blog – #ThisGirlEats

RECIPE: Chicken Salad Wraps With Smashed Avocado | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? These wraps provide at least one of your five a day, as well as being high in fibre and vitamins from the avocado.

Guacamole is a b-e-a-utiful thing, but it can be tricky to create an absolutely perfect version of the quintessential Mexican dip. However, no fear; there is a shortcut – smashed avocado. It’s creamier than just chunks of avocado but not as much effort as full-on guac, which is the perfect middle ground for me. 🥑

This wrap is a great packed lunch idea because it’s so quick and easy to put together with only a few ingredients. If you wanted to make it more adventurous you could always adapt; add some sauce, onions and peppers, perhaps some bacon… I’ve kept things simple here, but that doesn’t mean you have to!

If you’re after feel-good food, look no further. Avocado is bursting with “good” fats and, along with the salad, this little wrap packs in a hell of a lot of healthy greens! Chicken provides the lean protein, and will leave you feeling full without being bloated on fatty, greasy meat. Perfect!

INGREDIENTS
1 Chicken Breast
1/2 Bag of Prepared Mixed Salad
1/2 Avocado
4 Cherry Tomatoes, Quartered
2 Tortilla Wraps

SEASONING
For the chicken, simply season with a touch of dried garlic, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. If possible, the smashed avocado could do with a dash of lime juice, coriander and chilli flakes to give it more of a “guacamole” taste, but if you can’t get your hands on them it’s not the end of the world – a sprinkle of salt and pepper will do.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Season the chicken and pop in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes (depending on size) on 200°C.

2. Remove the avocado half from its skin and, along with the chopped cherry tomatoes in a bowl, smush together with a fork until you’ve created a chunky paste.

3. Grab some tortilla wraps and lay out the mixed salad. Remove the chicken from the oven, slice, and arrange on top of the salad leaves. Spread a dollop of smashed avocado alongside.

4. Wrap and enjoy there and then, or pack for lunch the next day! 🌯

RECIPE: Citrus Chicken With Herby New Potatoes | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1.25 per person.
What are the benefits? This dish is a great source of nice, lean protein but is low in both fat and sugar.

This recipe was originally planned as a light, fresh meal perfect for summer. Unfortunately, the weather seems to have changed and it’s getting a bit dreary outside so it looks as though I’m a little late… Still, it’s cheap, easy and good for you, so it’s well worth a go. ☀️

Essentially, at the bare bones, it’s just chicken and potatoes. Good, basic food, you can’t get much simpler than that. But plain ‘n’ simple isn’t exactly my thing, I’m afraid – I like to take the very concept of plain ‘n’ simple and jazz it up a little. With just a squeeze of citrus and a spoonful of butter and herbs, these ingredients become an exciting, flavoursome dish at a lower price.

INGREDIENTS
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 Tin of New Potatoes
1 Tbsp of Butter, Margarine or Dairy-Free Alternative
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley

SEASONING
The flavours really shine in this recipe, and the seasoning definitely helps with that. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and dried garlic to the lemon and lime juice, and spruce up the chicken with one last dash of salt and pepper before it goes into the oven too. With the potatoes, salt the water that they boil in and, of course, coat with dried parsley. If you haven’t got parsley, there are plenty of other herbs you can use that’ll be just as good.

So, this is how I did it…
(Serves 2)

1. Squeeze the lime juice and lemon juice into a bowl, season with dried garlic, salt and pepper, and place the chicken into the bowls. Make sure they’re coated entirely in the juices. 🍋

2. Place the chicken on a baking tray (with a tiny drop of oil or cooking spray so it doesn’t stick), sprinkle with a dash more salt and pepper, and bake for 20 – 30 minutes on 200°C.

3. Rinse the tinned potatoes under some cold water, cook in a pan of boiling water according to packet instructions (mine took 5 minutes) and drain once cooked.

4. Stir the butter and parsley into the pan with potatoes until coated.

5. Serve! (I threw together a nice mixed salad to go with mine 😋)

Feeling Demotivated? These Songs Always Help Me Get Back Into My Groove | #ThisGirlEats

Lately, I’ve hit another slump. It’s difficult, trying to keep up this whole blogging thing, one minute you’re buzzing full of creativity and the next you can barely muster up the energy to open your laptop. The blogging bug comes and goes it has definitely, for the time being, packed up its bags and left me. Probably for someone hotter with more money and a nicer car…

A whole load of things that can lift that dark cloud. Sometimes it’s getting a little positive boost out of nowhere, sometimes the ideas just hit you. For me, these tunes definitely help! I’m not saying they’re going to turn your world upside down, but they always perk me up and get me back into the swing of things, even if only for an hour or two.

