Recipe: A Triple M Way to Start the Week

April 26, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

As it turned out, Monday was not only Meatless but also it was a Museum Monday and a Margarita Monday with my Man! I awakened with the notion to test out a new recipe I had dreamed up in my sleep: A hearty stuffed mushroom. More of a Sunday Brunch variety, but nevertheless eaten as my Monday main meal, minus the meat! I used what I had on hand in the fridge (mushroom, spinach, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and eggs) to create a super healthy and delish treat. I posted the tutorial on Snapchat (username: blissbakery) and got some great feedback. And my taste buds gave it a thumbs up too (see below for full recipe and pics).

Later, I met Hubby for an early evening date which started at Wahaca for margaritas and nibbles. I’ve been wanting to share this place with Snapchat since I did my Woman Crush Wednesday of the founder of the restaurant Thomasina Miers. I love the food (Mexican is one of my fav cuisines and she knows how to do it right) and I respect the ethos. To be adventurous we ordered a passion fruit margarita and for the other one, a hibiscus margarita. That way we could share. And we ordered our ‘go to’ sweet potato taquitos and shrimp tacos for our nosh before we took the tube down to our next stop.

My hubby and I have a tradition of seeing traveling exhibitions of world photography. This tradition dates back to when we lived in Los Angeles. I am not a photographer but simply enjoy every aspect of them, the composition, the subject and the mood to name a few. However Hubby has always enjoyed photography as a hobby has been known to take some incredible photos. Some day I’ll have to swipe them and do a whole post on here! But yesterday we went to the Somerset House for the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. It was filled to the brim with photos from photographers of every age and every nationality and taken at locations all over the world. It was a quiet enough night in terms of attendance, but that gave us loads of space to enjoy the plethora of pictures. My favs included a heart made with water, a heart made with two women who had their hair braided together and an aubergine (eggplant) that was in the shape of a heart. Yes I have a thing with hearts!

#snappy and Rose were perplexed by the series taken by an Italian photographer that showed a Barbie doll in various poses!

And now for the Egg and Spinach Stuffed Mushroom Brunch Boats

Ingredients:

4 free range eggs

200 g spinach (one bag, washed)

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

4 sundried tomatoes (and some of the oil from the jar in which it is packed)

4 large flat mushrooms (such as Porabello) with the insides scraped out (you can use those bits to add to the spinach filling if you like)

Feta Cheese to crumble (or cheese of your choice)

Parmesan Cheese to grate on top

salt/pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200c/400f

Steam the bag of washed spinach. While that steams, chop your onion and garlic and sauté them in a frying pan with a little bit of the oil from the jar in which the sundried tomatoes come packed. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Chop the 4 sundried tomatoes and add to the onion and garlic when they have softened.

When the spinach is done, pour the water left in the pan back over the spinach. Let this drain then squish the spinach with a potato masher. Get all the liquid out so that the spinach can be made into a ball. Then chop up the spinach and add to the onion/garlic/sundried tomato mix. Crumble a bit of the cheese into this mixture and taste to adjust seasoning if necessary (feta can be salty so if using that type of cheese make sure you taste after you add as you may not need as much salt).

Put the mushrooms in a baking tray and season them with salt and pepper. Then fill them with the spinach mixture leaving a small well in the center. Carefully crack each egg into the spinach well and bake for 10 minutes or until egg set. A few minutes before it is done, you can grate a bit of Parmesan Cheese on top.

To serve you can spritz a bit of Siracha sauce on top of the mushroom if you want it hot and spicy or drizzle with some of your favorite pesto sauce. If you’re not afraid of carbs, this can be enjoyed with side of sourdough toast or some nice breakfast potatoes.

I hope you make some of your own special traditions on a Monday as I know it can be a day many dread on the calendar. You don’t need to make it meatless, attend a museum or have it dripping with margaritas. But if you find an activity that you can stick with, that brings you joy and happiness, then you will start to look forward to the 52 Mondays we are blessed with each year and they won’t be manic madness but instead mellow magic!

Much love of a Monday and everyday!

