Death by homemade double chocolate cheesecake & custard

I don't know why but I have been craving custard lately, day dreaming about it.

For the longest time I loathed the stuff. 

Powdered/ tinned is not an option for me but I even hated the homemade from scratch good stuff!

Then one glorious day in my in my 14th year. I reluctantly tried some and YES, It was amazing.

I have been dreaming of creamy vanilla and cinnamon infused custard oozing down the side of a no bake chocolate caramel cheesecake for the last two weeks and finally got around to making it.
It that usual? 
Cheesecake and custard-I don't know but it tastes mighty good.

Ingredients for custard:

250ml double cream

3 free range eggs

2 teaspoons mixed spice or cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon cornflour

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 vanilla pod (split and scraped)

Method:

1. Whisk your eggs, corn flour, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together in a bowl and pour into a new sauce pan.
2. Heat the double cream in a sauce pan on a low heat then bring up to boiling point.
3. When the double cream is hot pour into egg mixture slowly whilst continuously stirring (if you added the vanilla pod to cream remove it).
4. Place the saucepan back on a low heat still stirring the custard mixture until it has thickened.
5. keep at a low heat to avoid lumps. If it is too thick for you, add a little bit of milk/ cream and continue stiring away from the cooker.

On to the Cheesecake. 
If your house is anything like mine.
It is likely that you will have a fair few snacks leftover from christmas and new years.
Those ones just left to languish in the back of the cupboard because we just can't be bovved/ can't face to eat them any more.

A great way to get rid of your chocolately bits is to put them in desserts.

Ingredients for base and filling:

150g Oreo biscuits (remove stuffing)

70g of butter

150g dark chocolate (chopped/grated)

50g milk chocolate

400g cream cheese

100g caster sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

130ml cream cheese
*I also made a ganache topping, as you can see in the picture.
My design didn't go well. Lets not dwell on it lol!!*

Method:

Put your biscuit base into a food processor and pulse in to crumbs or into a food storage bag and bash until fine. Then add melted butter and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

1. Form base by pressing the mixture into tin of your choice. Leave in the freezer to set for at least an hour.
2. If you haven't' eaten the oreo stuffing, you can smear this across the base. I also added some salted caramel spread as I wanted to use it up.
3. Melt chocolate over a bain marie on a low heat. Allow to cool a bit.
4. Leave cream cheese out of the fridge to soften and mix leftover cocoa powder, sugar and cooled down melted chocolate together.
5.   Pour mixture into the base tin and chill in the fridge for a minimum 1 hour.
6. Serve your sexy delicious cheesecake, bask in all the praise thrown at you.

And that's it guys chuck a few frozen berries on for texture , flavour and as part of your 5 a day .

I want to say this could serve 8-9  but in reality I  am going to say a serving of 6.

Enjoy

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays

7 quick and easy lunch ideas: leftovers

Hi Lovers,

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut or lazy and just eat the same meals again and again.

I wanted to share a few quick leftover lunch dishes that are tasty, pretty healthy, well priced and varied. They are great for work as many can be made and stocked in the fridge.

Making a nice alternative to spending lots at lunch time each day. ( we spend thousands each year apparently)!

I have tried to make it varied so there is something for my vegetarians too. All can be adapted for your specific tastes/needs.

1. Homemade vegetable spring rolls with tenderstem broccoli salad.

Rolls include: bean sprouts, ginger, red pepper,  garlic and spring onion. You can make them any size I used my finger length as a guide and made them a little longer. 

Salad includes: tender stem broccoli,  samphire (I love this stuff), garlic, onion, seasoning, mustard, red peppers and squeeze of orange juice.

2. Fried plantain, black eyed peas, avocado and a fried egg.

Shallow fry 2 ripe plantains (1 1/2 shown in picture)

Soak peas over night and boil - these are nice with Nori seaweed

Half a medium Avocado

Fry a free range medium egg and season

Sprinkle some dried chives (l put them on everything) ummhmm

3. Rye bread crisps, cucumber salad scrambled eggs and coleslaw.

There were actually 3 rye crisps but yeah lol. 

I am a little obsessed with the Ikea KNÄCKEBRÖD RÅG rye crisp.

