Prawn and Orange Summer Salad

Hello! Today I worked from home as our Landlord was coming over to have a look at (and I hoped - fix) the bathtub tap. Unfortunately he couldn't get this done today and so I still can't use the Easter bath bomb my mum got me.

Anyway, as I was working from home I decided to make a big hearty salad to keep me going for the afternoon. I really fancied something refreshing, zingy, a little hot and full of flavour. There is nothing worse that a watery lettuce salad with a few sad tomato's. So this had to taste good, and as the sun has poked his head out for the first time in what feels like the longest winter of Westeros... I wanted something fruity.

I had these prawns already marinated and in my fridge. The reason? On Saturday I was expecting some friends over to watch the Grand National while we all lost our money. However this didn't happen - my friends were showing potential buyers around their house, and me and my other half won money on the Grand National instead! Result.

So I had the prawns in, they have been sitting in a marinade of the following since Saturday mid day - so have had two days of good soak up time at the time of cooking. But 20 minuets in the marinade will be just as effective. You just need a tablespoon of chilli sauce, whatever heat and type floats your boat (I used 'West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce') The juice of 1 lime, and a teaspoon of honey. Mix it all together and toss your prawns in. This marinade would also work wonderfully on chicken, or on other fish like salmon or crab.

If you are using a sweet chilli sauce - skip the honey. But really the trick is to dip your little finger into the mixed marinade before adding any raw meats/fish. That way you can adjust if you need to, add some salt if needed, crush in a garlic clove, splash in some soy. Really using those three ingredients you can just play around with various different flavours and additions until you have a flavour you're happy with.

You could then put your marinated meat onto skewers and grill on the BBQ, or slather the sauce on some salmon fillets and bake, serving with green beans and boiled potatoes... really this is so versatile so once you have the basic marinade the way you like it, the possibilities are endless!

Anyway, this is everything you need to make this gorgeous fun salad!

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Ingredients

Olive Oil or Spray Oil for frying/grilling

24 King Prawns (pre-marinated in chilli and lime - see above)

20g of Feta Cheese

1 Red Onion (finely sliced)

165g Sweetcorn (drained)

1 Handful of Red Baby Leaf Lettuce

1 Handful of Green Baby Leaf Lettuce

1 Handful of Baby Leaf Spinach

1/2 Cup of Rocket (roughly)

1 Bunch of Coriander (chopped)

1 Bunch of Parsley (chopped)

1/2 Orange peeled and sliced

1/2 Orange Juiced

1/2 Lemon Juiced

1-2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

Method

Heat up a frying pan or grill pan to a medium heat on the hob. Lightly oil or spray, wait for the oil to move freely, or for the spray to have turned clear and throw in your prawns to cook. Grill/Fry for about 2 minuets per side until opaque and pink.

While the prawns are cooking, toss both the baby leaf lettuces, spinach, rocket, coriander and parsley together in a large bowl. Scatter the thinly sliced onion and sweetcorn over the leaves. Add sliced and peeled orange segments on top. Crumble the feta all over.

Once the prawns have finished cooking add these to the salad. You can toss at this stage, but you have built up a beautiful colourful salad, if you toss the salad you will lose the aesthetic of this, which is fine if you're making for tupperware for lunches during the week, but not so good if you want to put this pretty dish on the table for dinner.

Squeeze over the juice of the orange and lemon. Add the soy. To cover nicely move in a zig-zag movement when applying the juices and soy, so every mouthful is busting with flavour. 

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That's all there is to it! I think the fruit is what really makes this salad so special, If you had some pomegranate seeds I would add these as well to add a bit of ruby-red colour interest, texture an sweet fruity bursts of flavour.

If you make this gorgeous, delicious salad, please tag me on instagram (@kharri3t) or twitter (@kharriet) I love seeing your photos. Plus I'm a hungry hungry hippo so just like looking at pictures of food!

Kat Bull x

Butternut Squash and Bacon Cannelloni

Hey hey hey! Recently, since moving in with my boyfriend, we have started something of a farm. Growing everything from Strawberries to Squash, Beets to Lemongrass. We are growing it all. Which means I am having to think of new and quick ways to use all our produce. So I have also been watching a lot of Food Channel, and one of the shows inspired me to make this.