YDP

P.S. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, #snappy will be departing soon to stay with his new foster momma. So before he goes we are having fun on these last few adventures with his girl Rose. They sure enjoyed the sights in London!

The famous London Eye in the distance along the River Thames

A Snapchat Love Story

April 25, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

Once upon a time there was a Yankee Doodle Paddy whose purpose it was to spread some LOVE in this world. Though she was much older than most when she started into social media, she decided to share love there as well. So while visiting California, she stopped by the headquarters of Snapchat, her favorite social media platform. She brought custom made donuts (that spelled out the name SNAPCHAT) for all the good people who worked there. It was her way to thank them for creating a space where folks could have fun and interact, use their creativity, be challenged and yet nurtured, and make the world a better place. Snapchat HQ is kinda of like a momma to all of us “Snap Sistas“.

What Yankee Doodle Paddy (who was snapping this whole scenario and adding it to her story, username: blissbakery) didn’t expect was that upon dropping off the gorge and delish donuts that she too would also receive something. Yes, she was given a pair of sunnies with a Snapchat logo and also an adorable stuffed #snappy! What a lovely surprise! Her first impulse was to put it up for a free random draw competition for all those who were watching the escapades. She often does give aways, one of her fav things to do on Snapchat. So anyone watching could screenshot and then be entered into the draw to win either the sunnies or #snappy, their choice. However, because she was traveling she missed some of the screenshots. And so to be fair she decided to redo the competition once she returned to her soul land, Ireland.

However, something happen along the way that was unexpected and utterly amazing. Yankee Doodle Paddy and #snappy were crossing the Irish Sea on a ferry and though the seas were rough, there was another storm brewing inside #snappy’s heart. A love storm! He spotted a beautiful rose pink colored Hello Kitty inside a vending machine that was filled with other stuffed animals. He thought she was the most beautiful creature in the world. Though separated by a piece of glass, he knew they had to be together. When the Yankee Doodle Paddy realized what was going on, she asked a young boy to help by giving him money to play the vending machine game in hopes of winning Rose Kitty’s heart for #snappy. It took a couple of tries, but the boy succeeded and it was the most amazing sight ever to see the two of them touch for the first time!

It was a rough and treacherous crossing from the U.K and YDP was concerned it would be another Titanic disaster! But #snappy and Rose were two young lovers without a care in the world, having fun and feeling like the King and Queen of the world! When they finally docked in Wexford they were busting to explore some new scenery together.

All around Ireland the two of them were inseparable! They went on a Foodie Fieldtrip Friday, built a snowman with the few flakes that fell in Dublin one frosty morning, and even helped bake some Snapchat cookies. They enjoyed the Emerald Isle immensely. Their burgeoning love story was making news in Snapland and even @SweetLivingK designed a wedding favor for the two of them should they get married: Chocolate Bars with their own logo!

But Yankee Doodle Paddy had to do the random draw as promised. With over a hundred entries, a lovely woman was chosen by an online random number generator. She had the choice of taking #snappy or the sunnies as per the contest rules. But guess what? The lovely winner decided to take the sunnies as she didn’t want to separate the love birds!!! It was a miracle!

So that means they are going to be together forever! Because of that they have been able to enjoy so many wonderful outings with Yankee Doodle Paddy, such as the Greenwich Observatory, more Foodie Fieldtrip Friday adventures ( click here and here) and they were even involved in the Snapchetiquette presentation. They got to meet some of the other Snappers out in Snapland and they took another trip back to Ireland for Easter. As well they took a transatlantic trip to the U.S (Nashville and Chicago) . One of the most exciting things though was climbing the O2 (for the full story, click here). However, Rose doesn’t like heights so she opted out of that activity and the climb up to the top of The Monument for the 1666 Great Fire of London.

But still Yankee Doodle Paddy realized that #snappy is a global personality and indeed liked being a traveling man meeting different people. He is sociable and wants to be an ambassador of peace in the world! So as a family they decided that he would do a summer tour and stay with different foster families to experience the diversity of lives of all kinds of people from Snapland.

