Homemade Trail Mix
Ingredients:
3 cups mixed seeds and nuts
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp flaky salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 150°C (convection) or 130°C (fan forced).
In a large bowl, mix together the seeds, nuts, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, flaky salt, and vanilla extract until everything is well coated.
Spread the mixture evenly on a lined baking tray.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the mixture is deep golden and fragrant.
Once baked, allow the mixture to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.
Notes:
Flavour combos: adding cayenne pepper to this is also yum and adds a great kick!
Masala Chai-misu
Ingredients:
Masala chai teabags (I used these today, but brewing with tea leaves is EVEN BETTER!)
2 tsp coffee (I used instant ginger coffee I had on hand)
Savoiardi biscuits
300ml thickened cream
150ml mascarpone
2-3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Dusting
Cocoa powder
Cardamom powder
Cinnamon powder
Notes:
This is a freestyle recipe idea! What that means: cook with feeling and intuition. Things might not be exact, but the outcome will be great and delicious, so it’s okay to have extras. You’re creating here!
It starts off with your vessel (glass or dish) of choice. The thing with savoiardi (ladyfinger biscuits) is that they come in big bags anyway, so regardless of what size you make, you’ll always have extra.
Directions:
Brew your chai and coffee, then let them cool slightly while you prepare the cream.
In a bowl or stand mixer, whip the cream, mascarpone, caster sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form (it’s so yum!).
To assemble: line the base of your glass or dish with a bit of cream. Swiftly dunk each biscuit into the warm coffee chai and place it into the glass/dish (I didn’t do this and the biscuit fell apart 😂). If this happens, don’t worry, just keep going.
Repeat the layers until you fill your vessel. Dust with your spiced cocoa powder and pop in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Making these a day ahead works a treat as the flavors have time to meld.
Enjoy!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Chai Porridge
Ingredients:
Porridge Base
500ml (2 cups) brewed chai 1/2 cup oats (Uncle Toby’s Rolled Oat Ancient Grains recommended)
1 tbsp honey
Toppings
2 tbsp peanut butter (smooth preferred)
1 banana, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp pine nuts
Pinch of flaky salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
Directions:
In a small saucepot, on medium heat, gently heat the chai.
Once steaming (just about to boil), sprinkle in the oats and stir to combine.
Cook for 5 minutes or until oats have thickened and you have a creamy consistency.
Meanwhile, in a small pan, melt the butter and toast the pine nuts until they are golden brown.
Remove the porridge from heat and decant into bowls.
Top each bowl with 1 tbsp peanut butter and half of the chopped banana.
Spoon the butter-toasted pine nuts on top, including some of the brown butter for extra flavour.
Finish off with a pinch of flaky salt and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder.
Banana Bread
Ingredients:
175g plain flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
125g unsalted butter (melted)
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp (or more!) vanilla extract or paste
4 small very ripe bananas, mashed (approx. 400g total weight with skins on)
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
½ banana, sliced lengthways
Optional: Pistachios, chocolate chips, or peanut butter for swirling
Directions:
Preheat to 170°C convection/150°C fan-forced and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine the plain flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream the melted butter with the caster sugar. Whisk until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking between each addition.
Add a good dollop of vanilla extract.
In another bowl, mash the bananas until smooth (or chunky, based on your preference).
Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
Combine the butter mix with the banana mix.
Add the butter + banana mix into the flour bowl. Stir until you get a thick batter.
Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin.
Using a paring knife or skewer, make a line down the middle of the batter to create an even crack while baking.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Start checking for doneness at 50 minutes onwards as oven temperatures can vary.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before eating 🫶🏽
Notes:
I love adding ½ a banana sliced lengthways on top for a stylish touch, or swirl in pistachios, chocolate chips, or peanut butter.
Banana bread keeps well! Store leftover banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Mini Pavs with Vanilla Cream
Ingredients:
Meringue Bases (makes about 12 mini pavs)
4 large egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Cream (makes approx 800ml)
600ml thickened cream
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla paste (the good stuff! I like @queenfinefoods)
Optional: spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for a spicy touch
Berry Coulis
1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Toppings
Pulp of 2 passion fruits
Edible blooms
Grated ruby chocolate (@callebautoz)
Directions:
Meringue Bases
Preheat your oven to 120°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy.
