Tuesday, 30 August 2022

SALMON WITH CREAMY DILL SAUCE, ROCKET & BELUGA LENTILS

Summer is nearly over and me and my poor body need a detox of all the fun summer things I consumed too much of (wine, carbs and ice cream being the main culprits). This super fresh, super wholesome salmon dish with lentils is the perfect supper if you are feeling the same as me and I can't wait to cook up some healthy dishes once fashion week madness starts!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SALMON
  • 2 salmon filets
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons shallot minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 6 tablespoons crème fraiche
  • 3 teaspoons fresh dill minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

FOR THE LENTILS
1 cup beluga black lentils
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¾ cup low sodium vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 shallot quartered
3 peeled whole garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 heaping handful of fresh baby arugula.

METHOD
  • Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. 
  • Meanwhile bring salmon to room temperature. 
  • Season fish with salt and pepper.
  • In a oven-safe non-stick saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. 
  • Place salmon, skin side up, in hot oil. 
  • Sear for about 2 minutes, then flip and sear for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Immediately transfer fish to preheated oven and continue cooking, about 5-7 minutes or until fish is done to your liking. (5 minutes should be about medium, and 7 minutes for well-done).
  • Meanwhile, prepare your sauce.
  • Melt butter over medium heat. 
  • Add shallots and season with salt and pepper. 
  • Stir for a few minutes, or until just softened. 
  • Turn heat down as needed to prevent butter from burning.
  • Turn heat to low. 
  • Whisk in the mustard. 
  • Then add crème fraiche and whisk until smooth.
  • Add dill and lemon juice. 
  • Taste, and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve immediately with sauce spooned over salmon, accompanied by beluga lentils.

  • For the lentils: in a medium saucepan add butter and olive oil and melt over medium heat. 
  • Add lentils and stir until lentils are well-coated.
  • Add stock, salt, shallot, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a simmer and then cover, and turn heat down to low.
  • Cook for about 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. 
  • Stir intermittently to prevent sticking and to check for done-ness.
  • When lentils are fully cooked, drain any excess liquid, and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and mix well.
  • Optional- remove garlic and shallots and discard. (I usually remove the garlic, but keep the shallots).
  • Add fresh rocket and stir; the residual heat from the lentils will cause it to wilt.

Wednesday, 24 August 2022

A GREAT BAVARIAN ADVENTURE


I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Bavaria, let alone what a summer break there would be like.

Last year my mum and I had ventured to Cochem, a little yet famous and very picturesque German wine growing town, and were wowed by the beauty and history we had never really seen and come across despite me growing up in Germany. 

This is where the idea of our great Bavarian adventure stemmed from. Bavaria is famous for beer and sausages but also for stunning nature, lakes and of course the sprawling and grand capital of the Bavarian state, Munich.

I had never even been close to this part of Southern Germany and was more than intrigued to finally see it for myself.

This initial idea was also during a time last year when the course of covid and future restrictions was still a little uncertain, so it also seemed like a safer option than travelling to a far flung country.

As the trip edged closer, I did become a wary - should we have booked to go to Italy or the south of France like everyone on my insta timeline? Would a holiday on my “home turf” really feel like a holiday?

I should have not worried though, because the time we spent in Bavaria was absolutely incredible and very memorable.

It was a pretty jam packed trip, I will admit. Being the producer by trade I am, I of course made a detailed itinerary beforehand (helped also thanks to the amazing tips of my Munich born and bred friend Juliana) and wanted to squeeze as much into our 4 days there as possible and it was all so worth it, letting me see a side of Germany I never knew existed.

Even if you are not German I would whole heartedly recommend our experience, using our time there to explore Munich, swim in the stunning Tegernsee, see one of the most famous castles in the world, Schloss Neuschwanstein and visit the Dachau KZ, one of the most emotionally affecting yet absolutely necessary experience of my life that I will never, ever forget.

A few last pointers before I get into the guide. Bavaria isn’t the most veggie or even pescatarian friendly place, I more or less survived on a very balanced diet of pretzels (or Breze as they are called in this part of the world), cheese spätzle and fries, and although everyone drinks beer in very large quantities you can actually find some amazing wine in Bavaria too, which mad me as resolute beer hater particularly happy about!

Anyways below a few places that truly made our stay and I can’t help but think I left a little bit of my heart in Bavaria, who’d have thought it!


