Recipes

Eat thoughtfully, live joyfully.

Every week we get Down & Dirty, in which we break down our favorite unique seasonal fruits, vegetables, and more.

What Is Lemon Balm?

 

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Welcome to Come On Over, a Food52 newsletter about hosting life’s big and little moments. It’s where we share our personal tips and tricks, from modern-day etiquette—shoes off or shoes on?—to making extra seating out of every surface of an apartment. This week, it’s Mother’s Day prep from Kelly.

Fun fact: In Ireland and the U.K., Mother’s Day falls in March—so technically, I’ve already fulfilled my daughterly duties for the year. Which means now, the spotlight’s on my mother-in-law... and on you. Every mom (and mom figure) is different, so take what resonates and leave the rest. Let’s get into it.

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If you're looking for tequila cocktails to serve at your Cinco de Mayo party that are a little more exciting than the standard marg, you've come to the right place. Whether you're already a seasoned tequila fan or just hoping to impress your friends with something new, this roundup is full of unique tequila cocktail recipes that go beyond lime and salt.

We’re talking jalapeño-infused margaritas, cocktails made with guava nectar and black rimming salt, and one standout spiked with firewater bitters that’ll heat things up fast. (Scrappy’s Firewater Tincture or Bittermen’s Hellfire is our go-to — just ask my dad, who brings it out at every party like it’s a party trick. It always is.)

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Welcome to Hotel Crush, our recurring series where we highlight design-forward, destination-worthy stays around the world—whether you’re planning your next trip or just want a little escape-from-your-browser moment.

There are few things more nostalgic than the idea of building a fort or crawling into a treehouse. That childhood urge to gather blankets, string up lights, and create your own little world doesn’t exactly disappear as you grow up—in fact, it might grow stronger.

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Vanilla extract is one of those pantry staples we don’t think much about—until we suddenly need it. Whether you're halfway through a cookie recipe or baking a birthday cake and realize you're out, don't stress. There are plenty of vanilla extract substitutes out there, and chances are, you already have a few of them on hand. From dark liquors like rum and bourbon to pantry sweeteners like maple syrup and even almond extract, these easy swaps can add warmth, depth, and just the right touch of something special to your favorite bakes. Ahead, we’re breaking down the best alternatives to vanilla extract—and exactly how to use them.

Why You Can (and Should) Sometimes Skip the Vanilla

By now, you’ve probably been told once or twice to make your own vanilla extract. (One of those times may or may not have been by us.) Recipes tell you how easy-breezy it is to DIY the solution, which is essentially just vanilla pods soaked in alcohol. Just buy vanilla beans, split down the center, stuff in a jar, drown in booze (most people use vodka; bourbon is fair game, too).

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No doubt about it—matcha has soared in popularity in the U.S. over the past few years. Demand is so high that brands like Ippodo have had to pause production on some of their best-selling powders just to keep up. There’s even a National Matcha Day (May 2, if you’re wondering).

In NYC alone, matcha cafes are everywhere. We recently stopped by one that serves iced drinks and a matcha Basque cheesecake, and we had Ivy Woolenberg visit our office to make her famous matcha brookies. (Yes, the TikTok-viral ones. Yes, they lived up to the hype.)

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When Maya French and Dustin Baker became neighbors back in 2013, they had no idea they’d one day be co-founders, let alone build two beverage brands together.

But a shared interest in health, entrepreneurship, and the food space quickly sparked something bigger. After tossing around ideas—like juice bars and natural drinks—they eventually landed on Koia, one of the first plant-based protein drinks you could actually find in stores. That success would lead to their newest venture: HappyPop, a fizzy, mood-boosting energy drink made with ingredients designed to help people feel good without the crash.

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When it comes to potlucks and parties, a standout pasta salad can steal the show. Whether you're aiming for a mayo-free option, experimenting with unique dressings, or simply need to know how much to prepare for a crowd, we've got you covered.

Let’s be honest—we love pasta salad year-round. It plays well with creamy, comforting flavors in colder months, then graciously welcomes warmer temperatures with bright, fresh zest.

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Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

Food52 started with community. Before we launched the site, we put out a call for people to upload videos of their kitchens, highlighting their favorite tools and design details—and the annoying parts, too, like a dishwasher door that obstructs access to the garbage or cake pans that don’t stack neatly. When we launched the site in September of 2009, we held weekly recipe contests around themes like “Your Best Chocolate Cake” or “Your Best Paella.” We’d read all the entries, test and photograph the most promising ones, and put the best two recipes up for a vote. This is how we built a curated recipe database—and, more importantly, how we got to know each other!

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As a part of Snack Shop series, Annie Arriaga investigates the latest and greatest viral snack shops in New York City to see if the hype is real, if the snacks are yummy, and if the spot is underrated, overrated, or perfectly rated.

One of the most beautiful parts about living in New York City, other than the ultra-viral restaurants or expensive flavored lattes, is getting to visit historic food institutions that have been serving up iconic dishes for decades, even centuries. I had to switch it up this week and finally satisfy my craving for a rainbow cookie—we chose Venieros in the East Village as the spot for Snack Shop this week.

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Our Favorite Recipes, Curated and Collected

Almond-studded choux pastry and rich, nutty praline crème mousseline join forces in this impressive French dessert.

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This eggy, aromatic, and plush Armenian bread is traditionally made to celebrate Easter, but it’s delicious enough to enjoy any time of year.

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Basque cheesecake boasts a deeply caramelized top and bottom, with a creamy center thanks to a high-temperature bake. No crust required.

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Cauliflower cooked down into a savory-sweet sauce with Sicilian staples: anchovies, pine nuts, raisins, saffron, and toasted breadcrumbs.

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This pasta bursting with clams, mussels, shrimp, squid, and fresh tomato is a coastal Italian classic.

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Eggs and cheese come together to form this silky, meatless Neapolitan sauce.

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A shortcut homemade pork sausage is the key to this creamy, hearty Umbrian pasta.

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Vegetables are the star of the show in this meatless Tuscan "fake" ragù.

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Cozy, comforting pasta with ham, cream, and peas.

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Pasta with brothy chickpeas is Italian comfort food at its best.

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Gnocchi alla bava is true mountain food. Hailing from the Italian Alps, it features tender and lightly sweet potato gnocchi in a rich and creamy Fontina cheese sauce, flavored with little else aside from a touch of black pepper and nutmeg.

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Onions are the star of the show in this slow-cooked beef ragù from Naples.

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Sweet and tender roasted beets, carrots, and onions, tossed with a zippy lime dressing and topped with crunchy, golden shallots.

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A rich, meaty variation on the classic Apulian pasta. Pork sausage, bitter greens, olive oil, garlic, chiles, and al dente orecchiette.

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Orecchiette with olive oil, garlic, chiles, anchovies, bitter greens, and toasted breadcrumbs. Straight from the heel of Italy.

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A baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.

If you’re looking for an easy and wildly flavorful shrimp boil recipe you can make right on your stovetop, you’re in the right place. This stovetop shrimp boil recipe with Zatarain’s smoked sausage, potatoes, and a garlicky butter sauce is backyard party magic made simple.

Every May — easily my favorite month of the year — my husband Will and I throw what we lovingly call the Birthday Boil. It’s a backyard bash where we invite everyone we know and love, crank up the music, fire up the boil pot, and spend the afternoon hopping between the boil and the pool, cold drink in hand.

Continue reading Stovetop Zatarain’s Shrimp Boil with Cajun Style Smoked Sausage & Garlic Butter Sauce at Joy the Baker.

Hello friends! I am back from a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a fantastic way to spend Spring break — wandering streets with old buildings that look like they’re straight out of a fairy tale, sipping coffee, exploring the endless green spaces near the city, browsing bookstores, and having fancy tea. All of the cliches about travel being inspiring and wonderful are true. 

The other thing about travel is that it’s kind of a pain.

Continue reading The Spring Hustle at Joy the Baker.

When I was a kid, I’d sneak away to the attic above my grandmother’s garage on Victoria Avenue in Los Angeles — a dusty, no-go zone for any reasonable adult. The stairs were rickety, the floorboards weren’t to be trusted, and the whole place was littered with the kind of forgotten storage adults pretend doesn’t exist.  Mostly half empty boxes, paint cans, and miscellaneous mops, rags, and lamps. It was perfect.

I turned that forbidden loft into my clubhouse. 

Continue reading One Year in Bellville at Joy the Baker.

If you think a celery salad sounds like a snooze, let me change your mind. This one’s packed with toasted walnuts, sweet dates, and sharp cheddar—like the fresh, crunchy dream at Lowland in Charleston I haven’t stopped craving.

I’ve been thinking about Charleston a lot lately—probably because I visited for the Wine and Food Festival a few weeks ago and already want to go again. The food in Charleston might be my favorite in the whole country (with deepest love and respect to New Orleans, of course).

Continue reading Lowland Celery Salad at Joy the Baker.

This Lavender Lemon Drop Martini is a floral, citrusy twist on the classic cocktail—light, refreshing, and just fancy enough to feel like a treat. If you’re looking for an easy spring cocktail that tastes like sunshine and garden parties, this is it!

I’ve been craving a homemade lemon drop since the first bag of Meyer lemons hit the market, and while I debated saving this one for Mother’s Day, it’s just too good to wait.

Continue reading Lavender Lemon Drop Martinis at Joy the Baker.

This buttermilk marinated chicken is the secret to juicy, flavor-packed thighs with golden, crackly skin. It’s an easy overnight marinade that does all the heavy lifting—I make a batch of this chicken literally every week and I need you in on this with me!

This Buttermilk Marinated Chicken isn’t just a recipe—dare I say it’s more of a life skill. I mean that in the most casual, comforting, I-make-this-every-weekend-for-Will-and-me kind of way.

Continue reading My Favorite Buttermilk Marinated Chicken at Joy the Baker.

I was reminded of this little truth this week: to have a good neighbor, you have to be a good neighbor.

This week in Bellville, I made a Chicken Pot Pie for a new friend who’s going through something hard—because what else can I do when life feels overwhelming besides wrap it in pie crust? (Rhetorical)

Just as I was standing at my kitchen counter, flour in my hair – I could feel it, crimping the crust wondering what I was going to eat for dinner… my neighbor texted.

Continue reading On Chicken Pot Pie, Being a Good Neighbor, and Being Just a Lil Ugly at Joy the Baker.

Think of these Dauphinoise potatoes as scalloped potatoes all dressed up for Easter—extra creamy, super cheesy, and just a little bit French in the best way.

Here we are, sweet friends—our Nancy Meyers Easter Menu, where every dish feels like it should be served in a sun-drenched kitchen with linen napkins and a good playlist humming in the background. We’re going classic and sophisticated this year. Cozy? Yes. Maybe a little complicated?

Continue reading Better Than Scalloped Potatoes: Dauphinoise Potatoes at Joy the Baker.

Hi, hello. I hope you’re having a lovely week! 

May I ask — are you doing okay? The reason I ask is that I’ve been privy to some meltdowns this week. A woman at the gym was taking forever in one of the two showers they have available (signs say to limit it to five minutes…she’d been in there for 30 minutes!) and I knocked on the door to remind her that other people were waiting.

Continue reading How We Doing? at Joy the Baker.

I looked out the bathroom window this week and—boom—the trees have exploded in green buds overnight. We knew it was spring, but the absolute evidence of it snuck up on me. Time feels faster these days, which means it’s probably time to catch up. Are we spring cleaning, friends?  Do you have the mop and bucket and squeegee out?  Are we opening the windows and letting the fresh air in? (Caution: I did this the other day and spent an hour try to get to small birds out of my house.)  Are we making a list of nemeses for personal growth? 

Continue reading A Nemesis for Spring at Joy the Baker.

Simple Recipes from my Paris Kitchen

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I will own up to it right then and there: I am an inveterate collector of pasta. Guilty as charged. […]

The post Stuffed Lumaconi with Butternut Squash and Chestnuts Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! I will own up to it right then and there: I am an inveterate collector of pasta. Guilty as charged. In fine food shops and Italian markets, I love to study the different shapes and imagine which will lend themselves to smooth sauces or chunky ones. I love their names (rooster’s crests, radiators, little ears, thimbles), the traditional packaging, and the fact that, for just a few euros, I can treat myself to a package of something novel — not to mention the promise of an easy meal. Before I had children, I had to rein in my purchases, as my kitchen cabinets overflowed faster that Maxence and I actually ate pasta. But with two young boys who would eat it at every meal if I let them — their dream breakfast is cold leftover pasta, a recessive trait for sure — I am free to buy whatever I please, knowing I will easily find a use for it. And I recently fell hard for a package of lumaconi, those large snail-shaped pasta sold in big bulging packages that scream “Buy me, I’m special!” Lumaconi are the kind of pasta whose life pursuit is to be stuffed with a sauce and gratinéed in the oven for an immensely satisfying vegetarian main dish, or a festive side to a roast bird. And as the holidays approach, I thought I would suggest a simple, seasonal sauce of roasted butternut squash and chestnuts. You sprinkle the whole thing with cheese so it will brown nicely… … and you squeeze lemon juice over the top just before serving. You end up with a golden and appetizing dish that boasts al dente pasta, a silky sauce that sticks to the ribbed sides of the lumaconi, little pockets of melty cheese with chestnut bits, and a top layer that is toasted and crunchy and irresistible. (Keep an eye on the little cousins who may be tempted to eat just the top.) It’s a recipe that is wowing but easy to make — the technique is straightforward, and many of the steps can be made in advance — and easy to live with — it’s lovely at room temperature, and almost tastes better reheated. Grating cheese with a microplane zester. Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Stuffed Lumaconi with Butternut and Chestnuts Recipe Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Serves 4. Ingredients 1 small butternut squash or other firm-flesh winter squash, about 800 grams (1 3/4 pounds), seeds and fibers removed, flesh cubed (no need to peel if organic) Olive oil Fine sea salt 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) cooked peeled chestnuts from a jar, chopped 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 organic lemon Coarse sea salt 250 grams (9 ounces) uncooked lumaconi (large snail-shaped pasta, such as these) 150 grams (1 1/2 cups) freshly grated cheese, such as Comté or Parmesan Instructions First, prepare the filling. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange the butternut in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Mix with your hands to coat well. Insert in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until tender. Process in a blender or food mill until smooth. This can be prepared up to a day ahead, or even frozen. Thaw before using. Measure 500 grams (2 cups) of the butternut purée into a medium mixing bowl (reserve the remaining purée for another use). Add the chestnuts, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Grate the zest of the lemon finely into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Next, cook the pasta. In a large saucepan, bring water to the boil with some coarse salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Add the lumaconi and boil until just shy of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, return to the saucepan, drizzle with olive oil, and shake to coat so they won't stick to one another as you work. Assemble and bake. Grease a round 25-cm (10-inch) baking dish or cast-iron pan with olive oil. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F). Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each lumaconi, and arrange in the prepared dish, snugly but in a single layer. When you're done, dot the top of the lumaconi with any remaining sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned in places. Squeeze some lemon juice over the top and serve, with a lightly dressed green salad, or as a side to roast chicken. Notes If you have access to high-quality, ready-made puréed winter squash, you can use that in a pinch. This recipe can be made with other kinds of large, stuffable pasta, such as tube pasta or conchiglioni. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/pasta/stuffed-lumaconi-butternut-chestnuts-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Stuffed Lumaconi with Butternut Squash and Chestnuts Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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After years of whizzing all of my soups to liquid velvet, I have recently and suddenly become a chunky soup […]

The post Chunky Pumpkin Soup Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! After years of whizzing all of my soups to liquid velvet, I have recently and suddenly become a chunky soup convert. This change of preference happened overnight, and I don’t know what prompted it, but ever since the beginning of the fall and the first batches of the season, I can’t think of a more desirable soup format than cubes, coins, and ribbons of vegetables intermingling in a broth. There’s chew and slurp, and the combination of the two provides a greater satisfaction than one or the other. A few things to keep in mind when preparing that type of soup: first, the vegetables need to be cut into even sizes and shapes, so they’ll form a coherent ensemble in the bowl. This is of less concern when you’re preparing a mixed soup, but here you have to imagine that the pieces you add in will essentially remain the same when cooked, so you want smaller than bite-sized morsels. Second, you’ll get best results if the ingredient mix you use includes one that’ll give body to the soup, and by that I mean enough starch that the broth has substance, rather than feel watery. A small amount of floury potatoes or split peas works well. Third, if you find yourself in a position to add a sprinkle of fresh herbs — leaves or blossoms — at the surface of the bowls, the soup will light up and love you for it. Nuts are a fine topping, too, and if you happen to have a colossal supply of walnuts, you may agree that they’re very much a one-nut-fits-all for autumn soups. My current favorite version, which I’ve been making weekly for the past month, is this chunky pumpkin soup: it involves pumpkin (now that’s a surprise), shallots, potatoes, and the greens from Swiss chard or a bunch of young turnips. Here are the tricks that make it, in my humble opinion, really really good: one, I use a mix of floury and waxy potatoes, so the former thicken the soup while the latter provide little cubes of potato flesh to bite into. And two, when the soup is cooked, I lace it with a good spoonful of harissa, the North African purée of hot chilies and garlic, and this gives it a one-two punch of warmth and spiciness. Like all soup recipes, this one may be configured to fit your preference and the ambiant mood in your vegetable drawer: just last week, I included the stem of a head of broccoli leftover from making a broccoli salad (please tell me you don’t throw these out), and two weeks before that, I’d added white radishes, finely sliced to the point of transparency, and scattered at the surface like rice paper confetti. ~~~ If you’re celebrating Thankgiving this Thursday and are still trying to decide what to make, this soup could be a good, easy option. I can also suggest the following recipes: ~ Carrot and rosemary mini-scones, ~ Mâche salad with endives and beets, ~ Sunchoke soup with bacon, ~ Brussels sprouts with onions and squash seeds, ~ Saffron-roasted cauliflower, ~ Swiss chard gratin with vegan bechamel, ~ Gratin dauphinois (potato gratin), ~ Carrot and ginger quickie pickle, ~ Banana pecan cake with maple glaze, ~ Quince and almond cake, ~ Brown butter spiced crisp. Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Chunky Pumpkin Soup Recipe Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Serves 6 Ingredients 3 medium onions or large shallots, finely minced 2 teaspoons cumin seeds one big wedge pumpkin, about 1.5 kilos (3 1/3 pounds), seeded, peeled and diced 4 small or 2 medium potatoes, ideally half waxy and half floury, scrubbed (I don't peel them) and diced vegetable or chicken stock, ideally homemade the greens from 2-3 stalks of Swiss chard or the tops from a bunch of turnips, finely minced 1 tablespoon harissa, or to taste cilantro blossoms or leaves, for garnish walnuts, shelled and crumbled, for garnish (optional) vegetable oil salt Instructions Heat a good drizzle of oil in a soup pot. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the cumin seeds and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant. Add the pumpkin and potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and add stock to cover the vegetables (top up with water if necessary). Cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and the pumpkin is soft. Remove the soup from the heat, and mash it just a little with the wooden spoon so you have a good mix of textures. Dissolve the harissa in a spoonful of the cooking liquids in a small bowl, and stir it into the soup. Add the minced greens and stir them in; they will cook quickly in the hot liquid. Taste, adjust the seasoning and heat, then serve with a sprinkle of cilantro blossoms or leaves, and crumbled walnuts, if you have them. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/soups/chunky-pumpkin-soup-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Chunky Pumpkin Soup Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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I love the bulk section at my local organic store. I love that it allows me to cut down on […]

The post Soy Sauce Roasted Cashews Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! I love the bulk section at my local organic store. I love that it allows me to cut down on the packaging, as I strive to bring back and reuse the same paper bags until they give out in exhaustion. I love that I pay less for the exact same products or ingredients, and I love that it gives me an opportunity to purchase sample-size amounts of new foods without committing to a whole package. This is how I recently got ahold of some shoyu roasted cashews from Jean Hervé — an all-around fantastic brand for nut butters — that proved all kinds of good, crunchy and toasty and salty but not overly so. I found myself reaching for small handfuls that soon turned into bigger ones while preparing dinner, and sprinkling them over my lunch salads as well, and soon enough my sample was gone. Of course I could have just gone out and bought more — oh, how I love pulling down on those levers! too! — but when I compared the price of plain cashews with the soy sauce roasted ones, I calculated that they were charging 30% more for the soy sauce marinating and the roasting, which seemed like steps I could very well accomplish myself. And it was indeed a most straightforward process: you simply pour soy sauce over the cashews, and let them soak it in overnight before roasting in the oven, where the cashews will crisp up as the soy sauce dries up and caramelizes. These you can nibble on with a pre-dinner drink — I like to present them on the adorable mini cutting boards that Earlywood now makes — or snack on during the day (word of warning: very. hard. to stop.), or sprinkle over your salads, or package up and present as a low-effort but well-received edible gift. Mini cutting board from Earlywood. Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Soy Sauce Roasted Cashews Prep Time: 1 minute Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 12 hours Makes 2 cups. Ingredients 300 grams (2 cups) unroasted, unsalted cashews 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari if gluten is an issue) Instructions In a medium container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the cashews and soy sauce. Stir well to coat. Close the container and let rest on the counter until the next day, shaking the container every once in a while so the cashews absorb the sauce evenly. The next day, the cashews should have soaked it all up. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Arrange the cashews in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the cashews are golden brown. Let cool completely before serving. These cashews keep for a month in an airtight container at cool room temperature. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/appetizers/soy-sauce-roasted-cashews-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Soy Sauce Roasted Cashews Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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I spent my childhood eating Liège waffles we bought at the grocery store. Those thick and cake-like grids studded with […]

The post Belgian Waffles (Liège-Style) Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! I spent my childhood eating Liège waffles we bought at the grocery store. Those thick and cake-like grids studded with sugar crystals seemed to me infinitely superior to the thin waffles stuffed with vanilla cream that my sister prefered and I ignored disdainfully. I hadn’t eaten such waffles since my teenaged days — I stopped buying supermarket pastries years ago — but they made a major comeback into my life earlier this year, when a tiny Comptoir Belge opened a stone’s throw from my house, at 58 rue des Martyrs. This stand offers Belgian waffles in the style of Liège, cooked fresh while you watch and sending seductive, buttery wafts right up to the little carousel on Place Lino Ventura, a powerful marketing ploy indeed. And the first time I tried them, you could have knocked me over with a feather. A far cry from its distant plastic-wrapped and palm-oiled grocery store cousin, the artisanal and freshly cooked Liège waffle is a study in contrast between the thinly crisp shell, the tender and brioche-y insides, and the thick sugar crystals that melt and caramelize in the waffle iron. And since I recently received from Cuisinart (see note at the bottom of this post) a fabulous griddler with waffle plates, it wasn’t long until I tackled this monument of Belgian gastronomy. In my research I found dozens of recipes, with such widely varying proportions my head spun, and my solution was, as it always is, to draw up a spreadsheet comparing the different ingredient amounts in proportion to the flour weight (you can take the cook out of the engineer, etc.). This led me to formulate a recipe that would be best suited to my taste, i.e. less sweet and less butter-heavy than average, while still retaining 100% of its deliciousness. The resulting waffles are an absolute delight, the recipe is easy, and the dough freezes perfectly well, allowing you to invite your sister over for an impromptu snack one afternoon and, with hardly a finger lifted, have her discover in turn how a Belgian waffle really should be eaten: still warm, caramelized, chewy, irresistible. Want more fabulous waffle recipes? Follow my waffle board on Pinterest! Transparency note : The griddler and waffle plates were sent to me to review by Cuisinart France through their PR agency. I will note that this was actually the model I had set my heart on and was about to get as a birthday gift from my parents when I had the opportunity to receive it for free. All opinions expressed here are my own. Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Liège-Style Belgian Waffles Recipe Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 4 minutes Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes Makes 15 waffles. Ingredients 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) lukewarm milk (you shouldn't feel a temperature difference when you dip your finger in) 12 grams (1 scant tablespoon) active dry yeast (I use the SAF brand) 500 grams (1.1 pounds) all-purpose flour (about 3 3/4 cups, but I strongly recommend you use a scale to measure this amount) 10 grams (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use fresh cinnamon from Cinnamon Hill) 2 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar (I used Belgian cassonnade, the traditional unrefined beet sugar) 2 large organic eggs 150 grams (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) butter, softened 190 grams (1 1/4 cups) Belgian pearl sugar (available online from the Waffle Pantry, or homemade) Cooking oil, for greasing the waffle iron Instructions In a bowl, combine the milk and yeast and let stand for 15 minutes, until the surface is foamy. (If that doesn't happen, your yeast is probably too old; start again with a freshly purchased packet.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (see below about making the dough entirely by hand), combine by hand the flour, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add in the milk mixture and the eggs, and stir by hand again (I detach the dough hook and use that) to moisten most of the flour so it won't fly off everywhere when you turn the mixer on. Turn the mixer on and knead at low speed for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Add in the butter. Knead for another 2 minutes, until the butter is fully incorporated. The dough will be quite sticky. (The kneading can also be done by hand. It's more of a workout, obviously, and the part when you have to work in the softened butter can be a bit messy. The key is to not lose hope -- the dough will eventually absorb the butter -- and take heart in the fact that you'll have the softest hands afterward.) Cover the bowl tightly with a kitchen towel and leave to rise at warm room temperature, away from drafts, until doubled in size. The exact time needed will vary depending on the temperature in your kitchen, but it should take about 2 hours. Fold the pearl sugar into the dough -- this will deflate it and that's okay -- so it's evenly distributed. Divide the dough into 15 pieces, each about 75 grams (2 2/3 ounces), and shape them (roughly) into balls. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking. (See note below on refrigerating or freezing the dough for later.) Preheat your waffle iron to medium-high; on my own griddler, the ideal temperature is 190°C (375°F). Brush the waffle plates with oil (this is unnecessary if they're non-stick) and place one ball of dough in the center of each waffle segment. Close the waffle iron and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Lift the waffles from the iron (I use wooden tongs) and let cool 5 to 10 minutes on a rack before eating. Notes You can set aside some or all of the balls of dough to cook later: right after dividing the dough, arrange on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to a day. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. You can also arrange the extra pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or until hard, then collect the pieces into an airtight freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 3 hours before cooking. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/bread-brioche/belgian-waffles-liege-style-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Belgian Waffles (Liège-Style) Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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When we get to spend time at my parents’ vacation house in the Vosges, a mountain range in the Northeast […]

The post Flammekueche (Alsatian Pizza) Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! When we get to spend time at my parents’ vacation house in the Vosges, a mountain range in the Northeast of France, one of our favorite daytrips is to drive over to Colmar, a historic Alsatian town on the other side of the mountain. We’ve been going for as long as my parents have had the house, a little over twenty years, and though Colmar is as gorgeous as Alsatian towns get (i.e. very), with paved streets, pretty canals, and amazing architecture, the capital-D Draw for me is the flammekueche we get for lunch. Also known as tarte flambée, the flammekueche (pronounced flam-küsh*) can be described as the Alsatian pizza: a super thin round of dough topped with cream, finely sliced onions, bacon strips, and sometimes mushrooms (la forestière) and cheese (la gratinée), baked in a woodfire oven until the edges are golden brown and crisp. Sitting at one of the outdoor tables outside our favorite restaurant in Colmar, we make conversation as we wait for our tartes flambées to arrive, and our collective joy vibrates through the air as the waitstaff brings them out, all hot and fragrant, on wooden boards. I would never have thought to make my own had it not been for Frédérique, the textile designer and special correspondent who will be sharing her guide to Strasbourg next month, and offered her recipe for flammekueche as a bonus. As she explained, it is a popular dish to make for a casual meal with friends throughout Alsace. In fact, it is so common that supermarkets sell ready-made rounds of dough that you can just garnish and bake. I’ve never come across those in Paris, and soon found out the dough is so easy to make there is hardly a need for a shortcut: it’s just flour, salt, oil, and water — no yeast to intimidate the cook. And once you’ve got your dough rolled out thinly, it’s just a matter of scattering a few toppings over it, and bake in a very hot oven. Within minutes, you can have your very own tarte flambée sizzling on your table. Indeed, I can’t think of a more festive food to share with friends over drinks. But it comes together so fast Maxence and I have also enjoyed it for a weeknight dinner. In fact, I did a test run one night, and we loved it so much we had tartes flambées for dinner four. nights. in a row. We called it Alsatian week. * Alternate spellings are numerous depending on the region and the dialect: flammkuche, flammkuchen, flammekuechle, flàmmeküeche… Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Flammekueche (Alsatian Pizza) Recipe Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Makes 2 flammekueche, to serve 4 as a main dish, 8 as an appetizer. Ingredients For the dough: 250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 3 tablespoons organic canola oil About 120 ml (1/2 cup) water For the filling: 6 tablespoons very thinly sliced onion, red or yellow 75 grams (2 2/3) thick-cut uncooked bacon, sliced into 1-cm (1/3-inch) strips (called lardons in French) 60 ml (1/4 cup) thick crème fraîche (substitute sour cream) (see note) 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Freshly grated nutmeg 6 tablespoons freshly grated cheese, such as Comté or Gruyère (optional) Chives, snipped Optional additions: sliced mushrooms or sliced French Munster cheese Instructions First, make the dough. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and oil. Stir in the water slowly, using a fork or a dough whisk, until it comes together. (The exact amount of water needed will vary depending on the quality of your flour, how you've measure it, the humidity, etc. Adjust accordingly.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly to form a ball. (If preparing the dough in advance, place the ball on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to a day.) Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in 2 equal pieces; cover the one you won't be using right away. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin, approximate circle, about 35 cm (14 inches) in width. In a bowl, combine the crème fraîche with the salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Spread half of this on the circle of dough. Top with half the onion and lardons. If using grated cheese, add it now. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown at the edges and the filling is bubbly. Transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with chives, and cut slices with kitchen shears or a pizza wheel. Make a second flammekueche with the remaining ingredients. Notes Some Alsatian cooks make flammekueche with just crème fraîche, others with just fromage blanc (a fresh cheese that's the consistency of yogurt), others yet with a mix of the two. I've used crème fraîche only for simplicity. More is not better when it comes to tarte flambée toppings: don't pile on everything you've got, or it will be soggy and out of balance. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/appetizers/flammekueche-alsatian-pizza-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Flammekueche (Alsatian Pizza) Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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Tarte fine caramélisée aux pommes When I wrote about my enthusiasm for quick and easy puff pastry, I promised I […]

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Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! Tarte fine caramélisée aux pommes When I wrote about my enthusiasm for quick and easy puff pastry, I promised I would soon share the apple tarte fine I made with it, and that day has come. A tarte fine — literally, “thin tart” — is a classic type of French tart assembled on a flat disk of puff pastry, with no raised borders. This means it requires no tart pan, a trait that will no doubt appeal to the minimalists and the ill-equipped. It is a type of tart I’ve always thought elegant for its understatedness. The filling is typically made up of just fruit, and moderate amounts of it, so as to remain super thin. And every bite is as much about the crust as it is about the filling, which makes it an ideal opportunity to showcase your new puff-pastry-making skills. Apple Tarte Fine: a Study in Simplicity And indeed this recipe is a study in simplicity: a thin round of rough puff that caramelizes in the oven — the trick is to butter and sugar the parchment paper you will bake it on — to form a crisp, flaky, buttery frame for a rose-shaped arrangement of thinly sliced apples. That’s it. Bake and serve. It does just as well slightly warm or at room temperature, and you could also make it with pears if you wanted to, but the one thing I will advocate for is serving it on its own. No custard, no ice cream, no crème fraîche. Just the solo silhouette of the tarte fine on a plate. Join the conversation! Have you made or tasted a tarte fine before? Does the gorgeous simplicity of it appeal to you as much as it does to me? Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Caramelized Apple Tarte Fine Recipe Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Serves 6 Ingredients 40 grams (3 tablespoons) high-quality unsalted butter, melted 40 grams (3 tablespoons) blond unrefined cane sugar 1 quick and easy puff pastry (you can substitute a sheet of store-bought, all-butter puff pastry, about 250 grams or 9 ounces, thawed if frozen, but it will be a lot better with the homemade pastry) 3 small apples, about 450 grams (1 pound), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced into circles 1 pinch fine sea salt Instructions Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the parchment paper with half the melted butter to form a 25-cm (10-inch) disk shape. Sprinkle that zone with half the sugar. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface until you can cut out a 25-cm (10-inch) circle using an upturned cake pan or plate as a template. (Stack up the scraps of puff pastry and keep well-wrapped in the fridge to make palmiers.) Transfer the pastry circle cautiously to the prepared sheet, placing it exactly on top of the buttered and sugared area. Arrange the apple slices in an overlapping pattern on top of the pastry, starting from the outside and leaving a 1.5-cm (1/2-inch) margin. Brush the margin and the apples with the remaining butter, and sprinkle with a touch of salt. Insert into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the apple slices feel soft when pierced with the tip of a knife. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and place under the broiler for 2 minutes, watching closely, until the sugar is caramelized. Let cool and serve, slightly warm or at room temperature. Notes Slicing the apples into circles -- rather than half-moons -- makes it much easier to garnish the tart in a pretty pattern. To do that, you need to first peel the apples, core them with an apple corer, and then slice them crosswise from top to bottom. A mandolin slicer makes this super speedy and even. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/cakes-tarts/caramelized-apple-tarte-fine-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Caramelized Apple Tarte Fine Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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Charred broccoli is fast becoming one of my go-to vegetable options, especially at lunchtime when I need something quick and low-effort. […]

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Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! Charred broccoli is fast becoming one of my go-to vegetable options, especially at lunchtime when I need something quick and low-effort. My enthusiasm for it started as an offshoot from my beloved Roasted Cauliflower à la Mary Celeste, in which broccoli can be used with good results. But in truth, roasted broccoli isn’t an exact substitute for cauliflower: the tops of the florets become a bit drier and quite a bit crunchier when submitted to high heat, so roasted broccoli seems to call for a creamier treatment. And what creamier companions than an herbed tahini dressing and a cubed avocado tossed in? Also: what tastier, more satisfying trio? I usually eat half of this salad warm the day I make it, and try to contain my excitement until lunch the next day, when I can finally have the other half; it’s best to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating. The trick to this salad is to not be shy about roasting the broccoli: you’ll get the most vibrant flavor and most interesting texture contrast from broccoli that is frankly black at the tips. The only damper on my charred broccoli enthusiasm these days is that is it harder than one would think to find glowingly fresh broccoli at the organic stores around me. You can tell broccoli is fresh when the heads are firm, with tight florets that take some effort to separate. Yet more often than not, a quick pat on the heads stocked in the produce bin reveals soft heads with distracted florets. I did learn recently that you can revive those heads by cutting a slice off the tip of the stem and putting it in a glass of water as in a vase, and I plan to try this next time, should my craving become too strong. Join the conversation! Do you share my love of roasted broccoli? What’s you favorite way to serve it? Charred Broccoli Salad on Video! My friend Katie Quinn filmed me making this salad, and you can watch the video on her YouTube channel! Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Charred Broccoli and Avocado Salad Recipe Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Serves 2. (Recipe can be doubled.) Ingredients 1 large head broccoli, about 750 grams (1 2/3 pounds) Olive oil for cooking 2 good handfuls chopped fresh herbs: cilantro, chervil, chives, and flat-leaf parsley all good choices 1 rounded tablespoon tahini (sesame paste, available from natural food stores and Middle-Eastern markets) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 ripe avocado, diced Fine sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F). Cut the broccoli into even-sized florets. Peel off any tough part on the stem, cut it lengthwise into four long logs, and slice not too thinly. Put the broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss well to coat (it works best if you just use your hands). Insert into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until charred at the edges. While the broccoli is roasting, prepare the dressing. Put the herbs, tahini, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork to combine, and add a little fresh water, teaspoon by teaspoon, stirring all the while until you get a creamy but not too thick dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning. When the broccoli is cooked, transfer to the bowl, add the avocado, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning again. Sprinkle with black pepper and serve. This is great when freshly made, but it can also sit at room temperature for a little while, or get packed for lunch and refrigerated. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/vegetables-grains/charred-broccoli-and-avocado-salad-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Charred Broccoli and Avocado Salad Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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Gluten-free baking can be discouraging for those who only want to dabble at it: you often dive into a tempting […]

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Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! Gluten-free baking can be discouraging for those who only want to dabble at it: you often dive into a tempting recipe only to discover it calls for three different types of flour and various thickening gums. It sounds daunting, and you don’t necessarily want to invest in ingredients that will just go rancid in your kitchen cabinet. “Naturally” gluten-free chocolate cookies I am more attracted to naturally gluten-free baked goods that use “regular” ingredients — though I recognize the notion is highly personal. But in the case of these gluten-free chocolate cookies, they can be put together by hand in no time at all, from just four easy-to-find ingredients: almond flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and butter. These gluten-free chocolate cookies are a recipe idea I’ve had on the mind for a long time, and I recently came around to developing it, to great success. Knowing that they are based on such a simple formula, you may be just as wowed as I was tasting these divine little sablés — crisp as you bite in, then meltingly tender on the tongue, not too sweet but strongly chocolate-y, with roasted notes and the touch of salt that changes everything. Though I generally use a silicone baking mat for cookies, I find it more convenient to use a good parchment paper here. I use it to roll up the dough into slice-and-bake logs, wrap them up for setting in the freezer, and slide the cookies onto a rack super gently at the end of baking — gluten-free cookies are typically fragile when still warm, so they need to cool completely undisturbed before they’re all crisped up and ready for action. Tell me everything! Do you also feel put off by recipes that call for two kinds of gums and various specialty flours? Did a particular recipe or circumstance convince you to give in and build a gluten-free pantry? PS: Here’s an index of my gluten-free recipes. And if you decide to invest in a bag of almond flour (I buy it by the kilo at G. Detou in Paris), I can offer many more recipes to make good use of it. Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Gluten-Free Chocolate Sablés (Just 4 Ingredients!) Recipe Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes Makes 40 two-bite cookies. Ingredients 200 grams (2 cups) almond flour 40 grams (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder 40 grams (3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) organic coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar (such as Rapadura) 100 grams (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt Instructions In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. If there are clumps, crush them out carefully with a fork. Add the butter and mix with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture comes together. Divide the dough in half. Place one half on a piece of parchment paper and use the paper to roll the dough into a log, about 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) in diameter. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Wrap the logs tightly and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300° F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough logs into 1-cm (1/3-inch) slices. Arrange on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, switching the sheet halfway through for even baking. Let stand for 5 minutes on the sheet, then slide the parchment paper onto a rack. Allow to cool completely. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/cookies-small-cakes/gluten-free-chocolate-sables-cookies-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies (Just 4 Ingredients!) Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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If you’ve been feeling blah about the official arrival of fall this week, I have a lovely and easy recipe […]

The post Peanut Noodles with Kale and Mushrooms Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! If you’ve been feeling blah about the official arrival of fall this week, I have a lovely and easy recipe to make you feel every shade of happy about the shift of seasons and the new produce it brings. {Related: Never sure what’s in season when? Grab my free seasonal produce calendar right this minute!} Today’s recipe is a simple dish of noodles dressed in a peanut sauce, and tossed with garlicky kale and sautéed mushrooms. It is the kind of vegan dish that feels satisfying and savoury. One you can serve to conventional omnivores without them complaining about being fed rabbit food; one that you will look forward to when you go home to make it on a weekday night and suddenly realize that, wow, the days are getting shorter fast. These peanut noodles with kale and mushrooms taste vibrant and rich, they are nourishing and well-balanced, and they also fit easily into a busy schedule. You can have it ready in about 30 minutes start to finish, and you can break down the preparation by preparing the sauce and sautéing the vegetables the day before, and cooking the noodles the day of. These days, the noodles I like to buy — the ones pictured in this post — are organic rice noodles flavored with turmeric from Autour du Riz, and the bright yellow color does help with morale. As a bonus, if you make a full recipe of these peanut noodles for four but there’s just two of you at home, you can divide what’s left into handy lunch boxes, and take it to work the next day. I like to eat the leftovers cold as a salad, but they reheat well in the microwave as well. Oh, and spoiler alert, this fine dish of peanut noodles with kale and mushrooms is one of the recipes featured in the vegetarian batch cooking plan for fall that I am preparing for you! Very excited to share this with you soon — stay tuned. For My Friends Down Under I’m sure you’re feeling great about the arrival of spring! Celebrate with this Greens and Walnut Quiche. Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Peanut Noodles with Kale and Mushrooms Recipe Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Serves 4. Ingredients 2 tablespoons all-natural unsweetened peanut butter The juice of 1 organic lime 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce 400 grams (14 ounces) dry noodles of your choice 1 tablespoon olive oil 150 grams (5 1/3 ounces) kale, about 4 stalks, center stem removed, leaves sliced into ribbons 400 grams (14 ounces) brown mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1 clove garlic, finely minced Instructions In a small bowl, thin the peanut butter with the lime juice, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir in a little water as needed to get a pourable sauce, creamy and not too thin. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, and drain when cooked. In the meantime, in a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the kale and mushrooms and garlic, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the vegetables and peanut sauce to the noodles, and toss to combine. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve. Notes The peanut sauce can be made up to a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. The kale and mushrooms can be cooked up to a day ahead. Cover, refrigerate, and reheat before serving. If there are leftovers, I like them cold as a salad the next day. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/pasta/peanut-noodles-kale-mushrooms-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Peanut Noodles with Kale and Mushrooms Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

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I discovered chokladbollar, or Swedish chocolate balls, during my blissful trip to Stockholm last month. The city is peppered with […]

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Buy Clotilde's latest book, The French Market Cookbook! I discovered chokladbollar, or Swedish chocolate balls, during my blissful trip to Stockholm last month. The city is peppered with cosy coffee shops that sell coffee, yes, but also pretty little sandwiches, and the kind of wholesome home-style sweets that go so well with a steaming cup of something. And though each place had a selection all its own, I soon identified a few classics you could count on finding pretty much everywhere: kardemummabullar, the Swedish cardamom rolls (also available in a cinnamon version, and sometimes chocolate or blueberry!), and chokladbollar, ping-pong-sized chocolate balls coated in grated coconut. What makes chokladbollar especially seductive, beyond the simple presence of, you know, chocolate and coconut, is that they’re made with ground oats. This gives them a lightly nubby texture, and infinitely pleasing nutiness. It was love at first bite in a herregud* kind of way. I ate my fill while in Stockholm, and couldn’t get them out of my head once home in Paris. I researched the recipes available out there, created a comparison spreadsheet (yes, I am that kind of person), and found that most of them called for impressive amounts of sugar and butter. And so, I set out to create a version of my own using coconut oil more moderately instead (nothing against butter, you can use that instead if not vegan), and just the right dose of sugar to round out the other flavors. Hey, want to see a video? I hesitate to call them good for you but this version is as close as chokladbollar will get, and they won’t leave you feeling icky like a ball of sugared butter might. These no-bake treats are quick and easy to make using a blender, and if you have kids to occupy, definitely get them involved in the rolling. (Read more about my beloved blender in my review of the Optimum 9400 by Froothie. Promo code included!) If you’re planning to make food gifts this year, or need something lovely and unusual to greet your out-of-town relatives with, or bring to a holiday party, this is a guaranteed success. I’ve already given some away as hostess gifts in pretty beribboned sachets, and they were a hit. PS: 12 Best Food Gifts for the holidays, my recipe for Vegan Hot Chocolate, and my epic Stockholm mini-guide. * That’s OMG in Swedish. I’ve yet to learn WTF, but I want to. Have you tried this? Share your pics on Instagram! Please tag your pictures with #cnzrecipes. I'll share my favorites! Print Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar) No-Bake, Vegan Recipe Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Makes about 20. Ingredients 200 grams (2 cups) quick-cooking oats (certified gluten-free as needed) 100 grams (1/2 cup) muscovado sugar or other unrefined cane sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 130 grams (2/3 cup) coconut oil, softened (substitute the same weight in unsalted butter, softened) 2 tablespoons strong coffee, cooled (substitute non-dairy milk or water if avoiding caffeine) 35 grams (1/3 cup) unsweetened grated coconut, for coating Instructions In a blender or food processor, combine the oats, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Process in a few short pulses to grind the oats to a fine powder. Tip into a large mixing bowl. Add the coconut oil and coffee, and mix, first with a dough whisk or spatula, then with your hands, until a dough forms. It should be slightly sticky. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Set aside as you go. In a shallow soup plate, put the grated coconut. Roll the balls in the coconut to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I like them best brought slightly back to room temperature before eating. The chocolate balls will keep for a couple of weeks, refrigerated in an airtight container. 3.1 https://cnz.to/recipes/cookies-small-cakes/vegan-swedish-chocolate-balls-chokladbollar-recipe/ Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier. The post Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar) No-Bake, Vegan Recipe appeared first on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Healthy Vegetarian Recipes.

Here is a salad we made for my sister's birthday. It's packed with flavor and perfectly combines crunchy (lettuce, nuts, cucumber) with creamy (tahini and roasted vegetables). A salad that is more than a salad.

Here is a salad we made for my sister's birthday. It's packed with flavor and perfectly combines crunchy (lettuce, nuts, cucumber) with creamy (tahini and roasted vegetables). A salad that is more than a salad.

Here is a great weeknight dinner that comes together on the stove in just under 20 minutes. Soft, sticky and flavor-packed aubergine meets crunchy broccoli and earthy noodles. Heaven in a bowl.

Here is a great weeknight dinner that comes together on the stove in just under 20 minutes. Soft, sticky and flavor-packed aubergine meets crunchy broccoli and earthy noodles. Heaven in a bowl.

This saffron and cinnamon studded grain salad with roasted roots, herbs, pomegranates and nuts is perfect for the holidays + Christmas Recipe Roundup!

This saffron and cinnamon studded grain salad with roasted roots, herbs, pomegranates and nuts is perfect for the holidays + Christmas Recipe Roundup!

These cookies from Aran Goyoaga new cookbook are naturally gluten-free with a delicious hint of fennel. We also made them vegan. Try the cookies and read our conversation with Aran.

These cookies from Aran Goyoaga new cookbook are naturally gluten-free with a delicious hint of fennel. We also made them vegan. Try the cookies and read our conversation with Aran.

This is an untraditional but delicious take on Shakshuka with a sweet potato base and crunchy roasted sweet potato skin on top. The recipe is from the new book Shelf Love from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen.

This is an untraditional but delicious take on Shakshuka with a sweet potato base and crunchy roasted sweet potato skin on top. The recipe is from the new book Shelf Love from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen.

The star of this Vegan Caesar Salad is the oyster mushrooms that we sear using a special pressing method that makes it umami-rich and crunchy on the outside while juicy and flavor-packed inside.

The star of this Vegan Caesar Salad is the oyster mushrooms that we sear using a special pressing method that makes it umami-rich and crunchy on the outside while juicy and flavor-packed inside.

This is a love letter to Swedish summer – to walking barefoot, swimming in lakes, eating strawberries every day, making potato sandwiches and cooking a delicious zucchini soup with lots of toppings.

This is a love letter to Swedish summer – to walking barefoot, swimming in lakes, eating strawberries every day, making potato sandwiches and cooking a delicious zucchini soup with lots of toppings.

We just created the perfect combination of an Italian cheesecake and a soft crumb almond cake. With creamy ricotta, a hint of polenta and an upside-down lemon surprise. It's a real treat!

We just created the perfect combination of an Italian cheesecake and a soft crumb almond cake. With creamy ricotta, a hint of polenta and an upside-down lemon surprise. It's a real treat!

Here is a stunning but simple citrus and avocado salad to bid farewell to winter. And a Big Love list with links to things we like.

Here is a stunning but simple citrus and avocado salad to bid farewell to winter. And a Big Love list with links to things we like.

Everybody loves a quick and comforting pasta recipe. Here is how to make the creamiest kale pasta you've ever tried. You only 15 minutes, a few ingredients, a sauce pan and a blender!

Everybody loves a quick and comforting pasta recipe. Here is how to make the creamiest kale pasta you've ever tried. You only 15 minutes, a few ingredients, a sauce pan and a blender!

A new generation of restaurants is pushing the overlooked cuisine forward.

The debate over cooking oil has moved some chefs to adopt pricier alternatives, and made them unlikely allies of the Make America Healthy Again movement.

You don’t need to do very much to get the most succulent, tender meat.

With a flood of imported seafood driving the U.S. shrimp industry to the edge of ruin, a consulting company out of Houston is testing truth in menu labeling.

Under all the hype and beautiful-people veneer, Bridges is full of surprises, starting with an imaginative, globally inspired menu.

The French chef — who is the subject of a new steamy Apple TV+ series — was much spicier than his reputation as an elaborate pastry genius might initially suggest.

Tight spaces with minimal equipment — often not even a stove — are loved by chefs who leverage the limitations to turn out thrilling dishes.

I’ve made salsa my whole life. These tips changed everything.

There’s no tried-and-true salve for the morning after a big night, but this easy recipe is as close as it gets for Eric Kim.

These recipes are light and nourishing and bring some weeknight dinner excitement to the table.

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Asian Plant-Based Deliciousness

Do you have 15 minutes? If yes, then this easy saucy tofu is for you! It’s super simple to make with only a few ingredients on hand. You’ll have a delicious weeknight dinner in no time. 🙂  I’m a big tofu fan – soft, medium firm, and firm, all the textures I love. While there...

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Do you have 15 minutes? If yes, then this easy saucy tofu is for you! It’s super simple to make with only a few ingredients on hand. You’ll have a delicious weeknight dinner in no time. I’m a big tofu fan – soft, medium firm, and firm, all the textures I love. While there are many ways to prepare tofu, I always look for a simple one especially when I’m in a time crunch. This easy saucy tofu dish packs with flavor yet are so simple with only a few ingredients. Win-win for me. Another win is you only need one wok or pan to make this dish. I have been so blessed with all the fresh tofu that I can get from the market here in Chengdu. Each stall sells a variety of soybean products including assorted tofu, tofu skin, and fried tofu puffs. The two main ingredients here are – tofu (medium or firm) and large green onions or scallions with lots of white parts. The white part lends a great aroma to the tofu that brings out a tad of sweetness. Then, the smaller or younger ones with more green parts are used for garnish. The sauce is as simple as vegan oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water which you will mix together with the chopped white parts of the scallions. Note: Because I’m using both the white and green parts of the green onions, I’m referring to them as scallions to reduce confusion. Another tip that I love about this dish that I learned from the ‘Little Red Book’ is to sprinkle some salt on a heated wok to prevent tofu from sticking to it. You can definitely skip this step when a non-stick pan is used. Easy Scallion (Green onion) Tofu step-by-step First, press a block of firm tofu with a towel to remove moisture. If using medium-firm tofu, lightly pat the block instead due to the softer texture. Also, medium-firm tofu will release more liquid so it will splash more during cooking. Next, clean the scallions and slice the white part into chunks and place them in a bowl. Slice the green parts into tiny ‘coins’ for garnish. The same goes for the chili. You may skip the chili for less heat. In the same bowl with white scallion parts, add vegan oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water and stir to combine. For a darker sauce, feel free to add a little dark soy sauce to the mix. Now, heat a wok or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil (I used avocado oil), less for non-stick pan. Sprinkle the heated wok with salt. Slowly slide in the tofu. Use a spatula or spoon to cut the tofu into large chunks. Pan-fry until slightly golden, flipping only after a thin crust is formed. Pour in the sauce and gently toss to combine. Taste test and adjust saltiness with more soy sauce if needed or additional water for a saucier dish. Garnish with green scallion parts and chili, then give it a final toss. Serve immediately with rice. Other tofu dishes to try Lemongrass Tofu Teriyaki tofu balls Vegan tofu salmon Vegan unagi made from tofu and potato This easy scallion (green onion) saucy tofu is VEGAN a perfect one pot meal quick to make easy to prepare delicious to eat a great way for meal prep made with minimal ingredients If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Easy Saucy Tofu in 15 minutes Look no further for a quick and easy saucy tofu that you can make in one pot without a fuss. It's flavorful and a perfect dish with a bowl of rice for your weeknight dinner! 5 from 6 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Main Course Cuisine: Asian, Chinese Keyword: 15-minute, tofu Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes Servings: 2 Author: woonheng Ingredients 300 g firm tofu pressed 2 large scallions/green onions 1 red chili skip for no heat Cooking oil Salt to prevent tofu from sticking to the wok Sauce 1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus more ½ teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch ¾ cup of water Instructions Separate the white and green parts of the scallions then cut the white into bite-size chunks. For the green parts, I sliced them into tiny ‘coins’ for garnish. Same goes with the chili. Heat a large wok over medium heat and add 2 heaping tablespoons oil (you may use less for non-stick pan). Slowly slide in the tofu. Use a spatula or spoon and cut up tofu into chunks. Let each side pan fry until slightly golden where tofu can hold their shape. Tip – only flip the tofu once a crust is formed. Meanwhile, in the bowl with white scallions part, stir together vegan oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch with water until well combined. When tofu is done, add the sauce, and gently toss to combine. Let it simmer for about 30 seconds until flavors meld, with a few toss in between to prevent tofu from sticking. Taste test and adjust saltiness with more soy sauce if needed or additional water for a saucier dish. Garnish with green parts of scallions and chili and give it a final toss. Serve immediately with a bowl of rice. Video Notes When using a non-stick pan, you may skip salting the pan It’s best to flip the tofu once a thin crust is formed to prevent breaking the tofu into tiny pieces If there are no large scallions with lots of white parts available, you may sub with leek and adjust the sugar down, if preferred. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post 1-pot Easy Scallion (Green Onion) Saucy Tofu in 15 minute appeared first on WoonHeng.

This peanut sprouts stir fry is one of my favorite quick dishes to make when they are in season. Have you ever tried peanut sprouts? I’m a big fan of mung bean, soybean, and pea sprouts for stir-fry dishes. So, when I first tried the peanut ones in Chengdu, I was surprised at how tasty...

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This peanut sprouts stir fry is one of my favorite quick dishes to make when they are in season. Have you ever tried peanut sprouts? I’m a big fan of mung bean, soybean, and pea sprouts for stir-fry dishes. So, when I first tried the peanut ones in Chengdu, I was surprised at how tasty and crunchy they were. Now that I find them easily at grocery stores here, it’s the best time to make a dish out of them. What does peanut sprout taste like? If you haven’t tried peanut sprouts before, please try them! They are also called longevity bud/sprout – 长寿芽 a great source of protein sweet nutty crunchy like jicama Since peanut sprouts are normally larger than mung bean or soybean, they do take longer in cooking. So, please adjust the water amount (more for a softer texture) and cooking time when making them. Also, I’ve seen others eat them raw but I haven’t tried them myself. Personally, I like them in stir fries because you don’t need much seasoning, all I added was light soy sauce and vinegar. Peanut Sprouts stir fry step-by-step First, prepare the aromatics – ginger, garlic, scallion, and dried chilis. I simply sliced them and removed the dried chilis’ seeds to reduce the heat. You can either use tofu skin or pan-fry some firm tofu for the dish. I used smoked tofu and cut them into strips. Next, clean peanut sprouts with water. Then, remove the peanut skin and trim off the end. If I get a larger stem, I’ll cut it into two parts. Now, heat a large wok or pan over medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. Sautè ginger and garlic until aromatic. Add the dried chili and give it a toss. Add the tofu strips and peanut sprouts, then stir fry for a minute or so to lightly pan-fry the sprouts. Season with light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and stir fry until the flavors meld. Since peanut sprouts have little moisture, I added 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer until they are as crisp as I like. Or you may cook them until they have no raw taste. For a softer texture, add more water and cook the sprouts until the texture that you like. Adjust the seasoning if preferred. Fold in the scallions, stir fry, and finally, drizzle toasted sesame oil before serving. Other stir-fry dishes to try Mung bean sprouts stir fry Bok choy stir fry Oyster mushroom stir fry Edamame mushroom stir fry This peanut sprouts stir fry is Easy to prepare Delicious to eat Quick meal – done in 15 minutes a great side dish protein packed If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng in your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! 15 minute peanut sprouts stir fry Have you try peanut sprouts before? If not, give this easy 15 minute peanut sprouts stir fry a try! The sprout is sweet, nutty, and crunchy that goes so well with rice or a dish by itself. 5 from 1 vote Print Pin Rate Course: Side Dish Cuisine: Asian, Chinese Keyword: 15-minute, Stirfry Cooking: 15 minutes minutes Servings: 2 Author: woonheng Ingredients 200 g peanut sprouts 1 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger 1 garlic clove sliced 3 dried chili seeds removed 100 g tofu (about ½ cup) used smoked tofu 2 stalks of scallions roughly chopped 1 tablespoon cooking oil used extra virgin 1 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce ½ tablespoon Chinese black vinegar used Chinkiang, plus more to taste ½ cup of water plus more if needed Salt to taste if no soy sauce is used Toasted sesame oil for taste Instructions Rinse peanut sprouts with water a few times. Then, remove the skin and trim off the sprout end. You may cut each sprout into two parts if the stem is too long. Set aside. Prepare the aromatics. Thinly slice ginger and garlic. Then, with a pair of scissors, cut the dried chili into bite-sized pieces. I removed the seeds to reduce the heat. Heat a wok or non-stick pan with oil over medium-high heat. Stir fry ginger and garlic until aromatic, about a minute or so, then add dried chili. Toss a few times and add tofu strips. Add peanut sprouts, and stir fry for a minute or so to lightly char the sprouts. Peanut sprouts take a little longer to cook compared to mung bean and soybean due to the size. Season with soy sauce and vinegar. You may use salt, if preferred. Add water and let it simmer until the sprouts are crisp* to your likings. Add more water if you prefer a softer texture. Taste test and adjust the seasoning accordingly with more soy sauce or vinegar. Fold in the scallions, toss and drizzle in sesame oil before serving. Video Notes Please note the 15-minute is from stir-frying the dish. It will take a little longer if you need to pan-fry the tofu. Enjoy this delicious meal with rice or by itself. * Or you may cook the sprouts until they have no raw taste – adjust the water accordingly Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post Easy 15 minute Peanut Sprouts Stir-Fry 花生芽 appeared first on WoonHeng.

What is vegan yu xiang rou si – shredded pork? It translates to: Yu – Fish Xiang – Fragrance Rou – Meat, usually pork Si – shreds The original yu xiang dishes do not contain any fish but the combination of sauces and spices made them taste like that. I’ve dined at a few places...

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What is vegan yu xiang rou si – shredded pork? It translates to: Yu – Fish Xiang – Fragrance Rou – Meat, usually pork Si – shreds The original yu xiang dishes do not contain any fish but the combination of sauces and spices made them taste like that. I’ve dined at a few places here in Chengdu and one of the typical dishes on the menu is yu xiang rou si. So, I’ve chosen this as my first Sichuan dish to learn and make at home. Many vegetarian and vegan restaurants have really amazing meatless dishes that use whole foods as the base of their cooking. One ingredient I find here the most is MUSHROOMS which is perfect for today’s dish as the texture resembles meat the most. Vegan yu xiang rou si (shredded pork) step-by-step Step 1 – First, prepare the mushrooms. Clean the mushrooms with a brush then simply tear them into strips with your fingers. Or you can use a fork as a claw to shred them into strips. There are 3 ways to prepare the mushrooms: You can blanch them in boiling water for a minute or so, then drain and squeeze out all the liquid until ready to use. Massage with salt, and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. Then rinse with cold to remove the excess salt and squeeze out the liquid until ready to use. The above two methods can really remove the ‘mushroom’s taste’ and make it more ready to absorb the sauces. I personally love the mushroom’s taste so I use the last method which is to simply pan fry the strips until they start to dry up. This method gives the mushrooms the meat strip’s texture that I love before tossing them with the sauce. Step 2 – Next, finely chopped ginger, garlic, and pickled chili. TIP #1 – ginger to garlic ratio is 1:3 and I used 1:2.5. I used a red vinegary-type pickled chili but you can use other spicy ones instead. If a spicy one is used, please increase the vinegar or sugar amount to balance out the heat. Then, prepare the pairing ingredients. I’m using fresh bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms (rehydrate if using the dried ones), and scallions. Step 3 – To me, the soul of this dish comes from the sauce. It’s savory and the vinegar adds a refreshing punch to it. To make the sauce, simply mix together soy sauce, dark soy sauce (for color), Chinese black vinegar, cooking wine, sugar, mushrooms seasoning, cornstarch, and water until well combined. Set aside. Step 4 – Heat a large wok with 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Add mushrooms and quickly toss until they are coated with oil. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, tossing regularly. Once the moisture has been released, mushrooms will start to shrink. Continue to cook until they are golden. TIP #2 – If using a non-stick pan, pan fry the mushrooms without oil until they release their moisture. Cook until they start to dry up and add a tablespoon of oil then continue to sauté until golden. Push the mushrooms to the side of the wok, add a little more oil and sauté ginger, garlic, and chili until you can’t smell the raw taste of the spices. Toss with the mushrooms until they are coated. Add bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms, stir fry for about 30 seconds or so to cook the wood ear mushrooms. Next, add chopped green onions, toss. Step 5 – Finally, swirl in the sauce and quickly stir fry everything together until well combined. The sauce will immediately bring all the mushrooms together which will give the dish a bright shine. Taste test and add more vinegar or soy sauce, if needed. I like to serve it immediately with a bowl of rice. Other king oyster mushrooms dishes to try Lemon Chick’n Roasted Chick’n Sesame Chick’n This Vegan Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork) is Made from king oyster mushrooms Easy to prepare accompanied with a flavorful sauce – yu xiang (fish fragrant) without the fish best served with a bowl of rice quick to make – less than 30 minutes If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends Vegan Yu Xiang Rou Si (Shredded Pork) A very delicious and popular dish in Sichuan that I veganized using king oyster mushrooms. The sauce is absolutely fragrant and savory making it an appetizing dish for every day meal. 5 from 3 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Side Dish Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Sichuan Keyword: 30-minute Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes Total Time: 30 minutes minutes Servings: 2 Author: woonheng Ingredients 1½ pounds king oyster mushrooms 2 teaspoons minced ginger about ½ inch piece 1½ tablespoons minced garlic about 6 cloves 2 pickled chili sour, finely chopped (see notes) ½ cup fresh wood ear mushrooms sliced ½ cup fresh bamboo shoot sliced 3 stalks of green onions roughly chopped into 1-inch stick 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil used olive oil Yu Xiang Sauce 1 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce plus more if needed 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar used Chin Kiang 1 tablespoon cooking wine ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional) for color 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon mushrooms seasoning used granules 3 teaspoons cornstarch ½ cup water Instructions Clean mushrooms with a brush, then using your fingers, tear them into thin strips. Optionally, use a fork to shred them into strips. If dried wood ear mushrooms are used, rehydrate until soft and slice into strips. Mix yu xiang sauce in a bowl until well combined. Heat a large wok over medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add mushrooms and stir fry until they start to release its moisture. Continue to cook for another 2 -3 minutes until they start to dry up (the amount of mushrooms should shrink to a little over half than you originally put in). Adjust the heat down if it browns too fast or up if it takes longer. Push the mushrooms to the side of the wok, then add ginger, garlic, pickled chili, adding more oil if needed. Sauté until you can’t smell the raw taste of ginger or garlic. Fold everything together and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots and toss until wood ear mushrooms are fully cooked through. Fold in the chopped green onions. Pour in the sauce, and quickly toss for about a minute or so until all ingredients are coated. Taste test and add more soy sauce or vinegar accordingly. Serve immediately. Video Notes *Pickled chili – please see above on how it looks like. If you can’t find this, please substitute with other pickled chili and adjust the vinegar and sugar accordingly to balance the heat. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post How to make Vegan Yu Xiang Rou Si – Shredded Pork appeared first on WoonHeng.

This easy vegan zucchini pocket pie is filled with loads of zucchini and carrot that is wrapped inside a vegan store-bought scallion pancake – DELISH! Zucchini has a mild taste and can be used in savory or sweet dishes. If you have tried my other zucchini recipes, you’ll know I love to massage them with...

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This easy vegan zucchini pocket pie is filled with loads of zucchini and carrot that is wrapped inside a vegan store-bought scallion pancake – DELISH! Zucchini has a mild taste and can be used in savory or sweet dishes. If you have tried my other zucchini recipes, you’ll know I love to massage them with salt. This method seasons the veggies and allows you to add more volume (because it shrunk after you extract the moisture) to a dish at the same time. I came up with this recipe because I finally found the vegan scallion pancake from Trader Joe’s. While the pancake tastes really good by itself, I wanted to incorporate some veggies into it and make it a snack. It’s SOO Good, I can finish 2 by myself. The steps are easy and I tested 3 ways to cook them for you – pan-fry, bake, and air-fry. These vegan zucchini pocket pies are inspired by my Chinese Chive Pocket recipe. Oh, if you are not near a Trader Joe’s, you can still enjoy the scallion pancake from these recipes – Thai basil Zhua Bing or Shou Zhua scallion pancake. How to make vegan zucchini pocket pie Step 1: Prepare the filling First, reconstitute wood ear mushrooms in water (skip this step if using fresh ones). It took me about 30 to 45 minutes to get them fully hydrated depending on the size of the mushrooms. Then, slice them thinly. Next, using a grater, shred zucchini and carrot in a large bowl, separately. Massage each ingredient with salt and let them sit for about 15 minutes to draw out the moisture. Tip: You should see a small pool of water at the bottom of the bowl and the ingredients are tender. While waiting, soak dried mung bean vermicelli or fensi in hot water until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Snip it to make them shorter. When ready, place zucchini in a nut milk bag and wring out the excess liquid, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Repeat the same for carrots. Add cut-up mung bean vermicelli, mushrooms, and chopped green onions, then season with vegan oyster sauce, mushrooms seasoning, white pepper, and toasted black sesame oil. Taste and add a pinch of salt or soy sauce, if needed. Step 2: Assemble Since the store-bought cong you bing came in frozen, I place them on the countertop to soften them while I prepare the filling. Please do not thaw the pancake completely! It will be hard to roll out when it’s too soft and it will stick to the packaging that comes with it, making it really messy to assemble. Place one pancake along with the wraps on a working surface. Each pancake is stored in between two wraps, so I kept it this way. Using a rolling pin or glass jar, roll it into a larger circle, about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. If you find it hard to roll, use the rolling pin to press down the pancake to thin it out or thaw it for another 5 minutes. On the other hand, if it’s too soft, stick it back in the freezer to harden it. Remove the top wrap and place a mound of filling on one side of the pancake. Use the bottom wrap to lift the pancake up to create a half-moon pocket. Pinch to close all the openings. Gently flatten the pocket so it will cook evenly later. Continue with the rest of the ingredients until you get 5 pockets. Tip: Store the wrapped pocket in a freezer along with the wrap if you are not planning to consume them all. I normally placed it in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn taste. Step 3: Cook – 3 ways I have tried 3 ways to cook these pockets so you can choose which one is your favorite method. Method 1 – Bake Preheat oven to 400F. Place pockets on a greased baking pan. Spray or brush the top with oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes, flip and bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Serve as-is or dip with your favorite condiment. Method 2 – Pan fry Set a non-stick pan over medium heat and drizzle a little oil. Place pocket in and cook until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. If it browns too fast, please reduce the heat. Flip and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Push the pocket to the pan’s rim so all sides get cooked as well. Method 3 – Air fry Preheat air fryer to 390F for 3 minutes. Spray the inner basket with oil, place in the pocket. Brush or spray the top with oil. Air fry for 10 minutes until golden brown, flip in between if needed. Vegan zucchini pocket pie FAQ 1. Which method is the best way to cook these pocket pies? Personally, I like the pan-fried method the most because I can control the crispiness and color. I find that the pockets’ fragrance is at its maximum with this method. Air-fried or baked pockets are best served immediately as they will lose their crunch over time, making them a little chewier. 2. My shredded zucchini is still dry after 15 minutes in salt – why? Ah, this happened when they are not properly salted. Be sure to massage in the salt so all the shreds are coated with salt. 3. My filling is mushy and tearing the pancake up while I wrap it Be sure the filling is not too wet and all ingredients are cut small. If this is your first time making a pocket, pack it with less filling. 4. Storage tips – Store them right after you seal the pockets along with the wrapper that comes with it in an airtight container. Then, freeze until ready to use. When ready to eat, choose any methods above to cook them, no thawing is needed but increase the cooking time by 5-10 minutes. This vegan zucchini pocket pie is Easy to make Simple hack using store-bought cong you bing (scallion pancake) Filled with loads of vegetables Crispy on the outside and flavorful on the inside Best served hot Great for reheating – simply stick it in a toaster to warm it up Please check out other delicious recipes made with zucchini Vegan Dumpling Wrapper buns – made using store-bought dumpling wrapper Easy Tom Yum zoodles soup Sheng Jian Bao – pan fried steamed buns Vegan Zucchini Pocket Pie This vegan zucchini pocket pie is one of my favorite snacks to make. The filling of each pocket is loaded with zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, and mung bean vermicelli. The shortcut to this pastry is using store-bought cong you bing (scallion pancake) – easy peasy! 5 from 2 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Snack Cuisine: Asian, Chinese Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes Total Time: 55 minutes minutes Servings: 5 Author: woonheng Ingredients 1 pound zucchini 2 small-sized carrot ½ cup dried wood ear mushrooms also known as black fungus 1 bunch vermicelli 50g optional, softened 3 stalks of scallions finely chopped ½ teaspoon of mushrooms seasoning plus more if needed ½ tablespoon vegan oyster sauce plus more if needed a few dashes of white pepper ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil salt to taste and more for salting 5 frozen scallion pancake used Trader Joe’s brand Instructions Prepare the filling Soak dried wood ear mushrooms in water until fully hydrated, then slice them into thin shreds. Shred zucchini and carrot into separate bowls. Massage zucchini with 1 teaspoon of salt and carrot with ½ teaspoon of salt. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes. Soak a bunch of dried mung bean vermicelli in hot water until soft, if using. Drain and snip it into smaller chunks. When ready, place zucchini in a nut milk bag and wring out the moisture. Repeat the same for carrots. Place all ingredients in a bowl along with chopped green onions. Season with vegan oyster sauce, mushroom seasoning, white pepper, and toasted sesame oil. Taste test and add more salt if needed. I added an extra ½ teaspoon. Mix all ingredients using a pair of chopsticks until well combined. Assemble the pockets Place a slightly thawed frozen pancake on a work surface. The pancake is in between two wraps, keep it this way. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pancake into a larger circle, about 10 to 12-inches in diameter. Remove the top wrap. Place a mound of filling on one side of the pancake. Lift the bottom wrap to meet the top. Pinch all the openings to get a half-moon pocket pie. Use a fork or your fingers to pleat to seal the openings completely. Slightly flattened the pocket pie so it will cook evenly later. Cook the pockets To bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place pockets on a greased baking pan and spray or brush the top with oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and continue to bake for another 8 – 10 minutes until golden brown. Oven temperature varies, so please watch the pockets carefully during the last 5-10 minutes or so and adjust the heat accordingly. To pan fry, set a non-stick pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Place the pocket in and pan fry for about 10-12 minutes until golden. Flip and continue cooking. When both sides are golden, push the pocket to the rim of the pan to cook the sides of the pocket until all dough is fully cooked through. To air fry, preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes. Spray the inner basket with oil. Place the pockets in and spray or brush the top with more oil. Air fry for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. You may turn once or twice in between so both sides cook evenly. [I have a small air fryer, so I could only fit in 2] Serve immediately. Video Notes 1. When cooking using any method, please watch the heat carefully, especially during the last 5-10 minutes. 2. I prefer to preheat the air fryer for an even heat distribution when cooking. 3. Some zucchini may contain lots of moisture, so please wring out as much liquid as possible as mushy filling will easily tear off the pocket when wrapping it. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post The Easy Vegan Zucchini Pocket Pie You Need Now appeared first on WoonHeng.

This vegan unagi made from eggplant is absolutely delicious and super drool-worthy! I’m a big fan of Chinese or Japanese eggplant because the texture is tender once cooked. If you are not a fan, you can try my Vegan Unagi made from tofu and potato. It tasted just as great! Vegan Unagi (Eggplant) Step-by-Step Step...