Gently fold in the white vinegar, cornflour, and vanilla extract.
Spoon the meringue mixture onto the prepared baking tray, forming small circles (approx. 7-8cm in diameter) with a slight indentation in the centre.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool completely inside with the door ajar.
Vanilla Cream
In a large bowl, combine the thickened cream, caster sugar, and vanilla paste.
Whip everything together until soft peaks form. If desired, add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for extra flavour
Berry Coulis
In a small saucepan, combine the mixed berries, caster sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the sauce thickens (about 10-15 minutes).
Blend the mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Let it cool.
Notes:
Top the Meringues: Spoon the vanilla cream onto the cooled meringue bases. Add the Berry Coulis: Drizzle the berry coulis over the cream. Finish with the passion fruit pulp, edible blooms, and a generous grate of ruby chocolate on top.
The vanilla cream is versatile and can be used in many desserts, cakes, and other treats. Feel free to get creative with your toppings. Seasonal fruits, nuts, or different chocolate varieties can all add unique flavours and textures to your mini pavs. Enjoy your mini pavs at any time of day! 🤗
Lemon Herby Risoni Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 celery, diced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp gochugaru (korean pepper flakes - put them on everything)
1.5 L Good qual chick stock
1 cup corn kernels (I had some lying around)
3 lemons, finely zested and juiced (approx 100ml) - I like it tart
1/2 cup thickened cream
1 long red chili, finely chopped (not spicy)
Generous bunch dill, finely chopped Generous bunch parsley, finely chopped
600g chicken breast, slow poached in stock Risoni, cooked - as much as you like (I had about 2 cups)
Lots of freshly cracked black pepper
Directions:
In a large pot on medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onion until slightly tender. Add in the carrots, celery and garlic for 5-7 minutes. Add in the salt and gochugaru and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until vegetables are soften.
Add in the stock, corn, lemon juice and zest.
Finish off with cream, chili, herbs, risoni and chicken.
I love freshly cracked black pepper so I added a bunch of that before serving. This was YUM!
Choc Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
250g (1 cup) cold butter, cubed (room temp is better but I’ve done this with cold butter and it works fine too, just needs more elbow grease if you aren’t using a mixer)
200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
125g (½ cup) caster sugar
2 large eggs
450g (3 cups) plain flour
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
350-400g (2 cups) chocolate chips + extra for top of cookies - a mix of high quality dark chocolate (70%) + milk chocolate (40%), roughly chopped
Flaky salt, to finish
Notes:
I like to make a double batch and freeze the cookie dough balls, so whenever you want to bake one off, you can.
I have used 1 1/2 caster sugar when I don’t have brown sugar, however the mix of two sugars gives a wonderful ‘not too sweet’ flavour and chewy texture.
Adding nuts or spreads to these cookies also works a treat - options are endless!
Directions:
Line a tray with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric whisk, stand mixer or wooden spoon, cream together cubed butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy (light pale yellow in colour).
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
Using a spatula, stir in flour, corn flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Dough should still be chunky and crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips.
Separate dough into large balls (2-3 tbsp per ball) and place on the prepared baking tray. Place extra choc chunks on each ball.
Now time to mature the cookies: This intensifies the flavour and gives it a great texture. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or overnight (or however long you can wait! Once frozen, place into a zip lock bag for easy access).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 210°C convection heat/190°C fan-force.
Place dough balls 5cm apart on the lined tray and bake for 9-12 minutes or until just golden brown on the edges and set on the top. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with flaky salt and allow to cool for 10 mins on the tray. This allows the cookies to set/firm up as they will still be soft when they come out of the oven. Their cooled texture is soft, chewy and wondrously moorish.
Pineapple Egg
Ingredients:
1 slice of bread, just regular toast works great
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 slices of cheese
1 canned pineapple slice, drained (rings are the best!)
Butter, for your toast ofc!
Salt and pepper
Notes:
You can experiment with different types of cheese to see which one you prefer. A old faithful friend craft singles work but I also love sharp Swiss or Havarti cheese work well. For an extra touch, chili flakes add an extra zing but even on its own - delish!
