GBK Westfield

So my two best friends at university and I have a bit of a love for GBK- Gourmet Burger Kitchen. We went to the Westfeild Branch on our first day of university and it has sealed us as buddies, so when we agreed to a revisit earlier this week I couldn't have been more excited.
Using our 40% discounts (limited period only for students), I ordered a chicken burger with no bun. To coincide with us attending the premier of Water For Elephants (post on my other blog), I didn't want anything heavy so asked to not have bread.

GBK were incredibly accomodating and not only did they give me a chicken breast with no bun, they gave me extra salad with dressing and coleslaw on the side. Aside from the chicken leaking a tiny bit of juice, the meal was enjoyable. The dressing could have done with less vinegar too.   

Good Morning

A recipe for the perfect breakfast! Everybody knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It should be healthy, filling and release it's energy slowly so that you're not tempted to snack before lunch. One of the best foods I have found for breakfast is...dah dah dah dahhh.. porridge! That's right folks, none of this Special K, or Food Doctor Musili, honestly good old porridge is fantastic for breakfast. You can add anything to it, and (provided you don't pack half the universe worth of Cadbury's chocolate in there) still maintain its nutritional value. Here is my favourite way to eat this amazing food:

You will need:

porridge oats (avoid organic as I have found these really difficult to cook and they do not act in the same way non-organic oats do)

raisins

milk (I use Oat Milk, but any milk or even water is fine)

brown sugar

cup measure

1. Pour half a cup of porridge oats into a bowl, then pour over half a cup of milk
2. Mix this until the milk covers the oats entirely
3. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, depending on the power setting on your microwave
4. When cooked, sprinkle over 1 tsp of brown sugar and mix it in
5. Then mix in about 1 miniature box size of raisins and enjoy!

My Favourite Vegan Foods

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovq2eAhvnp8
Hey everyone! Sorry the stupid blogger wont let me post the video on here! So I have posted the link to my youtube channel so you can watch it there. Love,

London Asian Exploration

 Mango Pudding

 Rice crackers with Jasmine Tea

 Ton Katsu Bento

 Chicken Soba Noodle Soup

 Crisped Chicken and Fried Tofu

 Meat Dumplings

Chicken Stir Fried Noodles with Veg
My Asian Adventure in London. I went home over the last few days, with my chinese friend Man Yee, and we explored Chinatown and tasted a multitude of new dishes!

Opium Den, Oxford

 Steamed Chicken Buns

 Pork Gluttonous Rice, wrapped in lotus leaf
 Me with the chicken buns

Prawn Bento Box: Crispy Prawns, Sticky Rice, Chilli Sauce, Spring Rolls, Miso Sauce

Opium Den, or Cafe Opium as it is also known, is one of the best Chinese restaurants in Oxford. I would definitely recommend a visit to anyone who loves Asian cuisine. There is a wide range of dishes available, and a range of set menus to chose from. Vegetarians and chilli lovers are both accommodated for healthily, with room for exploration into new dishes!

Chicken Kebabs with Sticky Rice

These kebabs were incredible! They were absolutely bursting with flavour, and the sticky rice beautifully completed the meal, with a small side salad. Enjoy! Serves 3

 You will need:
Marinade
2 teaspoons of light soy
2 teaspoons of lemongrass paste
1 shredded kafirr lime leaf
1 garlic clove


2 chicken breasts
60g (per person) of cooked rice
spring onion
red pepper
salad

1.  Mix the marinade in a small bowl, and add to the chopped chicken. Mix, and chill for 1 hour
2. Preheat the Grill, and put the rice onto cook for 15 minutes
3. Thread the chicken and red pepper onto sticks, and grill for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes
4. Serve a ladle of rice, then place the kebabs on top and sprinkle with chopped spring onion
5. Enjoy!

