It’s bank holiday weekend, hurrah! After fairly rubbish weather this summer, the sunshine is due out this weekend and how better to celebrate than with gin and tonic ice lollies. Cooling, refreshing and well.. GIN. And if it rains? Who cares, these popsicles will make it all better. I love a good gin and tonic. When I first started drinking it, in my mid twenties, people occasionally looked at me like I could be Pat Butcher drinking in the Queen Vic....

What is Gooey Butter Cake? Sticky-sweet ooey gooey butter cake… Ever tried it? If not, you have been missing out! Gooey butter cake is a simple two-layered snack cake with a soft, sumptuous top layer and a tender, crumbly, almost shortbread-like layer on the bottom. It originated in St. Louis, Missouri, nearly a century ago and is similar to other regional treats like Southern Chess Squares and Philadelphia Style Cake. I like gooey butter cake the most, if only for its name....

One-pot meals are such a lifesaver in my house, and this Haitian spaghetti recipe is no exception. Who doesn’t love whipping up a balanced meal of pasta, meat, and veggies – and then only having to wash one dish? I’m all about easy cleanup. And kids really love this dish, too, especially when I make it with hot dogs instead of pork sausage. Hot dogs and spaghetti? What kid wouldn’t like that?...

I love finding new ways to use our favourite squeaky cheese! After my Mediterranean Tomato and Halloumi Bake, Halloumi Fajitas, Halloumi Pasta and Sticky Halloumi Kebabs, I knew I had to find a way to get a quick and easy Halloumi Curry in the repertoire too! This meat-free dish is about as simple as it gets without compromising on flavour. It’s healthy and versatile, as you can mix up the kind of veggies you add and the sides you serve up too....

What could possibly be more comforting than a cup of creamy tomato soup on a cold rainy day? I’ve loved tomato bisque since childhood. It’s like an edible security blanket, that warms your insides and soothes your soul. Yet now that I’m a little more cautious about what I eat, I’ve had to revamp my Tomato Bisque Recipe. Obviously the heavy cream was the issue. Most bisque recipes have 1-2 cups of cream to provide that ultra silky texture....

Recipe card 100 % red grape juice - best summer drink You can use red, black, or green grapes to make home grape juice. Today, I have made this gorgeous grape juice using California red grapes. The grape juice recipe that I am sharing today uses the boiling method. This grape juice does not contain any fruit chunks; It tastes much better than store-bought bottled juices. Summer is at its peak where I live, so I am likely to share many drink recipes in the near future....

I vaguely remember her speaking. But mostly, I just nodded, making the appropriate uh-huh noises while savoring every bite of the fresh hot cross buns she had baked up for us. Of course, she had to teach me how to make them, and now I make them for Lenten and any time the craving hits. Complete Your Easter Celebration Hot Cross Buns are traditionally for Good Friday, and homemade comes out far better than what you can buy at the store....

A Cocktail’s Best Friend Every home bartender needs a great recipe for how to make sweet Simple Syrups. From classic cocktails like Mai Tais to fun, fruity Raspberry Mojitos, many of the best boozy drinks (and mocktails) are made with a sugary syrup to help balance the taste of the alcohol and other bitter or savory ingredients. This recipe is terrific to use as a base to then customize with whatever flavors you like....

What Is Spatchcock Chicken? Spatchcock: A culinary preparation in which the backbone of a whole chicken (or turkey) is removed so it can be cooked flat, on the grill or in the oven. This method is thought to have originated in Ireland and is now a popular way to cook a whole roasting chicken in a hurry. Is Spatchcock Chicken The Same As Butterflied Chicken? Yes and no. The term butterflied chicken is most often used for the process of opening a single chicken breast, like a book, to make the piece of chicken wider yet flatter....

Mom’s Homemade Applesauce Applesauce is one of those foods that remind me of my mom. Every time I taste cinnamon applesauce, I am flooded with memories of her standing over a large pot, stirring, as a tangy-sweet aroma wafted through the kitchen. She always added a generous spoonful of cinnamon to the pot. On special occasions, she would add red-hot candies to make it spicy and pink! Every fall, as I stop at our local orchards, I think of mom and her applesauce....

