Eggplant is one of my favourite ingredients when it comes to make anything with vegetables. It is a very common ingredient in Italian cooking, especially in the south where it is present at almost every meals during the summer months, when eggplant is at its best. Today I will share with you a recipe for…
Espinacas a la Catalana
Today I am taking you back to Spain, to Catalonia to be precise. I have realised I don’t have many side dishes on the blog, so this recipe for Espinacas a la Catalana is an attempt to fix the problem. When I was a child I used to dislike spinach. They tasted bitter and just…
Frozen Banana Pops
I had some leftover bananas that needed to be eaten and I really didn’t want to make banana bread as I didn’t feel like baking. That’s when I remembered that I had seen banana pops all over the internet a while ago. As I didn’t remember the specific site where I had seen them, I…
Italian Grilled Vegetables
Grilled vegetables are a staple at our place especially in spring and summer. In fact, this recipe is dedicated to all my friends in the Northern hemisphere (though my readers who are going into winter should definitely bookmark it for later!). When I met my husband, he barely ate any vegetable. True story. But these…
Pineapple Coconut Banana Smoothie
Smoothies are always a great and healthy afternoon snack idea for kids. My children love them and it is a fantastic way to make them eat some fruits and use up some leftovers too. As a child, I would always ask my mother to make me a Banana and Pear Frullato (the Italian version of…
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad
I often have salad for lunch and I like to jazz it up with different ingredients and flavours so as not to get too bored. Today I would like to share with you the recipe for a very satisfying salad made with grilled chicken. This is no ordinary grilled chicken though, it is marinated in…
Snapper all’Acqua Pazza
I must admit, we don’t eat a lot of fish. I think it’s because my kids are not crazy about it, so I just find it easier to cook something that pleases everyone. On the other hand, I grew up in a family that LOVES fish and we would eat it at least 3 times…
Nonna’s Poached Pears
Today’s recipe brings back very fond memories of my grandmother Bice. She was a fantastic cook and she could whip up amazing dishes. These easy pears though were like a trademark. Only she could turn something so simple into a fingerlicking dessert. To make this recipe, you need small cooking pears that are still hard…
Yogurt Plumcake
Today I am going to share with you a recipe from my childhood. While growing up in Italy, the morning treats I liked the most were small yogurt plumcakes sold by a famous Italian brand. I am not sure how this cake got its name, being that there are no plums in it… but it…
Banana Milk
Today’s post is a special one. The recipe itself is so easy that I am not even sure it could be passed on as a “recipe” per se, but it is my eldest daughter favourite treat and she insisted I “put it on the blog”… so here it is. When I was a child, my…
Watermelon and Strawberry Salad with Ginger and Lime Syrup
October is breast cancer awareness month and it provides an opportunity for us all to focus on breast cancer and its impact on those affected by the disease in our community. According to a research, breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Australian women… did you know that 42 women are diagnosed each day…
Salmon Confit with Aioli
I must admit that I do not watch many cooking shows on TV, but I do watch MasterChef. I don’t particularly like reality shows, but I have actually learnt a couple of things from it. Remember when I tried my hands at making Hot Tea Smoked Salmon? MasterChef had inspired me to give it a…
Seeded Cranberry Crunch Granola Bars
It is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation. It is a great concept… each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a…
Carciofi in Pinzimonio
I grew up in a family of artichoke lovers. Every week, in winter, my parents would buy plenty of artichokes at the local market and we would eat them in all sorts of ways. I have already shared a few recipes and ideas on what to do with this delicious vegetable, and today I am…
Cinnamon Apple Chips
During the Christmas holidays, we all tend to eat a lot. And we also snack a lot more than during other times of the year. I find it easier to snack on healthy food and fresh fruits here in Australia, as it is summer, but for all my friends and family up in the Northern…
Hot Tea Smoked Salmon
I must confess that I do not watch much TV. I used to watch many cooking shows before having kids, but nowadays… they “own” the remote. If the TV is on and the girls are home, they will chose what to watch. The weird thing is, I do not mind too much. There’s only one…
Sun-dried Tomato and Chickpea Maftoul Salad
A few months ago, I shared with you the recipe for Maftoul with Chicken, a traditional Palestinian dish. As you know I am part of the Daring Cooks and one of the challenges was to make Maftoul from scratch! So, what is Maftoul? I have seen it many times on the shelves of my local…
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
It is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation. It is a great concept… each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a…
Verrine Fraicheur
Today’s dish is a very quick recipe. Going through my Visual Archive, I have realised that I do not have many breakfast recipes on the blog. I guess the main reason is because Italians are not big on breakfast. In fact, we mostly have coffee (or cappuccino) and a croissant or cookies. I personally just…
Smoked Salmon and Avocado Salad
While it is getting colder down here, I know that my friends on the Northern hemisphere are starting to enjoy warmer weather. So, today I am going to share with you the recipe for a delicious salad that, while perfect for spring, is also a great alternative for a quick and light lunch pretty much…
Green Bean, Tomato and Potato Salad
Today I want to share with you the recipe for a delicious and healthy side dish. This Green Bean Tomato and Potato Salad is very special to me and eating it always takes me back in time. My mum would often make it in summer when we were holidaying in Sicily. It is a very…
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE WHOLE WHEAT BANANA BREAD
Today’s recipe came about from another one of my attempts to use up leftovers. Though I must admit it was a bit more crumbly than I had expected (especially the next day), it still tasted delicious and I thought it would be a pity not to share it with all of you. Besides, it is…