Tomato and Pepper Risotto

I love rice in almost all forms… I am after all, of Chinese descent. When I was growing up, we had rice at every dinner. In the mid-90’s, I was at university with a Swiss/Chinese girl, D who made the most delicious risotto. The only problem was that her risotto was loaded with fat. The amount of cream, cheese and butter she added to the pan, makes me feel like fainting now I think about it.

Wheat Germ Bread

WARNING: When baking this bread, it will make you salivate at the delicious aromas emanating from your oven. The wonderful depth of the black treacle (molasses) paired up with the buttery undertones, is reminiscent of either gingerbread or a parkin loaf baking.

When the loaf is finally done, you really have to wait about 10-15 minutes at least for it to cool slightly before cutting into it. I find this absolute torture – to me, it’s like forbidden fruit that you’re not supposed to eat. You should wait about 45-60 minutes, but after 10-15 minutes, it was fine.

Salmon & Bak Choi in a Green Coconut Curry

We eat oily fish about 1-2 times a week. With salmon being so accessible in the Pacific North West, it’s no surprise that it features heavily in our diet. This is one of our favorite salmon dishes.

The curry has the hotness from the spices, which is tamed by the thick and creamy coconut milk. The salmon is poached and the bak choi is lightly blanched, so it’s all pretty healthy. It's a really good week-day dinner.

Dark Chocolate Muffins - Gluten-Free & Vegan

I never thought I’d be baking a chocolate muffin that was gluten-free… vegan maybe, but never gluten-free. I was inspired when I finally got myself to The Flying Apron in Fremont, Seattle. This place is somewhat out of our way, but it was my birthday weekend and I wanted to try it.

The Flying Apron Bakery is absolutely awesome – it sells vegan and gluten-free items and uses almost all organic and unrefined ingredients. These days, it IS possible to enjoy mouth-watering cupcakes, muffins, shortbread and cookies even if you are vegan and/or have allergies.

"Cornish" Pasties

I’ve tried the traditional Cornish pasties in Cornwall, with the chunks of steak, swede (rutabaga) and potato in a delicious pastry. I’m also guilty of grabbing a factory “Cornish” pasty, whilst rushing through a train station on my way to work/home. It’s unfortunate that most people have never tried a real Cornish pasty, but is accustomed to the minced (ground) meat in gravy variety with a puff pastry exterior.

I apologize in advance to any Cornish readers. These pasties have nothing in common with the traditional, delicious pasties that originate from Cornwall. They aren’t made with beef, but with chicken; they don’t have swede (rutabaga), but carrots; the vegetables are cubed, not sliced; the filling is cooked before stuffing and they don’t have the typical short crust pastry (half fat to flour ratio). In a sense, to call these “Cornish” is probably an abomination, but I’ll live with that.

Olive Oil Roasted Kabocha Squash

My dearest Butternut,

I’m so sorry… I’ve been bad, very bad. I never meant for our relationship to end in this way, but I now have a new love. His name is Kabocha. Kabocha lives in the squash section of the produce department at PCC. The only reason I picked up Kabocha, was because you weren’t available for dinner that night.

Do not despair Butternut, Kabocha will take good care of me. He’s sweet, full of beta-carotene, iron, vitamin C and potassium and has traces of calcium, folic acid and B vitamins.

Raw Chocolate Cheesecake

Raw-food purists would never call this raw, as it has cashews in it. So to call this raw, isn’t entirely true – alas…

Although raw, by definition is also vegan – I would like to point this out to people who aren’t huge raw-food fans, like myself. So, not only is this cheesecake raw, it’s also vegan and has no processed sugars in it. You can of course sweeten it with agave nectar or maple syrup, but this will no longer make this cheesecake “raw”.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Soup

This is a classic favorite of ours. I was first inspired to make this soup when I used to buy tinned soup… yes, I really did use to buy tinned soup. Baxter’s did a nice butternut squash & red pepper and a really delicious Cullen skink.

How hard can making butternut squash and red pepper soup be? To enhance the flavor of the vegetables, I roasted them until they are caramelized in spots. Then you simply liquidize everything together – easy-peasy. I used to make huge batches of this soup, and freeze it into portions for evenings when I’m too lazy to cook.

Raw Raspberry and Chocolate Fudge Cake

Who would think that a cake that was vegan, gluten-free and raw could taste so darn good? Well, believe me, it does!

