Summer Bruschetta

Since coming back from Italy last week, I cannot believe how lucky we've been with the weather here in the UK! How wonderful is it to wake up every single morning and see the sun shining outside? 

It makes me jump out of bed full of energy and with a big smile on my face, it really makes all the difference.

This also means that me and Patch have finally had the chance to make the most of our garden again (which I'll admit after a very wet summer last year and an incredibly long winter this year does look a bit like a jungle) eating and chatting with friends under this blue blue sky.

The first lunch we had was a quick but super tasty one. 

We had walked all morning under the sun and were feeling a bit lazy by lunchtime so I had to make sure we could enjoy something easy to prepare but colourful and delicious. 

Enter the Summer Bruschetta.

This is a variation on an "almost classic" bruschetta I prepared on a shoot we did in Tuscany in June (recipes from that wonderful experience will come out soon)..

The result was absolutely fantastic so here's the simple recipe for all of you to enjoy!

SUMMER BRUSCHETTA (serves 2)

1 Loaf of Bread (you can choose your favourite but we got a round stonebaked Sourdough and used half of it to make 4 perfectly sized bruschettas)

3 Big juicy tomatoes chopped 

Half a red onion chopped really small

2-3 tbsp extravirgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to season

A few pimiento olives cut in half (but you can also use plain green or black, it'll work equally well)

Half a block of Halloumi, cut in 4 slices (grilled)

Very Simply start with a medium sized bowl and add the tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar.

Mix everything together then cover with a lid or some foil and pop into the refrigerator to marinate (NB: ideally you'd want to leave it for at least 30 min to 1hour to let the favours mix really well and become deliciously intense but we were starving and 15 min worked just fine).

Cut your loaf into 4 thick slices and grill them, quickly grill the halloumi but keep an eye on it (you don't want it to melt..). All you need to do now is assemble!

Get your favourite plates out, pop the bread on, followed by the marinated tomatoes and halloumi (I broke it into pieces and sprinkled it a bit here and there) and add the little olives last.

Then, take a spoonful of the juice from the bowl that had the tomatoes mix and pour it on top as a final touch.

Time to eat!x

PS: This recipe can also be done on a grilled gluten free bread for any specific diet needs ;)

Ischia my Love

I have just come back from 6 wonderful days on the island of Ischia (south of Italy, just in front of Naples).
After all the cold, rainy weather we've had this year I was seriously in need of some serious amount of sun, heat, sea air and fresh, wholesome food. And boy did I go to the right place!

My family is originally from Puglia and as a child we spent quite a few summers in a house we had in Santa Maria which, looking at the boot shape that Italy has, would be the very pointy heel.

Now Ischia is not in Puglia but there's something about sea towns in the south that connects them all.
Being able to wake up at 6am to see the sun rise and feeling the already warm breeze, olive trees (the one thing that makes me feel most at home and gives me that warm feeling in my heart) surrounding you everywhere you go, huge bright yellow lemons just hanging from trees in almost every garden of people's houses together with wonderful fig trees (figs are right up there with sweet juicy watermelon as my favourite fruits).
And the people.
You see here in England, Italians are known for being very loud when they talk so I often have to contain myself and use a more appropriate tone of voice (or as my friend Gordon loves to say, my inside voice).
But in Italy and especially in the south, you can have entire conversations with someone who's at the window on the first floor or on the other side of the street or just loudly greet or say goodbye to the greengrocer selling wonderful vegetables at the side of the street.
There's something incredibly liberating about it and being able to do that for 6 whole days made me very, very happy.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing this post is that during this time in Ischia, me and my boyfriend have done a pretty incredible amount of eating and I thought I'd let you know what my favourite places were should you head there in the future.
 I know you can easily get a guide in Waterstones and read that, but I always found that word of mouth through family and friends has led me to the best food when on holiday in a new place.

BEST GELATO

Da Ciccio, Ischia Porto

We have tried a few ice cream parlours and this was definitely the king of them all!
Great variety of flavours, lovely texture,delicious whipped cream and ridiculously cheap.
But the one thing I HAVE to let you know about is a flavour called Regno Delle Due Sicilie
( Kingdom of the two Sicilies, which before the Italian unification was the union of the Kingdom of Naples and the Spanish Bourbon Kingdom of Sicily).
The best ingredients of both kingdoms have been put together in a Pistacchio flavour with Almonds, Hazelnuts and pieces of puff pastry.
It was made as an experimental flavour but it was such a hit that it's now one of the resident flavours and my personal favourite.
They also have an beautiful lemon sorbet which is incredibly refreshing after a meal.
You'll also find food and pastries in this bar but it's the ice cream we kept coming back for.

