tagged ‘honey’

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]

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]

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]

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]

Quinoa, red bean & mushroom veggie burger

in Savoury, Taste -

Generously flavoured with chipotle honey and herbs, these quinoa, red bean & mushroom veggie burger is delicious and a damn looker too!

Quinoa, red bean & mushroom veggie burger

Inspired by the promises of delightfully warm, hot even, weather and bright sun at last, I’m sharing my favourite veggie budget recipe yet; as much as I love beef burgers, I so much prefer a veggie version: I find that there’s infinite possibilities for improvising, adding a variety of ingredients, spices and herbs, depending on what I have at hand, cravings and flavour profile I’m after. [READ MORE]

Honeyed kumquats, yogurt & thyme

in Breakfast, Desserts, Taste -

Honeyed kumquats are a real treat, especially for breakfast, served with thick yogurt & fragrant thyme over crunchy toast. 

I’ve gone back and forth before deciding what to do with the heaps of kumquats from my parents minuscule trees. While your suggestions inspired both research and tremendous appetite, I found it almost impossible to settle on a recipe. While I was trying to make up my mind, I must have eaten a third of them, with no preparation at all, pith, seeds and all. I just find them so very delicious, impossibly fragrant, lightly bitter and with a lovely texture. I’ve added them to salads in place of oranges and in warming, creamy oats and, before deciding anything else, I knew I had to make my mom’s delicious kumquat marmalade. And yet, I didn’t. See, they were so pretty, so bright and shapely I refused to chop them down. Instead, I made a preserve of sorts. [READ MORE]

Cauliflower, spinach & hazelnut salad with peanut butter dressing

in Savoury, Small bites, Taste -

Filled with so many colours and textures, this cauliflower, spinach & hazelnut salad with peanut butter dressing is perfect for the holiday season. 

Cauliflower, spinach & hazelnut salad with peanut butter dressing

I’ve been thinking about holiday meals a lot these past couple of weeks; ’tis the season I suppose, for gatherings, big or small, and tables filled with dishes reflecting seasonal colours, a celebratory mood and family or other traditions. There’s so much to enjoy during the colder months, so many beautiful ingredients, some discrete yet always reliable and others filled with wild colour and irresistible flavours. Cauliflower I feel is often left in the shadows, what with its pale skin and less than desirable cooking aromas; somehow though, it’s always been dear to my heart, much like a beautiful blank canvas, inviting and welcoming all at once. So when Blas Y Tir sent beautiful bundles of it, I could not wait to play around with the crunchy, snow white beauty. I’d already had very fond memories from working with their chubby, delicious spring potatoes and mixing them with fresh greens and smoked salmon, I was sure their winter produce would be qually satisfying, both to work with and to savour. [READ MORE]

Cardamom & cocoa nib banana bread with coconut frosting

in Desserts, Taste -

Celebrating International Women’s Day with a cardamom & cocoa nib banana bread with coconut frosting. Sweet, powerful and perfect just the way it is.

Cardamom & cocoa nib banana bread with coconut frosting

Days designated specifically for celebrating anything tend to make cringe; be it grilled cheese or Valentine’s Day, my first instinct is to revolt and mock relentlessly. Yet, I have made my peace with Valentine’s Day, mostly because I love any excuse for a decadent dessert; and I have occasionally hoorayed for other, food related, days. Today, on International Women’s Day, my first instinct is to celebrate. [READ MORE]

Vegan nut, cocoa & olive oil spread

in Breakfast, Taste -

Vegan nut, cocoa & olive oil spread

Every time I’m reunited with my sister, there are certain things that always take place (almost in this specific order): we hug and kiss (dramatically, on my part- Alkyoni is way cooler than me to gasp and whisper sweet nothings to my ear); we exchange gifts, have our first coffee and gossip enthusiastically. And then, on to the main course, our first brawl. It’s loud, usually for a dumb reason and it escalates quickly. And then, like ten minutes later, we’ve apologised to each other, made up and are swiftly moving on to what really matters: food. [READ MORE]