Leek, Potato, Pea and Parmesan Soup.

Well, it's the last week of term, and that means using up everything that's in my fridge and freezer. And that's what leads to soup...

Chicken, leek, and mushroom potato pie.

 I believe that this is the first chicken dish that I've made that's been really successful. It's light but creamy, the chicken is moist and pulls apart easily, and the flavours from the veg and herbs are all there. Pretty darn good if I say so myself.
    I was originally going to attempt to make a short crust pastry topping for this pie....It would have been brave.

Bobotie

For the past month or so my friend and I have been cooking for each other on alternate weeks every Wednesday. This has turned out to be a huge amount of fun- we've even started experimenting with cocktails at the same time. The last time my friend cooked for me she made this South African dish.
She was fairly hesitant to present this food to me, since everyone else she's know who has tried it had gotten freaked out by one of the ingredients. This was such a big issue that she wouldn't tell me what it was until after i'd tried it!

Red Lentil and Spinach Pancake Wraps.

Again, this post is a bit late, but I thought I would share with you a savory recipe for pancakes.

When I think of savory pancakes, what I immediately want, is something with mushrooms, spinach, strong melted, creamy cheese and onions, However, I thought I would do something using the ingredients I had to hand (I am a student after all- and there's always next year, or actually, any day of the year I fancy!)

I've made the lentil part of this dish many times before and it's always turned out tasty, but not necessarily very aesthetically pleasing. So, what better way to show off the flavour and keep it locked up looking (reasonably) pretty, by presenting it in a wrap.

The lentils in this meal don't really have a name, meaning that any time someone asks me what i'm cooking when i'm making this, I just revert to calling it a 'lentil thing'. My flatmates jokingly named it Steve because it was so pathetically nameless. But whatever it's named- Steve, or 'Lentil Thing'- it tastes dandy in this pancake (and with roast potatoes too actually).

Spiced Rum Bananas and Chocolate Layer Pancake Stack.

Okay, so I know this recipe is a bit late in terms of pancake day..but I was busy having fun, as you can see from this huge stack of pancakes (10 layers high!!!)

Chocolate and banana are a world famous combination, and these pancakes are the fluffy American kind, which adds to height and deliciousness.

Peanut Soup.

Me and my Dad were at a restaurant on Saturday that served this soup. My initial reaction to a soup named as the primary ingredient 'Peanut' was "Blegh!": Peanuts are pungent enough on their own, without being pureed in to a soup. However, it actually turned out to be really lovely and different: there was only a hint of peanuts but it gave a really nice nuttiness and richness to the smooth, creamy soup. There was also a hint of spice that livened it up a bit. Me and my Dad decided it was too good for us to leave and not get the recipe, so we asked the waitress what was in it.

Sausage, Pea and Rocket Pasta