Zucchini also known as courgette and baby marrow are summer squash, which are herbaceous vines whose roots and seeds are edible even when immature. It is closely related, but not identical, to the marrow. Zucchini is a very versatile vegetable with numerous health benefits.  Benefits of Zucchini A variety of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds can be found in zucchini. Cooked zucchini contains a large amount of vitamin A. It also contains antioxidants, which are found in the skin which is why it's better to keep the skin and not peel zucchini. As well as protecting yo ..read more

The cuisine of the United Arab Emirates (Arabic) is one of my personal favourites. I adore the flavours, textures and aromas of Arabic dishes. Arabic cuisine makes effective use of spices and the blend of sweet and savoury flavours is delectable. There are many dishes that are influenced by the nearby countries of Persia and India. Here are some of my favourite Arabic dishes: Pilaf made with Burghul wheat Burghul wheat pilaf is a delicious one-pot meal that is made with a medley of vegetables. The dish is flavoured with Middle Eastern spices and served with a vegetable stew. Man'ooshe Brea ..read more

I have always been a vegetarian all my life, but in the last few years, my diet has been shifting more towards a vegan diet. I have found that veganism is more readily accepted worldwide and catered for in most places. Most restaurants have at least 1-2 vegan dishes if not more on the menu and some restaurants have separate vegan menus that they serve. November is world vegan month and I have joined forces with tastecard to enjoy a vegan meal at a local restaurant. tastecard partners with many restaurants to offer discounts on meals as well as days out and coffee clubs, along with many more be ..read more

I have been a vegetarian all my life but I do eat dairy ie cheese, milk, yoghurt and milk base products. However my daughter recently changed to a vegan diet, so I have been trying lots of substitutions for dairy products that I can use in my vegan recipes so she too can enjoy all the food that I cook. One of our favorite lunches is Chilli cheese toast, basically this is a delux vegetable packed spicy cheese on toast. I tried to recreate it using the Violife vegan cheese.  Violife is an alternate to cheese, it is a plant based product which is free from dairy, soya, gluten, lact ..read more

Image Credit I admire winemakers that make the extra effort to produce wine sustainably. To be a little gentler with the environment without compromising the quality of the wine. Seeing animals and birds actively playing a role in wine production, even if they only munch on insects and bugs, is good news for the environment. So, what makes a wine organic, and why should you choose organic wines? The absence of herbicides and pesticides is the most obvious advantage, but it goes further than that. It's not only that the grapes and vines are free of chemicals but the environment as well.  ..read more

I recently attended the ReBoot22 Conference hosted by Traverse Events in Hamburg. The conference was all about creativity within your work, recharging ones energy to help you work better and being more productive. The conference spanned over four days Friday to Monday. On the Friday and Monday, we enjoyed days out to explore Hamburg which was arranged by Traverse.  On the Saturday and Sunday, there were hands on lectures and practical sessions hosted by some amazing speakers on a variety of topics. The evenings were time to mingle and party at various different venues in and aroun ..read more

My family and I love discovering new places for dining out. With the Covid situation now improving the options have opened to allow us to travel to London and visit our favorite restaurants. Being a vegetarian my first choice of restaurants are the ones that accommodate our dietary requirements and offer a good range of dishes not one or two, so that we can enjoy a variety of textures, tastes and flavours.  We were recently invited to attend the Flavours of a Vegan Indian Spring supper club at Chakra Kensington hosted by Humayun Hussain one of the UK’s leading exponents of Indi ..read more

I was born in East Africa and African cuisine is very close to my heart. Cassava, plantain, matoke, makai (corn) are just a few of the vegetables I love cooking with. The cuisine is a mix of spicy, savoury and sweet flavours. Cooking African dishes brings back childhood memories so I was really excited to receive a copy of African Twist a collection of plant based recipes with an African twist written by Maggie Ogunbanwo and Huw Jones. The book is divided into 4 sections, Starters and Soups, Mains, Desserts and Party Favourites. The selection of recipes are all vegan and the variety is supe ..read more

Rice is a staple ingredient in my pantry. It can be cooked in so many different ways This delicious one pot veggie rice with lentils also known in Gujarati cuisine as Chuti Khichdi is really flavorsome and is packed with lots of veggies and lentils to make it healthy and perfect to serve with raita, I make this often when I want comfort food or I am in a hurry where I only need to cook one dish that is a complete meal on its own. What is Chuti Khichdi? Khichdi is savoury rice porridge usually made with short grain rice and moong dhal (lentils) and flavoured with spices. Often a mixture of ..read more

The festive season has begun and we are all excited for the upcoming festivities and holidays. It starts to feel christmassy as soon we start choosing gifts, purchasing them and then spending an evening wrapping them. My favorite time is watching christmas television, enjoying a  drink and a mince pie whilst wrapping presents. Being teetotaller I don't drink alcohol but that does not mean I can't enjoy a festive drink. I am sure many people like myself for various reasons, choose not to drink but would like to enjoy a celebratory drink. I would highly recommend a chilled glass of ..read more