ED's Brunch!

Don't you just love it when your friend called Emma cooks you Eggs Benedict at their house with their retro dining table and chairs?

Delish!

I guess it's my turn now...

That's Cranberry and Raspberry juice by the way...

Review: Heliot Steakhouse, Hippodrome Casino, Leicester Square

If there was one thing I missed as a vegetarian for a month, it was steak. And I mean a good piece of steak, so when I heard about the Heliot Steakhouse I just couldn't resist.

Lovely Argentinian wine was served

What we had:
Starters: 
Smoked salmon with avocado and crab
Tomato mozzarella
Main:
Rump steak
Sirloin steak
hand cut chips
Dessert:
Chocolate pudding with strawberry shake
Lemon creme brulee



The casino wouldn't have been my first choice when choosing steak to be honest, but the best places are always the ones where you would least expect it. We started with cocktails, which were made especially to our personal tastes, RR, my dinner date for the evening, had a lovely little glass of something with cucumber, which was perfect in the warm Sunday evening. Being a Sunday, the place wasn't full but there was enough people around to feel the quiet, unassuming atmosphere with a hint of excitement as a few small groups rubbed their hands and blew a kiss for good luck on the tables below. The Steakhouse has a choice of tables - quieter areas or ones overlooking the whole casino.

My starter of smoked salmon was absolutely divine. It tasted quite fresh, and was a decent size for the first course. I have a bit of an obsession with avocado at the moment and it had just the right amount of seasoning to complement the crab and salmon.

Presentation was very 'pretty'

Next, RR went for the sirloin - well done, and I had the rump - medium cooked. We both agreed that the steak was just right to our liking. My steak was juicy, chewy; I had mine with red wine sauce which was a great combination. The sizes were more than generous, and for that price, I thought it was well worth it. I've been to more 'well-known' steak houses where the meat portions and quality really don't represent the price. How did I know that it was a good quality meat? Because you don't need your plate to be covered when you already start to feel full but want to carry on eating all at the same time.

The rump steak and red wine sauce

For dessert, both waitresses recommended the chocolate pudding, so of course we had one of those, and it was easy to see why it was their favourite. The strawberry milkshake came in a kooky little jar with straw.

RR and her dessert

My dessert, however, was not the best. I think starters and steak is where the Heliot really excels. All in all, the Heliot Steakhouse was a success. I like the fact that it is in a casino and is a place you wouldn't automatically think to go for just a quality meal if you are a local Londoner, but on the right days of the week, this could be a 'right little gem' just to eat. The prices are reasonable for its quality and location, I've seen higher marked prices for steak, but the Heliot is definitely worth your money. You do have to be over 18 to even enter the Hippodrome but that's reasonable. Service and hospitality was friendly and helpful but not too much of a bother to your evening which I like. I'd definitely come here again for a good bit of steak...and possibly for a cocktail or two.

Steak - 4 out 5.

The mozzarella starter

A Summer's lunch

I once said that advocado and mango should be made compulsory in every salad.  It's just the most refreshing thing to have on a lovely summer's day (what's left of it anyway).

A few ingredients - don't forget a snazzy lunchbox.

Just a few simple rules to keep the mango and advocado tangy and juicy ready to brighten up your working day:

Nothing beats the staple leaves and tomatoes. 

1. Lemon juice.  Lemon juice is the key to stop your advocado going brown and fresh.
2. Soy sauce.  No need for salt, as soy sauce is already salty, and adds to the dressing.
3. Rice white wine.  Adds an extra element to the salad.
4. If you like a bit of spice, add some wasabi to the salad.  

Salmon, advocado, lemon juice and soy sauce. Mango at the ready. 

I also added some teriyaki sauce to my mango, advocado and smoked salmon (you can also add prawns) and marinaded it in the sauce whilst prepping the other part of my salad.

If you're like me, and need a fuller lunch to help you get through the rest of the day, add some long grain rice or cous cous.

