Ella's Yummy Delights, Brighton

Jordan and I recently went back home to the south coast to enjoy the sea air and glorious spring weather. We whizzed over to Brighton one afternoon and found ourselves strolling down the Laines with my camera in tow marvelling at the antique markets and stalls filled with exotic stones and jewels. We've lived here for most of our lives but I still have yet to grow tired of everything this city has to offer.

We were determined to find somewhere that would welcome us in and allow us to nurse our food babies (from our lunch at Burger Brothers - post coming soon!) with freshly brewed coffee and tea. I think we've found it. Ella's Yummy Delights - a café nestled between a row of independent shops and restaurants on Queens Road, a short walk from Brighton train station. Step inside and you'll be greeted with a warm 'hello', the smell of freshly baked cakes and quirky ornaments shipped in from Germany dotted around the shop. Check out those cow milk jugs - I'll take the lot.

It's a family run café by the loveliest mother and daughter team who constantly had a smile on their face and were more than happy to chat away whilst they were getting ready to recaffeinate us. We sank into the seats with our brew in hand (flat white for Jordan and a soy chai latte for me) and jealously watched generous slabs of cakes and pastries being served to hungry customers. I tried to wake up the special reserved spot in my tum for dessert but only received a lazy groan and a snore in response. I spotted a Chinese couple nestled in the corner with a giant chunk of cappuccino cake and warm biscotti pieces - they kept exclaiming loudly in Cantonese about how amazingly delicious it was.

Pfft, I'll be back for you, carrot cake *shakes fist*

You can find Ella's Yummy Delights here for your own piece of heaven.

You Doughnut, London

I am fond of indulging in a doughnut (or three) from time to time. 

I'm counting down the days until I can merrily stroll down Brighton seafront and stop off at one of the food stalls dotted around the pier. I'll order a portion of their freshly fried doughnuts and request for them to slather it with melted Nutella. I'll then skip towards the sun whilst it's still piping hot and fend off the seagulls that have set their beady eyes on it.

The problem is, I'm back in London with no plans to return 'home home' for another two weeks. No need to fret though, I've found us a replacement to tide us over in the mean time.

Allow me to present... You Doughnut @ Hawker House.  

 

Always trust a vendor that promises you hot and fresh doughnuts with twinkling fairy lights to match. Warm salted caramel? Cinnamon sugar?? Mini marshmallows?!?! This is the place that dreams are made of - well, where amazing doughnuts are born but that's basically the same thing.

We ordered 10 bites for £6. 

Please Sir, May I have five of your finest cinnamon sugar covered doughnuts with warm salted caramel sauce topped with chopped walnuts...

...and five of your cinnamon sugar covered doughnuts with coffee maple syrup and chopped walnuts please?!

I handed over my coins and watched in awe as he prepared the batter and conjured them up with a flourish. Why don't I have a personal doughnut station in my bedroom?

 Look out for this lovely chap a.k.a the doughnut connoisseur, he very patiently endured my rambles before happily sending me on my way with the decorated fried goods in hand. 

It was a marriage of the sweet and savoury. 

We quickly blew on it as an attempt to cool it down. As you sink your teeth in for your first bite, you're met with an explosion of textures and flavours. 

There's the piping hot dough, the swirl of salted caramel/coffee syrup sauce, the crunch of the nuts before ending it all with a lick of the lips to get the rest of the delicious cinnamon sugar off. Not a lot compares to this, does it? 

You can find You Doughnut on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with where they'll be next! I hear they'll be moving to the Southbank from April - you'll know where to find me...

2 Ingredient Healthy Banana Pancakes (Low Carb, Gluten-Free and Dairy Free!)

Happy Pancake Day!

 Forget about drowning your crepes in an ocean of maple syrup and overly fried bacon...
 how about we rustle up a stack of pancakes that look the part, taste like the real thing and are 100% clean too?

