Turkish Breakfast: Van Kahvaltı Evi

A beautiful Turkish breakfast at Van Kahvalti Evi followed by fresh pomegranate juice in Cihangir. I’m still ever so in love with Istanbul.

photos by De Quelle Planète Es-Tu?

A walk in the park

You go for a walk in the park ’cause you don’t need anything
Your hand that you sometimes hold doesn’t do anything
The face that you see in the door isn’t standing there anymore

In a matter of time, it would slip from my mind
In and out of my life, you would slip from my mind
In a matter of time

The face that you saw in the door isn’t looking at you anymore
The name that you call in its place isn’t waiting for your embrace
The world that you love to behold cannot hold you anymore

In a matter of time it, would slip from my mind
In and out of my life, you would slip from my mind
In a matter of time

☮☮☮☮☮☮

And going for a walk we did. Meg and I discovered this venue in the 16th and thought it would be a nice change from the regular Paris scenery.

Photos by the wonderful Stacey of Stacey Lamb Photography. Follow her on facebook here.

A tropical Summer dinner

It’s that time of year again.

Sunday salad and iced latté

After going for a 90 minute power walk this morning I needed a nice fresh salad for lunch. I made it with quinoa and prawns, Indian herbs, lettuce, lambs lettuce and tomato. My friend added pineapple to hers. There’s nothing better than an iced coffee on a hot day- I’m taking it easy today!

Après avoir fait 90 minutes de “power walking” ce matin j’avais besoin d’une salade bien fraiche! Je l’ai faite avec du quinoa, crevettes, des herbes indiennes, la laitue,de la mâche et des tomates cerises. Mon amie a rajouté des ananas dans sa salade à elle. Il n’y a rien de mieux qu’un café glacé quand il fait chaud- aujourd’hui je me régale!

Take Me to the River- my new Look Book

A few weeks ago we shot the new Look Book for my boutique Cleopatra’s Bling. This look book is more bohemian meets rock. I will soon be doing a giveaway when we get to 2000 likes on my facebook page– like us to find out more and to follow our adventures.

To purchase, click here.

Il y a quelques semaines nous avons shooté le nouveau lookbook pour ma boutique Cleopatra’s Bling. Cette fois-ci nous avons fait un look plus “bobo-rock”. Dès que nous sommes à 2000 likes sur facebook nous allons offrir une bague à une gagnante! Likez notre page pour en savoir plus et pour suivre nos aventures.

Pour en acheter, cliquez ici.

Photos by Louise Chester.
Models: Elle Frost, Salomé Garbé, Clara Duval.
Styling by Olivia Cummings from Oh la la livia.

Coconut water and sun

The sun has finally made it to France and so I got myself a stash of coconut water for hydration. Loaded with vital nutrients, coconut water is a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates. It is rich in amino acids, enzymes, dietary fiber, vitamin C and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and manganese .It is also very beneficial as it has anti viral and anti bacterial properties. And it’s so delicious!

Le soleil est enfin arrivé France et donc j’ai acheté ma réserve d’eau de noix de coco pour l’hydratation. Chargé avec des nutriments essentiels, l’eau de coco est une très bonne source de vitamines du complexe B comme la riboflavine, la niacine, la thiamine, pyridoxine, et folates. Elle est riche en acides aminés, enzymes, fibres alimentaires, vitamine C et de minéraux tels que le potassium, le magnésium et le manganèse. Elle est également très bénéfique car elle a des propriétés anti-virales et anti bactériennes. Et c’est tellement délicieux!

I was inspired by a weekend in the countryside earlier this year and recreated something I had tried: cherries soaked in eau de vie.

J’ai été inspirée par un week-end à la campagne il y a quelques mois et j’ai voulu recréé quelque chose que j’avais essayé: cerises trempées dans l’eau de vie. MIAM!

Happy weekend!
Bon weekend!

xoxox

Sweet Potato Risotto

Our Spring here in Paris has been around 12 degrees and rainy for the past month, meaning I’ve been making myself dinners that are not too heavy but nourish me nonetheless as this Winter to Spring transition is not easy! For those of you that follow Ayurveda, my vata dosha has been run down. But since really sticking to a very vata-friendly diet, I’ve been feeling a bit better. Thank goodness for my trip to Istanbul tonight for 5 days of 30 degree weather.

If you want to read more about doshas and your body type, you can do a free online quiz here on the Dosha Guru website and every week you’ll receive a little update with tips for your body type. I find them very useful!

This recipe was light and nourishing. Sweet potato is great for vata dosha and as all the ingredients are well cooked not difficult to digest. Remember to not eat too late at night because it creates a build-up of toxins in the body and digestive track.

Enjoy!

You’ll need, for 2 people:

1 sweet potato
1 1/2 cups of risotto rice
1 zucchini
a spoon full of crème fraîche
coconut oil
half a cup of chia seeds.

