Holiday Part 2 | My Athens Adventure

In Athens, we stayed at Hotel Amalia, which very originally, was situated on Amalia Road. The hotel is located opposite the Botanical Gardens and is also positioned to some of the tourist attractions: The Accropolis Museum, Parthenon Plaka, the stadium as well as the old and new parliament buildings. Public transport was within walking distance, in the forms of trams, trains, trolley-buses and normal buses.

We went to Delphi on a guided tour. We departed at 8:30 and arrived at 18:00. The 180km trip took 3 hours, taking into account a half-hour rest-break.

The road to Delphi is long and windy and I am sure the driver was used to the route as he handled the tricky road well. Curiously, I saw numerous small model churches along the roadside. Our guide explained that these were to commemorate those who had lost their lives on the roads. It contains a picture of the deceased along with a flower and a candle. Anyone is invited to light the candle or exchange flowers, not only immediate family.

There were many small towns along the road. One of them was Thives. It is renowned since King Adipose originated from here. Olives, tomatoes, onions and cotton grows in Thives too. One of the reasons that crops grow so well is because when the winter snow from the mountains melt, the water collects in the valley below.

Now for some trivia: What is the difference between olive oil and virgin olive oil? Olive oil is produced at a temperature of 38°C whilst virgin oil is produced at 30°C.

Greece is filled with ancient ruins. There is so much history behind them, that while I might forget what the ruins are, I will not forget the amazing view overlooking the mountains. However, to get to there, you need to have good, strong legs.

We also enjoyed our 3-island boat-trip onboard the Eagiena Glory to Poros, Hydra and Aegina.

We also went on an hour-and-a-half trip to the town of Sunion, a trip that we also enjoyed immensely.

Above all of this, we wandered around on our own and even made some friends whose house we had dinner at.

During our travels, food and security was never a problem and we always felt safe.

I hope you enjoyed reading this.

God bless

Holiday Part 1 | My Turkey Trip

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed a (well-deserved) 3 week holiday to Ankara, Istanbul and Athens. For me, it was a real holiday whilst for my husband, it was a work holiday as well since he had seminars and conferences in both Ankara and Athens.

Turkey is a beautiful country – It’s clean, filled with attractive skyscrapers and full of greenery too. The locals were not only good-looking, but very helpful and friendly too. This is why we weren’t hindered too much by the fact that we didn’t know the local language (Turkish).They tried to help us as much as they could with their limited understanding of what we were trying to say.

In Ankara, we stayed at the METU (Middle East Technical University) guesthouse.

I think this trip has made me an amateur photographer since this is the first time that my children haven’t been around to take photos. I want to show you some of the best pictures (according to my baby boy) and let you be the judge of my talent (if I have any!).

The first few pictures are inside the beautiful METU campus. I read in a Turkish magazine that when a baby is born, the head of the family plants a tree for the baby. I liked the idea of this custom, however, when I asked locals about this, they seemed to have no idea of this tradition. Plum, pear and berry trees were common throughout the campus – I could not verify if they tasted as good as they looked because my husband was always warning me not to do it here.

This is a 4000 year old castle which we visited. I can’t tell you much about this castle because the guides that chose us were very young. They spoke rapid, fluent Turkish whilst pointing wildly with their fingers at the same time. I liked them even though I couldn’t understand them and I am sure they enjoyed my smiles and laughter. The slopes of the castle are filled with small shops. Many of them are run by old mama’s who are good at knitting and crocheting. One of these mamas even gave me a bracelet to protect me from the “Evil Eye”, and didn’t even want to accept payment for it.

This is a picture from the roof of the castle. I enquired about some of the small houses. Small houses in the city centre are very rare and most of them are apparently being demolished to make way for the modern skyscrapers which are starting to fill up the skyline.

In Istanbul, we stayed in Hotel Hali. This hotel was in the city centre and the major tourist attractions – the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar – were all in walking distance. The city is very safe and we weren’t afraid to move around on our own and enjoy the city at our own pace.

The Hagia Sophia was once a church, then a mosque, and is now a museum.  

Topkapi palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans. It houses the Topkapı Dagger. Its golden hilt is ornamented with three large emeralds, topped by a golden watch with an emerald lid. It has a golden sheath is covered with diamonds.

Hali means carpet, and is apt since Istanbul is famous for its fine carpets. The food is also excellent, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Authentic Turkish delight, baklava puddings and a variety of baked treats are highlights. I might write another blog post on Turkish food alone.

I am not much of a coffee person, but I tried the renowned Turkish coffee anyway. It took about 20 minutes to brew but it was just too bitter and thick for me, I could not even finish it. The local custom in a coffee-house is that once you have finished your coffee, you should place your cup upside-down on the saucer. This will signal to the owner that you want her to tell you your fortune.

Turkish tea on the other hand is an entirely different affair. Grown in the north, Turkish teas are flavoured with fruits such as apples, berries and purple fruit (this is the name that was on the teabag). I regret not having bought more tea home as my baby loves it.

