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A Modern Rose

Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin

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Pappardelle with Pork and Sage Meatballs in a Creamy Nutmeg and Spinach Sauce

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Some days all you need is a bowl of pasta. I feel a little sorry for pasta these days. The ‘clean eating’ crowd have made it almost a sin to enjoy this much loved easy and simple ingredient. These guys have more or less put pasta under the same category of bad foods as frozen ready-meals. But pasta has been serving the Italians, and Mediterranean diets, perfectly well for a very long time. For me this is a key ingredient, it crops up on my meal plan once, or twice, a week as it is so versatile and is perfect for a quick yet delicious meal. This Pappardelle with Pork and Sage Meatballs…

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Avocado, Spinach, Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs on Toast

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I love this time of the year in Berlin as it is packed full of public holidays although it is probably one of the things I miss the most about the UK. The UK has plenty of Bank Holiday Monday’s whereas in Germany a holiday is always on a specific date and therefore can easily fall on a Saturday or Sunday. This year May 1st falls on a Monday which means we actually get a long weekend! And what better way to spend the weekend than enjoying a lazy brunch?…

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Spanakopita (Feta and Spinach Filo Pie)

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It is no secret that the Greeks love their pies and spanakopita is probably the most known and popular of them all. Pies are a greek tradition that vary from sweet to savoury fillings and with crumbly shortcrust pastry or flaky filo toppings. While I love buttery puff pastry or soft, chewy shortcrust I do prefer filo pastry as it feels a bit lighter and has a more crisp texture. It also holds it’s shape and texture a lot better when eaten cold the next day compared to puff pastry that naturally loses it’s … puff and becomes a bit soggy. A spanakopita uses the favourite filo pastry and is basically feta and spinach. I add pine nuts and both crème fraîche and greek yoghurt to give the filling that sharp, salty kick to it….

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Bacon and Spinach Baked Eggs

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The weekend for me is all about a lazy brunch and a pot of tea! When I was younger I used to hate Sundays. I saw it as a waste of a day with not much to do and associated a day of rest as something negative and boring. These days Sunday is my favourite day of the week. It is a day to switch off, enjoy a lie in with a good book, a delicious breakfast, a long walk in the fresh air or a relaxing afternoon in front of the tv….

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Pork Stroganoff with Coriander and Parsley Rice

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Yesterday was Blue Monday, known as the most depressing day of the year. It is typically on the third Monday of January when motivational levels have dropped since the new year, new me promise, the weather is miserable, it feels like a lifetime until the next payday and many are missing family and friends and the merry feeling we get from Christmas….

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Courgetti with Meatballs in a Tomato and Spinach Sauce

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Last week I kicked off the year with my Spaghetti Carbonara blog post and how I want to make 2017 the year of eating real food. Food that feeds a family, is affordable, enjoyable and contributes to a balanced diet. As I discussed there is so much pressure to eat clean or raw and to avoid certain food types such as gluten or dairy because they are considered bad for you. Many people are simply left with hefty shopping bills since self-appointed nutritionists are providing people with confusing information …

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Leek and Spinach Spaghetti Carbonara

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Happy New Year! I had every intention of kick starting the new year with some kind of clean eating, raw blog post. Then I realised that this is exactly what this blog is not meant to be about. Over the Christmas period I had a bit more time on my hands and caught up on a lot of blog reading and also came across many new and interesting food bloggers. But what struck me is this unhealthy obsession with eating everything clean and raw. To be honest, I now don’t want to hear the words clean or raw again….

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Baked Mushrooms with Avocado, Spinach and Walnut Pesto

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baked_mushrooms_avocado_walnut_spinach_pesto

I first made these Baked Mushrooms with Avocado, Spinach and Walnut Pesto when I was recipe testing for catering to different dietary requirements. A couple of people I know have had to completely change their diet due to health reasons and must carefully watch exactly what they eat. But there seems to be a growing divide when it comes to what we eat. Those who follow a clean and raw diet are seen to be judgemental and missing out on all the pleasure in life. Not true. Those who are able to eat sugar, butter, meat, pastry can sometimes be misjudged with others thinking this is only what…

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