Greek Summer Bites
Time taken: Half an hour
Ingredients: A sweet potato, 2 tomatoes, an avocado, 100g feta
cheese, a teaspoon of salt, ½ a teaspoon of cumin, ½ a teaspoon of paprika, a
tablespoon of oil & a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Hi readers,
I write to you at the end of a beautiful day in Newcastle!
Today here there’s been the most glorious sunshine. It’s literally been a
snapshot of summer. I’m not saying that we’ve seen the back of winter quite
yet, perhaps, but today the weather’s been lush. Residents of Newcastle may
have even seen me strolling about without a coat on! I still had my gloves on
yes, but today the coat stayed behind.
It’s very inspiring. Last night, the geography students of
Newcastle Uni were in town totally en masse to celebrate the end of our
dissertation work. Me and my friends met for lunch and cocktails during the day
(An event which somehow lasted 5 hours! That’s a lot of cocktails! ) and then we
retired home to freshen up and in need of some more food. This break was a wise
move for sure.
Then we were back out again! We danced TO THE MAX. It was
such, such a good night! The girls looked beautiful. We went to Flares for the
cheesiest tunes in Newcastle and, of all the geographers there, I think we were
singing the loudest! We busted some spectacular moves and then, having been
drinking all day, called it quits sometime after 1am. We got chips and went home.
This has to be the best day I’ve had in such a long time!!
And I feel like all the other girls did, too. This was so well deserved. We drank
some gorgeous drinks and had all-day fun, and most of us managed not to overdo
it and we came away able to remember our night and feeling good. I’m quite
proud of myself. The girls ended on a high!
Then, today, no hangover!! It’s a miracle! I managed a full
night’s sleep for the first time in a long time, then got myself up for
breakfast and off to yoga. I had a lovely practice and walking there and back
in the fresh spring air was lovely. Everything feels fresh today and lots of
flowers are coming into bloom.
So I had a spring clean of my room and the flat here. The
ChefBeHere kitchen got a spruce up! It felt good to file away all my
dissertation notes, and organise the notes for my modules that I’ll be continuing
on with, now that the dissertation is over. Out with the old and in with the
new!
Do you feel like spring has sprung quite yet, readers?? I
hope you’ve started to see blue skies and flower buds wherever it is that you’re
living. Take a walk and breathe the fresh air! Today has the definite feeling
of being the start of something. A new beginning.
And I have the best of intentions! So, tonight, even though
it’s Friday Night Pizza Night… I went crazy and cooked up a spring-filled storm
in the kitchen. Instead of pizza, tonight I tried out a tasty, flavoursome, colourful,
health-packed new meal, instead! I went OFF THE RAILS.
This recipe was inspired by one I found on a blog called Blissful
Basil, which you can read HERE. And it’s such a good idea! This recipe is for sweet potato
bites, which I put a spin on using feta cheese. This I had in the fridge and
always reminds me of times that I’ve spent on holiday abroad. Feta stirs up
memories of summer nights by the coast in Greece or Turkey, with warm, salty
air and a beautiful sunset over the sea.
Feeling so full of Spring today, I really didn’t fancy
eating the heavy, winter food that I’ve been cooking up over recent months. A
fresh start means fresh food! And this recipe works a treat. A very flavoursome
and guilt-free, summertime treat.
You could craft a plateful of Greek Summer Bites to eat as a
meal for one if, like me, you fancy some light food to match your end-of-winter
mood. Or you could throw these together, perhaps, to share as a starter among
friends if you’re cooking them a meal? Or how about you serve up a plateful of
Greek Summer Bites as snacks during a film you watch this weekend? So many
options, readers!
To throw together a batch of Greek Summer Bites in ten easy
steps, here’s what to do…
1. Heat your oven to 200˚C.
2. Slice your sweet potato up, so that you create around ten
circular discs of potato.
3. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ a teaspoon of cumin and ½ a
teaspoon of paprika in a bowl, along with a tablespoon of oil. Stir it up!
4. Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper. One by
one, coat your potato discs in your oil mix and then spread the discs out on
the baking tray.
5. Safely transport into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or
until tender.
6. Meanwhile, chop your avocado in half and remove the stone
from its centre. Scoop the flesh of the avocado into a small bowl.
7. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and a big pinch of salt
to the bowl, then mash together with the back of a fork.
8. Chop your tomatoes each up into 5 pieces, however you like!
9. Carefully remove your tray from the oven and tip your
potato discs onto a plate. Spread each one with guacamole (your avocado mash),
then top with a piece of tomato and crumble feta cheese over the top.
10. Return to the oven to warm for a couple of minutes,
until your cheese begins to melt. Then serve up!
My plateful of Greek Summer Bites…
That, really, is all there is to it. This recipe is very
simple and takes no time or hassle at all to follow. And provides 3 of your
5-a-day of fruit n veg. :) Thank you Blissfully Basil for the inspiration for
this dish! I really enjoyed the taste of Greek Summer Bites and found that feta
cheese made for a welcome addition to the original recipe. These Bites get my ChefBeHere
thumbs up for sure!
Readers, wherever you are and whatever the weather may be
doing where you live, get your ingredients in and give Greek Summer Bites a
try! This is a move that you definitely won’t regret. Summer will be in your heart
for sure, after a feta-fied kitchen Chef session!
Then send your thoughts my way about what you think of Greek
Summer Bites! Do you like them? Do you like the idea? Did the recipe work well
for you?? Of course, the ultimate question, do these Bites taste like summer to
you, readers? Which tastes spring to mind when you imagine your summers gone by?
I would love to know.
Fingers crossed the blue skies and warm climes are here to
stay!
Spring safely,
Hayley
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