Make it at home: Coppa Club's winter beets bruschetta

So if you saw my post back in Februrary reviewing the wonderful Coppa Club, then you'll know I couldn't stop raving about their winter beets bruschetta. Beetroot whipped with ricotta, horseradish and lemon on top of a crisp bruschetta, garnished with parmesan shavings, pea shoots and parsnip crisps, it was incredible.

My sister and I tried our hand at recreating this beautiful dish at home, and we think we did a pretty good job, if we do say so ourselves!

Ingredients: (makes 12 slices)

3 Cooked beetroots

250g of ricotta cheese

Zest of a whole lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 heaped teaspoons of horseradish

A pinch of salt

Black pepper

A loaf of ciabatta, sliced

20g of parmesan, shavings

Peashoots, to garnish

Olive oil (to drizzle)

Method:

1.Combine beetroot, ricotta, lemon juice, half of the lemon zest, horseradish, and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and add extra seasoning, lemon or horseradish as desired.

2. Place ciabatta slices on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Place under the grill for 5-10 minutes until toasted.

3. Spread ciabatta with beetroot mixture and top with peashoots, parmesan shavings, the rest of the lemon zest and some black pepper.

Recipe: Homemade loaded wraps

The end of University has finally arrived. The past few months have been devoted to my dissertation and final year exams, and I am so so SO pleased to say it's all over!

It's safe to say my blog has been a little neglected lately, mostly because I haven't had the time to cook and eat blog-worthy food, let alone write about it. But now that it's all over, I've been able to spend my time doing what I love most, cooking and eating!

Over the past week or so I've been trying out lots of new recipes and eating out more, and with my birthday coming up, it's only going to get better. So brace yourselves for posts galore as I become a full-time lady of leisure, the first of which is this deliciously simple lunch recipe.

Inspired by one of my more recent cookbook purchases, Anna Barnett's Eat The Week, this loaded wrap recipe is perfect for summertime dining. Fresh, punchy and entirely homemade, these wraps are the perfect way to jazz up the humble flour tortilla.

Ingredients: Makes 2 large wraps

Mustard gherkin mayo:
100g of gherkins finely chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard (depending how firey you like it)
1 1/2 tablespoons of mayo
Pepper to season

My purple slaw:
1/4 of a red cabbage sliced thinly
1 medium sized red onion sliced thinly
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons of mayo
A handful of fresh corriander roughly chopped
Pepper to season

For the wrap:
130g of chorizo, sliced into rounds
130g of halloumi cheese, sliced to £1 coin thickness
2 soft flour torillas
Fresh rocket

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients for slaw in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly. Place to one side.
2. Combine all ingredients for mustard mayo in a small bowl and mix. Place to one side.
3. Add chorizo to griddle pan (a normal frying pan is also fine) and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes then turn.
4. Now add the halloumi in with the chorizo. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat and then turn each halloumi slice, then cook for a further 5 minutes.
5. Assemble wrap with mustard mayo first, then slaw, then some rocket, then halloumi followed by chorizo. Roll up and enjoy!

Homemade nachos

Over recent years, I seem to have become a bit of a nachos expert, or some may say a nachos snob. I know what I like when it comes to nachos and it doesn't involve Doritos or cinema-style plasticy cheese dip. Homemade tortilla chips, obscene amounts of cheese and a guacamole made from scratch is, in my opinion, exactly what nacho dreams are made of.

This nachos recipe is cinema nachos', more wholesome and lets be honest, better looking older sister. Nothing overly fancy or tricky, just a really tasty treat. These have quickly become a winner amongst my friends, family and boyfriend and go perfectly with a smoky chilli con carne and a couple of Coronas.

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

For the guacamole...

2 ripe avocados

1/2 lemon, juiced

3 spring onions, chopped

4 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped

A small handful of fresh coriander, chopped 

A pinch of dried chilli flakes

Salt & pepper

For the rest...

4 flour tortilla wraps, cut into triangles

2 spring onions, chopped

150g of cheddar cheese, grated

50g of mozzarella, torn into small pieces

100ml sour cream

100g fresh tomato salsa

80g green jalapeños from a jar (depending how hot you like it!)

Method:

1. Arrange the tortilla triangles on a large baking tray, ensuring they aren't stacked on top of one another. Cook in the oven on a medium heat for around 5 minutes or until going slightly darker in colour, then set aside.

