Zucchini & smocked trout spaghetti

in Savoury, Taste -

This zucchini & smocked trout spaghetti is not only a delicious stunner put together in mere minutes, but also my new favourite summer pasta dish!

Zucchini & smocked trout spaghetti

My answer to the question “what’s your favourite food” is always: pasta. Pasta forever. Yet, I make it quite rarely. Part of it is because I want to enjoy it more, on special occasions- which can vary from a fancy dinner date to an utterly informal and quick one pot dish, eaten hungrily straight from the pan. Another is my inability to have a little bit of pasta; it’s never a little bit, it’s always a lot. A lot. And carbs- as much as I love them, they tend to weigh me down, so I rather favour quinoa, roast veggies and fish instead. [READ MORE]

Lemonade with lime, spearmint & honey

in Small bites, Taste -

I’ve been making this lemonade with lime, spearmint & honey for about a month now, non stop. It’s sweet and sour, fragrant and utterly addictive!

Lemonade with lime, spearmint & honey

My go-to drink in the summer is always water: cold, but not too cold, a couple tall glasses at a time. I drink lots and lots throughout the day, along with a couple short strong coffees in the morning and crispy white wine some nights. My sister often makes fills big jugs with lemon wedges, cucumber slices, handfuls of mint or basil and water and it’s the most refreshing drink ever! [READ MORE]

String beans with saffron, lemon & mustard vinaigrette

in Savoury, Taste -

Light, simple and delicious, these string beans with saffron, lemon & mustard vinaigrette are the perfect pair to any summer bbq. 

String beans with saffron & mustard vinaigrette

I’ve been in Greece for about two weeks now, hence my brief disappearance. If you’re following along here, you may have seen that the last couple of weeks have been quite the stunner. Visiting Messenia for the first time made my heart beat faster and filled my eyes with overwhelming views: deep blue sea and imposingly towering mountains, separated only by silver green olive trees, proud cypresses and the greenest rosemary shrubs as far as the eye could see. [READ MORE]

Sardine, avocado & spinach quinoa bowl

in Savoury, Taste -

I’ve been making this sardine, avocado & spinach quinoa bowl on repeat lately- it’s so quick and easy and filled with goodness and flavour!

Sardine, avocado & spinach quinoa bowl

It’s no secret I am a big fan of quick & easy meals. Sometimes, I love an elaborate meal, mostly when I’m craving lots of time spent in the kitchen, following in an almost meditating manner steps and carefully measuring and adding ingredients. Mostly though, I love dishes that are straightforward, their parts coming together almost intuitively. Like this quinoa bowl. [READ MORE]

Green pasta salad with parsley & thyme vinaigrette

in Savoury, Taste -

I am a little bit obsessed with this green pasta salad with parsley & thyme vinaigrette- I’ll be making it all summer long and I hope you will too.

Green pasta salad with parsley & thyme vinaigrette

Like with any good salad, it all starts with a delicious vinaigrette- which, in this case started in the same way most of my dishes begin: with a pinch of this and a dash of that, with whatever I had in hand and thoughts of how flavours and ingredients pair nicely together. The first time I made it, I had a plate of wholewheat penne and a can of tuna to play with. As simple -and frankly- as boring as it gets. [READ MORE]

Strawberry, avocado & cucumber giant couscous salad

in Savoury, Taste -

A refreshing strawberry, avocado & cucumber giant couscous salad perfect for summer days and nights, when the living is easy.

Even though it’s not entirely so, in my mind summer arrived in London about three weeks ago; since then, I’ve been in a constant state of excitement over all the beautiful late spring and early summer beauties available: crisp and refreshing cucumbers, sweet juicy strawberries and delicate fresh greens, all begging to be left as they are, merely tossed with some fragrant herbs, a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of salt flakes, or a dollop of thick honey or drizzle of thick golden olive oil. [READ MORE]

Blueberry, basil & lime yogurt cheesecake

in Desserts, Taste -

A light and fluffy blueberry, basil & lime yogurt cheesecake, made with cottage cheese, yogurt and the pretties blueberries.

I spent many of my teenage years dreaming of making the perfect cheesecake; the inspiration was Miranda, a friend of my parents. Everything she made, and still makes, was delicious, beautifully presented, utterly satisfying and warming, the way only a meal made with lots of love and attention can be. My favourites were her cheesecake and tiramisu. I marvelled at them for years, their perfect shape, layers of goodness and flavour- my god, so much flavour! [READ MORE]

Baked chickpeas with capers, olives & orange

in Savoury, Taste -
These simple and delicious baked chickpeas with capers, olives & orange only need friends to share with and lots of crusty bread. 
Baked chickpeas with capers, olives & orange
Of all pulses, chickpeas are easily my favourites. Their smooth taste makes them irresistibly versatile and a great addition to so many dishes from silky hummus and veggie burgers to chunky soups and fragrant curries. Possibly my favourite way to cook them has been tossing them with olive oil, lots of spices and herbs and cook until very crispy and utterly irresistible. Like so, they add texture and lots of flavour to fried eggs and veggie wraps- though to be honest, I mostly just eat them straight from the pan, while they are still almost too hot to touch.

[READ MORE]

Strawberry, basil & lime cream cheese tart

in All recipes, Desserts -

Celebrating this year’s Mother’s Day with this a dessert as sweet and pretty as my mom: a strawberry, basil & lime cream cheese tart!

Strawberry, basil & lime cream cheese tart

Mother’s Day(s) are always bittersweet for me; they are a celebration, of course, but also a reminder of how much I miss my mom. It’s been many years since I left home, I should have been used to the distance by now; I haven’t. Instead, the longing to see her and my dad has been lingering, at times mellower and others stinging as hard as that first night I spent alone in my first apartment.

I’ve written here about my mom time and time again. The impact they’ve have on me in general and my cooking and eating habits specifically is very lasting and one I carry with great pride. Even though my childhood and adolescence have not been idillic (and I believe they rarely are, to be frank),  they have been full. Of experiences, stimuli and opportunity, discipline and freedom, tension and drama- but also lots of love. [READ MORE]

Pea, pesto & egg salad with radishes & sourdough

in Savoury, Taste -

A pea, pesto & egg salad with radishes & sourdough as colourful as spring and as beautiful and fresh as the seasons inspires. 

Pea, pesto & egg salad with radishes & sourdough

Somewhere between spring and summer (as it usually is the case in London- the weather jumps from winter to blasting heat and back again and again), I find myself overwhelmed, inspired, too hot to cook, too enamoured with all the beautiful fresh produce available (strawberries! asparagus! baby potatoes! peas!) to choose. In the last few days, I’ve been mostly gravitating towards tartines, eggs and salads; some are simple and hastily tossed together with extra virgin olive oil, a touch of balsamic and fresh torn basil. others are a tad more elaborate, still however following my basic rule for spring and summer cooking- and eating: spend as little time in the kitchen, and especially over a stove- as possible. [READ MORE]