Recipe Box: Beetroot Salad

So, we're almost at the end of beetroot season and I wanted to have one final beetroot fling! I love it this messy vegetable but I rarely use it which is a crying shame if you ask me. I rustled up an easy little beetroot salad to brighten up our burger and chips dinner :)

This recipe makes enough for a good side serving for two people.


Ingredients

• 450g raw beetroots
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• Salt

To the kitchen!

• Pull off the roots and cut all of the stalks down to about 2 cm. 
• Gently, without splitting the skins, rub the beetroots under cold water to get rid of any dirt. 
• Place all of the beetroots into a pan and pour boiling water over until the beetroots are completely submerged in water. 
• Bring it to the boil, cover and reduce to a medium heat and cook for 30-40 mins until the beetroots feel tender when you gently pierce them with a sharp knife. 
• In the meantime, mix the oil, vinegar, garlic, onions and salt in some kind of sealed container in which you can shake all the ingredients until they are well mixed. I used a plastic tupperware box but you could also use a jar.
• Once the beetroots are tender, drain and rinse them under cold water until they are cool to the touch so you can peel away their skins. 
• Slice the beetroot to the desired size for your salad.
• Put in a bowl and cover with the dressing you already made. Cover and leave to chill in the fridge for at least an hour. 
• When ready, simply toss the salad and serve! 

Enjoy!

Hannah xo

Recipe Box: Peanut Butter Cake

Hello!

Things have been so hectic lately, gearing up for Christmas, making our flat a home and spending as much time as possible with my man in his downtime before he flies off to the Alps for Christmas!

I wanted to bake a really special cake this weekend and I found the perfect recipe ;) Peanut. Butter. Cake. Does it get better than that?!

Quick, easy and absolutely delicious!

Hannah xo

Graze!

Hello folks!

I recently had a free box of Graze and I just had to subscribe! I don't know about you but I love receiving treats through the post so the Graze boxes are right up my street :) Every week I get four surprise little boxes of treaty goodness. They have a large selection of like EVERYTHING from scrumptious flapjacks, delicious little cakes, dried fruit and nut mixes right up to little breadsticks and dips and now popcorn! Yum! If you don't like the look of something, you can 'bin' it or if you can't get enough of something, 'love' it to receive it regularly.

Here's my box for this week :)

I have several free vouchers to give away (UK only I'm afraid!). If you'd like to give Graze a go, email me with your name and address at thoseluckystarsuk@gmail.com and I'll send one on to you :)

Hannah xo

Books I Love: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Hello!

In amongst the frantic flat hunting and working some crazy hours, I've managed to indulge myself in one of my favourite hobbies, reading. Ok, by indulging I mean using my train commute and time while waiting for estate agents... I have been using these little quiet moments to briefly lose myself in an incredible book. It is written by the wonderfully inspiring Barbara Kingsolver and her family and is not only the story of their year of eating only locally-produced food (most of which is grown and raised by their own hand) but it is also jam-packed with seasonal recipes and information about the food industry. It really is eye-opening and made me feel a new respect for farmers and their way of living. It's a perfect balance of adorable family tales with hard-hitting facts. I'm now craving some garden space ;) Imagine being able to grow your own salad, freshly picking it for dinner... yum! I'm looking forward to trying out some of the recipes too :) I'll let you know how I get on!

Hannah xo

Thrifty Living: Supermarket Success!

We're all facing tough economic times at the moment. The news is full of depressing financial stories and saving money is a hot topic. I figured it would do me good to learn a few economising skills and of course I'll share a few tips with you too!

• Get organised - work out your meal plans for the week in advance. Once this grisly task is done, you'll be able to sit back, relax with a glass of wine and fly through an online shop with elegance and grace (without the dazed aisle wandering).
• When making your list, remember to check your cupboard and see what you've already got in stock. This will save you from silly, unnecessary purchases (don't forget to check the use-by dates!).
• Stretch your leftovers - don't just bin them! My boyfriend once cooked a roast which could've fed a small army, tasty but far too much for the two of us. I threw all of the leftover vegetables into a pan with my favourite stock and boiled it all up to make a random but delicious soup. Get imaginative with your leftovers :)
• Don't be a snob when it comes to own-brand products. Don't say it too loudly but word is that they're basically the same product ;) Although I would only ever buy Kellogg's Cornflakes, I certainly don't mind choosing a 30p can of chopped tomatoes instead of the £1.36 version. See, I've already saved myself £1.06!
• Don't be blinded by bargains - A bargain is only a bargain if you were already planning to buy it in the first place!

And the golden rule is.... never EVER shop when you're hungry. Just don't even think about it! You'll only find yourself at the mercy of a sugar-lusting, comfort-seeking mentality. Nooooooooo!!!

Hannah xo

Recipe Box: Dal Palak

Meet Dal Palak. It's a lovely Indian curry made from lentils and spinach and it comes with a nice spicy kick! You can make it soupy or more like a stew, depending on how you feel at the time :)

I adapted an American recipe to UK standards and yummmm! I had a technical hitch while making this; the lights blew out as I started cooking and so I made the curry in candlelight. Who said romance was dead?! The recipe makes a generous amount (I had to split it into two pans!) and would serve around 8 people.

Ingredients

Olive oil.
1 large onion, diced.
2 medium-sized potatoes, cubed.
1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped.
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
2 teaspoons coriander.
1 tablespoon garam masala.
2 teaspoons chilli powder.
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes.
295g spinach, washed and sliced into ribbons (even Popeye would be satisfied!).
190g lentils.
700ml water.
Salt.

To the kitchen!

• Heat up a spoonful of oil in a large soup pan over a medium heat, adding in the onions and a pinch of salt when the oil is ready. 
• When the onions are looking translucent, throw in the potatoes and another pinch of salt, and cook until the edges are starting to appear a bit see-through (technical term ;).
• Clear a space in the middle of the pan and add in the ginger, garlic, spices and a little more salt.
• Cook for around 30 seconds and then stir it all up. 
• Add the tomatoes complete with juices, the spinach and the lentils and stir to combine all whilst adding in the water.
• Bring to the boil then allow to simmer for around 45 minutes, making sure that the lentils and potatoes are cooked through. 
• Et voila! Bon appetit :)