After a year or so of absence from the blog, I’m back to tell you why: I’ve been busy making and selling hummus and granola! If you had told me that I’d be at markets in the hills of the French Riviera doing something other than buying a few years ago, I would never have believed you. Apart from the fact that the two products seemingly have nothing to do with one another, I just didn’t think I’d ever have the courage to leave the corporate world to become a food artisan and vendor. Somewhere along the way though, that fear subsided – in fact, I almost felt like I had no other choice but to tak ..read more

Why do I call this the best kitchari recipe? Because you just can’t mess it up. It is easy, you can totally adjust the spices, amount of liquid, cooking time and it goes a long way in making you feel great. There’s nothing like a comforting bowl of golden kitchari – also called kichiri – to heal your body and soul. This porridge-like rice dish is renowned in Ayurveda for its cleansing benefits because it is rich in nutrients and amazing for your immune system while being incredibly easy to digest. Perfect if you’re feeling stressed, bloated, or even just a little under the weather. It also ha ..read more

Persian cuisine is popular for its “khoresh”, which are fragrant stews made from vegetables, sometimes fruits, meat and/or beans, and wonderful spices. They are traditionally served with basmati rice and my parents used to make them all the time when I was a kid. This particular one – khoresh bademjan – was one of my favorites. Now that I think of it, it’s probably how my little taste buds were first introduced to the great vegetable that is aubergine. It’s also one of the first Persian dishes I ever made as an adult because it’s fairly easy to pull off without too much fuss. It’s also a great ..read more

These Norwegian seed crackers are inspired by this brand of dried flatbreads that I absolutely love. They are fairly easy to make as long as you have a well-stocked seed pantry, namely sesame, flax, pumpkin, and sunflower. But once you make them, you might be like me and want to make sure you always have these ingredients on hand. As far as flours go, I use rye, but you can easily swap with spelt, whole wheat, or your favorite gluten-free blend. They are great to smother with nut butter for breakfast, but also satisfying enough to nibble when hunger hits – which is always right before dinner f ..read more

I just came back from a lovely holiday in Dubai, where I spent most of my days lunching and dining with old friends. After having spent over 9 years there, I have to admit, there are many things I have missed despite the fact we now live in a beautiful part of the world. So my husband, the kids and I knew exactly what we wanted to do, who we wanted to see, and what/where we wanted to eat, which brings me to today’s recipe. This coleslaw is served as a side on many plates served at The Hampton’s Cafe, a lovely lunch spot, which has now opened up many more across Dubai. It was my absolute go-to ..read more

I regularly use Greek yogurt when preparing meals, especially at breakfast, where I love drizzling it with raw honey, covering it with homemade berry compote, or simply as a dollop on overnight oats. It’s also an essential component of my 3-ingredient flatbread, which gets a lot of visits on my Instagram TV channel. However, many people have asked me if they could swap regular yogurt for it. My answer? They are both made from the same ingredients (although traditionally, Greek yogurt is made from sheep’s milk, today we mostly find Greek-style yogurt made from cow’s milk), are full of probiotic ..read more

I first discovered making fig chutney last year when we moved to southern France. In this part of the country, the luscious fruit starts appearing on the tree in late June but it takes the whole summer for it to ripen, become lusciously sweet, and ready to be picked. And when it is, it abounds. My favorite way of eating them is raw, either alone, on a fruit plate, or in a salad. But after a while, there are just too many to digest! So I make a crumble. And then a pie or a galette. And another crumble. And another pie. I give some away, I freeze the rest…and then there are more. At this point ..read more

Freekeh is made from green durum wheat that is harvested young, roasted, and then rubbed. Often used in Middle Eastern cuisine, this “ancient” grain is slightly chewy and has a unique smokey flavor. When living in Dubai, I used to see it occasionally served in warm dishes, much like rice, baked with broth, spices, and lamb or chicken. A Lebanese friend of mine also used it in her famous freekeh salad, with cucumber, tomato, onions and herbs, tabbouleh-style. It took me a while to actually give it a go myself but once I did, it became a pantry staple. There are lots of things to love about it ..read more

Tarte Tatin is a lovely, fancy-looking dessert that actually isn’t that hard to make. I mean, if you read about the history of this French dessert, it was made by accident, which makes me confident you foodie readers can pull it off. The story goes as follows: in the 1890s, two sisters, Stéphanie et Caroline Tatin, were managing a family hotel in Sologne, about 200 kms away from Paris.  One day, Stephanie put the sugar and the fruit (apples) and forgot to put the crust before popping it in the oven. When she realized her mistake, she threw it on halfway through the baking process and then ..read more

This super refreshing blackberry lemonade is just what summer ordered. A great mocktail recipe for those of you who tend to skip the alcohol and want something special. Try going for 1/4 cup of maple syrup to start and then taste to adjust for sweetness. Nice variations: Don’t have blackberries? No worries, you can totally swap them for strawberries or raspberries – it’s all been tested and approved by my kiddos. Blitz in a few mint leaves for extra freshness Only put 2 cups of water and when serving, fill the glasses halfway and top them up with sparkling water Ingredients 1 cup lemon juic ..read more