I’ve got a “FEEL-GOOD!” playlist on Spotify and I’d really advise doing something similar. Throwing together a bunch of positive, upbeat, fun songs that make you feel better and having it to hand whenever you need a pick-me-up is one of the many benefits of living in the modern age!

Hakuna Matata – The Lion King
Who doesn’t feel better after hearing this awesome song from the BEST DISNEY FILM EVER?! Don’t even try arguing with me.

Rose-Colored Boy – Paramore
Paramore are masters of creating songs about feeling kinda rubbish but with a cute, upbeat melody that always makes you feel good.

You Need Me, I Don’t Need You – Ed Sheeran
Whenever I feel like I’m not quite where I want to be, this song reminds me that I’m awesome and have plenty to bring to the table.

Pork and Beans – Weezer
‘Pork and Beans’ always reminds me, when I’m having a bit of a self-confidence wobble, that I’m totally fine just the way I am, and should never worry about just being myself.

Born This Way – Lady Gaga
The ultimate positive anthem, you can’t help but feel better with this song and its life-affirming message!

Happy As F**k – MOD SUN
Just a small nudge to appreciate life, and all the little things we should be grateful for.

Hard Times – Paramore
Put on ‘Hard Times’ and I’ll relate. BIG TIME. But I’ll also start dancing, it’s inevitable.

Give Me One Good Reason – blink-182
This is a great one for telling yourself that you don’t need to change or compromise for others, that you don’t need to be just like everyone else. You do you!

Weirdo – VUKOVI
There is NOTHING wrong with being weird! All the best people are…

Unstoppable – Sia
Want to feel empowered? Strong? Totally capable of absolutely anything? This song is the one!

Survivor – Destiny’s Child
Need I say more?!

This Is Why I Don’t Have Fancy Photos on My Blog | #ThisGirlEats

If you’ve read my blog, you’ll see that my visual content could definitely use some work – I’ll be the first to admit it! My recipes usually have photos (if I remember before I start stuffing my face!) but they’re in NO WAY pro shots. And as for my other posts, most of them are bulked out by GIFs (always credited).

Compared to most other bloggers, with their beautiful Instagram pics outside fancy London houses and plates of food served on slates to the backdrop of a tropical beach landscape, mine is shoddy work.

So, why don’t I have fancy “blogger” photos on #ThisGirlEats?

Don’t get me wrong, I like them. I love looking at them. I’m downright jealous of them most of the time! If I could have them for every post I publish, I would.

But, first and foremost, I’m too damn busy! I work full-time (not blogging, unfortunately) and somehow manage to also whip up three posts a week. Between working and writing, where would I find the time to get professional shots for three posts every single week?! I can’t keep up! I simply don’t have time.

Another reason is because I feel so hideously uncomfortable in front of the camera. Silly, candid shots, fun family photos and couples selfies (as you can see!), they’re all fine. But standing propped up against a wall, choosing the perfect hair, make-up and outfit, and posing – oh god, the posing – just makes me cringe. And I just know I’d spend hours afterwards picking faults with myself, no matter how nice the photos look. I can’t imagine ever enjoying that experience. 📸

And, finally, my blog is all about REAL FOOD. When I create a recipe, it’s food I actually eat. I cook it in my tiny kitchen with wonky cupboards and peeling pots and pans. I use ingredients that are messy, I spill tinned tomatoes on the side, drop slices of onion on the floor. It’s not “pretty”, it’s not restaurant food. It’s food I make out of what’s in my cupboards, food bought on a budget, food to sustain me, food served up for me and my boyfriend to eat on the sofa watching Netflix after a long day at work. My photos look a little rough around the edges because my food is a little rough around the edges – heck, life is a little rough around the edges!

I try to make it look appealing, of course. Believe it or not, the photo above is one of my better ones! But the truth is, I just come home from work, cook something up and grab a snap on my phone before plonking myself down to eat it. The food I cook and the things I write are real, so it might not look Instagram-worthy but, hey, that’s life.

How Watching ‘Friends’ Gave Me a Totally Unrealistic Idea of Adulthood – But Still Made Me Feel Like I’m Doing Okay | #ThisGirlEats

Friends is my all time favourite TV show. Have I ever mentioned that?
(Check out ‘Why Being A ‘Monica’ Isn’t That Bad (And, Yes, I Know She’s the Most Annoying One‘ and ‘Kickass Female TV Characters Who I Totally Relate AND Look Up To!‘)

Watching these six funny, beautiful New Yorkers living in their cool city apartments with their exciting careers and bustling social lives gave me hours of entertainment as a teen. You know what else it gave me? An incredibly unrealistic expectation of how my own life would turn out.

