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A Modern Rose

Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin

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Vegetarian

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Last week I baked some cookies from my Gran’s old recipe book. It was an old Be-Ro baking book and the recipes were real classics. I was flicking through them and realised that you just don’t see as many books like this anymore. Apart from Mary Berry bringing out a new collection of recipes tied in with her BBC show each year the rest is simply focused on specific foods or diets. No one really seems to be baking anymore and if they are then it is with avocados and chia seeds, superfood powders and organic nut butters. Where has the classic baking gone? …

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Honey and Thyme Baked Feta with Tomatoes

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When I was in Paxos I came across fried feta for the first time. I am usually quite boring when it comes to feta, simply adding it to salads or as a topping to some vegetables like in a Greek Briam. The only time I have really made proper use of feta cheese in a dish is in a Spanakopita, where in my opinion, it is more of a star ingredient than the spinach itself! I really liked the fried feta but it was the Saganaki cheese that I kept going back for ever since I had a delicious dish of Baked Saganaki with Honey. Saganaki is like a mix between feta and halloumi and I am a huge fan. …

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Blue Cheese, Walnut and Red Grape Salad

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One of my favourite ways to use up leftovers is to combine them all to make a delicious salad. I am a firm believer that salad’s should not be seen as boring and always feel frustrated at the negativity towards eating a salad. So often people get asked if they are on a diet should they happen to be eating a salad for lunch that day. Or even worse, many will scrunch their noses up as if a salad is something that couldn’t possibly make for a good lunch or meal. Personally I think it comes down to the fact that so many salad’s out there are in fact soggy…

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Kolokithokeftedes (Greek Fried Courgette Balls)

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Last month I was in Paxos, a tiny Greek Island just one hour from Corfu. It was the most peaceful and beautiful of places with clear blue water and a choice of wonderful beaches. What I particularly liked about Paxos is that it is not full of package holiday resorts. In fact, it is mostly made up of villas and little apartments filling the tiny villages. We stayed in the smallest, yet most beautiful, of villages, Loggos…

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Jewelled Rice

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I have made no secret of my love for Middle Eastern food. It is one of the most vibrant and delicious cuisines out there. The use of fresh spices and herbs such as turmeric and coriander and the heat from the chillies and paprika make for the most wonderful of seasonings for good quality meat and vegetables. I love the use of chunky, fat aubergines all ready to soak up plenty of olive oil. I am also a big fan of the sweet and spicy taste that you often get with Middle Eastern food, for example by using dates or sultanans…

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Quesadillas with Guacamole and Salsa

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Berlin is steadily improving in the Mexican food department! When I first moved here and until recently Mexican style restaurants were clearly catering towards the German taste of all things bland and fear of anything that has spice. The complete opposite to the hot, spicy, fresh and zingy tastes of Mexican food that it is no wonder a lot of places simply serve stodgy style enchiladas baked in cheese and smothered in sour cream or nachos that are made up of cheap supermarket tortilla chips…

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Chicory, Fennel and Apple Remoulade

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I have mentioned a few times that one of my favourite meals is a Charcuterie and cheese board, or a meat and cheese night as my husband and I fondly call it. I love putting together a selection of cheese and cured ham or salami, it is such an easy meal to throw together that still feels elegant and special. I like to spend time carefully curating specific hams and cheese that work well together and I leave my husband to do the wine pairing! Whether it is sitting out on the balcony with a crisp…

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Halloumi and Aubergine Salad (with radish and celery)

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The humble aubergine may have received a little negative press recently in relation to arthritus. And I say little because it really is little. Self-taught nutrionists make up a very small % of the actual nutritional advice out there and are the ones without any real case-controlled studies to back their points. Research is also very limited and overall most of us seem to get on ok with the aubergine! Including aubergines in your diet is incredibly healthy and a great way for those working on weight loss or controlling type 2 diabetes….

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