Posts

Recipes › DIYs How To Make Rose Extract (Rose Essence) By Samira Kazan updated July 18, 2024 A simple DIY for homemade rose extract using organic edible rose petals. This extract is perfect for using within baked goods, puddings, cocktails, other drinks , and even for home and beauty uses . Plus, the process only requires two ‘ingredients’ and a super simple method! Rose flavor within Middle Eastern dishes and desserts is something I’ve grown up enjoying and have carried on loving throughout my time in London, too....

Recipes › Sides How To Make Simit (Turkish Bagel) By Samira Kazan updated July 18, 2024 How to make simit (aka Turkish bagel) at home with just 6 ingredients (vegan) – a delicious, sesame-crusted Turkish bread recipe perfect for a breakfast spread, sandwich, or snack! Turkish simit (also referred to as Turkish bagel or Gevrek) is a sesame-crusted bread that lies somewhere between a homemade bagel and a homemade soft pretzel ....

Ingredient Guides How To Make Tofu at Home – Two Simple Methods By Samira Kazan updated August 16, 2023 Two super simple methods for how to make tofu at home – this tofu DIY shows you the two different methods, using just a few ingredients for each method, is low-budget, and follows a simple process from soft to firm homemade tofu When I realized that making homemade tofu is pretty much like cheese making (which I’ve done a lot of recently), I was thrilled....

Ingredient Guides How To Roast Peppers (Three Methods) By Samira Kazan published March 13, 2024 Learn how to roast peppers using three different methods at home – perfect for adding sweetness and smokiness to your favorite dishes. If there’s one easy way to upgrade the flavor of any dish with peppers, it’s to roast them. Roast peppers blend sweetness and smokiness and these three techniques can be used on almost any variety – from bell pepper to chili....

Recipes › Drinks Mangonada By Samira Kazan published March 14, 2025 This Mangonada is a popular Mexican treat with a bold mix of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors! Made with mango, lime, and chamoy, it’s a quick and refreshing drink that’s perfect for summer. Why I love mangonada Ingredients How to make mangonada Can you freeze mangonada? More mango recipes you’ll love Mangonada Recipe Why I love mangonada Made with pure, real mango – it’s my go-to treat whenever I need something refreshing in the summer heat....

Recipes › Desserts Mixed Berry Crumble (With Streusel Topping) By Samira Kazan updated November 21, 2024 This mixed berry crumble is made with a delicious selection of fresh berries, topped with a delicious crunchy streusel topping (without oats). A super simple, quick mid-week dessert! If there’s one fall/winter dessert that I feel is so quintessentially comforting and ‘British,’ then it’s probably a delicious homemade fruit crumble. Originating post World War II, these crumbles were a delicious dessert that did not use as many ingredients as a traditional pie would require (there was strict rationing of food at the time)....

Seafood Oven-Baked Mackerel Recipe By Samira Kazan published January 23, 2026 Mackerel is at its best when cooked right: flaky, juicy, and full of flavor. This mackerel recipe roasts on one tray with fennel, zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, and shallots. The fish turns flaky and juicy, and the vegetables soak up every bit of flavor. Although some people skip mackerel because they expect it to taste too strong, this method proves just how tasty it can be....

Recipes › Mains Perfectly Braised Lamb Shanks By Samira Kazan updated March 07, 2025 These braised lamb shanks are succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender in a luxurious garlic, rosemary, & red wine sauce, complete with tender vegetables. A cozy, comforting, crowd-pleasing meal for dinner parties and family! This past year I’ve really come to appreciate low and slow cooking methods for transforming tough and sinewy proteins to succulent, melt-in-the-mouth, and extra tender....

Pantry Pomegranate Molasses Recipe (Classic + Sugar-Free) By Samira Kazan published February 06, 2026 Pomegranate molasses is a thick, glossy syrup made by reducing pomegranate juice until concentrated. It’s a staple across Middle Eastern cooking (including Lebanese cuisine) and adds an instantly bold sweet-tart note to dressings, marinades, dips, roasted vegetables, and even desserts. In this post, I will show you share two ways to make it: Classic (sweetened): more balanced, often reduces a bit faster....

Recipes › Drinks Simple Ginger Lemonade By Samira Kazan updated March 26, 2025 A refreshing, fresh ginger lemonade made with under five ingredients, naturally sweetened and perfect served with ice on a warm day! If you are someone that can’t stand the idea of a hot drink on a warm day, but wants to get a soothing cup of Ginger Tea, then this ginger lemonade may be for you. Using under 5 ingredients, being refined sugar-free, and packing a flavor punch, this lemonade is sure to delight....

