It's a Wine-derful Life

Only one more door to open on the advent calendar and still a lot to do. Busy socialising, wrapping, making and baking, it's time to take a break, crack open the Quality Streets and enjoy a glass of mulled wine.

I used to work with a lady who insisted on calling it muled wine. Clearly she'd drunk plenty and was confusing Mary's mode of transport or Joseph's choice of footwear!

You can make your own mulled wine - there are plenty of recipes to choose from - adding everything from oranges to cinnamon sticks, brandy to sloe gin, nutmeg to bay leaves. Alternatively you can buy a sachet of mulled wine mix to add to red wine or buy a bottle of ready made mulled wine which you can pimp yourself.

So raise a glass and a Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel. It is, after all, 

The most wine-derful time of the year!

PS received the best Christmas gift this week - over 20,000 reads since I began writing this blog - many thanks for reading.

Baubles, Birthdays and Brownies

Double celebrations today - obviously it's countdown to Christmas and the decorations are up. Also it's my daughter's 21st birthday this week which called for a family roast dinner followed by Bailey's tiramisu and birthday brownies.

It was a new recipe and worked a treat so whether you're celebrating Christmas, birthdays or just feel in the mood for a sweet treat, give them a go.

- Melt 185g butter & 185g dark chocolate together

- Separately whisk 3 eggs with 270g caster sugar until light & fluffy

- Whisk both mixtures together

- Sieve 85g plain flour & 50g Cocoa powder into the above mixture 

- Pour into a tray & sprinkle with 100g milk chocolate pieces

- Bake at 170 oC for approximately half an hour

- Leave to cool before cutting, sprinkling with sieved icing sugar (or sparkly golden stars!)

Stollen a piece of my heart

Today is the start of Advent, a Christian season of expectation and preparation as the church prepares to celebrate the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is also Hanukkah, celebrating the Jewish festival of light. Judging by the current frenzie in the shops and supermarkets, it's also a time to stock up on the Christmas essentials.

It can be a marmite moment but personally I love Christmas Pudding, Christmas Cake and Mince Pies (check they are vegetarian as some contain non-vegetarian suet).

An Italian treat is Panettone; a sweet bread loaf containing some fruit. Although delicious, it is fairly dry. Many people prefer to eat it toasted or throw it into a trifle or tiramisu. If eaten as it is it should have a sweet wine to accompany.  It appears in the shops well before Christmas and has a long shelf life so ideal to buy in advance.

One of my favourites is German Stollen; a fruit bread of almonds, spices and dried or candied fruit with a marzipan centre and covered in sieved icing sugar or icing.

So whether celebrating Advent or Hanukkah, the proof of the pudding is definitely in the preparation. Whether baking your own or joining a queue at the checkout, like any good scout, be prepared.

Kitsch Christmas Cocktails

Trip to London✅ Girls Only✅ Black Friday✅ Nearly Christmas✅ Cocktails✅

All of the above and more. We didn't have to search for Christmas Spirit. London was illuminated in glorious twinkling fairy lights whilst fake snow sprinkled the shoppers and chestnut stalls did brisk trade.

My veggie food highlights were meals at The Ivy and Dishoom; both in Covent Garden. Whilst in the area, we visited the pop up bar Miracle in the Henrietta Hotel and Restaurant, currently a Christmas winter wonderland.

Cheesy festive music✅ Fake snow✅ Staff wearing Christmas jumpers✅ Twinkly lights and decorations✅ Fabulous menu of Seasonal cocktails served in kitsch glasses and mugs✅

Oh YESSS!

Feeling Festive✅

Christmas Countdown

Only thirty six days to Christmas and there's a lot to do; trimming the house inside and out, preparing some lovely seasonal vegetarian dishes and, of course, food and gift shopping.

Here are a few present ideas for your vegetarian and vegan friends.

Stocking fillers

- Trio of vegetables key ring £7 White Stuff

- Vegan friendly Shea butter soap £4.95 Nuddy

Gifts

- Vegan and vegetarian cookbooks

- Vegan and vegetarian hampers/gift boxes (Those containing V chocolate,sweets and cheese are great or a beauty one would be good)

- Vegan clothing or accessories such as Veja trainers or a Matt and Nat bag

- Membership of the Vegan or Vegetarian Society 

- Subscription to a vegetarian or vegan magazine

Fingers crossed I receive a few of these myself!