BEST  FISH RESTAURANT

Aglio Olio e Pomodoro, Ischia Ponte

When I go back to Italy, especially in summer, the first thing I order is a fresh fish dish (what a mouthful!) so as soon as we got to Ischia and having walked by small fishing boats on a stroll around town, I knew I had to find some fresh delicious fish to try.
On our search, I was a little disappointed to find out, looking at the menus, that quite a few restaurants had many fish products from frozen.It made no sense to me.
To be honest I wasn't sure about this restaurant at first because from the outside it looked so pretty, colourful and perfectly set up that I thought it might end up being a tourist trap.
But we decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and soon found out we hit the jackpot!
Every single item on the menu is absolutely fresh and our waiter was very helpful and  knowledgeable and, depending on the fish we were looking at on the menu, he suggested many different ways we could have it cooked.
Portions were always abundant and prices affordable.One to visit.
We came to this restaurant on three different occasions and every time we left happy and satisfied.
Here are the three delicious dishes we tried:

1) Tubettoni Mari e Monti
Small fat pasta tubes with mussels, clams, whole shrimps, octopus and squid dressed with a creamy and delicate white wine sauce, fresh parsley and chilli. Just incredible.

2)Octopus Casserole (Polpi Veraci in Casseruola). 
Fresh, tender, mouthwatering octopus pieces in a light sauce made with fresh tomatoes, parsley and chilli plus fresh croutons which were fabulous just soaked in this sauce with a bit of octopus on top. Yum.

3)Calzone
Folded pizza filled with ricotta and cured ham. Feedback from my boyfriend who ordered it : BUONO! (really good).

RISTORANTE PIZZERIA PIROZZI
Via Seminario 51, 80077 Isola D'Ischia
(Ischia Ponte)

This is, as the name already revealed, both a restaurant and a pizzeria so you have your pick.
We had pizza both times, HUGE pizzas. Really flavourful and cheap.About 5-6 euros for one.
On top of that, we were offered two bruschettas on the house both times.
And as we went around 1.30pm when the town is deserted as everyone is off for a pisolino (afternoon nap) we have always managed to sit net to the window looking out to the sea. Not bad ah?
Their homemade Tiramisu' looked incredible but after antipasti and pizza we literally couldn't handle anything more but if any of you should go and try it please let me know how good it is!

BAR CALISE

Right. This is where you want to head if you want dessert. You really do.
This place is an institution here in Ischia and yes, you can find good pastries everywhere, but these are out of this world. We kept coming back for Profiteroles and Cannoncino (i call it cannoncione because it's huge and it basically a horizontal cone of sweet puff pastry filled with custardy cream).
This bar has also a pizzeria attached to it and pizzas are very good too.
But guys please, if you go to Ischia, this has to be you first sweet stop.

LOUNGE BAR IL CAPPUCCINO
Via Porto 72
Isola d'ischia

This is where you want to go after dinner to have cocktails or maybe before dinner for an Aperitivo.
Brillant location in Ischia Porto, Riva Destra on the harbour overlooking beautiful yachts and the bay at night.
Amazing Cocktails and attention to details (lots of snacks to munch on while you drink) in this buzzing bar.
I had a non alcholic Copacabana (filled with seriously juicy colourful pieces of fruit) and Patrick had a Black Russian which he very much enjoyed.
With our cocktails we were also served crisps, olives and coconuts pieces.
Thumbs up!

And one more thing...

