Red Lentil Crackers
Saturday, June 22, 2024You only need a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes of preparation to make homemade lentil crackers / crisps. Your oven will do the rest for you and they are guaranteed to be crispy, and kept fresh for several days. They are naturally gluten-free, protein-rich and free of any grains. A fun and healthy way to enjoy some legumes. Feel free to experiment with other herbs and spices and have fun!
Turkish Charred Onion Salad with Sumac and Parsley
Friday, June 21, 2024The salad is deliciously sharp, tangy and smokey and is also especially excellent with grilled fish, lahmacun or doner kebab and flat bread. You can make this completely raw with thinly sliced onions. Toss in some fresh tomatoes if desired.
Sumac, made from pulverized dried sumac berries, is a spice that is commonly used in many Middle Eastern countries. It tastes like fresh lemon juice and adds a bright red colour to a dish.
Edamame and Green Beans with Pistachio Pesto
Thursday, June 20, 2024Pesto and Parmesan add great flavor to this beautiful vegetable dish that's packed full of healthy ingredients. A stand out side dish that's easy enough for a busy weeknight and the whole family will enjoy. It's quick and easy to make, on the table within 10 minutes. Use fava beans or peas if you can't find edamame.
Chicken Marsala with Lemon and Caper
Wednesday, June 19, 2024Easy to make and ready in 30 minutes, this pan-fried chicken thighs (or use halved and pounded chicken breast if you prefer) with lemon, caper and Marsala caramelized butter sauce is great for a midweek meal that feels like a treat. Marsala wine is a fortified wine made in Sicily. Marsala is most commonly used in cooking to create nutty, rich caramelized sauces. If you don't have Marsala wine on hand, Madeira, sherry, port or even brandy would work too, just keep in mind that the flavour of the dish would be different since Marsala has a quite unique and complex flavour.
Asian Beef Short Ribs
Tuesday, June 18, 2024An easy and delicious oven-braised stew recipe for succulent, juicy Asian beef short ribs, flavoured with lots of ginger, garlic, gluten-free soya sauce, Szechuan peppers and Chinese Shaoxing rice wine. Perfect for a comforting family meal served with some steamed rice or your favourite starchy side and stir-fried vegetables.
Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Physalis, and Gooseberries
Monday, June 17, 2024Loaded with heirloom tomatoes, baby cucumbers and berries, this farmers' market inspired salad is delicious served with grilled kebabs / kabobs or salmon fillets. This simple salad definitely brings colour and vibrance to the dinner table.
The orange coloured physalis, aka golden berries or ground cherries, are sweet yet citrusy, creating a tangy flavour. They are perfect for eating raw and are great in salads.
Gooseberries are extremely low in calories and fat, yet packed with nutrients. They come in a variety of coluors. The darker the colour, the sweeter the berry.
Charred Octopus with Spicy Romesco Sauce
Sunday, June 16, 2024Spicy romesco sauce is a delicious Catalonian dip that's made with roasted tomatoes, smoked peppers, garlic and nuts of your choice. It's smoky, earthy, spicy and nutty and goes particularly well with raw / roasted vegetables, seafood and meat. I got cooked octopus from one of our local supermarkets. You can also find packaged octopus tentacles from LIDL and they are perfect for the recipe.
Tahini Cucumber Gazpacho
Saturday, June 15, 2024During the summer months when it’s too hot to even think about cooking, this cold tahini cucumber soup comes to the rescue. Simply toss a handful of ingredients in a blender and, before you know it, you have something cool and refreshing yet surprisingly satisfying for the lunch! It's naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and keto-friendly.
Jamon Serrano Wrapped Dates Curry
Friday, June 14, 2024This date curry takes less than 20 minutes to make and is a simple way to pack in those vitamins and fiber without sacrificing flavour. The pitted dates are first wrapped with deeply nutty and earthy Jamon Serrano ham and then fried until crispy before adding to the curry sauce with green beans to create a perfectly delicious combination. Use fresh green beans if you can, otherwise, frozen one works too.
Super Seedy Vanilla Bars
Wednesday, June 12, 2024These seedy vanilla bars from Donna Hay are scratch-made from chia, pepitas, sesame, Corinthian raisins (dark black currants) desiccated coconut, vanilla and honey. Lots of healthy fat are packed into these little treats, which make a perfect, clean, on-the-go snack to keep you full and nourished.
Vanilla powder is whole vanilla beans that have been dried and processed into a powder. It has a more concentrated and intense vanilla flavour than vanilla extract or paste.
Corinthian raisins are often called currants, and sometimes called Zante currants. But in fact they are not currants at all. They are truly raisins, dried versions of the sweet, seedless grape called Black Corinth. They are so much smaller than regular raisins or sultanas.
There are three different types of dried grapes: raisins, sultanas and currants. Raisins are dried white grapes. Sultanas are dried white grapes from seedless cultivars. Currants are dried, dark red, seedless grapes produced in Greece.
Sumac Roasted Salmon with Quinoa Salad and Tahini Sauce
Tuesday, June 11, 2024Looking for a simple meal to put together in under 30 minutes? Try this exotic Middle Eastern inspired baked salmon that will leave you feeling satisfied, with a delightful quinoa salad that's packed full of healthy goodness. Throw in some olives if you desired. You can use smaller salmon pieces, but cooking a whole piece of fillet is much cheaper.
Sumac is a tart crimson-coloured spice that's a staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It has a sour, floral tang that's a bit like lemon or lime but isn't quite as astringent.