Weak

So the last time I updated I mentioned my night out and my plans to abstain from dirty chicken.  As predicted, I failed:

Dirty Chicken and Chips

At least I didn't get a chicken burger.  I'm sure the above is healthier...

Before I went out I had a quick dinner of:

M&S Pizza

This was middle-of-the-road pizza.  It was sweet for some reason and I don't like sweet savouries! Tabasco rescued it.

Yesterday I had a poached egg on toast but, as with the cereal, you've seen loads of that photo.  For lunch we made:

Griddled Squid with Rustic Guacamole

This is similar to the first meal I put on my blog but this time we actually found some squid in the shops! It wasn't the best quality squid but it was still nice.  I don't usually like the tentacles as they freak me out but they were the tastiest bits.  I think a trip to Billingsgate might be in order... If you want to make this, find the recipe here http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/chargrilled-squid-with-rustic-guacamole

A snack of:

Butterkist Toffee Popcorn

After a nap, another snack of:

Marmite on Toast

A lazy dinner of M&S Dine in for £10:

Parmesan Chicken Thing with Rosemary Potatoes

Cream and Jam Pot Thing

I didn't like this.  A pot of nothing and sugar.  Didn't finish it.

This morning:

Marmite and Jam Toast

Last week I was pretty bad with my intake.  Must buy vegetables at Sainsbury's tonight...

A Touch of Dutch

A lot of food to update you with as I had a little city break in Amsterdam for a few days. When I go away I like to try the cuisine of the country I'm in but it was actually quite hard to find traditional Dutch food.  The trip started however with a bit of French fayre at the airport:

Cafe Rouge Croque Monsieur

My first actual meal in Amsterdam wan't much more Dutch.  We had planned to go to a place called Cafe Bern which was recommended on Trip Advisor for doing a very good fondue (the Dutch class this as one of their national dishes) but there was no table available until 9.30.  We then decided to just go into the city centre and find something. Big mistake.  We walked around for about an hour trying to find somewhere but everything was either too expensive or Italian, I presume to cater for the tourists.  

We finally settled on a place called Humphreys.  The restaurant only offered a 3 course set menu at €23.90 but there were quite a few things to choose from.  The restaurant itself looked really nice; cosy and candlelit and we thought we'd made a good choice although the menu was a little odd.  It was from looking at the menu that I discovered that it was actually a Dutch chain.  I presume a bit like Pizza Express or Zizzi's; fast food but not as fast as McDonald's etc. After half a loaf of fresh bread (that was impossible to cut with the tools provided-a steak knife and butter knife) I had:

Prawn Cocktail

This wasn't my idea of a prawn cocktail; a few prawns with lettuce and one big breaded prawn, half an egg (!), some Thousand Island dressing smeared Master Chef style on the edge of the plate and cubes of tomato jelly.  This freaked me out the most.  It tasted nice-ish but was a bit like the congealed ketchup you get at the top of the bottle... 

North American Beefsteak with Truffle Mash and Cep Gravy

They didn't ask me how I wanted my steak cooked so I was really worried this would come well done or it would actually be a burger!  It was cooked medium rare thankfully and tasted pretty good.  The beans were extremely limp and over-cooked however.

Mini Creme Brulee with Coffee

Just a little pud as we were full.

Apparently the Dutch don't really do breakfast so it was really hard to find somewhere to go on our first full day before our walking tour.  We ended up in a place that initially seemed ok but after we'd ordered I noticed there were loads of lies.  It really put me off but I ate:

Holland Pancake

Basically ham and cheese pancake.  It was ok but the flies made it hard to swallow.

We went for lunch with some of the people from our tour (Sandeman's New Amsterdam free City Tour-highly recommended) and Ryan, our tour guide.  We both had:

Dutch Pea Soup

This was really good soup.  It was really thick and had loads of meat in it; meatballs, sausages and chunks of meat.  It also came with rye bread and ham on the side and we bought some of this gorgeous, slightly sweet bread home with us.

A snack of:

Stroopwafel

Traditional Dutch syrup biscuit.  It's a bit like the inside of a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer.

