Sublime late summer salad
By now, you probably know that no meal rocks my world more than a good main course-worthy salad. This one’s no exception. It’s also a perfect way to transition your taste buds from summer to autumn. The roquefort’s sharp tang is well balanced by buttery walnuts, the mild bitterness of greens and natural sweetness of […]
Crowd-pleasing poulet basquaise
I love making stews when we have friends over because it allows me to prepare everything in advance and spend most of my time with the guests instead of slaving in the kitchen. Unfortunately, only a few can truly be appreciated in warmer Dubai weather – and Poulet Basquaise is one of them. It originates […]
Mom’s grilled chicken brochettes
Perfectly cooked rice, salad and these chicken brochettes are regulars at my parents’ place. The only challenge has always been to get the exact marinade recipe from my mom, who tends to toss in her spices using her experience and senses rather than measuring instruments. So this year, I paid closer attention as she prepared […]
Crisp Vietnamese rice salad
The mint and coriander make this pretty salad a refreshing option for a summer lunch or dinner. I find its crunchy and chewy texture totally addictive and my kids, who tend to only eat veggies when raw, are happy when they it makes an appearance at the dinner table. It’s ridiculously good in its own, […]
Quick and zesty gaspacho
As delicious and refreshing as it may be, I never used to get excited about making the well-known Spanish gaspacho, because flash-boiling the tomatoes, skinning and seeding them felt a little too tedious and labour-intensive to make a cold soup, you know? Especially since it mostly ends up being just an appetizer when we make […]
Unbelievably delish vegan chocolate mousse
When you google vegan dessert, you are sure to find dozens of avocado chocolate mousse recipes show up in your search results. It took me years to try my hand at it though: I was afraid it would turn out tasting too healthy if you know what I mean. But it absolutely works. I’ve had […]
Panna cotta with strawberry lime compote
Light, creamy, fruity and absolutely delightful, panna cotta is the ultimate summer dinner party dessert. Easy to prep in advance, it’s gluten free, you can make it without dairy and in this recipe, adapted from David Liebovitz’ (whose blog I love), white sugar is replaced by coconut nectar, which has a lower glycemic index. Needless to […]
Smokin’ Mexican street salad
We had a big dinner the other night where my husband made his signature chili. I didn’t want to interfere with his dish – as I often tend to do when he’s cooking – so I busied myself doing sides to add some freshness to the spicy Tex Mex affair. This typically Mexican salad is […]
Beetroot, zaatar & goat cheese salad
Fresh zaatar needs some serious PR help – you never see it showcased on leading food sites and feeds, but I’m sure it’s a total superfood. After all, it is the Middle Eastern cousin of oregano and thyme, except unlike the latter two, zaatar isn’t pungent and bitter. In fact, the leaves are often the star […]
Genius sweet potato fries
The first time I tasted sweet potato fries was in a vintage diner that made amazing-tasting grease-ladden junk food: juicy cheesy burgers, perfectly-coated onion rings, hand cut fries, real ice cream milkshakes, old fashioned floats, etc you get the drift. Anyway, needless to say, their sweet potato fries were absolute perfection. Of course, they were […]