Another foodie week, with a little Valentine charm thrown in

Readers will know I'm a fan of eating out in and around Edinburgh. I try to do this once a week, failing which at least once a fortnight! I'm a little late in posting this, but last week was no different. Here are my foodie reviews from the Valentine's weekend. Not that any meal was particularly romantic or could be construed as a date in any way. And I mean that.

Saturday evening

Divino Enoteca

The outside of Divino as shown on The Bite website

Location

Merchant Street (just off Candlemaker Row, under George IV Bridge. It can be accessed through Vittorias.)

Website

http://divinoedinburgh.com/

What we ate

On arrival - we both had a rose Champagne

Starters - I had butternut squash veloute, my friend had bruschetta

Main - I had the steak (blue) with asparagus, rosemary potatoes and a sauteed mushroom, my friend had the Valentine themed ravioli

Dessert - I had the chocolate torte and a cherry rum based cocktail, my friend had tiramisu

Drinks - I had one large Chianti and one large Italian Malbec, my friend knocked back a whole bottle of Pinot Grigio!

Musings

I have visited Divino before, although only for drinks, but my hopes were still high. It is a lovely, atmospheric place with a stylish interior, and I like that it is relatively tucked away but still central. We picked this restaurant because we both like Italian food, and it also had tables available on what was, coincidentally, Valentine's evening. From the off the service was impeccable. The staff were polite and well versed on the menu and could recommend anything you asked for. My friend asked for a recommendation on his wine, and he said it was one of the best he'd had. Likewise, our waiter recommended I try a different wine after my Chianti, and I was not disappointed. As for the food, every single thing I ate was delicious. I am usually far more adventurous than soup-steak-chocolate. Indeed, I rarely, if ever, order steak when I'm eating out. But I fancied it on Saturday and was so glad I ordered it. I like my steak as rare as a restaurant can get away with. I'd have it raw, if I could. It was one of the best steaks ever and I told the waiter as such. He seemed pleased! My friend's ravioli, however, was a little sparse. I felt sorry for him when the six love-heart shaped pieces of pasta got put down in front of him. He said it tasted lovely, but it really wasn't enough. We both agreed our puddings were to die for. I could eat that chocolate torte the rest of my days and not get fed up with it. The food was lovely and the staff really made us feel special. With the addition of a tip, we managed to accrue a rather handsome bill...

It was worth it, though!

Sunday afternoon

Hanedan

Hanedan, as shown on their website

Location

West Preston Street

Website

http://www.hanedan.co.uk/

What we ate

Starters - Turkish bread, olives, hummus and koftas

Main - we each had a chicken shish, my friend also had a salad and a lambs' liver dish. He has a large appetite.

Drinks - Efes. Lots of Efes.

Musings

My friend had mentioned that this restaurant is non-fussy and modest, but has a great grill and excellent service. I was intrigued to try it, as I've never been before. I arrived before my friend did, and the man at the door was so polite and lovely and told me my friend had phoned ahead to say we were going to be late! I was escorted to a table and offered a drink, which I always like. The manners I mean, but I like the drink too. When it came to ordering, I was happy to be led by my friend's recommendations, so he chose the food that is listed above. You can't go wrong with bread, dip and olives and it was as tasty as I'd thought it would be. The chicken shish was grilled to perfection; still beautifully moist with a really nice barbecued flavour. For reasons I won't go into, I was not particularly hungry so couldn't finish my main or try any liver. This is really unlike me and I so wanted to eat more, but it wasn't to be. My friend said his liver was great. So I guess we were both happy. I'd go back to this place when my appetite is serving me better. The service alone is worth a mention, and there's a lot on the menu I'd like to try. All washed down with some Efes. Yummy. A winner.

5 healthy and easy soups

Soups are a great way to have a filling meal that is also healthy and easy to make. Here are recipes for five soups that I've tried and tested. All are onion and vegetable stock based. Some are vegetarian, some are vegan, and all are gluten-free. I always make soup in a large batch, so the quantities I've given are enough to serve 4-5, or do a single person for a whole working week. I find that all my soups keep in the fridge well Monday-Friday, assuming it is a lock-tight Tupperware style box. To be on the safe side, you might want to split the soups containing meat into a fridge batch and a freezer batch, so you can take the latter out mid-week, or as and when required.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash and orange

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 medium sized squashes, cubed

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

zest and juice of 1 large orange

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.

2. throw in the cubed squash, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the squash is coated in seasoning.

3. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

4. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg, but do not drown it.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the squash is soft.

6. add in the orange juice and zest.

7. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Cauliflower and apple

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 medium sized cauliflowers, cut into small florettes

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

2 small apples (something like Braeburns), cubed

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.

2. throw in the cauliflower and apples, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the mix is coated in seasoning.

3. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

4. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg and apple, but do not drown it.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.

6. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Broccoli and Stilton

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 medium sized brocollis, cut into small florettes

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

200g blue Stilton cheese

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.

2. throw in the brocolli, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the brocolli is coated in seasoning.

3. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

4. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg, but do not drown it.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the brocolli is soft.

