Thai Vegetable Red Curry

I love all Asian food but my favourite is Thai. It always manages to make me smile, although that maybe due to my lips tingling which is what you want from a well spiced dish. Sometimes I want that hit of Thai flavours but accompanied by a very simple, quick recipe with easy to buy ingredients. This Vegetable Curry ticks the boxes. Of course you could also poach some thin slices of sirloin steak or chicken in the sauce, however I like the crunchy texture of this dish.

For 4 people you will need:

2 Onions chopped, 2 Garlic cloves chopped, 200g Sliced Chestnut Mushroom, 100g Babycorn sliced diagonally, Red Pepper sliced into strips, 3 Celery sticks sliced diagonally, 2 tbsp. Vegetable oil, Red Chilli sliced, 3 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste, 400ml Coconut Milk, tsp soft light brown sugar, 2 tbsp Soy Sauce

 Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and gently fry the onions, garlic and chilli until they soften.
2. Add the mushrooms, celery, pepper and corn and fry for about 5 minutes until softened but still retaining a crunch.
3. Add the curry paste and coconut milk. Combine well and bring to the boil. Add the sugar and soy sauce. Serve with Jasmine Rice.

Spinach, Apricot and Bulghur Wheat Salad

They say never judge a book by its cover. Well Sally Butcher's Veggiestan is a most definite exception to the rule.

The dishes are just as colourful on the inside as Sally takes us on a Vegetarian Odyssey through the Middle East. Each recipe comes with a little bit of history behind it and it's all written in a wonderful style with a good splash of humour.

This salad comes with "Crunch, Squidge and Oomph" according to Sally. I couldn't describe it better apart from adding that the combination of ingredients is like a symphony of flavour on your palette. It's great for lunch and dinner and I've also used it as a side salad for a BBQ.

For 4 people:

Ingredients: 100g Dried Apricots roughly chopped. 300g Bulghur Wheat. 400ml Vegetable Stock. 300ml Apricot or Apple Juice. 150g washed Spinach. Carrot peeled. Small Red Onion. 4 tbsp. Olive Oil. 2 tbsp. Lime juice and zest of a Lime. Tsp crushed chillies. Tsp Ground Cumin. Seasoning. 100g Pistachios. Coriander bunch washed and chopped.                                                                          Handful of mint washed and chopped.

Method:

1. Heat over to 140C / 275F / GM1
2. Make the stock and combine with the fruit juice. Spread the wheat over an oven tray and mix in the liquid. Allow for the wheat doubling in size. Put in the oven for 20 minutes, fluffing it up half way through. Once cooked, allow to cool a little.
3. Soak the apricots in tepid water for about twenty minutes.
4. Roughly shred the spinach, grate the carrot and finely slice the onion.
5. Whisk the oil with the lime juice, zest, chillies, cumin and seasoning. Drain the apricots.
6. Blend all of the ingredients together with the nuts and herbs and check for seasoning.

Just like Sally, I serve this with some warm flat breads and some thick yoghurt.

Tomato, Feta and Lentil Salad

This is a flexible salad that can be eaten on its own for lunch or maybe as a side dish to some grilled Lamb Chops. I first had cold lentils in a salad in Provence and this dish reminds me of sitting in that square in Avignon. I love the combination of textures plus the contrasts of salty cheese, sweet tomatoes and fragrant dill. This dish is based upon the recipe from the excellent Leon Happy Salads. There's a little prep in making the dressing and the seed mix, but I make a batch up and store in the fridge and cupboard.

For 2 people:

Ingredients:

200g cooked Puy Lentils. 1/2 diced Cucumber. 2 tbsp chopped fresh Dill. 4 tbsp. French Vinaigrette (see below).  6 sliced Sun Dried Tomatoes. 60g Baby Plum Tomatoes halved. 60g Feta Cheese crumbled. 2 handfuls of Rocket. 2 tbsp Toasted Seeds (see below). Seasoning.

Method:

Mix the lentils with the cucumber, dill, vinaigrette and seasoning. Top with the other ingredients.

