Roast Beetroot Dip

So just to continue with the cooking theme. I made some roast beetroot dip the other day and it was so yummy. I am not a massive fan of beetroot, but put it in a dip or make some chips and I am in love. I guess it is then canned stuff I am not a fan of. I also love the colour of the dip. It tastes so yummy smothered really thickly on some crackers, or even as part of a spread on a sandwich with turkey and cheese.
So here it is the recipe I used to make roast beetroot dip. (or roast beet dip if you are from the states)

 

Roast Beetroot dip

 

 



 

-Roast about 4 beetroots and 1 head of garlic in oven at about 180 degree Celsius make sure to drizzle with a little olive oil first (the beetroot will take about an hour the garlic half an hour)

- toast about 150-200g nuts ( I used cashews but walnuts, or pine nuts would do just as well.) If you have a nut allergy simple leave out

-once everything it roasted, toasted and cool. Peel beetroot careful not to get any on your skin. I use a knife and fork and carve the skin away. or you could try gloves, and smoosh garlic into a food processer. Obviously you don't want to eat the skin.

-place all ingredients in a food processer with 200g of feta. Blend till you get your desired consistency. You may need to add more oil depending on how wet/oily your nuts and feta are.

-enjoy! 

Easy simple tomato-bean-pasta soup

I never set out for this to be a blog with recipes. However that is the way it is evolving at the moment, so we shall see where it leads. This is a simple soup recipe that I make especially on days like today where the sun seems to be struggling to get out of bed. It makes about four serves

Ingredients
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 brown onion
6 rashers bacon
420g can baked beans in tomato sauce
420g can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup shell pasta (this is guide put in as much pasta as desired, you also don't need to use shell pasta)
large can peas and corn
chopped parsley (again as much as you desire)

method
-heat oil in large pot and cook onion till soft. Add bacon and fry until cooked
- add baked beans, tomato soup, pasta and two cups of water. Bring to boil and cook until pasta is cooked
- add peas, corn, parsley until heated through.
-serve



tomato-bean-pasta soup

Amazing Banana Bread

There seems to be way to much bad news in the press recently (I know it is always bad news) that I thought I would share my recipe for amazing Banana bread (bonus it is lactose free). Why don't you give it try and have a cuppa with someone you care about and forget your troubles for a while.

Amazing Banana Bread

 

Amazing banana bread

 

 

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups self-raising flour (wholemeal can be used)

1 cup flour (wholemeal can be used)

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

1tsp ground cinnamon ( I use a generous teaspoon)

450g mashed bananas

2/3 cup of pureed apple ( jars of baby food are fine)

2 tsp vanilla essence

125g berries (I use frozen raspberries or blueberries. Use as much or as little as you like)

Nuts (I have used hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts. Again use as many or as little as you like)

Seed mix to garnish (the one i use has sunflower and pumpkin seeds with pine nuts, this is optional)

 

Method

1. preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius and grease loaf tin 7cm deep, 10x20cm base

2. Sift both flours into large bowl. Add sugar, coconut and cinnamon. Then add eggs, banana, pureed apple and vanilla. Stir till combined

3. gently fold in berries and nuts

4. pour into pan and smooth top. Garnish with seed mix. Bake for 1 1/2 hours

5. cool in pan before turning onto wire rack.

 

This amazing banana bread can be eaten warm or cold, with or with out butter. it keeps for about a week in a sealed container in the fridge. This not only makes a great morning/afternoon tea but also a nice dessert if you wish.

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and it gives you a chance to catch up and live in a peaceful moment if only for a little while.



Make love not war!

 

 

 



Work, rest and play

I listened to a comment made today at lunch it went a little like this. "honestly why can't people be happy to go to work, come home have tea and go to bed." The discussion had been about Turkey and all the countries that it is neighbours with which are currently in the middle of civil war or do not have the most stable of governments.
I think at the core of every human is a want for some kind of peace in their lives and also their families. At least I would hope so otherwise this a sad world we are existing in. I also realise life is not as simple as getting up and going to work, and coming home for rest.
I do wonder how worth it, it is, to fight so hard for your beliefs to put your life and family at constant risk.  Also I am at a loss at how people believe so easily in something that has such little fact behind it. I guess that is why it is called faith! Cause it seems to me that, that is all it is. However I have no problem accepting peoples belief systems cause I know at times mine make very little sense. I.e. I absolutely believe in evolution, but I do believe there is more to this world than what I am capable of sensing and understanding. Go figure or not!
Why is it so hard to except that every individual on this planet has a different belief system and that is perfectly ok. Your beliefs do not need to be any one else's'. You just need to respect that what is yours is yours and what is theirs is theirs. We only have this world to physically exist on, as far as we know. No-one has any guaranties about what happens next, so surely we need to love what we have, and be tolerant of others.
Tomorrow I will wake up and go to work, come home and have tea and sleep. It will be wonderful. I am truly thankful that i live in a country where i am free to believe what i choose, and so does everyone else. I am also grateful that our government allows me to have a say. I also have faith that peace is achievable.
Please be kind to each other. That's all that needs to be done.

Polish

I have recently become quite interested in nail polish. So I thought I would show you some of my creations. Please keep in mind I am very mush an amateur! More photos will probably come as I continue with this interest


Butter London Disco biscuit



Butter London Slapper with Zoya Opal



O.P.I Eurso Euro and O.P.I polka.com



I have to say I really loved the OPI eurso euro with polka.com

More polish

Well here they are more polish picks from the new hoppy of nail polish. Enjoy!

Orly liquid vinyl and Zoya Opal

 

 

Orly liquid vinyl and Zoya Twila

 

 

OPI number one nemesis

 

 

Zoya storm from the ornate collection

 

 

There are no friends like you had in high school

I went out for dinner last night with some old friends from high school. I would like to think we are just like the sex and the city girls, but we are not. We are who we are and that is so much better! We all met in our first year of high school and we have remained friends ever since. We are all nearly 30 now. We have all taken different directions in life, some have married and have had children. Some like me just love to travel, some both. We don't see each other often even though we all live in the same area. Although when we do catch up, it's like there is no time distance between us. I felt a little sorry for the restaurant that was waiting for us to finish up last night so they could close up, also for the dinners who had to put up with a quartet of giggling women who sound like high school girls. I guess in some ways we always will be. There is such an amount of love and respect for each other, I can honestly call them my sisters. Which seeing I don't have any biological ones, these relationships I truly treasure.
Friendship is a wonderful gift, and must be treasured.
When was the last time you caught up with an old friend or two? Maybe today should be the day.