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Roasted strawberry and vodka sorbet

When your friend drops off a bottle of ‘Mama vodka’ (seriously that is its name) you are duty bound to make something delicious with it. We are still in the middle of a mini Munich heat wave and so whilst it was tempting to simply grab some ice and a slice, I wanted to make something worthy of the weekend.

Alcohol works wonders in a sorbet as its higher freezing temperature stops the fruit mixture from freezing rock solid. This means it is always at the perfect scooping consistency. I love vodka. Maybe its growing up in Norway. Maybe because it was my drink of choice during the party years on Lower Marsh in London (cranberry and vodka felt so grown up back then!). Maybe its because it works so well in recipes with fruit. It somehow manages to pack a serious punch without overpowering other flavors.

Strawberries were the obvious choice for me, mainly because I had a few punnets languishing in the fridge. Strawberry season is over now and these summer fruits have past their prime. The ones I had were seedier than normal and didn’t have that super sweet juiciness of their July counterparts. By roasting them I was able to draw out their hidden sweetness and caramelize their natural sugars. There are other options though: lychee and ginger is going to be my next experiment and I bet peach and pistachio would be delicious too.

This is a really simply sorbet. It is three ingredients and is ready to eat after two hours in the freezer. It is refreshing, sweet and packs that secret kick. Make it tonight and enjoy all weekend.

…..and just as a little side note. If you want instant vodka sorbet then all you need to do is combine vodka, maple syrup and frozen fruit…happy friday!

Ingredients
400g strawberries

6 tbsp maple syrup

4 tbsp vodka

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C

Place the strawberry into an dish and roast for 25mins

Once cooled place into a blender with the maple syrup and the vodka

Pour into a shallow dish and allow to freeze for 2 hours or more

Enjoy

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Blackberry and ginger chia fresca

It was seriously crazy hot this weekend. We escaped with our close friends to a nearby lake, Worthsee. It is so perfect for kids, there is a huge sandy playpark and the lake surround is beautiful soft grass that leads down to the water edge. The water is crystal clear and the lake was full of happy swimmers, stand up paddle boarders and toddling babies. They also have a kiosk that sells strong coffee, chips and wine…just saying!

We took a picnic both days with us and packed up berries, roasted veggies, crackers and mini frittatas for the little ones. We ate the leftovers/rejects at times but mostly we hung out on big rugs and enjoyed the last of the summer. When its super hot I don’t have a big appetite and I seemed to live on smoothie bowls, watermelon and chia fresca this weekend. Chia seeds are so powerful in keeping you hydrated. They absorb up to twelve times their own weight in water and so allow your body to ‘store’ water for longer. You can make a simple chia fresca – water, chia, lime juice and a little sweetener as an effective natural energy drink for during or after working out. Its a really popular drink for endurance athletes..and hot mums on busy days.

Blackberry season is just starting so take full advantage. They are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C. As kids we spent every summer on a farm in France and I remember being sent out by my mum to go picking. We would go off down the lane with my aunty and uncle and spend ages trying to fill buckets with the biggest berries. We always thought my uncle was a genius/wizard as he could do the 360 degree bucket flip without spilling a berry! We would return home stained and prickled and excited for the feast! Enjoy

Ingredients (serves 4)
135g blackberries (washed)

3 tbsp chia seeds

1 small piece of ginger

Juice 1/2 lime

800 ml water

3 tbsp maple syrup

Ice cubes to serve

Method
Place the chia seeds in a glass with 400ml of water and leave to swell for 20mins

Place the ginger, berries, maple syrup, lime juice and 400 ml of water into a blender and blend well

Add in the chia seed gel and blend briefly

Serve over ice

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Blueberry Chia Jam

There has been a total blueberry obsession happening in this house this week. It started because I went to the organic shop & local blueberries were on offer in kilo large punnets at a seriously good price.

At the same time the baby decided that blueberries were her absolute total undisputed favourite thing to eat. Which also meant I seemed to constantly have a punnet of them in my basket/in the pram. When fruit is this bountiful my favorite thing to make is chia jam.

Chia jam is the best way to use fresh ripe fruit. You barely have to do a thing & yet you are gifted with a thick delicious multi purpose jam. Spread on toast, stirred through yoghurt, dolloped onto Bircher, eaten greedily straight from the pan (ummmmm…..), it’s enjoyment is endless.

After so much focus on lunch last week, this jam has really helped me up my breakfast game. I eat it topped with sliced almonds, the baby has some with oats. I love that it’s easy & quick to make and also that it keeps in the fridge for at least four days. My love for it is so great that I chose it to be my featured recipe when I was interviewed this week by the wonderful Erica over at “The Star Whisperer”. Erica is a London mama & her blog is a beautiful story board of fashion, lifestyle, design & brand tips. I’m so thrilled that she loves my recipes!

