tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87992467322362770522024-03-19T03:18:39.850+00:00Fancy-Ass FoodIt's been a long time coming, but a refresh for FancyAssFood is on its way!Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-29920731500424204112015-06-19T11:59:00.000+01:002015-06-19T11:59:47.663+01:00Roasted Vegetable and Avocado Pita Pizzas
Okay, I’ll admit it. I have a problem. A problem with how ridiculously adorable these little bastards are! Look at them! They’re so cute they should be locked up. Or eaten.
Oh, and I promise this’ll be the last bready recipe for a while. Seriously, tortillas, tacos, burritos and now pitas. I gotta try branch out a little. But I had to share this recipe, ‘cause it’s become my go-to vegetarianColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-63903238538988952972015-05-29T01:39:00.000+01:002015-05-29T12:32:28.254+01:00Mozzarella Mustard Meatball Marinara Madness
Italian-style meatballs are a true comfort food. There’s something undeniably joyful about sitting down to a big plate of spaghetti meatballs, slathered in sauce and cheese. That dangling participle was just for you, grammar nerds. But you know what isn’t just for grammar nerds? These marvellous marinated meaty miracles with a mild mustard makeup.
I know what you’re thinking. “Is there Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-65294692603126297462015-04-30T18:12:00.001+01:002015-04-30T22:29:39.144+01:00All Day Breakfast Burrito
You know that saying “necessity is the mother of all invention”? Well, random stuff in the fridge is the mother of all recipes. Or at least is was for this recipe. Throwing stuff together to see what works and what doesn’t is a really fun part of cooking. And by damn is this one of the things that works!
I’ve called this a breakfast burrito because that’s when I first ate it. And also it’s Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-9215759638513520442015-03-29T12:19:00.001+01:002015-03-29T12:25:32.407+01:003 Cheese, Courgette and Rosemary Pasta
The last tendrils of a fading winter are clawing at the door, the world outside my rain streaked window is one of steely greys and bending boughs.
It's still cold as balls out there.
Spring has most certainly not sprung, and I ain't coming out until it does. So with food being the cure for pretty much everything wrong with this latitude, I've been eating a lot of comfort grub lately. That'sColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-73865079724789462372015-03-05T14:04:00.000+00:002015-04-30T18:16:18.264+01:00Irish Tacos with Spiced Chicken
With Paddy’s Day coming up I wanted to have a little fun and make a twist on an Irish culinary classic, like… em… uhh… huh. I guess Ireland doesn’t really have much of a culinary legacy. Screw it, let’s just make something with potatoes in it and call it Irish. That work for you?
I kinda made these by accident when I was experimenting with my tortilla dough. Exactly like the discovery of Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-31747734190401216312015-02-18T22:30:00.001+00:002015-02-19T23:14:46.939+00:00East Meets West: Plum Duck and Sausage Pizza Dumplings
Dumplings. Hot damn do I love me some dumplings. And with it being Chinese New Year up in this joint, I decided to make my own for dinner. What could go wrong?
It was halfway through my 8th pork dumpling dipped in vinegar and soy sauce that I realised serving them as a main course could actually be a violation of the Geneva Convention. There’s no taste variation, they’re waaaay more Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-81594329793388193802015-02-02T17:37:00.001+00:002015-02-18T15:00:44.153+00:00Chile Con Veggie and Pale Ale Tortillas
I’ve been trying real hard to think of more vegetarian recipes for this blog. Unfortunately, my thought process usually goes:
Meat -> Things that go with said meat -> Recipe.
So I haven’t been hugely successful in that department. Meat simply makes almost everything more awesome. I’m just holding out for bacon ice-cream… wait, that’s already a thing?! Well then. Game-set-match, I Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-9247429652061563042015-01-24T16:45:00.001+00:002015-03-06T13:56:49.671+00:00Tangy Chorizo, Parsnip and Orange Tagliatelle
Freakishly fast yet fabulously fancy, this quirky pasta can be thrown together in no time at all, and has a taste like none other. It’s super comforting, slightly sweet, and slightly spicy. But unfortunately, much like the Matrix, no one can be told exactly how Chorizo-Parsnip-Orange-Pasta tastes… You have to eat it for yourself.
