16 October 2020

Vegan coffee and walnut cake with coffee cashew cream

Sandra baking, snacks, sweet autumn, cashew cream, cashew frosting, coffee, coffee and walnut, fall, fall baking, no refined sugar, vegan, vegan baking, vegan cake, walnuts 0 Comments

It’s no secret autumn is my favourite season. Nature is turning all beautiful shades of red, brown and golden and I just love it. These autumn months mark several birthdays in our family. And though this year, for obvious reasons, our birthday celebrations may be mainly online occasions, they must be accompanied by very real […]

23 September 2020

Buckwheat pizza with red pesto and late summer veg

Sandra baking, mains, snacks buckwheat, fennel, gluten free, gluten free pizza, pizza, summer, sweetcorn, vegan, vegan pizza 0 Comments

September is granting us a beautiful Indian summer. While the afternoons are mild and sunny, the mornings start with that new chill in the air that announces the change of the season. I love the approach of autumn and the prospect of cosy cooking and baking. But before I’ll happily transition to everything pumpkin and […]

9 September 2020

Vegan apple pie with lemon, pecans and sweet autumn spices

Sandra baking, snacks, sweet apple, apple pie, autumn, dairy free, dairy free baking, fall, fall baking, seasonal baking, vegan apple pie, vegan baking 0 Comments

Apple pie season is here! The unusual heat wave of the last two months has left most of my newly sown veggie plants cropless, but our old apple tree managed to produce a beautiful batch of apples as if nothing has been the matter. So now that tempertures are dropping, what can be better than […]

8 July 2020

Summer salad with grilled peaches and basil croutons

Sandra salads, side dishes, sides basil, basil croutons, croutons, fresh herbs, griddled peach, grilled peaches, peach, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, summer, vegan, vegan salad 0 Comments

Summer fruit is at its peak right now. Strawberries were never sweeter, soft stone fruits are at their juiciest and so full of flavour. I’m enjoying them by the handfuls these weeks, munching on them for breakfast and all through the day or turning them into summer bakes. So why not include them in dinner […]

8 July 2020

Fresh and seasonal strawberry balsamic vinaigrette

Sandra basic recipes, salads, side dishes, sides dairy free, gluten free, strawberries, strawberry balsamic dressing, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, summer, summer fruit, vegan salad, vegan salad dressing, vinaigrette 0 Comments

Strawberries are at their sweetest right now. They’re perfect for munching on by the handful and for taking centre stage in your summer bakes, nicecream and smoothies. But did you know they also work wonders in savoury dishes? As the key flavour in this strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, for example. This quick and easy vinaigrette pairs […]

23 June 2020

Raspberry granita with prosecco and mint

Sandra snacks, sweet dairy free, fresh herbs, gluten free, granita, mint, no refined sugar, prosecco, raspberries, raspberry granita, summer, vegan 0 Comments

Do you prefer your summer refreshment on a stick or on a spoon? As you will guess from the picture, I’ll pick the spoon any time. Granita must be my favourite icy summer treat. It’s light, crisp and full-flavoured and there’s just nothing like the feeling of those flaky crystals melting on your tongue with […]

13 June 2020

Basil and lemon syrup made with whole lemons

Sandra drinks, sweet basil, basil and lemon syrup, basil syrup, cake decoration, candied citrus, candied lemon, lemon, lemon syrup, lemonade, summer, summer cocktail 0 Comments

Summer has arrived and summer drinks are in order! These days I’m alternating between large jugs of fresh, unsweetened iced green tea and glasses of a sweeter alternative: sparkly lemonade made with homemade basil and lemon syrup. Making your own lemonade syrup is much easier than you may think. Its base is a simple sugar […]

6 May 2020

Nettle bread rolls with lemon and tarragon

Sandra baking, breakfast/brunch, sides, snacks bread, fresh herbs, nettle bread, nettles, spring, vegan, vegan baking 0 Comments

Few wild plants evoke such strong, negative emotions as nettles. Everyone who has ever been stung by them (and who hasn’t?) knows to steer clear of those hairy leaves. With my own childhood burns almost as vivid in my memory as the teary faces of my girls after having walked straight into them, I used […]

6 May 2020

Cashew cream cheese with wild garlic and spring herbs

Sandra breakfast/brunch, side dishes, sides, snacks cashew cream cheese, cashew nuts, cream cheese, dairy free, dip, fresh herbs, gluten free, ramsons, soy free, spread, spring, vegan, vegan cream cheese, wild garlic 0 Comments

The shaded corners of my garden are filled with pretty white flowers, which means that the season for wild garlic is almost at its end. The pointed leaves of wild garlic are among the first to start growing after winter, which makes them a welcome herald of spring every year. And as I adore their […]

10 April 2020

Oven-roasted asparagus with vinaigrette, fresh herbs and capers

Sandra main dishes, mains, salads, side dishes, sides asparagus, fresh herbs, roasted asparagus, seasonal cooking, spring, vegan, vegetarian 0 Comments

Asparagus season is here! As I love this veg, I’m making the most of its wide availability and cook bunches of it every week these days. The sturdy green variety is particularly versatile. It can be blanched or griddled, used as part of a stir-fry or shaved in raw ribbons to make up a salad […]