3 Nights In Vienna

Recently I was lucky enough to be whisked away by Liam to Vienna & Budapest (well he didn't actually whisk me away but it was all his idea and he actually planned most of the holiday, which was fab 'cause I've been trés stressed lately).  

Neither of us had been to Vienna or Budapest before, so we really didn't know what to expect.  I have been to Austria before when I was much younger on a school trip, but that was for skiing so I didn't experience much of the bigger cities.  

Firstly, we flew into Vienna.  We stayed at the Mecure (side note: there are about 6 Mecure Hotels in Vienna alone, so initially we were taken to the wrong hotel...oops) which definitely wasn't like the 4 star hotels one is used to after living in Dubai for 23 years, but it was in a great location, it was clean and we got a free upgrade, so I wasn't complaining!  There was plenty of room for me to bust out a morning sweat circuit to prepare myself for a day of eating! 

Vienna as a city is beautiful. It has endless architectural masterpieces that honestly make you stop and gasp, and the Danube river runs along it's eastern perimeter.  Definitely make your way into St. Stephen's Cathedral; if you're lucky you'll catch the choir singing, and it truly is a goose bump moment.  Hofburg Palace is also beautiful, and I would highly recommend visiting the Natural History Museum if you're a massive geek like me!  The Austrian Parliament Building is pretty majestic also; and make sure you explore out of the centre of the city and into the Museumsquartier, which is where you'll see the Votive Church (we were told by a taxi driver that last year someone climbed to the top and was arrested!).  

One thing I would recommend to see is an Opera.  Vienna is famous for it's art and music, and there are so many concerts and operas on all year round.  Just one handy hint - buy your tickets in advance and make sure it's in English!! Otherwise you may be sitting there very confused! 

Now to the important part - the food.  We (and by we I mostly mean Liam) did. not. stop. eating. The food in Vienna is pretty amazing, with an obvious Middle Eastern influence.  The Viennese are famous for their pastries and cakes, so we took it upon ourselves to try them all (duh).  Obviously the apple strudel was fab (we'll come to that later) but there's also a chocolate and apricot jam cake called Sachertorte, which was all time; and filled brioche with either poppy seeds or crushed walnuts that was also scrummy.   Head over to Cafe Central to try their famous apple strudel! 

For a more savoury snack, the bratwhurst sausages were our go to.  If you're like me and you enjoy a good sausage now and again (lol sorry there's no other way to put that!) then you will LOVE Vienna.  There's little stands all over the place, selling sizzling sausages for no more than 4 Euro.  If you're going all out, then opt for a sausage in a roll, if you're saving your carbs for chocolate cake then opt for a sliced sausage.  Note - no sausage snack is complete without tomato sauce, mustard, sauerkraut and a gherkin! 

If you're a food lover like me, then visiting the Naschmarket is a must.  Not only is there plenty of trendy little cafes to chose from (we tried a couple out for breakfast and they were both fab) but there are endless stalls of fresh fruit and veg, nuts, olives, tepanades, spices, sauces, dried fruits, seafood, stuffed peppers, breads, wines...the list goes on and on.  We bought so many little snacks to keep us going (like we weren't consuming enough already HA!) but mainly is was just to taste everything on offer! 

For dinner, we tried out a couple of traditional Viennese restaurants.  The first night Liam had Weiner Schnitzel and I had an enormous piece of salmon with veg and these delicious potatoes cooked in butter and parsley.  The second night I had the famous beef goulash with a Viennese dumpling, and for once in my life I couldn't finish it! Liam had pork and dumplings, and even he was defeated.  They are definitely not shy on portion size in Vienna! 

Vienna is a wonderful, laid back city with a great vibe. The people are really friendly and always happy to help.  Definitely a go to in my eyes! With maybe 1 or 2 more days we could have seen the further perimeters of the city, but it was great any way! 

Stay tuned for my next post on Budapest! 

V x 

Black Bean Brownies!

OK, so there a tonne of recipes going around for black bean brownies at the moment, so I thought I'd create my own, and surprisingly, it worked! Don't be mislead by the black beans, you can't taste them at all once they're baked.  Plus, this recipe is sugar and dairy free, so everyone can give it a go! 

