Winter Coleslaw

Ok, we've had our fun, we've overdosed on all those delicious Christmas goodies, it is a time of over indulgence after all, but I think now we need to tone it down a little. I really did enjoy all those rich Christmas lunches, followed by mince pies, trifles and fruitcake…..I can go on, but now my body is just screaming for lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. I just love all the winter vegetables available to us right now and have found a perfect recipe for them. It's mixed vegetable coleslaw, inspired by Jamie Oliver. This is not your average coleslaw though; this is something special, just packed with fresh crunchy vegetables and herbs. Yogurt is used instead of mayonnaise which gives it a much fresher taste and I now I actually prefer to use it in quite a few of my recipes. The beauty of this recipe is that you can experiment, adding any raw vegetables or soft herbs that you like. Having a big bowl of this in the fridge helps me behave myself, just a little..….I hope you like it!

 

Ingredients

2 large carrots

2 large beetroots

2 large radishes

Half of a kohlrabi (kouloumbra)

1 chicory

1 small fennel

Half of a small red cabbage

Half of small white cabbage

2 celery sticks

1 Onion

1 handful of mixed soft herbs, I used fennel, parsley and mint

Walnuts (optional)

250g of yogurt

¼ of a cup of olive oil

2 tbls Dijon mustard

Lemon from 1 large lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Grate carrots, beetroot radishes and kohlrabi. Slice the cabbages, celery and onion as finely as you can and mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Chop the herbs and add to the mixture. Add walnuts, if using, also sultanas complement this salad. Now in another bowl mix the yogurt with the olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and season with the salt and pepper. Pour dressing on to the vegetables and mix.

Androulla xx

 

 

 

 

 

Here's to a fresh start!

There can't be many people who aren't seduced and swept away at the promise of a new year and a 'new start'.

In reality, we know full well that there is no new start because the date changes, but it is a powerful thought that at the chime of the clock, you have another chance to turn it all around.

For many years, I would make the same, tired resolution to lose weight and be more successful, but I gave that up a while back when I decided to make smaller resolutions that would really make a difference to my happiness and those around me.

Last year, my mum complained that I would never hug her. I guess this was because as a mother of two young children, my hug quota was used up on them, coupled with the fact that I am always too darn worn out (from the kids) to remember to do these things. So, last year, my resolution was to give my mum a hug every time I see her (which is most days). At first I would forget, but she would soon remind me, and now, it comes naturally and automatically to give her a squeeze when we say goodbye.

This year, I resolve to play more with my children. I work from home so I am with them once they finish nursery at midday, but I am not always 'with' them in my head as I juggle the writing, being a mother and a housewife. Although I interact with them constantly and we are always out doing something fun, I need to also stop doing the things I think are so important at home (which in reality are not in the greater scheme of things), and give them unadulterated playing time more often - before they grow and decide they are too cool for me! I say this tentatively because it isn't realistic to be playing with them 24/7 and I am sure it won't always work out with the daily work and chores stacking up, but I really, really intend to do it.

When it comes to Larnaca, we all hope beyond hope that 2014 will be better. The words that I think sum up 2013 are 'desperation' and 'survival' and I would like to see these turn into 'regeneration' and 'positivity' in 2014. I want the sad, empty shops to be full of life again; I want to see smiles on faces and upbeat attitudes. When you ask someone 'how are you?', I want to hear that actually, they aren't too bad!

I think that society has got used to the idea that to be happy you have to have abundance – an abundance of the latest electronic gadgets, an abundance of food that you end up throwing away, an abundance of holidays and night outs. We need to adjust our expectations of what we actually need in abundance to health, love, fresh air and quality time...

…which is why I resolve to play with my children more!

First appeared in The Cyprus Weekly newspaper, Saturday 28/12/13

Pumpkin and Turkey Curry

First I would like to say that I hope you had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed all that lovely food put before you!! After all, it is a time of feasting and merriment!! I've been searching for recipes these days and of course the majority of them are about Christmas dinner leftovers. In the past the most we did with our leftover turkey is sandwiches and pickle, now, I have found so many delicious ideas that I feel like cooking a small turkey just to try some of these beautiful dishes!! I finally choose this one, first because it does sound delicious, but like they say, first we eat with our eyes, and this one just jumped at me just by looking at those beautiful rich colours!! I hope you enjoy this!!

