Winter Warmer: Hot Vanilla.

Here's your fun Christie fact of the day: I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate (I know, shoot me). The colder weather really makes me crave something warm and comforting. Something reminiscent of hot chocolate.. but without the chocolate. What's a picky girl to do to combat these cravings? She gets all creative and attempts to whip up an alternative. That's what.

Now, this post is actually an updated version of an old one of mine circa 2013 that I'm not even going to link here because that's how embarrassing my writing/photography/life was back then. Shudders. Since one of my recent goals was to re-take old blog photos and give life to the cringe worthy content of my young self, I thought that I'd put my somewhat improved upon blogging skills in to action and share my still favourite Winter warmer recipe. As it turns out, my terrible blogger 2013 self fluked it big time was a genius! I named my masterpiece: Hot Vanilla. I'm sure that this has been done before, but you know that I will be taking all the credit for this particular recipe. My creation contains only four ingredients, is sooo easy to make, and in my opinion, tastes very similar to melted vanilla ice cream. which is never NOT a good thing, amirite?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt (trust me)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence or extract

Directions

• Pour the milk in to a microwave safe container.
• Add sugar, salt and vanilla essence.
• Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar as best as you can
• Place in the microwave for no more than five minutes on high, watching so the milk doesn't boil over. Story of my life.
• Top up with some cold milk to cool down.
• Add a few marshmallows if you like to party
• ENJOY!

I've also tried this recipe cold and it's just as good - I swear on my mother's life.

If you do decide to give this recipe a try (DO IT!), definitely let me know what you think!

What's your favourite Winter warmer?

DIY Watermelon "Ice"

Now THIS is my kind of DIY: One that is simple enough that it doesn't require a full set of instructions, yet is impossible to mess up. Plus, It's just perfect for Summer, and we all know how I feel about that. 

It's basically a lazy girl's version of fancy fruit infused ice, but better because you can EAT THE FREAKIN' ICE AND IT'S DAMN DELICIOUS. Honestly, it doesn’t get any easier than this, just chop, freeze and serve. No ice cube trays to fill up, no pureeing, no crying because you suck at anything DIY.. It's a win-win.

These cubes work in so many different drinks. They absorb the flavour of whatever they're floating in - my favourite combination is frozen watermelon and lemonade. The watermelon at the end has that sweet lemonade zing and I can't even. They also go great with Vodka mixes, fruit juices, and it adds a refreshing hint of sweetness to water, too without adding masses of calories.

Or, you could just eat the frozen cubes on a hot day - you're not going to be disappointed either way. I promise.

Baileys Eggnog Recipe

Eggnog. The holidays just aren't the holidays without it. Everybody has their own variation, and I thought I'd share my own version of the Christmas classic with you today, because I think it's pretty damn special. Why you ask? Well because of my secret ingredient, of course.

Before we run off to wacky ingredient land, which I instantly travel to when I see the words "secret ingredient", I must warn you that it's not something out-there like Kiwano melon or eye of newt.. No, my recipe calls for something a little less wacky than strange, horned fruit and newt eyes.. My recipe calls for a lashing of Baileys. Smooth, creamy, Baileys.

Sure. Rum is fun and bourbon is... urban? But Baileys.. Oh boy! Baileys gives the eggnog a whole different dimension of flavour and next level creaminess that I just can't seem to beat.

Baileys Eggnog Recipe

Serves 4

(or 1 Christie)

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cinnamon sticks*
• 2 vanilla bean pods, split and seeds removed*
• 1 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
• 5 eggs, separated - Cover the whites and refrigerate until needed
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream

* Sometimes, I'm not fancy enough to have cinnamon sticks and vanilla pods laying around the house. In this case, ground cinnamon (roughly 3 teaspoons) and vanilla essence (5 teaspoons) works a treat.

Directions

• In a saucepan, combine your milk, cream, cinnamon sticks (or ground cinnamon), vanilla pod and seeds (or vanilla essence), and nutmeg. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, remove from the heat and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes.

• In a large bowl or mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until combined and thick. Strain the steeped saucepan mixture and slowly whisk the slightly cooled milk in to the egg yolk mix, continuing to stir until it is smooth and combined. Add the Baileys, and stir. I like to add a little extra ground cinnamon and a splash more vanilla essence here, because I like to party. Refrigerate overnight.

• Before serving, beat the put-aside egg whites in your mixer until soft meringue peaks form. Strain your eggnog mixture one more time before gently folding in the egg whites until combined and fluffy. Serve and garnish with nutmeg.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my lovely readers a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Avocado, Spinach and Fried Egg Breakfast Sandwich.

Avocado.

I've hated avocado all my life. They're green, they're mushy, they just creeped me the fuck out..

..Until about a month ago.
 

I don't know what changed, but now I'm eating avocado pretty much every day.

I've been having it in salads and wraps, in sandwiches and on toast, but my all time favourite way to eat avocado lately is in this (healthy!) breakfast sandwich. It's super easy to whip up in less than 10 minutes, it's good for you, it keeps you feeling full, and most importantly, tastes amazing!
..'cause let's face it, that's all I really care about anyways.