Therefore, this week #snappy will make his first foray into the foster family world. He is traveling back to the U.S.A to visit a Snap Sista named Katy Kay (@ktktoo) and is looking forward to his time in South Carolina and going on many GeoCaching explorations with her. And Rose will be going to California to meet some special family. So stay tuned to see more of the adventures of #snappy and Rose! As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder!

This is a true “Romance Novel-ty”,

YDP

P.S. The most incredible part of this tale is the fact that Stella the pretty pit has honored their love story. She is notorious for ripping apart anything that looks remotely like a dog toy, stuffed animal or even a house slipper. But she knows the bond between #snappy and Rose is for real because she too had one with her Man, the Soul Dog!

Foodie Fieldtrip Friday: Tea at Bea’s of Bloomsbury

April 23, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

This week’s Foodie Fieldtrip Friday became a tea for two when the lovely Leah (from New York) joined me since she was in London for work. While we had intended to extend the trip to another location after our visit to Bea’s of Bloomsbury , we ended up staying there for four hours! But the good news is that we got in some great “chats, bants and LOLz” and finished our entire tea stand of delectable hand made treats!

Bea Vo started Bea’s of Bloomsbury back in 2008 and it has grown to include cafes near St. Paul’s Cathedral and Farringdon as well. Though she isn’t involved day to day anymore as she has gone on to other foodie projects, this brand has remained strong. It continues to top various lists (like this one) of best bakeries in London. And while the bespoke wedding cakes along with the famous Duffin and Townie are worthy draws, it is the tea time treats that bring in the crowds. In fact, we were lucky to have gotten a table without a reservation. And the line was out the door.

There are three options for tea, the standard, gold and champagne. We ordered the gold which included two glasses of Proseco and a macaroon each . We started with our savory bites of three types of sandwiches all served on lovely soft sweet brioche buns: Ham and Cheese, Philly Cheese with walnuts and rosemary, and caramelized onions with mozzarella and lettuce. My fav was the later. The onions were so delish and moreish!

Then we slowly worked our way through the handmade raspberry marshmallows, three types of brownies (one of which was made with white chocolate and Leah especially loved it), coconut meringue kisses, two kinds of cupcakes which were quite fresh and sponge-y. One was a chocolate sponge with a raspberry buttercream and the other was a vanilla sponge with a passionfruit buttercream. I liked that they weren’t overly sweet as some American cupcakes can often be.

There was also a traditional scone for each of us (served with clotted cream and raspberry jam) and the ultimate highlight, two kinds of macaroons. One was red velvet and the other was peanut butter and jelly. By far the height of my happiness out of everything I tasted! I want to go back just for that! Our choice of tea was a Vanilla Bourbon, which wasn’t boozy but had a mellow aged taste to it. When we asked for milk to go with it our server seemed perplexed. Strange since we both thought milk was standard when having tea over in the U.K. (unless you are drinking mint tea). We both thought it tasted better with a spot of milk in it!

The cafe itself is smallish and cozy. It isn’t a fussy decor, and it’s the baked goods that lend the color and flavor to the vibe of the room. I loved some of the signage and quotes too, very cute! I happened to read a review online this morning that wasn’t very nice. I don’t know why people have to be so mean. But I did agree with one comment that mentioned certain things looked in disrepair. Maybe because it is the oldest of all the cafes in the group. Since I used to manage a gourmet food store in Dublin, I know how important it is to maintain the physical aspects of a food establishment. It is little things like chipped paint that consciously or even subconsciously catch the eye of the patrons. But I realize how much work goes into running a business and perfection is impossible to maintain at all times.

While we consumed a lot of carbs and sugar in those four hours, not a crumb was wasted and not a calorie counted. It was so worth it as it was tasty and also so enjoyable to spend it with Leah. I have been wanting to visit here ever since we moved to London and so glad it finally came to fruition! I love the line under Bea’s logo which says, “Life is short, eat more cake” and it reminds me of this Erma Bombeck quote: Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart? Hence, why I thoroughly enjoy these foodie adventures. And why I like to take along my snapchat friends (my username is: blissbakery). Many who watch my snap stories aren’t able to travel for health, financial or family reasons. So they feel a part of what I am doing by my sharing through the videos I post. So here’s to many more!