After a long and tiring day, all I want to do is prepare a hassle-free dish for my family. There are so many ways to prepare black-eyed peas, from Hoppin’ John to Akra, it’s so hard to choose! Luckily, this Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas recipe takes all the hassle away. It basically cooks itself! Who says that instant pots were only made for meaty dishes? This versatile Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas perfectly utilizes leftover proteins....

The Green Banana The green banana is known as plantain. In the Indian subcontinent, we call it – Kachha Kela (raw banana). The key difference between the ripe banana and the plantain is – that you never eat a plantain raw. It is always cooked before consumption. A plantain is more like a potato with no taste, thick skin, and starchy. It comes from Southeast Asia. However, they are now grown worldwide, including in India, Egypt, Indonesia, and tropical regions of America....

Kachumber means “chopped” and in this instance, it means a “chopped salad”. Also known as Indian cucumber salad, this recipe is made with a minimum of 3 ingredients; red onion, cucumber, and tomato. I love this salad any time, but it’s a must if I have rice on the table. My family’s favorite comfort food is basmati rice served with my Hyderabadi khatti daal and this kachumber salad. Similarly, if there is chicken pulao, mutton yakhni pulao, or mutton biryani on the menu, there will be some raita and this kachumber salad on the menu as well....

Add fried fritters, known as pakoras, to the kadhi, making them soft and plump. Temper whole spices to finish the dish, and enjoy it best with plain basmati rice. This unique kadhi recipe, packed with protein and flavor, is popular for meatless Mondays. Try aloo palak, Hyderabadi bagara baingan, or acorn squash curry for more vegetarian recipes like this. Why you’ll love this kadhi recipe A unique recipe—This recipe has a distinctive flavor and consistency that your whole family will love—even meat lovers!...

Don’t miss out on checking out popular Indian burfi sweet, a list of traditional Indian sweets and desserts. About the recipe Kalakand, also popular as Indian milk cake or Indian cheesecake, is creamy and delicious with a soft and grainy texture. If you love Indian mithai, then you should start by making this sweet, as it is easy to prepare and requires only two main ingredients. This Indian mithai is mainly prepared during festivals like Navratri, Diwali, Holi, and other special occasions....

Chane Gashi is a popular no onion, no garlic recipe from Konkani cuisine prepared using chickpeas along with either raw jackfruit (kadgi) or potatoes (aloo) or yam (suvarnagedde) in a thick coconut spiced sauce. This dish from GSB Konkani cuisine is mainly prepared on Fridays at home or for any auspicious occasion or function like Satyanarayana pooja, Varalakshmi vrata, Brahmopadesham (munji), Wedding, etc., and as a main dish in Konkani temples in Karkala, Udupi, Mangalore, Kundapur, Bantwal, etc....

Oh, I just can’t resist the smell of this dish being prepared, that’s why I love making it so much. This lasagna soup recipe is very simple but will surely warm you to the soul with its harmony of flavors. I think of it as an easy fancy noodle soup with an aroma that could fill the room with deliciousness. Everybody needs some warm lovin’ especially during this cold rainy season, right?...

Is there any other effortless dinner combination better than chicken and rice? There are dozens of different variations for making this comforting meal from nearly every corner of the world; it seems that just about every culture has a staple rice and chicken recipe. We’ve recently shared my mom’s classic chicken and rice recipe, and Cuban Arroz con Pollo, to name just a few of my favorite versions. This Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Rice recipe is a fun twist you can easily make in one skillet using boneless chicken thighs....

Served either dusted with powdered sugar, lemon custard, sugar glaze, with a coat of whipped cream, or just with your favourite berry sauce. Stir in some fresh raspberries, poppy seeds, or blueberries into the batter to enjoy the season’s best flavours in a cake. Lemon Pound Cake is one of the most popular versions of the pound cake recipe. This idea of a moist, soft, and delicate lemon cake on a summer evening with a cup of tea is always fascinating....

When it comes to fruit, I’m sure it’s pretty obvious by now that I’m deeply in love with the tropical ones – pineapples, coconuts, mangoes – those are on the top of my list. Just go check my blog, and you’ll see a pretty long list. Margaritas always make me dream of an island getaway, relaxing on the beach, or sailing on a yacht with a glass of this boozy yet fruity drink and a good read....