Marinade Masterclass with Heinz

Things started off pretty well this week for Yasmine and I as we made our way to the ever trendy East London for something very special. I made a bad decision to walk from Bethnal Green to Shoreditch High St in the midday heat to catch the overground but we made it on time, if not a bit hot and sticky! We were in for a real treat as we rocked up to the Berber & Q Bar and Grill for a marinade masterclass with Heinz.

We had the Berber & Q to ourselves for the duration of the afternoon, it was such a great place for the type of food we were cooking- homey but incredibly saucy which really reflected our surroundings.

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We got settled in and met our masterchef Josh Katz as well as the Heinz team, the Golin team and some great guys from Unilad too. We got our very own Heinz aprons to wear as we went through everything from kitchen safety to the ingredients which looked so good!

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Heinz Peri Peri & Honey Glazed Smoked Chicken Wings

For the rub- preferable to rub and marinade the day before

1tsp Smoked Paprika

1tsp Cayenne

½ tsp Cumin, ground

1tsp Black Pepper, coarse

 

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For the marinade

60ml Heinz Peri-Peri Sauce

1tbsp Lemon Juice

10ml Maple Syrup

 

For the glaze- combine all together and heat on med/high before using on the wings

150ml Heinz Peri-Peri Sauce

90ml Clear Honey

30ml Lemon Juice

½ tsp Black Pepper, coarse

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The Kitchen had its very own smoker so as soon as we had glazed the chicken all over, in they went! If you don’t have a smoker, here’s where the BBQ comes in. We grilled the lemons and added chopped parsley to finish this dish.

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BBQ Whole Head of Broccoli, Harissa & Charred Spring Onion Aioli

The next part we got a little hotter as we went over to the grill with some fabulous veg. I learnt how to blanche and flame grill a broccoli too!

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For the Charred Spring Onion Aioli

80ml Heinz Salad Cream

50g Crème Fraiche

2 Spring Onions, blackened on the grill & finely chopped

1 Garlic Clove, minced or finely chopped

15ml Olive Oil

15ml Lemon Juice

 

After blanching the broccoli we put them on the grill to make them lovely and crispy. To garnish we used 2 tbsp harissa and roasted hazelnuts to go with the Aioli, I cannot believe how intense and flavoursome this dish was!

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We also did a duck recipe too but I couldn’t have it due to the soy sauce involved. But luckily, Josh was kind enough to create my very own duck and seasoned with a little Heinz Peri Peri, salt and pepper! All the sauces we used in the recipes from Heinz were gluten free and I think you should definitely try using some for a marinade or glaze the next time you fire up that BBQ! Thank you so much to Berber & Q, Josh, Heinz and Golin for such a wonderful marinade masterclass with Heinz, we are now fully stocked up on all the essentials for a while!

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Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading my marinade masterclass with Heinz, why not check out some more great gluten free food, this time from Sainsburys!

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Let’s Celebrate World Photography Day

I don’t know if you know but today is World Photography Day! August 19th this year sees us welcome 177 years of taking photos- how incredible is that?! Photography is something that is close to all blogger’s hearts as without it I doubt social media would be the same, and our blogs would definitely take a hit without the beautiful imagery that defines our stories. We all spend every day looking at other people’s photos and videos so I think that it’s really important we all take a few minutes to appreciate what I’m talking about in this post- Let’s Celebrate World Photography Day!

The way we feel about photo taking

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Our views and perceptions of photo taking has really spiralled outwards and literally taken over the world this past decade. Pretty much everyone you meet will have some sort of photo taking equipment, be it their phone, tablet or the DSLR camera strapped to their necks. We have taken photographing to such a place where I can’t think of a single day where I haven’t taken a photo, the evidence is right here in my iPhone camera roll! To put it another way, we are simply obsessed with capturing the image of the world around us. I think we have started to realise that life is so short and we must steal every second, every memory for later in our lives and for future generations too (who no doubt will get hours of happiness scrolling through all our selfies!).

The way we store photos

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The way we store photos has also taken many turns. I don’t think we will be able to accept a photograph being stored in simply one place ever again. Gone are the days of having CD ROMS and USB sticks filled with photos- why bother when technology makes it so much easier for us with lovely clouds these days? My photo storage doesn’t stop there though; I store my photos on my phone, computer hard drive, my Google Drive, and then every 6 months I do a complete back up on my external hard drive too. I know there’s plenty of people out there who take photo storage as serious as I do- photos are precious right? I’d be devastated if a single album went missing and I think a lot of people feel the same way.

The way we share photos

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So sharing photos. This can be anything these days from sending the ugliest selfie to your sister to sending your favourite photo with your nan to her on a birthday card. We have infinite possibilities when it comes to sharing photos with whoever we want, and sometimes with those we don’t want too if we’re not careful! Privacy of photos is a blurry subject, with copyrights being infringed probably every second of the day. This is a very sensitive subject for bloggers and photographers who make a living out of sharing their photos so do spare a few seconds to really appreciate each and every photo you look at today and understand that there is always a person behind that image.