Lunch! Just don't eat it next to the computer.

Salmon & Avocado Unwrapped Sushi Recipe

Salmon & Avocado Unwrapped Sushi Recipe

....with wasabi mayonnaise and spring onions

I love sushi, and I think it's the addictive flavouring of the sushi rice that keeps me coming back for more. Sushi rice is easy to make at home using a few simple ingredients that can be found in most supermarkets or asian superstores. This recipe uses smoked salmon and avocados but you could use any combination of sushi filling that you like!

If you don't have a rice cooker it will take slightly more effort but still taste the same- if you are using a normal pan, I recommend tying a clean and dry tea towel around the lid to stop steam escaping while you cook your rice.

Unlike my other recipes I will be using a cup measurement for making up the rice only as this is how I measure my rice at home and it is the easiest way of doing it.

Unwrapped Sushi

Serves 2 hungry people or 4 nibblers

Ingredients

For the rice:

1 cup of Sushi rice or short grain white rice

1 1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup of mirin (Japanese rice wine)

3 teaspoons of sugar

3 teaspoons of salt

To serve:

1 ripe avocado (if the avocado has some give when you press into it, it's ripe)

60g smoked salmon (I used trimmings or off cuts and they are cheaper)

3 or 4 spring onions or salad onions

Soy sauce

For the wasabi mayonnaise:

5 tablespoons of good quality mayonnaise

1-2 teaspoons of wasabi paste, depending on how hot you want it

Method:

*Tip: Before you start cover your chopping board in cling film to stop the smell of salmon sticking to it.

1. Measure out your rice into a small bowl and cover with cold water, stir briefly with a chopstick and then immediately drain using a sieve or a colander with small holes. Repeat until the water runs almost clear. 
2. Place the rice in the rice cooker (or pan) and add water, you made need to adjust the amount of water for a pan. Start the cooker.
3. Prepare the sushi seasoning (also known as sushi vinegar) by mixing the rice wine vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt together. Some people like to do this in a small saucepan, but I prefer to fill a shallow bowl with boiling water and then sit a small glass in the hot water in which I mix the seasoning until the salt and sugar has dissolved. I find this gives me more control and does not over heat the seasoning. It also saves on washing up! If you are making the seasoning after the rice is cooked, you can set your glass in the rice for the same effect.
4. Mix together your mayonnaise and wasabi paste, add a little at a time tasting it until the flavour is as strong as you would like. It should have a pale green colour. Set aside for later. 
5. Let the seasoning cool, and prepare your 'filling'. If your smoked salmon is not already sliced, chop it up with a pair of scissors and set aside. To prepare the avocado run a sharp knife long way around it right down to the stone, then hold each side and firmly twist until they are separated. Scoop out the stone with a tablespoon, never use a knife. Then either scoop out the flesh or peel away the skin and chop your avocado into slices. Chop your spring onion.
6. By now your rice should be cooked, so remove it and place in a large shallow bowl if you have one. If the bowl is wooden- even better! Take a wooden spatula and stir the rice allowing it to cool and the steam to rice, you can fan the rice or stir it beneath your kitchen extractor fan to speed this up. When the rice begins to get very sticky and has cooled, stir in your seasoning a little at a time. *Note if you want to serve your rice warm, simply stir the seasoning into the warm rice- the previous step is only necessary if you want an authentic sushi rice texture, the taste will ultimately be the same.
7. Add your smoked salmon and avocado to the rice and lightly mix. Sprinkle your chopped spring onions over the top and serve the wasabi mayonaise drizzled over or on the side. Serve with soy sauce and enjoy.

Edit*: Since writing this recipe I have bought a bottle of ready made Mitsukan sushi seasoning from the Japan Centre (Japanese supermarket), rather than restock my mirin and rice wine vinegar which I feel are overpriced in British supermarkets. You can pick up a 355ml bottle of sushi seasoning for around £3.