Grilled Tomato, Garlic and Chilli Pasta

Ingredients:

• Short vine of cherry tomatoes
• 75g spaghetti (could be substituted for any pasta)

     For the sauce:

• 1 clove garlic
• Crushed chilli flakes, to taste
• 1 tsp tomato puree
• Green & black olives, to taste
• capers, to taste
• pinch of salt and pepper
• Teaspoon of pesto, if desired

Method:

1. Put the pasta on to boil with a pinch of salt
2. Place your cherry tomato vine under the grill for roughly 10 minutes
3. Fry the garlic and chill flakes with the green & black olives and capers for about 3 minutes
4. Once boiled, drain the pasta and add to the dry, fried ingredients
5. Stir in the tomato puree and season accordingly
6. Top with pest0 (if desired)
7. Finish with the cherry tomato vine

N.B. This dish would also be great with some added cheese. You can remove and add ingredients as necessary. Fried courgettes work well in this too.

Have  a go at this simple and delicious recipe and share a pic with me!

Qing bu liang

Qing bu liang [清補涼] is a real Hainan summer evening speciality. Commonly sold from small carts on blisteringly hot Hainanese evenings. You can choose the ingredients you’d like in your soup. Common options include dates, mung beans, barley, taro, watermelon, quail eggs, and glutinous rice balls. These are made together and then added to a base of either iced coconut milk or sweetened ice water.

This is my recipe that can be created using UK ingredients…:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Coconut Milk (the kind you buy as milk, not the cream in the can) [ye nai 椰奶]
• 3 dates [Hai Zao 海枣]
• 1 tablespoons of cooked barley [da mai 大麦 ]
• 1 tablespoon watermelon [Xi gua 西瓜]
• 1 tablespoon raisins or sultanas [Pútáogān 葡萄干]
• 1 tablespoon mung beans (other beans such as azuki are acceptable!) [Lǜdòu 绿豆 ]
• 1/2 avocado (I am not a massive fan of this addition, however, it is becoming more popular) [È lí 鳄梨 ]

Method:

1. If you are having your dish cold, make sure you chill your coconut milk and ingredients. If you are having your meal warm, gently warm the coconut milk until a good drinking temperature.
2. Chop and add all of the other ingredients
3. Enjoy!

It really is as simple as that, what might seem a rather odd, mishmash of ingredients really is a truly delectable dish.

Best wishes – yílùshùnfēng – 路顺风

 

Yuxiang Qiezi

Welcome to the China series! Where I will detail my absolute favourite Oriental recipes from the ‘middle country’ (Zhong Guo) – and you might even learn some Mandarin along the way… Enjoy!

Yuxiang Qiezi [鱼香茄子]

• 2 aubergines [茄子 qiézi
• Fresh ginger, peeled [姜 jiāng]
• 100ml vegetable oil [植物油 zhí wù yóu］
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped  [蒜  suàn］
• 1-2 tablespoons chilli sauce or chilli oil ［辣椒酱 làjiāojiàng］
• 1 tablespoon mature vinegar ［老陈醋 lǎochéncù］
• 2 teaspoons sugar [糖 táng]
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce [老抽 lǎochōu］
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions ［青葱 qīngcōng］

 

1. Chop the aubergine into strips.
2. Slice the ginger into tiny pieces.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. When hot, carefully drop in the aubergine. Fry for about 3 minutes and remove from the oil.
4.  Preheat a wok over medium-high heat. Add ginger and cook for about 30 seconds. Add garlic and chilli oil for another 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and the sugar and stir well. Add the dark soy sauce and stir well . Add half of the green onion and stir.
5. Add the aubergine to the wok and coat well in the sauce to ensure it’s re-heated.
6. Place on a serving plate and top with the remaining green onion.

And that’s it! Enjoy and share with me on Instagram and WordPress.

Warming wishes

 

中国 China Through My Eyes

Travel

Sri Lanka in 2.5 weeks

It’s about time that I got on with it and wrote a blog post about Sri Lanka!

On my way back from China, I made a not-so-on-the-way pit stop to Sri Lanka, where I was reunited with my very patient boyfriend, who had not only waited for months, whilst I was in China, but for 10 hours in Sri Lanka alone.

I won’t gabble on as I know you’re dying to take a look at the photos and have a cuppa.

Negombo

What do to:

• Eat Seafood. Drink Beer.
• Watch the fishermen at work (and rather humorously, coming back from work).
• Chill out on the beach – although we found it a little windy!
• Make friends and take a ride on their very colourful tuk tuks (I wish I could say the trips were as pleasant as they look!).

