Citrus & edamame salad

in Small bites, Taste -

Perfect for winter and filled with all the beautiful fruit available, this bright and refreshing citrus & edamame salad is as easy as it is satisfying.

Citrus & edamame salad

I am endlessly in awe of the fresh produce available in spades during spring and sumer. All the captivating colours and intoxicating smells, all the different textures which beg to be used in different dishes, usually requiring very little handling at all. I am in awe indeed and I miss them when the warm months are gone. And then, in the middle of winter, when all hopes of light and warmth are unwillingly but still necessarily put to the side, I become aware, somehow by chance and almost  alarmingly, of the devastating beauty of citrus fruits. [READ MORE]

Sausage & porcini bolognese

in Savoury, Taste -

Appropriately thick, deliciously aromatic and ever so slightly spicy, this sausage & porcini bolognese is comfort food at it’s best. Dig in!

Sausage & porcini bolognese

As much as I love pasta, I almost never make meaty sauces to go with it. I seldom cook meat in general, but that’s not to say I don’t enjoy the quite rare occasions when I’ll have it. Even though a steak doesn’t do much for me, I’m a sucker for thick, juicy ribs, a simple, spicy & refreshing thai beef salad and a good old bolognese. [READ MORE]

How to cook perfect pasta

in Savoury -

Delicious, comforting and endlessly versatile, pasta is a favourite with good reason. Here’s how to always cook it to perfection.

how to cook perfect pasta

My favourite dish of all time? Pasta, hands down. Always pasta. I may go through phases where I’ll develop a crush on, say, a curry, or a colorful rice salad and there are times when all I think about and all I make is soup. Yet, pasta is always number one, even these days which are all consumed by trying out different seeds & grains and pairing them with delicious vegetables and all sorts of crunchy things. Still, because of all these occasional crushes and the fact that I can never eat pasta in moderation, it is relatively rarely featured in our meals- and in here. Yet the love is there and it is very much real. [READ MORE]

Spicy hot toddy

in Small bites, Taste -

Mildly boozy and seriously spicy, this hot toddy will do wonders both for your immune system and your spirit! Bottoms up!

I meant to share this for a while now, as it has become my favourite remedy for winter colds. To be perfectly honest, up until recently, I had no clue what a hot toddy was. I am not a big fan of whiskey and I don’t care for hot beverages which are not black coffee. Still, there’s always whiskey around here and thanks to the vibrant English weather, there’s also the occasional cold. So, in an effort to keep winter colds (and blues) at bay and in memory of the very cool Robert Burns (Happy Birthday!), here’s my version of a hot toddy and the story behind it. [READ MORE]

Homemade dukkah

in Small bites, Taste -

Fragrant, spicy and crunchy, this Egyptian savoury spice blend has the right amount of heat, is very addictive, versatile and so easy to make at home.

Homemade dukkah

I don’t remember the first time I came across dukkah; what I do remember is how crazy in love I fell. Listen, crunchy texture in food tends to make me very happy. Peanut butter is always crunchy (although I often cook with the smooth variety) and granola stays in the oven just a tiny bit longer; when I make pie using filo pastry, I try to call dibs on all the extra crispy corner pieces and as much as I love hummus, crunchy chickpeas always trump it. I won’t even get into milk chocolate with hazelnut or almond chunks- they pretty much sum up half of my childhood and don’t want to get soft now. [READ MORE]

My favourite green smoothie

in Breakfast, Taste -

Delicious and refreshing, filled with green veggies, apple, ginger and turmeric, this is a winner all around.

My favourite green smoothie

A few days ago, it was all about salted caramel sauce. Today it’s about my favourite green smoothie. But really, honestly, essentially, it’s all about balance. It really is.

Αs beguiled I am with chocolate and butter (there’s few things as satisfying as a big fat chunk of dark chocolate or thick layer of french or irish butter on crusty bread, topped with a pinch of fleur de sel) I also LOVE green smoothies. Using a blender is apparently better than a juicer, as more fiber is retained, keep them on the thick side and enjoy them profoundly every time. I love how refreshing they are, I love that I can taste every single ingredient and I am crazy about their beautiful colour. [READ MORE]

The prettiest salted caramel sauce

in Desserts, Taste -

The most delicious salted caramel sauce is also the prettiest of them all!

the-prettiest-salted-caramel-sauce

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been officially obsessed with grains and learning all about how cool they are (they’re pretty cool). I’ve been trying new ones, combining them with grilled chicken or smoked fish and every vegetable under the sun and serving them with new herby, creamy dips. While I’ve been in farro, freekeh and wild rice heaven and waking up to slow of fast cooked quinoa breakfast bowls, I’ve also been looking into sugar. [READ MORE]

Caramel & cinnamon dark chocolate brownies

in Desserts, Taste -

caramel-cinnamon-dark-chocolate-brownies

HAPPY NEW YEAR! The first recipe for 2017 has to be a special one, am I right?* We need something exciting and easy on the eyes, but also kinda easy in general too, as it is only the beginning of the year and we need to pace ourselves and get back in the game gently, yet with all our cool intact. Yeah. So brownies, am I right? I don’t think there is an easier, more foolproof dessert out there and I can hardly think of one that gives such deep satisfaction with such limited effort. [READ MORE]

Spicy & lemony linzer cookies

in Desserts, Taste -

Spicy-lemony-linzer-cookies

These past few days, I’ve been longing for some extra Christmas spirit-ness and festiveness and joy and whatnot. The house is fully (yet not full on) decorated, our Christmas jumpers are out and some most of the presents are wrapped; yet there was something missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it for a while and then it hit me: baking! I hadn’t done any festive baking this year. You know what I’m talking about: the kind that’s easy and comforting, that makes the the house smell of cloves and cinnamon and citrus and butter, the kind that leaves you with small delicious bites, to be displayed on the coffee or dining table for everyone to enjoy. [READ MORE]

Pumpkin, crispy bacon & feta muffins

in Savoury, Taste -

  Pumpkin-crispy-bacon-feta-muffins

I know it’s almost Christmas (wait, what???) and all I should be thinking of is presents (edible or otherwise) and delicious seasonal desserts. I know. But I still have a small (not so small) place in my heart for pumpkins. My go-to dishes are usually soup or a banana-style sweet loaf (minus the bananas) but this year I got on a serious muffin roll. There were sweet, nutty muffins with cream cheese frosting, but also generous sized savoury ones. Oh man, these ones were my favourite yet. [READ MORE]