YASOU SUNSHINE

My Big Slim Greek Omelette

Time Taken: 20 minutes.

Ingredients: 3 eggs, a splash of skimmed milk, a splosh of oil, 1 red pepper, 70g feta cheese (1/3 of a block), and a dozen black olives.

 

Hi readers,

You know the phrase, ‘The sun will come out… tomorrow!’? Well the sun has come out in Newcastle!! Today we’ve had gloooorious sunshine and warm rays baaaathing us in summer here. For the North-East of England today has been STUPENDOUS. Utterly wonderful.

Do I have a mobile phone yet 6 days after the last one fell in the loo?
No, I don’t.

Am I even CLOSE to sorting out my replacement phone?
Probably not, no.

Do I care today?
Not really, readers. HELL NO.

And all because of the Sun. It’s magic! Today, the campus of Newcastle Uni’s been crawling with students in their shorts and flipflops. Laid out on any available patch of grass. With sunglasses and ice creams. And I was there as one of them! My presentation group at uni had the inspired idea to hold our afternoon meeting on a lawn by the Student’s Union, and I left all my phone woes behind this afternoon to sunbathe with the girls. Best time ever.

How has your day been, readers?? Has the sun been shining inside and out? Have you sung a little song? A small skip in your step? Freckles on your nose? The good times are coming! SUMMER SUMMER TIME. Readers, sit back and unwind and tuck into some proper healthy nosh this summer. Includingggg… My Big Slim Greek Omelette!

For all the bikini-dieting, ball-gown-squeezing, healthy-attituding women of the world: I give you a new tasty Mediterranean recipe to try out at dinnertime! This recipe is a really delicious, light option for your evening meal, which includes 2 of your 5 a day and no carbs along the way. Plus, it’s packed with protein and terrifically filling. And you only need one pan. Win!

Tempted to try My Big Slim Greek Omelette? Here’s how you do in just 10 easy steps…

1. Fish a dozen black olives out of their jar.

2. Use a sharp knife to dice up your red pepper and to chop your feta cheese into small cubes.

3. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: You need enough oil to cover the base of the pan when you tip your oil around, but not much more or your omelette might be greasy.

4. Add your diced pepper to the pan and leave to soften for 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, crack 3 eggs into a cup and add a splash of skimmed milk along with them.

6. Use a fork to vigorously stir together the contents of your cup, until they’re well mixed.

7. Turn on the grill to heat and then tip your eggy-milky mix into the frying pan along with your pepper.

8. Leave to cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, until the mix at the edges of your pan starts to look like omelette.

9. Sprinkle your olives and cheese over the omelette and it (still in your frying pan) under the grill for 5 minutes.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Try to leave the handle of the frying pan so that it sticks out of the grill. This way it won’t be hot when you go to touch it.

10. When your omelette looks cooked on top, take it out from under the grill and use a spatula to shimmy your omelette from the frying pan onto a warmed plate, folding it over in half as you do. Tuck in!

And here we have... My Big Slim Greek Omelette

So, this omelette may not be a looker but it tasted wonderful for my tea today, readers, and went perfectly with the sun shining through the window. I’m not saying we won’t all be tucking into pizza and cake sometime this summer, because I’M SURE that we will. But some days you just want something a little summery, right? And I think omelette makes a top answer to the grumbling in your belly! Never thought to put olives and feta in an omelette? Well, now’s the time!

Readers, hit me up with your thoughts on My Big Skinny Greek Omelette. Does the recipe work when you try it out? Does the omelette taste good in your books? Does this suit a summers evening? Is it just the recipe you’ve been looking for? I’m interested to hear!

And waiting on your feedback. :) Nah I’m off dancing around my room! But I wish you all luck throwing together My Big Slim Greek Omelette. And whatever the weather does, keep carrying summer around with you inside! AAAND put your bloody phone down. You don’t need it in your hand so much! I’m learning this.

Sunbathe safely everyone,

Hayley

THE FIRST SALAD OF SUMMER

Greek Pitta Salad

 

Time taken: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 1 wholemeal pitta bread, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, ½ a tin of red kidney beans, ½ a cucumber, 3 spring onions, a big handful of fresh parsley leaves, a tablespoon of lemon juice, & 50g feta cheese.

Hi readers,

The weather is… sublime. Possibly, this is the first day in Newcastle that could outrightly be described as “warm and sunny”. It’s finally happened! So, this morning the weather looked promising but I thought nothing of it. Then, around lunchtime when I finally looked out of the window at work… I couldn’t believe my eyes! Clear blue skies!

Here's the sky in Newcastle today

Then, the printer in the office disastrously broke (While I was using it! Everyone says I did nothing to break it… but I think my mere presence contributed :s) and after that there was little work we could do without a printer. SO THEY SENT ME HOME.

Readers, I stepped out of the stuffy office and, no joke, it was like all my dreams had come true at once. There was fresh, warm air and birds were singing and flowers were in bloom. The sky was still blue! I’m a summer baby through and through… and today has felt like life is at last starting again.

