Just in time for Spring

I may have just missed Pancake Day….but…

Pancake day, or Shrove Tuesday for the traditionalists, may have been last week, but my friends, family and colleagues – still high on the lemon juice and sugar – can’t get them out of their minds. Which led me to think, why don’t we indulge in them more often? My favourite pancake recipe is a savoury one that can be enjoyed all year round. Have them for a luxurious breakfast treat, or a light lunch served with a simple salad.

Pesto pancakes (or green eggs and ham)

You will need:

80g basil pesto

1 large egg

90g spelt flour (you can use plain wheat flour, but spelt gives the pancakes a great texture)

175ml milk

6 slices of honey roast ham

1 tub of cream cheese

Handful of fresh basil leaves

Olive oil spray

Makes 6 pancakes

Method

• Sift the flour into a large bowl and whisk in the egg and milk. Once you have a good smooth consistency, stir in the pesto.
• Lightly spray a heavy-based frying pan with olive oil and heat over a medium flame.
• Ladle in approx 1/6 of the batter (just under a small ladle full) and swirl it round the pan so you get a thin even spread.
• Once the edges start lifting away from the sides, and the middle of the pancake bubbles up, turn the pancake over (or flip it if you’re brave enough).
• While the bottom is cooking, lay a slice of the ham over one side of the pancake and dot it with the cream cheese. Sprinkle with some torn basil leaves before folding the pancake in half and serving. 

Athletic-style fine dining

We all know the Olympics are coming to London later this year, and to cater for it a fantastic selection of amenities have popped up all over the east end of the city. Before Stratford gets overrun with a mix of sports fans, athletes and the media, make the most of the fantastic mix of new restaurants and cafes in the vicinity – they’ll no doubt be fully booked throughout the summer.

I’m a massive seafood and fish fan, so discovering Forman’s Olympic Stadium Restaurant was a real treat (www.formans.co.uk/restaurant). The building and decoration is cool and relaxed, with – of course – a magnificent view of the stadium. The service was great and the staff was happy to recommend dishes and wine – which meant we were able to sit back and enjoy ourselves.

I had the Wild Line-caught Sea Bass with Truffle Mash & Vanilla Froth, which I can only describe as stunning. I was a bit dubious about the vanilla froth, but its slightly sweet edge was perfect with the delicate fish and the perfume of the truffle. The highlight was definitely the mash – it was just delicious…and I’ve been craving it ever since.  I may try and recreate it myself using truffle oil. (I know it won’t be the same, but I really am craving it!)

We finished the meal on a high by sharing a golden syrup sponge. This was a great, old-fashioned pudding, which was as tasty as it was good looking. Served in a golden syrup tin, when we saw it arrive on the table next to us we couldn’t resist ordering one for ourselves.

All in all, it was a great meal. And, although I indulged in all the food groups I’d supposedly given up for lent…I’d do it again

This month’s must see

March marks a change of season, so we can wave goodbye to the cold winter months and celebrate all the joys of spring. To celebrate and get ready for Easter – as well as indulge in some seasonal shopping – I’m going to head down to the Business Design Centre in Islington to attend the Country Living Magazine Spring Fair (www.countrylivingfair.com/spring).

It’s a great event that I’ve enjoyed attending for the past few years. Running from the 21^st – 25^th March, the fair is a great place to stock up on home and lifestyle treats for spring – from clothes and jewellery to craft, furnishings and toiletries. However, what I’m looking forward to the most is the food hall. Each year the culinary stalls are bustling with artisan bakers, organic cheese makers, wine producers and enough sweet treats to keep you going until Christmas. And this year will be no different, in fact, there will be a number of new foodie exhibitors including Anila's Authentic Sauces (www.anilassauces.com), Teapigs (www.teapigs.co.uk) and Meadowsweet Flowers (www.meadowsweetflowers.co.uk) who make hand crystallised edible flowers – perfect for decorating an Easter cake.

Munchy Seeds are a regular at the show – I remember discovering them there three years ago (www.munchyseeds.co.uk). The company specalise in healthy, tasty snacks, that are great for taking to work or keeping in your bag for food on the go – but my favourite product is their Pumpkin Seed Oil. I buy a stock of it every time I visit the show, and have literally just finished my last bottle (perfect timing). The dark rich oil has a really dense toasted seed flavour, and is fantastically aromatic. It’s great as a salad dressing, swirled into soup or – my best tip – poured over diced butternut squash before roasting.