Add coleslaw on top of rye bread

Scramble and season 2 x medium free range eggs

Salad:

Chop 5 x large sun dried tomatoes 

Chop 1/3 of a organic cucumber

Drizzle some olive oil, mustard and lemon juice

4. Beetroot salad with gammon and leftovers.

Grate 1 x medium beetroot

Grate 1 x medium carrot

Add handful of spinach

chop half x large gammon fillet

Chop x half an organic cucumber

Toast x 15 cashews

Add and halve 3 baby roasted potatoes

Add left over 1/2 x plantain from dish above

5. Mixed vegetables barley (get colourful, get creative)

Fry x 1 large onion and 2 large garlic

Add one packet of barley

Add 1 x litre chicken stock - fresh if possible

Top up with water until the barley is covered about 1-2 cms above barley

simmer on low to medium heat

Boil sweetcorn and peas

Sauté portobello, oyster and button mushroom

Dice 2 red bell peppers

Add 1 medium avocado

Drizzle Caesar dressing 

Mix it all together and season to taste

6.  Chipotle sweet potatoes, Harissa chicken with chickpea salad and stew/ sauce

I am not the biggest fan of sweet potato. So I like to mellow the sweetness by making them spicy.

Boil your sweet potatoes and slice (1 used above but I ate half lol)

Once cooled lightly fry the slices for colour and texture

Fry one small chicken breast seasoned with Harissa seasoning

Salad:

1 x handful of chickpeas

1 x handful of samphire lightly fried

3 x large sundried tomatoes chopped

Add lime, remaining chicken sauce, mustard and olive oil to dress

7. Quinoa and Bulgar wheat salad

1/2 x packet of Quinoa

1/2 x Bulgar wheat

2 x large chopped garlic

1/2 x large diced onion

1/2 x red pepper

Tender stem broccoli

cherry tomatoes

Boil Quinoa and Bulgar wheat with half a cube of veggie stock cube.

Fry onion and garlic, then add to Quinoa and Bulgar wheat.

Lightly sauté tender stem and add to the finished dish.

So those are my ideas for a delicious and pretty healthy lunch, that will beat the hunger pangs and keep your bank balance in check!

Let me know if you try out a recipe and what your fav leftover lunch is.

Until next time......

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Pancake Day 2015: the Savoury experience

It's pancake day woop woop

Pancakes have definitely taken a savoury turn in my house this year and the excitement is too real!

I have a sweet tooth and chocolate is a close and personal friend but sugar doesn't compare to my love for the hot and savoury.

My batter is a simple plain mix that enhances the flavour of the filling but doesn't over power it.

Ingredients:

100g plain flour

2 eggs

300ml semi-skimmed milk

pinch salt

1 tbsp olive oil into the mix or a knob of butter

• Splash of oil in the pan for cooking

Serves:7-8 pancakes

• 
  

This pancake day is all about hot and spicy flavours packed full of goodness.

• My two main  fillings are Duck & Chicken surf and turf stir fry and home made Venison meatballs.

R: Stir fry L: venison meatballs

The stir fry has oyster mushrooms, edamame beans, broccoli, shredded duck and chicken, onions and prawns. (sautéed spinach was added at the end).

The venison meatballs which have a really rich spicy sent naturally wear seasoned overnight with Worcestershire sauce, fresh and dried chives, season all, Himalayan sea salt and chopped onions. I then added an egg and a tablespoon of flour before rolling into balls.

     Final product:

I like my savoury pancakes a little more crispier than usual as they hold the contents better and there they are super tasty and pretty darn health eh.

What is your pancake plan this year?

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

The classic: Avocado toast & a perfectly poached egg

Happy New Year Lovelies!!!!!

I have decided to totally bypass the January resolution post etc and jump right into a post more up my street.

I am starting 2015 on the blog with a little bit more foodie porn, oh yes -in the shape of poached eggs.

I rarely make poached eggs as the tension is too high.

Will it work?

wont they?

These are big questions. I can not be bovved with the water and vinegar ratios and swirling the water in a certain direction mate LEAVE IT OUT, seriously tho just leave it! Lol

Those food rage days are over however as I came across 2 silicone egg poachers in the mighty Poundland and immediately popped them into my basket. 

What do I have to lose with them being 50p each and then legged home to try them out.

Here is the gloriousness that ensued------>

Avocado toast and poached egg 

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the yummers-ness of this plate?

Ok

Here is how to make it:

Serves 2 if you are in a sharing mood. However one egg was lost in the above picture as it got in my face :-)

2 x large organic eggs poured into the oiled silicone poachers (3.5 to 4 mins recommended cooking time)

I seasoned raw with garlic herb salt and chilli flakes.