2. To make the guacamole, mash 2 avocados in a bowl with a fork until smooth but with a few chunky bits.

3. Into the bowl add, the spring onions, coriander, tomatoes, chilli flakes, seasoning and lemon juice. Combine together and set aside.

4. Arrange half of the tortilla chips into a deeper baking dish/tin and sprinkle over half of both cheeses and a few jalapeños.

5, Place under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.

6. Then place the remaining tortilla chips on top, along with the rest of the cheese, salsa, more jalapeños and some spring onions.

7. Place under the grill again for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.

8. Remove from the oven, and dollop sour cream and guacamole over the nachos.

9. Garnish with some fresh coriander and spring onions and enjoy!

Spicy coconut panko chicken and sesame kale

I like to think I am pretty good when it comes to living on a budget. Now that I am a student again, I am back to meticulously planning meals and doing all of my food shopping online. Although this involves a certain degree of planning ahead, I find that I only buy what I need which means I hardly waste anything. This recipe was something I created by using up a selection of random ingredients I had left over at the end of the week.

Panko breadcrumbs are something I always like to have in the cupboard. I find them a lot lighter and tastier than your normal breadcrumbs and they are delicious on salmon and chicken. I love sesame seeds and oil and they are always a welcome addition when cooking any Chinese or Japanese dishes, so I often have them hanging around. I had a little bit of coconut milk left over from a curry I made and coconut flakes from my breakfast bars recipe.The only fresh ingredients I used were an egg, the kale and the chicken.

It's not often I make something with leftovers and think to myself 'wow, this is actually really nice', but this dish is fast becoming a favourite of mine.

For the chicken: (serves 2)
2 chicken breasts
1 egg
100ml of coconut milk
120g of panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons of dessicated coconut flakes (you can use the grated kind but I prefer to have some chunkier bits in there)
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
3 to 4 pinches of dried chilli flakes (depending on how hot you like it!)
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seed oil
A drizzle of oil (I used a mixture of sesame and chilli oil, but sunflower oil will work too)
Salt & pepper

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to fan 190 degrees C.
2. In a food processor/mini chopper, blitz all dry ingredients (coconut, panko, chilli flakes, sesame seeds, salt & pepper) until a fine crumb is formed
3. In a shallow bowl, crack in the egg and whisk with a fork
4. Add the coconut milk in with the egg and whisk until fully combined, then add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Mix again.
5. Empty the dry breadcrumb mix from processor onto a large plate.
6. Using tongs, take each chicken breast one at a time, and dip into the egg mixture, thoroughly coating all sides of the chicken.
7. The transfer the breast into the breadcrumb bowl and thoroughly coat with the mixture.
8. Do this for both breasts and then transfer into a baking tray. Drizzle with oil of choice, and place in oven.
9. Remove the chicken after about 35-40 minutes of cooking, or until the outside crumb is golden brown and the chicken cooked through.

For the kale (also serves 2)
100g of curly kale (woody stems removed)
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

Method:
1. Place sesame seeds into a dry pan over a medium heat and toast until fragrant and golden brown. Put aside once toasted.
2, Heat sesame oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add kale once oil is hot.
3. Place a lid on the saucepan and cook the kale for 4-6 minutes, stirring ocassionally.
4, Place kale on a plate and sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds.

The chicken and kale make a delish combo, but are equally as good eaten separately or accompanied by other things. Try this kale as a side for fragrant Asian stylesalmon fillets or enjoy this chicken alongside some coconut rice for a hearty dinner. My favourite thing to eat with the panko chicken is sweet chilli sauce - so naughty but so good.

Rice crispies cakes for adults

If there is any way for me to be able to spend an extra 10 minutes in bed, I'm game. Although I love breakfast, I love to take my time making it, eating it and enjoying it, time I simply don't have before work.

Over the past month, I have been lucky enough to work with the amazing branding and design agency, Big Fish. This is pretty much a dream come true for me as they work with some of the loveliest food brands widely recognised for their excellent quality. Dorset Cereals and Clipper Tea are amongst many of the food brands I have spotted in the supermarket and thought to myself 'I wish I worked with them!' and now that I've had the chance to do so, I'm completely over the moon.

