Fig Pavlova
Saturday, September 14, 2024Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert usually with whipped cream and fruit. Created in either Australia or New Zealand in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926.
I used Greek yoghurt instead of whipped cream and if you don't have or like pistachios, lightly toasted flaked almonds are just as good. You can also tweak the fruits to suit your tastes and the seasons.
When you whip egg whites, be sure to use clean, dry utensils and a clean bowl (metal, glass or ceramic bowls do better job than plastic). Also, the egg whites are best used at room temperature when whisking as they have a better ability to incorporate and hold more air. The white wine vinegar (or lemon juice) helps stabilize the whipped whites, so don't skip it. You might want to add one or two teaspoons of cornstarch to the meringue to help absorb extra moisture if the weather is hot and humid. Last, but not the least, don't add sugar too quickly, or the meringue will collapse. Mine took about 10 minutes. The meringue base can be baked the day before and left to cool in the oven overnight.
85 Recipes that highlight the beloved humble Pumpkin
Friday, September 13, 2024From sweet pumpkin love cake, tart, and muffins, to flavourful salad, stuffed pumpkins, savoury quiche, and warming pumpkin soup, these pumpkin / squash recipes are the ultimate way to use this versatile vegetable. Get creative, go seasonal and savour the tastes of autumn.
Butterhead Lettuce Salad with Burrata and Caper Dressing
Thursday, September 12, 2024With creamy burrata cheese, crunchy homemade croutons or toasted walnuts, and briney caper dressing, this butterhead lettuce salad is a lovely balance of flavours and textures. The simplest, best salad you'll eat! You can use other types of lettuce or a mix of greens, like arugula, mâche or baby spinach. To enhance even more flavour and textue, throw in some crispy bacon bits to your salad.
Goat Cheese stuffed Chicken Traybake
Wednesday, September 11, 2024Spreading a layer of herby soft goat cheese under the skin gives a simple roast chicken extra-luxe deliciousness yet light on the wallet. Stuff the chicken thighs with the cheese mixture a few hours or overnight, uncovered, before cooking and chill. So the chicken skin is dry up and will become very crispy when cooked. This one pan dish is pretty satisfying on its own, but it's nice to serve with a simple leafy salad or sauteed vegetables to make a meal feel complete. Use other root vegetables, like parsley roots, parsnips and carrots or pumpkin if desired.
Saffron Pumpkin with Dates and Mâche
Tuesday, September 10, 2024Black Forest Ham wrapped Figs with Gorgonzola Cream
Monday, September 09, 2024Get your dinner party off to a great start with these baked figs with blue cheese cream. Black Forest ham wrapped sweet ripe figs with salty, earthy gorgonzola cheese are a magical combination and make an elegant appetizer. They are incredibly tasty and not hard to make at all. If you ain't fancy for blue cheese, use soft goat cheese instead. Black Forest ham can be substituted with Prosciutto or Serrano ham.
Chestnut and Shallot stuffed Hokkaido Pumpkin
Sunday, September 08, 2024Surprise family and friends with this stuffed pumpkin, it looks impressive and tastes great! You can use other vegetables like mushrooms, eggplants, parsnips or sweet pepper to make the filling. While I use a large Hokkaido pumpkin, you can definitely use mini pumpkins to make the individual serving. It makes a delicious, flavour packed side dish or even a light lunch.
Oven Steamed Salmon with Sumac Walnuts and Tarator
Saturday, September 07, 2024Roasting whole salmon fillet at a low temperature with a tray of just boiled water results in a final product that is tender and deliciously juicy. A really simple way to prepare salmon and bring spectacular results every time with hardly any worry on the cook's part. It’s great served warm or at room temperature, and any leftover salmon served cold with a mix of greens next day.
Tarator here is a tahini based sauce. It is different from the Bulgarian tarator, which is a yoghurt-based cucumber soup similar to Greek tzatzik.
Crustless Fig Frangipane Tart
Friday, September 06, 2024This easy fig tart recipe is crustless. Whip up the almond frangipane, top with fresh figs, and pop into the oven for about 45 minutes. It is pure buttery decadence without refined sugar, naturally gluten-free and deliciously gooey.
Frangipane is a classic French paste for cakes, tarts, and pastries. It's made with butter, sugar or sugar alternatives, eggs, and ground almonds or other nuts. Traditional frangipane paste contains no flour, as it usually used as a filling for a pastry crust. Adding just a small amount of flour made this tart stable and it is able to stand on its own even without the crust.
Peanut Butter Chicken Curry
Thursday, September 05, 2024Peanut butter curry chicken with a kick from chilli and lots of warming spices along with organic natural peanut butter as the base of the curry sauce. It's naturally gluten free, dairy free and keto-friendly. Orginal recipe from BBC Good Food calls for 400 ml coconut cream, I used only half with some homemade broth. Serve with some steamed greens if desired.
Burrata Salad with Figs and Pomegranate
Wednesday, September 04, 2024With fresh figs, pomegrante arils, and an easy white wine vinaigrette, this creamy burrata salad is fresh, delicious, and easy to make. If you can't find burrata, use buffalo mozzarella instead. Add in some toasted or candied nuts and salted Prosciutto for extra crunch and flavour. Served as both an appetizer or side dish with some croutons or crusty bread.
Mustard Yeast Gugelhopf
Tuesday, September 03, 2024A classic gugelhopf, aka kugelhopf, is a yeasted bread, orignated from Austria and southern Germany, similar to a French brioche, which is fantastic for breakfast or afternoon tea served with extra butter. You can make the kugelhopf plain, with dried fruits, chocolate, spices or savoury with mustard or/and bacon. If you can't find fresh yeast, use 1 package / 7 grams of active dried yeast. Enjoy it warm with extra mustard sauce or herb crème fraîche.
Balsamic Pumpkin with Craisins and Almonds
Monday, September 02, 2024Pumpkin is first cut into bite-sized cubes and browned in a skillet, then tossed with balsamic and finished cooking in the oven until tender and aromatic. Mixed with parsley, almond sticks and craisins for a colourful and delicious side dish. Craisins are sweetened dried cranberries you can easily find in the supermarkets. You can use dried sour cherries or golden raisins instead. Almonds can be replaced with pecans or walnuts.
Spinach Salad with Dates, Pecans and Sumac Croutons
Sunday, September 01, 2024This salad is jam packed with healthy ingredients. With plenty of nutrient rich pecans and dates this salad will help you maintain your energy throughout the day. If you can, opt for homemade sourdough bread or wholegrain bread. Use any other greens that you prefer other than spinach. Add some boiled eggs and/or bacon for extra protein if desired.