French Vinaigrette: Shallot, finely chopped. Tsp Dijon Mustard. Tbsp White Wine Vinegar. 1/2 clove of crushed Garlic. 2 tsp water. 3 tbsp Olive Oil. Tsp Maple Syrup.

Whisk all the ingredients together and store in a jar.

Toasted Seeds: 2 tbsp Sunflower Seeds. Tbsp Golden Linseeds. Tbsp Sesame Seeds.

Dry fry each seed separately in a pan until golden. Mix together and store.

Avocado and Egg Power Food Salad

I love the amazing variety of salads out there. Textures, tastes, zest, spice, herbs etc. All of these components combined to give us a different experience. Well this Green Goddess Bowl as described by Madeleine Shaw in Get the Glow is packed full of super foods which give me a great energy boost. I sometimes add some baby gem lettuce just to give the dish an element of crunch, other than that, it's a very comforting eating experience.

For 2 people:

Ingredients:

50g Shredded Kale. Tbsp Coconut Oil. 100g Spinach. 4 Eggs. 3 tbsp Sesame Seeds. Avocado. 3 tbsp Olive Oil. Tbsp Cider Vinegar. Tsp Dijon Mustard. Lime cut into wedges. Seasoning.

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the kale with a pinch of salt and saute for 4 minutes.

Put the Spinach in a bowl and pour boiled water over it to cover. Strain through a sieve and mix into the kale.

In the meantime, bring a pan of water to the boil and add the eggs. I prefer my eggs soft for this dish, so 2 1/2 minutes will suffice. Drain the hot water off and fill with cold. After a couple of minutes, crack the shells of the eggs and gently peel. Spread the sesame seeds onto a plate with a pinch of salt. Rub the eggs evenly in the mixture then cut in half.

Cut the avocado in half  and peel off the skin. Remove the stone and then slice thinly. Mix the olive oil with the vinegar, mustard and seasoning.

Spread the greens over a serving plate and arrange the avocado and eggs on top. Drizzle over the dressing and a squeeze of lime.

Peppered Mackerel and New Potato Salad

I love reading or seeing recipes where all the ingredients are either in my kitchen or can be easily sourced. I hate wasting food and using things up I feel is both frugal and morally correct. This simple salad is great for a midweek supper or a weekend lunch. With horseradish, rocket and pepper already in the dish, you will just need a pinch of salt in the dressing.

For 2 people:

Ingredients:

2 Peppered Mackerel Fillets. 500g New Potatoes. 100g of Rocket and Watercress. 2 tbsp low fat Mayonnaise. 2 tsp Creamed Horseradish. Juice of half a lemon. 2 tsp Salt.

Method:


1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes or until al dente.
2. Meanwhile mix the mayo with the horseradish and lemon and a pinch of salt.
3. Drain the potatoes and whilst warm add the dressing and toss. Peel the skin off the fish and break into bite size pieces. Gently fold into the potato mix.
4. Arrange the leaves on a service plate and top with the fish and potatoes. Mix a little and then dive in.

Monkfish Curry

When you combine two of my favourite things: Monkfish and Curry, you have a marriage made in heaven. Some people are sceptical about using fish in a curry, but Monkfish has both the texture and taste to take on the spices. This process involves making the sauce and then poaching the fish which is also my preferred method for chicken too as the meat stays moist. So I guess you could replace one for the other. This recipe is based upon Madeleine Shaw's Get the Glow I haven't included the accompanying Cauliflower Rice, which is nice by the way. I'm actually proud to confirm however, that my picture which hasn't been photo shopped IMO looks better than the one in the book! It tastes pretty good too.  I served it with Basmati Rice and some Spinach sauteed in coconut oil, garlic and chilli.

For 4 people:

Ingredients: 

400g Monkfish fillet, cut into bite size pieces. 2 tsp Turmeric. 3 tbsp freshly grated Ginger. Tbsp Coconut Oil. Onion finely sliced. Red Chilli finely chopped (reserve a few thin shards)  Garlic clove crushed. 400ml Coconut Milk. Juice of a Lime. Tbsp Mustard seeds. Handful of finely chopped Coriander. Seasoning.

