Now, I don't think this summer herby dish is new to many people but I think it often conjures up an image of way too many bitty herbs that get stuck in your mouth and generally is more work than salad ought to be. What I've been working on, is the ratio. Using Bulgar Wheat instead of a smaller grain like cous cous helps in that department, as does using measuring cups! The herbs are still the star of the dish and bring all the flavour alongside the lemon juice which elevates

Let's just agree that salads just aren't enough most of the time? Man cannot live on leaves alone (well, he probably could for a while) But salads can be absolutely delicious when made well and with a bit of creativity. We need to be thinking of adjectives like fresh, crunchy, tangy, wholesome, you get the idea. Get good veggies and get a good dressing and you can't really go wrong (or copy this recipe and get it right first time ;) This pumpkin and lentil salad would go dow

Christmas is coming!!!! Christmas is coming!!!! I think actually to be more politically correct: Winter is coming!!! (Harder to say without sounding very Game of Thrones. If Christmas is coming then so is Christmas dinner! In my house this means a lot of vegan some gluten free and a bit of meat. I outsource the meat to the meat eaters and the rest is a heck of a lot easier than you'd imagine. There'll be more roast potatoes (cooked in oil and PLENTY of seasoning) than you cou

Gluten free? Check. Crispy? Check. Tasty? Check. Easy? Check. These are just perfect; The thinness of the rice paper gives these a unique bite. They're very easy to do, and I'm being honest, I know the idea of making your own spring rolls sounds challenging and time consuming but these just aren't. You can make any filling for them too, I would recommend using an already cooked (and cooled) filling before baking them and they take about 15-20 minutes in the oven. I'm totally

Sometimes my stomach hurts just reading the ingredients lists on the back of ready-made products. I mean, don't get me wrong, those products have a time and a place and I was reminded a couple of times when we were on our summer holidays just how liberating a jar of pasta sauce can be (dinner in 10 mins with almost NO MESS??!) but we really shouldn't get too comfortable with convenience food. It's a treat and often not that much of a tasty one. This sauce is so delicious and

Summer is here! But unfortunately for us over here in Dubai, Summer is not something to be celebrated really. It means the beginning of 40°C+ and up to 100% humidity. But don't worry, it only lasts for, what? 5 months? Which brings us on to why I'm posting a recipe for my husbands all time favourite soup. Gazpacho. It's a cold soup (initially an odd sensation) and is in our opinion simply delicious. Plus, it's time to celebrate the tomato, they're delicious right now. A lot o

This is probably the best dal I've ever made and possibly even tasted? (that could be a lie, I could be high on dal right now). This is just the perfect thickness, it's creamy, healthy, rich and because it uses red lentils it cooks up in 15 minutes. So you can definitely have this on the table within 30 minutes of walking through the door. I buy frozen paratha (not healthy but surprisingly dairy-free) for a real treat or serve it with brown rice and a salad. We chucked some b

Crispy smashed garlic? Check. Crispy salty capers? Check. Crispy smokey butter-beans? Check. Ready in 10-15 minutes? Check. This is such a perfect, quick and easy side dish. It doesn't have any sauce so you need it to be accompanying something with a little moisture. i think it would be great on a baked sweet potato and just perfect on a table of mezzes. NUTRITIONAL OVERVIEW BUTTER BEANS (or LIMA BEANS) are and excellent source of molybdenum which is sort of an unknown nutrit

Every vegan needs a spread in the fridge and in our house it's usually sesame hummus, cashew boursin or this. This takes a little longer than hummus because you need to cook the aubergine but the steps thereafter are pretty similar and just as simple. The idea is to burn the aubergine so the skins are black and blistered but the inside is soft and mushy. The blackened skin gives that mouthwatering smokey flavour. Unfortunately in the photos below you don't see the black skins

This is one of my all time favourite Arabic dishes. I love love love it. I could probably eat it every week but can you believe I only just tried to make it myself for the first time last week?! Shock horror! I've always depended on my Egyptian mother-in-law to supply me with my fix. In my head it was far more complicated and time consuming than it really is. I am now kicking myself that this hasn't been on my go to list for a hassle free, CHEAP and nutritious dinner. M'jadar