Advertising lunch, afternoon teas and a full evening menu Tuesday to Sunday afternoons, on paper the iconic 17^th century building, once the Session House for the Crown Court, seemed like the ideal place to spend a Sunday afternoon. I was even more looking forward to it when I found out that the restaurant was dog friendly so I could take along my pooch, Frankie.

Frankie and I looking forward to Afternoon Tea (my dog refuses to pose!!)

Originally designed by architect George Moneypenny, the Grade II listed building makes for an impressive sight as you approach and so my friend and I couldn’t wait to get inside. Located in the heart of Knutsford, close to the train station, bus station and Tatton Park (ideal for walking the dog before/after); we were very pleasantly surprised to find there was plenty of space to park right in front of the building.

As we walked into the restaurant itself, we were greeted with the most beautiful and impressive venue. Closed as a working court in 2010, the room has been totally refurbished whilst retaining many of its original courtroom features including the area where the jury and the observers would sit, and where the accused would stand whilst court was in session. I love when a place makes an effort to retain original features and build them in to the new function of a space and here it adds a wonderful sense of presence.

A view of the restaurant from the jurors area – the bar would be where the defendant would stand before the judge

Delightful decor – artwork and mirrors

As we were seated at our table, we couldn’t help but admire the array of artwork on the walls (in particular the portraits of some famous faces who’ve appeared in court including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Frank Sinatra and even Sirius Black) and the beautiful glass domed ceiling, which, with the winter sun low in the sky, had the most beautiful light streaming through it.

Our waitress quickly brought us over the menus alongside a bowl of water for Frankie and we settled into our seats. I selected the Rose Bubbles Afternoon Tea which consisted of a traditional afternoon tea with a pink cocktail made from rose petal liquor, lavender and prosecco (£22.95). Other options available are the traditional afternoon tea which is £15.95 or the champagne afternoon tea which is £26.95.

A lovely tea selection

After selecting our tea from a box full of blends (I went for the Earl Grey), we were brought both our hot and cold drinks and shortly after the main event…

The picture speaks for itself – rose bubbles, sandwiches, cakes, pastries, macarons and scones. Heaven.

The food itself looked beautiful. A selection of finger sandwiches (salmon and horseradish, egg mayo, cheese and spring onion and ham and tomato), cakes, macarons, pastries and of course, a scone with jam and clotted cream. Served on a lovely china cake stand, we couldn’t wait to tuck in and I have to say, the taste really lived up to expectations. The sandwiches were light and fresh and the sweets were absolute heaven. My favourite of them all (other than the scone, which will always be number one!) was the raspberry and lavender dome. Sweet without being sickly with a nice crunch to the shortbread biscuit base, it went perfectly with my Rose Bubble cocktail.

Raisin scone with jam and creme

The staff were lovely and friendly, with our waitress giving us lots of information about both the history of the building and the ongoing refurbishment (which soon will include a rooftop garden, prisoner holding cells which are being transformed into private dining rooms and a selection of luxury hotel rooms).

We weren’t made to rush at all and we were made to feel very comfortable having a dog there which allowed us to thoroughly enjoy taking in the food, drinks and the elegant surroundings. Whilst not typically ‘diet food’ the light nature of an afternoon tea is, in my view, the perfect treat for those of us that have saved up our points for something special at the weekend and this afternoon tea was most certainly worth every point.

Frankie enjoying herself!

Our experience of the Courthouse was lovely.  A beautiful and impressive venue with service and food that lived up to its surroundings. I will certainly be back to sample the full evening menu and to have a drink in the rooftop garden!

Frankie enjoying a walk around Tatton Park after our lunch

The post Review – Afternoon Tea at The Courthouse, Knutsford first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Now as most of you probably know by now, I love food and love discovering new additions to my kitchen so when Weight Watchers set me a new food challenge recently, I was excited to get stuck in and give it a go.

The question…. would I rather spend a Friday evening cooking a Weight Watchers Chicken Jambalaya from scratch or, would I rather have one of the new Limited Edition Weight Watchers ready meals, and, in the time I would have spent cooking, have a bath, chill out and maybe pop on a face mask instead.

Now, as a person who loves to cook I thought this was quite an interesting challenge as I don’t see time spent in the kitchen as arduous, in fact, I enjoy it and see the cooking process in itself as relaxing however, I really don’t get to much time to actually lie back in the bath, have a soak and pamper so the opportunity to do so really does appeal to me!

So how did it go…

Friday Night Number One

Night one saw me cooking a Weight Watchers Chicken Jambalaya recipe from scratch with all the fresh ingredients provided to me (a picture of the recipe is below – please note, this recipe is different to my own Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya recipe). The whole process took around half an hour and as usual, I popped on the radio and poured myself a cheeky glass of wine while the recipe was bubbling away.