I was desperate for some fresh juicy figs (I'm addicted) and the only place I found them was on the street
(Via Rivaz at the corner with Via Roma), where this supercute old lady brings fresh fruits and vegetables every Tuesday and Saturday from 8am till 1pm.
She's so sweet and a lot of fun and everything is delicious and cheap.
Go see her and fill up your basket! Fresh fruit is always a great snack to take to the beach with you.xxx

Quickly Baked Kale Crisps

I have a new addiction. Kale.Well, Kale Crisps to be specific.
No, they do not come in a packet and no they are not fried. They are baked, crispy little mouthfuls of deliciousness and it's a great way, should you have children, to get the kids to eat this gorgeous dark leafy vegetable that is oh so good for all of us!
They are incredibly quick and easy to prepare and what I normally do is prepare a big bowl and just munch on them while watching Grey's Anatomy (well, at least now that I'm taking a break from studying since I've just done my exams and waiting for the results so am distracting myself by doing marathons of my favourite tv show).
This can also be a great choice for your next party, instead of filling lots of bowls with fried crisps covered in weird colours and fake flavours, you can make this amazing snack in just 10 min and offer your guests something crunchy, tasty and nutritious at the same time!

INGREDIENTS
1 big bunch of Kale, preferably organic (washed, dried and roughly torn in pieces. Stems discarded.)
1tbsp Extravirgin Olive Oil
1tsp Hymalaian Salt (or sea salt)

Preheat the oven at 200C-400F-Gas Mark 6.
Put the Kale pieces into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix it up.
Pop onto a baking tray and in the oven for about 10 min until the kale starts to brown a tiny bit on top.
Take it out of the oven and transfer the crisps into a bowl of your choice.
As simple as that.
Enjoy!x

News Flash!

Thanks to my genius boyfriend, today I realised the comment option on this blog wasn't working but that's all been fixed now so feel free to leave comments or ask questions about any of the posts or anything at all!
He also helped me to add a Pinterest and Instagram button so you can follow me on that too if you wish.

Hope you all have a fabulous week.xxx

Quick Superfoods Healing Soup

Yesterday I had my final exam at uni after a month of constant hardcore revising every single day and working in between. Needless to say, as soon as the exam was over and the adrenaline was gone, all the stress, worrying and crazy energy that had being pumping in my whole body for 30 days hit me pretty hard and I suddenly started feeling really run down. That didn't stop me from heading to the farmers Market to buy some gorgeous organic kale and strawberries obviously, but even after a power nap in the afternoon I still felt pretty awful. We went to meet some friends I hadn't seen in way too long which made me feel better as laughing always helps when I'm ill, but when I finally got back home I knew I needed to eat something nutritious and soothing but didn't have the strength to cook at 10.30pm..
And then it hit me.
I had Kale! I had my stash of quinoa in the pantry and and my always faithful vegetable stock.

INGREDIENTS
2 Large Kale Leaves chopped really small
1/3 cup of rinsed quinoa
1tbsp Vegetable stock
Hot water (about 2 1/2 cups depending on how much broth you want)
2 small pinches of Hymalaian or sea salt (optional)
1tsp Extravirgin Olive oil to drizzle on top (optional)

Still with my coat on I put the kettle on and a small pan with some stock in it. Rinsed 1/3 of a cup of quinoa and added it to the pan then covered it with hot water and 2 small pinches of Hymalaian salt (you can also use regular sea salt).Then quickly rinsed my two big leaves of Kale and chopped it teeny tiny and added that too.I know if you over boil vegetables you lose those nutrients in the water but i was going to drink up all of that broth so no problem!
15 min, my hot, delicious, light dinner was ready and I was already in my PJs.
I poured it into a big bowl and drizzled some extravirgin olive oil on it(my mom taught me to do this every time before i have a soup and it just makes it so much tastier) and off I went under the covers all snuggled up in bed.
Feeling much better today.

PS: Just to let you know Kale is incredibly good for you, it's an Anti-inflammatory food, it's high in Fiber, Iron, Antioxidants and Vitamins K, A and C.
Oh, should that not be enough for you it has also got Calcium.
And quinoa (which I've become addicted to), is not only a Gluten Free seed (even though it looks like a grain), but it's a great source of Protein!

So there you go. 3 Ingredients of which 2 are Superfoods. 15 Minutes and your health in a bowl is served.x

Morning trip to Borough Market

Today I went to Borough Market on a mission baby!.
I visited it a couple of times in the past but never spent long enough so this morning I woke up, grabbed my bag (and my boyfriend) and headed towards this Food Mecca that attracts a crazy number of people, both tourists and londoners every single weekend.
We got there towards 10.30am which was good because the atmosphere was already buzzing without too much of a crowd..
I honestly did not know where to look, I was a child in Disneyland!
They have many stalls selling beautiful bright coloured fruits and vegetables so I had a look here and there and finally found the Chegworth Valley Stall, where I grabbed a bag of their delicious organic rainbow chard and a bag of organic kale by Home Farm (as I write this I have already inhaled half of the kale as oven roasted kale crisps..).

