Puy lentil, tahini and eggplant “ragout”

I love French Puy lentils – they are a star nutrition-wise but also so delicious in salads and terribly satisfying when served warm like in this cumin-scented wonder. I like to eat this alongside rice when I’m in need of comforting cold-weather food, but it is also mouthwatering and exquisite served as a bed for […]

White winter salad

This splendid salad was first created when I had bought a ton of cauliflower to test my gluten free pizza crust and was left with one kilo of the raw veg in my fridge. As it sat between a hunk of pecorino cheese and these left over boiled potatoes, I had an aha moment. And […]

Butternut squash Manchego cheese blinis

These little blinis are a great party appetizer. They melt in your mouth, especially right off the pan, when still warm and fluffy. The main ingredients, butternut squash and Manchego, a firm sheep’s milk cheese, go extremely well together and add so much taste that you really don’t need a topping – just as long […]

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 […]

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 […]

Spinach citrus and wild rice salad with my “Asian” dressing

We often see wild rice matched with butternut squash, beetroot or other such autumn veggies, but it doesn’t have to be so. In this recipe, the grapefruit adds a nice summery zest to the rice, spinach, and goat cheese, while the dressing really brings it all together. The reason I call it “my Asian” dressing […]

Aperitif-style cauliflower crust pizza

I was skeptical about cauliflower crust when it became all the rage a few years ago. But when my quest for gluten-free solutions began, I finally took the plunge and was pleasantly surprised. No, it isn’t like the real thing, but it’s an interestingly tasty substitute to regular wheat-based dough and a great way of […]