Baked beans with harissa, chorizo & sun dried tomatoes

in All recipes, Savoury -

Comforting as they are simple, these baked beans with harissa, chorizo & sun dried tomatoes remind me of home and speak to my heart. 

Baked beans with harissa, chorizo & sun dried tomatoes

How happy am I to be back here after what seems like forever! I have been working on projects almost non stop for the last couple of months and even though I much enjoy collaborations and the challenges and joy they bring, cooking purely for pleasure, following a craving or inspired by an ingredient is always what I love the most. That and sharing it all here. [READ MORE]

Brussels sprouts, pear & spinach salad with feta & croutons

in Savoury, Taste -

Brussels sprouts, pear & spinach salad with feta & croutons- aka my new favourite way to pack tons of vegetables and colours onto one dish.

Brussels sprouts, pear & spinach salad with feta & croutons

Happy New Year everyone! I hope it’s filled with everything y’all wish for. I wish for health, laughter and delicious meals shared with loved ones- as cheesy as that may sound (oh! And cheese! I wish for lots and lots of cheese!). These past few weeks have been very intense, emotional and quite frankly very difficult for me for a number of reasons. So along with the above, even though I don’t do new year’s resolutions as they don’t make much sense to me, I really hope I slowly learn to be calmer, more accepting of how things evolve, but also more assertive and active. [READ MORE]

Dried & fresh mushroom tagliatelle with white wine

in Savoury, Taste -

These dried & fresh mushroom tagliatelle with white wine are exactly what a plate of pasta should be: simple, delicious and good enough to go for seconds.

Dried & fresh mushroom tagliatelle with white wine

Dried mushrooms are by far one of my favourite ingredients to use; I do so sparingly though, keeping the precious dark gems at the back of my cupboard, waiting for the right moment to soak some of them in water, toss with few other ingredients and marvel once again at their rich, deep flavour and power to transform any dish into something wonderful. [READ MORE]

Mandarine, beet & pistachio barley salad

in Savoury, Taste -

Colourful and filled with flavour and textures, this mandarine, beet & pistachio barley salad is a super star all around. 

Mandarine, beet & pistachio barley salad

It’s not always clear to me how a recipe comes to happen; often it’s something I crave or miss- usually my mom’s food or a dish I’ve tried in a restaurant and left a lingering taste in my mouth. Other times inspiration stems from recipes seen in cookbooks or online. More often than not though, everything starts with ingredients: it can be something not very exciting I have in the fridge or cupboard, or fresh seasonal produce first making a timid appearance in market stalls. These are my favourite ones: I feel almost haunted by colours and shapes, I touch and smell and a dish, or a faint outline, more like a desire, starts coming together. For this salad, it all started with mandarines- of which I used to not think much  for quite a long time. Then suddenly, a while ago, I started finding them utterly irresistible. I love when that happens- it’s like having a new friend and start making all sorts of exciting plans for adventures to share together. [READ MORE]

Baked pumpkins, stuffed with couscous, blue cheese & pine nuts

in Savoury, Taste -

Perfectly seasonal, very easy to make and very hard to resist baked pumpkins stuffed with couscous, blue cheese & pine nuts.

Baked pumpkins, stuffed with couscous, blue cheese & pine nuts

Fragrant herbs and filling grains or carbs is usually my go to for easy lunches or fuss free dinners. A little bit of couscous, quinoa or wholewheat pasta, brown or black rice, faro and barley are on heavy rotation year round, alongside lots of greens and maybe eggs or fish. In the colder months, I like to pair them with thick skinned vegetables, roasted with generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil until they almost collapse, and their flesh is almost sweet as honey. [READ MORE]

Pickled onion & smoked salmon breakfast platter

in Breakfast, Taste -

This breakfast platter with pickled onions and smoked salmon is one of my favourite things to wake up to on a lazy weekend. 

Pickled onion & smoked salmon brakfast platter

I love breakfast every day of the week; I usually wake up quite early, between 7 and 7.30, and after painstakingly following my morning routine, I start preparing breakfast. It may be just yogurt with homemade granola or honeyed fruit, overnight oats or pipping hot oatmeal; oftentimes it’s eggs on toast, alongside the obligatory avocado slices, almost buried under crunchy dukkah or sumac. Or it can be slices of seeded bread, with thick tahini, fruit and sweet Greek honey. Whatever it is, it’s never the same and I devour it with enthusiasm almost without fail. [READ MORE]

Cavolo nero & sun dried tomato mac & cheese with crunchy pecan topping

in Savoury, Taste -

This cavolo nero & sun dried tomato mac & cheese with crunchy pecan topping is what my cheesy autumnal dreams are made of!

My love for both pasta and cooking with seasonal ingredients is well documented here, as is my excitement over what to cook when seasons change. I may miss summer and its bright coloured juicy treasures at first, but by mid September, I have fully embraced autumn, it’s vibrant hues of deep orange, red and orange and I find myself, almost without realising, ready for heartier dishes. This year, up until a few days, we were graced with an unexpected glorious indian summer, filled with sunny days and almost balmy nights. And then, all of a sudden, the weather turned very cold- just in time for my dear cavolo nero to be featured in all its glory in a couple dishes. [READ MORE]

Cinnamon & lemon mini apple pies

in Desserts, Taste -

Fall baking can’t get any easier than these cinnamon & lemon mini apple pies with they buttery, fragrant filling and crunchy sweet crust.  

Cinnamon & lemon mini apple pies

Fall is probably my favourite time to bake; after a long summer, which is mostly spent devouring fresh vegetables and fruit, merely tossed with some extra virgin olive oil, fragrant herbs and crunchy nuts, when the days get darker and shorter, I truly crave time spent around the stove. And apples and pears, along with beautiful thick-skinned vegetables, provide just the right starting point for that. [READ MORE]

Nutty & crunchy baklava

in Desserts, Taste -

One of my all time favourite desserts, this nutty & crunchy baklava may take a while to prepare, but it’s sure to make your hearts beat a little faster. 

Nutty & crunchy baklava

Baklava was the first dessert I shared here. It was back when I was experimenting with almost every sweet recipe under the sun: from chocolate chip cookies and spicy buns, to seasonal cakes and fluffy muffins, I did not discriminate, I was game for it all. I had an impossible sweet tooth and was eager to try everything- both in terms of cooking and shooting alike. And, as it often happens, most of my shots and culinary efforts were all over the map. Yet, I remember that time so fondly and with some nostalgia- finding one’s voice, discovering likes and dislikes is usually not an easy process and for me, it was both very frustrating and lots of fun. [READ MORE]

Anchovy, pea & garlic lemony tagliatelle

in Savoury, Taste -

This anchovy, pea & garlic lemony tagliatelle is the perfect end of summer dish: colourful, delicious and comforting in spades. 

Anchovy, pea & garlic lemony tagliatelle

After a blissful, busy, creative and delicious summer, I am back in crazy, moody London, both happy and sad for my return; I am thinking back to sunny, laid back days filled with the freshest food and the longest nights; and I also can’t wait to embrace my usual routine again and for new exciting food adventures to come. [READ MORE]