So this is my Butternut and Bacon Cannelloni. I made a total of eight cannelloni, only I couldn't get hold of any actual Cannelloni, so I used rolled up Lasagne sheets.  This is sweet, salty, carb-y, and cheesy. The 4 main food groups! 

+ This is how you do it:

Butternut Squash and Bacon Cannelloni (Serves 2)

- 1 Butternut Squash

- 4 Rashers of Diced Bacon

- 2 Large Handful's of Spinach

- 8 Cannelloni/8 Lasagne sheets

- Grated Manchengo Cheese (no measurement - put on however much you like!)

- 1/2 Can od Chopped Tomatoes 

- 2 Cloves of Diced Garlic

- 200ml of Chicken Stock

- Salt + Pepper to Taste

- Olive Oil

- Peel, seed and dice the butternut squash into 1 inch chunks, toss in a little olive oil and season. Roast in the oven at about Gas 4/180C/350F for about 40 minuets - 1 hour until a knife falls through easily.

- If you are impatient, like me, and a bit soft is enough for you, take your squash out the oven, transfer to a blender, pour over the chicken stock, and blend until smooth. Otherwise, once it's soft, add the chicken stock and mash together. Once out of the oven, do not turn it off, you will be using it again in a tick.

- Next prepare your pasta. I don't mean boil it until cooked throughly, I just mean sit them it in hot water until slightly soft and malleable. This will make it cook quicker as well.

- Fry your bacon in a little olive oil with your diced garlic. Add in your two handfuls of spinach and allow to wilt down. Add your mashed/blended butternut squash, give it a good mix around, and take off the heat - season at this point if required.

- Using a teaspoon, spread a thin layer of chopped tomatoes on the bottom of your oven proof dish to stop the cannelloni sticking whilst it cooks.

- Fill your cannelloni using a teaspoon by filling up one end of the cannelloni up with your squash/spinach/bacon mix until there is a good layer all the way through. If using lasagne sheets, put a dollop of your filling at one end, smooth out a little, then roll up.

- Line your cannelloni/lasagne rolls up in your oven proof dish closely together to stop them from unraveling. 

- Spoon a little more of the chopped tomatoes on top, followed by any of the fill mix you may have left.

- Put back in the oven at the same temperature as before and bake for between 30-40 minuets to allow the pasta to finish cooking.

- 5 minuets before you take the cannelloni out of the oven, add your grated cheese and any extra seasoning you think it may require.

- Once out of the oven, pop on a plate, an enjoy!!

My boyfriend and I love this, I think this is definitely going to be on our dinner rota from now on. This is a fantastic meal, for mid week, or even if you're having friends over, as the actual prep and cook time you have to be in the kitchen for is probably about 15 minuets, other than that, you can just leave the oven to do it's thing. 

This can so easily be vegetarian as well, simply skip the bacon, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken, and you'll have an equally delicious, sweet/salty meal meat free!

I hope you love this recipe as much as me and my other half did. Feel free to share any pictures of this on Instagram with me!

Kat Bull             -  

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Good Morning! Today I am sharing with you a little recipe that has become a bit of a staple in our house. I moved in with my boyfriend in January and before then, peanut butter was conspicuously absent from my family home - no one was really a fan. Since moving in with Steve however it seems you're always a few feet away from peanut something - and I have discovered so long as it's heavily sugared or heavily salted then I'm a peanut fan too.

The reason I first made this is because we are fantastic at shopping for healthy foods - not so good at eating them (see pictures) so one day on our weekly shop we bought the biggest bunch of bananas ever thinking 'hey we can eat these for breakfast, on our way to work or as a snack this is great!' 