The Dutch have a large Indonesian population and therefore a lot of Indonesian restaurants. Our guide book recommended a few and by chance we stumbled upon Blauw, one of their more highly recommended ones, right by our hotel (surprising as our hotel was on the outskirts of town).

Meat and Fish Rijsttafel

The picture doesn't do this meal justice but it does show the sheer quantity of food involved there was.  Translated literally it means 'rice table' and is a Dutch creation, I suppose a bit like our invention of the chicken tikka masala (although the origin of chicken tikka is disputed according to Wikipedia).  I've never had Indonesian food before but it was like a combination of Thai and Chinese.  Lots of coconut and satay style sauces. The only thing I was not a fan of was the hard boiled egg satay-it just didn't appeal.  I was also confused over whether the deep fried banana was supposed to be part of the meal or treated as a dessert.  There were French diners either side of us and both sets left it for last.

The next day we went for a simpler breakfast at Gartine:

Croissant, Sourdough Toast and Tea

Simple enough but the mango and blackberry preserves tasted homemade and the cakes in here looked beautiful.  It was a really nice setting and I only wish we'd gone back for lunch.  Instead we went to a cafe called Katoen and had:

Tuna Melt

This was mediocre but we got desperate as my boyfriend didn't like the look of Van Dobben which I wanted to try.  I think they might have used salad cream rather than mayo as it was really sweet.

On the way to the Erotic Museum we bought:

Herring and Pickles

We wanted to try this as it's a Dutch delicacy sold from street vendors.  I thought it would be like a Rollmop but actually it was just plain raw herring with some gherkins and raw onion on the side.  It wasn't hideous but I wouldn't have it again.  I'll stick to Rollmops in the future.

The final meal had to be traditionally Dutch so we went to the Trip Advisor recommended Haesje Claes.  The restaurant itself looked really good and was I think based around the style of the 16th Century.  My starter was:

Cheese Kroketten

These were a lot like the croquettes you can get here but with cheese inside.  Tasty but not hot enough.  My boyfriend had a shrimp version which I tried but actually I've decided I don't much like shrimps.  They remind me of insects somehow...

My main was very traditional:

Stamppot Sauerkraut with Meatball, Sausage and Bacon

This tasted good, especially the meatball and sausage, but looking at the picture and considering the ingredients I'm not sure it's worth £15...  We were given two additional sides of fries and roast potatoes; that's a lot of potatoes.

Blurry Croissant

Quick breakfast from the hotel before we checked out.

We had this at the station:

Kaassoufle

from here:

There's a chain called Febo which provide hot food vending machines.  We were warned by our tour guide that they were gross but I love a fad so had to have a go.  The one we used wasn't actually a Febo but it was the same kind of thing.  The Kaassouffle is basically a Findus Crispy Pancake.  I'm not gonna lie to you; it was amazing.  I wish these things existed here for an alternative to a dirty kebab or dirty chicken on the way home from a night out.  I might buy the franchise...

At the airport we had:

Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal

It was about £15 for 2 meals.  Ridiculous.

Laziness when we got home meant we had a Chinese takeaway.  I disgust myself sometimes (often).

Chicken Noodle Soup (on which I burnt my mouth)

Salt and Pepper Squid with Egg Fried Rice

Today I've been a little better and had a bowl of cereal (you've seen that photo enough now) and for lunch :

M & S Chicken and Salami Sandwich (my favourite)

I'm out tonight for my friend's birthday.  I'm hoping that won't mean you get a picture of a congealed chicken burger tomorrow but I can't promise anything.

Ashamed

This is how I feel about most of the food I've eaten over the past couple of days.  I really thought this blog would force me to eat more healthily/more interestingly.  I'm working on the interesting but the healthy element is proving a lot tougher.  Cocktails seems to be the main hindrance here...