An Army Marches On Its Stomach

Today marks the one hundred year anniversary of the end of World War I and we give thanks and remember all those who gave their lives. Those who have died in conflicts since then are also honoured and remembered.

A hundred years ago those soldiers would have eaten rations provided by Maconochie consisting of tinned sliced vegetables (mostly turnips and carrots) with a thin soup/gravy. Bully beef (like corned beef) and hard biscuits would also be served.

By WW2 they would still have had the tinned meat and biscuits but also packets of mints and some chocolate for morale. Matches and tin openers were provided, doubling up as spoons.

Nowadays our forces are given food for breakfast, lunch and dinner with extra snacks and a calorie count of at least 4,000 calories a day, high in carbohydrates for a slow and constant energy release.

A couple of years ago I saw a photographic exhibition by David Bailey. He had served in the infantry during WW2 and done National Service in 1956/57 in Singapore, where he bought his first camera. The photographs were fabulous but I was struck by some of his personal effects on show. His sick report had a handwritten note dated 1957 which read:-

"This airman is a vegetarian and should not be forced to eat meat."

These days we would assume that all diets are taken into consideration and that our forces are fed a nutritious diet, whatever their preference.

Venturesome Vegan

November is World Vegan Month. Vegans around the world celebrate and promote their lifestyle, health and environmental benefits and hope to get more people to join them on the vegan vehicle.

Whilst not a vegan myself, I am interested in finding out more, swapping some meals to vegan and learning about more sustainable substitutes. I gave up meat and fish 28 years ago, basically because I did not enjoy eating them. Since then, it has become more about the wider issues. I do eat dairy. I do wear leather shoes. I don't always check that products I use are vegan. 

I think my way forward is to make subtle changes so here is my Veg Pledge:-

- to try substituting dairy for animal-free products

- to look into animal-free and sustainable clothing

- to check labels on beauty and cleaning products

- to question ingredients on medicines and foods

- to stop eating jelly sweets (my very guilty secret) which contain gelatin

I'll let you know how I get on. In the meantime I am ordering a copy of Lucy Watson's Feed Me Vegan. Oh, and some Veja trainers; made from organic cotton, rubber from the Amazon, vegetable-tanned leather and recycled plastic bottles. Stylish, on-trend and Eco-friendly. 

 

Baby steps!

Pumpkin to talk about

A friend has just returned from the States. I have looked after the family rabbit whilst they were away and she popped around with a thank you gift - a bouquet of gourds! Inspired by the New York stoops adorned with pumpkins and fairy lights, she knew I would like them for decoration. Hovering over the basket, however, I am tempted to see which ones are edible.

I love pumpkin flavoured everything. They are fantastic roasted, mashed, stuffed, baked in cakes, blended in soups, made into gnocchi, pasta and pasties. They are best friends with strong cheeses, nuts, herbs and spices and their seeds can be roasted for soups, salads and snacks.

On holiday last week in Palma I had the best dish ever - pumpkin gnocchi at a little place in the wall near the cathedral called Cafe Murada.

Last year I became addicted to the special edition Pumpkin Spice Baileys and this year my daughter has bought me Beanies Pumpkin Spice Coffee Granules which is rich and flavoursome without the sweetness of syrup added to coffee.

Taking the Biscuit

An autumn break in Palma Majorca revealed dappled sunshine beneath the palm trees, a wind tossed yacht loosened from its moorings and the blackest clouds chasing us along the boulevard. It was a week of sun cream with ice cream one day and brollies and steaming cafe con leche the next.

I have a kind of love affair with Palma and, despite the changing sky, it did not disappoint. The food for both my carnivore husband and my veggie self was exceptional. Eating out in Spain used to be a nightmare for me but, wow, things have changed. On every menu there were vegetarian and vegan choices. Not only that but most of the menus had numbers against the dishes with a key showing what was within. Great for those with allergies, intolerances and dislikes.

One ingredient which came up a couple of times, even in English, was speculoos. It appeared in both sweet and savoury dishes and I was curious enough to ask what it was. It turns out to be a crispy biscuit, like the ones given free with cups of coffee (Lotus Biscoff call them a saucer side biscuit). It has a caramelised almost cinnamon taste and so accompanies ice cream dishes as well as the pumpkin dish I enjoyed on holiday.