So we ate a few and they progressively gained more brown spots, so one day I thought of a way to make us eat them - Banana Bread! So I went through my cupboards and found I had the following things to make it taste nice - peanut butter, chocolate chips and vanilla extract so I got to work.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup of Melted Butter (plus a little to grease the pan)

1 Cup of Plain Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

3/4 Cup of Light Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup of Milk

1 Squeeze of lemon juice (just a little bit!!!)

2 - 3 Ripe Bananas (mashed)

1/4 Cup of Peanut Butter x2 (not 1/2 trust me - you need two 1/4 cups - V. Important)

1 Glug of Vanilla Extract

1 Large Egg

1 Yolk from an Egg

1 1/2 Cups of Chocolate Chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas 5. Grease up a loaf shaped baking dish.

In a bowl pour in the flour, salt, and baking powder, mix it all up.

In a second bowl (of jug if you're like me and only have the one mixing bowl...) mix up the sugar, bananas, 1/4 cup of peanut butter, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, egg and egg yolk until it's all a smooth golden-y colour. 

Pour your wet sugar/peanut/banana mix into the dry and fold it all in until it's combined. 

Chuck in 1 cup of chocolate chips - saving the other 1/2 cup. Mix in the choc-chips until well dispersed.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle the last 1/2 of chocolate chips on to. (You don't have to use a full 1/2 cup - it depends how much of a chocolaty top you want - I like mine V.V. chocolaty)

Pop in the oven and bake for 45-60 minuets. Mine was the bottom end of this so check regularly. Set an alarm for 30 minuets and check it then and see how long it needs, and set your alarm for every 5-10 minuets from then. It should be golden brown and a toothpick of knife inserted should come out ~mostly~ clean. I say mostly because I like mine a little gooey like a brownie texture - you may want yours more cakey.

Take in out the oven as soon as it's ready and leave to cool in the pan.

Once cool run a knife around the edges to release the banana-ry goodness and tip out onto a plate/chopping board. Then flip it over again because it will have come out the pan upside-down.

Put the other 1/4 cup of peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then using a teaspoon drizzle it over the top of your cake.

+++ done. Make a coffee and grab a slice.

This is truly a fantastic cake, I made it at the weekend, me and Steve managed to devour the whole thing in two days, and then when I went back to work and showed a picture of it to the girls they demanded I bring in another the following week. So now this is a winner at home as well as the office.

I hope you enjoy it!!!

Cocktail Cupcakes

Hey sports fans! Hope you're all well and looking forward to the ever longer evening and hotter weather. Thats right we're in the last week of winter which means you can start looking towards all those summer parties and enjoying long drinks in the golden hour. That's where the idea for these fabulous cocktail inspired cupcakes came from!

They are completely alcohol free, so more of a mocktail I guess, but that just means everyone can enjoy them! I came up with four different flavours, Dark & Stormy, Piña Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri, and Mojito. These are all my favourite cocktails anyway. Even if I do reserve Piña Coladas strictly for the pool side on holiday. They are really yummy, light and full of flavour, My whole family loved them. So I'll share with you these little twists on the classic cupcake recipe for a fresh and fruity revival.

Cake Mix: I used the same basic cake recipe on all of them. 225g Butter and the same of caster sugar creamed together until pale and creamy. 4 eggs beaten separately and added in gradually to keep the mixture from curdling (if it does just keep mixing, or add in a spoonfull of flour) then fold in 225g of self raising flour. This makes four of each flavour, so depending on how many you want to make adjust your recipe accordingly

Candied Fruit: I put a little wedge or slice of candied fruit on 3 of the 4 finished cupcakes. To candy fruit all you need is sugar and water. Depending on how large your pan is and how much candied fruit your making will determine how much sugar and water you need. A basic rule though is for every 1/2 cup or sugar you need 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Simply bring the water and sugar to boil in a saucepan - or a deep frying pan which is what I used. Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and throw in the fruit. Leave the fruit in until it goes clear, that was about 15 minuets for me. But it depends on the fruit your using and what thickness the slices are as to how long it takes. Can be anywhere from 15-50 minuets. Top Tip: You can make all the candied fruit together but you might get some flavour and colour swaps (which is what happened to mine - live and learn right?)to avoid this simply make them in batches.

Dark and Stormy

This is the cocktail I usually have if I'm at a bar with my boyfriend, it's not a pink cocktail and he really likes this one as well. I used the spiced rum part of this cocktail for the icing, making a spiced vanilla frosting to compliment my ginger beer flavoured sponge. Garnished with a lime wedge as you would expect if you were ordering this drink at a bar.

