How are your Christmas preparations – assuming you even celebrate it – coming along? I’ve only just recovered from Thanksgiving recipes and now I am ready to throw myself into another festive madness – bring it on. I am kicking this festive recipe collection with a simple yet delectable side as everyone needs them in their life, right? For today, I made a platter of sticky roasted carrots glazed in an addictive pomegranate molasses glaze and topped with an even more addictive (I might have or might have not eaten an entire portion of it when shooting these photos…) dukkah brittle, which brings in a lot of flavour and interesting texture to this dish....

Does it really get any better than this classic? Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate comfort food and a meal I always feel good about serving my family. Just the delicious smell of it cooking away in the oven makes me happy. My version features a rich and flavoursome filling made with minced (ground) lamb, chunky vegetables, garlic, red wine and herbs. It is then topped with creamy, cheese-loaded mashed potato and finished with a crispy parmesan crust....

Woo hoo! Usually, this dish is served deep fried from typical restaurants. This version is lightened up and made more “real” in a few ways. First, the chicken is sautéed rather than deep fried. Second, the sauce doesn’t contain any refined sugar- just honey and fresh orange juice for sweetness. Finally, serving this on a bed of brown rice is far healthier than the refined white stuff you’d get with take-out....

When I was a teacher, I worked 8-10 hour days. With a commute in and out of Boston, I was often gone for 12 hours at a time. Slow cooker meals like this saved my life! This black bean soup requires only 5 minutes of prep, and you can let it cook for 4, 6, 8, or even 10 hours in your slow cooker. This dump dinner is really hard to mess up, precise timing isn’t necessary, and it’s a very forgiving recipe if you want to add or take away any of the ingredients....

Today’s dish is very simple but its flavours are stunning and it’s by far the nicest kale dish I’ve eaten. The word ‘mallum’ (or mallung) simply means ‘mix’ in Sri Lanka where this popular dish tends to be served alongside curries and rice (or rotis). In Sri Lanka kids are made to eat mallum as it is believed to be very good for your eyesight. They are told that they will end up wearing glasses when they are older unless they eat mallum on a regular basis and it seems to do the trick....

If you’ve never enjoyed a green salad with fresh fruit before, you’re missing out. Sweet, juicy fruit pairs so well with the leafy greens and savory, salty ingredients that traditionally go in green salads. In this case, sweet juicy strawberries are so delicious, not to mention gorgeous, against the backdrop of bright green peppery arugula. Sliced green onions add a savory punch, and a slightly sweet balsamic vinaigrette adds tang....

I’ve always loved sushi, but eating so much white rice always makes me feel a bit guilty. My today’s take on sushi is a tad healthier yet just as tasty. It features red Thai rice, which is certainly way more nutritious. According to this website, it is very rich in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and molybdenum (each cup providing between 80-20 percent of the daily value for each of those minerals)....

Thank you so much to the Idaho Potato Commission for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions and endorsements are my own. What is #PotatoPalooza, you ask? I’m glad you did. This week, I’ll be partnering with Panning the Globe and Omnivore’s Cookbook to bring you holiday potato recipes EVERY SINGLE DAY, Monday through Friday. That’s fifteen of the best, most delicious potato recipes that you can add to your holiday menu....

As preparations for the season’s festivities are slowly creeping onto our agendas, I’ve made a delicious festivity worthy dessert today, which would not be out of place on any Thanksgiving or Christmas table. This delicious and pleasant to look at tart combines flaky vegan pastry with sticky, salted peanut-flavoured caramel sauce, a layer of decadent chocolate ganache and crunchy roasted peanuts. It’s not hard to make and it’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face, especially if, like us, you are a devoted peanut butter lover....

But isn’t it a bit sad to be vegan at Xmas? I bet you have heard this old chestnut at least once in some shape or form. I find that it’s quite the opposite, in fact. Knowing that my food doesn’t require any animals to be killed or kept in a torture chamber on my behalf is a massive weight off my shoulders and I feel at peace with myself, which makes for a merrier Xmas time too....

