Food in Florence

A Monday Roast

A nice roast doesn't always have to be reserved for the weekend. On most nights, I find that all of my time is taken up in the kitchen - cutting, chopping, preparing and cooking - from the moment I step through the door, until I sit down to eat. On Monday, I decided I wanted to make something comforting and delicious but that could essentially just be shoved into the oven while I tidied my room (which had recently been hit by the London Fashion Week clothing tornado) - So I made Lemon Roast Chicken with Spiced Roast Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Carrots and Steamed Asparagus. It was delicious. Here's how to make your own:

Step 1: Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Step 2: Arrange chicken breasts and legs in an oven dish, drizzle with olive oil and the juice of two lemons. Cut the lemons into quarters and arrange in dish, then season with a pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper and some herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, etc.).

Step 3: Dice two large potatoes. Place in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil then add fresh ground pepper and a mix of chilli peppers, cumin, cinnamon, coriander and turmeric powders. I never measure these out properly - just do it by eye and smell. If you are unsure, put in 1/2 a teaspoon of each and then add more as you see fit. Toss until evenly covered and spread onto a baking tray.

Step 4: Cut carrots and garlic. Arrange both on a baking tray, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, toss lightly and add freshly ground pepper.

Step 5: Shove everything into the oven. Walk away for approx 20 mins. Return to toss and check that nothing is on fire. If okay, leave for another 20 minutes. Please note, that if you prefer a crunchier carrot, put your carrots in half way through cooking the chicken.

Step 6: About 5 minutes before dinner in the oven is done, add a bit of water to a heated pan and add the asparagus. Cover with a lid and leave for 3-5 minutes.

If the juices of the chicken run clear when you cut through and you can easily push a fork through the potatoes - it's ready to go! Serve up with a side salad and enjoy. x

Potato Love Heart

J'adore my little surprise potato love heart that i came across while cooking the other night!

And no, Joli does not have large man hands, she has lovely delicate hands of course! That is the hand of Joli's special friend...

Roasted Garlic and Citrus Carrots

This was such an easy and delicious side dish with my Sunday roast this weekend, I feel I must share the recipe as they would be great alongside almost anything!

5-6 Organic carrots 

4 Whole garlic bulbs

2 Oranges

1 Tablespoon (or so) olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

A pinch of salt

To start, cut the carrots in half and then lengthwise (slice larger bits into 3 or 4 pieces) and place on a baking tray or in a roasting pan. Cut both oranges in half, squeeze the juice of each piece over the carrots, then place the pulp and skin around the dish along with garlic bulbs. Drizzle olive oil lightly over carrots, add salt and pepper then toss.

Place in the oven at 180C for 45 mins, toss the carrots half way through. Enjoy!

Fish Pie For The First Time

I ain't nevah made a fish pie before, but when I spotted the 'Fish pie with colcannon topping' recipe in the November issue of Sainsbury's Magazine (aka my favourite non-fashion magazine) well, I knew I had to try it! Silly me, I only glanced at the recipe before heading to the shops to stock up on fish parts of all sorts and didn't notice the way-more-intense-than-anticipated details. Anyhoo, it turned out delicious and the leftovers tasted even better the next day at lunch time! If you're feeling ambitious and craving something fishy then I highly recommend trying out the following:

Fish Pie with Colcannon Topping (Sainsbury's Magazine November 2010)

Serves 8

1kg smoked haddock fillets

500g white fish filets

a couple of bay leaves

200ml vegetable stock

600ml skimmed milk

2 x 180g packs raw king prawns

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

50g butter

75g plain flour

100g mature cheddar, grated

For the colcannon

1kg maincrop potatoes cut into chunks

1 small savoy cabbage shredded

100ml skimmed milk

2 spring onions chopped

40g butter

1. preheat the overn to 180C, fan 160C, gas 4. Place the haddock and white fish fillets in a shallow roasting tray (or dish) with the bay leaves. Mix together the stock and milk and pour over the fish, cover with kitchen foil and bake for 20 minutes.

2.For the colcannon, simmer the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until tender; drain and return to the pan. Meanwhile, bring another pan of water to the boil and blanch the cabbage for a few minutes; drain and set aside. In the cabbage pan, heat the milk with the spring onions. Mash the potatoes with the butter, then mix this with the warm milk, spring onions and blanched cabbage; season well.

3. When the fish is ready, using a slice, transfer it to a large bowl and discard the bay leaves. Tip the fish cooking liquid into a jug. When the fish is cool, removed the skin and discard any bones. Break the fish into chunks and mix the prawns and tomatoes.

4. For the sauce, melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and stir over the heat for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the fish cooking liquid, a little at a time. Return to the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Take off the heat and stir in three quarters of the cheese. Mix with the fish prawns and tomatoes. Transfer to a large buttered ovenproof baking dish.

5. Top with the calcannon and scatter with the remaining cheese. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until bubbling and lightly golden.

Enjoy! x

The Bird

If only my Sunday Roasts could look this fabulous each week!

(image via Lurve Mag)

Gorgonzola Gnocchi

Dieters beware! This is not the recipe for you. Non-dieting, stinky cheese-loving foodies listen up!

The days are getting shorter and colder - causing me to stop running and start eating warm, rich and comforting "Winter Meals." A bad combo, but oh well. Gnocchi served with a gorgonzola sauce has been a favourite dish of mine since I was a child. Now that I'm all grown up and have inherited the family recipe - I love the dish even more because it is always delicious and so easy to make! Perhaps you are seeking an easy recipe for a comforting homemade meal, or would like to serve a more sophisticated upgrade from your usual Mac N cheese at your next dinner party, either way try it out!

You will need...

1 x pack of gnocchi

1 x small single cream

1 x pack of gorgonzola cheese

pepper & spices to taste

olive oil

To begin, put a pot of unsalted water on the stove and bring it to a boil. While you are waiting, heat a pan over medium heat with a dash of olive oil. Once the pan is heated pour in the single cream and stir. if your water has come to a boil, add in the gnocchi and cook for approximately three minutes before straining. Heat the cream through (but don't let it boil) and add chunks of the gorgonzola. Stir in the cheese as it melts, add more according to taste. When the sauce starts to become richer, add in some fresh ground pepper and Italian spices.

Once the sauce is ready, mix in the cooked gnocchi. Ta Da! Finito! I usually serve my Gorgonzola Gnocchi with grilled sausages and a side of greens... delish!