I’m back!! It’s been a crazy few months and it is hard to believe that my last blog post was back in March. Seriously. Where does the time go?

Unfortunately, my blog always takes the hit when life gets chaotic. This needs to change. I started writing this blog as a way to find my own little creative space where I could share my love for good food. It has always been a retreat from the madness of life as a working mum. I miss blogging!

It’s time to swing back in to action and I’m starting off nice and easy with a recipe I promised to share a long time ago!

Winter is not my favourite season. One of the few things that makes it somewhat bearable is the license to eat all those delicious, warm comfort foods – curries, stews, pasta…yum!! As much as I love my salads and sushi all year round, I have been consciously seeking out warmer options that are healthy, too.

Mr A and little A were both fighting an evil winter bug (suspected ‘man flu’ – haha) a couple of weeks ago and a hot bowl of soup seemed like a good idea. It all started quite simply by tossing in all the vegetables in the house into a steaming pot of chicken stock. The result was spectacular and is worth sharing here.

Any Indian street food lover will know exactly what I’m on about today! Crispy, tangy, sweet and spicy flavours all combined into the delicious savoury snack famously known as ‘chaat’.

Lots of possibilities when it comes to chaat but Papdi has always been my favourite. It always brings back fond memories of the handful of years I spent as a child in Delhi. I hadn’t realised until recently how easy it is to recreate the Indian street food magic in one’s own kitchen.

The ingredients can all be prepped in advance making it ideal for easy entertaining and also perfect for an evening meal on busy work days!

I’m definitely starting to feel the October chill these days. And, as winter comes closer, I find myself longing for the warmth of delicious soups and curries over the refreshing salads I lived on over the summer.

A steaming bowl of Japanese ramen is what I fancied for dinner the other night and I certainly wasn’t going to find a Tokyo style ramen restaurant in my little corner of Surrey. Dried noodles in styrofoam bowls didn’t sound right to me either.

Luckily, I had most of the ingredients to create ramen magic in my kitchen cupboard waiting to be used. A quick visit to Korea Foods in New Malden for some miso and tofu was all I needed for a delicious ramen fix.

It’s been an amazing summer here in London and one of the best things has been the generous servings of fresh fruits and vegetables I have consumed these past few weeks. It is too hot to eat, perhaps another reason the blog has gone a bit quiet! 😉

I came up with this deliciously cold recipe on a particularly hot day when I wanted pasta but couldn’t face the thought of eating anything warm.  Sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes, freshly chopped spinach, crumbly feta, garlic and red chilli combined with cold fusilli pasta and the simplest dressing of lemon juice and olive oil was just what I needed.

I don’t know much about Malaysian food but am a big fan of Malaysian chicken curry scooped up with soft, flaky, roti paratha. Sadly, there aren’t any Malaysian restaurants in my neighbourhood and limited chances to indulge – probably a good thing as I could easily eat roti canai every day.

My friend, Sharon, made it for me when I visited her beautiful home in Surrey last month. I absolutely loved it and rolled back to Wimbledon that afternoon with a very happy belly and this wonderful recipe that I couldn’t wait to try at home.

My Facebook and Twitter timelines are flooded with enticing World Cup themed recipes shared by my favourite chefs, food writers and magazines. No wonder I am exceptionally hungry for fun food and cocktails! 😉

Nigella Lawson’s ‘Soccermole’  inspired a strong Mexican craving this past weekend. Not heavy, cheesy Tex-Mex style but something fresh and spicy with lots of lime. One thing led to another and out came these gorgeous chilli prawns smothered in lime and coriander.

The prawns are best served as fajitas with the usual Mexican sides (salsa, guacamole, cheese, sour cream etc) or simply topped with sliced avocado.

London takes on a whole new persona when the summer sun shines. People are friendlier, happier, brighter. Sunny dresses are out in all their girly glory, as are the sandals and sun cream. Summer also means lazy BBQs and refreshing salads – hooray!! Most definitely, my favourite time of the year.

