Braised Lamb Shanks with Baby Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes & Mushrooms

I posted this back when I started the blog, but I didn't take a picture, so it didn't get the attention it deserved.. But believe me this is one gorgeous meal! I just love when lamb falls off the bone, there is nothing like it.. And don't worry about the long list of ingredients, this dish is quite simple to do, and will certainly make an impressive statement at your table..

Serves 4 persons

• 4 lamb shanks (about 400g each)
• 1 large onion sliced
• 3 crushed garlic cloves
• 2 TBL honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups stock
• 2 cups red wine (or grape juice if you don't wish to use alcohol)
• 1 pack cherry tomatoes
• 250 g baby carrots
• 1 pack brown mushrooms
• salt and pepper

Preheat the Oven to 160C

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, thyme and honey.. Rub the lamb shanks with the paste and then season them generously with salt and pepper.. Put them aside, heat a large pot (cast iron if you have) and add a little oil.. Brown the shanks nicely on all sides and set them aside again.. Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the onions until golden brown.. Add the tomatoes, carrots and the brown sugar, then place the lamb shanks back in the pot.. Now add the chicken stock, juice and season with salt and pepper.. Bring everything to a rapid simmer, then close the lid and put the pot as is it is in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.. Then add the mushrooms and the chili (if you wish), and braise for another hour or so.. When the shanks feel soft and tender your beautiful meal is ready  to be served (total time in the oven is about 2 1/2 hours).. Bon Appétit!

Velvety Tomato & Cream Gnocchi

I must admit I am that silly person who only talks about food, analyzes every single meal, and is quite obsessive compulsive at restaurants.. My meat needs to be medium-rare (more to the rare side) and the pasta needs to be perfectly al Dente or else I feel like crying out loud - literally! But at least, when I have eaten well, I am the happiest and the sweetest human being on this planet.. And that is how I felt today after eating these simple yet beautiful Gnocchi.. 

Serves 2 hungry persons

• 500g of fresh Gnocchi (in the refrigerated section)
• 1 pack of cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
• 1 can of peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/2 cup of cooking cream
• 1 pack of baby spinach
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp of dried basil (and more fresh basil if available)
• 1/2 cup of low-fat mozzarella, shredded (you can use full fat if desired)
• 1 pinch of chili flakes (optional)
• salt and cracked pepper to taste
• olive oil

In a saucepan heat a little olive oil and add the cherry tomatoes and garlic.. Sautee them for a few minutes, then add the plum tomatoes and bring it to a boil.. Add the dried basil, sugar, chili, salt & pepper to taste, and simmer on low heat for a few minutes.. Now add the cream and the cheese and simmer for another few minutes.. In the mean time, prepare the gnocchi as instructed, and once ready, add your beautiful tomato cream sauce, then toss in the baby spinach and combine everything.. Voila, it's ready to be served.. Simply delicious!

Of course you can use any other pasta with this sauce.. And please excuse the blurry picture, but the steam from the hot pasta obstructed my lens :)

Comforting Plum Cobbler

First of all I want to wish my beautiful sister Joujou the Happiest Birthday.. I love you my second half and miss you every single day!


I must admit I'm in a sugary mood these past few days, so today's post is a sweet one yet again.. Doughy baked bits over sweet, fruity chunks in syrup, can there be anything more delicious? You can either have it for breakfast and serve it on it's own, or for dessert with a yummy scoop of vanilla ice cream or Crème Anglaise.. And if you don't like plums use any kind of berry, apples or even peach.. Very yummy indeed!

Serves 6 persons

• 4 plums, de-seeded and cut into chunks
• 1/3 sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBL corn flour
• 2 TBL slightly salted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 TBL milk
• 1 TBL redcurrant jelly (or any jelly you like)
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 180C

In a bowl, combine the plums, jelly, corn flour, cinnamon, half the sugar and set aside.. In a second bowl, knead the butter, flour and remaining sugar until they resemble breadcrumbs.. In yet another small bowl, lightly whisk the egg and the milk, then add it to the crumble mixture..

In a baking dish, spread the plums and spoon the dough evenly on top.. Place the cobbler in the oven until it's golden brown, baking for about 25 minutes.. Voila, delicious homemade plum cobbler :)

Quick Banoffee

It's time for something sweet and I'm craving a banoffee like crazy.. One of the best banoffees I've had is at Tartine on Draycott Avenue in London - it's just divine and I have it every time I'm in London.. (Thank you my Galva for taking me there years ago ;) The great thing about this recipe is that it's quick to make as I'm using a few short cuts here and there, but of course it's still as delicious..

