burger van inari sushi

~ aplotzi ~ 1 Comment

Dispite what I call them, these inari sushi are all plant based. I’m not a massive fan of fusion food, however in this case I think pumping up the flavours of Inari is a good idea because they can be a bit bland. I call them burger van inari (low brow meets high brow) because I make them with slow cooked caramelised onions that resemble the ones that I could smell wafting around hot dog stands and burger vans and always made me drool. I love onions and I love it when any recipe starts with them. These are great served as snackettes with drinks or with a tray of sashimi, sushi and one of my Japanese salads or sides (check the recipes out in the list of recipes)

Continue reading →

my big fat greek baked beans (gigantes plaki)

~ aplotzi ~ 1 Comment

I have always had a soft spot for these delicious Greek baked beans, they are easy to make, all plant based and excellent with warm flatbreads (check out my pizza dough recipe to make truly fresh flatbreads) and my creamy bean hummus (takes 5 minutes) with a crisp green salad. If you aren’t going down the vegan route then they are fantastic served with a big block of feta, some olives and warm flatbreads for a tasty mezze.

Continue reading →

mock crispy duck canapés

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

these are a lower carb version of the little mock duck pancakes that I get from Feng Sushi in London. They are absolutely delicious and moreish and I love a canapé, I’d live on them if I could as they are tiny and tasty. You can serve them on Chinese pancakes if you prefer.

Continue reading →

apple snow

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

my mum used to make this traditional English apple dessert on special occasions and according to what I’ve read about it’s history the recipe dates back to the 17th century and was called apple fluff amongst other things. I remember big bowls of it in the larder where I would stick my finger in and scoop up a delicious morsel. It’s light as a feather and you can add a teaspoon of your favourite spice to it if you fancy, to make it more Christmassy. It’s a great alternative to all the rich festive food and works as a light pud all year round.

Continue reading →

spaghetti al limone

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

if you love lemons this recipe is for you. It’s all store cupboard and really easy. The lemon makes it zingy and the almonds add a nutty crunch. It’s a popular primo in southern Italy and particularly in the summer. If you can get lemons from Sorrento even better, but it’s not essential at all.

Continue reading →

italian broad bean salad with anchovies

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

I bought a big bag of frozen broad beans from a Middle Eastern grocers and was wondering what to make with them, then I remembered an old Italian recipe for a broad bean salad with an anchovy dressing. I’ve adapted it slightly to suit my tastes and make it easy and added lemon and basil instead of vinegar and marjoram and it tastes really fresh even though it’s all store cupboard. It’s perfect as a side dish with a main meal or I serve it on scorched toast.

Continue reading →

celeriac remoulade with fresh mackerel

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

I have been meaning to put this recipe on the blog for ages, it’s just so delicious because the combination of the flavours of the mustardy, lemony dressing cuts through the oiliness of the mackerel and just tastes great. The celeriac remoulade recipe is from The Ivy cookbook and I added some chopped chives. It’s a really delicious lower carb meal or delicious with roasted sourdough if you prefer and mackerel is not only packed with omega3 oils which are really good for you but it’s also budget friendly.

Continue reading →

easy chocolate fondant torte

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

this cake looks more like a tart without the pastry than a cake, but because it’s so rich and chocolatey it’s perfect. It’s really fondanty and crisp on the outside. You can also make a dairy free and/or a gluten free version too if you prefer. It’s delicious with red berries and vanilla ice cream or with whatever you prefer and it’s all from store cupboard ingredients.

Continue reading →

pasta con baccalà in rosso

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

This delicious traditional Italian pasta recipe is made with salt cod in a tomato sauce: the salt cod needs a couple of days prep in advance but it’s really easy and really worth it. It’s the most delicious combination of textures and the salt cod has a divine flavour. Salt cod is an excellent store cupboard ingredient too. 

Continue reading →

baccalà alla Napoletana

~ aplotzi ~ Leave a comment

This Italian recipe is made on Christmas Eve and holidays but I like to eat it anytime and it’s made with the unbelievably delicious dried salted cod which is rehydrated in the fridge for 3 days before you cook it (salted dried cod is a brilliant store cupboard ingredient and it’s available in most supermarkets in the world food section or a Spanish or Italian deli). It’s a complete meal with the potatoes, just add a crisp green salad and that’s lunch or dinner sorted… if you are extra hungry you could add some roasted sourdough with olive oil and a scraping of fresh garlic. It’s even delicious served at room temperature. if you haven’t got time to soak the salt cod, you can use fresh cod cut into chunks and put it in the stew to poach for the last ten minutes of cooking or till cooked through.

Continue reading →