Baked pumpkin with speculoos on carrot cream with hazelnuts

The Future's bright, the present is Orange

The season is Autumn, the colour is orange. From the changing leaves and low sunshine outdoors to the flames in the fireplace indoors, the orange season, in all its glory, has arrived.

The food on our plates has also turned orange which is good news as the brighter the food, the more nutrients are on offer. We can eat seasonal sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins and squash as well as oranges, tangerines, clementines, persimmons and physalis. 

Physalis peruviana, (aka golden berries, cape gooseberries, ground cherries) has a papery green husk containing a small orange berry. Part of the nightshade family, it closely resembles a tiny tomato. Plucked from the husk it can be eaten and used in the same way as a tomato with its pop in the mouth explosion of sweet and sour.

Have them in the fruit bowl for a fun and easy to eat burst of protein, vitamin A and antioxidants to help fight infection.

Plum in your mouth

A kindly neighbour had left a basketful of Victoria plums, plastic bags and a sign saying help yourself. It would've been rude not to. Whilst most were de-stoned and frozen, I saved a few for the fruit bowl. Great move as I came across a cake recipe needing just five of the purple beauties.

Plum and Amaretti Bake

4-5 Plums

125g SR flour

75g Ground Almonds

1tsp Baking Powder

4 Eggs

200g Caster Sugar

200g Soft Butter

Zest of Orange

7 Amaretti Biscuits 

- Halve, de-stone and slice the plums & put to one side

- Mix all the ingredients together except plums & biscuits until soft & fluffy 

- Pour mixture into tin 30x25cm & level

- Scatter crumbled amaretti biscuits over the top and a layer of sliced plums

- Bake for 30mins Gas Mark 4/180 degrees/160 fan

- Cool, slice and dust with icing sugar

This is delicious partnered with a cup of tea but also makes a lovely pudding served warm with cream or ice cream.

Go figure

It's the first day of Autumn in the UK and already we've been enjoying the fruits of the season. Juicy blackberries plopped amongst crisp slices of apple and baked in pies and crumbles. Succulent plums de-stoned and used in jams, chutneys and tarts. One of my favourites, and a versatile gem, is the fig. 

Coming from Turkey at this time of year, the matt dark purple skin gives way to raspberry pink seeded flesh. It's sweet jamminess, although delicious on its own, pairs well with sweet or savoury. It makes best friends with salty cheeses, bitter walnuts and sweet honey. It can be eaten straight from the skin or gently cooked.

My favourite way of eating them is to toast nuts (pistachio/almonds) in a pan. Remove and clean the pan. Squeeze honey into the pan and gently cook the figs cut side down for a few minutes until caramelised. Plate up, sprinkling the toasted nuts over the top and serve with ice cream or Greek yogurt topped with another drizzle of honey.

Whilst Adam tempted Eve with an apple, they must have had an abundance of figs judging by the clothes they wore!

Cheer-up Churros

Whilst not entirely a damp squib, my girly weekend in Malaga was certainly showery with the odd clap of thunder. Wet enough to cancel the procession of La Virgen de la Victoria and stormy enough to prevent sunbathing on the beach, the light at the end of the tunnel came in the form of Sunday churros with chocolate dipping sauce. OMG - YUM!

Churros are deep fried dough traditionally from Spain and Portugal. The dough is piped through a nozzle, either long, straight and thick, or thin ones looped or knotted. Once out of the oil they are usually rolled in sugar (sometimes with cinnamon) or dipped in chocolate sauce. 

We visited Cafeteria Casa Aranda in Malaga for our delicious churros but they can often be bought as street food and eaten as a decadent breakfast or a sweet afternoon treat.

When in Spain ... It would be rude not to.

Smooth Operator

A great way to get your five-a-day is to glug them down in the shape of a smoothie. First drunk in the USA in the 1930s with the invention of the blender, it gained further success in the 1960s with the hippy movement and more people turning vegetarian and vegan. The smoothie has seen a recent increase in popularity with healthy eating (and drinking) being in vogue once again.

The best way to make them is to start with your liquid base of milk (including dairy free alternatives), fruit juice or yogurt. Once inside the blender you can add your fruits/vegetables of choice and blend until you have the desired consistency. At this point have a taste and add any flavourings that may be required. You can stop there or include a bit of texture and some protein if you're on the go and this is a meal replacement.

