Homemade arancini with red onion and balsamic marmalade (using leftover risotto)

When dining at an Italian, arancini has to be one of my favourite starters! Delicious fried breaded risotto balls, stuffed with cheese, usually topped with a tangy marmalade of some sort. I am salivating a little just writing about these tasty balls [insert your crude joke here…].

Every time I have arancini, I feel like I want to try this recipe, but it just seems the kind of food that is going to be really difficult to make yourself so in all honesty I have never even considered it. But then I had quick google and realised that it is actually pretty simple!!! In essence, all you have to do is roll up some risotto, stuff it will a bit of cheese, coat in breadcrumbs and fry!

crispy arancini and onion marmalade 

Plus it is the perfect way to use up leftover risotto, because even though you can save risotto for leftovers, it can become quite dry when you reheat it. It is also quite a good starter to wow any dinner guests with – it is such a tasty dish plus you can prepare the balls before anyone arrives.

If you are looking for a simple risotto, then try my recipe that I blogged about a wee while back.

Here is how to make these easy balls of deliciousness. Be warned though – these are messy little buggers to make, and your kitchen will look like a little rice bomb has gone off on your kitchen counter!

oh arancini, I do love thee! 

Losing my Caribbean virginity at Jerk City, Wardour Street London

Something amazing happened last – I tried my first ever Caribbean food! I have been meaning to try this cuisine since I was at uni where there was a little Caribbean restaurant about 4 minutes walk from my house. Then again, when I was living at Tooting Bec, there was a little deli on the walk to Balham that was so close to my house yet still I never quite made it there either.

excited for my peppered steak!

So finally, I have tried Caribbean food....and I love it!

I am not one for chilli or spice so was a little nervous as I thought I was about to have my taste buds blown off but this was less horrible spicy and more delicious spice. The flavours in Caribbean food are the kind where you can tell that they have used a wonderful combo of spices and marinated it for ages.

so much to choose from! 

Apricot centred protein balls with a coconut crust

You might have seen already a few protein ball snack recipes on my blog (if not, check it out under the tag “snacks and savouries”). Protein snacks have become bit of a popular choice in the last few years although many of the shop bought ones can be misleading as they are not always as healthy as what you think thanks to the added sugars and other nasties. I much prefer to make my own. And the Boy much prefers eating them too.

These protein balls make a great post-workout snack, bursting with a sweet fruity centre and crunchy nutty coating, they are packed with Vitamin C.  Vitamin C helps you metabolise all the protein in the snack to help build muscle.

a zesty centre! 

This recipe has been adapted from Women’s Health magazine, although they also said to add 10g of baobab powder in with the recipe, but I couldn’t get my hands on any of that so skipped it.

Low carb, gluten free pizza (it’s a cauliflower crust)

I love pizza but let’s be honest it isn’t on the list of nutritious food is it?! I’ve been experimenting with making low carb pizza bases recently and I got to admit, some have been a disaster, such as my ‘soya flour’ base. But this recipe but this recipe from Nic’s Nutrition is tried, tested and an total success!

Don’t be put off by the main ingredient – yes it is a big fat cauliflower, but obnce you add all your toppings on to make your pizza, you’ll never notice it. It’s purely there to act as ‘breadcrumbs’.

healthy diet friendly pizza

3 easy hamstring exercises (no gym or equipment needed!)

For the past few months I have been back in physio for issues with my knee and hip (thanks to my inherited flat feet). But like many aches and pains, the cause of the issue isn’t where I am feeling the pain, nor is it those muscles that are weak. 

For me, the muscle areas that I am most weak in are my hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings. When I was told this, it did make a lot of sense, but how could I have weak hamstrings?! I do kick boxing once a week, the odd bit of pilates and a few lunges and squats every now and again. 

But my physio explained that in all the exercise I do, I don’t actually work the hamstrings that well. Cue me now incorporating hamstring exercises into my routine!!!

I want to share with you three easy to do but effective hamstring exercises! I have only been doing these a few weeks but I am already noticing the benefits. I also used to lean quite far forward (I am now guessing that was due to my weak hamstring muscles and my quads over compensating) but my standing posture is already a lot better! 

If you are like me, and hate the gym, these can be done anywhere!

NOTE: I am not a physio, PT or doctor, so please be throw caution to the wind if you want to do these!   