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This vegan unagi made from eggplant is absolutely delicious and super drool-worthy! I’m a big fan of Chinese or Japanese eggplant because the texture is tender once cooked. If you are not a fan, you can try my Vegan Unagi made from tofu and potato. It tasted just as great! Vegan Unagi (Eggplant) Step-by-Step Step 1: Prepare the eggplant There are a few ways to cook the eggplant (see tips below) and today, I’m using the steam-pan-fry method. I like the softer texture on the inside while keeping the skin intact which makes the flipping and basting easier during cooking. First, trim off the eggplant top, then cut it into logs of 2 or 3 depending on how long the eggplant is. I cut mine into two. Place them on a steamer safe plate and steam over high heat until tender, about 8-10 minutes. The time depends on how large your eggplant is. Once it’s cool enough to handle, slice the eggplant lengthwise in half so it opens up like a book, but do not cut it through (see video or picture). Repeat the same on the left and right to flatten the eggplant. Now, score the flesh vertically to create the mark. These marks will help increase the sauce absorption. Step 2: Make the sauce Using the same sauce as my Vegan Salmon Bowl, this sweet and savory baste is as simple as mixing together mirin, kombu dashi powder, soy sauce, and sweetener. If you can’t find instant kombu dashi, feel free to use kombu and mushroom to make the stock – please refer to my Miso Ramen. Alternatively, you may use this sauce from my other vegan unagi recipe, if you like. Note: I found the kombu dashi powder online at Amazon or WorldMarket (brand – Muso Vegan Umami Broth) or at Mitsuwa Marketplace. Step 3: Turn it into a vegan unagi bowl Next, it’s time to cook the beautiful eggplant that you’ve created. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with a spoonful of oil. Carefully transfer the eggplant over to the hot pan, cut side down. Lightly pan-fry until slightly golden before flipping. This brown layer will prevent the flesh from tearing apart. Continue to cook the skin while basting the top with sauce. I used about 2.5 tablespoons for each eggplant. If the sauce starts overflowing from the flesh, use a spatula to push the sauce close to the skin. Once the skin is slightly brown, flip one more time so the flesh can sip all the remaining sauce from the pan. If you have extra sauce, you may reduce it and use it as a drizzle. Flip one more time if needed to ensure the skin is fully cooked through. Optional but highly recommended side – charred scallions! Simply place cleaned scallions on a heat-safe plate, add a drizzle of oil, and sprinkle with salt. Then, char using a hand torch. Similarly, you may broil or grill the seasoned scallions for similar results. To serve, place rice in a bowl, top with a square sheet of nori (highly recommended), then the vegan unagi along with the charred scallions. Drizzle with the extra sauce (optional) and garnish with sesame seeds. Other ways to prepare eggplant Trim off the top. Poke eggplant a few times using a fork. Wrap it tightly with foil. Bake at 450°F (232°C) until soft on the inside, which can take about 30-45 minutes depending on the size. Then, continue to step 3 above. Roast eggplant in an open fire until the skin blistered. Place it in a bag or wrap it with a towel to allow the heat to soften the skin. Peel off the skin and continue to step 3. This method creates a more fragile eggplant, so carefully flip it over during cooking. Pan-fry-steam – this method is another one of my favorites to prepare eggplant at home. Trim off the top and then slice the eggplant in half, horizontally. Score them diagonally, both ways to create a diamond shape. Heat a non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil. Place the eggplant in the hot pan, scored side down. Cover with a lid. The steam will slowly cook the eggplant until tender. Flip and cook the skin for another minute or so, adding a little bit more oil if needed. Continue to step 3. Other eggplant recipes to try Yu Xiang Qie Zi (Spicy Garlic Eggplant) Easy Dou Ban Jiang (Fermented bean sauce) Eggplant Stuffed Eggplant with Omnipork Air-fried eggplant with tomato This Vegan Unagi made from eggplant is Delicious Flavorful Easy to make one of the best ways to eat cook eggplant If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Vegan Unagi Bowl made from eggplant This vegan unagi is made from eggplant that has a tender texture on the inside that is basted in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. It's perfect when serving with a bowl of your favorite grains and I highly recommend a nori sheet for the extra seafoody taste. 4.94 from 16 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Main Course Cuisine: Asian, Japanese Keyword: Eggplant, veganunagi Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes Total Time: 30 minutes minutes Servings: 2 Author: woonheng Ingredients 1 pound Chinese or Japanese Eggplant A few stalks of scallions 1 sheet of nori cut into square to fit the bowl Sesame seeds Cooked rice or your favorite grains Cooking oil Sauce 3 tablespoons mirin ⅓ cup of hot water 1 teaspoon kombu dashi or kelp powder see notes 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon maple syrup ½ teaspoon sugar US Customary – Metric Instructions In a medium bowl, whisk the mirin, hot water, kelp powder, light soy sauce, maple syrup, and until combined. Set aside. Trim off the eggplant top, then cut into 4 or 5-inch sections. Steam over high heat until tender, about 8-10 minutes. I used a bamboo steamer in this step. Once the eggplant is cooled down, use a sharp knife to cut it open like a book but be careful not to cut through the skin. Then, make another slit on the right, then left. Now, score the flesh to create a holder for the sauce. (See pictures above or video) Heat a non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Place the eggplant in, cut side down. Pan-fry until golden brown before flipping. Slowly baste the flesh with sauce, one tablespoon at a time. I used about 2.5 tablespoons for each eggplant section. Then, flip one more time so the flesh is now at the bottom and allow it to absorb all the remaining sauce from the pan. You may have extra sauce left and this can be reduced further in a pan and used as drizzle. To serve, season scallions with oil and salt. Using a hand torch, char until golden brown and fragrant. To assemble, place cooked rice in a bowl, top with cut nori, then eggplant. Drizzle with the extra sauce (optional) and garnish with sesame seeds and charred scallions. Video Notes *If you can’t find kelp or kombu dashi powder, feel free to use homemade kombu dashi stock to replace the 1/3 cup of water. Leftover sauce can be reduced to serve as a drizzle or stored in a jar (refrigerated) for the next meal. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post How to make Vegan Unagi from eggplant appeared first on WoonHeng.

This vegan cheese potato bread captured my attention when I was searching for bread recipes on YouTube. It has garnered more than 50M+ views on YouTube – it looks so simple and is definitely very satisfying to watch. I recreated it vegan styled! If you are a potato lover like me, then you need to...

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This vegan cheese potato bread captured my attention when I was searching for bread recipes on YouTube. It has garnered more than 50M+ views on YouTube – it looks so simple and is definitely very satisfying to watch. I recreated it vegan styled! If you are a potato lover like me, then you need to give this recipe a try! The filling taste like mashed potatoes and the outer layer is thin and crispy. It’s like a crossover between quesadillas and bread – it’s TOO good! While the original recipe uses bread flour, mine uses all-purpose flour. The bread flour version is a little more crispy but the filling tastes great in both. My hubby likes the bread flour version and my kids prefer the latter. How to make Vegan Cheese Potato Bread Step 1: Prepare the dough The dough is super simple – all you need is to mix the ingredients together to form a soft dough. Because of the high water content, you can simply mix with a spatula then switch to your hand and knead it into a cohesive ball. Next, massage in the softened vegan butter and knead again until the butter blends in completely. I used a glove to help prevent sticking to my fingers. Once you get a cohesive ball, cover with a damp paper towel and lid, then, refrigerate it while you work on the filling. Step 2: Prepare the filling Clean the potato with a scrub. Poke a few holes using a fork. Add enough water to cover the potato and cook it until fork-tender, about 30-45 minutes. Next, cool the potato in an ice bath. Peel off the skin when you can handle it. Mash the potato and season with nutritional yeast, salt, chopped scallions, and a big heaping spoon of vegan mayo. Mix to combine, taste test, and adjust the saltiness accordingly. Step 3: Assemble Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Take out the dough from the refrigerator. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin large circle, about 12 to 14-inches, without breaking it apart. Shred some vegan cheese on top towards the middle. Then, top with the seasoned mashed potatoes and more vegan cheese, if needed. Lift the sides up and pinch to seal, just like how you seal a dumpling. Next, gently flatten the bread into 10 to 12 inches (depending on the size of your pan). Step 4: Cook and Serve Melt a tablespoon of vegan butter in a hot skillet. Place the bread in, seamed side down. Brush the top with melted vegan butter. Pan-fry over medium-low heat until deeply golden on both sides, flipping a few times. Cut into bite-sized pieces and serve warm! TIP: Please watch the heat carefully when pan-frying. If the bread browns too quickly, lower the heat. Also, it’s important to roll out the dough thinly to get an even brown layer overall. My taste verdict The filling tastes like a super savory mashed potato – so so good! Please note that my filling is a little different than the original recipe. The crunchy outer layer reminds me of quesadillas – so so good! Yes, I said that twice. When I took a bite, I couldn’t believe how tasty it was. The original recipe served it with honey but I ate mine as-is or served it with some chili oil. Other bread recipes to try: Curry Potato Buns Vegan Ikan Bilis (Anchovies) Bun – my favorite Malaysian street food Scallion Shao Bing This Vegan Cheese Potato Bread is inspired by the popular cheese potato bread that garnered 50M+ (at the time I tested this recipe) views on YouTube is easily customizable – feel free to add some mashed chickpeas to the mix as well is best served warm (right off from the pan) IS DELISH and TASTY! If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Vegan Cheese Potato Bread This vegan cheese potato bread has a delicious filling with a crispy outer layer. It's flavorful and made with just a few simple ingredients. 4.67 from 3 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish Cuisine: Asian Keyword: Asianbread Servings: 2 Author: woonheng Ingredients 120 g all-purpose flour ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp baking powder 75 g plant milk room temperature (used Oatly) 1 tablespoon vegan butter softened, plus more for cooking 1 medium-sized potato 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast salt to taste a handful of chopped green onions 1½ tablespoons vegan mayo vegan cheese as your heart desires Instructions Prepare the dough. Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Using a pair of chopsticks or spatula, stir the flour while adding the milk until incorporated. You may have dry spots of flour left in the bowl. Add the softened and use your hand to knead it into a soft dough. (Since this is a soft dough, I used a glove to prevent sticking). Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and cover the bowl with a lid. Refrigerate for about an hour or overnight. Prepare the filling. Clean a potato and punch a few holes with a fork. Place in a pot and cover with enough water. Boil until tender, about 30-45 minutes. Transfer the potato to an ice bath to cool down. Then, peel off the skin. Mash the potato in a bowl until no lumps appear. Season with nutritional yeast, salt (I used ¼ teaspoon), chopped scallions, and vegan mayo. Mix to combine. Taste test and season accordingly. Please note that some vegan cheese is saltier, so adjust the taste as needed. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out into a large thin circle, about 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Shred about ½ cup of vegan cheese in the middle of the dough. Then, top with the seasoned mashed potatoes and more cheese if needed. Lift up the sides of the dough and start to pleat to seal towards the middle to close all the openings (see video). Then, gently flatten it using a rolling pin into a 10 to 12 inches diameter bread. To cook the bread, melt a tablespoon of butter in a hot skillet. Place the bread in, seamed side down. Brush the top with melted vegan butter. Pan-fry until each side is deeply golden, flipping a few times if necessary. Serve warm as-is or with a side of chili oil. Video Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post The 50M+ YouTube views Cheese Potato Bread is now vegan appeared first on WoonHeng.

This vegan spiral mantou, 馒头 (bun) or mantau (Cantonese) is made with simple pantry ingredients. I love to serve them plain or as a dessert with jam or savory with stuffed stir-fried veggies and protein. This recipe is inspired by – Tinrry Baking Mantou or mantau is a type of bun that is usually made...

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This vegan spiral mantou, 馒头 (bun) or mantau (Cantonese) is made with simple pantry ingredients. I love to serve them plain or as a dessert with jam or savory with stuffed stir-fried veggies and protein. This recipe is inspired by – Tinrry Baking Mantou or mantau is a type of bun that is usually made from plain flour, water, and yeast with a touch of sugar in most cases. The bun is usually a little denser compared to others. It’s one of the basic yet delicate bun recipes to learn. In Malaysia, we have pandan flavored mantou that is tiny and my mama would get them for breakfast. For the basic mantou recipe, please check this or my good friend, Wei’s blog. Today, I’m using a different method to create this spiral version that requires only one proofing, right before steaming. Please check out the how-to steps and tips below. Vegan Spiral Mantou (Bun) Step-by-Step Step 1: Prepare the dough First, place water in a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle instant yeast on top. Add sugar, then flour and oil. Fit a mixer with a paddle attachment. Using medium-low speed, combine all the ingredients together until there are no dry spots of flour left in the bowl. Stop the mixer and change to a hook attachment. [If you have a double spiral hook attachment, use that instead of changing from paddle to hook]. Knead over medium speed until a smooth dough forms, about 5 – 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth, soft to touch, and doesn’t stick to your hand [check video or picture] Divide into 2 equal portions. Cover and work with one dough at a time. Step 2: Roll out the dough To remove the air bubbles, first knead the dough again (see the below pictures). Then, fold it into a rectangle, and use the rolling pin to flatten it into a larger rectangle. Repeat this step 2 more times to get a smooth dough. Tip: Dust some flour between each roll so the dough can be lifted up easily. Roll into a large rectangle and cover to prevent the dough from drying out. Always place the smooth surface (white dough) at the bottom so when you roll it up, it will be on the outside. Next, work on the second dough. Poke a hole in the middle, add cocoa powder and dip your fingers with water. Knead the dough with your hand until all the cocoa powder is incorporated. Note: The dough may seem lighter in color but it will turn darker later. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, similar size to the first dough. Place the chocolate dough on top of the white. Then, roll it up tightly, like a swiss roll. Pinch the openings (the long part) to seal. Cut into 6 portions for larger or 8 for smaller buns (I used a serrated knife to get an even cut). Place each on parchment paper. Transfer to a bamboo steamer, 1 to 2-inches apart. Now, add enough water to the pot and warm it to about 98.6°F (37°C). I tested it with my palm – it should feel just right without any heat. Place the bamboo steamer on top and proof the bun for about 30-35 minutes. Two ways to check the bun readiness Size – Once the bun size is proof to 1.5X than the original size, it’s ready. This method is harder to gauge but aim to look for a fuller bun when checking. Touch (my favorite method) – Gently poke the bun’s surface with your finger. If the surface slowly bounces back, then it’s ready. The bun should feel light and soft. Step 3: Steam the bun Slide a fork or chopstick in between the lid and bamboo steamer to create a slight gap. Set the steamer to medium heat. Steam for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the buns sit in the steamer for another 5 minutes before removing. Serve warm with butter or jam. Vegan Spiral Mantou Cooking Tips Folding method – When rolling the dough, I aim to fold it into a rectangle. This is the easiest way to remove air bubbles while minimizing the flattening buns after steaming. To start, roll the dough into a long oval shape. Fold the sides to the middle, followed by the top and bottom to form a long rectangle. Then, use the rolling pin to press and flatten it into a rectangle. Repeat the steps 2 more times. This is a great way to roll it into a rectangle later. Dust flour on the work surface – You may find that the dough keeps shrinking back or sticking to the surface. Dust the surface with flour when rolling to prevent this from happening. Aim to have a smooth surface (the white dough) at the bottom, so when you roll it up, it’s on the outside. Always remove as many air bubbles as you can to prevent buns from collapsing when steamed. Which type of steamer to use for smooth buns? The best is a bamboo steamer with a bamboo lid because the water condensation can be absorbed through the basket instead of dripping on the buns. This steamer will yield the best smooth buns. A stainless steamer can be used but a cloth-covered lid is needed. I used a bamboo basket and place a fork or chopstick to create a gap between the lid and steamer. Vegan Spiral Mantou FAQ Can I knead by hand? Yes, you can, but it takes a lot more effort and time to get a smooth top. Why do I need to roll and fold the dough into a rectangle so many times? This is to remove any air bubbles and create layers in the buns. You’ll hear a popping sound each time you roll and the sound will slowly diminish as you are in your 3rd rolling and folding the dough. My bun collapsed or is not smooth – This happens when you overproof the buns or use too much liquid. The best way to make buns is to weigh the ingredients. The all-purpose flour I used has 11.7% protein content. Some flour does absorb liquid differently. So, if you think the dough needs more water, please knead a few more times before adding more liquid. Why is my chocolate dough looks light? The color hue varies based on the type of cocoa powder you use. I used unsweetened cocoa powder from Trader Joe’s. Please note that the color will turn darker during proofing and after steaming, so it’s normal to be light in the first place. This Vegan Spiral Mantou has a hint of sweetness – adjust the sugar if you prefer sweeter mantou. I prefer to keep mine simple because I often serve it with butter or jam or stuff it with savory veggies. only requires 1 proofing once steamed and cooled down, you can store them in an airtight container in a freezer. Just reheat in a steamer or microwave when ready. If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Vegan Spiral Mantou (Bun) This chocolate spiral mantou (bun) is vegan with a hint of sweetness. The buns are soft, fluffy, and tasted delicious with butter or jam. They can be stuffed with your favorite savory protein or veggies. 5 from 1 vote Print Pin Rate Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack Cuisine: Asian, Chinese Keyword: Asianbread, Bao, Buns Servings: 3 Author: woonheng Equipment Steamer Ingredients 300 g all-purpose flour 155 g of warm water ¾ teaspoon instant yeast 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon cooking oil 2 tablespoons cocoa powder Instructions To make the dough, place water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top followed by sugar, then flour, and finally oil. Fit the mixer with a paddle attachment. Knead to incorporate the ingredients or until there are no dry spots of flour left in the bowl. Stop the mixer and scrape off the mixture from the paddle attachment. Switch to a dough hook, knead again using medium-low speed until you get a cohesive dough with a smooth outer layer, about 5-8 minutes. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and cover one with a lid or damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Knead the other one to remove air bubbles. Roll into an oval, then fold in the sides followed by the top and bottom into a rectangle. Using a rolling pin, press to flatten the dough. Repeat the same step 2 more times. Then, roll it out into a large rectangle (about 18X12), dusting more flour on the work surface as you go. The flour can make the rolling easier and prevent the dough from sticking to the surface. Alternatively, you may roll it out into a rectangle on parchment paper. Note that this may create wrinkles on the dough. Next, uncover the 2nd dough and make a hole in the middle. Add a spoonful of cocoa powder, and dip your fingers with water. Sprinkle it on the cocoa powder and knead until incorporated. I used 2 tablespoons for extra cocoa flavor. Now, repeat the same steps and roll into a rectangle as big as the white dough. Stack the chocolate dough on top of the white. Lift up the bottom (long side) and roll it up into a swiss roll. Pinch to seal, leaving two ends untouched and cut into 6 portions (for larger buns) or 8 portions (small buns). Place each bun on parchment paper and transfer to the steamer rack Fill the steamer pot or pan with water and heat it to about 37C. Place the buns on top and cover with a lid and proof for 30-35 minutes. Check the bun readiness – using your finger, gently poke the bun. If it bounces back, then it’s ready. The buns should feel light and soft. Stick a fork or chopstick in between the lid and steamer to create a gap. Turn on the heat to medium and steam for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the buns cool down inside the steamer for another 5 minutes before uncovering. Serve warm with a jam or vegan butter. Video Notes I used unsweetened cocoa powder from Trader Joe’s. If you use the sweetened version, you may opt to skip the sugar when making the dough. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post How to make Vegan Spiral Mantou (Bun) at home appeared first on WoonHeng.

Mmmm… this layered green onion shao bing is crispy on the outside and packed with lots of aromatic green onion on the inside! I have seen many versions of shao bing on the travel channel and mentioned this is one of the delicacies from Northern China. Though, the shao bing shown is not usually filled...

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Mmmm… this layered green onion shao bing is crispy on the outside and packed with lots of aromatic green onion on the inside! I have seen many versions of shao bing on the travel channel and mentioned this is one of the delicacies from Northern China. Though, the shao bing shown is not usually filled with green onion. My first taste experience of this green onion shao bing was in Taiwan. It’s the best breakfast of the whole trip. Imagine, holding a warm stuffed crispy flatbread and a sip of warm soymilk while enjoying the weather – Perfect food! I’m really happy to share that you can easily recreate this shao bing at home. The biggest tip to create that crispy outer layer is to bake over high heat for a short time. The vibrant green onions stay green while keeping the golden brown crispy crunch on the outside. Steps to make Green Onion Shao Bing Step 1: Prepare the dough Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Then, sprinkle yeast evenly on top. Using a pair of chopsticks, slowly stir in the water until they are no dry spots of flour left in the bowl. Clean the chopsticks, and knead it into a dough. Cover with a damp paper towel, then, place a lid over the bowl. Let it proof until 1.5X its original size, about 30-35 minutes. [Overproofing the dough will affect the texture once baked]. Step 2: Prepare the oil paste and green onions To make the easy oil paste, place flour in a bowl and heat the oil in a small pot. To check if the oil is ready, stick a chopstick in the middle of the pot. Once you see tiny bubbles form around the tip of the chopstick, then the oil is ready. Carefully pour the hot oil onto the flour, then stir to combine into a paste. Let it cool. Meanwhile, chop green onions and set them aside. Step 3: Roll and Bake Preheat oven to 475F°F (245°C). Next, dust the work surface with flour. Transfer the proofed dough over and roll it into a rectangle, about 2-mm thick (mine came to about 16″x11″). Using your hands, spread 2/3 of the oil paste on top, then sprinkle it evenly with salt and Chinese 5-spice powder. Place 2/3 of green onions in the middle of the rectangle, vertically. Press to adhere (see below). Lift the bottom dough and flip it over to cover the green onion. Gently press to remove air bubbles. Then, spread the remaining oil paste and green onion on top. Finally, bring the top dough to cover and seal all the openings. Then, flip over, so the seamed side is down. Make a sweet coating by whisking together maple syrup and plant milk. Brush the top generously with this wash. Then pack with sesame seeds. Gently pat to adhere. Cut into 6 equal portions. Transfer them to a lined baking tray. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve as-is or cut it open and stuff with your favorite protein. Green Onion Shao Bing Cooking Tips Don’t overproof – A lot of recipes call for proofing until double its original size, but this recipe only needs 1.5X, and it’s quite speedy depending on the weather. Amount of yeast varies depending on weather, so if you have a colder weather, increase the amount by 1g. High heat baking – This recipe requires high heat for that quick rise in the oven to get that crispy outer layer while keeping the inside soft and fluffy. I placed mine on the 2nd rack from the top. My oven is older so if yours is new, you may need to lower the temperature but never go under 450F. If your Chinese 5-spice powder has less cinnamon taste, you may add a little sugar to the mix. A sweet wash (maple syrup and plant milk) at the top is needed to balance out the saltiness and makes it easier for the sesame seeds to adhere. Other bread recipes to try: Scallion Star Bread – baked Multi-layered Shou Zhua Bing – scallion pancake Curry potato bun This Green Onion Shao Bing has a crispy golden outer layer and packed with lots of green onions on the inside! It’s vegan, delicious, and easy to make! If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Green Onion Shao Bing (Baked Bread) This simple and delicious baked bread is crispy on the outside and packed with lots of aromatic scallions on the inside. They are best served hot as-is or stuffed with your favorite protein. 5 from 5 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Appetizer Cuisine: Asian, Chinese Keyword: Asianbread Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes Dough resting time: 40 minutes minutes Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes Servings: 3 Author: woonheng Ingredients 300 g all-purpose flour 3 g instant yeast use 4g if weather is cooler 175 g warm water 150 g scallions 5.5 oz ½ teaspoon salt* see notes dash of Chinese 5-spice powder 2 tablespoon maple syrup See notes 1 tablespoon oat milk sesame seeds preferably raw white sesame seeds Oil Paste 3 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons cooking oil Instructions Place all-purpose flour in a bowl then sprinkle yeast on top. Using a pair of chopsticks, slowly add the water while stirring the flour until there are no dry spots of flour left in the bowl. Then, switch to your hand and knead into a soft dough. Cover with a moist towel and place a lid over. Let it proof until 1.5X than its original size, about 30-35 minutes. While waiting, make the oil paste. Add flour to a bowl and heat the oil. (To test the oil readiness, stick a chopstick into the oil, once you see bubble forms around the tip of the stick, it’s ready). Carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl with flour. Stir to combine into a paste and let it cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 475F°F (245°C). Next, dust the work surface with flour. Uncover the bowl and transfer the dough over. Roll it out into a large rectangle aiming for 3mm thickness. Mine came out to a 16"X10" rectangle. Spread ⅔ of the oil paste over and place the chopped onions in the middle of the dough. Gently press green onions to adhere (see video or pictures above). Lift up the bottom layer and flip over to cover the green onions. Then, spread the remaining oil paste and green onions on top. Bring the top part over to cover and then pinch to seal all the openings. Flip it over so the seamed side is facing down. Now, whisk together maple syrup and milk together until incorporated. Brush the dough with a layer of wash. Then, pack the top with sesame seeds. Cut into 6 equal portions (I used a serrated knife). Transfer to a baking tray, 1-inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown. (Fully baked bread will have a hollow sound when you tap on it. The inside should be fully cooked through as well). Serve hot as-is or cut it open and stuff with your favorite filling. Video Notes Highly recommend weighing the ingredients using a scale You may line the baking pan with parchment paper so you can easily lift them up when ready. If you can’t find raw white sesame seeds, you may use toasted but the bread will look darker once baked and may taste burnt if overcooked. For a less sweet wash, use 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 2 tablespoons plant milk 1/2 teaspoon of salt is just right for this recipe, you may adjust it down or balance it with some sugar if preferred. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post How to make Green Onion (Scallion) Shao Bing – Baked Bread appeared first on WoonHeng.

This vegan salmon bowl hits all the right spots! Scrumptious, simple, easy, and super yum with mayo and then scorched vegan cheese. I love wrapping tofu with nori/seaweed to create the seafood taste. I first shared this method for my Vegan Fish Head noodle soup a few years back and loved it so much. This...

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This vegan salmon bowl hits all the right spots! Scrumptious, simple, easy, and super yum with mayo and then scorched vegan cheese. I love wrapping tofu with nori/seaweed to create the seafood taste. I first shared this method for my Vegan Fish Head noodle soup a few years back and loved it so much. This time, I marinated the tofu first, then pan-fry with sauce before adding the nori. This prevents the nori from shrinking too much during cooking. Vegan Salmon Bowl Cooking Tips Types of rice – I personally love short grain or sushi rice for this bowl. However, other grains such as brown or Jasmine works too. Which tofu to use – I used firm tofu that were simply drained and pat dry. No press needed. If you look at the video, you’ll notice that my tofu slab looks like ‘sponge’ with holes. Those gems are needed to absorb the marinade. Use a spatula to transfer the tofu to avoid breaking them, if your tofu is softer. Yes, extra firm is great, you just need to marinate the tofu longer. Sauce – I have 2 types of sauces here, one for marinate and one for basting or seasoning. The marinade is a simple mix of soy sauce and kelp or dashi powder. For seasoning, I used mirin, hot water mix with kelp powder, soy sauce, sugar, and maple syrup. Please note that I used light soy sauce which is generally less salty with a touch of sweetness. Adjust the saltiness if other soy sauce is used. If you like teriyaki sauce, then check out this recipe. Is cheese necessary? It’s not, but it does adds an umami taste to the vegan salmon. If you don’t have a blow torch, you may place the cooked and wrapped tofu slabs on a baking pan, then top with vegan cheese and broil until it melts. This will also make the tofu drier though, so I suggest that you do this step quickly. How to Make this Delicious Bowl First, drain out the tofu water, then pat dry with a towel. Cut the block into 3 equal slabs or about 1.5cm thick. Place soy sauce and kelp powder in a pan. Marinate tofu (rubbing all sides with sauce) for about 15 minutes. Next, make the sauce. Place the mirin, hot water with kelp water, soy sauce, sugar, and maple syrup in a bowl. Stir to combine. Then, make the spicy mayo sauce by combining 3 tablespoons of vegan mayo with 1 tablespoon of Sriracha or chili sauce. Cut a nori sheet into 3 long strips, set aside. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Lower the marinated slab onto the hot pan. Cook in batches if needed. Pan-fry until a thin crust forms on both sides. Add 2-3 spoonfuls of sauce, and move the tofu around the pan to catch as much sauce as possible. TIP – What to do with the leftover sauce? Don’t worry, you can cook it further until thicken and drizzle it on top of rice (tastes just like unagi sauce). Or save it for other marinades. Once the tofu turns deep golden or when it has absorbs all the sauce, remove it from the pan. Place it on a nori strip and wrap around it. To serve, scoop rice into a bowl and top with furikake (rice seasoning made from seaweed and sesame seeds). Place tofu slab on the rice, add a few squeezes of spicy mayo, and a handful of vegan cheese. Using a blow torch, melt the cheese, then garnish with chopped scallions. Serve warm. This Vegan Salmon Bowl is made from marinated tofu wrapped in nori! It’s then mix in with spicy mayo and scorched cheese – what a DELISH YUM! If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Vegan Salmon Bowl made from Tofu This vegan salmon bowl is made from marinated tofu and then pan-fried till golden brown before basting with a delicious sweet savory sauce. Once it's wrapped with nori, the flavor immediately elevated to a delicious dish! It's simple and easy to make. 5 from 3 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Main Course Cuisine: Asian, Japanese Servings: 3 Author: woonheng Ingredients Cooked grains of choice 14 oz firm tofu cut into 3 slabs 1 tablespoon light soy sauce ¼ teaspoon dashi powder or kelp powder or mushrooms seasoning 1 Nori sheet – cut into 3 strips Sauce 3 tablespoons mirin ⅓ cup of hot water mix with 1 teaspoon kelp powder or use kombu dashi stock 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon maple syrup ½ teaspoon sugar Spicy Mayo 3 tablespoons vegan mayo 1 tablespoon chili sauce or sriracha Garnish Cheese Scallions Furikake rice seasoning made from nori and sesame seeds Instructions Drain tofu, then pat dry with a towel. Slice into 3 rectangle slabs. Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce and kelp powder in a pan (big enough to fit all the tofu). Marinate tofu for 15 minutes (rubbing the surface with the marinade). To make the sauce, combine mirin, hot water with kelp powder, soy sauce, maple syrup and sugar in a bowl. Stir to combine. To create a spicy mayo, mix together vegan mayo and chili sauce until incorporated. Next, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil. Carefully slide marinated tofu onto the hot pan. Cook in batches if needed, adding more when necessary. Pan-fry until tofu is golden brown (the larger surface). Add 2-3 spoons of sauce. Gently push the tofu around the pan so it catches all the sauce. Meanwhile, place a nori strip on a plate. Lay the cooked slab on top and fold the nori needs over. Place cooked rice in a bowl and sprinkle with furikake. Next, top with vegan salmon, drizzle with spicy mayo, and top with a handful of vegan cheese. Using a hand torch, melt the cheese and garnish with chopped scalions. Serve warm. Video Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post How to Make Delicious Vegan Salmon Bowl from Tofu appeared first on WoonHeng.

This green bean crispy garlic fried rice takes no time to make yet it’s DELICIOUS! Top with crispy garlic that you can make in one pan! Rice is a staple in my household, any kind actually. I have short grain, sushi, black rice, brown rice, Jasmine, and Basmati. Oh yes, glutinous rice too for my...

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This green bean crispy garlic fried rice takes no time to make yet it’s DELICIOUS! Top with crispy garlic that you can make in one pan! Rice is a staple in my household, any kind actually. I have short grain, sushi, black rice, brown rice, Jasmine, and Basmati. Oh yes, glutinous rice too for my sticky rice dumpling and dessert. It’s crazy to look at the pantry but I use a certain type of rice for specific dishes. For example, you can’t make porridge with basmati because it won’t break down like jasmine. So, what type of rice is great for fried rice, you asked? Well, most rice work. I’ve never tried with glutinous rice though because I usually fold and toss this type of rice with sauce instead of ‘fry’ them. Personally, I love brown or black (forbidden) rice a lot when I’m eating alone. Usually, for my kids’ lunch, I’ll use Jasmine or Basmati. Oh yes, this fried rice is simple! We need some easy meals in this busy life, right? Green Bean Crispy Garlic Fried Rice Cooking Tips Dancing rice – When making fried rice, I like to cook my rice until I see the grain jumping in the pan. This shows the rice is dry enough and fully cooked through as fried rice. Day old rice vs freshly cooked rice – I don’t have a preference, although, day old rice is quicker when I’m hungry. If you using freshly cooked rice, you’ll just have to let them cool down and uses a little less water when preparing it. Crispy Garlic – You can use mince or slice garlic in this recipe. The trick is to not cook the garlic over high heat or you’ll get burnt garlic. I’m using the same oil to sauté the mushrooms. Protein – I used firm tofu that I simply mashed and mushrooms. Mushrooms need to be sautéed until fragrant first before adding tofu. Tofu needs to be ‘brown’ to remove the moisture – trust me this step makes it look like ‘egg’. Greens – Fried rice is the best with green beans, greens’ stems or carrot. How to make green bean crispy garlic fried rice First, have your rice ready. Store-bought cooked rice or homemade version works – just be sure they are completely cool. Fluff using a pair of chopsticks or fork to loosen the grain, if needed. Second, chop all your aromatics and greens. I’m using Bunashimeji (Beech Mushrooms) and simply trim off the ends. You may use a brush to remove the debris or quickly rinse them. I would pat them dry if you pick the latter method. To keep things simple, I remove the drain out the tofu water and pat dry with a towel. Next, heat a pan or wok over medium heat and add enough oil to cook the garlic. This step is to infuse the oil with aromatics. You may use the same step for shallots if preferred. Once the pan is heated through, add the garlic, then, turn down the heat, and stir continuously to prevent garlic from burning. Sieve out the garlic for later use. Now, use the same oil to sauté the mushrooms until golden brown before repeating the same step with tofu. When tofu starts to brown, season with salt. Next push the ingredients to the side of the pan and stir-fry the green beans until it turns from light to darker green or until as crisp as you like. Add the rice, mushrooms seasoning, pepper, and soy sauce. Toss until all grains are well coated. Aim to cook until you see some grains start to jump from the pan. Taste test and season accordingly. Top with toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, chili oil with sediment before serving. Other easy recipes to try: Curry Butter Spaghetti Thai Basil Fried Rice Edamame Mushrooms Stir-Fry This Green Bean Crispy Garlic Fried Rice is delicious, vegan, easy and tasty! If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Green Bean Crispy Garlic Fried Rice This Green Bean Crispy Garlic Fried Rice is packed with lots of crunchy green beans, tofu, sesame seeds! It's vegan, easy-to-make, simple, and it's my quick go-to meal for lunch or dinner. 5 from 2 votes Print Pin Rate Course: Main Course Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes Rice Cooking Time (in rice cooker): 30 minutes minutes Total Time: 20 minutes minutes Servings: 2 Author: woonheng Ingredients 3-4 cups cooked rice used Basmati 4 garlic cloves sliced 3.5 oz mushrooms used Bunashimeji or Beech 4 oz firm tofu drained and pat dry ¾ cup of chopped green beans salt and pepper to taste ½ teaspoon mushroom seasoning ½ tablespoon light soy sauce or to taste drizzle of sesame oil toasted sesame seeds chili oil with sediment or to taste cooking oil US Customary – Metric Instructions Heat a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil is heated through, turn heat to low-medium. Add garlic slices and sauté until they crisp up, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Turn down the heat further if it browns too quickly. Sieve out garlic and set aside. Using the same oil, sauté mushrooms until golden brown or aromatic. Push to the side and cook tofu until they have a light brown crust, adding more oil if needed. Season with a pinch of salt. Toss the ingredients together for a few seconds. Then, push them to the side of the pan, add another teaspoon of oil and cook green beans until they turn from light to darker green. Season with salt. Add rice, mushroom seasoning, pepper, and soy sauce. Toss everything together. Using the back of the spatula, loosen the grain if needed. Cook until the grain starts to jump up from the pan. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chili oil with sediment. Serve hot. Video Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means if you decide to purchase through my link, I will receive a small commission for qualified purchases. Some products shown may have different brands from Amazon that I recommend as a suggestion. The links are embedded in the picture or shown as hyperlinks. Please note that the sauces generally have a lower price at the store. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post Easy Peasy Green Bean Crispy Garlic Fried Rice appeared first on WoonHeng.

This marmite lotus root is inspired by a famous dish that my family loves to order at Fan Cai Xiang – a vegetarian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Marmite has been a part of my diet ever since I was a kid. This savory spread is very versatile. I used it with porridge, make soup,...

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This marmite lotus root is inspired by a famous dish that my family loves to order at Fan Cai Xiang – a vegetarian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Marmite has been a part of my diet ever since I was a kid. This savory spread is very versatile. I used it with porridge, make soup, or as a ‘jam’ for toast. I’ve always loved Marmite more than Bovril (a beef extract) even before I was vegetarian. Marmite is a common ingredient to elevate a savory dish and can be found on the menu at Dai Chow or restaurants alike. This spread was not readily available when I first came to the US so I always packed a large jar with me every time I visit home. Now, you purchase it online, or at stores like WorldMarket and Kroger. Marmite Lotus Root Key Ingredients Lotus root – It’s often used as the main ingredients for a savory soup and stir-fries. Once you’ve coated lotus root with batter and fried, it remains crunchy and sweet. Tip – cut into 1cm thick rounds as too thin will reduce the crunchiness. Marmite – it’s a savory yeast spread that taste so good in soups, stir-fries with high content of B12. Seasoning – I’m using light soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce on top of marmite. To balance the saltiness, a combination of sweetener gives this dish a perfect savoriness. So, I used maple syrup and sugar. How to make Marmite Lotus Root Making this dish is as simple as the steps below! Prepare the lotus root Peel off the skin and trim both ends. If you plan to keep the skin on, lightly scrub the root with a brush. Then, slice each root (rhizome) into 1-cm thick rounds. Make a batter and prepare the sauce Whisk together all-purpose, rice flour, and plant-based milk (I used oat milk) until well-combined. If it’s too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and whisk again. Check the consistency – dip lotus root and it should run through the holes and cling to it nicely. To make the sauce, first, dissolve marmite in hot water. Then, add the light soy sauce, vegan soy sauce, maple syrup, and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Cook Lotus Root – Fry or Air-fry Method 1 – Fry Fill a large pan with enough oil (rise up to 1-cm to the side of the pan). Heat to 350°F (175°C). To check if the oil is ready, you can either test with a cooking thermometer or chopstick. If you see bubbles forming around the chopstick, then, the oil is ready. Or drop a tiny blob of batter into the oil, if it starts to sizzle, the oil is ready. Dip lotus root in batter, shake off excess, and carefully lower it into the hot oil. Add as many lotus roots as the pan fits, slightly apart. Fry until golden brown for about 3-5 minutes on each side, flipping occasionally. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to keep the crunch. (Frying time varies depending on the oil’s temperature). Method 2 – Air-Fry Preheat the air fryer to 390F (about 3 minutes). Grease the inner rack and arrange the coated lotus root in one single layer. Spray the top with additional oil. Air-fry until golden, about 8-10 minutes, with a flip in between if needed. Toss with sauce To serve, place the sauce in a heated pan and cook until it starts to thicken. Add the lotus root, then quickly toss with the sauce until well coated. Garnish with sesame seeds before serving as-is or with a bowl of rice (my favorite way). Marmite Lotus Root Cooking Tips Cutting method – The original dish that I’ve tried at Fan Cai Xiang is in matchstick form. I wanted to keep the lotus root shape so I sliced them in 1cm thick rounds. This size keeps the lotus root crunch but thin enough to catch the sauce nicely. Batter consistency – I used all-purpose and rice flour along with oat milk to create a thick batter (with additional 1-2 tablespoons water if needed). To check the consistency, dip cut lotus root in the batter and make sure it covers all the open areas such as the holes (see video). That being said, you can definitely use gluten-free flour and adjust the water amount until you get the consistency as shown. Sauce – A savory and sweet combo made from a combination of umami sauce such as vegan oyster sauce, soy sauce and balance with two types of sweetener – maple syrup and sugar. Air-fry vs fry method – the fried version is a little more puffed up compared to the air-fried. Air-fried usually loses some of its crispiness after a while, so I suggest that you keep them warm in an oven if you are frying in batches. This Marmite Lotus Root is crunchy on the inside and savory on the outside. It is vegan, allium-free, and super YUM! If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Marmite Lotus Root This marmite lotus root is crunchy on the inside and flavorful with a sticky savory sauce. The recipe is vegan, allium-free and easy to prepare. I shared two ways to prepare the lotus root – fried and air-fried. Print Pin Rate Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Malaysian Keyword: Alliumfree Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes Total Time: 35 minutes minutes Servings: 2 Author: woonheng Ingredients 1½ lbs lotus root Batter 90 g rice flour 90 g all-purpose flour 1 cup plant milk + 1-2 tablespoons water Sauce (see notes) ½ tablespoon marmite ½ cup hot water ½ tablespoon light soy sauce (see notes) ½ tablespoon vegan oyster sauce 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon sugar Garnish toasted sesame seeds Instructions Prepare the lotus root: Peel off the skin and trim off the ends. Slice each rhizome into 1-cm thick rounds. Create a batter by whisking together rice flour and all-purpose flour with 1 cup of plant milk. If it’s too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the lotus root with little dripping. To fry the lotus root, add enough oil to a large pan or wok and heat it to 350°F (175°C). Dip lotus root in the batter. Carefully, lower the lotus root into the hot oil. Add as many coated lotus roots as the pan fits with a slight gap. Use a tong or chopstick to flip while cooking. Fry until both sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. (tip: let crust forms before flipping) Fry for a little longer if you want a deeper color. To air-fry, preheat to 390F (200°C). Then, grease the inner rack with oil. Place battered lotus root in and spray the top with additional oil. Air-fry until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes (please take a peek once in a while to avoid over cook) with a flip in between. Repeat either method until all lotus root is fried. Prepare the sauce. Whisk together marmite, water, soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, maple syrup, and sugar in a bowl until sugar is dissolved Heat a pan over medium heat. Slowly pour the sauce in. Stir with a spatula and cook until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the lotus root and quickly toss to combine. Serve warm with sesame seeds with a bowl of rice. Video Notes If you haven’t tried marmite before, please start with the lower amount. The sauce is thick and please add more water and adjust the taste for a more saucy dish. Please note I’m using light soy sauce which is less salty than the original. If you use other soy sauce, please adjust the amount of saltiness accordingly. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post How to make Marmite Lotus Root at home? appeared first on WoonHeng.

This vegan curry butter spaghetti is as easy as it is and as tasty as it looks. Only 30 minutes (or less depending on the noodles or pasta you are using), this slurpilicious bowl is savory and yummy! Spicy, slurpy, creamy in one bowl – what’s not to love about this dish, right? Is this...

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This vegan curry butter spaghetti is as easy as it is and as tasty as it looks. Only 30 minutes (or less depending on the noodles or pasta you are using), this slurpilicious bowl is savory and yummy! Spicy, slurpy, creamy in one bowl – what’s not to love about this dish, right? Is this a traditional dish? Well, maybe not but it’s inspired by dry curry dishes from Malaysia. The word dry is a little confusing if you haven’t tried the dish before because you may be thinking of dry spice. It’s actually a curry that’s reduced into a thick sauce, almost gravy-like consistency. While my recipe may not have the thickness of dry curry, it definitely is a drier version compared to normal curry. Each noodle thread clings to the spicy sauce perfectly with a slippery touch from the butter. It’s just so delicious and you won’t believe it takes less than 30 minutes to make! To keep things simple for my quick meal, I’m using Mama Lam’s vegan Malaysian curry paste. I have heard of this brand a long time ago but never got to try it. The paste comes in mild or medium, and I love how the taste brought me back home. Some other brands that I like include Mekhala Living, Ayam’s Brand (check the ingredient), and some local curry pastes. How to make vegan Curry Butter Spaghetti It’s super simple and easy! First, cook your spaghetti as directed (always season your water with salt) – save some starch water for the curry. Next, prepare the curry. Towards the last few minutes of cooking the spaghetti, heat a pan with oil. Temper curry leaves (optional step but highly recommended especially if you can find fresh curry leaves). Add the curry paste, quickly stir to combine. Add the coconut milk and stir – the color will change from red to a nice golden combination. Season with mushrooms or umami (Yondu) seasoning. Add the pasta water and bring to boil. Taste test and season accordingly. I didn’t add any additional salt to mine. Ladle the curry into a bowl. Drain out the spaghetti and add to the bowl. Add a blob of butter and toss noodle with curry until well combined. Garnish with chopped scallions, fried shallots and serve hot. Vegan Curry Butter Spaghetti Cooking Tips Can I use other noodle or pasta? Yes, please adjust the curry amount accordingly. Some noodles absorb more curry compared to others such as vermicelli. Can this be gluten-free? Yes, you can use rice ramen or vermicelli. Curry paste – I used ready-made and adjusted the taste with mushrooms seasoning. If you like to use homemade sambal, please check this recipe. Yes you can add other proteins such as pan-fried tofu or curry marinated tofu and other blanched or stir-fried vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli to make a complete meal. Check out my other noodle recipes Curry Chee Cheong Fun – my favorite Malaysian breakfast! Kung Pao Noodles – super easy and flavorful Black Garlic Chili Oil Noodles – another quick and easy meal This Vegan Curry Butter Spaghetti is ready in < 30 minutes! It’s delicious, creamy, and slurpilicious! If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends! Vegan Curry Butter Spaghetti This vegan curry butter spaghetti is simple, buttery, and slurpilicious! Look no further for a delicious, creamy, spicy dish that takes less than 30 minutes to make. 5 from 1 vote Print Pin Rate Course: Curry, Main Course, Side Dish Cuisine: Asian Keyword: 30-minute Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes Total Time: 25 minutes minutes Servings: 1 Author: woonheng Ingredients 1 serving spaghetti 2oz dried/quarter sized bunch salt 1 tablespoon vegan butter used Miyoko's 1 stalk scallion chopped 1 tablespoon fried shallots Curry 1 tablespoon cooking oil few curry leaves 1 – 1.5 tablespoon curry paste ¼ cup coconut milk ¼ teaspoon mushrooms seasoning or ½ tablespoon of Yondu ½ cup of pasta water plus more if needed Instructions Fill a pot with enough water to cook 1 servings of spaghetti. I used about 5 cups with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook spaghetti as directed on the package. During the last few minutes of cooking, heat a large non-stick pan with oil over medium-high heat. Add curry leaves and let it sizzle (temper) for a few seconds. Add the curry paste and give it a quick stir. Pour in the coconut milk and add the mushroom seasoning, then stir to combine. Finally, add the pasta water and stir. Taste test and season with more salt if needed. Ladle the curry into a bowl. Strain out the spaghetti and add to the bowl. Top with butter and toss to combine. Garnish with scallions and fried shallots before serving. (You may add your favorite protein toppings such as tofu, marinated tofu and blanched/stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal) Video Notes Spaghetti cooking time varies by brand – please check the package instruction I used Mama Lam’s curry paste (check their website for vegan version) or you can use homemade sambal Other curry paste alternatives include red or yellow Coconut milk I used – Savoy. Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference. The post How to make 30-minute Vegan Curry Butter Spaghetti appeared first on WoonHeng.

When you own over 100 cookbooks, it is time to stop buying, and start cooking. This site chronicles a cookbook collection, one recipe at a time.

If you love the vibe and flavor of classic cream of mushroom soup, but want to skip the overabundance of heavy cream used in many recipes, you’re in the right spot. This version brings all the nostalgia you love, but uses nuts to deliver the rich, creamy texture. It works beautifully, and the soup is such an all-star. Give it a try!

Continue reading Cream of Mushroom Soup on 101 Cookbooks

There are moments when I’m nostalgic for an old-school bowl of cream of mushroom soup. It’s comforting, earthy, loaded with nutrient-packed mushrooms, and simple to make. I like a classic-tasting version, but can’t bring myself to lean into the heavy cream in the way a lot of the older recipes do. This version brings all the factors you love about the classic (it tastes nearly identical) but leverages cashews to bring silky creaminess. Cooking the onions and mushrooms down aggressively develops depth and flavor, and herbs (dried and fresh!) and lemon bring lift and brightness. So good! Cream of Mushroom Soup: Ingredients Mushrooms: This is the sort of soup I’ll make when I need to use up some mushrooms. I call for brown mushrooms here, but you can use white, brown, whatever you need to use up. This isn’t the soup I’d make to show off special mushrooms I picked up at the farmer’s market though. I like to use those for things like these mushroom “scallops” or this roasted mushroom sandwich. Herbs: Dried herbs and fresh herbs love a mushroom soup. The recipe calls for some dried thyme or herbs de Provence added to the pot during cooking. I like to toss a few fresh, chopped herbs into each bowl just before serving as well. You can see dill here, but snipped chives, slivered basil, marjoram, and fresh thyme are all very welcome and complement the mushrooms nicely. Broth: Use a broth that you love the taste of, it’s the base of the soup and is kee. A couple bouillon dissolved in water works as well. For this soup I typically mix 2 tablespoons of this homemade bouillon powder into the 6 cups of water. Cashews: You’ll cook the cashews along with the mushrooms. They soften up nicely and become beautifully creamy when you puree the soup before serving. No heavy cream needed, and honestly, few people can tell the difference between this soup and one made with heavy cream. Lemon: it really brightens everything up at the end and helps to bring the whole soup into balance. Black pepper: Invest in great quality black peppercorns, it will absolutely help you level up your cooking. And don’t skimp on it here. Really go for it. Topping Ideas Here’s a brainstorm of things that are great on top of a cream of mushroom soup like this one. You see it here topped with fresh dill, homemade oatmeal sourdough croutons, olive oil drizzle, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Other ideas: chili crisp grated cheese poached egg and citrus furikake a swirl of pesto and toasted pine nuts sprinkled with za’atar and deeply toasted, baked pita strips More Blended Soup Recipes So many good blended soups around here. Enjoy! Simple Cauliflower Soup Pumpkin and Rice Soup Simple Asparagus Soup Simple Carrot Soup Ten Great Blender Soups Zucchini Soup Blended Vegetable Soup All soup recipes More Mushroom Recipes Baked Mushrooms with Miso Butter Mushroom Lasagna Mushroom Ragu Stuffed Mushrooms all mushroom recipes Continue reading Cream of Mushroom Soup on 101 Cookbooks

A wonderfully creamy, near perfect quart of authentic gelato made with just a few ingredients.

Continue reading Gelato on 101 Cookbooks

I started making gelato in the Sicilian style back the early 00’s after visiting Palermo and the west coast of Sicily. Looking back, we were basically kids with no car and would get from town to town by bus. It was clear from go that the Sicilian love affair with frozen desserts knows few rivals, and we would beat the dust and heat by ducking into gelaterias from Trapani to Marsala and beyond. Making Sicilian Gelato is decidedly different from making American-style ice cream. It starts with a milk base, often skipping the eggs and heavy cream altogether. Cornstarch (or an equivalent) is used as a thickener. And the result is a beautifully smooth and creamy scoop, often lighter on the palette than an egg and cream-based alternative. Gelato recipe: Guidance and Inspiration I remember there was a series of gelato-focused articles in Saveur magazine during that 00’s era sharing history and recipes. One of them, The Empire of Ice Cream, written by Mary Taylor Simeti (2007? Maybe earlier? I feel like it was earlier), explored the history of Sicily and frozen treats. She talks in the article about Sicilian-style gelato, which is different from gelato in the rest of Italy. In a conversation with a Palermo ice cream maker he tells her, “Unlike most mainland ice cream, Sicilian gelato rarely contains eggs or cream. Instead, the base, known as crema rinforzata, is a rather liquid version of blancmange, a sweet pudding of milk thickened with corn (or rice) starch.” Similar to now (2025), when eggs are increasingly considered a luxury, this style of gelato was delicious yet less expensive to produce. Another theory I’ve read is that eggs are more difficult to digest in the Sicilian heat. Probably a bit of both. I started making this style gelato back then, experimenting, and tweaking the ratio of milk to the other ingredients until it was in a place I was happy with – the recipe down below. One last thing, before we move on, there’s a great story about Mary in Sicily on Anissa Helou’s substack. Gelato: The Ingredients Milk: Full fat whole milk for this recipe. And I haven’t tested it with any milk or non-dairy alternatives, but if you do, please post to the comments. Sugar: I’m using granulated sugar here. If you want an amazing ice cream made with honey as the sweetener, aka no refined sugar, try this honey ice cream – milk, cream, vanilla, honey, and salt, that’s it. Cornstarch: This is what thickens up your gelato mixture. I’ve experimented with different amounts over the years, but find the amount in the recipe is the sweet spot. Vanilla: I call for a teaspoon of vanilla paste here, but often split a vanilla bean down the line, scrape out the paste with the edge of a sharp knife and toss it all into the milk. You can do either, or if you really love vanilla – use both. Salt: Older ice cream or gelato recipes I’ve come across tend to omit salt. But, I think it is important and I like my gelato mixture to have some salt to counter-balance the sweet. What Else Makes Gelato Special? A couple other variables that impact gelato are: Churn Speed: Your ice cream maker at home is different than a production gelato machine in Italy. Those machine churn more slowly and use a different mechanism resulting in less air being incorporated into the gelato – it is going to be thicker, denser. But don’t worry, even if your gelato ends up being a bit fluffier than what you might experience in Italy, it’s still wonderful, smooth and creamy. Especially just out of the machine – as pictured here. Freezer Temperature: There is a lot of discussion about dialing in ice cream and gelato texture out there, but not enough attention is dedicated to freezer strategy. Home freezers turn your gelato rock hard over night so I like to churn my gelato the same day I’m planning on serving it (if you’re not enjoying it straight from the machine lol). Give it a few hours in the freezer, and a couple minutes on the counter before scooping for structured and super creamy perfection. For any overnight leftovers the next day give a few minutes on the counter to let it warm up a bit before scooping. My sense is that the gelaterias keep their cases at a slightly warmer temperature than a home freezer for the creamiest scoops. Gelato variations: The gelato recipe below will give you a great vanilla base to start with. Here are a few easy ways to play around with other flavors. Stracciatella: drizzle melted chocolate into the gelato as it is churning (in the last couple of minutes), for the real deal chocolate chip. Infusions: You can infuse the hot milk with so many things, a few ideas: mint, rose geranium, saffron, jasmine tea, rosemary, a favorite curry powder. You’ll be straining the mixture prior to churning so the solids will be removed at that time. Berries: Experiment with adding crushed berries, or crushed, freeze-dried berries to your base. That’s the easy move. If you want a more involved (but worth it!) classic berry swirl experience, here’s my berry swirl ice cream. Make the berry component from that, and fold it into this frozen gelato base. A Richer Gelato: A lot of gelato recipes have some heavy cream and incorporate an egg yolk or two as well. I don’t find that I need it here, but you can certainly swap out 1/3 cup of the milk for 1/3 cup of heavy cream. You can also add an egg yolk (whisk into cornstarch mixture), but you’ll need to temper that mixture before adding to to the hot milk so you don’t end up with cooked eggs. This Gelato Goes Great With: A few of my favorite things to enjoy with this gelato: these pistachio cookies crushed on top. these roasted strawberries make a perfect pairing. good home-baked biscotti. ginger cookies crumbled over the gelato is magic. More Ice Cream Recipes Frosty Lime Sherbet Fresh Mint Chip Frozen Yogurt Classic Berry Swirl Ice Cream Grapefruit Sorbet Frozen Yogurt Honey Ice Cream Continue reading Gelato on 101 Cookbooks

For anyone wanting to work more sprouts into their meals, this is one of the best salads I've made in a long time. It includes mung bean sprouts, avocado, arugula, yogurt, and toasted almonds. So many good ingredients and incredibly tasty!

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If I had a restaurant, this sprout salad would be on the menu. Especially this time of year. The farmer’s markets are absolutely booming with all kinds of greens, asparagus, favas, green garlic, lilacs, and strawberries. It’s glorious. I brought a good amount of mung bean sprouts home on Saturday and threw this together for lunch. If you can’t find mung sprouts, no problem, you can easily swap in cooked mung beans, or cannellini beans, or any lentils that will hold their shape when cooked – French lentils (lentils du Puy), black Beluga lentils, etc. Another option is to grow your own sprouts! If there’s a good amount of interest in that, I can do a primer about it. Like sourdough, growing your own sprouts is a lifestyle lol. Sprout Salad Ingredients Here’s a photo of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe – arugula, mung bean sprouts, nuts, yogurt. Avocado should be in there as well. It’s a simple salad to pull together on a whim. A couple notes: Chive flowers: The chive flowers are optional, but they bring the pretty, so keep your eyes open for them, or get some started in your own garden. The great thing about them is you can dry the flowers after they blossom. Keep the dried chive blossoms on hand to extend the season. Here’s a whole page about edible flowers and another on how to dry herbs, in case you want more info on either front. Sliced Almonds: I use sliced almonds here, the key is getting them nice and toasted. You can swap in another robust nut here if that is what you have – walnuts are a good swap, same goes for pistachios. Sprout Salad: Ideas and Variations There are so many good riffs on this general idea to explore. Here are a few top ideas. Tostadas: Instead of cubing the avocado, smash it into hot tortilla straight off the griddle, pile the mung bean component on top of the avocado, add a couple little dollops of the yogurt and finish with this salsa negra – I wrote about why I love it at the bottom of this page. Spicy Summer Sprouts: Julie mentions in the comments: “i made a riff on it – couldnt find the mung sprouts, so i used a crunchy sprout mix..put a little chipolte in the yogurt mixture, and subbed in some cherry tomatoes for the almonds. Not too bad, if i do say so myself!” Vegan Sprout Bowl: Hannah’s version in the comments sounds fantastic, she says, “This plus brown rice was absolutely amazing…I will certainly be making this again (possibly tomorrow – I just can’t get enough!) and I made this with soya yoghurt strained through cheesecloth for a couple hours for any interested vegans!” On Bruschetta: I’m always looking for ways to use the sourdough I bake, and the simple answer is often bruschetta. Here you can use the components to top grilled or broiled slices of bread – yogurt first, then sprout component, a thread of a strong citrus olive oil would make a nice finish. More Recipes with Sprouts California Panzanella California Barley Bowl Sunshine Pad Thai (Vegetarian) Vegetarian Poke Bowl More Salad Recipes Grilled Wedge Salad Roasted Tomato Salad Raw Tuscan Kale Salad Egg Salad Quinoa Salad Coconut Corn Salad All salad recipes Continue reading Sprout Salad on 101 Cookbooks

Accented with blueberries, boosted to a hot pink color with beet juice, these vegan oatmeal pancakes are a great way to start the morning.

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Pink pancakes for the win! This recipe is a riff on a much-loved vegan oatmeal pancake I cook regularly. These charmers are accented with blueberries and boosted with beet juice. The beet juice is what makes the pancakes the beautiful pink color you see. These pancakes are hearty, substantial, delicious, and kid-friendly – especially when you dust them with cinnamon-sugar straight out of the pan, churro style. Blueberry Beet Pancakes: How To Make them Pink To achieve the intense pink color in these pancakes, use fresh beet juice. If you have a juicer on hand, it’s the way to go. And if you need a lesson in juicing, I’ve juiced it all at one point or another – there are a bunch of pointers on that page. If you’re out of luck on the juicer front, don’t worry, you can play around with other colors and concentrated juices you might have access to. Wayne has a carrot-turmeric juice he likes to buy on occasion, and that’s a great alternative. And don’t worry if you’re not a beet fan, while the color is strong the flavor is much less intense. Make Ahead? Once you have the batter made, you can refrigerate it for up to a few days. The resulting pancakes aren’t quite as good as when you cook them immediately, but they are pretty fantastic for a quick mid-week breakfast. More Pancake Recipes Fluffy Pancakes Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Dutch Baby Pancake Cottage Cheese Pancakes Adventure Pancakes (Recipes For The Road PDF) More breakfast recipes Continue reading Blueberry Beet Pancakes (Vegan) on 101 Cookbooks

A collection of all-star Easter brunch ideas ranging from a favorite breakfast casserole recipe to the best waffle recipe I know. All worth making year-round as well!

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I know many of you are on the hunt for good Easter brunch recipes right now. Here are a few favorites. I’m highlighting them here for Easter, but they’re all a part of my year-round repertoire. For brunch I love family-style dishes like breakfast casseroles and frittatas equally as much as a waffle or omelette bar. I mean, who doesn’t love a DIY toppings situation? You’ll see a mix of all this down below along with favorite drinks and a handful of menu ideas. Have fun planning! Easter Brunch Ideas I limited this recipe list to long-time favorites. Real go-to options, the brunch all-stars. Be sure to browse the list of menu ideas down below if you need inspiration on that front! Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole: A top contender for Easter brunch. Breakfast casseroles are a thing for good reason. You can prep them the day before. They’re great for serving a crowd, and they’re endlessly adaptable. This is my take on the popular Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole. It’s a deep-dish merging of grated cheese, bagels, eggs, plant-based sausage along with the crunch and savoriness of everything bagel seasoning. The bagels that break through the top get beautifully crunchy and kissed with oven-toasted cheese. Give it a try! Fregola Sarda: It’s a favorite recipe from Near & Far. The perfect lunchy, brunch dish, and it’s made with fregola. Fregola is a beautiful, tasty Sardinian pasta made from hard durum wheat flour – rolled, sun-dried, and toasted to a mix of shades of yellow, gold, and brown. The pasta is rustic and nutty, each grain with a raggy surface adept at catching flavor. So good! Deep Dish Quiche: The deep dish quiche of your dreams. It’s made with a flaky all-butter crust. The filling is silky smooth and creamy, while still being perfectly sliceable. Switch up the add-ins based on the seasons – roasted cherry tomatoes in summer, winter squash later in the year. A Tasty Frittata: I love a good frittata as part of a brunch spread. You can pre-bake them a bit ahead of time which opens up the oven for other dishes if needed. This is a tasty, super adaptable frittata recipe made with potatoes, onions, and eggs drizzled with a cilantro chile sauce. Don’t skimp on the sauce! The Best Waffles: You’re looking at the waffles I make for (literally) every family brunch, and they’re perfect for an Easter brunch gathering. You can set up a toppings bar, and let people make their own, or pre-make them and hold in a warm oven. If you’re a waffle fan, please give these a try. Everyone needs a solid waffle recipe in their back pocket, and I’m quite sure these are the end of the waffle conversation for me. Enjoy! Red Fruit Salad: Red fruit salad, and arguably so much better than old-school fruit salad! It’s perfect as spring rounds the bend into summer. A simple, seasonal fruit salad made with plump strawberries, sweet cherries, lemon zest, and coriander brown sugar. Five ingredients. So good. If cherries aren’t quite in season where you are, go with 100% strawberries. Classic Pancakes: If you’re more of a pancake family, this is a classic pancake recipe that delivers a beautiful, classic stack with impossibly tender crumb and golden edges. It has been a favorite go-to since I first posted it in 2006. The pancakes have lightness and lift, and good color. The recipe is also endlessly adaptable based on what you have on hand. Sheet Pan Frittata: If you like to serve family style, a sheet pan frittata is another great option. You don’t need much to make a great one. This one starts with a dusting of lemon zest (key!) across a sheet pan, and uses a simple egg, cream, salt and pepper base. Tofu Scramble: This tofu scramble is fast, savory, and flavorful egg-free brunch option. Made with spinach, curry powder, nutritional yeast, garlic, and onions, this is the version we’ve been making for years! Also, super adaptable to whatever vegetables and seasonings you have on hand. Skinny Omelettes: Setting up an omelette “station” with a range of toppings works great if you have a casual brunch situation. People can make and customize omelettes to their liking with fillings like caramelized onions, pesto, herbs, choice of cheeses, etc. These omelettes are made with eggs cooked crepe-thin and stuffed. A delicious and lighter alternative to heavy, cheese-stuffed omelette recipes – great for lunch and brunch. Easter Brunch Ideas: Breads & Cakes Braided Onion Bread: Every Easter brunch spread welcomes a statement piece. This is one of my favorites. Made with a rich, buttery, yeast-based dough, each of the four strands in the braid is stuffed with a caramelized onion and grated cheese mixture. If you’ve never baked a braided loaf before, I’ll admit that stuffing the strands adds a layer of complexity, but the whole process is incredibly forgiving if you commit and keep going. Give it a try! Glazed Lemon Cake: A sunny, bright addition to any Easter spread. This lemon cake is moist, fragrant and topped with a salted lemon glaze. It is made with lots of lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice. You don’t need a mixer, the olive oil based batter comes together quickly, and you’re not much longer than an hour from having a beautiful cake to share. Cheddar Jalapeño Oatmeal Bread: This oatmeal bread wins the award for best toast. It’s a hearty oat-flecked loaf with a buttermilk base studded generously with melty cubes of cheddar cheese and punctuated with thin slices of jalapeño pepper. Where the cheese touches the pan it turns to golden-crispy perfection. Cinnamon Rolls: If making these cinnamon rolls for Easter brunch, I’m going to make a suggestion. Swap out the cinnamon for citrus. Like, use the zest of a lemon or two in the filling and a tablespoon or so of lemon juice in the icing along with the heavy cream called for as the liquids in the icing. What To Make with Extra Eggs If you find yourself with extra cartons of eggs after Easter, here are some ideas. Deviled Eggs: I love these so much – beautiful and delicious deviled eggs made with an herb-flecked filling and topped with toasted almonds. Egg Salad: My go-to egg salad, and what I turn to when craving an egg salad sandwich. This post talks you through all the little tweaks and tips that go into making the perfect egg salad sandwich. Served on garlic-rubbed toasted bread with chopped celery, onion, and whole-grain mustard. Shredded Egg Salad: A fun alternative to classic egg salad (above). This one is made by shredding hard boiled eggs on a box grater. The resulting shredded egg salad is light, fluffy, and bright. Pictured here on avocado toast with scallions, pickled red onions, a pinch of curry powder and sesame seeds. Easter Brunch Menu Ideas Here are a few sample menus to start with. When I say toppings bar, I just mean putting out a range of different topping options. It’s a great way to let everyone make omelettes or waffles exactly the way they like it. Menu #1 Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole Strawberry Salad Ginger Grapefruit Juice Menu #2 Cheddar Jalapeño Oatmeal Bread A Tasty Frittata or Skinny Omelettes with Toppings Bar Iced Green Tea Glazed Lemon Cake Menu #3 Breakfast Bruschetta + Toppings Bar Herb Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs Pineapple Coconut Water Menu #4 Waffles with Toppings Bar A Tasty Frittata Homemade Strawberry Almond Milk Easter Brunch Drink Ideas Freshly squeezed juices, or homemade drinks are an easy way to make a brunch menu feel extra special. Here are a few favorites from past brunches. Pineapple Coconut Water: A beautiful shade of Easter yellow, this beauty is always first to go at any brunch spread. Freshly juiced pineapple is at the heart of this quencher – made with coconut water, lime, and straight ginger juice. It’s invigorating, fragrant, hydrating, and that pure, intense shade of yellow that somehow tips us off to its strength and vitality before ever picking up the glass. Homemade Strawberry Almond Milk: As good as it sounds. Ripe strawberries plus fresh almond milk were made for each other. And yes, you can use frozen berries! Iced Green Tea: As good as it sounds. Ripe strawberries plus fresh almond milk were made for each other. And yes, you can use frozen berries! Ginger-kissed Grapefruit Juice: This grapefruit juice will jolt you to attention. It’s just the thing if you’re looking for something bright, invigorating, spicy, and full volume citrus. Steep grated ginger in a bit of sugared water, and then strain it into a lime & grapefruit juice blend. Continue reading Easter Brunch Ideas on 101 Cookbooks

This blended vegetable soup is a delicious delivery vehicle for a range of hearty vegetables. If you have onions, potatoes, carrots, and broccoli to use up, this is a great option. A soup that is a unfussy as it gets, easily adaptable as well.

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This blended vegetable soup often makes an appearance after a trip. Specifically, when we arrive home to a mostly empty refrigerator. Alternately, I tend to cook it if f I’m needing a relatively low-lift, healthful soup that will yield some legit leftovers to be excited about later in the week. Because it’s blended, this soup is creamy without the cream. It’s loaded with a range of veggies and good-for-you ingredients. It uses up all those hearty, unfussy ingredients that tend to last longest around a kitchen – onions, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, etc. The kind that are there to welcome you home. The Inspiration We drove back from San Francisco on Sunday, and after a few days of restaurant meals I was craving a simple soup. To be honest, there wasn’t much of an alternative, because there weren’t many fresh ingredients to cook with. There were a few carrots, a few potatoes, and we’re never without onions. There was broccoli, but it was not looking its finest. A soup like this is the answer, and an example of why I love cooking. There’s nothing fancy going on here, just a handful of simple ingredients turning into a wonderful nourishing meal with plenty of leftovers. I took the photos you see here after reheating the soup for lunch today. It’s paired with thin slices of toasted homemade sourdough (from the freezer!), and topped with egg salad for a quick lunch up on the patio. Blended Vegetable Soup: Simple Variations This soup is the definition of flexible. The whole idea is to use up whatever vegetables you have on hand. Here are a few ways I’ve played around with the base recipe over the years. Ginger: add some grated ginger along with the garlic. Spicy: make it spicy with your favorite red pepper flakes, to taste. Big green: add a couple handfuls of kale or spinach with the broccoli for added green veg boost. Make it vegan: swap out the butter for another tablespoon of olive oil. Keep it chunky: Skip the blending step, or, blend half and leave half unblended Cauliflower version: if you don’t have broccoli, but have cauliflower, go ahead and make the swap. No carrots?: Swap in an equivalent amount of sweet potatoes or winter squash. Can you freeze it? Yes. Let the soup cool, then place in the freezer for up to a few months. Allow to thaw, then gently reheat in a pot. Or, if you forget to thaw ahead of time. Add a bit of water to your saucepan, place the frozen soup in the saucepan, covered, over gentle heat. Give it a regular stir (or flip) every ten minutes or so until it thaws. What to Serve with This Soup Serving a soup like this along with some freshly baked bread is arguably the way to go, but we’ve even gone the left-over reheated pizza on occasion. Other favorite options: Frittata Sandwich: Soup and sandwich is a classic combo for good reason. Egg Salad Sandwich: I often do an open-faced version of this along with the soup (as pictured) – or if you’re feeling a bit more ambitious, try this shredded egg salad. This chickpea salad sandwich is also a nice pairing. Get that bread nice and toasty! Cheddar Jalapeño Oatmeal Bread: a favorite along-side blended soups. Zucchini Bread: well-toasted and smeared with a herby compound butter Six Seed Soda Bread: Seed crusted . Bonus points for adding a compound butter here as well. Easy Little Bread: yeast-based, farm-style loaf, made from rolled oats and a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Baked Potatoes: No one will complain. More Blended Soup Recipes: Clearly I love a good blended soup – great year-round. Simple Cauliflower Soup Pumpkin and Rice Soup Simple Asparagus Soup Simple Carrot Soup Thirteen Great Blender Soups Zucchini Soup More Soup Recipes Tortellini Soup Wild Rice Soup Roasted Tomato Soup Lively Up Lentil Soup Split Pea Soup Miso Soup Ribollita Nine Great Lentil Soups All soup recipes Continue reading A Good Blended Vegetable Soup on 101 Cookbooks

A vibrant tempeh curry recipe loosely inspired by a recipe from Lora Zarubin's cookbook, I am Almost Always Hungry.