The result was lovely, the chicken was lovely and moist, the chorizo gave the whole dish a nice smoky, indulgent flavour and the portion size was great, really filling. I made a few tweaks to the recipe to suit my personal taste (read – made it a lot more spicy) adding fresh coriander through the dish and finishing with a little light soured cream however I would certainly make this again.

Nutritionally, the dish was 648kals per serving when made according to the recipe which is quite high for one meal however I reduced the rice portion to 60g dried per person and omitted the oil so the whole meal came to 11sp – the same number of points as the ready meal. The portion size was still more than enough and I was very satisfied afterwards.

The big question was, would the ready meal come anywhere close to it?

Friday Night Number Two

Being a firm fan of cooking from scratch,  a microwave meal is not something I would usually pick up as a meal option to tuck into on a Friday night. Historically microwave meals have had such a bad reputation in terms of taste and nutrition; they are something I’ve never felt the need to explore too much. However with the rise of some of these ‘posh’ ready meals I know they are becoming quite popular and much better for you (I’m often told of how amazing the two can dine for £9.99 is in terms of taste and value for money!).

So when I was asked to try this ready meal, I was a little hesitant at first however, having then had a good look at the ingredients list on the back, I immediately felt better finding that the meal was only made from ingredients you would find in your own kitchen (so free from any nasty artificial colours, flavours and preservatives ) and it was only 384kals (11sp). A good start.

So on I went, popping the meal in the oven for 25 minutes as required and, whilst it was cooking away, I had myself a lovely bath, bath bomb and all and popped the facemask on at the same time (keen multi tasking!). I came out of the bath nice and refreshed to a piping hote meal so I got ready to plate up and dive in.

How was it?

When I first put the jambalaya into a bowl I was pleased to see the portion size was similar to when I cooked the dish from scratch. Again, after I had finished the dish I was nicely full so no worries there. Ready meals often yet a bad rep for leaving you starving afterwards but it was great to see this one didn’t disaapoint.

Appearance wise, the meal looked nice and fresh but since it was all a similar colour,  I added a tbsp. of low fat soured cream and a little fresh coriander to add some green and interest (as I did with the home cooked one above too!). The smell of the meal was delicious and the texture was actually really good with the rice retaining a nice bite (I was expecting it to go a little like rice pudding in the microwave). And the taste? I have to admit, it was very good. The chicken was still moist, the paprika and Cajun flavours strong and overall I enjoyed the meal. The ready meal version doesn’t have any chorizo in it, which, whilst not too much of a miss taste wise, may account for some of the difference in the total calorie count between the two meals (this one is 384kals vs the fresh dishes 649kals).

Is it something I would choose to have again on a Friday night in place of a freshly cooked meal? Honestly, probably not but that is simply because I see a Friday night as a great time to get in the kitchen and cook up a storm. Would I have it again full stop? Definitely yes but I see this kind of meal more as a great option to have as a ‘go to’ quick and easy meal if you don’t have enough time to cook in the week and need to dash out. I wouldn’t hesitate buying a few to keep in the freezer as a just in case option and I would feel better knowing I have a low point, tasty and healthy back up if needed.

Weight Watchers asked me to complete a little score sheet to rate my experience and I’ve included it below. Overall, I preferred the taste of the fresh jambalaya very slightly although both tasted good and, whilst both were the same number of points, I did prefer that the ready meal had significantly less calories, salt and saturated fat. The preparation time of the fresh meal was longer however I don’t mind cooking however I must admit I did very much enjoy the time that the ready meal gave me to indulge in a bit of pampering. Ultimately if I had to choose again for a Friday night, I’d go fresh. That said, if I had to choose between the two on a week night when I was really pushed for time, I would certainly consider the ready meal, which before this challenge, I certainly wouldn’t have! It really did surprise me in terms of the quality, quantity of meat included and the taste and I was very happy to see it had none of the usual nasties associated with a ready meal. I would certainly consider buying it to keep in as a ‘just incase’ meal.

If anyone does fancy trying out this ready meal, its available exclusively at ASDA until the end of October (RRP £2.50).

This post was sponsored by Weight Watchers however all opinions given reflect my own thoughts and experience.

The post Review: Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner – A Weight Watchers Friday Night in Challenge first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

I love cooking from scratch and turning a fridge/cupboard full of ingredients into a new, healthy and delicious tasting meal but like most people, I am often a bit pushed for time when it comes to mid-week dinners.

Always keen to pack my meals with as many zero hero veggies as possible I also love having the option of buying pre prepared veggie ingredients when I’m stuck for time.  From pre spiralized boodles to frozen spinach and peas, it’s so handy sometimes being able to pick up ingredients that will take minimal preparation but still help to create a healthy and filling meal.