Thanks to the optimistic glow of ’90s American television, I assumed my life would be just like that of the Central Perk bunch.

I thought, for starters, I’d live in the city. That was a given. London really was calling me, and I imagined my own funky purple flat in the heart of the capital. I thought I’d inherit a fashion sense – maybe kooky, like Phoebe, or sophisticated, like Rachel – and totally own my self-confidence, at last. Sure, I’d probably work a brief dead-end job – for like, what, six months? – before finding my destined career path. I saw myself surrounded by peers – pizza after work, cute coffee dates, weekend brunches at the kitchen table. My social life would flourish, as would every aspect of adulthood.

But things don’t always work out that way, do they? I don’t live in the city, I live in the closest commuter town I can afford, which is pretty grim and still at least an hour outside of London. I wear the same clothes I wore as a teenager, just with a little less “scene kid” and a couple more office blouses. I have worked retail and customer service jobs since leaving uni, fresh-faced and full of sitcom-enhanced dreams, just waiting for my perfect job to come along. It’s been three years now. I’m still waiting.

My life is NOTHING like Friends. And I gotta be honest, that kinda annoyed me for a while.

But having recently re-watched the series (yet again), I realised that although Friends blew my expectations sky-high, it also has so many moments of comfort for when you feel like you’re not quite where you hoped to be.

Like when Rachel, Phoebe and Joey don’t earn much money and find themselves ordering side salads and teeny tiny pizzas just so they can afford to go out with the rest of the gang.

What about when Chandler quits his office job and plummets for an unpaid internship in his thirties, with absolutely no idea how his career is going to pan out, simply relying on ingenious slogans like, “Cheese: it’s milk that you chew” and “Bagels and doughnuts: round food for every mood“.

Or when Rachel freaks out about turning 30 because she thought she’d have the whole married-with-kids thing sorted by now but instead she’s dating her immature office assistant and Prada haven’t started making maternity clothes yet.

While they look like shiny, happy people on the surface, the group really don’t have it all figured out. Sure, by season ten Joey is a huge soap opera star, Monica is head chef at the flashiest restaurant in town and Phoebe finally marries Mike and gets the “normal” life she’s always dreamt of. But most of the series is spent trying to piece together the mistakes and mishaps of their lives – they’re just lucky they’ve got a great bunch of people to do it with.

Stop Stressing About Your Job, You’ve Got So Much to Thank It For! | #ThisGirlEats

We’ve all had jobs we hate. God knows I grew so sick and tired of my last job that I took a temp position with LESS pay just to escape it!

You might be stuck in the job you hate right now, spending your working day desperate to get out or being filled with dread every Sunday night at the thought of starting all over again on Monday, and that’s a rubbish place to be.

When you don’t like where you work or what you do, it sucks. It’s the worst. We spend more time at work than anywhere else so if you don’t enjoy it, it can kind of consume you. You spend so much time wrapped up in all the bad things – crappy pay, bad managers, horrible co-workers, nasty customers, long-ass commute, boring tasks, awkward shift patterns… There’s a lot that can make you feel down about work. So much so, we often forget about all the great things about work!

I’m not talking about perks of the job as such, but we all go to work for a reason, right? I was really down in the dumps at my last job, but in reality I had an awful lot to thank it for.

While I was working there, I moved out and rented my first flat 🏠 I took driving lessons, passed my test and bought my first car 🚗 I took holidays to Disneyland Paris, Edinburgh, Tenerife and Ibiza 🌴 I set up this blog, paid for the domain and bought all the foodie bits that have gone along with it 🍕 So many things have happened in my life that would never have even come about if that job hadn’t enabled them to.

Alright, so I’m skint right now, but I’m much happier doing what I do on a daily basis and, hey, my current job is helping me out with plenty too. It’s keeping that same rented roof over my head, it’s putting petrol in my car and feeding my recipe ideas, it’s buying festival tickets and saving up spending money for summer days out. It’s keeping me afloat, really.

It’s natural to complain about work, we’d all rather be somewhere else 99% of the time. But to keep it from dragging you down, think every now and again about what your job actually does for you, rather than just the negative. Ask yourself what would happen if you DIDN’T have your job. What would you do if you lost your job? I’m sure you’d appreciate what it does for you a hell of a lot more then.

RECIPE: Pizza Stuffed Bell Peppers | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person
What are the benefits? This is a great low carb recipe, a creative takeaway alternative, and provides you with one of your five a day.