If you want to turn up the dial to 11 on the fancy-o-meter, Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-44291302845485210152015-01-16T23:23:00.000+00:002015-03-24T11:33:33.171+00:00Calamari and Vodka Spaghetti
I’m a pretty big fan of reversing the concept of a liquid lunch. Instead of subbing alcohol for food, turn your alcohol into food. I guess a Bloody Mary is somewhere in between… Come to think of it, this is basically a cooked Bloody Mary, with seafood and pasta thrown in for good measure. You know what they say. If you like it then put a squid ring on it!
…Nobody says that, huh? Well they Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-22713655079990458582015-01-09T16:45:00.001+00:002015-03-24T11:35:59.743+00:00Roast Pork Belly with Apple and Blue Cheese
I can’t even express how much more upbeat I become when the days start to make that noticeable shift towards getting longer again. Sunset at 4pm? No friggin’ thank you. I’m a firm supporter of the Human Hibernation Movement. Which, if it isn’t a thing, totally should be. Seriously, what are our politicians doing? Voice of the people my ass. But now that we’re into January, I’m already feelingColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-2152791442362454672015-01-03T18:10:00.000+00:002015-01-09T16:39:40.799+00:00Thai-Style Pork Ball Noodles
Trigger warning: chowing down on this may bring back memories of eating out of polystyrene bowls served by busy street-vendors while tuk-tuks whizz by. If you’ve ever been to Thailand.
My sense of memory is really closely linked to my sense of taste. I’ll get transported by a taste that reminds me of a crab dish served on the Seattle Space Needle, or a fresh piece of sushi from the side Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-90430926965466415772014-12-21T18:16:00.000+00:002014-12-22T00:41:21.211+00:00Cheater’s Steak and Chips with Garlic Broccoli
Ever have one of those moments in the supermarket where you just decide… Hey, I deserve a steak! I’ll be damned if I know what the heck I think I did to deserve it, but it was on special so you can be sure I bought it.
Steak and chips holds a special place close to my heart. Namely my stomach. It’s the kind of thing that just naturally feels like you’re celebrating something. Like the Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-45114300491314880892014-12-11T18:29:00.001+00:002015-03-06T16:38:15.730+00:00Brandy and Chilli Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ho-ly butt monkeys. Let me tell you, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to make my own cookie recipe. Pfft, cookies? They have, what, 4 ingredients? Butter, sugar, flour and egg. How hard could it be to make the perfect cookie? Turns out, there’s like twenty variables. Butter temp, sugar colour, sugar crystal size, flour type, ratio of egg white to yolk, fridge time, Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-15034503187196535622014-12-03T11:08:00.000+00:002015-03-06T16:43:49.943+00:00Winter Warmers 3: Seafood, Asparagus and Fried Mushroom Risotto
This is the third in a series of three meals which are perfect for the cold winter months. The first two (Chicken Paprikás and Moules Frites) feed into this one by providing the ultimate stock, so you can try making all three in one week to get the most out of them. You can of course cook this dish with commercial stock, but where’s the fun in that?
You know how you cook rice by sticking theColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-18790675309633308122014-12-01T12:34:00.000+00:002015-02-19T11:48:36.396+00:00Winter Warmers 2: Moules Frites - Creamy Mussels with the Crispiest French Fries
This is the second in a series of three meals which are perfect for the cold winter months. The first two feed into the third (this sexy Seafood Risotto) by providing the ultimate stock, so you can try making all three in one week to get the most out of them. The first recipe, Chicken Paprikás, is here.This is like Fish ’n’ Chips taken to the nth degree. Shellfish ’n’ Chips! Now, you Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-53414777362832342622014-11-29T12:00:00.000+00:002015-01-09T16:32:46.316+00:00Winter Warmers 1: Chicken Paprikás with Garlic and Bacon Nokedli
This is the first in a series of three meals which are perfect for the cold winter months. The first two feed into the third (a rather fetching Seafood Risotto) by providing the ultimate stock, so you can try making all three in one week to get the most out of them. The next step is the Moules Frites.