The eggs are a great source of protein and healthy fats, the banana provides you with a burst of energy and potassium whilst the apple gives you a good dose of fiber!

Behold, my 2 ingredient banana pancakes with hot apple cinnamon slices. Delicious, guilt-free and even easier to make than the traditional kind. No sieving and measuring required. I also filmed a video version of the recipe too (that's embedded below) if you fancy watching it.

 Let's go!



You Will Need: 

 {Pancakes}: 
2 medium free range eggs
1 ripe medium-large sized banana
Blueberries (optional)

{Cinnamon Apple Slices}: 
An apple
Cinnamon
Honey (optional)



1. Crack two eggs into your food processor/blender/mixing bowl.



2. Add in your chopped banana.

(If you're mixing these by hand, make sure to pre-mash the banana before adding it into the egg!)



3. Blend/mix until smooth.

For a more authentic appearance, I would use a food blender/smoothie maker. Pulse it for about a minute or so; this will result in incredibly light and fluffy golden pancakes. You could also mash the ingredients by hand with a fork. Try and get it as smooth as possible as the rougher the texture, the more it'll look like little banana omelettes than pancakes ;)



4. Pre-heat your pan to a low-medium heat. Drizzle in some olive/coconut oil and pour in your pancake mix!



5. Once they're starting to firm up and form little 'bubbles' on the surface, it's flippin' time. Repeat until there isn't any batter left. Stack them and you're done!

Now it's time for the cinnamon apple slices:



1. Slice the apple into a bowl.

2. Sprinkle in your desired amount of cinnamon and mix.

3. Add a little hot water and microwave for 3-4 minutes.

4. Serve them with your pancakes and drizzle in some honey for added sweetness.

5. Marvel, snap a picture for Instagram to show off your culinary skills and enjoy.



It's really that easy to make. It tastes even better knowing that it's incredibly healthy for you too! Let me know if you end up making these!



...and the video version :)

Five Guys, London

Five Guys

Nearest Tube Station: Covent Garden

In honour of Fat Friday (yes, I've classed this as an official day of the week) I thought it was time to set stomachs rumbling with a deliciously filthy burger review. 

Warning: If you haven't had your lunch yet, I hold no responsibility to the inevitable groans that'll escape from your mouth once you see the picture below. 

Ready?

I know.

With over 1000 locations in the US (and new stores opening up throughout the UK), Five Guys is undoubtedly a popular burger chain with a cult following. We visited the one based in Covent Garden and with a growling stomach and a queue that snaked down Long Acre, we were ready to take on the biggest burger that they could offer.

London is long forgotten as soon as you step into the restaurant. Five Guys is decked out in a classic 50s American diner theme with crates of free monkey nuts and quoted posters from popular publications splashed across their walls.

We met up with the manager, Martynas (who's so very lovely and welcoming!) and he proceeded to give us a tour around the restaurant and the history of the brand. Similar to the layout of American fast food chains that you see in the movies, a huge lit up board of the menu is hung up above you like a holy burger-shaped beacon of light.

Just a quick note, Five Guys' serving sizes are very generous. A standard cheeseburger is made up of two beef patties whereas a 'little' burger is made up of one. They're also available bunless too. All the burger toppings are free so if you feel like taking on a Man Vs Food challenge, roam and be wild.

Feeling ravenous, Jordan and I both opted for a cheeseburger with bacon, grilled onions, jalapenos and chilli sauce with a small portion of their normal fries and cajun spiced fries to share. Martynas told us their potatoes are only cooked in 100% peanut oil and the beef are always served well done with no option to customise upon ordering.

This surprised me a little and as a lover of medium rare beef, I asked him why. It's to ensure the final product is consistently juicy and meets with the health and safety requirements of ground beef. All sounds fair but I won't be converted anytime soon... I like me a pink patty.

After ordering, you're given a paper slip with a number on and urged to join the large crowd of hungry diners. Help yourself to free monkey nuts whilst you're waiting!