I’m forever on a quest to find a way to eat pizza and be healthy. The two don’t exactly go hand in hand, but I feel like it’s my kryptonite. Pizza is just one habit I can’t kick and, being completely honest, I’m not entirely sure I want to… 🍕

My latest attempt at getting that saucy, cheesy satisfaction without all the, y’unno, grease, is to take classic pizza toppings and load them into a fresh vegetable rather than on top of a thick, doughy crust. I won’t lie to you – no, it’s not the same. You can’t swap a deep dish for a red pepper and expect not to know the difference. BUT, it still tastes delicious.

It gave me the same yummy flavour I was after but also oozing nutritional value, unlike pretty much any pizza ever! Not only that, but I managed to get hold of everything I needed for this recipe for just 80p per person.

INGREDIENTS
2 Bell Peppers, Halved and Deseeded
1 Ball of Light Mozzarella Cheese
4 Large Slices of Pepperoni
1/2 Carton of Passata
Sprinkling of Parmesan or “Hard Cheese”

SEASONING
Mix a good dose of garlic flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper into the passata so the pizza sauce has strong flavour. With the peppers, they shouldn’t need much tweaking – just a touch of salt and pepper on the outside.

So, this is how I did it…

1. First off, add a very small dash of cooking spray or a teeny drop of oil to a baking tray, use a tissue to spread it across the tray and place the bell peppers, skin side up. Don’t let it get too oily, otherwise the peppers will go almost soggy, which is great for a succulent roast pepper but not great for holding their structure when stuffed. Season and cook for 20 – 25 minutes on 200°C.

2. Pour the passata into a bowl and stir in a hefty helping of herbs, garlic and seasoning.

3. Remove peppers from the oven and fill with the pizza stuffing – one layer of passata, torn chunks of mozzarella (drained as much as possible before using!) and the pepperoni, chopped or torn into small pieces.

4. Place back into the oven, stuffed side up, for another 20 minutes or so.

5. Switch on the grill and leave the peppers underneath for a couple of minutes, just until the tops crisp up and the parmesan cheese browns. Delish!

RECIPE: Crispy Ham & Roasted Parmesan Potato Salad | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe is very high in antioxidants, provides at least one of your five a day, and both the cous cous and salad are, surprisingly, excellent sources of fibre.

Growing up, ham salad was one of my most dreaded dinners. When I got home from school, asked mum what was for tea and that was her answer, turning my nose up was almost instinctual. I’d ask if I could make myself something else just so I didn’t have to face a plate of cold ham, plain boiled potatoes and a few lettuce leaves. It did NOT appeal to me!

But as an adult, I now totally appreciate the benefits of this meal!

It’s really cheap – like living on a shoestring kinda cheap – it’s healthy, and you can throw it together in a matter of minutes.

So, I’ve taken this idea and turned it into something perhaps more inspiring, with the ham cooked until it’s warm, salty and crispy, the potatoes roasted with a parmesan crumb and the salad vibrant, full of colours and textures. It’s still a low cost, healthy dish but with a little more pizzazz.

INGREDIENTS
4 – 8 (depending on size) Slices of Wafer Thin Ham, Sliced
1 Baking Potato, Cubed
Sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese
1 Bag of Prepared Salad Leaves
8 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
1/4 Carrot

SEASONING
As I’ve mentioned, it’s really important to me to make sure this recipe is full of flavour. The potatoes, as well as shavings of parmesan, should be coated in a teeny tiny dash of olive oil and a generous helping of salt, black pepper, dried rosemary and garlic flakes. The ham, even though already a salty meat, needs a touch more salt added whilst frying to give it that real bacon flavour, as well as some black pepper and dried thyme.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Chop the potato up into small cube shapes (or as close as you can get!). Place them in a roasting tray, coat with cooking spray and seasoning, sprinkle over some parmesan cheese and pop them into the oven on 200°C for about 30 minutes.

2. Slice the ham into strips or ribbons, place in a hot pan with the tiniest dash of olive oil, with a dash of salt and pepper, and cook on a pretty high heat for 10 minutes or so. The ham will cook incredibly quick but don’t be scared! We want it to get really crispy, almost to resemble bacon.

3. To get the salad together, slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Use a potato peeler to shred super thin slices to add raw carrot to the salad. Toss them in with the salad leaves.

4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and the ham from the frying pan, place on top of the salad mix and enjoy!

RECIPE: Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Bake | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This cost me less than 75p per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe includes at least two of your five a day, is an excellent source of fibre and is totally vegetarian friendly.

