Mediteranean Pie

Yesterday I cycled like a lunatic, all around Phoenix Park for about one hour an half, while dancing and singing to daft-punk. I bet whoever saw me had a laugh seeing a crazy girl on a white and red racer bike, massive flowery shirt dancing and singing  “Harder, Better, Stronger”. I probably scared few people off too! But I have to say that Daft Punk +  Racer bike + Park were a perfect formula that helped me to clear my head for a bit,  although I still a bit  confuse, but that’s my nature!… well I felt great at least until I stopped and realize what I was doing! My friend Annie, a double espresso and an amazing gluten free cheese cake me brought back to reality, but just for a while because I found myself rocking again on North Circular road! Miraculously I made it home, as I don’t think it is advised to listen to your IPod while cycling in the traffic, thinking that you are in the techno tent at some festival! Once I got in  I baked this…

Shopping List

Pastry

200 g of all purpose flour

125 g of butter

60 ml cold water (approximately)

Pinch of salt

The Inside

300 g of ricotta cheese

150 g of greated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

50 g of sundried tomatoes

80 g of black olives

150 g of goat cheese

Few leaves of fresh basil or a 2 teastpoon of dried basil

Salt & Pepper t.t

Let's get on with this

1. Put the flour and the salt in a large bowl and then add the cubes of butter
2. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour
3. Then add enough of the cold water to bind the dough together
4. Wrap the dough in cling foil and let it chill into the fridge for 10-15 minutes before using
5. In another bowl mix all the other ingredients together until you get a rather smooth mixture
6. Roll the pastry and place it into a baking tray (don’t forget to grease the baking paper or the tray with either butter or oil)  then with a fork make some holes
7. Add the mixture
8. Cook for 20-30 minutes at 180°

Delicious! This pie is great the day after as well, if you can manage to keep some of it!

This is the tune of the day...I think I have listened to it about 30 times today well still a great tune

Veggy Pie

I had another amazing day!!? Woke up listening to BoB Marley, as yesterday we went to see the movie, Marley, very good movie by the way, I strongly recommend it!

So this morning I was trying to balance writing about Corporate Social Responsibility and listening to One Love, obviously it didn’t go that well and after an hour I went straight back to my bed. Then I started the day, a food shopping day! Me and Mrs. Johnson went to the big Tesco on Navan Road and we made sure we did not skip an aile and accidentally I run into this amazingly low fat eat in the rain frozen yogurt 

I had to have it, could not wait, but Tesco is not that fancy as M&S and they did not have a spoon so, my Mrs. who’s very innovative, told me to use the lid of the milk as a spoon! Happy days after 10 minutes the amazing ice-cream was gone and 50% of it was on all over my face! We then took the 39A back to town and had to listen to some mad kiddo’s listening to commercial shit on their IPhone, headphones are not cool anymore, and haven’t they got it, that today is my Rastafari day? 

Anyway we then met a crazy friend on the way, with his brand new skateboard J Went to the Polish shop and then spent about an hour in the Asian shop right beside, looking at some mad stuff to then buy coconut creamer and the best value coconut oil I have found so far. Then Aldi…29 cent for two kg of potatoes…can bit that! Met another friend and went for few pints in Fibbers…god that place in the daytime looks completely different!!!Back home I baked bread, and attempted to replicate a pie I had last Saturday at Temble Bar Market, I almost guessed the recipe right!!

Shopping Lists

Pastry

200 g of all purpose flour

125 g of butter

60 ml cold water (approximately)

Pinch of salt

The Inside

200 g of mushroom

100 g of broccoli

200 g of aubergine

100 g of carrots

150 g of courgette

1 bunch of spring onion

1 fresh chili

  50 g of olives

  50 g of sundried tomatoes

200 g of crème fresh (I used the low-fat version)

2 eggs

Balsamic Vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Dried of fresh herbs of choice (I used parsley, thyme and herbs the Provence)

Kucharek or other seasoning powder / Salt and Pepper t.t

Let’s get on with this

1. Put the flour and the salt in a large bowl and then add the cubes of butter
2. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour
3. Then add enough of the cold water to bind the dough together
4. Wrap the dough in cling foil and let it chill into the fridge for 10-15 minutes before using
5. Cut all the vegetable and place them in a bowl and add a balsamic vinegar and oil (approximately 2 tablespoon of each or more if you wish)
6. In another bowl whisk away the eggs with the cream fresh, add salt and pepper or seasoning
7. Roll the pastry and place it into a baking tray (don’t forget to grease the baking paper or the tray with either butter or oil)  then with a fork make some holes
8. Then add the vegetables and pour over the egg and crème fresh mixture
9. Cover with another layer of pastry, if you want you can skip the extra layer and just towards the end, add a nice layer of cheese
10. Cook for 20-30 minutes at 180°

Veggy pie ready! Can’t wait for lunch!

Spinach and Feta Light Pie

Today I woke up and went to college singing Chim Chim Cheer-ee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te_Nv3lMUnA, so you can understand  what a great start!!

When you don’t have a office job and you are a full time waster, Mondays are not so bad! So yesterday I was watching Jamie, so dreamy! He made this amazing, bubbly filo pastry pie filled with feta cheese and spinach, which of course looked so yummy that I had to make it! Now I am a bit of “low-fat” freak so I made my own version, I am sure Jamie’s taste much better, but mine was not that shabby after all! Since it was a very inspiring Monday I also made homemade mixed seeds and olives brown bread, onion and mushroom soup and custard and plum tart…I will soon upload the rest of the feast! 

Shopping Lists

1 pack of Phyllo pastry
500 gr. of fresh spinach

500 gr. of fresh low fat polish cheese or ricotta

150 gr. of low fat polish feta cheese

150 gr. of parmesan

1 clove of garlic

1 medium onion

1 egg

Rosemary (or Tyme)

Salt & Pepper t.t

Let’s get on with this

1. Cook the onions and the garlic in a pan (going to use it as a tray after, unscrew the pan handler if is plastic, like my genius friend Magda did) with olive oil until soft and turning golden then add the spinach cook until sagging
2. When the mixture is cool put them into a bowl and mix in the nutmeg, feta, parmesan, egg, rosemary and add salt & peppers t.t.
3. Wash under the water a piece of baking paper and then put the first sheet of filo in the tin and brush with oil or water keep going with the rest of the sheets, I put four of them but you can put as more.
4. Place the filo pastry in the pan and add the filling and close it up, do not worry if it breaks a bit (little trick don’t wet it too much)
5. Bake it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 180° until the filo is crisp and golden. Leave for 5 minutes before turning out and cutting into wedges to serve.