Method:

Place the fish in a bowl with a pinch of salt, the turmeric and ginger. Gently mix and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for five minutes. Add the chilli and garlic. Stir fry for a minute, then add the coconut milk, lime juice and freshly ground pepper. Simmer for five minutes, then add the fish and cook for around ten minutes until it's cooked through. Remove from the heat.

In a small pan, dry roast the mustard seeds for a minute. Then slightly crush them.

To serve, pour the fish into a dish and sprinkle with coriander, mustard seeds and some shards of chilli.

Sea Bream with Pak Choi and Tomato and Ginger Chutney

Having been fortunate to have eaten in several of Jason Atherton's restaurants, a few years ago I was drawn to his book Gourmet Food for a Fiver. If you're looking to impress with your dinner party, this is a great place to start. The dishes are fairly simple to create, but are a level above your standard home cooked food. Furthermore, as the title suggests, you won't damage the credit card too much in the process.

Enough waffle, this dish is so easy to make and is so light and flavoursome. I actually treble the chutney ingredients as it keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge and goes well with cheese or cold meats.

For 4 people:

Ingredients: 4 Sea Bream Fillets with skin. Seasoning. 3 tbsp Olive oil. 2 Heads of Pak Choi. Lime Wedges.

For the Chutney - 40g Brown Sugar, Tbsp Honey, 40ml Rice Vinegar. Cinnamon Stick. 4 medium Tomatoes chopped. Tbsp grated Fresh Ginger. 1/2 tsp cracked Coriander Seeds. Tbsp chopped Mint Leaves.

Method:

1. Rinse the Fish, pat dry with kitchen paper. Check for bones. Season both sides, cover and chill.

2. To make the chutney, put the sugar, honey, vinegar and cinnamon into a medium sized pan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, ginger and coriander. Cook for about 30 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened. Discard the cinnamon, add the mint and season. Keep warm.

3. Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry the bream skin side down for 2 minutes or until the edges are golden. Turn and cook for a minute or two until the fish is cooked through.
4. At the same time, saute the trimmed Pak Choi in 1 tbsp. of olive oil until wilted. Season with salt.

To serve, place the fish in the middle of a warm plate and top with the chutney. Arrange the pak choy and lime.

Beetroot, Kale and Mozzarella Salad

Beetroot is such a flexible veg and has become rather trendy these past few years. It goes great with creamy cheeses, particularly Goats. I've started growing my own Kale which tends to be less fibrous than supermarket offerings. Anyway, this salad is courtesy of Madeleine Shaw's Ready steady Glow . It's filling enough for a midweek supper like tonight or I tend to have it for lunch as it's super healthy (maybe except for the Mozzy) which leaves me the evening to indulge further.

For 2 people:

Ingredients: 

Tsp runny Honey. 3 tbsp olive oil. 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar. Grated Zest of an Orange. 1 Orange, peeled and segmented. 100g Kale Leaves chopped. 2 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds. 4 Cooked Beetroot, thinly sliced. Mozzarella ball. Salt.

Method:

Combine the honey, olive oil, vinegar, orange zest and a pinch of salt. Massage the dressing into the kale until it starts to wilt. Transfer to a serving plate.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan with a pinch of salt under golden. Decant to a plate to cool.

Scatter the beetroot over the kale, then tear the Mozzy into pieces and add. Finally arrange the orange pieces and top with the pumpkin seeds.

Sea Bass with Spicy Butter Bean Stew

Madeleine Shaw has been in my life now for a few years. It's great when a new chef or writer comes onto the scene who's recipes are fresh and inventive and obviously taste great. This fish dish is from her excellent debut book Ready steady Glow

The stew could actually be eaten on its own with some crusty bread. I've added some Kale chips for added colour, texture and the fact that I just thought it lacked a bit of veg!

For 2 people, you will need:

Ingredients

2 Sea Bass fillets. 2 tbsp Coconut Oil. 2 tbsp Chopped Rosemary. 2 Crushed Garlic Cloves. 1.5 tsp Smoked Paprika. 100g Finely Chopped Chorizo. Red Pepper Diced. 400g Drained and Rinsed Butter Beans. 200ml Chicken Stock. 2 Hand fulls of Kale Leaves. Tbsp Olive Oil. Seasoning.

