Eat What You Want

I am sorry I have not been present for a while. There were a few eyebrows raised regarding why have I been quiet for so long - I have explained myself and told them that I don’t want to push it when there is no inspiration. It is sad - I began feeling differently towards the blog after I have started working. I think the tiredness has won in the battle with me in many instances, but I am back nonetheless!

That does not mean that I have not been cooking or thinking about food. Not at all! There have been many new things I have tried, many new ingredients I have discovered and, sadly, many failures in my kitchen, which my boyfriend Hugo has been very English about and politely smiled a lot.

I have wanted to write about this topic for a while, but the frost today in the morning has pushed me over the edge and I have performed a handshake with myself over sitting down and actually putting pen to paper (i.e. fingertips to keyboard).

The Best Banana Bread

I love trying out new things in the kitchen, I get a little too excited about how are they going to come out, how some of the flavours match together, how some of the colours and smells are just made to be bonded. I try to cook something new almost every day, there are just so many things that I want to try! It just seems to me that it would be like reading the same books or watching the same films over and over again if I were to cook the same meals repeatedly.

Chicken breasts with fennel and tangerines

Last weekend was a real foodie weekend. My boyfriend’s mum happily agreed for me to cook dinner on Saturday, which I took up very seriously, spending about 2 hours researching the Internet for recipes… and ending up creating something of my own at the end (inspired by something from my mum's blog)

Cardamom rice pudding with strawberries for your loved ones

Welcome autumn!

I know it’s not real autumn just yet and there is hopefully a long Indian summer to come, but I like to organise my life into clear seasons, 3 months each. And I have grown to like autumn recently, so I am quite looking forward to the cosy chilly evenings in a blanket, even more tea, lots of hugs and cuddles, and, most importantly, all the amazing veg coming into season.

Speaking of the cuddles, I am just about to throw something personal into the wild space of internet, but I try to be honest each time before a recipe, and this just seems to be the true reason behind it, so there I go. I warn you in case you want to skip straight to the recipe - this is quite cheesy.

The perfect treat: Baby Dutch Pancake

Guess who’s back?

Do you like my new look?

You know, I ask all these questions in almost every one of my posts and hardly anyone ever answers them. Come on, peeps, get involved! The Internet is a lovely bubble in which we are all a big happy family of anonymous members. You can be my politest friend in real life, but disguise yourself and tell me what utter rubbish this new design is and what a freak I am for sharing lists of food items and how to mix them in different ways on the internet. Or you can swear, but please don’t. Or you can just say hi. Or you can tell me how and why you like food. Or you can be someone who secretly loves me and you can confess your love here and I will never know who you are! (Or will I?... muahahahaha!*)

Student food: Healthy fried chicken and crispy chips

I am about to finish Uni.

Oh my goodness.

I definitely do not feel ready! I think the most difficult thing to say goodbye to is the times when you wake up for a lecture and think 'do I want to go?..' and you DO have the choice to say no! When is the next time in life you will be able to do that?? (Hi mum, just to let you know I always do say yes. It's just nice to have the choice!)

Spring breakfast: smoothies!

I really know what Jamie Cullum means when he sings

...If I ruled the world 

Every day would be the first day of spring...

It really is like a fresh start. Everything blooms and somehow I cannot pass any trees that are blooming quietly, I have to shout at everyone around me 'oh my goodness look at that!!' And those priceless surprised faces expecting something really exciting suddenly looking that direction for a few moments, until they turn grim after realising I am getting over-excited about.. a tree.

Local food adventures. Mussels

Don't you just love unexpected adventures? When something just spontaneously comes up and makes your day?

Hugo and I went for a quick walk on the beach, as it was, finally, a nice, sunny day. I was in 
Hugo's uncle's slippers, which was not very convenient when we decided to go near the rocks to see if there were any mussels around. We'd had lunch already and dinner was on its way, but we decided to have quite a fancy snack - mussels in garlicky white wine sauce. I have to admit, I'm happy such luxurious snacks do not appear on my plate every day, otherwise I wouldn't be able to enjoy them as much (and I'd be very fat)!