If you want to know more about Turkey’s history, you should visit the Ataturk Museum. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is known as the founding father of the Republic of Turkey that we know today and was the nation’s first president.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit of Turkey. The only snag was that Turkish people love to smoke (and I do not) as well as the fact that one has to drink bottled water since tap water is not clean enough.

Stay posted to hear about Greek adventure!

Salmon Bake with Basil and Mint Sauce

 Dreams smell better than reality

The Fish

Ingredients:

• 1kg salmon fillets washed, dried and cut into 6 – 8 pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp cake flour

Marinade:

• Rub all the dry ingredients into the fillets.
• Sprinkle some lemon juice and keep aside for an hour

Sauce:

• Ingredients
• Handful of mint and basil
• ½ cup plain yoghurt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ an onion
• 1 ripe tomato
• Mix all of these into a food processor to make a nice, smooth paste

On the Side:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mushrooms: chopped, washed and dried
• Red, yellow and green pepper (1/2 each): washed, dried and chopped
• 1 Tbsp oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Method:

• Fry the marinated fish lightly on both sides at medium heat.
• Arrange the fish side by side in an oven-proof dish (Spray the dish with cooking spray before-hand or grease it in a way that you prefer)
• Fry the mushrooms using the same oil you used previously.
• Spread this on top of the fish.
• Pour the sauce that you made onto the fish
• Decorate your dish with the red, yellow and green peppers.
• Add salt and black pepper to taste.
• Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes

Spinach and Dhania Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh sweetcorn (tinned or frozen is fine)
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, dried and finely chopped with the white stems removed
• 2-3 green chillies
• 2 eggs
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup cakeflour
• ½ cup chickpeas
• ½ cup maize meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt (varies according to your sleep)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp kolangi (onion seed)
• ½ tsp black-pepper powder
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 handfuls of fresh dhania (coriander)
• ½ cup cooking oil

Method:

• Preheat your oven at 180°C and grease an oven-proof dish
• Mix the sweetcorn, chili, eggs, onion and garlic in a food processor. Blend it until its smooth before adding milk. (This makes an interesting smoothie J)
• In a separate bowl, mix the chickpea flour

Spiced Muffins with Fruit and Nuts

Ingredients:

• 100ml bran
• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup dough
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup of milk
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• ½ cup dried fruit mix
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 125g margarine
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 beaten eggs
• 5ml vanilla

Method:

• Mix the cake flour, bicarbonate of soda and 3 spices in a mixing bowl
• Add the margarine and rub until the flour feels like breadcrumbs
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
• Mix the eggs, vanilla and milk in a second bowl.
• Now combine the two mixtures and mix well (ensure that it’s not too dry or too wet).
• Place this dough into a well-greased muffin pan and bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 180°C.

White Chickpea Curry

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success"

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of white chickpeas, soaked overnight (If you used tinned chickpeas, drain the liquid instead of soaking)
• 1 small, chopped onion
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil.
• 1 tsp panchphoron
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp corn flour (washed and dried)
• Fresh dhania leaves (washed and dried) for garnishing
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp roasted dhania
• 2 Tbsp Jeera powder
• Paste of ginger, garlic, green chillies and fresh basil leaves

Method:

• Pour the oil and panchphoron into a pressure cooker at medium temperature.
• Add the onion and tomatoes when the oil is hot.
• Fry for 5-6 minutes until it’s soft.
• Add the chickpeas and coconut. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ginger mixture and stir thoroughly
• Add the following one at a time, remembering to stir thoroughly each time: chili, turmeric and dhania powder
• Add the mayonnaise, tomato sauce and cornflour.
• Stir and add 2-3 cups of water.
• Switch off the stove when the pressure cooker starts whistling.
• Do not open until the it’s cool.
• Add the garam masala before serving with roti, puri or parratha

Basil Pesto

This goes excellently with toast, pasta and many other dishes.

Ingredients:

•          1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
•          ½ cup Roasted cashew nuts
•          ½ cup almond
•          Clove of garlic
•          1 green chili
•          1 Tbsp olive oil
•          Salt and black pepper to taste

 Method:

·         Mix all the ingredients in a food processor to form a smooth paste.

·         You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

Carrot-Apple-Banana Cake

Ingredients:

•          2 cups of sifted cake flour
•          160ml brown sugar
•          3 eggs
•          ½ cup cooking oil.
•          1 apple
•          1 banana
•          1 cup grated carrot
•          ½ cup chopped nuts
•          20ml mixed spice
•          10 ml cinnamon powder
•          Pinch of salt
•          20ml baking powder

Method:

•          Beat eggs and oil until its light
•          Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
•          Peel and grate the apple and finely slice the banana.
•          Mix the apple, banana and carrot with the dry ingredients one at a time.
•          Add the beaten eggs and oil into the mixture.
•          Mix well
•          Grease a round oven-proof tray with oil or greasing-spray.
•          Pour the mixture into the tray evenly using a wooden spoon.
•          Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes
•          You can store this in the fridge as long as you first wrap it with aluminum foil before placing in an airtight container.