A Life, Lived

Travel Tuesdays - London

It is hard to believe that it has been two years since our last real trip. For some reason Paul and I were talking this morning about our trip to London in March 2019. I had been planning on featuring some pics from that trip for Travel Tuesday a bit later in the month but this conversation has me yearning for those pre-COVID travel adventures.

We rented an apartment (or should I say a flat) in the Whitechapel/Spitalfields area. The day we arrived we just explored the neighbourhood. With the exception of Nelson's monument which we drove past on the way in from the airport, these shots are primarily taken along Commercial street - a former stopping ground of Jack the Ripper.

After a bit of exploring and stocking up on necessities for the flat (and a recuperating nap!) we went out for dinner at a Greek restaurant around the corner from the apartment building. The Hungry Donkey was just the welcome we needed to London!

 

Farro with Blistered Tomatoes, Pesto, and Spinach

Wow.

This recipe is amazing and you want to try it ASAP.

Here is an Italian-inspired recipe that uses store-bought or homemade pesto to season farro, which is then tossed with fresh spinach, roasted tomatoes, red onions and mozzarella for a complete vegetarian meal. Make it with fresh-from-the-market cherry tomatoes when they’re in season, but during the rest of the year, use grape tomatoes, as they tend to be more flavorful than cherry during the colder months.

It tastes delicious warm or cold the next day — and topping it with shrimp, chicken or scallops can make it feel new again.We served it with some roasted salmon fillets and it made a brilliant dinner.

Before reheating, add a bit more spinach, drizzle it with a little olive oil and give it a good stir.

Farro with Blistered Tomatoes, Pesto, and Spinach

Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup farro, rinsed
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 1-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the farro
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
¼ cup store-bought or homemade pesto, plus more to taste
1 lemon, zested (about 1 tablespoon) and juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 packed cups baby spinach
1 (4-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks, or 1/2 cup ricotta salata, crumbled (optional)
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large covered pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the farro and adjust the heat to maintain a medium boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until tender and not too chewy, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a sheet pan, combine the tomatoes and onion wedges with the oil, making sure everything is well coated and glistening, then season with salt, pepper and the red-pepper flakes. Roast until the tomatoes blister and slightly deflate, 25 to 30 minutes.

When the farro is done, drain, then pour into a serving bowl or back into the pot. Toss with some olive oil, then mix in the pesto. Add the lemon zest and juice, then stir in the spinach. Set aside to cool slightly.

Scrape the onions, tomatoes and their juices into the farro; season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the cheese, if using, then garnish with herbs and serve.

Baked Feta Pasta

I must have been hidden under a rock because I was unaware of this sensation until recently. This recipe was first shared online by a user from Finland and took the world by storm. So much so that at its height the feta section of the grocery store dairy aisle in many countries was empty. Sure enough, when I went looking for feta this was my experience. in fact, it was three weeks before I was able to find some and even then it was low-quality feta.

This is simple and tasty - likely the reason for its popularity.

The setup on this one is simple, and the resulting flavors could not be more vibrant. Simply toss a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes into a baking dish then drizzle in olive oil and add some freshly cracked black pepper. Give it all a good mix, spread out the tomatoes and then let the star of the show make its debut: a whole entire block of feta cheese. Now add a splash of wine (because everything is better with wine)

After a quick bake in the oven, the cheese is softened and the cherry tomatoes are roasted, and their juices join forces with the wine to make one heck of a flavorful sauce.

Mix it all together, stir in your pasta of choice and get your garnish on with plenty of fresh basil. This is truly a one-dish dinner winner with endless customization.

Because my feta was a lower quality it didn't melt completely leaving globules of cheese that might offend some. It tastes fine but might not be as pretty as some. Apparently if you use a higher quality sheep milk feta this is avoided.

We loved it and will definitely be making it again . . . and again . . .

Baked Feta Pasta

2 cups cherry tomatoes
3 Tablespoons< olive oil, divided
1/2 cup white wine
1 (8-oz.) block feta cheese
12 oz. uncooked pasta of choice
Fresh basil, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a 13x9-inch baking dish, stir together the cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Push the tomatoes to the sides of the dish then place the block of feta cheese in the center. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on top of the feta.

Drizzle the white wine all around the feta then bake until the cheese has softened and the tomatoes are roasted, about 30 minutes.

While the feta is baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 t0 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and using a large spoon, mash the feta and stir it together with the tomatoes. Drain the pasta then add it to the baking dish, stirring well to combine.

Garnish the pasta with the basil and serve.

Travel Tuesdays - Lucca

Have I ever mentioned that we named Lucca after one of our favourite cities in Italy?

We visited it on a day trip during our first trip to Italy. Paul and I liked the walled city in northern Tuscany  so much that we returned for four day stay when we were next in Italy.