Cake: 

- Basic cake mix as above 

- 1 teaspoon of Ginger Beer Syrup

- A 2cm Chunk of fresh ginger

Icing:
- 4 heaped teaspoons of icing sugar
- 2 heaped teaspoons of butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- The seeds of 1 vanilla pod
- The zest of 1/2 orange
- 4 wedges of candied lime

How to: Once you have your basic cake mix you need to peel and finely dice your chunk of ginger. When I say finely I mean as small as you can get them because unless you're serving it to my mum no-one is going to want a huge chunk of ginger in their cupcake. Then add in a teaspoon of ginger beer syrup. I used the ginger beer syrup from my soda stream, but you can make your own, it just takes a lot of patience, You need to reduce down a can of ginger beer for a few hours until it makes a thick syrup. Mix the diced ginger, ginger syrup and cake mix together, take care not to over mix as this can stop the cake from rising. Pop 3 teaspoons worth of mix into 4 cupcake cases and put them in the oven at 180˚C for 15-20 minuets or until golden brown and bounces back when you press it.

Leave them to cool completely before icing. Mix the icing sugar, butter, cinnamon, orange zest and vanilla seeds together until completely mixed through and smooth. Put into an icing bag, or an icing syringe and pipe a little swirl on top of your cupcake. Then press a candied lime wedge into the top and done.

Piña Colada

This is a deliciously thick and smooth cocktail, and is just the epitome of a summer holiday in a glass. Its main flavours are coconut and pineapple, and served with a pineapple garnish on the side of the cup. I have taken this holiday theme on board when I decorated it by sticking in a little flamingo cocktail stick next to the candied pineapple garnish.

Cake: 
- Basic cake mix as above
- 1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut

Icing:
- 4 heaped teaspoons of icing sugar
- 2 heaped teaspoons of butter
- 1 teaspoon of pineapple juice
- a bowl of desiccated coconut
- 4 wedges of candied pineapple

How to: Stir in your tablespoon of coconut into the basic cake mix you've already made. Again use 3 teaspoons worth of mix per cupcake case and bake at 180˚C for 15-20 minuets. Or until they spring back once pressed. Again leave to cool completely.

Mix together your icing sugar, butter and pineapple juice together into a smooth mixture. This one is going to be a little runnier than the previous one because there is extra liquid in it so you might need to add in a little more icing sugar to thicken it up again. Smooth this icing thickly over the top of each cupcake and then dunk icing side down into the bowl of desiccated coconut so the top of each cake is completely covered in coconut. Then simply press in your wedge of pineapple and stick in a flamingo decoration or even one of those mini umbrellas.

Strawberry Daiquiri

This is 100% a girls night out cocktail! I can guarantee once it starts getting warmer you will be able to see me sat outside a bar, sunglasses on, chatting about anything and everything to one of my friends on any given night of the week. Unless I've finished work late, in which case I'll still be doing this with the girls from work at the bar across the road from us, having a natter about the life of a barista. Whatever the occasion this is a sweet, summery drink.

Cake:

- Basic cake mix as above 

- 4 small strawberries (Or one gigantic one!)

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Icing:

- 4 heaped teaspoons of icing sugar

- 2 heaped teaspoons of butter

- The zest of 1/2 lime

- 1 teaspoon of lime juice

- 4 slices of candied strawberry

How to: Chop your strawberries into small chunks, discarding the green leaves. Mix in the chopped strawberries and a teaspoon of vanilla extract into your basic cake mix. You want the strawberry pieces to be well dispersed in the mix so each cake has a few chunks. Divide among the cupcake cases and bake at 180˚C for 15-20 minuets or until they spring back when pressed. Once out of the oven leave to cool completely before icing.

Mix together the icing sugar, butter, lime zest and lime juice until smooth and combined. Your icing again maybe a little bit slacker than you would like, because of the added juice, if this happen just add in some more icing sugar. One mixed together put into a piping bag and pipe little swirls on top of each of your cupcakes. Then simply lay a candied piece of strawberry over the top.

