Here’s a veggie meal you can make in minutes, on mass, that will keep you and the family full and nourished for days. I cook most of the elements from scratch, but you can also just buy fried tofu, warm it with your pre-cooked rice, steam that broccoli, add your nuts, and all you have to do is knock up that sauce and throw it all together – it takes about 15 minutes total! An easy and mostly healthy everyday meal. It also makes a great side to serve at a gathering to help fill bellies and it caters to everyone including the vegans, veggos, dairy and gluten-free crew members! It’s a no-brainer crowd-please that should have you coming back to it time and again.
Whether it’s a pork roast with applesauce, pork chops with sautéed apples, or a hearty pork and apple stew, the combination of pork and apples is a match as tried and tested as rhubarb and custard or apples and caramel. This simple but delicious creation is the distillation of all of those dishes in one everyday meal-ready recipe, easy and quick to make with abundantly flavourful results.
Apricot and lavender cake is a beautiful bake that combines the sweet and tangy flavor of apricots with the floral aroma of lavender. Perfect for any occasion, from a casual afternoon tea to a lighter cake-based dessert at a formal dinner party.
Best made with fresh ripe apricots and a touch of homemade lavender extract, it’s a celebration of summer in a sweet treat, and it’s the creamy lavender-infused icing that really “takes the cake” to the next level.
There’s a reason this popular Korean street food has since become a staple in households across the world, Korean chicken skewers make a delicious and flavorful dinner, a surprising starter or an intriguing upgrade to your traditional BBQ fare… I know my recipe repertoire was forever changed when I came across these tiny little bamboo-skewered flavour bombs.
I discovered these Korean-style skewers when I was working at the magazine. I’m still not entirely sure what inspired me to try this particular recipe, but I do know that at this point in my life, I’d already decided I was going to have a lifelong love affair with gojuchang paste. (Intrigued? More information to follow!) So, when I saw it was one of the ingredients, I knew I just had to try them. And boy, was I on to a winner! Packed to the bring full of flavour they were the skewers I’d been missing all my life.
The most beautiful part of this recipe however, is that they were the first cook-along content I ever posted on the magazine’s socials… and without even thinking, they’ve been the first recipe I actually loaded up onto this blog. Serendipitous perhaps, but also probably on some subconscious level, more important than I knew; they were also the first recipe I shared into the social media ether that a stranger made, and gave me wonderful feedback about… and I wasn’t even supposed to be one of the cooks, but I’m realising now it must have caused more of a spark than I thought.
So with a write-up like that, it would almost appear you’re not allowed to try them and not fall in love with them, or I might cry or something. But no so my friend, I yield no control over what you and your fabulous taste buds get up to. I will challenge you with this however, try and find a more flavoursome skewer outside of a Korean BBQ… or actually Korea… I really think you’ll struggle to.
These nasturtium pesto zoodles are made with a unique twist on traditional pesto. Made with peppery nasturtium leaves, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese, it has a bright and slightly spicy taste. It’s also incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes, from pasta to sandwiches to roasted vegetables.
Given my foraging past, I’ve made nasturtium pesto every which way that you can imagine; but for this recipe, I took inspiration from some incredibly lovely Irish food bloggers Ireland “The Gastro Gays” and decided to use raw pistachio nuts – which are, in my opinion, a very under-utilized nut in the non-middle eastern culinary world.
A pesto experience to remember
Combined with the umami flavours in white miso, I consider this pesto to be one of the most elevated I’ve been able to create from the humble nasturtium leaves I love so much. And you can better believe it’s a plant I love for all of its versatile uses, including being super easy to grow, abundant in it’s produce and a peppery flavour that you just can’t reproduce.
A dinner fit for an evening full of sunshine… Nasturtium pistachio pesto courgette noodles. As pretty as a picture, deliciously different and tasty to boot!
Me when I first discovered this recipe!
Take a walk amongst the nasturtiums
There are many reasons to fall in love with this incredible plant, if you are a gardener then you’ll probably already know it well. Not only does it grow uniquely flavoured edible leaves extremely prolifically, it also produces beautiful edible flowers in a variety of colours. Whether you grow it as a ground cover, a source of leafy greens or as a farm to table source of beautiful garnishes… it’s certainly a plant i’d recommend adding to any home veggie patch.
When to Harvest: As soon as it makes leaves you can basically start harvesting, and unlike other leafy greens, the taste doesn’t intensify or turn more bitter as it ages and gets bigger – it does get slightly tougher however. The flowers of course should be harvested when they appear and at your fancy.
Cooking with it: I use pretty much all of the nasturtium plant, the young tender leaves in salads & sandwiches for a peppery bite, and the larger older leaves for pickling and pestos. I use the flowers in salads and even dehydrate them to soak in oil for salad dressings. The firey seeds can be enjoyed raw or cooked and pickled to form a caper-like substitute. Nasturtiums pair well with ricotta and cottage cheese.
Alternative uses for nasturtium pesto
I made this recipe to be specifically fit for a Summer’s evening, having stumbled upon a patch of nastirtiums and felt inspired for the first time in a long time to harvest from my surrounds. It was hot (by Irish standards) and I wanted to eat something that didn’t make me feel over-full or weighed down. So I went the zucchini noodle route; but let’s be honest, I also had an abandoned spiraliser that had been sitting in the cupboard for years that my partner was adamant I’ll never use… so I also felt it important and appropriate to make sure to prove him wrong. *laughing face emoji*
But this pesto is nothing more than a beautifully tasty spoonful… and because of that it actually has a mirad of applications if you feel like experimenting.
