Posted in Dairy-Free, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged courgette, soup, vegan, vegetarian, winter, zucchini on April 30, 2011 - 02:19 | 2 Comments »
Soup two nights in a row? Yep! Tonight was a delicious one made with courgettes (zucchini). The soup was thick, creamy and brimmed full of flavor, which is what surprised me. Courgettes (zucchini) aren’t well-known for their flavor, and I was thinking this creation may have been a bland one.
The soup is quick and easy to make, vegan-friendly, dairy free and low in calories (100 per bowl). Not only that, each bowl is packed with over 3 portions of fruit/veg. (more…)
Posted in Soups, tagged butternut squash, butternut squash soup, chicken, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, soup, winter on April 29, 2011 - 01:51 | Leave a Comment »
You might be asking yourself, why am I blogging about a hearty, winter-like soup in late April. Well, it’s still pretty chilly here in Greater Seattle. The last few days we’ve had highs of 10°C (50°F) and lows of 2-3°C (35°F)… brrrr.
This soup is just what is needed on chilly winter spring days. It’s delicious and will warm the cockles of your heart. It’s simple to make, and packed full of flavors and textures. (more…)
Posted in Snacks, tagged nuts on April 28, 2011 - 11:20 | Leave a Comment »
There’s something wonderful about the crunch and flavor of sweet roasted peanuts that make them irresistable. These peanuts are twice-roasted, flavored with honey, butter (or coconut oil), salt, smoked hot paprika, chili powder and tossed in sugar. They are sweet, smoky, lightly spiced and quite moreish. They have lots of flavor, but I was somewhat disappointed with the lack of honey flavor to them (I will try again with another recipe/adaptation later). However, they are perfect to munch on anytime of the day, especially when you’re pretending to be a couch potato. (more…)
Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Whole Wheat, tagged chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, crunchy, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegan on April 28, 2011 - 02:10 | 1 Comment »
Ever since stumbling across that copycat recipe for Maryland cookies, and encountering its miserable failure, it has become an obsession to find a recipe (or adapt one) where I could make a good crunchy biscuit. Yes, I said biscuit. Now a British biscuit is what Americans would call a cookie. However, in the UK not all British biscuits are known as cookies. Whereas an American biscuit in the UK is not even in the same ball park as cookies. Confused yet?
A cookie in the UK is typically a soft, chewy, American style cookie (although not 100% true, there are exceptions). The crunchy biscuits (cookies) that are typically snacked on in the UK, or dunked in tea/coffee are known as biscuits… never cookies… except the ones (more…)
Posted in Breads, tagged Easter, hot cross buns on April 24, 2011 - 16:51 | 1 Comment »
Last year I made my first batch of hot cross buns. It was a relatively significant recipe, because it was then that I decided to start this public blog, honey and spice. The resulting buns were pretty good, and I asked J if he wanted any this year for Easter. He said “yes, if you don’t mind making them”. I rarely mind making things in the kitchen.
This year, hot cross buns 2011 are back – they are bigger and better than ever! I’ve even included alternatives if you’re dairy-free, egg-free or vegan. (more…)
Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Dairy-Free, Vegan, tagged chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegan on April 23, 2011 - 22:55 | 1 Comment »
At just a mouthful a piece, these mini chocolate chip cookies are worth living for, and should come with a warning: HIGHLY addictive. They are dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free and vegan-friendly, and were created by tweaking a Maryland cookie copycat recipe that went dreadfully wrong – they weren’t anything like Maryland cookies!! Since I only baked a small portion of the dough, I could judge the taste and texture before baking the whole batch. I had to rescue the remaining dough so I wouldn’t waste the ingredients. The resulting cookies (this recipe that you are now reading) are packed full of flavor, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, just like a good ole American cookie should be. (more…)
Posted in Breads, Mediterranean, Whole Wheat, tagged breadsticks, cheese, Italian, whole-wheat on April 23, 2011 - 01:35 | Leave a Comment »
Grissini originate from Italy and are long, pencil-thin sticks of crisp and dry bread. They are about the right size to stick up your nose, if you’re that way inclined. They are great to snack on, or to enjoy with soup or as an appetizer.
You know, I’ve never purchased grissini, nor have I ever thought about making them until I stumbled across a recipe in one of my baking books. They looked simple to make, and I knew they would be a hit with my roasted butternut and red pepper soup.
If you have no experience in baking bread, do not be afraid. (more…)
Posted in African, tagged couscous, meatballs, moroccan on April 22, 2011 - 17:11 | Leave a Comment »
I must have at least eight different varieties of rice in my pantry, but even someone of Chinese descent needs to have an alternative… so I made couscous. I haven’t had couscous for ages. It’s super-easy to make, convenient and highly versatile. It can be made plain, used in salads or soups, sweetened for dessert or well-seasoned for a wonderful side dish.
In this recipe, succulent, cumin-spiced meatballs are served in a thick and rich tomato sauce over herby couscous. The dish is easy to make, and packs a wonderful punch in the flavor department. The way I’ve cooked the tomato sauce here is a little unconventional – (more…)
Posted in Chocolate, tagged chocolate, chocolate egg, Easter on April 22, 2011 - 11:44 | 1 Comment »
I’ve not eaten a chocolate Easter egg for years, dare I say decades? After reading an article on The Guardian website about the prices of Easter eggs in the UK, I really needed to make some. I also made a batch of hot cross buns this year… maybe it has become a tradition?
I used to have a plastic Easter egg mold. However, during my nomadic years it has gone AWOL – so I was on the lookout for a new one.
You cannot believe the difficulty in locating an Easter egg mold in Greater Seattle. The molds I’m talking about are the ones that you use to make the larger, hollow eggs. At every store I went into, the assistants looked at me strangely and just (more…)
Posted in Chocolate, Dessert, Ice-Cream, tagged Baileys, chocolate, easy, ice cream on April 19, 2011 - 22:02 | Leave a Comment »
This ice cream is super-easy to make. It’s flavored with chocolate, and has chocolate bits strewn throughout its deliciousness… a little like stracciatella. You don’t need an ice cream maker, nor will you have to stir the semi-frozen mixture every few hours. Simply blitz together a ripe banana, melted chocolate, Baileys Irish cream, dark rum, milk and a pinch of salt and freeze for 4+ hours. The resulting iced dessert is creamy, smooth, lightly chocolaty and ever-so boozy… that’s why a small portion was more than enough for me.
The alcohol content in this ice cream keeps it scoopable, even after frozen. Talking of the alcohol content… if anyone knows me, they’d know I don’t handle my drink very well. I’m known to pass out from one glass of red wine, and to turn red (more…)
