Friday 4 November 2011

The Coal Shed Grilled Meat & Fish resturant



The Coal Shed in Brighton
This recently opened The Coal Shed restaurant promises excellent meat cooked to perfection and it does not disappoint - I have visited four times, once for lunch to try the burgers and secondly for a full on meal. On the third occasion we took some friends from Spain to savour the food and drink I defy you to find a better place for steak on the South Coast which is cooked using specialized equipment from Spain . The flavour is awesome and the owner has sourced his meat from a farmer here in Sussex which is properly reared and then hung to mature.  


Very tasty oysters (above). Coal Shed main room (right)



The fish is equally good as the chef comes from Riddle and Finns in the Lanes. On the last visit we had oysters as a starter , beautifully chilled and very fresh with a creamy  taste of the sea. Main courses were steak burgers for two guests while the other opted for fillet steak served medium rare. 


Grilled Burger at the CoalShed
The burgers priced at £8.50 offer excellent value and are the best in the area and as previously stated the meat is cooked to your liking and served with dripping chips. The steaks were a hefty £25 but in my opinion were superb value The desserts are also made on the premises and I can recommend the doughnuts with a Belgian chocolate dipping sauce. The staff are friendly and efficient but I think at busy times more staff would be necessary. The owner Raz  is very passionate about food...and it shows. The room is welcoming and an upstairs private room for small groups has just opened. This is a fine dining experience with the ambience and price - (its not cheap) - to match but the quality and the extensive wine list is worth every penny.




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Wednesday 2 November 2011

Autumn Risottos


Leek risotto. 4 serves Cook time 50 minutes




You need: 5 leeks (sliced finely) – 260g risotto rice – 45g unsalted butter – 80g taleggio cheese (in small pieces) – 50g parmesan cheese – 750mll vegetable stock (hot)

1. In a large wide pan melt 30 g of butter in a medium low heat, add the leeks and cook them gently for about 12 minutes, stirring time to time.
2. Add the rice to the pan and cook for one extra minute. Then add one ladleful of stock, stir a couple of times and once the stock has been absorbed add the next ladleful. Repeat the same process until the rice is creamy and has a bite. More or less take between 15 and 20 minutes. If you need more stock just add a bit of hot water.
3. Add the remaining butter, stir and then add the cheeses, stir very well and season just with pepper (cheeses and stock have plenty of salt)

Yellow Rice with bean and turnips. Serves 4 Cook time 50 minutes



You need: 200g risotto rice – 1 can of white bean (washed and drained)  – 300g turnips (peeled and diced) -1 onion (diced) - 750ml vegetable stock – 5 tbsp. olive oil -  1 tsp. of  saffron strands and paella colouring.

1. Heat 4 tbsp. olive oil in a wide shallow pan at medium low heat and add the turnip  and onion, sauté for 6-8 minutes.
2. Add the rice to the pan and cook for one extra minute. Add the saffron and paella colorant, then add one ladleful of stock, stir a couple of time and once the stock has been absorbed add the nextone. Repeat the same process until the rice is creamy and has a bite. More or less take between 15 and 20 minutes. If you need more stock just add a bit of hot water.
3. 4-5 minutes before you think the rice going to be ready add the white beans.
4. Turn the heat off, drizzle the remaining olive oil and serve after two minutes.


Butternut squash risotto Serves 4 Cook time 45 minutes


You need: 1 butternut squash (peeled and diced about 500-600g – 250g risotto rice – 1 celery stalk (diced) – 1 onion (diced) – 1 tsp. chilli (finely diced) – 2 tsp. ground cumin – 150ml cooking or dry white – 750ml vegetable stock - 50g parmesan cheese – 30g unsalted butter.  Oven at 200ºC.

