Eggs Florentine with Asparagus

About 4 years ago a series of 'bad egg' events put me off of eating eggs, I've still been eating them in things, (mostly cake) but every time I try to eat them in pure egg form I manage to put myself off again. So last week armed with some fresh organic asparagus (I really, really love asparagus) I decided to give them another go. I used to love eggs florentine and my mum kept talking about making asparagus with boiled egg so I thought I'd combine them together for the best brunch ever! And that it was. I brought some really good eggs (which made me feel better about eating them) and as you can see I over cooked them a little bit, but I am an egg novice! So yeah, if you enjoy yummy vegetables and good eggs, I highly recommend this! 

Serves 2:

8 spears of asparagus
Salt and pepper
2 free range eggs
1 granary bap
200g spinach
2 tbsp hollandaise sauce

1. Pop a griddle pan on to a medium heat and add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper and griddle for around 10 minutes. 
2. While the asparagus is cooking poach your eggs (I have an egg poacher, I have no idea how to poach them properly) to your liking. I did mine for around 5 minutes. 
3. Split your bap in half, then toast to your liking. Then put the spinach in to a sieve and pour boiling water over it. Drain the water off and top the bap with the wilted spinach. 
4. Top with the egg, then the asparagus and then cover in hollandaise sauce. 
5. Yep it really is that simple! Enjoy. 

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Cinnamon Rolls

I spend too much time on the internet (I am a blogger after all), I'm addicted to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you name it, I'm on it. So, as you can imagine I also love Pinterest, I spend absolutely ages on there looking at pictures of other peoples food. One thing that comes up all the time is cinnamon rolls, god knows how many times I've 'pinned' them, looked at the recipe and decided I am too lazy to make them. But this weekend my uni friend Laura came to stay, and after a long list of things I suggested doing, I suddenly realised we could bake. After a not so long internet research trip we decided on cinnamon rolls. I wish I hadn't waited so long to make them! They're so easy, taste delicious and make your house smell like actual heaven (really, if I die and heaven doesn't smell like freshly baked cinnamon rolls, God has some explaining to do). I have absolutely no idea about anything to do with 'bread' baking (it always goes wrong) so I used this recipe and have since fallen in love with her blog, it's full of amazing recipes. So I've popped the recipe on here in metric measurements for all of us in the UK to enjoy and made a few little changes to the method! So... Enjoy!

Makes around 16

For the dough

1 packet of dry yeast
230 ml warm milk
75g golden caster sugar
110g butter
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
550g flour

For the filling

75g melted butter
225g brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the frosting

100g icing sugar
Enough water to make it in to a thick mixture (I never measure)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Start by tipping the dry yeast in to the warm milk in a large bowl, add a tea spoon of the golden caster sugar and leave for around 10 minutes until it's all bubbly. 
2. Then add the caster sugar, butter, salt and eggs and mix with and electric mixer until well combined. 
3. Add the flour and fold it, mixing until it forms a dough. 
4. Tip the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until you have a lovely smooth dough. 
5. Pop the dough back in to the bowl, cover it with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place to rise for at least an hour (it should double in size).
6. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees then tip to dough on to a floured surface and roll out in to one large rectangle! (21 inches by 16 inches).
7. Once it's rolled out brush the butter all over it, then mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle it all over!
8. Cut up in to around 16 even sized slices, then pop them in to a greased 8inch baking pan (I put 7 around the outside and 1 in the middle, which fit perfectly!)
9. Then pop them in to the oven for 15-20 minutes.
10. While they're baking, make up the icing by mixing the icing sugar with water and adding the vanilla extract. 
11. When the rolls are golden brown, remove from the oven, cover them in icing and eat (they taste best fresh from the oven)

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ASK Italian Master Class with Theo Randall

Last week I was invited to a blogger master class at ASK Italian in London. We were invited along to try some of their new dishes created by their expert friend Theo Randall and try our hands at making their new stand out starter, Panzerottini. I was really inspired by Theo's love of authentic ingredients and could tell that a great deal of effort goes in to researching, choosing the ingredients and creating the dishes.

Theo talking about the authentic Italian ingredients.

First of all we were shown how to make the Panzerottini, which are yummy little dough balls stuffed with cheese and chilli (there is a meaty pancetta option too). Theo explained that he'd first discovered them on a trip to Italy, and thought they had the potential to become a unique addition the the starters on the menu. The head chef Fari showed us how to make them, (and he made it look so easy!) then we had a go at making them ourselves (I was no Fari, mine turned out too big and obscure shapes).

After our attempts at making the Panzerottini we were brought a fresh batch to try. They are ridiculously delicious and addictive, I could quite happily polish off a whole plate by myself. They're baked in a stone oven and only take a few minutes to pop up and bake (my kind of fast food).

Next we got to try the Spaghetti Al Pomodoro, a simple pasta dish with Santos tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil. It had a beautiful fresh flavour and proper chunks of buffalo mozzarella on top, which always goes down well with me! 

After the pasta, two of the pizzas were brought out to try, I don't have a picture because they weren't veggie, but they smelled phenomenal, I will definitely be trying a pizza on my next visit to ASK! After the pizza came the most indulgent flour-less chocolate cake, the Chocolate Amore. I don't even have to tell you how good this was, I think the picture says it all.

You'd think we would have had enough after that amazing feast, but no! There was still once last dish to come, the desert sharing board with chocolate and almond cake, Italian cheesecake and warm almond, plum and pistachio tart served with Alphonso mango sorbet.

I left feeling inspired, very full and planning my next trip to Ask to try more of the new dishes on the menu!

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Baked Camembert, Walnut and Mushroom Fricassee at Nelson Street Resturant

As you may or may not know, I detest mushrooms, but there are some exceptions such as when vegan Emma cooks them (she has a magical mushroom touch) and the other day when I went to take some pictures at the restaurant that my brother works at. While taking the pictures I got to try the baked camembert, walnut and mushroom fricassee. Well, I think the picture says it all, who wouldn't want to eat that! So I just thought I'd share this beautiful cheesy picture for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy.

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