+

2 x slices of wholewheat ( I used Burgens Buckwheat & Poppy Seed bread)

+ 

Smear 1 x Medium avocado on to bread
(Is it me or do Avocados taste more amazing the older you get?)

Chop cherry tomatoes in half for garnish

+

+

Sliced pickled garlic to taste

Mustard buttered on to bread

Philadelphia layered on top of mustard thinly

Bacon bits approx 1/2 a rasher

Dollop Caesar dressing to taste

+

  

This dish is very easy, pretty healthy and tastes damn good. I highly recommend it!

Unfortunately they didn't have the poachers online but here is what the packaging looks like.

£1 for 2

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and Follow @GirlWednesdays  

The reinvention: Seared tuna steak & sweetcorn quinoa

I am pinchin, I am punchin, I am first of the monthin..... wooh lol

Hey guys, I am really in a foodie phase right now.

Can you tell?

It is cold outside and I just wanted something hearty and healthy to keep me warm and vitally something that doesn't take ages to throw together.

Isn't she lovely? Yes I have dubbed my dish a she coz she fine!

I have been obsessing over Tuna steak and Quinoa for the last few months and this combo has been really good to me.

This is super simple but looks and tastes very impressive.
The colours are vibrant and refreshing against the slate gray December skies and you can almost pretend your sitting somewhere hot.

Tuna seasoned with a dry rub:
Dried chives
Mustard
Garlic and herb salt
chili flakes
30 mins I didn't marinate the tuna steak as long as I usually would.


Quinoa:
Approx 190grams serves 2
Boil until fluffy season with dried herbs and seasoning to taste
Dice 1 large red bell pepper
Finely dice 2 rashers of bacon
Finely chop one large leek and fry in a small amount bacon fat
Boil sweetcorn separately and mix all together
Add poppy seeds

I wasn't a big fan of Quinoa when I was younger but now I am loving  that nutty flavour so much.

Quinoa is so nutritious and tasty a definite must try ummmm hmmm.

And now if you will excuse me, I shall now face plant and chow down lol!

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Lets get mini: Gourmet brioche hotdogs

Mini brioche hotdogs, wooh woooh!

  OK, So they aren't proper hot dogs but these are sooo 

much better and more importantly I like to think of them as a upgraded gourmet version.

These were so good guys, I honestly want to face plant them nom nomsssss....

Hot dogs are not often eaten in my house, it just isn't our bag. I never really jumped on them as a kid and during my teen years it was a once in a blue moon sitc.

I have been randomly craving brioche hot dogs for ages and finally got around to making them and ummm umm hmmm do they taste good.

I hold my hands up I didn't bake these Brioche rolls, I simply picked up a pack of 8 and shimmied home to get started.

Ingredients (serves 2 or 1 greedy bugger :-0):

4 x apple and cider Cumberland sausages - bought by a friend at a farmers market

4 x brioche rolls buttered with Olivio or drizzled with virgin olive oil

1 1/2 x medium Spanish onion caramelise on medium heat

Dijon Mustard

chili salsa:

2 chopped chillis

 1 medium tomato

½ cucumber

Juice of 1 lime

Extra virgin olive oil

chili flakes for extra zing

a drizzle of honey 

Final stage:

Look the hot dog right in the eye and say "get in my face good sir, make haste!" 

I really hope yo give them a try dolls, I absolutely adore them.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Getting figgy with it: Procuitto & roasted fig salad

Roasted fig and procuitto salad nom noms.

Fruit and meat yeh I am Henry VIII like that lol. I have a very love hate relationship with figs. 

Sometimes they are just too sweet and complex for my palate. However when placed with  the tang of pears, wild salad, salty procuitto and a damn sexy dressing they are puuuurfect!

Rocket is a perfect addition to this mix and makes this an awesome autumn/winter salad.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1x large bag od Spinach

1/2 bag wild leaves
1x Procuitto
6x Figs
2 x Pears
3x tablespoons of Poppy seeds

Dressing:
Mustard
Mexican honey
Chilli flakes
Cayenne

Poppy seeds
Olive oil
Rice wine

dressing and salad storage

This container keeps it fresh for up to 3 days after and at 99p it was a steeaaaal!

Happy eating

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Beetroot salad: purple mania

 

Hi guys,

Ok it seems to be salad mania up in here! 

This is what I am dubbing my purple haze salad. It is super simple and very filling.
 I adore the colours, even though it is spring there is something very autumnal and harvest supper about it. No?

