Date Night

On Tuesday, I was planning to go & see The Artist, as it's cheap as chips on a Tuesday. Because it's such a fancy film, Adam & I thought it'd be fun to dress up all fancy too...

(Old photo, but I was wearing this dress)

Unfortunately it seemed that everyone else had the same idea & both showings were sold out :( 

But all was not lost...after a cheeky beverage in a bar over the road from the ridiculously packed out cinema, we went for a wander & found an uh-mazing Mexican restaurant!  

It's called Taqueria - London's authentic Mexican Taco café.

It's not huge (but we did have decent elbow room), and it's not super fancy (I'm pretty sure our cutlery holder was Ikea's finest...), but the staff were lovely & Mexican & so was the amazing food! 

We got a couple of dishes each & proceeded to share - the only way to do Mexican in my opinion; 

Limes, guacamole & another dip on the left, Enchiladitas Suizas de Poblano (aka cheesy goodness) on the right.

Caldo tlalpeño

& the remains of our Quesadillas & Gringas! 

All washed down with this beauty

Michelada
Pacífico, lime juice, Worcester sauce with hot sauce and a salted rim. 

Yum.

Definitely worth a visit if you're hungry & in the Notting Hill Gate area!

Easy Peasy Lemon Chicken

This is probably one of my new favourite things to make for lunch/dinner/other people! 

Partly because it's so super easy (I don't really 'do' baking...), & partly because it's yummy! 

I made it for the first time back in the so-called-summer when I had a friend coming for dinner, who was on a diet so wanted something fairly healthy. Add to this the fact it was super warm outside, and the only things I can usually make are either super unhealthy, or don't exactly require 'cooking' (aka put in the oven & eat). 

Que calling The Mother in a slight panic on my way home from work & her explaining how to make the following: 

Lemon Chicken

This is what I used

Lemon Juice

One lemon

Couscous

Rocket (but any salad really would be okay - I just really love rocket)

Salad dressing

Chicken pieces (in the past I've usually used really large chicken breasts fillets, but these were on offer & worked a treat too)

*I also added a chicken stock cube in the couscous, but forgot to add it to this picture...oops!

After a quick defrost of the chicken I put it all on a baking tray and zested the lemon (I don't have a proper cheese grater, but the small grate-y side works just fine)

So then you've got all the zest to sprinkle over the chicken pieces

I added some lemon juice just to make it super juicy & help to stop the chicken drying out too much. 

The just pop under the grill for about 10 minutes (roughly - until it's cooked really! And making sure to turn them half way through.)

While they're cooking, I added a chicken stock cube and some more lemon juice to the couscous & 'cooked' it!

By this point the chicken was a little brown, but in a good way! 

Like this:

Then just pop it all on the plate & you're done! 

It's also actually really nice cold for lunch the next day too! 

I heart anything this quick & easy <3

Something I plan on trying next week

Devilled Chicken
(Real Fast Food, Nigel Slater)

For two, with green salad:
2 cold chicken legs (or as I plan on using - a whole bunch of skinless chicken strips...but why argue)


For the paste:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves of garlic, finely crushed
2 tablespoons fruity chutney (mango preferably)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or mushroom ketchup
A good shake from the Tabasco bottle


Mix the ingredients to a paste. Slash the skin and flesh of the chicken with a sharp knife and spread the spicy goo over the meant and inside the slashes. 
Grill, 10cm (4 inches or so) from the flame, till sizzling and hot right through - about 10 minutes, turning once. 


Chicken cooked in this way makes a wonderful sandwich. Slice the meat from the bone while still warm and pile into a crusty roll or soft floury bap, then spread with lashings of mayonnaise and a few crisp green leaves. 


I was personally planning on making this with chicken strips, and serving with couscous and salad. However, reading about the possibility of having it in a crusty roll is making my mouth water! Perhaps something for lunch the day after? 


It should look a little something like this: 

(Pictures to follow, promise.)

La Cantina

Earlier today, The Boy & I went for for an impromptu lunch at a local Mexican restaurant called La Cantina.

It wasn't quite how we had planned to spend the day though...
At around midday, I received a message on facebook from Vodka Revs:

However, when we (Sj, Jd, Dan & myself) got there at ten past three, we were told that too many people had come & they weren't giving any more out!
At the time, I wasn't sure what to be more offended about - the fact we looked like we'd just come for the free lunch, or that they hadn't stated anything about availability on the email! Tsk.

So after that Sj & Jd went for a wander in the rain & me & Dan were planning on going to Asda (to stock up on essentials like doughnuts).

But then! We walked past La Cantina & it happened that the 'A-board' outside was advertising their weekday lunch offer, which is amazing!

I didn't happen to take a picture, but luckily they have one on their website;

I had the quesadilla with 'yucatan'(pork) & fajita spiced fries, Dan had quesadilla with fajita chicken & fries too. We also got some chilli popcorn to share as a starter.
It was Amazing! Really, really good food, service & atmosphere!
Or, as Dan puts it "the food was sooo good!".
Will definitely be going back soon!

(A small grab from the website)

Outside;

Inside;

I really like the little touches such as the real chillies hanging from the ceiling. & the music was pretty good too - I can't remember any specific songs that were played (useless), but it was a good mixture & pretty daytime appropriate.

(If you happen to be in Southampton & want the address, it's 

2a - 3a Bedford Place
Southampton
Hampshire
SO15 2B)

xo