A London Lunch: Tom's Kitchen

This is a belated A London Lunch post and it was in fact a brunch, but on a Saturday or, in this case Sunday morning, the lines are incredibly blurred.

One of my best friends, Jenni turned 30 way back in July last year, whilst I was 7 months pregnant, and as well as a full afternoon of drinking which I was sadly unable to participate in, we started the day in style, brunching at Canary Wharf’s Tom’s Kitchen.

Tom’s Kitchen is part of the Tom Aitkens group and its’ style and ethos is around modern British comfort food in a laid back setting, which I’m happy to note it absolutely nails if our brunch is anything to go by.

The birthday girl had the Seasonal Berry Pancake which was absolutely huge – the classic American style and served with maple syrup. I had a try and it was delicious.

Our other friend, Larni opted for a cream cheese bagel which again, was enjoyed. I have to note, as regular readers may remember these two are my vegetarian friends so hence the lack of meat so far.

Personally I opted for the crisp Belgian waffle with seasonal berries and maple syrup and it was exquisite! It came with a quenelle of vanilla Chantilly cream and as an extra I ordered a portion of delicious smoky, crisp bacon on the side. I am of the camp that believes pretty much everything tastes better with bacon and this definitely did. The salty, smoky, savoury addition offset the sweetness perfectly – I love that combination of both, especially over brunch. The waffle was perfect too – fluffy and soft centred with a crisp exterior.  The ultimate brunch comfort food.

Tom’s Kitchen is definitely up there with one of my favourite brunch experiences in London – the only thing lacking for me was the chance to drink plenty of cocktails – there’s always next time.

Here’s some of my other favourite London brunch spots:

1.       The Modern Pantry, Clerkenwell

2.       Caravan, Exmouth Market

3.       The Albion, Shoreditch

Baby Bites Tomato and Basil Pasta

Once past the six month mark and baby is able to digest gluten, you can introduce pasta to their meal repertoire which is very handy as again, you can make meals that the whole family can enjoy together.
The below recipe makes enough of this very basic tomato and basil sauce for about ten mini portions of pasta and you can freeze the sauce individually and just cook the pasta to go with when needed. I have tried freezing the pasta in the sauce too and it is edible but becomes a little claggy so I think just freezing the sauce is the best option here.
Tin of tomatoes
Handful fresh cherry tomatoes
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
Handful fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Pasta shapes of your choice - I use baby pasta shells

Firstly very finely dice the onion and crush the garlic. Halve the cherry tomatoes too.
Pop the olive oil into a saucepan on a low heat and gently sweat down the onion and garlic until nicely softened
Add the tomatoes and allow to soften a little before adding the tinned tomatoes.
Finely chop the basil, retaining some for the end and stir into the sauce
Allow to cook on a low heat for a good 20-30 minutes and it will reduce down a little in this time too
In the meantime cook the pasta to instructions, then drain retaining a a tablespoon of the cooking water and stirring through the sauce with the remaining basil
Portion up the sauce and stir through a couple of tablespoons to the pasta you are serving little one in a small bowl
Depending on how far along the weaning road you are this part is optional, but I tend to use a potato masher to ensure there are no choking incidents here and just break up the pasta to even smaller pieces

Gemistes - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

I adore Greek food and this is a dish I first tried on the island of Crete, in a lovely little village called Gouves about six or seven years ago. I've since experimented and made my own versions of 'Gemistes' (stuffed vegetables) and I think this version is the definitive one. 

It goes down well with veggies and meat-lovers alike and you could of course adapt it to include some minced beef, pork or lamb or make it slightly more indulgent by including some feta cheese which will melt and make it unctuously delicious. 



You can also use bell peppers instead, but I prefer the texture that the tomatoes take on once baked. 





This is one of the many dishes I make for 'Greek night' at my house and my girlfriends love it - it transports us to sunny holiday memories.





This makes enough for six people and is best served with some 'horta' or salad leaves and some Tzatziki.