6. crumble the Stilton into the soup mixture and stir until all of the cheese is melted.
7. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Pea and ham

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

1 bag of frozen peas

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

1 packet of smoked back bacon (cut into lardons)

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.
2. add the bacon and fry until slightly browned.

3. add the whole bag of peas, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the mix is coated in seasoning.

4. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

5. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg and bacon, but do not drown it.

6. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the peas are soft and the bacon cooked.

7. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Tomato, bean and chorizo

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1 can of beans (I used haricot)
1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

1 small ring of chorizo (cubed)

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.
2. add the chorizo and fry until slightly browned.

3. add the 2 whole tins of tomatoes and tin of beans, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the mix is well combined.

4. add the stock to the pan - it shouldn't need much given the liquidity of the chopped tomatoes.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chorizo is cooked.

6. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

"Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

On Saturday evening, my parents and I went to the theatre in Glasgow to see the stage production of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. 

First off, I should say the production is coming to Edinburgh too - you can buy tickets here - but we went to Glasgow because we had the tickets before the Edinburgh dates were announced!

"To Kill a Mockingbird" stage advertisement

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the most admired books ever written; full of life lessons and wisdom and morals. It has taught me so much about the type of person I want to be, and I mean that genuinely. So going to see the stage production was a must for me, and is indeed for any fan of the book and/or film.

The play was made up of the cast taking turns to narrate by reading excerpts from the book, with the remaining cast members acting out the part of the book that was being read aloud. The acting and narration was intertwined with songs accompanied by acoustic guitar. This style of performing, I felt, was something fresh and original for such a classic piece of writing and it really brought another element to proceedings.

I won't go into the story, most people know it, but the plot never ceases to move me. Little Scout is a one in a million child, and who'd have thought a fictional character, Atticus Finch, could be one of my heroes? The cast provided a convincing Tom Robinson, a hysterical Mayella Ewell and an impressively provocative Bob Ewell. I think it may have even been more touching on stage than on screen. The children who played Scout, Gem and Dill all have promising careers ahead of them, especially the little girl who played Scout - she was fantastic and was everything Jean Louise Finch is.

I recommend catching this at the theatre, whether you are well versed in Harper Lee's only work or if you are new to it completely. It is sure to entertain, emote and enthuse people from all walks of life, because as Scout says, "there's just one kind of folks. Folks."

The Mosque Kitchen - a hidden gem

I am slightly late on blogging this, but a socialite like me can't write up everything as and when it happens. If only; I'm actually just really lazy.

However, I digress. On Tuesday, a friend and I visited the Mosque Kitchen again. We are turning into regulars there. And with good reason.

The Mosque Kitchen as shown on www.edinburghguide.com 

Although a basic facade, the Mosque Kitchen boasts many delights inside. Reasonably priced delights at that. The overall feel of the place is one of a canteen, but this ties in with their mantra of "curry in a hurry." There is no table service or even typical ordering at a counter. Everything is already made and ready to be eaten. You walk up to the hot plate area, pick a curry and accompaniments from what is on offer on the day and pay as you choose.  It's really simple and not a set up which I imagine will be to everyone's liking, but the food should make up for it should you feel this way.

As I always mention, I am on a diet and this meal was to be a treat for me. I was starving too, and thought I'd really give the food a good go. So I had chilli chicken curry, a portion of rice, a garlic naan and a portion of spinach and potatoes. I struggled to eat all of it, but at £7.50 for all of that, you don't feel so bad if you don't finish it. I did finish it though. Obviously. My friend had a dark lamb curry - I'm not entirely sure what constituted it - a portion of raita and a plain naan all for £5.50. Mine was delicious and he said his was too. We were happy customers. 

If you feel so inclined, there are also counters with ice-cream, teas and coffees and home baking. The chocolate peppermint slice is nice, and just as reasonably as the savouries on offer.

I prefer the cuisine from the Mosque Kitchen to other Muslim eateries because the food is cooked authentically and not necessarily to British taste. I like to have new taste experiences. As with what you get at bog standard Indian takeaways, you don't get the layer of oil on top of a Mosque Kitchen curry which so often makes you feel ill. The food is freshly and healthily prepared and won't leave you feeling bloated or with "Delhi belly." 

The audience I would recommend visits the Mosque Kitchen is, of course, anyone who likes this type of food. But keeping in mind the canteen style and low prices, this place really appeals to students, workers needing a quick lunch and people just looking for a good, honest meal.

To sum up, I am a fan of this place and am looking forward to my next visit.

Quick, healthy and easy recipes - peanut butter stir fry and homemade Nandos!

As readers know, I am currently on a "Clean and Lean" diet plan, so am trying to eat lean meat and high veg meals. I'd like to share with you two recipes I've come up with this week: peanut butter stir fry and a homemade Nandos! Unfortunately I have no photo for the former - I scoffed the lot before I decided to blog it - but read on for the recipe!

Chicken peanut butter stir fry

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 1 chicken breast, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 chilli (I used green)
• 3 spring onions
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
• handful mangetout
• 2 handfuls of stir fry veg mix (I used beansprout and pepper mix from Aldi, around half a bag)
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

Method

1. heat the groundnut oil in a wok and cook the diced chicken breast through.

