Hasselback Purple Sweet Potatoes
Saturday, April 29, 2023This recipe is a really easy meal idea that looks much fancier and more impressive than the amount of work required to make it. It requires just a few ingredients and can be prepared with almost any kind of sweet potatoes.
The name Hasselback comes from a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, named Hasselbacken, where the recipe for Hasselback potatoes was first developed by Leif Elisson in the 1950s. Make even thin slits through the sweet potato (or other vegetables) between two chopsticks or wooden spoons while leaving the bottom intact, and you’ll have a beautiful, fan-shaped sweet potato that makes any meal more fun and festive.
Coconut Cake
Thursday, April 27, 2023Thai Curry Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Wednesday, April 26, 2023Make this delicious one pan meal with this easy Thai-inspired recipe. Crispy, juicy chicken drumsticks in a not-so-authentic, but deliciously aromatic Thai curry sauce are serve plenty of fresh cilantro and red chilli pepper for a little more heat. The sauce is fantastic to pour over some steamed rice or blanched rice noodles.
Pumpkin Seed Flour Pancakes
Tuesday, April 25, 2023Pumpkin seed flour is produced by thorough grinding of the gently de-oiled hulled pumpkin seeds. It can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, as a breading flour, in smoothies or combined with other flours. Pumpkin seed flour is naturally rich in minerals including copper, calcium and magnesium, as well as vitamins A and E. It is also, gluten-free, nut-free, low in fat and very low in carbohydrates, with a particularly high protein (40%) and fibre content. This means it's not only perfectly safe for consumption if one is allegic to tree nuts and wheat gluten, also keto and paleo friendly.
Eggplant Caponata Salad
Sunday, April 23, 2023Caponata (pronounced ka·puh·naa·tuh)adapted from DELICIOUS, is a classic Sicilian appetizer or side dish mainly made of eggplants, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes with capers and olives. In short, it is a cousin of the French ratatouille and can be served with toasted ciabatta, pasta and to pair with fish. I used long, slender light purple Chinese eggplants, but you can use Lebanese eggplants, white eggplants or regular globe eggplants. This recipe makes a lot but keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Vincotto is an Italian sweet and savoury condiment that is produced by gentle, long simmering of grape must. If you don't have it, simply use balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar instead.
Charred Asparagus Tonnato
Friday, April 21, 2023This beautiful spring dish with green asparagus and edible flowers is a twist on the classic vitello tonnato, a Piedmontese dish of cold, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavoured with tuna. The simple grilled asparagus works so well with the creamy tuna sauce. It is a delicious side dish for the bbq but can also be served as a starter.
Wild Garlic Crusted Salmon
Wednesday, April 19, 2023A deliciously healthy main to serve for spring dinners that’s just as good cold as it is hot from the oven. Here the salmon is hidden under an aromatic wild garlic crust made with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, pumpkin seed flour, butter and egg yolk. Cherry tomatoes roast alongside salmon fillets and make a delicious salad with some greens. It goes well with fresh homemade bread.
Caprese Burger
Monday, April 17, 2023I bet that you've never had a caprese salad like this before! Grab two oxheart tomatoes, cut them into thirds horizontally and create your own Caprese burger with creamy herb burrata - a fun twist on the classic Italian salad. It's gluten-free and keto-friendly.
Oxheart is an old heirloom from the 1920's. It is an extra large, heart shaped (or cone-shaped) tomato that is usually pinkish red (there are many other varieties; the one I use for the recipe is called Coeur de Boeuf), firm and meaty with fewer seeds and a mild sweet tomato flavour. If you can't find them, use beefsteak tomatoes instead.
Black Tiger Prawns with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Saturday, April 15, 2023Distinctly sweet, firm-textured black tiger prawns smothered in a creamy butter garlic-flavoured sauce. Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sauvignon Blanc and homemade broth give this creamy sauce fantastic flavours that will burst in your mouth. Use broth instead if you don’t cook with alcohol. It's ready in just 20 minutes for a weeknight treat and it pairs really well with pasta, crusty bread or roasted potatoes.
Blackberry Jam Coconut Slices
Thursday, April 13, 2023Made up with delicious layers of a buttery coconut shortbread base, sweet sticky homemade blackberry jam and a luscious coconut topping. This recipe is sweet, delicious and easily adaptable and will be your new go-to slice recipe. Swap for other homemade jam, fruit curd or even applesauce if you prefer. It's great for an easy dessert, or makes a lovely sweet treat to have with afternoon tea.
Crispy Pig Ears with Chilli Sauce
Tuesday, April 11, 2023Evenly thin sliced strips of pig ears are first slow cooked in a pot water with garlic, peppercorns and herb, then fried in ghee until crispy and served with chilli sauce. Don’t fear the pigs' ear. People all over the world eat them and they are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. It’s putting the whole pig to good use and more sustainable, less wasteful and they are less expensive too. In China, pig's ears are braised with innards and served as an appetizer. In Japen, they are pickled or sauteed with vegetables. Europeans also like pig ears boiled, stewed, smoked or roasted. The crunchy cartilage along with the chewy gelatinous skin and meat...you really have to try it to know the taste.
Pig ears contain lots of collagen, so they must be cooked low and slow. Cover the pig ears in water and cook until tender (2.5-3 hours) before frying them.
Baked Asparagus Frittata with Black Olives and Crème Fraîche
Sunday, April 09, 2023A simple, keto-friendly spring meal that uses green asparagus, spring onions, black olives and crème fraîche and is ready in just 30 minutes. It's delicious fresh-out-of-the-oven, at room-temperature or even cold and needs nothing more with it other than a green salad. It's excellent for a picnic too.
A frittata is something between a quiche and an omelette. And it's designed to use up scraps of this or that and leftover bits of whatever you have in the fridge, so don't be afraid of adjusting the recipe to suit your need. This recipe is based on Marissa's Asparagus Frittata, with a few small tweaks. I use 14 eggs (7 large and 7 small) for my 12-inch cast-iron skillet, if you want to use a smaller 9 or 10-inch one, then 10 large eggs would be enough. Don't over mix your eggs as you don't want to incorporate too much air into the mixture. Otherwise, the frittata will expand and puff up too much.
White Chocolate Mascarpone Tart with Coconut and Maracuja
Friday, April 07, 2023With a buttery coconuty crust, rich, creamy white chocolate mascarpone cheese filling and fresh, aromatic passionfruit topping, this sweet easy tropical delight is impossible to resist. It's easy to make and great for a special afternoon treat to satisfy the sweetest craving. The crust can be made up to three days in advance.