I’ve been quite busy this period, so I just needed to relax, even from the kitchen. So I’m not sharing any cookie, cake or comfort meal recipe, but I’m going to the basics, GRANOLA. Granola is basically baked oatmeal flakes with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. Once you master a basic recipe you may play…
vegetarian
Hummus, a Middle East treasure – the basic recipe
Hummus is a dip or spread made from mashed chickpeas with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin. It is a Middle East dish, but its popularity has now crossed continents. Hummus is so simple yet tastes heavenly. The best things in life are the simple things, aren’t they? <3 The most wonderful…
Sesame crisps – a super yummy healthy treat
I’m always in search of healthy little treats, and this time I had them just in front of my eyes at my office cafeteria, sesame crisps. Isn’t that amazing? As always I needed to create my own version of it. I made some research online and after two weeks of trial and error, I found…
Mushroom risotto – the perfect comfort food
Mushroom risotto is one of my favorite comfort foods. The combination of creamy risotto with mushrooms has some kind of magic in it. It complements very well grilled meats and chicken but stands perfectly also on its own. As every type of risotto, it is a labor of love. Cook it with love and with…
Asure aka Noah’s pudding – the easiest recipe you can find
Asure is a special dessert with an eastern origin that is traditionally cooked also in Albania. The dish has a fascinating story behind. When Noah and his animals were running out of food, he mixed whatever was left and cooked them together to feed his companions. The result was asure, a beautiful and so adaptable…
Homemade Almond Milk
I discovered the beautiful world of plant-based milk lately and I’m totally in love with it. As I am in love with dairy, don’t get me wrong, a glass of local and organic cow milk, or a bowl of yogurt with honey brings me to heaven. The first plant-based milk I tried was “oatmeal milk”,…
Vegetarian rolls, aka sushi made at home
I really like sushi. Who could resist sticky rice, crunchy veggies, seafood and soy combo? I didn’t mention wasabi, or pickled ginger, since I’m not into them. I tried to make sushi at home and really enjoyed the whole process. Or, I should better say I’ve made vegetarian rolls at home, since I do not…
Almond mini-muffins
This recipe was pure serendipity. I once bought some almonds that were on sale, and they happened not to be so good, they weren’t perfectly fresh and crunchy, so I had to use them immediately. I toasted them in the oven for about 10 min, let them cool completely and grind them to make almond…
Spinach, mint and pistachio pesto
I’ve told you how much I love pesto and how easy is to make it at home. I always make big batches and keep it in the fridge for months. But the basil season is over, and I finished my pesto stock too early this year, so I had to come up with a new…
Pispili – Albanian cornmeal flatbread with green leafs
If someone asks me, which is my favorite recipe ever, my answer will be without any doubt “Pispili”. It is a traditional dish cooked in many regions of Albania in different ways, but they all have something in common, they are made of corn-meal and leafy green vegetables. Even the name differs from region to…