2. add the chopped garlic, chilli and spring onions and fry for a further minute.

3. add in the lime juice, soy, honey, Worcestershire and peanut butter. Stir continously for another minute.

4. throw in the mangetout and veg mix and stir thoroughly so the whole thing is coated in your sauce.

5. keep stirring for another 2 minutes.

6. serve with the sesame oil drizzled over the top.

And that's it! At around 560 calories for a big plateful, I'm sure you'll agree this stir fry is healthy, quick and delicious.

Homemade Nandos

Low cal piri-piri chicken

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon of Nandos lemon and herb rub (you can get this at any supermarket now)
• a few splashes of hot piri piri sauce (again, you can get this at any supermarket but Tabasco will do)
• Nandos chilli salt - optional
• your choice of veggies - I opted for courgettes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, baby corn and some pickled onions to balance the spice

Method

1. pre-heat oven to 180 fan or 160 conventional.

2. rub your lemon and herb coating over the raw chicken and bake for 25-30 minutes

3. while the chicken is cooking, prepare your veggie.

4. 10 minutes into the cooking time, dust your courgettes and tomatoes with the chilli salt and add to the baking tray and cook alongside chicken for remaining 20 minutes.

5. 10 minutes later, bring a pot of water to the boil and boil your asparagus and baby corn.

6. when everything is done, dish it up and serve - be as generous or as liberal with the hot sauce as you like!

Okay, so I know this isn't really a Nandos, but it is piri piri and it tastes to much better than shelling out £10-15 for some chicken and corn!

Happy dieting!

The benefits of...Benefit

Being a subscriber to Elle magazine, I've been lucky enough to be one of the first few to sample the new delights from Benefit: the Roller Lash mascara.

The brush is patented, I believe. I have painfully short eyelashes and this is the most lengthening mascara I've used in a long while. This is thanks to the shape of the brush. It lasts all day too, and the colour is sure to please.

And if, like me, you're misophonic (look it up), you'll really appreciate the sound of the brush going back into the container. It isn't annoying or rage-envoking in the slightest. I'm weird, I know.

All that said, I find the name "Roller Lash" a little misleading. The bristles don't roll or rotate or anything like that. You have to twist your hand to "roll" your lashes, which begs the question, "is this product really that innovative?" 

Good mascara, but the jury is out on the originality front.

The finished eyelashes, teamed with Mememe kohl eyeliner in Clay

The small trial size product

The patented brush

Best of Bruntsfield

A few friends and I from the dinner party group met up on Saturday night to go for some drinks in and around Bruntsfield and Tollcross. Some of my drinks aren't worth a mention; I stuck to boring old gin and slim for some of it. But here are the bars we visited, what I drank, and my thoughts on each place.

The Ventoux - Brougham Street
Website - I can't seem to see one so here is their Google+
Tipple of choice - gin and slimline tonic. With plenty of fresh lemon and lime. A nice change to the usual dried out citrus.
Verdict - Rustic French. The bikes and fishtanks are interesting talking points. I really liked this place.

Bennets - Leven Street
Website - http://www.bennetsbar.co.uk/default.html
Tipple of choice - gin and slimline tonic.
Verdict - This is one of Edinburgh's oldest and most traditional pubs. It is charming and has a good mix of people, both locals and tourists. It does get busy though, so seats aren't likely to come by. But this was a bar crawl, so who cares?! Great place.

Henricks - Barclay Place
Website - http://www.henricksbar.com/
Tipple of choice - "Black Bramble." A fruity gin cocktail comprising of Beefeater Gin, Creme de Cassis over crushed blackberries and a twist of lemon.
Verdict - Nice serene bar. Not much cocktail for the £5.95 though - a little style over substance! We were there just after 10pm and they had no crisps or olives etc. Fair enough the kitchen was closed, but I'd have thought these were bar staples. But not to worry; the cocktail list was good enough to secure me another visit soon.

Montpeliers - Bruntsfield Place
Website - http://www.montpeliersedinburgh.co.uk/
Tipple of choice - gin and slimline tonic
Verdict - Montpeliers hasn't long been done up. I'll summarise - I found it a little pretentious.

The Blackbird Bar - Leven Street
Website - http://theblackbirdedinburgh.co.uk/
Tipple of choice - "Coffee and Coconut Flip." A delightful cocktail containing Mount Gay, Tia Maria, Koko Kanu, vanilla sugar, espresso and a whole egg. Honourary mention goes to my friend's "Strawberry and Rosemary Smash" - Grey Goose, Aperol, strawberries, rosemary, lemon and a Prosecco top. Glorious.
Verdict - I was fairly drunk by this time, but the bar is cool and trendy without being pretentious a la Montpeliers. The cocktail menu is something different and a refreshing change, although you can get your traditional favourites if you want to!

We wanted to work our way up to Morningside, but there just aren't enough hours in a night! Instead we went to a kebab place and took the greasy delights back to a friend's brand spanking new flat in Quartermile. Joyous.