Love and Cheers!

YDP

Recipe: Woman Crush Wednesday

April 20, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

There is a song that goes “I’d drive all night to see you” well I am going change the lyrics to “ I’d fly all night to get back for #WCW”. I love Wednesdays so much that no amount of jet lag is gonna stop me from giving a gorgeous gourmet girl some good old fashion props and attention! And this week’s female chef is so deserving that I am beyond excited to recreate her recipe and share more about her. And since I just flew home to London from Chicago, you won’t be surprised who is the chosen recipient!

Stephanie Izard may only be 37, but her list of achievements in the culinary world is phenomenal. She was one of the youngest James Beard winners at 27, went on to become Top Chef’s first female winner, and also the only winner of Top Chef to also win audience fan favorite. But with her delicious food, awesome smile and infectious personality it is no wonder she is the golden girl of the foodie world.

Born in Chicago (like I was) Stephanie has several successful eateries in the West Loop area near downtown. The famous Girl and the Goat and across the street the Baby Goat Diner and its bakery next door. She just opened another restaurant Duck, Duck, Goat several blocks away. Besides bringing to life these fab food creations, she and her husband have a baby on the way too! The sky is the limit for this girl!

I was just in Chicago for 24 hours on my way back home to London from a visit to Tennessee to see my son and his wife. But I did take time to visit two of her restaurants and was very impressed with the food, staff, vibe, all of it. On Monday night the line was out the door for the Girl and the Goat. And on Tuesday morning I got to taste one of Stephanie’s famous and yummy handmade “pop tart” pastries at the Little Goat Diner Bakery. So so good! But for our Snapchat tutorial today (which you can watch with my username: blissbakery) I decided to make a savoury dish. Stephanie has a fab looking recipe for a Fish with a green curry sauce. Healthy and tasty!

Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
3 tbsp basil leaves, packed
1 cup cilantro (also called coriander) , chopped with stems, about ½ bunch
¼ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garlic, chopped small
1½ tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped small
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced and divided
2 tsp jalapenos, chopped with seeds (omit seeds for less spicy version)
2 Tbsp lemongrass, peeled and bottom 1/3 only, chopped
1 14 oz can (400 g) coconut cream
2 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
4 (5-oz) fillets of skin on grouper, snapper, or striped bass
1-2 tsp fish sauce
2-3 tsp fresh lime juice
Blend together basil, cilantro, cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, one shallot, 1 tsp jalapeno, lemongrass, and coconut cream. Taste and add remaining jalapeno to taste, set aside. Sauce may look broken from the coconut cream, don’t worry it will come together in the frying pan.
Turn fish skin side up and score, cutting just through skin. Season with salt spice mix for fish.
Heat oil in large heavy bottom skillet until almost smoking. Lay fish fillets skin side down and cook over
high heat until skin is very crispy, but not burnt. Turn fillets and continue cooking over medium high heat until fish is opaque and flaky all the way through. Remove to serving platter and tent with foil.
Add the other sliced shallot to pan and cook until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add curry sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice, simmer for 3-4 minutes so sauce thickens a little and flavors come together. Adjust seasoning if
necessary. Pour half of curry sauce over fish and serve remaining on the side. Serve immediately.

I absolutely love this dish! It is so flavorful and clean tasting. And it is dairy, sugar and gluten free! But at the same time very filling and satisfying. I served it with a coconut rice and when my Hubby tasted it tonight for dinner he asked if I would make it again tomorrow night. It would also be a perfect dish for a dinner party for four people. Super easy and yet very impressive. As well, anything with cilantro (coriander) is a go to for me as it has so many health benefits!

Stephanie is not only innovative in the kitchen but she thinks outside the box when it comes to her philanthropic involvement. She helps raise funds for Share Our Strength, a charity devoted to helping feed hungry children. When her book “The Girl in the Kitchen” debuted, she did a nationwide promotional tour. In each stop at the various cities along the way she teamed up with a local chef for a fundraising dinner for SOS. And if I didn’t already have enough about her to love, she also has a four legged furry friend like I have my Stella!

