King Prawn and Samphire Spaghetti

Now this dish is super easy and very quick- and always a winning dish for a date night or dinner party.

This dish uses samphire- something that I have only recently been introduced to by my mother around 6 months ago. From first bite I questioned myself as to why I had never thought of trying it!

Samphire is an edible plant which grows along the coastline so it has a slight salty taste but it also has a sweetness which similar to the sweetness of peas. It is quite expensive but you don't need a lot of it. A handful of samphire costs around 80p and is available from most large supermarkets although I have been told by my Mum that she hasn't seen it other than supermarkets along the coast!

Ingredients

To serve 4

225g of uncooked prawns

a good handful of samphire

half a red chilli

4 cloves of garlic

a good glug of white wine

half a juice of a lemon

500g good quality spaghetti

olive oil

a knob of butter

parmesan for sprinkling

black pepper

Boil the water for the spaghetti- add a little salt to the water and add the spaghetti to the sauce pan. After around 4 minutes of cooking the pasta (I like my pasta to be al dente so in total I cook for around 8 minutes) I then start on the sauce.

To a large frying pan add a knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil to stop the butter from burning. Add the finely chopped garlic and chopped red chilli (you can add more than half a chilli if you wish to have more kick but make sure not to over power the taste of the prawns and samphire) allow to cook for around a minute then add the glug of white wine- I would say around half a glass of wine. Add the juice of half a lemon then add the prawns.

When the prawns have cooked on one side, I then stir and add the samphire, plus a good helping of ground black pepper. I don't add any salt as the samphire is naturally salty and the lemon helps to enhance the salty taste. Cook for around minute or once the prawns are cooked. Next drain the spaghetti and add a drizzle of olive oil to the pasta to give it extra taste and a little shine which helps when it comes to stirring in the prawns. Add the pasta to the cooked prawns- making sure to entangle all the ingredients together. Once on the plate sprinkle with a good helping of parmesan. 

Now enjoy the taste of the sea.

Prime Cafe Bar, Plymouth

It was Friday afternoon and after a busy few days at work, I decided that I was going to hang up my apron and allow someone else to cook for me that evening. I need somewhere cheap, laid back and whom would top up my wine glass up in order to unknot the pain of a stressful head and allow me to unwind.

We have been going to Prime Cafe Bar for the past few months for a coffee and maybe the odd Tunnocks Tea Cake (oh, you little fluffy ball of childhood memories!) it's a great little place which has that industrial vibe that I have always been one for. So when I thought of going somewhere to eat which was value for money with a decent range of alcohol on offer this seemed the perfect establishment.

We arrived to the cafe and drooled over the daily menu which consists of around 5 dishes which change depending on what ingredients they have in stock- some of which comes from the owner's parent's vegetable patch! The dishes on offer sounded homely and ranging from around £5.75- £7.00.

My choice was prefect for me- simple yet effective with their choice of ingredients. I was ready to devour the potato salad topped with chorizo which came with a green leaf salad. It was delicious- the bowl was crammed full of potatoes which had been mixed with mayonnaise, capers and fresh dill so sort of similar to a tarter sauce (I actually use capers instead of gerkins in my homemade tarter sauce) and then topped with grilled peppers, crumbled feta and yummy smokey chorizo. I did add a little dash of Tabasco too which just wrapped all the flavours together. The side salad had been jazzed up with a little sweet balsamic vinegar and sesame seeds.  I was very satisfied with this bargain dish which was worth every penny of £7.00. My only criticism was I found eating out of a bowl a little awkward especially as I wanted to combine the leaf salad with the potato so I would have preferred a plate but apart from that I left with a satisfied belly and the need to return sooner rather than later.

Chunky Monkey Slimmer's Slaw

Ingredients

3 small carrots / 2 large carrots

A quarter of a white cabbage

1 and a half small white onions

Half a cup of natural low fat yogurt

Quarter of a cup of low fat mayonnaise

Around a dessert spoon of Tabasco

Salt and pepper

This is to make a large bowl of coleslaw- enough for a good dollop on 6 plates- you'll be surprised at how far this goes. Trust me.

Method

This is a stupidly easy recipe and something which always makes an appearance at my BBQs. Super cheap too which is always a bonus!

Now you can either use a blender using the slicing blade but I find it goes a little mushy and as I prefer a deli style coleslaw I use just a knife. It doesn't take long so don't be so lazy- get chopping!