Method

Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a pan and add the rosemary, garlic, paprika, chorizo and pepper. Cook until the Chorizo starts to crisp up and then add the butter beans. Reduce heat to low and add the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the fish on both sides and heat another pan on high. Meanwhile again, toss the kale in the olive oil and salt and roast in oven (200c) for 5 minutes or until crispy. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to the pan and fry the fish skin side down for 3 minutes for crispy skin. Turn over for a minute until just cooked through.

To serve, spoon the stew onto plates, top with the sea bass and then the kale. I love chorizo with anything, but it works really well with the fish and the creamy beans. Rosemary which can be too strong for fish sits quite comfortably alongside the smoky chorizo and if you want to do posh fish and chips, this is a great example.

Beetroot, Labneh & Dukkah Salad

I was raised on salads of bland lettuce, watery tomatoes, cucumber, jarred beetroot and celery. Thankfully, Heinz salad cream was on hand to add some flavour. Those days are long gone and sexy, funky salads with bags of attitude, texture and layers of flavour are here. Yesterday's offering was courtesy of my preferred airport stop off, Leon. Leon Happy Salads There are a few processes involved, however once everything comes together you are left with a hearty, yet refreshing salad. For two people....

Ingredients

400g Roasted Beetroot, cut into chunks. 200g Cooked Puy Lentils. Half finely sliced marinated Red Onion (2 tsp soft brown sugar, tbsp. red wine vinegar, pinch of salt). 2 tbsp. Olive Oil. Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar. Bunch of Watercress. 2 finely sliced Radishes. 50g Labneh or Thick Greek Yoghurt. Tbsp chopped fresh Mint. 2 tbsp Dukkah. Seasoning.

Method

Mix the beetroot with the red onions and lentils. Then stir through the olive oil, balsamic and seasoning. Arrange the watercress on a large plate and add the beetroot mix. Sprinkle the radishes on top, then drizzle the labneh. Dress with the mint and dukkah.

The sweetness of the beetroot works well with the peppery leaves, creamy labney and the fragrant dukkah. (Dukkah is basically a blitzed mix of seeds and nuts) One final note. You don't need two slices of Mother's Pride to mop up the residual dressing.

Charred corn, kale and sweet potato salad.

Remember I said that recently I had fallen for a woman or two. Well one of them is a lady called Anna Jones. One of the most important things in life is trust. When I saw the list of ingredients for this dish, I thought, Really? But as I trust Anna implicitly, I went for it and its now in my top 10 salads. It has a great variety of textures, tastes, heat and colour. What is most satisfying and the clever bit is that you can taste each item individually, yet it all works collectively. Anna has just released her third book, but this one comes from her debut publication

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Way-Eat-Anna-Jones/dp/0007516703/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507835730&sr=1-4&keywords=anna+jones

For 4 people you will need : 4 sweet potatoes unpeeled and cut into bite sized chunks, 1 tsp paprika, cumin seeds and runny honey, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 200g bag of kale, juice of half a lime, 2 corn on the cob, 2 ripe avocado peeled and finely sliced, seasoning. (For the dressing : juice of the other half of the lime, handful of cashews, small bunch of coriander, 2 tbsp. coconut milk and water)

1. Preheat oven to 200c
2. Place potatoes on tray and sprinkle with the oil, paprika, cumin, honey and seasoning. Toss together and roast for 40 minutes until golden and crispy.
3. Empty the kale onto a board and chop down and of the large pieces and discard the stems. Place in a bowl, squeeze over the lime and some salt. Scrunch together, this will break down some of the fibres and make the raw kale more pliable.
4. Heat a griddle pan until hot then roast off the corn on each side. Once charred, remove the kernels and add to the kale with the cooked potatoes and avocado.
5. Blend the dressing ingredient together until you get a silky sauce. Check the seasoning and acidity.
6. Pour over the salad, get your hands in and toss gently.

I tend to serve the potatoes and corn warm rather than hot. As there's so much going on already, there's no need to serve it with anything else, except maybe a cheeky glass of sauvignon blanc.