Okay, so if you’re seriously watching what you eat, a big dish of pasta loaded with cheese might not be your first choice. I get that. But with #ThisGirlEats, it’s all about making conscious decisions to choose healthier options without completely boycotting the things I love – like oodles of pasta and cheese!

There are plenty of reasons that you shouldn’t write this dish off right away. It’s made with a fresh, light tomato sauce instead of a heavy cream, and replaces meat with loads of vegetables instead. Top that off by wholewheat pasta and low fat cheese and this recipe is already a more nutritious choice.

It’s a hearty, filling recipe, but cheap to make. It’s versatile, too, made up of mostly store cupboard ingredients and all the vegetables I’ve used can be swapped for something else if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS
140g Wholewheat Pasta
1 Carton of Passata
2 Medium Onions, Diced
1 Bell Pepper, Diced
5 Mushrooms, Diced
5 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
3 Tbsp of Sweetcorn (Fresh or Frozen)
1/2 Cup of Grated Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup of Grated Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

SEASONING
We want this to be as packed with flavour as possible, so make sure everything about this dish is seasoned well. Salt the water for the pasta, for a start. Follow that by adding some dried garlic whilst frying off the vegetables and, once the passata is in the pan, throw in some salt, pepper, garlic flakes, dried basil, dried oregano and a pinch of chilli flakes if you fancy a kick. And, finally, before you pop your pasta bake into the oven, sprinkle a generous touch of dried oregano on top.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Stick the pasta in a pot of boiling water and cook according to packet instructions – let’s say 10-15 minutes, ish.

2. Fry the onion and peppers for a minute or two on a pretty high heat before adding the mushroom, cherry tomatoes and sweetcorn, along with some garlic and tomato purée, for a total of 5 minutes or so. You want the vegetables to soften, but still have some texture. No-one wants a bowl of mush!

3. Pour the passata into the pan, throw in your seasoning and cook through for another 5 minutes or so on a medium heat.

4. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Layer the combo in an ovenproof dish and top each layer with cheese – one layer of pasta, top with cheese, one layer of pasta, top with cheese, etc. Finish with hefty sprinkle of oregano.

5. Cook in oven on around 200°C for another 5 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle over the dried oregano (and a tiny dash of parmesan if you wish, but note that this probably isn’t suitable for vegetarians) on top to finish it off.

Why Being A ‘Monica’ Isn’t That Bad (And, Yes, I Know She’s the Most Annoying One) | #ThisGirlEats

Friends is my favourite TV show. In the world. Ever. I’ve loved it since new episodes were aired on Channel 4 and sponsored by Jacob’s Creek. I switched on the reruns before school every morning. I taped the final ever episode on our family’s VCR and rewatched it over and over again. I’ve owned two complete Friends boxsets, the standard AND extended editions. There’s not a single quote in the whole ten seasons that I can’t quip the next line to. So believe me, I know those characters inside out.

Because of that, I know Monica kinda sucks. I’m very aware. They’ve all got their flaws – Rachel is spoilt, Phoebe is bizarre, Joey is dumb, Chandler is irritating and Ross is selfish, but Monica seems to grate on people more than most. Whether it’s her neurotic cleaning, her mad competitive streak, her desperation to please people or her “rules help control the fun!” attitude, she seems to be the least likeable personality of the bunch.

need to please monica.gif — *dailyedge.ie*

But having watched the series countless times, especially as I’ve grown up, I’ve realised something. I’m Monica. I am SO Monica! Alright, so forget the competitiveness, but everything else about me is just “Monica” through and through. But I’ve decided not to let it bother me – in fact, I’ve decided to own it! There are lots of reasons that I think “pulling a Monica” is pretty damn great.

Monica gets shit done. Who made sure everyone had all their stuff together before flying to London? Who packed up Rachel’s WHOLE room the night before she moved out? Who cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the entire group every year? Monica. She always gets the job done.

Monica strives to be the best she can be. She might be crazy organised and over-eager, but she’s always competing against herself to be better. Not to prove anything to anyone else, but just to herself.

losing to a girl — *theodysseyonline.com*

Monica is a badass cook. She knows her stuff when it comes to cooking, not to mention she beat overeating as a teen to become a fit, healthy adult who still has a great relationship with food.

Monica is a strong woman. Yes, she’s controlling and she’s bossy, but she likes to be in charge because she knows she can handle things. Nothing phases her.

Monica is someone who, despite her faults, everyone wants to hang with. She might be a little annoying, but Monica shows over and over she’s a great hostess, and friend. People love her food, she throws parties for her pals, everyone wants to chill in her apartment and, when she move across the hall to the guys’ place, she makes a HUGE effort to accommodate everyone so that people still have an awesome time in her home.

Monica RULES!