I’ve probably stated 1000 times how much I love social media, because it has helped me connect with amazing people that then have become my friends. Nevila is one of them. We started talking some months before she officially launched “Bake my Day Happy” and haven’t stopped ever since. Apart from exchanging recipes, experience and…
Fast & Easy
Risotto with peas and parsley pesto
Spring brings the beloved colorful vegetables with which we can create so many dishes. Fresh peas are now in the markets and I can’t wait to start cooking with them. Besides the classical dishes with peas with which we grew up, we can definitely be creative and include them in salads, soups, purée, pasta and…
Crispy oatmeal cookies
I promised to post my recipe for crispy oatmeal cookies more than a month ago, but many things happened in between (beautiful things luckily) so I didn’t manage to bring it to you. I’ll update you on what’s changing in my personal life, which I believe will also affect Mandarina a lot on the coming…
Spinach & strawberry salad
I am a huge salad fan. They’re easy to make, colorful, tasty, healthy, and you can have so much fun experimenting with them. I try to have salads at lunch and dinner, apart from the main dish, or sometimes transform the salad into a main dish itself by adding grains, beans, seeds and nuts etc….
Dark chocolate pudding
Whenever I need a quick dessert, a mood booster, or something that everyone likes, this chocolate pudding comes to help. Its silky texture and deep chocolate flavor are to die for. All you need is a deep saucepan and some ingredients, I’m sure all of you have in your pantry like milk, cream, cocoa, chocolate,…
Stuffed dates dipped in chocolate
I love creating delicious sweet bites with dates. They are ready in few minutes and you can play endlessly with flavors. I like filling dates with nut butter, like almond butter, or peanut butter, or my favorite plant-based butter, tahini. They pair perfectly also with ricotta or mascarpone, and also with lightly toasted almonds. I always…
Sun-dried tomatoes pesto
While having a quick lunch in Amsterdam, I ordered pasta with red pesto, which was something I had actually never heard. I couldn’t wait for it to be ready, partly because I was super hungry, and partly because this was a type of pesto out there that I hadn’t tried. The big bowl of pasta…
Pistachio and olive oil cake covered in white chocolate glaze
It’s cake a clock, and not just any cake, it’s pistachio cake. I was trying to get the origin of this cake, but I have no guess. I had some of the ingredients written in a simple note on my iPhone since 2016, and I can’t remember if it was a moment of inspiration, someone…
Creamy polenta with sautéed porcini
When you’re in hurry, but still want a delicious meal cooked at home polenta with sautéed porcini mushrooms comes to help. It’s super easy, quick and you need only 5 ingredients to make it. I’ve chosen porcini mushrooms because I love them so much, but in case you cannot find them, feel free to use your…
Preserved kumquats made at home
Do you like kumquats? They’re tasty and cute and have a nice bittersweet taste. I don’t know why they rarely sell them in the farmers’ market, so whenever I manage to find some, I make this delicious and super easy kumquat preserve. I love enjoying it on a toast with butter or cheese,…