1. In a baking tray toss the squash, chilli, cumin with 3 tbsp. of olive oil, season and roast for 30 min.
2. Heat another 2 tbsp. olive oil in a wide shallow pan at medium low heat and add the celery and onion, sauté for 6-8 minutes.
3. Add the rice to the pan and cook for one extra minute. Add the wine, stir and wait until is absorbed. Then add one ladleful of stock, stir a couple of times and once the stock has been absorbed add the next time. Repeat the same process until the rice is creamy and has a bite. More or less take between 15 and 20 minutes. If you need more stock just add a bit of hot water.
4. When you are feeling it will be your last ladleful stir in most of the roasted squash and all the juices.
5. Add the last stock, stir and add the parmesan cheese; stir, let rest for 2 minutes.
6. Serve and top the plates with some remaining squash and season with pepper.

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Autumn Seasonal Food Calendar

Spanish Beech tree forest by David Busto
The colourful autumn has arrived!!  and a lot of new ingredients are waiting to be used in our kitchen, just download the Kitchen Voyage spring seasonal calendar to know what to cook in this season. Remember eating according to the season is healthier, eco-friendly and cheaper!


In season this November: chestnuts - winter cabbages - farm venison - tenderstream broccoli - celery - apples - pears - celeriac - chantenay carrots - kale - leeks - parsley - parsnips - pears - pomegrantes - squash - red chicory - pigeon - cauliflower - parsnips -cranberries - jerusalem artichockes - brussels sprouts - chard.


Download the Autumn Calendar Season here: 


If you are in the South hemisphere download the Spring Seasonal Food Calendar




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Monday 31 October 2011

Five Autumns Soups and Why


Malvern Autumn Show by amandabhslater 
For many  autumn is the favourite season for the colours in the nature, but for our body mean changes. Means that we already are working full-time in the office or in the school, that the day are shorter and we struggle with adapt us to the new time and with chose the appropriate clothes for the falling temperatures until we have time to resemble our wardrobe, for those common reason our immune and respiratory system is vulnerable and will need some seasonal autumn food for protect and strength our body for the coming  cold  months.

I would like to share 5 autumn soups with some of the vegetable that need to be daily in your autumn diet and how they are going to help your body to have a healthy new season.

Leek Soup New York Style. Serves  4 at 450kcals by person

Leek Soup
You need:  5 leeks (using only the white part and sliced) – 2 celery stalks (sliced) - 450g potatoes preferably floury (peeled and cut in chunks) – 100ml cooking o dry white wine – 750 organic vegetable stock – 300 ml single cream –  50g unsalted butter – 20g chives  for garnish (chopped)

1. In pan with boiling salty water simmer the potatoes until tender (about 15 min.) Drain and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a pan in a slow medium heat, add the leeks and celery and cook gently for about 15 minutes stirring time to time. Avoid burning the vegetables.
3. Now add the wine and increase the heat until start to boil. Then add the stock, bring to the boil again and simmer for 20 min. Season with pepper and salt (check the salt content in the label of your stock first).
4. Retire from the heat and liquidize the vegetables with the potatoes.
5. For best result sieve the soup, it is a bit of a pain but well worth it!
6. Now stir in the cream, mix very well.
7. Reheat in a very slow heat (you can have it cold if you like it)
8. Serve and scatter some chives over the plates.

Why: Because in autumn start the long season of the leeks until early spring. Also are low in calories and contain a good dose of folate (folic acids) very important to generate red and white blood cells for our immunologic system. Also is rich in potassium helping you in your daily muscular activity.

Ukrainian Beetroot Soup. Serves 4 300kcal by person

Beetroot Soup also known as Borscht
You need: 800g beetroot (head only, peeled and sliced – 3 shallots (sliced)  - 2 medium onions (chopped) -2 garlic cloves (chopped) – 2 apples (peeled –cored –sliced) – 200ml dry cider – 1 ltr. Vegetable stock – 90 unsalted butter – Crème fraiche for garnish.
1. Melt 60g butter in a medium low heat and sauté de onions and garlic (6-8 minutes)
2. Now add the beetroots and the apples for 5 extra minutes
3. Add the stock and simmer for half an hour
4. Meanwhile in another pan smelt the rest of the butter and fry the shallots, until crispy, you will need a medium high heat and stir often.
5. Liquidizer the soup ( if you use a blender be sure you are pressuring the lid down). Season.
6. Serve the soup and scatter over some shallots and crème fraiche.

