The classic strawberry banana “bowl”

I love eating yogurt and fruit in the morning but once in awhile, like to give my system a dairy break. That’s when fruit “bowls” and I become best friends. What I love about them is that unlike their cousins the smoothies (which I psychologically consider to be snacks not meals), there is no straw […]

Homemade almond milk

When I first posted that I was testing different almond milk brands, I got a slew of emails and comments from savvy vegan friends suggesting I make my own. I ordered a nut milk bag, got a ton of organic almonds and still, it took me weeks to actually try. To be honest, the idea […]

Delightful vitello tonnato

Vitello tonnato originates from Italy’s Piemont region and is a cold thinly sliced roast veal covered in an exquisite tuna caper anchovy sauce. I don’t know why it took me so long to make this at home. Well no, actually that’s not true: it was partly because of the seemingly strange combination of ingredients that […]

Delish almond cashew butter

I’ve had this obssession with nut butters for as long as I can remember. You see, what Nutella crêpes are to my children today (the story), peanut butter jelly-laden toasted bread was to me as a child. I have fond memories of my best friend and I gorging ourselves on triple decker PB&Js sandwiches and […]

Millet pumpkin, chickpea and feta salad

Millet isn’t exactly what you would call newfangled, but its popularity has soared with the growth of the gluten-free movement. It is one of these ancient seeds that has been used in many parts of the world from the Americas to Africa and Asia. In fact, I’ve often seen millet-based “raji” flour here in Dubai […]

Pumpkin ginger soup with coconut “bacon”

A friend of ours made us the most mouth-watering ginger pumpkin “velouté” the other night and I was so grateful. Not just because she made it onion and garlic free (unfortunately, I can’t digest either!) but also because it reminded just how much I love soup in autumn. There is just something so comforting and utterly […]

Awesome Sicilian caponata

I consider caponata to be Sicily’s answer to France’s ratatouille. It’s hearty, delicious, healthy and bursting with late-summer Mediterranean flavors. It’s also a great dish to make when you want a satisfying, rustic vegetarian meal that doesn’t have beans in it. There are a gazillion variations to caponata – many people use raisins, others add […]

Lazy morning blueberry muffins

I try not to over indulge in sweets for breakfast, but every now and then I love a good blueberry muffin. These grain-free ones are really delicious and nutritious thanks to the ground almonds and antioxydant-rich wild blueberries. They just take 30 minutes to make from beginning to end, so are completely do-able first thing […]

Cumin-scented black bean burgers

I’m trying to veganize myself a couple of days a week at the moment and testing all sorts of legume recipes. These little black bean cumin-scented lovelies are my current answer to Tex Mex. They are amazingly delicious wrapped in a tortilla with a dollop of cashew cream, zesty guacamole and a light tomato salsa. […]

Fig walnut and goat cheese salad

Have you noticed figs sprouting up at the supermarket lately? When they do, I get a bunch of them and go recipe-crazy. They are easy to prepare poached, roasted or – my favorite – raw, like in this effortless yet stunning little salad, where it marries beautifully with creamy goat cheese and toasted walnuts. It’s […]