Before my recent trip to Hungary, the only reference point I had for paprikás was from WhenColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-43782397384908213062014-11-08T09:03:00.000+00:002015-05-03T16:21:20.725+01:00Shredded Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad
Did you know that a salad is basically defined as a bunch of raw (or cooked) stuff, cut up and served cold (except when it's served warm)? Seriously. Look it up.
Did you also know that a salad is basically the single easiest meal to prepare? Well it is. If you want the most effortless job at a potluck, volunteer to make a salad. It’s also got the added bonus of carrying really low Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-11015124833988683942014-10-31T16:37:00.000+00:002014-12-17T18:58:10.104+00:00Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage and Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs
Look at me, being all seasonal! I was going to call this Pumpkin Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce and Extra Pumpkin, but I thought that might be overdoing it a little. If your only previous experience with pumpkin anything is in latte or lantern form, prepare to have your mind blown. But even if you’re a regular pumpkin eater, this gnocchi recipe is damn awesome. It can be made with pretty much anyColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-9071370311893952472014-09-29T14:27:00.001+01:002015-05-03T16:26:38.691+01:00The Birthday Cake
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Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-53223840598636442832014-09-02T01:37:00.001+01:002015-02-04T21:38:21.072+00:00Sorta Stroganoff Pie
I was so bowled over by the discovery of how easy it is to make shortcrust pastry, that I can’t really stop making pies now. I can finally truly appreciate what The Oatmeal was talking about. This recipe is different enough from the Smoked Salmon and Leek Pie that I felt it deserved an entry.
Any excuse for pie is good enough for me!
Cube chuck steak and toss it in wellColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-46111952146623178782014-08-22T17:33:00.001+01:002014-12-02T00:06:34.561+00:00Irish Brown Bread Breakfast of Kings
Way back in my first post, I promised to divulge the ancient art of making Irish Brown Bread (Soda Bread), and the time has finally come. Brown Bread is the best thing to come out of Ireland since… no, actually, Brown Bread was the original awesome thing. Everything else is “since Brown Bread”.
This is the easiest bread in the world to make, requiring no kneading, no proving, nothing. It Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-51004416543944257062014-08-04T23:02:00.001+01:002014-12-01T23:56:34.553+00:00Smoked Salmon and Leek Pie
There’s nothing better on a rainy afternoon than a freshly baked pie. Well, few things better.
A charming Frenchwoman I recently met threw together this pie in record time. I really wish I’d watched her do it, but thankfully its beauty is in its simplicity and I think I made a fair stab at it.
And if you’re thinking that pastry is too hard to do, stop right there. I hadn’t made pastry sinceColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-7935080464319221682014-07-26T00:25:00.003+01:002015-06-09T22:54:18.688+01:00The Hannibal Special - Stuffed Roast Heart with Devilled Kidneys and Garlic Liver Pâté
I am absolutely in love with the new Hannibal series. I devoured season 1 on DVD, and now I’m hungry for more. One of the reasons I’m so smitten with Hannibal is the delicious set design, particularly the mouthwateringly gourmet meals prepared and served by everyone’s favourite cannibal. By the end of each episode, I was ravenous.
I know that that sounds like the sort of thing that might getColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-41454235353419609452014-07-22T16:27:00.001+01:002014-12-01T23:43:28.139+00:00Goat’s Cheeseburgers with Hot Relish and Caramelised Onion
Cheeseburgers can be an almost religious experience for some, and there are many different creeds and faiths. I’ve tried Blue, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Brie… but I have seen the light and now I worship at the alter of Goat’s. I was first served a burger like this out of a humble food trailer at a festival, and the second I saw them slide a whole round of cheese onto the grill, I knewColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799246732236277052.post-23008134750284053172014-07-18T16:05:00.000+01:002015-01-04T14:54:57.070+00:00Spicy Speedy Beef and Lime Noodles
I probably shouldn’t even be putting this recipe up on Fancy-Ass Food, it’s far too simple. But I’ve been cooking this tasty little number for years and it’s my go to “I can’t be arsed to do anything more complicated” dinner, so I thought I’d share it.
I’ll let you away with it this time.
Slice some beef into thin strips. Heat up a bit of oil in a pan and start frying Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17976080500980603708noreply@blogger.com0