Recipes

  • Recipes

    recipe; sticky date pudding

    Earlier this year, I attempted to make, for the first time, the dessert I had grown up knowing as sticky toffee pudding. Honestly, I never knew that sticky date pudding and sticky toffee pudding were one and the same until I went searching for a recipe for my husband’s birthday. I used to love sticky toffee pudding, but after the restaurant my father used to take us to closed down, and then we started a vegetarian diet, I never found it again. I was a little bit worried this would not live up to my memories of the dessert, especially since I had to change about the recipe I found…

  • Food,  Recipes

    recipe; spaghetti soup

    Okay, this isn’t technically a soup. The sauce of the spaghetti is relatively diluted, but at the end of the day, this is pasta. The first time I was introduced to this dish, however, my cousins called it ‘spaghetti soup’, and the name stuck. This is probably one of my favourite ways to eat spaghetti. I am more of a fusilli type of girl, but for the days when I want spaghetti? This is my go-to. And it’s packed with veggies, and is easy to make! What more could a girl want? Ingredients 1/2 medium white onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 tin mushrooms, chopped 1 tin tomato paste dried…

  • Recipes

    recipe; snickerdoodle cupcakes

    I haven’t actually made these cupcakes in quite some time, because they tend to be a little messy, a little sweet. So yum, for sure, but in the past couple of years, we’ve had to watch our sugar intake. They are a supremely indulgent treat, however, and I’m hoping to make them again next month for my birthday. The original recipe can be found here, and I’ve played around with it a little. Ingredients Spiced Sugar Topping: 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 cup sugar Cake Batter: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (if desired) 1/2 cup…

  • Food,  Recipes

    recipe; marinara sauce

    Despite how many times I make this, – and I make this A LOT – I just realised I barely have any photos of the sauce? It’s weird, considering how much I enjoy taking food photos for Instagram. This marinara sauce, you guys. My mother-in-law found the recipe, and then over the last year or so, we tweaked it and adapted it, and then snuck in some veggies until it is damn near perfection. The whole family adores it, we use it as is on top of pasta, we’ve used it as a dip, we’ve used it in baked cheesy ziti. It is super versatile and surprisingly easy to make.…

  • Recipes

    recipe; peanut butter banana oat cookies

    It is very rare that I come across a cookie recipe that I barely have to adapt to suit my dietry needs. Even rarer for everyone in the house to love them so much, everyone who I’ve given them to adore it so much, that I make it almost every two weeks for almost two months. But Sophia @ Veggies Don’t Bite‘s Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies did just that, and honestly, the only reason I adapted it at all was because I was using what I had on hand! These chunky monkey cookies are easy to make, and even easier to adapt to what you have on hand.…

  • Recipes

    recipe; tom yum noodles

    It has been a very long time since I made this, but these noodles are easy to make and so yummy to eat! They were a lifesaver when my husband and I were studying in Auckland. I haven’t made it since we left New Zealand, though… I should definitely make them again soon, but maybe two batches. One with less chili (for my daughter and mother-in-law) and one with more! Ingredients 1 packet tom yum paste 800ml water 3 bunches noodles 4 mushrooms, sliced 1 chili, chopped 2/3 packet spinach 1 packet puff tofu, halved lemon juice, to taste   Method Boil the tom yum paste in water. Add the…

  • Recipes

    recipe; eggless bread pudding

    It has been some time since I made this, but growing up, I used to love bread pudding. We would go to weddings, and I would go straight to the desserts to check if there was bread pudding, and then I would plan my meals accordingly. I loved bread pudding. So when I became vegetarian and realised bread pudding contained eggs, I was quite crushed. And then! My husband asked me to make bread pudding, and Google delivered, and the only thing about the recipe I found that I wasn’t 100% happy with was the texture of the custard, so I went about substituting how I usually make custard instead.…

  • Food,  Recipes

    recipe; chickpea shakshuka

    Have you ever come across a cusine where the flavour profiles just work for you? For me, there are a few. A recent discovery is that Mediterranean food and I just mesh really well. Unfortunately, my husband is not as fond of this as I am. But I’m working on it. I found this recipe a number of months ago and finally gave it try, and I have not looked back since. It is easy to put together, you can adjust it to taste (like I did), and the leftovers taste amazing when reheated up. Crisp up some tortillas to dip into it, and you are set! Ingredients 2 tbsp…

  • Recipes

    recipe; nutella mug cake

    Uh, no, I did not go over to my uncle’s house while I was on holiday at my parents’ to bake this for photos because I thought February was a dessert post month. I am not that extra, thanks.* *Except I totally am that extra and I totally did this. This molten Nutella mug cake – yes, the center is gooey and chocolately and utterly wonderful – is the perfect indulgence for a day you want to feel guilty. I actually have the recipe for a microwaveable version of this cake, but because of health reasons, I no longer use the microwave. Stumbling across an oven-baked version of the cake…

  • Recipes

    recipe; mushroom fried rice

    I never thought I would enjoy cooking as much as I do now. Back when I first started, it was almost a chore. Yes, there was some satisfaction on a job well done when my family enjoyed my food, but that was it. Now, though? Now I understand flavour profiles a little better. I understand what our palates are like. I understand what works well together, at least to an extent. Now I actively look forward to cooking and adapting recipes to suit our tastes. This fried rice wasn’t an adaptation though. It was me realising that I needed lunch, there were a few vegetables at home that needed to…