We Love - Orla

Oh hi there! I am back with a another summer addition to the blog wearing my absolute favourite pattern for the perfect summer day. It's so easy to dress up or down, with a switch of shoes and changing a cardigan to a blazer.
Now where did that sun go?

Can we tempt you? Just click Orla

Allium B Kitchen-Courgette Fritters & Tzatziki

Summer is our favourite season to cook in. With the sun shining and longer evenings it makes us head to the kitchen to put together light, vibrant and fresh food to serve in the garden. So if you don't find yourself heading on a jet plane for some greek food, then why not bring it to you.

We put together a light greek meal to enjoy outside for the first time this year, and thought it would be rude not to share.

To make courgette fritters for two, you will need-

2 cups of grated courgette
1 cup of grated potato (uncooked and peeled)
2 medium eggs
2tbsp of chopped chives
2tbsp of chopped mint
1 lemon
salt

For your tzatziki you will need

350g of greek yoghurt
1 grated cucumber
1 lemon
2 crushed garlic cloves
pinch of paprika
splash of extra virgin olive oil




1. Grate you veggies, sprinkle with salt and leave in a sieve to dry them out, you can now start  your dip
2. In a large bowl mix together your yoghurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Put a splash of olive oil in, and mix together. Cover with cling film and pop it in the fridge for the flavours to develop.
3. Go back to your veg and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
4. In another bowl beat the eggs and add the mint, lemon and chives. Then stir in the courgette and potato, until mixed through.
5. Now it's time to cook them. Put a pan on a medium heat and add a good glug of olive oil. 
6. Spoon your mixture into small circles and flatten. It's best to cook 3/4 at a time so you can keep an eye on them.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, and leave on a plate in a warm oven until the rest are cooked.
8. Serve with your tzatziki, and add a dusting of paprika for some added flavour. Eat as a starter or a side to a freshly cooked roast chicken. Perfect for a beautiful summers evening. 

Allium B Kitchen: Homemade fruit smoothies

With hints of Summer now appearing one of the top things on our list is to get into the swing of making smoothies throughout the week, to either drink on the way to work, or sip in the garden for Breakfast. There are lots of different concoctions you can make, but we find that keeping it simple is the way forward. Above we have made a mixed fruit smoothie, and it's normally purely what we have in the house that day, but for the above drink we used this recipe-

1 cup of bananas
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of blackberries
3 ice cubes
1/2 cup of milk

Put all of the above in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Luckily fruit is great mixed together whatever the amount, and you can use anything you have in the fruit bowl.

It is the best way to start in the day in our books :)

We Love: Eliza

This past weekend was just gorgeous, and no better excuse than to wear this Summers staple piece for a picnic in the park. I look the part setting up with my hamper and tartan rug before relaxing in the evening sun before the sun went down. I can't wait to wear it throughout the summer, as long as the sun holds out :)

I am wearing Eliza in Blue.

Don't forgot for first time orders just add  HELLO at the checkout for 15% off

Summer is nearly here...

...well it is showing peeps of it down here in Brighton, and oh my does it make us happy. We are already imagining our summer outfits and how we will spend our weekends. There is also lots going on in Brighton at the moment with the Brighton Festival and Fringe festival until the end of May!

What does everyone have planned for the new season?

Goodbye Summer

With the nights drawing in and a chill in the air, summer is slowly on it's way out. We have had a truly wonderful summer. I think we even managed 2 straight weeks of nothing but sun, our english skin turned brown rather than patchy pink and the bbq got used more than once. Many seafront walks were taken here in Brighton and maybe one to many ice creams were polished off.
Brighton truly shows off during the summer months and we couldn't be happier to call it home.
Please come out again next year Mr Sun...

Allium B Kitchen: Courgette salad

With the sun making one last push before the Autumn chill kicks in, we are rustling one last summer dinner in the hope the sun just has one last appearance left in him (yes we think the sun is a him)
This recipe can seriously only take a few minutes to prepare and is a perfect pick me up for lunch.