Finding that perfect shot

Let's Celebrate World Photography Day

I just wanted to say a little about finding the perfect shot. I think that the main reason behind taking so many photos is that we want each one to be better than the last. We want to somehow constantly improve on and be proud of every snap we take. Instagram really has set the bar for aesthetically pleasing imagery over the past 5 years and it’s made us look at photographs in a completely different way. We analyse, compare, edit with such ferocity that it is sometimes exhausting trying to strive for the level of perfection we see in other images. Don’t get me wrong, I love using Instagram, but make sure you are happy with your images before the filters are added!
Now to show you a wonderful innovation in taking snapshots from social media and making something new out of them, I’m going to hand you over to this short video which will explain everything:

Let’s celebrate World Photography Day today and remember to make each one count! Here’s one I took which really captures the moment!

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Saharasplash X

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Also this week I am celebreating National Afternoon Tea Week! Check my post on having a free from afternoon tea here
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Free From Afternoon Tea

This is a really big post which I am so excited about! Not only do I get to eat loads of yummy snacks, I can tick off one pretty big thing from my 2016 goals list, and that is to do a collaboration with Sainsbury’s! Sainsbury’s are without a doubt my favourite UK supermarket and I was so surprised to find this particular package waiting on my doorstep last week. The package in question sent to me was a massive bag filled with all the necessary equipment to have a fabulously free from afternoon tea in celebration of National Afternoon Tea Week.

For those living a gluten free lifestyle for whatever reason, I’m sure you have noticed the staggering changes in the free from market over the past 5 years. It is getting bigger and better with every launch, and Sainsbury’s have very recently revamped their entire range of free from products. I’ve tried pretty much everything out as I’m the type of coeliac who sees a new product and instantly feels like it’s my duty to buy it, eat it, and if it’s good then tell all my gluten free friends and family about it! I even went and bought the new Sainsbury’s birthday cake even though it’s not my birthday for months, no shame in admitting that one! So, onto the free from afternoon tea…

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I set everything up in my mum’s back garden as it was a beautiful and sunny day.

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My favourite from the range is defintiely the chocolate brownie! Before too long, the afternoon tea had a gate crasher…

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As pretty as my pooch is, he wasn’t getting any of it! It didn’t stop him having a sniff and licking his lips though!

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Thanks to Evie for the necklace loan for this shoot!

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These fantastic new treats are just waiting for you to try at your local Sainsbury’s and are all free from wheat, gluten and milk:

Rich Fruit Cake Slices

Fruity Granola Slices

Cherry & Almond Slices

Chocolate Brownies

Mini Bakewell Tarts

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What are you doing to celebrate National Afternoon Tea Week? Whether you have a food allergy or not, everyone should get to have some fun with a lovely afternoon tea this week!

Saharasplash x

 

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The Real Greek Lunch

Just two weeks after my last day at my office job, I found myself heading for Westfield Shepherd’s Bush at 1 o clock on a Friday afternoon. I was so excited as this was to be my first blogger’s lunch and boy was I in for a treat! I’m sure you have all seen one of The Real Greek restaurants if you are local to London, there are 9 in total and I was about to experience The Real Greek Lunch celebrating the launch of their new book. This inspired cookbook is written by the restaurant’s consultant and expert in all things Greek- Tonia Buxton.  I was so surprised when the menus came round to see the incredible variety of things which I could eat as a coeliac. Over half the menu is gluten free and so I was thrilled to see what was going to be brought to us, ordered all by Tonia who looked after us so well.

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It was lovely to meet the Blink Publishing team along with Tonia herself and a handful of bloggers too. It was great to chat blogging and food while we waited for our starters to arrive.

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We tried pretty much everything from the starter menu, my favourite was the Melitzanosalata, an aubergine dish which I have recreated in my own kitchen and photos are at the end so you can see!

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We tried a range of wonderful mains too, a lot of the fish I didn’t eat just because I’m not a fan of things from the sea, but the others certainly enjoyed the dishes.

I had the most amazing greek salad and chicken skewers with peppers. The stand out dish for me was a vegetarian dish called Gigandes Plaki. Giant beans in a tomato sauce went down a treat.

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Speaking of treats, I tried something new which I had never even considered to be a dessert until this was put in front of me. It looked like yoghurt and mushrooms, but Tonia explained that it was candied walnuts. I tried one and fell in love!

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The sweet nut paired with the greek yoghurt was so moreish, it was lucky we were sharing this as I would have eaten the entire thing.

The tea was also a big hit, it’s a herbal blend called Greek Mountain tea and was so good, I have been back since just for this alone!

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What I discovered at The Real Greek Lunch, aside from the amazing tastes, was a new found repsect for Greek culture and the great importance food has for it. I loved how simple the dishes were and how we shared them out to try a bit of everything- this is definitely something I will be going back to with friends and family to show them the way of the Greeks!

As promised, here is a little something I cooked recently using The Real Greek cookbook. The Melitzanosalata recipe on p29 was so simple and easy to follow, I made the most amazing accompaniment that gave my turkey steaks and quinoa rice the perfect zing!