Ingredients

450g Pumpkin, peeled, and cut into 2cm cubes
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Large chillies, deseeded and finely chopped and 1 deseeded and finely sliced, to garnish
11/2 tbls Thai fish sauce
1 tbls light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
100g green beans, trimmed
350g cooked turkey, cut into long strips
Juice of one lime, plus lime wedges to serve
2 tbls Coriander, chopped

Method

Heat the oven to 200c, 180 fan, gas 6. Place the pumpkin in a roasting tin, add half the oil, coat well and roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large casserole an soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute. Now add the curry paste, increase the heat and fry for a further minute. Pour in coconut milk, stirring well, then add the stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add the green beans, turkey and roasted pumpkin, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the turkey is piping hot and the beans are tender. Add the lime juice and three-quarters of the coriander and stir well.
To serve, scatter with chilli and coriander. Serve with rice and lime wedges on the side.

Androulla xx

A Christmas Message

An eventful year has almost come to an end, which was highlighted by a crisis that started to show its effects with the banking system collapse, meaning devastating effects for the Cypriot society and its households.

Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while jobless rates rocketed with thousands Cypriots having no money even for the necessary essentials.

Cyprus still continues to survive with capital controls, although individuals and businesses are able to conduct  their daily activities all be it with restrictions. The Cyprus Popular Bank split into “good” and “bad” entities and effectively shut down. Moreover, still the danger concerning the Bank of Cypriot has not yet completely gone.

The outlook of economic performance for the next few years is undoubtedly wholly negative with hundreds of Cypriots emigrating to other countries every month in search of a better life and to escape the corruption and theft (of bank accounts) that took place on a mass scale without a compassionate EU to help the man in the street of Cyprus.

Unfortunately, Cyprus may never be quite the same again!

As we approach Christmas 2013 and look back in sadness we watch, helplessly as our tradition of Christmas being eroded further and further. Consumerism, brand conscious Cypriots and showing off attitudes were extremely widespread in recent years with crazy consumers at the stores buying, consuming and ultimately dying in spirit at least.

In 2013 however much of this has changed at least for the majority of Cypriots. This Christmas Holy season, maybe we should all reflect just what Christmas truly means and remember that around the world and our country there are many others much worse off than we are.

As we witness change, the radical austerity imposed to all Cypriots may yet offer positive thing. People started to change and proof of that is the Larnaca’s Parents Network being the source of help where parents despite the current trend gave from the heart to their “Give a Gift” programme for needy children. 

Food banks and charity started for the people in need and a certain community spirit took root. Perhaps now we can judge a person by the content of their character and not by the brand they wear or the car they drive!

Let’s hope that the crisis will turn into an opportunity for us all to develop the real values of altruism and make simplicity, giving and relationships foremost in our lives.

Dear readers, Merry Christmas and we wish you a spiritually prosperous New Year in 2014.

Thank you for reading our humble Blog!

Bedtimes and bazaars

The run-up to Christmas is great if you have kids as there is no shortage of events to take them to in Larnaca, but the thing that really grinds my gears, is their late start.

We – like most parents I know in the English speaking community – feed our kids early (6pm) and get them to bed at a reasonable time for developing brains and bodies (7.30/45pm), but half these events start too late for us to attend them. It seems to be the cultural norm, and accepted for Cypriot children not go to bed until 9pm, and some later still, hence the late start times.

When I tell my family in the village that we can't come for dinner because they are inviting us at 9pm, they are incredulous and tell me off for sending my 'poor' children to bed 'with the chickens'. Then they try to tell me that the early morning wake-ups (my kids typically wake up at 6am) are because they go to bed too early. I completely refute this as we have had later nights when there is an occasion we cannot miss, and they have still been up at the crack of dawn. My kids can't handle later bedtimes, and to be honest, neither can I – parents have got to have some down time at the end of the day!

Whilst my kids (and often I) are tucked up in bed, I can hear the children of the neighbourhood running riot well past 9pm on weekdays and past midnight on weekends and the summer. Surely these children are falling asleep at their school desks, or at least, not concentrating the way they should?

Moving away from the start times and on to the events, we have been particularly bombarded with charity Christmas events this year, and they all follow the same format of 'bazaar' with handmade gifts and decorations and a bit of musical entertainment. Due to our dire situation they have been organised in their droves, and whilst I am all for the spirit of giving, we can't give to all these events and spread ourselves so thinly, especially when the majority of them are almost identical in what they offer.

In my humble opinion, the town should have organised one mega, massive, properly organised event where all the charities could combine forces and split the proceeds. I am talking about a huge extravaganza with Santa in his grotto, good quality stalls, bouncy castle, clowns, face painters, Christmas music, fairground rides, proper Christmas food and drink, big name celebrity performances, children's characters, arts and crafts, Christmas film screenings, story time and, and, and. One big, magical affair that would attract crowds from all over the island, thus making more money for charitable causes than these multiple little bazaars must be making.

I would suggest it for next year, but I am really hoping that by then everyone will be in a better position and won't be in such desperate need….

P.S… Merry Christmas!

This piece first appeared in the Cyprus Weekly newspaper Saturday 21/12/13.