HOW WE GOT THERE: 
I actually flew into Düsseldorf from London so that I would get to spend a bit of time in my home away from home either side of the trip, which meant we took Germany's fastest style of train, the ICE, from Düsseldorf to Munich and despite a few delays (about 30 mins both ways) I found the whole experience very pleasant, especially as someone that genuinely hates flying.

It’s not the shortest train ride at just under 5 hours but the ICE trains are super clean, have AC and you get to really experience the changing landscape as you make your way down to Bavaria from your train window.

We booked our trains way in advance with Deutsche Bahn so managed to get a super good price for the return tickets, paying around €150 each for our return (while a one way on the day was coming to that) so planning ahead when it comes to getting to Munich definitely pays off!



WHERE WE STAYED: 



The Flushing Meadows hotel came recommended by Juliana and proved the perfect base for our little adventure. 

It’s an affordable, hipster friendly boutique hotel in a fab location, right by the beautiful Iser river (which is so clean you can go for a dip in it..I mean quite the opposite to the Thames ), a 10 minute walk to the world famous Viktualienmarket, a 15 minute walk to get right to the city centre and right by a great array of bars and restaurants. 

Don’t expect Soho House sort of boutique-ness in terms of style and amenities but rooms are spacious, clean and very unique (our studio came with a hammock), the staff is cool and super friendly plus the hotel comes with its own cosy roof terrace on the top floor overlooking the city.

TOP TIP: The entrance to the hotel is easily missed as it is literally just a metal door with a very understated logo on it, but once you get in you will realise what a little gem Flushing Meadows truly is.


PLACES TO EAT

SPATENHAUS AN DER OPER


The Spatenhaus an der Oper is a great restaurant right by the Munich Opera. A little touristy and definitely priced accordingly, but a wonderful spot to take in the old world charm of Munich’s grand architecture and history. I had a very good plate of Käsespätzle while my mum enjoyed a creamy mushroom sauce with fresh knödel (a sort of German dumpling). 

Booking is advised but not essential.


We sort of stumbled across this wine bar and restaurant by chance as I spotted a gorgeous looking courtyard and really hit jackpot with this place.

Why? Well, here they specialise in German wine from the Pfalz region, the region we had visited last summer and had fallen in love with.

In fact there is a huge selection of the most amazing wine at ridiculously good prices (think €14 for a bottle of incredible Gewurztraminer) which can be enjoyed in the courtyard where there are plenty of outdoor tables.

There is also a rustic looking indoor restaurant space if the weather doesn’t play ball and they also have very good selection of classic German dishes, with enough options for non meat eaters.

There are hardly any tourists, the vibe is magical, especially when the sun sets over the city, and the wine simply outstanding. Indeed If I had to pick a fav dining spot of the trip it would for sure be this Weinstube.


SHORTY

One evening, absolutely knackered from our day trip to Tegernsee, we just fancied a quick, fuss free and potentially not German inspired dinner (pretzel fatigue anyone?!), lucky for us then that literally next door to the hotel is one of Munich’s most hyped pizza takeaway spots, Shorty.

A quick elevator ride down in my pjs and I was at the hole in the wall pizza makery ‘Shorty’.

It already smelled amazing and once I saw the guys making the pizzas from scratch with the best local ingredients after every order I knew I was in the right place!

We ended up sharing a very tasty truffle and mushroom topped pizza, which came with the perfect crust and stretchy dough but the whole menu had delicious sounding pizzas with inventive toppings that I would for sure come back for.


PLACES TO GO FOR A DRINK

FLUSHING MEADOWS 


As I have already mentioned, the Flushing Meadows hotel also has a smashing cocktail bar on its top floor with a little rooftop terrace, perfect to enjoy a sundowner at. The bar gets incredible busy with locals at the weekends but we had a fabulous cocktail there and the vibe was cool yet unpretentious.

GUTE NACHT WURST


We stumbled across this no thrills, student-y bar which also sells the most amazing fries and currywurst
on our way home from dinner one evening and it was the perfect stop for a last spritz, delightful truffle fries and a fun atmosphere. Even better when you realise the place is literally called 'Good Night Sausage'!!

VIKTUALIENMARKT


Viktualienmarkt is not only an utterly charming food market but also has a plethora of vibrant Biergartens and cafes surrounding it. A fab place for people watching, sharing a wooden bench with some strangers and soaking up the Munich lifestyle.