It’s also packed full of goodies, such as omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, monounsaturated fats, dietary fiber and more.

This cake is definitely not low-calorie, but if you compare the nutritional value and health benefits of eating this cake compared to that of a conventional cake made from refined flour, sugar, fat and eggs, this cake wins hands-down every time.

British Cheese Scones

In this entry, I’m going to open a can of worms labeled “scones”. British scones are significantly different from American scones. British scones are light, fluffy, quite dainty and round; American scones are denser, heartier, bigger and usually wedge/triangular-shaped. The British scone is closer to an American biscuit, than it is to an American scone. And British biscuits are what Americans know as cookies… ok, now the language issue has been dealt with, I can now discuss British scones.

Olive Oil Roast Chicken with Mediterranean Vegetables

Even though I absolutely love roast chicken, I’ve never made it for J. Why? Well, he prefers meat in slabs and doesn’t particularly care for skin or bones.

I’d been eyeing up this roast chicken recipe for quite a while, and I decided to make it for Christmas dinner, whether J liked it or not (I told him that I’d skin and slice the meat off the carcass for him). It had been far too many years, since the last time I enjoyed the succulence of a well-roasted chicken.

Udon Noodles with Prawns and Vegetables in Black Pepper Sauce

A dish like this at your average Oriental (Asian) restaurant would be glistening from the excess oil they use. On the very rare occasion that I do go to these restaurants, the amount of oil that they use is so great, that it makes the dish so heavy that I can’t finish it. Now, boys and girls – that’s saying something, because I eat a lot! The heavily-oiled dishes make me feel bloated, sits in my stomach like a lead-brick and takes forever to digest - ugh!

Fresh Egg Pasta

Italian pasta or Chinese egg noodles are practically the same thing – a mixture of flour and eggs. Pasta is one of those easiest things you can make, and you can really tell the difference when it's homemade.

If like me, you’ve bought fresh pasta and cooked it at home, the cooking time can really make the difference from an al dente pasta to a soggy mass. I hate that! When using this fresh pasta recipe, you don’t get any of that soggy pasta - it’s all al dente all the way!

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

I had a bag of raw almonds sitting in the freezer for a little while, and whilst searching for food porn one evening, spotted this recipe for sweet and spicy almonds. I just HAD to make them!

I’ve slightly adjusted the amounts of ingredients in the original recipe. The result are almonds that are crunchy, sweet, salty, spicy and ever-so-slightly medicinal tasting – I guess that’s due to the fennel seed. And remember, almonds are good for you!

Vegan Chocolate Brownie Bites

These do NOT last long in my house – I just can’t help myself!

Their fudgy brownie center is simply made of dates, walnuts*, vanilla and cocoa, which is then drenched in molten chocolate^. The taste and texture sensation is incredible – you initially get the crack of the chocolate when you bite into one, which then allows your tongue to be tantalized by the dark, chocolately, goodness inside… reminiscent of a fudgy brownie. They taste so decadently sinful, yet they aren’t.

All-Butter Croissants

I’ve been spoilt, so spoilt that I’ve tasted fresh croissants in France. And once you’ve tasted the real deal in France, nothing will ever come close in comparison. So, if you ever happen to be visiting France, do NOT, I repeat do NOT try their fresh croissants. Otherwise, you’ll suffer a life-long torment in searching for the perfect croissant again.

Bean-Free Sun-Dried Tomato "Hummus"

A hummus with no beans I hear you cry. Am I mad? Probably – but I’m not mad for making this no-bean hummus. If you try it, I promise I won’t call you mad – just let me know how much you enjoyed it.

It’s smooth, slightly sweet and garlicky, yet being light and fresh at the same time. I had to stop myself eating the whole batch with carrot sticks when I whipped up this batch! Hmm... I wonder what's going to feature in J's packed lunch tomorrow...

Low-Fat Berry Muffins

On getting home from work one day, I was really craving something sweet and tasty. I was far too tired to go back out to PCC to grab something nice, so I searched through one of my cookbooks and saw a recipe for raspberry muffins.

These muffins are not only delicious, but they are light and fluffy, low in fat, quick to make and vegan (if using milk-substitute). They are mildly sweet, have an explosion of berry goodness with a moist, yet light interior. I devoured three of them as soon as they came out of the oven! I may try a savoury version next time - think cheese and herb!