Colombo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to do:

We didn’t plan to spend too much time in Colombo, and set ourselves to see the city in one day. We enlisted the (paid) help of a tuk tuk driver, who drove us around the city, showing us the best sights, foods and unfortunately not smells…

• Drive around the city in a tuk tuk and boss your day.
• Make friends with a man claiming to be an English teacher
• Wait outside a (beautiful) mosque whilst your man takes a look inside

Galle

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to do:

• Go to the market in the square
• Eat some AMAZING ice cream (Dairy King)
• Walk the wall (I would recommended once the sun has started to go down. Beautiful sunsets and you don’t run the risk of looking like a tomato.
• There is some really great food in Galle. There are a number of ‘Mama’s’ and to be honest, I have no idea if we went to the original or not. Regardless, it was delicious.

Hikkaduwa & Bentota

We didn’t actually take that many pictures in Hikkaduwa, mainly because we were having too much fun relaxing, surfing, eating coconut rotti and drinking island cocktails…

 

 

 

 

 

What to do:

• Eat coconut rotti
• Eat and drink coconuts
• Find a free beach lounger with shade (you won’t regret it) and order some lovely drinks
• Rent a surf board and catch the waves! (Or a body board after surfing has miserably failed)
• Make friends with the locals – they will provide an endless supply of fresh aloe vera when thing starts to get a little bit pink.
• Day trip to Bentota (another lovely beach with calmer water)

Yala National Park / Tissamaharama 

Whilst on a bus to Tissamaharama we met a lovely fella in a bring pink polo who asked us where we were staying and he owned a hotel. Now, you might hear alarm bells ringing, but anything that travelling has taught me is that it is the people who  DON’T talk to you who are the people posing a risk. Taking a chance, we went with him to his hotel, Senrose Hotel. It. Was. Amazing!  Planning to only spend a couple of quid on a room we thought this was way out of budget, but he asked that we say with them, as their first ever guests, and give them an honest review – and here it is!

Not only was the hotel amazing, but he took us on his moped to see the local sights, an amazing lake, where we saw thousands upon thousands of fruit bats. The most incredible sight I have ever seen in my entire life.

What to do in Tissa:

• Make friends!
• Visit Wirawilla Lake
• Visit Tissa Lake
• Visit Debrawewe Lake (pictured)
• Go to Yala national park (most hotels will offer services, Senrose Hotel’s was first class). The views of elephants are amazing, but I will maybe do an update on this, as I know there have been some elephant attacks on humans, leading me to believe some tour guide jeeps may be getting too close.

Ella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love Ella. Beautiful sights with a welcoming cool breeze. The walk up Ella mountain is one that you will want to undertake (with a guide, might I add.)

What to do:

• Stay in a guest house with a view (this will not be in the main, bustling area.)
• Get breakfast! This breakfast was the best that I had had in all of Sri Lanka. Great local coffee, a Sri Lankan style pancake with banana and cinnamon with a massive bowl of local fruits.
• Climb Ella Mountain
• Climb little Emma Mountain
• Walk the railway (carefully!) and go to the waterfall.

Nuwara Eliya

What to do:

• Take the train! (Pictured)
• Have a look at the ‘British’ sights

Sigiriya

What to do:

• Stay with a lovely local family
• Check out the local restaurants, they are great value and REALLY tasty
• Do not ride the elephants
• And of course… climb Sigirya! (Note: it is very expensive, but very worth it).

Kandy

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to do:

• Go and see a traditional dance performance (and get a picture!)
• Embrace the travel (even the 8 hour journey from Sigiriya and then the 5 hours to Colombo)

What next?

• Start planning your next holiday!
• Liked Sri Lanka? Try India or Indonesia!

‘Winter is coming’ – A Game of Veg

No one likes to think about the colder months before we have get there, but when it comes to your veg garden or allotment, planning is key.

Many let their vegetable patches stand neglected and unloved, but there are plenty of vegetables that can be grown over winter, survive the cold and produce crops earlier than spring plantings.

Onions,  garlic and Spring onions

Autumn planting onions, garlic and spring onions will virtually look after themselves. Whilst  onions and garlic won’t be ready until next summer, spring onions will live up to their name and should be ready to harvest by early spring.

Spinach

Perpetual spinach and winter lettuce is always a ‘cut and come again’ crop. Early autumn sowing will keep you supplied with young leaves throughout the winter and it will continue to crop well into summer, with regular harvesting.

Beans and Peas

Autumn sown beans and peas such as the broad bean and pea ‘meteor’ are great as they flourish quite quickly. Not to mention you’ll have a great head start on other allotmentiers next year with three or four weeks on theirs!

Asparagus

Now, if you have a lot of space, asparagus is a great way to go. However, the beds take several years to establish – but once they are ready, they will continue to crop for 25 years. But be patient, as they will take at least two years before they are ready to harvest.

 

Going Organic – Food for Thought

It is hard to miss the issues arising in the wake of the conventional food system.

While there is a cornucopia of labels stating undefined and unverified benefits, the certified organic delivers what humans actually need – nutritious and natural food.