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I’m writing this as I’m eating dinner. It’s not something I normally do, but I think this is one of those recipes that a lot of you are going to like, and I’m feeling the need to share it with you now rather than later. It came together as I was riffing off one of Lora Zarubin’s recipes from I Am Almost Always Hungry – her Potatoes with Tomato Curry. I love an all-in-one-pot meal, and cobbling together a hearty, vegetarian version of her recipe using tempeh for a protein component was the game plan. Let me tell you…. While, the process wasn’t at all complicated, just an onion sautéed with a short list of spices, with diced tomatoes, a splash of cream, and eventually potatoes and tempeh. It all came together in a perfectly vibrant, red-orange pot of feisty curry. Finished with a bit of cilantro, it’s fragrant, filling, and tastes so much more indulgent than it actually is. I love it. Lora’s book is out of print now, but keep an eye out for a copy if, like me, you like to haunt used book stores. The book is organized in a series of menus. For example, the tomato and potato curry recipe is part of one of the most interesting Thanksgiving menus I’ve come across. Each time I read it through I dream of lobbying my family to tackle it one year. There’s plenty for a mixed crowd – vegetarians, vegans, the whole lot. The menu: Roasted Turkey with Tandori Spices Roasted Hubbard Squash Wedges with Garam Masala Basmati Rice with Saffron and Cloves Red Lentils with Tamarind and Dates Potatoes with Tomato Curry Creamed Spinach with Cardamom and Shiitake Duxelle Steamed Brussels Sprouts with Ghee and Sea Salt Cranberry and Ginger Chutney Mint and Chile Raita Clover Rolls with Rosemary Pumpkin and Arborio Rice Pudding Shrikhand (a creamy yogurt dessert) with Fresh Pomegranate Seeds. Tempeh Curry Variations I hope you give the recipe a try, particularly those of you who aren’t so sure about tempeh. I should also add, if you’re in a pinch time-wise, cauliflower might be a perfect, quick-to-cook alternative to potatoes. A few other variations on the recipe: Vegan: In the comments Jen mentions cooking a vegan version, “I have modified this to make it vegan, and I love it! I use olive oil instead of butter, coconut milk instead of cream, and add some freshly grated ginger. I also saute the tempeh before adding it so it’s a little crispy. Yum!” Chickpea Version: Cat left a comment that she enjoyed a version made with chickpeas in place of the tempeh. Add Some Green: Rachel mentioned she isn’t a cilantro fan, and swapped in some greens in the last five minutes instead. Can threw in some kale, I could even imagine shredded green cabbage working well. More Tempeh Recipes Spicy Tempeh Crumble Bowl Tempeh Taco Salad Garlic Lime Lettuce Wraps TLT Sandwich (Tempeh Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich) Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh all tempeh recipes Continue reading Tempeh Curry on 101 Cookbooks

A palak daal recipe from Kasa's Anamika Khanna - a hearty pot of spinach, lentils, and spices. Kasa is a favorite Indian restaurant in San Francisco.

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This palak daal recipe came to me by way of a favorite neighborhood spot in San Francisco. Wayne and I regularly frequent a place called Kasa. It takes just about ten minutes to get there on foot. It’s casual, fast, and I know exactly what I like – kati roll, paneer, unda-style with side of daal. The other day I was chatting with Anamika, one of the owners, and she mentioned that she was teaching a cooking class as part of a fund-raiser. I have to admit that I’m always checking the Kasa site with the hope that Anamika will post some of her recipes. When she mentioned she was going to be teaching palak daal – spinach and lentils, and then offered to email me her recipe, I was pretty excited. I’d take a cooking class with Anamika any day, and in the meantime, this was the next best thing. Anamika’s Palak Daal I’m excited to share Anamika’s daal. It’s rich, filling, and nutritious. Leftovers are a dream. The fragrant spices filling the house let you know you’re on to something special. You use the white lentils pictured below, and you can see how I like to chop the spinach here as well. Palak Daal Cooking Tips: Lentil type: If you switch up the kind of lentils in this recipe, you’ll likely need to adjust the cooking time. Some lentils cook more quickly than others. Beyond that you’ll need to cook down the liquid in the pot so the consistency looks something like what you see in the photos. Consistency: If you’re finding your daal a bit too soupy for your liking, dial up the heat a bit and wait for it to thicken up. Leftovers: Leftover daal will thicken substantially over time in a refrigerator. To reheat, add water (or sometimes I do coconut milk) a splash at a time, and re-season to your liking. More Lentil Recipes Lentils Folded into Yogurt, Spinach, and Basil Lentils with Wine-glazed Vegetables Nine Great Lentil Soups Coconut Red Lentil Soup Garganelli with Kale and Lentils all lentil recipes Favorite Indian Recipes (or India-inspired) Chana Masala Saag Paneer Cauliflower Korma Indian-spiced Guacamole Ghee Palak Paneer Continue reading Palak Daal on 101 Cookbooks

If you haven't tried grilled fava beans, you must! You can make them on a grill or in a grill pan. Toss them out onto a newspaper where people can dive in and make a bit of a mess with the pods and skins.

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Grilled fava beans became something we began cooking at home after experiencing a version in Japan years ago. One of the highlights of that trip was enjoying a quiet little dinner at Asahi, an artisan soba spot so tiny it felt like you could touch all four walls from the center of the place. It was Tokyo’s only ital noodle shop (Rastafarian veg cuisine), but the noodles weren’t the only highlight. I knew we were in for a great meal when chef Koichi Nakajima started our night with two deeply charred fava beans served on a piece of paper. We split the pods open with our fingers, slipped each fava bean from its skin and popped them in our mouths one after another. It doesn’t get much better – simple, smoky, perfectly cooked, and fun to eat. If you haven’t tried grilling fresh favas, you must! You can make them on the grill or in a grill pan, then toss them out onto a newspaper where people can dive in and make a bit of a mess with the pods and skins. Grilled Fava Beans: Some Tips Here are the key things to think about: Don’t skimp on the seasoning. Anything you put on the pods will stick to your fingers -in a good way. You can keep things simple by tossing the fava pods with a splash of olive oil and bit of sea salt before placing them on the grill. I sometimes add crushed red pepper flakes to the olive oil, or finish the favas with lemon zest or freshly chopped dill (or chives) after they come off the grill. Dial in your grill temperature. It’s key to getting the grill (or pan) the correct temperature – too hot and the pods char before the beans have time to steam in their pods. Size matters. If you encounter very young fava beans, the shelled beans might be too small for this to be an ideal preparation. I’m talking about the super tiny ones, the size of my pinkie nail. Take a peek and make sure most of your beans are more substantial than that. Grilled Fava Bean Seasoning Ideas Serving your grilled favas simply with a bit of salt is fantastic, but if you want a bit of an accent beyond that, here are some ideas to explore: Homemade Onion Powder Citrus Furikake Za’atar Celery Salt Citrus Salt A drizzle of chili crisp other homemade spice blends More Recipes Featuring Fava Beans Vegetarian Paella Citron Noodles with Miso Garlic Butter (and favas!) Dried Fava Soup with Mint and Guajillo Chiles Jennifer also mentioned down in the comments, “I’ve been making a great fava recipe from Suzanne Goin’s book Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Fava bean puree with french feta and black olives on garlic toast. It is INCREDIBLE and has been the hit of every function I’ve gone to in the last month.” Sounds amazing. Continue reading Grilled Fava Beans on 101 Cookbooks

A wonderful kimchi soup inspired by a bowl of fiesty, fiery, brothy cabbage soup I had years ago at Namu Gaji in San Francisco.

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There is a kimchi soup I had stuck in my mind for years. I encountered it at Namu Gaji, a lively, welcoming, neighborhood spot run by the three (Dennis, Daniel, and David) Lee Brothers. The restaurant was situated diagonally across from Dolores Park in San Francisco, and was the perfect place to settle in along the street-facing bank of windows to chat and people-watch over sizzling okonomiyaki or a fiery stonepot of market vegetables. I would see the Namu Gaji crew often at the Saturday morning farmer’s market, shopping for ingredients or feeding market-goers from their Namu stall. Lots of heart on all fronts. Kimchi Soup: The Inspiration The soup – I don’t remember it being on the menu, although it could have been. I simply remember chatting about soup with one of the waitstaff there and shortly thereafter a bowl of fire-brothed magic appeared. It was a cabbage soup, but feisty and invigorating with lots of spice. You could see the flecks of red throughout, and the broth had little pools of spicy goodness suspended on top. I remember thinking to myself, it was as if someone had brothed out some amazing kimchi and called it a day – deceptively simple, in the best way possible. This is what I was attempting to channel when I stepped into the kitchen to prepare today’s recipe. I added mushrooms and tofu, broccoli, and some other tasty flare to make a substantial one-pot meal of it – feel free to use as many, or as few, of the suggested toppings as you like. Suggested Toppings and Ingredients roasted cherry tomatoes scallions sautéed or roasted mushrooms green onions furikake or sesame seeds fresh lemon or lime juice More Soup Recipes A little side note, if you enjoy making soups as much as I do, you’ll want to start making your own homemade bouillon powder. So easy, and nice to keep on hand! Tortellini Soup Wild Rice Soup Roasted Tomato Soup Lively Up Lentil Soup Split Pea Soup Miso Soup Ribollita All soup recipes Continue reading Kimchi Soup on 101 Cookbooks

This is a fantastic way to enjoy broccolini resulting in a big bowl of green! The broccolini is tossed with big croutons, lots of sliced scallions, mozzarella, toasted almonds, and a hit of serrano pepper.

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Broccolini is the tender, stalky, baby alternative to broccoli in your kitchen. If you’re wondering how to cook and enjoy it, this recipe is an easy winner. The backstory is that my friend Malinda has a real knack for making big vegetable platters and salads. Remember the fennel salad in Super Natural Every Day? That was hers. We were at her house for dinner and she made a broccolini situation I absolutely loved. I helped myself to three servings. There were blanched lengths of broccolini, big shards of homemade croutons, creamy pockets of burrata, and toasted almond slices. Broccolini with Scallions: Inspiration Eating with Malinda was a reminder of how good certain things are. Sometimes I forget that big, rustic homemade croutons are worth making. And burrata or mozzarella? It’s great in salady things and veg-platters – it doesn’t have to be summer, and you don’t have to include tomatoes. Things like that. Ideas like these get pushed out of my brain from time to time and it’s nice to get reminders and inspiration from friends. Malinda and I chatted in the kitchen before dinner about dressing for the broccolini (and broccoli/broccolini in general). She mentioned she likes to accent hers with a bit of anchovy when there aren’t vegetarians around. I told her I often do the lemon zest/red pepper flake combo when I’m throwing broccoli together on a weeknight. And as that sentence was coming out of my mouth, I thought, wow, what a yawn. At home I would eventually build on M’s broccolini with lots of scallions, some serrano chile, and lots of toasted almonds. So good. What Makes Broccolini Special? Similar to broccoli, but with long tender, stalks, broccolini is mild tasting (compared to broccoli raab), can be quick to cook, and is nutrient-packed. You might see it in some places named baby broccoli. Broccoli raab (also know as rapini) is another thing altogether, more closely related to turnips than to broccoli. Broccoli raab is more bitter, peppery and strong but can be prepared in a similar way to both broccoli and broccolini. How to Cook Broccolini Broccolini is easy to work with. And there are many ways to cook it — braise, sauté, blanch, grill, roast. In this recipe I have you boil the broccolini, but you can certainly make a version using roasted broccolini, or grilled broccolini. To boil broccolini: Prepare an ice bath. Boil the broccolini in salted water for about a minute, or less if the broccolini is young and very tender. Plunge into the ice water bath, or run under cold water, to stop the cooking. To bake broccolini: Heat oven to 375°F, Place broccolini on a baking sheet, toss with a splash of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake until edges have browned and crisped, tossing once or twice along the way. To grill broccolini: Toss broccolini with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the hottest part of the grill and cook until they crisp and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. To steam broccolini: Bring a couple inches of water to a simmer in the bottom of a steamer. Arrange broccolini in steamer basket(s). Cook for a few minutes, or until broccolini is tender and bright. What Else to Serve with Broccolini I often cook broccolini to use as the vegetable component to the rest of a meal For example: It’s great on top of this vegan ramen, especially baked or grilled. The bit of char flavor is chef’s kiss. Broccolini is great as a pizza topping, I usually give it a quick blanch in boiling water first, shock it cold in some ice water and then use it as a pizza topping from there. Grilled to put on top of bruschetta. Baked into a sheet pan frittata, and then used as a component in a frittata sandwich. More Broccoli and Broccolini Recipes You can basically swap in broccolini for the broccoli in any of these recipes. Roasted Broccoli Braised Broccoli with Orange and Parmesan Double Broccoli Quinoa Broccoli Apple Salad all broccolini recipes Continue reading Broccolini with Scallions on 101 Cookbooks

Coated in a silky, garlic-spiked, miso butter, these citron noodles are a celebration of spring produce. Fava beans and citron zest mingle with the pasta, crunchy furikake joins the party, then everything gets a feisty chili crisp finish.

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These citron noodles were inspired by the Buddha’s hand citron I bought at the farmers’ market last week. I find it near impossible to pass them up, and love their ability to perfume my entire kitchen while I dream up their citrusy fate. The fava beans came from the next stall, and everything else you see here was already on hand at home – furikake, chili crisp, butter, and miso. It all comes together into the ultimate spring pasta bowl. And yes, you can enjoy a version of this using lemon or orange zest. Absolutely delicious! Ingredients Here’s a look at the ingredients needed for this recipe. I didn’t end up using the kale chips. In the recipe, note the ground cardamom called for in the miso garlic butter. I really love the way it plays off the floral notes of the citron. So if you have it, definitely use it. Fava note: If you’ve never cooked with fresh fava beans before, here’s what to do. To get them to look like the favas in this photo, you’ll be shelling them twice. Remove the favas first from their big, puffy pods. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt the water, boil the favas for a minute or so. Drain. Now, remove the second skins, and you should have fava beans that are ready to eat and look like the ones above. How to Clean and Zest a Citron Working with standard citron, the kind that looks like a lumpy, oversized lemon is pretty straight-forward. Give the skin a gentle cleaning with warm water. Working with a fingered citron (or Buddha’s hand citron) can be a bit trickier. I like to keep a toothbrush in my kitchen to clean tight areas, like the creases you see in the citron I used for this recipe, the corner of a towel can work as well. Here’s the process: Give the citron a gentle scrub to remove any dirt. Cut the citron into long quarters, and begin to use the tooth brush to get into any creases. Break off citron fingers as needed to work into the deeper cracks. Use a y-shaped vegetable peeler to gently remove the zest, avoiding the white pith. Use a sharp knife to slice the peel into very fine flecks. Citron Noodles: Variations Other citrus: It can be tricky to find citron – both the fingered varietal and the one that looks somewhat like an lumpy, oversized lemon. You can use another citrus zest here otherwise a combination of more than one – lemon, orange, lime, makrut lime – all wonderful to experiment with. Kale chips: I use furikake here, but if I was out, I’d use kale chips to top the noodles. Vegan version: to make a vegan version of these citron noodles, dilute the miso with a tablespoon of the pasta water to thin it out. Use olive oil in place of the butter, and whisk the thinned out miso into the olive oil. This way you avoid clumping. With artichokes: Swap out the fava beans, swap in pan-fried artichokes. Here’s a primer on how to cook artichokes. They’re so good, and frozen artichokes work wonderfully if you aren’t up for the prep involved with fresh artichokes. More Citrus Recipes Sunny Citrus Recipes Super Orange Citrus Rice 15 Inspiring Winter Citrus Recipes Glazed Lemon Cake Ginger-kissed Grapefruit Juice Grapefruit Curd with Ginger Citrus Salt More Noodle Recipes Walnut Miso Noodles Ten+ Popular Noodle Recipes Vegetable Noodle Soup Sriracha Noodle Salad 20 Fantastic Noodle Soups Favorite Rice Noodle Stir Fry Fire Broth Noodle Soup Spicy Coconut Curry Noodles Continue reading Citron Noodles with Miso Garlic Butter on 101 Cookbooks

I get a lot of questions related to sourcing and using edible flowers. Here are a few of the things I do to ensure I have a supply throughout the year.

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I like to use edible flowers – both fresh and dried – in my cooking. The fragrance, the color, the range of petal shapes, tastes and flavors – it all makes them irresistible to me. Spring and summer are when I encounter the widest range of edible blossoms, and because I get a lot of questions related to sourcing and using edible flowers, I thought I’d write up a few of the things you can do to ensure a supply throughout the year. Edible Flowers: Safety First! Before consuming any flower, check with a medical or plant expert. You need to act with caution and know exactly what you’re consuming. Also, please keep in mind, not all parts of the flower are edible, and some varietals should be avoided if you are pregnant or nursing. There are some many good online and offline references, so be sure to read up. Books About Edible Flowers Books about edible flowers are a great way to learn about this rich topic and there are some wonderful titles available, both new and old. These are a few to look for: Edible Flowers: How, Why, and When We Eat Flowers by Monica Nelson — I contributed a miso soup with chamomile recipe to this beautifully comprehensive title from the founding creative and photo director of Wilder Quarterly. The book highlights 100 edible flowers arranged alphabetically along with recipes from a wide range of chefs and cooks. And, if you’re looking for an even deeper dive, there is a fantastic list of related books on the topic in the back of the book. The Edible Flower: A Modern Guide to Growing, Cooking and Eating Edible Flowers by Erin Bunting Eat Your Flowers: A Cookbook by Loria Stern Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers by Miche Bacher The Edible Flower Garden by Rosalind Creasy (1999) Edible Flowers & Leaves Volume II by D. & P. Gramp (2013) Where to Buy Edible Flowers Farmers’ markets are a great place to buy edible flowers. Ask if you don’t see them displayed. Because they are fragile, farmers often keep them in a cooler. Beyond that, you can sometimes find them in the produce department of certain grocery stores, typically refrigerated near the herbs. Grow Your Own The most economic way to source edible flowers is to grow them yourself. Harvesting flowers from your own yard is incredibly rewarding (and beautiful!). Chive flowers, thyme and oregano flowers, lemon blossoms, and rose geranium are in bloom at different times throughout the year in our yard. They’re often the perfect accent that makes a salad or cake extra special. Look for plants at your local nursery or chat with any plant seller at your local farmers’ market, they often focus on edible varietals. There are also seed packets of available online and at garden centers. What Are Some Common Edible Flowers? Hibiscus, camomile, rose, violet, calendula, chive, basil, borage, thyme, zucchini blossom, and nasturtium are commonly used in cooking, baking and beverages. There is a more comprehensive list below. Keep in mind, not all flowers are edible, some are poisonous, and proper identification is essential. Again, not all parts of the flower are edible, and some varietals should be avoided if you are pregnant or nursing, so please read up with some of the references I link to up above. What to Make with Edible Flowers I’ve included a number of the things I’ve learned down below, in the section that normally hosts the recipe. One of my favorite things to do, with certain edible flowers, is simply dry the petals. These organic rose petals (pictured) are about halfway through the process of drying, instructions below. They lose an incredible amount of volume as they dry, so even if you feel as if you’re starting with more petals than you could possibly use, keep in mind you’ll end up with far less than when you started. Flower Inspiration There are many amazing cooks and chefs working with edible flowers. One of my favorites is April Valencia at Masa Memory. The #edibleflowers hashtag has nearly a million posts. You’ll see a lot of flower cookies, flowers on cakes, petals in ice cubes and the like. And then the occasional floral wildcard. Follow along to see the creative uses. More Ideas There is a goldmine of ideas down in the comments, so be sure to browse those for ways to put your edible flowers to work. A few stand-outs: Chelsea mentioned making a rose petal za’atar and I love that idea. Holly talks through making chive blossom salt in the comments, and it sounds amazing. And don’t forget zucchini blossoms – Erin shares the memory of a version stuffed with manchego, lightly battered and fried, but then drizzled with some honey. Or, imagine a hot honey drizzle! Rose Geranium Lime Sugar One of the most prolific plants in my yard is a rose geranium. Sprawling out every year from a shallow pot, it determinedly sends up pretty lilac-shaded flowers. Keep an eagle eye out for rose geranium at your local nursery, the leaves perfume the world around them – perfect for infusing sugars, alcohol, and baked goods. I included a recipe for this rose geranium sugar in the Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest PDF I made for members of this site. You can find it in your account if you’re a member, or sign-up to be a member here. Edible Flowers: Recipes I’ve included more ideas and information in the recipe section below. Please let me know if you have other favorite edible flower ideas, uses, or references. I saw a rose petal paste the other day that looked incredible, and I’m always looking for other ideas, techniques to explore. On the list to try: Lilac Honey, Lilac Ice Cream or Lilac Sugar, and chive blossom vinegar. Here’s a rose petal granola, and a beautiful rhubarb rosewater syrup. These buttermilk berry muffins are dusted with rose cinnamon sugar. And I like to infuse iced green tea with a bit of rose in the infusion. Lastly, here’s a post I wrote about how to dry herbs, many of the best practices related to edible flowers applies here as well. Enjoy! Continue reading Edible Flowers on 101 Cookbooks

Crepes don’t have to be difficult! Once you master this basic crepe recipe you can make perfect sweet or savory crepes on a whim.

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When you’re craving classic, thin, tender crepes this is the crepe batter to make. There are a few techniques to know and a world of toppings to consider. Beyond that, all it takes is a bit of practice with a good pan, and you’ll be cranking out crepes, reliably, in no time. Key Ingredients in Basic Crepes You likely have many or all of the ingredients needed to make crepes! If you mix up some batter now, you can make crepes for your next meal. Milk: You can use full-fat or low-fat milk. Milk substitutes like oat milk or almond milk can also deliver good results. Flour: Unbleached all-purpose flour is the go-to for basic, classic crepes like these. That said, experimenting with other flours can result in wonderful crepes. I make rye crepes regularly, and included a recipe in Super Natural Cooking where the crepes were made with a blend of corn flour and quinoa flour. All this to say, once you get the basic technique for making crepes down, have fun branching out on the flour front. Eggs: You’ll see different ratios of eggs across crepe recipes. Eggs provide structure, but when you have too many eggs in relation to the flour, you end up closer to the omelette side of the spectrum. That’s not the texture I’m after. In this recipe you have 2 1/2 cups of flour and 4 eggs, and you end up with a crepe batter that is easy to work with. How To Make Crepes People seem to think making crepes is tricky. The one variable you need to get right is the pan. I recently tried to make crepes using our well-seasoned carbon steel skillet on induction and it was a no-go. Such a mess. If you have a pan that is crepe friendly, ideally ceramic or non-stick, you’ll be fine. I’ve been using the one pictured above lately (a SENSARTE White Ceramic Non-stick 12-inch Crepe Pan), and love it. This one: The steps to reliably good crepes are as follows: Make the batter: This takes less than five minutes. You mix all your ingredients, then go on with the rest of your day. Day dream about toppings. Let the batter rest: This is a key step in making crepes. The batter rests for an hour or so allowing the flour to hydrate, thicken, and develop some strength and tenderness. Prepare your toppings: You want to have any toppings ready to go when you start cooking the crepes. I like to create a crepe topping bar so people can easily personalize their crepes. Cook the crepes: The fun part! Cook crepes one at a time and serve. Crepe Making Tips & Tricks Transfer the batter: Take the time to transfer crepe batter to a pitcher for easy pouring and less mess. I like to fill a big measuring cup (the kind with the little easy-pour lip) full of the crepe batter. It makes pouring the batter into the pan tidy and easy. For easier clean up: Put a layer of parchment paper under your crepe-making zone for easy clean up. Crepe batter has a tendency to get everywhere. Make your crepes confidently. Use a light but determined touch if you are using the rake tool to spread batter across a flat crepe maker or pan. Or, a smooth swirl of the wrist to send batter evenly across a standard pan. Be quick and confident, and don’t be afraid to make a bit of a mess. See previous tip. Patching is fine! On occasion you’ll miss a spot when swirling or spreading your crepe batter. Quickly add a spoonful of batter to patch things up, not too much, and move on with your cooking. Making a filled crepe: Start with toppings at room-temperature. Slightly undercook the first side of the crepe, until it is just golden. Cook the second side for a flash, then flip back to the first side and fill. Finish cooking until crepe is done and toppings are hot and/or melted. Fold and eat. By undercooking the first side a bit you buy yourself some time later as you are waiting for your fillings to heat up a bit. What To Serve with Crepes The thing to remember here is the crepes are the main event and simple accent toppings tend to work best. For example, if you’re making sweet crepes, a smear of good jam and a dusting of powdered sugar is all you need. Maybe a sprinkling of pretty edible flowers. Or, a bit of fresh passion fruit, salted butter, lemon zest, and a touch of sugar to finish (pictured here in lead photos). Resist the impulse to overload the crepe. Some other ideas on the sweet front: a finishing smear of compound butter – the saffron date butter is a favorite on the sweet front, and you can’t go wrong with scallion dill butter on a hot crepe. roasted strawberries, squeeze of fresh lemon, powdered sugar. a crepe topped with a scoop of frozen yogurt or this honey ice cream. serve a sugar dusted crepe with a bit of this grapefruit curd spiked with ginger on the side. And the savory front: roasted cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, torn fresh basil, and a drizzle of chili crisp is easy and always a hit. a simple crepe I made for lunch yesterday was sprinkled with a bit of gruyere, generously dusted with homemade onion powder, cooked extra golden, and then folded. I also love this version with za’atar in place of the onion powder. Soooo good! My favorite savory crepe topping is thinly sliced potatoes that have been cooked in a skillet. These potatoes with a few deeply caramelized onion, some crumbled goat cheese, and a good shake of this citrus furikake is chef’s kiss. If you have some of these baked mushrooms sliced thinly to toss in there, even better. Good pesto, sheep’s milk ricotta, and a dusting of Parmesan. Crepe: Variations Once you’re confident with this basic crepe technique, the ways to experiment are endless. Some ideas: Add herbs: As a last step, add a few tablespoons of finely chopped herbs to the batter – chives, dill, cilantro and basil are all favorites. I lean towards soft herbs here. Infused milk: Flavor the milk in the crepe batter with whatever you can dream of. Saffron is a beautiful favorite, and if you’re going the sweet route adding cinnamon to the batter is always fragrant and wonderful. Adding a spoonful of mustard to the batter brings something unexpected to the party, same goes for curry pastes, or even bouillon powder. Just avoid anything overly lumpy. Flours: As I mentioned up above, experimenting with the world of flour flavors in your crepe batter is rewarding. You can start but substituting 1/4 cup of an alternate flour and see how it goes. Make note and adjust the next time around. Crepe Shapes Crepes can take on a wide range of shapes. Have some fun with your folds and rolls! Each shape brings something different to the plate. The easiest shape is to simply fold a crepe in half before serving. Go a step further and fold the halved crepe into quarters for a wedge-shaped crepe. You can roll them. I often prefer a lazy roll, something not too tight, you can see an example in my hand here. You can also fold crepes into a packet shape by folding the rounded edges towards the center – this is a shape typical of Breton-style buckwheat crepes. Make Ahead Crepes You can pre-cook crepes ahead of time if you like. This is convenient if you’re preparing to feed a bunch of people at once. Stack cooked crepes between sheets of parchment paper, then reheat in a lightly buttered pan and fill with toppings when you’re ready to eat. Advantages and disadvantages of using an electric crepe maker For many years a 13-inch wide Tibos electric crepe maker was how we made crepes. It perches confidently on the counter, plugs into an electric outlet, and is a lot of fun! It came with a kit containing an assortment of tools that assist in the delicate and (sometimes) precarious art of crepe making along with a booklet of instructions. And for those of you who are adverse to single-use appliances, it can be used to make a lot beyond crepes; pancakes, buckwheat galettes, blinis, tortillas, crespelle, palatchinken, bricks, chapatis, beghrirs, spring roll skins, etc – all fair game. The main downside to the stand-alone crepe maker is clean-up. It’s a heavier lift than wiping down a simple crepe pan. Inevitably crepe batter gets in the cracks and ledges and cord, so keep that in mind. This is the main reason I tend to reach for a pan versus the crepe machine more often than not. A crepe pan is also less expensive. So if you’re new to crepe making, start with a crepe and and if you want larger crepes or find yourself wanting to level up, then consider a dedicated electric crepe maker. More Crepe Recipes Rye Crepes There’s also a recipe for crepes made from Corn Flour and Quinoa Flour Crepes in Super Natural Cooking. Pancake Recipes Adventure Pancakes (Recipes For The Road PDF) Cottage Cheese Pancakes Dutch Baby Pancake Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Blueberry Beet Pancakes (vegan) Fluffy Pancakes More Breakfast Recipes Healthy Granola The Best Waffle Recipe (seriously!) Homemade Cinnamon Rolls A loaded frittata Tofu Scramble Herb Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs Baked Oatmeal is always popular More breakfast recipes Continue reading Basic Crepes on 101 Cookbooks

This sourdough granola is the way to go if you love huge, golden, oat clusters. It’s maple-sweetened, cinnamon-kissed and a great way to use up a good amount of sourdough discard.

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I started making sourdough granola not long after getting serious about regularly baking sourdough loaves at home. It became a favorite way to use up sourdough discard and the big, oat clumps the sticky discard effortlessly enabled quickly made me take notice. It became a thing around here. I like this granola loaded with clumps, everything golden and crisp. Maple syrup delivers just enough soft-edged sweetness, cinnamon plays a more assertive role. And to get everything to crisp up and brown there are a couple important techniques I use outlined below. How To Make Sourdough Granola You’re going to need sourdough discard from feeding a sourdough starter. Beyond that, the one thing you need to know: this granola is wet, damp, going into the oven. The discard and maple syrup are the culprits. Your goal here is to battle that. You want to bake every bit of moisture out of those clusters without over-baking or over-browning the whole situation. Halfway though baking you might doubt yourself, the granola looks sad and it’s (literally) steaming. Have faith! A good amount of olive oil here helps with the crisping, but the little trick that really delivers a good bake: allow the granola to cool in the oven by propping the oven door open a bit with a wooden spoon. It takes an extra 45 minutes or an hour, but it delivers. Look at the close-up pictures. Crunchy! Beyond that, here are the major steps. Mix your liquids. Ignore the wooden spoon you’re seeing in the photo here. Use a fork instead. It helps to break up the sourdough discard more quickly. You want a fairly uniform appearance, but if it’s a bit stringy or there are a few lumps, that’s fine. Combine dry ingredients. Then add them to the wet ingredients. Mix really well (see above), and then mix some more. Spread across a large sheet pan. The larger the better. Or spit across two pans. Bake, tossing regularly after about 20 minutes, or as things are starting to brown at the edges. After about 50-60 minutes toss one last time, turn off the oven, prop open the oven door and walk away for a while. When you come back you’ll have perfect granola! Sourdough Granola Variations Ginger-Cinnamon Sourdough Granola: Add 1 tablespoon ground ginger to the recipe below. Smoked Cinnamon Sourdough Granola: I bought this smoked cinnamon a while back and it is really something special. I shy away from using it full-on in a recipe like this one, and prefer to make a blend instead. You use 1 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon here, just swap in 1 teaspoon of the smoked if you get your hands on some. Seeds! If you want to add some seeds to this granola, go for it. You can leave the amount of walnuts the same and add up to 1/3 cup of seeds. Sesame, sunflower, and hemp are all fair game. Spices: Experiment with added spices or swapping in other spice blends. Some ideas: cloves, star anise, curry powder, baharat, etc. Use sourdough granola in your baking projects: Mix a couple cups of clumps into your next batch of cookies or use it to top a favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt. More Granola Recipes Peanut Butter Granola Rose Petal Granola The Perfect Healthy Granola (low oil & naturally sweetened) More Sourdough Recipes Sourdough Galette with Delicata Squash Continue reading Sourdough Granola on 101 Cookbooks

The annual Good Food Show Summer (12-15 June) is just around the corner. If you’ve not brought your tickets yet, here are 11 reasons why you should attend this year’s event at Birmingham NEC.

The Good Food Show Summer 2025 is fast approaching. Held from 12-15 June at NEC Birmingham, this year's event is as jam-packed as ever. So we’ve picked 11 things we’re looking forward to at the show. Book your tickets here. 1. See your all-time favourite foodies in the Big Kitchen Be part of the audience in the Big Kitchen and see your favourite chefs and culinary experts cooking their recipes live on stage. Book your tickets to see show favourites including James Martin, Si King, Nadiya Hussain, Matt Tebbutt, Jane Dunn of Jane’s Patisserie and more! See your all-time favourite foodies in the Big Kitchen. 2. Shop, try and buy Shop till you drop from your favourite big brands and artisan producers, all under one roof! Try before you buy and discover the finest food and drink, from cheeses, chutneys and sweet treats to the latest kitchen kit, you’ll find everything you need to recreate mouthwatering summer dishes at home. Discover more about our food and drink producers. 3. Get hands-on in our Summer Workshops Jump in and have some fun at our Summer Workshops, a perfect add to your foodie day out! Enjoy exciting new workshops lined up this year from Cyrus Todiwala’s Masala Spice Masterclass and shaking up botanical cocktails with Andy Clarke. Plus, Katy Truss’s Fabulous Food Finds mystery tasting sessions will return, so there’s something for everyone. See the timetable 4. The Good Food Wine Club joins the show If you love wine, don't miss the Good Food Wine Club Tasting Theatre this June. You'll find something for every level of wine knowledge, from beginner to expert, with sessions on cheese and wine pairings, sparkling wines, wines of Italy and the perfect wine to enjoy in a British garden. Cheers! Find out more about the Good Food Wine Club Tasting Theatre. 5. Summer inspiration Explore the latest trends, ingredients and inspiration for your cooking at the Summer Kitchen, hosted by Chris Bavin. Join us and learn new recipes to spice up your seasonal dishes, plus get advice on using leftovers and being more efficient with your cooking. The line-up of chefs features Brin Pirathapan, Jeremy Pang, Georgia Hughes, Becky Excell, Renu Bhardwaj, The Flygerians and more. See the Summer Kitchen timetable. 6. Enjoy free entry to BBC Gardeners’ World Live Your tickets give you access to not one but two great shows. Included in your ticket is access to BBC Gardeners’ World Live. Be inspired to grow your own fresh fruit and veg this summer, and get ideas for outdoor entertaining in the beautiful Show Gardens. See what's on at BBC Gardeners' World live. 7. Adam Frost’s Tasting Table Brand new, join Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost, at the Tasting Table. You’ll be able to watch experts from Good Food magazine in live demos, bringing plenty of plot-to-plate inspiration and cooking tips along the way. What’s more, Adam will also host In Conversation sessions with stars from the Good Food Show Summer, and sessions with Chris Bavin and the Good Food magazine team will also include live cooking demos to keep you inspired. Watch the action on the new Tasting Table by dropping by at the show, or find out how you can take a seat at the table itself. 8. Let’s Talk Good Food Good Food Podcast host Sam Goldsmith will be filming the Good Food Podcast live at the show with the likes of Clare Smyth, Rachel Allen, Nadiya Hussain, Si King and more. Plus, head to this free-to-attend stage to talk everything from loving your leftovers, summer roasts, baking, cheese and more! What's on at the Let's Talk Good Food stage. 9. Dine in style Take a seat in the Good Food Restaurant, where your magazine will come to life before you in a delicious three-course dining experience. Don’t miss a menu curated by Barney Desmazery, featuring his hand-picked selection of Good Food greatest hits for you to try. Book your table now and get ready to taste the best of Good Food. See the menu. 10. There’s a dedicated Good Food Subscriber’s Lounge Situated next to the Let’s Talk Good Food Stage, you can relax and take a break from the bustle of the show, all while watching your favourite chefs and experts live on stage. Find out more about the Subscriber's Lounge. 11. A memory to last a lifetime! It’s not every day you get to rub shoulders with your favourite culinary stars. After watching the experts in action, you can meet them in person at the book signing sessions. Say hello, snap a selfie and get a copy of their book personally signed – the ultimate memento from your foodie adventure. Find out about book signing. Inspired? Book your tickets to the Good Food Show Summer now and enjoy the ultimate foodie day out! We’re looking forward to seeing you there. Book tickets now.

No more rumpled dough, wrinkled cheese or dragged pepperoni – discover our favourite pizza cutters and rockers for the perfect slice, every time

Whether you're making pizza from scratch or ordering from your favourite takeaway, a pizza cutter is a crucial piece of kit for creating perfect slices. Its purpose is to easily cut through toppings like pepperoni, chargrilled veg on a vegetarian pizza, or the thick crust of a deep-dish pie, without dragging and crumpling the dough and cheese. And with a choice of pizza cutters readily available, there’s no reason not to invest in one. If you're serious about homemade pizza, you may also be interested in a pizza oven for a summer of al fresco entertaining – and the good news is, we've tested the top models available. Our guide to the best pizza accessories also covers everything else you need for the best results, including a dough scraper and pizza stone. If you're a fan of pizza oven brand Ooni, see our roundup of the best Ooni accessories. Jump to: Best pizza cutters and rockers at a glance Best pizza cutters and rockers to buy in 2025 How to choose the best pizza cutter Pizza-making recipes and tips Best pizza cutters and rockers at a glance Best pizza cutter overall: JosephJoseph easy clean pizza cutter, £12 Best pizza cutter for design: Brabantia pizza cutter, £9.49 Most versatile pizza cutter: Oxo Good Grip pizza wheel, £9.59 Best premium pizza cutter: DeliVita pizza cutter, £49.50 Most comfortable-to-use pizza cutter: KitchenAid pizza wheel, £10.99 Best pizza cutter for clean cutting: Ooni pizza cutter, £20 Best pizza rocker: Gozney pizza rocker, £34.99 Best value pizza cutter: ProCook pizza cutter, £10 Best pizza cutters and rockers to buy in 2025 JosephJoseph disc easy-clean pizza cutter Best pizza cutter overall This mid-priced pizza cutter has a lot going for it. Designed in a compact wheel style, it has a little hole in the middle for you to put your finger through for extra grip. It's comfortable to hold and looks good too, with a dark case contrasting with the red finger grip. A cleverly designed silicone band across the bottom of the case makes for a secure and comfortable grip when you’re using it. When you’ve finished, you pull the blade out to wash it (by hand or in the dishwasher). When clean, you pop the blade back in, unhook the silicone strip from its metal stud and twist it round to cover the blade, protecting it – and you – when in the drawer. Its compact size means it won’t take up too much space either. Brabantia pizza cutter Available from Amazon (£9.49) Best pizza cutter for design The clever design helps avoid any risk of cutting your finger when you take it out of the drawer. The circular cutter fits neatly into its case so it can be stored without any sharp edges on display. When you need to use it, simply open the case and lock the blade into position so it is peeking out of the top – the case then becomes the handle. There are easy to follow instructions on the box if you need a helping hand the first time you use it. Coming completely apart makes this extremely easy to clean either by hand or in the dishwasher. The design also makes it very straightforward to transport should you fancy eating al fresco – you can slip it in your bag without fear it will snag on anything. The pizza wheel is comfortable to hold, and with a blade made from hardened high-grade stainless steel, it comes with a confident five-year guarantee. Available from: Amazon (£9.49) Oxo Good Grips 10cm pizza wheel Most versatile pizza cutter Pizza wheels are designed to be sharp enough to cut through all that dough, cheese and topping. But a sharp blade can damage non-stick baking trays that you may be using to cook your pizza. Oxo Good Grips has come up with a solution: its wheel has a plastic blade that's doesn't damage your pans and trays, or mark your pizza stone. It takes a little getting used to, but the blade is less sharp than others, which means it’s ideal for kids to use. The pizza cutter also has a chunky, comfortable handle and the added bonus of being dishwasher-safe. DeliVita pizza cutter Available from Harrods (£49.50) Best premium pizza cutter Our review of the DeliVita pizza oven noted its bold look, and the brand's pizza cutter continues this theme. If you’re having a pizza party, you might want something that will help you cut the pizza with a flourish – and this will certainly be perfect for anyone wanting to show off a bit. The cutter is made from stainless steel, and the handles are made from wood. You need to clean it with a damp cloth and it isn’t dishwasher-proof (even if you could fit it in a dishwasher, as it's very large). It comes with a blade protector and its own little bag to store it safely, too. You’ll also need to keep this out of the way of young children, and the price means this one is strictly for pizza aficionados. Available from: Harrods (£49.50) KitchenAid pizza wheel Most stylish pizza cutter This cream-coloured model from KitchenAid is eye-catching and would be easy to spot in the kitchen drawer. The brand logo is prominent on the handle, too. The ergonomic handle of this is comfortable to hold, and there is also a very solid finger-guard. Neither too light or too heavy, it's very well made, sturdy and robust. An added bonus is that the pizza cutter is dishwasher-safe. Ooni pizza cutter Available from Ooni (£20) Best pizza cutter for clean cutting Whether you're wanting matching kit to go with your Ooni pizza oven, or want a larger wheel for cutting through loaded toppings, this stainless-steel slicer comes with a super-sharp blade for seamless cutting. It's built with a wide easy-grip handle and comes with a five-year warranty when you register online. There are also two colours to choose from – black or green – which is ideal if you want to easily differentiate meat-free or gluten-free options. Available from: Ooni (£20) Gozney pizza rocker Available from Gozney (£34.99) Best pizza rocker For pizza aficionados who want to invest in quality tools, a rocker – like this stainless steel blade from popular brand Gozney – allows for more precise pizza cutting. Unlike a pizza wheel, which can sometimes cause toppings to slide off, this rocker relies on a downward cutting motion, so everything stays firmly in place. It has a 2mm-thick blade and wide wooden handle, and the design is elegant, too. What it's missing is a protective cover, which is a downside in terms of safety. Available from: Gozney (£34.99) ProCook pizza cutter Available from ProCook (£10) Best value pizza cutter If you're looking for low-cost options but you still want bang for your buck, this tool from ProCook is a solid choice. It's built with a 10cm stainless-steel wheel and comfortable plastic handle, plus a protective hand guard that keeps your fingers safe while you slice. As part of ProCook's utensils range, this cutter also comes with a one-year guarantee. You can put it in the dishwasher for easy cleaning, too. Available from: ProCook (£10) How to choose the best pizza cutter There’s a wide range of pizza cutters out there of different shapes, types, sizes and prices. To decide which one is best for you, it’s worth thinking about the following: Size: If you have a small kitchen, you may prefer a smaller cutter – while those with more storage space have the flexibility to consider larger ones. Safety: A pizza cutter is by definition sharp. You might want one with safety features like blade guides, which can help you avoid accidents – especially if you have kids. Shape: Some pizza wheels are, well, wheel-shaped, while other cutters have longer handles. Which is most comfortable for you to hold? Washing: Pizza wheels inevitably end up covered in melted cheese and tomato sauce, so easy cleaning is a must. Some come completely apart for cleaning, while others are dishwasher-proof. Price: You can spend (almost) as little or as much as you want, so think carefully about your budget and whether you think the pizza cutter would be good value for money. Pizza-making recipes and tips Kids' pizza recipes Barbecue pizza recipes Vegetarian pizza recipes Healthy pizza recipes Calzone recipes Next-level Marmite pizza bread Related reviews Best pizza ovens Best Ooni pizza oven Best charcoal barbecues Best gas barbecues Best mixing bowls Best cast-iron skillet pans Best kitchen scales Best kitchen scissors Best kitchen sieves What can you cook in a pizza oven? Best Weber BBQ This guide was last updated in May 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

As the brand behind the Always Pan and Wonder Oven air fryer, Our Place's pastel-coloured ultra-versatile cookware continues to be all over our social media feeds – but is it worth the money?

Anyone with a social media algorithm tuned into cookware, food or interiors will be familiar with Our Place. As the brand behind the Insta-famous Always Pan and the Wonder Oven, it's the epitome of the millennial kitchen aesthetic: where soft pastels and earthy hues meet practical design and storage. Most of us accumulate pots and pans of all shapes and sizes, then tuck them away in various drawers and cupboards, but for Our Place it's about the opposite. Its cookware is multifunctional, so in theory you only need one of its pans to do the job of several, and it's so good looking that you'll want to keep it out on display permanently. But as every Instagram or TikTok influencer affirms that Our Place is a must-buy brand, you might be asking: is the hype actually justified? If you've already got your eye on a particular Our Place product, now might be a good time to invest as the brand's spring sale is live now until 11 May 2025. But for those still making their mind up, we're here to give you our honest view of the Our Place range. We've spent our fair share of time testing Our Place products over the past four years, and we've put everything from the Perfect Pot to the Wonder Oven through its paces in the Good Food Test Kitchen – measuring against everything from ease of use and quality of materials, to sustainability and cooking results. This means we know exactly which pieces of Our Place's cookware will give you bang for your buck, and how it compares to other brands on the market like HexClad, ProCook and Le Creuset. For more advice and product recommendations, read our guides to the best non-stick frying pans, best pan sets and best casserole dishes. Jump to: Is Our Place worth it? What are Our Place pans made of? Is the Always Pan worth it? When does Our Place have sales? Our top-rated Our Place products Where to buy Our Place cookware Is Our Place worth it? Deciding whether Our Place is worth the hype (and cost) comes down to a few different factors: how much budget you have to spend; what you want from your cookware; and how much space you have in your kitchen. Here are a few things to consider before you hit the buy button: Our Place offers a lifetime warranty on its titanium, cast-iron and steel cookware Its non-stick, silicone, plastic, wood and ceramic products, and the Wonder Oven air fryer, only have a one-year guarantee The cookware is designed to be multifunctional, negating the need for lots of different pots and pans Its non-stick coating is PFA-free, which means it's made without PFTE (commonly known as Teflon) It can more expensive than other brands, with prices starting at £80 for the Mini Always Pan Our testers have found the non-stick of the Always Pan degrades after a year or so, even after proper care and use All the products are well made, stylishly designed and available in a range of colours The ceramic non-stick pans are oven-safe but not metal utensil safe or dishwasher-safe To maintain the non-stick, Our Place advises against exposing its pans to high temperatures The brand uses recycled materials for its cookware and all its packaging is plastic-free What are Our Place pans made of? For many, the main selling point of Our Place's cookware and bakeware is that it's PFA-free, which means it's made without chemicals like PTFE (also known as Teflon). Traditional non-stick materials like PTFE are safe to use providing you use non-metal utensils, avoid abrasive scrubbers and don't overheat them (above 260C/500F) – you can read more about this in our guide on how to care for non-stick cookware. Most of the general health concerns around non-stick actually centre around another chemical, PFOA, which was banned in the UK in 2005. When it comes to overall construction, the Always Pan 2.0 and Perfect Pot are made with a ceramic non-stick coating and 100 per cent recycled aluminium exterior, which means they're lightweight and heat quickly. If you're after cookware with a bit more heft, Our Place's Titanium Pro range has a stainless steel exterior with an aluminium core and titanium interior, which means it's metal utensil safe and can handle high temperatures (up to 400C). Enamelled cast iron has been used to create the Cast-iron Always Pan, and compared to other cast-iron skillets we've tested, it's remarkably lightweight at 4.2kg. Is the Always Pan worth it? The Always Pan is undoubtedly Our Place's hero product, having launched first in the UK in 2021 – and then again as the Always Pan 2.0 in 2023. We were fans of the original Always Pan when we tested it in 2021, rating it 4/5 stars, and its smooth non-stick and even heat distribution impressed us. However, at £125, we weren't sure the cost was justified and felt there were plenty of other pans as effective but much cheaper. Unlike similarly priced offerings, like those from Le Creuset and HexClad, the original Always Pan also couldn't go in the oven. So, when Our Place launched the oven-safe Always Pan 2.0 in 2023, it was music to our ears. Like the original, it comes with an integrated stainless steel steamer basket, beechwood spatula and heatproof handle. We awarded it 5/5 stars in testing and rated its impressive non-stick performance, lightweight build and fully recyclable packaging. To maintain the effectiveness of the non-stick, high temperatures are best avoided, which makes searing and frying more difficult. With this in mind, the Always Pan 2.0 is perhaps less versatile than it makes out, though Our Place did share with us that "the occasional sear is totally fine". For this kind of cooking, the Titanium Always Pan Pro, which can handle temperatures of up to 400C, might be the better choice. In our experience, the non-stick coating also starts to degrade after a year or so, even with proper care and use – so this is something to bear in mind. If you're just looking for a new frying pan, you will find more affordable options that do the job just as well. However, we do think it's a solid pick for anyone lacking cupboard space or looking for a statement piece of cookware that looks attractive on the counter. We also love a brand that takes sustainability seriously, and Our Place's commitment to an ethical chain of production and plastic-free packaging are worth applauding. How to clean the Always Pan Using a dishwasher to clean your cookware undoubtedly saves time and effort, but high temperatures and powerful detergents will impact the longevity of the non-stick coating. So, to make sure your Always Pan stands the test of time, make sure you only wash it by hand once it's cooled – warm water, mild dish soap and a non-abrasive sponge are all you need. If you're tackling burnt-on residue, simply sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on the pan's surface, add a splash of water to form a paste, then gently rub with a soft sponge before rinsing thoroughly. When does Our Place have sales? We've seen Our Place run a few smaller sales events already this year, and right now you can save up to 30% off site-wide in the brand's spring sale. The best offers we've seen so far include £190 off the Our Place Ceramic Cookware Set, as well as £105 off the Ultimate Bakeware Set – that's a saving of 34%. The sale ends on Sunday 11 May, so you don't have too long to make the most of the deals. If you need some help deciding, we've selected a few of our top-rated Our Place products below – all of which have been tried and tested by the Good Food product reviews team. Our top-rated Our Place products Always Pan 2.0 Available from Our Place (£100), Harrods (£100), Selfridges (£100), Fenwick (£100) Star rating: 5/5 An upgrade of the pan that started it all, the Always 2.0 is the do-it-all piece of cookware that's "deep enough to roast a chicken and shallow enough to flip an egg". It's oven-safe up to 230C, can be used as a steamer with the handled steamer basket (included) – which also doubles as a colander – and comes with a wooden spatula that nestles into the handle. It's incredibly light for its size and build, and comes in five colours. We also found the ceramic non-stick coating ultra smooth and achieved speedy results, and even browning when cooking omelettes in test. Read more in our guide to the best non-stick frying pans. Available from: Our Place (£100) Harrods (£100) Selfridges (£100) Fenwick (£100) Our Place griddle pan Available from Our Place (£95) Star rating: 4.5/5 Functioning as a roasting tray, generous baking sheet and stovetop griddle, the multi-purpose Griddle Pan is a serious piece of kit, though it comes with a bit of a catch. It's not induction-friendly, but at 53cm wide it's large enough to cover two electric hob rings or gas burners. It's also oven-safe up 230C, but the size of it does mean it won't fit inside a standard oven, so you'll need a range oven if you want to roast or bake with it. For those who have the space, though, it's a brilliant pick for feeding guests or a large family. In test we cooked eight sizeable American-style pancakes in one go and, despite the uneven spreading, all of them were perfectly cooked and slipped onto a plate with no trouble. Read our full guide to the best pancake pans. Available from: Our Place (£95) Our Place Perfect Pot Available from Our Place (£110), Harrods (£110), Amazon (£158.37) Star rating: 4.5/5 Our Place has channelled the colourful, multifunctional design of the Always Pan into its 5.2-litre casserole dish, also known as the Perfect Pot. It can be used as a stock pot, dutch oven, saucepan, roasting rack, steamer, strainer, and braiser, and a spoon rest has been incorporated, too. Like the Always Pan, the non-stick coating is PFA-free and our pot arrived in plastic-free packaging. It's more lightweight than other casserole dishes we've tested, which meant it shifted around on the hob a little while stirring. On the plus side, this meant we could effortlessly transport it from the countertop to the oven to the table. Read our first-look review of the Our Place Perfect Pot, plus our full guide to the best casserole dishes. Available from: Our Place (£110) Harrods (£110) Amazon (£158.37) Always Pan Titanium Pro Available from Our Place (£155), Harrods (£165), Amazon (£175.39) Star rating: 4/5 For those who love the multifunctionality of the Always Pan 2.0 but want the searing power of cooking on stainless steel, the Titanium Pro is an excellent choice. Its tri-ply set-up, made from aluminium, titanium and stainless steel, doesn't rely on coating or chemicals, but will require a little seasoning with oil before use. The surface of the pan also has a mesh-like texture, which prevents food from sticking but did leave a noticeable imprint behind on our American-style pancakes. Unlike the Always Pan 2.0, it's metal utensil safe, too. For the price it's not the most premium-looking frying pan, though it does feel robust and with the right care should withstand years of use. Read more in our full guide to the best non-stick frying pans. Available from: Our Place (£155) Harrods (£165) Amazon (£175.39) Our Place Wonder Oven Available from Our Place (£170), Harrods (£170), Amazon (£170) Star rating: 4/5 Our Place jumped on to the air fryer trend in 2024 with the launch of the Wonder Oven, which sports the same chic, colourful design as the rest of its product range. The Wonder Oven has proved to be a huge hit on social media, and in test we had a great time cooking with it. Functions include air fry, grill, roast, bake, toast and reheat, and though it's a little noisy and slower than other air fryers we've tested, we found it a doddle to use. All our dishes were nicely browned and evenly cooked, and accessories like a wire rack, non-stick baking sheet and air fryer basket are thrown in, too. Read our first-look review of the Our Place Wonder Oven, plus our full guide to the best air fryers. Available from: Our Place (£170) Harrods (£170) Amazon (£170) Where to buy Our Place cookware You can buy Our Place products directly from its website, as well retailers like Harrods, Selfridges, Fenwick and Amazon. Related reviews Best non-stick frying pans Best saucepans Best pan sets Best griddle pans Best sauté pans Best pancake pans Best cast iron skillets Best casserole dishes Best stainless steel frying pans Best paella pans How to store pans How to care for non-stick cookware Interested in Le Creuset and HexClad? We're also answered 'is HexClad worth it?' and 'is Le Creuset worth it?' in similar guides.

Become a pro pizzaiolo at home with our pick of the best pizza-making kit, gadgets and accessories

Ever tried making pizza from scratch? It's simpler than you might think, not to mention cheaper and much more satisfying than buying from a restaurant or takeaway. You don't need a lot of fancy or expensive equipment to achieve delicious, authentic-tasting pizza at home, either. Whether you’re baking it, cooking it in a frying pan or on the barbecue, or going pro with a pizza oven, we've compiled a list of the best gadgets, tools and accessories for making perfect pizza at home. You'll find all the essentials, from kitchen scales, mixing bowls and dough scrapers, to pizza peels and heatproof gloves – plus, there's even more in our guides to the best pizza cutters, best pizza stones, and best Ooni accessories. Read on for our pick of the best recommendations. Jump to: Best pizza oven accessories to buy in 2025 Pizza recipes and tips Best pizza oven accessories at a glance Best pizza peel: Ooni perforated pizza peel, £60 Best pizza turning peel: Gozney balance turning peel, £69.99 Best oil bottle: Emile Henry Belle Ile Oil Cruet, £41.95 Best kitchen scales for pizza dough: Witt pizza dual kitchen scales, £33.74 Best mixing bowl for pizza-making: FineDine mixing bowls set, £19.79 Best oven gloves: Lakeland heat shield gloves, £14.99 Best pizza oven brush: Ooni pizza oven brush, £30 Best thermometer: Gozney infrared thermometer, £44.99 Best dough scraper for pizza: MasterClass dough scraper, £6.95 Best pizza oven accessories to buy in 2025 Ooni perforated pizza peel Available from Ooni (£60), Amazon (£59.95), Lakeland (£59.99) Best pizza peel An essential accessory for outdoor pizza-making, a metal peel will help you smoothly launch your pizzas inside the oven and safely retrieve them once cooked. Available in two sizes (12 and 14 inches), this large Ooni peel also has perforations that help steam to escape and excess flour to fall away, helping you to achieve a super-crisp base. It's made from hard-anodised aluminium so isn't too heavy, and even comes with a five-year warranty when you register online. Discover more product recommendations in our guide to the best Ooni accessories. Available from: Ooni (£60) Amazon (£59.95) Lakeland (£59.99) Gozney balance turning peel Available from Gozney (£69.99) Best pizza turning peel For serious pizza enthusiasts, a turning peel allows you to rotate your pizza during cooking without removing it from the oven. There's a bit of a knack to manoeuvring it (Gozney advises practising with a ready-made pizza or paper plate), and you can also use it to check whether the base is cooked by lifting one side of the pizza gently. Available from: Gozney (£69.99) Emile Henry Belle Ile Oil Cruet Available from Amazon (£31), Harts of Stur (£41.95) Best oil bottle Like to add garlic or chilli oil to your pizza? Not only will this stylish ceramic bottle look great in your kitchen, it’s also good for controlled, drip-free drizzling. With a 400ml capacity, it's available in six colours and can go in the dishwasher, too. Available from: Amazon (£31) Harts of Stur (£41.95) Witt pizza dual kitchen scales Best kitchen scales for pizza dough When making pizza dough, you'll need to accurately weigh out your ingredients, so a good set of digital scales is a must. These dual scales from Witt come with two weighing platforms: one for measuring larger quantities of ingredients, like flour, and another for smaller amounts like yeast. They're also fairly versatile, with a separate setting for liquids (specifically water and milk), and imperial and metric measurements. FineDine mixing bowls set Available from Amazon (£19.79) Best mixing bowl for pizza-making You can use any kind of mixing bowl to prepare and prove pizza dough, but it’s generally thought that metal or glass are best. This is because they retain heat better than plastic, meaning your dough is sure to prove, even in a drafty kitchen. The bowl also needs to be large enough for your dough to expand in size. This great-value stainless steel set features five good-sized, lightweight bowls that stack together neatly. They have flat bases so stay steady on the worktop during use, and can go in the dishwasher, too. Available from: Amazon (£19.79) Lakeland heat shield gloves Available from Lakeland (£14.99) Best oven gloves Oven gloves don't often provide much dexterity, but this pair from Lakeland come with individual fingers (as normal gloves do), plus silicone pads on both sides to provide extra grip and protection. They're heat-resistant up to 350C, and are made with soft Meta-Aramid materials, which is what's used to protect firefighters from intense heat. Available from: Lakeland (£16.99) Ooni pizza oven brush Available from Ooni (£30), Amazon (£30) Best pizza oven brush Great for lifting off fallen toppings or burnt-on cheese, this two-in-one scraper and brush tool from Ooni makes light work of cleaning a pizza stone. It's built with durable bristles on one side, and stainless steel scraper at the end, plus a comfortable wooden handle that's easy to grip. Some manufacturers advise different methods of cleaning, so it's also worth checking the manual of your pizza stone before investing in any kit. Available from: Ooni (£30) Amazon (£30) Gozney infrared thermometer Available from Gozney (£44.99), Amazon (£44.99) Best thermometer Pizza usually cooks best at 400-500C, but if your oven doesn't come with a thermometer or you're using different kit (like a barbecue), you can never be sure when your pizza stone has hit the perfect temperature. Wireless and precise, this infrared thermometer from Gozney takes the guesswork out of cooking homemade pizza. It has an integrated laser to help with precise measurements, and can read temperatures spanning -50C to 550C. You can switch easily between celsius and Fahrenheit, and there are single or continuous temperature-read options, too. Available from: Gozney (£44.99) Amazon (£44.99) MasterClass dough scraper Best dough scraper for pizza A dough scraper (also known as a bench scraper) is useful when making pizza dough. Go for a sharp, sturdy metal one – like this tool from MasterClass – as it can be used to cut through the dough to divide it into portions, as well as to scrape stuck dough off your work surface. It also comes has measurements width- and length-wise to help you cut it equally. Pizza-making recipes and tips Pizza dough recipes Margherita in 4 easy steps Pizza sauce recipe Pizza party ideas Pizza topping ideas Best healthy pizzas Kids' pizza recipes Barbecue pizza recipes Vegetarian pizza recipes Calzone recipes Related reviews Best pizza ovens Best Ooni pizza oven Pizza oven deals Best pizza stones Best pizza cutters Best charcoal barbecues Best gas barbecues Best mixing bowls Best cast-iron skillet pans Best kitchen scales Best oven thermometers What can you cook in a pizza oven? Best Weber BBQ Best electric barbecues This guide was last updated in May 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

Get a crisp pizza base every time – read our reviews of the best pizza stones for use in the oven, pizza oven or on the barbecue

If you’re serious about pizza, you’re going to need the right tools (as well as a great recipe). Pizza stones absorb moisture, help develop a crisp base, distribute heat evenly and retain heat, ensuring your pizza is perfectly cooked. Of course, you'll get great results using a pizza stone in a pizza oven – check our review of the best pizza ovens, which include popular Gozney and Ooni models, before you invest. You can also pop a pizza stone on the barbecue (gas or coal) to get that smoky, charred flavour. You may need other pizza accessories too, including a dough scraper for homemade pizza dough and an efficient pizza cutter. While pizza ovens have rocketed in popularity, a pizza stone will work in a conventional oven, too. If you have a particularly small oven, it would be worth checking the dimensions as some of these stones are large. Read on for our pick of the best pizza stones. Best pizza stones at a glance Best pizza stone overall: Kamado Joe Classic Pizza Stone, £29.90 Best square pizza stone: Ooni Stone Baking Board, £25 Best non-stick pizza stone: HexClad hybrid pizza steel, £139 Best affordable pizza stone: ProCook Pizza Stone, £15 Best premium pizza stone kit: AEG Pizza Stone Kit, £59.99 Best-looking pizza stone: Emile Henry Charcoal Pizza Stone, £70.95 Best pizza stone with heat diffuser: Cadac Pizza Stone Pro 50, £35 Best pizza stone for BBQ: Weber Small Round Glazed Baking Stone, £37.29 Best value pizza stone: Tala 32cm Pizza Stone with Cutter, £14.95 Jump to: Best pizza stones to buy in 2025 How to choose the best pizza stone How to use a pizza stone How to clean a pizza stone Pizza-making recipes and tips Best pizza stones to buy in 2025 Kamado Joe Classic pizza stone Best pizza stone overall Kamado Joe sounds like a baseball or martial arts star, and this is certainly a big hitter. As one of the largest and heaviest on this list, it should still fit easily into most ovens and can withstand extremely high temperatures. It’s designed for Kamado Joe grills, but is suitable for all home ovens as well as conventional barbecues. It’s reasonably priced and comes with the instructions on the back of the box, plus tips – including dusting it with cornmeal to prevent the pizza sticking. You need to clean this one with a brush or dry cloth rather than washing it, which does make it more time-consuming to care for, but the results are worth it. Ooni baking stone Available from Lakeland (£24.99), Ooni (£25) Best square pizza stone This cordierite stone baking board from Ooni comes in a pleasing golden colour, and although it's designed for Ooni pizza ovens, you can use it in your conventional oven, too. Unusually, it is square, so if you roll your pizzas out in that shape, it may be a good one for you. At 337 x 337mm and 1cm thick, it's also pleasingly big without being too massive, heavy or difficult to store. It’s well-priced too and makes a good medium-range option. One downside is that it isn’t the easiest to clean as you’re not supposed to use soap or water on it. Instead, you need to clean it with a special brush. The instructions add that you should flip it over to the other side when next using to burn off any excess flour. Available from: Lakeland (£24.99) Ooni (£25) HexClad hybrid pizza steel Available from HexClad (£139), Amazon (£139) Best non-stick pizza stone Best known for its hybrid cookware – which combines the convenience of non-stick, the searing performance of stainless steel, plus the lasting toughness of cast iron – HexClad has channelled its clever technology into this slick-looking pizza steel, which has a fast-heating aluminium core to help you produce a super-crisp pizza crust. It can handle temperatures up to 482C and can be used on a barbecue or grill. The useful handled design makes removal from the oven safe and easy, and at just over 2kg, it's also one of the most lightweight pizza stones on this list. Available from: HexClad (£139) Amazon (£139) ProCook pizza stone Best affordable pizza stone You won’t go far wrong with this stone. It’s cheap and highly effective, with clear instructions if you have never used a stone before. For instance, there’s a helpful suggestion on dusting the stone with flour before use to help the pizza lift off easily. It’s oven safe up to 300C, but warns you to place it in a cold oven and heat gradually, to ensure even heating and to avoid it shattering. It also has instructions for how to use it on a gas barbecue, but it isn’t suitable for coal or wood-fired barbies. AEG pizza stone kit Available from Amazon (£59.99), AEG (£59.99) Best premium pizza stone kit If you're looking for more than just a pizza stone, this luxury bundle from AEG comes with extra accessories to assist with at-home pizza-making. It compromises a weighty 3.7kg pizza stone, a stainless-steel slicer, and wooden peel for lifting your pizzas in and out of the oven with ease. The stone is designed to distribute heat evenly and quickly, to help you achieve a super-crisp base. The kit also has a two-year warranty. Available from: Amazon (£59.99) AEG (£59.99) Emile Henry charcoal pizza stone Best-looking pizza stone Able to withstand temperatures of 450C, this smooth 37cm pizza stone from French brand Emile Henry can also be used on a gas or charcoal barbecue, as well as an oven. Because it's ceramic, it's also hard-wearing and can even be placed in the dishwasher. The stone features handles on either side, so you can pick it up and move it around easily (with oven gloves on, of course). It's available in a choice of two colours – black and red – and comes with an impressive 10-year warranty. Cadac Pizza Stone Pro 50 Best pizza stone with heat deflector This 36cm stone comes with a heat deflector tray for even heat distribution, helping you to achieve a evenly mottled crust on your pizzas. It can withstand temperatures of up to 300C, and even comes with a handy storage bag to keep it safe after use. Though the stone has been designed to work with a specific range of Cadac barbecues, helpfully it's also compatible with other charcoal and gas barbecue models, plus electric ovens too. Weber small round glazed baking stone Available from Weber (£37.29) Best pizza stone for barbecues If you're looking to get more from your barbecue, a pizza stone that slots on top of the grill is a great way to elevate your outdoor cooking set-up. This 27cm stone from Weber can handle temperatures of up to 315 degrees, and has a glazed finish to prevent food from sticking – keeping clean-up to a minimum. Weber advises its own barbecues to get the best results, but it is also compatible with any charcoal or gas model (providing the diameter is sufficient) or oven. Available from: Weber (£37.29) Tala 32cm Pizza Stone with Cutter Best value pizza stone set If you want a decent pizza-making kit that doesn't cost a fortune, this Tala bundle is a solid value option. Its 32cm ceramic stone is designed to retain heat, so your pizza stays warm long after cooking, and a pizza slicer and chromed serving rack are also included. The stone can withstand temperatures of up to 220C, so is best suited for oven-use only. There are also handles on either side, so you can easily lift and move it around, and it can be used to bake bread, baguettes or croissants. How to choose the best pizza stone Pizza stones come in various shapes and sizes. Some are more functional, while others focus on looks and aesthetics. Here's a few factors you should try to take into account: Size: will it fit in your oven and do you have space to store it? Weight and depth: as a general rule, the thicker the stone, the better the heat retention, but this does make them heavy. Cooking method: do you want to use your stone in a pizza oven, barbecue or conventional oven? Extras: some of these stones come as part of a set with a chrome serving tray and/or pizza wheel. Cleaning: check the instructions before you buy. You might prefer one you can wash rather than scrape. Price: the pizza stones in this list vary in cost, so think carefully about your budget and how much you'd be willing to spend. How to use a pizza stone Stones need to be preheated, and the length of time can depend on your oven. There’s also risk of them breaking if you put them in an already hot oven, and putting a pizza onto a hot stone (rather than a cold one) means it will start to cook from the bottom immediately. With this in mind, you'll want to place your pizza stone inside the oven while it's switched off / cold before you begin preheating. As the temperature rises, the stone will soak up all the heat, which is what will help you to achieve a delicious, crisp pizza base. Once your oven has hit the optimum temperature (likely 250C in a conventional oven and around 400C-500C in a pizza oven), the stone will be ready to use. How to clean a pizza stone Bear in mind that your pizza stone will be scorching hot when you take it out of the oven, so if you do need to remove it right away, make sure you're wearing a good pair of oven gloves. We'd also advise waiting for the stone to cool before starting any cleaning. How to clean a pizza stone varies. Some are hand-wash only, while others advise scraping off with a brush. None of them will go in the dishwasher, and whatever you do, don’t put a hot stone into cold water. We'd recommend following the manufacturer's guidance to get the best results – you should be able to find this in the instruction manual. Pizza-making recipes and tips Kids' pizza recipes Barbecue pizza recipes Vegetarian pizza recipes Healthy pizza recipes Calzone recipes Next-level Marmite pizza bread Related reviews Best pizza ovens Best charcoal barbecues Best electric barbecues Best gas barbecues Best mixing bowls Best skillet pans Best kitchen scales Best oven thermometers What can you cook in a pizza oven? Best Ooni pizza ovens Best Ooni accessories Best Weber BBQ Appliance deals Air fryer deals Coffee machine deals Microwave deals Fridge freezer deals Dishwasher deals Stand mixer deals Pizza oven deals Breadmaker deals This guide was last updated in May 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

The month of May is a dream when it comes to seasonal produce. Sandwiched between spring and summer, expect plenty of fresh greens and much more

Although summer is on its way, spring produce is still at its best in May, and you might even get the chance to have your first meal in the garden. All of these seasonal dishes would taste great eaten al fresco, even if it’s only warm enough to open a window. Be inspired by our collection, below, for perfectly fresh spring-meets-summer recipes. Find more exciting recipe ideas in our spring recipes, spring greens recipes and spring recipes. We also have our guides on what to eat in April and June. May seasonal food 1. Cucumber There's more to cucumber than Greek salads and tzatziki (although we're big fans of both). On warm spring days, serve this refreshing cucumber soup – served chilled and packed with herbs for a light lunch. If you're entertaining, make our cucumber prawn cocktail cups recipe for people to share. For more recipe inspiration, see our cucumber collection. 2. Asparagus We’re in peak asparagus season now, so use it while you can. For an easy family dinner, try our lemon roasted spring chicken with asparagus – a simple traybake that lets the oven do the work. Treat yourself to a crab & asparagus omelette for a weekend brunch, or for a completely new way with this spring veg, make asparagus fries and baconnaise for a decadent starter. Try our how to cook asparagus guide. Tip: To prep, bend each stalk until the stem snaps off at its natural break point. This bit you’re left with, no longer attached to the spear, will be woody and stringy to eat, but you don’t have to bung it in the compost bin just yet. Instead, try making a stock to use in soups or green veg-heavy risottos. For more recipes, see our asparagus collection. 3. New potatoes Naturally slightly sweeter than fully grown potatoes, these taste great in salads or thinly sliced on a white pizza with cheese and rosemary. And surely no barbecue or garden party is complete without a big bowl of potato salad? If you've got time to spare on a weekend, bake our hearty new potato & rosemary focaccia recipe. Tip: Dressing the potatoes while they’re still warm helps them soak up all the flavour. Visit our new potato recipe collection for more suggestions. 4. Wild garlic Wild garlic isn't around for long, so if you're lucky enough to be able to forage some, here's how to make the most of it. Blitz it it into an incredibly vibrant wild garlic soup, or make a dinner party-worthy centrepiece with this wild garlic crusted salmon recipe from Tom Kerridge. For a gourmet twist on a retro classic, try our wild garlic chicken kyiv recipe. 5. Elderflower Elderflower comes into peak season from late May into early June. This fragrant summer bloom can be served in a variety of refreshing drinks and cocktails, cakes, desserts and even salad dressings. Bake a rhubarb & elderflower sponge cake, or layer up a strawberry & elderflower trifle with an irresistible lemon drizzle base. For a wonderfully refreshing alternative to alcohol, turn your hand to our elderflower cordial. See more ideas on how to use elderflowers as well as our elderflower collection. Browse recipes and find more information on more seasonal ingredients: Broad beans Carrots Cauliflower Peas Radishes Rhubarb Rocket Spring onions Watercress Seasonal food dates in May 2 May – World Tuna Day Celebrate the versatility of tuna with our curated tuna recipes collection, which includes budget-friendly tinned tuna recipes and exquisite tuna steak dishes perfect for a special date night. 4 May – National Lemonade Day Mix up a pitcher of homemade lemonade for a refreshing alternative to shop-bought soft drinks. 13 May – World Cocktail Day Take your pick from our classic cocktails, including cosmopolitans, old fashioneds, mojitos and martinis. 13 May – International Hummus Day Try our tasty recipes for hummus and make your own chickpea dip with peas, peppers or beetroot. 19-25 May – British Sandwich Week Indulge in an epic sandwich stack worth celebrating. 21 May – National Strawberries and Cream Day Transform the iconic strawberries and cream pairing into summer puddings, towering cakes and rosy biscuits. 26 May-8 June – British Tomato Fortnight Put British tomatoes to brilliant use with our recipes for easy salads, fresh salsas and hearty mains. 26 May-1 June – National BBQ week Find the perfect recipe for you in our barbecue hub. 29 May – National Biscuit Day Fill your biscuit tin with goodies from our ultimate biscuit collection, including crinkle biscuits and shortbread. Other dates for your diary: 10 May – World Fair Trade Day 17 May – Eurovision Song Contest Catch the grand final on BBC One (8pm) and find Eurovision recipe ideas if you’re hosting a party. See our seasonal calendar for more inspiration. More seasonal recipes and information Our top spring recipes How to use wild garlic Foraging: a beginner's guide Spring greens recipe collection 10 recipes to make you feel like spring is here Healthy spring recipes Top 10 rhubarb recipes 12 ways to serve asparagus Bank Holiday recipes

Love flavoured gins? Rhubarb and gin botanicals are a match made in heaven. Read our guide to the top rhubarb gins and discover your new favourite

Whether poached or roasted, in jams, crumbles or puddings, the nostalgic flavour of rhubarb is one many of us know from childhood. Growing well in the UK, it’s especially abundant in the Rhubarb Triangle, an area between Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford. More and more, we’re seeing this intriguing crop being infused with our favourite gins, offering a whole new dimension to your G&T. Appealing even to those who thought they didn’t like gin, the sweet and sour notes of a rhubarb infusion are equally suited to classic tonic as well as ginger ale. With prime rhubarb season in the UK running from April to June, summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy a refreshing cocktail using rhubarb gin. We’ve only featured full-strength gin in this round-up, not to be confused with rhubarb gin liqueurs. The latter are made with distilled gin and then sweetened, with a significantly lower ABV than their full-strength counterparts, which legally must have a minimum of 37.5% ABV to be labelled as such. Don’t be fooled into thinking rhubarb gin will only ever be one-dimensional though. With a variety of botanicals influencing the flavour, we tried everything from the super sweet to the downright earthy. Alongside the simple serves, it’s a great cocktail ingredient. Perfect in long summer serves, as well as shorter martini and sour-style cocktails, it’s equally delicious when poured over dessert. Most of the brands in our best buy guide start out with a classic gin – often a London Dry – before varying quantities of freshly pressed fruit juice are added along with other botanicals and flavours, so no two are ever the same. We tested over 20 rhubarb gins to find our favourites. For more on flavoured gin, read our reviews of citrus, pink and sloe gins. Best rhubarb gin at a glance Best gin for high percentage of rhubarb: Warner's rhubarb gin, £37.50 Best rhubarb and orange gin: Henley Gin rhubarb and orange, £38.90 Best botanical rhubarb gin: Slingsby rhubarb gin, £32 Best rhubarb gin for gifting: That Boutique-y Gin Company Rhubarb Triangle Gin, £37.95 Best rhubarb and ginger gin: Edinburgh Gin rhubarb & ginger gin, £26.75 Best Welsh rhubarb gin: Aber Falls rhubarb and ginger gin, £25.99 Best unusual rhubarb gin: The Bath Gin Company hopped rhubarb gin, £38.50 Best rhubarb and raspberry gin: Tarquin's rhubarb and raspberry gin, £37.25 Best rhubarb and apple gin: Chase rhubarb and Bramley apple gin, £29.49 Best historical gin: Agnes Arber rhubarb gin, £34.99 Best rhubarb gin to buy 2025 Warner’s rhubarb gin Available from Waitrose Cellar (£37.50), Laithwaites (£38) Best gin for high percentage of rhubarb ABV: 40% Rating: 5/5 Originally intended to be a limited edition, Warner’s were inspired by a crop of rhubarb from a crown estate that was reportedly Queen Victoria’s root stock. With a third of each bottle containing fresh rhubarb juice, sadly demand outstripped supply, so now Warner's have started growing the fruit on their own farm with ambitions to become self-sufficient in the future. Using their Harrington dry gin as the base, the brand adds full-bodied, tart rhubarb which has been balanced out with just a touch of sweet spice – think cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Opening up with lemon zest and parma violets on the nose, the spirit is backed up with punchy juniper and a creamy vanilla finish. Read our full review of Warner’s rhubarb gin. Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£37.50) Laithwaites (£38) The Henley Distillery rhubarb and orange gin Available from Master of Malt (£38.90) Best rhubarb & orange gin Rating: 4.5/5 ABV: 42% Operating from the Phillimore Estate in Binfield Heath, The Henley Distillery is one of the UK’s newest but most exciting gin distilleries. Launched in 2021, the distillery was established by Jacob Wilson, one of the youngest master distillers in the country, and his father Alan Wilson. Using handmade 300 litre copper alembic stills heated over open flames, the distillery produces small batch, hand-crafted, non-chill-filtered gins and several rums. Alongside their popular Classic Dry Gin, a few flavoured options are also produced, including a rhubarb and orange expression layered with freshly peeled orange zest and English rhubarb. The addition of orange peel adds prominent brightness to the complex gin and wonderfully balances the tart rhubarb notes, which are joined by some gorgeous cassis aromas and raspberry savours, complete with tart, jammy rhubarb on the lingering finish. Available from: Master of Malt (£38.90) Slingsby rhubarb gin Available from Waitrose (£32), Master of Malt (£32.99) Best botanical rhubarb gin ABV: 40% Rating: 5/5 Another experiment that proved too popular to discontinue, an impressive selection of botanicals goes into this Yorkshire-based gin, many of which are grown in the surrounding area. Some of the more unusual include primrose, nettle and rosehip, along with Harrogate’s famous spring water, known for its therapeutic properties. We got jammy summer fruit from the off, which happily gave way to the tang of Yorkshire rhubarb and zingy pink grapefruit for a perfectly balanced summer spirit. Read our full review of Slingsby rhubarb gin Available from: Waitrose (£32) Master of Malt (£32.99) That Boutique-y Gin Company Rhubarb Triangle Gin Available from Master of Malt (£37.95), The Bottle Club (£37.99) Best rhubarb gin for gifting ABV: 46% Rating: 4.5/5 When it comes to flavoured gins, no one beats That Boutique-y Gin Company for originality. This is certainly one of their tamer creations, though no less delicious, with the fresh fruit sourced from the infamous Rhubarb Triangle. With notes of lemon shortbread and warm spice, we think it pairs particularly well with fresh strawberries and a lime wedge. The ideal balance of sweet and tart with a long creamy finish, it could replace dessert entirely. Read our full review of That Boutique-y Gin Company Rhubarb Triangle Gin Available from: Master of Malt (£37.95) The Bottle Club (£37.99) Edinburgh Gin rhubarb & ginger gin Available from Master of Malt (£26.75), The Whisky Exchange (£26.75) Best rhubarb and ginger gin ABV: 40% Rating: 4/5 A fiery injection of stem ginger gives rhubarb a bit of welly in this offering from Edinburgh Gin. Originally starting life as a lower ABV gin liqueur, it was developed into this full-strength version which has just the palest pink hue. Containing 14 botanicals – including orange peel, lavender and lemongrass – it’s then post-infused with the winning combo of rhubarb and ginger, which we think provides enough complexity for it to be drunk neat, martini-style. Read our full review of Edinburgh Gin rhubarb & ginger gin Available from: Master of Malt (£26.75) The Whisky Exchange (£26.75) Aber Falls rhubarb & ginger gin Best Welsh rhubarb gin ABV: 41.3% Rating: 4/5 Proudly Welsh operation from the locally grown botanicals, to the brand’s Celtic symbol adorning each bottle. As you might expect from the classic combination of rhubarb and ginger, this is wonderfully aromatic with bright ginger lifting and smoothing the tart rhubarb, and the deal is sealed with a smooth warming finish. Read our full review of Aber Falls rhubarb & ginger gin The Bath Gin Company hopped rhubarb gin Available from The Bath Gin Company (£38.50) Best unusual rhubarb gin ABV: 40% Rating: 4/5 Forget any preconceived ideas you might have about rhubarb gin, The Bath Gin Company blow them all out of the water with this earthy, surprising twist. They’ve taken their London dry and infused it with the same hop flowers used to make beer. This imparts exactly the sort of India Pale Ale notes you’d expect, resulting in a much darker, savoury spirit than we’ve tried elsewhere. As such it can take a little bit of extra sweetness, so try topping up with champagne or tonic. Read our full review of The Bath Gin Company hopped rhubarb gin Available from: The Bath Gin Company (£38.50) Tarquin's rhubarb & raspberry gin Available from Master of Malt (£37.25), The Whisky Exchange (£37.35) Best rhubarb and raspberry gin ABV: 38% Rating: 4.5/5 Not content with one juicy fruit, Cornish gin brand Tarquin’s have added raspberries to the mix as well. This is on top of the 12 botanicals already found in their classic London dry which forms the base for this limited edition. A truly artisanal spirit, everything that can be is done by hand, including filling, labelling and signing each bottle. Warming cinnamon provides a great balance to the tart rhubarb and ripe crushed raspberries. Try sipping neat to experience the nuanced flavours. Read our full review of Tarquin's rhubarb & raspberry gin Available from: Master of Malt (£37.25) The Whisky Exchange (£37.35) Chase rhubarb & bramley apple gin Best rhubarb and apple gin ABV: 40% Rating: 4.5/5 Having put his spuds to good use in Tyrrells crisps, potato farmer William Chase moved into the spirit business. Aside from the 250 potatoes needed for each bottle, botanicals in here include spicy juniper, ginger and coriander, which all provide a rather fiery kick. While most rhubarb gins are perfectly suited to long, hot summer days, the juicy organic apples and shock of cinnamon in this spirit made us think of crunchy golden leaves so we’ll be drinking this as autumn approaches. Read our full review of Chase rhubarb & bramley apple gin Agnes Arber rhubarb gin Best historical gin ABV: 41.6% Rating: 4/5 Agnes Arber may not be a particularly well known name today, however her work in the botanical sciences earned her the Gold medal of the Linnean Society, the first woman to have the honour. To celebrate this achievement, Agnes Arber the spirit was born, a gin featuring nine botanicals including angelica, cassia, coriander, grapefruit, iris, juniper, lemon, liquorice and orange. We think Agnes would be proud. The dedication continues with a beautiful botanical print adorning the bottle. Read our full review of Agnes Arber rhubarb gin More gin reviews The best gin deals The best gins to give as a gift The best pink gin The best sloe gin The best flavoured gin All our gin reviews in one place Top 5 most unusual gins we've tried This review was last updated in May 2025. If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. For information on alcohol guidelines, read our guide to drinking responsibly. Have you tried a rhubarb gin that you could recommend? Leave a comment below.

