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LABNEH WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS + CHILLI BUTTER

I don’t know what category of foods this dish falls under – is it a dip? A salad of sorts? A side? None and all of the above? Who’s to say, but we ate it piled high on homemade garlic bread, so I’m leaning towards it being a dip. Making labneh at home is nothing… Read more »

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BALSAMIC FIG JAM

We make sure to get a good rotation of fruits and vegetables into our diet and not eat the same thing every week. So in this pursuit, I bought a whole load of figs when I chanced upon them. And then broke my head over what to make before they rotted on me. Typical. Nothing… Read more »

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VERSATILE RED PEPPER & TOMATO CASHEW SAUCE

This is (an inadvertently vegan) roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that uses cashews for creaminess in lieu of cheese, cream, or other forms of dairy. It’s very versatile and can be used as a pasta sauce, pizza sauce, chip dip, spread, or even as the base in baked dishes (eggplant involtini coming next). Basically… Read more »

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HARISSA PASTE

I think it’s high time I put this harissa recipe out there since it’s all I’ve been on about since last week. We ate it in and on everything from paneer köfte wraps, to roast chicken, and.. the pièce de résistance: an Ottolenghi inspired flame-roasted aubergine and whipped paneer dish which might possibly be the… Read more »

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LOW-SUGAR MACERATED PLUM JAM

I already have a recipe for plum jam on here, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it and it’s one that I’ve been making for years, this is an updated version. (I will be taking down the other post). Is it just me or do you tweak your own recipes more than you try… Read more »

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ROASTED TOMATO & VEGETABLE PASTA SAUCE

This is unlike any pasta sauce you may have made before. For starters, there’s no pan involved for the sauce itself; you will of course be cooking your pasta in a pan (yet to come up with a nifty trick to dispense with that step, but we’ll get there). Hate to sound like a broken… Read more »

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LOW-SUGAR MACERATED STRAWBERRY JAM

Let’s address what sounds like that unnecessary first step: macerating strawberries. Maceration is a process by which fruits are tossed in sugar, lemon and flavourings—in the case of strawberries it’s usually rum, balsamic vinegar or vanilla. Maceration does two things: 1) Added sugar draws out the natural sugars from the strawberries, as a consequence intensifying… Read more »

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ROASTED RED PEPPER AND WALNUT PESTO

This recipe is part muhammara (roasted peppers + garlic + walnuts) and part pesto (basil + garlic + Parmesan). A few things that influenced my decision to go down this eclectic route – I wanted something that would keep for a while: seven large peppers would make a bigger batch than we would be able… Read more »

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VEGAN PESTO

I’m not one for veganizing foods unless I’m cooking for someone who’s lactose intolerant or doesn’t like dairy (happy to report that I haven’t met anyone that falls in the latter category). Having said that, I do however try and reduce my dairy intake for a couple of reasons. One, most cheeses that are available… Read more »

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SALTED CARAMEL PEANUT BUTTER

     First things first, you need a food processor or a high-powered blender to make peanut butter at home. By high-powered I mean a blender that continues to run at full speed without heating up and turning off every 45 seconds. Mine did. EVERY 45 seconds. So making this took about fifteen minutes start to… Read more »

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LOW-SUGAR GRAPE JAM

   Making jam at home is easier than it is made out to be. I’d come across recipes in the past that went into detailed instructions about canning equipment and sterilizing jars..it completely threw me off. You don’t need any heavy-duty ‘canning equipment’ here, and I realized that sterilizing jars is just a clinical term… Read more »

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OVEN-DRIED TOMATO AND CORIANDER PESTO

  I always have a jar of pesto sitting in my refrigerator. It’s the perfect condiment to have around and can bring together meals in a snap – I use it in everything from soups, as a pasta sauce, roasting meats and vegetables with, and even stir a dollop into my ratatouille base (have you… Read more »

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MELON JAM WITH STAR ANISE

Who makes their own jam, right? That was exactly my line of thought when I set about making a batch, and only because I had a huge haul of plums languishing in the fridge begging to be used up. Now I’m hooked. Not only is it easy as pie (actually, way easier than pie), but… Read more »

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ROASTED PUMPKIN AND HARISSA HUMMUS

The real beauty of hummus as far as I’m concerned (apart from its taste of course), is that it’s just so quick to throw together. Even if you’re going the no-tahini-from-a-jar route. A can of chickpeas, some sesame seeds, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend. Eat. Lick. Do as you do. This basic recipe… Read more »