After a super indulgent Wales trip followed by a decadent birthday weekend, my body craved some clean eating. Thankfully, the summer sun is feeding my healthy eating drive and I’ve been whipping up tasty salad storms.

Anchovies are either loved or hated with a passion. The word itself makes me slightly uncomfortable and I can’t stand the sight of these slimy, tiny fish.

Nigella, Jamie Oliver and many other TV chefs have popular versions of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca which literally translated means ‘spaghetti a la prostitute/whore.’ Controversial, just like the anchovies.

I’ve made vegetarian versions of Puttanesca sauce before, always leaving out the anchovies. Mr. A tried out Nigel Slater’s recipe while I was out one night and insisted that it was one of the best pasta he has ever had. He insisted that the dish had potential to make me rethink my hatred for anchovies.

I had friends visiting for tea the other day and wanted to make something quick, easy and spicy.

Chilli Cheese Toast is often served as a savoury snack in India. It is essentially, a spicy version of cheese on toast, kicked up with chillies, onions, fresh coriander and spice. I love cheese and this is one of my favourite things to make and eat. 🙂

The wonderful flavours of Indian style chilli cheese toast were a huge hit with my friends. Here’s the recipe for some easy entertaining the next time you have friends coming over.

The recipe makes around 18 chilli cheese toast canapes.

Chilli Cheese Toast 

BIG milestones to celebrate this week! Hungry Aphrodite turns 1 on Friday and this is my 100th post. Time flies. I never imagined the blog would go this far when I started writing a year ago. I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences that have come my way and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future.

A special milestone like this one deserves a delicious post. As you know, I was recently invited to enter a culinary challenge hosted by Maille, the famous French gourmet brand. I shared my recipe for a delicious summery salad a couple of weeks ago (see Maille Halloumi Salad). I am excited to share my 2nd and final entry for the Maille challenge with you all today.

I was recently invited by Maille, the famous French gourmet brand to enter the Maille Culinary Challenge and develop recipes using a couple of their products.

I love Maille mustard and was delighted with the opportunity to experiment with flavours. I chose Citron et Harissa (White Wine, Lemon & Harissa Spicy Mustard)and Noix de Coco et Epices Colombo (White Wine, Coconut and Colombo Spices) as my spicy mustard weapons.

Today’s recipe uses the Maille Citron et Harissa mustard. Harissa is a spicy red pepper paste commonly used in North African cooking. My colourful salad is a tasty marriage of flavours and textures with the marinated cheese, tangy pomegranate, walnuts and of course, the Maille Harissa mustard dressing.

If you are following me on Twitter, then you are witness to my current tartine obsession. I’ve tried all sorts of toppings from smoked salmon and dill to hummus and white beans and chicken and mustard. I can’t get enough of the endless possibilities.

A tartine is basically a French open-faced sandwich.This bright and cheerful tartine I made a few days ago makes a perfect lunch for a sunny day. The avocado and grilled halloumi cheese go beautifully with the tangy pomegranate molasses  while the pomegranate and pistachio give a sweet crunch.

Popular London Mexican restaurant Wahaca is opening a 5 minute walk from my home and I could not be more excited. The restaurant signs went up earlier in the week and make me happy every time I walk past.

Not surprisingly, I’ve been craving Mexican food all week and decided to whip up one of my favourite Mexican treats for dinner last night.

I love the simplicity of quesadillas. ‘Queso’ means cheese in Spanish and a quesadilla is basically a toasted tortilla with melted cheese and any other savoury toppings you fancy. Easy and yummy!

I had a small, unopened jar of salted butter caramel sauce from France begging to be used and Valentine’s Day was the perfect excuse. Salted caramel cupcakes were an option until the thought of hot brownies with salted butter caramel & vanilla ice cream won hands down.