Why: The beetroot is a vegetable rich in sugar that mean calories and have little Vitamin A and C, but and is a good one beetroots contain a good dose of folate (folic acids) very important to generate red and white blood cells for our immunologic system.

Tomato and Fig Soup Serves 4.150 kcal by person


Tomato and Fig Soup
You need: 1kg fresh tomatoes and 400g canned tomatoes – 7-8 dry figs - ½ very ripe figs by person (in this case 2) – 1 green pepper (chopped) – 1 onion (chopped – 3 garlic cloves (chopped) – 3tsp cumin seeds.
1. Heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion and green pepper (6-8 minutes)
2. Add the 1 ½ tsp. of cumin and cook for just 1 minute more.
3. Put in the canned tomatoes and the dry figs, simmer for 15 min in a medium-low heat.
4. When you get a thick consistency in you sauce add the fresh tomatoes and simmer for another 15 min, stirring time to time.
5. Retire from the heat and blend until is very smooth.
6. Refill your tomato can with 250 ml of warm fresh water.
7. Serve in soup bowls with half peeled (or not peeled) fig and scatter over a few remaining cumin seeds and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, plus a nice slice of bread beside.

Why:  Have tomatoes in Autumn is your last chance to have eat tomatoes in season. The difference between those juicy summer tomatoes are that the autumn tomatoes instead to finish of ripe in the plant they ripe in the fields. The figs contribute with fibre and carbohydrates and even are rich calories their sweetness remember you the summer fruits.

Roman Legion Soup Serves 4 – 300 kcal by person


Roman Legion Soup a real boost
You need:  1 onion (sliced) – 2 celery stalk (sliced) – 1 carrot (sliced) 2- turnips (cubed) – 1 garlic clove (chopped) – 1 ltr vegetable stock – 60grs soup pasta – 1tbsp chopped basil – 1 tbsp chopped oregano.
1. Heat 3 tbsp.  of olive oil in a pan at medium low heat and add the onion, celery, carrot, turnips and garlic. Sauté for 6-8 minutes.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock. Simmer by 30 min.
3. Remove from the heat and puree the vegetables until smooth.
4. Back to the heat and boil the soup, add the pasta and cook according the packet instructions, 2 minutes before finish add the chopped herbs. Season and Serve.

Why: Here we have a nice mix, but first is a soup that really will calm down your appetite but not just based in the calories also because is very rich in vitamins and carbohydrates from the pasta.  The carrots give us Vitamin A which means antioxidants for the body, better skin and better sight. The celery is good like diuretic and turnip will  contribute with fibre and Vitamin C and B. now you are getting the idea why I called Roman Legion Soup.

My aunts Mushroom cream Soup Serves 4 178 kcal by person

Mushrooms picked with my uncle in a deep Soria forest
You need: 400g mushrooms cleaned and sliced (autumn wild mushroom will be the best but any seasonal kind is welcome) – 100ml olive oil – 250 ml chicken stock – 700ml milk - 2tbsp corn flour. Lemon juice.
1. Clean the mushrooms removing the root, then clean them in running fresh water (don’t clean them in a container because they are going to absorb too much water and lose flavour) and drain. Now slice them and pour over the lemon juice to avoid oxidation.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan in a medium low heat, add the sliced mushrooms, and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and liquidise the vegetables until smooth.
5. Dissolve the corn flour in 150 ml of milk.
6. Add the rest of the milk to the pan and heat again until start to boil, and at that moment and without stopping to stir add the milk with the corn flour, and stir for 2 extra minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper (white better)
8. Serve options: with croutons – with chopped parsley – 2 little fry prawns

Why: mushrooms are almost all year around in the forests, but without doubt the best varieties and the more flourish are in autumn. The mushrooms only have 20 kcal for 100 grms. Given their high absorption water capacity, is the reason that all the mushrooms picker like to have a summer full of storm. Mushrooms are rich in Vitamin D needed for our body for retain calcium and phosphorus.  Mushrooms are also rich in Vitamin B.


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