Review of - Wait & Patience Album By Spencer Maybe

On a recent visit to Arambol, Mr R and I were captivated by musician Spencer Maybe, a rock, blues and country-swing artist. Loving his music so much we sort him out for a second time, only to be given a free copy his latest album- Wait & Patience for an unbiased review.

So what did I think of Wait & Patience?

Well, the album was first-rate. All the genres of music I love; a little bit country, blues, country folk and soft rock. 

Spencer has an amazing talent of not just writing songs, but is story teller. Yes, I know every song is a story, nevertheless story writing and song writing can be very different. Myself as an author, I would not know where to start, writing a song.  Spencer, on the other hand has the skill to take you on a magical journey, by telling you the events that are happening and the chorus is the emotional reaction those events.

Songs I Really Loved:

Silence is Golden /Mirabella / Monday Morning / Have you seen her

Buy the album or tracks @ https://spencermaybe.bandcamp.com/releases

About Spencer Maybe

Spencer, is a gifted musician, composer, artist, and Burlesque performer from London, U.K. He has been composing and playing music for over twenty years. Starting his career as a singer songwriter, busking on the London Underground, for fifteen years and then travelled through the U.K., South Africa, Sri Lanka, India and Spain, as well as producing four, full studio albums. Spencer is now touring India to promote, his fourth album Wait & Patience.

Connect With Spencer Maybe:

www.facebook.com/spencermaybe/

www.instagram.com/spencer.maybe

https://twitter.com/#!/spencermaybe

My Vegetarian Shepheard’s Pie

My Vegetarian Shepheard’s Pie is as good as the original. Nuterla soya granules and vegetables, spiced with meat masala, topped with spinach and chilli mashed potatoes. If you are not in India, you can substitute the soya granules for 2 cups of frozen soya mince and omit the steps 2.3 & 4.

For meat eaters: use 2 cups of fresh mince beef or minced chicken.

My Vegetarian Shepheard’s Pie Serves 4

You will need: 

500g potatoes    1tsp turmeric    salt    1 cup soya mince granules   3 cups water   1 onion chopped   1/2tsp garlic and ginger paste   1 ½ cups veg stock   1tsp meat masala    150g chopped carrot   1 green pepper chopped    50g sweetcorn    100g mushrooms sliced   100g pumpkin chopped    300g tomatoes skinned and chopped   1tbsp Worcester sauce   1/2tbsp soy sauce 1tbsp oil    1 onion chopped green chilli to taste   1tsp mustard seeds   100g spinach washed and chopped salt and pepper

Add salt and turmeric to a pan of water and boil the potatoes.

Add 3 cups of water to soya granules and bring to the boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes.

Drain the soya granules well.

Dry fry the soya, until all the water has evaporated.

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger paste for 2-3 minutes.

Add the meat masala and 2tbsps of water to make a paste. Fry for a few minutes.

Add the soya mince.

Add all of the vegetables except for the potatoes and spinach.

Add tomatoes

Add stock

Add Worcester and soy sauce.

Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer while you prepare the mashed potatoes.

Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Heat ½ tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the onion, chilli and mustard seeds.

Add the spinach and fry until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix the spinach mixture into the mashed potatoes.

Transfer the soya mince mixture to an ovenproof dish.

Top with the mashed potatoes.

Cook in oven 200c/400f/gas 6 for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are browned.

Serve with spring greens or any cabbage.

Follow the video to make this yummy veggie Shepheard’s Pie

My chicken sausage biryani -serves 2

Vegetables and rice cooked together makes a quick and easy one pot meal. Great for lunch, supper, even cold for our picnic lunch on the beach.

1 1/2tbsp oil. 1tsp mustard seeds. 1onion chopped. 1 fresh green chilli sliced (or to taste). 8 cloves. Cinnamon stick. 4 green cardamom pods. 1tsp turmeric. 2tsp garam masala. 1/2 TSP ginger and garlic paste. 2tbsp water. 1cup basmati rice. 300g chopped vegetables. 600ml chicken stock. 4 venkys sausages sliced. Chopped fresh coriander to garnish

1. Heat oil, fry the mustard seeds until they pop.
2. Add onion and chili. Fry 2-3 minutes.
3. Add all the spices and garlic and ginger paste plus 2tbsp water make into a paste. Fry 2-3 minutes
4. Add rice. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add vegetables and stock. Season with salt. Bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until all the liquid has absorbed.
5. Fry or grill sausages.
6. When rice is cooked, remove cinnamon stick.
7. Pile rice onto a plate, top with the sausages and garnish with fresh coriander.

