Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Spring In Paris, Part 1

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I. and I visited Paris, the capital of romance last Spring. It was our third time there but the city always seduce us whenever we go back. Seeing the Eiffel Tower live, my eyes fill with tears. It is so beautiful especially if the weather is nice and sunny.
And nearly one year later what I remember of Paris? Croissant, croissant, baguette, cheese, picnic in the park, lots of walking, market, wow this Eiffel Tower is huge, coffee latte, a nice glass of red wine, croissant, metro, macaron, chocolate, croissant, baguette, jam, butter, metro, pain au chocolat, petit coffee, lots of walking, Eiffel Tower again, market, metro, macaron and… everything again. Now that I wrote down all these I would love to go back to Paris… now!
Cheese heaven at Rue Montorgueil Market
Great breakfast place and bakery, Le Pain Quotidien on Rue Montorgueil

 

 

Beautiful pink cherry blossom in Paris
Place du Tertre, Montmartre – I would love to sit here now watching people passing by, eat a big bowl of salad with French dressing, a big portion of fries, baguette with creamy butter and drink a nice glass of white wine and a bottle of Perrier…

More to come… Stay tuned!

 

Borough Market – London, Part 2

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What about an early Saturday morning market visit? I usually get up early on Saturdays too because I don’t want to miss my favorite organic farmers market in Budapest. It only opens until 1 am so you need to get up early if you want to buy everything you planned.
Borough Market stole my heart in August. I couldn’t stop taking photos. Which is your favorite market in the world? 

Food bloggers in action… I wasn’t the only one taking photos of this tomato paradise. Orange, yellow, light green with dark green stripes, red, black, oval, round… I’ve never seen this many type of tomatoes in one place!

We only had a quick bite for lunch. I chose Veggie Table, a small vegetarian cater business who creates simple, fresh and exciting vegetarian food. They use local vegetables and organic grains to deliver wholesome and delicious meals for vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike. They craft real food from real ingredients. They have 5 booths around London markets, one at Borough. Find more information on their website.

I live in Budapest but every time I will go to London I will always go to Borough Market. I think it’s wonderful. You can get things there that you can’t find anywhere else… and I’m not the only one saying this! 🙂

More about the market:
Borough Market – London, Part 1

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1TL
www.boroughmarket.co.uk

Open:
Thursdays 11am – 5pm
Fridays 12 pm – 6pm
Saturdays 8am – 5pm

Borough Market – London, Part 1

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Before I went to London for Food Blogger Connect, I knew that Borough Market was the place I should not miss! Although I used to live in England for two years I never went to this market. I know why, I wasn’t interested in food that time. But now… Borough Market is paradise for me. I could go there everyday. Let the photos speak instead of me…

More to follow! Stay tuned!

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1TL
www.boroughmarket.co.uk

Open:
Thursdays 11am – 5pm
Fridays 12 pm – 6pm
Saturdays 8am – 5pm

Beet Green Quiche and the Organic Farmers Market in Budapest

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I’m honest with you guys… If I have to get up to go to work during the weekdays, I’m not very inspired so it’s really difficult for me to do it. But if I have to get up at 6:30 am to go to the organic farmers market on Saturday mornings, I don’t have any problem with that. 🙂

This market means a lot to me. I get so much inspiration just walking around, relaxing and enjoying the colours, the smells. Beauty is everywhere, isn’t it? I  always recharge my batteries at the market. I also love  talking to the farmers changing ideas about recipes. So if you ever come to Budapest, do not miss to visit this market. It’s only open on Saturday mornings from 6:30 am until 1:00 pm (address: 12nd district, 1124 Budapest, Csörsz utca 18.).

These market photos were taken with my iPhone but I’m planning to take photos with my camera too and post them later on the blog.

And the recipe… I started using beet greens recently. I usually made salad from it. The leaves taste a bit bitter for me so to discard the bitterness I always mixed with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers or sprouts and poured it with olive oil lemon juice dressing. So next time if you buy a bunch of beets, sauté, boil or steam the leafy green tops for a low-calorie nutritious side dish. Beet greens are rich in potassium, calcium, vitamin A and other minerals and vitamins. They also contain high amounts of lutein and beta-carotene; both are antioxidants that help keep eyes and skin healthy.

I found a wonderful, yummie recipe on my friend, Sari’s blog… beet green quiche. I baked it and we loved it. It’s very easy, very quick and delicious for lunch or dinner with a bowl of salad.

See, Sari, someone used one of your recipes from your blog to make a wonderful dish! Thank you, my friend! 🙂

Beet Green Quiche

Ingredients

– 2 bunches of beet greens, stems removed, coarsely chopped
– 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
– 3 organic eggs
– 200 ml oat cream
– 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
– 100 g greated cheese
– salt, pepper
– 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
– coconut or olive oil

Method

Heat coconut oil in a pan and sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes until transparent and soft, then add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in beet greens and cook for 5-7 minutes until the greens get soft. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.

Preheat the oven to 175C (350F).

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, oat cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chili flakes and cheese. Add the beet green mixture and stir to blend. Transfer it to a lightly buttered prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes on 175-180C (350F) until the top is golden brown and the eggs are set. Serve it with fresh salad.

Athens Central Market

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The hectic, colourful Athens agora is the highlight of the vibrant Athinas market district in Omonia. It is a sensory and gastronomic delight, with an amazing range of olives, spices, cheeses, deli treats. Even if I’m vegetarian and I write a vegetarian food blog I think I should show you the historic meat market too, with hanging carcasses illuminated by swinging light bulbs, is a surreal highlight. The place is so noisy (the vendors /butchers know how to shout) and a bit scary for a vegetarian but it is worth looking around.

The fish market (next to the meat market) is also a must see. The ground is always fishy and wet so if you go there, make sure you wear shoes and not flip-flops or sandals. Wander around, listen to the vendors as they call out their prices, look at the fish, the sea food (some frozen, some fresh). You will be surprised at the variety and the noise.

Across the street of the meat and fish market there are the vegetables, fruits, olives and cheeses. This is the place for the vegetarians. 🙂 You can sample the olives before buying. Taste them all and go back to the place where you loved it the most. There are really tasty, juicy, huge green ones – these are my favourites.

The tavernas, small shops, deli treats in and around the market are worth seeking out too. My favourite spice shop was Elixir where Jamie Oliver went, in his TV show, Jamie does Athens. Their range in the herbs and spices is very impressive and rarely obtainable tastes and flavors thus catering to the needs of the most demanding and exotic of cuisines. They also offer a selection of other products such us natural hand made herbal olive oil soaps, organic oils, and an exclusive melange of teas and honey using natural processing methods. So do not miss it!

Athens Central Market:
Between Sofokleous and Evripidou streets, at Omonia district. Metro station: Omonia.
Open: from Monday until Saturday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Elixir:
41, Evripidou street, at Omonia district. Metro station: Omonia.
Open: from Monday until Saturday.