This Potato Will Change Your Life

Well, probably not, but it was damn tasty! This recipe is modified from a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall one from 'River Cottage Veg Everyday' and is pretty adaptable, here is my version:

Ingredients (for two):
2 Jacket/baking potatoes
Leek
Medium onion (could be white or red, I used white)
1 clove garlic
Approx. 20g butter
Approx. 100g Stilton (or if you fear the blue, any delicious cheese!)
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (I used half fat)

Salad:
Lettuce
Rocket
Coriander (I may be addicted)
Sunflower seeds
Balsamic vinegar

Oven bake the potatoes until soft in the middle and a little crispy on the outside, around an hour depending on size. Don't forget to stab them, and I usually season them as well. I also often give them 5 mins in the microwave to get them started, this cuts the cooking time by about 30 mins or so.

When the potatoes are nearly done, fry the onion and leek (quite finely chopped) in the butter until soft, add garlic, don't forget to season, I also chucked in some dried mixed herbs.

Take potatoes out of the oven, halve them, then scoop the flesh into a bowl. Return the Skins to the oven while you prep the filling. Add the fried leek and onion to the potato flesh, mix well. Add the creme fraiche and crumble/grate in the Stilton or cheese of choice. Mix well. Resist eating.

Remove the potato skins from the oven. Fill up with the cheesy leeky mix, I like them piled high! Return to the oven for another 10 mins or so, until golden on top.

I served with a simple salad, but I fully anticipate this being immense with baked beans tomorrow night!

Playmate Of The Year

For me, Valentines day has to be one of the most bizarre things we celebrate, apart from anything, if there is no day off work, it is clearly not a proper holiday any way! Its current mutated form is particularly abhorrent, it is just another celebration of the car-crash that is capitalism, as far as I can tell. Ok, enough of that, it has probably also got a lot to do with the fact that I have managed to capture someone who is my best friend all 365/366 days of the year, so red roses for one day does seem a little arbitrary. Here follows a celebration of the 11th of February, because I will not do what Hallmark tells me to do.

Much Love!

Snow Lane

As my brain is a little dead from a week of too much thinking and talking, here is a photographic story of making the most of a weekend with good friends, playing in the snow :)

Shot in the Brecon Beacons on Wales last weekend. Now, to bed...

Bloody Salad

I really fancied something massive for dinner tonight, so I went for a big bowl of salad, as I am trying to live a little more by the words of Michael Pollan "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much". Simplest 'diet' EVER. This was not a boring salad though, this was a super-tasty salad!

It consisted of:

Spinach leaves
Mixed salad leaves
Beetroot (pre-cooked, in a vacuum pack)
Warm boiled new potatoes
Feta cheese
Sunflower seeds
Balsamic vinegar

Cut up new potatoes into preferred size, boil. Cut up/wash other ingredients as required. Chuck in suitable vessel. Drizzle balsamic. Drain potatoes, add. Eat (enjoy).

The Way Down

"Are we going down there?"

"Yes"

"Okay then..."

"Try to spend a little more time on your feet perhaps?"

Here follows me looking fabulous in snowboard gear...

I miss those bluebird skies, screw you english drizzle!

Make Mine A Vin Chaud

Wow, I actually managed to leave this rock and use my passport, only for the first time in about 6 years-pretty dire I know! I have just got back from a week in the French Alps, visiting my sister, who is lucky enough to live there all year round. There is absolutely loads of snow there this year, so stand by for some excellent snow-frosted tourist snaps...

There is something about a coating of snow that makes everything look so beautiful, although my sister assures me that the valley looks amazing in the summer too, as it is so green. The mountain architectural style is not exactly displeasing to the eye either, wood abounds, as do shutters and big roofs, I could quite happily settle in there for the long haul, if earning that damned money wasn't a requirement for life!

Stand by for more pictures, I may even make a rare appearance, looking super-cool in snowboarding gear!

In the meantime, I suggest you check out my sister's awesome catering business, appropriately named Chez Toi, stuff cooking for yourself when you get off the mountain, get her to do it for you! I can personally vouch for the excellence of the food :)

This Is Dogging

Happy new year people, I hope you have a good one.

Here are a few snaps from just before new year, actual dog walking, not some weird deviant act. Making the most of being home in the country, I spent the day with my Grandparents, who dog-sit for people, as well as having their own two golden retrievers to walk. This week-the cutest King Charles spaniel and a labradoodle, which was really bouncy. Not a bad way to spend the day!

Stand by for some snow pictures...I'll tell you all about it at the weekend, getting excited!