DAY TRIPS

The great thing about Munich’s location is that you can literally be in the midst of stunning mountain scapes, lakes and castles after less than an hour on the train from its main station.

I was truly stunned by the variety of jaw dropping spots we were able to day trip to from the city and will not forget what we saw and experienced in a hurry.


TEGERNSEE


HOW TO GET THERE:
A 40 minute on a local train from Munich’s main station.

WHAT TO DO: 
Swim, chill and take in the beauty of this incredibly clean and clear lake, surrounded by imposing mountains and gorgeous traditional Bavarian country houses. 

We spent most of our day sunbathing and going for dips at Monte Mare, a sort of very casual beach club by the lake. 

You pay €2.5 a person and get access to their cordoned off area of the lake with loungers, clean toilets and a little cafe which sells fries, €5 spritz’s and ice cream at your disposal! Honestly it felt like a proper beach holiday for the day and I would return to Tegernsee in a heartbeat.

WHAT TO AVOID:
Don’t waste your euros on an overpriced dinner by the lake. Dining options are limited and prices steep. We went to a restaurant and ate very mediocre food for double the price than it should have been. 

Instead either bring a picnic along or go to one of stands selling fries and your standard sausage fare and wait until you are back in Munich to have a proper meal out.


SCHLOSS NEUSCHWANSTEIN



HOW TO GET THERE: 
1h 30 mins from Munich’s main station via two local trains and a local bus - a little further to get to, but it’s a pretty scenic train route so you won’t get bored looking out of the window and seeing this world famous castle is worth the schlep!

It’s so famous in fact that Walt Disney based his iconic Disney princess castle on its design with the castle attracting over 2 million visitors yearly,


WHAT TO DO: 
Check out the castle of course! 

My top tip: book your tickets way, way, way in advance. 
I thought a month ahead would be enough but the official tickets had already sold out for all of August.

Instead I booked a ticketed tour with an official and legit local tourist office, a little more expensive than the standard ticket (it was around 25 euros each) but totally worth it as we had an assigned slot for entry into the castle for the day of our visit.

They do sell a limited amount of ticketed tours on the day (an audio guided tour being the only way to gain entrance to the inside of the castle), but especially during peak months that is pretty risky and could mean you only end up seeing the castle from the outside, no doubt still an impressive sight but let’s be honest you will only go to Neuschwanstein once in your life so you may as well see it all!


WHAT TO AVOID: 
I would suggest getting there early in the day to avoid large tourist crowds. Our tour was at 11:30am and even though it meant a pretty early start, leaving our hotel at 7am on the dot, though not empty the whole castle and wonderful walk through the forrest to get there, felt calm. 

By the time we had finished our tour and were walking back to the bus stop to bring us back to the train station the tour buses had arrived, it felt crowded and for me a little of the romance of the whole scenery was lost.


DACHAU KZ MEMORIAL SITE



You may find it strange that visiting a concentration camp was included as part of my holiday itinerary but once my mum and I, by complete coincidence in conversation, realised that Dachau, the original and “model” concentration camp under the Nazis, was a mere 20 minute train ride away from central Munich I knew we had to go.

I had grandparents on both sides in the war, one in the German army, one Jewish, who had most likely spend some time in a KZ but till his death told us very little about his past, a deep seated sense of denial which he began to believe himself as way of survival. I spent hours sprawling the internet, trying to find clues to what he was too afraid to tell us and this actually became the main reason why I ended up studying history at university.

Yet nothing could prepare me to see the darkest of human history laid out right in front of me.

Unfortunately the worst atrocities eventually get forgotten and repeat themselves or even worse, start to become denied by some.

Seeing a concentration camp with my own eyes, including a gas chamber that was used to exterminate Jews, Political opponents, Homosexuals and the disabled, made the Nazis and their crimes very real and reiterated to me how something like this can never, ever happen again.

As our fantastic guide, a historian who gave us a two and half hour tour of the grounds, said “the last witnesses of this time are slowly dying, all we have left are these physical places, places of remembrance, to keep the history alive and stop it from becoming an abstract historian occurrence”

It wasn’t a “fun” holiday activity but something that I think everyone should see and that will stay with me for the rest of my life.