Vietnam Surprise

I have never eaten Vietnamese food before, but judging by my love for everything Asian at the moment, I decided to give it a go. Yesterday was my last day in London, and now I am back in my mum's house in Oxford for the whole month. So as a leaving 'do' I went to a Vietnamese restaurant behind my apartment, and I cannot believe I hadn't tried Vietnamese earlier! It's amazing. The blends of sour, sweet, salty and savory all balance beautifully, and there is a whack of heat from chilli and ginger which is surprisingly pleasent. I am not usually a chilli lover, but I ate all of our chilli dip that came with the Prawn Rolls, and the chilli oil that came with the Vegetable Spring Rolls. For a main, I ate Crispy Chicken Noodles, which isn't very adventurous, but the combination of chicken, crisp noodles, vegetables and a cracking sauce (I've no idea what it was), was a joy to eat!

 Prawn Rolls in a paper pastry, with lettuce and herbs (mint and coriander)

 Crispy Chicken Noodles, with vegetables

My Aunt had a prawn curry dish that was divine! You can even see the chilli on the top, but the heat was manageable and a pleasure to eat. Please excuse the bad photo quality as these were taken on my Blackberry not my camera. 

Chicken Fried Rice

Last night's dinner, in a traditional Chinese rice bowl

So last night's dinner was a massive success! I have never made fried rice of any description before, and I adore the special fried rice from a Chinese take away back home, and I mustered the courage to make Chicken Fried Rice last night. It was amazing, easy to eat, filling and I didn't need any sides! All recipes serve 1, as I live alone!

Sunflower Spray

1/4 tbs of ginger

3 baby mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 chicken breast, finely chopped

1/4 tbs rice wine

1/4 dark soy

75g cooked rice

1 tbs light soy

1/2 tbs sesame oil

spring onion finely chopped

1. Cook the rice and set aside. Keep the lid on to keep it moist and warm
2. Heat the pan and then add the sunflower spray. Add the ginger and mushroom and stir fry for a few seconds
3. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice wine. As the chicken turns white, add the dark soy. Add the rice for 1 minute.
4. Mix well and season with light soy and sesame. Mix in the spring onion
5. Serve!

Chicken Chow Mein

Today's dinner came from Chinese Food Made Easy. I know this sounds incredibly English of me, taking short cuts to make oriental food, but I have found the book really easy to follow and work from. I have never eaten Chow Mein from a take away (or restaurant) before, but I love chicken and I love noodles so I went for it! My only addition to the recipe would be the shred the chicken to make it go further. This is a super quick, and super yummy meal and fills you up.
75g of wholeweat noodles
a few drops of sesame oil
1/2 chicken breast, chopped
a dash of dark soy
1 tbs cornflour (I used plain)
sunflower spray
75g beansprouts
1 spring oion
1 tbs light soy

1. Boil the noodles for 3 minutes. Drain, refresh with cold water, and drain again. Drizzle with sesame oil and toss.
2. Season the chicken with the dark soy, and then lightly coat in flour
3. Heat the wok, then spray over the sunflower oil. Add the chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes
4. Add the beansprouts and the spring onion for 1 minutes
5. Mix in the noodles and light soy for 30 seconds.
6. Serve!

My Healthy Obsession.

Gizzi Erskine- My Idol

Above is a photo of Gizzi Erskine, one of my favourite chefs and women in general. I think she is not only stunning, but daring, passionate and extremely talented. She has helped me to turn my life from a dangerous place. Since moving to London, I seriously comfort ate, and as an ex-heffer, I seriously know that this is a bad place for me to be in...