Saturday night involved Nandos.  I like to think Nandos is one of the healthier fast (ish) food establishments.  How bad can grilled chicken be for you? But with the chicken comes Peri Peri chips (why would you have the plain ones?) and creamy coleslaw; not so healthy. A group of 4 of us ordered:

Jumbo Platter (I got carried away so plate scrapings are all you get to see here)

Two whole chickens and 5 large sides.  This is a bargain for such a large amount of food and it took a lot of self control not to eat lots of it.  I restrained myself and had just a quarter of chicken and tried to be good with the sides but the Peri Peri chips were taunting me and, while everyone else was still eating, I found my hand kept slipping over to the large plate of chips.  I would probably have been better off having another quarter of chicken.

Nandos was followed by wine and cocktails...

Sunday morning involved feeling very ropey.  I contemplated making a bacon sandwich but I decided this was way too labour intensive for my bleary-eyed self.  What I really wanted were hash browns or potato waffles but I didn't have any in the freezer and no way was I venturing outside.  So I resorted to:

Be Good To Yourself Oven Chips

More chips!  I disgust myself sometimes but at least I can feel safe in the knowledge that these were low fat...  To cancel this mildly virtuous feeling I had:

Carte D'Or Vanilla Ice Cream

I did not eat all of this though.  I don't really like ice cream (don't judge me).

Dinner was a much better affair:

Roast Duck Leg, Roast Potatoes and Parsnips and Green Beans

Writing this blog has highlighted the amount of duck we eat.  Twice in one week this week! We're keeping duck farmers in business...

Today I ate:

Last of the Pasturma

Haddock Fishcake with Celeriac Remoulade

This is from the local gastropub.  Clearly I'm a creature of habit because I find it difficult to not have this when I go there.

Chicken Stuffed with Boursin and Wrapped in Pancetta with Mash and Beans

Basically meat and two veg but better.  We used the Jamie Oliver method of cooking the chicken in a pan with damp baking paper over it.  Works a treat!

#Meateasy

I visited this much hyped burger joint last night for two reasons 1) it was reviewed by Marina O'Loughlin in the Metro and I generally trust her views as she certainly doesn't mince her words 2) it's very close to where I live and places for good food round here are very few and far between although there are some hidden jewels.

We were a bit apprehensive when we got there as we're really not cool enough for obscure student venues (I'm listening to cheesy pop while I write this). I was worried the place would be filled with brightly coloured skinny jeans, oversized non-prescription glasses and people talking about Skins.  I was also worried that I wouldn't find it.  I was right to worry about the latter; we walked straight past it and got a bit confused. Luckily as we finally got to the entrance a kind man assured us we were in the right place and directed us up the stairs.  They're doing the pub up and the owners have allowed the #meateasy guys to use the upstairs as their Meat Wagon was stolen. This meant bare walls and floors on our way in and increased apprehension.

The 'restaurant' itself, however, was far more welcoming.  Dimly lit and noisy with excited chattering, we were greeted by a waitress who told us how it all worked. You get given a raffle ticket, choose what you want from the menus on the walls (a maximum of 3 items per person) and wait for your number to be called for you to place your order and pay.  We were really confused by this at first but after a few minutes of watching what everyone else was doing we got the hang of it.  Drinks are served at a separate bar on the other side of the room.  There are no menus but the bar staff are happy to create a cocktail of your choice and they serve locally brewed beer which is a nice touch.

Finally the food...

Dead Hippy Burger, Onion Rings, Chilli Cheese Fries, Buffalo Wings and Chilli Cheese Burger (not mine)

Wow! The food came quickly (I'd heard of 2 hour waits but we waited about 15 minutes in total to order and for the food to arrive) and it was amazing.  The burgers were gorgeously pink (they don't ask you how you want them so beware if you like yours cremated), the onion rings massive and crispy and the buffalo wings were the best I've ever tasted. Crispy with a hint of chilli and not covered in E-number rich barbecue sauce.  The fries were good but it was just too much what with all the other stuff; I'd go for standard fries next time.  The only downside was the food envy I had when my boyfriend showed me his massive gherkin (ahem) whereas mine was all chopped up in the sauce.  You live and learn...  I'll definitely be going back before this place goes back to being a burger van.  I'm hoping they decide to make it a permanent fixture in New Cross.  I'd happily become a regular.