I usually slice the carrot in half then half again so you have a quarter which you then need to slice. Half the onion and then slice thinly. With the cabbage you just need a quarter of it which you then need to thinly slice. You may find you need to chop the odd bit in half.

Add these all to a large bowl. I would then start on the sauce but if you have a few hours to kill then wait to make the sauce otherwise the juices from the vegetables will make it go very watery.

When you have finished your brew and prepping the garden for the party begin; it's time to start on the sauce. 

I buy the large pots of yogurt and for this I would use a quarter of the tub for this coleslaw. I would then add around two dessertspoons of mayonnaise and a good helping of Tabasco then mix. Salt and pepper then add to your raw slaw. 

Done, Dusted. Jobs a gooden', 

Blanche's Bootiful Burgers

Ingredients

500g minced lamb 

1 red onion

3 large garlic gloves

1 egg

a good handful of fresh mint

a teaspoon of fresh rosemary

half a fresh red chilli

a handful of Japanese breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper

~

Method

These are super simple burgers to make- perfect for the summer months and they will certainly make the boys wink.

Place the mince into a large mixing bowl. Finely chop the garlic and one small red onion- no need to be super neat. Add these to the meat. Personally, I don't cook the garlic and onions prior to adding to the burgers as I have never had a problem with them being raw or crunchy once the burgers have been cooked but hey whatever floats your boat!

To this you want to add one egg (make sure to keep your eggs at room temperature and NEVER in your fridge!) a good handful of finely chopped mint, the teaspoon of fresh rosemary, half a red chilli (up to you whether you want to keep the seeds in to pack an extra punch), the handful of Japanese breadcrumbs (I use these as I find it adds to the texture rather than just acting as a combining agent) then it's over to the seasoning- a good grinding of pepper and sea salt.

Leave the utensils in your drawers- it's time to get in there with the utensils you were born with; your hands! Make sure to mix for a good minute  as this will ensure all the ingredients are probably combined. You will see and feel that the ingredients will come together. Split the mixture into 4 patties and place in the fridge to set. Leaving them in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour will help the burger to stay together during cooking. 

Now it's time to light the barbecue- please, please make sure the coal is white unless you want your burgers to look like lumps of coal! 

After they've taken a good grilling-  why not add a little raw beetroot and tomato to your burger bun, a little helping of mayonnaise and a few salad leaves. Maybe a little of my Chunky Monkey Slimmer's Slaw (recipe to follow) to the side of your plate. You know it's right!

Enjoy!

Quay 33

After a exhausting 5 and half hour journey via coach from London to Plymouth I had been given the order not to cook as I was being taken out for dinner. Now, I just want to point out that it is very unusual for me to eat out in as many consecutive days- not that I wouldn't like to, it's just my purse, and my waistband do not approve of being tugged on a regular basis. But hey I was still on my holiday so why not!

It was a stereotypical summers evening and we decided to head straight down to the Barbican as I had been wanting to try a restaurant- Quay 33. A pretty place on the corner with it's light blue exterior and light wooden interior- it looks like somewhere you would take your Mum or the in-laws for lunch.

I had been craving calamari and luckily the restaurant cooked a fresh batch for me although it wasn't on their evening menu. I am not one for deep fried food as I do not enjoy biting into thick soggy batter with it's greasy overkill however calamari is the exception. Quay 33's calamari tasted fresh, well cooked and well seasoned with a good crispy batter, it certainly settled my craving. It was worth the risk.

My main was selected from the specials board as I fancied a nice fresh, crisp salad and the only option they had was a salad nicoise with a tuna steak. This is something I have never tried before- tuna steak. I am a huge lover of fish (which is almost an understatement and not a quality my marine conservation boyfriend admires the most) and it is rare when I do eat red meat so the thought of a 'meaty fish' had always put me off. So I had to bite the bullet and face my fears- 'I'll have the salad nicoise please.'

It was well presented with hard boiled eggs, olives and new potatoes. The only thing I found slightly disappointing was it being dressed in a little olive oil. I love olive oil on a greek salad but I felt with the potatoes and eggs it needed to be matched with a creamier dressing with plenty of seasoning. The tuna steak was not bad, I however couldn't stomach the whole lot. 

The restaurant was 'nice' but it didn't pull at my heart strings. There are a lot of restaurants on offer so due to it not quite reaching the 'wow' factor, I doubt I will be back in a hurry.