Euskal Etxea, Barcelona : Restaurant review

To many blokes out there, a basque night out may set the pulses racing. I'm no different. Spain has a varied culinary scene, however Basque cooking from the North West is one of my favourites. They have their own tapas which are called pintxos and are usually served on small rounds of toast.

In the heart of the El Born area of Barcelona which is just food heaven, Euskal Etxea provides a fantastic insight into one of the worlds great cuisines. This falls into the category of food porn, your eyes light up as soon as you walk in, you want to try everything on offer and never want to leave. You forget about what anything costs and just become embroiled in the whole atmosphere.

Anyway, down to the food. Everything was perfecto as they say in Spain, but the highlights were: Black pudding and Serrano ham, Crispy tartlets filled with a membrillo paste and topped with cream cheese, Anchovies with pickles, Serrano ham, Bombas - round croquettas filled with ham and cheese, topped with aioli and a mackerel paste topped with crab. The bar / restaurant teems with life and the food provides a natural source of conversation. I remember a while ago when the so called 'best job in the world' was advertised, a caretakers job on a desert island. Well, chief taster is this place can't be far behind.

http://gruposagardi.com/restaurante/euskal-etxea-taberna/

9 Reinas, Barcelona : Restaurant review

Being a big fan of Argentinian steak, expectations were high and we weren't disappointed. What I like about these restaurants is that they allow the main ingredient to be the star of the show. Of course, one can order sauces, sides etc., but they don't overshadow what IMO is the finest beef on the planet. After a delightful amuse bouche and some bread, we both opted for the 200g fillet. It was simply presented alongside both sweet and new potatoes, and to accompany, we had an array of grilled vegetables including asparagus, chicory, artichoke and wild mushrooms. The meat was incredibly tender and moist, but most of all, it just mooed of beef. To compliment such a fine piece of meat, the waiter suggested an excellent Malbec that was only 22E.

Dessert was tempting, but wanting to savour every last after taste of the beef and wine, not to mention my ever expanding waistline, it was declined. The service is very professional, yet friendly and the décor is simple, yet chic. Highly recommended.


http://www.nuevereinas.com/index.php/restaurantes/restaurante_argentino_barcelona/

The Modern Pantry, Clerkenwell

If you mentioned Clerkenwell to a serious foodie, their eyes would light up and their stomach do a backward somersault. The choice of venues paying homage to epicureans is obscene with the general standard being very high. The Modern Pantry http://www.themodernpantry.co.uk/clerkenwell/menus is based in pretty St John's Square and presents an informal dining room providing an eclectic menu. Being a massive fan of Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, I was delighted to see many fusion dishes with little twists here and there. I opted for the highly acclaimed Prawn omelette to start. To be honest, although the flavours and textures worked well, I wasn't overcome, although the smoked chilli sambal was amazing. Meanwhile the sage infused fritters with that classic combo of goats cheese and beetroot rocked. Two glasses of crisp Vermentino matched each dish perfectly.

The mains were far more complex, but everything complimented each other and the dishes were expertly executed. The duck to some may have been a tad rare, but it only quacked once and its gameyness was offset wonderfully by the peach and accompanying vegetables, not to mention a glass of Malbec.  The chicken was soft and succulent, yet hearty too for an Autumn evening.

 

 

The atmosphere is very laid back, the service informal and all in all good value for money. 

Chargrilled Thai Chicken Salad

Having one's origins in Thailand, the Coconut Monkey is always willing to try any recipe with Thai in the title. I've had endless different Thai chicken salads which vary in texture, variations of flavour, but mostly heat. Many people are put off by requiring an asbestos mouth to eat many Thai dishes, but this one based on Madeleine Shaw's recipe is fairly mild, yet packs a punch of crunch, freshness and zing.

Serves 2 : 2 skinless and boneless chicken breast, sliced in half horizontally, 1tsp turmeric, 1 red chilli, deseeded (half finely sliced, half finely chopped), 1 tbsp grated ginger, zest and juice of a lime, 25g cashew nuts, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 little gem lettuces shredded, 4 spring onions finely sliced, 100g sugar snap peas finely sliced, handful finely chopped fresh basil, salt.

