Paros is getting colder and windier by the day and as it’s not exactly a social hub in winter. All I want to do is tuck myself under a blanket, a warm cat on my lap, watch my favourite shows and have hot drinks and food brought to me whenever I ring a bell 😉 That would be lovely, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, as I am the chief cook in my house, if I want food I need to get off my ass and actually cook it....

Laters, I am off for a quick sojourn to Morocco… I wish! At least my tastebuds are though. After the indulgence of Duncan’s famous chocolate and orange twists and 6-stage testing for another sweet recipe (coming soon), I thought it is time to do something healthy again. As you know, I am a big fan of having goodness bowls for lunch and this one, inspired by the Moroccan flavours, is my latest favourite....

This One-pan Gnocchi Bolognese is a faster variation of the classic and is all made in one-pan (no need to pre-cook the gnocchi!), perfect for weeknight dinners with minimal clean-up! The sauce is rich and hearty, full of big savoury flavours, yet made with simple ingredients, many of which you probably already have in the pantry! Finished with stretchy, melty mozzarella cheese, this is sure to become a regular on your meal plan rotation....

These Oven-Baked Goat Cheese Balls with Fresh Basil and Honey are just that kind of bite. The kind of multi-level taste that just keeps going and going until you finally get the gumption to swallow. A puffy, melty pillow of tangy goat cheese mixed with fresh basil and sweet, pure honey, coated by a crunchy, warm, oven-fried panko layer and drizzled with more honey and garnished with more fresh basil....

Oh boy. Sorry to yell at you like that. I’m just so excited about these delicious, delicious morsels! Here’s why. They are easy, freezable, and kid friendly. They are good for an appetizer, side, or main dish. They are a great way to use up leftovers. They are simple and crunchy and delicious, especially when dipped in a hearty portion of marinara sauce. AND they are packed with good-for-you whole grains and veggies and oven-baked, which makes them a much healthier version than traditional fried Italian arancini....

You can use these sautéed mushrooms in pasta or quiche, serve them on top of steak or meatloaf, or just eat them on their own as a healthy vegetable side dish! There’s one big trick that’s going to be so helpful for you if you’ve struggled to cook mushrooms correctly in the past, or if you don’t know how to do it yet. And there are a few other little tips and tricks I’m going to share that will ensure this technique is easy and FAST....

WHAT IS CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA PIZZA? Easily make a delicious Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza by topping store-bought pizza dough with Chicken Tikka Masala, bell peppers, onions, and cheese. This creative blend of Italian and Indian flavors is perfect as either an Indian appetizer or Indian main dish recipe. WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE? INGREDIENTS Chicken Tikka Masala- This can be pre-made 2-4 days before. Cheeses- I used Mexican blend and mozzarella balls but you can use any type of cheese you want....

Today, I’m coming at you with a simple, midweek, roasted tomato pasta with basil that I’ve been making a lot lately. I am so in love with my hammock that any excuse to cut down on the time spent in the house is welcome and this puppy takes less than 30 minutes to make so…I’m sure you are getting my gist… Duncan is laughing at me as ever since we put the hammock up, I’ve been pretty much glued to it....

Happy hump day everyone! It’s been a true hump day for me here. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I opened a can of worms. I had a feeling that this will become a much bigger thing that I anticipated and I agonised over whether I should breach the subject or not, but I just could not let this one go. What happened was I basically called out one of the very big (much bigger than myself) vegan bloggers on Instagram for literally copying my entire recipe and basically presenting it as hers on her blog....

I love the idea of making stuffed pastas like cannelloni or jumbo shells when I have time but, let’s face it, sometimes you need something quicker and less fussy! This Spinach and Cheese Pasta Bake is my go-to for when I want those same cheesy, comforting pasta flavours but with a lot less effort. This vegetarian family meal is made with simple, low-cost ingredients. After just 5 minutes of prep, the oven does the rest of the work and in 30 minutes you will have the most glorious-looking, crispy-topped bake ready to eat....

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I recently moved from Austin, TX to Rhode Island. We moved from a fairly large, brand new house to a small, not-so-well-updated rental with a teeny tiny pantry, while we try to find a house to buy. So I’ve had to get creative about making my kitchen functional and well organized. And I’m telling you – this spice rack is LIFE CHANGING....

Hope your week has been peachy and you have exciting weekend plans ahead! As you probably already know, our roof is falling apart (well, I am being a tad dramatic here) and it’s in need of a moderately urgent overhaul, so I’ve spent a lot of this week talking to roofers and getting educated on the roof’s anatomy as a result. It’s been useful and I wish I had made an effort to learn what I know now before we bought this house, as I would have spotted the issues straight away....

Happy weekend, guys! Hope you have something good planned for the next two days. I’ll spend most of my time in front of my computer unfortunately, but I’m working on my bathroom design so that’s fun and Duncan and I are also finalising the latest cut of this very website (cannot wait to be able to hit PUBLISH) so it will be worth it. Plus, we will take time off once the weather is a bit more conducive to chilling in the garden without having to be covered in a duvet, haha....

Today’s recipe is inspired by a dish that Tunisians tend to have for breakfast. It has a pleasantly alliterative name – LABLABI (I will forever be a language nerd) – and a mixture of spices I personally really like: cumin, coriander and harissa paste, which is why I’m rather keen on it myself. Lablabi is a soup or stew that is traditionally topped with an egg (poached or fried) and some capers....

I realise that I’m a bit of a late starter in life so perhaps it should come as no surprise that I have only just discovered the Serial podcast, but how did I not know about that before? I have been hooked on it all week this week. I am on series 3. It’s fascinating, enraging, shocking and terrifying. Simply mind-boggling. And I love Sarah Koening’s voice. Other than that I’ve been doing a prolific amount of cooking and eating (in the name of my craft, of course) and made it to two morning yoga classes, which is a bit of a personal achievement as I’ve been telling myself I will do that ever since we moved house and I’ve only just managed to carry it out....

The last few days have been so hot and windless that it feels like we will never ever feel cold again. As I am not great in extreme heat, I do my best to avoid any serious cooking until some decent breeze picks up (should be next week I’m being told). That’s why I went for a pretty simple recipe today – a plate of vegan crostini with smoky white bean spread, nectarine and balsamic glaze....

As American Thanksgiving is less than a week away, I thought I would prepare a show-stopping dessert with this cranberry loving nation in mind – vegan meringue pie with cranberry! It features a delightful contrast of sweet and sour, it has a hint of winter spices and it’s beautiful to look at too. It will certainly make an impression on your guests, I promise! This vegan meringue pie is a festive twist on a much loved classic – lemon meringue pie (recipe here if you are into lemons more than cranberries)....

It’s been a tough week and we are in need of some comfort. Our four legged family member has had a bit of a setback after her operation and we’ve been worried sick. She started getting a bit more excited about food and going outside today so things are looking up, but she is still not completely out of the woods. She is booked in for a check-up on Monday, fingers crossed it goes well....

Stuffed vegetables are such a quintessentially summer dish and I’ve been craving them lately. While I have plenty of stuffed vegetable dishes on my blog including my take on Greek stuffed peppers which I love, I fancied making them slightly differently this time. These vegan stuffed peppers feature an aromatic filling fragrant with sundried tomatoes, basil, parsley and smoked tofu for a bit of meatiness and substance. They are easy to make and feed a crowd....

It’s a big day in the Lazy Cat Kitchen household as finally, after about a year of tinkering, we are launching a new version of this website. If everything goes to plan, you should be looking at it by the time this recipe is live. I am a bit nervous, I won’t lie. It was a big job and we somehow didn’t divorce over it, although it got tense a couple of times 😉 ....