I do have a sweet tooth. It used to be a lot worse. For a while I would have a slice of chocolate cake for breakfast in the school holidays, meticulously sliding my fork through the icing, horizontally and then vertically like a garden rake through grass. I'm rather disappointed that as I grow older my tastes are yearning for savoury. Boo.
My mother is very talented in the kitchen. I have mentioned it before, and you will be hearing it again and again. I am very lucky to have had this all my life. She whipped up quite a few stunners for the family over Easter.
I like going home. Mostly for this reason.
Catherine's chocolate cake with plum and Earl Grey ice-cream
Ok, so there is no Princess. But. I do adore peas! So much so, that as a 12 year old, I would sometimes eat a big bowl of peas with a dollop of Heinz ketchup as a snack (I know...classy eh?!). People tend to think of these bright little fellas as boring, but don't dumb them down. The pea can be dressed up, just like anything else. They weren't included in a Fairy Tale for nothing. Frozen peas generally have more goodness locked in, just be careful not to overcook them. Here is a different take on Bruschetta (I'm holding my breath, hoping you're all saying it correctly).
How many Aprils in Old Blighty have we had the pleasure of a guffawing heatwave...AND on a bank holiday weekend? Well not many! So as you can expect I was damn excited. Therefore, a lazy Saturday wearing shorts and sitting in the garden was absolutely necessary, as was the Ottolenghi sauteed chickpea and Greek yogurt for lunch.
Use some left over ingredients (my vegetable drawer was starting to look a little lack lustre) and make a salad. I had lettuce, cucumber, sweetcorn, feta, mint and coriander. I dressed it with just a little balsamic vinegar and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and then I seasoned with salt and pepper.
Et voila! An easy quick meal. I find sweet potatoes a little too sweet and rich sometimes and so the feta really adds a much needed sharpness to it. Sun dried tomatoes are also a really good companion.
After gyrating in a Jessie J fashion the night before, it took a serious amount of willpower to wake up the next morning energised and ready to prepare food for a group of friends coming over that evening. I had promised home made burgers. Why did I promise? Promise is a big word and one that you can't get out of, even on a hangover. Nonetheless I did promise, so...wake up at 10am and yes oh yes, start with a trip to the tip! That's what good time girls like to get up to on a Saturday morning...and swiftly moved onto the supermarket, narrowly avoiding a car parking ticket. This is a penny saving partaaaay and is incredibly cheap and easy to prepare. In fact the money mostly goes towards the drinks (but you can get your guests to bring that!). So with this blasting out on the tv...
...the sun blazing and Charlie Sheen's mantra running in my head I only had 'one speed, one gear. GO!'
Home made burgers
The burgers are easy. I used 3 x 500g packs of beef mince, and you literally just use a fork and mash it up with lots of chopped spring onion, chopped coriander, chopped mint, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and more mixed chilli/onion spice. 2 egg yolks to bind it all together and then roll into balls of your desired shape. Nothing else involved. You can use anything you like and put it in there, whatever flavour you want. I left them chilling in the fridge, ready to cook later.
Take them out when you're ready to eat and cook both sides in a frying pan until rare, medium rare or well done.
Roast potato and sweet potato
These would have been more like chips if I had divided into two pans. I rather overcrowded them so they came out a little more roasted style. Chop up potato and sweet potato and lightly coat them in a bit of oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cumin. Let them marinade until roasting. They took about 40 mins in the oven.
I was feeling a little sorry for myself. The weather was 20 and now it's 12 degrees celsius and my womb was crying out for some love. Oh it's good to wallow in ones own misery sometimes isn't it? Really settle into it. Try and catch a glimpse of your glum face in the mirror and it might just make you laugh again. However, we don't want that just yet, this feels kind of good for one night and it allows for movies like 'Eat Pray Love' and comfort food like mushroom risotto.
What I wanted was mushrooms. I had a huge craving for mushrooms. I was planning to have them sauteed with white wine, butter and parsley. In the fridge I had left over white wine and I also had butter, but no blooming mushrooms...
I am currently glugging on a bottle of refreshingly hydrating Vita Coco coconut water! You can find it in specialist stores or supermarkets. Try drinking it and not getting hooked! It is packed with lots and lots of electrolytes which restores the balance if dehydrated and especially good for those weak muscles during/after training. It also has more potassium then 2 bananas. You can get 100% pure, peach & mango, tangerine, pineapple, acai & pomegranate.
P.S. It's 100% natural. No sugar. No yuck.
I am also snacking on these crunchy roasted broad beans! These are seriously filling to eat (you must know that beans are naturally slow release carbohydrates?) so you will eat less than a bag of cashews. I much prefer these to snacking on nuts and far less fattening.
Ok, so there is no Princess. But. I do adore peas! So much so, that as a 12 year old, I would sometimes eat a big bowl of peas with a dollop of Heinz ketchup as a snack (I know...classy eh?!). People tend to think of these bright little fellas as boring, but don't dumb them down. The pea can be dressed up, just like anything else. They weren't included in a Fairy Tale for nothing. Frozen peas generally have more goodness locked in, just be careful not to overcook them. Here is a different take on Bruschetta (I'm holding my breath, hoping you're all saying it correctly).
Use some left over ingredients (my vegetable drawer was starting to look a little lack lustre) and make a salad. I had lettuce, cucumber, sweetcorn, feta, mint and coriander. I dressed it with just a little balsamic vinegar and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and then I seasoned with salt and pepper.
The burgers are easy. I used 3 x 500g packs of beef mince, and you literally just use a fork and mash it up with lots of chopped spring onion, chopped coriander, chopped mint, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and more mixed chilli/onion spice. 2 egg yolks to bind it all together and then roll into balls of your desired shape. Nothing else involved. You can use anything you like and put it in there, whatever flavour you want. I left them chilling in the fridge, ready to cook later.
more after the jump...
