Arancini – Crispy (Leftover) Risotto Balls

Cripsy Risotto Balls

Hands up if you have ever cooked a delicious risotto only to realise you had used twice as much rice as you needed to, and you now have enough to feed a small army?

I thought so...

It happens to the best of us. Before the grains of rice have plumped and swollen it’s easy to convince yourself just to add another half a cup or so more and before you know it your pan is overflowing with the stuff.

But fear not! Never again will you have to throw away tasty, leftover risotto! This recipe is incredibly simple to follow, and deliberately so.

It is thought that arancini originates from Sicily, though there are similar recipes elsewhere in Italy. They are often stuffed with a meat sauce or even cheese, but so that you don’t have to buy in any extra ingredients to make these, I’ve decided to give you a basic recipe and method so that you can use any leftover risotto you might have.

[BBQ Recipe] Sizzling Summer Prawns

Sizzling on the BBQ

Today I got way, way, WAY too excited. For the most part of the day I had been shut away in my little study revising for my upcoming exams. My Mum has gone away for a long weekend (by which I mean 5 whole days) to sun herself by the sea with her two best friends, which left my Dad and I to our own devices.

After being cooped up all day I wanted to get out and enjoying the sunshine and before I knew it I’d inadvertently convinced my Dad to whack on the BBQ.

As soon as he said yes I instantly perked up. We’re having a BBQ! That means one thing and one thing only – COOKING!

I rummaged through our fridge and found various goodies – loads of salad, king prawns and paneer. Not to mention bulgur wheat, chillies and lemons and limes lounging around. We just needed a few little extras so I sent Mr KG and my Dad off to the shops to grab them before they closed for the day.

Garlic, lime, chilli, ginger, coriander and prawns

Without a doubt I got carried away. I was trying to think up fresh, tasty and healthy dishes – and I did just that! The problem was I came up with too many. But, you can’t help but over indulge at a BBQ so we sat outside on the patio just the three of us and enjoyed the goodies I’d cooked up.

Mustard Chicken and Vegetable Pie

Mustard Chicken and Vegetable Pie

When I look around my blog I think the last word I would use to describe my food is traditional. More often than not my recipes are a twist on a classic – a traditional idea that has been warped either to be healthier, more exciting, or to simply use up the ingredients I’ve got in the cupboards.

With that in mind, this is probably the closest I will ever get to a traditional recipe.

Chicken and veg pie has been around for hundreds of years. It’s a simple idea and is such a crowd pleaser. With the addition of English mustard, this pie has a bit more kick than some, but the filo pastry keeps it crisp and light. (It also helps to keep the calories down, which is always a plus!)

Law School Revision Survival Guide

It won’t be a surprise for any of you to know that I am back in the revision zone. After 2 years of GCSE’s, 2 years of A-Levels and 3 years of an undergraduate degree, I’ve become a bit of a revision expert. In fact at my secondary school I taught revision seminars on top tips for memorising facts and information. This post will be a little bit different though...rather than banging on about pneumonics, colour coding your notes and consolidation, I’ll be sharing with you my top tips for eating, drinking and exercising during your revision period.

Rhubarb and Ginger Pie

My Rhubarb and Ginger Pie brings together the age old combination of sweet and sour as the soft rhubarb and ginger filling is encased in a sticky syrup and sweet pastry crust. And what’s more…it’s in season!

I hadn’t really discovered rhubarb until a year or two ago. We have always grown it in our garden but it was something the parents sneakily ate when we had gone to bed. Because of this I never really had much interest in it as a fruit. The other fruit we grew like apples and gooseberries were eaten almost daily in our house during the summer months but the rhubarb was kept hidden away!

The more I got into cookery shows the more I became intrigued by this bright pink fruit! (How you get it to retain this bright colour while cooking still escapes me: answers on a postcard please.) If it was good enough for celebrity chefs it was good enough for me surely?

I really fell in love with rhubarb in a delicious rhubarb crumble. The topping had a claggy yet crunchy texture and the filling was so soft and sweet yet sharp at the same time. The combination of textures and flavours was to die for and I knew I had to try and recreate my own.

