Apricot Compote

 

Last year, Trader Joe’s did wonderful offers on fruit, such as 3 lbs of organic cherries for $5.99 and a dozen of organic apricots for $3.99. I very rarely buy my produce from Trader Joe’s, because

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Easy Moist Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Sauce

 

I baked this moist chocolate cake with dark chocolate sauce for J’s birthday. The cake itself is dairy-free and was pretty damn delicious on its own, although it doesn’t taste as chocolaty as it looks. When serving this cake with the warmed chocolate sauce (not dairy-free), it’s pretty close to perfect. The sauce does set, so you could theoretically throw it on top of the cake and allow it to set before devouring.

This cake was so good that I made it for

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Almond & Date Tarts

 

These tarts are sure to impress. They are simply divine. The frangipane goes wonderfully well with the buttery crust and the treacle-like sweetness from the dates. They are however, extremely high in calories and fat – so I keep the recipe only for special occasions. 

They’re easy to make and if you’re stuck for time or a little daunted by making your own

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Affogato

 

One of my favorite drinks/desserts is an affogato. I was only first introduced to this Italian delight in Cyprus five years ago. It couldn’t be any more simple – it’s freshly brewed espresso and a good quality ice-cream. It’s extravagantly simple, yet amazingly delicious. 

I love sipping the hot, freshly brewed smooth, dark espresso through the cool,

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Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

 

You’ve probably guessed that I’m a real sucker for desserts. However, moving to the US has really put a dampener on things – it drives me insane. Some days I just want to buy a dessert, without having to worry about my ill effects afterwards. If I’m lucky, I get bloated and diarrhea, if I’m unlucky I get a hives or mild anaphylaxis.

Amongst other things, we’re both allergic to American dairy, even if it’s organic. The last time we were in Europe, we devoured so much dairy,

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Sweet Potato, Carrot & Cumin Soup

 

Last year, I got hoodwinked into standing in for a friend, for a colleague’s business one evening. The role was to sell soups at the Farmer’s Market in Sammamish through Jerry Baxter’s company, Got Soup? 

It was a really, really warm Spring day and I thought it was ludicrous trying to sell soup. It was in fact 950 ml (1 quart) of frozen soup that you take home and use for a quick meal. Each tub cost $10 a shot (at that moment in time). I think we sold close to 50

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Roquefort Bread

 

Roquefort is not high on my list of favorite cheeses, but J loves it! To be honest, I’m not a blue cheese fan. It’s not that I cringe at the blue-green veined mold growth, but the flavor of the cheese is enough to make me hurl. Let’s just say blue cheese is an acquired taste. 

I’ve been informed that Roquefort is like no other blue cheese – it’s creamier and richer than other blue cheeses, such as Stilton. I guess that I’ll just have to believe it, because I can’t see myself sitting through

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Chicken Souvlaki

 

Oh how we love Greek food! I mean proper Greek food, the stuff you get whilst visiting Greece or Cyprus. Not the gyros plate that is ubiquitous to the US, which is sadly paraded about as if it’s the only thing that comes from Greek cuisine.

We love all of their desserts, salads and their grilled meat/fish cooked Mediterranean style.  Souvlaki is no different. I think I was first introduced to souvlaki in a Greek restaurant in London, and then later tried the real deal in Cyprus, mmm! 

Souvlaki is typically made from pork, with the chicken variety is now becoming more popular. I’ve even seen it in lamb and beef varieties. Feel free to use any meat or fish you prefer. You can serve it

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Butternut Squash & Courgette (Zucchini) Pasta

 

This is one of our favorite vegetarian dishes. I can’t even remember where my inspiration came from for this recipe. Before I made this dish, I would never have made pasta with no base sauce.

You’ll need a really good mature (sharp) cheese to carry this recipe off, I use vintage Gouda. I also use fresh homemade pasta, but it works equally well with dry pasta. This dish has the combination of al-dente pasta, scattered with mature (sharp)

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Fat-Free Banana Bread

  

I quite fancy quick breads such as banana or pumpkin bread with a good cup of coffee. The only issue is that most of them are packed full of oil/fat. When you gently squeeze these specimens, you will get an oily residue left on your fingers. 

Quick breads do not need to contain tons of oil/fat to taste good. Although this bread is called ”fat-free”, it’s not entirely correct. I mean there’s no added fat. Of course there’s the natural fat in the walnuts. This recipe uses 100% whole-wheat flour, and a load of ripe

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