Cocktail & Burger

Having heard about Cocktail & Burger from James Vs Burger we decided to check it out last Saturday. Situated in the former Hippo Lounge on Sauchiehall St, it does exactly what it says on the tin! 

Going in, the place is quite dimly lit with low hanging lights above the tables (yes I did bang my head off one) but it gives it a bit of atmosphere. The menu doesn't have a lot of choice, a few burgers,hotdogs, a couple of salads & some snack items but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. We decided to order 2 C&B burgers and a side of mussel popcorn. As the name suggests, cocktails are also a main feature, with a selection at £3.50 & premium ones at £4.50. 

After munching on our complementary cup of popcorn, our food arrived & it was surprised at the amount of food. Normally when you order a burger & chips, it comes on the one plate & you get a decent amount. Not Cocktail & Burger, they give you a good sized burger, not too big, not too small & a separate bowl of their "stealth" fries. 

c                          

The C&B burger is topped with bacon & cheddar & on first bite, I have to say, the taste was amazing. It tasted like a good quality fast food burger without the horrible after-taste you get from say McDonalds or Burger King. On the side is a couple of slices of gherkin, red onion & cucumber to put on top of your burger if you wish. Unfortunately I didn't realise this & ate it before it was pointed out to me why it was there! 

                            
I don't know why anywhere hasn't thought of mussel popcorn before but it's fantastic! Just like chicken popcorn but with mussels. Really loved this & the pureed tartar sauce that came with it. Not for those who don't like anything too fishy but a must have for all fish fans out there. I'm still a bit confused about why the fries are called "stealth" fries, however, they were pretty good. Nice & crispy & also for the first time I've experienced, pre-peppered rather than pre-salted. 

                            

A big plus to Cocktail & Burger for supplying hot sauce as part of the normal set of condiments. Both of us are big spice fans so this just added to the goodness of the burger. And the fries may have also taken a spice hit too!


I can't believe these guys are doing 2 for 1 burgers all day at such a low price (C&B are £6.95 each) for such good quality. Despite not sounding like a lot to eat, we were both suitably stuffed after our venture to Cocktail & Burger. A repeat visit is on the cards!
                           

Lazy Sunday at Curlers

I've been having a craving for a good Sunday Roast for a while but haven't been lucky enough to get my hands on one. So on Sunday when asked "Where do you want to eat?", all I knew is that somewhere with a Sunday Roast is where I wanted to go. Remembering someone I know mentioning the roast they had in The Curlers Rest a couple of weeks back, we decided to go there.

Writing this, I've realised that was the first time I'd eaten in Curlers after they bought the pub from the Scream chain. I had eaten in the previous incarnation but the food in Scream pubs is enough to put anyone off pub food for life so maybe that's part of the reason!

After deliberating which type of roast to get, I decided on the 21 day aged beef with all the trimmings. Al (my other half) decided on the homemade cheeseburger with BBQ pulled pork, which I'd read good reviews about. We sat waiting for our meal with an Aspall each - very few places in Glasgow serve Aspall on tap so anywhere that has this gets a big tick from me!

Our dinner arrived & all I can say is there was a lot of food on my plate! The beef was accompanied with mixed veg (but no sauteed cabbage as was advertised on the chalkboard :( & someunknown white veg), a big yorkshire pudding, an army of roast potatoes & red wine gravy (which I had on the side). This was right up my street! I have to say I did enjoy the meal & surprisingly the gravy. I'm not a bit gravy fan, hence why I had it on the side but it was really tasty, the red wine giving it a less overbearing meaty taste I've found with other gravies. The only part of it I can really fault it the yorkshire pudding which was a bit too crispy for my liking, but that could just be me!

The cheeseburger with the pulled pork was also a hit. Al struggled to pick it up as the pork was falling out from all angles. I took a sneaky bit & it was really nice. The pork was melt in the mouth, with a nice subtle BBQ flavour whilst the burger rounded it off. By the time the burger was finished, there was enough pork on the plate to fill another burger! The exact description of the fries was "you could get these in McDonalds" & I have to agree. They were of the same consistency of McDonald's but without being drowned in salt. 

All in all, Curlers was a hit all round & we will definitely be back. I want a burger with pulled pork for myself!

Not such a good grilling

On Friday it was one of my close friend's 30th & I took it upon myself to sort out a surprise dinner for him. As he's a bit of a meat lover, I decided on Grill on the Corner - a no brainer, they do the best steaks in town! I did not expect to have such a hassle to not only book the meal but also be seated at our table on the night. Booking a table for 11 was such a travesty - it took me 5 days, 5 phonecalls (despite being promised to be called back) & deposit of £10 each before it was finally confirmed. 