We can talk about the benefits of organic produce for humans all day, but what about the impact that non-organic foods are having on our planet?

Let’s start with fertiliser:

Okay, yes, biological fertiliser is manure – yes, poo – along with composts and other organic materials. These options release nutrients slowly and build up organic soil matter, as well as allowing the soil to retain more moisture and reduces the risk of draining nitrates into groundwater.

Synthetic fertilisers,  on the other hand, are usually derived from by-products of the petroleum industry. Yes you read that right, petroleum.They will inevitably end up in ground and surface water, even running into rivers, lakes and oceans.

And what about antibiotics?

The prophylactic use of antibiotics in agriculture is contributing to developing antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria – a serious and real threat for mankind.

Organic farming requires the use of antibiotics only as a last resort for truly sick animals – and those animals who have taken antibiotics loose their organic certification.

I’m not saying it’s the be-all and end all, that you will drop down next week, but it is definitely something to think about and take seriously.

Community Gardening

One of the most splendid trends growing in gardening in the past few years has been the interest in community gardening. Whereas gardening used to be a rather solitary activity, in the new community gardens it is all about support, community reconnection, laughter, fun and food!

For hundreds of years, the British have relied on community gardens as a very important source of food. Community allotments were set up in inner-city sites during the Second World War in order to provide affordable fruit and vegetables to the local areas.

In the 1960’s the comtemporary gardening movement began, with an interest in ‘green cities’. Many local residents would transform vacant sites into green spaces where fruit, vegetables and flowers could grow. As these spaces evolved, they were used to address social and health problems.

“They can be tiny plots, gardens on roofs, school gardens, private or open to the public” said Caroline Fernandez, the Local Food Project Coordinator of the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN), which have been bringing minority women together for the last seven years. Not only do these spaces provide fresh foods but also they are a place for wildlife, play areas and even as an outdoor classroom and these are immensely valuable resources to neighbourhoods across the country.

“What unites all of these green spaces, is the fact that they are run by a management committee formed by local people, usually working on a voluntary basis.” explained Ken Elkes of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens.

“The environmental benefits of community gardening are self-evident, but it’s the benefits to the community as a whole that really makes it worthwhil.” said Renee Dodds, PR & Promotions Executive of RHS Britain in Bloom & Neighbourhood Awards who has witnessed an increasing interest in community gardening, with more than a thousand communities taking part in RHS Britain in Bloom last year alone.

If you don’t have a garden of your own and want to get involved in your local community, try joining a neighbourhood greening project. See BBC’s map to find a project near you, or learn more about starting your own.

For those in my neck of the woods – >> here << is a useful map of the Bristol gardens!

Useful resources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/today_in_your_garden/community_about.shtml

http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/blog/community-gardening/

www.thegoldenhillcommunitygarden.com – for those in Bristol

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

Since Britney’s 2003 hit ‘toxic’, awareness for the toxins in make-up has rocketed…

Okay so I am joking. But what isn’t a joke, is that millions of people are using toxic ingredients all over their skin, eyes and lips very single day.

There are currently no legal standards for organic beauty products and this means that copious amounts of brands are quite literally smearing the organic name on items that can actually contain next to no organic ingredients whatsoever.

Why is organic better?

• It’s environmentally friendly – Conventional beauty products use petroleum-based ingredients and other chemicals for their production process such as aluminium and lead all require extensive mining. Miles of land is destroyed and stripped of vital wildlife every year.
• The chemicals in conventional makeup are often very harsh on skin and may promote irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Many of the chemicals used in non-organic makeup, such as parabens and phthalates, are actually poisonous.
• There are many many more reasons why organic products work best for you and your skin, which is something I will be looking into more thoroughly in the future.

So if you can’t trust the company’s labelling what can you do?

• Look for the organic or natural label from the soil association
• Create your own beauty products using all organic substances (future post scheduled for more details on this)

• Look for products certified by ecocert

DIY Plant Pots

1. The Ultimate Plant Pot -> The Egg Shell.

Does this even need an explanation? We all know the cress in egg shell trick. What the children don’t know is how much please we get out of it too!

2. Cup and Saucer Pots

If you have any only crockery lying around, don’t let it gather dust, display it in all it’s glory! Cracked and worn or new with tags still on, these are sure to liven up your garden.

3. The Wellies!

Whether we like it or not, children grown up, ruin shoes or just want new ones. Instead of throwing them away upcycle them (as it were) and give those boots a new home.

4. Blackboard paint DIY

Let’s tell no lies here – I am obsessed with blackboard paint, labelling, name tagging and all things ‘named’. It is also a good way to teach everyone else around what you are growing! Plus it looks really cool.

5. Betty and Bethany

We all know the good ol’ Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men. But what about the ladies, eh?! If you can be bothered, these would be a great feature in the garden and actually really simple to make.