Baby Bites Spiced Sweet Potato Chips with Cherry Tomatoes

This is a great finger food to introduce to your baby with some gentle smoky spicing from paprika and I serve with two large and juicy cherry tomatoes cut into quarters - no ketchup needed here! 

It is very low maintenance and you can increase the amount if cooking for the family and add dried chilli flakes or fresh, chopped chilli if you prefer a little more bite.

1 small sweet potato

Drizzle of olive oil

1/2 tsp paprika

Place the oven on at around 180. 

Chop the potato into chips or wedges that will be easy for your little one to manage and handle her/himself. 

Place into an oven-proof dish and drizzle with the olive oil so each has a little coating.

Sprinkle over the paprika and then place into the oven to cook for 25 minutes or until starting to char.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough so baby can handle and serve with a couple of quartered cherry tomatoes.

A London Lunch No 12: George's Portobello Fish Bar

From July to October I had the pleasure of working with a lovely team over in Westbourne Park – an area that was completely alien to me in terms of food spots.

Being amongst fellow food-lovers, I was happily introduced to a number of great lunch spots whilst working there and George’s Portobello Fish Bar was one such venue.

A local chippie that has stood the test of time, having been open since 1961, George’s avoids the almost ‘yuppified’ version of what I think of as a chippie in central London and at any given lunch time you can find queues out of the door, which are alone testament to the food on offer.

Both Jamie Oliver and Victoria Beckham have been photographed/quoted as being fans of the food here, and I am happy to join them in their appraisal of this fish and chip mecca.

I have to say I must have picked up lunch time food from George’s at least six or seven times in the mere three months that I worked in the area – whether it be a hungover Friday, a miserably cold and wet Monday or just a bored Wednesday, I needed no excuse to partake in the deliciousness George’s has on offer.

Thick cut, crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside chips are a constant here and topped with a flurry of vinegar and salt, they are quite frankly perfection.

Now during my Westbourne Park stint I tried a number of accompaniments, from saveloys, sausages in batter and other, less traditional, fare, however, the crème de la crème here really is the fish. The cod is just fantastic, again perfectly cooked to flaky deliciousness, full of fresh flavour and coated in a crisp, light batter with just the right amount of grease. They claim to collect their fish daily from Billingsgate market, and this really does show.

Fish and chips will set you back around £7.00 which is reasonable, especially considering the quality of the fish and the decent size of the portion – so what are you waiting for?

Aside from George’s Portobello Fish Bar, here are three other chippies worth a try in London:

1.    Fryer’s Delight, Theobald Road, Holborn

2.    Golden Union, Poland Street, Soho

3.    Poppies, Hanbury Street, Spitalfields

A London Lunch No: 11: Poppies Fish & Chips

There is frankly no greater British food than fish and chips.

Now I’m a great believer in the fact this tends to be much more enjoyable when the sea is in sight, sound and smell; however there are a few absolute gems in the centre of London and Poppies is one of them.

The Spitalfields outlet is decked out in 1940’s and 50’s attire including the uniforms of the staff and the music played - this quirkiness only adds to its’ charm.

I actually visited here on Sunday evening with three girlfriends and enjoyed a fantastic supper, but Poppies is certainly open for lunch time deliciousness too, and it’s definitely worth considering.

I have to recommend the classic cod and chips which is generously portioned, even the ‘regular’ one is plenty for a hungry lunchtime meal. The chips are fresh and fluffy on the inside but crisp and gorgeous on the outside. The cod is fresh, flakey and cooked to perfection with a contrasting crunchy batter on the outside. Simply served with a wedge of lemon and a pot of tartare sauce – this kind of lunch proves that no bells or whistles are required to satisfy a hungry soul.

The regular cod and chips is priced reasonably at £10.90 and with a welcome alcohol license and a very good bottle of Moscato on offer – I would say Poppies is the perfect Friday lunchtime pit stop for city workers, and weekend haunt for anybody in the area.