Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin
The summer months can include a lot of tempation to go out and eat. Berlin summers can be quite warm and on some days a little too stuffy. It is so easy to want to just pop to a beer garden after work and grab some food on the way home. But this Goats Cheese, Caramelised Onion and Rocket Tart is one of my favourite summer dishes because it is so quick and easy to make. It takes just minutes to prepare and then just sits in the oven for a short time….
I love a quiche! It is one of my favourite things to make, especially during the spring and summer months. For me a quiche is a vital part of a picnic or easy and laid-back al fresco dining. It is also a great one to keep in the fridge for a couple of days, ready to pack up a slice for lunch or to have a quick and simple dinner waiting for you that evening. I like to make a big quiche on a Sunday and to let it cool down before serving with a salad on the side for a delicious and easy Sunday lunch on the balcony in the sunshine. I then use all the leftovers for lunch the following days….
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…
Recently I have cut down on the amount of bread I eat, not that I typically eat a lot of it but instead of always going for that grab and go sandwich I am starting to make more of an effort in pre-preparing my lunches so that I have something waiting for me on busy days. However, as I have mentioned before anyone who lives in the real world will have their favourite go to sandwich! I mean, who doesn’t love a sandwich!? They are the staple of a typical kids school packed lunch…
Armed with a tin of chickpeas you can be assured that a healthy and delicious meal is on it’s way! I love chickpeas. They are packed full of protein and high in fibre, iron and zinc. They are also incredibly filling and easy to prepare, making them a perfect lunch or midweek dinner. I find that chickpeas are really versatile. They work well in stews such as a Chickpea and Chorizo Stew, can be made into burgers or turned into delicious hummus. A tin of chickpeas is certainly a store cupboard staple!…
Finding fresh fish in Berlin is difficult but not impossible. It takes a little planning but with a bit of organisation my husband and I enjoy plenty of fresh fish. One of my favourite dinners is a fish platter where I pop to my local Galeria Kaufhof and buy a mix of fresh fish they have on offer that day. I try and go on a Friday straight after work as their fish deli still has a good selection, or I go on on a Saturday morning. I like to buy a mix of squid, prawns, cod and scallops and serve them on a bed of rocket and baked cherry tomatoes….
A lot of people ask me when I have the time to cook and prepare blog posts. I plan a week ahead at the weekend for the following weeks blog posts and daily updates. Hootsuite means that I can schedule ahead all my social media and I also schedule my new blog posts. The photography part is difficult but if I have made leftovers I photograph the dish the next day with better light before popping them in the freezer or packing up for lunch. But the key to me being able to cook lots of delicious food is through a weekly meal plan and a big Saturday shop….