Zucchini and potato cakes

Oh where to begin, where to begin.
I saw this recipe on the TV and began foaming at the mouth.
I love fritters and cakes. These were extremely easy to prepare, very tasty and actually healthy if cooked the right way. I usually fry mine in coconut oil as it's very good for you for many reasons but mainly because it's the only oil that doesn't turn into naughty trans fats when heated up.
Don't worry, it doesn't add a coconutty taste to your food.
For more benefits of coconut oil read here
Cooking time is no longer than 30 mins

Bon appetit!

Serves 3-4
For the cakes
5 coarsely grated zucchini
5 medium sized boiled potatoes
200g feta cheese
Maldon salt
A cup of flour
2 eggs beaten
Coconut oil

For the side salad
4 vine tomatoes
Half a cucumber
1 large finely grated carrot
Olive oil
Maldon salt
Apple cider vinegar

1. Boil the potatoes and let cool down.
After 30 minutes peel and grate.
2. Grate the raw zucchini and let sit at least 30 minutes to drain. After 30 mins, squeeze zucchini out.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and salt. Add the drained zucchini, crumbled feta cheese and grated boiled potatoes.
4. Add couple of pinches of dried oregano .
5. Leave the mixture in refrigerator to marinate for an hour.
6. Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a frying pan.
7. Fry cakes, 4-5minutes a side, until golden brown. Make sure you roll each cake patty in plain flour. It take the moisture away and makes them extra crispy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like my cakes with a fresh salad on the side. I had mine with chopped tomato, cucumber and grated carrot salad.

Alternatively you can serve them with home made tzatziki (recipe coming shortly)

 

 

 

 

London Spa Girl x

 

Are you ready for a Dirty Burger?

Tonight I had possibly the best cheeseburger I've ever tried in London.
I know it's a bold statement but I was truly blown away by the Dirty burger by the Soho house in Kentish town.

What constitutes an amazing burger some would ask? Hmmm... my definition is that if you find yourself eating silently with your eyes closed, ignoring everything around you, you have come upon a burger that can be pronounced a great success.
I've always claimed I'd go a long way for good food, and indeed I did.
I traveled 20 mins in my boyfriend's car to Kentish town, which is an area I'm unfamiliar with, looking for the burger of my dreams.
I've eaten crazy food before. I've had Kobe burgers for £40 a piece, bison burgers, ostrich ones, foie gras burgers, Byron burger, gourmet burgers, Mcdonald's etc. They've never impressed me much. I also found no correlation between price and tastiness.

So about my Dirty burger tonight.
It was cooked to perfection, medium rare. The patty was thick, extra juicy, gooey and of course dirty, everything you want in a burger..

Let me say, I don't think you can find a better burger in London. These guys definitely know how to make an epic cheeseburger and are on a different playing field from everybody else.

I'm so excited Dirty burger is opening in Notting hill very soon...

www.eatdirtyburger.com
79 Highgate road
London NW5 1TL

No booking. None

Venice

There's something about Venice...

It's surprising to me there are people who hate Venice.  They despise the pigeons, the crowds, the  post card displays. They call it "Disneyland on Speed." haha

I on the other side happen to love it.
There is something about Venice that is enticing. It has an aura I like.


The list of the literary figures who lived or spent time there reads like a "Who's Who's"- Dante, Goethe, Byron, Ruskin, Henry James, Hemingway, Mark Twain....

Yes, it is expensive, and maybe great food is not as easy to find as elsewhere in Italy. But who cares? It is full of romance and mystery. Magical, really.....

Outside of Paris, there are not a lot of places I can enjoy on vacation when it pours. Venice is one of them.We arrived on a rainy day. It actually didn't stop raining for the whole weekend.
We stayed at the Palladio Bauer hotel on the island of Guidecca. It is a great place but the best part of it is that it's right next door to the fabulous Cipriani hotel which is so worth visiting if only for a nice meal or a drink. It has spectacular surroundings and cocktails.

While of course we hit San Marco and Rialto and environs, it's the tiny piazze and bridges that are Venice to me. Also circumventing the narrow alleys and passageways is quite fun in my opinion. Getting out of the tourist hordes and exploring the Jewish Ghetto was simply fantastic.
Hanging out in the food market on a Sunday morning- amazing!
Rome is my favorite destination in Italy, but Venice has its own sweetness.

The only   thing I found truly appalling was the enormous cruise liners which are allowed to enter this beautiful port. Not only the view is horrible bit it also happens to be the main reason why Venice is sinking......

The term "ghetto" originated from the name of the Jewish quarter in Venice, established in 1516, in which the Venetian authorities compelled the city's Jews to live. This is the world's first ghetto.

Made famous by Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, the Venice Ghetto is now a pleasant neighborhood where Venice's small Jewish community still lives. It also the home of a Jewish museum, the Museo Communità Ebraica.

The restaurants I highly recommend are:
Fiaschetteria Toscana for an amazing al fresco lunch.
The Grand canal restaurant at the Hotel Monaco is just perfect for either lunch or dinner. I had the best fritto misto there. You should definiltely try it if you have the chance.
The brasserie at the Cipriani hotel is always a good idea.
The best restaurant for dinner is the Trattoria Antiche Carampane (apparently it's George Clooney's favourite restaurant in Venice)

Try booking this restaurant way in advance! It's really popular and usually fully booked.
A great meal is guearanteed:)

London Spa Girl x