We arrived at 8pm sharp to be greeted by the fire alarm which was going off. We had to stand at the bar area & watch whilst 3 fire engines turned up to figure out how to turn off a faulty fire alarm. 30 mins later (I kid you not!), the whining finally stopped & I was straight over asking to be seated at our table only to be told it would take another couple of minutes as they were pushing the tables together. It wasn't until 8:45 that we were finally seated at our table!! Not only did it take ages but I had dropped off a balloon before we arrived & they had failed to put it on the table before seating us. Not exactly rocket science to put a balloon on a table!! I've been to the Grill a couple of times before so knew that a steak is the only way to go. We finally had our order taken after 9pm - 1 whole hour after we had originally booked the table for!

For starters, I ordered the sharing platter (salt & pepper chicken skewers, thai fishcakes, duck springrolls & calarmari) with my fiance to share. It arrived & it looked pretty appetising. One thing I loved was that the calarmari came with tentacles! Never ever had that before. Overall the platter was very tasty - good calarmari, the chicken skewers had a nice kick to them & the fishcakes had a nice thai flavour to them. The duck springrolls weren't exactly to my taste & the garlic mayo wasn't lacking in garlic flavour - my only complaints about the starter.

Now it was time for the main event! I had been looking forward to this steak since I had booked the meal. I ordered a medium sirloin with champ potatoes & a side of green beans & shallots. I've had the sirloin once before & it was melt in the mouth deliciousness! The steak arrived & first bite was a big disappointment - it hadn't been seasoned!! Of all the things I would never expect from a restaurant that specialises in steak is for them to forget to put some salt & pepper on it. The cut itself was not as good as I had before but not as bad as other cuts that have been passed off as steak in other places. The champ potatoes had also been drowned in butter which took away from any taste the spring onion would have given them. One other member of the party was extremely disappointed with his rump steak which was so fatty despite being described as the leanest cut on the menu! 

For the prices you pay in a restaurant like the Grill on the Corner, you expect first class service, no need to ask to make an order, an amazing steak & a card machine that works!!! However, we didn't get this at all & my feeling is they can't handle large parties on a Friday/Saturday night. My friend enjoyed his steak which was the main thing as it was his birthday & the reason we had gone there but I couldn't help but mention my views to the manager. All I was told was that they were sorry & next time I come to ask for the manager & he'll make sure that we get the best table & best service - not sure if we will be back to take them up on that offer!!

The Great White Buffalo

After reading James v Burger's review of Nice & Sleazy's new range of burgers, I decided I'd try one whilst in pre-gig during the week.

It was hard to choose as the majority took my fancy! The range of ingredients on each burger is impressive, on average around 5 items with the burger. I narrowed it down to either the Red Mist (chicken breast in sage, thyme, lemon zest with smoked cheddar, double bacon, caramalised onions, mature chedder, bbq sauce & hot buffalo sauce) or Great White Buffalo burger (Jack-Daniels soaked burger with tabasco, worcester sauce, bacon, stilton, garlic mayo, red onion marmalade & hot buffalo sauce)- as put by my friend, chicken or beef? I decided to take the plunge & go with the Great White Buffalo.

When the burger arrived, I thought it looked pretty small but on closer inspection saw how packed it was with the additional ingredients. It came with a small glass filled with triple cooked chips. Again another small looking portion compared to usual pub grub. After cutting the burger in half, you can see just how jam packed it is with ingredients:



On first bite, all I could think was "chinese food". It was a bizarre taste that came from the mix of the sweet jack daniels, worcester sauce & caramelised onions. Not unpleasant but definitely not what I was expecting from this burger! After one half of the burger, I realised I had forgotten that it had Stilton in it. Any taste of the blue cheese was swamped by the garlic mayo which covered the top half of the burger. What really got the thumbs up from me about this burger was the bacon - lovely thin & crispy bacon. Beats the fatty, thick pieces that normally accompany burgers. The caramelised onions were also nice & sweet with a slight acidity that went nicely with both the burger & the garlic mayo.

Overall, I'd say a decent burger but not the best I've ever had. My tip to Nice & Sleazy's would be to reduce the amount of additional ingredients with the burger. If the Great White Buffalo was advertised as having garlic mayo & caramlised onions with it instead of garlic mayo, stilton, caramelised onions & hot buffalo sauce, I definitely would not have been disappointed with how it all blended in together. 

A final point that my fiance asked me to put up is the table cloth he thought was awesome (I don't know what goes through his head!).

A Spot of Brunch: 1

On a lazy Sunday morning, making breakfast is generally something that seems like too much effort. Mornings like these, we usually head to the Rio Cafe on Hyndland Road for some satisfying brunch.

This morning, however, we decided to broaden our horizons & go elsewhere (mainly so I wouldn't be tempted by chips right at the end of my detox programmes - blog to follow). After much deliberation, we decided to head to the Hyndland Cafe, purely because they were local & did milkshakes, which I had a hankering for!

When we arrived, we were lucky in that there was a table free. I was surprised at how small it was given all the good reviews I'd read online, I had expected somewhere with more than 5 tables & a window seat! Trying to decide what to eat was tough due to the variety on offer - toasties, bagels, cooked breakfast, french toast, pancakes and different types of eggs. Usually this decision is aided by seeing what other people are eating but in such a small cafe, it was difficult to see what others had chosen.