This new role lured me back to London which meant an hour and a half commute from Reading each way. Thanks to the early start, I was after an easy breakfast solution that was both tasty and wholesome and could be eaten whilst travelling. These also make the perfect snack.

I love granola and museli, so I wanted to conjure up an on the go version. Sweet, chewy and not a marshmallow in sight, I give you the adult answer to rice crispies cakes....

You will need:

Greaseproof paper
A shallow rectangular baking tin

240g of porridge oats
120g of puffed rice cereal (the plain kind, I used Kallo)
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
4 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of peanut butter (I prefer crunchy but it's up to you)
2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
4 tablespoons of dessicated coconut flakes
1 capful of vanilla extract
A sprinkling of sesame seeds

Kallo and Whole Earth are two of the brands I worked with at Big Fish - just look how pretty they are!

1. Line the baking tray with paper and set aside
2. Add butter, maple syrup and honey to a small saucepan, stir and heat slowly until the butter is melted
3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the brown sugar, vanilla and peanut butter
4. Combine the oats and puffed rice in a large mixing bowl and stir in the butter mixture, ensuring it is all combined
5. Add pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes - stir again
6. Transfer into the baking tin, push mixture to the sides and press down.
7. Sprinkle some additional seeds and coconut on top and drizzle with honey.
8. Put in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then remove and slice into bars/squares.

You can use any seeds of your choice and even add in some dried fruit if you fancy.

Easy peasy iced coffee

August in the UK has been a very disappointing month in terms of weather. There have been very few days when it hasn't rained and I can count the number of sunny days on one hand. On miserable rainy days there's not much that's better than cosying down with a hot drink, so of course, on one of the rainiest days of August so far, I bring you a recipe for none other than, iced coffee! A strange choice I know, but a refreshing pick me up whatever the weather.

I am a self proclaimed coffee addict, seriously - I get coffee withdrawal headaches around 4pm most days. This is an addiction that started when I learnt how to walk...yep. My mum claims I used to wander around the house in the search for used mugs so I could slurp up the dregs of any remaining coffee and I guess old habits die hard.

For Christmas, my mum and sister got me a Nespresso machine and wow, this thing is amazing. You can buy insertable coffee pods in a number of varieties which are all different flavours. My personal favourites are Fortissio lungo and the caramel flavour. I try to limit myself to two coffees a day, and iced coffees make a nice change.

This recipe isn't anything revolutionary, but it is fuss free and extremely delicious.

You will need:
1 coffee pod
1 glassful of milk
A flavoured sugar syrup (optional, but I like these ones)
An ice cube tray
A straw

1. Brew one long coffee into a small jug and leave to cool for around 20 minutes.
2. Pour the coffee into an ice cube tray (I find silicone ones the easiest)
3. Leave in the freezer for a minimum of 12 hours and take out when you're ready to make your coffee
4. Remove each coffee cube and place into a glass
5. Add flavoured syrup of your choice if desired
6. Fill the glass with fresh milk and leave to stand for 10 minutes
7. Stir with a straw and enjoy!*

*Best enjoyed whilst lying on a beach in an exotic country, but whilst snuggled inside in rainy England is sometimes just as good

Passionfruit, lime, mint and rum cocktails

I love a cocktail and I every now and then can't resist indulging in my favourite Moscow mule or raspberry mojito. But I have to admit, I rarely make cocktails at home. With most cocktail recipes, the ingredients lists are extensive and a lot of things are often difficult to get hold of. The closest I get to a homemade cocktail is rum and ginger beer, but I'm sure that doesn't count! When my mum and I (both huge fans of rum) saw this cocktail recipe in the March issue of Sainsbury's Magazine, we had to give it a try.

We didn't have a lot of the ingredients to hand - I don't think many people have fresh lemongrass and pure cane sugar lying around in their kitchens! We had to buy most of the ingredients and this got pretty pricey. I confess that the student in me was thinking that I can get a pint for £2 when we picked up 4 passionfruits for the same price!

We followed the method, and the result was a fresh and deliciously tangy cocktail that definitely packed a punch! This cocktail is perfect for any special occasion and would be an absolute winner in the Spring months.