At the age of 14, I got my first serious boyfriend. Despite our initial infatuation, he wasn't really reliable, and I found myself really comparing myself to other girls my age. You know how teenagers are. I began hating my lack of breasts and womanly-ness, and so I seriously over ate. Then I developed a taste for fried foods, easy pickings and lack of nutrition an my weight crept up and up. At the age of 16 I was a size 14 (originally an 8), and was the unhappiest I'd ever been. It took one small comment from the afore mentioned boyfriend, and another from my aunt, and I decided to quit this terrible cycle I had got myself into. I began going to the gym, cut out chocoalte, chips, pies, pizzas, danish pastries, pastries in general, full fat anything, ice cream, deserts, sweets, cake, fish and chips... and anything that was bad for me. In the summer of 2010 I was back to a petite size 8 and was super happy at my final Summer Ball, seeing myself as the prettiest and skinniest girl there.

Now, I'm not going to preach that being a size 8 is ideal for everyone, and that skinniness brings happiness, because now I live in constant self obsession over everything I put into my body. I don't drink alcohol, and I work out for 1 hour everyday. I am terrified of becoming that huge girl again.

This blog is a method of self-expression but it is also a place for me to vent my food worries. I do not have any mental illnesses or eating disorders; I am just incredibly passionate about food and eating. I do have treats! Don't get me wrong! Over my birthday I didn't count a single calorie for 6 days! I ate chocolate, a huge chocolate cake, cup cakes, fish and chips, monster pizzas, steak and chips... the list goes on. So that's my story...

Ellie

Prawn and Green Bean Couscous

Today I cooked... (which I how I think many posts on this blog will begin), prawn and green bean couscous. This recipe came from The Food Doctor everyday diet, and I must say I am really impressed with the flavours and textures achieved from such few ingredients. As my favourite cook, Gizzi Erskine says: flavour replaces fat! Speaking of fat, this meal is only 228 calories, yet is incredibly filling, refreshing, zingy and down right good to eat. I have served this with a basic salad of spinach leaves, cucumber and grated carrot.

50g (uncooked) couscous

100ml of stock (I used chicken, but fish/vegetable stock would work)

1/4 lemon juice

25g (one cup) of cooked and peeled king prawns

25g green beans

Fresh parsley

salt and pepper

1. Put the couscous into a shallow bowl, then pour over boiling stock. Cover and allow absorption
2. While the couscous cooks, cook the green beans in a steamer.
3. When the couscous is cooked, mix in the prawns, lemon juice, herbs and beans. Season with salt and pepper
4. Serve with a mixed salad

N.B. I had to microwave the couscous for about 1 minute to dry it out a little, so using a tiny bit less stock may help get fluffier couscous

Oat Topped Fish

Today's recipe is a super healthy one, taken from The Food Doctor's everyday diet book. Being a member of the library is really a joy, as I am expanding my knowledge and being able to try different foods! Yum!

1x fish fillet

lemon juice

black pepper

small handful of oats

1 spring onion

lemon zest

seeds

1. Put the oats, spring onion, lemon zest and seeds in a blender for 20 seconds
2. Put the fish onto a foil tray and dust with ground pepper and lemon juice. Cover the top with a genorous layer of the crunchy topping. Then press down
3. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.
4. Serve with steamed runner beans and brocoli

Banana and Oat Muffins

Today's recipe is from Gordon Ramsey's "Healthy Appetite". I am a big fan of muffins, and baking in general, but of course I am always watching my waistline! So healthy muffins equals a very happy Ellie. These banana and oat muffins can be eaten as a snack, afternoon tea or even breakfast. Enjoy
100g oats
200g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
100g brown sugar
4 bananas
1 egg
60ml oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, and lay out your muffin cases. I don't have a muffin tray so I just put the cases on a flat tray. It gives the muffins freedom to move, and so they look more homemade.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together. I'm lucky enough to own a free standing mixer so I used that.
3. In a large bowl, mash 4 bananas then stir in 1 egg and the oil
4. Add this to the dry mixture and fold.
5. Spoon equal amounts in the cases, then bake for 20 minutes
6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and enjoy with a cup of tea!