TIME: 10 minutes prep, 35 minutes baking

MAKES: 16 brownies 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained

3 very ripe bananas 

2 eggs 

100ml almond milk

2 tbsp Wetherspoons sugar free chocolate sauce 

4 tbsp cocoa powder 

1 scoop chocolate protein powder 

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup oat flour 

1 cup almond flour 

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips 

Another 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips and 1/2 cup ground almonds for on top 

METHOD: 

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C, and grease and line a 16cmx16cm baking tin with coconut oil and baking sheet

In a food processor, first blend the black beans and banana, then adding in the other ingredients one by one

Instead of processing, stir in the chocolate chips (so they don't break up)

Pour the mixture into the baking tin, then sprinkle with ground walnuts and more chocolate chips

At this point, take a chopstick (or something pointy) and gently swirl in some of the walnuts on top, so that they don't all fall off during eating and are slightly combined with the top of the brownie mixture

Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes (or until a tooth pick comes out relatively clean)

Cut into 16 squares and enjoy warm! 

These will keep in the fridge for about 5 days, or freeze then reheat to enjoy (that's if you don't eat them all at once!) 

These are honestly some of the most moist, yummy brownies I've ever tasted! 

V x 

A Spirulina A Day Keeps The Doctor Away...

I'm not going to sugar coat this, my daily shot of spirulina tastes awful. Every morning I mix 1/4 teaspoon of spirulina powder with enough water to fill a shot glass (my Mexico shot glass - classy gal) and try and get it down my throat as fast as possible.  You may ask why I torture myself...well basically the benefits of spirulina far out way the taste (not exaggerating, it makes wheatgrass taste like sweet nectar). 

So what is spirulina? Basically it's a type of algae formed in warm, alkaline lakes in Africa as well as Central and South America.  What we eat is dried and comes in a powder form.  The alkalinic properties of this algae contains a tonne of chlorophyll giving it it's dark green colour, which makes it an extremely powerful detoxifier. 

 Many studies have found it to be effective at detoxing heavy metals (including arsenic) from the body, helping to improve the blood health.  It has also been found to eliminate Candida, the bacteria that can cause yeast infections, as well as disrupt the microfloral balance of the gut contributing to leaky gut syndrome and other digestive disorders.  It can reduce nasal congestion, so make sure you hit it up when you're feeling fluey!

As well as helping to detox the body, spirulina has been found to promote production of anti-bodies, anti-inflammatories and infection fighting proteins in the body, which in turn can improve our immunity.  It's even been found to affect cancer cells, helping to reduce the growth and development of cancer.  Finally on the medical front, it has been found to reduce cholesterol and decrease blood pressure.  This in turn reduces the chance of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.  

Personally, I've found spirulina to boost my energy.  I'm not a coffee drinker, but before my daily spirulina shots, I would get a little drowsy mid morning, despite doing everything 'right'.  For me, it has also reduced bloating (thanks to balancing my gut flora) and I have seen a little weight loss in the past couple of weeks, but that may also be due to a slightly improved eating plan.  

My main reason for starting to take spirulina, however, is my liver health.  Spirulina has been found to improve liver health and function, most likely due to it's ability to help purify the blood and eliminate toxins from the body.  Our liver acts a lot like a cleansing system for our bodies.  It stores excess fat, processes antibiotics and medications, and of course, eliminates alcohol from our blood stream.  Years of 'abusing' your liver can have severely detrimental effects, so a shot of spirulina can seriously help the liver out and improve your health.  

Now, what we've all been waiting for....spirulina has been found to aid in weight loss!!  It is thought to reduce appetite (I would definitely agree with that) due to it's high protein content and 18 essential amino acids.  It is best consumed in the morning, on an empty stomach before breakfast.  Obviously, following a healthy diet and exercising regularly will help you reach your health goals, but by incorporating spirulina daily, your results will be even better.  

So man up, hold your nose and chuck that green goodness down your throat! 

V x