Since I left work? I opened every window in the house… changed into floral clothing… poured an ice cold glass of juice… and seated myself in the sun! Right now, I’m very happy with life. And all the kids on scooters and bikes that keep tearing down the road? They seem pretty happy, too!

How about for you?? How do you feel today? Is the sun shining in the sky like it is here in Newcastle? And is it shining inside you like it is in me? I really, really hope so. And, even if you’re stuck in the office today, think of all the wonderful things that lie in store for you this summer! Today, summer feels closer than ever before. Good times are coming, readers. And perhaps they start today.

AT THE VERY LEAST… this seems the perfect day to launch some tasty summer food, no? Go on! You can’t end a day like today with pie… or soup… or a bloody casserole. No no NO. Not today, readers! Summer is for eating outdoors on delicate garden seats, with a white wine in your hand and the sun starting to dip. Or tucking in on a picnic rug, surrounded by friends and family, on freshly mowed grass with bees buzzing about. Or, heaven forbid, for barbequing on a beach with sand in your toes and salt in the air, while your food sizzles on a grill.

It’s hard to imagine right now at the end of winter, but those are real situations that real people find themselves in each summer. In real life. And eating in summer is THE BOMB. Can you remember, readers?? I’m going to jog your memories of summer food, today, with a simple recipe for a new salad for you to try out.

And before you groan! This salad isn’t rabbit fodder. Or the vision of deprivation. It’s not a selection of leaves with a novelty array of fruit thrown over them to compound your disappointment. No sirree! This is a WARM salad with lots of really strong flavours and CHEESE AND CARBS ARE INCLUDED.

Still reading? Well, today I’d like to introduce you to the Greek Pitta Salad. This is a recipe I came upon online last summer when on a hunt for new, light and healthy meals that I could throw together after work without spending too much time in the kitchen. Because, as much as I love the kitchen, when it comes to summer I think we’d all rather be sat out in the sun!

So, I adapted this recipe slightly, but you can find the original HERE on the website of an American celebrity called Martha Stewart. Have I heard of her? Honestly, no. But she has some cracking recipes so check out her blog!

Here’s how Greek Pitta Salad looks in Martha’s kitchen…

And here’s how to toss together your very own Greek Pitta Salad, in just ten easy steps…

1. Heat your grill.

2. Open your tin of kidney beans, tip them into a sieve and then rinse them under a cold tap.

ChefBeHere Top Tip:  Give your beans a thorough rinse to get rid of any brown gunk that came with them in the tin. This doesn’t taste pleasant!

3. Spoon half of your beans into a Tupperware, to save in the fridge and use on another day. Spoon the remaining half of your beans into a serving bowl.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: What to do with your spare half a tin of kidney beans? There are so many options! You could cook up a big pot of veggie chili, perhaps? Or maybe have a bash at bean-packed fajitas or enchiladas?? Be inspired and go Mexican!

4. Slice up half of a cucumber and then cut each slice into quarters. Take a few spring onions and chop them finely.

5. Add your onions and cucumber to the bowl containing your kidney beans, along with a big handful of fresh parsley leaves.

6. Spoon one tablespoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of olive oil over your bowl of salad, and then toss everything together so that it all becomes well coated in your dressing.

7. Drizzle both sides of your wholemeal pitta bread with olive oil and season with salt.

8. Pop your pitta under the grill to toast for a minute or two, and then when the bread begins to turn golden flip it over so that the underside of the pitta can toast.

9. Meanwhile, take around a quarter of a block of feta cheese and crumble this over your bowl of salad.

10. When your pitta has toasted, tear it into pieces and add to your salad. The season with salt and pepper and your Greek Pitta Salad is good to go!

One of my very own Greek Pitta Salads came out looking like this…

And it tastes great! Really, readers, I know I have greater patience for salads than most people do, but this is really one that you shouldn’t miss out on. And if you aren’t a regular salad muncher then this is a great salad to start out with! Greek Pitta Salad has loads of really strong flavours and I think they all come together very well in this dish.

PLUS, you’re on a student budget? This is so cheap! All of the ingredients here cost so little to buy. And you can freeze a pack of pittas then keep thawing one whenever you have the need, so none go to waste and they last you for weeks!

Readers, I strongly recommend a trip to the shop today for your ingredients and a chilled bottle of white wine. Then throw open every window, get out of your work clothes and toss together your first summery salad of the year! Because who knows how long our glimpse of summer will last??

Salad safely,

Hayley

 

 

BUFFET SATURDAY

The ChefBeHere Buffet

 

Time taken: 20 minutes

Ingredients: One pack of falafel mix, a tomato, 50g feta cheese, two chunks of olive focaccia bread, a splash of oil, a little butter & some plain flour.

