Sweet Potato and Bacon Risotto

Sweet potatoes are super autumnal, wintery, comforting, delicious... There is something about them that makes the perfect meal when it's chilly outside. No wonder they are used so much around the Christmas holidays. You can probably find thousands of recipes out there to put them into and every single one of them is amazing.

Chocolate Macarons

Macarons... So delicious and delicate. So many people love them, but yet so few of them dare to make them. Yes, they do require a bit more TLC but once you set your mind to it you can do it.

These delicious bites of heaven were actually my husband's masterpiece. Since they were gone by the end of the night (yes, that's how yummy they are), I wanted to share the recipe. Just follow these steps and you'll be amazed by the baker inside you.

The Simple Bread Roll

I know I haven't been blogging for a little, but in between a wedding, new job and a bunch of other friends' and family celebrations to attend, I put my blog on the back burner...

So on this warm, autumnal Sunday I got the craving for some home made, soft rolls and I thought... Why not share the recipe?

The fact that these rolls are made without any eggs, milk and butter makes me rave even more about them. They are super light, soft and you can use them for pretty much anything...

Sandwiches, burgers, sausage rolls, gravy rolls...

Now you have endless possibilities to get creative here. You can either leave them plain or you can jazz them up a little bit. Right before you bake them you can brush them with olive oil and sprinkle whatever your heart desires:
sesame seeds, poppy

seeds, rock salt, salt and pepper, dried rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil... Really anything. I went with Italian seasoning blend.

Makes 12

Ingredients:

- 1 packet of active dry yeast
- 2tbs sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2tbs vegetable oil
- 1tsp salt
- 4 cups plain flour

Process:

- In a bowl, add the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let it sit for about 5min or until bubbles start to form.
- Add the oil and salt and give it a stir. Start adding the flour little by little, while stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. You should end up with a non-sticky dough, so you might have to add or subtract a few tablespoons of flour. Knead for about 5min. I used my mum's technique, throwing the dough in the air 100 times and let it fall on the surface :-)
- Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and put it aside for 1h so it can double in size.
- Then lay it on a lightly floured surface, punch the air out and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Form them into balls and put them on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving about an inch in between.
- Lightly cover the rolls with greased cling film and let them rise for 45min. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle your topping of choice (this step is optional).
- Preheat the oven to 200 C degrees. Bake for 12-14 min or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Bacon and Tomato Risotto

They say, if you can make risotto, you can make anything... Well honestly it's not that complicated :) I've perfected my way now and if you follow these steps, I promise you will end up with the creamiest, tastiest risotto you've ever had. So let's get going...

Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

Pasta salads are so popular, aren't they? They go with pretty much anything and can be very diverse. But one thing that's so, so common in each one of them is... wait for it... yes you guessed... Fatty mayo!! Pasta is already a high-caloric dish, why add hundreds more calories in it? I decided to share my grilled veggie pasta salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette that blows everyone's mind once they try it.

Vanilla Blueberry Cake

Last weekend I went to a charity coffee morning, dedicated to the MS Society. Everyone had a slice of cake and enjoyed a lovely cup of coffee or tea.
When I had to think of what dessert to make and bring over, I figured everyone likes vanilla and berries, so I went ahead and made a delicious combo of these two ingredients.

The cake by itself is amazingly delicious but when topped with the crumb topping it's definitely taken to the next level!! The crunchiness of the topping goes really well with the moist cake, which is perfect when enjoying it with a cup of coffee.

All I can say is that this was an absolute winner and people kept coming for more. Make it the next time you have visitors over... I promise you won't regret it!!