Gemistes Greek Stuffed Tomatoes


Gemistes as part of a Greek feast




6 beef tomatoes
1 red onion
1 large clove of garlic
1 courgette
1 green pepper
1 red or yellow pepper
1 tbsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
Handful of fresh mint
Enough rice to fill the tomatoes (will depend on the size - I used about 100g dried rice here) 
Fresh vegetable stock (optional)



Firstly place the rice on to cook - preferably in some fresh vegetable stock for added flavour but in salted water is also fine.
Next carefully slice off the tops of the tomatoes, retaining the green part as it just looks nicer at the end. Use a sharp knife to gently score around the inside of the tomatoes to loosen up the inside, then scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon and discard. Add a tiny amount of salt to the inside of each tomato then turn upside down on a plate to allow some of the moisture to trickle away.
Next dice the onion, courgette and peppers and crush the garlic and add to a pan on a low heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Gently saute for about five minutes until just softened
Chop the fresh mint finely.
Once the rice is cooked, drain away any remaining water, place into a bowl and use a fork to fluff up a little. Add the mint and the sauteed vegetables, the pinch of salt and black pepper and stir thoroughly so everything is evenly distributed. 
Place the tomatoes into a baking dish or tray, the right way up now, and scoop even amounts of the rice mixture into each, right up to the top. Use a spoon to tap firmly down so the tomato is completely full of delicious rice. 
Place the lids of each tomato on top and then loosely cover the whole dish with tinfoil to protect the skins from charring. 
Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes when they come out of the oven as they will be piping hot, and then serve with your accompaniments and preferably a crisp glass of white wine or a bottle of Mythos Greek beer and allow yourself to be transported to holidays gone by. 

Baby Bites Herby Courgette and Feta Fritter Cakes

I experimented with making these like 'cakes' in the oven rather than frying as I thought they would be less calorific and greasy than the usual tupe of fritter and they came out rather well. 

As well as being a great and unusual finger food for your little one they can be enjoyed by the whole family too. They certainly went down well with my girlfriends on Saturday night who were over for a Greek feast night.

These are very easy to prepare and the below makes a good 12 cakes, they keep well in the fridge for a couple of days and are great with the below yoghurty dip or with some classic Greek Tzatziki. 

2 medium sized courgettes
1 pack of feta
1 heaped tbsp fresh chopped mint
1 heaped tbsp fresh chopped dill
1 egg
Pinch of black pepper
2 tbsp Greek natural yoghurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pop the oven on at around 180.

Cut the ends off of the courgettes then grate them both into a bowl, discarding only when the floppy, middle part is left.

Squeeze out any excess moisture from the grated courgette with some kitchen towel.

Crumble in the cheese - this is a completely 'rustic' affair, so don't spend time cutting into equal shapes and sizes, just crumble in as it falls. 

Chop the mint and dill and add the bowl with the black pepper and give a good stir. 

Beat the egg in a separate bowl and add to the courgette mixture to bind and again stir.

Use a pastry brush and a little olive oil to brush the cavities of a cupcake baking tray to prevent sticking. 

Spoon the mixture evenly into each hole and once all distributed, use the back of the spoon to press down on them to ensure the 'cakes' keep their shape during cooking.

Finally place in the oven and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes or until nicely golden brown.

Whilst cooling enough for little one to handle - combine the yoghurt and lemon juice and place a teaspoon full onto a child-friendly plate with two of the cakes broken into bite sized pieces. 

Baby Bites Avocado On Toast

Ok so this isn't strictly a recipe, but it is a great idea for a healthy breakfast or lunch idea for your little one, and one that you can have at the same time.

Avocado is filled with nutrients and particularly high in vitamin E, potassium and iron - all important components in our diets. Also whilst they are quite 'fatty' they contain mainly all 'good' fats.

The below makes enough for two slices of Avocado on Toast, one cut up into small pieces will be more than sufficient for your baby, so enjoy the other half yourself - I add fresh chopped red chilli to mine!

1 avocado
1 slice of wholemeal or granary bread
Squeeze of lime or lemon juice

Firstly pop the bread under the grill or into the toaster and lightly toast.

In the meantime, cut the avocado in half, remove the stone (you can do this by pressing into the stone with a sharp knife, then simply lifting the stone out whilst holding onto the half of avocado).