Directions:
Lightly toast the bread until it is golden brown. Do this in a toaster or in a pan with a bit of butter or olive oil (or multitask and do this while you're frying up your egg so they toast stays warm).
Now for the egg. In a small fry pan on high heat, heat the olive oil.
Crack the egg into the pan and cook it to your preferred doneness. I love crispy edges with a velvety yolk. Season with salt and pepper. The key is the yolk here, so stay with me!
Place the toast on a plate, while its warm butter it generously and place the slice of cheese on top.
Carefully place the crispy fried egg on top of the cheese. Now the star of the show: the pineapple ring. Position the the pineapple ring on top of the egg so the egg yolk pokes through the middle.
Season with a bit more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately and relish your Pineapple Egg! sending a piece of my childhood from me to you, enjoy!
Baingain Bharta Pasta
Here’s a recipe I shared with Who Does the Dishes shot by the incredible @lucyleonardiphotography!
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
1 brown onion finely diced
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2-3 ripe medium-sized tomatoes finely diced
1/2 can Italian chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 long green chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
Flaky salt
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
200g Sourdough bread pulled into bitesize
Casarecce pasta
1 bunch coriander + micro herb of your choice
Burrata cheese
Notes:
There’s three parts to this dish. The pasta, the ‘sauce’ which draws flavours from a classic South Asian dish called Baingain ka Bharta (a roasted, spiced eggplant mash of sorts) and the garnishes: a Tardka Pangrattato (tardka = the tempering of oil and spice that finishes a lot of daals and curries. Pangrattato = breadcrumbs/croutons), Burrata cheese and herbs. Essentially, it’s a Pakistani twist on Pasta alla Norma.
Directions:
Char the eggplant on a gas stove until blackened. Do this by prepping the area first: lay foil down (around the burner) and plating a rack over the fire, to help with a) the clean-up and b) evenly charring the eggplant.
Place blackened eggplant in a heatproof bowl and cover with cling. This will allow the skin to ‘sweat’ off and reveal luscious eggplant innards.
Sauté your onion, ginger, garlic and spices until golden, add in the eggplant, tomatoes (fresh and crushed) and chillies.
Let it simmer down and reduce for 20-30mins, you’ll end up with a rich sauce/bharta.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta then drain. Keeping a little bit of the pasta water aside.
To prepare the Turka Pangrattato, heat up some extra virgin olive oil and cumin seed on the frying pan on low-medium heat until fragrant then add in the pulled sourdough. Fry until crispy.
Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce and add 1-2 spoonful of the pasta water to create a slight creaminess texture.
Garnish with the turka pangratatto, burrata and herbs.
Apple and Peanut Butter Rosettes
Ingredients:
6 strips = 1 roll of Carem puff pastry (27x 36 = 27cm long x 6 cm thick - cut into 6 even strips )
120g (6 tbsp) smooth peanut butter sweetened 2 tbsp maple syrup
2 red apples, thinly sliced approx
2mm (on a mandolin) or thinly sliced and halved
Cinnamon, for dusting
Icing sugar, for dusting
To serve
Date syrup, caramel sauce or heated biscoff (optional),
Ice cream (optional), to serve
Notes:
Here are my Apple & Peanut Butter Rosettes, a simple yet elegant treat. Where the creamy peanut butter complements the crunch of thinly sliced apples, creating a delightful treat! This recipe is also customisable, you can replace the peanut butter with biscoff, Nutella, pistachio butter - it’s all delicious! Enjoy!
Directions:
Grease 6 holes of a muffin tin with butter and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200 C fan force/180 C convection
Taking 1 puff pastry strip at a time, spread 1 tbsp of peanut butter over the top half of the pastry and then layer the apple slices over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Fold the bottom half over the apple slices.
Carefully roll into a spiral and place in the prepared muffin tin.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C fan for 10 mins and then lower heat to 180C for 25 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before completely cooling on a wire rack.
Dust heavily with icing sugar.
To serve, pour preferred sauce over the apple rosettes and enjoy with vanilla ice cream.