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CAPONATA & GARLIC BREAD CASSEROLE

Given that a major chunk of my life’s mission is to French toast and ‘casserole’ everything, I’m making a case for this caponata version today. Both French toasts and casseroles are ideal candidates to use up leftover bread. A stale/dried up loaf is actually a good thing in both cases. In French toasts, a dry… 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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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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ROASTED GREEN TOMATO AND OLIVE TAPENADE

If you think adding roasted or sun-dried tomatoes to a dish (if you’re anything like me, any dish) elevates it, try roasted green tomatoes. They’re next level. Green tomatoes that I’m referring to here are basically unripe tomatoes; not the variety that stays green upon ripening. So you can use any variety of tomato that… Read more »

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MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Leafing through my untidy pile of scribbled notes and ingredient lists, I chanced upon a tattered piece of paper from when I was travelling in Turkey. It said ‘dolmas’ (stuffed grape leaves) on the top, and ‘rice, beef, garlic, sumac, raisins, and tomato paste’ jotted below. Not a recipe by any means, but ingredients that… Read more »

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BASIL AND ALMOND PESTO

Making pesto at home might quite possibly be the simplest DIY kitchen activity like, ever. This is a late realization however, since I’d found a good, organic variant in the shops and I was happy with it. I had an abundance of basil in my garden last week, and I realized that every time this… Read more »

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Spaghetti with roasted red pepper & cream sauce

Roasting peppers is something that we don’t do often enough. The tender smoky flesh inside all that charred blackness is the heart of this dish, literally and metaphorically speaking. This simple pasta dish has it all – it’s wholesome, not entirely different from what makes it comforting, and makes for a very fulfilling meal.

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Aubergine Parmigiana (Melanzane alla Parmigiana)

Remember that time I made this aubergine and broccoli pasta bake? So this is a slight variation from that, with regard to inspiration (and photo clarity. Thank goodness!) I’m slowly trying to get my head around exploring the plethora of options and features on my DSLR, so please bear with me as I share the developments… Read more »

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Lime & Basil Iced tea

I have an affinity for iced teas. Living in a city with soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity all year round, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise. My favourite would have to be the plain lemon iced tea closely followed by this peach version, but of late I’ve been trying a few other variations… Read more »