Serves 6

• 6 digestive cookies, crumbled
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/4 cup light cooking cream
• 4 TBL milk chocolate, shaved
• 4-6 bananas, sliced
• whipped cream
• pecans for garnish (optional)

In a saucepan bring the condensed milk to a slight boil.. Lower the heat to medium and stirring constantly, wait until the milk turns into a light brown toffee (this can take a little while).. Add the cooking cream and combine it well, then set it aside.. Now you're ready to assemble your decadent little banoffee in a ramekin or serving glass (just use as many of the following ingredients as you wish).. Start with the crumbled cookies, then the soft toffee, the banana slices, the whipped cream and finally the chocolate shavings (be generous- the more the yummier!) and finish with the pecans if you like.. Voila, a quick and delicious Banoffee :)

D's Skinny Lasagna

The thing about pasta is, that you can either make it super heavy and fattening, or you can try to tweak corners and end up with a lighter dish. Don't get me wrong, grilled fish and steamed veggies will still shed pounds faster, but this is a not so naughty lasagna :) Since I cook and eat quite a lot, I try to balance meals, without sacrificing taste.. In this recipe I used lean meat, avoided a buttery, white sauce or full fat cheese, and still ended up with a delicious lasagna! You can't even tell this is a skinnier version.. Honest! Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, it's really quite simple to make..

Serves 4-6

For the light béchamel sauce:

• 1 1/2 TBL light olive oil
• 2 TBL flour
• 500ml low fat milk
• 1/2 cup low fat mozzarella, grated
• 1 tsp nutmeg 
• salt and cracked pepper to taste

For the meat ragout:

• 350g minced lean beef
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 pepper chopped (yellow or red)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp of all spice
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 TBL Worcester sauce
• 2 TBL light cooking cream
• salt and cracked pepper to tastes
• light olive oil

•  lasagna sheets
• ~ 2 cups of low fat mozzarella & Parmesan cheese, grated (for the topping)

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil and flour until it turns slightly golden brown, and add the milk, nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste and bring it to a boil.. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until it thickens, then add the cheese and set aside..

Preheat the oven to 200 C.. In another sauce pan, heat some olive oil and add the onions and garlic.. Cook it for a bit, then add the peppers, celery, carrots and cook it for a minutes or so.. Add the minced meat, then the Worcester sauce, all spice, oregano, basil, and bay leaves.. Sautee it for a few minutes, add the chopped tomatoes & sauce, salt and pepper to taste.. Simmer the meat mixture for about 25 minutes, until everything combines and thickens and resembles a meat ragout..

Now assemble the lasagna in a baking dish.. Start by adding a little of the sauce on the bottom of the dish, then lay one layer of the lasagna sheets, add more meat sauce, another pasta sheet layer, the béchamel sauce and so on.. When you get to the last layer (I usually make 4 or 5 layers in total), pour the remaining béchamel, and top it with the Mozzarella Parmesan mixture.. Place the lasagna in the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes.. Serve with a green salad and voila, delicious but not-so-naughty lasagna :)

Two Deliciously Roasted Chickens

This is a lovely and easy roasted chicken recipe.. I use two chickens so that you can enjoy twice the amount of yummy parts of the bird :)

I already mentioned this before and must admit I am not a chicken lover.. But roasted chicken like this is just a dream come true.. And the lovely thing about my two roasted chickens is that they are quite light because I am not using butter but olive oil and also carrots instead of potatoes as a side dish.. So this is a "light version" of the traditional roasted chicken, yet still incredibly delicious and moist.. It's even healthier if you don't eat the skin, but let's not exaggerate, that's the best part ;)

Serves 4

• 2 x 1.2kg chicken
• 2 TBL honey
• juice of half lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3-4 TBL olive oil
• 2 tsp thyme (use fresh if available)
• 1 tsp rosemary (use fresh if available)
• 1 lemon, cut in four pieces
• 6 garlic cloves 
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 pack baby carrots
• 1 pack cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 200C.. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, honey, thyme and rosemary.. Pat the chickens dry and rub them with the marinade you just prepared.. Then place the cloves, lemon pieces, bay leaves and twigs of fresh herbs (if available) in the chicken’s cavity, and tie the wings and legs close to the body with a thread.. Place the carrots and tomatoes alongside the chickens in a roasting pot and season with remaining salt and pepper.. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 200C, and then another 45 minutes at 180C.. To ensure the chickens remain moist, baste them halfway through the roasting process with the juices from the pot.. Once ready, remove the roasting pot from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.. Now you're ready to serve this incredibly delicious treat.. Bon Appétit!

Fresh Cucumber Spinach & Yoghurt Soup

It's Ramadan, and everyone loves soups during this Holy Month.. This is an easy and original little soup, perfect to break your fast with..

When I used to live in New York and we were in the mood for something ueber fancy, we went to Daniel's (Daniel Boulud's restaurant).. It's just a phenomenal restaurant and the soup I made this evening is inspired by one of his dishes.. It tastes absolutely divine hot and cold.. Plus it's light & fresh and ideal for Dubai's August heat..

