Food, walking and laziness. It's been hectic over here!
Over a week ago I cooked dinner for John and completed the second of 4 installments of the Weekly Food Challenge. But I have finally found my camera cord, so this time you get pics, as well! I'd gone to the markets and picked up some lovely plump and juicy steaks. So, what to accompany them. Well, I went for a simple rocket salad, and The Pioneer Woman's caprese salad. Simple and elegant, this salad goes with anything. Ripe market tomatoes, creamy mozzarella (the good kind - don't skimp on this!), aromatic basil leaves, and the simplest of dressing. As well as being dead easy to assemble, it also looks amazing. Check it out:
Caprese salad (makes 2 generous side portions)
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 12 oz fresh mozzarella
- fresh basil leaves
- balsamic reduction
- olive oil
- sale & pepper to taste
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella. Layer artistically in a nice dish. Tuck in basil leaves. Drizzle over the olive oil and balsamic reduction. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
If you are lucky (and lazy) it is usually possible to buy balsamic reduction pre-made. But if not, it is easy peasy to make. Simply place balsamic vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thick glaze. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Balsamic reduction is one of those awesome things to have around, so go ahead and make a whole heap - it keeps for quite some time in the fridge. I drizzle mine over salads and pizzas, or to marinade meat.
Next up was desert. Strawberries are luscious and plump at the moment, so I figured I'd give this strawberry cake a go. Sometimes dishes take my fancy despite the fact that I haven't read the description through. This was one of those dishes. And it was delicious, according to John. I wasn't quite such a fan, mostly because I had failed to read that "those strawberries turn into puddles of jam". Which is all well and good if you like jam, but I don't. Or, well, more specifically I like jam only when it comes served with clotted cream and scones. But if you like jam, as John does, then this cake is for you. I didn't fiddle with the recipe at all, so go on over to Smitten Kitchen and check it out.
You might wonder what else have I been up to, other than cooking and eating. First off, I am currently jobless, my temping position having ended. This isn't a terrible thing, as the job was pretty dire. So I've had a week off, which has meant catching up with friends and family. No complaints there.
I've been out hiking as well. Because we are insane, my hiking group decided to do a challenge. It was in two parts. The first part started at midnight and took in 3 peaks before breakfast. I don't know much about the second part because I was too lazy to do it. Friday night saw a group of us congregating in Donard Park, where we had a BBQ before driving around to Bloody Bridge carpark where we donned backpacks, head torches and glowsticks before starting up Bloody Bridge river and over Slieve Donard. Then down Slieve Donard and over Slieve Commedagh, Corrag and Bernagh as the sun came up. The plan was to see the sunrise at the top of Bernagh, but we were a little late and it was foggy. Still, we carried on down to Meelmore where our support crew and cooks extraordinaire had set up shop and were cooking up a storm - blueberry muffins, bacon and sausage baps, tea, coffee, and fruit for the health-conscious (I did not have any fruit, and I maintain that there were plenty of healthy blueberries in the muffins). Most of us had previously decided that the overnight walk was enough for us, but a handful carried on to complete the second half of the challenge.
Posted by: |