Courgetti Puttanesca: Healthy Comfort Food

I haven't eaten pasta at home in a long time. I've been making a lot of brown rice and quinoa salads lately, which are great, but I've been craving that comforting feeling that only a big bowl of delicious pasta and ragu can give.

I decided to switch things up and make it super low carb and healthy instead, by making courgetti! Or spaghetti made out of courgette.

And it was honestly delicious, even the boyfriend didn't miss pasta. It was warming, delicious but didn't leave me bloated or heavy. Just what I was after!!

Recipe after the jump!

Pear, Spinach and Avocado Smoothie

I'm making it a mission to find the best tasting green smoothies out there, with enough vegetables that still make them super healthy. My previous "Ultimate Green Smoothie" went down a treat, but I think I might have an even better one here! 

Ottolenghi's Shakshuka

If you haven't already guessed from my instagram, brunch is my favourite meal of the day. There are a myriad of reasons why it's the best meal. It's at the perfect, not really sure when, time of day, it contains eggs and can be made healthy or unhealthy with the addition of bacon/cheese or avocado, depending on how you feel, and it is fairly difficult to get wrong.

Yotam Ottolenghi will probably go down as the man who mainstreamed shakshuka in the UK. By including it in his incredibly popular recipe books, and then on his menu at his restaruants and delis in London, he made it extremely accessible for anyone to try this exotic sounding dish; the shakshuka. Factor in our ever growing fondness for brunch and middle eastern foods, this dish of baked eggs and spices was always going to be a big hit. That and the fact it's delicious, of course!

I decided to make a little version the other day. The original recipe calls for 8 eggs, I think two for two people is enough.

It's pretty simple, one-pan meal. You just need to prepare all the food and spices, throw it in the pan and let it simmer and cook. 

My favourite kind of cooking: one that I don't have to worry about, with very little washing.

The Ultimate Tasty Green Smoothie!

I've finally cracked it. 

I've made a green smoothie that is actually delicious - and still healthy! 

I call it the ultimate, tasty, green smoothie!

Recipe after the jump!

The Manor, Clapham.

The end of December. That weird time of limbo between Christmas and NYE. I was working, not much else was happening, as we were all busy getting over Christmas and preparing for New Year. The Manor, sister restaurant to the Dairy opened at the beginning of December (if I remember correctly) and from the minute it opened, everyone was going crazy about it. And if the Dairy is anything to go by, I had no doubt the praise was well deserved.

Being bored around this time, I decided as this is the time for feasting and over indulgence, why not try booking a table. Unbelievably that night The Manor had tables free (may have changed now!). I booked without hesitation!! And trecked it down to Clapham.

We had a little amuse to start of of a cracker with nori.

A. Wong, Victoria.

There's Chinese food and then there's Chinese food. At A.Wong in Victoria, they are recreating Chinese food in fine dining, small plates form.

We were sat up at the bar, watching the good, the bad and the ugly unfurl at the heart of the kitchen.

Casamia, Bristol

We went for a weekend trip to Bristol a little while ago, a short trip for a little recharge. We probably didn't research as well as we should have to do some of the cultural, arty things Bristol has to offer, but what we did research (obvs) was what restaurants to go to!!

One that I've heard much about is the one-star Casamia.