HOW TO GET THERE: 
20 minute local train from Munich’s central station + 5 minute bus ride

WHAT TO DO: 
Though you can rent an audio guide throughout the day, I would highly recommend the daily group tours with incredibly knowledgeable historians who take you through the vast camp complex and who offer you an invaluable educational experience.

There are 2 English tours a day at 11am and 2pm and a German one every day. They are only 4 euros a person and I cannot recommend them enough.

Tuesday, 9 August 2022

CHILLI, HONEY & GARLIC GLAZED ROAST SALMON WITH POTATOES AND CREAMY AVO & YOGURT SAUCE


This flavour packed, omega 3 rich recipe is another wonderful supper choice for a hot summer's day. 

Salmon filets are marinated in a punchy honey, chilli, garlic and spice mixture before being roasted to flaky perfection alongside some baby new potatoes in the oven. 

The real star however of the dish is the avocado, herb and yogurt sauce which does not require any cooking whatsoever (god bless the blender) but is so creamy and fragrant and acts as the ideal counterpart to the spicy salmon.

All gets served up with some chunks of feta (why not) and roast broccoli, making it a nutritious, satisfying yet quick to make dinner that is an absolute joy to eat!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 700g baby potatoes, halved if large
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt
  • 2 salmon fillets 
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • Juice of 1-2 lemons, to your liking
  • 1 pinch chilli flakes
  • 150g feta cheese, cubed

AVO & YOGURT SAUCE
  • 2 avocados, halved
  • 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
  • 1 cup coriander
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
  • 1 green chilli, halved and seeded
  • Juice from 1 lemon, plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Salt
  • Fresh dill, for serving

METHOD
  • Preheat oven to 220C.
  • On a baking tray, toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender. 
  • Place the salmon on a plate and drizzle with honey. 
  • Add the paprika, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 
  • Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, rubbing the seasonings and oil evenly into each filet. 
  • Remove potatoes from oven and push them to one side of tray. 
  • Put salmon on the other side. 
  • Return tray to oven and roast for 10 to 20 minutes more, until salmon reaches desired doneness and potatoes are soft. 
  • Meanwhile, make the avo and yogurt sauce. 
  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to thin the sauce. 
  • To serve, spread the  sauce onto plates. 
  • Add the potatoes, salmon, and feta AND ENJOY!

Wednesday, 3 August 2022

COURGETTE PAPPARDELLE WITH LEMON, FETA & PINE NUTS


I absolutely adored this super light, yet flavourful and summery pasta dish!

Feta works a treat when slowly melted into a creamy sauce alongside some chopped up courgette and vegetable stock, while the mix of pappardelle pasta and courgette ribbons adds a wonderful crunch and vibrant colour to the final dish. 

Add some pine nuts, pan fried in some butter, and you get yourself an imaginative, vegetarian friendly pasta supper that takes less than 30 minutes to make!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SAUCE 
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp oregano leaves
  • 3 large green courgettes, cut lengthways into quarters, then finely sliced 
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 150g feta, broken up into rough chunks
  • 100ml vegetable stock

FOR THE PASTA AND COURGETTE RIBBONS
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 80g pine nuts, roughly crushed
  • 2 courgettes (ideally 1 yellow and 1 green)
  • 300g pappardelle egg pasta
  • Finely shaved zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 25g basil leaves, roughly torn

METHOD
  • Start with the sauce. 
  • Heat the oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat, then fry the garlic and oregano for one to two minutes, until the garlic just to starts to brown. 
  • Add the sliced courgettes, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper, and fry for five minutes, stirring frequently. 
  • Add the feta and stock, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and leave to cook for 25 minutes, until the courgettes are soft, the feta has melted and the sauce is creamy. Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat. 
  • Once the butter starts to spit, add the pine nuts and fry, stirring, for a minute, until they turn golden-brown, then spoon the nuts into a small bowl, to stop them cooking any more.
  • Peel the yellow and green courgettes into long, thin strips (ideally, using a mandoline or potato peeler).
  • Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, then cook the pappardelle until al dente, stirring the courgette ribbons into the pasta water only a few seconds before the pasta is done. 
  • Drain, then return the pasta and courgette ribbons to the pan and stir in the sauce, lemon zest and juice, basil and a generous grind of black pepper. 
  • Divide between bowls, spoon over the reserved pine nuts and serve hot.