Level up your ramen game with this recipe. Toss noodles with spicy silken tofu and harissa sauce and top with jammy eggs for richness. Quick, satisfying and full of flavour

Toss spaghetti in in a creamy, garlicky, anchovy-based sauce with fried cavolo nero for added texture and depth

Want to be able to make your own iced coffee or cold brew from home? Read on for our pick of the best machines and accessories

Iced coffee is the year-round pick-me-up of choice for many, but purchasing one from your local coffee shop on a daily basis could turn into an expensive habit. Thankfully, brewing your own iced coffee from home has never been easier – or more popular apparently. In fact, there's been over 11,000 searches for "how to make iced coffee" on Google over the past 12 months. Read on for our recommendations of the best iced coffee makers and accessories for every budget, to help you make refreshing chilled beverages from home. For more, visit our reviews section and find over 600 practical buyers' guides offering unbiased advice on what equipment is worth investing in. For more on coffee, discover our guide to picking the best coffee machine for your budget, plus our top picks of the best bean-to-cup machines, best espresso machines, best coffee pod machines best filter coffee machines, and cafetières. Plus, we bring you the best coffee grinders and our favourite reusable coffee cups. Best iced coffee makers and accessories at a glance Best cold brew coffee maker: Grind Cold Brew Coffee Maker, £30 Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for cold brew: De'Longhi Eletta Explore, £899 Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for versatility: Jura Z10, £1,949 Best single-serve iced coffee maker: Breville Iced Coffee Maker, £32.99 Best ice cube tray for making large quantities: Oliver's Kitchen 4-pack ice cube trays, £9.99 Best clear plastic reusable ice cubes: Kikkerland reusable ice cubes, £9.99 Best coffee syrup set: Monin flavoured coffee syrups set, £12.49 Best travel cup for insulation: Klean Kanteen Insulated TK Wide, £27.95 Jump to section: Best iced coffee makers and accessories to buy What is an iced coffee maker? What’s the difference between iced coffee and cold brew? How we tested iced coffee makers Best iced coffee makers and accessories to buy Grind Cold Brew Bottle Available from Grind (£30) Best cold brew coffee maker Pros: Attractive Easy to use Recyclable packaging Generous capacity Cons: No instructions provided Star rating: 5/5 Wattage: n/a Providing you're happy to be patient, making your own cold brew is a simple process – and we had a lot of fun using this nifty 1-litre bottle from coffee pod brand Grind. With it you can make up to five cups of cold brew, and the recommended brew time is eight to 24 hours (the longer you leave it, the more intense the flavour will be). Simply add 50g of ground coffee (approximately 7 tbsps) into the filter basket, add up to a litre of water, and leave it to work its magic. We loved that the bottle came in fully recyclable packaging, and along with the glass bottle you get an integrated filter and silicone stopper, from which you can remove the lid to pour your coffee. No instructions were provided, and we had to dig out a guide on the Grind website to find out how much coffee was needed. Once we'd got the gist, however, we found it a joy to use and the results were worth the wait – our cold brew was light, fruity and refreshing. Available from: Grind (£30) De'Longhi Eletta Explore Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for cold brew Pros: Quality cold brew coffee Varied functionality Sleek and stylish Multiple accessories included Cons: Large footprint More expensive price tag Lots of non-recyclable packaging Star rating: 5/5 Wattage: 1450W The best bean-to-cup machines are versatile, but only a handful – like this newer model from De'Longhi – come with cold brew functionality. The Eletta Explore has hot and cold settings for a number of drink options, including cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, americanos, espressos, and flat whites, plus space for up to four user profiles so you can save your favourites. The digital display communicates each part of the coffee-making process so there's little room for error, and there's adjustable grind and temperature settings, too. Bear in mind it's a chunky machine, so better suited to those with larger countertop space. Jura Z10 Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for versatility Pros: Variety of functions Produces quality espresso Intuitive digital display Has a product-recognising grinder Cons: Large footprint More expensive Star rating: 5/5 Wattage: 1450W With this attractive bean-to-cup machine, you can customise the brew time, strength and level of milk froth precisely to your liking. The in-built grinder even uses precision technology that automatically adjusts the fineness of the grind, depending on which coffee you've selected. Among the 32 drink specialities are several cold brew options, including cold brew cappuccino and cold brew latte – both of which we found to be creamy and perfectly chilled in testing. The hopper also has an aroma-locked lid that's designed to keep your coffee beans fresher for longer. Read our guide to the best bean-to-cup coffee machines. Breville Iced Coffee Maker Best single-serve iced coffee maker Pros: Lightweight Intuitive controls Easy to use Runs quietly Cons: Drips after brewing Excessive plastic packaging Needs large ice cubes Star rating: 4/5 Wattage: 1100W This single-serve Breville gadget produces solid results for a reasonable price. It's a little plasticky, but its simple controls are doddle to master, with just two buttons to press before the coffee can start brewing (an on-off switch and a start button). A reusable filter basket, plastic scoop, 600ml tumbler and reusable hard-plastic straw are included, all of which are robust, though it's worth bearing in mind that none of them are dishwasher-safe. Our first batch of coffee took around four minutes to brew, but was too watery as we used average-sized ice cubes, which quickly melted as the hot water ran over them. For our second batch, we used extra-large cubes and this worked much better: the coffee tasted pleasant with just a touch of bitterness. We found the machine continued to drip after brewing, even when switched off and with the drip-stop closed, leaving us with a mess on the counter as there's no tray underneath. These flaws aside, if you're a frequent iced coffee drinker and want a machine with basic functionality, it offers good value in the long-run. Oliver's Kitchen 4-pack ice cube trays Available from Amazon (£9.99) Best ice cube tray for making large quantities If you're making a few iced coffees at home each day, it's helpful to have plenty of ice stocked up in the freezer. This pack of four trays makes up to 56 ice cubes, which is more than enough to keep you going – plus they're handy for parties or large families too. Each tray comes with a lid so you can stack them, plus flexible frames that allow you to remove the ice easily. Read our guide to the best ice cube trays. Available from: Amazon (£9.99) Kikkerland reusable ice cubes Available from Amazon (£9.99) Best clear plastic reusable ice cubes Cold drinks taste all the better when served with ice, but when it comes to coffee, you risk diluting the taste as it melts – particularly on a hot day. This is where reusable ice cubes, like these clear, plastic ones from Kikkerland, can be a handy option. There's no risk of them melting and they freeze more quickly than ice, which is helpful if you've forgotten to stock your freezer. They also offer good value for money, as you can use them again and again. Find the best reusable ice cubes over on our sister site, olive magazine. Available from: Amazon (£9.99) Monin flavoured coffee syrups set Available from Selfridges (£12.49) Prefer your iced coffee sweet? Coffee syrups are a great way to elevate your morning cup of java, and this set from Monin includes caramel, hazelnut, gingerbread and vanilla. Each bottle is 250ml and Monin advises adding 20-30ml to your cup when making a frappe. Available from: Selfridges (£12.49) Klean Kanteen insulated TK wide Available from Amazon (£27.95) Best travel cup for insulation Travel mugs are a great way to enjoy coffee on the go without the need for a single-use cup. This stainless steel option, available in five sizes, is designed to keep drinks at the optimum temperature for up to 11 hours, so you don't need to worry about your cold brew turning lukewarm while on the move. It's lightweight and robust, and comes with a matt surface for easy gripping. The lid is simple to screw on, too, and doesn’t allow any liquid to escape. Read our guide to the best reusable travel cups. Available from: Amazon (£27.95) What’s the difference between iced coffee and cold brew? Making iced coffee isn't too dissimilar to that of hot coffee: simply pour hot water over the grounds, but then leave the liquid to cool, using ice cubes if you wish. This allows the coffee oxidise and degrade quickly and intensely, and can result in a more acidic, bitter taste compared to cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee, on the other hand, involves steeping coffee grounds in cold or room-temperature water. It's a slower process than making iced coffee and usually takes several hours, but because you're increasing the period over which you're 'brewing' or 'extracting', you're maximising the solubility of the coffee grounds. The coffee is also generally higher in caffeine. How we tested iced coffee makers and accessories When testing iced coffee makers, we scored them on the below criteria using our testing matrix, then marked them out of five before deciding on the product's overall star rating: Ease of use: We looked at how simple the gadget or accessory was to use, and if a manual was included, how helpful and easy it was to follow. Value for money: Does the iced coffee maker or accessory offer a good return on investment? Quality of materials: We assessed the overall standard of the product, how well it was made, and whether it's built to last. Ease of assembly and packaging: How easy were the machines put together? Was excessive packaging, including non-recyclable materials, used? Quality of results: We considered whether the product achieved what it was designed to do. For coffee makers, we looked at the taste and consistency of the coffee, including freshness, strength and temperature. Coffee recipes and tips How to make cold brew coffee How to make iced coffee Coffee types explained More gadget reviews Best coffee machines What is a Stanley Cup? Best bean-to-cup coffee machines Best cafetières Best coffee grinders Best coffee gadgets Best milk frothers Best filter coffee machines Best kettles Best toasters Best bullet blenders Best bread makers Best food processors Best popcorn makers How to recycle your electricals and appliances Best Stanley Cup dupes Best De'Longhi coffee machines How long do coffee beans last? This guide was last updated in May 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

We’ve reviewed sloe gin to bring you our best buys, from traditional bottles to modern riffs on this classic flavoured spirit. Discover the results of our taste test.

Sloe gin, that most traditional of British liqueurs, is going from strength to strength at the moment. There are producers big and small putting out excellent bottles, including some intriguing variations on the drink we think we know. Now is a great time to reacquaint yourself with the fruit of the blackthorn. Sloe gin can vary from bold, spiced, autumnal bottles to lighter, sweeter varieties. Once you've chosen your bottle, check out our selection of easy sloe gin cocktail recipes to make the most of this unique flavour. Try an elegant sloe royale or botanical cocktail with juniper syrup. Not just for cocktails, you can also add a dash of sloe gin to savoury dishes - serve sloe gin cranberry sauce at Christmas or a classic venison with sloe gin sauce. For a comfort food pud, our sloe gin and fruit sponge puddings recipe is ideal served with plenty of custard. Our drinks expert Richard Davie is a writer, barman and brewer with roots in home-brewing. With Miriam Nice, he co-wrote The Art of Drinking Sober. When he's not making his own beer and cocktails, he works at award-winning micro pub The Beer Shop. He's selected the best sloe gins to try, on a range of prices from £20-£40, so that you can find the perfect bottle to suit you, whether you're after a warm spicy variety, sweet liqueur or rich and fruity option. For more, visit our reviews section to find more than 200 practical buyer's guides, including taste tests of vodka, rum and brandy, plus plenty more gin round-ups from rhubarb gin to citrus gin. Best sloe gin to buy at a glance Best budget-friendly sloe gin: Bathtub sloe gin, £30.95 Best small batch sloe gin: The Boatyard Distillery sloe boat gin, £34.50 Best classic sloe gin: Warner's sloe gin, £31.75 Best for drinking on its own: Sipsmith sloe gin, £30 Best organic sloe gin: Hernö sloe gin, £41.95 Best aged sloe gin: Sacred organic sloe gin, £38.85 Best eco-friendly sloe gin: Beckett’s sloe gin, £36.67 Best sloe gin liqueur: Foxdenton sloe gin liqueur, £29.50 Best spiced sloe gin: Pickering’s sloe gin, £20.99 Best fruity sloe gin: Adnam’s sloe gin, £36.98 Best sloe gin to buy 2025 Bathtub Gin sloe gin Available from Master of Malt (£30.95) Best budget-friendly sloe gin Rating: 4/5 ABV: 33.8% A standout from Bathtub Gin’s range of cold-compounded gins, the sloe gin uses almost half a pound of the finest sloes to produce every bottle, joined by additional botanicals such as the classic juniper, cassia, coriander, cloves, orange, et al. Unlike typical sloe gins, everything is added via infusion, then the liquid is sweetened once distilled and bottled at a relatively high abv of 33.8%. Boysenberry and some tart sloe and plum notes are omnipresent on the palate, joined by some delicious candied nut, fig, vanilla and just a whisper of rose and faint juniper. This becomes slightly more pronounced on the finish that’s dry and creamy with a pleasing astringency thanks to the higher proof, which prevents the gin from being too sweet and cloying. JH Available from: Master of Malt (£30.95) The Boatyard Distillery sloe boat gin Available from Master of Malt (£34.50) Best small batch sloe gin Rating: 4/5 ABV: 29.8% The first legal distillery in Fermanagh, on the banks of Lough Erne in North-West Ireland, since 1890, The Boatyard Distillery steeps wild-harvested sloe berries for six months in its gin. The process is then finished by adding a wild Fermanagh honeysuckle syrup to the sloe gin, which lends a balanced, natural sweetness and evens out some of the sloe tartness. Alongside the honeysuckle and sloe flavours, plenty of almond notes are joined by strong berry and plum fruitiness, and a bite of juniper on the finish. This gin is great in tonic and various cocktails, but even better when sipped neat. JH Available from: Master of Malt (£34.50) Warner's Sloe Gin Available from The Whisky Exchange (£31.75), Drink Supermarket (£30.99) Best classic sloe gin ABV: 30% Based on the family farm in Northamptonshire, Warner’s offering is fairly traditional, but big in every way. A slightly higher ABV of 30% gives a platform to rich marzipan and baked plum, with a juniper undercurrent. It continues intensely as you sip, with cherry and pepper also joining in. A full, rich mouthful, the sweetness is balanced by fruit skin tannins and a spicy finish. RD Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£31.75) Drink Supermarket (£30.99) Sipsmith Sloe Gin Best for drinking on its own ABV: 29% Sipsmith is godfather to the gin revival of the last decade, and the west London distillery’s sloe gin has a light, expansive nose that’s all almond up front. Soft stewed plum and cherry follow on, with just a hint of juniper and botanicals. A sip starts light and relatively dryly, with fruit matching the nose and balanced almond essence, with spicy notes as it comes towards a sweet finish and a suggestion of blackcurrant. A restrained and sippable example. RD Hernö Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£41.95) Best organic sloe gin ABV: 30% Made four-and-a-half hours north of Stockholm on the Swedish coast, Hernö pride themselves on using all organic ingredients and include some locally sourced botanicals such as meadowsweet and lingonberry in their London dry gin. No surprise that with such a base this sloe gin is perfumed on the nose, with delicate floral hints alongside the juniper before the sloe, plum and almond notes come in. Starting sweetly and finishing drier, this delightful number really wants a good nosing. RD Available from: Master of Malt (£41.95) Sacred Organic Sloe Gin Available from Sacred (£38.85) Best aged sloe gin ABV: 28.8% Set up in their north London home by Ian Hart and his partner Hilary Whitney in 2009, Sacred are an intimate outfit. Utilising vacuum distillation in small volumes, Hart is able to extract the essence of the botanicals without heating them, a process he believes retains more flavour. Resting the resultant gin and ageing sloes in it for, a frankly ludicrous, 30 months before adding an extra boost of juniper pre-bottling results in an extraordinarily intense, spicy, sloe gin. The juniper makes itself known first with a pine-y edge, before the sloes whack in rich and jammy. A long finish sees you out with marzipan and notes of orange zest. RD Available from: Sacred (£38.85) Beckett's Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£36.67) Best eco-friendly sloe gin ABV: 29% Hailing from the south-western tip of London, in Kingston upon Thames, Beckett's source their juniper from nearby Box Hill, where they support the National Trust and Forestry Commission’s repopulation project, trying to return the native conifer to the Surrey Hills. The other differentiator for the base dry gin used is fresh local mint. As for their sloe gin, marzipan leads into cherry and plum on the nose, while the juniper and botanicals keep everything in check. A clean note at the end brings the mint to mind without it overwhelming the warming fruit and almond. RD Available from: Master of Malt (£36.67) Foxdentons Sloe Gin Liqueur Available from Foxdenton (£29.50) Best sloe gin liqueur ABV: 27% Foxdenton claim a business heritage back to 1935, and are currently run by the descendants of the founding Major Radclyffe. With a definite affinity to the hunting-and-fishing end of sloe gin’s reputation, this is a rich fireside warmer or hipflask pull when out in the cold. Boozy, but not hot, on the nose, it wafts Battenberg at you, with lots of plum and glacé cherry fruit after the initial almond heft. Drunk, it leads with intense plum and plum skins, the fruit competing with marzipan. A rich, full mouth, especially given it is not one of the sweeter examples. Spicy pepper and coriander notes come in as well, as it finishes long. RD Available from: Foxdenton (£29.50) Pickering’s Sloe Gin Best spiced sloe gin ABV: 30% One of a few Edinburgh gin makers to pop up in the last 10 years, Pickering’s sloe gin is a spicy entrant to this list. The nose is almond-led, but with an almost lebkuchen aroma mingling with the fruit. This continues when you take a sip, the almond, sloe and cherry butting up against a warm embrace redolent of clove and cardamom, even ginger. The cooling edge of juniper stops this running into sickly or Christmas-only territory. RD Adnams Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£36.98) Best fruity sloe gin ABV: 26% The venerable Suffolk brewery has opened up a distillery as part of its recent modernisation. Based on their Copper House dry gin, this is one of the less liqueur-like gins here. The nose has enough space to allow the juniper and citrus aromatics to interlace with notes of fresh almonds and plum. Flavours of baked plum, a touch of raspberry and a smidge of cinnamon again find themselves with the classic dry gin juniper. Interestingly, while it makes for a sweet G&T, mixing it opens up even more summer fruit on the palate, should you fancy a long drink. RD Available from: Master of Malt (£36.98) More related reviews The best cava The best gin to buy as gifts The best rum The best classic gin The best vodka The best tequila The best prosecco This review was last updated in April 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. Do you agree with our list of best sloe gins? We'd love to hear your product suggestions in the comments below.

Ever tried pink grapefruit gin? Or gin flavoured with orange? Citrus flavours work perfectly with this botanical spirit. Read our review of the top 10 citrus gins to find your next favourite bottle.

The humble gin & tonic has become something of an adventure in experimentation. It's not just about botanicals and London Dry any more – there are a whole world of flavoured gins to choose from. Here, we've focused on finding the best citrus gins, covering lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange gin blends. Citrus gin was actually far more popular centuries ago, but it’s made our way back on to supermarket shelves in the past decade, with no two tasting the same. The majority of the citrus gins that we tried were lemon or orange, but pink grapefruit was also popular. Some brought in unusual botanicals, often local to the distiller. We found less common citrus fruits as well, including Japanese yuzu, and we learned a few things along the way – who knew the Rangpur lime from Bangladesh was actually an orange? Some went to town on sugar and took inspiration from cakes and nostalgic pick ‘n’ mix (lemon drizzle and lemon sherbet were among the varieties we tried). Others went for a sour and sharp tang. Some were so sweet they were almost a liqueur, while others had just a hint of citrus and remained heavy on the juniper. Each gin we tried had a story behind it, an inspiration that had created something unusual. Some of the flavours that made the list were created sustainably from grain to bottle. All are unique and innovative, plus the range itself was incredibly varied. We tested almost 30 citrus gins to decide which were the best for your money, ranging from £20-£45 for a bottle. Discover our top picks below. Once you've selected a bottle, check out our best gin cocktails recipe collection with over 60 recipes to experiment with. For more, visit our reviews section to find over 400 practical buyer's guides including taste tests of gin, vodka, rum, brandy, plus round-ups of the best rhubarb gins and pink gins to keep exploring the world of gin. Best citrus gin at a glance 2025 Best overall orange gin: Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla, £26.95 Best yuzu gin: Etsu Double Yuzu Gin, £49.02 Best for chocolate lovers: Sipsmith Orange & Cacao gin, £26.50 Best premium orange gin: Brockmans Orange Kiss, £31 Best unusual citrus gin: Tanqueray Rangpur, £26.95 Best Australian citrus gin: Manly Spirits Coastal Citrus gin, £43.53 Best lemon gin: Bombay Citron pressè gin, £25.70 Best aromatic pink grapefruit gin: Chase pink grapefruit & pomelo gin, £31 Best overall pink grapefruit gin: Malfy Rosa pink grapefruit gin, £32 Best orange gin for beginners: City of London Distillery Murcian Orange Gin, £24.99 Best citrus gin to buy 2025 Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Best overall orange gin ABV: 41.3% Rating: 5/5 Flor de Sevilla, Tanqueray’s Spanish-inspired gin, was a resounding winner in our tasting session. The orange gin was awarded near-perfect scores across the board in every single category. While some gin brands go in for the ‘more is more ethos’, Tanqueray isn’t one of them. There are just four botanicals in this one. That means all the good stuff – the vibrant orange aroma, the intense citrus flavour, the strong piney juniper – have got room to shine. Read our full review of Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Etsu Double Yuzu Gin Available from Master of Malt (£49.02), Whisky World (£39.90) Best yuzu gin ABV: 43% Rating: 5/5 Following the global success of Japanese whisky, Japanese gin is experience somewhat of a renaissance at the moment, typically combining traditional techniques with local ingredients to create gin that’s distinctive from popular British and European styles. Distilled at the Akita Distillery in the Akita prefecture of Japan, on the Honshu Island, Etsu Double Yuzu gin is a benchmark example of Japanese gin, crafted using botanicals such as juniper, liquorice root, angelica, coriander and matcha alongside yuzu, which are macerated for seven days then distilled and finally brought down to strength using fresh mountain spring water. Prominent zippy yuzu notes are present on both the nose and the palate, plus further citrus notes of lemon and powerful coriander savours on the finish. It’s great on its own, but also really comes to life with a high-quality tonic water made with oranges, garnished with a stick of rosemary. Available from: Master of Malt (£49.02) Whisky World (£39.90) Sipsmith Orange & Cacao Gin Available from Waitrose Cellar (£26.50), Master of Malt (£30.80) Best for chocolate lovers ABV: 40% Rating: 4/5 Most of the citrus gins you try will have you longing for lazy summer evenings in a shady garden or dreaming of the Mediterranean, thanks to their Spanish and Italian influences, but Sipsmith’s Orange & Cacao is reminiscent of an entirely different sort of holiday. It makes us think of Christmas and smells very much like a chocolate orange – the most festive kind of chocolate there is. Read our full review of Sipsmith Orange & Cacao Gin Available from: Waitrose Cellar (£26.50) Master of Malt (£30.80) Brockmans Orange Kiss Gin Available from Tesco (£31) Best premium orange gin ABV: 40% Rating: 5/5 Orange Kiss comes from award-winning Brockmans Gin. It combines flavours of Brockmans own triple sec and Valencia orange with cassia bark, angelica root and almond oil, to achieve a warming and fresh citrus flavour with a smooth finish. It’s great with tonic but also works in cocktails – think a twist on a spritz, or combine with sparkling wine. Available from: Tesco (£31) Tanqueray Rangpur Available from The Whisky Exchange (£26.95), Waitrose Cellar (£28.50) Best unusual citrus gin ABV: 41.3% Rating: 5/5 Rangpur limes are, in fact, not limes at all. They’re a hybrid fruit, somewhere between a mandarin and a citron. The juice is very sour, but it smells very sweet. These dimensions are what makes this a really interesting drink. If you’re after a hit of orange flavour with lots of complexity, this is an excellent choice. Read our full review of Tanqueray Rangpur Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£26.95) Waitrose Cellar (£28.50) Manly Spirits Coastal Citrus Gin Available from Master of Malt (£43.53), DrinkSupermarket (£38.69) Best Australian citrus gin ABV: 43% Rating: 5/5 When you buy a citrus gin, you probably don’t expect it to taste of the sea, but this gin certainly does. It’s a taste that’s not quite salty (that would be too obvious), more of a light mineral tang to the finish. It’s like no other gin we’ve tried before. A citrus gin that will make you think of breezy walks on the beach. Read our full review of Manly Spirits Coastal Citrus Gin Available from: Master of Malt (£43.53) DrinkSupermarket (£38.69) Bombay Citron pressé For a less sweet citrus option than some we tried, Bombay's citron gin is a great option. It has no added sugar and uses hand-picked Mediterranean lemons for a fresh, zesty finish with just a subtle touch of sweetness. It makes a great introduction to flavoured gins as it isn't too radical. We also loved the packaging for gifting. Best lemon gin ABV: 37.5% Rating: 4/5 Chase Pink Grapefruit & Pomelo Gin Best aromatic pink grapefruit gin ABV: 40% Rating: 5/5 It’s odd to call a gin confident, but that’s exactly what Chase’s pink gin creation – Pink Grapefruit and Pomelo – is. Everything about it is sure of itself. It's bright, it's bold, it's pink. It's a really lively vibrant gin. There's something about pink grapefruit gins that carry an aroma like no other citrus spirit, and this has the headiest scent of the bunch. It introduces itself to you before you've even poured it into the glass. We are very, very pleased to make its acquaintance. Read our full review of Chase Pink Grapefruit & Pomelo Gin Malfy Rosa Pink Grapefruit Gin Best overall pink grapefruit gin ABV: 41% Rating: 5/5 Pink grapefruit is the focus here, but there’s a lot more going on in the background of this rosy-hued gin. It treads a very fine line between sharpness and lightness. The result? A wholly drinkable, refreshing gin that you’ll be reaching for throughout summer. Read our full review of Malfy Rosa Pink Grapefruit Gin City of London Distillery Murcian Orange Gin Available from Drink Supermarket (£24.99) Best orange gin for beginners ABV: 41% Rating: 4/5 The City of London Gin Distillery made quite a name for itself when it launched in 2012. Made with Italian oranges from Murcia, the aroma is lively, so it was a surprise to find that the flavour wasn’t overly strong. If you’re looking for an orange gin that will appeal to everyone, and that will look handsome on your drinks cabinet, this is it. Read our full review of City of London Distillery Murcian Orange Gin Available from: Drink Supermarket (£24.99) More gin reviews The best gin to give as a gift The best pink gin The best sloe gin The best flavoured gin Top 5 most unusual gins we've tried All our gin reviews in one place This review was last updated in April 2025. If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. For information on alcohol guidelines, read our guide to drinking responsibly. Have you tried a citrus gin that you could recommend? Leave a comment below.

In need of ideas for summer lunches? Make the most of fresh ingredients with our vibrant soup, simple sandwiches and easy salads.

In need of some midday meal inspiration? Celebrate the warmer months with our sunny lunch ideas, which make the most of seasonal ingredients. Whether you want summer lunches to take to work or make at home, we've got a great variety to suit all needs. Salads are always a good option – they showcase summer's bounty of fruit and veg, and you can toss in the last bits of leftovers from the fridge. When it's too hot to cook, try a chilled summer soup recipe, like our spicy gazpacho. For even more inspiration, see our complete summer lunch recipe collection, as well as our easy lunch ideas, lunch recipes for adults and cheap lunch ideas for work. Check out our summer salads, no-cook summer meals and summer sharing recipes for more seasonal dishes. 1. Roasted courgette flatbreads with fennel seeds Put seasonal courgettes to brilliant use in these loaded flatbreads for a winningly easy, flavour-packed lunch. Simply roast your courgette with spices and seasoning until tender, spread yogurt over the top of shop-bought flatbreads, then top with the roasted courgette, pomegranate seeds, feta and coriander. Try more flatbread recipes as well as more ways to use courgettes. 2. Mortadella, burrata & pistachio pesto ciabatta Bite into fresh, summery flavours with this fully-loaded ciabatta featuring mortadella and burrata. Find mortadella for this sandwich stunner in delis or some supermarkets – it’s a luncheon meat made of ground cured pork, often studded with pistachios. See our full collection of sandwich recipes for more inspiration. 3. Caesar salad wrap Enjoy a classic caesar salad in wrap form with this easy-to-make lunch. Spread a creamy and briny dressing over a large tortilla, dot over breaded chicken breast, crunchy romaine lettuce and giardiniera pickling liquid then wrap up tightly, folding the ends in so everything stays in place. Discover more wrap recipes and caesar salad recipes. 4. Charred corn, chicken & tortilla salad with chipotle yogurt dressing Dig into this colourful chicken salad for a filling lunchtime treat. It's a great way to use up barbecue leftovers or a garden glut. Top Little Gem leaves with chargrilled shredded chicken, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes, black beans and crispy tortilla strips. Check out more chicken salad recipes. 5. Mango chutney & chicken sliders Put those Sunday roast leftovers to good use with these simple chicken sliders, topped with a refreshing chopped cucumber, red onion, chilli and coriander salad. Add Little Gem leaves, mango chutney and a cooling yogurt dressing for an out-of-this-world lunchbreak. Take a look at more chicken burger recipes and summer chicken recipes. 6. Chipotle gazpacho Liven up lunchtime with this vibrant, no-cook gazpacho. The chipotle adds a spicy, smoky kick and it's gratifyingly healthy too – it's packed with vitamin C and delivers three of your five-a-day. See more summer soup recipes. 7. Peanut chickpea rice bowl Rustle up a plant-based rice bowl that's full of different textures thanks to the chickpeas and peanuts. It can be cooked in the oven or air fryer for dinner, with leftovers kept for lunch the next day. It makes a healthy meal that's low in calories, too. Try more vegan lunch recipes. 8. Ham & piccalilli salad Channel the flavours of a picnic with this filling salad, perfect for the days it’s too hot use the oven. It's quick to prep, low in calories and fat, plus it's gluten-free. Check out more no-cook recipes and no-cook summer recipes. 9. Orzo, feta & prawn pasta salad Throw together feta, prawns, orzo, sundried tomatoes and cucumber to make this quick and easy pasta salad. Try it for a low-calorie lunch that's ready in just 20 minutes. Try more pasta salad recipes and prawn pasta recipes. 10. Sweet melon, curry leaf & burrata salad Melon, curry leaf and burrata may seem like an unlikely combo, but it's a sweet, spicy, creamy and aromatic celebration of summer flavours that you’ll be making all summer long. Try it for a gluten-free, veggie lunch that's ready on the table in under half an hour. Discover more burrata recipes and vegetarian salad recipes. Enjoyed these lunch ideas? See more inspiration... Top 10 summer salad recipes Top 20 summer comfort food recipes Family summer traybake ideas Easy summer lunches for kids

From towering apple pies to hearty beef and ale, we've rounded up the best pie dishes to buy for perfecting golden, crisp pastry.

Pies have earned a place in our hearts for being the ultimate comfort food. Whether you love sweet pies with lashings of cream or custard, or if savoury pies with gravy are your thing, this versatile bake has been around for thousands of years and isn’t going anywhere. Pies come in many forms, the pastry can be shortcrust, filo, puff or suet, or your pie can be topped with potato. Then there’s the question of whether to make a pie with pastry on the top, bottom or both. The pie dish you choose can have a big impact on your baked pie and there are just as many to choose from as there are pie variations. We tested a sample of the latest pie dishes against criteria that assessed their cooking ability to evenly brown the pastry, release the pie from the dish and other practical factors including dishwasher, microwave and freezer-safe credentials. We used the dishes to make a classic apple pie with a moisture-rich filling to particularly test the dishes' suitability for browning a pastry base. No soggy bottoms here! Also included is aesthetic appeal – namely that it wouldn't look out of place being used as a fruit bowl when not on baking duty. Read on to discover our tried-and-tested picks. Best pie dishes at a glance Best investment pie set: Falcon pie set, £60 Best pie dish for no-soggy-bottoms: MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick deep pie pan, £7.96 Best single portion pie tin: MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick individual round pie dish, £4.96 Best-looking pie dish: Le Creuset stoneware fluted flan dish, from £43 Best stoneware pie dish: Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen pie dish, £13.32 Best pie dish with handles: Staub 24cm round ceramic pie dish, £24.95 Best small porcelain pie dish: Judge pie dish, £5.95 Jump to: Best pie dish to buy in 2025 How to choose the best pie dish How we tested pie dishes Best pie dishes to buy in 2025 Falcon pie set Available from Falcon (£70) Best investment set Pros: Practical size options Gas and electric hob safe Cons: Pricey Star rating: 5/5 A must-have for serious pie enthusiasts, this five-piece enamel pie set is easy to store, with the five dishes nestled neatly inside each other. The rectangular pie dishes are 20, 24, 26, 28 and 30cm, ensuring a dish for every pie occasion. We made a successful apple pie, evenly cooked with crisp sides and a nicely cooked pastry base that released easily from the tin. It’s an expensive set, but enamelware is made to last and the dishes can be used for plenty of other creations, including crumbles and pasta bakes. The largest dish is big enough to roast a small chicken. The set is robust but with an appealing retro style that looks nice on the table. They are dishwasher safe, freezer safe and can be used on gas and electric hobs, too. Available from: Falcon (£70) MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick deep pie pan Best pie dish for no-soggy-bottoms Pros: Perforated base for crisp pastry bottoms 20-year guarantee Dishwasher-friendly Cons: Lip on the rim might prove tricky to clean over time Star rating: 5/5 Soggy bottoms can – quite literally – make or break a pie, so we were sold on the promise of this 23cm pan from MasterClass, which has perforations on the sides and base. This helps increase the airflow and remove moisture, and it proved to be a hit. Our pies came out crisp and evenly golden, with a solid base, no leaks, and a great crust that was pulling away from the sides. Looks-wise the dish is plain but neat, with uniform holes, a sturdy steel structure, and 5cm depth. The non-stick coating worked well too, and we had no trouble slicing up our pie. There’s a lip on the rim of the pan that could be a potential dirt trap, but otherwise cleaning was a doddle, especially as it can go in the dishwasher. This pie dish also scored highly on value, with a price tag under £20 and an impressive 20-year guarantee. MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick individual round pie dish Best single-portion pie tin Pros: 20-year guarantee Freezer and dishwasher safe Cons: Non-stick coating vulnerable to metal utensils Star rating: 5/5 If you prefer to make individual pies, this perforated 10cm pie tin is ideal (it is also available in an oval shape). The double non-stick coating meant our pie released easily from the tin. The perforations allow air to circulate and we made a very pleasing individual apple pie with an evenly cooked pastry crust and crisp bottom. It’s a sturdy little tin made from carbon steel and comes with an impressive 20-year guarantee. It's also freezer and dishwasher safe. The non-stick coating could get damaged by metal utensils, so stick to wooden, plastic or silicone. Le Creuset stoneware fluted flan dish Best-looking pie dish Pros: 10-year guarantee Available in a broad range of colours Cons: Heavy Vulnerable to breaking if dropped Star rating: 4.5/5 This fluted flan dish has a higher price tag than others we tested, but – much like all Le Creuset cookware – it’s built to last. Made from stoneware, it’s robust and has a 10-year guarantee. There’s two sizes available (24cm and 28cm) and 11 colours, though some shades are only available in 28cm. We tested the 28cm dish in the brand’s iconic volcanic orange, which looked spectacular when we removed it from the box. There’s plenty of advice about how to care for your dish, plus protective packaging for easy storage. Placing it inside the oven was fairly straightforward, though it's quite heavy. We were pleased with how our apple pie turned out – crisp on the top and well-cooked in the centre. It was softer on the base than we’d like, which suggests this dish could be better with drier fillings. Otherwise it makes a beautiful serving dish at the dinner table, and cleaning up afterwards is simple. It’s also dishwasher-safe and can be stored in a fridge-freezer. Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen pie dish Best stoneware pie dish Pros: Great for cooking in bulk Vented base to circulate air Cons: Very heavy when loaded Star rating: 4/5 If you’ve got a large family, this 29cm stoneware pie dish is big enough for eight portions, ideal for big households or family gatherings. Developed with several innovative features, this pie dish has a vented base so that air can circulate underneath it even when it’s on a baking tray. The inside has small embossed corrugated ridges on the base to help with heat distribution for more evenly cooked pastry. Our apple pie cooked well and released easily from the ridges, but it had quite a wet filling, so the pastry base was a bit soggy. We’re confident the dish would work well for drier fillings or pastry topped pies. The embossed pattern on the rim is designed to help prevent pastry from shrinking back, and this worked well for our pie. It’s also microwave, freezer and dishwasher-safe. Staub 24cm round ceramic pie dish Best pie dish with handles Pros: Practical handles Fluted sides make it an easy on to remove pastry from Cons: Careful for soggy pastry bases Star rating: 4/5 With two generous handles, this chunky ceramic pie dish is much easier to remove from the oven than most of the other pie dishes we tried out. The slightly fluted sides make for a pretty shaped crust and it’s a good-looking oven-to-table serving dish. It comes in red, blue or white and there’s a 24 or 28cm option. We tried the 28cm dish, which is easily big enough for eight portions of pie. It baked a nice apple pie, the base wasn’t as crisp as we’d like, but for pies with drier fillings or pastry just on top, it’s a great choice. It’s safe to use under the grill, as well as in the microwave and dishwasher. You can make use of this dish for plenty of other recipes, like potato gratin and cottage pie, or as a serving dish for roast potatoes or vegetables. Judge pie dish Best small porcelain pie dish Pros: Chip-proof porcelain Oven safe up to 240C Two sizes available Cons: No colour variety Star rating: 4/5 This small, chip-proof porcelain pie dish is a great size for two generous portions of pie. The simple oval shape and slightly off-white colour give it a neutral appearance that will fit into most homes. Our traditional apple pie cooked well and the pastry on the base was cooked with no soggy areas, although it wasn't as crisp as the pies cooked in metal tins. It’s a versatile dish that can also be put to use for individual pasta bakes, gratins or a two-portion crumble. It’s safe for use in the dishwasher, freezer, microwave and grill, as well as being oven-safe up to 240C. 18cm-24cm sizes are available. How to choose the best pie dish Pie dishes vary greatly in style and size and there are plenty of things to consider when choosing the best dish for you. First, think about the material it’s made from. Metal and enamel pie tins are better at cooking pies with pastry on the bottom, reducing the risk of the dreaded soggy bottom. But if you’re planning on leaving it in the dish to serve, a metal tin may not look as pretty. Porcelain and ceramic pie dishes double as serving dishes and look nice on the table, but they’re better suited to pies with pastry or potato tops. Many are also microwave safe which is useful for reheating leftovers. These pie dishes often come in multiple colours and styles so you can choose one that matches your kitchen or crockery. Size is an important factor: pie dishes come in everything from individual sizes to large dishes that can make eight or more portions. Also consider whether you’ll want to create deep hearty pies or thinner plate pies. If you want a pie dish that’s versatile enough to be used for different recipes, look for one that’s big enough to accommodate a lasagne, gratin or pasta bake. How we tested pie dishes We made a classic apple pie in each of these dishes. The apple filling produces lots of moisture, so using it gave us a good idea of how well each dish can cook the pastry bottoms. We looked at how evenly the pastry was cooked, as well as browning, and whether it was easy to remove from the dish. We also noted ease of cleaning, as well as if it was microwave or freezer safe. We took into account the size and overall design, considering whether it could be used for other recipes or as a serving dish. Related reviews Best cake stands Best serving dishes and platters Best spatulas Best flour shakers Best pastry brushes Best icing turntables Best measuring sets Best piping bags Best cooling racks Best baking sheets Best stand mixers Best cooling racks

Keep the little ones busy over summer with 50 fun activities, one for each day of the holidays. Discover anything from science experiments to baking projects and more.

Wondering what to do in the summer holidays? Spend those long summer weeks with the kids doing enriching crafts, educational science experiments and fun baking projects. We've got plenty of summer family activities for keeping the little ones busy and entertained while learning new things. Celebrate a special occasion with our birthday ideas for kids at home including a spa day, afternoon tea or a pizza party. Plus, keep them entertained with our kids' party games including a treasure hunt or an athletics competition. Older kids will love our summer party ideas for teenagers. Get the little ones in the kitchen with our kids' cooking recipes for wraps, pizzas and pasta. Or feed the whole house with our summer family recipes including simple traybakes, epic salads and hearty burgers. We also have our top summer cooking recipes for kids, featuring fish finger wraps and falafel burgers. 50 ways to keep your kids entertained this summer 1. Plant fruits and vegetables Make the most of the warm weather and spend some time outside. Encourage kids to grow their own fruits and vegetables such as courgettes, beans, tomatoes, salad leaves and strawberries. To learn how to grow your own crops, see our fruit & veg for kids to grow guide. 2. Easy DIY bird feeder Little ones will love watching the garden birds as they perch on the side, pecking away at the seeds. This easy craft idea is a great way to teach children about local wildlife and enjoy a fun afternoon of crafts. See the full instructions in our 10+ Easter crafts ideas. 3. Set up a milkshake bar What could be more exciting than a milkshake bar for kids (and big kids)? It's perfect for a summer birthday party or celebration, and a special treat to enjoy during the sunnier months. Let kids choose their own toppings, from mini cookies and marshmallows to pretzels and popcorn. 4. Play with salt dough Making a batch of salt dough is always a good idea when stuck inside on a rainy day. Children will love using their imaginations to create all sorts of exciting objects and hours of fun painting their creations. All you'll need for this simple salt dough recipe is flour, salt and water. 5. Make some ice cream sandwiches Treat the kids to a special sweet treat in the form of these ice cream sandwiches. Feel free to fill your cookies with various flavours and customisations – try homemade honeycomb, chopped nuts or your favourite chocolate bar. We also have our air fryer ice cream cookie sandwiches, quick banana ice cream sandwiches and strawberry shortbread ice cream sandwiches. 6. Chocolate bar cards Gift one of these easy to make chocolate parcel cards for a sweet, personalised present for a friend or family member's birthday. They only take 15 minutes to make. Learn how to make them in our 10+ Easter crafts ideas. 7. Paper pinwheels Paper pinwheels are a simple and fun craft that you can make using drinking straws and paper. Download our free templates, then cut out the shapes from your favourite paper (or just colour in the template). Pop the finished pinwheels in a flowerpot and let the wind spin them round. See the full instructions in our 10+ Easter crafts ideas. 8. Make customised cookies Keep little ones entertained with an afternoon cookie baking session. Assemble a few bowls of different toppings, such as chocolate drops and sprinkles, for kids to customise. 9. Toast marshmallows on a BBQ for making s'mores For a sweet treat for little ones to enjoy during the balmy weather, you can't go wrong with marshmallows toasted on the barbie, or homemade s'mores. See our recipe for s’mores for a classic campfire snack - they require just three ingredients to make. Scroll through our collection of moreish sweet and savoury s'mores recipes for plenty of ideas. 10. Desk tidy/flowerpot Reuse a can to make this charming flower pot craft. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quick this project is and it’s a lot of fun, too. Leave your desk tidy natural as we’ve done or, if you have a little more time, paint it using acrylic or poster paints. Before you begin, make sure there are no sharp edges on the can you’re using. Read our Mother's Day crafts ideas for full instructions. 11. Use an egg box for crafting Egg boxes are fabulous for crafting: they have an interesting shape, are easy to cut or tear and can be turned into all manner of fun things, from a colourful caterpillar to a treasure chest as explored in our top 10 egg carton crafts for kids. 12. Make slime Slime is always a fun activity that will keep kids entertained for hours. Our homemade edible slime recipe is easily made from everyday kitchen ingredients, including cornflour and coconut milk, and doesn't require borax. 13. Bake a sweet treat Keep the kids occupied over the holidays with an easy baking project. Our top 10 kids' summer baking projects is loaded with great kid-friendly recipes, from blondies and blueberry muffins to scones and more 14. Make a mud kitchen Mud kitchens are the perfect way for kids to engage in make-believe play in the garden. It's a great activity to set up that kids will return to day after day. Read our mud kitchen ideas guide for the basics including craft ideas and which toy kitchens and accessories to buy. 15. Make a fairy door Spend more time in the garden with this fun fairy door craft. These popular decorations can be added to trees, walls or fences in the garden, or stuck onto a child’s bedroom skirting board to allow the fairies to come and go as they please. See how to make a fairy door or more easy garden crafts. 16. Make homemade ice lollies Let the kids cool down in style with some easy-to-make ice lollies – the perfect treat on a hot summer’s day made from whole fruit, purées, juices or yogurt. Our best ice lollies for kids are simple enough for little ones to help out in the kitchen. 17. Go camping Plan a family camping trip to celebrate the great outdoors. Our easy family camping recipes make it simple to cook meals around the campfire and pack snacks on the go. See our packed lunches, sausage skewers, melty marshmallows and more. 18. Make a walking rainbow Stuck inside on a rainy day? Try a simple walking rainbow science experiment with just kitchen roll and fool colouring. Juliet Sear demonstrates this fun experiments which will result in a stunning rainbow. 19. Assemble homemade instruments Explore the enriching world of music with some easy homemade instruments. Encouraging creativity and play while the kids are home from school is more important than ever, so spark their imaginations with these colourful designs. Make an elastic band guitar, paper panpipes, mini harmonica, maracas or a tin-can drum. 20. Keep kids active Make sure the little ones are getting their exercise in with our top 5 ways to keep kids active. Kids that are getting a good amount of exercise will feel the benefits in everything from bone and muscle strength to concentration skills and mood. Try going for long walks, have a water fight in the garden, a treasure hunt or a fun dance. 21. Paint some rocks Gather some smooth and fairly flat rocks from outside and paint them in vivid summer designs. They’ll brighten up the garden at any time of year, or you can use them as a paperweight, mantlepiece decoration or pick a larger stone for a homemade doorstop. For more details, see our easy rock painting for kids guide. 22. Bake a loaf of bread Teach your kids basic bread skills and get creative with our fun baking recipes. Our easy, child-friendly breads include hedgehog rolls and a simple loaf. See our top 5 bread recipes for kids for more ideas. 23. Have a family film night A night in with the family can be one of life’s simple pleasures if you do a little prep to make it an occasion, such as laying a picnic blanket out for the kids and whipping up a few treats. See our guide to the ultimate family film night for recipe ideas including popcorn, homemade slushies and the most amazing s’mores dip. 24. Fold origami shapes Origami is a simple craft that doesn’t require any special equipment – all you need to get started is a piece of paper! For a rainy day activity, we’ve chosen three ideas for kids and beginners to try. Learn how to make an origami frog, butterfly and dog with our easy origami for kids. 25. Make elephant toothpaste Elephant toothpaste is an exciting science experiment for children to learn about chemical reactions. It gets its name from the fast-moving foam produced, which looks like a giant tube of toothpaste being squeezed. See how to make it with our elephant toothpaste recipe. 26. Go on a picnic When the sun comes out, so do the picnic blankets. Spending an afternoon in the park in always a fun summer activity for the whole family. Create a menu of sandwiches, salads, pies, sweet treats and refreshing drinks with our best family picnic recipes. 27. Make a bath bomb Try making your own homemade bath bombs for an easy kitchen project that kids will love – give these as gifts or use them to make bath times more fun. Experiment with colours, add flowers from your garden and use different shapes. Once you have the main ingredients, it’s really easy to adapt this bath bomb recipe to what you already have at home. 28. Have a pizza-making party This is a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. Our guide to pizza party ideas has so many handy tips and tricks for how to host the best one. Of course, it all starts with great pizza, and we've got recipes for classic, gluten-free and keto bases, so you can get involved no matter your diet. 29. Plant a herb garden Creating a herb garden is an easy way to teach young children how to grow their own food. Many herbs are easy to grow and have fragrant leaves, providing additional interest to young minds. See how to plant a herb garden including how to grow from seeds and plant in pots. 30. Practice mindfulness Mindfulness is useful for children and adults alike, with kids as young as nursery age learning about it in school. Mindfulness is paying attention, noticing what’s happening outside of you, as well as your thoughts and feelings, and letting it all be as it is. Try our mindfulness exercises with your little ones as a way to relax and unwind. 31. Make garden wind chimes Pop outside with the kids and gather some simple materials to make this colourful craft. There are lots of different ways you can make wind chimes for your garden, but we’ve chosen this method using colourful painted sticks so that it’s easy enough for kids to make. See how to make garden wind chimes with our complete guide. 32. Enjoy an afternoon tea Have a kid-friendly afternoon tea, complete with scones, sandwiches, cakes and fruit punch. Why not get creative and try our loaded open sandwiches that are piled high with flavours such as egg, ham and cream cheese. You could also help them make their own jam to go with their scones. Pick one of our jam recipes for a delicious homemade preserve. 33. Make bubble mixture If you’ve run out of store-bought bubble mixture or need a quick entertainment idea for the kids, it’s easy to make your own bubbles from washing-up liquid and water. Learn how to make bubble mixture and find ideas for making your own bubble wands. 34. Blend up a smoothie Smoothies are a great way to cool down over the summer. Whizz up one of our kid-approved fresh fruit and veg-filled smoothies, packed with health benefits. Try our refreshing watermelon smoothie or one of our best smoothies for kids. 35. Design a puppet theatre This cheap and easy kids’ craft transforms an old cereal box into a puppet theatre – with free characters for you to print and colour in at home. See how to make a puppet theatre from scratch with our simple guide. 36. Make pom-poms Homemade pom-poms are a quick and budget-friendly craft that kids will enjoy making – you only need wool, cardboard and scissors to make one. Add a pair of googly eyes to make it into a pet! Learn how to make pom-poms with our step-by-step craft guide. 37. Make some fun cupcakes In keeping with summer, have a go at making these fun flowerpot muffins served in terracotta garden pots. Double chocolate chip muffins are topped with rice paper flowers for these eye-catching cakes. 38. Frame a photo All you need for this easy garden craft is some sticks and twine. Just be careful of splinters and thorns while searching for the perfect twig! You can leave the photo frame plain for a rustic look, or kids might like to paint it in a bright colour. To finish, add your favourite family photo or get the children to draw their own picture for the centre. See how to make a stick photo frame with our easy guide. 39. Do some yoga practice Unwind this summer and do some relaxing yoga poses with the kids. Little ones will enjoy spending the time together and finding inventive stretches to practice. Find some simple videos online or try our fun yoga for kids. 40. Treat them to a dessert fondue For an easy dessert make up some refreshing fruit skewers with chocolate dip for a fruity fondue dessert. They be great for serving outside after a barbecue and will avoid any chocolatey mess inside! 41. Draw with ice lolly pens Cool down this summer with these frozen ice lolly pens. Juliet Sear shows us how to make these fun treats – they can be eaten and used to draw with. Kids will love to create their own artwork and let their imaginations run wild. 42. Sensory play Giving kids the freedom to be messy is not only good fun, it can help develop their hand-eye coordination and basic motor skills, too. Try our sensory play ideas with your little ones to keep them occupied and help them learn. Make a batch of rainbow spaghetti, blow some bubbles or do an ice block treasure hunt. 43. Mix up a batch of mocktails Looking for some afternoon refreshment? Keep the little ones hydrated with our mocktails for kids including watermelon lemonade, peach iced tea, ginger beer and more. Make a big batch for a kids party or pack a flask for a picnic. 44. Make a bouquet of paper flowers Celebrate colourful blooms with our easy paper flower ideas. Paper flowers crafted from card, crepe paper, tissue paper or even materials found in your kitchen look really effective. Learn how to make very easy flowers for kids and more advanced methods for grown-ups. 45. Have a pancake board brunch Our pancake sharing board would make a great weekend treat for the kids. Make the pancakes and cook the bacon first and keep warm while you assemble everything else on the board. Fill with fruits, sauces and jams for a delicious start to the day. 46. Make a healthy snack Making your own snacks can be a healthier and cheaper alternative to shop-bought versions. Making your own recipe puts you in control of the ingredients and therefore they are likely to be lower in sugar, salt, saturated fat and additives. See our healthy snack ideas for crisps and biscuits made from fruits and vegetables. 47. Play with papier-mâché Papier-mâché is a versatile craft material that can be used to build a number of projects. Make some at home with just newspaper, flour and warm water. See our papier-mâché recipe for detailed instructions and craft ideas. 48. Teach them some new kitchen skills If your little ones are new to the kitchen, check out our Kids' Kitchen series that teaches children basic culinary skills. Our videos, recipes and advice will guide you and your children through essential skills and get them confident in the kitchen. 49. Make a bee flowerpot These friendly flowerpot characters are the perfect way to get kids buzzing about planting their own herb garden, with the added bonus of being really enjoyable to make. Paint a small terracotta pot and decorate with eyes and antennae. See how to make a bee flowerpot for more details. 50. Go foraging Make the most of the fresh country air and take your kids foraging for wild foodie treats. Be sure to read up on our beginner's guide to foraging which explains what to pick and when. Discover the wonders of your local area, finding wild food including elderflower, wild garlic and fruits. Once you've got your loot, search the ingredients on our website to find the tastiest recipes. Enjoyed these ideas? See more inspiration... Sensory play ideas for kids Best indoor activities for kids Easy garden crafts for kids Father's Day card ideas for kids

Get out in the garden and whip up a family dinner with our best ever barbecue recipes. Grill up a summer feast with our burgers, ribs and kebabs

Satisfy any appetite, rain or shine, with our mouthwatering array of barbecue delights. Dive into our sizzling selection, featuring juicy burgers, tantalising skewers and knockout veggie dishes, complemented by a variety of sides and refreshing drinks to wash it all down. For more inspiration, check out our most popular barbecue recipes, our top family barbecue recipes, best vegetarian barbecue recipes and best vegan barbecue recipes. Our top picks can be scaled down for smaller servings or see our barbecue for two recipes for more ideas. Plus, find even more recipes, reviews and cookery tips in our barbecue hub. If you're looking to upgrade your BBQ kit, here are some of our tried, tested and top-rated favourites that would come in handy for alfresco cooking. 1. Sticky barbecue chicken Use up thrifty chicken thighs and drumsticks with this sticky barbecue chicken. Get a head start and roast the chicken up to two days ahead and make the barbecue sauce up to a week ahead. When it comes time to barbecue, simply brush the sauce onto the chicken and grill until they are browned and sticky. Find more affordable options with our budget barbecue recipes. 2. Halloumi burgers Get dinner sorted in a flash with these speedy halloumi burgers. These vegetarian burgers are super filling and come together in just twenty minutes. Grill thick slices of halloumi, then assemble with toasted buns, hummus, lettuce, and tomato. Find more veggie-friendly recipes with our vegetarian barbecue recipes. 3. Korean chilli, sesame & honey chicken Try this top-rated Korean chilli, sesame & honey chicken, full of bold flavours. The sweet and spicy glaze is loaded with gochujang, a Korean paste made from red chillies and fermented soybeans. Skewer chicken thighs, coat in the glaze and then grill until cooked through. See more ideas with our barbecue chicken recipes. 4. Stickiest ever BBQ ribs with chive dip Slow cook our stickiest ever BBQ ribs for a super tender result that falls off the bone. Start by roasting the ribs for two to three hours while making a barbecue sauce on the hob. Marinade the ribs then grill on a hot barbecue until crispy on the outside. Serve with a creamy chive dip. For more recipes, see our barbecue ribs recipes. 5. Barbecue beef burger Beef burgers like these barbecue burgers are essential to any summer barbecue. Make a classic burger patty with beef mince, shallot, horseradish sauce, herbs and garlic. Barbecue until cooked through then serve in buns with lettuce, tomato slices and relish or any other accompaniments of your choice. See our beef burger recipes for more inspiration. 6. Chicken shawarma Add oomph to chicken kebabs with yogurt, Indian spices and chillies. This smoky, flavour-packed tandoori shawarma can be cooked on the barbecue or in the oven. When ready to serve, bring the kebab to the table then wrap with warm naan, and serve with the other salads and lemon wedges for squeezing over. Take a browse through more summer chicken recipes. 7. Barbecued banoffee splits Satisfy your sweetooth with these family-friendly barbecued banoffee splits. Stuff bananas with a mixture of butter, light brown sugar and vanilla extract. Wrap the bananas in foil then grill for 15 minutes. Serve with a scoop of ice cream and scatter with chopped pecans. Finish off your feast with more BBQ dessert recipes. 8. Sticky chicken & chorizo skewers Embrace the fresh flavours of summer with these sticky chicken & chorizo skewers. Skewer bite-sized pieces of chicken, thick chorizo slices and whole padron peppers, then coat with a garlic, honey and thyme glaze. Serve with a batch of homemade fluffy olive oil flatbreads. See more options with our barbecue skewer recipes. 9. Chicken souvlaki This Greek-inspired chicken souvlaki is loaded with herbs and spices like oregano, mint, cumin, coriander and paprika. Marinade the chicken for up to 48 hours then skewer and cook on a hot grill. Make a batch of soft pita wraps and a cooling tzatziki dip. Serve with chopped tomato, lettuce and red onion. Find more simple recipes with our easy barbecue recipes. 10. Easy vegan burgers Make a big batch of these easy vegan burgers and freeze some to have on hand for a sunny afternoon. These plant-based burgers are packed with sweet potatoes, polenta and sweetcorn. Serve in buns with a dollop of salsa, some onion and salad leaves. Discover more veggie recipes in our vegan barbecue recipes. 11. Greek chicken kebab Our five-star Greek chicken kebab is made with chicken thighs to make it extra tender and succulent. After marinading overnight, thread the chicken on to two skewers and grill for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving with pitta bread and fresh salad. Find more ideas with our kebab recipes. 12. Vegan pulled BBQ jackfruit Discover the art of cooking jackfruit and transform it into a delectable vegan 'pulled' meat substitute in just 5 minutes using only ten common storecupboard staples. It’s perfect for stuffing into bread rolls and enjoying with all the barbecue trimmings. Use jackfruit as a clever meat alternative in our easy jackfruit recipes. 13. Barbecue sesame sweet potatoes Serve these glazed sweet potatoes as a side dish at a barbecue, or turn them into a summer salad by tossing through handfuls of rocket or watercress. Craft your glaze using a blend of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and lime juice, infusing the perfect umami flavours to balance the sweetness of the potato. Top with sliced chillies and fresh spring onions, delivering an extra kick and burst of freshness to every bite. Create a lovely spread with more of our barbecue side recipes. 14. Next level BBQ chicken Unlock the secrets to mastering BBQ chicken like a pro with our straightforward recipe, designed for even the most novice barbecuers to conquer. Experience chicken so tender it practically falls off the bone, while our marinade boasts a delightful harmony of sweet, salty, and spicy flavours. Discover more of our chicken drumstick recipes and chicken wing recipes. 15. BBQ mackerel Enhance your barbecue offering with this aromatic mackerel dish, delicately coated in a vibrant ginger, chilli and lime drizzle. Quick to prepare in under 30 minutes, this recipe is ideal for entertaining a crowd, as it can effortlessly be doubled to satisfy even the heartiest appetites. Throw the catch of the day on the barbecue with more of our barbecue fish recipes. 16. Vegan BBQ teriyaki tofu This vegan BBQ teriyaki tofu is a great meat-free alternative that’s quick and easy to prepare. Just mix your marinade ingredients and let your tofu marinate for at least an hour, allowing it to absorb the flavours. For an even richer taste, let it marinate for longer. Discover more tofu recipes – perfect for barbecues, stir-fries and more. 17. Easy eton mess ice cream Serve our eton mess ice cream in bowls or cones for a feeling of nostalgia. With vanilla custard, meringue and fresh strawberries, it's a great gluten-free dessert option. Cool down during the summer with more of our ice cream recipes. 18. Easy sangria Embrace balmy summer days with a jug of sangria. It's a lovely sharing cocktail with red wine, Spanish brandy, sparkling water, cinnamon and chopped fruit. For an alternative option, try our white wine sangria or check out more of our sangria recipes. 19. Pimm's Is it British summertime if you don’t have a glass of Pimm’s in your hand? Make up this fruity punch with lemonade, fresh mint leaves, cucumber, orange slices and strawberries. Check out more Pimm's recipes, from cocktails to cakes. 20. Marshmallow & strawberry kebabs If you find yourself with some leftover heat on your barbecue and you're craving a sweet finale to your feast, why not give our marshmallow & strawberry kebabs a try? It's a fun activity for kids to join in, honing their chopping skills and watching the marshmallows toast to perfection. Finish off your skewers with a drizzle of caramel sauce once they've cooled. Discover more of our moreish marshmallow recipes. Enjoyed these recipes? See more inspiration... Top 15 family barbecue recipes The best charcoal barbecues on test The best healthy barbecue recipes The best portable barbecues on test The best vegetarian barbecue recipes The best gas BBQs The best Weber BBQs The best charcoal BBQs What's your favourite barbecue recipe? Let us know in the comments...

