Hedi's Almond Biscuits

I come from a family where there had to be (many) cakes for each celebration and at least one every Sunday. Of course we also ate biscuits but generally these were the bought ones. This changed when I was introduced to my husband’s Austrian godmother – Hedi - and her biscuits. Before Christmas she is always busy preparing a selection of treats so when you open a tin that comes from her, it is as you were opening a box of chocolates: there...

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Salad with Figs, Pomegranate and Goat's Cheese (vegetarian)

This is a variation of a recipe I posted some time ago for Grilled Goat’s Cheese Salad with Figs. Although both salads seem to be similar, there are a few major differences. This salad is much lighter - there is less of goat’s cheese in it – so it can be served as a starter or part of a salad buffet as it doesn't have to be arranged separately on each plate. And obviously it takes less time to prepare since no grilling is required. Another difference...

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Oriental Spiced Pumpkin Pie (vegetarian)

Having a vegetarian at home sometimes makes cooking more challenging. And celebrations like Christmas is one of those times as you would like to prepare something special: very tasty, good looking but also nutritious. This pie ticks all the boxes. It is packed with wonderful ingredients and flavours and the filo pastry allows you to create ruffle-like decorations to make the pie look beautiful. Although it is a savoury dish, it is rather...

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Aromatic Iranian One Pot Dish with Split Peas (vegetarian/vegan)

Cinnamon was probably the first spice I was introduced to, at least this is what I can remember! When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to cook for me semolina sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, she also used to bake yeast cakes with apples and cinnamon; so this spice has been present in my life from very early on. And now it is still probably my favourite one as there are so many dishes I cook that wouldn’t taste the same without...

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Thai Style Chicken Stir Fry with Broccoli and Snow Peas

I love stir fries. I love cooking them because when you have all ingredients ready, they only take minutes to finish which means you can freshly prepare the dish for your guests and they will not even notice you are not with them at the table. And I love eating them, as quick stir frying of vegetables keeps them crunchy and appealing because their colours stay vivid and bright. This stir fry, like all the other ones, can be served with rice...

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Chickpea and Spinach Soup (vegetarian)

There is nothing better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold and dark day: you have it and straight away you feel much better. I like creamy soups very much but I know they are insufficient  and they have to be followed by a second course. And sometimes there is simply not enough time to make two courses.  This Chickpea and Spinach Soup is a complete vegetarian, one pot meal with plant proteins from chickpeas and lots of goodness...

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Pretty in Pink Salad with Quinoa (vegan)

When my daughter decided to become a vegetarian, I worried how she was going to get complete proteins without eating meat products. So I was happy when I learnt that certain combinations of plant ingredients (e.g. beans & rice, hummus & pita bread, tofu & rice, beans & tortilla, lentils & bulgur, pea & bread) will provide the complete proteins even if not eaten together at the same meal but within the same day. But...

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Luxurious Chocolate Florentines

These are perfect treats for this special season but in truth – for any season. Obviously they cannot be easily put to a healthy food category but if we really wanted to, we could find health benefits of some ingredients (e.g. dark chocolate is a source of magnesium after all). But we really don’t have to as the taste of these Florentines speaks for itself: they are chewy and crunchy at the same time, sweet and simply wonderful.  It...

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Inge's Vegetable Strudel (vegetarian)

Mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship can be very difficult. I was very lucky to have had a mother-in-law who was not only a wonderful person but also a great cook. I learnt a lot from her and this recipe for the vegetable strudel is hers, too.  The recipe is pretty long but please don’t be put off as firstly –I have included a lot of tips to make sure the strudel turns out perfectly, secondly - it is really worth the effort,...

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Millet Chocolate Mousse Tart (gluten free)

My first experience with millet was poor: I really didn't like the bitter taste. But having read so many articles about health benefits of eating millet, I decided to give it another try. I did some research and learnt how to prepare it to eliminate the bitter taste: before you cook it, you have to either dry fry it for approx. 1 minute till it releases its aroma, or you have to pour boiling water into a pan with the millet,...

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Bavette with Prawns and Spicy Tomato Sauce

I think I must have been Italian in my previous life – I love their food. And pasta has always had a special place in my heart: whenever I am in an Italian restaurant, whether it is in Italy or anywhere else, I always order pasta and I never get bored of it. At home I have to stop myself from cooking pasta more often than once per week (only because I try to cut on refined grains - luckily I can use whole meal pasta so I have an excuse!). This...

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A Look at Food - what to eat and what not to eat (or at least eat in small quantities)

Although there is no bad food there are only bad diets, some types of food are better for us than other types. Our diet should be rich in nutrient dense food because it provides us with all sorts of goodness (nutrients) without the bad stuff (fat, added sugar) and only with a small amount of calories. But we have to be careful not to “spoil” the nutrient dense food by preparing it with added sugar or solid fats. For example 85g of...

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Healthier Carrot Cake (wholemeal flour)

I fell in love with carrot cakes from the first moment I tried one a few years ago. But this was still pretty late in my life – I was over 20. I think that the idea of baking a cake with a vegetable was in Poland at least pretty foreign for many years ;-)  But my obsession started when I tried an  a m a z i n g  carrot cake while I was in Monterey, California. The cake was absolutely incredible: moist, heavy but heavenly!...

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Calories - how many calories should I eat per day and why so few ;-)

When I have asked some people if they knew how many calories per day they needed, I have often heard “I don’t know, about 2000?”. I wasn’t surprised as this figure is used when recommended daily intake of nutrients is calculated and then included on food labels. But is the 2000 kcal correct amount for each of us? We are all different: some of us are woman, some man, some of us are very active, some have a very sedentary lifestyle...

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Healthy Diet - how to eat to live happily (and healthily) ever after

Healthy diet means probably something slightly different to each of us. Some people will say it is about reducing salt or saturated fat intake, others - that about eating more fruits and vegetables. So who is right? Possibly all of these answers are correct because there is not just one way of eating healthy. But to make sure our way is, we shouldn't concentrate on one aspect of our diet only, we should take a holistic approach...

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Baked Autumn Vegetables with Quinoa (vegetarian/vegan)

Everybody in my family loves pumpkins/squashes. In autumn I often cook soups made of roasted pumpkin and when I take it out from the oven, I have to guard the baking tray to ensure I don’t have to quickly come up with another idea for lunch ;-)  This recipe is based on the favourite roasted squash but I also included here some other vegetables and chanterelles. So apart from sweet pumpkin, we have in this dish nutty parsnip...

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