Thanks Stephanie for being a wonderful Woman Crush Wednesday. You are truly a star and such an inspiration! I wish you and your Hubby well on the birth of your new a baby. Very exciting times indeed in your household

Congrats and Chi town love,

YDP

Recipe: Bittersweet Poppyseed Cake

April 18, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

While I get loads of wonderful comments about my baking, including this Poppyseed Cake recipe, what I am most proud of in life are my two children. They are beyond words, so I won’t even start. But suffice it to say I love them with every ounce of my being. And so, while I have spent the weekend here in Tennessee with my son and daughter in law, it is a bittersweet visit. He will be deployed soon as part of his job and I won’t be able to see him for 9 months. So when he asked me to bake him his favorite cake, I jumped at the chance. I usually like to make it from scratch, but had to go with the quicker alternative. However, the secret ingredient in all my recipes, which is LOVE, was ever present! I’ll share the longer version another time since I have to head out for the airport now. But until then, here is what you need for an unforgettable but quick treat!

Ingredients

1 package Dunkin Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix

1 package Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix (3.4 oz)

4 large eggs

1 small container sour cream (8 oz)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup cream sherry

3/4 of a 2.6 oz bottle of poppy seeds

Powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix and pudding mix together. Then add eggs, sour cream, oil and cream sherry. Mix until smooth. Gently fold in poppy seeds.

Transfer batter to a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake for about 35- 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Flip cake onto a plate and let cool another 20 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.

My daughter no longer blogs because she is a busy mommy of two and in the middle of getting a masters degree in social work. However, when she did have a blog she wrote a lovely post about this poppyseed cake. You can read it by clicking here. It is amazing how much food can connect us and evoke such powerful feelings. I am excited to say I will be seeing my daughter and her family in a few weeks time. But I look forward to another chance for all of us to be together in the New Year (which seems a long way away) when my son returns safe and sound. Until then we will savor the bittersweet memory of our time together this weekend with the last bits of this cake.

Love beyond words,

YDP

Foodie Fieldtrip Fireday!

April 16, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

April 8^th marks the 32^nd anniversary of my dad’s passing. Since it falls just 4 days after his birthday (which I wrote about on here) I decided to make this Foodie Fieldtrip Friday a Fire themed one!

The first stop was to Brigade Bar and Bistro. This former firehouse (the oldest one in London) has been converted into a restaurant and cookery school. The décor itself isn’t firehouse themed as such. But they have kept the gorgeous doors and moldings and created an incredible dining space. The open kitchen is the centerpiece of the restaurant and nearby the bar is stocked to the brim with drinks of all sorts. I love the two downstairs nooks that can be utilized for more private dinners, the chef’s library room and another slightly larger room just opposite.

To eat I was treated to the best scrambled eggs and salmon I had ever eaten. Along with nice crusty sourdough toast and a pot of mint tea I was good to go. But the best treat was the tour of the upstairs area, which is used for their cookery school and corporate and private events. I will go into more detail about Brigade in another post, as it is a social enterprise with loads of info to share with you. But in a nutshell Brigade and it’s partners work at providing retraining for individuals that want to better their current circumstances through the food and service sector.

The next stop on the tour was to The Monument, which is a 311 step structure designed by Christopher Wren to commemorate those who lost their lives in The Great Fire of London of 1666. The fire began in a bakery on Pudding Lane, just a few yards away and it raged or 4 days because of the high winds. I climbed to the top to get a better view of London. But just as I reached the top my phone battery died. I decided I had to have photos and do some “snappage” as my hubby calls it. Though the story has since expired, if you’d like to come watch future Foodie Fieldtrip Fridays my user name is: blissbakery. And I have written blog posts on previous outings, which you can find by clicking here.