You will need to serve 2
2 large courgettes
2 tbsp of Pesto (homemade or store bought)
10-15 cherry tomatoes
olive oil



1. Using a potato peeler, peel the courgette into small strips. (You will need to be light handed to get the smaller strips)
2. Half the cherry tomatoes and heat a pan on medium heat with a splash of olive oil
3. Once hot add your cherry tomatoes, and stir for about 5 minutes so the tomatoes are soft and slightly roasted
4. Stir your pesto into the courgette and scatter with your tomatoes

You can make quickly the night before work, or whip it up for a quick healthy dinner. 



enjoy x

Summer in London

I just love how photogenic London is when the sun is out, I feel like snapping away at any given opportunity.
What have you been snapping over the Summer?

Allium B Kitchen: Cherry Salad

As the summer continues we always long for fresh, quick dinners, but coming up with different ideas can sometimes prove tricky, so try this cherry salad for a bit of variation either as a main or side.

You will need,

4tbsp olive oil
2 tbp honey
1 thick slice of bread
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
mixed salad leaves
200g fresh cherries (halved and stoned)
1/3 cucumber

1. Cut your bread into chunks and put into a bowl with 1 tbsp oil, toss to coat and bake on a baking tray for 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard, oil and honey to make the dressing
3. Place the salad, cherries, cucumber in a bowl and toss in the dressing


To bulk up the dinner for a main meal you could always add some chicken.



enjoy :)

Allium B Kitchen: Grilled lemon chicken & salad

We are still seriously pining for a good summer over here, and still dreaming of spending our evenings in the garden. Although the summer may still not be on our side, at least it's not snowing, which calls for lighter, healthier dishes for the long light evenings. Although this recipe has a little preparation time, it all comes together so easily to make such a tasty salad for either lunch or dinner (or like us, just make double and take some for work the next day)



For the Chicken 
{serves 2 people}

2 chicken breasts (cut in small strips)
6 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 lemons worth of juice + zest from each
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt and pepper, each, + more for taste
1 chili peppers, diced with seeds
1 generously large handful of fresh coriander leaves

For the Lemon Dressing:
{serves 2}

1 small tub of creme freche
1 lemon 
1 garlic
1 tbsp spoon olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 small handful of fresh coriander leaves

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a medium-sized bowl. 
2. Toss the chicken in the marinade bowl and either cover and refrigerate. Keep in the refrigerator for atleast an hour, though overnight is best. 
3. Cook directly on a heated grill pan for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through (alternatively you can grill on the bbq)
4. combine all ingredients for the dressing together, and garnish for corriander
5. Make your salad. We used, fresh salad leaves, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and avocado




Mix all together to make your salad, enjoy!

We Love: Wimbledon

Yey, it's that time of year again, the sun is shining and we all seem to be interested in the Tennis. Maybe it's because of the Pimms and strawberries and cream, but we love it all the same. There is only one thing though, surely this means it's going to rain now?!?

Allium B Kitchen: Summer carbonara

This recipe comes handed down through family, and time and time again it is dug out for that perfect summers evening dinner out on the patio. We are massive pasta fans at Allium B, but always find ourselves going back for seconds with this light carbonara version.

You will need (to serve 2 hungry people)

4 rashers of bacon (2 pp)
4 eggs (2pp)
1 tablespoon of parsley or a small handful of freshly chopped parsley
100ml milk
200g mushrooms
250g spaghetti pasta



1. Cut bacon into cubes, chop onions and slice mushrooms
2. Prepare mixture in a measuring jug by adding the eggs, milk and parsley. Mix together well
3. Boil water and start cooking pasta
4. Heat pan to a medium heat and add the bacon, onions and mushrooms
5. Fry for 8-10, keeping everything moving, until everything is well done
6. Drain pasta, and add to the pan
7. Pour over the mixture, and start to mix it all together for 2-3 making sure the egg doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 



Serve with garlic bread and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, oh and that perfect crisp white wine :)

Enjoy!

We Love: Brighton in the sun

We love Brighton. Well of course we do, we live here, but when that sun comes out and every one has a smile on their face it really is a magical place.



There really is nothing better than a evening stroll along the seafront after a tough day at work.

Don't forget we put up our guide to Brighton for those who want to visit