Mojito

This a delicious and refreshing summer cocktail. It's zinging and fresh and full of flavour. The cool flavours in this one are ideal after a long hot day sunbathing and soaking up the sun. The perfect summers evening tipple.

Cake:

- Basic cake mix as above

- Zest of 1/2 lime

- Juice of 1/2 lime

Icing:

- 4 heaped teaspoons of icing sugar

- 2 heaped teaspoons of butter

- 4-6 chopped mint leaves 

- A sprig of mint for each cupcake

How to: Into your basic cake mix you simple need to add in the lime zest and juice and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. The mix then needs dividing between the cupcake cases and baking at 180˚C for 15-20 minuets or until the cake spring back when pressed lightly in the centre. Leave them to cool completely before icing.

For the icing you are simply mixing together all the ingredients , apart from the sprigs of mint. Once the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a piping bag. Pipe a little swirl of the icing on to the top of each cake place your spring of mint in the top. 

+ thats it! Beautiful and impressive cocktail themed cupcakes perfect for any party, or simply as a fruity and flavourful treat! They are seriously good! Yum, yum, yummmm.

Apple Pie Float

Following on from yesterday's rant about the weather, I've found myself wanting more and more comforting warming drinks over refreshing iced ones. So I made this fantastic Apple Pie float. It's a little spicy, super sweet, really warming and completely delicious. If you want to be really naughty you can add in a little shot of spiced rum.

I made this for me and my sister to enjoy the other day on a cold rainy August night. We had it as a combined desert after dinner and she loved it! It would be the perfect easy halloween cocktail as well for a fancy dress party or whatever. I just know that has the days are getting shorter and colder, warmers like this are exactly what we need!

What you will need (makes enough for 2 glasses):

1 Bottle Toffee/Butterscotch cider (I used Brothers)

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream

2 Shot of Spiced Rum (optional)

Pour the cider into a pan and slowly heat on a low setting until hot all the way through, stir slowly and continuously adding in the cinnamon about half way through. Do not allow to boil. Pour 1 shot of sum into the bottom of each glass and then fill the glasses 3/4 the way full with your warm cider. Float a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. + you're done!

This is an incredibly easy spiked cider recipe and seriously does taste like the sweetest, yummiest apple pie you've ever had. The mixed of cinnamon and vanilla with that already sweetened cider mean it's only really suitable if you've got a bit of a sweet tooth - like me! But the spike of rum offsets that a bit making it a completely yummy way to end your day.

I hope you enjoy it too!

Summer Ices

The last week it has been super mega hot! So I thought I'd try my hand at making some yummy ice lollies too cool down and chill out with on these beautiful days. I made them all with some kids plastic tumblers and some lolly sticks. There are so many different favour combinations you can make so there's something everyone will enjoy! Great for kids and fantastic for a BBQ!

Chocolate Salted Caramel

This was pure heaven in a lolly! I started by making up some chocolate flavoured Angel Delight and spoon a goo helping into my mould. Following that I dolloped on some chocolate spread, when frozen it went fudgy and gooey. I then smoothed over a layer of Salted Caramel Sauce which you can either make yourself or buy some. (I used Asda's Extra Special) I finishes with another spoonful Angel Delight and left in the freezer. What's great is the Salted Caramel layer doesn't freeze so you have a super yummy liquid layer!

Watermelon Limeade

This zesty refreshing guy is the ultimate way to hydrate and cool down. Simply blend up some seedless watermelon until liquid (if you don't have a blender use a potato masher - I did (If you can't get seedless you'll have to fish them out - I did that too) and it was fine) then pour in a can or two of lemon and lime fizz. Pop in the freezer stick in a lolly stick and done!

Breakfast Granola Fro-Yo

I'm sure some of you out there are like me and often wake up before the sun to get to work. Days like this I either wait until I get to work and have some unhealthy pastry of bacon roll or skip it all together (not good!) so by having a healthy yoghurt breakfast ready in the freezer, you can grab it as you walk out the door and just throw your stick away when done. Simply layer 0% fat Honeyed Greek Yoghurt, blueberries, strawberries and granola until the cup is full!

