Ethiopian Mild Split Pea Stew / Kik Alich'a

Sometimes it's the simpler recipes that stick the closest with you, and that's certainly the case with me and this Ethiopian split pea stew, called kik alich'a (ክክ፡አሊጫ) in Amharic. I first fell in love with this dish as a teenager in Ethiopia and have stayed in love every since - just the smell of it cooking on the stove brings back so many memories. I wish I could remember our houseworker's recipe as it was the best, but what I use today is based on Ato Daniel's cookbook. I hope it brings you as much warmth and comfort as it does me!

Chocolate Tahini Spread

When you're not feeling the store and have extra tahini on hand this recipe is a lovely solution to a craving for Nutella! Not at all the same, but still quite delicious and well worth a try! I've mostly followed Brunch and Batter's recipe - which about half fills a jam jar for me - but feel free to check out the original if you want some coffee flavour on top of the chocolate!

Easy Avocado Toast

This is my go-to avocado toast, which I'm posting mostly 'cause I keep forgetting my favourite ratio of salsa to avocado. I'm sure there's better out there, but this is a quick, easy meal or snack when you're wanting to eat something on the healthier side of things, but don't want to spend an age preparing it. I hope you like it as much as my family does!

Congee with Chicken

I have tried for years to find a congee recipe I actually like - as opposed to endure - and had given up until recently when I decided to give savoury rice porridge for breakfast once more try. Southeast Asia is home to some of my favourite cuisines as well as a large southern Chinese diaspora, so I decided to take a look at Thai and Vietnamese recipes for congee and use them as a springboard. (Hungry Huy's recipe and Thai Awesome's recipe were particularly helpful.)

Satay Pasta Salad

This is a bit of a fusion dish, a beautiful marriage of pasta salad and Indonesian satay sauce. My recipe for the sauce is based on Little Green Dot's recipe, so if you want something more authentic check out the original. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!

Yangnyeom Tofu

This is another beautiful recipe from Maangchi! I've made modifications here and there to better fit my family's preferences, but as always feel free to follow the link and try out the original recipe. This dish is a lovely balance of spicy and sweet and takes tofu from a health choice to a delight! Enjoy!

Easy Penne Pasta Salad

I had completely forgotten about the existence of pasta salads until I spent some time with my sister this past spring and she made one to have on hand for easy work lunches. Needless to say the flame of this old love was rekindled, and the recipe below is the child of that love! (Oh dear...) The keeper recipe I've finally settled on is mostly drawn from Taste of Home and A Southern Soul, but with tweaks to fit my own tastes better. It's not the most exciting dish, but when I'm craving a lot of veggies and needing something that'll fill me up it fits the bill quite nicely! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have this summer!

Kasha with Mushrooms

When I was studying and working in the former Soviet Union I quickly discovered that not eating mushrooms really wasn't an option if I wanted to be a good guest. Thankfully I soon found I enjoyed many of the ways mushrooms are prepared in Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. Today's recipe features one of my favourites: Buckwheat kasha with mushrooms. I've generally followed Olga's lovely recipe with some borrowings from Adina's recipe and adaptations to better fit my own taste. If you try it out I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, and do!

Sauce Algérienne

I fell in love with sauce algérienne on a visit to southern France during which I randomly got a baguette sandwich out and about and discovered the beautiful taste of "Algerian sauce." I think people around the world have a tendency to think of their food, culture, et cetera, as static and pure until X, Y, or Z people showed up (to ruin it, of course!), when in reality food, culture, and people themselves are a constant, churning mishmash of everything. What would Greece be without Ethiopia's coffee? The USA without England's apple pie? France without Austria's croissants? (Or sauce algérienne!)

Breakfast Kasha

Buckwheat kasha is a staple in many parts of Eastern Europe, and was a breakfast favourite of mine when I was living in Russia and Ukraine. It's one of the many foods that was once a staple for me, but ceased to be after I moved to East Asia (although I was able to get buckwheat noodles there, so buckwheat was still in my life in one form or another!). Since it's only now making a comeback in my life I've based the following recipes on Natasha's lovely kasha recipe. The sweet version is easy and simple and thus my go-to on a weekday morning when I'm craving kasha. The flavour of buckwheat can be an adjustment for some people, but I find it a nice change from plainer porridges like cream of wheat or oatmeal, and is certainly worth a try given its health benefits. If you do give it a try, I hope you enjoy!