Simple ways to avocado

The avocado has created a slight uproar recently in the social media food world. Although technically a fruit, it's image has been into a somewhat ‘cool’ vegetable (if that’s even possible) to use in quite literally all of your meals.  Restaurants have even begun revamping their menus to incorporate the almighty avocado in its dishes wherever possible. Don’t get me wrong – we are not complaining. When a menu is set before us, our eyes are automatically drawn to wherever we see the word avocado. Our excitement is pretty tragic, actually. And while it would be great to be starting a blog on a new vegetable we found, something more exciting, exotic and easily compatible with all meals… it’s just yet to happen. So we joined the bandwagon and set aboard on the avocado hype and in all honesty – we are loving the ride. 

So keep reading for a couple simple and delicious  recipes which incorporate our all time favourite superfood: the avocado. 

This is one of my all time favourite side salads. It's perfect with some fish or just on it's own as a light lunch. All you'll need is 1 avocado, a handful of spinach leaves and some dressing. I've chosen to use a pomegranate dressing, which I purchased at a local turkish supermarket. Finish off with some fresh pepper and it's good to go! 

Next up is a meal you can eat at any time during the day - Avocado on toast! You will need simply an avocado (of course), some bread, (we recommend brown/seeded/rye bread, but any will do), half a red onion, 1 chorizo sausage and some paprika and pepper to season.

This is so simple but absolutely delicious and extremely filling, so if you're looking for a healthy snack/meal that will actually fill you up then this is perfect for you!

The Paris low-down

Le premier jour

The Louvre Museum 

Arc de Triomphe

A much needed iced coffee break 

Tour Eiffel by day 

Tour Eiffel by night 

Paris for the first time, where to begin! First of all, an itinerary is much needed. We decided to fit in the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and the all mighty Tour Eiffel in one day. In order to arrive at our first destination we had no choice but to be thrown into the bustle of the Pairs metro. A completely different experience to our more familiar London underground; with its double decker trains and huge platforms. We found our destination fairly easily and made our way to the exit. 

Upon entering The Louvre I was taken aback by the towering glass pyramids that stood before us (you’ll probably remember them from The da Vinci Code). We stayed to snap some pictures then headed inside, since it was sweltering at this point. Once inside, we were surprised to be told that we had free entry because we were students! We spent the majority of the day here, exploring the corridors of artwork that we (quite frankly) didn't have a clue about and learning about famous statues from centuries ago.

We moved onto Arc de Triomphe where there were herds of tourists trying to snap the perfect picture and we were soon one of them. It almost reminded me of a more grand version of Marble Arch - even the area that surrounded it with it’s fancy shops and restaurants. 

The Eiffel Tower was our last stop and we watched it evolve into a glowing spectacular from day to evening. Be warned that you will be approached many times by people trying to sell alcohol and souvenirs. Nonetheless, it was the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the rest of our evening. 

Le deuxième jour

Brunch at Le Pain Quotidien

Avocado toast!

Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris 

Jardin du Luxembourg

Duck confit for dinner!

Bardot top: Topshop

This was the perfect foodie day and definitely my favourite one! We headed into Châtelet for brunch at a little french cafe called Le Pain Quotidien. For anyone in this area or near Notre Dame I HIGHLY recommend this place (and its extremely affordable). After filling ourselves with avocado goodness, we made our way to Notre Dame where we stopped to admire the cathedral amongst the herds of other tourists and took a stroll down La Seine river. 

Once we were satisfied with our time at Notre Dame we decided to find the St-Michel Notre-Dame metro stop, which proved to be a lot harder to find than we anticipated. The directions for locating some stations weren't English friendly at all - even with google maps to guide us! 

Next we decided to visit the much anticipated Catacombs of Paris - a museum said to contain the remains six million humans. As we walked towards the site, we noticed a stream of people queuing for entry, and with high hopes we joined them. A few minutes later we were approached and told we had a slim chance of entering since the last entry was at 7pm and we had over an hour of waiting time. So a tip for you Paris travellers: visit the Catacombs well before 6pm! 

Disappointed, we went to find some iced coffee and a backup plan. We agreed on strolling down a lovely street in the area - full of locals and good food. Exactly what I needed! We bought some macaroons and tried escargot for the first time, which were delicious. By this time we were ready for dinner, so we decided on a restaurant called Cafe Daguerre where I had a classic duck confit and creme brûlée. A must when in Paris. 

Damini xo

The sky garden - worth the hype?

The Sky Garden is an anticipated visit. You’ve seen the pictures on social media, you’ve admired the walkie-talkie building from a distance and, I mean, it’s a garden in the sky. But I’ll break it to you now – you have an unfortunate feeling of ‘anti-climax’ when you finally do reach the top.

We’ll set the scene for you. You walk into an almost airport type situation: security hustle you in, urging for ID at the ready as you await your security check. The made up waves off anxiety wash over you – ‘I know I didn’t bring a gun… but what if someone slipped one in my bag? What if…’the whole situation is rather thrilling and makes the whole experience feel pretty important. Once you make it past security, reassured you aren’t in fact a criminal and make it into the lift, you feel pretty buzzing. 

The lift itself is effortless. Once at the top, you step out and immediately look to your right to the open glass double doors. Walking through, it is admittedly absolutely breathtaking. Shades of green flood the lighting off the roof terrace and you are automatically drawn to the outside terrace where you are eagerly awaited by the impressive London views. The first to steal the limelight is the shard – your eyesight is naturally averted to its long crystal body as it effortlessly thrusts it’s aesthetics.  Of course, London is an incredible city and we recommend the journey up the walkie-talkie building to fully appreciate its beauty,(despite the murkiness of the Thames).

Alas, here is where things become slightly…disappointing. Here you are, practically in the sky: check. You’ve witnessed the views: check. What’s next? Ah, the garden. Steps align either sign off the terrace where you are invited to walk up and admire the greenery. Or, perhaps, lack of? The 30 second walk up the steps allows you to view plants you would probably find in your back garden. The incline allows you to view the north side of London through more open glass windows, with a few benches to sit on. You sit, feeling rather deflated with any hope of an ‘Eden type project’ garden slip away. The greenery all of a sudden feels quite dull and you eagerly look for any colourful or exotic plants you may have missed. It’s at this point you realise where the terrace makes all its money – the bars/restaurants. After feeling a little disappointed, you are more than eager to go and get a cocktail (or few).

So is this sky garden worth it? In a nutshell, yes – it’s free, and nothing beats the views this building gets from luckily being isolated from any skyscraper neighbours. Sitting on the bar stools drinking a coffee and having a chat with the view of London will not be unbeaten. However planning your visit is crucial.  Try to go on a clear day and plan things to do around your visit; there is only so long you can spend with plants. Or, be prepared to spend… (deep intake in breath) quite a bit of money. The sky garden isn’t cheap, but the aroma of seafood wafting down from the Fenchurch grill located at the top off the terrace did smell amazing. If you can, go in the evening – have a meal, watch the sunset go down across London and have a few cocktails. If, like us, you are unfortunately eagerly still awaiting another student loan – grab a coffee, admire the views and then go round the corner to the local itsu. Not perhaps, ‘Fenchurch grill seafood’ but pretty darn good at the same time.

The Ivory Room x