Busaba Eathai: First Visit

I have only had Thai food once, and I absolutely fell in love with it. The blend of sweet/sour/salty/hot is so perfect for palette, and complements my enjoyment of Asian and Oriental food. Despite Japanese being my favourite choice for refreshing foods, Thai is my go-to comfort cuisine. For my birthday, I insisted a visit to a Thai 'restaurant' called Busaba Eathai. I say 'restaurant', but the company likes to think of itself as more of a communal eating experience. Tables are huge square benches. Where couples sit on either sides of a corner, or bigger parties get an entire row/table. You can also eat around the central tables at window benches. I ate at a window bench, with the smell of incense and the floating candles making the overall experience truely relaxing and indulgent.
I had a Jasmine Smoothie, Smoked Chicken Noodles with Chinese Broccoli and a side of tempura prawns. My aunt had the Butternut Squash Curry with Sticky Rice, a side a spring rolls, and a ginger iced tea. I would recommend every single one of these dishes. They a delicately balanced and super yummy! I love the noodle dish so much that I ordered it again on my second visit on Monday!

Borough Market

So yes I adore fashion, and yes it will be the basis of my future career, but if you've been reading me for a while you'll know my other love is food. I absolutely love anything to do with food, or cooking or food shopping or anything like that. It just fascinates me. I love trying international cuisine, and dining at a massive range of restaurants. One of my favourite food things is food markets. There are literally hundreds here in London, but one of the best ones I hadn't had a chance to visit is Borough Market.

I jumped off the tube at London Bridge, after being studying at the library since 11am, and was a bit lost as to where I should go. Following the signs, and then the noise, I found the most amazing market ever. There was just so so much. I wanted to buy so much, but I didn't have any cash with me. 

 

EAT Post

Earlier this week, my housemate Sasha sent me an email about a website called eatpost.com. Now I will be honest, I jumped on this like beauty blogger to a MAC sale. Eatpost is similar to a forum, in that you create an account and you write quick reviews about each restaurant you visit. You can invite people to have dinner with you, share a drink or two with your mates, or simply enjoy a complimentary dish on a blind date, all through their buddy system. You can make new friends who enjoy similar cuisines, or add your current friends and use Eatpost to organise meet ups. Just post an invite and select the people you would like to eat out with. You can also RSVP to other people's invites, this way you can meet up with anyone! 

You write reviews of each meal you have at a certain resturant. You can read my review of the Teriyaki Chicken Donburi which I had at Wagamamas on Sunday here. 

As I have opened my own Eatpost account, I would love to invite you guys to join in the social network, and we can do meet ups!

Speak again soon, 

Coley and Parsley Kedegree

Hello everyone, it's recipe time again. Today I cooked one of my all time favourite dishes, Scottish Kedgeree, but with a twist. I am not really a spice fan, so the Indian version of kedgeree doesn't really appeal to me but the Scottish version, which is usually served as a breakfast, is a really easy and yummy dish to make. The original recipe uses salmon or haddock, but as a poor student salmon is well and truely off the menu. As an alternative, I have used coley, which is a white fish very similar to cod. I also added a few new ingrediants to the mix, so read on if you want to find out more!

You will need:

1 piece of coly

75g rice (any type you like, I used Brown Basmati)

1/2 a leek

1 egg

lemon juice, salt and pepper

parsley

Oil spray

Method:

1)Okay, so first of all you want two pans of boiling water on. One for the egg, one for the rice. Also heat some oil spray in a frying pan. Fish in the oven at 200c for 30 mins

2) Brown half a leek in the frying pan, and then add to the rice water.

3) Measure out 75g (1/2 cup) of rice, and add to two cups of water (with the leeks in). Bring to the boil then simmer for 10-15 mins

4) Boil the egg for 9 minutes

5) Remove the egg and fish, and smashed up together in a bowel.

6) Add this to the cooked rice, mix. Serve in a bowel with parsley and grated cheese. Oh, and a large glass of white wine! You've got yourself a super yummy and relatively healthy meal. Serve with mixed veggies or salad.