Use elderflowers in seasonal recipes, plus learn how to identify and forage them. The fragrant summer blooms are a great addition to desserts and drinks

As summer arrives, the hedgerows flourish with the gentle beauty of elderflowers, gracing us with their presence from late May through early June. Explore a bounty of seasonal delights with our comprehensive guides detailing what’s in season during May and June, including how to cook with gooseberries. Embark on a foraging adventure with our expert tips to gather fragrant elderflowers, then indulge in a culinary journey with our curated collection of beloved elderflower recipes. From refreshing elderflower drinks and cocktails to cakes, desserts, and even salad dressings, these delicate blooms offer endless possibilities to elevate your summer culinary creations. When is elderflower in season in the UK? Elderflower blossoms appear in late May to early June and flower until August, when the berries begin to ripen Wondering when to pick elderflowers? June tends to be the best time to collect elderflowers, as the blossoms are at their freshest Elderflowers can be picked throughout their season, but are at their most fragrant when they first blossom Where can I find elderflowers? Elderflowers grow on small hedgerow trees (shrubs) called Sambucus, which are common in the UK. The more established elder trees can form a large umbrella shape and have a corky bark that becomes more fissured with age The leaves comprise five to seven oval leaflets with slightly jagged edges. You can find elder trees in many places, ranging from forests, parks and fields, to residential areas and along roads How to identify elderflowers Look for small, dense clusters (or crowns) of tiny white flowers growing in the elder trees. These have a heady, sweet fragrance that will likely lead you to them What equipment do I need to forage elderflowers? A pair of scissors or secateurs will be useful for cutting off the flower heads An open basket or cloth bag is preferable to plastic for storing the cut-off flower heads, as this will allow insects to escape the flowers. Plastic bags are also more likely to cause the flowers to wilt, so this is another reason to avoid them Sturdy shoes and a pair of long trousers are advised if foraging in an area with nettles or prickly bushes How to forage for elderflowers Avoid picking them alongside busy roads, as the flowers with absorb traffic fumes – opt for hedgerows in more natural settings if possible Aim to pick the flowers on a warm, dry day when the blooms are likely to be newly opened and full of scented pollen Use the scissors to cut the elderflower heads at the bottom of each cluster of flowers Make sure to pick only the freshest flower heads, as the wilted or brown flowers will taste bitter. Also avoid picking premature buds that are yet to open Don't forget to give them a gentle shake to remove any insects before putting in your basket It's advisable to rinse the flowers in cold water to remove extraneous debris before using, though this will wash off some of the flavour, so be sure to do it briefly. If you’re using the flowers for cordial that will be boiled and strained, you might not wish to rinse them General foraging guidelines Seek permission with the relevant landowner before foraging, as in certain areas, plant species will be protected Only pick from bushes with a plentiful supply of elderflower and don't take more than you need. Never completely strip an area, as this can be detrimental to animals that rely on the plants for survival, as well as causing harm to the plant species Be respectful of the surrounding wildlife habitats and avoid causing disruption or damage to nearby species Can you freeze elderflowers? To preserve elderflowers' delicate essence, consider freezing them for later use. Place approximately 25 heads in a bag and freeze. When ready, incorporate them directly into hot sugar syrup straight from the freezer. This method maintains their freshness and prevents browning upon defrosting, ensuring your elderflowers retain their vibrant colour and flavour. Read our beginner's guide to foraging for more advice. Best elderflower recipes Elderflower desserts Elderflower is delicious mixed into cakes, tarts, trifles and jams. It pairs particularly well with tart fruits such as rhubarb and gooseberries. From casual nibbles to celebratory showstoppers, we have a whole host of fantastic floral recipes. Bake a lemon & elderflower traybake, rhubarb & elderflower sponge cake or lemon & elderflower celebration cake for the ultimate decadent dessert. Or layer up a strawberry & elderflower trifle with an irresistible lemon drizzle base. For something lighter on a warm day, cool off with a scoop of gooseberry & elderflower yogurt ice. You can whip up this easy treat with just five ingredients. It may sound strange, but the blooms are also moreish dipped into a light batter and fried until crisp. Try our elderflower fritters with honey for a dessert with a difference. Planning a dinner party? Whip up our simple, sophisticated elderflower posset with gooseberries to enjoy with friends al fresco. Or impress with our summer fruits & elderflower fool, made by whipping Greek yogurt and cream together and piling over macerated fruit. Elderflower drinks The subtle floral notes of elderflower cordial make a wonderfully refreshing and sophisticated alternative to alcohol – perfect for summer entertaining. Or, if you're looking for a party aperitif, try infusing spirits with elderflower, as in our recipe for elderflower & gooseberry vodka and elderflower-infused gin. These are great for a summer gathering, served with tonic water and lots of ice. Catering for a crowd? Mix up a batch of apple, elderflower & mint punch or our floral gin pitcher. It's easily doubled if a few extra guests turn up unannounced. Elderflower cordial is easy to make using freshly gathered elderflowers, lemons, sugar, water and tartaric or citric acid. If you don't have any elderflowers growing nearby, a good choice of cordials is now available in supermarkets. You could use your homemade elderflower cordial in this gooseberry cheesecake recipe. If you’re looking for a new foodie project, try your hand at making elderflower wine or elderflower champagne. We have plenty of home brewing tips, including a guide to home brewing safety and expert advice on how to clean home brewing equipment. In the mood for a cocktail? Whip up an elderflower gin fizz, elderflower collins or elderflower spritz. Or check out our top 5 elderflower drinks for even more inspiration. More elderflower recipes Prosecco & elderflower cocktail Gooseberry, elderflower & sauvignon sorbet Chicken garden salad with elderflower dressing Gooseberry & elderflower yogurt ice Homemade elderflower cordial Elderflower & raspberry jelly Elderflower crunch cake All our favourite elderflower recipes All our favourite gooseberry recipes How do you use elderflowers? Leave a comment below...

Wondering what to have for dinner? Let us inspire you with 30 easy (but exciting) recipes to try, the ingredients for which you probably already have…

Every dinner should be a delicious experience. But sometimes, especially during the week, it’s hard to muster the energy to even think about what to cook. We want something a little bit different, but not too challenging. Something easy and flavoursome, but not laborious to make. And we don’t want to buy loads of expensive, specialist ingredients that we probably won’t use again. Instead of turning to the same old dishes or a ready meal, let us help you decide what to cook for dinner tonight. From clever ways with chicken breasts to pasta dishes that make the most of flavoursome ingredients, we’re sure you’ll find something inspiring. Get daily dinner inspiration direct to your WhatsApp by following the Good Food easy dinner channel. 1. Spaghetti puttanesca It’s amazing how much flavour a tin of anchovies can add to dinner. Their salty, umami goodness turns tomato spaghetti into an intense and deeply savoury dish, ready in just over 30 minutes. Add juicy black olives and a handful of fresh parsley for authenticity. Head here for more quick pasta recipes, ways with tinned anchovies and our favourite spaghetti dinners. 2. Carrot biryani Everyone has a few carrots sitting at the bottom of their salad drawer. Make them the star of the show with our veggie biryani, which sees grated carrot, rice pouches and simple storecupboard spices like turmeric blended together into a creative, colourful dinner. Don’t skip the roasted cashews (for crunch), the coriander (for colour) or the yogurt on top (for creaminess). Discover more ways with carrot, plus our best biryani recipes and the health benefits of turmeric. 3. Summer veg tostadas Cook something a little different for tonight's dinner with this vegetarian recipe, ready on the table in under 30 minutes. Golden tortillas are covered in a herby pea dip, then topped with colourful summer veg, coriander and yogurt (don't forget to serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over). Try it for a flavourful, healthy and low-calorie dinner. Try more vibrant vegetarian Mexican recipes. 4. Chorizo chilli pepper pasta Guindillas (long green chilli peppers, readily available from supermarkets) are so versatile – it’s well worth keeping a jar in the fridge. Here they’re tossed with basil, cooked chorizo and a can of cherry tomatoes to make a quick, exciting sauce for penne. We like ours with a mountain of grated parmesan on top. Have you tried one of our best chorizo recipes? Or discover our favourite penne recipes and ways with canned tomatoes. 5. Summer runner bean stew Use up a glut of runner beans in this easy summer stew, served with chunks of bread for dunking. Just 10 minutes of prep is required, making it a standout option for a relaxed family meal. It also works served alongside lamb cutlets or white fish as part of a larger feast. Discover more vegetarian stews and runner bean recipes. 6. Chicken, sweet potato & peanut stew This vibrant stew is high in fibre and full of flavour, made with chicken, sweet potatoes and peppers. Feeding up to six, it's a batch-cooking winner – simply freeze your leftovers for weeknights when you're short on time. It's also budget-friendly, using storecupboard staples such as chopped tomatoes, as well as chicken thighs, an inexpensive cut of meat. See our collection of budget dinner recipes and as well as our high-fibre recipes. 7. Broad bean pasta with bacon, cream & mint Make the most of broad beans in the summer with this moreish pappardelle recipe, balancing a creamy sauce with smoked pancetta and fresh herbs. Serve with parmesan shavings and crusty bread and you'll be rewarded with a crowdpleasing family meal. You could even omit the pasta and bacon, and serve instead as a side for a Sunday roast. Check out more creamy pasta recipes as well as our most popular pasta recipes. 8. Peanut butter noodles with tofu & veg Looking for high-protein recipes to add to your repertoire? This plant-based peanut butter noodle recipe is packed with protein, plus it comes together in just 30 minutes. You can easily swap out the veg for seasonal alternatives too. Try more high-protein vegan meals and high-protein family recipes. 9. One-pan piri piri chicken dinner Try this one-pan piri piri chicken for an easy and affordable dinner. Packed with punchy and zesty flavour, watch it become a firm family favourite in no time. Adjust the chilli levels to suit your family's preference. You can use a whole chicken instead, if you like. See our chicken traybake recipes for more weeknight meal inspiration. 10. Paneer korma All it takes is 30 minutes to make a creamy, aromatic veggie korma, featuring cubes of golden paneer, fresh spinach and ground almonds. Use shop-bought korma paste for ease and extra crushed cardamom to crank this dish up a notch. Serve with rice or warm naan breads. Discover more ways with paneer and our best korma recipes. 11. Lemony tuna pasta Tuna pasta, but not as you know it. This fancy all-in-one version adds capers, mascarpone and cherry tomatoes to the mix, plus a little parmesan and lemon zest. Despite the sophisticated taste, it’s a budget-friendly recipe – and there’s only one pan to wash up. Find more canned tuna recipes, or try our one-pan pasta recipe and veggie pasta one-pot. 12. Summer meatballs & spaghetti Looking for an alternative to regular meatballs? Rustle up a quick and easy meal for two with this recipe for pork meatballs, served with spaghetti, courgette ribbons, lemon and parmesan. Perfect for long summer evenings, it can be ready in under 30 minutes. Try more meatball recipes and spaghetti and meatball recipes. 13. Pork noodle stir-fry Stir-fries are a great shout for when you want something quick, easy and healthy – but they can be boring, too. Make yours sing by using pork mince as a base, cooking it alongside garlic, soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Tip in your usual stir-fry veg and egg noodles, toss everything together and serve with extra sauce. Check out more stir-fry inspiration, plus our best pork mince recipes. 14. Chetna's end-of-summer veg curry Shake up your curry game with this versatile summer curry. It's packed with seasonal veg, and you can swap this for almost any other veg you have lurking in your fridge. This veggie recipe is loaded with health benefits too, being low-calorie and low-fat. It's also gluten-free. Try more exciting summer curries and gluten-free summer recipes. 15. Chorizo, orzo & sweetcorn summer stew Fry your veg with chorizo and orzo to make a healthy dish which doesn't compromise on flavour. Feel free to throw in any leftover veg you have in the fridge to reduce food waste. For example, you could add grated courgette or chopped aubergine, onion, or squash. Add more orzo recipes and sweetcorn recipes to your repertoire. 16. Summer squash risotto Add summer squash to risotto for a seasonal dinner which you can enjoy during the sunnier months. Summer squash such as crookneck or patty work well, or you can use courgettes, too. This vegetarian dish also works with winter squash: roast in a similar way along with the seeds from inside the squash to use as a garnish. See more vegetarian risotto recipes and vegetarian summer recipes. 17. Fish fingers & mushy peas It’s so easy to make your own fish fingers. Slice any firm white fish (we like pollock or hake) into chunky fingers, then dip each one first into seasoned flour, then whisked egg and finally breadcrumbs – use panko breadcrumbs if you want a really crisp coating. You can fry the fish fingers or oven-cook them. Serve with new potatoes and quick mushy peas for a family-friendly tea. Find more fish finger options, then check out our smashed minted peas recipe. 18. Chinese chicken curry Transform chicken breasts into a flavour-packed (and healthy) dinner for four. This recipe calls for the simplest ingredients and just a little bit of prep – whizz caramelised onion and garlic together with stock and storecupboard spices until smooth, then use that as the base for your curry. Serve with plenty of fluffy rice. Discover more Chinese-style recipes, plus what to do with chicken breasts. 19. Sweet potato & peanut curry You can do so much with a jar of peanut butter. Add a large spoon to a quick curry base (Thai red curry paste, onion, garlic and ginger), then simmer with coconut milk and sweet potato chunks to make a main that’s scored nearly 1,000 five-out-of-five reviews on our website. Don’t forget a squeeze of lime juice to finish. Find more recipes that make the most of peanut butter, then check out our more vegan curry recipes. 20. Chicken piccata with garlicky greens and new potatoes Chicken, veg and potatoes – but done properly, with plenty of olive oil, stock, capers, lemon zest and parmesan for maximum flavour. It’s easy to prepare chicken breasts piccata-style (slice through the centre lengthways, so you can open each one out like a book), and you can tip parboiled new potatoes into the same pan, frying until they’re both golden. “Easy and delicious” and “it went down a storm” are just a couple of the comments left for this dish. Find more quick chicken breast recipes and best ways with new potatoes. 21. Noodles with crispy tofu Elevate tofu to new heights by tossing in cornflour and cooking until crisp and golden in your oven or air-fryer. Combined with noodles, broccoli, peas and plenty of spices, it's a fail-safe weeknight meal which delivers in big, punchy flavours. If you're looking for easy and exciting ways to commit to a flexitarian or vegetarian diet, this is a great one to add to your repertoire. See more exciting ways to tofu as well as our main noodle recipe collection. 22. Creamy garlic pasta A bowl of rich, garlicky pasta never fails to bring comfort, and this quick and easy recipe will help you achieve creamy pasta perfection in just 25 minutes. It's a simple, satisfying midweek meal, showcasing everyone's favourite comfort ingredients such as parmesan and double cream. Any long pasta will work, so use whatever you have in the cupboard. Try more creamy pasta recipes or check out this tagliatelle recipe collection. 23. Creamy halloumi & tomato curry Showcase everyone's favourite salty cheese in this veg-packed, family-friendly curry – it has a wonderful texture, similar to paneer. If you think curries involve standing at the hob for ages, think again: this curry is ready in an impressive 25 minutes. If you're making it for young children, you may want to halve the amount of garam masala. Check out more halloumi recipes as well as our vegetarian curry recipes. 24. Sausage & kale minestrone Use whatever small pasta shape you have in the cupboard to make this comforting bowl of minestrone, mixing dark leafy greens with bite-sized sausage pieces. If you're craving spice, add as much sliced red chilli as you wish, and make sure to finish with a sprinkle of lemon zest and plenty of parmesan shavings. Search for more minestrone dishes in our collection of minestrone soup recipes. 25. Harissa broccoli & flatbreads You need just five ingredients to rustle up this one-pan veggie dish. Simply top no-knead flatbreads with thick Greek yogurt, harissa-coated broccoli and a fried egg, et voilà! This dish has a delicious homemade-feel to it whilst being ready on the table in under half an hour. Perfect for the time-poor who still crave something fresh and flavour-packed. Try more of our quick vegetarian recipes. 26. Tahini miso noodles with crispy broccoli & sausages Try something a little different with broccoli with this umami bowl of udon noodles. It's pepped up with a crispy chilli oil topping, which really enhances the dish as a whole – it’s well worth investing in a jar. Check out more ways with miso as well as these chicken noodle soup recipes. 27. Speedy lentil coconut curry Craving a warming, nutritious curry but don't have time to spare? Turn your hand to this quick and easy lentil and coconut dish. It offers a great depth of flavour and tastes like it’s been cooked for hours, but it takes just 25 minutes to make. It's healthy too, as well as being low in fat and calories. Find more speedy curries or take a browse through these vegetarian curry recipes. 28. Fajita chicken rice bowl with burnt lime Enjoy chicken fajitas the easy way with this faff-free, one-pan recipe. It's a great way to up your family's veggie intake, plus it's full of nutrients and low in fat and calories. Ready in 25 minutes, it makes a perfect addition to your midweek meal rotation. Take a browse through our best fajita recipes for more midweek inspiration. 29. Thai curry noodle soup Sometimes after a long, hard day, a bowl of hot, fragrant noodle soup is the perfect pick-me-up. This 20-minute meal is just the trick if you're looking for a warming bowl of goodness, fast. To help combat food waste, use whatever veg you have lurking in the fridge. Find more Thai-inspired ideas as well as our best Thai green curry recipes. 30. Chicken & tzatziki wraps Pile chunks of chicken, a two-ingredient tzatziki, cucumber and tomatoes onto shop-bought wraps to make this zingy weeknight dinner. These wraps are budget-friendly, using just five ingredients, plus they take less than 30 minutes to make. A real win-win. Check out more wrap recipes for speedy weeknight dinners. Like this? Find more dinner inspiration: Quick dinner recipes Healthy dinner recipes Family meals 80 dinner recipes for two Budget dinner recipes What recipes do you usually turn to? Leave a comment below...

Discover the best food festivals that the UK has to offer. Enjoy live cooking demos and the best of local produce surrounded by like-minded foodies

Our round-up of some of the best food festivals on this year. The UK has become quite the hub for delicious discoveries, blending global flavours to create something extraordinary. Food festivals are popping up everywhere, so whether you're a carnivore, a seafood aficionado, or a plant-based enthusiast, there's something for everyone. You can indulge in bites and delights at parks, beaches, fields or exhibition centres throughout the year. You can enjoy live cooking demos, find unique treasures and connect with fellow food lovers who share your passion for a fun day out with family or friends. So, mark your calendars and prepare for a mouthwatering experience at some of the best UK food festivals in 2025. The best UK food festivals England Porthleven Food Festival, Cornwall St Ives Food Festival, Cornwall Taste of London Food Festival, London Good Food Show Summer, Birmingham Shrewsbury Food Festival, Shrewsbury Bolton Food and Drink Festival, Bolton Vegan Camp Out, Oxfordshire Good Food Festival at Goodwood Racecourse, Chichester, West Sussex Hampton Court Palace Food Festival, Surrey York Food Festival, York Taste Cumbria Cockermouth, Cumbria Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival, Suffolk Ireland Ballycastle Seafront Artisan Market, County Antrim Belfast Mela, Belfast Armagh Food & Cider Weekend, County Armagh Scotland Taste of Nairn, Nairn The Eat & Drink Festival Scotland, Glasgow Taste of Grampian, Aberdeen Foodies Festival, Glasgow Stranraer Oyster Festival, Stranraer Wales Cardiff Food & Drink Festival, Cardiff Abergavenny Food Festival, Abergavenny Jump to: England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales England Porthleven Food Festival When: 2-4 May 2025 Where: Porthleven Harbour, Cornwall Price: Free The Porthleven Food Festival returns from 2-4 May, celebrating Cornwall’s top food and drink producers alongside UK culinary talent. Hosted by chef Jude Kereama, this free-to-attend event features a range of activities, including chef demos, masterclasses, street food, live music, and family entertainment. Highlights include a live music lineup, a fish BBQ, unique supper clubs, and pasty workshops. For those seeking an elevated experience, VIP tickets include access to exclusive evening sessions and premium parking. Don’t miss this unforgettable culinary weekend by the picturesque harbourside. St Ives Food and Drink Festival When: 16-18 May 2025 Where: Portminster Beach, St Ives Price: Free The St Ives Food & Drink Festival, the UK’s only food festival on the beach, returns for 2025 from 16-18 May on the stunning Porthminster Beach. This beloved free event attracts thousands and supports the local economy, offering a refreshed programme of food celebrations, wellness activities, and family-friendly fun. Culinary highlights include chef demos at the Fire Pit from top names like Ashley Palmer-Watts, Tom Brown, Kathy Slack, and Cornwall’s Jude Kereama. New additions for 2025 include the Sunset Sessions, a series of ticketed live music evenings, and a wellness offering featuring ice baths, yoga, and a wood-fired sauna. Enjoy masterclasses from St Ives Cookery School, wine tastings, foraging sessions, and more, all set against the beautiful beach backdrop. Taste of London Food Festival When: 18-22 June 2025 Where: Regent's Park, London Price: From £28 Taste of London celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with five days of outdoor feasting. Organised by Taste, the festival takes place in Regent's Park and brings together the crème de la crème of London's culinary scene, showcasing the hottest restaurants, emerging food heroes and upcoming culinary trends. There are more than 120 dishes on offer from some of London's best restaurants including Santo Remedio, Roka and Burger and Lobster, alongside bars, live music and entertainment, with cooking classes and themed workshops taking place, too. Tickets start from £28 for entry, or £38 tickets include entry and your choice of two signature dishes. Good Food Show Summer When: 12-15 June 2025 Where: NEC, Birmingham Price: From £26 The Good Food Show Summer is set to warm up the NEC, Birmingham, from 12-15 June at the NEC Birmingham. Expect a show bursting with recipe inspiration, tips and tricks from top chefs and experts, hands-on workshops and tastings, unique dining experiences and a huge variety of producers and brands providing the best product knowledge and ingredients advice, as well as tasting and shopping. Don’t miss James Martin, Si King, Nadiya Hussain and more. Plus, your ticket includes free entry into BBC Gardeners’ World Live, offering expert advice, beautiful Show Gardens and al fresco dining inspiration. Shrewsbury Food Festival When: 28-29 June 2025 Where: Quarry Park, Shrewsbury Price: From £16.95 for adults, £9.50 for children, under 4s go free On the last weekend of June, Shrewsbury Food Festival takes over the town’s park with more than 200 independent food and drink stalls, street food trucks, and bars, creating a vibrant, foodie haven. Top chefs host free talks and live cooking demonstrations at the festival's heart, offering fresh inspiration and plenty of new recipes to try at home. Aspiring cooks of all ages can join in at the Chef School, where they’ll get hands-on and learn how to create a delicious dish. A dedicated kids’ area ensures the little ones are entertained with free activities. From circus skills under the big top to trying out new sports, hobbies and rides, there’s plenty to keep them busy. For a bit of relaxation, the Family Entertainment Stage offers a programme of lively performances, while the Live Music Stage keeps the energy high with a great mix of tunes. The Field to Fork Area is a must-visit, where you can explore the journey of food through interactive, educational experiences. With STEM workshops, food waste challenges and opportunities to meet farm animals and see machinery up close, it’s a fun and informative way to learn more about where our food comes from. Bolton Food and Drink Festival When: 22-25 August 2025 Where: Victoria Square, Bolton Price: Free The UK’s biggest food and drink festival returns to Bolton this summer, taking over the Greater Manchester town from Friday 22 to Monday 25 August in a bank holiday weekend extravaganza. Expect plenty of festivities, as Bolton Food and Drink Festival celebrates its 20th year by fusing global cuisine from over 180 street food vendors, top TV chefs, live music, entertainment and activities for the whole family to feast on. Entry to Bolton Food and Drink Festival is free, with options to enhance the experience by purchasing tickets for live chef demos and more. Vegan Camp Out When: 29 August -1 September 2025 Where: Bygrave Woods, Hertfordshire Price: Day tickets are £80 (adults) or £40 (children); weekend tickets £130 (adults), £60 (children) Experience a plant-based paradise at Vegan Camp Out, where people come together from all over the world to celebrate vegan living. There's so much going on from inspiring talks and live music to invigorating yoga sessions and soul-soothing meditation classes. Delve into diverse workshops where you can deepen your understanding of veganism and holistic living. There's plenty of delicious food and drink on offer from Indian and Chinese dishes to pizzas, kebabs, decadent ice cream, and refreshing smoothies and juices. And for those with dietary requirements, there are plenty of allergen-free options. This year, the festival boasts a staggering line-up of 60 vendors, making history with the largest gathering of vegan food options ever assembled in the UK. Good Food Festival at Goodwood Racecourse When: 15-17 August 2025 Where: Goodwood Racecourse, Chichester Price: General Admission from £12.50 (adults). Children under 12 go free The Good Food Festival will be returning to Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex from the 15-17 August, 2025. Now in its fourth year, the Good Food Festival brings together foodies, chefs and producers from across the UK for a three-day culinary celebration. With something for all ages, there will be cooking demos, family activities, VIP experiences, book signings, live music and more. The festival features the Festival Kitchen with Ruby Bhogal, star of The Great British Bake Off, hosting a line-up of guest experts showcasing their culinary tips and tricks such as gluten-free food blogger Becky Excell, West Sussex local Jane Dunn of Jane’s Patisserie, award-winning vegan baker Philip Khoury and Sian Anderson, a restaurateur and BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ. There will also be a chance to meet many of the famous foodie faces in person at special book signings that will take place throughout the three days. On the food and drink side, you'll be able to meet hand-picked food and drink producers at the Good Food Market before going on a gastronomic journey in the Street Food Village. Hampton Court Palace Food Festival When: 23-25 August 2025 Location: Hampton Court Palace, Surrey Price: Tickets from £27.20. HRP members go free. The annual Hampton Court Palace Food Festival is held over the August Bank Holiday weekend and is a family-friendly celebration of all things food, hosted in the epic location of Henry VIII's beautiful gardens. This year, Bluey will be making an appearance, and the kids' zone is sponsored by LEGO, ensuring plenty of fun for the little ones. There's a broad range of street food, plus pop-up bars serving tasty tipples, refreshing craft beers and exquisite wines. With over 150 fantastic brands and producers on site, you'll be able to get your hands on everything from mouth-watering cheeses and sausages to brownies and churros. What's more, your ticket will give you access to the palace made famous by Henry VIII, his wives and children. York Food Festival When: 19-28 September 2025 Where: Parliament Street, York Price: Free entry York Food Festival runs events throughout the year celebrating local and regional food and drink, with the main 10-day festival held at the end of September. It is a not-for-profit organisation, and any money generated from ticket sales goes back to the festival to improve it year after year. The festival focuses on Yorkshire produce and chefs, with cookery lessons on offer, demonstrations and events. While admission to the festival is free, those keen to take part in city-wide events such as food factories, wine tastings, dinners and trails can find further details on the York Food Festival website. Taste Cumbria Cockermouth When: 27-28 September 2025 Where: Cockermouth, Cumbria Price: Free with some events ticketed This event, a staple of Cumbria's calendar since 2010, was born out of the need to revive Cockermouth following devastating floods. Here's a taste of what's in store: producer stalls, a street party in Market Place, a drinks tent and outdoor picnic area with live music all weekend, hot food court, cookery demonstrations, fairground rides, and children's activities. Best of all, attendance is free, with ticketed events to be announced closer to the time. Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival When: 27-28 September 2025 Where: Snape Maltings, Suffolk Price: Early bird tickets from £15, tickets at the gate, £16. All under-16s free. The 2024 festival boasted an impressive 130+ traders, two demo stages, seven masterclasses, 32 children's cookery classes, artisan producers and exceptional street food. Although the 2025 line-up remains under wraps, the stellar cast of 2024 included Tom Aikens, William Sitwell, Dominique Woolf and Tom Booton. There will once again be a dedicated family area offering cooking classes, crafts, demos and a toddler area for under-5s. All producers and traders are from within East Anglia, showcasing the incredible produce on offer in the area, all in the beautiful surroundings of Snape Maltings. Dartmouth Food Festival When: 24-26 October 2025 Where: Dartmouth, Devon Price: Free The Dartmouth Food Festival is a well-regarded event celebrating food and drink in the heart of this Devon town. It brings together an impressive line-up of chefs and a varied programme of events at locations across Dartmouth. Run entirely by volunteers, the not-for-profit festival is free to attend, allowing visitors to explore its diverse programme over three days. With a strong focus on education, inspiration, and sustainability, the festival supports the local community while ensuring its long-term future. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, the festival continues to bring together the town’s vibrant food scene, attracting around 20,000 visitors each year. Ireland Ballycastle Seafront Artisan Market When: 22 June, 6 July, 20 July, 3 August, 17 August, 21 September Where: Ballycastle Seafront Price: Free The Ballycastle Seafront Artisan Market is more than just a market; it's a vibrant celebration of local food, culture and traditions. Nestled along the scenic Causeway Coast, what sets this market apart is its commitment to quality and provenance. Every item tells a story crafted with care and passion by local artisans who take pride in their work. At the market, meet the faces behind the goods – producers who pour their heart and soul into everything they create. Discover new flavours and witness raw talent in action. The market is a perfect stop on a day out. After browsing the stalls, stroll along Ballycastle beach or explore the charming town with its cosy coffee shops, inviting restaurants and independent shops. Belfast Mela When: 16-24 August 2025 Where: Belfast city centre Price: Mela Carnival (16 August) is free with some ticketed events such as Mela Day (24 August, £12) The Belfast Mela is one of Northern Ireland's leading arts festival, bringing together music, dance, theatre, wellbeing and food from around the world to celebrate the city's growing cultural diversity. August heralds the arrival of Mela, a Sanskrit term signifying 'to meet', drawing up to 60,000 visitors annually to Belfast. The event transforms the city, infusing its streets with the kaleidoscopic sights, sounds and aromas of nations worldwide. Since its inception in 2006, Mela has flourished, expanding its footprint to encompass the whole city of Belfast across an eight-day festival. The 2025 programme will be announced on the Mela website in early August 2025 Armagh Food & Cider Weekend When: 4-7 September 2025 Where: Armagh, Orchard County Price: TBC Taking place among beautiful apple orchards, this festival celebrates cider-making and Armagh's fantastic local produce. At the Food & Cider Weekend you'll find al fresco dinners, artisan markets, cider tasting, foraged lunches, tours and talks. Last year's programme also included a pizza pottery workshop, foodie film night, bread-baking sessions and a murder mystery dinner, so expect lots more exciting events this year. Scotland Taste of Nairn festival When: TBC Where: Nairn Community & Arts Centre Price: Free entry Taste of Nairn festival is a three-day celebration of food and drink that proudly hosts the renowned World Tattie Scone Championship. This event highlights Nairn's exceptional producers and growers and includes an array of attractions, including an artisanal market, cookery demos and a baking competition. Lucy Harding from Nairn Business Improvement District shares, "Each year, we tweak the event to ensure it is fresh and offers something new. This year, we are delighted to be adding a street market." The Eat & Drink Festival Scotland When: 23-26 May 2025 Where: SEC Centre, Glasgow Price: £13 a day for adults, children's tickets are free Eat & Drink Scotland is a celebration of modern cuisine, mixology marvels, global flavours, and independent craftsmanship all under one roof. Eat, drink and see celebrity chefs cooking live and sharing tips. Shop at the artisan producers market, with some of Scotland's best food on offer including locally sourced meats and cheeses, bread, patisserie, pickles, oils and more. Taste of Grampian When: TBC Where: P&J Live, Aberdeen Price: Early bird tickets £12.50 + fees/ general admission £15 + fees Get ready for an epic culinary extravaganza as Taste of Grampian gathers food enthusiasts under one roof at P&J Live in early June to champion local businesses and indulge in the irresistible flavours of the region. Prepare for a feast of activities catering to all ages, with local chef masterclasses offering inspiration at every turn. Sample the best beverages the north-east has to offer, embark on fun food trails, and enjoy inflatable attractions for junior foodies. Tickets are available now. Don't miss the opportunity to see cooking demos by acclaimed chefs such as Nadiya Hussain and Si King – guaranteed to elevate your culinary adventures to new heights. Foodies Festival When: 8-10 August 2025 Where: UK-wide, at Rouken Glen Park in Glasgow Price: Adult tickets start from £20 Looking for a delicious day out? Look no further than the Glasgow Foodies Festival. It's set to be the biggest celebration of chefs, food, drinks and live music featuring Symphonic Ibiza, Scouting For Girls and Blue. Watch top chefs, including MasterChef champions and Michelin-starred experts, whip up their signature summer recipes in the Chefs Theatre. And for those with a sweet tooth, join expert bakers in the Baking Theatre to learn the secrets behind showstopping cakes. You can also taste new wines, champagnes, and cocktails at the Drinks Theatre while eating delicious street food from around the world. And there's plenty of fun for everyone, with chilli-eating competitions and food challenges happening all day long. Kids can even get involved at the Kids Cookery Theatre. For £25 per person, you can join hands-on Thai green curry masterclass sessions led by top chef Nigel Brown. And don't miss the all-new Flavour Town Fire Stage, where you can witness mesmerising fire-cooked recipes like Louisiana cajun chicken and cowboy butter tomahawk steak. Stranraer Oyster Festival When: 12-14 September 2025 Where: Stranraer Price: Tickets released in June – check the official website for further information Stranraer is home to Scotland's last wild, native oyster fishery, and the festival pays homage to the town's prized delicacies with a dynamic three-day programme. The 2025 line-up is yet to be announced but expect demos from celebrity chefs, extreme pond dipping, and an eclectic artisan market. Not to mention the famed Big Oyster Bash, children's entertainment, a sprawling oyster bar, and a breathtaking fireworks display illuminating the shores of Loch Ryan. At the festival's heart lies the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championship, affectionately dubbed the ShuckOff. Here, culinary maestros and seafood aficionados vie for the chance to represent Scotland at the prestigious World Championships in Galway, Ireland, in late September. Wales Cardiff Food & Drink Festival When: 27-29 June 2025 Where: Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay Price: Free The Cardiff Food & Drink Festival is a highlight in the city's summer calendar. At the heart of the festival, the producers fair and farmers market offer a variety of top-quality produce. There's also a street food piazza where you can try everything from curries to paella, catch live music at the bandstand and find unique handcrafted goods at the crafts market. Abergavenny Food Festival When: 20-21 September 2025 Where: various venues in the centre of Abergavenny Price: Free and ticketed options available – check the official website Founded in 1999 by two local farmers in response to the BSE crisis, the Abergavenny Food Festival (AFF) has grown into a significant event. It's held over the third weekend of September, drawing people together to celebrate the diverse food culture of Wales and beyond. There are six venues and the food markets have over 200 stalls, each packed with tasty local treats, artisanal goodies and flavours from around the world. Visitors can also enjoy cooking demonstrations by top chefs, talks and debates on food-related topics, hands-on workshops for all ages, live music and street food. Discover more family-friendly activities... Summer activities for kids Budget summer holiday ideas for kids Family festival round-up 2025 6 eco-friendly family getaways Foodie fun for kids, whatever the weather The best pick-your-own strawberry farms in the UK

Married at First Sight Australia's beloved Lucinda Light joins Sam to chat about her new book as well as hosting the upcoming show The Honesty Box

The Good Food Podcast In this week’s episode, Sam sits down with the multi-talented Lucinda Light, known for her role in Married at First Sight Australia, her upcoming E4 dating show The Honesty Box and her new book Shine Your Light. Lucinda shares her journey from holistic counselling to public speaking and authorship. We dive deep into wellness, emotional intelligence and the joy of wholesome food. Plus we discuss her adventure living with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, and much more! Bonus episode Listen to the bonus cook-along episode. Listen to more podcast episodes, including our Cook Smart podcast and Tom Kerridge podcast.

Baking and cooking recipes for everyone

It’s almost ready! Coming this Fall is the new, completely revised edition of Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes. [It’s now available for preorder ==> Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and at the links below.] When my publisher told me they wanted a new edition of the book, I decided to revise the book completely, from top to bottom. Ready for Dessert is a compilation...

It’s almost ready! Coming this Fall is the new, completely revised edition of Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes. [It’s now available for preorder ==> Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and at the links below.] When my publisher told me they wanted a new edition of the book, I decided to revise the book completely, from top to bottom. Ready for Dessert is a compilation of my favorite recipes, so I knew that I wanted to keep my signature Chocolate chip cookies, the Chocolate-cherry biscotti accented with black pepper, and classic Black & white cookies, along with everyone’s favorite, the Fresh ginger cake, as well as a tangy Lemon semifreddo, and the recipe for the Coconut layer cake I made for Alice Waters’ father on his birthday every year. Pre-order Ready for Dessert To sweeten the pot, I added brand-new recipes to Ready for Dessert, favorites culled from my kitchen in Paris, including Île flottante (inspired by the version I always order at a favorite local bistro), a very special Riz au lait (rice pudding) topped with crunchy, candied nuts and salted butter caramel sauce, buttery Palets Breton cookies, and my version of the iconic, and irresistible (truly!), Maple tart from Tapisserie in Paris, the pastry shop of the highly-regarded restaurant Septime, so you can make it at home. One of my favorite pictures (and recipes) from the new edition of Ready for Dessert is the Marjolaine cake. We made several of these cakes for the photo shoot and gave leftovers to the local butcher shop – and now I’m their favorite customer. Award-winning photographer Ed Anderson, who photographed my books, My Paris Kitchen, Drinking French, and The Perfect Scoop, returned to Paris to shoot the pictures for the book, in my kitchen and backyard, as well as out-and-about in the city. Another bonus was that I got to work with two of my favorite food stylists, Elisabet der Nederlanden and George Dolese. We had a blast shopping in Paris for ingredients, and making the recipes in my kitchen, then eating them as well. When the food stylists end up devouring your recipes during a photo shoot, that’s the highest compliment a cookbook author can have. They bake and cook food all day long, so are picky about what they eat. (And boy, did they eat!) I also invited friends to come by and join us, so you’ll find guests shots in the book as well. The all-new edition of Ready for Dessert will be available September 30th, and is now available for pre-order at your local independent bookseller and online. Below are some bookstores and online retailers where you can pre-order the book: | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Now Serving | Barnes & Noble | Omnivore | Book Larder | Kitchen Arts & Letters | Bold Fork | Books are Magic | Amazon France | Powell’s | RJ Julia | Strand | Smith & Son Paris | Amazon UK | Archestratus | Politics and Prose | Vivienne Culinary Books | Book Passage | Elliot Bay | Village Books | East End Books | Indigo Canada | Amazon Australia | To be one of the first people to get a copy, pre-order your book today!

There’s a certain ease and simplicity to free-form tarts like this. Sometimes they’re called a crostata, sometimes a galette. You can call it whatever you want, but I call it a fast way to use great fruit when it’s in season, without a lot of fuss. At the beginning of summer, when rhubarb is still lingering around, and strawberries are elbowing their way forward, it’s a...

There’s a certain ease and simplicity to free-form tarts like this. Sometimes they’re called a crostata, sometimes a galette. You can call it whatever you want, but I call it a fast way to use great fruit when it’s in season, without a lot of fuss. At the beginning of summer, when rhubarb is still lingering around, and strawberries are elbowing their way forward, it’s a good thing the two go so well together. And I’m happy to help them hook up. I remember a neighbor had a big rhubarb plant in their backyard and we used to dip the raw stalks in a cup of sugar and eat them. (Somehow, we knew not to eat the leaves, which are toxic.) I still remember, not just the fact that you could get free food from the earth, but that something could have so much flavor. Some kids aren’t fond of things that are tangy but I’ve always loved the contrast of sweet and tart. Recently I was so excited to find such beautiful berries that I bought three big baskets of them. I made a little batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and another batch of Strawberry Vodka, both of which I hope will prolong the season…unlike this tart, which lasted not so long around here. I first learned to make tarts like this from Jacques Pépin, when he came to work with us and began his shift by rolling out dough for fruit tarts. He actually double-doughed his tarts, rolling out two rounds of dough, and sandwiching the fruit between the two. Being French, he brushed the top with lots of butter and liberally dusted the top with sugar. Today I usually make them open-faced, but do brush the crust with lots of butter and a generous sprinkling of sugar, which makes a crunchy crust, and is a nice contrast to the tender fruit-forward filling. When I posted a picture of this tart on social media, with a promise to share the recipe, a friend, Ann Mah, asked me how I dealt with all the juice from rhubarb, which can exude a moderate amount. Hothouse rhubarb is generally redder in color and holds its color better than field-grown rhubarb once baked. However, I’ve never found much of a correlation between if it’s grown indoors or out, and how much juice it exudes. That said, as insurance, I sprinkle the dough with a little bit of almond flour to absorb any errant juices. But I don’t mind things being a little bit messy; a friend’s Norwegian grandmother once told me that if pie doesn’t fall apart when you slice it, it’s not going to be any good. This tart slices nicely but tastes great. So you’re getting the best of both worlds here, in more ways than one. Print Strawberry Rhubarb Tart I often sprinkle a little almond flour on the tart dough, to soak up any extra juices that may come out of the fruit when it's baking. You can use cracker or bread crumbs, crumbled amaretti cookies, a bit of flour, or leave it out. For those who want to reduce the sugar, feel free to cut the sugar in the filling down to 1/2 cup (100g). For another variation, you could swap out fresh pitted cherries for the strawberries, or mix a basket or two of raspberries or blackberries with the rhubarb, in place of the strawberries. This tart is sometimes called a galette or crostata and is baked free-form. It could also be baked in a tart pan as well. Be sure to cover the baking sheet well if using parchment paper, to catch any juices that may run out during baking. I used an unrimmed baking sheet for this one but use a rimmed one if you want to make sure you're containing any errant juices. Servings 8 servings Ingredients For the tart dough 1 1/2 cups (210g) flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (4oz, 115g) unsalted butter cubed and chilled 6 tablespoons (90ml) ice water For the filling 3 cups (13oz, 380g) diced rhubarb (trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch, 2cm pieces) 2 cups (10oz, 300g) strawberries hulled and quartered zest of 1 lemon preferably unsprayed 2/3 cup (130g) sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch 2 tablespoons almond flour (optional) 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter turbinado or granulated sugar for finishing the tart Instructions To make the tart dough, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also make it in a food processor, or by hand, using a pastry blender.) Add the cold butter and mix until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Add the ice water and continue to mix just until the dough comes together. Gather the dough with your hands, shape it into a disk, wrap it plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Put the rhubarb and strawberries in a medium bowl with the lemon zest. Sprinkle the sugar and corn starch on top, but do not mix the ingredients together yet. (If you do, they'll start to juice and may be overly juicy by the time you're ready to use them.) Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºF). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 14-inch (36cm) circle and place it on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the almond flour over the tart dough, if using. Mix the fruit together with the sugar and corn starch and place the fruit into the center of the tart dough, then spread it with your hands, leaving 3-inch (8cm) of space between the fruit and the edge of the dough. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the fruit filling. Brush the crush liberally with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the tart until the filling is cooked and bubbling, and the crust is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide the tart off the baking sheet, onto a cooling rack. Notes Serving: Serve the tart on its own, or with Vanilla Ice Cream, White Chocolate and Fresh Ginger Ice Cream, or Cinnamon Ice Cream, or a dollop of crème fraîche. Storage: The unrolled dough can be refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen for up to two months. The baked tart is best the same day but can be stored at room temperature for up to two days. (The dough will get softer the longer it sits.)

Dinner in Paris generally starts at 8 pm, especially in restaurants, and I get ravenously hungry between lunch and dinner. Parisians do dine rather late – often not until 9:30 pm or later, and that’s an awfully long stretch. So French people visit their local pâtisserie for an afternoon snack, known as le goûter, although nowadays Parisians often call it le snack. Le snack is often...

Dinner in Paris generally starts at 8 pm, especially in restaurants, and I get ravenously hungry between lunch and dinner. Parisians do dine rather late – often not until 9:30 pm or later, and that’s an awfully long stretch. So French people visit their local pâtisserie for an afternoon snack, known as le goûter, although nowadays Parisians often call it le snack. Le snack is often nothing more than a buttery financier or a tender madeleine. At home, French children at home are often given a split piece of baguette with a bar of dark chocolate tucked inside to keep them happy until dinner. But my snack of choice is invariably les chouquettes: Cream puffs covered with crunchy nuggets of sugar, then baked until golden-brown. The eggy, pillowy puffs are piled uneventfully behind the counter and sold in crisp little paper sacks, each one holding about 100 grams, or about 10. I found that engaging the counter person in a few words of niceties will often mean that before the ends of the bag are twisted shut, an extra puff will be tossed in as a little gift for l’américain. Nothing is easier to make than chouquettes and you can bake them right with ingredients you likely already have on hand. The only thing you’ll need to find is pearl sugar, which gives the puffs their signature crunch. Some tell me you can buy it at Ikea stores, or you can find it at King Arthur or on Amazon. If you have sugar cubes, you can crush those up into rough chunks and use those, although they’re not quite the same. And if you’re like me, and like chocolate, you could press some chocolate chips into a few of the puffs before baking. This is one of my favorite of all French snacks and I can polish away a whole bag, or tray, in no time. These are best made and eaten right away, or later the same day – if they last that long! Print Chouquettes From The Sweet Life in Paris Shaping the mounds of dough is easiest to do with a pastry bag, although you can use two spoons or a spring-loaded ice cream scoop. Pearl sugar is available in the U.S .from King Arthur and at G. Detou in Paris, and is also available from French companies such as Daddy (called perles de sucre) and Vahiné (sucre chouquettes). You can approximate pearl sugar by crushing sugar cubes in a sturdy zip-top freezer bag with a rolling pin or hammer. Course Dessert Cuisine French Servings 6 servings Ingredients 1 cup (250ml) water 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons sugar 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter cut into small chunks 1 cup (140g) flour 4 large eggs at room temperature Glaze: 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon milk Pearl sugar Instructions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (220 C.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Depending on the size of your baking sheets, it may take two.) Heat the water, salt, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan, stirring, until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and dump all the flour in at once. Put the pan back on the heat and stir rapidly until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Allow dough to cool for two minutes, then briskly beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and shiny. Using two spoons, scoop up a mound of dough with one spoon roughly the size of an unshelled walnut, and scrape it off with the other spoon onto the baking sheet. You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip and pipe them. Place the mounds evenly-spaced apart on the baking sheet(s). Brush the top of each mound with some of the egg glaze then press the pearl sugar over the top and sides of each mound. Use a lot. Once the puffs expand rise, you’ll appreciate the extra effort (and sugar.) Bake the cream puffs until puffed and well-browned, about 25 to 30 minutes. If they get too dark midway through baking, lower the heat of the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and continue baking. (If you want to make them crispier, you can poke a hole in the side with a knife after you take them out of the oven to let the steam escape.) Notes Storage: The cream puffs are best eaten the same day they’re made. Once cooled, they can be frozen in a zip-top freezer bag for up to one month. Defrost at room temperature, then warm briefly on a baking sheet in a moderate oven, until crisp.

In some places, eggs are in short supply. For bakers, that may present a problem for us. But the folks at King Arthur Baking have provided an excellent guidelines to using egg substitutes, with tips for using everything from seltzer and flax seeds, to chickpea liquid and fruit puree, so you can keep on baking. Check out their detailed guide to egg substitutions guide here!

In some places, eggs are in short supply. For bakers, that may present a problem for us. But the folks at King Arthur Baking have provided an excellent guidelines to using egg substitutes, with tips for using everything from seltzer and flax seeds, to chickpea liquid and fruit puree, so you can keep on baking. Check out their detailed guide to egg substitutions guide here!

I’ve been on a marmalade bender lately. Well, it’s actually been for the last few weeks. Winter, of course, is marmalade season and the markets in Paris are heaped with citrus: Corsican clementines, pretty yellow bergamots, hefty pink grapefruits from Florida (although some infer appellations from elsewhere – namely, the Louvre), leafy lemons from Nice, and lots and lots of oranges. The stands are so...

I’ve been on a marmalade bender lately. Well, it’s actually been for the last few weeks. Winter, of course, is marmalade season and the markets in Paris are heaped with citrus: Corsican clementines, pretty yellow bergamots, hefty pink grapefruits from Florida (although some infer appellations from elsewhere – namely, the Louvre), leafy lemons from Nice, and lots and lots of oranges. The stands are so piled up that it’s not uncommon to be walking down the aisle and have an orange roll off of the piles and land on your foot. (Which is why it is a good idea to wash any fruit before you use it.) This means I’ve got so many jars of marmalade, that when my friend Luisa stopped by and saw the jars piled on top of a shelf in my bedroom, she said “I’ve doing the same thing ” at her apartment in Berlin. Sometimes I think jam-making could be classified as an epidemic and if so, there’s ample evidence that I’m ready for an intervention. While kumquats were once classified with their look-alike citrus brethren and sistern (admittedly, it can be hard to tell as it’s difficult to get a look under their navels), they are now placed in another genus category (Fortunella), even though they share many characteristics of citrus fruits. One of those characteristics is that they are winter fruits. And another is that they are très bon pour la santé (good for your health), containing lots of vitamin C. And they also make you feel happier, since not only does their tangy-bitter flavor brighten up even the darkest of winter day, nothing makes me happier than to wake up in the morning and gaze at my shelf of marmalade first thing in the morning. I was especially happy when I was doing my shopping at the outdoor market and came across a big bin of kumquats. I scooped up a nice-sized bag of them and brought them home, where they patiently waited in the refrigerator until I decided what to do with them. Originally I’d considered giving them a quick-candying and strewing them over poached prunes with a scoop of ice cream. But I ended up sticking my fingers into the bowl of prunes a few too many times during the week and ended up with a small puddle of cinnamon-spiced dark syrup pooled in the bottom of a container in my refrigerator, which I didn’t think would go with anything. So I decided to get out my little serrated knife, slice up my Fortunella fruits, and make marmalade. I added a couple of lemons not just to bulk it up, but because I thought with the added sugar, the marmalade would benefit from some extra acidity. I normally spoon my marmalades on morning toast, but after I made this batch, I had cleaned up the kitchen and was going to reward myself to a nice bowl of split pea soup for lunch with some Comté cheese and – like most good ideas (and a few of the bad ones) – it suddenly occurred to me that the tart marmalade might be nice with the nutty cheese I was cutting into batons. And sure enough, it was. Fortunately I have three nice jars of marmalade to add to my collection. So far this year I’ve made Seville orange marmalade (eight jars) and four jars of mixed marmalade, using the bergamots and citron that were plucked off a tree in Sicily. After all that slicing, seeding, and simmering, the last pot of marmalade has been jarred and stored; they’ll last me through the winter. And if I am prudent, a number of spring and summer mornings as well. Print Kumquat Marmalade Many of the little rings of kumquats will, unfortunately, come apart as you cook the marmalade. The reward, however, is gorgeous jars of tangy marmalade that you’ll be happy to spread on your morning toast or serve with a bit of cheese after dinner. I served mine with Comté, but a nice goat cheese or another nutty mountain cheese, like Gruyère, would pair nicely with it. It takes a bit of patience to slice and pluck out all the seeds from the kumquats, but you can get 2 to 3 jars of marmalade for your efforts. I use a small serrated knife to slice off the stem end, then start slicing the kumquats crosswise, until I get close to the center. Finally, I stick the tip of the knife into the area where the seeds are and slip them into a small bowl. Because the seeds are rather large, any that you miss you can usually find just by doing a little scanning of your pile of sliced kumquats. I use oval Nagami kumquats, which are more puckery than the round Meiwi kumquats, which you sometimes come across. Do try to get organic or unsprayed fruit from your local market or natural food store. The kirsch is optional, but it does nicely round out the flavor of the marmalade. You can substitute another liquor, such as gin, Grand Marnier or Cointreau, light rum, or a dash of brandy. Or it can be omitted, if you wish. Ingredients 2 lemons stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded, and very thinly sliced 1 pound (450g) kumquats stemmed, seeded, and sliced Reserve the seeds from the lemon and kumquats 5 1/2 cups (1.3L) water 2 cups (400g) sugar pinch of salt Optional: 1/2 teaspoon kirsch or other liquor Instructions Put the lemon slices in a large non-reactive pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lemons are translucent, about 5 minutes. Drain. (Discard the water.) Put the blanched lemons back in the pot. Tie the seeds from the lemons and kumquats securely in a piece of cheesecloth and add the seed sack to the pot along with the sliced kumquats and water. Bring to a boil; remove from heat, cover, and let stand 24 hours. The next day, put a small plate in the freezer. Add the sugar and salt to the pot, and cook the marmalade for 30 to 45 minutes over medium heat. Remove the bag of seeds and when it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze the seeds in the cheesecloth using your hands or place it in a ladle and press it with the back of a soup spoon (being careful not to break the fabric and release the seeds) over the jam pot to so the pectin goes directly into the marmalade mixture. Continue cooking until it has reached the jelling point, about 220ºF (104ºC) degrees, if using a candy thermometer. To test the marmalade, turn off the heat and put a small amount on the plate that has been chilled in the freezer and briefly return it to the freezer. Check it in a few minutes; it should be slightly jelled and will wrinkle a bit when you slide your finger through it. If not, continue to cook until it wrinkles slightly on the chilled plate when you nudge it. Remove from heat, then stir in the kirsch (if using), and ladle the mixture into clean jars. Notes Note: I store my jams and marmalades in a cool place, often the refrigerator if not planning to use them within a few weeks. if you wish to can or preserve them, you can check out these canning tips. Related Recipes Kumquat Marmalade (Recipe Girl) Kumquat Marmalade with Star Anise (Drizzle & Dip) Sunday Morning Kumquat Jam (Amateur Gourmet) Small Batch Kumquat Marmalade (Food in Jars) Maple Kumquat Marmalade (A Bloggable Feast)

Whenever I mention “Chocolate Chip Cookies,” this recipe seems to come up in the conversation. I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies all of my life, and am always happy to add new ones to my repertoire. I’ve made them with various kinds of flours, different types (and sizes) of chocolate, some with nuts (or cocoa nibs), and others without. In some cases, the salt in...

Whenever I mention “Chocolate Chip Cookies,” this recipe seems to come up in the conversation. I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies all of my life, and am always happy to add new ones to my repertoire. I’ve made them with various kinds of flours, different types (and sizes) of chocolate, some with nuts (or cocoa nibs), and others without. In some cases, the salt in the chocolate chip cookies may be in the butter, or sprinkled on top. Or there might be a double-dose of chocolate in them. But I haven’t done too much tinkering with the butter, because to me, that’s one thing that’s non-negotiable in chocolate chip cookies. But when I heard about tahini, my loyalty to butter was put into question. You (and I) can relax, because these chocolate chip cookies do use butter, but get an underlying richness from sesame paste, a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking that I always keep on hand. So although I thought I’d done everything possible that a man could do to a chocolate chip cookie, and then some, I was finally ready to tackle a batch of these chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is adapted from Modern Israeli Cooking by Danielle Oron, that also was in the New York Times. In addition to having everything on hand, they were easy to mix up, and the soft sesame paste made a dough that was hard not to snack on before the cookies went into the oven. I prefer to chop chocolate for chocolate chip cookies, rather than use conventional chocolate chips. I have nothing against chocolate chips, but most are made of what’s called baking-resistant chocolate, which is designed to hold their shape once baked. I like big, oozing chunks of chocolate in my chocolate chip cookies, and I don’t care so much what they look like, so much as how they taste. So I took a knife to a block of chocolate and made my own. Some makers are now producing what are called chocolate “chunks” which may or may not have similar qualities, but chopping a block of chocolate, while a bit messy, puts me in one of my happy places. And I’m happy to make my own chips, or chunks, I should say. These cookies were some of the best chocolate chip cookies that have ever come out of my oven, and I don’t say that lightly. The tahini gives them a gentle savory taste, with a faint musky flavor that pairs remarkably well with dark chocolate and a touch of salt, so don’t be afraid to use a very strongly flavored chocolate. I futzed with the original recipe a little, to make them chewier, and couldn’t resist adding even more chocolate. But can you blame me? Print Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies Adapted from Modern Israeli Cooking: 100 New Recipes for Traditional Classicsby Danielle Oron I used chopped chocolate, rather than chocolate chips, for these cookies since I wanted large chunks of oozing chocolate rather than little bits of chocolate here and there. (But feel free to use chips if you'd like.) Normally when I chop chocolate for cookies, I add any small bits and pieces on the cutting board along with the bigger chunks. But for these, I wanted distinct, more assertive pieces of chocolate, so I sorted through and just used large chunks, saving the smaller bits for another baking project. I baked these cookies in a larger size, then tried them in smaller portions, and give baking times for each. Whichever size you bake them in, since everyone's oven is different, it's important to use visual clues rather than rely on precise minutes and numbers to tell when they're done. Keep an eye on them during the final minutes of baking; the cookies are done when quite pale in the center and browned around the edges. Note that the dough is best when it rests in the refrigerator overnight. You could bake them sooner, if you just can't wait. Servings 18 Ingredients 8 tablespoons (115g, 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature 1/2 cup (120ml) tahini well stirred 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar 1/2 cup (90g) packed light brown sugar 1 large egg at room temperature 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150g) flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 2 cups (280g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips flaky sea salt such as Maldon or fleur de sel Instructions In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, tahini, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy. (The dough can also be made in a large mixing bowl, stirred with a spatula.) Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the egg, the yolk, and vanilla, and continue to mix for another minute, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl during mixing, to make sure the eggs are getting incorporated. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher or sea salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just combined, then add the chocolate chips. Do not overmix. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Form the cookies into rounds using an ice cream scoop, or your hands. For small cookies make each 1 1/2-inch (3,5cm), for larger cookies, make them 2-inches (5cm) round. Place them evenly spaced on the baking sheets, 3-inches (8cm) apart). Bake one sheet at a time, so you can keep an eye on them, in the middle rack of the oven. Bake the cookies, turning the baking sheet in the oven midway during baking, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but still pale in the center. For small cookies, about 12 minutes, for larger cookies, about 14 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle cookies with a bit of flaky sea salt, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. Bake the remaining cookies the same way. Notes Storage: These cookies will keep for two or three days at room temperature, but are definitely better the same day they're baked. The unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to one week, and frozen for up to two months. Notes: Nut and seeds butters, such as peanut and almond, have different oil content than tahini, and I don't think they could be swapped out. (If you do try it with another nut or seed butter, let us know how they come out in the comments.) For those looking for a chocolate chip cookie without tahini, check out these Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies or my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies in Ready for Dessert. Related Posts and Recipes Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies Tahini and Almond Cookies Baking Ingredients and Substitutions How to Make Tahini Ingredients for American Baking in Paris Soom Tahini (Amazon) Gluten-free baking and Substitutions

Starting in late December, pastry shops in Paris start jumping the gun, and windows and showcases begin filling up with Galettes des rois, or King Cake, in anticipation of the celebration of Epiphany, on January 6th. Because it’s such a popular treat, and lucrative for bakeries, the period of availability seems to extend a few more days every year and it’s not unusual for find...

Starting in late December, pastry shops in Paris start jumping the gun, and windows and showcases begin filling up with Galettes des rois, or King Cake, in anticipation of the celebration of Epiphany, on January 6th. Because it’s such a popular treat, and lucrative for bakeries, the period of availability seems to extend a few more days every year and it’s not unusual for find bakeries peddling them until the end of the month of January. It’s hard to blame them (and those of us who buy them) because they’re so good. Years ago, I used to bake them when I worked in restaurants, and they’re called Pithiviers, named for the town in the Loiret (south of Paris) where they allegedly originated. There are two kinds of King Cakes in France; one is layers of puff pastry filled with almond cream, and the other is a circular yeasted cake, more popular in the south of France, festooned with colorful, sticky candied fruit. Although the ones from the south look more festive, there’s something appealing about munching on flaky, buttery puff pastry with a layer of crème d’amandes stuffed inside. (Some use almond cream enriched with a bit of pastry cream, which is easier if you have a bakery, where pastry cream is often on hand.) The good thing about making your own is that you can dial up the almond filling. Plus every year, in addition to extending the period of availability, prices seem to nudge up and I’ve seen some jaw-dropping prices in bakery windows. On the other hand, some bakers get creative and use hazelnut or pistachio flour instead of almond, or perfume their galettes with rose, candied kumquats, and even chocolate. Taking liberties with tradition is a tricky thing in France as it’s not always a good idea to mess with a good thing, but it is tradition to bake a fève (bean) into the tart and whoever gets the bean (preferably a child – and crafty parents have learned to cut around the pieces to make sure a kid gets the trinket!) gets to be the roi (king) for the day and wear a gilded paper crown that bakeries often give with the galettes. Nowadays les fèves come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Cartoon characters are popular in France, as are French historical or religious figures. And upscale bakeries like Pierre Hermé, Ladurée, and Aoki, have annual fèves that change. Not only is it fun to see them, but some have become quite collectible. Elsewhere, it isn’t considered a wise idea (ie: hiding things in baked goods) that can be dangerous to young folks if swallowed, so if you want to join the tradition and add a fève, you should be more prudent and use a whole almond or a piece of dried fruit instead. Because who doesn’t want to be king for a day? (Even those of us who don’t completely enclose all of the filling!) Print Galette des rois When working with puff pastry, it’s important to keep it well-chilled and work quickly when rolling as it tends to get stubborn as it warms up. Keep the second piece in the refrigerator until after you’ve rolled out the first. After rolling, brush off any excess flour. And make sure to seal the edges really well to avoid the filling leaking out. NOTE/UPDATE: Speaking of leaking, every year I get a message from someone whose filling leaked out. It's very important to make sure the edges are well-sealed. Use plenty of water and do your best to ensure that the filling is very well enclosed. I'm unable to answer further questions on that subject as that's the best advice I can give you. Frozen puff pastry can often be found in the freezer section of well-stocked supermarkets. Avoid brand that list fats other than butter in the ingredients for best results. If you don’t want to use alcohol, simply omit it or use a few drops of orange flower water in its place. A few people noted in the comments that some of the butter ran out of the tart during baking. Although I don’t do it, some recipes advise that you can add 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch to the almond filling, which you are welcome to do as extra insurance. Ingredients Almond Filling 1 cup (100g) almond flour 1/2 cup (100g) sugar pinch salt zest of 1/2 orange unsprayed 3 1/2 ounces (100g, 7 tablespoons)) unsalted butter cubed, at room temperature 2 large eggs at room temperature 2 teaspoons rum 1/8 teaspoon almond extract 1 pound (450g) puff pastry divided in two pieces, chilled a whole piece of almond or candied fruit to be the fève Glaze 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon milk Instructions To make the almond filling, in a medium bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Mash in the butter until it’s completely incorporated. Stir in the eggs one at a time, along with the rum and almond extract. (The mixture may not look completely smooth, which is normal.) Cover and chill. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll one piece of puff pastry into a circle about 9 1/2-inches (23cm) round. Using a pot lid, plate, or bottom of springform pan as a template, trim the dough into neat circle. Place the dough on the baking sheet. Cover it with a sheet of parchment paper or plastic film, then roll the other piece of dough into a circle, trim it, and lay it on top. Chill the dough for thirty minutes. Remove the dough and almond filling from the refrigerator. Slide the second circle of dough and parchment or plastic from pan so that there is only one circle of dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch (3cm) exposed border. Place an almond or piece of candied fruit to act as the fève (prize) somewhere in the almond filling, if you wish. Brush water generously around the exposed perimeter of the dough then place the other circle of dough on top of the galette and press down to seal the edges very well. (At this point, you may wish to chill the galette since it’ll be a bit easier to finish and decorate, although it’s not necessary. It can be refrigerated overnight at this point, if you wish.) To bake the galette, preheat the oven to 375ºF (180ºC.) Flute the sides of the dough (as shown in the photo) and use a paring knife to create a design on top. Stir together the egg yolk with the milk and brush it evenly over the top – avoid getting the glaze on the sides, which will inhibit the pastry from rising at the edges. Use a paring knife to poke 5 holes in the top, to allow steam escape while baking. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the galette is browned on top and up the sides. (During baking, if the galette puffs up too dramatically in the oven, you may want to poke it once or twice again with a paring knife to release the steam.) Remove from the oven and slide the galette off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack. The galette will deflate as it cools, which is normal. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I’m somewhat of a grump about bread pudding. It’s not that I don’t like it, but to me, bread pudding is something you eat at home, like fruit salad. I don’t need someone cutting up a bowl of fruit for me nor do I need someone tearing up leftover bread and serving it forth. (And handing me a bill for it.) Bread pudding is home...

I’m somewhat of a grump about bread pudding. It’s not that I don’t like it, but to me, bread pudding is something you eat at home, like fruit salad. I don’t need someone cutting up a bowl of fruit for me nor do I need someone tearing up leftover bread and serving it forth. (And handing me a bill for it.) Bread pudding is home fare, but if you want to go out and shell out some big bucks for a bowl, that’s fine with me. But once you taste this one, I doubt you’ll find a better one anywhere. I was inspired to make it while paging through Autentico, by Rolando Beremendi, a terrific book on how to cook authentic Italian cuisine, without any preachy baggage. It’s fresh and modern. Sure he’s an evangelical for using the best Italian ingredients, but he makes his case by showcasing the beautiful products available in Italy (Rolando owns Manicaretti Italian food imports, which are sold at Market Hall Foods), such as Tuscan farro, which I used to make his Farro torta the other day, spicy peperoncino piccante (red pepper paste), Sicilian capers, and jars of honey that range in flavors from chestnut to eucalyptus, depending on availability. During the holidays, panettone starts showing up on the shelves at markets and food shops. But not just in Italy; panettone has become popular around the world. The sweet bread is usually studded with candied fruit, citrus zest, and raisins, which bakers often take in different directions, adding everything from chocolate to caramel. Rolando’s Budino de panettone intrigued me, using panettone as a base, topped with demerara sugar. So I used his budino as inspiration for this bread pudding, baked in a pan where brown sugar had been moistened with butter, so it creates a juicy, caramel-like topping, with the bonus of additional sauce to spoon over the bread pudding when it’s turned out. It’s not swimming in sauce but has just enough so that anyone who wants an extra spoonful can have one. And who doesn’t want an extra spoonful of sauce? It’s that time of the year, when you may be gifted one too many panettones (or panettoni). And while you might not think it’s possible to have too much panettone, this is a welcome reprieve from French toast or panettone ice cream, if you do find yourself with an overload of loaves. Print Panettone Bread Pudding Inspired by Autentico by Rolando Beremendi Because of the brown sugar, that makes a nice, caramel-like sauce while the bread pudding is baking, you've got some leeway with the granulated sugar. I used 1/2 cup (100g) in the custard, but you can dial it down to 1/4 cup (50g), or anywhere in between, since panettone is already sweetened. (And they vary in sweetness, too.) If you don't have panettone, you can make this bread pudding with brioche or challah. Since those breads aren't so sweet, I'd use 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar. I have a fairly heavy-duty square cake pan so I melted the butter and brown sugar together right in the pan on the stovetop. If your pan is flimsy, and you're concerned, you can cook the butter and brown sugar together in a saucepan, then pour it into your cake pan. Don't worry too much if the brown sugar is a bit thick and/or lumpy; once baked, it'll smooth out nicely. Servings 10 servings Ingredients 1 1/4 pounds (560g) panettone, cubed (about 9 cups) 3/4 cup (170g) packed light or dark brown sugar 6 large eggs at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar (see headnote) 3 cups (710ml) milk or half-and-half 3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter cubed Instructions Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spread the cubed panettone on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned, turning them over once or twice during baking, so they toast relatively evenly. They'll take about 20 minutes or so. While the panettone is toasting, warm the butter in a sturdy 9-inch (22cm) square cake pan over low heat on the stovetop with the the brown sugar, stirring until the butter is melted and the sugar is moistened. Use a spatula to coax it so it covers the bottom of the cake pan, with no bare spots. Remove from heat and set aside. Arrange the toasted panettone cubes evenly in the cake pan. Whisk the eggs together in a medium bowl with the vanilla extract, salt, and granulated sugar. Gradually whisk in the milk until well-combined. Pour the custard over the panettone cubes and press down gently to make sure all the bread cubes are soaking in the custard. Put the cake pan in a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and fill the larger pan with hot water so it reaches halfway up the outsides of the cake pan. Bake the bread pudding until it feels barely set in the center, but don't overcook it, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, and wearing oven mitts, carefully lift the bread pudding out of the water bath and set it on a cooling rack. If serving it warm, let the bread pudding cool for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the bread pudding from the pan and set a large serving platter or rimmed baking sheet upside down over the bread pudding. Grasping both the cake pan and serving platter, simultaneously turn both over, being careful to avoid getting any of the warm brown sugar sauce on you. Remove the cake pan, and cut into squares for serving. Notes Serving: Some like their bread pudding warm, but this one is equally good at room temperature, or even chilled. You can serve it on its own, with a pour of heavy cream (or whipped cream), or a scoop of your favorite ice cream, such as Vanilla Ice Cream or Cinnamon Ice Cream. I served mine with Sorghum Ice Cream. Storage: You can refrigerate the baked bread pudding for up to three days. If you want to make it in advance, you can store it in the cake pan, then unmold it before serving.

I’ve been pondering what, if anything, I should close out the year with. In the past, I’ve written down my thoughts here, which I spent the last couple of days pondering. Reading and re-reading what I wrote, I realized that I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to say. And if I couldn’t figure it out, I didn’t feel like I should inflict that on...

I’ve been pondering what, if anything, I should close out the year with. In the past, I’ve written down my thoughts here, which I spent the last couple of days pondering. Reading and re-reading what I wrote, I realized that I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to say. And if I couldn’t figure it out, I didn’t feel like I should inflict that on you. But I knew one thing for sure: I had a lot of panettone on hand. It’s been a great year in a lot of ways. The book I’d been working on for nearly two years came out, and a revised and updated cookbook that’s turning ten years old in March will be released in the spring. I also got to spend time with family members that I haven’t seen in a while. And doing so in 90ºF weather, in November, ain’t bad either. One of the best articles I’ve read this year was How to Beat Decision Fatigue. It’s estimated we make 35,000 decisions a day, 226 of which are about food. And I can safely say that I could probably multiply that number by four or five. (Don’t even get me started on how many times I agonize over just buying a plane ticket.) All the thinking, and overthinking that we do – is it worth it? I don’t know, but I’ve decided to do what I can to make fewer decisions in the upcoming year. This year ended with a flurry of travel on book tour. Not only was I struck by how great it was to meet many of you, but so were the people at the venues hosting my events. During a podcast interview, I realized that I’ve been blogging for nearly twenty years. It started off as being a place to share stories and recipes, some goofy (haiku about Italian candy), to thoughts after I lost a good friend. Things have changed, such as I finally got someone to set up a printing option for recipes (thanks, Emily!), but most of the tech stuff that needs to be added, or that needs to be updated every year, sails right over my head. So I have to hunker down and figure it out. But I consider myself fortunate. When a recipe I’m testing doesn’t work, or I make a goof in the kitchen or screw up the tech stuff, I think about how many people don’t even have food to eat or electricity. And here I am, worried about a lopsided tart crust or a missing apostrophe. So I’m ending the year being thankful for having food on my table, and to everyone in my life, including you, my readers, for sticking around. French Toast, which the French call Pain perdu (lost bread), doesn’t involve that much decision-making. But when I got an unexpected gift of several types of panettone, I made French toast with some of my bounty. So I’m ending this year on a simpler note than I thought. Recently heard something while idling through tv stations in a hotel room on my book tour. It was from the great Judith Sheindlin, otherwise known as Judge Judy. She was presiding over two people who had a problem with each other, which they carried over into social media. As the two people resumed bickering in front of her, she quickly cut them off (as she famously does), and said, “And I thought social media was supposed to bring people together!?” In spite of all the noise, and sometimes disagreeing, I’m glad we’re still together, after all these years. Print Panettone French Toast If you don't have panettone, substitute thick slices of another egg-enriched bread, such as brioche or challah. Course Breakfast Servings 2 servings Ingredients 2 large eggs 6 tablespoons whole milk 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch salt 4 slices panettone about 1 1/4-inch (4cm) thick) butter for frying the French toast Instructions In a wide, shallow bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together with a fork until well-combined. Place the slices of bread in the custard and gently press them down to help the bread absorb the custard, then turn them over the do the same to the other side of the bread. Heat a good-sized pat of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the custard-soaked slices of bread to the pan and cook until they're browned on the bottom, about a minute. Turn the slices of bread over and fry on the other side until browned on the bottom. Notes Serving: Serve the French toast warm from the skillet with maple syrup, agave nectar, or your favorite topping for breakfast. (Blueberry compote or sauteed apples are also nice.) A little pat of butter could also go on top as well. It can be served for dessert, as the French do, which is called pain perdu (lost bread), along with a scoop of ice cream and some caramel sauce.

It’s that time of year again. And that only means one thing: time to start thinking about the holiday baking. In Paris, bakery windows fill up with Bûches de Noël (Yule log cakes) and bourriches (wooden crates) of oysters are piled up at the markets. The chocolate shops are crammed with people, buying multiple boxes as gifts, and people splurge on caviar and Champagne, one of the...