That’s why, when Goodlife approached me to give some of their new range frozen vegetarian range a try, I thought it would be worth giving a go. Now as a major meat eater, my meals are never usually veggie friendly but recently the hubbie and I have been trying to get involved with Meatless Mondays so I thought these products, if I liked them, would also be perfect for whipping something together on a Monday evening.

So what is Good Life?

Based in Warrington, Goodlife’s aim is to seek out the best vegetables from top British farmers and use them to create delicious vegetarian meal options. Rather than their products being a meat substitute, the folks at Goodlife want their veggies front and centre – making them the ‘star of the show’. I am also not a fan of meat substitutes (I just can’t get my head around the Quorn situation) so we are off to a good start there! From vegetarian sausages to burgers and Kiev’s, their products contain no artificial additives, preservatives or colourings.

The three products that the folks at Goodlife asked me to review* were from their new range and included Falafels with Chickpea, Cumin and Coriander, French Bean and Spinach Sausages with Wensleydale Cheese and their Mushroom and Spinach Kiev with a Creamy Garlic and Cheese Sauce (my falafel box got a little damaged in transit but the products inside were unaffected).

Falafel with Chickpea, Cumin and Coriander

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans

A box of 14 is £1.99 – one falafel is 1sp,two is 2sp, 3 is 4sp and four is 5sp.

I am a BIG fan of falafel and any sort of Middle Eastern cuisine. My recipe for Butternut Squash falafels in incredibly popular and so having a product like this in the freezer and ready to eat in under 15 minutes really appeals to me.

I decided to cook up 3 of these falafels and pop them in a salad with mixed leaves, carrot, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, houmous, mint yoghurt and a little pomegranate molasses (full recipe coming up later this month) however you could also include them in a wrap or even crumbled on top of a tagine. The consensus?  Very nice indeed. For a product so low in points, these are a lovely addition to any lunch or dinner. Nice and crispy on the outside and soft in the centre, these little balls have a lovely light flavour and texture – they could have been a little more spicy but that is my love of chilli coming into play right there. I added a little houmous to them for a bit of extra moisture (I find most falafels need it!) and they made my salad lovely and filling. I would definitely invest in a box of these and keep in the freezer for a rainy day.

Mushroom and Spinach Kiev with a Creamy Garlic and Cheese Sauce

Box of 2 is £2.65 = 1 Kiev is 10sp

Unless we make it from scratch, Kiev is not something the hubbie and I really have any more as the prepared ones are usually so high in points (at least 11 usually) and they are also quite small. That said, I liked the sound of this Kiev as I love the sound of anything that ooses with cheese.

Each Kiev is 10sp so to keep the overall meal low in points I decided to serve it with Butternut Squash Chips, 0sp homemade slaw and salad.

Of the three products we tried this was my hubbies least favourite as he is firmly of the opinion that a Kiev should be made of chicken.  I however, quite enjoyed it. The Kiev it self was crunchy on the outside and the flavour lovely and garlicky. The cheese didn’t ooze quite as much as I hoped but there was a lovely cheesy flavour to the whole thing. The major downside of this one for me was the amount of smart points for the size. At 10sp for a medium sized Kiev, I think its rather high for what you actually get (I could have easily eaten two!) That said, these Kievs would be a handy addition to any freezer for a quick and easy dinner if made with other 0sp accompaniments.

French Bean and Spinach Sausages with Wensleydale Cheese

Box of 6 is £2.49 –2sp per sausage

I always have a few packs of low fat sausages in the freezer as I know when I have them in that I will always be able to throw together some form of evening meal. Now the hubby likes his sausages very meaty so I was a bit apprehensive at how these sausages would go down but I have to say, these went down an absolute storm. Whilst not huge, the sausages are the most vivid green colour and are packed full of vegetables. The veggies haven’t been pureed so they have a lovely chunky texture too. Best of all, they can be cooked from frozen in 15 minutes and end up with a lovely crisp skin. I would never have normally tried a vegetable sausage but I have to say, this may have changed my mind a little and I’m not tempted to try some of their other veggie sausage flavours!

In the picture below I served 3 sausages (6sp) with 2sp worth of mash, 0sp spring greens tossed in 1sp lighter lurpack and 2sp caramelised red onions for a total of 11sp. Whilst probably more of a wintery dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed it – especially as it took barely any time to prepare.

Overall I really enjoyed trying these three products and the sausages and falafels are certainly things I would like to keep in my freezer for Meatless Mondays or just a rainy day. The products are packed with flavour and high quality ingredients so whilst they are meat free, you don’t feel like you are missing out on anything if you replace them for meat in a meal. They are also great value at between £1.99 and £2.65 per box.

If you fancy trying any of Goodlife’s products yourself, you can pick them up in Booths, Waitrose, Ocado, Iceland and Goodness Direct.

*Please note this is a sponsored post however this in no way affects my opinion of the products or the content of my review.

The post Nobody Put’s Veg in the Corner – A Goodlife Review first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.