Food is served in large brown paper bags. This amused me greatly and continued on my act of pretending that I was secretly in America. We were led to a hidden booth under an alcove away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant and after spreading our food haul across the table, I hopped over to the drinks machine. Unlimited soda? Let's go!



Behold soda lovers, this is the Coca-Cola Freestyle Drinks Machine. Although I stopped drinking coke a year ago, I still had plenty to choose from with the 100+ different flavours available.

Fanta Zero Grape and Fanta Zero Peach, I choose you.



After a few slurps of my drink, it was time to chow down. I unwrapped the silver parcel to reveal my double patty burger. Heck, that's a lot of melted cheese.



I don't like bacon.

I hear the gasps of disgust thrown at me from every direction but it's too salty and oily for my liking. Jordan persuaded me to add it to my burger and proclaimed that it would d be a 'life-changing' experience so I took the chance... and I liked it. Scratch that, I loved it so much that I even overlooked the fact that it was served in a sesame seed topped bun. It wasn't lazily served as a slice of streaky bacon and result in awkward 'let me just chew at this meat mid-bite' faces. It was cut up and served between the patty and bun. It was deliciously smoky and I'm also eating my words as the beef was in fact juicy despite being well cooked through.

The cheese was as artificial as it could get but what's a classic American burger without a slice of the processed plastic, ey? There was one thing about it that made my eyebrows knit themselves together though - it wasn't chilli despite having jalapenos and added hot sauce. I prised one from its nest of grilled onions and nibbled away at it - nope. There wasn't even the smallest of kicks. I wasted no time in reaching for the bottle of chilli sauce and proceeded to drown my burger and fries in an ocean of spice. That's better.



Jordan was obsessed with the cajun spiced fries. They were a little too salty for my liking but I generally prefer my sides to be hardly salted so it was just a personal preference. He gathered them with his hands and shoveled them into his open mouth whilst going 'these are some of the best fries I've ever tasted!' They were seasoned well but having one too many did make me reach for my fizzy drink. A small size would be more than enough for two to share. Ours were served in the plastic cup... with practically another portion overspilling into the paper bags. I repeat, Five Guys are very generous with their serving sizes.



In the future, I'd definitely opt for a little burger with a single patty as I definitely produced the mother of food babies after demolishing this beast. I was ready for a nap.



I asked Jordan what his thoughts were and he replied with this:

I think it's time we nurse our food babies and head home.

This was actually my second time visiting Five Guys - the first being a hot summer's day in which I had little patience to appreciate the food. I didn't care for the burger initially but was very pleasantly surprised the second time round. I don't know whether it was my mood, the fact that I had a double patty than a single one or whether the quality had changed since its opening in July but I enjoyed it a lot better this time. It will never beat the likes of Patty & Bun (my ultimate favourite so far) but it's a good one to grab and go if you're in the area and fancied a splash of an American vibe. It's a grown-up McDonald's and I have no doubts about going again (and also attack their freestyle drinks machine).

Recipe: Baked Egg in a Tomato Bowl

 

I love vegetables but I'm not a salad person.

I can eat steamed vegetables, hot chunky soups and stir fry all day err day but I'm not one to munch on lettuce and raw peppers. I also love eggs so I'm constantly looking for eggcellent ways to incorporate it into every meal that I eat. I spotted a picture of this dish on Instagram and set to explore this cracking idea further. I'm obsessed so I thought I'd share it with you too! : )

This is incredibly easy to make (so easy that I feel a bit silly writing a recipe on it) and would be great for any time of the day: breakfast, lunch, pre/post workout snack or even as a side to go with your dinner! Enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------

YOU WILL NEED:

A beef tomato (bigger tomatoes works best)

A medium-large free range egg

Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Coriander (optional)

Shall we start?

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Using a sharp knife, slice the top of the tomato off. This will act as the 'lid' to your bowl.