Recipes › Breakfast Strawberry Baked Oatmeal (Hidden Cheesecake Center) By Samira Kazan updated June 07, 2024 This pink strawberry baked oatmeal is blended and baked to a cake-like consistency with an optional hidden cheesecake center! All you need is just 7 ingredients and under 30 minutes for this , gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, and optionally dairy-free strawberry oatmeal! If you want something that tastes like strawberry cheesecake cake for breakfast then this strawberry baked oatmeal is for you – using the current Tiktok trend of ‘blended baked oatmeal’ that transforms creamy oatmeal into a cake-like treat, this breakfast combines blended strawberry oatmeal with a hidden cream cheese ‘cheesecake’ center....

Recipes › Mains The Best Chicken Ramen By Samira Kazan updated November 06, 2024 The best chicken ramen includes a tasty broth with roasted chicken, mushrooms, noodles, and a jammy egg Рa quick, comforting Japanese-style meal in just 30 minutes! In Japan, ramen made from scratch is practically an artwork and a skill that takes years to perfect; from crafting the perfect ramen noodle to the ultimate full-bodied broth....

Recipes › Sides The Best Homemade Coleslaw Recipe By Samira Kazan updated March 29, 2025 A homemade coleslaw recipe is a must-have at any barbecue, but I like to enjoy my easy coleslaw recipe all year round. It’s a crispy, creamy slaw recipe packed full of flavor – and so easy to make. There might be no easier way to eat your veggies than in a recipe for coleslaw. With just a handful of coleslaw ingredients, you get a creamy recipe packed with vitamins that makes the perfect side dish or topping....

Seafood The Best Shrimp Cocktail By Samira Kazan published September 26, 2025 Shrimp cocktail feels fancy but takes just minutes to make. Once you’ve tried it with freshly poached shrimp and a bold, homemade sauce, you won’t want the store-bought kind again. This is how I’ve made it for years — poaching the shrimp gently with lemon, parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns, then chilling them until perfectly tender. While they cool, you can stir together the sauce using just a few pantry staples....

Lebanese Ashta (Creamy Middle Eastern Clotted Cream) By Samira Kazan published February 08, 2026 Ashta is the creamy filling and topping you’ll find in so many Lebanese and Middle Eastern desserts – think qatayef, knafeh/kunafa, and chilled puddings. This version is a shortcut method with quick active prep and a chill time, so you can make it at home without the long, traditional process. You can use this ashta dessert as a pastry filling (like qatayef ), spoon it over fruit, or enjoy it simply with a drizzle of honey and pistachios – especially during Ramadan when it shows up everywhere....

Ingredient Guides Authentic Corn Tortilla Recipe (Gluten-Free Tortillas) By Samira Kazan updated November 15, 2023 This authentic corn tortilla recipe requires just two ingredients for soft, pliable, flavor-packed gluten-free tortillas! Learn how to cook, store, and reheat these homemade corn tortillas! Recently I’ve loved hopping all the way around the world with my daily meals, from European mushroom ragu , Turkish simit , Asian mushroom dumplings , American soft pretzels , and now Mexican homemade corn tortillas – ready for all kinds of dishes like tacos, enchiladas, empanadas, tortilla chips , etc....

Recipes › Sides Best Oven-Roasted New Red Potatoes By Samira Kazan updated August 18, 2023 These oven roasted red potatoes are packed full of delicious, garlic flavor – and my recipe might just be the easiest way how to make roasted baby potatoes. These roasted garlic potatoes are a classic. They are so tender in the middle with a crispy exterior. You can enjoy them as an appetizer with dips, a perfect side dish with your favorite protein, or even keep some leftovers for next day’s breakfast hash....

Recipes › Sides Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts By Samira Kazan published February 03, 2025 Tossed in a savory-sweet seasoning, these Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts are the perfect mix of crispy, chip-like leaves and tender, moist centers. They’ve quickly become my go-to, whether for holiday dinners or when I need a quick, crowd-pleasing side. While I’ve always loved oven-roasted Brussels sprouts in the winter, this air fryer recipe has become my new favorite....

Recipes › Sides Crispy Roasted Potatoes By Samira Kazan published December 04, 2023 Perfectly crispy and golden, these crispy roasted potatoes are quick and simple to make for midweek dinners or as part of your holiday table. There isn’t much that can’t be improved by roasting, and these oven-roasted potatoes are the perfect blend of crispy, crunchy outsides and fluffy, tender insides. With just a few ingredients, you can have a delicious side dish packed full of flavor that takes minutes to put together and will improve any holiday spread....

Slow Cooker Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas By Samira Kazan updated August 30, 2024 These 5-ingredient crockpot chicken enchiladas are so easy to throw together – made with tender, juicy shredded chicken in enchilada sauce with beans and plenty of cheese! Easy crockpot meals have become a bit of a lifesaver for creating family-approved, easy weeknight dinners that are bursting with flavor for busy (and/or lazy) days. Like easy slow cooker beef stew , crockpot chicken tacos , and these homemade crockpot chicken enchiladas....