Monthly Archives: September 2010

World’s Easiest Strawberry Milkshake

Posted in Drinks, Leftover Ideas by

This is a delicious, super-easy milkshake that’s also a great way to use up any extra milk and strawberries. Even if the fruit is already a little soft, it’s perfect in this recipe. With agave syrup, it’s a great snack for those on a low-GI diet, though you can also use sugar or honey in its place.

Adjust the quantities to your liking, but here’s what worked for me when I made the recipe last night:

250ml skim milk
14 medium strawberries, hulled and washed
Agave syrup, to taste

Put all ingredients in blender and process until mostly smooth. Taste and adjust sweetener as desired.

Breakfast Blizzard Smoothie

Posted in Drinks by

This was one of the first smoothies I ever made and I still love it. Just combine everything in a blender and process until smooth. Serves 2.

1 15-oz. can fruit cocktail (in juice)
1 cup plain or vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 cup orange or pineapple juice
1 banana
6-8 ice cubes

Spaghetti al Crudo

Posted in Pasta & Rice Dishes by

Literally, spaghetti with a raw, or uncooked, sauce. It’s typically made with tomatoes, capers, olives, and anchovies. It’s a great dish to make during the summer because it requires a minimum of cooking and uses beautiful, fresh, quality ingredients. I made it over the weekend as a sort of last goodbye to the warm weather this year.

This recipe comes from London star chef Giorgio Locatelli. He says that on a hot day in Italy, many people add a tin of tuna to the sauce.

Serves 4

2 Tbsp. capers (baby ones if possible — if they’re very large, chop them up a little)
4 Tbsp. pitted back olives, quartered
5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 very large tomatoes, or 3 smaller ones (the best quality you can find), finely chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato passata
400g spaghetti
1 bunch basil
5 Tbsp. olive oil

Put all the ingredients except the spaghetti, basil, and half the oil in a wide bowl and mix together, but don’t heat. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper — though go easy on the salt, as the anchovies will add plenty.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, then drop in the pasta. Cook it for about a minute less than the time given on the package so it will be al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, place the bowl with the tomato mixture over the top of the pasta pot, so that the ingredients gently heat without being cooked.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it, but reserve the cooking water. Add the pasta to the bowl with the tomato mixture and toss, then add the rest of the oil and toss again. Add a touch of the cooking water if needed to loosen. Tear the basil leaves, sctatter on top, and toss again. Serve immediately.

Simple Vegetable Curry

Posted in Leftover Ideas, Vegetables by

This thick curry is a great way to use up any leftover vegetables. I had a bunch of cut vegetables leftover from a weekend cookout, and I was able to use them all. I found the recipe on one of my favorite food sites, LoveFoodHateWaste.

I recommend scaling the recipe based on how many vegetables you have to use. Serve it over rice, and bon appetit.


675g leftover vegetables of any type (I used zucchini/courgettes, eggplant/aubergines, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and even celery. Other ideas include potatoes or sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, baby corn, cauliflower, and green beans.)
2 tablespoons canola/rapeseed oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (yes, you do want to use this many)
100g block creamed coconut*, diluted in 200ml of warm water
4 Tbsp. red curry paste, such as Madras or Masaman
14 oz./400g can chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Cilantro (coriander sprigs) to garnish, if available (don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand)

If using potatoes, boil them in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. Chop them and all the vegetables in big chunks and set them aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a large splash of the coconut “water” and curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook until mixture resembles a very thick paste.

Add the vegetables, salt, and the remaining coconut water. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the liquid is evaporated and the vegetables are tender. Ganish with cilantro, if you have it, and serve atop basmati rice.

*I was new to creamed coconut when I began this recipe, but I found it easy to use and with a fresher coconut flavor than coconut milk. Here is a great explanation of coconut ingredients.