Tahini Brownie

06-03-2018 Local Black Bookbrownie, cake, chocolate, recipe, tahini, vegetarianLeave a comment

I’m not sure what it is, but it seems more and more of my internet friends are falling victims of strange and spectacular baking nightmares.

Things burn, don’t raise, turn out to be weird colours… and it’s happened so much in the past few weeks I’m starting to worry it’s not just a coincidence!

No way that’ll stop be from baking though – I absolutely need both the process and the resulting cake to face the very stressful period of change I’m currently into! – so I more than ever rely on tried-and-tested, fool- (and catastrophy-) proof recipe.

On top of that list comes brownies.

SO easy to make (no fuss whatsoever), SO delicious (moist and dense and chocolatey and everything a good brownie should be).

I’ve been using the base recipe for years (about 10 of them!) and it’s simply perfect.

And, as it turns out, even better with added tahini to create those dreamy squares of tahini brownie goodness!

Because it tastes best the day after it’s baked, this tahini brownie is the ultimate make-ahead treat…

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And, if you don’t look too closely, you might even say it’s a fantastic square meal!

Pin for later:

More foolproof cake recipes:

Banana bread (V, Vg & DF options)

Simple lemon cake (V)

Cranberry oatmeal cake (V)

The best carrot cake (V)

Curried cauliflower cheese soup V

04-01-2018 Local Black Bookcauliflower, recipe, soup, vegetarian2 Comments

After having spent 2 weeks at my parents eating foie gras for breakfast, lunch and dinner (without even exagerating), I was looking forward to going back to my regular soup-filled routine.

So about 3 minutes after my groceries where delivered this week, I was in my kitchen chopping away.

This cauliflower cheese soup was one of those wonderful accidents that happen when you’re trying to make the most of your ingredients.

After separating the cauliflower florets for another dish, I was left with the stalks. For some reason, I decided to boil them in some water, then blended them with curry powder and a cheeky bit of grated cheddar and it turned out GREAT!

It tastes absolutely delicious (I mean, it’s basically cauliflower cheese in soup form!) and, because it’s a zero waste sort of recipe, it’s also great for the environment and your wallet.

It’s a well-known fact that free food is the best food. And that little number is a great example of how incredible scraps can be.

Fragrant, gently spiced, indulgent-sounding but incredibly light – it’s soooooo gouda!

Curried cauliflower cheese soup (V) ● Cake + Whisky [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:51]

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Indian spiced lentil soup VE

My favourite squash soup VE

Winter pistou soup (VE alternative)

Thai coconut chicken noodle soup

Tray roast salad (GF, V option)

22-11-2017 Local Black Bookgluten-free, potato, recipe, roast, salad, sausage, tray roast, vegetarianLeave a comment

Sunday roasts are the most comforting meal in the world.

And, in this weather, they’re pretty much all I want to eat, all day, every day.

Unfortunately, this plan is not quite compatible with health recommendations, eating your 5-a-day and all that.

Unless of course, you take the best bits of a Sunday roast and mix them into a salad… which is exactly how that tray roast salad was born.

This recipe is a winner for a number of reasons:

1. It’s quick, easy and requires minimal input on your side.

2. You can make it for as many or as few as you like – great for solo dinners and hoard-feeding situations alike!

3. It’s gluten free (as long as your sausages are too!) and can easily be made vegetarian/vegan.

4. It includes all the best bits of a roast dinner (hellooooo there, roasties and sausages!), balanced out by a lot of green leaves, all tied together with the most delicious Dijon & balsamic dressing.

Comfort food made healthy, so you don’t have to choose…

Isn’t that what greedy foodie dreams are made of?

Tray roast salad ● Easy dinner recipe ● Cake + Whisky [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:45]

More easy dinner recipes

Italian-style sausage casserole (GF, V option)

Indian-spiced lentil soup (VE)

Spicy Xi’an style noodles (VE)

Tomato-coconut pasta (VE)

French apple turnovers

25-10-2017 Local Black Bookapple, cooking, dessert, food, puff pastry, recipe, snack, vegetarianLeave a comment

As a child, my favourite day of the year was the much-anticipated family trip to one of the gigantic superstores for our annual back-to-school shopping trip.