It’s that time of year again. And that only means one thing: time to start thinking about the holiday baking. In Paris, bakery windows fill up with Bûches de Noël (Yule log cakes) and bourriches (wooden crates) of oysters are piled up at the markets. The chocolate shops are crammed with people, buying multiple boxes as gifts, and people splurge on caviar and Champagne, one of the few things that go on sale in France during the holidays. One thing you don’t see is the use of pumpkin in desserts. A tart or pie (or ice cream) made of squash might sound funny, especially to non-Americans, but helps to remember that pumpkins, and other squash, are technically fruit. One could also point out the classic Swiss Chard Tart from Provence (which is in a whole other category), and Melanzane al cioccolato, eggplant with chocolate sauce, which I like. (Which one could argue is good because it’s smothered in dark chocolate.) But I don’t think everything goes with chocolate: A friend tried the hot chocolate with oysters at a famed chocolate shop in Paris, and after her description, I wasn’t rushing over there to try a cup. To get that last image out of your mind, I present pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan praline sauce, that has nothing not to like about it. Cream cheese and sour cream, a buttery cookie crust, and a brown sugar and bourbon-tinged sauce loaded with crunchy pecans. I’m in. DIYers may raise an eyebrow at using canned pumpkin. I’ve got a few reasons for using it. (And as many of you perhaps know, it’s not made from pumpkin, but a variety of squash similar to butternut squash.) One, is that when writing a recipe, it’s easy to get consistent, similar results when we’re all using the same ingredient. And two, it’s a heckuva lot easier, which is appreciated around the holidays when all of us have enough on our plates, and in our ovens, and it’s fewer dishes to wash to boot. If you want to go the other route, you can also make your own cream cheese and Graham crackers, grow your own pecans, churn up your own butter, and make your own cake pan. If you do go that route, let me know when your cheesecake is done ; ) In the meantime, I’m standing over my stove, stirring warm, just-toasted pecans into my praline sauce before lacing it with a dash of bourbon. The praline sauce is decidedly on the sweet side. But that didn’t stop me (like, at all…) from dipping my spoon into it over and over and over again. Be sure to toast the pecans before using them. My pet-peeve in restaurants is when they don’t toast nuts. Toasting any nut usually improves it by at least 99%, if not more, so if you’re not consistently toasting your nuts before using them on salads, sauces, and in ice creams, start doing it now. It’s not too late. But I can’t imagine this cheesecake being served without it. Although I could imagine eating the sauce without the cheesecake. And if you’re anything like me, you might find yourself spooning it over ice cream, ladling it over pumpkin pie (without the marshmallow topping), or even spooning it right into your mouth, like I do. Print Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce If using canned pumpkin, make sure that you don't use canned pumpkin pie 'filling' (which is sweetened and spiced); use canned pumpkin that is 100% pumpkin puree. If you want to make sugar pumpkin puree yourself, you can split a sugar pumpkin (or butternut squash) in half and scrape out the seeds. Butter the cut side of the pumpkin and bake cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 375ºF/190ºC oven until very tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and puree in a blender or food processor, or pass it through a food mill. If you want to balance the sweetness of the sauce, you could add a scant teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to it, or to taste. Conversely, adding more liquor will take the edge off as well. Outside of the U.S., I often use speculoos cookies in place of the Graham crackers for the crust. If you go that route, you might want to reduce the butter in the crust by about 20% since speculoos cookies tend to be more buttery than Graham crackers. I use a glass-bottom springform pan for cheesecakes, which makes serving them much easier. Servings 12 servings Ingredients For the crust 1 1/2 cups (180g) Graham cracker crumbs 4 tablespoons (60g) melted butter 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon For the pumpkin cheesecake filling Three 8-ounce (680g) packages cream cheese at room temperature 1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar grated zest one lemon preferably unsprayed 4 large eggs at room temperature One 15-ounce (425g) canned pumpkin puree 1/2 cup (125g) sour cream or whole-milk plain yogurt 1 tablespoon cornstarch or 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves pinch of salt Pecan praline sauce 3/4 cup (105g) packed light or dark brown sugar 1/2 cup (125ml) heavy cream 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter 1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 1/4 cup (60ml) bourbon 1 1/2 cups (160g) pecans toasted and coarsely chopped 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions To make the crust, in a medium bowl, mix the Graham cracker crumbs together with the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until the crumbs are thoroughly moistened. Butter a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan then press the crumbs evenly across the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Bake the crust until it feels set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Turn the oven down to 325ºF (165ºC). To make the filling, in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand, in a large bowl), beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon zest, until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer between each addition to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, then add the pumpkin puree, sour cream, cornstarch or flour, and vanilla extract, along with the spices and salt. Line the outside bottom of the springform pan with foil so it reaches all the way up to the top of the outside of the pan. If you have to use several pieces, I recommend triple-wrapping it to prevent leaking or water getting in the cake pan. (Better yet, use extra-wide foil, so you only need one sheet.) Scrape the mixture into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Place the cheesecake in a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, then add very warm water to the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the cake pan. Bake the cheesecake in the oven until the center looks just slightly set, but not wet and sloshy in the center when you jiggle the pan. I start checking the cheesecake at the 50 minute mark, as it usually takes about 50 minutes to 1 hour, but may take up to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, then remove the cake from the water bath and let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Make the pecan praline sauce by heating the brown sugar, cream, butter, maple syrup and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently. Let boil for 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat and add the bourbon, pecans, and vanilla. Notes Serving: Run a sharp knife around the outside of the cheesecake to release it from the springform pan, then remove the sides of the pan. Dip the knife in warm water, wipe it dry, and use it to cut clean slices from the cheesecake. Serve with a ladleful of warm sauce poured over it. If the sauce gets too thick upon standing, you can thin it with milk or water. Storage: The baked or unbaked crust can be made up to three days ahead and stored at room temperature (if baked), or refrigerated (unbaked). It can also be frozen either baked or unbaked for 2-3 months. The baked cheesecake will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Related Recipes and Links Dulce de leche cheesecake Ingredients for American Baking in Paris Pumpkin Ice Cream Cheesecake Maple Pumpkin Flan Homemade Graham Crackers (Smitten Kitchen) Homemade bourbon (Bourbon of the Day) Homemade salt (Ruhlman)

For people who, like, totally love food.

These pimento cheese fries are phenomenal – such a simple treat but one that is so indulgently delicious! Crispy waffle fries topped with melty pimento cheese, a shower of fresh chives and served with pickles. DELISH. Welcome to your most delicious fabulous trashy weekend recipe. Pimento cheese fries are everything you want them to be: […]

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These pimento cheese fries are phenomenal – such a simple treat but one that is so indulgently delicious! Crispy waffle fries topped with melty pimento cheese, a shower of fresh chives and served with pickles. DELISH. Welcome to your most delicious fabulous trashy weekend recipe. Pimento cheese fries are everything you want them to be: crispy, cheesy, melty, gooey, topped with herbs and absolutely inhale-able. Is that a word? It is now. Because you will probably want to inhale these. They are stupidly easy and so freaking good. I’m actually mad I haven’t made them before! It all starts with pimento cheese, and this is my favorite recipe. When I make this, our friends and family go NUTS. I love that it’s so simple to make, you can make it ahead of time, it makes a rather generous batch and it lasts in the fridge. It’s basically the best make-ahead snack ever. You can dip chips or pretzels or veggies in it. You can use it as a spread. And you know I’ve made a whole host of things with this, like crispy chicken tacos, grilled cheese, deviled eggs, grilled chicken sandwiches, poppers with jalapeno ranch, BLTs, grits and even quiche. Truly, it’s a delicious cheesy dip/spread that you can add to almost anything. And I love that! Remember when I made these cheesy pizza fries? My 10 year old suggested them and said I just HAD to make them. And he is the one that told me to use waffle fries! The waffle fries are a game changer here because they actually hold the cheese. Since pimento cheese has a base of cream cheese, it will melt a little wonky. It’s not necessarily stringy and gooey, but it more so just melts into a delicious cheese blanket. Hello, can I sleep under a cheese blanket? Thank you. My secret for using frozen fries is this: roast the heck out of them at a high temperature. This way, they get super crispy. Of course, keep your eye on them. I bake at no lower than 450 degrees F. And I bake for waaaaay longer than recommended. Again, keep an eye on them though! To make these, you want the fries fully cooked and crisped before adding the cheese. It only takes a few minutes to melt – so you want the pan of fries ready to go! Then it’s super easy to I like to shower the cheese fries with lots of fresh chives. It gives a little bright refreshing pop. Pickles are also amazing on the side, especially if you’re a pickle freak like I am! (more…) The post Pimento Cheese Fries. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

A little late on my March reads for you! Oh my gosh – I hate that I missed sharing last month so we’re combining. I had a lot going on with the release of Easy Everyday an just couldn’t get to it. But! The good news is that I have read a TON of great […]

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A little late on my March reads for you! Oh my gosh – I hate that I missed sharing last month so we’re combining. I had a lot going on with the release of Easy Everyday an just couldn’t get to it. But! The good news is that I have read a TON of great books the last two months. Like so many good ones. And now, we’re into my favorite book release months – summer reads have always been my favorite – and I couldn’t be more excited. And hear about what you’re reading! I do have a book of the month membership – I love it so much. I read SO many books from this box. I get so many of my new releases and debut author books there. You can sign up for one here. Most of these books are linked through bookshop (if available!) and I highly suggest shopping through there because it will support your local indie bookstore. You can choose the local bookstore to support! I support Penguin Books when I buy which is my fave here in Pittsburgh. Okay, keep me posted on what you’re reading below! WHAT I READ IN MARCH & APRIL 2025 Promise Me Sunshine – 3.5 stars A book of the month pick for me. I almost didn’t read this because it deals with best friends + cancer (still scarred from Firefly Lane 17 years later, you know?), but I am so glad I did. the main character loses her best friend and is in a sea of grief. She finds comfort in an unexpected person who says he will help her complete her “to live” bucket list. This was so sweet – Miles, the main male character – is just wonderful an SUCH a good guy. I really enjoyed it. You Between The Lines – 4 stars Another book of the month find! We have two aspiring writers who have known each other since high school attending the same program. I love a second chance romance and this has some enemies to lovers in it too. These characters are super real and I loved how they turned out in the end. I highlighted SO many lines in this book. Say You’ll Remember Me – 5 stars Oh my gosh – this is heart wrenching and wonderful and I can’t even tell you how much I loved it. We have a date between the perfect guy Xavier and Samantha who is in the midst of a family crisis. She can’t really get involved with anyone at the moment. But these two have *so much* there between them. But! These two have so much going against them it’s crazy. There is a family illness trigger here and that was hard for me, but not enough to skip one of my favorite author’s books! Fun For The Whole Family – 5 stars I live for a family drama!! They are some of my favorite books. In this one, we follow four siblings, some are a mess, and there are secrets too. This had me all over the place – the siblings are estranged, but come back together and then get stuck together. If you haven siblings, you will get so much of this and there is a ridiculous amount of feeling in all of it. Lots of nostalgia here! Passion Project – 4 stars Another book of the month box find! This is SO cute. We follow Bennet who is deep in grief, has no desire date, and stands Henry up. He suggests that they take on a project of doing fun and exciting things as friends and it is exciting! I loved the slow burn of this book and SO much of it is real and relatable. I loved the ending and the characters are fabulous. Famous Last Words – 4 stars This is a domestic thriller and oh boy did it keep me guessing. A literary agent wakes up to a weird note from her husband and then later finds out that he is the one holding people hostage. This sucked me in instantly and couldn’t wait to find out what happened! It’s full of twists and turns and is shocking, even if a few moments are a little predictable! Count My Lies – 3.75 stars I definitely needed another thriller the last few weeks! I got this in my book of the month box. In this book, we follow Sloane who tells a lie and ends up as a nanny for a super rich family. Lots of twists in this one and the family isn’t what you think! I couldn’t put it down. Great Big Beautiful Life – 5 stars Emily Henry can do no wrong in my book and this was another winner for me. Her writing is just SO incredibly relatable for me. This story follows two writers who have the chance to tell a tabloid star’s life story. Oh my gosh, this gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes which is probably my favorite book of all time. I LOVED the every character, the story is a bit drawn out but in the best way possible. The ending is good. The whole book is not as romancy as her others, but I didn’t even need that. I loved it. Cash – 4 stars This is the first in a series but they don’t necessarily have to be read in order… though it does help because the ending is a little cliffhanger! These are like cowboy country spicy romance books, haha. I liked them and thought they were cute. Cash is about the oldest son and the daughter of the man who became a father figure to him. She inherits the ranch and it is a serious enemies to lovers trope, which I love. Wyatt – 4 stars This is the second in the series and it’s just as cute. Wyatt is another one of the brothers and this is a friends to lovers trope. Equally as cute. He and his best friend who have always been in love with each other (but neither has known) agree to fake date. Lots of tropes in these books, ha! Still very spicy but you just need to be prepared going in. If you’re a Yellowstone fan you will like these. Sawyer – 4 stars The third book just came out last week! They are such quick fun reads. This one follows Sawyer who is a single dad and our trope in this book is single dad meets single mom. Very cute! Each one of the boys has an attitude of super grumpy, or super funny or the realistic one. The books are so predictable but I love how easy they are to read and the characters are all mostly great! Just finished it yesterday. Story of My Life – 3 stars Lucy Score started a new series set in Story Lake an this is book one. I have to say that at this start of this book, I was soooo turned off by the main character, who was in a downward spiral of life and just living very… gross. I had a hard time getting past it! But then it gets cute and she (a romance writer) buys an old house (without seeing it) and a family of brothers do the renovations. Sparks fly, of course. It’s a funny little town, sort of having a Stars Hollow Vibe! Another enemies to lovers trope. Care and Feeding Loved this memoir even though it was hard to read at time. It was my favorite from March. The author worked with both Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali and lived a very interesting life, albeit quite chaotic at times. She is a great writer and I laughed out loud many times! The post What I Read in March and April 2025. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Sharing 30 favorite tacos and margaritas here! Lots of delicious tex-mex options with tons of delicious margaritas for the side! Tacos and margaritas coming in hot today! Today I’m sharing over 30 of my favorite tacos and margaritas! A bunch of delicious tex-mex options, all paired with some of my favorite margaritas that I’ve made […]

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Sharing 30 favorite tacos and margaritas here! Lots of delicious tex-mex options with tons of delicious margaritas for the side! Tacos and margaritas coming in hot today! Today I’m sharing over 30 of my favorite tacos and margaritas! A bunch of delicious tex-mex options, all paired with some of my favorite margaritas that I’ve made here on the blog. Since anything tex-mex is basically a staple of our weekly menu, I have tons of dishes that I absolutely love. Some days we do tacos, sometimes it’s enchiladas, often it’s a version of a burrito bowl and I can always go for a sheet pan nacho situation. I mean, who wouldn’t?! And! I’m a bit partial to the bubbly jam margaritas below but also ADORE my classic margarita recipe that I’ve been making for over a decade. It’s just so darn good. Scroll down and let me know what your pick would be! I’m thinking bang bang cauliflower tacos for tonight… 35+ Favorite Tacos and Margaritas Bang bang cauliflower tacos Sheet pan roasted shrimp tacos Summer carnitas tacos Grilled fish tacos Weeknight baked ground turkey tacos Summer salmon tacos Honey chipotle shrimp tacos Crispy cheese breakfast tacos Our favorite ground beef tacos Sheet pan lime shrimp fajitas (more…) The post 35+ Of My Favorite Tex Mex and Margarita Recipes! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

These crispy baked cheeseburger quesadillas are a huge favorite in our house. Crispy flour tortillas filled with cheddar cheeseburger beef, topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles onions and the best burger sauce ever. Here’s an embarrassingly easy meal for you today!  These baked cheeseburger quesadillas are so highly requested in our house. The cripiest tortillas, cheeseburger […]

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These crispy baked cheeseburger quesadillas are a huge favorite in our house. Crispy flour tortillas filled with cheddar cheeseburger beef, topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles onions and the best burger sauce ever. Here’s an embarrassingly easy meal for you today! These baked cheeseburger quesadillas are so highly requested in our house. The cripiest tortillas, cheeseburger filling with sharp cheddar, topped with refreshing romaine, juicy tomatoes and the tangiest pickled onions. All finished with a drizzle of house sauce! This is such an easy weeknight meal, a great happy hour snack, a fun late night treat or even something you can share for an easy lunch! This is a cheater sort of recipe. I’ve already shared with you how I make crispy baked cheeseburger tacos and cheeseburger tostadas. The combo is just so good! It’s something I make often for the kids. Eddie also loves the cheeseburger flavor. And it feels a little lighter than eating an actual cheeseburger. I like to use ground turkey or beef, sharp cheddar, lots of lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions and of course – how sweet eats house sauce. The house sauce is my everything. I make this almost once a week. It’s like my version of chick fil-a sauce and it’s delicious. Super creamy, a little tangy. You can dip basically anything in it. Or drizzle it on anything from burgers to bowls to potatoes to pizza and more. It’s super versatile and makes the meal feel ever more special! The baked quesadilla is my go-to today, and here’s why: it is SO easy to feed a crowd. You can make multiple large quesadillas at once, as opposed to making just one at a time in a skillet. There is no sketchy flipping – the fillings will not fall out when you gently flip. (more…) The post Crispy Baked Cheeseburger Quesadillas. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

1. This lime chiffon pie is blowing my mind. 2. I came across some of the tiktok food trends and I am floored. Why are people eating cornstarch? Icing straight from the can until it’s gone? I feel so old. 3. I think I need museum gel to organize my utensil drawers. 4. Speaking of, […]

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1. This lime chiffon pie is blowing my mind. 2. I came across some of the tiktok food trends and I am floored. Why are people eating cornstarch? Icing straight from the can until it’s gone? I feel so old. 3. I think I need museum gel to organize my utensil drawers. 4. Speaking of, I need some sort of kitchen charging station too. Help! 5. Oh also: I think a kitchen junk drawer is a must in every house. 6. I am intrigued by the coconut water americano. 7. TV things!! Still loving friends and neighbors, also started the new season of You and it’s just… meh. 8. What to do when your cup is empty. The post Tuesday Things. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

A peek at everything I loved in April 2025! FOOD Caprese cottage cheese toast in Easy Everyday. I could truly eat this… everyday! Can’t get enough. Gomacro bars. My favorite find of the month! Chobani birthday cake creamer. I don’t go crazy over flavored creamers like I did in my 20s,  but this one is […]

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A peek at everything I loved in April 2025! FOOD Caprese cottage cheese toast in Easy Everyday. I could truly eat this… everyday! Can’t get enough. Gomacro bars. My favorite find of the month! Chobani birthday cake creamer. I don’t go crazy over flavored creamers like I did in my 20s, but this one is SO good. It truly tastes like birthday cake. Best iced latter ever. Dill pickle pistachio snack packs. Was very excited to find these since the salt and vinegar ones are a snack staple. HOME Waterproof outdoor rug. I have one of these on our deck and it’s the best. White serving trays. ‘Tis the season for outdoor entertaining! I got these to carry food out for our dinners on the deck and I love ’em! Stone car coasters. I probably mentioned these way back in the day, but they are something I can’t live without in my car. They instantly absorb any liquid and they are great if you like to get iced coffee. Gel car air freshener. Speaking of car things, I stick one of these under my seat and love it. It doesn’t have a strong fragrance but it does absorb odors. Perfect for the sports/kid mobile. BEAUTY Georgio Armani liquid blush. The cool pink and coral pinch have been in my rotation constantly. Sometimes I use both and mix them! Laneige Glaze Craze lip balm in strawberry sprinkles. Adore how foolproof and cool toned this is. I want one in every bag. Ouai St Bart’s leave in conditioner. Emilia and I both have been using this. It smells so wonderful – such a good summer scent. Dry Bar big hair besties. My current favorite velcro rollers. They give so much volume up top! FASHION Oura ring. This is a repeat fave but I LOVE my ring. It’s ugly and I hate how it looks, but it tells me so much useful info. I adore it. Frame slim palazzo jeans. I hate that I’m listing another expensive item here but let me tell you… best jeans I’ve tried in YEARS. I probably haven’t bought a pair I loved in 10 years. This is it!!! They are so stretchy and soft. Straw sweatband visor. Funny I’m listing this in “fashion” too… but these are my favorite visors since they have removable sweatbands. They are awesome! MEDIA Ransom Canyon. I’m such a sucker for soapy dramas like this. It’s like Yellowstone + Virgin River. I loved it! Great Big Beautiful Life. No surprise here… Emily Henry’s new book was definitely my favorite of the month! It’s so good. KIDS Kids slip on sneakers. Jordan LOVES these because he can so easily slip them on himself. They are his play shoes for outside and definitely his favorites. Giant Connect 4. The kids got this for Easter to have out by the pool. It’s one of their favorite games so we are super pumped! Polarized sunglasses. Max and Emilia don’t really go outside without sunglasses. I always get each a pair + one extra so we always have them on hand! Their eyes are sensitive and they love these ones. [none of this is sponsored, i just love to tell you what i love every month! there are a few general affiliate links above! xo] The post April Favorites. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This broccoli cheddar frittata souffle is so easy and delicious, making it the perfect breakfast for dinner meal! It comes together quickly and the whole broccoli cheddar combo is always a hit! This is how I like to do breakfast for dinner. This broccoli cheddar frittata souffle is so perfect when you want a cheesy […]

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This broccoli cheddar frittata souffle is so easy and delicious, making it the perfect breakfast for dinner meal! It comes together quickly and the whole broccoli cheddar combo is always a hit! This is how I like to do breakfast for dinner. This broccoli cheddar frittata souffle is so perfect when you want a cheesy egg bake for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can make it ahead of time, enjoy it warm or cold and it tastes absolutely amazing. I know that I just told you last week how I find different ways to make broccoli for my family. We all love it and it’s easily our number one vegetable. So here’s another! Melty cheese, baked eggs and chopped broccoli with all the flavor in the world. It’s such a huge hit over here. I really wanted to get this to you in time for Easter but with the release of Easy Everyday, I got behind! Before I knew it, the holiday had passed and I didn’t get to share this recipe that we adore. But! The good news is that I don’t even make this for holidays! I truly make it for dinner. Or the occasional brunch. See, this is by far my favorite way to make a frittata. And it’s pretty much the only way I make them now! There is also a new one in Easy Everyday, just FYI. The souffle element is so easy and doesn’t take much time at all. You seperate the eggs, whip the whites and then fold the whites into the egg filling. It’s simpler and once you’ve done it once, it’s ridiculously easy. So easy, in fact, that unless I’m incredibly pressed for time, it’s the only way I make a frittata. It adds so much – the texture is cloudlike. It’s soft and perfectly chewy. The frittata rises higher and doesn’t fall too much, which is excellent for feeding hungry kids. It reminds me more of a quiche even though it doesn’t have a crust. This is how it comes together: I start the broccoli in the skillet so it can soften a little bit. Just a bit! Then, I separate the eggs. The yolks go into one large bowl and I add the cheese and herbs. In a smaller bowl, I whip the whites with a hand mixer until peaks form. Then, I fold the whites into the yolk mixture gently but thoroughly. Make sure you’re only folding and it’s all incorporated! Next, I pour it in the buttery pan with the broccoli. Cook it for a few minutes. Top with more cheese. Then transfer it to the oven where it rises like magic! Finally, when it comes out of the oven I throw on some arugula or microgreens. Deeeeelish. (more…) The post Broccoli Cheddar Frittata Souffle. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Another spring week! To me this just looks like… allergies! Ha. Springtime scoot. And playground picnic. My tennis girly, always happy. She loves the mermaid waves in her hair. Cutest boy! He had a little easter party at school. Max was in our school’s play! They did Aladdin! Jordan was super pumped. Most excited about […]

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Another spring week! To me this just looks like… allergies! Ha. Springtime scoot. And playground picnic. My tennis girly, always happy. She loves the mermaid waves in her hair. Cutest boy! He had a little easter party at school. Max was in our school’s play! They did Aladdin! Jordan was super pumped. Most excited about the umbrella. This was so cute! He had it all weekend. So cute and fun! And now there are only like 20 days of school left. Sunday pita. I love this life! The post A Week In The Life, Vol 17. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Here’s a fun menu for your week! What’s on your menu this week? What To Eat This Week Hot ginger salmon salad Crispy cheesy chicken tacos Crispy rice broccoli salad Smoked sausage sheet pan tortellini Grilled chicken avocado orzo Crispy potato and gruyere pizza. Greek orzo salad in a jar S’mores overnight oats

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Here’s a fun menu for your week! What’s on your menu this week? What To Eat This Week Hot ginger salmon salad Crispy cheesy chicken tacos Crispy rice broccoli salad Smoked sausage sheet pan tortellini Grilled chicken avocado orzo Crispy potato and gruyere pizza. Greek orzo salad in a jar S’mores overnight oats The post What To Eat This Week: 4/27/25. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Happy weekend! Thank you for continuing to make the launch Easy Everyday absolutely amazing . If you haven’t got your book yet, you can order here! There is a big giveaway happening on instagram and another happening in our facebook cookbook club! This week on the blog, I shared a few of recipes to make with your leftover […]

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Happy weekend! Thank you for continuing to make the launch Easy Everyday absolutely amazing . If you haven’t got your book yet, you can order here! There is a big giveaway happening on instagram and another happening in our facebook cookbook club! This week on the blog, I shared a few of recipes to make with your leftover hardboiled eggs. I also shared this crispy rice salad with broccoli, recipes for kentucky derby weekend and crispy cheesy chicken tacos! There’s a new menu for the week and a new peek inside our everyday life. You can find all my favorites in my amazon store front and LTK shop! xo WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK Lemon poppy seed cake looks amazing. And strawberry crunch cake too! Migas are one of my faves. Craving these sesame ginger pork bowls. White chocolate macadamia cookies. Fave! This lemon pistachio cake is perfect. Lime curd cookies. Wow! This buttermilk marinated chicken sounds fantastic. Lemon ricotta pancakes are a dream. Want to try this hearts of palm salad. Hissy fit dip. Going to make this! The ultimate shrimp salad. Cherry moscow mule mocktails! Definitely trying brazilian cheese bread. The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Eat to Live. Cook to Love.

How much grapefruit is too much grapefruit? Asking for a friend (hi, it’s me, I’m the friend). Because this flavor-packed bundt uses two entire grapefruits, including the zest and the juice as well as grapefruit extract in the cake itself, which is then soaked with a flavor-packed grapefruit cordial and drizzled with a grapefruit glaze […]

The post Grapefruit Olive Oil Bundt Cake (with Greek Yogurt) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

How much grapefruit is too much grapefruit? Asking for a friend (hi, it’s me, I’m the friend). Because this flavor-packed bundt uses two entire grapefruits, including the zest and the juice as well as grapefruit extract in the cake itself, which is then soaked with a flavor-packed grapefruit cordial and drizzled with a grapefruit glaze to top it all off. Made with olive oil and greek yogurt for flavor, moisture and tang, with a plush, pound cake-like texture and subtle notes of extra virgin olive oil that perfectly compliment the bright grapefruit flavor, it’s the perfect springtime bake to mark the transition from winter to spring! And did I mention that since it’s an oil-based cake, you don’t even need an electric mixer to make it? That’s what I call winning. Let’s pack as much grapefruit flavor as humanly possible into a bundt pan (not an easy undertaking, as grapefruit is a tricky flavor to get to come through in baked goods). To achieve maximum grapefruit flavor, I ended up using grapefruit zest, fresh-squeezed juice, and grapefruit extract in the cake itself, then soaked the warm cake with a bright and tangy grapefruit cordial (which is basically like a sugar syrup, just uncooked so the grapefruit flavor stays super bright), and finally glazed it with an elegant drizzle of pastel pink grapefruit glaze. That’s two whole grapefruits in there in one form or another. Even with what seems like an excessive amount of grapefruit, the flavor is actually quite mellow (it’s not going to punch you in the face), but still prominently and pleasantly grapefruit from the very first bite. By the second bite, you’ll begin tasting the the grassy, peppery notes of the olive oil, which plays beautifully with the almost floral grapefruit, and just the right amount of sugar to offset any bitterness that might result from having so much grapefruit packed in to a single cake. (more…)

This bright green syrup tastes just like pistachios, with a bright green color and bold, nutty flavor that’s perfect in caffeinated beverages, cocktails and mocktails, or drizzled over ice cream, waffles or pancakes. Most pistachio syrup recipes out there call for simply steeping pistachios in a sugar syrup, but that just gives you a faintly […]

The post Homemade Pistachio Syrup (that actually tastes like pistachios!) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This bright green syrup tastes just like pistachios, with a bright green color and bold, nutty flavor that’s perfect in caffeinated beverages, cocktails and mocktails, or drizzled over ice cream, waffles or pancakes. Most pistachio syrup recipes out there call for simply steeping pistachios in a sugar syrup, but that just gives you a faintly nutty sugar syrup that barely tastes like pistachio at all. Instead, my recipe calls for blending the nuts with the sugar syrup and then straining it, resulting in a luscious, thick green syrup that actually tastes like real pistachios (no extract needed!) (Psst! Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to download the free printable tags!) I know, I know. I’ve gone a little pistachio crazy lately, it’s bordering on obsession (at what point do I need to change the blog name to Love & Pistachios?) Since we’ve already tackled homemade pistachio butter, I really wanted to figure out a homemade pistachio syrup next. Because, let’s face it, most commercially available brands of pistachio syrup just aren’t very good. I thought finding a good pistachio extract was hard, but pistachio syrup is even more elusive. Most of the ones I’ve tried taste too chemically, even bordering on cherry cough syrup-like flavor more than pistachio. It’s really disappointing if we’re being honest here. I figured, how hard could it be to make my own? I tested a number of different versions of this recipe, with the ultimate aim to maximize the natural pistachio flavor as much as possible, and a secondary goal of a gorgeous green color. When I compared a steeped and blended syrup to a syrup that was just steeped with pistachios, the difference was like night and day. The blended syrup actually tastes like pistachios. The steeped syrup… doesn’t. Like, at all. It tastes like a plain old sugar syrup that briefly dated a pistachio in their teenage years (lol). Anyway. Blending the syrup is the key here, and you really can’t get away with skipping this step (though see my note at the very bottom for a blender-free version in a pinch). (more…)

When you’re craving intense flavor and satisfying crunch, something salty and sweet with just a hint of heat, this sesame-forward snack mix hits all the right notes, with the perfect variety of crunchy bits and a flavor-packed glaze featuring soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and spices. Because of the honey in the glaze (which is […]

The post Sweet & Spicy Sesame Snack Mix first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

When you’re craving intense flavor and satisfying crunch, something salty and sweet with just a hint of heat, this sesame-forward snack mix hits all the right notes, with the perfect variety of crunchy bits and a flavor-packed glaze featuring soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and spices. Because of the honey in the glaze (which is prone to burning), this snack mix bakes at a lower temperature for a longer time, resulting in a perfectly crisp texture every time. And while the longer baking time might test your patience, the favor-packed results are well worth the wait. Might I suggest making an extra large batch (because it surely won’t last long!) Taylor is a snack fanatic, always crunching on something even if we just finished dinner, going through bags of various snack mixes at an alarming rate (at this point he should probably just change his last name from Hackbarth to Snackbarth). Lately, however, he’s gotten a bit bored of the same generic snack mix, and was hankering for something bolder with more spice and a more unique flavor profile. So he set out to make his own flavor-packed snack mix. If you’ve ever searched the internet for homemade snack mix recipes, you’ve probably noticed that almost every snack mix recipe out there is some variation on the same thing (basically the original Chex Mix recipe right from the box). A little Worcestershire, a sprinkle of garlic and onion powder, butter and salt and that’s it. How boring. Instead, let’s turn that generic flavor up a notch with a gut-punch of sesame (both oil and seeds in addition to the sesame sticks within the snack mix itself), plus soy sauce for saltiness and umami, honey for sweetness, and Korean gochugaru pepper flakes for smokey heat. (more…)

Creamy, dreamy, lemon-packed cheesecake bars with a crispy lemon cookie crust and a swirl of bright and tangy Meyer lemon curd… like a cross between a lemon bar and a classic cheesecake, it’s the perfect bite for springtime! A cheesecake bar is a quicker, easier way to satisfy your cheesecake craving, without having to deal […]

The post Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd Swirl first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Creamy, dreamy, lemon-packed cheesecake bars with a crispy lemon cookie crust and a swirl of bright and tangy Meyer lemon curd… like a cross between a lemon bar and a classic cheesecake, it’s the perfect bite for springtime! A cheesecake bar is a quicker, easier way to satisfy your cheesecake craving, without having to deal with the hassle of waterbaths or leaky springform pans. Instead, bake a thinner layer of cheesecake (swirled with Meyer lemon curd) in a standard square baking pan and then cut them into perfectly layered squares. I’ve had a lemon cheesecake on my to-make list for some time now, and when a box of Meyer lemons showed up in the mail from my aunt in California (thanks, Sally!) I knew it was the first thing I wanted to make. (I still have a whole bunch left even after testing this one multiple times so… send your recipe ideas and requests, please!) Anyway. Cheesecake! I knew I wanted lemon cheesecake, and I also wanted to do easier cheesecake bars rather than a full sized cheesecake. I debated back and forth how best to make a mashup of cheesecake and lemon bars. I tested both this swirly version (loosely based on my peach cheesecake bar recipe), and a version that was basically like my favorite Meyer lemon bars with an extra layer of cheesecake in between, with a shortbread crust and a solid layer of lemon curd on top. And while the lemon bar version was good, ultimately the lemony swirls were just too pretty to pass up (yes, I fully admit to judging a dessert by its cover, but in this case the taste certainly measured up to the appearance). With a perfectly proportioned layer of creamy cheesecake, a swirl of Meyer-lemon curd, and a crisp lemon-scented cookie crust, the final recipe is definitely one you’ll want to save and share. (more…)

This quick and easy stovetop applesauce comes together in under 30 minutes (including the time it takes to peel and dice the apples!) It’s a small batch recipe perfect for when you just need a few servings, and don’t have time to sit around watching a pot simmer for hours. Lightly spiced and subtly sweetened […]

The post 30 Minute Stovetop Applesauce (Small Batch) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This quick and easy stovetop applesauce comes together in under 30 minutes (including the time it takes to peel and dice the apples!) It’s a small batch recipe perfect for when you just need a few servings, and don’t have time to sit around watching a pot simmer for hours. Lightly spiced and subtly sweetened (but also very flexible if you want to adjust the sugar and spices to taste), this applesauce is perfect by the spoonful, and also as a topping for your next batch of latkes, dolloped on french toast or waffles, or as an accompaniment to a juicy seared sirloin or pork chop. Homemade applesauce in under 30 minutes? Sign me up! I love just how superbly simple this recipe is. And it’s not one of those tricky recipes that claims to be 30 minutes but in reality requires 25 minutes of prep time before you even start cooking. No, this recipe is truly a 30 minute recipe. In fact, even accounting for the time to snap photos of the process along the way (which always slows me down), my applesauce was done in exactly 27 minutes (yes, I timed it!) That includes peeling and dicing the apples, cooking them, and running it all through a food mill. (more…)

Indian Vegetarian Soul Food | Delicious, Easy Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes Powered by Indian Flavours

This Tandoori Paneer ‘Lahmacun’ (Turkish Pizza) brings the flavours of Indian tandoori paneer cheese together with the technique of making Turkish lahmacun, a flatbread spread with a thin layer of meat. My Turkish-Indian vegetarian version calls for grated white cheese and spices to be made into a kebab-like filling. This is then spread onto flatbread …

The post Tandoori Paneer ‘Lahmacun’ (Turkish Pizza) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

This Tandoori Paneer ‘Lahmacun’ (Turkish Pizza) brings the flavours of Indian tandoori paneer cheese together with the technique of making Turkish lahmacun, a flatbread spread with a thin layer of meat. My Turkish-Indian vegetarian version calls for grated white cheese and spices to be made into a kebab-like filling. This is then spread onto flatbread before it’s toasted and topped with onion, tomato and coriander. FYI, I say ‘Lahmacun’ in inverted commas, since this is a fun and delicious Indian vegetarian take on the Turkish dish and absolutely *not* traditional. ‘Lahmacun’ in inverted commas, since this is a fun vegetarian take How to make vegetarian lahmacun Many plant-based versions of lahmacun call for vegan meat alternatives such as fresh veggie mince which can be spiced and then spread onto the flatbread before being placed face-down into a pan or on to a grill and cooked. For a vegetarian (but not vegan) option, I like to grate paneer and then mash it with the yoghurt and warming, smoky spices of my favourite Indian kebab appetiser, Tandoori Paneer Tikka. The flavours work so well and it’s a brilliant quick lunch or dinner. How long does it take to make Lahmacun? You can make this vegetarian lahmacun in 25 minutes or less! This Paneer Lahmacun can be made on any style of flatbread. Choose thin Turkish flatbread for a crispier finish, or a naan-like flatbread for something a little more filling. Since this is a playful take on ‘Lahmacun’ with Indian flavours, I make it on naan, which is both quick and convenient, since I can buy packets of them easily at my local supermarket. A quick lowdown on lahmacun The ancient tradition of making lahmacun goes back thousands of years in the Middle East. The dish name is an adaptation of ‘lahm bi’ajeen’, which means meat with dough in Arabic. The popularity of the dish spread across the Middle East, Levant and parts of western Asia including Turkey where it became a staple in homes, cafés and as a street food. Now the people of each region specialise in their own local versions of it. Today, it’s also a beloved dish in Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria, each country cooking its own delicious variations. While often compared to pizza due to its round, flat shape and toppings, traditional lahmacun typically features thin, unleavened dough and a spiced minced meat topping without cheese or tomato sauce. You can add other sauces if you like! Garlic sauce is always a good idea. How to eat lahmacun It’s commonly served with fresh parsley and often rolled up to eat. I love rolling these up and eating them, so I recommend you choose a naan or other flatbread that’s thin enough to do this with. In a pinch, you could even make this with tortilla wraps, but take care not to tear them as you spread the paneer kebab spices on top. What type of tandoori masala should I use? Any good quality tandoori masala works well for this recipe. Feel free to use shop bought, although I usually make my own since I use it quite often. You can find my signature tandoori masala recipe in my cookbook, Sanjana Feasts which is available on Amazon here (affiliate link). Tandoori Paneer ‘Lahmacun’ (Turkish Pizza) recipe | How to make vegetarian lahmacun Yield: 2 large pizzas Tandoori Paneer 'Lahmacun' (Turkish Pizza) Print This Tandoori Paneer 'Lahmacun' (Turkish Pizza) brings the flavours of Indian tandoori paneer cheese together with the technique of making Turkish lahmacun, a flatbread spread with a thin layer of meat. My vegetarian version calls for grated white cheese and spices before it is toasted and topped with onion, tomato and coriander. These are quick, simple and can be made on any style of flatbread. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients 250g paneer 1 tbsp tandoori masala 2 tbsp plain yoghurt 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 small onion, grated 2 tbsp coriander 1/4 tsp salt 2 large (40cm) naans or any style of flatbread (choose thinner Turkish flatbread for a crispy finish) 1 tbsp olive oil Toppings 1 medium red onion, sliced into fine rings 1 medium tomato, chopped Pickled chillies, to serve (optional) Instructions Mix together the paneer, yoghurt, tomato purée, tandoori masala, onion, coriander and salt. Sqeeze the mixture toghether using clean hands until it comes together like a kebab or meatball mixture. You should be able to roll it into a ball. Place the naans on a large, clean work surface. Spread half of the paneer mixture onto each of the naans. Use a large spatula, the back of a large spoon or clean hands to spread it evenly. If you have a very large frying pan you can pan fry these (paneer face down) in 2-3 tsp olive oil until they're golden and toasty, about 2-3 minutes. Turn using a spatula and cook the other side for a few minutes. If your frying pan is small, cut the naans in half and cook each half at a time. Top with sliced onions, tomatoes and fresh coriander. Notes You can make the filling up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Category: 30-Minute Meals Pin this recipe for later If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Tandoori Paneer Tikka How to make Paneer Tikka Tandoori Indian dish 24 Indian Breakfast Recipes Worth Getting Out of Bed For From traditional dishes that have been passed down for generations to modern Indian breakfast options that cater to the changing tastes of the community, there are countless Indian breakfasts to choose from. So, let's dive in and explore the rich and varied world of Indian breakfasts. Cheesy Masala Beans on Toast A cheesy dose of British nostalgia, Desified. Almost every British South Asian home has its' own take on curried baked beans. I cook mine with ghee, cumin seeds and a liberal heap of garam masala. These spicy, buttery beans are then slathered onto toast, topped with Cheddar and grilled until gooey and bubbling. Get the Recipe Punjabi Mooli Paratha Light and crispy radish-stuffed flatbreads from the land of Punjab. These make for a delicious Indian vegetarian breakfast alongside yoghurt, achar and masala chai. Get the Recipe Classic Sabudana Khichdi This is a delicious recipe for the famous Indian snack, Sabudana Khichdi; a savoury snack made with chewy tapioca pearls, potatoes, peanuts and spices. One bite and you’ll be hooked. Sabudana Khichdi is a traditional dish famed throughout India from Gujarat and Rajasthan, to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. for its’ comforting carb-on-carb foundations. And for good reason. Get the Recipe Indian Cheese Twists Flaky Indian Cheese Twists baked with a blend of two cheeses and Indian spices inside. Use ready-rolled puff pastry sheets for a quick-fix recipe. These Indian Cheese Twists are so simple to prepare and can be made with mostly store-cupboard ingredients. Serve with chai for a delicious Indian breakfast. Get the Recipe Perfect Handvo (Gujarati Lentil Cake) The most Perfect Handvo (Gujarati Lentil Cake) recipe. Gujarati Handvo is a golden, fermented rice and lentil cake with vegetables. Some Gujaratis call this delicious tea-time snack Ondhwo. This recipe for Handvo is one I make from scratch, using whole, soaked lentils and rice. No packet mix or handvo flour necessary. Get the Recipe Gobi Bhurji (Indian Scrambled Cauliflower) Gobi Bhurji (Indian Scrambled Cauliflower) is one of my favourite ways to enjoy a humble head of cauliflower. This north Indian-style Gobi Bhurji is perfect with buttered toast in the morning. This recipe for Gobi Bhurji is naturally free from gluten (provided you serve it with gluten-free bread). It can easily be made vegan if you switch the ghee for a healthy, vegan alternative like dairy-free spread or oil. Get the Recipe Gujarati Dudhi Muthiya The prospect of an Indian breakfast is sometimes just the kick I need to pull myself from my cosy bed. These Gujarati Dudhi Muthiya are the best way to coax me out from under the covers. Along with a spicy breakfast, there’s nothing more satisfying than using up leftovers. This recipe for Gujarati Dudhi Muthiya hits both of those spots. They’re made using grated bottlegourd (doodhi/lauki), cold leftover rice, chickpea flour and a medley of subtle spices. Get the Recipe Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread) Crispy, flaky Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread) are an emblem of soulful South Asian home cooking. Almost every home has their own unique recipe and this is my technique for making delicious Punjabi Aloo Paratha at home. Aloo Paratha are crispy on the outside, with a tender potato filling. The word ‘aloo’ refers to the potato stuffing and ‘paratha’ to the light and flaky bread. Of all the stuffed breads India is famous for, Aloo Paratha is the one loved in every family kitchen and such a popular breakfast option. Here’s how I make Aloo Paratha for my family. Get the Recipe Soft Gujarati Thepla Soft Gujarati Thepla are a staple any-time-of-the-day flatbread in Indian homes. Fresh fenugreek leaves give them their signature bitter caramel flavour. Paired with a handful of ground spices like turmeric and chilli powder takes them from everyday roti to a masala-rich paradise. Bonus: they can be made well in advance and stored for days. Get the Recipe Sprouted Mung Bean Breakfast Noodles My lightly stir-fried vermicelli noodles are tossed with crackled mustard seeds, curry leaves, chillies and turmeric for a big, punchy breakfast number you’ll cook again and again. Transform it into a filling, protein-rich Indian vegetarian lunch or dinner with the addition of tofu. Get the Recipe Vegan Saffron French Toast I love these topped with strawberries and maple syrup but you can add any toppings you like. Fruit is always a delicious choice but I won’t tell if you scatter a few chocolate chips on top. Get the Recipe Jalebi Paratha These Jalebi Paratha get their name from the bright orange Indian sweets, Jalebi because of their beautiful coiled shape. I hold this recipe and its stunning method for creating those layers of flaky goodness close to my heart because it’s the way Nanabapu taught my mum, and then exactly the way my mum taught me. A technique passed down the generations and a skill Nanabapu would have wanted us to share with other paratha lovers. Get the Recipe Golden Air Fryer Samosas Here’s a delicious recipe for the crispiest, Golden Air Fryer Samosas. You won’t believe these lightly-spiced, vegetable parcels aren’t deep fried! They’re vegan-friendly too. Each samosa is contains a mixture of vegetables, including potatoes, peas, carrots, corn and onions. There’s no need to deep fry then, just air fry to golden perfection. Follow my tips to learn how to cook samosas in the air fryer quickly and easily. Get the Recipe Crispy Potato Bhajias Crispy, spiced potato fritters are the most iconic of bhajias. Here’s a tried and true recipe that will leave you wanting more. Forged from the coming together of two distinct cuisines, Crispy Potato Bhajias have earned their place as a treasured dish on the Indian-East African dinner table. Vegan & gluten free option included. Get the Recipe Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak A tried and true recipe for Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak (dry-style potato curry). This is my mother’s exact recipe and the only way we make it at home. She has a few fabulous tips for achieving intense flavours and the perfect dry bhaji-style texture every time. This shaak pairs perfectly with Masala Poori and dahi (plain yoghurt) for breakfast. Get the Recipe Puffy Masala Poori Puffy Masala Poori will forever be a breakfast or wedding food in my eyes. Fried whole wheat flour bread with mild spices, a double layer and hollow middle. The little circles of dough rise before your very eyes for a magical cooking experience — and an even more spectacular eating experience. Definitely worth getting out of bed for! Get the Recipe Perfect Patra (Timpa/Alu Vadi) The ultimate guide to homemade Patra. These steamed colocasia leaves are rolled with sweet and sour tamarind paste inside. Pan-fry for a crispy vegan and gluten-free Indian snack. They're perfect for breakfast and a light way to start the day. Get the Recipe Garlic Butter Khichu (Papdi no Lot) Follow my video tutorial and make this easy Garlic Butter Khichu (Papdi no Lot) recipe. These steamed Indian rice dumplings are soft and chewy in texture. I dip them in the most delicious garlic butter to finish. The combination of garlic butter and cumin against the blank canvas of the rice flour dumpling is so comforting and delicious. Don't eat before a meeting! 😀 Get the Recipe Khaman (Instant Chickpea Flour Dhokla) Khaman (instant chickpea flour dhokla) is a soft and fluffy steamed chickpea flour cake from Gujarat, western India. This airy, sweet and sour cake is prepared with spices, freshly-grated coconut and coriander leaves. The world of Gujarati farsan, or savoury snacks is as complex as it is vast. 100 varieties of gathia made from fried chickpea flour (besan) are identified by shape, texture and seasoning. Delicious! Continue Reading Very Good Homemade Masala Chai Here’s my favourite homemade Chai Masala blend. As the title suggests, I think it’s very good. Get the Recipe Mumbai Sandwich Meet The Ultimate Mumbai Sandwich. Stuff this ultra-crispy vegetarian toastie with masala potatoes, melting cheese, beetroot, onions and, wait for it… an extra slice of toast soaked in green chutney — a.k.a. the ‘Moist Maker’. Top with crunchy sev (fried chickpea flour noodles) for a true taste of Mumbai street food. Get the Recipe Paneer Bhurji Kati Rolls This is not just any old wrap. This is a flavoursome, satisfying chapatti wrap filled with rich paneer, tangy lemon and mouth-watering spices. Seriously, M&S would be proud. These kati rolls are simple, filling and perfect for breakfast. You can stuff them with anything you like, from scrambled paneer to Bombay potatoes. Get the Recipe Bullet Banana Daal Vada Traditional Gujarati Daal Vada are crunchy, spicy and perfect for dipping into yoghurt. My East-African version incorporates bananas to add a hint of sweetness against the intense chilli and lemon heat. The magical thing about adding ripe banana to the batter is that it reacts with the lemon and baking powder, creating a puffy, fluffy-in-the-middle fritters that still have an incredible golden crunch on the outside because of the ground mung daal, urad daal and rice. Get the Recipe Masala Cheese Scones Never underestimate the power of Masala Cheese Scones and a mug of hot tea. This casual comfort combo is my go-to for when I need a dose of nostalgia. One bite of spicy cheese scone followed by a swift sip of sweet chai and I’m transported back to my childhood kitchen. Get the Recipe The post Tandoori Paneer ‘Lahmacun’ (Turkish Pizza) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Learn how to make the delicious and traditional Pakistani morning special, the Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast! What is Pakistani Halwa Puri? This wholesome and filling vegetarian breakfast consists of spicy chickpea curry (chana), fried wheat flour bread (puri) and sweet semolina pudding (halwa, or sooji halwa). The Puri serves as a vessel for the halwa …

The post Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Learn how to make the delicious and traditional Pakistani morning special, the Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast! What is Pakistani Halwa Puri? This wholesome and filling vegetarian breakfast consists of spicy chickpea curry (chana), fried wheat flour bread (puri) and sweet semolina pudding (halwa, or sooji halwa). The Puri serves as a vessel for the halwa and chana (chickpea curry), allowing you to scoop up and enjoy the spicy, crispy and sweet flavours and textures of the dish. It’s a popular choice with locals in Pakistan and can be a tasty weekend breakfast for a crowd. For example, when you have some time to prepare something a little more special for your family. How to make the Pakistani Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast In this post, I’ll break down all the steps for making a Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast at home, just like the style served in cafe’s across Pakistan and in some parts of India. However, you’ll find my approach is suited to your home kitchen, making your cooking much easier. Is Halwa Puri Vegetarian? Yes, this recipe for Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast is vegetarian and can easily be made vegan with some simple substitutes. For example, replace ghee or butter in the recipes with oil or vegan butter. You may use oil in the chana recipe and I recommend using vegan block butter for the halwa. Don’t make the sooji halwa with oil. Is Halwa Puri Healthy? Halwa Puri Chana, while delicious, is generally considered to be high in calories and fat. Like with most ‘full’ breakfasts, moderation is key since much of it is fried and contains butter and oil. I reserve Halwa Puri Chana for special occasions. It’s perfect during Ramadan or other religious festivals, pre-or post fast when you need some fuel food! What goes well with Halwa Puri? Chana (chole or chickpeas), cooked with plenty of spices goes perfectly with halwa puri, since it provides a balanced flavour profile alongside the sweet halwa and crispy, chewy puris. How to make Puris for Halwa? We make traditional Puris for Halwa Puri with wheat flour (all purpose flour/maida). This differs to wholewheat puris. Personally, I find that the wheat flour puris have a chewier texture than my regular Gujarati Puris which in this case, is ideal for scooping up the tasty chana and sauce, as well as folding around the sweet halwa. To make a comparison, I would say that Pakistani Puri when eaten fresh is crispy and has a texture similar to a fried laccha paratha. More recipes you might like Jalebi recipe Gulab Jamun recipe Samosa recipe Pakora recipe Kheer recipe Here’s my complete guide to making a Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast with all the detailed instructions and recipes card you need to master this Pakistani favourite at home. Ready? Chana recipe for Halwa Puri Chana A delicious, spicy chickpea curry recipe to go with your puri and halwa. What type of chickpeas should I use? I recommend cooking dried chickpeas from scratch over tinned (canned) chickpeas for this recipe since the chana are such an important part of this breakfast dish. The texture of soaked and pressure cooked chickpeas is unmatched. You’ll also find the grade of some dried chickpeas is much higher, thus boiling up into a much larger chickpea with a phenomenal texture. I use Turkish dried chickpeas like these AKSOY dried chickpeas and look at the size difference compared to standard canned chickpeas – this makes a huge difference to the final texture of the chickpea curry! Before we get into the recipe, I will also mention a tip I love for creating a perfectly silky and rich sauce for your chickpea curry. Are you ready for this? My secret for making the most delicious chana (chickpea curry) The secret to making an incredible chickpea curry sauce or sauce for your chana is to take a small portion of the cooked curry (about 1/8th of it) and to blend it into a very smooth paste. Add this thin, hummus-like paste back in to the simmering chickpea curry and watch the sauce transform from something rather watery, to a sensational, rich chana dish with no cream whatsoever! Yield: Serves 6 Chana recipe for Halwa Puri Chana Print The most delicious, flavoursome Chana curry recipe for serving with Halwa Puri, the South Asian breakfast popular in Pakistan and Northern India. Learn how to make incredible tasting chickpeas in a rich and creamy gravy - your family and friends will go wild for this Asian breakfast of champions! Ingredients 400g dried chickpeas 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1L hot kettle water, for soaking the chickpeas 1.6L hot kettle water, for boiling the chickpeas 6 tbsp ghee 1 star anise 2 black cardamom 5 cloves 2 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain) 1 large onion, finely chopped 6 large cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp minced ginger 3-4 green chillies 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric 1 1/4 tsp salt 200g plain yoghurt 2 tsp garam masala Chopped coriander, ginger juliennes and green chilli slices, to garnish Instructions Wash the chickpeas in plenty of cold, running water. Place them in a large bowl (at least double the size of the amount of chickpeas) and soak in 1L hot kettle water and the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). Cover and leave overnight, 8-12 hours. The next day, drain and discard the soaking liquid from the chickpeas. Rinse them well in plenty of running water. Place the chickpeas in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, along with 1.6L hot kettle water. Do not add salt. Pressure cook for 40 minutes. My chickpeas were very large so they took longer than a small variety would. Adjust the timings based on the chickpeas you are using. Once the chickpeas are cooked, carefully release the steam and open the lid. Set aside, keeping the chickpeas in their cooking liquid. Place a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the ghee, star anise, black cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, cumin and ajwain, along with the onions. Sauté for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Next, add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for a few moments before adding the yoghurt, turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Cook, stirring all the time for 5-6 minutes, until the masalas thicken and turn into an aromatic curry paste. Add 1L of the chickpea cooking liquid and stir well to combine. Next, add the chickpeas and bring the curry to the boil. Cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Stir often to prevent anything catching on the base of the pan. Remove 1/8 of the curry (about a ladle full). and set aside to cool. Blend this into a very smooth, hummus-like paste. You may need to thin it out with a touch more of the chickpea cooking liquid to help the blade turn in the blender. Add this back into the simmering curry and stir well. You'll notice the curry gravy takes on a thicker, creamy texture. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. The gravy will continue to thicken as it simmers. Simmer longer for a thicker gravy or thin out with chickpea cooking liquid if you prefer a runnier gravy. Garnish with chopped coriander, ginger juliennes and green chilli slices. Serve the chana with puri and halwa. Notes Freeze any leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and ensure reheated food is piping hot before serving. Use canned or jarred chickpeas for a shortcut version of this chana recipe. Remember to use the canning liquid for the best gravy. Adjust salt accordingly if canned chickpeas are salted. The gravy will continue to thicken as it simmers. Simmer longer for a thicker gravy or thin out with chickpea cooking liquid if you prefer a runnier gravy. Tastes even better the next day! Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Sanjana Feasts cookbook Nutrition Information: Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 365Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 608mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 11gSugar: 9gProtein: 14g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Cuisine: Pakistani / Category: Breakfast Recipes Puri recipe for Halwa Puri Chana When properly made, a Puri should be light, airy, and slightly crispy. It should puff up during frying, creating a hollow interior. It’s normal for this to flatten out as the Puri cools a little. Which flour to use for Puri As I note above, it’s most traditional to use plain wheat flour (all-purpose flour/maida) for this type of puri because it requires a firm texture for scooping. You can use wholewheat flour but be aware that the texture may not be quite the same. Key factors for Good Puri Proper kneading: The dough must be kneaded well to develop gluten, which is essential for the Puri to puff up. Correct rolling: The Puri should be rolled to an even thickness to ensure uniform cooking. Adequate oil temperature: The oil must be at the right temperature for the Puri to puff and cook properly. A note on oil temperature Maintaining the correct oil temperature is crucial for achieving perfectly puffed-up Puris. The oil must be hot enough to cause the Puri to puff quickly, but not so hot that it burns. I maintain a temperature of 190ºC and use a slotted spoon to gently press the Puri in the hot oil, encouraging it to puff evenly. Yield: Serves 6 Puri Recipe for Halwa Puri Chana Print Learn how to make the crispiest, puffy Puri to enjoy with your Halwa Puri Chana breakfast. This recipe is perfect for scooping up hearty chana and sweet semolina halwa. It's also a tasty bread for tea time, alongside a cup of masala chai. Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 20 minutes Additional Time: 1 hour Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes Ingredients 500g plain white flour (all purpose flour/maida) 3/4 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 360ml warm water 6 tbsp any flavourless oil, plus more for deep frying Instructions Place the flour in a large, wide bowl suitable for kneading. Add the salt and sugar. Slowly add the water until the dough comes together and forms a medium-soft ball. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until very smooth and elastic. If you don't have a kneading plate you can do this on a clean work surface. but do not add any additional flour. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and brush very generously with oil. Cover with cling film and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour. Place a ball of dough onto a wooden rolling board or a clean work surface. You can grease the surface with a little oil but don't use flour as this will burn in the oil as it cooks, leaving your oil speckled with burnt flour. Use your fingertips to press the dough out to around 5cm in diameter. Heat the oil to 190°C/375°F. Pat or roll out the dough into a circle about 3-4mm thick. I use my fingers and palms to do this but you can use a rolling pin if you prefer. The most important thing to remember is that the surface and thickness of the puri should be as even as possible. Carefully pick the puri up and place it into the hot oil. Only fry one puri at a time. The oil should be smoking hot. Carefully press the surface of the puri with a perforated spoon and use it to pour oil over the top too. This should encourage the puri to rise. Once risen, turn the puri quickly so it doesn't brown too much. Cook on the other side for a few seconds and then lift out of the oil, draining away excess oil. Place the puri on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the rolling and frying process for all the puris. Notes Puri are best eaten straight away. Do not make ahead of time as they will become chewy. Not suitable for freezing. Nutrition Information: Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 295mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 9g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Cuisine: Pakistani / Category: Bread Halwa recipe for Halwa Puri Chana Ghee or butter? I always cook my Sooji Halwa in salted butter. It’s the way my family have always done it and I adore the rich flavours and dimension you get from using this instead of ghee. Roasting the semolina (sooji) Another vital step for making Halwa for Halwa Puri Chana is to ensure your semolina is throughly roasted until it turns a deep, pinkish shade of golden brown. Do this over a low heat and stir constantly to prevent uneven roasting. If you undercook the semolina, it will taste be tasteless and if you overcook it, it will taste burnt. Watch my video to see the exact colour it should be. With experience, you’ll be able to tell when it’s ready just from the aroma! Milk or water? There are various options when it comes to using milk or water for preparing halwa. For me, it should always be balanced, which is why I opt for a combination of evaporated milk and water. I like the dairy flavour of evaporated milk and the water will lighten things up a touch so the pudding is not too heavy. Note that I’m using evaporated milk, not condensed milk. Yield: 12 servings Halwa recipe for Halwa Puri Chana Print Halwa or Sooji Halwa is a delicious and integral part of an Halwa Puri Chana breakfast. My recipe can be ready to eat in as little as 30 minutes and has the perfect balance of sweet and buttery. I've pulled together all my best tips for making this iconic, South Asian halwa at home so that you can too. Serve hot or warm. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 125g salted butter 165g coarse semolina 400ml tin evaporated milk, (or whole milk) 400ml water 160g granulated sugar 8 green cardamom pods, seeds ground Pinch of saffron Yellow food colour, optional 1 tbsp edible rose petals, to garnish Instructions Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan and add the semolina. Sauté on a low heat for around 12-15 minutes, or until golden and toasted. It should be a pinkish, almond shade and will smell nutty. Add the milk, water, saffron, cardamom, food colour and sugar. Stir well and cook over a medium-low heat for a further 10-15 minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken and turn pasty, like fudge mixture. Continue to cook until the butter begins to release from the sides. Garnish with edible rose petals. Serve the halwa hot. Notes Store the halwa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze. To reheat, microwave the halwa in short bursts hot and then allow to cool slightly before eating. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Sanjana Feasts cookbook Nutrition Information: Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 grams Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Feasts Cuisine: Pakistani / Category: Dessert Recipes If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Aloo Paratha Aloo Paratha recipe With love and Halwa Puri Chana, Sanjana Try This Next 24 Indian Breakfast Recipes Worth Getting Out of Bed For From traditional dishes that have been passed down for generations to modern Indian breakfast options that cater to the changing tastes of the community, there are countless Indian breakfasts to choose from. So, let's dive in and explore the rich and varied world of Indian breakfasts. Cheesy Masala Beans on Toast A cheesy dose of British nostalgia, Desified. Almost every British South Asian home has its' own take on curried baked beans. I cook mine with ghee, cumin seeds and a liberal heap of garam masala. These spicy, buttery beans are then slathered onto toast, topped with Cheddar and grilled until gooey and bubbling. Get the Recipe Punjabi Mooli Paratha Light and crispy radish-stuffed flatbreads from the land of Punjab. These make for a delicious Indian vegetarian breakfast alongside yoghurt, achar and masala chai. Get the Recipe Classic Sabudana Khichdi This is a delicious recipe for the famous Indian snack, Sabudana Khichdi; a savoury snack made with chewy tapioca pearls, potatoes, peanuts and spices. One bite and you’ll be hooked. Sabudana Khichdi is a traditional dish famed throughout India from Gujarat and Rajasthan, to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. for its’ comforting carb-on-carb foundations. And for good reason. Get the Recipe Indian Cheese Twists Flaky Indian Cheese Twists baked with a blend of two cheeses and Indian spices inside. Use ready-rolled puff pastry sheets for a quick-fix recipe. These Indian Cheese Twists are so simple to prepare and can be made with mostly store-cupboard ingredients. Serve with chai for a delicious Indian breakfast. Get the Recipe Perfect Handvo (Gujarati Lentil Cake) The most Perfect Handvo (Gujarati Lentil Cake) recipe. Gujarati Handvo is a golden, fermented rice and lentil cake with vegetables. Some Gujaratis call this delicious tea-time snack Ondhwo. This recipe for Handvo is one I make from scratch, using whole, soaked lentils and rice. No packet mix or handvo flour necessary. Get the Recipe Gobi Bhurji (Indian Scrambled Cauliflower) Gobi Bhurji (Indian Scrambled Cauliflower) is one of my favourite ways to enjoy a humble head of cauliflower. This north Indian-style Gobi Bhurji is perfect with buttered toast in the morning. This recipe for Gobi Bhurji is naturally free from gluten (provided you serve it with gluten-free bread). It can easily be made vegan if you switch the ghee for a healthy, vegan alternative like dairy-free spread or oil. Get the Recipe Gujarati Dudhi Muthiya The prospect of an Indian breakfast is sometimes just the kick I need to pull myself from my cosy bed. These Gujarati Dudhi Muthiya are the best way to coax me out from under the covers. Along with a spicy breakfast, there’s nothing more satisfying than using up leftovers. This recipe for Gujarati Dudhi Muthiya hits both of those spots. They’re made using grated bottlegourd (doodhi/lauki), cold leftover rice, chickpea flour and a medley of subtle spices. Get the Recipe Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread) Crispy, flaky Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread) are an emblem of soulful South Asian home cooking. Almost every home has their own unique recipe and this is my technique for making delicious Punjabi Aloo Paratha at home. Aloo Paratha are crispy on the outside, with a tender potato filling. The word ‘aloo’ refers to the potato stuffing and ‘paratha’ to the light and flaky bread. Of all the stuffed breads India is famous for, Aloo Paratha is the one loved in every family kitchen and such a popular breakfast option. Here’s how I make Aloo Paratha for my family. Get the Recipe Soft Gujarati Thepla Soft Gujarati Thepla are a staple any-time-of-the-day flatbread in Indian homes. Fresh fenugreek leaves give them their signature bitter caramel flavour. Paired with a handful of ground spices like turmeric and chilli powder takes them from everyday roti to a masala-rich paradise. Bonus: they can be made well in advance and stored for days. Get the Recipe Sprouted Mung Bean Breakfast Noodles My lightly stir-fried vermicelli noodles are tossed with crackled mustard seeds, curry leaves, chillies and turmeric for a big, punchy breakfast number you’ll cook again and again. Transform it into a filling, protein-rich Indian vegetarian lunch or dinner with the addition of tofu. Get the Recipe Vegan Saffron French Toast I love these topped with strawberries and maple syrup but you can add any toppings you like. Fruit is always a delicious choice but I won’t tell if you scatter a few chocolate chips on top. Get the Recipe Jalebi Paratha These Jalebi Paratha get their name from the bright orange Indian sweets, Jalebi because of their beautiful coiled shape. I hold this recipe and its stunning method for creating those layers of flaky goodness close to my heart because it’s the way Nanabapu taught my mum, and then exactly the way my mum taught me. A technique passed down the generations and a skill Nanabapu would have wanted us to share with other paratha lovers. Get the Recipe Golden Air Fryer Samosas Here’s a delicious recipe for the crispiest, Golden Air Fryer Samosas. You won’t believe these lightly-spiced, vegetable parcels aren’t deep fried! They’re vegan-friendly too. Each samosa is contains a mixture of vegetables, including potatoes, peas, carrots, corn and onions. There’s no need to deep fry then, just air fry to golden perfection. Follow my tips to learn how to cook samosas in the air fryer quickly and easily. Get the Recipe Crispy Potato Bhajias Crispy, spiced potato fritters are the most iconic of bhajias. Here’s a tried and true recipe that will leave you wanting more. Forged from the coming together of two distinct cuisines, Crispy Potato Bhajias have earned their place as a treasured dish on the Indian-East African dinner table. Vegan & gluten free option included. Get the Recipe Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak A tried and true recipe for Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak (dry-style potato curry). This is my mother’s exact recipe and the only way we make it at home. She has a few fabulous tips for achieving intense flavours and the perfect dry bhaji-style texture every time. This shaak pairs perfectly with Masala Poori and dahi (plain yoghurt) for breakfast. Get the Recipe Puffy Masala Poori Puffy Masala Poori will forever be a breakfast or wedding food in my eyes. Fried whole wheat flour bread with mild spices, a double layer and hollow middle. The little circles of dough rise before your very eyes for a magical cooking experience — and an even more spectacular eating experience. Definitely worth getting out of bed for! Get the Recipe Perfect Patra (Timpa/Alu Vadi) The ultimate guide to homemade Patra. These steamed colocasia leaves are rolled with sweet and sour tamarind paste inside. Pan-fry for a crispy vegan and gluten-free Indian snack. They're perfect for breakfast and a light way to start the day. Get the Recipe Garlic Butter Khichu (Papdi no Lot) Follow my video tutorial and make this easy Garlic Butter Khichu (Papdi no Lot) recipe. These steamed Indian rice dumplings are soft and chewy in texture. I dip them in the most delicious garlic butter to finish. The combination of garlic butter and cumin against the blank canvas of the rice flour dumpling is so comforting and delicious. Don't eat before a meeting! 😀 Get the Recipe Khaman (Instant Chickpea Flour Dhokla) Khaman (instant chickpea flour dhokla) is a soft and fluffy steamed chickpea flour cake from Gujarat, western India. This airy, sweet and sour cake is prepared with spices, freshly-grated coconut and coriander leaves. The world of Gujarati farsan, or savoury snacks is as complex as it is vast. 100 varieties of gathia made from fried chickpea flour (besan) are identified by shape, texture and seasoning. Delicious! Continue Reading Very Good Homemade Masala Chai Here’s my favourite homemade Chai Masala blend. As the title suggests, I think it’s very good. Get the Recipe Mumbai Sandwich Meet The Ultimate Mumbai Sandwich. Stuff this ultra-crispy vegetarian toastie with masala potatoes, melting cheese, beetroot, onions and, wait for it… an extra slice of toast soaked in green chutney — a.k.a. the ‘Moist Maker’. Top with crunchy sev (fried chickpea flour noodles) for a true taste of Mumbai street food. Get the Recipe Paneer Bhurji Kati Rolls This is not just any old wrap. This is a flavoursome, satisfying chapatti wrap filled with rich paneer, tangy lemon and mouth-watering spices. Seriously, M&S would be proud. These kati rolls are simple, filling and perfect for breakfast. You can stuff them with anything you like, from scrambled paneer to Bombay potatoes. Get the Recipe Bullet Banana Daal Vada Traditional Gujarati Daal Vada are crunchy, spicy and perfect for dipping into yoghurt. My East-African version incorporates bananas to add a hint of sweetness against the intense chilli and lemon heat. The magical thing about adding ripe banana to the batter is that it reacts with the lemon and baking powder, creating a puffy, fluffy-in-the-middle fritters that still have an incredible golden crunch on the outside because of the ground mung daal, urad daal and rice. Get the Recipe Masala Cheese Scones Never underestimate the power of Masala Cheese Scones and a mug of hot tea. This casual comfort combo is my go-to for when I need a dose of nostalgia. One bite of spicy cheese scone followed by a swift sip of sweet chai and I’m transported back to my childhood kitchen. Get the Recipe The post Halwa Puri Chana Breakfast appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Get the recipe for Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired). A vegetarian lentil curry made with budget-friendly red lentils, coconut milk and aromatic Thai red curry paste. This delicious and nutritious recipe for creamy red lentils is easy enough for weeknight cooking and ideal for batch cooking. The whole family will love this plant-based coconut …

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Get the recipe for Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired). A vegetarian lentil curry made with budget-friendly red lentils, coconut milk and aromatic Thai red curry paste. This delicious and nutritious recipe for creamy red lentils is easy enough for weeknight cooking and ideal for batch cooking. The whole family will love this plant-based coconut and lentil curry. This Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired) is… Vegetarian and vegan Gluten free Nutritious – with plant-based protein and fiber Simple to make Perfect for batch cooking What are red lentils? Split red lentils (masoor daal) One of the most accessible lentils. Masoor daal, also known simply as split red lentils, are usually found in their split form. Whole is fine to use too, but might take a little longer to cook. Moon-shaped red masoor are particularly handy to stow away as they’re quick to cook and make a mean daal or curry dish. Can I use other lentils for this dish? Absolutely. Feel free to use other lentils to make this dish. Some options that work well are: Split yellow gram (channa daal) Whole green lentils (sabut masoor) Split mung beans without skin (moong daal yellow) Note that using other lentils could mean cooking time is longer, or more water is required when making this creamy Thai-inspired red curry with lentils. What kind of red curry paste is best for curry? There are many brands of Thai red curry paste available in supermarkets and specialist Asian shops. I choose a vegetarian option which is free from the usual shrimp paste and fish sauce. This Mae Ploy Thai Red Curry Paste is suitable for vegetarians and vegans and is the one I use for this recipe. What’s in Thai red curry paste? Traditional Thai red curry paste recipes can vary from home to home and brand to brand. Many people use commercial Thai red curry pastes and customise them to their taste at home. Most red curry paste is made with a combination of: red chillies, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, coriander and various other spices. The veggie version simply omits the fish products. How to freeze lentil curry This Creamy Red Lentil Curry recipe is ideal for freezing. Make a double batch and allow the curry to cool completely before packing into freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave. Heat through thoroughly before serving. Always ensure food is piping hot. You may need to adjust the consistency of the curry with more water if required. Step-by-step instructions for making Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired) Full recipe card with ingredients below. 1. Wash and soak the red lentils This will remove any surface dirt from the lentils. Soak them in hot water with baking soda to help them soften quickly. This helps to reduce cooking time and also makes the lentils easier to digest. 2. Cook out the curry paste Sauté the curry paste in coconut milk until the oil separates from the paste. Ensure the paste is very well cooked before moving on to the next step, this should take 8-10 minutes. 3. Add onions, tomatoes and spices I like to keep the onions chunky but you can chop them finely if you prefer. Tomato paste adds delicious sharpness and colour. Whole and ground spices like star anise, cumin and turmeric bring the curry to life. Brown sugar or palm sugar is essential for balancing out the heat. 4. Pour in the coconut milk Thick coconut milk gives the curry a delicious, creamy finish. I use full-fat canned coconut milk but you could also use low fat coconut milk if you prefer. 5. Tip the lentils into the dish and cook Add the drained lentils along with hot water. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes, until the lentils are very tender. Beat with a whisk for a minutes. 6. Add basil and serve with rice Tip in the Thai basil (or Italian basil) and stir well. Serve hot with rice and lime wedges. Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired) recipe | How to make coconut milk and lentil curry Yield: 6 servings Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired) Print Delicious Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired). Simple ingredients like coconut milk & red curry paste. With plant-based protein & fiber. Serve with rice, roti or any grain of your choice. Cook Time: 45 minutes Additional Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes Ingredients Ingredients 275g red lentils 1/8 tsp baking soda 800ml hot kettle water, divided 400ml coconut milk, divided 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste 1 large onion, roughly sliced 1 star anise 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp tomato purée 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbsp light brown sugar 1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste depending how salty the curry paste is) To garnish Large handful Thai basil leaves (or use regular basil) 1 red chilli, chopped (optional) 1 lime, cut into wedges Instructions Place the red lentils in a bowl and cover with warm water. Wash the lentils well, rubbing them to remove any surface dirt. Change the water 2-3 times to repeat the washing process. Drain and add the baking soda. Fill the bowl with around 400ml boiling hot water, enough to submerge the lentils by 2-3 centimetres. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Heat 5-6 tablespoons of coconut milk in a heavy-based pan. Once it's boiling, add the red curry paste. Stir and cook the curry paste out until fragrant, about 8 minutes. The oil will begin to separate from the paste. Add the onions, star anise and cumin. Sauté for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened. Next, add the tomato paste, coconut milk, ground cinnamon, turmeric, sugar and salt.. Stir well and cook the curry out over a medium heat for 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn. If it seems dry, add a small splash of water. Drain the lentils and add them to the pan along with 400ml hot kettle water. Bring to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are very tender. Stir often to prevent burning. As the lentils cook, the curry will thicken and settle at the bottom so ensure you stir more frequently as it gets to this stage. You can turn the heat down if you find it's sticking to the base of the pan too much. If the curry becomes too thick, top it up with more hot kettle water. Remember that the curry will thicken the longer it stands. Stir in the Thai basil and serve with rice and lime wedges. Notes HOW TO FREEZE RED LENTIL CURRY This Creamy Red Lentil Curry recipe is ideal for freezing. Make a double batch and allow the curry to cool completely before packing into freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave. Heat through thoroughly before serving. Always ensure food is piping hot. You may need to adjust the consistency of the curry with more water if required. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Vegetarian Thai Red Curry Paste Nutrition Information: Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 752mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 12g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Pin this Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired) recipe If you like this, you’ll love my Shahi Daal The post Creamy Red Lentil Curry (Thai Inspired) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Let’s make Kewa Datshi (Bhutanese Potatoes & Cheese). It’s the ultimate one-pot meal. Did you know Bhutan’s famous spicy potato and cheese dish, Kewa Datshi comes together in 30 minutes and makes for a delicious, comforting meal? In Kewa Datshi, the sauce is smooth and creamy with meltingly soft potatoes, onions and green chillies. This …

