By the Riverside

Paloma | Dress- Forever 21 (similar) | Shoes- Topshop (Similar)

 | Sunglasses - Topshop

Jess | Jeans- Topshop | Blouse- H&M (similar) | Necklace- Mango (Similar) | Shoes-Deichmann (similar) 

This summer we have made a habit, perhaps the best kind of habit there could be, of going for coffee by the Thames. Although I have the luxury of living by the sea whilst at university (St.Andrew's you stunner) there is something so magical about the London riverside in the midst of the August sun. The ice cream vans, ducklings, picnickers, row boats drifting by and the mad rush to get your tan on... Summertime in London is truly beautiful.

Recipe: Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

110g butter, melted

200g caster sugar

2 eggs

60g self-raising flour

30g cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm square tin.

 In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined.

 Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mix well.

Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix until smooth. Spread the mix evenly into the prepared tin.

Bake for 25-30 mins until the edges are firm, leave to cool before cutting.

This is the best sharing recipe to bring to a party or just to keep all to yourself and enjoy with a nice cup of tea. Feel free to add 60g of nuts of your choice, chocolate chips or even cherries to the mix, whatever takes your fancy.

Recipe: Greek Filo Pie

Ingredients

200g bag of spinach leaves

175g jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

100g feta cheese

1 egg

1/2 250g pack of filo pastry

Put the spinach in a large pan. Pour over a tbsp of water, then cook until just wilted. Tip into a sieve, leave to cool a little, then squeeze out any excess water and roughly chop.

Meanwhile finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté in oil until just soft. 

Whilst waiting for your 'hob work' to finish, unroll the filo pastry. Cover with some damp sheets of kitchen paper to stop it drying out.

Take a sheet of pastry and brush liberally with some of the sun dried tomato oil. Drape oil-side down in a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin so that some of the pastry hangs over the side. Brush oil on the other piece of pastry and place in the in, just a little further around. Keep placing the pastry pieces until you've finished the pack.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a bowl along with the spinach, onion, garlic, feta and eggs.

Mix well and season.

Spoon over the filling. Pull the sides into the middle, scrunch up and make sure the filling is covered, brush with a little more oil.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cook the pie for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the cake tin, slice into wedges and serve with a salad.

Hope you all try and enjoy this great, easy recipe which is a favourite for all of the flatmates. You can always change it up, add chicken if you're not a vegetarian, change the cheese or veg, or even make it sweet, dust with icing sugar and use coconut oil. As long as your mix isn't too wet, you're good to go.