 All you need is:

• Two slices of bread; Any bread. I use multigrain but go for your life.
• Half a ripe avocado; A whole avocado will make two sandwiches. If you're particularly peckish, just double all other ingredients.
• A large handful of fresh spinach.
• 1 egg.
• 1 teaspoon of butter. Oil or even water is fine if you're a healthy little thing.
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped for those who like to party.
• Salt & pepper to taste.

The beauty of this recipe is it's simplicity (we all know how lazy I am).

 Start off by lightly toasting your bread. Woah, slow down there, sista.

 

While your bread is getting all toasty, heat 1 teaspoon of butter in a frying pan.

Once melted, fry your garlic on low heat until tender and fragrant. You can skip this step if you're lame if you're not as in love with garlic as I am. Once your garlic ready, place your spinach in the pan and coat with that delicious buttery garlic-ness. Leave until wilted.

 

While your spinach is cooking away, scoop the inside of your avocado out and in to a bowl where you'll smoosh that bad boy, guacamole style.
Did I mention this recipe was therapeutic? Work out all dat anger, girl.

I like to add salt to the avocado before I smash it all up because I have an incredibly unhealthy salt addiction, but each to their own.

By the time you've made your guacamole, your toast should be ready and your spinach wilted.

Spread your guacamole over both pieces of your toast like you would butter and lay your spinach on top of one of those slices. This'll be the bottom of your orgasm sandwich.

 

The frying pan you used to cook your spinach should still have some buttery goodness in it.
Turn up the heat and fry your egg to your preference - I like me some runny, sunny side up action, but cook it however you please.
Add salt and pepper if you're looking for a good time and place on top of your spinach bed once it's done.
 

 

Put the lid on your creation and hey presto, you've got yourself a healthy breakfast.

 

 It's really that easy, and a great way to start your day.
I make this every Saturday and then again most Sundays, I love it that much.

I love posting recipes and I hope to post more in the future.
Give this one a go and let me know what you think!

Latest Pins: Seasonal Recipes.

As a vegetarian and an incredibly fussy eater, it's almost ironic for me to say that I love food. But I do. I love the community of food. I love the culture of food. I love cooking for my loved ones. I love sitting around, laughing and eating until my pants need to be unbuttoned. I love browsing food blogs and Pinterest for recipes and inspiration.

Spring and Summer are my favourite seasons food-wise; everything's healthier, fresher, juicier. Those tropical fruits are ripe and juicy, the vegetables are fresh and crisp.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you'd have seen I've gone a little wild with the food pins recently. Sorry not sorry.

Here are six of my favourite seasonal recipe finds that I am looking forward to try out during the warmer months:

 

\\  Raspberry and Meringue Mess  // 

\\  Grilled Eggplant with Leek, Cherry Tomatoes and Figs  //
\\  Collard Roll-Ups with Coconut Curry Kale  //  \\  Brown Sugar Baked Peaches  //
\\  Strawberry Shortcake Cookies  //  \\  Summer Rolls with Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce  //

What's your favourite Spring/Summer recipe?

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe with you lovelies, so I thought I'd turn my case of Mondayitis in to an opportunity to do just that.

A big weekend and a 5 day work week ahead of me, means two things: I’m tired and I’m hungry.

Quick skillet pasta dishes like this Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta are perfect for such an occasion. They require only a few ingredients, cook up super fast, and leave me feeling so full! I make this whenever I need a quick, comforting meal. I literally devour this weekly over winter.

My version uses just a touch of cream cheese and Parmesan to make a regular tomato sauce rich and creamy. If you’re not into cream cheese, you could also add 1/4 cup or so of half and half to achieve a similar effect. I use regular pasta, but whole wheat would actually be pretty good in this and would add some extra fibre and nutrients to make it a more well rounded meal.

Ingredients
Serves: 4

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 (15 oz.) can peeled, diced tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• pinch red pepper flakes
• freshly cracked pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• ½ lb. penne pasta
• ½ (9 oz.) bag spinach - fresh or frozen

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander.
2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of water, and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add to the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted in again.
5. Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Santa Hat Cupcakes. :3

I've just realized, I haven't posting anything Christmas-y whatsoever this year.
For shame, Christie. For shame.

 Christmas, for me, is mostly about the food, being from an Italian family and all. We'd drive up to my Nonno & Nonna's house in the morning and stay for a huge lunch, then come home, and have dinner with the immediate family. I make these adorable little cupcakes every year. They take no time at all, taste great, and are the cutest little things I've ever eaten.
 
I make a batch for family, and bring a batch in to work. They're a huge hit!

Cut the green off of the strawberry and stick a toothpick through it so that there's a little sticking out on each end.

Now stick the strawberry on a lightly frosted cupcake and skewer a mini marshmallow on the top of the strawberry using the toothpick.

Take some whipped cream and make a ring around the strawberry. 

How adorable is that?!

P.S. I'd warn people there are toothpicks in these if I were you...
My brother shoved the whole thing in his mouth once.. It was brutal.

Merry Christmas!