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Let’s make Kewa Datshi (Bhutanese Potatoes & Cheese). It’s the ultimate one-pot meal. Did you know Bhutan’s famous spicy potato and cheese dish, Kewa Datshi comes together in 30 minutes and makes for a delicious, comforting meal? Let’s make Cheese and Potato Kewa Datshi from Bhutan In Kewa Datshi, the sauce is smooth and creamy with meltingly soft potatoes, onions and green chillies. This simple vegetarian one-pot dinner is perfect with rice, steamed buns or even with paratha. I could eat endless bowls of Kewa Datshi by itself! What is Datshi? The traditional version calls for datshi, a Bhutanese fermented cottage cheese made with cow’s milk. Since datshi isn’t a commonly available ingredient outside of eastern South Asia, I’ve found the next best option is American sliced cheese or processed cheese, which melts perfectly into the dish for a creamy sauce. If you’d like a touch of extra sharpness, try adding a touch of whipped feta or cream cheese, although this isn’t necessary. Kewa Datshi: A one-pot delicacy from Bhutan My first taste of Kewa Datshi was in a Bhutanese restaurant local to me. As a teen, I didn’t eat much spicy food (although I love it now). Kewa Datshi was the perfect introduction to Bhutanese cuisine, since it’s typically known as ‘foreigners delight’. My gracious waiter saw me coming a mile away! There, I enjoyed the dish with rice which was perfect for mopping up the soupy cheese sauce. I’ve made the dish a number of times since, based on what I tasted all those years ago and I think this recipe is pretty much identical. Best of all, it requires very little effort, no dry spices and few other ingredients. Kewa Datshi is an ideal dish for busy weeknights and can be made ahead of time. Variations of Kewa Datshi Kewa Datshi is a versatile dish and you can make it with various ingredients from potato, to mushroom and green chilli. Ema Datshi: A comforting and spicy style of the original cheese dish using only green chillies. This is one for people who like their dishes hot! Shamu Datshi: Mushrooms and cheese, cooked together for a stew-like finish. I love the heartiness of this version. Kewa Datshi: The potato and cheese delicacy we’re making today! Add peppers and tomatoes for depth of flavour. Ingredients for Kewa Datshi Potatoes – Any floury variety such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Russet is ideal for making Kewa Datshi. Onion – I use red onions but brown, yellow and white onions are all fine. Red pepper (capsicum) – Adds flavour and colour to the dish. Tomato – For a touch of sharpness and colour. Garlic – I use large cloves of garlic, peeled. Mince them finely. Green chillies – Split the chillies so that the dish has flavour but isn’t too spicy. Keep the chillies whole if you prefer it less spicy. American sliced cheese or processed cheese – This is the best cheese to use if you can’t get local datshi (Bhutanese cheese). Regular Cheddar will not melt well and could make the sauce split. Water – Hot kettle water. Salt – I use Himalayan salt but any will do. How to serve Kewa Datshi Traditionally, Kewa Datshi is served with red rice or Tibetan steamed buns called tingmo, but you can enjoy it with any type of rice, or even with paratha. If you can find frozen bao buns in your local Asian grocery shop, it’s also delicious with these. This is quite a close alternative to tingmo. Ready? Let’s make Kewa Datshi (the perfect introduction to Bhutanese cuisine). Kewa Datshi recipe | How to make Kewa Datshi (Bhutanese Potatoes & Cheese) Yield: Serves 4 Kewa Datshi (Bhutanese Potatoes & Cheese) Print Bhutan's famous spicy potato and cheese dish, Kewa Datshi comes together in 30 minutes and makes for a delicious, comforting meal. The sauce is smooth and creamy with meltingly soft potatoes, onions and green chillies. This simple vegetarian one-pot dinner is perfect with rice, steamed buns or even with paratha. I could eat endless bowls of Kewa Datshi by itself! Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1cm coins 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1 small red capsicum, finely sliced 2-3 small hot green chillies, slit 1 medium red onion 1 large, ripe tomato 1/2 tsp salt 425ml hot kettle water 8 slices American cheese Instructions Place a large pot over a medium heat. Add all the ingredients except for the cheese. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Arrange the cheese slices in a single layer on top and cover again. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Remove the lid and stir gently to combine. The water and cheese will melt together to create a sauce. When stirring, take care not to break the potatoes too much. Serve hot with rice or paratha. Notes Store any (cooled) leftovers inside an airtight contain in the fridge for up to 2 days. Not suitable for freezing. Nutrition Information: Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 352Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 844mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 13g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Cuisine: Bhutanese / Category: Curry Night Recipes If you like this Kewa Datshi (Bhutanese Potatoes & Cheese), you’ll love my recipe for Saag Aloo How to make saag aloo Vegetarian Curry Recipes Learn how to make delicious vegetarian curry at home with this collection of simple, flavorsome curry recipes. Dive both home-style and restaurant-style vegan and vegetarian curry recipes which can be adapted to suit any tastes. From Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk, to Tofu Korma, Palak Paneer, Mushroom Rogan Josh, Potato Curry and even Vegan Butter Chicken! The Paneer Tikka Masala and Chana Masala recipes will become firm favorites in your home! Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk This simple Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk is rich with aromatic spices, nuts and a rainbow of colourful vegetables. Make it in an Instant Pot if you have one, or simply simmer away on the stove. Serve with dosa for a delicious vegan meal that's gluten free too. It also pairs perfectly with rice, roti or paratha. Feel free to add any vegetables you have in the fridge, as long as the total weight is around 600g. Get the Recipe Home-style Chana Masala A truly classic Indian dish of soft chickpeas and potatoes simmered with spices for a hot and sour finish. It's loaded with flavour and can be served with Bhatura (fried bread), roti, naan or rice. Best of all, this quick and easy version takes just 30 minutes to make. Try it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Get the Recipe Matar Paneer Matar Paneer is a popular Indian dish made with paneer cheese and peas in a creamy tomato-based sauce. It's a delicious and nutritious vegetarian curry. This recipe for Matar Paneer is also easy to make, making it an amazing option for home cooks or people new to Indian food. Matar Paneer is typically served with rice, naan or roti, but feel free to choose your favourite accompaniments. Get the Recipe Keema Curry (Vegan) Unbelievable! This deeply flavoursome Indian Keema Curry features plant-based mince (soya mince), warming spices and fresh herbs. It's packed with protein and highly versatile. Enjoy it with naan, roti, rice... or even in hot sandwiches! A great vegetarian and vegan Keema recipe for batch cooking. It freezes beautifully, making it an excellent emergency meal for busy schedules. This is one of my go-to dinners all year round. Get the Recipe Gujarati Ravaiya (Stuffed Aubergine Curry) Gujarati Ravaiya (Stuffed Aubergine Curry) is a true vegan comfort meal from western India. Stuff baby aubergines with a spicy peanut masala for Gujarati grandma vibes. Continue Reading Tofu Korma A rich and creamy vegan Indian curry with tofu, aromatic spices and nuts. With a royal history, Korma is an emblem of imperial Mughal cooking traditions. Here's a plant-based Korma recipe everybody will love alongside rice and naan. It's mild and perfect for those who enjoy warm spices over chilli heat. Get the Recipe Indian Masala Baked Beans A dose of British nostalgia, complete with Indian spices. Almost every British South Asian home has its' own take on curried baked beans. I cook mine with ghee, cumin seeds and a liberal heap of garam masala. These spicy, buttery beans are delicious on toast, or with roti or rice. Get the Recipe Paneer Tikka Masala Learn how to make the most delicious Paneer Tikka Masala, just like your favourite Indian restaurant! Pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) and vegetables are first marinated in yoghurt and spices, and then skewered and grilled to smoky perfection. The tikka pieces are then removed from the skewer and folded into a creamy curry sauce made with tomatoes, spices and cream. Here's an easy to follow video recipe and video. Get the Recipe Spinach and Mushroom Curry A quick and easy Spinach and Mushroom Curry with delicious Indian flavours. Sometimes called mushroom saag or mushroom bhaji, this tasty 11-ingredient curry is simple enough to cook during busy weeknights and with few spices and ingredients. Add cauliflower, tofu, paneer, beans or butternut squash along with the spinach puree to increase the veg content. Get the Recipe Cabbage and Potato Curry This simple Cabbage and Potato Curry (Kobi Bateta nu Shaak) is an everyday favourite Indian recipe. It pairs perfectly with roti for a wholesome main dish, or as a light vegetable side dish. It's a dry-style sabzi with tender white cabbage, soft potatoes and mild spices. I find this is an Indian curry recipe the whole family enjoys. Add a handful of peas to turn it into a more veg-heavy meal. Get the Recipe Palak Paneer Recipe (Easy, Beginner-friendly) A quick and easy Palak Paneer recipe with delicious, fresh flavours. Palak Paneer is a popular Indian restaurant dish that's made with spinach and paneer, a soft and squidgy Indian cheese. This tasty vegetarian curry is simple enough to cook during busy weeknights and with few spices and ingredients. This recipe for Palak Paneer is perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike. It's a great make-ahead dish and also freezes well. Serves 4 people as a main dish, or 6 as a side dish. Get the Recipe Vegetable Curry Recipe A delicious and nutritious Vegetable Curry recipe. This recipe for Vegetable Curry is also easy to make, making it an amazing option for home cooks or people new to Indian food. Prepare this dish with any veggies you have in the fridge, freezer or pantry. Vegetable Curry is typically served with rice, naan, paratha or roti, but feel free to choose your favourite accompaniments. Get the Recipe Melt-in-the-Mouth Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry I live and breathe Gujarati food. They are simple vegetarian dishes I eat every evening, and have done since I was young. Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry (Oroh) was one of those dishes mum would cook as a midweek dinner. Continue Reading 30-Minute Tindora Curry with Corn This simple, dry curry with ivy gourd and corn is delicious with roti, paratha or rice. If you’re on the hunt for a minimal-effort curry recipe to add to your weeknight meal rotation, you’re in the right place. Continue Reading Bharela Marcha (Stuffed Bullet Chillies) I stuff the chillies with mixed masalas, jaggery and besan (chickpea flour). Each one is like a hot little flavour bomb. Continue Reading Tofu Dopiaza Tofu Dopiaza is kadai-fried tofu with double onions, crunchy green peppers & aromatic masalas. A restaurant quality vegan curry recipe. Continue Reading Aloo Bhindi Tawa Masala Stuffed and steamed okra and baby potatoes cooked in a spicy tomato and yoghurt masala. Get the Recipe Saag Paneer Recipe This traditional Punjabi Saag Paneer recipe is pure magic! Soft paneer chunks in a creamy mustard greens and spinach curry. Every bite of this classic Indian curry will melt in your mouth. Make it with any leafy greens you have, although mustard leaves and spinach are the most typical. Get the Recipe Vegan Butter Chicken One of North India's most famous curries, Butter Chicken. Also known as Murgh Makhani, it's known for having a lusciously-smooth and tomato cream sauce laced with mild, fragrant spices. Get the Recipe Dahi Varo Oro (Burnt Aubergine in Yoghurt) Flame-grilled aubergine and crunchy peppers tossed with cooling yoghurt. This is a dish typical of Gujarati farming communities along the Kathiawar peninsula of western India. Serve it cold alongside your favourite Indian flatbread - millet or sorghum rotla are most traditional, but this tastes incredible with just about any type of unleavened bread. If you like the smoky flavours of Baba ghanoush, this will be your new go-to Indian dish. It even works well as a dip for parties, picnics and barbecues. Get the Recipe Saag Recipe Warming Punjabi Saag is a curry made from vibrant greens and spices. In the native tongue, it's referred to as Sarson da Saag, a peppery blend of mustard leaves and various greens beaten with ghee (clarified butter), onions, garlic and green chillies. Serve with Makki di Roti (cornmeal flatbread) for feast plucked straight from India's land of the five rivers, Punjab. Get the Recipe Paneer Curry Try this easy Paneer Curry recipe with a delicious mix of aromatic Indian spices. Sauté the soft cubes of Indian cottage cheese in a golden onion and tomato masala. The flavours of cumin, black pepper, ginger and garam masala add warmth and excitement. A kadai-fried curry like this (without too much sauce) is perfect to serve with naan, roti or paratha. I even like using it as a dosa filling when making Paneer Masala Dosa. If you prefer your Paneer Curry with a thick Indian gravy, try Paneer Makhani or Matar Paneer. Get the Recipe Mung Bean Curry Mung Bean Curry is wholesome Indian vegetarian dish to enjoy with roti. It's thick, creamy and cooked with an aromatic paste of ginger, green chilli and coriander. Shards of crispy, ghee-fried garlic add bold flavour and texture. Serve it as a main meal, or as a side dish for your favourite Indian recipes. It's particularly delicious with Kadhi and rice. Get the Recipe Vegan Katsu Curry This vegan katsu curry recipe (yasai katsu curry) combines aubergine and sweet potato coated in panko breadcrumbs, served with a creamy coconut curry sauce. Serve with salad and Japanese pickles. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients for the sauce — it all goes into one pot. Get the Recipe Mushroom & Black Chickpea Rogan Josh Try this hearty vegetarian take on Kashmiri Rogan Josh. My recipe uses juicy mushrooms and protein-rich black chickpeas for an aromatic curry that pairs beautifully with rice. Get the Recipe Restaurant-Style Shahi Paneer Delicious, rich & creamy Shahi Paneer is a vegetarian food hero in North Indian cuisine. Scoop this curry up with flaky parathas or serve with basmati rice. Get the Recipe Gobi Bhurji (Cauliflower Curry) Gobi Bhurji Gobi Bhurji (Cauliflower Curry) is one of my favourite ways to enjoy cauliflower. This north Indian-style Gobi Bhurji is perfect with buttered toast and soothing chai. Continue Reading Potato and Pea Coconut Milk Curry One of my favourite quick dinners growing up was pea and potato curry. It’s a simple staple in every Gujarati home and perfect with just rice and/or Homemade Chapattis – Gujarati Rotli depending on how hungry you are. Continue Reading Gujarati-Style Okra & Potatoes Gujarati-Style Okra & Potatoes (Bhinda Bateta nu Shaak) is an everyday comfort food in many Gujarati homes, including mine. It’s usually scooped up with soft, hot rotlis (chapattis), which is our daily bread Continue Reading Vegan 'Butter' Cauliflower and Perfect Jeera Pilau Garnish the Vegan ‘Butter’ Cauliflower with a final flourish of chopped coriander and a drizzle of coconut milk for that luscious restaurant-style finish. Continue Reading Gujarati Potatoes and Spring Onions Sautéed in Chickpea Flour Fresh flavoured, dry curries are done so well by Gujaratis. It’s all about taking simple ingredients and packing in as much flavour as possible. Continue Reading Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak A tried and true recipe for Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak (dry-style potato curry). This is my mother’s exact recipe and the only way we make it at home. She has a few fabulous tips for achieving intense flavours and the perfect dry bhaji-style texture every time. This shaak pairs perfectly with Masala Poori and dahi (plain yoghurt). Continue Reading Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) While most of us use kidney beans as a filler ingredient in chillies, stews and salads, this Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) makes the humble red bean the star of the show. The sauce is deeply aromatic, smooth and robust enough to take the beans from basic to beautiful. This is North Indian comfort food at its best. Continue Reading Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables is a raid-the-fridge dinner. Balanced, flavoursome and so easy to prepare! Zero waste. Continue Reading Gobi Musallam Whole-roasted cauliflower curry with a Mughlai-inspired curry sauce. Nuts, spices and warm flavours meld into this meltingly-soft cauliflower curry. Continue Reading Cardamom Tofu Curry Cardamom-scented cream is added to luxurious tomato sauce in this delicate and fragrant vegetarian tofu curry. Continue Reading Melt-Away Malai Kofta I call this creamy paneer kofta curry Melt-Away Malai Kofta simply because they melt away as soon as you put them in your mouth. Malai Kofta are the ultimate North Indian vegetarian curry recipe to dazzle friends and family. A celebration of rich flavours and warming spices. Continue Reading Bodhi's Keema Pau Bhaji (Vegan) Bodhi’s Keema Pau Bhaji (Vegan). A complete meal and super nutritious for the whole family. Don’t be fooled though, this buttery, curried veg and soya medley packs a huge flavour punch. It’s so moreish. Continue Reading Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani. Beautiful, butter-soft aubergines in a rich makhani sauce. This velvety-smooth curry is perfect with rice and fluffy naan. Continue Reading Stuffed and Baked Baby Kolhapuri Aubergines If you’re a fan of vegetarian Indian main courses that pack enough punch to trounce any meaty curry, look no further. These gorgeous aubergines might be small but the smooth-as-velvet sauce and filling make it an unforgettable veggie curry you’ll want to make over and over again. Continue Reading The post Kewa Datshi (Bhutanese Potatoes & Cheese) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

The only Saag Aloo recipe you’ll ever need. This comforting Indian vegetarian dish combines vibrant spinach, tender potatoes and warming spices like garam masala, ginger and garlic. This recipe is… I serve Saag Aloo with roti but it’s also great with naan, paratha or rice. Give it a try next curry night! What is Saag …

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The only Saag Aloo recipe you’ll ever need. This comforting Indian vegetarian dish combines vibrant spinach, tender potatoes and warming spices like garam masala, ginger and garlic. This recipe is… Vegetarian Comforting Quick and easy Gluten free (see ingredients for note on asafoetida) I serve Saag Aloo with roti but it’s also great with naan, paratha or rice. Give it a try next curry night! What is Saag Aloo? In the Hindi language, Saag refers to leafy greens and aloo means potatoes. What does saag refer to in Indian food? Serve this popular Indian vegetarian dish with roti Saag Aloo is typically a dish of any leafy greens cooked with potatoes, although in most cases (certainly in the UK), the green vegetable of choice is spinach. This is usually the most widely available and inexpensive option. You may also see spinach in dishes on western Indian restaurant menus referred to as palak. This is a more specific word for spinach in Hindi which, for some reason is only used for dishes like Palak Paneer and not Saag Aloo (which is also made exclusively with spinach). Go figure. For this dish you can use leaf spinach, baby spinach leaves, frozen spinach, or even tinned (canned) spinach. All produce slightly different results but offer the flexibility any busy home cook will value. How do you pronounce Saag Aloo? Master this Indian restaurant favourite at home A quick meal and can be made vegan and gluten free Saag Aloo should be pronounced like ‘saahg ah-loo’. Elongate the ‘a’ sound when saying saag and ‘ah’ when saying the first part of aloo. Whatever you do, don’t say ‘sag’, as in ‘saggy’. A traditional and authentic Saag Aloo recipe? … doesn’t exist! Saag Aloo is a staple dish in both Indian homes and Indian restaurants around the world. The diversity in preparation is vast since spinach, potatoes and spices are the only common denominator among all the recipes out there. Some cooks keep things mild and simple, and others give the dish fiery heat. Indeed, some like their Saag Aloo with a sauce, while others prefer a dry-style sautéed finish. The spinach can be smooth, or coarse. The potatoes can be small or chunky. You can add cream or keep things light. You don’t have to add tomatoes or even onions, although may cooks choose to. There are a hundred different ways to make Saag Aloo and this is just one of them. My preference is a light, dry curry with meltingly tender potatoes and a medium aromatic spice level. This simple version starts with a fresh green curry paste made with a handful of ingredients. Experiment and see what you like best! Don’t waste the potato peels! I wash my potatoes thoroughly before drying and peeling them. For a zero-waste garnish, deep fry the potato peels. They’re so crispy and taste wonderful on the curry. How to make Saag Aloo (Spinach and Potato Curry) 1. Peel and chop the potatoes Maris Piper or King Edward floury potatoes for Saag Aloo Peel the potatoes (fry the peels for garnish) Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into rough chunks, about 2.5cm. Reserve the peelings (see notes). 2. Boil the potatoes Simmer the potatoes in salty turmeric water The potatoes aloo should be golden and tender Place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Add the salt and turmeric. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost cooked, but not all the way. Drain and set aside in a colander. 3. Prepare the spice paste Make a coarse spice paste with green pepper! In a pestle and mortar, bash together the chillies, pepper, garlic, ginger and salt until they form a coarse paste. Set aside. 4. Cook the spice paste with onions and tomatoes A vibrant green base for your curry Onions just need to soften Cook out the curry paste Heat the oil or ghee over. medium heat in a large saucepan or deep cooking pot. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds before tipping the pounded masala paste. Sauté over a medium heat, stirring continuously for a minute. Add the onion, tomato, smoked paprika and turmeric. Stir well. 5. Add the spinach and blend First, wilt the spinach Blend the spinach for a smoother finish Turn the heat down slightly and add the spinach. Stir well. Once the spinach has wilted, turn the heat off and use an immersion blender to blitz the spinach mixture to a coarse paste. You can blend it more or less depending on your taste. I find that blending helps the spinach coat the potatoes. Skip this step if you prefer. 6. Add the potatoes, heat through and serve Add potatoes to the spinach mixture Saag Aloo is ready to serve! Add the potatoes and garam masala to the spinach masala. Continue cooking (uncovered) for a further 5-10 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Saag Aloo recipe | How to make Indian Spinach and Potato Curry Yield: Serves 4 Saag Aloo Print The only Saag Aloo recipe you'll ever need. This comforting Indian vegetarian dish combines spinach, potatoes and warming spices like garam masala, ginger and garlic. I serve Saag Aloo with roti but it's also great with naan, paratha or rice. Give it a try next curry night! Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients 800g potatoes, peeled and roughly cut into 2.5cm chunks 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp turmeric 3 medium-hot green chillies 1 small green pepper, finely diced 6 cloves garlic, minced 2cm piece ginger, minced 1/2 tsp salt 300g spinach, coarsely blitzed in a food processor 2 tbsp oil or ghee 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp asafoetida (check for gluten free or omit) 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 large tomato, roughly diced 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp turmeric 1 tsp garam masala Instructions Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into rough chunks, about 2.5cm. Reserve the peelings (see notes). Place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Add the salt and turmeric. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost cooked, but not all the way. Drain and set aside in a colander. In a pestle and mortar, bash together the chillies, pepper, garlic, ginger and salt until they form a coarse paste. Set aside. Heat the oil or ghee over. medium heat in a large saucepan or deep cooking pot. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds before tipping the pounded masala paste. Sauté over a medium heat, stirring continuously for a minute. Add the onion, tomato, smoked paprika and turmeric. Stir well. Turn the heat down slightly and add the spinach. Stir well. Once the spinach has wilted, turn the heat off and use an immersion blender to blitz the spinach mixture to a coarse paste. You can blend it more or less depending on your taste. I find that blending helps the spinach coat the potatoes. Skip this step if you prefer. Add the potatoes and garam masala to the spinach masala. Continue cooking (uncovered) for a further 5-10 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Notes Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Heat thoroughly before serving. Reserve the potato peelings and deep fry to use as a crispy potato chip garnish (optional). Nutrition Information: Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 951mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 8gSugar: 6gProtein: 9g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Cuisine: Indian / Category: Indian Curry Recipes If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Palak Paneer Learn how to make Palak Paneer Vegetarian Curry Recipes Learn how to make delicious vegetarian curry at home with this collection of simple, flavorsome curry recipes. Dive both home-style and restaurant-style vegan and vegetarian curry recipes which can be adapted to suit any tastes. From Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk, to Tofu Korma, Palak Paneer, Mushroom Rogan Josh, Potato Curry and even Vegan Butter Chicken! The Paneer Tikka Masala and Chana Masala recipes will become firm favorites in your home! Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk This simple Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk is rich with aromatic spices, nuts and a rainbow of colourful vegetables. Make it in an Instant Pot if you have one, or simply simmer away on the stove. Serve with dosa for a delicious vegan meal that's gluten free too. It also pairs perfectly with rice, roti or paratha. Feel free to add any vegetables you have in the fridge, as long as the total weight is around 600g. Get the Recipe Home-style Chana Masala A truly classic Indian dish of soft chickpeas and potatoes simmered with spices for a hot and sour finish. It's loaded with flavour and can be served with Bhatura (fried bread), roti, naan or rice. Best of all, this quick and easy version takes just 30 minutes to make. Try it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Get the Recipe Matar Paneer Matar Paneer is a popular Indian dish made with paneer cheese and peas in a creamy tomato-based sauce. It's a delicious and nutritious vegetarian curry. This recipe for Matar Paneer is also easy to make, making it an amazing option for home cooks or people new to Indian food. Matar Paneer is typically served with rice, naan or roti, but feel free to choose your favourite accompaniments. Get the Recipe Keema Curry (Vegan) Unbelievable! This deeply flavoursome Indian Keema Curry features plant-based mince (soya mince), warming spices and fresh herbs. It's packed with protein and highly versatile. Enjoy it with naan, roti, rice... or even in hot sandwiches! A great vegetarian and vegan Keema recipe for batch cooking. It freezes beautifully, making it an excellent emergency meal for busy schedules. This is one of my go-to dinners all year round. Get the Recipe Gujarati Ravaiya (Stuffed Aubergine Curry) Gujarati Ravaiya (Stuffed Aubergine Curry) is a true vegan comfort meal from western India. Stuff baby aubergines with a spicy peanut masala for Gujarati grandma vibes. Continue Reading Tofu Korma A rich and creamy vegan Indian curry with tofu, aromatic spices and nuts. With a royal history, Korma is an emblem of imperial Mughal cooking traditions. Here's a plant-based Korma recipe everybody will love alongside rice and naan. It's mild and perfect for those who enjoy warm spices over chilli heat. Get the Recipe Indian Masala Baked Beans A dose of British nostalgia, complete with Indian spices. Almost every British South Asian home has its' own take on curried baked beans. I cook mine with ghee, cumin seeds and a liberal heap of garam masala. These spicy, buttery beans are delicious on toast, or with roti or rice. Get the Recipe Paneer Tikka Masala Learn how to make the most delicious Paneer Tikka Masala, just like your favourite Indian restaurant! Pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) and vegetables are first marinated in yoghurt and spices, and then skewered and grilled to smoky perfection. The tikka pieces are then removed from the skewer and folded into a creamy curry sauce made with tomatoes, spices and cream. Here's an easy to follow video recipe and video. Get the Recipe Spinach and Mushroom Curry A quick and easy Spinach and Mushroom Curry with delicious Indian flavours. Sometimes called mushroom saag or mushroom bhaji, this tasty 11-ingredient curry is simple enough to cook during busy weeknights and with few spices and ingredients. Add cauliflower, tofu, paneer, beans or butternut squash along with the spinach puree to increase the veg content. Get the Recipe Cabbage and Potato Curry This simple Cabbage and Potato Curry (Kobi Bateta nu Shaak) is an everyday favourite Indian recipe. It pairs perfectly with roti for a wholesome main dish, or as a light vegetable side dish. It's a dry-style sabzi with tender white cabbage, soft potatoes and mild spices. I find this is an Indian curry recipe the whole family enjoys. Add a handful of peas to turn it into a more veg-heavy meal. Get the Recipe Palak Paneer Recipe (Easy, Beginner-friendly) A quick and easy Palak Paneer recipe with delicious, fresh flavours. Palak Paneer is a popular Indian restaurant dish that's made with spinach and paneer, a soft and squidgy Indian cheese. This tasty vegetarian curry is simple enough to cook during busy weeknights and with few spices and ingredients. This recipe for Palak Paneer is perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike. It's a great make-ahead dish and also freezes well. Serves 4 people as a main dish, or 6 as a side dish. Get the Recipe Vegetable Curry Recipe A delicious and nutritious Vegetable Curry recipe. This recipe for Vegetable Curry is also easy to make, making it an amazing option for home cooks or people new to Indian food. Prepare this dish with any veggies you have in the fridge, freezer or pantry. Vegetable Curry is typically served with rice, naan, paratha or roti, but feel free to choose your favourite accompaniments. Get the Recipe Melt-in-the-Mouth Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry I live and breathe Gujarati food. They are simple vegetarian dishes I eat every evening, and have done since I was young. Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry (Oroh) was one of those dishes mum would cook as a midweek dinner. Continue Reading 30-Minute Tindora Curry with Corn This simple, dry curry with ivy gourd and corn is delicious with roti, paratha or rice. If you’re on the hunt for a minimal-effort curry recipe to add to your weeknight meal rotation, you’re in the right place. Continue Reading Bharela Marcha (Stuffed Bullet Chillies) I stuff the chillies with mixed masalas, jaggery and besan (chickpea flour). Each one is like a hot little flavour bomb. Continue Reading Tofu Dopiaza Tofu Dopiaza is kadai-fried tofu with double onions, crunchy green peppers & aromatic masalas. A restaurant quality vegan curry recipe. Continue Reading Aloo Bhindi Tawa Masala Stuffed and steamed okra and baby potatoes cooked in a spicy tomato and yoghurt masala. Get the Recipe Saag Paneer Recipe This traditional Punjabi Saag Paneer recipe is pure magic! Soft paneer chunks in a creamy mustard greens and spinach curry. Every bite of this classic Indian curry will melt in your mouth. Make it with any leafy greens you have, although mustard leaves and spinach are the most typical. Get the Recipe Vegan Butter Chicken One of North India's most famous curries, Butter Chicken. Also known as Murgh Makhani, it's known for having a lusciously-smooth and tomato cream sauce laced with mild, fragrant spices. Get the Recipe Dahi Varo Oro (Burnt Aubergine in Yoghurt) Flame-grilled aubergine and crunchy peppers tossed with cooling yoghurt. This is a dish typical of Gujarati farming communities along the Kathiawar peninsula of western India. Serve it cold alongside your favourite Indian flatbread - millet or sorghum rotla are most traditional, but this tastes incredible with just about any type of unleavened bread. If you like the smoky flavours of Baba ghanoush, this will be your new go-to Indian dish. It even works well as a dip for parties, picnics and barbecues. Get the Recipe Saag Recipe Warming Punjabi Saag is a curry made from vibrant greens and spices. In the native tongue, it's referred to as Sarson da Saag, a peppery blend of mustard leaves and various greens beaten with ghee (clarified butter), onions, garlic and green chillies. Serve with Makki di Roti (cornmeal flatbread) for feast plucked straight from India's land of the five rivers, Punjab. Get the Recipe Paneer Curry Try this easy Paneer Curry recipe with a delicious mix of aromatic Indian spices. Sauté the soft cubes of Indian cottage cheese in a golden onion and tomato masala. The flavours of cumin, black pepper, ginger and garam masala add warmth and excitement. A kadai-fried curry like this (without too much sauce) is perfect to serve with naan, roti or paratha. I even like using it as a dosa filling when making Paneer Masala Dosa. If you prefer your Paneer Curry with a thick Indian gravy, try Paneer Makhani or Matar Paneer. Get the Recipe Mung Bean Curry Mung Bean Curry is wholesome Indian vegetarian dish to enjoy with roti. It's thick, creamy and cooked with an aromatic paste of ginger, green chilli and coriander. Shards of crispy, ghee-fried garlic add bold flavour and texture. Serve it as a main meal, or as a side dish for your favourite Indian recipes. It's particularly delicious with Kadhi and rice. Get the Recipe Vegan Katsu Curry This vegan katsu curry recipe (yasai katsu curry) combines aubergine and sweet potato coated in panko breadcrumbs, served with a creamy coconut curry sauce. Serve with salad and Japanese pickles. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients for the sauce — it all goes into one pot. Get the Recipe Mushroom & Black Chickpea Rogan Josh Try this hearty vegetarian take on Kashmiri Rogan Josh. My recipe uses juicy mushrooms and protein-rich black chickpeas for an aromatic curry that pairs beautifully with rice. Get the Recipe Restaurant-Style Shahi Paneer Delicious, rich & creamy Shahi Paneer is a vegetarian food hero in North Indian cuisine. Scoop this curry up with flaky parathas or serve with basmati rice. Get the Recipe Gobi Bhurji (Cauliflower Curry) Gobi Bhurji Gobi Bhurji (Cauliflower Curry) is one of my favourite ways to enjoy cauliflower. This north Indian-style Gobi Bhurji is perfect with buttered toast and soothing chai. Continue Reading Potato and Pea Coconut Milk Curry One of my favourite quick dinners growing up was pea and potato curry. It’s a simple staple in every Gujarati home and perfect with just rice and/or Homemade Chapattis – Gujarati Rotli depending on how hungry you are. Continue Reading Gujarati-Style Okra & Potatoes Gujarati-Style Okra & Potatoes (Bhinda Bateta nu Shaak) is an everyday comfort food in many Gujarati homes, including mine. It’s usually scooped up with soft, hot rotlis (chapattis), which is our daily bread Continue Reading Vegan 'Butter' Cauliflower and Perfect Jeera Pilau Garnish the Vegan ‘Butter’ Cauliflower with a final flourish of chopped coriander and a drizzle of coconut milk for that luscious restaurant-style finish. Continue Reading Gujarati Potatoes and Spring Onions Sautéed in Chickpea Flour Fresh flavoured, dry curries are done so well by Gujaratis. It’s all about taking simple ingredients and packing in as much flavour as possible. Continue Reading Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak A tried and true recipe for Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak (dry-style potato curry). This is my mother’s exact recipe and the only way we make it at home. She has a few fabulous tips for achieving intense flavours and the perfect dry bhaji-style texture every time. This shaak pairs perfectly with Masala Poori and dahi (plain yoghurt). Continue Reading Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) While most of us use kidney beans as a filler ingredient in chillies, stews and salads, this Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) makes the humble red bean the star of the show. The sauce is deeply aromatic, smooth and robust enough to take the beans from basic to beautiful. This is North Indian comfort food at its best. Continue Reading Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables is a raid-the-fridge dinner. Balanced, flavoursome and so easy to prepare! Zero waste. Continue Reading Gobi Musallam Whole-roasted cauliflower curry with a Mughlai-inspired curry sauce. Nuts, spices and warm flavours meld into this meltingly-soft cauliflower curry. Continue Reading Cardamom Tofu Curry Cardamom-scented cream is added to luxurious tomato sauce in this delicate and fragrant vegetarian tofu curry. Continue Reading Melt-Away Malai Kofta I call this creamy paneer kofta curry Melt-Away Malai Kofta simply because they melt away as soon as you put them in your mouth. Malai Kofta are the ultimate North Indian vegetarian curry recipe to dazzle friends and family. A celebration of rich flavours and warming spices. Continue Reading Bodhi's Keema Pau Bhaji (Vegan) Bodhi’s Keema Pau Bhaji (Vegan). A complete meal and super nutritious for the whole family. Don’t be fooled though, this buttery, curried veg and soya medley packs a huge flavour punch. It’s so moreish. Continue Reading Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani. Beautiful, butter-soft aubergines in a rich makhani sauce. This velvety-smooth curry is perfect with rice and fluffy naan. Continue Reading Stuffed and Baked Baby Kolhapuri Aubergines If you’re a fan of vegetarian Indian main courses that pack enough punch to trounce any meaty curry, look no further. These gorgeous aubergines might be small but the smooth-as-velvet sauce and filling make it an unforgettable veggie curry you’ll want to make over and over again. Continue Reading The post Saag Aloo appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Paneer Tawa Masala is a spicy and succulent paneer curry with black pepper, ginger and spring onions, all cooked on a smoking hot flat-top grill. Since paneer is a mild Indian cheese with a soft and creamy flavour, it pairs beautifully with my signature blend of toasted, aromatic spices. This recipe for Paneer Tawa Masala …

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Paneer Tawa Masala is a spicy and succulent paneer curry with black pepper, ginger and spring onions, all cooked on a smoking hot flat-top grill. Paneer Tawa Masala is a wholesome vegetarian curry Since paneer is a mild Indian cheese with a soft and creamy flavour, it pairs beautifully with my signature blend of toasted, aromatic spices. This recipe for Paneer Tawa Masala is… Easy to make A delicious vegetarian curry Perfect as a main course or side dish Full of bold, punchy flavour What is Paneer Tawa Masala? You will need spring onions, curry leaves, ginger and chillies. Cook this dish in a tawa (flat or slightly concave pan). Paneer Tawa Masala is an Indian dish that gets its’ name from the flat-top or slightly concave griddle it’s cooked on. It’s rich with spices and delicious for any Indian curry night. Tawa masala is also a popular dish in Pakistan, where it is usually made with meat. Serve this semi-dry Paneer Tawa Masala with roti, naan or paratha. My version of Paneer Tawa Masala brings Indian paneer together with Pakistani-style flavours. It has the bold, punchy flavours of black pepper, ginger, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and spring onions. You’ll love this hot and spicy vegetarian paneer curry with roti, paratha or naan. However, you could also try mixing in cold, leftover rice to make a tawa fried rice. The choice is yours. Just don’t forget the squeeze of lemon at the end! How to cook paneer Paneer is a semi-hard cheese with a mild, milky flavour. Optional: pan fry the paneer before using. Paneer is a mild and succulent semi hard Indian cheese, sometimes referred to as ‘cottage cheese’, although the taste and texture is completely different to the Western style of cottage cheese. It’s made using fresh milk that’s separated with either lemon juice, milk or yoghurt, before being rinsed and pressed into a block. You can find blocks of paneer in large supermarkets or Indian food stores. To cook paneer, simply slice it into any shape you like (cubes, triangles and rectangles are popular) and add straight to a curry or pan fry first to give it a golden crust. Note that like halloumi, paneer does not melt. Add fresh coriander, spring onion greens and tomatoes for a fresh finish. You can also grate paneer or blend using a food processor to mince it up. This is ideal for making stuffings for paratha, samosas, paneer spring rolls, malai kofta or kebabs. Paneer holds its’ shape very well. Another popular way to cook paneer is to make Paneer Tikka, a style of tandoori paneer kebab, a recipe used for making Paneer Tikka Masala. Paneer, cooked two ways for a unique vegetarian curry Black pepper is the star of the show in this Paneer Tawa Masala. In this paneer sabji (paneer curry) recipe, we’ll be cooking the paneer in two ways. First we’ll slice it into square pieces, pan fry and then hot soak for the tawa masala. Hot soaking makes paneer nice and soft. Secondly, we’ll mash grated paneer into the sauce for a thick and velvety finish. This mashed paneer will temper some of the heat in the spices and thicken or give the sauce a rich body that clings to the paneer pieces. What’s a good paneer substitute? Tofu or halloumi are both good substitutes for paneer. If you can’t get your hands on paneer, or are avoiding it for dietary reasons, you can substitute it with firm tofu (vegan option) or halloumi (rinse before using). Paneer Tawa Masala Ingredients Measurements in recipe card below. How to make Paneer Tawa Masala 1. Make the tawa masala spice blend Use a dry pan to toast the spices. Pound the spices in a pestle and mortar. The tawa masalas should be coarse. In a dry tawa set over a medium-low heat, lightly toast the ingredients for the masala, moving all the time. This will take around 2-3 minutes. Transfer the whole spices to a pestle and mortar and coarsely grind. Set aside. 2. Prepare the paneer (Indian cottage cheese) Paneer is available in big supermarkets or in Indian shops. Shallow fry the paneer for a golden crust. Soak the fried paneer in hot kettle water for the softest results. Grate 100g paneer and set aside. Slice the remaining paneer into 2cm squares (about 1/2 cm thick). Heat the oil in the tawa and brown the sliced paneer on all sides. Leaving the oil in the tawa, transfer the paneer to a bowl and pour over hot kettle water (enough to cover) while you get on with the rest of the recipe. 3. Cook the base curry These aromatics smell incredible! Sauté the ingredients in the tawa, stirring all the time. Heat the ghee in the tawa set over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds and allow to sizzle for a few seconds. Next, in quick succession, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, chillies and the white parts of the spring onions. Turn the heat up to high and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions start to brown slightly and break down. Next, add the tomatoes, ground masalas and salt. Stir over a medium-high heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes have softened. Keep the spices moving over a medium-high heat. Add paneer and mash using a potato masher (watch the video for a visual tutorial). Add the reserved 100g grated paneer and use a potato masher to mash everything together, creating a thick paste. I add around 100ml hot kettle water to thin the mixture out and allow the spices to cook through. Once you have a sauce with a rough paste consistency, thin it slightly with water (enough so that can coat the back of a spoon). 4. Add the paneer slices to the curry A fresh finish with spring onion greens, coriander and tomato. Serve the dish hot. Add the sliced paneer and fold gently to coat the cheese. Cook until the paneer is heated through completely, around 5 minutes. 5. Garnish the Paneer Tawa Masala You might also like to garnish with fresh ginger juliennes. The Paneer Tawa Masala is ready! Garnish with fresh coriander, dried fenugreek (kasoori methi) and the reserved spring onion greens and tomatoes. Get the recipe card for Paneer Tawa Masala (Tawa Paneer) below. Can I freeze Paneer Tawa Masala? Yes, this dish freezes particularly well. Pack the curry into freezer-safe containers and allow to cool completely. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and microwave or stir fry until piping hot. Other popular paneer curry recipes you might like Paneer Makhani Shahi Paneer Matar Paneer Paneer Tikka Masala Palak Paneer Paneer Tawa Masala recipe | How to make Tawa Paneer Yield: Serves 4 Paneer Tawa Masala Print Paneer Tawa Masala is a spicy and succulent paneer curry with black pepper, ginger and spring onions, all cooked on a smoking hot flat-top grill. Since paneer is a mild Indian cheese with a soft and creamy flavour, it pairs beautifully with my signature blend of toasted, aromatic spices. Serve this semi-dry Paneer Tawa Masala with roti, naan or paratha. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients 500g paneer 2 tbsp oil Hot kettle water to soak paneer (enough to cover) 1 tbsp ghee 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp asafoetida 20 curry leaves, finely chopped 1 tbsp minced ginger 2 tsp minced garlic 1-2 hot green chillies, slit lengthways 8 spring onions, finely sliced (greens reserved for garnish) 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped (reserve a small handful for garnish) 1 1/4 tsp salt 100ml water, to adjust sauce consistency 2 tbsp chopped coriander 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) For the masala: 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds 1 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns 2 cloves 2 tsp fennel seeds Instructions In a dry tawa set over a medium-low heat, lightly toast the ingredients for the masala, moving all the time. This will take around 2-3 minutes. Transfer the whole spices to a pestle and mortar and coarsely grind. Set aside. Grate 100g paneer and set aside. Slice the remaining paneer into 2cm squares (about 1/2 cm thick). Heat the oil in the tawa and brown the sliced paneer on all sides. Leaving the oil in the tawa, transfer the paneer to a bowl and cover with hot kettle water while you get on with the rest of the recipe. Heat the ghee in the tawa set over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds and allow to sizzle for a few seconds. Next, in quick succession, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, chillies and the white parts of the spring onions. Turn the heat up to high and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions start to brown slightly and break down. Next, add the tomatoes, ground masalas and salt. Stir over a medium-high heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes have softened. Next, add the reserved 100g grated paneer and use a potato masher to mash everything together, creating a thick paste. I add around 100ml hot kettle water to thin the mixture out and allow the spices to cook through. Once you have a sauce with a rough paste consistency, thin it slightly with water (enough so that can coat the back of a spoon). Add the sliced paneer and fold gently to coat the cheese. Cook until the paneer is heated through completely, around 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander, dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and the reserved spring onion greens and tomatoes. Notes This dish freezes particularly well. Pack the curry into freezer-safe containers and allow to cool completely. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and microwave or stir fry until piping hot. To increase the veg content, you can replace some of the paneer in the dish with sliced peppers (capsicum). Nutrition Information: Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 521Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 1683mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 25g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Cuisine: Indian / Category: Curry Recipe If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Shahi Paneer Shahi Paneer recipe More delicious ways to cook paneer | Paneer curry recipes 10 Paneer Curry Recipes You'll Love Try one of these delicious paneer curry recipes the next time you're cooking up an Indian feast! 1 Matar Paneer Matar Paneer is a popular Indian dish made with paneer cheese and peas in a creamy tomato-based sauce. It's a delicious and nutritious vegetarian curry. This recipe for Matar Paneer is also easy to make, making it an amazing option for home cooks or people new to Indian food. Matar Paneer is typically served with rice, naan or roti, but feel free to choose your favourite accompaniments. Get the Recipe 2 Restaurant-Style Shahi Paneer Soft, creamy Mughlai Restaurant-Style Shahi Paneer is a true celebration of rich flavours and treasured spices. Scoop this vegetarian curry up with hot paratha, naan or roti. If you’re not a bread lover, this Shahi Paneer also pairs beautifully with rice, should you wish to opt for a simple curry and rice bowl for dinner. Get the Recipe 3 Paneer Tikka Masala Learn how to make the most delicious Paneer Tikka Masala, just like your favourite Indian restaurant! Pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) and vegetables are first marinated in yoghurt and spices, and then skewered and grilled to smoky perfection. The tikka pieces are then removed from the skewer and folded into a creamy curry sauce made with tomatoes, spices and cream. Here's an easy to follow video recipe and video. Get the Recipe 4 The Ultimate Saag Paneer The Ultimate Saag Paneer recipe is pure MAGIC! Soft paneer chunks in a creamy mustard greens & spinach curry. Every bite will melt in your mouth. Saag Paneer is the more character-laden cousin of Palak Paneer, made with mixed greens like mustard leaves (sarson) instead of spinach alone. The velvety texture and subtle spicing of this recipe for Saag Paneer ensures the peppery mustard leaves and juicy paneer are the true stars of the show. Get the Recipe 5 Brown Butter Paneer Makhani I thought I knew true love, but then I met Brown Butter Paneer Makhani. The toasty, nutty aroma of brown butter (or beurre noisette) transforms the traditional Paneer Makhani we all know and love into something even more sensational. Combine aromatic spices with a creamy cashew and tomato base, gently brown some butter in a pan and create the Makhani-style sauce of your dreams. This is the only way I’ll make Paneer Makhani from now on. Get the Recipe 6 Paneer Curry Try this easy Paneer Curry recipe with a delicious mix of aromatic Indian spices. Sauté the soft cubes of Indian cottage cheese in a golden onion and tomato masala. The flavours of cumin, black pepper, ginger and garam masala add warmth and excitement. A kadai-fried curry like this (without too much sauce) is perfect to serve with naan, roti or paratha. I even like using it as a dosa filling when making Paneer Masala Dosa. If you prefer your Paneer Curry with a thick Indian gravy, try Paneer Makhani or Matar Paneer. Get the Recipe 7 Melt-Away Malai Kofta I call this creamy paneer kofta curry Melt-Away Malai Kofta simply because they melt away as soon as you put them in your mouth. Malai Kofta are the ultimate North Indian vegetarian curry recipe to dazzle friends and family. My simple paneer and potato kofta are golden on the outside and a brilliant white colour on the inside. Each bite is soft, a little spongy and slick with a smooth and creamy tomato sauce. In my home, Malai Kofta is an essential curry for special occasions. This Indian vegetarian curry of paneer (cheese) and potato kofta is a real celebration of rich flavours and warming spices. Get the Recipe 8 Easy Creamy Palak Paneer I will always order Palak Paneer if it’s on the menu in a restaurant. For me, a bowl of creamy spinach and cheese is mandatory. I could forgo rice and bread and quite simply eat a bowl of Palak Paneer with a spoon. The trick to a super green sauce is to cook the spinach as little as possible. Just apply enough heat to wilt it at the beginning and heat the finished sauce just to warm all the ingredients through. Get the Recipe 9 Paneer Butter Masala One of my favourite paneer dishes is Paneer Butter Masala, whereby chunks of soft paneer are folded into a creamy and sharp tomato sauce made luxurious with unadulterated butter. Hand me a teardrop sheet of puffy, soft naan to mop up all of that sauce and I’m in seventh heaven. Get the Recipe 10 Restaurant-Style Matar Paneer The soft and creamy cubes of Indian cottage cheese pairs so well with simple fresh garden peas, making this vegetarian curry a pillar of Desi restaurant and home-style cooking. The base gravy for this Matar Paneer recipe contains ground almonds and tomatoes for a delectable creaminess and sharp tang. The spicing is warm but complex, making you wonder if you really just made that at home in the comfort of your own kitchen, without having to go to a restaurant or pick up a takeaway menu. Mad skills. Get the Recipe The post Paneer Tawa Masala appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Choose from over 40 delicious vegetarian curry recipes from classics like Tikka Masala, Korma, Keema and Rogan Josh, to home-style favourites like Palak Paneer, Saag, Rajma and Chana Masala. These vegan and vegetarian curry recipes are deeply flavoursome and the instructions are easy to follow, even if you’ve never cooked Indian food or curry before. …

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Choose from over 40 delicious vegetarian curry recipes from classics like Tikka Masala, Korma, Keema and Rogan Josh, to home-style favourites like Palak Paneer, Saag, Rajma and Chana Masala. These vegan and vegetarian curry recipes are deeply flavoursome and the instructions are easy to follow, even if you’ve never cooked Indian food or curry before. Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry Tofu Tikka Masala Each dish can be adapted to suit your taste and depending on what you have in the cupboard. Whether you’re a long-term vegetarian, or are simply looking to introduce more plant-based meals into your diet, these vegetarian curry recipes will give you plenty of flavor options to explore. What is the secret to a good curry? Saag Paneer Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) Tofu Korma Time. In order to develop fully, spices and ingredients need time to simmer, infuse and deepen. Of course, it’s possible to make some curries quickly. The best ones are usually the dry sabzis consisting of stir-fried vegetables like this Gujarati Potato and Okra Curry, or 30-Minute Tindora and Corn Curry. For restaurant-style Indian vegetarian curry recipes like Paneer Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer, Malai Kofta and Rajma, time is your greatest ally when it comes to the secret to a good curry. Always be sure to brown your onions properly if a recipe calls for that, season with salt adequately and remember that your vegetarian curry will most likely taste better the next day! The same is true for daal (lentil-based dishes) like Daal Makhani or Tadka Daal. What are the basics of curry? Spinach and Mushroom Curry Cabbage and Potato Curry Vegetarian Keema Curry The secret behind my mother’s superpower is about to be revealed. If you have any vegetables or lentils you want to make a basic, everyday curry out of, this is the formula for how to do it. It’s a very unspecific guide, but it generally works for the simplest vegetarian curries and daals. To make curry out of anything, add your ingredients in the following order: FAT WHOLE SPICES ASAFOETIDA (if using) AROMATICS (brown the onions, add garlic, ginger, curry leaves afterwards) TOMATOES GROUND SPICES VEGETABLES OR LENTILS (plus water, if required) TIME After slow or quick cooking, the dish can be garnished with fresh coriander before serving. Five spices to make any curry great Every cook has their own go-to collection of spices depending on the style of curry they like to make most often. My top five spices to make any curry delicious are… Cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala (is that last one cheating?). Vegetarian Curry Recipes Learn how to make delicious vegetarian curry at home with this collection of simple, flavorsome curry recipes. Dive both home-style and restaurant-style vegan and vegetarian curry recipes which can be adapted to suit any tastes. From Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk, to Tofu Korma, Palak Paneer, Mushroom Rogan Josh, Potato Curry and even Vegan Butter Chicken! The Paneer Tikka Masala and Chana Masala recipes will become firm favorites in your home! Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk This simple Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk is rich with aromatic spices, nuts and a rainbow of colourful vegetables. Make it in an Instant Pot if you have one, or simply simmer away on the stove. Serve with dosa for a delicious vegan meal that's gluten free too. It also pairs perfectly with rice, roti or paratha. Feel free to add any vegetables you have in the fridge, as long as the total weight is around 600g. Get the Recipe Home-style Chana Masala A truly classic Indian dish of soft chickpeas and potatoes simmered with spices for a hot and sour finish. It's loaded with flavour and can be served with Bhatura (fried bread), roti, naan or rice. Best of all, this quick and easy version takes just 30 minutes to make. Try it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Get the Recipe Matar Paneer Matar Paneer is a popular Indian dish made with paneer cheese and peas in a creamy tomato-based sauce. It's a delicious and nutritious vegetarian curry. This recipe for Matar Paneer is also easy to make, making it an amazing option for home cooks or people new to Indian food. Matar Paneer is typically served with rice, naan or roti, but feel free to choose your favourite accompaniments. Get the Recipe Keema Curry (Vegan) Unbelievable! This deeply flavoursome Indian Keema Curry features plant-based mince (soya mince), warming spices and fresh herbs. It's packed with protein and highly versatile. Enjoy it with naan, roti, rice... or even in hot sandwiches! A great vegetarian and vegan Keema recipe for batch cooking. It freezes beautifully, making it an excellent emergency meal for busy schedules. This is one of my go-to dinners all year round. Get the Recipe Gujarati Ravaiya (Stuffed Aubergine Curry) Gujarati Ravaiya (Stuffed Aubergine Curry) is a true vegan comfort meal from western India. Stuff baby aubergines with a spicy peanut masala for Gujarati grandma vibes. Continue Reading Tofu Korma A rich and creamy vegan Indian curry with tofu, aromatic spices and nuts. With a royal history, Korma is an emblem of imperial Mughal cooking traditions. Here's a plant-based Korma recipe everybody will love alongside rice and naan. It's mild and perfect for those who enjoy warm spices over chilli heat. Get the Recipe Indian Masala Baked Beans A dose of British nostalgia, complete with Indian spices. Almost every British South Asian home has its' own take on curried baked beans. I cook mine with ghee, cumin seeds and a liberal heap of garam masala. These spicy, buttery beans are delicious on toast, or with roti or rice. Get the Recipe Paneer Tikka Masala Learn how to make the most delicious Paneer Tikka Masala, just like your favourite Indian restaurant! Pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) and vegetables are first marinated in yoghurt and spices, and then skewered and grilled to smoky perfection. The tikka pieces are then removed from the skewer and folded into a creamy curry sauce made with tomatoes, spices and cream. Here's an easy to follow video recipe and video. Get the Recipe Spinach and Mushroom Curry A quick and easy Spinach and Mushroom Curry with delicious Indian flavours. Sometimes called mushroom saag or mushroom bhaji, this tasty 11-ingredient curry is simple enough to cook during busy weeknights and with few spices and ingredients. Add cauliflower, tofu, paneer, beans or butternut squash along with the spinach puree to increase the veg content. Get the Recipe Cabbage and Potato Curry This simple Cabbage and Potato Curry (Kobi Bateta nu Shaak) is an everyday favourite Indian recipe. It pairs perfectly with roti for a wholesome main dish, or as a light vegetable side dish. It's a dry-style sabzi with tender white cabbage, soft potatoes and mild spices. I find this is an Indian curry recipe the whole family enjoys. Add a handful of peas to turn it into a more veg-heavy meal. Get the Recipe Palak Paneer Recipe (Easy, Beginner-friendly) A quick and easy Palak Paneer recipe with delicious, fresh flavours. Palak Paneer is a popular Indian restaurant dish that's made with spinach and paneer, a soft and squidgy Indian cheese. This tasty vegetarian curry is simple enough to cook during busy weeknights and with few spices and ingredients. This recipe for Palak Paneer is perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike. It's a great make-ahead dish and also freezes well. Serves 4 people as a main dish, or 6 as a side dish. Get the Recipe Vegetable Curry Recipe A delicious and nutritious Vegetable Curry recipe. This recipe for Vegetable Curry is also easy to make, making it an amazing option for home cooks or people new to Indian food. Prepare this dish with any veggies you have in the fridge, freezer or pantry. Vegetable Curry is typically served with rice, naan, paratha or roti, but feel free to choose your favourite accompaniments. Get the Recipe Melt-in-the-Mouth Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry I live and breathe Gujarati food. They are simple vegetarian dishes I eat every evening, and have done since I was young. Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry (Oroh) was one of those dishes mum would cook as a midweek dinner. Continue Reading 30-Minute Tindora Curry with Corn This simple, dry curry with ivy gourd and corn is delicious with roti, paratha or rice. If you’re on the hunt for a minimal-effort curry recipe to add to your weeknight meal rotation, you’re in the right place. Continue Reading Bharela Marcha (Stuffed Bullet Chillies) I stuff the chillies with mixed masalas, jaggery and besan (chickpea flour). Each one is like a hot little flavour bomb. Continue Reading Tofu Dopiaza Tofu Dopiaza is kadai-fried tofu with double onions, crunchy green peppers & aromatic masalas. A restaurant quality vegan curry recipe. Continue Reading Aloo Bhindi Tawa Masala Stuffed and steamed okra and baby potatoes cooked in a spicy tomato and yoghurt masala. Get the Recipe Saag Paneer Recipe This traditional Punjabi Saag Paneer recipe is pure magic! Soft paneer chunks in a creamy mustard greens and spinach curry. Every bite of this classic Indian curry will melt in your mouth. Make it with any leafy greens you have, although mustard leaves and spinach are the most typical. Get the Recipe Vegan Butter Chicken One of North India's most famous curries, Butter Chicken. Also known as Murgh Makhani, it's known for having a lusciously-smooth and tomato cream sauce laced with mild, fragrant spices. Get the Recipe Dahi Varo Oro (Burnt Aubergine in Yoghurt) Flame-grilled aubergine and crunchy peppers tossed with cooling yoghurt. This is a dish typical of Gujarati farming communities along the Kathiawar peninsula of western India. Serve it cold alongside your favourite Indian flatbread - millet or sorghum rotla are most traditional, but this tastes incredible with just about any type of unleavened bread. If you like the smoky flavours of Baba ghanoush, this will be your new go-to Indian dish. It even works well as a dip for parties, picnics and barbecues. Get the Recipe Saag Recipe Warming Punjabi Saag is a curry made from vibrant greens and spices. In the native tongue, it's referred to as Sarson da Saag, a peppery blend of mustard leaves and various greens beaten with ghee (clarified butter), onions, garlic and green chillies. Serve with Makki di Roti (cornmeal flatbread) for feast plucked straight from India's land of the five rivers, Punjab. Get the Recipe Paneer Curry Try this easy Paneer Curry recipe with a delicious mix of aromatic Indian spices. Sauté the soft cubes of Indian cottage cheese in a golden onion and tomato masala. The flavours of cumin, black pepper, ginger and garam masala add warmth and excitement. A kadai-fried curry like this (without too much sauce) is perfect to serve with naan, roti or paratha. I even like using it as a dosa filling when making Paneer Masala Dosa. If you prefer your Paneer Curry with a thick Indian gravy, try Paneer Makhani or Matar Paneer. Get the Recipe Mung Bean Curry Mung Bean Curry is wholesome Indian vegetarian dish to enjoy with roti. It's thick, creamy and cooked with an aromatic paste of ginger, green chilli and coriander. Shards of crispy, ghee-fried garlic add bold flavour and texture. Serve it as a main meal, or as a side dish for your favourite Indian recipes. It's particularly delicious with Kadhi and rice. Get the Recipe Vegan Katsu Curry This vegan katsu curry recipe (yasai katsu curry) combines aubergine and sweet potato coated in panko breadcrumbs, served with a creamy coconut curry sauce. Serve with salad and Japanese pickles. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients for the sauce — it all goes into one pot. Get the Recipe Mushroom & Black Chickpea Rogan Josh Try this hearty vegetarian take on Kashmiri Rogan Josh. My recipe uses juicy mushrooms and protein-rich black chickpeas for an aromatic curry that pairs beautifully with rice. Get the Recipe Restaurant-Style Shahi Paneer Delicious, rich & creamy Shahi Paneer is a vegetarian food hero in North Indian cuisine. Scoop this curry up with flaky parathas or serve with basmati rice. Get the Recipe Gobi Bhurji (Cauliflower Curry) Gobi Bhurji Gobi Bhurji (Cauliflower Curry) is one of my favourite ways to enjoy cauliflower. This north Indian-style Gobi Bhurji is perfect with buttered toast and soothing chai. Continue Reading Potato and Pea Coconut Milk Curry One of my favourite quick dinners growing up was pea and potato curry. It’s a simple staple in every Gujarati home and perfect with just rice and/or Homemade Chapattis – Gujarati Rotli depending on how hungry you are. Continue Reading Gujarati-Style Okra & Potatoes Gujarati-Style Okra & Potatoes (Bhinda Bateta nu Shaak) is an everyday comfort food in many Gujarati homes, including mine. It’s usually scooped up with soft, hot rotlis (chapattis), which is our daily bread Continue Reading Vegan 'Butter' Cauliflower and Perfect Jeera Pilau Garnish the Vegan ‘Butter’ Cauliflower with a final flourish of chopped coriander and a drizzle of coconut milk for that luscious restaurant-style finish. Continue Reading Gujarati Potatoes and Spring Onions Sautéed in Chickpea Flour Fresh flavoured, dry curries are done so well by Gujaratis. It’s all about taking simple ingredients and packing in as much flavour as possible. Continue Reading Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak A tried and true recipe for Gujarati Koru Bateta nu Shaak (dry-style potato curry). This is my mother’s exact recipe and the only way we make it at home. She has a few fabulous tips for achieving intense flavours and the perfect dry bhaji-style texture every time. This shaak pairs perfectly with Masala Poori and dahi (plain yoghurt). Continue Reading Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) While most of us use kidney beans as a filler ingredient in chillies, stews and salads, this Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry) makes the humble red bean the star of the show. The sauce is deeply aromatic, smooth and robust enough to take the beans from basic to beautiful. This is North Indian comfort food at its best. Continue Reading Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables is a raid-the-fridge dinner. Balanced, flavoursome and so easy to prepare! Zero waste. Continue Reading Gobi Musallam Whole-roasted cauliflower curry with a Mughlai-inspired curry sauce. Nuts, spices and warm flavours meld into this meltingly-soft cauliflower curry. Continue Reading Cardamom Tofu Curry Cardamom-scented cream is added to luxurious tomato sauce in this delicate and fragrant vegetarian tofu curry. Continue Reading Melt-Away Malai Kofta I call this creamy paneer kofta curry Melt-Away Malai Kofta simply because they melt away as soon as you put them in your mouth. Malai Kofta are the ultimate North Indian vegetarian curry recipe to dazzle friends and family. A celebration of rich flavours and warming spices. Continue Reading Bodhi's Keema Pau Bhaji (Vegan) Bodhi’s Keema Pau Bhaji (Vegan). A complete meal and super nutritious for the whole family. Don’t be fooled though, this buttery, curried veg and soya medley packs a huge flavour punch. It’s so moreish. Continue Reading Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani. Beautiful, butter-soft aubergines in a rich makhani sauce. This velvety-smooth curry is perfect with rice and fluffy naan. Continue Reading Stuffed and Baked Baby Kolhapuri Aubergines If you’re a fan of vegetarian Indian main courses that pack enough punch to trounce any meaty curry, look no further. These gorgeous aubergines might be small but the smooth-as-velvet sauce and filling make it an unforgettable veggie curry you’ll want to make over and over again. Continue Reading The post Vegetarian Curry Recipes appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Delicious Indo-Chinese Chilli Paneer Fried Rice is an easy dish of wok-fried rice, paneer (Indian cottage cheese) onions and peppers. It’s full of spicy, garlicky flavours and touch of sweetness from my secret ingredient… mango chutney! This Chilli Paneer Fried Rice is… Put leftover rice to good use Leftover rice never tasted so good. In …

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Delicious Indo-Chinese Chilli Paneer Fried Rice is an easy dish of wok-fried rice, paneer (Indian cottage cheese) onions and peppers. It’s full of spicy, garlicky flavours and touch of sweetness from my secret ingredient… mango chutney! This Chilli Paneer Fried Rice is… Vegetarian Easily veganized (use tofu in place of paneer) Nut free Quick and easy to make Low waste Put leftover rice to good use Leftover rice never tasted so good. In fact, I make extra rice so that I have enough ‘leftovers’ to make this the next day. Do you do that? I make my Chilli Paneer Fried Rice with leftover (day old), cold, cooked white Basmati rice. This rice ensures the grains stay separate. However, you can use any kind of leftover rice you like for making this dish. In fact. I will often use a packet of microwave rice (uncooked), adding it straight to the wok if I’m short of time. An easy dinner idea with paneer This is the easiest dinner idea! Indo Chinese-style paneer in a soy, chilli and garlic sauce, with vibrant peppers and onions. If you haven’t tried Chilli Paneer before, you might try to give my original restaurant-style Chilli Paneer recipe a go. What’s Indo-Chinese food? Hakka Noodles is a simple Indo-Chinese noodle dish with mixed vegetables Veg Manchurian is a delicious Indo-Chinese dish made with fried vegetable balls and a sticky, spicy sauce Indo-Chinese food, also known as Desi Chinese is a cuisine that originates from the Hakka Chinese community of Kolkata, West Bengal. If you prefer, you can make a vegan version of this recipe with tofu, seitan or tempeh instead of paneer. The secret ingredient: mango chutney Mango chutney has an incredible, fruity flavour and the sweetness balances out the spicy red and green chilli heat beautifully. Feel free to use any brand of mango chutney you like the taste of. I like Geeta’s brand, although this will work with any sweet mango chutney. How to make Chilli Paneer Fried Rice – Step-by-step instructions 1. Prepare paneer for chilli paneer Cut the paneer into cubes Toss the paneer into seasoned flour Shallow fry or deep fry the paneer I use a regular block of shop bought paneer. This will hold its’ shape much better than homemade paneer. Firstly, cut the paneer into cubes. Dust in cornflour (cornstarch), white pepper and salt. Shallow fry in any flavourless oil (such as rapeseed or sunflower), turning often until lightly golden brown all over. Be careful, it can burst and spit so stand back. This simple process for frying paneer without using a lot of oil will create a light and crunchy crust. You may also deep fry the paneer. 2. Wok-cook the vegetables Have all the vegetables prepared before you begin Cook chilli paneer over a very high heat for the best flavour Heat a few tablespoons of oil in the wok and add the garlic, chillies, green pepper, spring onions, soy sauce and mango chutney. Stir fry over a very high heat for 30-40 seconds. 3. Add the paneer and leftover rice Add the paneer back into the wok, along with the rice. Stir fry over a very high heat for 1-2 minutes, until all the ingredients are evenly coated and the rice is completely heated through. Garnish with reserved spring onion greens and serve the Chilli Paneer Fried Rice. Chilli Paneer Fried Rice Recipe | How to Make Chilli Paneer Fried Rice Yield: Serves 2-4 Chilli Paneer Fried Rice Print This is the easiest dinner idea! Chilli paneer meets hot and spicy fried rice in this Indo-Chinese wonder of a dish. Enjoy as a main dish or side. Soy, chilli and garlic sauce offer big flavours while vibrant peppers and onions add crunch. Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Ingredients 225g paneer, cut into 2cm cubes 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tsp ground white pepper 1/4 tsp salt For the rest of the fried rice 3 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil 6 large cloves garlic, crushed 4 green and red chillies, sliced on the bias 1 green pepper, sliced into 3cm strips 8 spring onions, sliced on the bias, some greens reserved for garnishing 1 tbsp light soy sauce 3 tbsp your favourite mango chutney (I like Geeta's) 400g cooked Basmati rice, cold Instructions Toss the paneer cubes in the cornflour, white pepper and salt mixture. Ensure it is evenly coated. Heat the oil in a large wok. Add the paneer and cook, stirring all the time until the cubes are light golden brown. Remove the paneer from the wok using a perforated spoon and reserve the remaining oil in the wok. Transfer paneer to a plate. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and add the garlic, chillies, green pepper, spring onions, soy sauce and mango chutney. Stir fry over a very high heat for 30-40 seconds. Add the paneer back into the wok, along with the rice. Stir fry over a very high heat for 1-2 minutes, until all the ingredients are evenly coated and the rice is completely heated through. Garnish with reserved spring onion greens. Notes If using leftover rice, do not freeze. For super soft paneer, first soak the uncooked paneer cubes in hot water for 10 minutes. Pat dry before coating in cornflour. Don’t over fry the paneer. It can turn hard and chewy. This recipe serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side dish. Feel free to use brown rice or quinoa in place of white rice if you prefer. Nutrition Information: Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 861mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 16g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Cuisine: Indian Fusion / Category: 30-Minute Meals 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor Try one of these delicious Indo-Chinese recipes tonight. The flavours of India and China come together in a blended fusion cuisine that's big on flavor. These Indo-Chinese recipes are vegetarian, easy and make perfect appetizers or side dishes on weeknights and for special occasions. You must try my famous Chilli Paneer and Hakka Noodles combo! Yield 6 servings Chilli Paneer (Restaurant-Style) Crispy paneer cubes wok-fried in a chilli and garlic sauce with crunchy peppers and onions. A real Indo-Chinese crowd pleaser and Indian restaurant favourite. This dish is perfect as an appetizer, or as part of a larger meal with rice or noodles. Get the Recipe Crispy Chilli Oil Aubergine Crispy Chilli Oil Aubergine is a fragrant chilli crisp stir fry with tempura aubergines and homemade chilli oil. This Indo-Chinese dish is a flavour explosion, so serve it with plain, steamed Jasmine rice or noodles. It’s delicious as a starter, main or alongside other dishes. Get the Recipe Vegetable Manchurian Flavour bomb incoming! For the ultimate Vegetable Manchurian, I toss crispy vegetable dumplings in a hot and garlicky Indo-Chinese sauce. It’s fiery, loaded with flavour and gives your favourite Asian restaurant a run for its’ money. Get the Recipe Air Fryer Sesame Mogo Toasts I couldn’t be more excited to share my little creation of Vegan Air Fryer Sesame Mogo Toasts with you. A lighter, vegan take Chinese restaurant favourite, sesame prawn toast using spiced cassava (mogo) to replace the shrimp. Get the Recipe General Tso's Paneer American Chinese takeout favourite General Tso’s Chicken gets a vegetarian makeover with this Desi Chinese-inspired fresh stir-fry dish, General Tso’s Paneer. Crisp-coated creamy paneer nuggets tossed in a sticky spicy, sweet and sour sauce. Get the Recipe Yield 4 servings Vegetarian Hakka Noodles Hakka Noodles are an any time, any place noodle affair. This vegetarian version makes for a delicious lunch or dinner. Serve them with other Indo-Chinese favourites such as Chilli Paneer or Gobi Manchurian, or simply as they are. These Vegetarian Hakka Noodles are the ultimate quick meal. Get the Recipe Paneer Gua Bao – Taiwanese Folded Buns I first fell in love with the spongy, cloud-like morsels that are Taiwanese folded buns when I sampled them from popular London street vendors, Yum Bun. After hearing all the Momofuku hype, these little burger-like buns had finally reached the streets of Britain. My first folded bun was filled with juicy Portabello mushrooms and crunchy, miso-glazed walnuts and they stirred one question in me. Gua Bao, where have you been all my life?! Get the Recipe Chilli-Garlic Tofu Noodle Bowls One of my favourite weeknight dinners is Chilli-Garlic Tofu Noodle Bowls. Stir-fried tofu with colourful veggies, noodles and heaps of chilli. My special touch to these is to add crispy okra strips and fried Thai basil leaves. They add the most beautiful crunch and are a delicious way of getting your okra fix as part of a dish that’s not curry. Get the Recipe Sticky, Crispy Chilli Khichi (Gujarati Rice Flour Dumplings) Gujarati rice dumplings dusted in cornflour and fried until crispy on the outside. Right before serving they are tossed in an intense sticky chilli sauce with lots of veg. Don’t be put off by the amount of ginger, chillies and garlic – it’s a lot but necessary to stand up to the somewhat plain rice flour khichi. It’s a delicious starter and a new, creative take on a Gujarati classic. My recipe for Sticky, Crispy Chilli Khichi serves six hungry people. Get the Recipe Indo Chinese-Style Chilli Yuba Fresh beancurd sheets stir-fried with onions, peppers, fresh basil and a sweet and sour chilli sauce. “Yuba” or tofu skin (also bean curd skin or bean curd sheet) is a form of protein made from soy beans. Soy milk, to be precise. During the boiling process, a skin forms on top of the soy milk. It is made up of protein and fats in the milk, similar to the kind that forms on top of dairy milk. Get the Recipe Crispy Chilli Pumpkin Try this recipe for Indo-Chinese Crispy Chilli Pumpkin tonight! Make the most of sweet, seasonal squash with this celebration of Indo-Chinese flavours. Be warned; This gets more and more addictive with each bite. It’s no secret that I’m a Chilli Paneer fiend. It’s probably one of the most iconic Indo-Chinese dishes, alongside the likes of Hakka Noodles and Vegetable Manchurian. Get the Recipe The post Chilli Paneer Fried Rice appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Try one of these 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor tonight. The tastes of India and China come together in a world-famous fusion cuisine that’s big on flavor and color. These Indo-Chinese recipes are vegetarian, easy to prepare and make perfect appetizers or side dishes on weeknights and for special occasions. You must try my …

