I’m always on the lookout for simple and refreshing recipes and this one hits the spot! The chilli adds color while the lemon zest and juice give it its zing. An easy meal to prepare especially for those unexpected visitors! This recipe is inspired by Nigella Lawson’s book, Forever Summer in which she uses crab…

One of the nice things I like about cooking Chinese food is that once the prep work is done, the food literally takes minutes to cook and then dish up. This recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma Asian cookbook. Chinese cooking is all about fresh ingredients bought the day you want to make the dish. Serves…

Not exactly a guilt free dessert but delicious just the same! The cheesecake topping rounds out this dessert. This recipe is adapted from Australian Good Taste magazine. Serve these muffins with a chocolate sauce for more decadence. Makes 12 muffins200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped100g butter, melted225g (1 1/2 cups) self raising flour30g (1/4 cup) cocoa…

These veggie patties are an easy starter and compliments a green salad for a meat free summer’s lunch. Zucchini contains large amounts of folate (production and maintenance of new cells) and potassium (helps the kidneys function normally), and the rind contains the nutrient beta-carotene. Makes about 25 patties700g zucchini6 spring onions, finely choppedsmall bunch of…

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a grain that comes from the Andes mountains of South America. Quinoa’s origins dates back to that of the Inca’s. Quinoa has many nutritional benefits: rated 35 on the gylcemic index, high in iron, is a vegetarian’s delight when maintaining protein intake, a good source of dietary fiber, gluten free (easy…

I was visiting my favorite bookstore the other day and noticed a new magazine called Sumptuous. I love magazines that are glossy, with loads of photos, inspiring food content as well as the latest in food trends. I earmarked several pages with recipes such as slow roasted shoulder of pork with lemon, fennel and garlic;…

Zucchini is a popular summer squash and its mild, delicate flavor makes it suitable for this dish. When choosing garlic, make sure it is firm with dry heads and smooth skin. Avoid garlic with sprouting green shoots as this shows it had aged (loss of flavor and rubbery in texture).Carrots are delicious eaten raw or…

Growing up in the East coast of Canada, rhubarb was always one of the first desserts we would eat to welcome Spring. Throughout the rhubarb growing season, my Mom would make rhubarb and strawberry pies, rhubarb stews, rhubarb crumbles and of course rhubarb preserves. We never seemed to tire of this vegetable that is so…

Can’t think of what to make for tonight’s supper? This recipe is from Australian Good Taste magazine is easy and quick. It’s also a great idea for an after school snack. Serves 46 flour tortillasfinely chopped tomatoesshredded cooked chickenfinely chopped red onionfresh coriander leavesgrated cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 180c. Place a flour tortilla on…

Food historians differ as to the origins of the eggplant. Some say eggplant was found in India while others say it was China. Eggplant is considered one of Japan’s five most important vegetables and yet they don’t claim it originated there. Eggplant comes in all shapes and sizes and is packed full of minerals not…

A Taste of Yellow is a blogging event hosted by Winos and Foodies and is dedicated to LIVESTRONG Day. LIVESTRONG Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s (LAF) grassroots advocacy initiative to unify people affected by cancer and to raise awareness about cancer survivorship issues on a national level and in local communities across the country.…

This recipe hails from a friend of mine I met while I was still living in Singapore. Francesca D’Orazio Buonerba is a great chef and also a scholar of gastronomic and cultural traditions. Over the years, Francesca held many Italian cooking classes and her knowledge of Italian food, stories and history was always a treat…