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A Modern Rose

Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin

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Goats Cheese, Red Lentil and Rocket Salad

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In the past I have found lunch the most trickiest of meals to plan for. While I have mentioned in my previous blog post the all too often temptation to eat out in the evening after a long day in the office, I actually find the eating out at lunchtime far more tempting. The first issue has always been that I have mostly worked in central Berlin. I am often surrounded by plenty of restaurants and cafes to go out for lunch and my colleagues have always felt the same, resulting in me wanting to go out not just for the delicious food on offer but also to socialise and not be left in the office alone…

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Big Batch Tomato Sauce

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I think that a good tomato sauce is the first thing that every cook should learn. It is incredibly useful! When I first went to University (a very, very long time ago now …!) I couldn’t cook a thing. I would constantly buy those ready made jars of tomato sauce to throw over some penne or spaghetti. Thinking about it now this was a lot more expensive than me simply making my own and I could have probably saved myself a small fortune considering how often I actually ate tomato pasta! I soon came to start making my own sauce and I have never looked back….

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Honey and Hazelnut Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Poor old Brussels sprouts, they get such a negative reputation this time of the year. Always a compulsory side dish for the big Christmas dinner yet ridiculed for being the food that nobody really tucks into and instead stuffed inside a Tupperware box on the off chance someone is to make a Bubble & Squeak on Boxing Day. While sprouts are not particularly a vegetable that I would go out of my way for, I actually don’t mind them. But what I can’t stand is how we all feel a Christmas dinner isn’t right unless we have them but then a lot of us don’t actually eat them….

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Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms

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This is a recipe that can be used right from the start of the festive season when everyone is starting to cook something a little special in the kitchen, right to the end of the holidays when we are all rummaging in our fridges wanting to use up all those leftovers. These Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms can be made as a starter for the first dinner party of the season, served as canapés for your Christmas Eve drinks and nibbles or served at New Years Eve to make the last celebratory dinner of the year go out in style….

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Feta and Coriander Parcels with a Walnut Dip

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I have made no secret of my love for Middle Eastern cuisine. It is food that excites and uses some of the best ingredients out there. I was recently at Fes Turkish BBQ and while Germany has no shortage of Turkish delis it was a welcome surprise to be able to eat out at somewhere other than a kebab shop. And don’t get me wrong, I am not one to turn my nose up at a kebab! Many nights have been rescued with a late night stop off for a kebab….

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Paprika and Oregano Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Every year I make sure to carve a pumpkin to put out on my balcony for Halloween. I love adding little bits of decorations around the apartment and to have the pumpkin lit up. For me Halloween is more than scary outfits and trick or treat. It is the first real event of the Autumn and is the perfect opportunity to embrace those cold, dark winter nights with hearty stews and soups. I always buy extra pumpkins to match a big batch of Spicy Pumpkin Soup and there is nothing more comforting than coming home to a big bowl of delicious comfort food….

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Shakshuka with Oregano Toast

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Sometimes I wonder what we all did before the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi introduced us to the delights of Middle Eastern cuisine. This baked eggs dish works just as well for dinner as it does for breakfast and is a pure joy to eat! It is also incredibly cheap and easy to make that it is no surprise it remains as one of the worlds most popular foods. In fact, I am sure there are students out there wondering why on earth Delia didn’t introduce this low-cost, super-fast dish back in the 80s when her recipes were geared towards simple and easy, so that their parents could hand this one down….

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Griddled Courgettes with Pine Nuts and Feta

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The last month or so I have been blogging more and more Mezze recipes and sharing my love for this delicious style of eating. I am constantly influenced by Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours and I am always finding new ways and styles to cook with different and exciting ingredients. And while I am pleased that my list of Mezze recipes are becoming varied, meaning that we don’t have the same small plates each time we want a little of that fresh and vibrant influence in our kitchen, they can get a little on the heavy side when wanting to make all of your favourite dishes…

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