Beautiful new notebooks. Pens in every colour of the rainbow and the fountain pen I had been dreaming of for month. And -best of all- the promise of warm-from-the-oven classic apple turnovers for le goûter.

It truly was the most wonderful time of the year!

My schoolyears are now far behind me but my love for the puffed up little pockets of autumn joy of my childhood remain.

Light, crisp, buttery, filled with warm cinnamon sprinkled apple and just so goddamn apple-ing!

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The ultimate fall snack and the perfect accompaniment to a nice cuppa!

More fall recipes

My favourite squash soup (VE)

Butternut squash pasta bake (V)

Apple & black pudding sausage rolls

Halloween monster brookies (V)

Butternut squash pasta bake (V)

18-10-2017 Local Black BookAutumn, butternut squash, pasta, recipe, vegetarian1 Comment

I don’t care what so-called health experts say: carbs are the best.

And when it comes to speedy but satisfying dinners, nothing beats a pasta bake.

Proof if you ever needed one – this butternut squash pasta bake.

The very definition of seasonal (roasted butternut squash! sage!), it’s one of those dishes that somehow manage to reach the perfect balance between healthy (hello, loads of veggies and whole-grain carbs!) and comforting.

And, best of all, it can be made in advance and is super easy to put together – absolutely no Gourd-on Ramsay skills required!

No-nonsense, nutrient-packed… Gourd-geous autumn dinner made simple!

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More fall recipes

The best squash soup (VE)

Apple & black pudding sausage rolls

Pumpkin spice latte (V)

Halloween monster cookies (V)

Raspberry & White Chocolate Cookies

29-09-2017 Local Black Bookbiscuits, cookies, raspberry, recipe, treats, vegetarian, white chocolateLeave a comment

I’ve already confessed most of my food obsessions – cake (obv.), dumplings, soup, tomato, peach…

But there’s still one I haven’t quite come around to talking about just yet…

So here it is – the admission of my unconditional love for Sainsbury’s white chocolate and raspberry cookies.

Crispy edges, soft and buttery middle, big chunks of milky white chocolate and bursts of tart raspberry – what’s no to love?

Except of course for the more than obscure ingredient list.

Nothing a quick update to my trusty go-to cookie recipe couldn’t fix though!

The perfect combination of crunchy, chewy & gooey, big chunks of chocolate and tangy raspberry with none of the nasties… Those raspberry & white chocolate cookies are possibly even better than the original!

Absolutely perfect if people suddenly decide to pop round for a cuppa. You can whip them up in a few minutes, pretend you slaved away in the kitchen for hours and get all the cookie points!

Seriously, get this recipe under your belt & you’ll never want a store bought cookie again – sorry Sainsbury’s!

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Pile them high and serve with a mug of something warming and delicious!

They’ll keep in a tin for about a week but they’re berry addictive so good luck with that!

Banana Bread Porridge (Vegan)

12-09-2017 Local Black Bookbanana, banana bread, breakfast, healthy, oatmeal, oats, porridge, vegan, vegetarian1 Comment

The days are getting shorter.

The nights are getting longer.

And every day, it’s becoming a little bit harder to gather the strength to get out of bed as soon as the alarm rings.

But worry not – I know just the trick.

Cake for breakfast with a healthy twist. That’s the trick.

Exibit A – my banana bread porridge.

Warming, comforting, stuffed with fruit, fibre and bags of potassium, banana bread porridge is the ultimate brekkie to peel awesome all autumn long!

Take that, SAD!

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More cake-inspired breakfast recipes

Cranberry bakewell porridge (V, VG & GF options)

Lemon drizzle porridge (V, VG & GF options)

Sticky toffee porridge (VG, GF option)

Cranberry oatmeal cake (V)

Aubergine Salad (V)

31-08-2017 Local Black Bookaubergine, GF, healthy, recipe, salad, vegetarian2 Comments

For the longest time, I thought I didn’t like aubergines.

I blame it on my mum. Though she is an excellent cook, aubergines are really not her forte. Unless you like them spongy and bitter, in which case you’ll be just fine.

So I put aubergines on the (very short) list of vegetables that weren’t my thing and pretty much forgot about them altogether until the day we went to Ottolenghi for lunch and their famous aubergine salad made its way onto my plate.