The other less exciting stuff I've eaten includes:

Poached Egg on Toast

Leftover Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Today:

Pasturma

You may remember me moaning about the poor substitute sausages I bought a few weeks ago.  This is the proper stuff and it was yum!

The Dining room Pork and Cannellini Bean Soup

A new and more expensive branch of the New Covent Garden Soup brand.  This was ok but it's just soup.  These new ones seem to have more saturated fat than the old style so be warned.

Homemade Sausage Rolls

Two to accompany the soup.

Some Lovely Things

Quite a good food day today.  Started with:

Marmite Crumpets

I know it's a boring but I had to leave early this morning.

Ancho Chicken Quesadilla

This was from the same place as the burrito the other week, www.picantemexicangrill.co.uk in Victoria. I promised myself I would try these and finally got round to it.  This is the best lunch place around but it is a little pricey (this was £5.25). Went for the hot sauce today which left my nose running and eyes watering at my desk. Maybe they were tears of joy at having a good lunch for once!

Jools' Pregnant Pasta with...

Chicory-less Salad

Another Jamie Oliver recipe.  Anyone would think I had shares in his recipe books or something (I don't).  This pasta was really easy to make; basically just whizzing everything up in the food processor.  I'm loving fennel now I've discovered it and may well put it in everything!  The citrus in the salad cut through the richness of the pasta sauce but I would like to try it as intended with the chicory.  Perhaps it's out of season.  Again we didn't bother with the dessert although I'll definitely be trying it in the future.  We're having the M&S Valentines chocolates instead.

Off to get annoyed with Masterchef again.  I wonder how Lloyd Grossman feels about the newer series. Jealous I imagine...

Football Blues

The football's on hence me writing my blog earlier than usual.  I didn't eat anything interesting today so I'll start with my consumption from yesterday evening:

Jamie Oliver's Pan Fried Sea Bass (Haddock) with Asian Greens and Sweet Potato Mash

We decided to try another 30 Minute recipe but what a surprise, Sainsbury's didn't have half the things we needed.  It's getting ridiculous now.  There was no sea bass on the fish counter although there were some puny bits wrapped in the fridge at a cost of £6.50! For a midweek dinner? Don't think so.  This haddock was on offer and was a bargain but quite frankly, it was a bad substitute.  The skin was meant to go crispy but it basically disintegrated in the pan.  Awful.  

They had also run out completely of fennel seeds which we needed for this and another dish this week.  Did everyone get Jamie's book at the weekend?  Or is there snow forecast and people are panic buying?  There was also no red chicory, no Don Simon Orange Juice (with bits) and no Sheba cat food.  People seem to buy things purely when they're on offer even though they would never buy them normally and Sainsbury's don't bother to stock extra.  It makes me mad!!!

Back to the above dinner, it was only ok.  The fish would have been better f it was sea bass and the sweet potato was way too sweet as it had mango chutney mixed in.  I knew this would be too sweet but thought I should trust in Jamie.  Yesterday he abused my trust.  

M&S Millionaire Shortbread Dessert

This was so sweet and sickly I only managed about two thirds of it and the second third was harrowing.  Intermittent sips of tea helped but the final third would have been a step too far.

Crumpets

One with butter; one with butter and marmite.  This was breakfast this morning, not a midnight snack.

Tuna, Cheese and Olive Pitta

This looks like something I've picked up on the way home from a heavy night on the town... I made it whilst sober in my kitchen.

Homemade Sausage Rolls

I used another Jamie recipe but I used sausage meat instead of chipolatas.  They also have fennel seeds (I got some from a Turkish supermarket today) and parmesan in them.  Possibly the best sausage rolls I've tasted.  Move over Gregg's.  I made some cheese ones with leftover pastry but these were burnt and disgusting.  You can't win 'em all!

Duck Breast, Potato Gratin and Pak Choi

I'm trying to expand my culinary repertoire and I think I'm doing alright, but sometimes you have to resort to an old faithful.

Cherry Ripe (in case you couldn't get it from the photo)

My friend sent these from Australia.  Thank you!!!! Looking forward to eating one with a cup of tea in front of the new series of Master Chef (which is bound to annoy me as they've changed it).