Cod Fish Noodle Soup

Hello, happy 1st of July and how was your weekend?

Mine was quite eventful, thank you for asking ;) I had a grand time at the Vamos Festival which was held on Saturday at Newcastle's Highbridge Quarter. It was a real carnival like atmosphere and the smell of various street food permeating the air was oh-so-wonderful. I love how you go to a street carnival where there is a myriad of food stalls and you are trying to pin point which stall a particularly delicious smell is coming from. Then you realise, it's impossible, it is delicious all over. Yum! After the carnival I stupidly stumbled into John Lewis, realised they had a sale on and spent way too much money on unnecessary things.

After all that fun, I wound up having a bit of an annoying cough today. I was really in need of some hot soup to soothe my itchy throat. Nothing spicy or oily to be on the menu.

Since it is a Monday night and I am home alone I was in no mood for time consuming preparations. In fact, I don't think I ever am! Fast, easy and fresh is the way to go I say.

As such, I decided to make a wholesome and throat soothing Cod Fish Noodle Soup. It took me all of 20 minutes to make. Kind of longer than instant noodles from a packet but more nutritious and better for you. When you sauté the ginger, garlic and preserved turnip together, the aromatic fragrance assures you that something good is happening. The hint of sesame oil also adds a nice fragrant punch to the dish. 

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Oh yeah, I love Instagram :)

Happy Friday to you!

Since we are in the middle of Wimbledon fever, I thought of celebrating the season of strawberries and cream with a luscious mousse like chilled strawberry cheesecake. No need to clean the oven - yay! Another great thing about this cake is that you can serve it with a side of more strawberries and cream. Hey, a wise woman once told me that watching tennis burns more calories than watching the Kardashians. I will believe anything at this stage!

I made the biscuit base with Digestives as they were cheaper, but if you can get Oreos - go for it, the colour contrast works for a better looking cake I think. You can also really unleash your creativity decorating this cake. Just be inspired by the strawberries. Make it as simple or as elaborate as you wish. I can't wait to see your photos if you make this :) 

Since it is summer and there are the occasional sunny day, I am thinking of making this again for a potential BBQ. I might make this with a different type of fruit. What do you think? 

Right, enough chatter, here is the recipe. Enjoy! Oh yes...don't forget to watch the tennis as well ;)

Quick Chicken & Butternut Squash

So simple and delicious

Cooking for one can be a chore sometimes. As my better half is away from home this week, I needed some quick and easy dish ideas. Spend less time in the kitchen and more time watching Mad Men. In times such as these, a quick one pan dish is a definite must.  

As I was looking despondently at the sad and few ingredients in my refrigerator, I decided to combine some butternut squash and coriander for a quick meal. I added some chilli for some heat and the combination worked well. The bright colours are an added bonus as well, plenty of antioxidants!