 

2. Hollow out the inside of the tomato but leave a thick border as we wouldn't want our egg whites to leak out from any accidental holes! 

(You won't need the tomato bits for this recipe so you can either discard it or store it in a little bowl to munch on later on!)

 

3. It should look like this. Make sure you've gotten rid of the excess water inside too.

 

 

4. Crack the egg inside and ensure that everything is contained inside your tomato bowl and not spilling over the edges. 

5. Place your tomato bowl in the oven for 20-30 minutes depending on how well you'd like your eggs to be cooked. If you're a cheese person, take the egg out after 10 minutes, sprinkle on some parmesan or low fat mozzarella and put it back in for a further 10 minutes.

 

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I sprinkled on some coriander leaves for added flavour but feel free to top it with some spring onion, basil or even some steamed spinach or mushrooms! Bacon lovers could place a slice or two over the top too.

7. Enjoy!

That's all, yolks!

To pack this dish with even more nutrients, you could place some kale, mushrooms or spinach leaves at the base of the tomato before covering it with the egg. This would also taste great served alongside avocado or smoked salmon - eggs-periment with what you've got! ; )

Ok, I'm done with the egg puns. I'm egghausted!

If you end up making this, let me know how you got on with it - I'd love to know : )

Have a great rest of the day!

The Steyning Tea Rooms

A few weekends ago, we decided to take a break from city life for some afternoon tea and cake. The Steyning Tea Rooms is nestled in the heart of a quaint little town of Steyning and it sits between independent shops bursting with antique furniture and boutiques filled with vintage gems.

It's deliciously British and the exterior alone is inviting enough to escape from our technology-filled lives for an hour or two, right? Spot the colourful bunting and flower baskets in front of the pastel painted door. Shall we go inside?

As soon as you step in, you're welcomed with the sweet smell of freshly baked cakes and a warm smile from the waitresses. It was completely full but we perched on a side table and waited for an available seat whilst drinking in the shabby chic inspired interior.

Shelves were adorned with hand painted ornaments and different shaped teapots. The wooden chairs didn't match and were gathered around tables decorated with flower pots and bowls of sugar.

I felt like a character from a fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood at her granny's humble abode for a slice of cake or two. It was magical.

We were presented with a laminated menu of sweet and savoury choices ranging from a hearty fry up, hot bowls of homemade soup to a medley of baked goods. It would be a crime to not indulge in a slice of cake before washing it down with some tea served in a delicate teacup and saucer, eh?

I opted for a teapot of lapsang souchong and Jordan had his caffeine fix with a cappuccino. We shared a generous slab of Victoria sponge and were told upon ordering that it was a customer favourite. The sponge was light, the filling had the right amount of sweetness and it tasted home baked in the best possible way. I wanted to curl up in a quilted blanket and read my favourite book stopping only for a bite of this. One slice was plenty and left us room for the giant fruit scone that arrived with its accompanying pots of clotted cream and strawberry jam.

The picture above doesn't do this sultana filled scone any justice. It was huge and even sharing half of one initially seemed difficult to finish (until we slathered it with the spreads and realised that we'd make room in our stomachs for this). It was still beautifully warm from the oven and no crumbs were spared. It wasn't dotted with delicate sugar roses or piped with a ring of rich buttercream icing but it didn't need the fancy frills and decorations. It's a classic staple of British afternoon tea in its own right, it tasted decadent yet was still comforting.

Whilst I wouldn't complain of sampling fruit tarts and an assortment of macarons at a posh hotel, I have a feeling that it'd have a hard time beating the overall experience of a quick stop off at a tea room like this.

You won't be greeted with glasses of champagne or a cake stand filled with the very best fondant fancies and carefully decorated fruit tarts but you will feel like you're surrounded with the loveliest home comforts with rickety furniture and a roaring fireplace all served with a china teapot and a mismatched teacup and saucer.

Who needs 5* hotels when you can feel right at home?