After a quick  search, I came across Nigella’s recipe for ‘Everyday’ Brownies, originally published in her book, Nigella’s Kitchen. These brownies are an alternative to a richer(!!) version that she has published in the past.  Still a very misleading name though as one should most certainly not be eating these brownies every day. 😉

One of my favourite memories of student life in Boston is gorging on delicious plates of Pad See Ew noodles at a hole-in-the-wall Thai eatery in the dubious ‘Chinatown Food Court’ on Beach Street. Along with Pad Kra Pow, these noodles were an instantly gratifying Thai fix washed down with an order of sweet Thai Iced Tea.

Pad See Ew remains one of my favourite Thai dishes and as much as I have tried to recreate the Boston flavours from memory, I am yet to get it right. I think it is probably due to my restraint in adding unnecessary grease and a whole bottle of fish sauce in to my food. 😉

I read a book by Mireille Guiliano some years ago, annoyingly titled ‘French Women Don’t Get Fat’. The book focused entirely on how French women manage to look good and stay healthy whilst enjoying a diet rich in bread, cheese, wine, steak, chocolate and other good things.

I couldn’t help but think about this book throughout my recent Parisian food adventure. Yes, I savoured every bit of the deliciousness on offer but indulging in Paris for more than 5 days is a dangerous thought.

Cold salads on wintry January days aren’t easy.  Especially, when it is gloomy outside and all you want is a hot plate of comfort.

I wanted something fresh, spicy and Thai yesterday. And, I needed it to be raw. A gorgeous Thai green papaya salad came to mind but I wasn’t going to find a Thai green papaya anywhere in my neighbourhood. Luckily, there was an unripe green mango at home with my name all over it. 😉

It took no effort to put together this cheerful Thai style Mango Salad. It is packed full of flavour, healthy and so easy. Try it sometime – it makes being good, taste fabulous!

I tried this creamy saffron and prawn risotto on my first trip to Rome many years ago. We had some excellent food on our Roman holiday but this  particular meal near our hotel in Testaccio was without a doubt, the best and most memorable.

Risotto alla Crema di Scampi is clearly a Roman specialty as I haven’t come across it anywhere else in Italy.  I’ve tried hunting down recipes many times over the years without much success  but got lucky a few days ago when I found a few Risotto alla Crema di Scampi recipes…all in Italian! Thank God for Google Translate!

Brrrr. It is freezing cold out there and on wintry days like these, all I want is hot, comfort food. In my case, comfort is always a steaming bowl of spicy curry. Thai, Malaysian, Indian, any kind will do – but, the only way is curry!

Today, I am sharing the recipe for a delicious Kerala style Pepper Chicken I made earlier in the week. As you can guess, the dish uses loads of black peppercorns and fresh curry leaves along with other aromatic spices traditionally used in food from this particular region of India.

It is Thanksgiving today and my American friends and family around the world are celebrating a beautiful tradition centred around expressing gratitude and eating lots of delicious food. I always miss being in the US at this time of year and have some great memories of long weekends spent feasting away on turkey, stuffing and pie!

Been a while now since a proper Thanksgiving meal but I do make it a point to always make or do something special on this day and join in the festivities.

I am obsessed with Italian food and a classic Bruschetta is one of my many favourite dishes.

I love the simple pleasure of a tomato & basil bruschetta and had only ever made it this way until I saw celebrity chef (and my latest foodie crush), Gino D’Acampo make his Cannellini Bruschetta or what he refers to as ‘more than just posh beans on toast’. 😉

The thought of cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes and parsley on slightly charred ciabatta was super tempting and I couldn’t resist drawing inspiration from Gino (yet again!) for a yummy bruschetta lunch.

The weeks leading up to Diwali are always so fun and festive. Occasions are celebrated almost daily with a lavish spread of the most delicious food and sinful sweets. Kheer (rice pudding) is one of my favourite Indian desserts and the perfect way to mark a festival.

I haven’t really attempted Indian desserts before so I am quite proud of the Vanilla & Saffron Kheer I braved yesterday. The recipe is credited mostly to my mum but I have added a slight vanilla twist to the gorgeous saffron and cardamom flavoured pudding. The powdered pistachio, cardamom and almond sprinkle on top adds a lot more flavour. This recipe makes a big bowl of divine kheer and is a brilliant option for any upcoming Diwali dinners. 🙂

Italy is one of my favourite places in the world. I have visited many times over the years and each trip has been so memorable.