I have a weird thing about beetroot. Even weirder than my twice a year banana thing. Beetroot takes me back to primary school and having manky over cooked mushy beetroots, possibly with a strand of hair or 2.....ummm sexy.

Over the last few years I have been eating it more mainly shredded (seems to be the only way i will eat it)as it is super nutritious and high in anti oxidants.

My mum has been raving about beetroot for years but I never could bring myself to eat them, which is strange as purple is my favourite colour.

Ingredients:

Red beets

Chioggia beets (ringed beetroot)  

Carrots

 Sweet corn

Cherry tomatoes

Dressing:

1/2 x lemon

1/2x  lime

1 x tablespoon honey
1x dried chives
chili flakes -to taste
pinch of pepper and salt

Enjoy your bank holiday!

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Leon the (culinary) professional: a quick review

Hi yall,

I have been trying to take fresh, homemade meals to work recently. 

A. Because it is healthier 

B. Because its cheaper but mainly because the weather outside has been crazy stooopid and I for one feel no need to be attacked by rain or break another umbrella -_-.

mmmmhhh lunchies

 We have offices in Victoria which is my old stomping ground and when situated there. I am usually a sucker for all things Wasabi *drools* if i am buying lunch. However recently I have been making the pilgrimage across the road to Leon.

It is fresh, well made and very tasty but enough about the adorable guy serving at the counter lol.

I am all over the the chargrilled chicken super food salad and the Leon baked fries with lemon, lime and ginger juice.
 Their chargrilled chicken burger isn't bad either.

Wheres your favourite lunch spot? 

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Keeping it simple: Grilled chicken & 4 cheese ravioli

It's bank holiday Monday, the sun is shining and I am finally feeling the vitamin D on my skin.
 I am chilaxing with my nephew in old as time pjs chowing down on some grilled chicken and 4 cheese ravioli.

This the best picnic of jam food as its simple yet effective and works hot or cold.

 My Friend Kezy made the Cheddar, goats cheese, mexicana and blue danish ravioli. After I raved about a similar ravioli I got from a deli. I believe she followed this recipe.

I used 4 Chicken breasts and sliced in a medium cut. They were seasoned with dried chives, season all, chilli, black pepper, soy sauce, paprika, lime and a dash of hoisin . Deglaze the pan for some sauce.

This is a deffo must try! 

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Lazy brunch: Pancakes, egs and chipotle mayo

First of all I have to say its sunny in the UK woot woot (does tribal dance).
Ok back to business, I absolutely LOVE watching the food network and lots of cookery shows.
I read Nigellas' books like they are literature. Considering the amount of shows I watch I should cook more but I am just not domestically inclined lol.  I always see the most gorgeous looking food posts or I am  Whatsapping pics to friends and now I will be sharing my own culinary creations on here. It just seems like a no brainer.

This sexy beast below is a sweet and savoury mash up.
 I made scotch pancakes after buying a really nice batch from Asda.
I think mine are a little bigger than theirs.

The filling is homemade extra hot chipotle mayo, bbq sauce, honey roast turkey and, a few slices of brie and 2 fried eggs (runny), liberally powdered with paprika.

  All the ingredients I  used were found jamming in the fridge and are inexpensive to buy. Its very quick and easy to make and shows how versatile pancakes can be. This is simple yet delicious - a triumph. 

check it out for yourselves.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Pancake day shenanigans 2013

Its pancake day yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! 

Ok so I haven't made pancakes in several years but I decide to whip out the old flour and eggs. Here is my lovingly crafted effort.....and the biggest strawberry like ever.

help me I am meeeeeeeeeeelting!

By the time I  found useable natural light and plated up, my ice cream had melted hence it looking very messy lol. I used a simple syrup pancake recipe and added, cubed chocolate, salted orange caramel syrup (I watch cookery shows and have aspirations ok) and Ben and Jerry's Phish food Ice cream as I don't really like ready made chocolate sauces. Come to think of it they look a little more like crepes but meh they taste delish.

Recipe makes 6-8:

300g of sifted self raising flour

2 cups of milk

a few dashes of vanilla essence

2 medium sized eggs

2 tablespoons of home made orange syrup, the rest is drizzled on top

(baking powder is optional)

I wont tell you how to mix it up, I am hoping that you aren't idiots. Have a go it was more fun than expected. I am off to watch Girls and stuff my face.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays