Instagrub and a bit of the weekend

chicken wrap and sweet potato chips

coffee on the way to Ilfracombe in Devon

fish and chips

hazelnut ice cream - yum!

fudge

amazing views in Ilfracombe

sweeties

scones with clotted cream

Moorish crunch salad

If, like me, you like your salads fresh, crunchy and bold you will love this. I was going through one of Jamie Oliver's cook books on a lazy Sunday afternoon when a picture of Her Crunchiness just screamed at me. It looked so delicious, so easy, so enticing I had to make it. I love more substantial, warm salads like any other person (you guys know how I heart my potatoes), but I was really in a mood for something crunchy and super healthy. I won't lie, folks, there's a lot of chopping involved, so make sure your knives are sharp! I find chopping veggies therapeutic and weirdly relaxing (until my knife slips dangerously, nearly chopping my finger off, that is) but it's quite time consuming, so I might get myself a mandoline slicer (pretty soon). If you don't have a mandoline and don't trust your knife skills you can use a vegetable grater. Easy peasy.

You can find the original recipe here, but of course I had to make some small adjustments, adding a few chopped almonds, lamb's lettuce and serving the salad with grilled chicken strips.

To make enough for two people you'll need:

5-6 carrots, peeled
5-6 radishes
1 crunchy eating apple (I used a Granny Smith)
a small handful of freshly chopped parsley and mint
a handful of lamb's lettuce
a handful of sultanas
a few chopped almonds
3-4 tbsp sesame seeds
salt and pepper, to season

2 small chicken breasts
1 tsp smoked paprika

Dressing:
1 tsp sherry or red vinegar
2 tsp tahini paste
2 tbsp olive oil

Start off by washing and chopping all the veggies: chop carrots into matchsticks (or small strips), thinly slice radishes, core and thinly slice an apple. Place in a big salad bowl with herbs and lamb's lettuce, add raisins and almonds and set aside.

Slice the chicken breast lengthwise into long strips, season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika and fry on a small heat in a grill pan until cooked through.

Now prepare the dressing: mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Finally, toast some sesame seeds in a small pan (watch it like a hawk so that the seeds don't burn).

Add the seeds to the salad and drizzle with dressing.

Slice the chicken and serve on top of the salad. Prepare for a lot of crunching :) 

Wednesday wishes

Lovely recipes and beautiful things I'm pinning this week:

Cute fox tea towel

Mandoline

Mr T tea towel! Amazeballs!

Wholewheat pancakes

Peach lemonade cooler - my mouth just watered

Pom poms anyone?

I never cooked quinoa - I think it's time to try it!

Spring vegetable salad

Cute tea towel

Moroccan meatballs with zesty couscous

I already professed my love for meatballs, haven't I? Oh yes, here! I also rambled on about my favourite books featuring food porn. Won't happen again. 

But I do love meatballs, so here's another recipe. I'm using turkey mince again, but this time with a little twist. The addition of orange zest and spices makes the meatballs fragrant and delicious while the almonds add a bit of crunch and texture.

To make enough for two you'll need:

500 g turkey mince

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp cinammon

1tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chilli powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper

salt

pepper

1 orange, zested, then cut into segments

1 onion, finely chopped

160 g couscous

chicken or vegetable stock cube

handful of coriander, chopped

handful of almonds, chopped

olive oil, for frying

In a bowl, mix minced turkey with all the spices and form into small meatballs.

 

Now, even if you luuurve meatballs, you might not want to use all the mince. Fear not, there will be no waste. Take the meatballs you want to save, set them aside on a plate and flatten into mini burgers. Pop them into a freezer and visit the blog next week - I've got a nice recipe lined up using these beauts!

Once the meatballs are ready, chop the onion and heat a bit of oil in the pan. Fry them on medium heat with the onion, tossing the pan so they brown evenly.

While the meatballs are frying get the couscous ready. Put it in a big pot or a bowl, crumble a stock cube in and cover with boiling water (about an inch over the level of couscous). Cover with a lid and leave for about 5-7 minutes.

Now chop coriander, almonds and segment an orange. This video is really helpful if you haven't done it before!

Right, everything should be ready now. Fluff up the couscous, season with salt, pepper and add orange and half of chopped coriander. 

Spoon a few meatballs on top, along with the onions, almonds and the rest of the coriander.

Instagrub

Hi everyone - I had a busy week so there won't be many pics today :(

pasta

raspberries + watermelon

frozen yoghurt

Portsmouth trip

a much too sweet cocktail called Purple rain

waffles

toasty feet

It's been a pretty cold and rainy weekend so I'm off to get a cup of tea!