We are big poke fans in our house; it’s one of my favourite places to eat out with the kids as they can build their own bowl with things like rice, edamame, carrot and sweet corn and make themselves a way healthier meal than they would have done at 99% of restaurants with a kids menu.

I LOVE aubergine. It’s my favourite vegetable (which for me is a big deal as I also LOVE vegetables very much and try not to discriminate between them) and whenever I’m out at a restaurant, if there’s aubergine to be had I’m all over it. Trips to visit my cousins in Israel are basically just massive aubergine fests, as they do the most incredible dishes with tahini and pine nuts and they’re basically just heaven on a plate. I created my Israeli-inspired roasted aubergine recipe after one such visit but don’t get me wrong, my favourite vegetable has a lot more to offer, so I felt the need to share with you another of my fave ways of eating it. Continue reading →

Turkish food is without a doubt one of my favourite cuisines – they’ve got the dips, the salads and the grills totally nailed, plus they share my eternal infatuation with aubergine, so for me I always know I’m going to eat well when I go to a Turkish restaurant. And that’s no mean feat I’ll have you know – it’s pretty rare that I go out for dinner and don’t have to worry about there being something Emma-friendly on the menu.

We used to go to a certain little Turkish place that my grandpa liked when he was alive, it was nothing fancy, but had a lovely atmosphere and delicious food. I’m pretty boring when it comes to menus; when I find something I like I’ll stick to it, and such is the case with stuffed aubergines (or imam bayildi). I’m obsessed with aubergine, and stuffed with onions, garlic and tomatoes these beauties are a serious contender for what I might choose as my death row meal. Continue reading →

This salad is like sunshine in a bowl. It’s inspired by my favourite dish at the gorgeous LLS cafe near me in Hampstead, which if you’re ever in the area you have to visit! It’s also amazingly good for you thanks to the anti-inflammatory superpowers of turmeric and all the beta carotene packed into the carrots, not to mention good fats from the seeds. And then there’s the cauliflower – YUM. I’ve recently become a bit of a cauliflower addict (ok a lot of a cauliflower addict) although growing up I was never really a fan. But what changed? Well I discovered roasted cauliflower, which turned my world upside down to say the least. It’s just so delicious, and roasted in some olive oil, turmeric and a little pinch of salt? Phoar. Continue reading →

This dish came about after Mr H, baby H and I visited my brother in Sydney in December last year. While we were out there we went to some amazing middle eastern restaurants, and butternut squash (or pumpkin) seemed to be on the menu everywhere, so I kinda got into it in a massive way. That and acai bowls, but that’s a different story for a different recipe.  Continue reading →

I love a good dal, especially in the winter. It’s warming, nourishing and comforting, full of spice and just so tasty – basically everything you need to ‘stoke up your little fire’ as my mum would say on a cold day. Today is one such day, I’m sitting here in my slippers and dressing gown trying convince myself that I don’t actually need to leave the house (I do), but before I brave the arctic conditions outside I’m going to write this article and give the great outdoors a chance to warm up a little first.

But back to dal. I’ve already told you how much I love it, but sometimes I don’t feel like eating a whole bowl of lentils, so I wanted to come up with a legume-free version, especially as some of my family don’t eat beans or lentils at all and I wanted to create something they would enjoy too.

I also love my slow cooker. Like big time. And even more so since the arrival of baby H. The good thing about this is there’s literally 10 minutes of preparation which you can do at any point during the day, then chuck the food in the slow cooker, push on and get on with your day. Fast forward to dinner time and the crock pot will have worked it’s magic and all you need to do is a little mashing – it’s THAT easy!

I won’t waste any more of your time though (and I really do need to go out now, those groceries won’t buy themselves unfortunately) but I will say that if you’re in the market for a comforting and nourishing meal, this is just the ticket!

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• A large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into chunks
• A large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
•  6 dried apricots, finely chopped
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bird eye chilli
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 can light coconut milk
• handful of fresh coriander to serve

To make the paste, sauté the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli and spices on a medium heat for around 5 minutes or until the onion and garlic goes translucent, then pop this in your slow cooker with all the other ingredients except the coconut milk.

Cook on ‘high’ for 4 hours, then mash well (the veggies should be super soft so this should be really easy) and stir in the coconut milk. Leave to cook for another 10 minutes then serve in a bowl with some fresh coriander on top and a side of brown rice or quinoa – a winter warmer at its best!

Love, Mrs H xx

Italian food has to be right up there when it comes to comfort food – I mean what could be more cosy and warming on a chilly winters day than a big old bowl of pasta with a rich, creamy sauce?

You might think that by not eating gluten or dairy that such meals are wholly in my past life, but do not fear, as I have only gone and resurrected the carbonara and given it a delicious healthy makeover. And a much needed one in my opinion, as although I did used to like a plate of spaghetti de temps en temps, carbonara was always just that little bit TOO rich and creamy for my taste buds (and my tummy). Continue reading →

A few weeks or so after little baby H was born, Mr H and I were having lunch with his sister and she started telling us about this 30 day cleanse she’d been doing, where you basically cut out all gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, grains and legumes for a month and then you supposedly feel awesome (and for some people, lighter) at the end. It’s called Whole30 and it’s really popular in the States and is currently growing momentum this side of the pond too.  Continue reading →

One pot dishes are just the best things ever, especially if like me you love a bit of batch cooking. So often it gets to Sunday night and I realise that there’s nothing in the fridge, I don’t fancy a takeaway but at the same time I can’t really be bothered to cook. Luckily for me (and Mr H) I’ve got into a bit of a habit of cooking massive amounts of food and freezing the leftovers for such occasions, and I’ll tell you it’s a real lifesaver sometimes (not to mention a money-saver too)! Continue reading →

There’s no denying that a baked potato covered with baked beans is just the ultimate in easy, simple comfort foods. It’s the classic university student staple as it doesn’t require much in the way of culinary genius and it’s a really inexpensive (but still filling) meal. Although it’s certainly not the worst thing you could eat, along with most dishes favoured by those making their first foray into the kitchen it’s not the healthiest thing ever as tinned baked beans tend to be full of sugar (and other unfavourables) and potatoes can be very starchy and therefore quite stodgy. Continue reading →