Our Easter dinner was roast chicken and roast potatoes, which (as you can see in the photo) was a little too much for both of us. It was very easy, just drizzle a whole chicken in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook in a hot oven, covered in foil for around 45 minutes. Then add some potatoes (pre-boiled for 5 minutes and then cut into thin wedges). Sprinkle with some pepper and any other spices you like (I like coriander seeds and some cumin). Cook for a further 30 minutes.
This afternoon I turned the leftovers into a delicious summer salad and we ate it for lunch before heading back to the sunny beach.
All you need to do for this simple salad is shred the leftover roast chicken into a large bowl, add the cold potatoes (cut into large chunks), add two chopped up tomatoes, a handful of chopped fresh basil, a small tin of sweetcorn and a ball of mozzarella ripped into small pieces. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper and Drizzle with a good glug of olive oil and a little thick balsamico. Et Voila! Fast lunch so that you can have more time to explore the beach :)
This morning I woke up to the sunny French Riviera village of Eze. It is a beautiful place and the view over the sea from our apartment is incredible. After a short walk along the beach, it was time to break the Easter fast. I have very much enjoyed my time fasting, I have learnt new recipes and also feel very good. So I have decided to continue to fast from Monday-Thursday. Even my boyfriend (who is a lover of meat and milky tea) joined for the last week of fasting.
The table was set outside on the balcony and then breakfast was laid; boiled eggs, smoked salmon, taramosalata, tomatoes, bread from here nearby and some red orange juice. Whilst here in Eze, I hope to update on some of the local delicacies I try and also on anything delightful that may be created here. Last night we had some beautiful octopus in a chilli and tomato sauce, which was given to us by the lady living above. She told us it was a sicilian recipe and it was gorgeous. I will try and get the recipe and then post it on here :)
So the weather has been perking up lately, this weekend we had some lovely weather. I wanted to do something simple and I think this pasta is perfect. I will keep it short because it is designed to be quick and so I don't want to take up to much of your precious time when the sun is shining :)
Ingredients:
- Pasta (Any kind you like)
- 1 onion finely chopped
- Large handful of spinach, washed a chopped roughly
- Large handful of sun-blushed tomatoes
- Small handful black olives chopped
Cook the pasta for 7-8 minutes over a medium heat. Meanwhile in a pan, fry the onions over a low heat until they are soft and lightly golden.
When the pasta is done, drain the water and then place the pasta back in the saucepan. Add the cooked onions, olives, tomatoes, spinach and some salt and pepper. Drizzle with a good glug of olive oil, place a lid on top and leave for one minute while the spinach withers a little.
Enjoy, wow! easy as that!
Every weekend I go to buy olives from the market. It is hard to get good quality olives, but I am lucky that there is a wonderful middle eastern stall that has Kalamata olives that taste like I am in Cyprus. Though they are incredibly delicious, there are always some left over and I usually chop them up and add them to bread, pasta or risotto. Recently, I made this beautiful Olive Tapenade Focaccia bread.
Ingredients:
For the focaccia:
400g whole wheat flour
7g dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon raw cane sugar
275ml warm water
25ml olive oil
some semolina
pinch of fine sea salt and a pinch of coarse sea salt.
For the olive filling:
Large handful mixed and chopped olives
1 clove garlic
small glug of olive oil
handful fresh basil
Mix together the flour, yeast, fine salt and sugar together in a bowl and then gradually add the water and olive oil.
Place the mixture on a surface covered with some semolina and knead for around 10-15 minutes. It should feel soft and not sticky, if needed add a little more flour or olive oil to get the right consistency. Roll into a ball and brush lightly with olive oil. Then place in a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave in a warm place for around 30 mins-1hr.
Meanwhile in a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic, chopped olives, olive oil and basil into a paste. After this time roughly roll the dough out and spread with the tapenade.
Place on a backing tray, and then fold in half and shape into a circle. Cover with a tea towel and leave for a further 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 220°C.
After 15 minutes, poke indentations into the top of the bread and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
This afternoon I turned the leftovers into a delicious summer salad and we ate it for lunch before heading back to the sunny beach. 