So, what does a girl do when she has no battery on her phone? Go find a place to charge it! So down I went and checked with the admissions personnel to find out if I could come back and walk the stairs again without having to pay a second time. The said no problem, but were perplexed why I’d want to climb it more than once anyway! While I waited for charging to complete, I tucked in to the closest restaurant, which happened to be Hydrant. This local watering hole was buzzing with business and financial district folks getting an early start on the festivities of the weekend. I was hungry and thirsty, but only had water. But a good look at the menu and the décor got my curiosity peaked. Though I had intended to dine at another firehouse themed restaurant a bit more posh. But I was getting pressed for time. So I dashed back up the stairs (totally worth it for the experience, the pictures, and only 4.50) and down again.

I then took a walk to St. Paul’s Cathedral (also designed by Christopher Wren) and while I didn’t go inside (I’ve been before and it is stunning) I always love seeing it. It is so majestic and the cherry trees are in blossom right now so it is like a painting.

But I wanted to go to the National Firefighters Memorial Statue. It is just opposite St. Paul’s and is a large 3 D bronze of three firemen in action. There are names inscribed all the way around of those who have lost their lives over the years battling blazes to save the lives of others. It is sobering and chilling and I started to feel quite emotional. I took out my dad’s photo that I proudly carry with me and it struck me that he has no memorial or monument erected in his honor. But I suppose there is one in my heart always and forever. A lovely woman saw me crying and came up to me and asked if I wanted a photo in front of the statue. I wouldn’t have thought of it myself, but now I am so grateful she did that. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me!

At this stage because I was delayed with the phone battery debacle and the second climb to the top of The Monument I had run out of time. The Chiltern Firehouse was only serving lunch until 3 and I wouldn’t have made it in time with the commute. So I decided to eat at the Hydrant and thoroughly enjoyed my salmon with the side of rocket salad, aubergines (eggplant for my American friends) and some roasted carrots and parsnips. I was feeling very healthy indeed, and after climbing 622 steps at this point, I was feeling fit too!

I also decided that on Monday I would go to lunch at the Chiltern to make up for it, which I did. And that too was worth every penny. It is in a converted firehouse in the posh area of London called Marylebone. It is part of a hotel as well, and while I didn’t look around the cool boutique vibe, I did sit front and center at the chef’s bar. It overlooks the kitchen and I got a birds eye view of the salad prep right in front of me! So of course I ordered a blood orange and beet salad. Amazing! It had candied pecans and radicchio as well. I also ordered crab donuts. Three little savory donut holes with a crab salad inside that were to die for, literally. My liquid refreshment was in the form of an elderflower and berries spritzer, quite divine actually.

I really wanted to order a dessert, but felt I should taste a warm savory dish and went with the shrimp and grits from the starters menu. It wasn’t the prettiest but was very tasty. But it was much larger than I anticipated. So I asked for a take away container (a nicer way to say doggie bag) so I didn’t waste it. And so I wouldn’t feel guilty ordering a dessert. But the waitress returned with my plate to tell me they ran out of doggie bags and that if I didn’t want it they would throw away. Guess what? I ate it. And didn’t get dessert. Not a happy camper! I love dessert and the key lime pie sounded amazing. Oh well another time.

Speaking of time, I saw I had enough time to make it to the Museum of London to get a peak at the 1666 Great Fire of London exhibit as it is near the anniversary. They have loads of interactive displays, a running documentary film with reenactments and readings from diaries of people of the day, and actual recovered artifacts. They even had bits of pottery from the bakery where the fire started! The museum itself is choc o block with many cool installments and I’d love to go spend even more time perusing the history of London through the precious art, artifacts, fashion and even pop culture items. And I want to go back to see the Lord Mayor’s carriage again too, it is so ornate and blinged out! I had a look, but honestly could have spent hours enjoying all the details of it!

All in all it was a lovely way to honor my father. In America we don’t focus as much attention of the anniversary of a person’s death. Whereas in Ireland people have anniversary masses said, lunches or dinners after and even a visit to the graveside. While I always remember the day I usually mark it in a private way like going to mass on my own. This was the first time I was so focused on it and certainly in a public way being on Snapchat. I apologized for crying when I had the water works at the Firefighter Memorial, but so many people sent me messages of encouragement. I guess my tears were apropos for the loss of not only my dear dad but also all the firefighters who have served so proudly. And that is why I love that these restaurants and monuments and memorials exist. To remind us to pay respect for a vocation that is so integral in our societies. A most worthy theme for a Foodie Fieldtrip!