1.  Marinade the chicken in 1tbsp oil, turmeric, chopped chilli, ginger, lime zest and a dash of salt.
2. Heat the oven to 200c.
3. Toast off the nuts in a dry pan until golden then set aside.
4. Heat a Griddle pan over a high heat. Sear the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side. Place on a baking tray and cook through for 7-10 minutes.
5. In a bowl, add the lettuce, spring onions and sugar snap peas. Mix and then scatter over a serving plate.
6. Mix the lime juice with 2tbsp oil and some salt. Taste and adjust the acidity if required.
7. Once cooked, lay the chicken on the salad bed. Scatter over the nuts, the dressing, the basil leaves and the chilli strips.

Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs

Today it feels like Summer has just turned to Winter. So instead of the traditional Sunday Roast, some proper comfort food is in order, courtesy of Gordon F#?!ing Ramsay. Short beef ribs along with Lamb Shanks, Pigs Cheeks, Pulled Pork Shoulder etc. are amazing cuts of meat, full of flavour, yet amazing value too. The slow cooking allows the fat to render, moisturising and tenderising the meat and thus intensifying the taste.

Anyway, for two hungry souls you will need: 2 Thick cut beef short ribs, 1 head of garlic cut in half horizontally, 1 tbsp. tomato puree, 250ml red wine, 400ml beef stock, 100g pancetta lardons, 150g chestnut mushrooms halved, handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, seasoning.

1. Pour yourself a glass of wine. If you're only using 250ml, why not?
2. Pre-heat oven to 170 / Gas mark 3.
3. Season ribs, then brown on all sides in some olive oil in a deep roasting tray.
4. Add the garlic, cut side down followed by the tomato puree. After a minute, add the wine to deglaze. Bring up to the boil and reduce by half. Now add the stock, simmer for a couple of minutes and baste the ribs.
5. Remove from heat and cover with foil. Place in over for 3-4 hours, turning and basting every hour until the meat comes away from the bone.
6. Just before the ribs are done, fry the pancetta until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender.
7. Transfer the ribs to a serving dish. Squeeze the garlic out into the sauce and blend.
8. Pour sauce over the ribs and top with the mushrooms, bacon and parsley.

Serve with steamed greens and chive mash and of course the remaining wine.

The Return of the Monkey

Where have the last few years gone? Well the Coconut Monkey has now relocated to East Anglia. I've still been eating my way around the world, but not always had the time to bore everyone with weird and wonderful food experiences, restaurant reviews and recipes. Until now!

During this time I crossed to the other side and back again and became a Vegetarian. I've fallen hopelessly in love with two women; Anna Jones and Madeleine Shaw. I've also bought a bigger house in order to store all my ingredients, gadgets, pots and pans. East Anglia is just a larder as far as I'm concerned. The quality of local ingredients is amazing, pork, game, fish, samphire etc. and the beer isn't bad either.

So hang on to your waist lines, the journey is just about to start again.

More More Moro

I love the various inner London Foodie heavens like Islington, Blackheath, Charlotte Street etc and Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell is another sanctuary for Gastronauts to hang out. Arguably the pick of the restaurants is Moro which was one of the first high quality Spanish establishments to hit the London scene. In terms of taste, it's fine dining, however the food is fairly rustic and the atmosphere very laid back which is quite an amazing combination. It almost feels like you're on holiday.

http://www.moro.co.uk/

Everything you order can be just placed in the middle of the table for all to share which is great for someone like me that wants to eat the whole menu. To start we had the Salmon Ceviche with pickled cucumber and seaweed which was light and delicate, a perfect way to start a meal on a summer evening. The Sardine fillets with tomato and aubergine really packed a punch. The aubergine was charred and caramelised in a way that I'd never tasted before and was incredible.

To follow, we opted for the Char grilled Lamb with Fattoush and Pistachio sauce. A melange of flavours, textures and colours arrived which all worked beautifully well with each other. The bream with cucumber, samphire, spiced labneh and farika looked far more simpler than it sounded but again sent one's taste buds into space. The only problem now was which desserts to choose.