The great thing about chia jam is that you pick the flavor depending on what you need to use up. Blackberries are on their way in & work perfectly. As apples arrive at the end of the month simply stew, blend & add chia (and maybe a dash of cinnamon). Roasted nectarines that have been pureed would be delicious too. You choose, you only need three ingredients, one of which is water, and you are on your way to the perfect breakfast accompaniment.

Ingredients (10 -12 servings)
800g blueberries

4tbsp water

6tbsp chia seeds

Method
Place the fruit into a large pan with the water

Heat slowly and stir often until the fruit has softened & breaks apart

(If using a harder fruit, simply puree at this stage)

Remove from the heat

Add in the chia, stir well & leave to thicken (add more chia for a thicker consistency)

Store chilled in an airtight container for up to 4 days

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Summer Corn Salad

Most days I shop with a list & a plan but sometimes it all goes out the window. Some days I walk into the “bio laden” planning to pick up the basics & I leave with a kilo of blueberries and a heap of corn on the cob.Those are the days when I get to play in the kitchen & when lunch is extra fun.

Corn on the cob makes me think of summer. Of barbecues and long, hot car journeys through the French countryside. Growing up we spent every summer in France, for the first years packed into a caravan with a pop up top, and then later in a 150 year old farm house that my parents fell in love with.

The house is in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by working farms. Corn is a huge crop and yet strangely it is grown there as animal feed. During the summer you see huge piles of corn on the cob, drying in the heat of the midday sun, ready to be fed to cattle.We were always the “crazy English” that were willing to pay for fresh corn and my parents were the “crazy English” willing to feed their children animal food.

This salad turned is delicious. The corn is fresh & lightly grilled. The avocado gives it a creaminess & teamed with the coriander and lime makes me think of LA Mexican inspired salads. The chickpeas are optional but I like the bite that they give and also the extra density that they add.

It’s the perfect satiating summer salad. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 corn on the cob

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 avocado

10 cherry tomatoes

1/4 red onion finely chopped

1/2 tin chickpeas (129g cooked chickpeas)

2 tbsp olive oil

Small handful fresh coriander

Salt & pepper

Juice 1 lime

Method
Preheat your grill or griddle plan

Chop the avocado & place into a bowl with the quartered cherry tomatoes & finely chopped onion

Rub the corn with rapeseed oil & place under the grill or on the griddle

Watch closely & turn every 3 minutes or as the kernels start to colour

Once fully grilled remove & set aside for 5 minutes

Holding one end run a knife down the corn to remove the kernels into the bowl with the other vegetables

Mix everything together

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper

Finely chop the herbs & mix in with the dressing

Toss the salad with the dressing & eat immediately

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Roasted tomato and hummus tartine

Moving to Munich has been great and scary and fun and lonely and exciting. On the one hand nothing could be greater than experiencing a new city with our new baby girl. On the other we said goodbye to our roots. Years of friends and relationships stayed in London. I no longer know the hidden spots or the shortcuts. I don’t know the easiest tube exits. I don’t know where to go to get the best coffee (actually I do, it’s Emilio’s on Buttermelcher str) and I haven’t mastered any Bavarian.

Having a baby in your home city is new enough & changes your perspective entirely on life. This move at 8 months pregnant has thrown me for a loop at times.

What’s more, I gave up my job…again. And now, from the trenches of teething & sleepless nights in trying hard to launch a brand. The second the baby shuts her eyes, I dash to the kitchen to cook and to photograph. Then I have to navigate the madness that is social media. Press releases, German magazine contacts, product placements….so much to think about & not enough caffeine to fuel it.

It’s hard, because it’s new. Because my support system is mainly available via what’s app. But I’m getting there, maybe, I think? A friend I value above most things made one of my recipes this week, that’s the greatest thing ever!

So todays lunch needed to be delicious. It needed to lift my mood and taste great. As always it needed to be healthy and hearty. Monday’s soda bread became today’s lunch. Toasted well and then topped with speedy hummus and delicious roasted tomatoes. The perfect lunch. Everything I needed it to be & able to be eaten single handedly. Make this if you can, whilst the summer is still here & tomatoes are at their peak.

Hummus & roasted tomato tartine

Ingredients
4 tbsp hummus

2 slices soda bread (or other bread) well toasted

4 ripe roma tomatoes (I like to roast a whole tray of tomatoes as they keep for 4 days in the fridge)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 180C

Slice the tomatoes into quarter wedges

Place into a baking dish

Coat with olive oil and season liberally

Roast for 25minutes

Remove & leave to cool for 10 mins

Spread the bread with hummus

Top with roasted tomatoes

Enjoy

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