Flossie

Candyflosslife - Down to Earth Food for Flexitarians - No meal prep, no problem 🔥 It's been one of those weeks where the diary just wins. Work was full-on, the days ran together, and by the time evening rolled around some nights the only plan was "there's stuff in the fridge, let's grill it." One evening I charred aubergines and turned them into baba ganoush, thrown some peppers on the grill too then tossed with good olive oil and a splash of balsamic. Courgettes got caramelized on the grill...

Candyflosslife - Down to Earth Food for Flexitarians - Hot Weather Eating, the World Over Last week I was in Spain for work - and even on a work trip, the food gets my full attention. They always have pan con tomate for breakfast, which sounds almost too simple to mention but is one of the best things you can eat when the tomatoes are good (and they're excellent in Spain). Grilled swordfish with padron peppers for dinner. Because it's light and not overcomplicated - just really good produce,...

Candyflosslife - Down to Earth Food for Flexitarians - New recipe to try Growing up in Romania, my parents had watermelon fields near the Danube Delta. I became a real expert at guessing the ripest, juiciest ones ones - those little sugar crystals in the flesh that tell you it's exactly ready. Back then my favorite lunch was simply watermelon with a hunk of bread. The summers were so hot you didn't want or need anything else. Watermelon & Halloumi Salad This salad is a grown-up version of...

Candyflosslife - Down to Earth Food for Flexitarians - Father's Day in the Garden It's a scorchio again in Colchester, so the grill is very much on. This week we've passed a wedding anniversary milestone, so it will be a double celebration, albeit a low key relaxed one. Think garden food, shaded under the olive trees canopy (they are a bit out of control at the moment with the hot weather we had). Herby koftas with a cool tzatziki dip In other news... Iggi is back home and I am very much back...

Candyflosslife - Down to Earth Food for Flexitarians - This Week on Candyflosslife I made a batch of sourdough lemon ricotta pancakes last weekend and Dave ate most of them. To be fair, they held up really well for a few days covered in the fridge - still soft, not dried out - so I can't fully blame him for going back. The recipe is on the blog now if you want to make a batch before someone else gets to them first. Sourdough lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberries The rest of the week:...

Candyflosslife - Down to Earth Food for Flexitarians - Beans, Peppers, and a Proper Fajita Night June evenings don't really call for complicated dinners. This week I've been making these black bean fajitas twice: smoky peppers, soft caramelized onions, black beans with a few lightly mashed into the sauce so the filling stays put, and a spiced tomato base that works just as well in a bowl or over rice as it does in a wrap. Easy Black Bean Fajitas Between the beans, peppers, onions, tomato, and...

Candyflosslife Mince Dinners That Stretch Sometimes the best dinner plan is: take a pack of mince, add herbs, spices, tomatoes, beans, rice, or peppers, and feed a table So this week is all about mince dinners that stretch well, reheat nicely, and feel like proper food for hungry people. There’s plenty of plant variety tucked into these meals too, from peppers, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and chickpeas to strawberries and apples for pudding. Stuffed bell peppers with rice and mince 🫑 Stuffed,...

Candyflosslife A Forkful of Summer Starts It is an actual scorcher here, so I’m officially moving into summer food. 🌞This week is very much: grill, toss, spoon, repeat. Buttermilk chicken burgers with avocado dressing With the bank holiday here in the UK and Memorial Day weekend in the US, this feels like the right time for the kind of meals that work in hot weather: something grilled, something colorful in a bowl, a good dressing or sauce, and maybe something strawberry-ish for after. And...

Candyflosslife Crispy, Squeaky, Slightly Charred Halloumi always sneaks back into my fridge around this time of year. The minute the weather improves even slightly, I start grilling things, tossing herbs into everything, and building lunches that can be eaten on the garden patio with a slightly optimistic attitude about British spring. Chickpea & Grilled Halloumi Salad And halloumi really does a lot of heavy lifting. It turns salads into proper meals, works with grains and roasted veg...

Candyflosslife Your gut bugs love plant variety And May makes that feel a lot easier. This is the month where food starts shifting a bit. Or a lot. There's more fresh fruit and veg, and meals start getting lighter. Shrimp Marinara with Cherry Tomatoes And since your gut bugs love different plant compounds, this little May menu is built around exactly that: easy ways to get more color and fiber onto your plate. I still want quick dinners and proper lunches, but I’m also starting to think about...