                            Liquid (milk, inc dairy free alternatives, fruit juice or yogurt)

                                                                     +

                                          Fruit (from frozen works especially well)

                               And/Or vegetables (kale, spinach,avocado, beetroot)

                                                                     +

          Flavourings (cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder, vanilla essence, honey, maple syrup)

                                                                     +

                               Texture (oats, chia seeds, flaxseeds, chopped nuts)

                                                                     +

                                         Protein (nut butter, tofu, protein powder)

                 You are master of all you command so make like a chef and get creative.

I enjoyed a simple smoothie the other day based on fridge left-overs. An over-ripe banana, some wilting raspberries, strawberries and blueberries and a squeeze of honey were added to soya milk. Pink and tasty.

One of my favourites was on the White Island and named the Ibiza Delight. It consisted of strawberry, banana, almonds, granola, honey, goji berries and almond milk. It slid down a treat after my sunbathing and swimming session.

Homecoming Queen

My daughter has arrived home after ten weeks in the USA working for Camp America and travelling. I reckoned she'd be sick of bagels, pretzels, twinkies and s'mores so decided to give her a good old British family feast.

What could be more British than a roast dinner? Vegetarian nut loaf, roast potatoes, carrots, brocolli, peas and onions followed by sticky toffee pudding!

She's had a fabulous time and made friends with people from all around the world. As one Australian vegetarian friend used to say, "Veggo ... Yummo!" Couldn't agree more.

Go shorty

It's been my birthday weekend and I've been lucky enough to meet up with family and friends to share my celebrations.

Some of our Birthday traditions are thought to originate when the Greeks would make round cakes in honour of Artemis, the goddess of the moon. The candles represented the glow of the moon and the smoke from the candles carried prayers and wishes to the Gods above. We blow out candles and make a wish on our birthdays although actual birthday cake probably originated in Germany with the idea of adding candles according to one's age.

I have friends who prefer to forget their birthday and hate the fact they're getting older. In fact birthdays should definitely be celebrated whether you're one, one hundred or anywhere in between. It's a sign of living life and that's a celebration in itself.

Whatever the story behind the birthday cake tradition, I'm up for having people sing to me whilst the glow of the candles illuminate my face, enjoy making a wish for something and eventually sharing and eating a little slice of heaven. It's a win-win.  

Music and the food of love

Apologies for the late post but last night was a late one. Arriving home at 1am from the 1980s Rewind Festival in Cheshire there was no time to sit and type out a blog.

The sights and sounds of the festival provided a great throwback to the eighties. Fortunately, festival/street food has come a long way in the last few decades and there were several vegan, vegetarian and gluten free offerings.

I opted for a barbecued jackfruit wrap from Herbivorous on the first day and veggie chilli nachos from the stand next door on the second. The food was prepared with love and care and nicely presented. Both dishes were delicious.

Thankfully there was no Meatloaf but UB40's Red Red Wine would've been good.

Hey Pesto

Pesto can be bought in jars and makes a good storecupboard standby but you can't beat fresh, either bought or homemade.

To make it yourself, the classic recipe combines garlic, basil, toasted pine nuts and a Parmesan substitute whizzed in a food processor, adding a stream of olive oil and seasoning. It can be used immediately and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Alternatively you can use a pestle and mortar or heat all the ingredients in a pan over a low heat.

The classic recipe can be tweaked in many ways so that other soft herbs or greens may be used, a different type of nut, different cheeses and even an oil such as grape seed with lemon juice.

Your choice of pesto can then be added to pizza toppings, stirred through pasta, put in dips, spread on or baked into bread, used in tarts, tossed with potatoes or vegetables, used in salad dressings or to garnish soup.

I particularly like to make Mary Berry's Antipasti Pasta. It can be eaten warm as a starter or main course or cold to serve as part of a summer buffet. The ingredients can be bought at the deli or supermarket and added to the cooked pasta before stirring through the pesto.

Peas please

As a child I hated peas, 'though can't for the life of me remember why. Maybe loading the rolling balls onto a fork was too much like hard work. In those days they were served as an accompaniment to meat or fish and potatoes and may have been joined by a few boiled carrots. My father would insist on me having some and I cut a deal with him, agreeing to eat just three.

Now I really enjoy them. There's nothing more satisfying than sitting in the shade, popping the pods and letting the petite little poppets give a satisfying plop into a pan. That is a lot of p's. As they're very palatable I may pop a few in my mouth. Okay, enough already.