Newly opened- Goan Tiger Restaurant and Bar – Candolim Goa.

I am pleased to inform you all, that Sheryl and Francis the previous owners of Tiger Bar, Candolim have now opened a new garden restaurant. Their new place is called GOAN TIGER. Located after Highland Holiday Resort, Candolim. Next to Flambé Restaurant.

Open now all day for: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Serving Indian, Goan, Chinese and continental.

Seriously! When your husband wakes you at 1am and there is a cyclone in Goa.

At 1 am this morning, hubby woke me.
"Jo, we need to get the lounge terrace blinds down."
Seriously! I was having a really.... nice dream about Michael Bennett a fictional detective I was reading before going to sleep. "Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously."
Shuffling into the lounge, hubby fetched the ladders.
"Seriously, there's a frigging cyclone out there and you afraid of heights, want to get on a ladder two floors up in a cyclone?"
Holding the ladder, the rain thrashing down and the wind so strong I thought it would take the blinds and hubby.
As 16 feet of blinds fell to the floor in a heap, hubby disembarked from the ladders.
"Seriously?" I said, as he went back inside to close the doors. "You’re just leaving them here?"
"Jo there's a frigging cyclone. Are you happy now, the blinds are down? Go back to bed."
SERIOUSLY! 

My Spanish Style Rice Chicken

Not just a recipe for this yummy, chicken dish. You also get a video of me cooking it!

Spanish Rice Chicken Serves 2

2 boneless chicken breasts       salt and pepper      1tbsp olive oil      1 onion sliced    

 ½ medium red pepper cut into strips      2 cloves of garlic chopped    

 300g tomatoes, skinned and quartered       1 cup chicken stock       1 bay leaf      

salt & pepper          75g rice            70g sweetcorn      70g green beans     

50g sliced olives      Basil to garnish

1.       Cut the chick into strips and season well with salt and pepper.

2.       Heat the oil. Fry the chicken for 3 mins. Set aside.

3.       Add the onion and the red peppers, fry for 3 mins.

4.       Add the garlic, fry for 2 mins.

5.       Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and stock. Bring to the boil.

6.       Add the rice. Season with salt and pepper.

7.       Bring to the boil, then lower heat and cover. Cook for 10 minutes.

8.       Add the chicken. Cover and cook for 10 mins.

9.       Add the sweetcorn and green beans.

10.   Bring back to the boil, and then lower the heat. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the green beans are tender.

11.   Remove bay leaf. Stir in the olives and then served garnished with basil.

MY Slow Cooked Vegetable Loaf

I love this easy to make loaf. Great for a healthy lunch served with salad. Keeps well for a Picnic, or served like a pate with hot buttered rolls for supper.

Vegetable Loaf

250g diced vegetables (I used Cauliflower broken into tiny florets. Carrots, green beans,

Sweetcorn)     40g butter    2tsp brown sugar    Salt and pepper   300ml vegetable stock 

100g mushrooms sliced     1 small onion finely chopped    1tbsp fresh chopped parsley

2 tbsp fresh chopped dill          3eggs             25g grated cheddar cheese

1. Cook the vegetables in 25g of the butter, until they just start to brown.

2. Sprinkle over the sugar, salt and pepper, then add the vegetable stock. Cook gently until the vegetables are tender and all the stock has evaporated.

3. Transfer vegetables to a bowl.

4. Heat the remaining butter and fry the mushrooms and onions until soft. Stir in the parsley and dill.

5. Beat the eggs and then stir into the vegetables, along with the mushrooms and onions. Stir in the cheese.

6. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Spoon in the mixture. Cover with foil. Put into a slow cooker, on top of an inverted saucer or side plate. Add enough boiling water to come half way up the tin.  Cook on high for 2 hours. The loaf should be firm to touch.

7. Take out if slow cooker and cool for a while then remove from tin and remove greaseproof paper. Put on a plate and put in fridge until needed.