Recipe: bruschetta with burrata

IMG_0088

I hardly think I’m the first person to think of this combination, but since I like to pair burrata with everything tomato-y here we are. And it’s a winner! I love the classic bruschetta but the burrata adds another dimension with its creaminess and makes the dish a little more sophisticated (but also more difficult to eat with dignity).

IMG_0106

I could start every dinner party, luncheon and gathering with this and some rosé from now until August and have happy guests – I’m sure of it. Or if you want to skip the bread, make a classic caprese salad (basically the same ingredients) but with burrata instead of mozzarella. That’s what I did with the leftovers and it was delicious too! But bruschetta is great for a crowd as you don’t need plates (although they are quite handy), just serve these with plenty of napkins!

IMG_0114

Hanna’s bruschetta with  burrata, serves 4-6 as a starter or as nibbles

1 large baguette

olive oil

1 garlic clove, cut in half 

4-5 vine tomatoes

1 handful fresh basil, finely chopped 

sea salt, black pepper 

2 small burrata or 1 large, at room temperature

Slice the baguette thinly on the diagonal. Place on a parchment covered baking tray. Drizzle with oil and rub the bread with the garlic. Toast the bread in a 200C oven until golden, approx 8-10 minutes. 

Meanwhile chop the tomatoes and place in a sieve or colander to remove the excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Chop the garlic used for rubbing the bread and mix that in as well as the basil. Add oil, salt and pepper.

Remove the toasted bread from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Place on a plate or platter, top with the tomato mixture. Tear the burrata into smaller pieces and put some on each bruschetta. Drizzle with olive oil and top with black pepper. Serve immediately with plenty of napkins. 

Nights in, cinema and concert!

APC_5726.jpeg

Monday last week was a bank holiday, so lovely! I started the day with a lie-in and toast with Nutella for breakfast while somebody was away playing golf. So indulgent with Nutella, but that’s what weekends (and ball holidays) are for, right?!

APC_5734.jpeg

For lunch we had leftover pancakes with whipped cream and blueberries before going to the park to play with my boyfriend’s nieces.

APC_5739.jpeg

Back home I made roast chicken, roasted vegetables, Greek-is salad and tzatziki for dinner and we saw the last ever episode of Big Bang Theory (sob) – can’t believe it’s been going for 12 years! And an episode of Billions.

APC_5743.jpeg

The next day I was in complete denial about the work week and made a cooked breakfast before work!

APC_5746.jpeg

In the evening I had a quiet evening in front of Now TV (Sky’s streaming service) with Chernobyl (great series!!) and The Rookie. For dinner I made an almost-poke-bowl, which I often cook if it’s just me for dinner.

APC_5750.jpeg

On Wednesday evening I had leftovers for dinner; tzatziki, feta and salad from the weekend, meatballs from the freezer and some freshly made potato wedges. Instead of watching TV I caught up on some of my favourite podcasts (Swedish Säker Stil and Bad on Paper) and read.

APC_5759.jpeg

Thursday evening was book club night at Anna’s who was a terrific hostess feeding us lovely vegetarian food!

IMG_1677.jpeg

Even though it was a short work week it felt really long, so on Friday we celebrated with burgers and cinema. We saw Rocketman which I really enjoyed, apart from maybe the ending which was a bit meh.

APC_5766.jpeg

We had a lovely lie-in on Saturday followed by a cooked breakfast. Then I went shopping for a baby present before heading across town (literally) to the Olympic Park for a concert with Muse.

APC_5776.jpeg

We had burgers (again) in the sun at Shake Shack before heading into the stadium, but they actually had lots of food options there too.

IMG_1319.jpeg

The concert was amazing (my first time seeing Muse) and we had such a fun evening. But it was a long day as it took us ages to get back to our side of London.

IMG_1784.jpeg

Sunday we had another cooked breakfast (needed after the night before – we walked so much!) before we went to visit my boyfriend’s sister and her family. We played with the children and cuddled their new baby girl!

 

APC_5795.jpeg

In the evening I made an easy chicken gratin with rice and before that we had a burrata salad with tomatoes and basil (can’t get enough of that right now!) and watched the latest episode of Billions before heading to bed.

Recipe: rösti with avocado, creme fraîche and lumpfish roe

APC_5501.jpeg

This recipe might be the best Scandi brunch recipe yet. Rösti with creme fraîche and lumpfish roe (or bleak roe) is a retro starter from the 1970s that I grew up with in the 1980s and I still eat it regularly now too, but for supper.

IMG_1027

By adding avocado the dish feels more current (thanks avocado toast, for that!) than retro even though half an avocado topped with creme fraîche and lumpfish roe was another popular starter back in the day, so all I’ve really done here is to combine the two.

APC_5512.jpeg

Rösti with avocado, creme fraiche, lumpfish roe and red onion, serves 2

2 large potatoes

1 avocado, sliced

2 large spoonfuls creme fraiche

2 topped tsp lumpfish roe 

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

butter and oil for frying

Peel and grate the potatoes on a coarse setting. Shape into two rounds and fry in butter and oil until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Season well. Plate the rösti and top with avocado, creme fraîche and lumpfish roe. Scatter with chopped red onions.