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Here is a little outfit detail for those of you wondering what I wore to The Real Greek Lunch:

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Boohoo crop and H&M skirt

The Real Greek recipe book is out now, buy it from Amazon here to bring some Greek style to your kitchen!

The Real Greek have posted all about our blogger’s lunch, so check this out here to see more photos and who was there 🙂

Saharasplash x

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Envy Professional Style Hero

For those who know me well, you are well aware of what an addictive personality I have to things. When I was younger I had a DVD collection that rivalled all family and friends combined. This then moved onto clothes, fashion and beauty as I got older, and now I just love it when something comes along that I can obsess over. Envy Professional certainly has the products that I can obsess over and in this blog post I want to share with you (not my own one though!) the power of the Envy Professional Style Hero.

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I love everything about this devilish product, its dark and sleek design to the amazing way it has transformed the way I dry my hair. It is used by thousands of hairdressers worldwide and there is one simple reason for this- it works for everyone! No matter if you have fine, thick, curly or straight hair, the Envy Professional Style Hero works with it all to control, protect and repair damaged hair.

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It has a very similar scent to freshly cut rose stems, just divine. Its key ingredients include Keratin amino acids and silk proteins which penetrate into each hair strand to lock in that all-important moisture we all love.

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The product is a clear serum, which you only need 4-5 pumps of and work it into damp hair. As soon as I apply this from roots to ends, there is no struggle to comb my long hair through and it makes blowdrying a dream. This sexy little product is definitely my little secret weapon, and I want you all to enjoy it as much as I do:

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For my wickedly loyal followers and readers, I’m giving you a 50%off code to use so you can try this out on your hair, simply use the code ‘blog50‘ and shop oline at www.envypro.co.uk

There are more tantalizing products in the Envy Professional range for you to try, so take advantage of this sinful discount today-

Discount code valid until 30th August 2016

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Saharasplash x

Stay a little longer and read all about my interstellar experience at the Star Trek Beyond premiere and see what I asked Chris Pine!

 

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Tshirt Etiquette, Love Moschino

It has been too long since I did a fashion related shoot outside, so I was so happy this weekend just gone when the weather was too good not to go out and take some photos! This post I am talking about tshirt etiquette. It is more difficult than you realise to pull off a tshirt without looking too casual, or looking like you had nothing else to wear. So in this post I’m going to be talking through my outfit choices while wearing a tshirt, and perhaps the next time you go to your wardrobe, you will have a new found respect for the tshirts in there. This is Tshirt Etiquette, Love Moschino.

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The tshirt in this post is from the Love Moschino range, and the website is Tessuti.co.uk. Tessuti is a great luxury boutique with some of my favourite designers so you should definitely check them out if you like this post. My Love Moschino tshirt is a great quality shirt, I always like to have a few higher end tshirts in my wardrobe as well as your standard H&M ones too for lazy days around the house. If I am going to wear a tshirt out, then I will always reach for the great quality ones like this. In the photos above I have chosen to tuck my tshirt into a high waisted pencil skirt, for me this is one of the first rules of tshirt etiquette. Always buy tshirts long enough to tuck in, as there’s nothing worse than a tshirt that is too short for your torso. If you can raise your arms without exposing belly, then you’re ok. I chose a black skirt with a white waistband as this helps to break the black up if you have dark on the top and the bottom. You can do a similar effect white a white belt, and make sure to wear skin colour tights or no tights at all. For me, this look makes the tshirt sophisticated and totally acceptable to wear to work and to go out wearing too.

Moving onto my second look, the ever not-so-simple tshirt with jeans. This look is so hard to create in my opinion. I find that although most of us feel comfortable in this go-to ensemble, very rarely do we look at someone wearing a tshirt and jeans and say to ourselves, ‘that’s a nice outfit’. In this next series of photos I’ve gone and made the tshirt the star of the show, and I’ll tell you how:

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I’ve opted to tuck the tshirt into my high waisted grey jeans but just at the front. This helps to show off more outfit, and I think that it gives the outfit more dimenion, not to mention your legs will seem longer this way. I chose grey jeans because this really draws the attention to the tshirt. Colour matching is also something to consider if you have a tshirt on with colours. I’ve matched my lips to the orange/red on the Love Moschino logo. You can also do this by painting your nails a colour which matches too as this helps to bring it all together.

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With tshirt etiquette, there’s nothing better than a tshirt with heels. It glams the whole outfit up, makes you feel more dressy and it will guarantee some headturns if you walk with confidence. So my last tip is wear your tshirt with pride. Practically all my tshirts have logos or symbols from Game of Thrones to Star Wars to this Love Moschino tee. I find that tshirts are a great way to express that you are a fan of something, so don’t let it go to waste- do your tshirt justice!

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Next time you are thinking of grabbing a tshirt from your wardrobe, give the tshirt etiquette some thought, and see how differently you can style it, own it and rock it!

Saharasplash x

 

Thanks for reading, head over to the home page now to find out what else is trending

 

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