Kale Chips

Kale is one of those leafy greens that we should all eat more of.

It belongs to the Brassica family, which is a group of vegetables that include cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and collard greens. It is this group of vegetables that are now known for their health-promoting benefits, due to their sulfur-containing phytonutrients.

Kale is an excellent source of vitamins K, A and C, manganese as well as containing decent amounts of dietary fiber, copper, tryptophan, calcium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), potassium, iron, magnesium, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty-acids, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), protein, vitamin B1 (thiamin), folate, phosphorus and vitamin B3 (niacin) [1].

Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a dish that’s wonderful for a week-day dinner. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, and if feeding two people, it has over six portions of fruit and vegetables per serving.

My method of cooking this dish probably strays far from the traditional way, but I'll live with that.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

This is probably one of the easiest recipes that produce the most wonderful peanut butter cookies, that you’ll ever encounter.

They’re also gluten-free and simply full of peanut-ty goodness.

Frisian Sugar Loaf - Suikerbrood

A few years ago, my Mother-in-law introduced me to suikerbrood. I remember her serving it up thickly sliced on a small plate with tea. My brother-in-law made some comment about either I’d love it or hate it, but he loves it. It turned out I loved it! What is there not to love about bread that is swirled with cinnamon and pockets of sugary goodness?

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

Friday is either pizza-night or soup with focaccia-night. When it’s the soup option, it has to pretty hearty – it is after all, the main meal of our day. The recipe easily serves four, but the two of us eat it in one sitting.

Slimmed-Down Leek & Goat Cheese Quiche

Here’s the slimmed down version of quiche, as promised.
To slim down quiche, I use unbuttered filo- (phyllo-) pastry for the crust, I also use half water and no-fat milk/unsweetened milk substitute to the egg mix. I don’t particularly miss the buttery short-crust pastry, because the filling carries the quiche off.

Chocolate Layer Cookies

Another one of my recipes I dig up for when we need a hostess gift. These are a little more tedious than the Viennese Fingers, but the resulting biscuits (cookies) are not only beautiful, but also delicious.

These bite-sized biscuits (cookies) are layered vanilla and chocolate shortbread that are crisp, buttery and coated on one-side with dark (semi-sweet) chocolate.

High Fiber Bran-Nut Bread

This bread is full of fiber! I’d love to call this bread, “make-you-go-bread” - but it doesn’t sound very appealing, does it?

This bread calls for baking powder as opposed to yeast, so in essence it’s a “quick” bread. The bread is best if you make it a day before serving. This will allow the flavors to develop and make slicing easier.

Rosemary Focaccia

We absolutely love fresh bread, especially when it’s baked at home. From the soft crumb with the fluffy interior, to the crusty crumb with the chewy interior; from the complex crumb, which is densely packed with bran to the wonderous fruit and nut studded loaves. We love them all! Focaccia is no different. We love focaccia!

Hazelnut-Butter Cookies

These slightly sweet cookies have a wonderful aroma from the roasted hazelnuts, that shine through with a buttery melt-in-the-mouth richness. They are another one of my favorite hostess gifts I like to make, and they are sure to please.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

You’ve probably guessed that there's a certain someone in this household that LOVES chocolate, and that certain someone is not I.

This cake contains no flour, butter or refined sugar, but it has a very dark secret. The secret being that its base is made of black beans. You read correctly, black beans!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Something wonderful happens when you add roasted red peppers to a plain hummus recipe. It’s slightly sweeter and has a different dimension to it altogether – truly delectable. Although I'm pretty sure I've never seen a roasted red pepper hummus in the Mediterranean.

It goes well in sandwiches as a spread, as a dip with pita chips, crudités or anything you fancy.

Whole-Wheat Pita Bread

There’s a wonderful hole-in-the-wall-restaurant, near Paphos in Cyprus called Feta’s corner. If you ever happen to be there, make sure you go and try their meze for dinner. The cook there sure knows how to cook, she was no gourmet chef, but man, she could _REALLY_ cook! She even transformed a piece of liver into what tasted like a mouth-watering steak (and I dislike liver). The meze is a great way of trying almost sampling everything on the menu. As the small dishes came and went, the waitress kept our bread basket topped up with whole-wheat pita bread – mmmm!