Bog standard pasta: Pesto and pasta, it’s a no brainer, but interesting twist here, firey nastirutium actually pairs extremely well with seafood, so consider adding it to a peppery butter and grilled prawn pasta or think anchovies and gnocchetti… still interesting, certainly different but definitely a more filling affair than a bunch of airy spiralised courgettes.
Roasted vegetables: Simply roast your faves, especially potatoes or anything from the realm of the Mediterranean and toss with a good coating of fresh pesto whilst still warm. Top with some feta and toasted nuts and Bellissima will be the word!
From the ocean: As I mentioned before, nastirtium are renowned for their perfect paring with all things sea-derived, you may even choose to add a small touch of powdered kelp or fish flakes to your pesto to prepare and even more pescalicious creation. I’d happily dollop a teaspoon of this pesto on a pan grilled fillet of cod or baramundi and similarly I’d expect to see this on a plate of garlic prawns or charred octopus as well.
Do’s and don’ts of zoodle making
There really isn’t a lot to it, but there are some things that I’ve picked up in the few times that I’ve made them. I know I said I’d abandoned my spiraliser, but, I actually felt a bit more inspired after making this dish to see what else I could create with them. I also went Keto for 6 months too just after this, so these noodle substitutes because invaluable to me then too!
Fresh is best. Make your zoodles at the time you’d like to serve them. You really can’t make zoodles ahead of time, the water content of the zucchini means that within around 30 minutes you’re going to find that you get a soggy bowlful of what used to be a crunchy and refreshing noodle substitute… and nobody likes a floppy noodle!
Don’t be salty! For the same reasons as above, don’t salt your zoodles directly, try to add the seasoning to the sauce so it’s not in direct contact with the zucchini.
My partner won’t let me buy another kitchen gadget. Not allowed to purchase a spiraliser? Or just got too much kitchen tech taking up space? Never fear, with a small amount of patience you can scrape your way into a very similar experience – enter zettuchini – life fettuccini but made with zucchini – simply use a vegetable peeler and peel yourself a bowlful.
A note on ingredients
There’s not a lot to this recipe in terms of preparation but there are a few tips and tricks that will make sure you have a fresh, crunchy and vibrant experience in every mouthful.
Pistachios: These days it’s easier to find raw shelled pistachios but just in case you’re wondering, don’t use the roasted salted ones, and definitely don’t attempt this recipe with the shelled version, otherwise it will take you two days to make a dish that is designed to be super quick and simple to prepare.
Parmesan: I have a feeling that there might be even better suited strong flavoured hard cheeses that would elevate this dish even further – perhaps a manchego or a really aged comte – but I’ve not had enough experience with the dish to experiment that far. I would love to hear from you guys if you do though!
A dinner fit for an evening full of sunshine… Nasturtium pistachio pesto courgette noodles. As pretty as a picture, deliciously different and tasty to boot!
Ingredients
For the pesto
1/2cuppistachios(raw)
2cupsnasturtium leaves(packed cups)
1tspwhite miso
1clovegarlic(peeled)
3tbspolive oil(extra virgin)
2tbspparmesan cheese(grated)
For the zoodles
2largezucchinis(spiralized)
Instructions
For the pesto: Add to food processor and blend to your liking.
For the assembly: Simply stir the pesto through the zucchini noodles and serve with a shaving of parmesan and extra pistachios on top.
You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy these little beauties, it’s always a great time for a guilt-free and sinfully delicious snack! Made with diary-, gluten- and sugar-free ingredients, these little bliss bombs are all you could hope for in any chocolate dessert.
You’ll find yourself smitten with just one bite, especially if you’re a fan of the tart and bitter combination of full-power dark chocolate and lip-smacking raspberry. Best served cold, these little gems can also be made ahead of time and frozen for a decadent treat at a moment’s notice.
If you knew it was your last day on Earth, what would you choose for breakfast? Would you go sweet or savoury? Full powered or light? Bread or ceral? Fruit or full-sugar? I’m one of those people who can’t stand porridge, never eats cereal and there’s just no way you’d find me languishing in a chia pudidng… so aside from the world’s best almond croissant, I’d be looking for something savoury and extremely flavourful for one of my last meals. This recipe is my go to brunch pretty much any time i mange to get to the ripe avocados in time or when we want something a little fancy but don’t want to go out to a restaurant. Despite how tasty it is, it’s actually fairly healthy so you don’t even have to feel the guilts afterwards the way you do after fried chicken waffles or bacon, maple ice cream pancakes!
I’ve been wanting to make date bars for a while now, but couldn’t bring myself to take something that sounds so healthy and make it well… so completely not! So I decided to have a crack at making a healthier version. The difference is not only the ingredients, it’s in the way the bars are cooked and constructed. I chose to individually bake the oat layers, and process the dates raw, so that I didn’t have to turn dates into an even higher GI treat than they already are, and I have to say I’m pretty happy with the results! It’s kinda like two Anzac cookies with a date filling! What’s not to love?!
Pesto-filled gnocchi is a delicious and unique twist on traditional gnocchi. The addition of pesto provides a burst of flavor and adds a vibrant green color for an extra piece of interest to it’s overall presentation. You’re already looking forward to a delicious pillowy bowful of potato-pasta and then suddenly “bam” “surprise”, you get a sumptuous mouthful of filling, it’s one sure-fire way to make an already tasty thing even tastier.
I’m using a traditional gnocchi recipe here, but there are so many versions of gnocchi floating about these days, and any one of them should give the same exceptional effect. Plus, adding different flavours to the mix should only increase the complexity and enjoyment of the overall dish as a whole.