Crumbles feature a lot in my cooking. You can find an Oaty Apple Crumble and Gooseberry Crumble already on the blog, and in a week or two’s time I will be posting a Spiced Pineapple Crumble (seriously amazing, watch this space!!!) So with that in mind, plus the fear I could never recreate the amazing rhubarb crumble that made me fall in love with the fruit in the first place, I decided instead to try a pie.

[Review] Chilango, Chancery Lane

Chilango

76 Chancery Lane,London,WC2A 1AA

After the success of my Food and Drink Guide to Nottingham I decided that I couldn’t spend a year at Law School in Holborn without putting together a guide of the best places to eat in the area. So with that in mind here’s another review as I compile my list.

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Last November I posted a review of a little known burrito place called Adobo. It’s no secret that I love this place, but when I struck up a conversation with a friend at law school about good food in the area he said that I’d got it all wrong. Just round the corner is a burrito place called Chilango. Chilango is part of a chain of burrito restaurants and when you Google it, it seems to be a bit of a love/hate affair.

My friend admitted that Chilango is a little bit pricey, but assured me it was still seriously good value for money as the food is THAT good. Now, I’ll never shy away from a chance to try a new place to eat and went with an open mind. This is what I thought...

[Burger recipe] Build Your Own Tex-Mex Burgers

 

I have a new found love. A love for all things round and patty shape. The best thing is that you can make them out of almost any meat and vegetables and pulses too! (Watch this space for a spicy bean burger recipe soon...)

My love for burgers started with an attemp to make a healthier option out of turkey mince. It's now one of our go to recipes in the summer months. The inspiration behind these burgers however was a little different.

Mr KG and I have lots of couple friends (or friends in couples), most of which have begun moving in together and luckily for us inviting us round for dinner. This weekend we're returning the favour.

I wanted to cook something classic, that everyone loves, but also offered the chance for each individual to customise their meal. Many people these days have specific dietary requirements. Out of just the four of us one is lactose intolerant, one is vegetarian and one doesn't eat onions. So, I came up with a simple yet tasty burger which everyone could eat!


Alongside a basket of sesame buns and juicy beef burgers we served the following:

• Sliced beef tomato
• Sliced green jalapeños 
• Cajun mayonnaise (2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise mixed with 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp cayenne pepper)
• BBQ sauce (Jack Daniels)
• Gherkins
• Lettuce 
• Mexican spiced cheese slices
• Monetary jack cheese slices

By giving our guests lots of options they could build their own Tex-Mex Burger! 

[Matcha May] Matcha Tiramisu Cake

Matcha Tiramisu Cake

When I heard that teapigs  were holding ‘Matcha May’ I just knew I had to get involved. I am a HUGE matcha fan - obsessed with the stuff - so I dropped them a line and before I knew it a sample was on its way. A sample I could experiment with...

The idea behind Matcha May is to get people talking about all things matcha, and to tell everyone and anyone who will listen just how great it is.

I’ve been drinking Matcha for quite a whole now and it definitely gives you more energy. I’d also agree that it is more slow releasing than your regular tea, coffee or bottle of coke. This means that you don’t get that mid morning, pre-lunch caffeine crash!

As much as I love Matcha I won’t lie to you, it can be a bit of an expensive habit. If you have the money then I highly suggest you take it up and keep to it – especially if those stats are correct.

Because it’s a little bit pricey I’ve always been a bit wary to experiment with it, instead I simply drink it in the traditional way (or as close as you can get to doing so in an English town.) But I’ve finally decided to see what else Matcha offers in terms of cooking.

Although it was originally only used in Japan for tea ceremonies it is now used in a whole variety of dishes such as green tea ice cream, I’ve even seen it used to flavour and colour soba noodles, and it is also used in Wagashi which is a Japanese confectionary.

Thinking about Wagashi led me to think of other sweet dishes I could cook using this special tea. After careful consideration I decided to do a twist on a classic. What if instead of making tiramisu with coffee...I made it with Matcha tea!

And so the Matcha Tea-ramisu was born.