(Unfortunately the recipe is not available on their website, but pick up an issue in store to find out how to make this cocktail, along with loads of other fab dishes)

Recipe: Kale, pork and sesame stir fry - Sainsbury's Magazine

What better way to celebrate Chinese new year than with a quick and easy delicious Asian dish that is both nutritious and full of flavour. The March issue of Sainsbury's Magazine hosts whole feature on kale recipes, including this fabulously tasty noodle dish.

Kale is a trend that's sweeping the globe one curly green leaf at a time. Whether its kale smoothies, kale crisps or even kale ice cream, this member of the cabbage family is now a staple in the diets of the health-concious. Even Beyonce seems to be a fan, regularly sporting a 'KALE' slogan sweatshirt - if Queen Bey likes it then so do I.

The method of this dish is really straightforward and the result is a really delicious, fresh and fragrant dish perfect for a quick midweek dinner, and just in time for Chinese new year! Find the recipe on the Sainsbury's Magazine website here.

(Ps. Check out this Anthropoligie style tableware, also available in Sainsbury's for a fraction of the price)

Recipe: Creamy Moroccan style butternut squash soup

One of my favourite things to make in the Autumn/Winter months is soup. This recipe is one of my favourites - affordable, different and delicious (if I do say so myself!). Adapted from my first butternut squash soup recipe, I've altered the ingredients slightly to make the flavour a lot more north African by adding harissa, goats cheese, coconut milk, curry powder and some other spices. This soup makes a delicious lunch and should keep for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

This recipe makes around 4 to 5 bowls.

Ingredients:
1 whole butternut squash (skinless, roughly cut into 2cm cubes)
1 whole red pepper (deseeded and roughly chopped)
1 whole red onion (roughly chopped)
2 teaspoons of ginger paste
2 cloves of garlic crushed
100g of goat's cheese
500ml of chicken stock (a stock cube + water is fine)
Olive oil
1 teaspoon of harissa paste
1 teaspoon of clear honey
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon of crushed chilli flakes
2/3 a can of coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put squash, pepper and onions into large roasting tin and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Toss to all vegetables are coated.
2. Add garlic, ginger, harissa, honey, lemon juice, curry powder, chilli powder and flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste (you can always add some more later). Toss veg again to seasoning is evenly distributed.
3. Put into the oven on a medium to high heat until squash is soft. In my oven this took around 40 mins, but keep an eye on it. It doesn't matter if your peppers and onions are slightly charred at the edges!
4. Remove roasting tin from oven and transfer contents into large saucepan if you have a handheld blender like me (put it straight into a free standing blender if you have one).
5. Roughly blitz veg to get it started, then add stock and blend again.
6. Crumble in the goat's cheese stirring it through to ensure it melts. Blend again.
7. Then add coconut milk and blend for the final time until consistency is smooth and silky.Taste, and add extra seasoning if it needs it.
8. Reheat if required and serve with a warm flatbread.

Recipe: Courgette pasta

I am a huge courgette advocate. I think it might be one of those things you only begin to like as your get older, as both me and my sister hated 'corj-ee-ette' (as we used to call it) growing up. My mum gets most of the credit for this recipe, and I added a few things in along the way. My mum first made this when a family member presented us with a giant courgette she had grown in her garden - no, not a marrow, just a really really big courgette. We had to find something to do with it, and that's how this recipe was born.

It's an unbelievably delicious and inexpensive meal and everyone I have cooked it for has loved it, even my courgette-hating boyfriend.

Ingredients:
(serves one)
2 whole courgettes - grated
1/2 red onion (optional) - finely chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic - crushed
Chorizo - cut into small pieces
A pinch of chilli flakes (or 2 if you're feeling daring)
Portion of pasta
Olive oil
Cheese - a small handful, grated
Knob of butter
Salt & pepper

1. Add the grated courgette to a large saucepan/frying pan with olive oil. It may seem like a lot of courgette but as you cook it, the water cooks off and it reduces dramatically in size
2. Add the chopped onion (if using), chilli flakes, salt, pepper and crushed garlic
3. Put pasta on the boil
4. Cook the courgette until it is considerably less green in colour (around 8-10 mins) then add chorizo
5. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes
6. Drain the pasta, transfer back into pan, and add grated cheese and butter. Stir through until fully melted.
7. You can either serve the courgette on top of the pasta or mix it in. I personally prefer to mix it with the pasta.

Enjoy!!