The Botanist, Birmingham 29/04/15

I definitely couldn't wait for this - The Botanist in Birmingham is fairly new, opened in March 2015 and I had seen so many amazing pictures on Facebook and Instagram I couldn't wait to try it. Its a bar/restaurant, its almost like a hidden garden! Its light and airy but so pretty, with little bits of Science equipment around the place in cabinets and on shelves. Its very quirky and different, but I really liked it! There is also a lovely seating area outside which when the weather is good will be delightful to sit out drinking and eating with friends.

Healthy Recipe - Chicken Gyros 28/04/15

I love Greek food and was so happy when I came across this recipe on Le Creme De La Crumb and was very excited to try it!

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, pounded to ½ inch thickness
• 1 tablespoon mediterranean seasoning (you can substitute Italian seasoning in a pinch)
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 pitas (this is a Greek-style flatbread you can find at almost any grocery store near the bread and tortillas or in the bakery)
• optional: lettuce, feta cheese crumbles

Tzatziki Sauce

• ½ English cucumber, peeled and diced
• 2 cups cold plain Greek yogurt
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• ⅓ cup chopped dill, fresh or frozen (may sub 2 tablespoons dried dill)
• 1½ Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of ½ medium lemon)
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

Puree all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (If you have time, make this a few hours in advance or the night before so that the flavors can marinate

Season chicken breasts with mediterranean seasoning. Cook in a large skillet or pan over medium heat 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Cut into strips

Lay pitas on a clean surface. Add lettuce (if desired, chicken, red pepper strips, and onions. Top with tzatziki sauce and feta (if desired). Fold pita over like a sandwich, or roll it into a "tunnel shape"

(Mine aren't quite as neat but still very tasty!) 

Healthy Recipe - Honey Baked Chicken, 27/04/15

Baked Honey Garlic Chicken

I'm trying to eat healthy at the moment and we all know how boring salads can get so I'm always on the look out for new healthy recipes that are delicious and filling, so that I don't miss the carbs and fatty foods. I was browsing the web and found a few food bloggers that cook regularly and I came across Damn Delicious who has hundreds of tasty recipes on her blog, all of which I want to try!

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 2 spring onions
• 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

This is so easy to make and so delicious. I served it with some rice.

• Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. 
• Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Working in batches, dip chicken into eggs, then dip in Panko, pressing to coat. 
• Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 15-20 minutes. 
• In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine honey, garlic and soy sauce. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/3 cup water. Stir mixture into the saucepan until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken and gently toss to combine. 
• Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Yo Sushi! Birmingham Bullring, 25/04/15

I love this restaurant and always get very excited when I'm going as I love Sushi and I love the food - Yo Sushi is one of my favourite places to eat, its quick, convenient, very tasty and they offer 25% student discount - bonus! I love the concept, sit at the bar as the conveyor belt moves around past you and you can pick up dishes as you wish, you can also ask the waitress/waiter to get you certain foods from the menu from fresh - if they are hot or an unusual dish they may not be on the conveyor belt.

The Drawbridge (Flaming Grill), Shirley, 24/04/15

The Flaming Grill pubs are very standard, cheap pubs but the food is great value for money and they usually have so many offers making it a very reasonably priced meal - perfect for those week nights when you can't be bothered to cook! They have a varied menu with so much choice and have so many good offers throughout the week, on a Monday-Thursday 12-4pm they do two courses for only £4.99, on Mondays you can upgrade to any King Size dish for free, on a Tuesday you can buy any Grill or Steak and add any drink for just £1, Wednesdays you can buy a burger and add a drink for £1, Thursdays kids eat for £1, Fridays a pudding is £2 when bought with a main course and on a Sunday they do a roast dinner. Therefore, they have something for everyone and the offers make the meal fantastic value. They also do Challenge meals where if you manage to eat it in the time limit you get the meal free!

Pizza Express, Bromsgrove 21/04/15

Another good old favourite of mine, Pizza Express but this time the Bromsgrove one. Its situated right in the city centre of Bromsgrove and the perfect place to go for a weeknight meal, if you've got a Taste Card they offer 2for1 on most main courses and starters or they always have vouchers on Voucher Cloud that include 20% off etc. It makes the meal incredibly cheap as it isn't an overly expensive restaurant anyway. I have been to the Pizza Express in Solihull and Stratford but not tried the one the Bromsgrove before.

