Who doesn't love a mouthful of BBQ? I know I do so replicating this at home should be a breeze. I was first introduced to BBQ when I first came to Rochester and ate at Sticky Lips. The tangy sauce and the super tender meat all piled on top of a oh-so-right bun won me over that night. Fueling my love of BBQ was Man vs. Food which featured a lot and I mean A LOT of BBQ joints. Just thinking of it makes me salivate! Traveling around the US I have had my fair share of BBQ and Tennessee has some of the best!
I must confess this isn't my first time making this so I know it is already a yay, but if you're looking for a decent and properly easy recipe for pulled pork this is it!
Yay or Nay: Yay
As above, it makes for some good pulled pork. I didn't have any brown sugar to hand so I used regular granulated sugar and it didn't change the flavour that much. I used it for two meals, tacos and sandwiches (burgers) the day after!
2015 was all about the smoothie bowl or the acai bowl, I'm sure your instagram feed was inundated with pictures of bloggers tucking into their delicious looking breakfasts. I had the chance to try one when I went to visit a friend in NYC as there was a Juice Generation five minutes walk away from our hotel. I think I went for the XO Coco and I have to say it was pretty much a smoothie in a bowl with some yummy toppings, so surely this would be easy enough to replicate.
Yay or Nay: Yay
After coming back from London I needed something healthy to kick start my metabolism as drinking every night definitely took its toll on me. I didn't use a particular recipe but just gleaned ideas from here and there (although I did get inspired by Self magazine). I would say follow the advice to have frozen fruit as it doesn't have the thick texture if it isn't.
While back in London, I definitely had the nostalgic feeling for a good ol' British Afternoon Tea. So I enticed an old work colleague to go to Browns to have a spot of tea and cake. We tucked into scones with clotted cream and jam, salted caramel profiteroles, lemon curd bars, red velvet cake and let's not forget the sandwiches; salmon and cream cheese, egg salad and traditional cucumber! As nice as it was, I was looking for something more classically British which meant I had to bake something myself once I got back to the U.S.
When I saw the Raspberry Bakewell Cake I was definitely excited to make it, I mean, it ticked the boxes of a tart berry combined with a sweet sponge. Plus Bakewells and almond slices are some of my faves - especially the Mr Kipling variety!
Yay or Nay: Yay
As you can probably tell from the picture, it looks a little dry (it has been laying out for a day or two!). Despite the fact that I overbaked it, it was still pretty tasty. The tartness of the raspberry works well with the almond and not-so-sweet sponge. Perfect for afternoon tea!
Some call it Chow Fun, I am more familiar with Ho Fun and some probably know it as beef noodles. Whatever it's called to you, it makes for a top pick for a Saturday night take-away (take-out). I remember a cheap dive in London's Chinatown called Wong Kei where my cousin and I would go for a uni lunch. The service was poor, infamous in fact, but the food was cheap and delicious (especially as money poor students). You could order this wet (with a sauce or gravy) or dry depending on your mood. This version of Ho Fun/Chow Fun promised the taste of a take-away and the ease of a ready meal so I definitely wanted to give this a go.
Yay or Nay: Yay
Tasty and satifying it is well worth the effort to make the marinade and then cook. I did only marinade the beef for 15 minutes while I exercised so maybe I will try a little longer next time. I cooked the noodles but didn't bother to chill them as she suggested and it made for a sticky layer of noodles semi-permanently stuck to my sieve. Don't panic if the noodles don't separate as adding the leftover marinade helps break it apart nicely. Also, does flank steak cost an arm and a leg where you are???
UPDATE: Here are the missing pics I promised!
While surfing Pinterest for dinner ideas I must have come across cashew chicken as an option. I was either looking for slow cooker/crock pot ideas or just anything that would jump out. I asked the Hubby what he thought and it was a surprising yes! Originally I found a recipe somewhere else, but after endless scrolling and clicking just to find it again I found Cookie Rookie's version; 1. It was easy to follow, 2. It was similar to the one I found initially and 3. I couldn't be bothered to look elsewhere at that point.
Yay or Nay: Yay Yay Yay!
It's always good to find something unexpected that is easy, tasty AND is exactly what the recipe promises. Cookie Rookie says that it is SUPER EASY and it is exactly that! I would say it is not worth searing the chicken beforehand if you're short on time as you can leave it in a little longer in the crockpot to cook. Also, I had an excess of ginger so I put waaaaaay more than is in the recipe and I have to say it does add more of a spicy flavour. Apologies for the rushed and dodgy plate pictures! TRY THIS NOW!!
I remember seeing this recipe for Spinach and Feta Pie on TV and I never got the chance to cook it as my living situation at the time didn't allow me to have control of the kitchen! Anyway when I did get the chance I jumped on this recipe. Now, Jamie promised it would be a 30 minute meal which is a big ask! He made it look so easy, would it be like that for me??
Yay or Nay: Yay!
Admittedly it took me a few tries to get this down but the instructions aside from the filo pastry assembling is pretty straightforward. Definitely don't skip the baking sheet part as it makes for less cleaning which no one likes after a long day. I do like to part bake mine if I know it'll be for dinner the next night, then reheat and bake the rest of the way on the night you'll eat it.
Living in South Korea I and the hubby grew to love this fast and tasty Korean dish. We would frequent the local Kimbab shop which we nicknamed Uncle Grumpy's (the owner was particularly grumpy!). They had the best bimbimbap, kimbap and everything in between. You can't go wrong with a fried egg on top! However, once we came back to the US and UK, finding this dish is easy enough but not for the price Grumpy'swould charge. Plus a challenge to remake something we both love was enough for me to look far and wide (in the comfort of my sofa) for a decent and authentic recipe! Maangchi is Korean (tick) so I trust her more than other recipes for Kimchi Bokkeumbap.
Yay or Nay: Yay!
This is an easy to follow recipe and you get a similar taste to the real deal! This tip is more to do with me rather than the recipe itself but I never seem to have enough kimchi juice or kimchi so make sure you have plenty! Also, I forgot the dried seaweed and fried egg which you need to finish the dish but of course I forgot to take a pic of the final product.
