A foodie roundup!

I seem to go through times when there is plenty of time to fill with blogging, and times when there is just not a spare moment. Rest assured, I still cook my little socks off during this time and have had recent success with the following:

Nigella-style steak, salad and chips, followed by chocolate fondant. - this was for a dinner with friends, for which I would never usually do steak as I am worried about it turning out tough and chewy... However, I bit the bullet and headed to Borough Market to chat to a lovely butcher who sold me two delicious long strips of hanger steak (or skirt) for a mere £8! And the opposite veg stall had me in raptures, I bought the most wonderful, frothy-looking lettuce, a beautifully fragrant bunch of thyme, and scarlet cherry tomatoes! I marinaded the steak in oil, salt, pepper and thyme, fried it quickly turning it frequently but allowing a caramelised crust to form on each surface. I made a thick mustardy vinagrette and dressed the leaves with it. I spread these around a chopping board, and sliced the steak thinly and laid it in the middle. I made chips to go with this (just potato sliced, oiled and baked) and chocolate fondants for afters - the recipe for which was insanely simple and the soft little puds were just lovely! Recipe from BBC Food and Mr James Martin. 
Baking bagels - A moderate success, and delicious to eat. The look is a little tricky to get right, and the second attempt is currently in progress.

Butternut squash and leek soup - enjoyed for my work lunches
Sweet potato and leek soup - as above - both of these are lovely autumnal soups as simple as a potato and leek but with just a little more sweetness and comfort.
Strudel cupcakes - courtesy of Delicious magazine and loved by those in my office and those in my other half's rehearsal room.
Ribs in Jerk seasoning, with wedges and root veg slaw - so simple, and such a treat!
Root veg rosti - a lovely autumn dish, with grated potato, carrot and bramley apple squashed into a pan with thyme and seasoning, and a good few chunks of butter. The tomato sauce was made with paprika and cinnamon and lent a lovely richness and North African contrast to this English country garden supper!
A fruit cake! Not very exciting, but my first go at a Dundee recipe, and I am impressed by the golden, fully fruited soft cake-ilicious results!

My busy bee levels of cookery have been inspired by reading my two new favourite magazines, The Simple Things, and Delicious. I could not possible cook all these recipes, and I haven't tried - but just having read them makes me want to do more interesting things with the meals that I make, and to put that little more effort in to finding new ingredients, and new combinations.