Hi readers,

So, readers, sometimes it’s a cloudy day. Inside and out. You sleep and you wake up, but don’t really feel rested. There’s a grey sky outside. No time for coffee and before you know it you’re on your way to work. Stifling a yawn and then a hundred more. Your iPod shuffles cheerful songs – it’s in a better mood than you. Your news app, meanwhile, is full of death.

One of those days! I had one of them yesterday. Wishing I was anywhere other than working my shift at the airport. Quite wishing I was boarding the plane to Dubai. Or that I was on the settee at home in Sheffield, with the family and a Sudoku for company.

After hours today spent feeling sorry for myself… FINALLY, I got to leave work. And figured out how to (sort of) recreate home up in Newcastle! So, it’s hard to explain, but I think every family has traditions with food. Like stockpiling Pukka Pies for an end of the week ‘Friday Pie-day’, maybe? Or hitting the chippy after work and calling it ‘Fish n Chips Friday’. Or getting Dominoes on the phone for ‘Friday Night Pizza Night’. Every house does something different!

I remember, with my lot, we visited Disneyland Paris when I was 4 and my bro was 2 (we were tiny!) and for yeeears after the trip we would eat croissants for breakfast each week. Without fail. Literally, croissants on a Sunday morning was an institution! The fam went to France and, aside from a little Disney magic and a ton of gift shop merchandise, the MAIN THING we brought back with us was a love for French pastries. Which endures today.

And another big custom at home involves lunch on a Saturday. This is a tradition, really, that was invented by my dad as a way to avoid spending time in the kitchen, and thereby potentially missing football/Formula One/anything on TV in the livingroom. It’s a very tactical idea, but we love it!

Basically, my dad goes shopping on a Saturday morning to Morrisons (often hungover and with no shopping list) and he picks up a selection of random food items that look good. Gets home and unpacks these onto the dining table, along with plates and forks. And that’s it. We have a sort of indoor picnic. It’s an effortless buffet for 3!

Regulars features of our buffet are some form of hot’n’spicy chicken limbs, maybe, but not for me. Perhaps a fresh loaf of bread. Fancy cheese. Olives? Cheese rolls. Tubs of coleslaw-like stuff… you get the picture. It’s a random assortment of stuff but we chuck it all together and eat with plates on our knees, watching Lewis Hamilton go out and risk his life again.

So, yesterday, I got in from work and thought THAT’S IT… it’s Saturday and I’m having a buffet for tea. And I did. A buffet for 1! Basically, it was the best tea ever and this isn’t really a recipe at all but I share this with you, readers, because I feel like everyone should eat as if they were at a buffet. I prescribe this once a week as a boost for the mood when it’s a cloudy day, inside or out!

You can fill your plate with anything you like, but here’s to throw together a buffet plate ChefBeHere-style, in just ten easy steps…

1. Pour 150ml cold water into a measuring jug.

2. Open your packet of falafel mix and tip into the jug. Stir it up! Then leave your mix for 5 minutes to thicken.

3. Meanwhile, slice your tomato into small pieces and chop a few squares from your block of feta cheese.

4. Pop your tomato and cheese chunks onto a dinner plate.

5. Flour your hands and use them to scoop up small amounts of falafel mix, rolling each one into a small ball.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Keep your flour nearby! My falafel mix was very sticky and I needed to re-flour my hands or I’d still have been there today trying to roll the mix without it sticking to my fingers.

6. Heat a little oil in a frying pan.

7. Meanwhile, cut a couple of chunks of bread from your olive focaccia loaf. Butter these and add them to your plate, alongside your cheese and tomato chunks.

8. Spoon your falafel balls into your frying pan and leave to sizzle on one side for a couple of minutes. Then, turn each one over so that they are golden side up and green side down in the pan.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: After a few more minutes in the pan your falafel should start to become firm, warm and crisp to touch.

9. When your falafel are cooked, tip them out onto your plate alongside your other grub.

10. Serve up your crazy plate of food!

Which may look something like this…

 

So, a Saturday Buffet maybe won’t remind you of home and family in the same way that it does for me. And I realise that this isn’t a ground-breaking recipe! But, as the end piece of an inventive throwing-things-together-and-seeing-what-happens kind of chef session… I think this is pretty damn good. And not as weird as other platefuls of food that I’ve produced. Pesto noodles, anyone? Didn’t think so!

Basically, the items on this plate are all amongst my favourite foods, and plating them up together was a simple stroke of genius. Go forth, readers, and make this happen in your kitchen. It doesn’t have to be Saturday! It doesn’t even have to be cloudy. I think this dish could, in fact, be served with a fruit cider or a crisp glass of wine when the sun is out. Cue day dreams of summer!

Send your thoughts my way, readers, how do rate this ChefBeHere Buffet? In your books, does this recipe make for a taste sensation or for a blog-to-be-forgotten?? I’m intrigued to hear! Fingers crossed, I’ve just introduced you to your new favourite meal EVER.

Today, I head back to work at the airport. Wish me luck.

And survive safely,

Hayley