Hamstring Curl

This simple exercise is like what you would do at the gym… but without the gym equipment. When I first started to do these I felt a bit thick...there was no way on earth this was going to improve my hamstring muscles. Oh how I was proved wrong. The next day the backs of my legs seriously ached.

So easy to do– simply stand up straight and bend your leg at the knee, curling it towards your bum. I like to steady myself with a chair and I sometimes pop on ankle weights to increase resistance if I am feeling brave

Fine dining at "Jordan" in the winelands, Stellenbosch, South Africa

No trip to South Africa and Cape Town would be complete without a trip to the famous winelands - miles of glorious mountainous landscape and an obscene amount of vineyards and varieties of wine. I have already blogged about South Africa but we were reminiscing the other day and I realised I never actually blogged about our dining experience in Jordan, and being one of the best meals I have ever had, I have to share it! 

Three nights in Dubai (UAE)

A few weeks ago me and the Boy were in Dubai. Dubai is one of those places that hasn’t made it to the “must have” list (that is reserved for the likes of South America, New York and Japan) but it is somewhere I was curious to go to, simply because I know so many people I know have gone there!

So we decided that, seeing as we were flying with Emirates, we would stop by there on the way home from our honeymoon in South Africa.

The flights time from Johannesburg to Dubai is just over 8 hours, so with our night flight, we landed in Dubai at 5.30am. Luckily the hotel had organised a transfer for us and the hotel was only 25 minutes drive away (and yes I did sleep the whole way) so we had a quick check in and helped ourselves to the amazing buffet breakfast.

Having not slept, a nap was definitely in order but we never actually managed to get ourselves back out of bed until midday! We had already booked cocktails for 5pm at the Burj Kalifa, so spent the interim wandering around the Dubai Mall which is kind of attached to the Burj Kalifa. Although we didn’t really see that much of it, as it is absolutely huuuge – the world’s largest in fact! It even has an aquarium in it (albeit a small one). 

watching the rays being fed at the mall

Looking after your eyes (especially computer users!)

Computer vision syndrome.

Sounds made up doesn’t it but it is actually a genuine condition and one that I was suffering less than a few months ago. Luckily for me, I was rescued by a three week break from my computer screen thanks to the honeymoon. At the end of our trip, whilst reading in Dubai by the pool, I realised that I didn't have my glasses on, but could read fine (up close admittedly). 

However I am fully aware that the symptoms could well return just as quick as they came on, so I have vowed to start taking better care of my eyes from now on!

picture from www.epax.com/

So what is computer vision syndrome or CVS (as the cool kids know it as)???

CVS is the name given for eye problems caused by computer use. CVS is not actually one specific eye problem, but rather a term that encompasses a whole range of eye strains and pains.

The most common symptoms are: Eye strain, head aches, dry eyes, neck and shoulder pain, blurred vision etc. 

Sound familiar?

Probably! Research shows that computer eye problems are so common, that it is estimated that between 50% and 90% of people who work at a computer screen have at least some symptoms of eye trouble.

But luckily there is something you can do to help reduce the issue. Short of quitting your job or becoming a monk, there are a number of exercises that you can do (at your desk) to help reduce the strain. Here are three things that I am trying...

Avocado and spinach superfood smoothie (with date, banana and cocoa nibs)

Avocado is one of my favourite veggies (ok ok I know, it is really a fruit, cos of the stone blah blah blah) but I normally reserve the nutritious creamy green thing for salads and guacamole. 

But when I was in Dubai last week, I had a smoothie with avocado as the main ingredient. Admittedly it was a little too much for me, and on top of The Cheesecake Factory monster slice of red velvet cheesecake I had, it was all a bit too sickly.

creamy yet not sickly! 

But since returning, I have searched the web for an avocado smoothie to make! And this one from Mind Body Green is perfect! I have slightly adapted it for my taste.

Mixed berry, frozen, no bake cheesecake - no butter, biscuits or cream cheese!

I LOVE cheesecake. without a shadow of a doubt, it is by far my top choice of dessert. But whilst I love it, it’s not something I eat too often as its fatty and caloric thanks to the delicious buttery biscuit base and cream cheese filling.

However, last weekend I made an amazing frozen style cheesecake that requires NO butter, NO biscuits and NO cream cheese, yet still tasted utterly delicious!