal, Arabella and I ate all our plates and we enjoyed it, it wasn't our favourite favourite but I would still cook it again....got to continue working on our brains and memory!!