Then I headed over to Turnips, where I bought two cucumbers and 6 wonderfully fresh free range eggs
(I know it can seem weird but I do get really excited when I can pick the ones to go in the box myself..)
and also found many many many exotic fabulous fruits I had never seen or heard of and that I'll definitely have to buy next time I go back.
Seriously, some women spend all their money on shoes and jewellery, I spend all of mine on food.
Then I started looking for this basil hummus I heard one of my favourite food bloggers talk about and it soundd so amazing, I had to try it!
But let me tell you, Borough Market is BIG!
There's so many stalls filled with incredible fresh fish, meat, vegetarian food, pastries and bread...
And of course street food!
So you'll understand why it took me a while to finally find The Arabica Food & Spice Company stall in the outdoor side of the market.

Oh man, totally worth the search..They had pitta and lots of samples of their hummus and tahini etc and as
soon as I tasted that Basil Hummus I knew.. I was hooked.

And so I took that little pot of deliciousness at home with me and had it with leftover sweet potato and quinoa burgers.Yum.
Oh!I almost forgot I also got a big bowl filled with perfectly ripe avocados for only £1.
You gotta love markets.
Every time I find myself in a food market I always wish I lived just next to one, but then again that would probably mean I'd spend all day every day just buying food, talking to farmers, eating, and really not having time for much else..Don't get me wrong, I'd be very happy just doing that but I think I might need to work every now and then...

So for now I'll limit myself to my weekend farmers markets bonanza and if you'll excuse me now, I have to go and create something delicious for dinner with all these gorgeous food I brought home.x

The "Everything's gonna be alright" Risotto with Butternut Squash

 It's on days like today that I wish I had a dog to welcome me home with his cute funny face, ready to go for a walk in the park helping me to forget all the bad things that happened during the day..
But alas, I have no dog (sad music in the background).. So I'm turning to comforting yet nutritious food instead.
Enter the Butternut Squash Risotto.
This creamy, soul healing comforting bowl of goodness takes only 20 minutes to prepare and it's bound to bring a smile of happiness and joy on the first bite.
It's inspired by the awesome pumpkin risotto my mom makes but here it's easier to find butternut squash so I used that. And I'll tell you more, I used to have mixed butternut squash and sweet potato together but now I just use the first one and the result is a lighter, creamier risotto that I could eat over and over again.
And I love its happy bright orange colour of course!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of chopped butternut squash
( I buy the pre chopped one and chop it even more)
1 cup arborio rice
1tbsp vegetable stock
2 peeled garlic cloves
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to season
2 pinches of nutmeg
Boiling water

 Start with oil and garlic in a pan on medium heat till the garlic is browning a bit.
In the meantime put the kettle on and chop your butternut squash.
Get your rice and rinse it.
Once the garlic is ready, pop the butternut squash and rice in and mix so they are covered in garlicky oil.
Add salt and pepper and the vegetable stock and mix again.
Then add the water till it covers everything and bring to the boil before lowering the heat to a simmer.
From now on, what you want to do is check and stir every now and then, adding water if you notice that the mixture is becoming too dry.
After 15 minutes (my rice takes about 20 min. to cook but check the instructions on your package), I start squashing the pieces of softened squash against the sides of the pan with a wooden spoon and then stir, by the end of this process everything has become creamy and orange!
That's when I add my nutmeg, stir again, taste to check if I need more salt and pepper and if the rice is cooked of course.
When you stir the rice and see a creamy consistency, not watery (in Italy we call the right consistency ALL'ONDA, onda means wave in italian because when you stir the risotto it should look like a velvety wave), then it's done!
You can add parmesan if you want but as you know I haven't been a fan of dairy lately so I take mine without and it tastes so incredible anyway..

So nothing left to do but cuddle up on the sofa with your bowl of risotto and relax.
Everything's gonna be allright.x