I decided on a chilli & cheese toastie, something a bit different that I had never thought of putting in a toastie before! Whilst we waited for our food, which was a bit too long for my liking (around 15 mins), the table next to us got 2 servings of french toast, bacon & maple syrup & eggs benedict - all of which looked really tasty!

Our food finally came & I can say I wasn't disappointed. The chilli had a good flavour to it & not too much cheese in the toastie that it took away from the taste of the chilli.The homemade coleslaw was also a nice accompaniment. 

Overall, a good & fulfilling Sunday brunch. I think we will be back as I really want to sample the french toast which looked really tasty. A word of warning if you go to sit in - expect to wait a while as the amount of people getting take away gives the lone chef a lot of work to do which can leave you hungry whilst you wait for your food. 

Hairy Dieters: Take 1

I've been meaning to put this post up for a while but haven't got round to it.

Anyway, I purchased the Hairy Dieters book after watching the TV series since half of the recipes looked really tasty & surprisingly easy to make. There's so many recipes within the book that I liked the look of: from Spanish Chicken Bake to Lasagne (with Leek sheets instead of pasta!) to Steak and Ale Casserole.

At first look, the book looks like it's got everything sussed as they have a narrative about each chapter along with the calories for each dish. That in itself may be a handy piece of info but in reality, the calories do not match up. When creating the below dishes, I entered the calories of what I used into My Fitness Pal & they most definitely do not add up. So BEWARE if you do buy this book, the calories are not what they seem.

So far from the book I've made 2 recipes:

Cajun Chicken with Spicy Wedges

I am a self confessed cajun chicken freak! If I eat out anywhere & cajun chicken is on the menu, I will automatically order it. However, I've yet to find the perfect homemade cajun spice mix to rival what I've eaten in restaurants/bars.

Ingredients (for 4):
4 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp sunflower oil

Spice Mix:
5 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like it spicier, I would add 1-2tsp)
1 tsp flaked sea salt

Wedges:
3 medium potatoes (around 475g)
1 tsp sunflower oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp flaked sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Chive dip (I didn't make this but it's in the book):
100g low fat natural yoghurt
2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method:
Preheat the over to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas mark 7. Combine all of the spice mix into a jar with a tight seal & shake it up. If you make this for less than 4 people or prefer to have less seasoning, you can store the spice mix in the jar.
Peel & cut the potatoes into 8-10 wedges, put them in a bowl with the oil & seasoning & toss them to coat them. Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until tender & lightly browned.
Flatten each chicken breast between 2 sheets of clingfilm to around 1.5cm thick. Grease a griddle or frying pan with the sunflower oil & place over a med-high heat. 
Coat each chicken breast with as much seasoning as you wish (they recommend 1 tsp per breast). Griddle/fry each breast for 2 mins, turn to cook for another 2 mins & then finish with another min on each side.
For the chive dip, mix the yoghurt & chives together & serve in rammekins.

Verdict
I enjoyed this dish but for me the cajun spice mix was not spicy enough. I followed the recipe for it & coated both sides of the breast with the spice mix. Next time, I will add more cayenne pepper to the spice mix. 

Chicken Jalfrezi

Curries are always difficult to get right at home & often involve using tins of tomatoes which really make the flavour quite bland. This curry was a pleasant surprise & one I think curry fans will enjoy.

Ingredients (serves 4):
6 long green chillies (finely chop 4, deseeded if desired)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bitesize chunks)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp flaked sea salt
200 ml cold water
2 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt
1 med onion, cut into 12 wedges
1 grene pepper, cut into chunks
2 tomatoes, quartered
2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp water

Method:
Heat a tbsp oil in a large, fairly deep frying pan or pot over a high heat. Add garlic, chopped chillies, tomatoes, spices, sugar & salt & stir fry for 3-4 mins until veg is softened. Make sure the garlic or spices don't burn.& reduce heat slightly so that sauce simmers. Cook for 8 mins, stirring occassionally until the sauce has reduced by about a third. 
While chicken is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a pan & stir fry the onion & pepper over a high heat until lightly browner. Add the quartered tomatoes & fry for another 2-3 mins, stirring until veg are tender. Mix the cornflour with a tbsp of water to form a smooth paste.
When chicken is ready, stir in cornflour mixture & simmer for a few secs until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add stir-fried veg & mix together. 

Verdict:
This is a really tasty curry but make sure you lessen the ingredients if you are cooking for say 2 or 3 people. I made this with 2 chicken breasts & used the same amount of chillies (I like spice) & water which made the curry a bit watery & REALLY spicey. But overall, a pleasant curry that I will definitely be making again. 

Welcome!

Hello & welcome to my blog! 

This blog will be full of recipes I've tried & tested, no matter how horrible they turn out! I'm always on some form of diet so I'm always on the look out for new low fat recipes & meal ideas.

And who can forget eating out! I'll be posting pics of meals out, only if they're worthy :)

Keep tuned for the first real post!