Burning Love,

YDP

Recipe: Woman Crush Wednesday

April 13, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

So many people complain about Wednesdays, saying it’s the hardest day of the week. If they can only get over it (the Hump Day) then their lives will happily sail into the weekend. For me, Wednesday is my favorite day! I get very excited to spend my day writing this blog post along with prepping and cooking a recipe from some awesome female foodie.

This week’s honoree is beyond awesome. I am delighted to be showering the gorgeous gourmet Thomasina Miers with some well deserved love. She is a graduate of the Ballymaloe Cookery School, my alma mater, and went on to win Master Chef in 2005. Not only is she a cookery book writer and television presenter, but she is the founder of Wahaca, a chain of Mexican restaurants in the U.K with 21 branches! All this and she’s a wife and mommy of two! A total rock star in my book!

I nearly met her two years ago at the Ballymaloe Lit Fest. I had a ticket for her talk “Tommi’s Chilli Notes” all about her love affair with spices. As a world traveler she has amassed quite an arsenal of knowledge about the subject. But somehow I also had another booking for a cookery demonstration at the same time. The coordinator of the festival told me there was a wait list for Tommi’s talk and would I consider giving up that ticket and attending the demo. I agreed and though I missed out then, I will make up for it today. As I plan to savor every bit of Tommi’s gastronomic achievements. She is a total inspiration for anyone in the culinary world, not just for us female chefs.

So today I am recreating her recipe for Broad Bean Rice Pilaf live on Snapchat (username: blissbakery). My Hubby is a massive fan of any rice dish, so likely I will only get to enjoy my little taste before he arrives home from work and devours the entire dish! So let’s get cooking shall we?

Broad Bean Pilaf

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons of oil
small onion, finely chopped
1 large chicken breast, very finely chopped or minced.
salt & pepper
2 crushed garlic cloves
ground allspice
400g (14 oz or 2 1/4 cups) brown basmati rice
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into chunks
200g (7 oz) of frozen broad beans
zest and juice of a lemon
a pint (20 oz) of chicken stock
fresh mint
METHOD
Warm 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and sauté a small onion, finely chopped, for a few minutes until transparent. Add one large chicken breast, very finely chopped or minced. Sauté for another few minutes before seasoning with salt, pepper, 2 crushed garlic cloves and a good grinding of allspice. Add 400g brown basmati rice, butternut squash, 200g of frozen broad beans, the zest of a lemon and a pint of chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes and then turn off the heat. Cover and keep in a warm place for ten minutes for the rice to finish cooking in its steam. Season to taste and stir in a handful of chopped fresh mint and the juice of half a lemon.

This dish turned out so well and looks, smells and tastes AMAZING! I love the different textures in it and it is so delicious and satisfying. Though I wasn’t able to find fresh mint in the shops I used fresh coriander (called cilantro in other parts of the world) and it was perfect. Also I used minced (ground) turkey instead of the chicken as I couldn’t get the chicken already minced. But since turkey is a fav of mine and it has higher protein and lower fat than most other meats I was happy with that change in the recipe as well. I have a feeling this dish will be in heavy rotation for a while. It just feels very light and clean, yet I don’t feel like I need to eat anything else. It is a great all in one dish for a family dinner, or for a couple with some leftovers to take to work for lunch the next day. Winner all the way around!

While I think she rocks the culinary world, what I really admire most about Tommi is her involvement in philanthropic endeavors. She really is trying to make the world a better place! Last year she was chosen by Women for Women International as their ambassador. And with the confidence in a photo like the one below she’ll defo take on the world! Love it, you go girl! You are so incredible the world wouldn’t be the same without you. Thanks for everything you do!

Though I haven’t met you yet Tommi, I hope I do one day. You are a such a great role model! Until then, I am going to enjoy this gorgeous rice pilaf dish, and maybe even pay another visit to Wahaca tomorrow to get my Mexican food fix!

Muchas Gracias y el amor,

YDP

Yankee Doodle Paddy

America + Ireland = LOVE

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