Scoop the flesh of the avocado out into a small bowl and gently mash with a fork, leaving some small lumps so it still has some texture and isn't completely pureed.

Add a squeeze of either lime or lemon juice, which as well as helping the avocado to keep its’ trademark green colour for a while, also adds a lovely zingy freshness to it. Give another stir through to ensure it all has a citrussy zing running through.

Once the toast has cooled for a few moments, spoon on half of the avocado and spread over the toast evenly. There's no need to use butter as well.

Cut into bite-sized pieces and allow baby to feed him or herself one at a time.

Feta and Spinach Open Filo Tart

This is a lovely open tart based on the classic Greek ‘spanakopita’ comprising feta cheese and spinach. It’s very easy to prepare, looks great and is a crowd pleaser.

200g spinach

1 clove garlic

20g salted butter

200g feta

2 eggs

4-5 sheets of filo pastry

Bunch of spring onions

Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp nutmeg

Salt & pepper

1 tsp oregano (dried is best)

Pre-heat the oven to about 180⁰.

Firstly use a pastry brush and completely oil up your tart dish. You can use a tart or flan dish, mine broke recently so I instead used a 20cm deep baking sandwich tin (what you’d use for a Victoria Sandwich cake), which is perfectly sufficient.

Next place one layer of filo over the tin, pressing down so it moulds to the tin and scrunching over the sides so you get the lovely crunchy exterior. Brush with oil and repeat until there are 4-5 layers. And brush each layer with a little oil too.

Crush your garlic and chop the spring onions and add to a frying pan with the butter on a low heat and allow to soften.

Wash the spinach then dry off with a tea towel or kitchen roll and try and remove as much moisture as possible to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. Once dry add to the pan and wilt down in the garlicy butter.

Pop the spinach into a bowl or jug and add the two eggs (beaten first), dice the feta and add to the mix. Add the grating of nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and black pepper plus teaspoon of dried oregano and mix well.

Pour into the tart base and allow to stand for ten minutes.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cheese has begun to melt.

Allow to cool a little and serve – preferably with a simple salad. 

Baby Bites Salmon and Dill Potato Pancakes

These are lovely, soft and fluffy potato based pancakes that go great with a squeeze of lemon and some natural yoghurt. Perfect as a weekend lunch for baby but with the addition of a big pinch of salt, these work as a great brunch dish for the grown-ups too.
Once cooked, allow to cool, and cut into smaller, bite-sized pieces and they make a great finger food for little one. The below makes approximately 5-6 pancakes.

Salmon and Dill Potato Pancakes with Lemon Yoghurt

1 large potato
1 fillet of salmon
1 egg
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
1 heaped tbsp fresh chopped dill
1 tbsp chopped spring onions
1 tbsp Greek natural yoghurt
1/2 lemon

Pop the oven on at 180⁰C (ish), prick the potato all over and place into the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes or until the inside is soft and fluffy.

For the last ten minutes of cooking, wrap the salmon fillet in some tinfoil, pop into an oven proof dish and cook in the oven.

Chop the dill and spring onions whilst everything else is cooking.

Once the potato and salmon are removed from the oven and have cooled slightly, scoop out the soft potato filling into a bowl and gently mash with a fork, allowing some texture to remain.

Flake in the salmon and mix in with the spring onion and dill until nicely combined.

Beat an egg in a separate bowl and add to potato and salmon mixture stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add a little bit of the flour at a time, mixing in, until the mixture resembles a dough.

Drizzle a little oil into a frying pan and place on a medium heat.

Using a large tablespoon, scoop out equal amounts to make each pancake, and place into a hot pan in a round shape.

Fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and completely warmed through.

Remove from the pan and remove excess grease/oil by patting with some kitchen towel.

Squeeze a little drizzle of lemon juice over each pancake.

Squeeze the remaining lemon juice into the yoghurt and serve alongside the pancakes.

Allow to cool slightly, break into pieces your baby can handle, dip into the yoghurt then pass to baby to feed him or herself and let the fun begin.