FOR AN IMPROVED & REFINE SUGAR-FREE RECIPE check out our most recent cinnamon buns post. When we used to live in London, we lived 15 minutes from a Scandinavian bakery that served the most delicious vegan cinnamon buns. London can be a very stressful place to live and work, but when you’re sitting in a little cafe with a warm vegan cinnamon bun (or two) in front of you and a cup of coffee in one hand, suddenly the world seems a far happier place....

I dedicate this recipe to my mum. Every time we meet she insists on gifting me things and I was able to make this dish thanks to her legendary sour cherry jam that I have had in my cupboard for a while. Everybody in my family adores my mum’s cherry jam. It contains obscene amounts of juicy sour cherries and strikes just the right balance between sweet and tangy. These days I don’t eat that much bread and jam and I was really worried that it will go to waste, so I was very happy to be able to put it to such a delicious use, especially that fresh sour cherries are not easy to find in the UK....

After the trauma of last week, things are starting to look up. Duncan is pain free and generally feeling really good. He is now on a lower dose of blood thinner and, although he has been advised to stay on it for 2 years just as a preventative measure, he also got a green light to resume light running, so he is stoked. He did two 6 km jaunts in the past two days and it felt fine, he felt no pain whatsoever and while he is mindful of not pushing himself too hard, he is very appreciative of being able to exercise again....

And just like that it’s pumpkin season again so I made a vegan pumpkin cake with cheesecake swirls to celebrate all things autumn. This vegan pumpkin cake is not only easy to make, but also delicious and pretty to look at too. Moist, fluffy and beautifully spiced pumpkin cake gets topped with a creamy vegan cheesecake fragrant with lemon and orange zest and they go dancing together so to speak…...

I bet that when you think of Greek food, spanakopita is one the first dishes that springs to mind. Greeks make all sorts of delicious pies, but spanakopita is world famous for a reason – it has flaky and crispy golden pastry with a spinach and feta cheese filling seasoned with nutmeg and herbs. When made with love and care, it is the stuff of dreams. On Paros, there is one pie shop in particular, run by a charming Giorgios that has become something of a local institution....

As it is for many people, Thai green curry was my introduction to Thai cuisine and it’s still one of my firm favourites. This comparatively mild and herbaceous curry is a Thai restaurant menu staple for a reason – you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t like its gorgeous, well rounded flavours – spiciness soothed by cooling coconut and set against the freshness of coriander, lemongrass and lime leaves....

We are heading for the end of summer and that makes me feel sad especially that the weather has been a bit of a washout over here this year. Before zucchini season inevitably gives way to pumpkin season, I decided to make fudgy vegan zucchini cake with cheesecake swirls. This vegan zucchini cake with cheesecake swirls is easy to put together and delicious. It’s decadently chocolatey and fudgy, topped with a tangy and creamy cheesecake layer for a bit of a relief....

This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above! 💭 Why you’ll love this recipe Quick, simple, and delicious. While it uses a lot of ingredients, it’s actually really easy to throw together. You can prep it in advance too! Easy to customize. You can swap the vegetables, make more spicy or less spicy, and add more cheese if you want....

WHAT IS LAUKI SABZI? 25-Minute Lauki Sabzi (Step By Step) is a Bottle Gourd Vegetarian curry. It comes together really quickly. It originated in India and made its made to Pakistan. This is a simple Indian/Pakistani recipe. It’s doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. This is my sister in law’s recipe. She made it and I had to get the recipe for you. It’s extremely delicious. This Indian/Pakistani dinner recipe is flavorful and delicious....

WHAT IS GINGER GARLIC PASTE? 5-Minute Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste is a preparatory ingredient found in many Pakistani dishes. A Pakistani dish without ginger garlic paste is like a billi (cat) that doesn’t meow or a negotiation-free Pakistani bazaar - it’s just madness! In Pakistani recipes, you add the ginger garlic paste right after you sauté the onion. You can see ginger garlic paste is used in many of my Pakistani on the blog, like Achari Chicken , Chicken Biryani and Nihari....