Sesame seeds are ancient and highly nutritious and lend themselves to both savoury and sweet dishes. Here are some sweets that highlight their delicious nuttiness. You will need a candy thermometer to make this sesame brittle. The recipe comes from Leona of Easy As Cookies. Line a 20-22cm (8-9″-inch”) square metal pan (or a similar…… Continue reading sesame brittle + sesame nut bars
red lentil and vegetable curry
Southern and coastal Indian curries with a combination of tomato and coconut are my favourite. The coconut balances the tanginess of the tomatoes and is commonly used with vegetables and lentils. I added some vegetables amd slightly adapted this recipe, a fan favourite by Nisha Mora from Rainbow Plant Life. In a large saucepan heat…… Continue reading red lentil and vegetable curry
pad thai
This popular Thai street food has become a quintessential part of Thai cuisine. Rice noodles are typically stir-fried with prawns (shrimp), eggs, spring onions (scallions) and bean sprouts. My go to recipe is from RecipeTinEats – I change the proteins and vegetables depending on what’s in my fridge. To prepare the pad thai noodles follow…… Continue reading pad thai
crispy duck breast
This Chinese style duck breast recipe will give you blushing, deliciously marinated meat and wonderfully crispy skin. What more could you want? To marinate 2 duck breasts mix 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, 4 finely diced cloves of garlic, a similar amount of finely diced fresh ginger and a pinch of…… Continue reading crispy duck breast
hazelnut, olive oil and plum cake
Rich in hazelnut flavour with a meringue-like crust and a moist centre studded with plums, this cake is gluten free and dairy free. Adapted from this recipe from Recipe Tin Eats. Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F ) and grease 20 cm (8″) pan with olive oil. If using a springform pan then line with baking…… Continue reading hazelnut, olive oil and plum cake
spanakorizo
Spanakorizo is a traditional Greek lemon-forward pilaf of spinach and herbs served with feta. All the flavours you might know from spanakopita but applied to a rice dish instead. This recipe comes from Elena Paravantes of Olive Tomato. In a large pot wilt 450g (1 lb) of spinach with the juice of ½ a lemon…… Continue reading spanakorizo
zucchini with harissa and lemon
This zucchini (courgette) dish makes a lovely side dish either hot or as a warm salad. From a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe. Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat and gently fry 6 finely sliced cloves of garlic until soft and aromatic but not brown. Remove half…… Continue reading zucchini with harissa and lemon
lamb meatball spiral
In this Moroccan inspired dish, a spiral of lamb meatballs and vegetables cooked in tomato makes a stunning and delicious meal. Eve made this from another fabulous recipe by Nagi of RecipeTinEats. To make the meatballs combine ½ a cup of panko breadcrumbs in a bowl and grate ½ an onion over them. Toss with…… Continue reading lamb meatball spiral
red velvet cookies
These New York style red velvet cookies, from a Jane’s Patisserie recipe, are soft and gooey and studded with white chocolate chunks. In a bowl or stand mixer beat 125g (4.4 oz) of unsalted butter with 75g (2.65 oz) of white sugar and 100g (3.5 oz) of brown sugar until creamy. Add in 1 egg, 1 teaspoon…… Continue reading red velvet cookies
crusty white bread
A steam oven is fantastic for getting a great crust on bread and that’s what I used for this loaf. If you don’t have one follow the tips in this recipe to achieve a good crust. This recipe makes 1 small loaf. In a stand mixer with a dough hook combine 3 cups of plain…… Continue reading crusty white bread
michelle picker cooks 