13-Jun-2014

It Is OVER!

This is it! I sat my last exam for this school year earlier today. Finito! No more studying worries for me, no more exam preparation nor long night spend writing essays. More come September, but until then ... I can probably rest!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

12-Jun-2014

Healthy Good Vegan Smoothie

I love love LOVE smoothies, but I always feel like they are just plainly indulgent and not all that healthy. This is over now! My vegetarian housemate gave me the idea that if I want to make my smoothie creamier while making it healthier, I can just add avocado to it. Yes, that's right, avocado. The sneaky little healthy monster is perfect not only for savoury dishes but for sweet ones as well.

Now, there are a few ingredients in the smoothies that are open to negotiation and are subjective to food allergies and dietary principles. My version is vegan, but you can change a significant part of the ingredients in order to fit your preferences. For example, Mr.Boyfriend's smoothie was made with full-fat cow's milk, protein powder instead of cocoa powder and sweetened with an extra spoon of honey. Also, I made my own homemade 3-nuts butter from almond, hazelnuts and peanuts. Any nut butter or even tahini will do the job. Just make sure that the tastes complement each other and that it is not too sweet.

Ingredients (for 4 glasses):

• 1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
• 2 ripe bananas, halved
• 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey, or agave syrup)
• 4 cups almond milk (or full/skim fat cow/goat/sheep milk, or soy milk if you like extra sweetness)
• 2 tsp nut butter
• 2 tbsp raw unsweetened cocoa powder (or protein powder if you wish)

How-To:

1. Place the avocado and the bananas in a blender and mash together.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until fully combined.
3. Pour in glasses and add ice if wanted.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

11-Jun-2014

Delicious And Homemade Sweet And Sour Pork with Pineapple And Mushrooms

I love me some good Chinese food. I don't have favourite dish, I just know that every time I smell Chinese food I get so hungry that I can eat a cow. Or even two. However, I rarely attempt to cook Chinese food at home, not sure why, maybe because I simply never have all of the ingredients in the same time? Or maybe because I just like going to Chinese restaurants and getting fortune cookies with the strangest predictions in them. Who knows?

Well, that changed last night. While I was slicing my onion, thinking what I should cook when I feel so uninspired, Mr. Boyfriend gave the most brilliant idea EVER. Let's make some sweet and sour pork, he said. Why not, I thought, this is the favourite dish for both of us, so why not? And this is how this amazing and easy dish was made.

Oh, just one additional note. You can serve this with either boiled rice or with boiled/stir-fried rice noodles. We both prefer noodles but unfortunately we had run out of them. Our Sweet and Sour Pork worked out just fine with simple long-grain rice. I assume that everyone knows how to boil rice/noodles so I won't mention that in the recipe bellow.

Ingredients:

• 400g fine pork meat, chopped to bites
• 10 medium mushrooms, cut in quarters
• 1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, pitted and chopped to bites
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1+ tsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 big red pepper, chopped to bites
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 big onion, cut in disks and then made to rings
• sunflower oil to fry
• salt and pepper, to taste

How-To:

1. In a big pan heat the oil.
2. When the oil is piping hot add the onion rings and stir until translucent and tender.
3. Add the pork chunks and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time.
4. Add the pepper, the mushrooms and the pineapple.
5. When the mushrooms start to look slightly cooked add the tomato paste and the Sriracha sauce. Stir well.
6. Add the sugar and the soy sauce, stir and let cook for 3-4 minutes, until the pork is cooked thoroughly.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve on top of noodles or rice.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

10-Jun-2014

3 Down, 1 Left Go

So, I just sat my third exam today. The subject was called Making the Familiar Strange, but it translates to human as Discourses in Sociology. That was one of my favourite modules during this school year and I enjoyed both the lectures and the seminars. Especially the seminars, with our amazing and very cool tutor - Lambros. And the lectures, with one of the best teachers that I have ever had the opportunity to meet and study with, James. So yes, you get the picture, I loved the subject and I felt like it gave me such an incredible back knowledge to the most important ideas in Sociology. Ah, it was a joy. Now lets hope that my exam grades will bring me the same joy as the module did.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

9-Jun-2014

The Book That Turned Out To Be Fairly Interesting

Plot:

Set in the second half of the 16th Century, the book follows the first two years of Queen Elizabeth I's reign. The narrative is told by the four main characters in the book - the Queen herself, Sir William Cecil, her most trusted adviser, Sir Robert Dudley, Queen's closest friend and favourite, and Amy Dudley, Sir Robert's wife. The obvious sympathy between Elizabeth and Robert ignites hundreds of whispers and may even cost the Queen her throne.

Why It Turned Out To Be Interesting:

The book is widely based on historical truths, so that makes it quite reliable. It also gives a nice insight of the political and social life in those years. Also, the book was written in nice, kind of high-brow English, which makes it feels like the right thing.

To be honest, I have nothing bad nor extremely good to say, but it was interesting in a way. And it is very good for just filling in the hours before going to bed or when I needed a break from all the papers for school. It's a very good book for what it can offer - a historical novel focused on what the official books could never know.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

8-Jun-2014

Redemption Is What I Need

Please, indulge with this masterpiece of a song while I'm still stuck behind my books. I have 2 exams next week and I'm on the edge of my energy. And this song, this song came as a saving grace in a moment today when I was feeling down and wanted to give it all up.

Listen and feel good. Feel good and be good!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

7-Jun-2014

Easy Delicious American Pancakes

I'm mainland child, as probably most of you know. Back at home when we talk about pancakes we refer to the crepes style pancakes. Big, round, thin, flat, delicious and probably filled with honey and walnuts. Or homemade strawberry jam, but only if you run out of walnuts. And although I love my pancakes in this typical for home way, I have been always tempted by the American pancakes, the thick, fluffy, filled with all things good pancakes. So far I have tried to make American pancakes three times, the last time this morning, and they have always been true success. However, the previous two times involved a lot of preparation and ingredients that you have to specifically buy prior in order to make them. Well, not this time! Behold, ladies and gentleman! The easiest and fuzz-free American pancakes are here! And the best part is that you can add whatever filling you fancy once they are happily setled in the pan. Let's get to it then!

Ingredients ( 15+ small ones):

• 300 gr flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or runny honey, or agave)
• 300 ml milk (any milk but soya, soya milk is way too sweet)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• butter for greasing the pan

Adds:

• chocolate chips
• raisins (or any other dried fruit, cut to small pieces)
• fruit, frozen or fresh (best results withe berries, pineapple, mango, coconut or banana)

How-To:

1. In a big bow place all of the dry ingredients and stir.
2. Add the eggs, the maple syrup and the milk. Whisk until is limp free.
3. Add the vanilla extract and stir well.
4. The batter should fall heavily from the spoon but without needing help for it.
5. Heat a non-stick pan on the hob and melt small knob of butter.
6. Place a spoonful of the batter on the heated pan and sprinkle with your chosen addition.
7. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, until nice and golden.
8. Serve with jam, fresh fruits, whipped cream, ice-cream, more maple syrup, yogurt or anything of your choosing. Or just plain, if you like them so. And this is it!
   
   

Pancakes with chocolate chips, frozen berries and raisins.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...