Eating the most divine and authentic pizza in Naples, a beautiful Tuscan holiday with family, driving through the breathtaking Amalfi coast and discovering the best (and worst!) Italian food in Rome are just a few of my favourite memories of Italy.

Last Friday, I caught an episode of Gino’s Italian Escape, an ITV series featuring Italian chef Gino D’Acampo as he travels to various parts of  Italy introducing viewers to classic Italian recipes. In this episode, Gino was in Rome and making a traditional Roman Bucatini alla Carbonara  – without the cream.

I recently blogged about ‘The Beauty Detox Solution’, a book by nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, that has motivated me to make some serious changes to my lifestyle.

I have much reduced my intake of animal protein and made a dedicated effort to add more raw fruits and vegetables to my diet. A salad a day is my motto these days and so far, so good.

Today’s lunch was a simple Greek salad of tomato, cucumber, olives and feta cheese,  lifted up to superfood status with miracle grain, quinoa.

Quinoa is packed full of protein, iron, fibre and what not?

Curries made with coconut milk are my favourite – I simply can’t resist them.

Prawn Malai Curry is a Bengali specialty from India. Malai means cream – in this case, the coconut kind. This curry is super tasty and surprisingly easy –  even for those who have never attempted Indian cooking before.

We had some friends over for lunch this weekend and Prawn Malai Curry served  with hot basmati rice made a perfect meal. Full credit to hubby for the heart shaped rice presentation. 🙂

Prawn Malai Curry

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

Last night’s dinner was simple and divine – Pumpkin & pine nut stuffed fiorelli with a butter, lemon and sage sauce.

Of course,  I did not make the Pumpkin Fiorelli myself – I have my lovely friends at Waitrose to thank for the shortcut 😉

This was my first time cooking with fresh sage and I loved the strong, invigorating smell that wafted through my kitchen as soon as the leaves were plucked.

Making the sauce could not have been simpler. Melt butter, infuse with sage leaves, add fresh lemon juice and stir.

Nothing like a deliciously cold salad on a sweltering summer day. Wouldn’t you agree?

I have blogged about my Avocado and Cherry Tomato Salad before (see Superlicious Avocado) and today, I would like to share another cold favourite with all of you.

My Chilli Coriander Prawn and Avocado Salad is spicy, tasty and ridiculously quick to put together.

Chilli Coriander Prawn & Avocado Salad (Serves 2-3)

2 ripe and ready avocados, halved and pitted

1 pack pre-cooked prawns, around 150-200g

4 tablespoons, low fat mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, chopped

It is impossible for me to pick my favourite cuisine but Thai food definitely ranks somewhere in my Top 3!

If you love Thai food, then you will be no stranger to this dish, commonly known as Pad Krapow. A staple at any Thai restaurant, this spicy and fragrant dish is also very quick to make in your own kitchen.

I am a huge fan of simple, fuss free recipes and this one literally takes 10 minutes to put together!

Chicken, Chilli & Basil Stir Fry (Pad Krapow)

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

A perfectly ripe avocado is undoubtedly my favourite ‘power food’. I was initially put off by the high fat content but the benefits of avocado in my diet make it very easy to overlook this technicality 😉

Avocado has the highest protein content of any fruit and is rich in a variety of vitamins and nutrients. It lowers cholesterol, helps to control diabetes and has also been known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and improve side effects resulting from chemotherapy. It is high in folate and provides excellent nutrition to pregnant women and is also a nutritious addition to your child’s diet.

My first introduction to Parsi cuisine was at a friend’s dinner party in Mumbai a few years ago. The Parsis are descendants of the Persian Zoroastrian community that emigrated to India in the 8th century to avoid religious persecution. Mainly settled in Mumbai, they are a small but significant and highly eccentric group with unique customs and lovely food!