Healthy Dinner, Smoked Mackerel Cous Cous Salad

Smoked Mackerel Cous Cous Salad

Ingredients:

• Smoked Mackerel
• Cous Cous
• Spring Onions
• Mint
• Red Onions
• Lemon
• Salt & Pepper

This is such a simple dinner to make, perfect for a week night after work AND its very healthy, full of speed veg, protein but no carbs or sugar. 

Simply, cut the red onions, spring onions, mint and any other vegetables you may have left over in the fridge into little cubes, as small as possible is better. 

Put the vegetables/fruit into a bowl, shred the smoked mackerel into strips, add that into the bowl, mix with together.

Lastly, add hot water to the Cous Cous, leave to settle for 10 minutes, once cooked, add to the bowl ad mix the vegetables and smoked mackerel in so thats its all combined. Drizzle with lemon and season. Serve.

Very delicious, colourful and healthy! I love this dish and make it regularly. 

Hope you enjoy :)

x

Ramada, Afternoon Tea, Sutton Coldfield 19/04/15

The Ramada in Sutton Colfield is a Hotel, Gym, Spa & they do Afternoon Tea - me and the girls got a deal on Wowcher where we could have access to the spa, get treatments and have the Afternoon Tea for £19 each - bargain! Its a nice country hotel situated off the A452 by Villa Park. I had been at a wedding the night before and was feeling slightly worse for wear, therefore, the spa and food could've of come at a better time! 

Turtle Bay, Birmingham, 12/04/15

This is quickly becoming one of my favourite restaurants, this time I tried the Turtle Bay in Birmingham. I was hoping it loved up to my visit to the Leamington branch as that was very good. It was a Sunday evening and I was meeting my friend, Matt was a spot of dinner and some cocktails. Because Sunday is the new Saturday and therefore, this mean cocktails!

Boston Tea Party, Worcester 11/04/15

This was a place I was very excited to try! The Boston Tea Party serve breakfast/brunch, they have two locations: Birmingham (Harborne) and Worcester. I had heard so many good things about this place and their Instagram/Facebook always draws me in with the delicious looking food. Me and Tom went our for the day to Worcester and therefore I HAD to make a stop for breakfast at the BTP. They are an Independent British Cafe with a mission to serve good, honest, fresh food.

Whetherspoons, Shirley, 10/04/15

This is a slightly unusual review as its a very basic pub/food place - but a new Whetherspoons opened in Shirley, just down the road from me and therefore I wanted to try it. Its cheap and cheerful and the food is usually pretty good and extremely good value! This one is in the new Parkgate shopping centre on Shirley High Street, its a bright and open plan place but there aren't many tables inside, its quite a small Whetherspoons compared to most of them but it was busy and had a nice atmosphere.

Prezzo, Bromsgrove, 09/04/15

This review is another classic favourite of mine, Prezzo - but this time the one in Bromsgrove. Prezzo is always good and they have vouchers and offers available most the time, they give 25% student discount and they also accept the Taste Card - getting you 2for1 on weekdays/nights. I was meeting the girls about 8pm on a weeknight - I was starving by the time I got there and couldn't wait to eat! The one in Bromsgrove is a massive restaurant, right on the High Street - we booked a table, not thinking we would need it but as we arrived the place was full!

Cafe Rouge, Birmingham Brindley Place 04/04/15

Another favourite of mine, Cafe Rouge - this time the one in Brindley Place. They had recently launched a new menu and I was excited to try it! The food is consistently good and I always enjoy it. We went on a Saturday time for a late lunch, the one in Brindley Place is a pretty location, its right by the canal and its easily accessible. The French decor inside is so pretty and I like the atmosphere.

Wrapchic, Birmingham Bullring, 01/04/15

Sorry this is a bit late guys, been very busy! I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch night at Wrapchic in the Bullring in Birmingham City Centre. They are a 'fast food' Mexican and Indian chain, they used to be located in The Great Western Arcade and have now moved to the centre of the Bullring on the second floor by Debenhams. I was very intrigued to see what Mexican & Indian food would taste like blended together. They offer takeaway or they have a small seating area you can eat at if you wish.