a dash of zest

May 18, 2017

Spaghetti alle Vongole

I'm jetting off to Asia for several weeks but wanted to share this before I go:

I made spaghetti alle vongole for the first time. It's one of my favourite pasta dishes and while it wasn't as good as the one I had in Italy (I still dream of it), it was pretty darn close.

April 30, 2017

Quinoa Tabbouleh

As spring slowly makes its appearance (we're so close to actual spring weather!), I start to crave for lighter meals.

I had a bunch of parsley in the fridge that needed to be used up and tabbouleh sprang into my mind. Instead of the traditional bulgur, I used quinoa as the grain, though I have also used couscous in the past.

I've never been a fan of raw onion because I found it to be too peppery. Recently, I learned the trick where if you soak your cut onion in cold water for 10 minutes, it tames the flavour and makes the onion crispier.

March 28, 2017

Perfect Brownies

A confession: I'm a chocolate fiend. I cannot resist anything made out of chocolate no matter how hard I try. If someone were to ask what my favourite dessert is, chocolate would be at the top of the list.

I don't need a large portion of a chocolate treat – just something dark and rich to hit the spot. A square or two of dark chocolate usually satisfies my cravings.

Brownies are the perfect chocolate dessert, but sometimes they can go oh-so-wrong. I don't like my brownie to be overly sweet or cakey; if I wanted cake, I would eat cake. My perfect brownie is dense, chewy and bittersweet. If that is the description of your ideal brownie, this recipe is for you.

February 27, 2017

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

While it's been a relatively warm winter, I'm still deep in my phase of soups and stews. To me, there's nothing more comforting than a piping hot bowl of soup to warm you up.

Red lentils are perfect for soup-making – they cook up quickly and add bulk and protein to your soup.

January 29, 2017

Vegetarian Chili

We're in the depths of winter and I'm constantly craving for soups and stews. Chili falls into that latter category - warm, hearty and tasty.

There is a lot of debate about what makes a chili. Some frown upon beans in their chili, though I can't imagine the dish without it. In fact, I fall into the opposite group and say chili is delicious even without the beef.