Thanks to the magic of the internet, it didn’t take long to discover the secrets to the incredible, rich and silky texture that made Ottolenghi’s aubergine salad such a success.

Needless to say, it’s taken the aubergine right off the ‘no thanks’ list and there has been countless versions of the original salad on my table since.

They’re a winner for entertaining and meal prep alike. They’re big and bold and never fail to add a wow factor to a meal. And everything can be done in advance and then assembled right before serving.

The below version relies on contrasting flavours – the gentle heat from the chilli, the warmth of the curry and the fresh acidity of the yoghurt balancing the subtle sweet taste of the aubergine perfectly.

Colourful, refreshing and so satisfying – it’s absolute aubergenius, if I may say so myself!

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More amazing salad recipes

Classic Panzanella Salad (Vegan)

Satay Chicken Salad (GF, dairy free)

Autumnal Quinoa Salad (V)

Classic Panzanella Salad (Vegan)

02-08-2017 Local Black Bookdairy-free, italian, panzanella, recipe, salad, tomato, vegan, vegetarianLeave a comment

When I was a child, I would basically live on tomatoes alone for the entire summer.

Both my parents and my grand-parents grow a vegetable garden, with tomatoes having place of pride, which means there would be a tomato glut from early July until late September.

I might not be partial but they’re the best tomatoes I’ve ever tasted and I would have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Much like an apple, still in my pyjamas and the first shoes I’d find for the former, simply drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with a pinch of fleur de sel the rest of the time.

Truth be told, the classic panzanella salad is basically a fancy-name, glorified version of that simple salad.

One that also doubles as a delicious, clever way to use up bread that’s a bit past its best.

a.k.a. the dream for little bread-loving, waste-loathing Frenchie me.

Panzanella is lovely served on its own with a glass of chilled rosé as a simple summer supper, but also works wonders as part of a picnic or BBQ spread.

You really can’t go wrong with it… Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do…

… from my head to-ma-toes!

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More Summer recipes:

Satay Chicken Salad (GF, Dairy Free)

Best Ever Guacamole (Vegan, GF)

Pineapple Fizz Mocktail (Vegan)

Melon & Prosciutto Salad (GF)

Blackcurrant & Apple Bircher Muesli (Vegan)

26-07-2017 Local Black Bookbreakfast, dairy-free, gluten-free, healthy, muesli, oats, recipe, vegan, vegetarian4 Comments

I am not a morning person.

No matter how early I go to bed, or how long I sleep, leaving my bed is always a challenge and I’m the kind to hit the snooze button several times in a row, every single morning.

Needless to say that, the ol’ ‘sleeping a few more minutes vs breakfast’ dilemna isn’t really a thing in my house.

It’s sleeping all the way.

Until the very last minute.

Then running around like a headless chicken trying to get showered/dressed/tooth-brushed.

And -if I’ve been organised enough- grabbing a jar of homemade bircher muesli from the fridge before running out of the door to make it to the office on time.

As far as I’m concerned, bircher muesli is a bit of a life (and growling belly come 10am) saver.

It takes minutes to make (and you can do it while watching TV and then there’s nothing left to do in the morning!).

Plus it’s super healthy (hello, protein, complex carb, good fat and vitamin powerhouse!) and SOOOO satisfying.

Quite honestly the berry best on-the-go breakfast around!

Blackcurrant & Apple Bircher Muesli (Vegan, Dairy Free) • Recipe • Cake + Whisky [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:23]

More make-ahead breakfast recipes

Paleo Granola (V, GF)

Lemon Drizzle Porridge (Vegan, dairy free, GF)

Cranberry Oatmeal Cake (V)

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

Menu

vegetarian

Tahini Brownie

Pin for later:

More foolproof cake recipes:

Curried cauliflower cheese soup V

More soup recipes

Tray roast salad (GF, V option)

More easy dinner recipes

French apple turnovers

More fall recipes

Butternut squash pasta bake (V)

More fall recipes

Raspberry & White Chocolate Cookies

Banana Bread Porridge (Vegan)

More cake-inspired breakfast recipes

Aubergine Salad (V)

More amazing salad recipes

Classic Panzanella Salad (Vegan)

More Summer recipes:

Blackcurrant & Apple Bircher Muesli (Vegan)

More make-ahead breakfast recipes