Peas are no longer classed as a bit on the side. They can become the star of the show in risotto or ravioli or thrown into curries, baked into samosas, sprinkled in salads or squished in soups. Their favourite friends are mint, lemon and ricotta. 

                            Pea and mint ravioli

The pods can be blitzed to make soup or stock and the shoots add a fresh sweetness to salads or can be used as a decorative garnish.

I should have appeased my dad and eaten a few more! Sorry!

Humble Hummus

Hummus/Houmous has been around for thousands of years and yet it's only in the last few years that we have embraced it in the UK. Originating in the Middle East, it is debatable which country actually invented it. The rise in popularity over recent years could be due to more of us eating vegan, vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free diets. Houmous literally ticks all the boxes. 

There is the classic version but now we can buy a variety of flavours including caramelised onion, lemon and coriander, chilli, red pepper, pesto infused ...

Accompaniments include various breads, crackers, crisps and raw vegetables.

It's sold everywhere so is easy to buy but is also incredibly easy to make. Here is the recipe for classic houmous. Once you've made it you can experiment with new flavours.

Can of rinsed chickpeas, 2tbsp lemon juice, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1tsp ground cumin, pinch salt, 1tbsp tahini paste, 4tbsp water. Blend together in a food processor for 5 mins until smooth. Serve in a bowl or plate. Drizzle with virgin olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and decorate with a few reserved chickpeas. Voila! 

Bake Off

Just going to share an easy peasy recipe. It's a variation on a theme but quick, easy and tasty.

Italian roast vegetable bake:-

Slice up vegetables such as aubergine, courgette, tomatoes, peppers, drizzle with oil, season and roast in oven. 

Add a drained jar of black olives.

Cook pasta such as penne or rigatoni.

Add roast tomato sauce (homemade or jar).

Combine pasta, sauce and vegetables in an ovenproof dish.

Top with halved mozzarella pearls.

Season and bake for 10-15mins until mozzarella melted.

Easy in Ibiza

In Ibiza my day starts with homemade yogurt served with muesli and fruit kebabs followed by a choice of breads, pastries and eggs.

After catching some rays and swimming a few lengths it's time for lunch. I've enjoyed a quinoa and beetroot salad, avocado burrito and asparagus risotto. 

Yesterday I chose a simple dish, so easy to replicate back in Blighty and so refreshing in the current heatwave.

Chunks of watermelon and feta, chopped mint and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Done! Easy as that!

Delicioso.

Clean eating Bandits

Whilst proud of having a blog since 2015, I am by no means a tech-savvy person and have only just joined the crowds of Instagrammers around the world. I don't do face-book, snap-chat and I'm certainly not a tweeter. I like to text and whatsap but I constantly have a back-log of emails. You get the picture.

Fuelled by a younger generation, social media is being used as a platform to share vegan and vegetarian food stories, pictures, information, recipes and guides, often sponsored and endorsed by the very celebrities we follow. So far so good. I love to gaze at plates of beautifully presented food. My only quibble is when so called experts pop up claiming miracle diets which heal. It seems there is always someone out there ready to endorse one of these:-

Gluten free, sugar free, processed food free, dairy free, anti-cancer, meat free, healthy heart food, anti proteins in grains, alkaline eating, plant-based, clean eating ...

They begin with a beautiful/handsome healthy looking person cooking, presenting and eating the food and replacing everything we know with a substitute. These people are well-meaning and whatever they're doing has worked for them but it might not suit everyone. Their theories are not scientific. They are not always qualified nutritionists. The medical industry does not always recognise their theories.

Our diet is a personal thing and we can choose to follow whatever suits us. I am a happy vegetarian who does eat dairy. I have pescatarian, flexitarian, gluten free and vegan friends and family. There is nothing wrong with anyone's choices. All I'm saying is that social media, rightly or wrongly, has driven this way of eating and there is a pressure on us for everything (and everyone) to look perfect.

Father's role

It's Father's Day here in the UK. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages although we probably followed the Americans who began this celebration in 1910. A young girl named Grace Golden Clayton lost her own father in a mining accident along with 360 others. This left approximately a thousand fatherless children. She suggested to her pastor that we honour fathers everywhere.

My maiden name is also Clayton, although I am not blessed with the same middle name. We have celebrated today with my own father, father-in-law and husband and father to my children. 

Here is the card my husband received -

What about vegetarian sausage rolls, vegetarian spring rolls, vegetarian sushi rolls ...