Ingredients:

For the cake mixture:

- 300g plain flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- 1/2tsp baking soda
- 1/2tsp salt
- 135g sugar
- 3tsp vanilla extract
- 1 heaped tbs sour cream (ricotta works too)
- 250ml milk
- 2 eggs
- 125g butter, at room temperature
- 375g fresh blueberries

For the crumb topping:

- 50g white sugar
- 50g brown sugar
- 2tbs plain flower
- 1/4tsp cinnamon
- 3tbs cold butter

Process:

- Preheat your oven to 190 C degrees and grease a spring form pan.
- In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Take two tbs of this mixture and toss with the blueberries to ensure they stay all over the cake, otherwise they'll drown to the bottom. Then, set aside.
- In another bowl mix the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry to the wet ingredients, mix well and then carefully fold in the blueberries. Pour this mixture in the greased pan and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add all the crumb topping ingredients and mix them well together. Sprinkle on top of the cake batter. Bake for 60min, let cool completely end enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Salad

I love the freshness of spring!! Veggies are in season, the farmer's market is full of people and the best of all... You can't wait to get home and make some fresh salad!!

Rice & Chicken (Oriz so Kokoska)

I've been loving this meal ever since I was past the baby food stage. No kidding! :-) There is a rice and chicken meal in almost every culture around the world, but since I grew up with the one that's common in Macedonia, it would have to be my favourite. My grandma makes it, my mum makes it, so that's why I make it now :-) And every time it brings back memories and puts me into my comfort zone :-)

Easy Chocolate Fondant

The best thing to do when hosting a dinner party is to prepare things in advance. That way you have the time to spend time with your guests and still wow them when it's dessert time. This chocolate fondant idea came about when my mum mentioned how it's one of her favourite sweet treats, so my husband rolled up his sleeves and buckled down the recipe. It's super easy, simple, yet it makes for a delicious and comforting treat. The reaction on everyone's face as the gooey chocolate comes out is priceless :) 

Chocolate Caramel Brownie Bites

This recipe is so good, it doesn't even need a description :) We all love chocolate brownies!! But when you add caramel to them, it takes them to the ultimate level of deliciousness :-D Now, you can use a store-bought sauce or if you have a minute to spare, make your very own salted caramel sauce. Tip: You could double up the sauce ingredient amount and use it as an ice-cream topping ;)

Pita Rustica

I love country food! It's warm, welcoming and super enjoyable. This definitely is a go-to recipe every time I am in a baking mood and it's always a hit. I've heard it being called pizza rustica, rustic pie, country pie, Easter ham pie..., but the first time I had it was called pita rustica and I am choosing to stick to that name :-)

Brisket Biscuit Sliders

Oh how I love weekends!! It's always so much fun to think of a nice dinner idea, have the house smell like heaven and indulge like never before...
Well, this weekend it was time for my Brisket Biscuit Sliders!! Yep, I know... It sounds amazing :-) And the best thing is that it's super easy to put this together. I cooked my brisket in a slow cooker, but you can also do this in the oven. So, let's roll!

Lightened up Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is probably a meal that floats everyone's boat. It's quick, simple, delicious and requires just a handful of ingredients that we all have in the fridge. It's the perfect meal to make after a long work day, on a lazy weekend or really whenever you crave some Mac & Cheese. The bonus is: kids love it!!

Now, normally people finish the meal with putting breadcrumbs on top and baking, which is very delicious. This lighter version comes together in 10min on the stove top, there are no breadcrumbs, no baking, and it requires less sauce... Less calories, less fuss, still very delicious!!

Millet Cakes

Who thought healthy food can be so delicious? Not me, for sure :-)
This recipe came up not because I planned on making millet cakes, but because I wanted to empty my pantry. Have you ever gone into that cleaning mode and sworn that you'll first use up everything you have and then go food shopping? Yep, that's what happened today. So, I thought I'd give this a go and... WOW! So delicious, super crispy and very filling (yet, so few calories) :-D

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake (Reform Torta)

Chocolate and walnuts... Ohhh such goodness!!
My grandma used to make this cake every time someone asked for a dessert. According to her, this is the only chocolate cake recipe you'd ever need because it's super rich, extremely comforting and very delicious!! Seriously, anyone you make this for, will love you forever... Yep, I promise :-D