Cheap Low-fat Vegetarian Lasagna

 

1. An unexpected dinner party fell upon us recently. 
2. The budget was exceptionally tight due to recent events (me falling asleep in the airport in Istambul and missing my flight, how charming).
3. Fancy, quick and impressive dinner on a low budget?

Lasagna!!!!

Really Quick Garlic Salmon on a Vegetable Mash

Holidays... To most women (and men?) who cook at home holidays are a divine space of time where you can finally get away from the kitchen and have a rest while having your food served to you. I am, however, not in that category. I cannot say that I don't like to have food cooked for me, especially by my mum or my almost-a-professional-chef boyfriend Hugo, but when it comes to holidays, I am terribly sad to have to leave my kitchen. I miss cooking, I miss realising my inspirations, I miss the excitement I get when something turns out unexpectedly delicious.

I just got back from a holiday in Israel, where the only cooking I got to do was getting together a few salads. I have to say, I will really miss all the fresh food you get in a country where the fresh produce is top quality all throughout the year, but there is something very special about living in cold and snowy (!!!!!) England, where cooking food takes a while, warms up the kitchen and slowly makes all the eaters more and more excited as the scents spread. I think it is fascinating, how food here earns such a comforting role. 

Tomato and Feta Muffins

I am terribly sorry for my absence.

Uni got in my way and it just got terribly hectic! But I proudly announce that I have officially finished my dissertation and now I can finally tell you what's been going on in the kitchen.

If you think that all this workload has kept me away from the oven, you are wrong, ladies and gentlemen. I've tried a few new things, have been procrastinating by fishing for inspiration, bought a new desserts book...

I'll tell you a secret: if I could, I would eat sweet things every day. I am fussy about my desserts but I would be quite happy if my body had some magical power to turn sugar into vitamins or something. But the thing is, I'm not a fan of cooking sweet things. I like to be creative in the kitchen and often I feel that sweet recipes do not give you that creative space, as you need to follow a really strict recipe. Of course, when it works out right it's really rewarding. How do you feel about these things?

Love Soup

Don't you just love soups?

I do. That lovely broth, that lovely texture, that lovely warmth when you're cold and the refreshing feeling when you're hot. But most importantly - that pleasant feeling that you've just eaten something good for you and it was so yummy!

My friend Meg and I had a little afternoon together the other day and I was telling her about my recent Pinterest obsession and the inspiration I get there. So we decided to make a love soup - one that your eyes love and one that loves you - your taste buds and your health.

Food challenges. Nutty Cinnamon Granola

I love thinking of treats to have when some friends come around. I usually have too many ideas, whether it's just a little gathering or a dinner party, and then I need someone to help me narrow it down, because I just get too excited.

But recently we planned to have some tea with my friend Anika. And Anika is no ordinary girl!! She has got a fabulously fit body, but she likes to be tough with herself and keeps to a really strict diet. No cheat days, no Christmas treats, no sweeties handmade by grandma.. And the died is: no chocolate, no sweeties and no biscuits. (I could do it. For a day. Ok, maybe two.) These can't be an ingredient either. And had a plan to make something nice and not too naughty to have with tea.. A tough one.

Herbal Tea. Snow in the UK.

It started snowing today. HEAVILY.

It is one of the funniest experiences while living in the UK. In my home country Lithuania it snows every winter, a White Christmas is something we do not fear to miss. Lithuania is white and fluffy for about half a year. Recently the snow went above one's knees and when the special machines would shift it to the side of the road, the pedestrians were not able to see the other side of the street. For about a week during the winter the temperature falls below -30C. That is COLD. But it's so much fun!! You can hear the cold, the weather is so clear!! The fuel in the cars freezes, children don't have to go to school.. These are proper problems. 

Now the whole of England stops when there is a snowfall of 1 centimeter. I do not kid you. The public transport doesn't operate for a week, university shuts down... One thing is really enjoyable though - people here get really excited and the whole country turns into this happy child that is overjoyed with the snow. But when the winter comes all one wants to do is snuggle up in a cosy blanket and sip a hot drink. This year, I suggest to try more herbal teas!!