I'm very nosey in restaurants and like to see what other people have on their plates. The couple alongside had the Yoghurt cake with pomegranate which looked quite sexy, so we ordered that and the rosewater and cardamom ice cream which marries two of my favourite ingredients together at the same time. The cake was slightly tangy and had sweet notes which gave a nice balance whilst the ice cream was divine, maybe even the best dish on the menu. The subtlety of this dessert was amazing as who'd have thought that the two scoops placed in a simple bowl would taste so good.

There is absolutely no doubt that I will return to Moro, not tomorrow but sooner rather than later. In the meantime I shall be attempting to recreate some Moorish magic from one of their three excellent recipe books.

Honey & Co : Warren Street

As I've been working 24/8 on my bistro lately, I have rarely eaten out, let alone venture into London. So tonight's cameo appearance was full of expectation and thankfully I wasn't let down.

I'm a big fan of middle eastern food and restaurants that bring traditional dishes from their homelands to mine. Therefore, Honey & Co was an apt choice. http://www.honeyandco.co.uk/ The restaurant is quite basic but has lots of quirky touches that transport you to destinations far away. The menu is short, but with everything being freshly prepared and equally as desirable, I still wanted everything.

To start we opted for a couple of salads. Advocado with tabule and pomegranate aroused ones taste buds whilst the quince, mint, honeyed hazelnuts and fresh curd cheese would have actually satisfied me for starter, main course and dessert.

To follow, the Jordanian lamb and rice casserole was both comforting and frustrating because I never wanted it to end. Succulent lamb blended with orange blossom infused rice, saffron yoghurt, almonds and raisins was a triumph. The rare beef with plums, sweet potato and a lemon dressing seemed a curious combination, but the flavours interacted well.

Dessert was amazing in as much as how can a deconstructed cheesecake taste better that a proper one. Answer : Use Kataifi pastry, use feta cheese and throw in some fresh oregano.

The wine list is very small, but this is complemented by some beautiful teas which refresh the palate equally as well. Even after dinner, getting out of the door is a struggle as one's attention is drawn to the mouthwatering array of cakes and homemade jams which at this time of year make useful xmas presents.

The chef Itamar is a top bloke, very passionate about his food, but sticking to his roots at the same time. There are obvious similarities between his cooking and such people as Ottolenghi and Sylvena Rowe, however this restaurant is more about good home cooking, comfort food Israeli style if you like. Casting the food and the chef aside however, the real star of the show is Rachael. She could sell ice cubes to Eskimos she's so nice. Very attentive, friendly and totally conversant with all of the dishes, she was a delightful maitre d.

I will definitely return, but maybe this time I'll bring a good book and stay for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Chicken, mango and avocado salad

Like many people, Monday is a day for using up leftovers from the previous day's roast. Turning everything into a curry is a bit of a cop out really and besides I 'm on a diet. I also had loads of fruit laying about due to the fact that I'm having my 25 a day at the moment. WTF goes with chicken I thought? I'll f'king ask Gordon Ramsey and there it was on page 83 of  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gordon-Ramsays-Healthy-Appetite-Ramsay/dp/1844006360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346101046&sr=8-1

Ok, his recipe uses smoked chicken but mine was so burnt it would have same effect! The book actually is really good, full of nutritious recipes which unfortunately make you feel like you have the energy to wash up afterwards, as opposed to falling asleep on the sofa whilst the Mrs does it.

Ingredients :  (for 2)

Half a cooked chicken torn into pieces, ripe avocado, ripe mango, 100g mixed leaves, tbsp toasted pine nuts, Dressing - tbsp orange juice, tbsp lemon juice, tsp wholegrain mustard, 2 tbsp ex virgin olive oil, seasoning

1. In a large bowl add the chicken to the leaves.
2. Peel the mango and working round the stone, cut into thin slices. Add to bowl.
3. Whisk all dressing ingredients together.
4. Halve the avocado, remove stone and peel carefully. Do this last to avoid discolouring. Add to bowl
5. Dress the salad and toss thoroughly. Decant to a serving plate and pile high. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.

How easy is that? The mango makes the dish taste and feel fresh, whilst the creaminess of the avocado and crunchy pine nuts offer good variations in texture. In terms of flavour it doesn't really compare to Asian salads, but it is full of nutrients and a perfect summer dish.