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Try one of these 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor tonight. The tastes of India and China come together in a world-famous fusion cuisine that’s big on flavor and color. These Indo-Chinese recipes are vegetarian, easy to prepare and make perfect appetizers or side dishes on weeknights and for special occasions. You must try my famous Chilli Paneer and Hakka Noodles combo! I always advocate for doubling up on my Vegetable Manchurian, too. Indo Chinese food around the world Hakka Noodles Vegetable Manchurian Indo-Chinese food, also known as Desi Chinese or Indian Chinese is a cuisine from the Chinese community of Kolkata, West Bengal. While Indo-Chinese is an integral part of India’s culinary scene, it’s also made its way around the world and is loved among Indian communities outside of India too. It’s a popular street food choice, as well as a restaurant favourite. Indeed, many Indian restaurants today even have separate menus for their Indo-Chinese dishes. Items for stocking your Indo-Chinese pantry Dried red chillies Go as hot or as mild you like by switching up chilli varieties and quantities. Aromatics and spices Ginger, garlic, spring onions, chilli powder, white pepper. Condiments and other seasonings Tomato paste, vegetable stock, sugar, Shaoxing wine, chinkiang vinegar (or any rice wine vinegar), vegetarian oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, MSG, mirin, sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil (used as a seasoning, not a cooking fat). Oils and flours Cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with cold water to create a slurry. Add this in and mix well to thicken the sauce once it comes to a boil. Cornflour is also required to make a light and crispy batter. Are you ready to get into the recipes? These simple Indo-Chinese meals will breathe life into your everyday cooking. Let’s go, friends! 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor Try one of these delicious Indo-Chinese recipes tonight. The flavours of India and China come together in a blended fusion cuisine that's big on flavor. These Indo-Chinese recipes are vegetarian, easy and make perfect appetizers or side dishes on weeknights and for special occasions. You must try my famous Chilli Paneer and Hakka Noodles combo! Yield 6 servings Chilli Paneer (Restaurant-Style) Crispy paneer cubes wok-fried in a chilli and garlic sauce with crunchy peppers and onions. A real Indo-Chinese crowd pleaser and Indian restaurant favourite. This dish is perfect as an appetizer, or as part of a larger meal with rice or noodles. Get the Recipe Crispy Chilli Oil Aubergine Crispy Chilli Oil Aubergine is a fragrant chilli crisp stir fry with tempura aubergines and homemade chilli oil. This Indo-Chinese dish is a flavour explosion, so serve it with plain, steamed Jasmine rice or noodles. It’s delicious as a starter, main or alongside other dishes. Get the Recipe Vegetable Manchurian Flavour bomb incoming! For the ultimate Vegetable Manchurian, I toss crispy vegetable dumplings in a hot and garlicky Indo-Chinese sauce. It’s fiery, loaded with flavour and gives your favourite Asian restaurant a run for its’ money. Get the Recipe Air Fryer Sesame Mogo Toasts I couldn’t be more excited to share my little creation of Vegan Air Fryer Sesame Mogo Toasts with you. A lighter, vegan take Chinese restaurant favourite, sesame prawn toast using spiced cassava (mogo) to replace the shrimp. Get the Recipe General Tso's Paneer American Chinese takeout favourite General Tso’s Chicken gets a vegetarian makeover with this Desi Chinese-inspired fresh stir-fry dish, General Tso’s Paneer. Crisp-coated creamy paneer nuggets tossed in a sticky spicy, sweet and sour sauce. Get the Recipe Yield 4 servings Vegetarian Hakka Noodles Hakka Noodles are an any time, any place noodle affair. This vegetarian version makes for a delicious lunch or dinner. Serve them with other Indo-Chinese favourites such as Chilli Paneer or Gobi Manchurian, or simply as they are. These Vegetarian Hakka Noodles are the ultimate quick meal. Get the Recipe Paneer Gua Bao – Taiwanese Folded Buns I first fell in love with the spongy, cloud-like morsels that are Taiwanese folded buns when I sampled them from popular London street vendors, Yum Bun. After hearing all the Momofuku hype, these little burger-like buns had finally reached the streets of Britain. My first folded bun was filled with juicy Portabello mushrooms and crunchy, miso-glazed walnuts and they stirred one question in me. Gua Bao, where have you been all my life?! Get the Recipe Chilli-Garlic Tofu Noodle Bowls One of my favourite weeknight dinners is Chilli-Garlic Tofu Noodle Bowls. Stir-fried tofu with colourful veggies, noodles and heaps of chilli. My special touch to these is to add crispy okra strips and fried Thai basil leaves. They add the most beautiful crunch and are a delicious way of getting your okra fix as part of a dish that’s not curry. Get the Recipe Sticky, Crispy Chilli Khichi (Gujarati Rice Flour Dumplings) Gujarati rice dumplings dusted in cornflour and fried until crispy on the outside. Right before serving they are tossed in an intense sticky chilli sauce with lots of veg. Don’t be put off by the amount of ginger, chillies and garlic – it’s a lot but necessary to stand up to the somewhat plain rice flour khichi. It’s a delicious starter and a new, creative take on a Gujarati classic. My recipe for Sticky, Crispy Chilli Khichi serves six hungry people. Get the Recipe Indo Chinese-Style Chilli Yuba Fresh beancurd sheets stir-fried with onions, peppers, fresh basil and a sweet and sour chilli sauce. “Yuba” or tofu skin (also bean curd skin or bean curd sheet) is a form of protein made from soy beans. Soy milk, to be precise. During the boiling process, a skin forms on top of the soy milk. It is made up of protein and fats in the milk, similar to the kind that forms on top of dairy milk. Get the Recipe Crispy Chilli Pumpkin Try this recipe for Indo-Chinese Crispy Chilli Pumpkin tonight! Make the most of sweet, seasonal squash with this celebration of Indo-Chinese flavours. Be warned; This gets more and more addictive with each bite. It’s no secret that I’m a Chilli Paneer fiend. It’s probably one of the most iconic Indo-Chinese dishes, alongside the likes of Hakka Noodles and Vegetable Manchurian. Get the Recipe The post 12 Indo-Chinese Recipes with Big Flavor appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Learn how to make my all-purpose Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Madras Style). A good-quality, all-purpose curry powder is great for adding spice to curry dishes, lentils, rice, noodles, sauces, soups and even dishes like Curry Pasta Salad and Malaysian Curry Puffs. I find I get the most use out of Madras curry powder when I …

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Learn how to make my all-purpose Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Madras Style). A good-quality, all-purpose curry powder is great for adding spice to curry dishes, lentils, rice, noodles, sauces, soups and even dishes like Curry Pasta Salad and Malaysian Curry Puffs. I find I get the most use out of Madras curry powder when I need an instant pop of spicy flavour and aroma. Spice level This is a mild to medium curry powder but feel free to adjust the quantity of chilli powder to your taste. How to store curry powder Store this Madras curry powder in a clean, dry airtight container, preferably somewhere cool and dark. It will keep for up to 6 months but is best used within 3 months. How to use curry powder Madras Mac and Cheese Paneer Katsu Curry A handful of recipes in my cookbook, such as my Madras Mac and Cheese (page 62), Singapore Poha (page 93) and Paneer Katsu Curry (page 84), call for it. Curry powder is an all-in-one affair used for adding a generic Indian curry flavour to all sorts of dishes, much like the many types of masala powders there are. Ideas for this curry powder blend Add this curry powder to simmering coconut milk for an instant curry sauce Sprinkle over roast potatoes, fries or roasted vegetables Mix into butter for an easy curry butter Stir into mayo, yoghurt or sour cream for a quick dip. Curry mayo is delicious! Where does curry powder come from? The concept of curry powder was entirely a British construct, created to mimic the Indian flavours enjoyed in the Subcontinent while under British rule (1858–1974). It was later introduced to other countries occupied by Britain. Before long, curry powder reached almost every part of the world, from Eastern and Southern Africa to the Pacific and Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, China, Malaysia and Japan. Today it has a place in my kitchen cupboard beside other masala mixes I use often, such as Garam Masala, Biryani Masala and Seekh Kebab Masala. Do I need to toast spices for curry powder? All spices have different roasting times and so, if you do have time, dry roast each one individually in a small frying pan (skillet) to ensure every player brings its A-game. If you don’t have time to roast them separately, I recommend that you at least take the process of roasting everything together as slowly as time permits. Do this over a low heat. This will ensure the oils are released gently and you can keep an eye on the spices so that nothing burns. How I make Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Madras Style) I usually dry roast all my spices together, very slowly until aromatic. I don’t recommend roasting spices in the oven unless you’re particularly eagle eyed. If you do try to oven roast spices, do it one ingredient at a time and take care not to burn them. Lightly bash cloves and cardamom pods in a mortar with a pestle prior to roasting. They can pop and project themselves out of the pan. You always don’t need to roast the spices! Not all pre-mixed masalas require you to roast the whole spices prior to grinding. You can simply pre-roast the ones you intend to stir into the finished dish as a final flourish. You can also at as they are alongside a meal (think gunpowder/podi from South India). What is in curry powder? Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Madras Style) My recipe for curry powder balances hot and aromatic spices for a well-rounded curry powder that brings warmth and bold flavour to any dish. The ingredients include: coriander, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, black pepper, star anise. cloves, cardamom, curry leaves, chilli, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, ground ginger, cinnamon. Find all the quantities in the recipe card for curry powder below. Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Madras Style) | How to make Indian curry powder at home Yield: Makes approximately 100g Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Madras Style) Print A good-quality, all-purpose curry powder is great for adding spice to curry dishes, lentils, rice, noodles, sauces, soups and even dishes like Curry Pasta Salad! I find I get the most use out of Madras curry powder when I need an instant pop of spicy flavour and aroma. This is a mild to medium curry powder but feel free to adjust the quantity of chilli powder to your taste. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients 4 tbsp coriander seeds 2 tbsp cumin seeds 2 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp fenugreek seeds ½ tsp black peppercorns 1 star anise 3 cloves 3 green cardamom pods 10 curry leaves ½ tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp ground turmeric 2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon Instructions Heat a dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium-low heat. Roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and curry leaves over a low heat. Stir continuously to ensure none of the spices “burn. The process will take around 8–10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer these spices to a plate to cool completely. Grind the roasted spices in a high-powered blender or coffee grinder to a very fine powder. Add the ground spices and blitz once more to incorporate. Notes Storage instructions for curry powder Store this Madras curry powder in a clean, dry airtight container, preferably somewhere cool and dark. It will keep for up to 6 months but is best used within 3 months. Excerpt from Sanjana Feasts, Sanjana Modha, published by Unbound 2024. This material is protected by copyright. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Sanjana Feasts cookbook Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram © Sanjana Modha Cuisine: Indian Excerpt from Sanjana Feasts, Sanjana Modha, published by Unbound 2024. This material is protected by copyright. The post Curry Powder Recipe (Indian Madras Style) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

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Roast serves 8 The little black dress of the serving platter. Always a classic. Always in style. For Vegansgiving, but really also for any holiday, this studded bundle of fun is the centerpiece of your dreams. It’s a meaty blend of chickpeas and seitan, with a basic-but-in-a-good-way stuffing inside. The flavors are delicious but subtle;...

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Roast serves 8 Faux Turki Roast, photo by Kate Lewis The little black dress of the serving platter. Always a classic. Always in style. For Vegansgiving, but really also for any holiday, this studded bundle of fun is the centerpiece of your dreams. It’s a meaty blend of chickpeas and seitan, with a basic-but-in-a-good-way stuffing inside. The flavors are delicious but subtle; think thyme and rosemary and garlic and just a hint of smoke for that turki flavor. Easy to pair with any rich gravy and other more in-your-face flavors making it the perfect centerpiece. And if you want to have some fun with the filling, you can totally add in some chopped sausage, bacon or nuts. The method is pretty simple so don’t be deterred: you blend up a seitany-beany concoction for the turki meat, roll it out, place the stuffing down the middle and wrap it all up in tin foil. Then it bakes! Once it’s baked, you baste it with a little olive oil and veggie broth to infuse the skin with some flavor while also making it more tender – but still with some chew – and ready for that carving knife. Or just a regular knife, don’t be so dramatic. Here it’s served with some roasted veggies and garnished with rosemary and parsley, but you do you, boo. This recipe is from my cookbook Fake Meat! You should probably buy it Recipe notes: ~if you are using fresh bread cubes, bake the cubes for about 5 minutes in a 350 F oven so that they are dry and slightly toasted. Ingredients For stuffing: 1/4 cup olive oil, divided 4 cloves minced garlic 6 cups stale white bread in 1/2 inch cubes (see note) 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1 cup broth 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt For the roast: Blender: 3/4 cup canned chickpeas 1 cup vegetable broth 1/2 cup aquafaba (juice from the cooked chickpea water) 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons liquid smoke 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon agave Everything else: 2 cups vital wheat gluten 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon ground sage 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper For basting: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup vegetable broth Let’s make it! Prepare the stuffing. Preheat a large skillet over low heat. Saute garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil, just to warm through. Add rosemary and thyme. Scatter in bread cubes and drizzle with remaining olive oil, flipping to coat. Add broth, pepper and salt and toss again. It will be moist but still crunchy. Taste for salt. Let cook for about 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Prepare the roast. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a blender, puree chickpeas, broth, aquafaba, salt, olive oil, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar and agave. Get it as smooth as possible, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, sage, onion powder, garlic powder and ground white pepper. Make a well in the center and add the blended mixture. Use gloved hands to knead for about 3 minutes. Form roast. Prepare a piece of tin foil that is about 22 inches long (or big enough to wrap the turkey). Spray with cooking oil. On a clean surface, use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the seitan into a roughly 12 x 10 rectangle. Place the filling in the lower 1/3 of the seitan rectangle, leaving about 2 inches of space on the left and right side. Make sure the filling is compact, use your hands to form it into a nice, tight bundle. Now roll! Roll the bottom part of the seitan up and over the filling. Keep rolling until in it’s in a log shape. Pinch together the seam and the sides to seal. It doesn’t have to be perfect, things will snap into shape when baking. Place the roll in the center of the tinfoil and wrap up securely, twisting the ends of the tin foil. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for an hour and 20 minutes. Rotate the roll every 20 to 30 minutes for even cooking. Let cool a bit then unwrap. Lightly grease with a little olive oil. Place back on the baking sheet and spoon on vegetable broth. Place back in oven 15 minutes or so, to brown a little bit, basting with vegetable broth and turning about halfway through, to prevent drying out. If heating from refrigerated, it will be closer to 20 minutes, rotating often. Let cool a bit, slice and serve!

Makes 8 tacos Here I go again with my fave bean & squash duo, adzuki beans and butternut squash. I just love this combo – the sweet nuttiness of adzuki pairs perfectly with the earthy, warm ambrosia of butternut. They’re pals! And so it follows that I’d bring that combo to Taco Tuesday. Here, the...

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Makes 8 tacos Here I go again with my fave bean & squash duo, adzuki beans and butternut squash. I just love this combo – the sweet nuttiness of adzuki pairs perfectly with the earthy, warm ambrosia of butternut. They’re pals! And so it follows that I’d bring that combo to Taco Tuesday. Here, the adzuki are refried with the usual suspects, a little cumin and cilantro, while the butternut roasts away in the oven with just a touch of maple. Everything comes together in a corn tortilla, simply topped with a little red cabbage because it’s gorgeous and crunchy. Wonderful for a crisp autumn evening, watching the leaves turn. These are going to be in my upcoming 30 minute meals cookbook which has an entire taco (and friends) section! It will be out in Fall 2025. Recipe notes: ~Of course you can dress this up a little extra! Sour cream, avocado, or a more adventurous slaw would all be welcome. ~I used conveniently packaged butternut so that I could have it ready in thirty minutes, but if you’re peeling and cubing you’ll need one large butternut. ~If you can’t find adzuki beans then pinto would be great! But honestly, any beans are just fine. Black beans, lentils, whatever. Ingredients For The Roasted Butternut Squash 12 ounces (340g) peeled, diced butternut squash 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt For The Refried Adzuki Beans 1 medium yellow onion 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin 1 tablespoon hot sauce 1 cup lightly packed cilantro, leaves and soft stems 15 ounce (425g) can adzuki beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 teaspoon salt For the Assembly 8 medium corn tortillas Thinly sliced red cabbage Fresh lime Addition Aleppo pepper Let’s make it! Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). On a baking sheet, toss butternut squash with olive oil, maple syrup, aleppo pepper flakes, and salt to coat. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, tossing once, until tender. Now prepare the beans. Preheat a sauce pot over medium heat. Finely chop the onion. Sauté chopped onion in olive oil with a big pinch of salt to soften, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and cilantro and toss to coat. Add beans, and salt and heat though for about a minute. Mash with a potato masher or fork so that it’s a nice mixture of creamy and chunky. Add hot sauce. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes. Time to assemble! Warm the corn tortillas by folding them up in tin foil and placing in oven for about 5 minutes while the butternut is cooking. You can also fold them in a paper towel and place in microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the Refried Adzuki Beans onto a warmed tortilla, followed by 1/4 cup roasted butternut squash. Squeeze lime over the butternut. Top with some sliced cabbage and extra lime juice and pepper flakes.

serves 6 Too lazy/busy/efficient to make lasagna? Want bolognese but don’t want to bust out the meat? I got you! This is definitely a weeknight meal, ideal for those times when you want lasagna, but not enough to actually make lasagna. A one pot wonder that is packed with the meaty goodness of lentils. They...

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serves 6 photo by Kate Lewis Too lazy/busy/efficient to make lasagna? Want bolognese but don’t want to bust out the meat? I got you! This is definitely a weeknight meal, ideal for those times when you want lasagna, but not enough to actually make lasagna. A one pot wonder that is packed with the meaty goodness of lentils. They release their natural juices into the broth, lending it plenty of body. Everything comes together like a deconstructed lasagna with all the ingredients we love: noodles, olives, ricotta, tomato of course, and kale. Don’t forget the fresh basil. This recipe is from the beef stew chapter of Fake Meat. Recipe notes: ~Use rugged kale here – like curly or russian. It will hold up better. But if you use a tender kale like lacinato then just add it at the end, with the basil. ~This is easily made gluten-free with gf noodles, like wow. ~This recipe uses one of my favorite flavor-building methods – toasting the nooch with the spices! It lends a delish cheezy flavor that elevates your dinner game with minimal effort. Ingredients 1 medium yellow onion, cut into small dice 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt plus a big pinch 8 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Several grinds freshly cracked black pepper 4 cups vegetable broth 3/4 cup dried brown or green lentils 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomato 1/2 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced in half 8 ounces kale, chopped 8 ounces lasagna noodles 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (you’ll be using more for garnish) For the toppings: Vegan riccota (there’s a recipe here if you’d like to make your own) 1 cup sliced black olives Red pepper flakes 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves Directions 1 – Preheat a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, celery, and bell pepper in the oil with a big pinch of salt for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is lightly browned. 2 – Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the nutritional yeast, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat the veggies, letting the nutritional yeast toast a bit, for 2 minutes or so. Grind in fresh black pepper. 3 – Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to deglaze. Stir in the lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, keep covered and cook until lentils are somewhat tender, 20 to 30 minutes. 4 – Add the diced tomato, tomato paste, olives, and kale. Bring to a boil, letting the kale wilt. Break the lasagna noodles up into about 3-inch pieces and stir them in. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little water if things start to look too thick. 5 – When the pasta noodles are cooked, dinner is ready! Stir in the fresh basil to wilt. Taste for salt and seasoning. Let sit for about 10 minutes so that the flavors can marry. Scoop into bowls, garnish with dollops of ricotta, the sliced olives, red pepper flakes, and more fresh basil.

Makes 16 wings This recipe is from the Wings chapter of Fake Meat, and it’s the OG of vegan wingz. Let’s take a trip to the golden era of veganism, the 1990s. We were lousy with veggie burgers and scrambled tofu. Packages of vegan cheese didn’t even bother to advertise “IT MELTS” because we all...

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Makes 16 wings photo styling by me, photo by Justin Limoges This recipe is from the Wings chapter of Fake Meat, and it’s the OG of vegan wingz. Let’s take a trip to the golden era of veganism, the 1990s. We were lousy with veggie burgers and scrambled tofu. Packages of vegan cheese didn’t even bother to advertise “IT MELTS” because we all knew it didn’t. And no one, but no one, even considered that a wing could be vegan. Except Kate’s Joint in Alphabet City. I could write a whole think-piece on the place, but let’s just focus on the buffalo wings. Fat rectangles of chewy tofu, coated in an herbed breadcrumb filling, and dripping with buffalo sauce. On the side, a pinch dish of creamy tofu ranch. No table was without a few orders. On your first bite, everything just burst into your mouth in the most obscene way. And now you can create that feeling at home! So scruff up your tables, hire some crust punks to sit outside your window, and enjoy. Oh, and scroll to the bottom for a bonus recipe if you’d like to make your own ranch <3 Recipe notes: ~This recipe makes sixteen wings, which isn’t enough for a party. Well, maybe a party of two! So double or triple or quadruple the recipe if you are in serious Puppy Bowl mode. ~I don’t press the tofu for these. I don’t know, Kate’s might have, but I like the moisture when you bite into one, as well as the fact that it cuts down on a lot of prep time. ~Kate’s tofu wings were rectangles, so I recreated the shape here. You can use any shape you like, but don’t expect any points for authenticity. Here are directions for butchering tofu to end up with the correct shape: 16 sixteen stubby little rectangles. Don’t press the tofu, just a drain and quick little squeeze with some kitchen towels to keep it dry is all you need. Now, let’s process. Use a 14-ounce (400 g)z rectangular block of rectangular tofu,; this will work best. Place the tofu on one of it’s long sides and slice the tofu in half down the middle into two planks, like you’re making an open book. You should now have two large rectangles. Now slice both of them in half the short way. You’ll have 4 four rectangles. Take each rectangle and cut it vertically into 4 four pieces. Ta-da! Ingredients 1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu, sliced into 16 rectangles (see note above) 1 teaspoon salt, divided 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup cold unsweetened soy milk 1 tablespoon tamari 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if you’d like to make this gluten-free!) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1/2 teaspoon salt Safflower oil, for frying FOR THE SAUCE: 3/4 cup buffalo hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot) 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted (I like Miyoko’s) FOR SERVING: 2 cups carrot sticks 2 cups celery sticks Vegan Ranch Dressing (bonus recipe below the directions!) Directions Press each tofu rectangle with a kitchen towel to quickly dry it. Place in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Let rest while preparing everything else. You will be using this same tray for the breaded tofu. Now make the slurry and breading: Scoop the cornstarch into a wide-rimmed bowl, add half the soy milk along with the tamari, and stir well until it’s a thick smooth paste. Mix in the remaining milk. On a large rimmed plate, mix together the panko, rosemary, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Dip a piece of tofu into the the slurry with one hand, letting the excess drip off. Transfer to the panko bowl and use the other hand to sprinkle a handful of breadcrumbs over the tofu to coat it completely. Return it to the tray and bread all the other pieces in the same way. Make sure you use one hand for the wet batter and the other for the dry batter, or you’ll end up with a clumpy hand. Preheat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Pour in a layer of oil, about ¼ inch thick. Fry the tofu in the hot oil until golden on the top and bottom, working in batches if necessary; it will take about 8 minutes total. The sides will get fried in the process, but add a little more oil if needed. Use a thin metal spatula to flip. While the tofu is frying, make the sauce: Simply mix the melted butter with the buffalo sauce. You can melt the butter in a large ceramic bowl in the microwave then mix in the hot sauce to save on doing dishes. Lift each wing from the oil and dunk it into the buffalo sauce to coat.Transfer to serving plates and serve immediately with the carrots, celery, and ranch. BONUS RECIPE! To make your own vegan ranch: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup vegan mayo, prepared or homemade In a small mixing bowl, add the parsley, dill, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Drizzle in the lemon juice and give it a stir. Let sit for about 5 minutes, soaking up the flavors and wilting the herbs. Add the mayo and stir well. Depending on the kind of mayo you used, you may need to add a little water to thin it out. Do this by the tablespoon until the consistency seems correct, thick but pourable. Taste again for salt and seasoning.The flavors enhance as it sits, so it’s even better the next day! Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

serves 6 to 8 If you think Bouef Bourguignon you might automatically think Julia Child. But is Julia Child smiling down on us for this one? Probably not. But damn it’s still delicious. All the wine-kissed smoky satisfaction that you want in Bouef Bouruignon. It’s from the Beef Stew chapter of Fake Meat and it’s...

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serves 6 to 8 photo styling by me, photo by Justin Limoges If you think Bouef Bourguignon you might automatically think Julia Child. But is Julia Child smiling down on us for this one? Probably not. But damn it’s still delicious. All the wine-kissed smoky satisfaction that you want in Bouef Bouruignon. It’s from the Beef Stew chapter of Fake Meat and it’s the recipe that finally got me to embrace jackfruit! All it took was a cast iron grill to change everything. Jackfruit is grilled and charred to rep the beef, along with its trusty sidekick, porcini mushrooms. Lentils add meaty body and smoked paprika brings the bacon kick that vegans love so much. I love toasting slices of garlic for this stew, so don’t you dare get lazy and mince it. Serve over ridiculous amounts of mashed potatoes. Recipe notes: ~Double check that the jackfruit is canned in water, not in syrup. You don’t want any sweetness here, even if you wash it off, it would still be super weird. ~Pearl onions are an iconic component to Julia’s recipe, so I use them here. They’re cooked on the grill right after the jackfruit so that you aren’t using too many dishes. But if you leave them out, no big deal. Julia is already disappointed in us so it can’t get any worse. Ingredients 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 20 oz cans green jackfruit in water 2 cups pearl onions 2 cups sliced shallots 1/4 cup sliced garlic 2 cups peeled carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch coins 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped 4 bay leaves 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups dry red wine Fresh black pepper 1/2 cup green or brown lentils 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms 5 cups vegetable broth (or Beefy Broth page XX) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup water To serve: Mashed Potatoes 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Directions 1 – Drain and rinse jackfruit. Pat dry. Remove and discard the core from the jackfruit pieces, it looks kind of like a seed. Toss the rest in a mixing bowl with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a big pinch of salt. 2 – Preheat a cast iron grill over medium heat. When pan is hot, place jackfruit in as much of a single layer as possible. You will need to do this in two batches. Grill for about 5 minutes, until charred and smoky, then use a thin metal spatula to toss and grill again for 3 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to add back later. 3 – In the same mixing bowl, toss pearl onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt to coat. Place on the hot grill. Let cook until softened and charred in some spots, flipping occasionally, about 15 minutes. 4 – In the meantime, reheat a 4 quart pot over medium high heat. Saute shallots and a pinch of salt in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and carrots, saute for about 5 more minutes. 5 – Add thyme, bay leaves, smoked paprika, and salt and toss around for a minute. 6 – Add wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula, and bring to a boil. The liquid should reduce in about 3 minutes. While it’s reducing grind in ample amounts fresh black pepper. 7 – Add lentils, porcinis, vegetable broth and tomato paste, cover and bring to a full boil for 5 minutes or so. Lower heat, leave lid ajar for steam to escape, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. 8 – In a measuring cup, mix the flour into the water with a fork until no lumps are left. Slowly add the water/flour slurry to the pot, mixing well. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. If it appears too thick, thin with a little water. 9 – Mix in the jackfruit and pearl onions and heat through. Shut off heat and let the stew hang out for about 15 minutes, for flavors to marry. Serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with parsley.

My new cookbook is available for preorder! It’s out January 10th. Read all about it here. Fake Meat uses every vegan ingredient available to recreate classic meaty dishes at home. This was truly a labor of love. I created the recipes during lockdown, while everyone else was making sourdough. It was an interesting challenge, since...

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My new cookbook is available for preorder! It’s out January 10th. Read all about it here. Fake Meat uses every vegan ingredient available to recreate classic meaty dishes at home. This was truly a labor of love. I created the recipes during lockdown, while everyone else was making sourdough. It was an interesting challenge, since ingredients weren’t always easy to come by, so I had the opportunity to get really creative. There’s plenty of tofu and seitan, but also fun ways to use cauliflower, mushrooms and artichokes to create flaky, juicy, meatiness. And fishiness. And chicky-ness. I even found a way to love jackfruit! (Spoiler: it’s to season and grill it for charred flavor and texture). I’ll be posting that recipe as a sample this week – a beautiful Boeuf Bourguignon from the Beef Stew chapter. Yes, there’s a whole chapter on beef stews! Jacques Beef Bourgignon, styling by me, photo by Justin Limoges There will be preorder incentives coming, so save that proof of purchase. OK, I’ll be posting some samples in the weeks to come and I can’t wait for you to flip through this baby. In the meantime, go check out the preorder page and read more about it.

Baking season is upon us! And before we dive into pumpkin spice, let’s make a sweet stop at chili season.  Cayenne and chocolate is a tale as old as time. Or at least as old as Mayan civilization. These cupcakes will make you the talk of the chili festival. A little cayenne in the batter...

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Baking season is upon us! And before we dive into pumpkin spice, let’s make a sweet stop at chili season. Cayenne and chocolate is a tale as old as time. Or at least as old as Mayan civilization. These cupcakes will make you the talk of the chili festival. A little cayenne in the batter and a simple chocolate glaze are refined and elegant. Top with some spicy pecans, though, to really get everyone in the mood. These are just a little spicy so as not to scare off anyone who absolutely can’t handle heat, but if you’re looking to really do some damage, just double the cayenne in both the cake and the pecans. Originally published in The Superfun Times Holiday Cookbook, which you should totally buy. Photo by VK Rees. Ingredients For the cupcakes: 1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or your favorite nondairy milk) 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne For the pecans: 1/2 cup pecan pieces 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper For the chocolate glaze: 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite nondairy milk) 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup Directions Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper or foil cupcake liners. Spray lightly with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the milk mixture and mix vigorously until foamy. Mix in the orange zest. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cayenne. Mix until no large clumps of flour are left. Fill the lined muffin cups three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Remove from pan when they are cool enough to handle. Make the pecans: Have ready a plate lined with parchment. Preheat a small pan over medium heat. Toast the pecans for 2 minutes. Add the coconut oil and toss to coat. Stir in the maple syrup, sugar, salt, and cayenne and cook until bubbly, about 2 minutes. Spread the coated pecans onto the parchment and let cool. Make the chocolate glaze: In a small pan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat and use a rubber spatula to stir in the chocolate and maple syrup, until smooth. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Assemble: Break the pecans apart into smaller pieces. Spoon the glaze onto the cooled cupcakes. Top with the pecans. Set aside in a cool place to let the chocolate set before serving.

Serves 4 First let’s get this pronounced correctly because you’re saying it wrong: “CA-PRAY-ZAY.”  Great. Moving on, I must tell you that the tomatoes are the most important element. So if it’s just not the season and you can’t find big, juicy, just-off-the vine ‘matos, then don’t bother. Now that those things are cleared up,...

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Serves 4 First let’s get this pronounced correctly because you’re saying it wrong: “CA-PRAY-ZAY.” Great. Moving on, I must tell you that the tomatoes are the most important element. So if it’s just not the season and you can’t find big, juicy, just-off-the vine ‘matos, then don’t bother. Now that those things are cleared up, let’s get CA-RAY-ZAY. Fresh basil, sweet balsamic reduction, olive oil and flaky sea salt make for the simplest but most sublime summer salad. Traditionally, mozzarella is the cheese of choice, but ricotta is not unheard of and almond ricotta is a nice introduction to vegan cheesemaking. Use the fruitiest, fanciest “good stuff” olive oil for this recipe. Recipe notes: ~Balsamic reduction is a tangy, sweet and sticky project that tastes great and is such fun to swirl on a plate. However, caprese doesn’t require it (and, actually, a caprese snob might look down their nose at it) so if you feel like skipping this step, go ahead. Like I said, it’s all about the tomatoes. ~BUT! If you want to make the reduction, here’s how: Pour two cups of balsamic into a small pot, turn the heat on medium-high and bring to a boil. Lower heat and stir every few minutes with a fork, keeping it simmery but not at a full boil. It takes about 20 minutes, but a sticky, syrupy consistency should happen. The liquid will reduce by about half. Err on the side of caution and don’t set the heat too high, or you might end up with a too-stiff concoction. Once it’s thick and syrupy, transfer to a small, sealable container. ~You can use all types of tomatoes here. Don’t worry about shape and size, throw some cherry tomatoes on there! Cut wedges and slices. I kept it simple with slices for this pic, but you don’t have to. Ingredients For the ricotta: 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds 1/2 cup warm water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt For the salad: Balsamic reduction (see note) 4 large vine ripened tomatoes Maldon or coarse sea salt Olive oil for drizzling Fresh black pepper 2 cups fresh basil leaves Directions 1 – Make the ricotta. Place the almonds in a high speed blender and pulse into crumbs. Add the remaining ricotta ingredients and blend until thick and pasty, with a ricotta-like texture. Use a rubber spatula to transfer to a well-sealed container, and chill until ready to use. 2 – Assemble the salad by using a spoon to drizzle balsamic reduction on a plate in a circular motion. Place tomatoes on the balsamic. 3 – Dollop on almond ricotta. Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon. Grind some fresh black pepper over everything. Top with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

Serves 4 Fried rice is a meal you can have every night of the week and never tire of. I’ve proven this point time and time again; it was my go to when ordering takeout for most of my life in Brooklyn. But the home cook has to get it right: keep the heat high...

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Serves 4 Fried rice is a meal you can have every night of the week and never tire of. I’ve proven this point time and time again; it was my go to when ordering takeout for most of my life in Brooklyn. But the home cook has to get it right: keep the heat high enough to sear each ingredient. A wok is the ideal vessel, but a large cast iron is fine, too. There’s something so seductive about smoky meatiness with tropical juiciness and this fried rice satisfies with the combo of porq and mango. The flavor is zhuzhed up with ginger, lime and star anise for the most winningest formula. Getting the fruit a little caramelized is clutch for the most intense experience. Suprerfirm tofu marinaded in some stuff makes a really nice, meaty porq! But, truth be told, you can use any protein here (seitan? tempeh? vegan sausages from the store?) and skip the whole marinade thing, you’d still have a really nice, quick meal. Recipe notes: ~I was a fried rice dummy until I learned that cold rice is key. Maybe you have some leftover rice hanging out? Awesome! If not, for best results, cook the rice and then spread it out on a sheet pan to cool completely. This way, it won’t clump together. Once cool, you can store in tupperware to use later on. If you’re really rich and lazy, some supermarkets sell frozen jasmine rice that you can use in this recipe straight from the freezer. Just allow some extra cooking time. ~I love the rich butteriness that coconut oil brings to fried rice, but olive oil would work just fine, too. ~If you don’t have beet powder hanging around, are you even vegan? It’s ok. Just dice up a small beet and add it to the marinade. It will release its juices and dye your tofu just the same. Simply remove the pieces before cooking the tofu or you’ll end up with beet in your fried rice. Which, actually, is not a big deal. Ingredients 14 oz package superfirm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes Marinade for Tofu Porq: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon beet powder 1 cup vegetable broth 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1/4 cup tamari 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoon garlic powder For the Fried Rice: 3 tablespoons refined coconut oil, divided 2 cups cubed mango 1 small red onion, diced medium 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced, dark green parts in 1 inch slices 3 star anise 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro 4 cups cooked and cooled jasmine rice (or frozen prepared) 1 tablespoon sriracha 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon agave Directions Make the tofu porq: 1 – Mix together all marinade ingredients in a shallow bowl. Add the tofu cubes and toss to coat. Marinade for an hour, stirring occasionally. 2 – Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Sear the tofu, flipping often, for about 7 minutes, until nicely browned on most sides, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Turn off heat while you begin the fried rice. Make the rice: 1 – Preheat a large wok over medium-high heat. Sear mango in one tablespoon of oil. Sear for about 4 to 5 minutes to caramelize a on a few sides. Transfer to the pan with the tofu. 2 – In another tablespoon of oil, saute the onion, scallion and star anise with a pinch of salt, for 3 minutes, just to sear slightly. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute. 4 – Add the last tablespoon of oil and the rice and fry for about 5 minutes, using a thin metal spatula to flip and toss, making sure it doesn’t stick to the pan. Use spray oil to help keep things from sticking. 5 – In a mug, use a fork to mix together sriracha, tomato paste, tamari, lime juice and agave until the tomato paste is relatively smooth. 6 – Drizzle the liquid mix into the rice, tossing to coat. Cook for 3 more minutes. 7 – Add the pork and mango and toss. Taste for salt and seasoning. Remove star anise pods. Serve!

makes 1 dozen balls “You eat with your eyes first.” Well, your eyes are about to feast. Yes, these mozzarella balls are creamy, tangy, and rich. But they are also absolutely beautiful, floating in brine, looking straight out of an Italian deli. “But how can I, who has never achieved anything in my life, make...

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makes 1 dozen balls “You eat with your eyes first.” Well, your eyes are about to feast. Yes, these mozzarella balls are creamy, tangy, and rich. But they are also absolutely beautiful, floating in brine, looking straight out of an Italian deli. “But how can I, who has never achieved anything in my life, make these?” you might wonder. And the answer isn’t years of study in a cheese cave. It’s an ice cream scoop, a high-speed blender, and some ice water. This method was perfected by Miyoko Schinner, of Miyoko’s cheese fame. Recipe notes: ~Make sure to use agar powder, not flakes. And if you want to substitute, it’s on you, but I highly recommend just using the exact ingredients and you will get excellent results! ~These balls do melt. They don’t get, like, AS melty as some store-bought vegan mozzarellas, but they do work great on pizzas and even in grilled cheese. Definitely flatten the balls or break them apart for best results. ~BUT! I really like them raw. They are super yum in a capers with heirloom tomatoes, olive oil salt and plenty of basil. Ingredients 2 teaspoons agar powder 1 1/2 cups whole unroasted cashews 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for brine 3 tablespoons tapioca starch Directions In a large coffee mug or glass measuring cup, mix the agar powder into 2 cups water and let sit for about 30 minutes. In a high-speed blender, blend the cashews, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, and tapioca with agar and water mixture until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. Transfer to a saucepot. Heat over medium and cook, stirring often with a rubber spatula, until the cheese mixture is thick and glossy and pulling away from the sides of the pot, about 10 minutes. Fill a 6-quart pot or bowl halfway with water and add about 15 ice cubes. Salt it well so it tastes like seawater.This is the brine for the mozzarella. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop a cheese ball into the ice water. Dip the ice cream scooper all the way into the ice water to release the ball. It will firm up and start setting right away. Continue until all the mixture is used. Cover the container, refrigerate, and let the cheese set for at least an hour. It’s ready to use!

If you thought you could run out of ways to level-up and elevate your pancakes, you thought wrong. Join me on the latest cook along episode and make some pancakes with miso honey butter (feat. @danishcreamery) with me - link in bio. Buttery, rich, and just what your next pancake breakfast (or dinner...) needs.

Own or rent DROP at home now with bonus features: http://uni.pictures/PWDropYT1. This episode is sponsored by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. On this episode of Binging with Babish, we're making the Kobe filet, duck salad, and panna cotta from Drop! Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter

This episode is sponsored by Danish Creamery. Learn more at http://danishcreamery.com On this episode of Cook-Along with Babish, we're making upgraded miso butter pancakes in just 1 hour! Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter Miso Honey Butter Pancakes (with Spiced Apples and Brown Butter Miso Maple Syrup) Ingredients For the Honey Butter: 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, softened 2–4 tablespoons honey (to taste) For the Spiced Apples: 1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (½ cm slices) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional) ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon bourbon 1 tablespoon lemon juice Pinch of kosher salt For the Brown Butter Miso Maple Syrup: 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter ½ cup maple syrup ½ cup honey 1 tablespoon red miso paste 2 ice cubes (to halt browning and preserve water content) For the Pancakes: 7 oz (200g) all-purpose flour 26g (about 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 cups buttermilk (room temperature) 1 large egg (room temperature) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (browned and slightly cooled) Nonstick skillet (no oil or butter for cooking) Instructions Honey Butter: Whip the softened butter in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Gradually whip in the honey, starting with 2 tablespoons and adding more to taste. Scrape the honey butter into a container and set aside at room temperature. Spiced Apples: Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the apple slices, sautéing for about 1 minute until they begin to soften. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom (if using), nutmeg, and a pinch of salt, tossing to coat the apples evenly. Continue cooking until the apples are tender and caramelized, then carefully add the bourbon and ignite if desired, allowing the alcohol to cook off. Finish the apples with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten, then remove from heat and set aside. Brown Butter Miso Maple Syrup: Brown the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, swirling frequently. Once browned, remove from heat and immediately add two ice cubes to cool and stabilize the butter. Whisk in the maple syrup and honey, then add the red miso paste, whisking until fully emulsified. Set aside; the syrup will thicken as it cools. Pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients, then slowly stream in the cooled browned butter while whisking, mixing until just combined (a lumpy batter is ideal). Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes if possible. Preheat the broiler to medium and preheat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour about two small ladlefuls of batter into the dry skillet, aiming for a thick pancake about 6–8 inches across. Cook until the bottom is deeply golden brown and bubbles on the surface start to break and stay broken. Transfer the pan to the broiler to finish cooking the top, rotating if needed for even browning. Once puffed and cooked through, remove carefully. Repeat with remaining batter. Assembly: Stack the pancakes and top with the spiced apples. Add a generous scoop of honey butter and drizzle liberally with the brown butter miso maple syrup. Serve immediately.

On this episode, Babish and the crew are in Nashville to eat everything at Locust, Nashville's toughest reservation to get. Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter

On this episode of Arcade with Alvin, we're making every meat combo dish from Monster Hunter Wilds! Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter

Today (literally), I’m seeing what I can whip up from what’s in the fridge, with some holiday-appropriate wackiness for good measure. Happy Holiday(s)!

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace. Head to http://bit.ly/squarespacebabish to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code BABISH. On this special 4/20-inspired episode of Best with Babish, we're trying and ranking your weirdest munchie creations! Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter 0:00: Intro 2:32: Bacon Ramen Taco (The BRT) 4:27: A "Just F*ck It" 7:10: Sugar Tomatoes 8:40: Greek Yogurt w/ Ranch Seasoning and Takis 10:35: My Date is Nuts! 12:13: Marmite and Apples on Toast 13:49: Spam Egg and Cheese Sandwich 15:25: Graham Crackers w/ Jalapeño Cheez Whiz 16:57: Strawberry Milk Bowl 18:35: Pizza Creampie 20:41: Lazy Mexican Street Corn 22:00: Poor Man's Churro 23:14: Tikka Masala Quesadilla 24:37: Hot Dog Toast 26:25: Peanut Butter Oreos w/ Vanilla Almond Milk 28:02: Stuffed Pickles 29:30: White Trash Tteokbokki 31:40: Bologna Cheese Taco 33:32: Gummy Dumplings 34:59: Pizza Roll Nachos 36:29: Final Rankings

On this cook-along episode, Babish is making you french onion soup in 2 hours! Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter --- **French Onion Soup with Bone Marrow Toasts** **Ingredients** For the Bone Marrow and Toasts: - 4–6 marrow bones, cut lengthwise or crosswise - Cold water & salt (for brining) - 1 baguette, sliced into 2 cm pieces (about 4 per serving) - Reserved rendered marrow fat (or substitute with butter/oil) - 1 garlic clove - Salt, to taste For the Soup: - 8 large yellow onions, thinly sliced - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided - 1–2 tbsp all-purpose flour - 1–2 tsp tomato paste (optional) - 2–3 tbsp brandy - 6 cups beef stock or bone broth - 1 tbsp soy sauce - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or to taste) - 1 tsp fish sauce (optional) - Salt, to taste For the Bouquet Garni: - 2–3 sprigs thyme - 2–3 sprigs parsley - 1 bay leaf - 1 leek green or cheesecloth for wrapping - Kitchen twine For Serving: - Bone marrow (whipped into a paste) - 1½–2 cups grated Gruyère cheese - Optional: finely chopped fresh chives --- **Instructions** **1. Prepare Bone Marrow:** 1. **Brine the bones**: Soak marrow bones in salted water overnight (if frozen, this also helps thaw them). 2. **Roast**: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place bones cut side up on a foil "cradle" to prevent tipping. Roast for ~20–25 minutes until marrow is puffed and fat is rendered. 3. **Separate fat and marrow**: Cool slightly. Scoop out marrow and reserve. Strain and reserve rendered fat for toasts. **2. Toast the Baguette:** 1. Slice baguette into 2 cm rounds. Cut some pieces in half if needed to fit soup crocks. 2. Brush both sides with marrow fat. Sprinkle with salt. 3. Toast in a 400°F oven (preferably convection) on a wire rack until golden brown and crispy, flipping if needed. **3. Caramelize the Onions:** 1. In a large nonstick or heavy-bottomed sauté pan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. 2. Add sliced onions and a splash (~½ cup) of water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until softened (~5–10 min). 3. Remove lid, stir frequently, and cook down for 45–60 minutes, adding water as needed to prevent burning. You want them soft, sweet, and deeply golden. **4. Build the Soup:** 1. Transfer onions to a soup pot with 1–2 tbsp butter. 2. Add 1–2 tbsp flour and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to lightly brown and cook off raw flour taste. 3. Stir in tomato paste (if using). 4. Deglaze with brandy, scraping up fond. 5. Add stock in stages, stirring well to incorporate flour. 6. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, and fish sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes. **5. Add Bouquet Garni:** 1. Tie herbs in leek greens or cheesecloth. 2. Add to soup and simmer during the last 15–20 minutes. Remove before serving. **6. Assemble & Broil:** 1. Preheat broiler. 2. Spread whipped bone marrow on toasts, then grate raw garlic over each one. 3. Ladle hot soup into oven-safe crocks, place toasts on top, and generously top with grated Gruyère. 4. Broil until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown (2–5 minutes depending on your broiler). **7. Finish & Serve:** 1. Garnish with chopped chives. 2. Enjoy with temperature-aware caution ---

On this special episode of Binging, we're exploring the culinary possibilities offered by both the humble microwave and the power of friendship. Thanks @NickDiGiovanni for doing the dirty work and helping me make the ultimate Lobster Thermidor! Captain Curt’s: https://www.readyseafood.com Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter

Get 50% off your first order of CookUnity meals — go to https://www.cookunity.com/babish50 and use my code BABISH50 at checkout to try them out for yourself! Thanks to CookUnity for sponsoring this video! On this episode of Best with Babish, we're ranking 30 different Trader Joe's frozen appetizers! Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter 0:00 - Intro 1:24 - Crispy Shiitake Mushrooms 2:53 - Pork Buns 4:41 - Chicken Tikka Samosas 6:18 - Jumeokbap 7:19 - Thai Coconut Pancakes 8:27 - Parmesan Pastry Pups 10:07 - Shrimp Noodle Rolls 11:36 - Brazilian Style Cheese Bread 14:09 - Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers 15:45 - Steak & Stout Pies 17:36 - Trader Potato Tots 19:18 - Garlic Gondolas 21:15 - Sweet Potato Fries 22:49 - Spanakopita 24:19 - Mini Vegetable Samosas 25:27 - Chicken Spring Rolls 26:23 - Pork Shu Mai 27:25 - Corn Dogs 28:53 - Roti 29:51 - Mini Cheeseburgers 32:27 - Mac & Cheese Bites 33:54 - Potato Fries 35:27 - Pastry Bites 37:01 - Pork Gyoza Potstickers 38:03 - Spanish Style Rice 39:45 - Corn Ribs 41:43 - Vegetable Spring Rolls 43:20 - Country Potatoes 45:05 - Spinach Artichoke Dip 46:34 - Final Rankings

Big thanks to Chris from @AbroadinJapan for hanging out with us in Tokyo, and bringing us to an Izakaya with one mission: eat and drink everything. Get the new Basics with Babish Cookbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Babish-Guide-Making-Mistakes/dp/198216753X Babish Cookware on Amazon: http://bit.ly/babishstore My playlist of preferred cooking tunes, Bangers with Babish! https://spoti.fi/2TYXmiY BCU TikTok: https://bit.ly/2PLtohe Binging With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BingingBabishWebsite Basics With Babish Website: http://bit.ly/BasicsWithBabishWebsite BCU Discord: https://bit.ly/3ALFRnY Patreon: http://bit.ly/BingingPatreon Instagram: http://bit.ly/BabishInstagram Subreddit: https://bit.ly/3mkNpp6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/BabishFacebook Twitter: http://bit.ly/BabishTwitter

Sommelier André Hueston Mack returns to Bon Appétit, this time to taste and give his expert opinion on Italian wines. With 20 Italian wine regions, Mack is sampling bottles from each to teach you everything you need to know about Italian wine. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Today, actor Glen Powell sits down with Bon Appétit to eat his favorite meals and talk all things acting, fitness and Texas. Join Powell as he discusses the confidence boost he received from Denzel Washington early on in his career to running tips from Tom Cruise—all while tucking into his favorite foods. Glen just announced the launch of his first-ever brand venture, Smash Kitchen - a line of organic pantry staples designed to modernize the American pantry. https://smashkitchen.com/ Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

“Osip is a small farm-to-table restaurant in the English countryside. We have a Michelin Star and people travel countries to come eat dinner here.” Today, Bon Appétit spends a day on the line with Chef Ciaran Brennan, head chef at Osip in Somerset. Operating out of a 300-year-old house in the English countryside, Osip grows most of its own produce, letting nature decide what’s on the menu. Osip is a 2025 Conde Nast Traveler Hot List Restaurant Winner. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Bon Appétit joins Chef Miro Uskokovic, owner of NYC’s Hani’s Bakery to make their best-selling malted cinnamon bun. Hani’s is a modern American-style bakery that has become very popular with locals, often with queues down the block. Light, fluffy, and airy with a gooey cream cheese glaze, it’s no surprise these cinnamon buns sell out fast daily. 00:00 Intro 00:35 Making the Cinnamon Smear 02:16 Making the Brioche Dough 05:53 Rolling the Dough 06:44 Assembling the Buns 09:10 Baking 10:25 Making Malted Cinnamon Glaze 12:17 Glazing the Buns Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Bon Appétit joins Chef Eric Ripert, owner of NYC’s Le Bernardin, to make his perfect version of salmon fillet. With three Michelin Stars, Le Bernardin is a renowned seafood destination in Manhattan, using only the best produce and ingredients cooked by master chefs–including their barely cooked salmon with coconut curry sauce. 00:00 Intro 00:44 Preparing the Salmon 02:00 Cooking the Salmon 03:34 Making Coconut Curry Sauce 07:13 Assembling the Dish Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

“To my knowledge, we are the only restaurant in the world right now doing a Sri Lankan tasting menu.” Today, Bon Appétit spends a day on the line with Chef Dom Fernando, founder of Paradise in London. Fernando left a career in accounting behind to open Paradise and is now reimagining traditional Sri Lankan cuisine with British influences, providing a one-of-a-kind tasting menu experience. 00:00 Intro 01:16 Prepping Kimbula Banis 05:11 Making Lobster Broth 08:56 Checking Restaurant Performance 10:23 Lighting the Grill Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Manteca, London's hottest Italian restaurant, cures all of its own meat, ensuring that no part of an animal goes to waste. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Today, Bon Appétit joins chef Meherwan Irani in Mumbai at Hotel Theresa to try the city’s most famous biryani. Hotel Theresa has been serving biryani to the locals for fifteen years, growing from a small lunch service next to a tea stall to a full-blown street food operation, now able to serve 300 people from one pot. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Here is our food itinerary for a perfect Saturday in Paris. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Here is everything we ate on a weekend trip to Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

“I think the nose-to-tail movement opens a pathway for people to cook responsibly and sustainably.” Today, Bon Appétit spends a day on the line with Chef Chris Leach, co-founder of Manteca, London’s hottest Italian restaurant. Manteca focuses on whole-animal butchery, making sure that no part of the animal goes to waste. 00:00 Intro 00:57 Chef’s Briefing 01:38 Breaking Down the Pig 05:00 Menu Planning 06:08 Checking on Salumi 08:23 Cooking Pig Skin Ragù 10:35 Pasta Research & Development 14:28 Lunch Service Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

“Brigaid is a company that hires professional chefs to work in school kitchens. We get to work with real ingredients and limit the amount of processed food that kids get on a daily basis.” Today, Bon Appétit spends a day on the line with Chef Persefoni Vordokas, a Brigaid program chef at Dream Charter School. 00:00 Intro 01:03 Prepare for Breakfast Service 02:50 Breakfast Service 05:02 Chicken Prep 07:04 R&D Carrot Slaw 09:59 Finish Lunch Prep 12:34 Pre-Shift Meeting 13:12 Line Set Up 14:32 R&D Meatballs Director: Gunsel Pehlivan Director of Photography: Luke Riffle Editor: Misa Qu; JC Scruggs Talent: Persefoni Vordokas Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke Senior Creative Producer: Mel Ibarra Line Producer: Joe Buscemi Associate Producer: Oadhan Lynch Production Manager: Janine Dispensa Production Coordinator: Alexis Winston Camera Operator: Carlos Araujo Assistant Camera: Lucas Young Sound Recordist: Michael Guggino Production Assistant: Quinton Johnson Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr Post Production Coordinator: Rachel Kim Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo Assistant Editor: Fynn Lithgow Director of Content; Production: Ali Inglese Senior Director; Creative Development: Dan Siegel Senior Director; Programming : Jon Wise VP; Head of Video: June Kim Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Here is our food itinerary for a perfect Sunday in Madrid. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Today, Bon Appétit joins chefs Lucas Sin and Eric Sze in Keelung as they eat their way through an iconic Taiwanese night market for only $18. From specialty pork trotters to charcoal oyster omelets, you can easily indulge in an epic feast on a budget at Taiwan’s night markets. 00:00 Intro 00:13 Youfan with Crab 01:46 Pao Pao Bing 03:35 Trotter Soup 04:59 Lard Vermicelli 07:24 Oyster Omelet 08:49 Tian Bu La 10:24 Pig’s Blood Cake Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

BA staffers blind-tasted twelve bourbons priced at around $50–find out which they thought was most worth the money. Want Bon Appétit shirts, hats and more? https://shop.bonappetit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_brand=ba&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=video&utm_content=merch-shop-promo Still haven’t subscribed to Bon Appétit on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/1TLeyPn Want more Bon Appétit in your life? Subscribe to the magazine! https://bit.ly/313UWRu ABOUT BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

Hi friends!! Goodness Gracious you MUST make this ASAP!! It's so good I cant even describe it! Recipe Below! RECIPE: 3/4 cup of Mayo 3/4 cup of Sour Cream 3/4 cup of Finely Chopped Dill Pickles 1 Clove of Garlic, grated or minced 2 Tbsp of Fresh Chopped Dill 2 Tbsp of Finely Chopped Parsley Salt to taste 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil 1/2 cup of Panko Breadcrumbs

Hi friends! Sharing one of my all time favorite 20 minute pastas I grew up with that just ever gets old! The combination of zucchini, ham and cream is so luscious and add in garlic, herbs and tomatoes and it's just so good!! Hope you make it and hope you love it as much as I do! xoxo RECIPE: 8oz Pasta of Choice 3 Tbsp of Olive Oil Handful of Cherry Tomatoes 2 Small Zucchini Few Leaves of Basil 2 Cloves of Garlic 1/2 cup of Heavy Cream Plenty of Freshly Grated Parm Lots of Salt and Pepper

Written Recipe: https://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/cheeseburger-sliders/

My latest obsession and for good reason! These mozzarella sticks are just next level and I know you will love them too! RECIPE: 1lb Block of Low Moisture Mozzarella 3 Eggs 1/3 cup of Milk 1 Cup of Flour 1 Cup of Panko Breadcrumbs 1 Cup of Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs Paprika Garlic and Herb Seasoning Salt and Pepper to taste Frying Oil For the Sauce: 1/2 cup of Buffalo Sauce or Hot Sauce of Choice 2 Tbsp of Butter 2 Tbsp of Honey

The weather is finally warming up! Let's enjoy some Springtime Flavors!!

One of our FAVORITE sandwiches ever!! I know I have shared these before but I promise you they are worth resharing especially if you have a big crowd to cook for, they are so easy to make and you can double, or triple the recipe for a real party! Recipe below! RECIPE: https://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/italian-shredded-beef-sandwiches-/

Hi friends! Goodness am I excited for you to give these scones a try. They are so flaky, delicious and so easy, I know you will love them! RECIPE: 2 1/4 cups of All Purpose Flour 1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar 2 tsp of Baking Powder 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon 1/2 tsp of Salt 8 TBSP of Cold Unsalted Butter 1 cup of Frozen Blueberries 2/3 cup of Heavy Cream 1 Egg Splash of Vanilla Extract

Hi friends!! Oh my goodness do you absolutely neeeeeeeeed to make this ASAP!!! Honestly it's so good and yes it's definitely a "cheats" recipe (meaning I'm not making anything from scratch) and as someone who makes pretty much everything from scratch, I feel 0 shame! Sometimes those recipes come in clutch and guess what, nobody is going to complain. So go ahead and make this, just as it is and love every bite and if you do want to make it from scratch, my recipe for that is below just make sure to add the cookie butter and swap the biscoff cookies of the graham crackers! REICPE: 1-3.4oz Pack of Instant Vanilla Pudding 1.5 cups of Cold Whole Milk 8oz of Cool Whip, thawed 12oz can of Sweetened condensed milk 4 Bananas (3 for the center and one for the top just dont add the top one until ready to serve so they dont turn brown) Biscoff cookie Butter Biscoff cookies My homemade eversion: https://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/the-best-banana-cream-pudding/

Hi besties!! You know those ranch dips that come in veggie platters from the grocery stores that they charge you an arm and a leg for? well this is it an its infinitely better in every single way! You will love this, if you love a ranch dip like we do, this is right up your alley, you must give it a go! Recipe down below! xoxo RECIPE: 1 Cup of Mayo 1/2 cup of Sour Cream 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Buttermilk (depending on how runny you like it) 2 Tbsp of very finely chopped dill 2 Tbsp of Very finely shopped parsley 1 Scallion, finely chopped 1 small (or half) clove of garlic, grated Plenty of salt and pepper

Hi friends! I've been meaning to share this recipe with you for a while and If you love potatoes as much as I do, you will absolutely flip over this and for good reason! Serve it at room temperature along side salumi or as a side dish to any main kind of how you'd serve a baked potato. RECIPE: 1.5 lb of Russet Potatoes, peeled 1 Yellow Onion, diced 2 Tbsp of Butter 10oz of Mozzarella Cheese, cut into tiny cubes Salt and Pepper to taste 1/4 cup of Light Olive Oil Printable recipe: http://www.laurainthekitchen.com Instagram: @mrsvitale 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - Cut and the Potatoes 02:25 - Cut the Cheese 04:48 - Combine the mixture 05:00 - Begin Cooking 07:00 - Flip the Pancake 08:53 - Dig in Fan Mail: PO Box 300 Minotola NJ 08341

Yall, this sensational, luscious and oh so decadent pasta Is a MUST make asap! You cannot image how delicious it is and it's so easy and quick, I just know you will love it! Recipe below, ya gotta make this, well you do if you like good food lol 😘😘 Recipe: 2 tbsp of EVOO 1 shallot or 1/2 of a small yellow onion 14.5oz can of cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes, plus 1/2 cup of water to “rinse out the can” Basil 1/2 cup (or tad more) of whole milk ricotta (or 1 cup if you love ricotta like I do) 10oz of bucatini Salt and pepper to taste Burrata

Combining 2 absolutely classic and out of this world delicious into one to create truly, one of the most delicious things you'll ever have. So flavorful, so pungent and completely outstanding, it will be a go to recipe for you especially with some fresh produce! RECIPE: For the Salad: 1/2lb of Stale Bread, I prefer to use an Italian crusty loaf or a baguette, about a day old 1 1/2lb of Tomatoes, I like a mixture of colorful cherry and vine ripe tomatoes 1 Shallot, thinly sliced 2 Tbsp of Capers Handful of Castalvetrano Olives 2 Tbsp of Freshly Chopped Parsley Salt to taste For the Dressing: 1 Clove of Garlic 1 tsp of Anchovy Paste 2 tsp of Dijon Mustard 1tsp of Worcestershire Sauce 2 tsp of Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice 2 tsp of Red Wine Vinegar 1/4 cup of Olive Oil, plus a bit more to drizzle all over Salt and Pepper to taste 1/4 cup of Freshly Grated Parm (plus a little extra) Printable recipe: http://www.laurainthekitchen.com Instagram: @mrsvitale 00:00 - Intro 01:44 - Make the Dressing 04:00 - Slice Tomatoes 04:30 - Tear bread 05:45 - Toss Salad 06:45 - Dig in Fan Mail: PO Box 300 Minotola NJ 08341

Hi Besties!! I haven't been able to stop thinking about this Cacio e Pepe flatbread I had recently and I knew I had to recreate it and im so glad I did beaus it is sensational and will absolutely be on the table all spring and summer along side a bowl of olives and and a good drink. The recipe for the flatbread is linked below, only thing to note is that it was baked at 550 for 4 minutes, then topped it with spices, sesame seeds and a brush of olive oil and baked for another 3 minutes so time that accordingly if your oven is hotter or cooler. I grate as much cheese as my heart desires and crack lots of freely ground black pepper and it is DIVINE!!!! You must make this asap! Remember these videos are in addition to my regular content not in place of, I just love sharing all my cooking chronicles with y'all! xoxo RECIPE: https://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/grilled-veggie-flatbread/

Whether you’re making it for a holiday celebration or for an after-dinner dessert, this indulgent and rich tart will satisfy your sweet tooth. We show you how to make a toasted white sesame tart with bittersweet chocolate ganache. Complete with a crumbly crust, each bite is full of chocolate flavor and the crunch of the baked sesame seeds.

Experience the rich flavors of Rome with Rigatoni Alla Zozzona! This pasta recipe combines the best of amatriciana and carbonara, with a savory twist of sausage, guanciale, and creamy egg yolks. Each bite brings the fusion of smoky, salty, and hearty flavors that make this an underrated Italian classic. Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com You Might Also Like... Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Málà (Numbing & Spicy) | Boiled Beef in Fiery Sauce: https://youtu.be/adBrsIP9n8g Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Fish Fragrant | Braised Eggplant: https://youtu.be/4uU6DwAi2S8 How to Season a Wok: https://youtu.be/ndv-uT94BGM Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why. Pasta Alla Zozzona is a Taste of Rome

Learn how to make this irresistible Crispy Kimchi Cheese Rice, a fusion dish that’s bursting with exotic flavors and unique textures! This recipe combines the tangy spice of kimchi with savory cheese and crispy rice, creating the perfect balance of flavors. It’s an easy, satisfying meal that transforms your leftovers into a new favorite comfort food. Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com You Might Also Like... Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Málà (Numbing & Spicy) | Boiled Beef in Fiery Sauce: https://youtu.be/adBrsIP9n8g Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Fish Fragrant | Braised Eggplant: https://youtu.be/4uU6DwAi2S8 How to Season a Wok: https://youtu.be/ndv-uT94BGM Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why. Crispy Kimchi Cheese Rice Recipe

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this classic southern appetizer tastes even better when made from home. We show you how to make fried green tomatoes with a delicious remoulade dipping sauce!

With chunks of dill pickle and crunchy panko crumbs sprinkled throughout, this creamy appetizer will quickly become a go-to party favorite recipe. We show you how to make a fried pickle dip with freshly chopped dill and potato chips!

These sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches are a summertime dream dessert. Learn how to make easy summer fruit ice cream sandwiches using naturally sweet fruit preserves and vanilla ice cream!

Learn how to make delicious honey butter toast! This simple yet irresistible treat combines the rich flavor of sweet honey and plenty of fresh fruit on perfectly toasted bread. We’ll guide you through the quick and easy steps to create this snack that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat any time of day. Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com You Might Also Like... Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Málà (Numbing & Spicy) | Boiled Beef in Fiery Sauce: https://youtu.be/adBrsIP9n8g Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Fish Fragrant | Braised Eggplant: https://youtu.be/4uU6DwAi2S8 How to Season a Wok: https://youtu.be/ndv-uT94BGM Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why. How to Make Honey Butter Toast

Earthy beets meet sweet cherries in this eye-catching and refreshing sweet-tart-savory soup recipe. Learn how to make a chilled beet and cherry soup to cool off the guests of your next summer party.

Learn how to make delicious Falafel Smash Tacos with an easy-to-follow recipe. Combining crispy homemade falafel with fresh vegetables and a tangy sauce, these tacos are a perfect fusion of Middle Eastern and Mexican flavors. Perfect for a quick and healthy meal, these plant-based tacos are sure to become a favorite in your household. Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com You Might Also Like... Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Málà (Numbing & Spicy) | Boiled Beef in Fiery Sauce: https://youtu.be/adBrsIP9n8g Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Fish Fragrant | Braised Eggplant: https://youtu.be/4uU6DwAi2S8 How to Season a Wok: https://youtu.be/ndv-uT94BGM Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why. How to Make Falafel Smash Tacos

Use this recipe to make an amazing Cabbage Tarte Tatin! Perfectly caramelized cabbage pairs with a flaky pastry crust for a unique twist on a classic French dish. We’ll guide you through each step, from prepping the cabbage to achieving that golden, crispy finish. Ideal for a savory side or a vegetarian main course, this recipe is sure to impress. Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com You Might Also Like... Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Málà (Numbing & Spicy) | Boiled Beef in Fiery Sauce: https://youtu.be/adBrsIP9n8g Fuchsia Dunlop & Sichuan Flavors: Fish Fragrant | Braised Eggplant: https://youtu.be/4uU6DwAi2S8 How to Season a Wok: https://youtu.be/ndv-uT94BGM Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why. How to Make Cabbage Tarte Tatin

Serve this Asparagus Upside Down Sheet-Pan Dinner as a main course or as a side for an unforgettable evening.

Contributor Jenny Dorsey has a conversation with famed Catalonian chef Sergi de Meià about mussels escabeche, then walks us through the steps to make this classic Spanish dish at home. Mussels escabeche features plump mussels in an aromatic marinade of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs, and spices—perfect as a drinking snack, appetizer, and more. Mussels Escabeche Recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2020/10/mussels-escabeche.html Subscribe to Serious Eats on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 *CONNECT* Facebook: https://facebook.com/seriouseats Instagram: https://instagram.com/seriouseats Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why.

Sunny Lee pays tribute to one of her all-time favorite Korean banchan, pa-muchim: a marinated scallion salad of raw shaved onions and scallions dressed with mustard, vinegar, gochugaru, and sesame oil. With her take on this recipe, she turns an accident into inspiration and creates a recipe that you'll want to make again and again. Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2020/10/charred-brussels-sprouts-leeks-banchan.html For more recipes by Sunny Lee: https://www.seriouseats.com/user/profile/sunny-lee You Might Also Like... Gamja Bokkeum with Sunny Lee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cc-JbAzV9s Lamb Biryani with Nik Sharma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxoQyKWAD8k The Best Way to Mince Garlic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQd3hFf26R8 French Onion Soup Tarte Tatin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9lPMmbeIak Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why.

Gamja bokkeum is a simple glazed potato banchan you won't be able to stop making, or eating. Writer and Serious Eats Contributor, Sunny Lee shows you how to quickly whip up these irresistible spuds that will hog the spotlight from any main dish. Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2020/02/korean-soy-glazed-potatoes-gamja-bokkeum-recipe.html For more recipes by Sunny Lee: https://www.seriouseats.com/user/profile/sunny-lee You Might Also Like... Lamb Biryani with Nik Sharma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxoQyKWAD8k The Best Way to Mince Garlic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQd3hFf26R8 French Onion Soup Tarte Tatin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9lPMmbeIak Romesco Sauce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqMBoFzvTEM Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why.

Biryani is a celebration of aroma, color, and flavor, with perfectly cooked, fluffy grains of scented basmati rice and tender chunks of spiced lamb. Nik Sharma shows us how to make this spectacular dish at home (along with special guest, Paddington Sharma). Full Story: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2020/07/lamb-biryani.html For more Nik Sharma, check out his new book-- The The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes: http://abrowntable.com/the-flavor-equation You Might Also Like... Gamja Bokkeum with Sunny Lee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cc-JbAzV9s The Best Way to Mince Garlic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQd3hFf26R8 French Onion Soup Tarte Tatin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9lPMmbeIak Romesco Sauce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqMBoFzvTEM Subscribe to Serious Eats! https://bit.ly/2BIlM59 Follow Us Elsewhere: https://facebook.com/seriouseats https://twitter.com/seriouseats https://instagram.com/seriouseats https://reddit.com/r/seriouseats Serious Eats is a leading resource for all things food and drink: meticulously tested recipes that really work; in-depth, science-based explanations of cooking techniques; detailed reviews of cooking equipment; and guides to ingredients, dishes, and cuisines. We bring a democratic yet scientific approach to cooking the best dishes, busting food myths, and delivering strong opinions on what you should eat next, where, when, and why.