Bet they don't make cards for we vegetarians!

Holly and The Ivy

This week was my third visit to The Ivy in Harrogate. Once with husband of our anniversary, once as a treat for my daughter Holly post university exams and pre trip to do Camp America. This week was a visit with my octogenarian parents. 

The Ivy was first founded in 1917 as an Italian cafe in London and its proximity to theatre-land made it popular with theatre goers, actors and celebrities. This Art Deco gem has been rolled out across the country in the form of Ivy Cafes and Ivy Brasseries.

My daughter and I had recently visited the Granary Square Brasserie near Kings Cross and had enjoyed our rushed meal very much before having to rush for our train. On visiting The Ivy Harrogate we were struck by the similarities and now realise they are part of the Ivy Collection.

On both occasions I went for a roasted butternut squash base with chickpeas, feta, leaves and pomegranate. Both delicious. (The Granary Square was a bigger portion!)

Dad had steak with eggs and chips. He didn't manage all the steak and so we asked to take it home for my dog. Beautifully packaged, I won't show you what's inside the box!

This little veggie went to market

On 26.11.17 I wrote a blog about vegetarian eateries in London. A further visit this weekend led to another discovery. 

If you're seeking tasty vegetarian and vegan food, like any little piggy, you must go to market. Camden Market to be precise. As well as finding bric a brac, jewellery, clothing, art and music, there are food stands galore. KERB has 34 street food stalls open 7 days a week and there are many more besides. It's like taking a trip around the world from the Caribbean to Indonesia, Mexico to the USA, Holland to India, Hungary to China ... You get the idea.

The stall holders take pride in their food and the presentation is a delight. We brunched at Cafe Chula which serves authentic Mexican food bursting with flavour and colour. I ate the breakfast taco - soft tacos with tomato, avocado and eggs emitting a comforting bit of heat presumably from chillis. On offer were hot sauces to accompany - rather like playing Russian Roulette!

Camden Market is definitely worth a visit. There is a great vibe, good shopping and fantastic food. Take in another sight and burn off those calories by taking a ten minute walk to Primrose Hill, sit on a bench and admire the view.

Overseas with the Portuguese

Dear reader, sorry I missed writing a post last week. I was spending a few days in Portugal and spent Sunday afternoon to evening at Thai Beach; a restaurant/bar with DJ and dancing, at Vilamoura. To be frank, I was in no fit state to write a blogpost.

Whilst having a great time with husband and friends, the vegetarian cuisine was nothing to write home about. We hired a catamaran and kayaked into a small cove for a meal on the first day. My companions tucked into fresh fish dishes whilst I was offered a mixed salad or vegetable stew. This turned out to be carrots and green beans and was a mere accompaniment to the fish. The young waiter explained to me that it was a fish restaurant. It was as if my friends were welcome but I should have stayed on the boat!

The following evening an even larger crowd of us went to a fabulous restaurant called Parilla with beautiful gardens illuminated with fairy lights. After cocktails on the terrace we chose our food. It turns out that parilla means grill and yes, it was a steak restaurant.  Luckily there was a vegetarian option of asparagus and sun dried tomato risotto. It tasted a bit like boiled rice with specks of vegetables but was passable. The starter was delicious; melted provolone cheese with oregano, cherry tomatoes and pesto.

At Thai Beach the following day my starters were served separately upon request but the only dish I could eat from the banquet was Pad Thai noodles whilst those around me tucked in to fish and meat dishes. To be fair, when the heavens opened and we had to rush inside, they reset a table and provided more food. The copious amounts of rose wine and the pouring of sambuca along with the sun reappearing, the dancing and the most beautiful sunset more than made up for any culinary disappointment.

So, on the last day I decided to try Pastel de nata, a delicious Portuguese sweet egg custard encased in a crisp pastry shell. Delicioso!

Saluti

A short break in Venice provided the perfect excuse to drink my favourite wine-based cocktail/aperitif; Aperol Spritz. I prefer this to the bitter Campari Spritz which has a higher alcohol content.

They are made with:-

Aperol/Campari

Soda Water

Prosecco

Ice cubes, olive and orange slice

This time I encountered a third contender. The Hugo Spritz:-

Gin

Elderflower cordial

Soda water

Prosecco

Ice cubes, mint leaves and lime wedge

All delicious and refreshing

Not so poison Ivy

It's Bank Holiday weekend, the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race has been on, it's been my wedding anniversary and YES the weather has been amazing. Yorkshire has been shown in all it's glory - God's Own County indeed.