Frozen Chocolate Heaven

Similarly to the Salted Caramel above this starts with a layer of chocolate Angel Delight - and ends with one too! The differences are this one featured a giant chocolate button layer and a Nutella fudgy layer! Still super yummy but in place of caramel you have the worlds favourite hazelnut spread - so we're all winners.

Pink Lemonade

This piece of iced perfection is probably the simplest of all to make. Simply buy a raspberry lemonade (I use Belvoir's) pour it into a cup, throw in some diced strawberries and whole raspberries to add a flavour difference and freeze overnight!

These are just a few flavour combinations you could use. Why not try Lemonade and Peaches? Or instead of Nutella use peanut butter? There are also lots of great ideas here that you can try too!

Detox Waters

If you are a member of the internet - which if you're reading this you probably are - you'll of seen tons of cute hipster girls in ripped denim drinking from mason jars with fresh fruit chopped up in it. These are detox waters, and they're super lush. You don't get the calories as you would from juice and fizzy drinks, plus you drink more because it's better tasting water. + by detoxing your body you'll lose any bloating, maybe even shed weight, you'll have more energy and a stronger immune system.

These are my three favourite detox waters, in colour co-ordinated lidded jars - obviously.

Powerful Pink

This Wednesday worthy water consists of grapefruit, raspberries and blueberries. It's the sweetest of all the detox waters I've tried, but balanced perfectly by the mildly zesty grapefruit. It's not over powering in taste and I could happily sip on this all day without ever wanting a change. Grapefruit is a great fruit to have like this as well seeing as it's 91% water anyway, the majority of the vitamins are released in the water, making it fantastic for your skin and complexion, this is down tho it's abundance in Vitamin C, which can help build collagen, and fight skin damage caused by sun and pollution. Blueberries and raspberries make this water a super star among drinks. Between them they add a mighty punch of vitamins C, B6, E, K and A as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. They're both packed with antioxidants with posh fancy names that I'm not even going to start getting involved in - but they're there!

Sunshine Yellow

This summery drink contains just the two fruit, pineapple and lemon. Let's start with the pineapple, did you know it's the only known source of and enzyme bromelain? Which studies say is effective in relieving joint pain, arthritis and reducing inflammation. Pineapple also prevents free radical damage to cells in the body it's also great for battling acne and keeps your skin looking younger. Lemon water has been a thing for years anyway, it flushes out toxins, balances pH levels in the body, aids in digestion and replenishes vital salts in the body - especially after a work out. This is summer in a glass basically, it's super refreshing, and if you want to mix it up a bit, opt of coconut water instead of tap, and you'll have a healthy piña colada! You know, if you like piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain... 

Super Green

This fantastic little beauty is my personal favourite and I just cannot stop drinking it! I have it every day at work, in fact I'm sipping one right now as a I type this (cue first sip since I actually started writing!) The zesty, citrusy lime is a fantastic wake up call in this one, if you make it at night and leave it in the fridge, a quick sip of this in the morning will set your brain fizzing waking you up quicker than any coffee - I promise you. It also aids weight loss, and will rejuvenate skin, and reduce body oder and dandruff. Along side lime I pack mint, cucumber and kiwi into this little glass. Mint is great for headaches and nausea, it also inhibits the release of histamines that cause hay fever, it can also clear up congestion in the throat, nose, and lungs. Cucumbers are great for your brain and your heart this is due to the potassium in it. Cucumbers are also packed with multiple B vitamins which are known to ease feelings of stress and anxiety. Kiwi is another fruit that's great for your skin - shock - but this one also aids in a better quality and duration of sleep. Plus it can help lower blood pressure. 

So these are my top recommendations of detox waters for you to try yourselves! I'd love to know what you make of these drinks, as well as any recipes you dream up! I cannot get enough of these, and I'm ranting and raving about them left right and centre, everyone at work drinks them now - theres even talk of them being a drink in the store for next summer (???) so start drinking these asap - you'll feel so much better for it. They relive so much bloating too, you will have a flatter stomach in one week just because of the bloat this helps you lose.