Heat the coconut oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. I used an assortment of spices to add flavour: ginger, asafetida, turmeric and some rock salt. Add the sweet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces and let simmer down. Add the zucchini, cut in thin slices and then add the rice. Stir until the rice has been covered fully and mixed in then start adding cups of water, each time waiting until the water has been absorbed. You can also use stock in the place of water. As I had added spices it was flavoursome enough but if you prefer you can add stock. Keep repeating this unti the risotto is done. Add the chia seeds at the end and let them sit for around 5 minutes before serving so that they are soft.

I served with a little side of water cress and Indian lime pickle. Add a sprinkle of coriander as it gets rid of heavy metals in the body.

Almond milk energy drink

I made this for breakfast yesterday and have been dreaming of it ever since. The almond makes it thick and the date sweet and the cardamom warming.

Almond milk contains more nutrients than other dairy milk alternatives like rice milk. The health benefits provided by this option even match dairy choices. Almond milk works as a great alternative for those with soy and lactose allergies. It is high in protein, Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, selenium, manganese, and iron. While many dairy farmers have made strides to ensure that their cows are rBGH-free, the practice of injecting dairy cows with growth hormones and antibiotics has not been completely eradicated. If you make your own almond milk from organic almonds you are sure to be avoiding this!

Fresh dates, despite being very sweet, are actually healthy. Everything in measure, I say! Dates contain B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. Dates also contain a good amount of minerals, including potassium, copper, sulfur, iron and magnesium. Dates are a particularly good source of calcium, which helps promote strong teeth and bones. Another health benefit of dates is that they are low fat. In 100 g of dates, only a fraction of a gram is saturated fats. Saturated fats can raise serum cholesterol and lead to blood vessel and heart disease, so eating foods low in these types of fats is part of a healthy diet.

Fennel, known as jeera in India, is recommended to be used in cooking daily. Its actions are: carminative, antispasmodic, stomachic, stimulant, and diuretic. It has proven useful in conditions of: indigestion, abdominal pain, including cramps and gas, diminished ama (which refers to the build-up of toxins in Ayurveda).

You can click here to read about the benefits of cardamom.

Basically, this almond drink is one big vitamin burst and you’ll love it in the morning. Be sure to have a glass of warm water half enough before to get your digestion going.

Here is how you do it:

Soak 12 almonds overnight and peel them in the morning.
In a separate bowl, soak 2 fresh dates, a teaspoon of fennel seeds and around 6 cardamom pods. Pit the dates and get the seeds out of the cardamom pods and discard the pods and blend it all up until everything is completely smooth and even the cardamom seeds have been blended. If you like vanilla you can add some vanilla too.

This is so delicious you won’t look back!

Enjoy xoxoxox

The best chai of all time

I’ve had quite a few requests from you for my chai recipe, seeing I rave about it all the time. Here goes!

Medicinal Chai tea recipe

I love adding vanilla to my chai mix, it gives it a sweet aroma plus it’s my favourite spice/ smell of all time. Chai is great for soothing digestion, improving blood circulation, treating colds and flu, and improving energy levels. It really is like making your own custom blend medicinal beverage except it taste great. This particular recipe fixed my cold, so quickly! By the end of the day I was feeling good again…

Ingredients…
1 star anise
8 cardamon pods (but I always put in more)
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cinnamon quill (or 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon)
8 peppercorns
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 bay leaves
1 of 2 slices of ginger (I add a lot more but I’m a total ginger fan! And I can deal with it suuuuper spicy)
8 cloves
1 tablespoon orange peel
pinch of grounded nutmeg
2 teaspoons rooibos tea
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
2 and a half teaspoons black tea (omit if you want it caffeine free)
2 cups of water
2 cups of fresh milk

Method…
Add all the ingredients (except tea leaves) to 6 to 8 cups of water and boil in a saucepan. Turn on low heat to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes then turn off the heat and add tea leaves. Let sit for a few minutes then pour through a strainer. Sweeten with honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or stevia and dust with cinnamon powder. Other milks you can use are almond, soy, oat, rice.

Cardamom Pear and Apple cake

Soft, spicy… it actually tasted a bit like a chai infused cake. Cardamom has to be one of my favourite spices… and it’s healthy! It’s good for bad breath, headaches, anxiety, settling your stomach and according to the principles of Ayurveda, cardamom helps balance the three ‘doshas’ or ‘defects’ in the body. In Ayurvedic science there are 3 body types characterised by three types of ‘dosha’ . Cardamom is a healthy spice that balances all the three ‘doshas’ and helps you stay healthy. So, its health benefits are all encompassing for all body types.

What you’ll need:

250g coconut oil, softened
1 cup unrefined brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 eggs
6 cardamom pods that have been soaked overnight
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup milk
1 pear, soft
1 apple

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease and line an 8cm-deep, 19cm (base) square cake pan with baking paper.

Squeeze the cardamom seeds out of their pods into the mixing bowl and discard the pods.

Using an electric mixer, cream coconut oil, cardamom seeds, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating to combine. Add half the flour. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.

Slice the pear and apple and place them evenly on the bottom of the cake tin. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar or cinammon.

Serve and enjoy x

I served the cake with a side of organic natural yoghurt, some grated ginger and chia seeds.