Serves 4

• 3 large cucumbers, peeled and chopped (reserve the skin for later)
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 pot yoghurt
• 1 pack spinach (about 150g)
• 1 chopped leek
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• boiling water
• 1 tsp of chicken stock granules (or half a cube)
• olive oil
• salt and cracked pepper to taste

In a pot, heat a little olive oil and once it smokes add the leeks.. Cook them for a few minutes, then add half the cucumber flesh and the potatoes.. Sautee everything just for a few minutes, then pour just enough boiling water to cover it all, add the chicken stock granules and salt & pepper to taste.. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are done, add the spinach leaves just for a few minutes, and let it cool.. Then use a hand blender to puree everything and set it aside..

In a bowl, blend the remaining cucumber flesh, the skin and the yoghurt.. Combine the cooked puree and the yoghurt mixture, and if you wish, pass it through a strainer to make the soup extra smooth.. 

You can serve the soup hot or cold and add croutons or a squeeze of lemon to enhance.. Enjoy :)

Luscious Chocolate Rice Pudding

Ramadan Kareem to everyone.. Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy and happy Holy Month..

I said I would post light dishes, but I was in such a sweet mood last night and had this sumptuous little rice pudding which I really felt like sharing today.. I will try to be good after this, cuz alas I really need to shed a few pounds.. 

I used to live next to a place in NYC's Nolita called Rice to Riches, they serve only rice puddings, but in all the flavors you can imagine.. I loved the concept but must admit that I didn't like the rice puddings that much.. I'm quite classic when it gets to flavours for rice puddings.. Vanilla Bean or Chocolate are my favourites.. For this recipe, please don't use cooking chocolate but chocolate you actually like to eat on its own..

Serves 4-6

• 1 cup short grain rice
• 3 cups milk
• half a vanilla bean, split
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• ~100g of chocolate of your choice, cut into chunks
• whipped cream 
• chopped hazelnuts, almonds or pecans (optional)

In a saucepan, bring the milk and the sugar to a boil.. Then add the rice and the vanilla bean, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.. Add a little more milk if you feel the mixture is getting too sticky but the rice isn't cooked and don't forget to stir occasionally.. Once it's ready, toss in the chocolate chunks and just slightly mix to melt the chocolate a little.. Add a dollop of whipped cream, some nuts on top if you wish and enjoy your decadent homemade rice pudding :) 

Sesame Seared Tuna & Avocado Salad

It’s one of those days where I don’t have much time but want to have something quick, easy, and super light as I’ve enjoyed too many yummy foods recently.. So the next few entries it’s all about skinny meals yet still as delightful :)

Serves 2

• 2 tuna steaks
• 2 ripe avocados, cut into chunks
• 2  tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 3 TBL toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tsp crushed black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 TBL light soya
• 2 TBL lemon juice
• some nut oil for frying

On a plate spread the sesame seeds, pepper and salt.. Coat the tuna steaks in the mixture and set aside.. In a pan, heat a little nut oil and once it starts to smoke a little, place the steaks in the pan.. Sear for about 1 minute on each side (depending on thickness and how rare you like your tuna).. In a bowl, toss the avocados, tomatoes, soya and lemon juice.. Voila, you’re ready to plate this easy and light little dish.. Bon Appétit!

Mackerel in Banana Leaf

This is such a delicious dish where the mackerel gets beautifully infused with the spice flavor.. Plus it's so simple to make and looks so exotic.. You will need the Seafood Spice Paste once again for this (I posted it a few days ago).. This is my last Balinese recipe, the next post will come from my home sweet home once again, my little Dubai kitchen :)

Serves 2-3

• 600g mackerel fillets, skinned and cut into cubes
• 250g seafood spice paste (see recipe posted earlier)
• 100ml lime juice
• 200g grated coconut
• 100ml coconut milk
• 1 pinch crushed black peppercorns
• 100g lemon basil (substitute with basil leaves if needed)
• 150ml oil
• 3 salam leaves (substitute with bay leaves)
• 3 square banana leaves (substitute with parchment paper if needed)
• 200g tomato slices
• salt to taste

Preheat oven to 200C.. In a bowl combine mackerel cubes, spice paste, coconut milk, crushed black pepper, salt, lime juice, grated coconut, oil, and mix well.. Cover and marinate for about 2 hours.. Place one salam leaf in center of each banana leaf, top it with the mackerel mixture, and place tomato slices and lemon basil on top.. Now fold the banana leaf, covering all sides, sealing with toothpicks..

Steam the banana parcels for 10 minutes, then roast in the oven for 5 minutes (or on a charcoal grill if you're using the banana leaf).. Open the parcel on a plate and serve immediately.. Delicious :)