Our anniversary celebration was spent at The Ivy in Harrogate where I enjoyed:-

Mozzarella di buffalo - asparagus & endamame with roasted pine nuts, pesto & baby basil

Chargrilled halloumi with Padron peppers - red pepper sauce, toasted fregola, San Marzanino tomatoes, olives and a chilli and mint sauce

Everything tasted fresh and was beautifully presented. Thirty-four years on, it's our opal anniversary. 

Red as a Beetroot

Beetroot is the tap root part of the beet plant and the beet leaves can be eaten in salad or cooked Iike spinach.  Both parts are healthy; a source of iron, folate, magnesium, vitamin C, potassium, manganese and fibre.

It can be used in many ways; pickled, roasted, grilled, blended into soup or juice, made into a dip, used in risotto or grated in a salad. Beetroot can even be used to make a red velvet cake (with the addition of chocolate).

M&S sell beetroot wraps.

        

I enjoyed an Arcobaleno (meaning rainbow in Italian) pizza topped with tomato, spinach, avocado, chilli threads, purple basil and pink beetroot "beet balls" at Zizzis. 

I won't beet about the bush ... It was delicious!

Given the runaround

Today the London Marathon saw Mo Farrah come 3rd and smash the British marathon record. This has been overshadowed by Watergate; Mo couldn't find his own water bottle, picked up the wrong one and had to run back to the station to find his own. Why he needed his own bottle I'm not sure. Presumably they all have special, individual additives whereas the main throng of runners have, well, just water. 

As the runners were pounding the pavements in London, I was running 5k around my home village. I drank water before and after the run but the real reward was this delicious brunch.

Avocado with lime juice and chilli flakes on oats and ancient grains toast topped with a poached egg

Greek yogurt with muesli, banana, raspberries and chia seeds

Earl Grey tea

A nice meal at the end of a run is a great motivator. Like the donkey and the carrot. Like Mo and Quorn!

V"egg"ing out

Huevos rancheros (Spanish eggs) make the perfect brunch or supper served with toasted sourdough for dipping or soaking up. I tried making my own fairly recently 'tho' I can't remember whose recipe I followed. There was the fruitiness of tomatoes, a warmth from the onions and peppers, a spicy hit from the paprika and then the creamy soft egg with runny yolk. 

This week I went to Alexander's in Skipton, Yorkshire, and ordered the middle-eastern version Shakshuka. Presentation-wise it was so much better than mine although the toast was burnt and had to be redone.

This had a lot of onions and peppers with the tomatoes and was spicier than my home made version.

Either dish can be tweaked to suit. Cooked aubergine would work with the tomato mix as would a sprinkle of feta cheese on top. Eggs may even be scrambled. Finish off with either a sprinkle of salt and pepper, paprika, chilli flakes or herbs such as parsley or coriander.

Currying favour

Another weekend, another dinner party. A casual Friday night dinner with the neighbours called for curry. I decided to cook chicken, fish and veggie curries and actually used the same recipe for each; an abundance of tikka masala.

Chilli, ginger and onions were finely chopped and cooked

Tikka masala paste was added followed by the par-cooked veggies (cauliflower, potatoes, carrots)

Tinned tomatoes and coconut milk were poured in

(Normally I would add chickpeas but on this occasion frozen garden peas worked just as well)

Cook on the hob for 20-30 minutes

Wilt spinach and inner cauliflower leaves

Serve with basmati rice and naan breads and garnish with coriander, lime wedges, natural yogurt.

The left overs were even tastier the following day. You could say I was currying flavour.  

Easter Eggcess

I have to confess ...

I have turned to eating meat!

Haha only joking - it is April Fools' Day after all!

It's also Easter Sunday. A lovely long weekend spent with friends and family eating yummy food and lots of chocolate Easter Eggs. Less stressful than Christmas and with the promise of Spring and Summer ahead. Fab.

Whilst I am an absolute chocoholic and have eaten my fair share of Easter Eggs today, I also enjoyed an eggy breakfast of avocado and poached eggs on toast with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and salt and pepper seasoning. 

Think I'd better do some eggsercise tomorrow. A friend has just sent these alarming statistics ...

Yokes! Sorry, Yikes!