Foodie Corner
My love for food is well known among those who know me, and I just realised that I haven’t shared a blog post about my favourite recipes in a while. So tonight, feeling inspired, I’m excited to bring you more of my favourite dishes.
In my last food-related post, I confessed my addiction to weekly markets and my love for buying seasonal greens. At home, we never eat pre-cooked meals or anything that comes in a package—I always choose fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Have you ever stopped to think about how much time we spend in the kitchen, and even more so, how much time we spend planning our daily meals? Cooking with fresh, seasonal vegetables makes life so much easier.
At home, we only eat twice a day. For many, that might sound challenging, but for us, it has been one of the best lifestyle changes we’ve made. Not only do we experience better digestion, but we also have more time for the things we love.
We enjoy a late-morning brunch and an early dinner, just before sunset. We cherish slow mornings, taking our time to enjoy a peaceful breakfast. This is a sacred moment for us, where we practise mindfulness and are fully present with our food.
Mindful eating is a great way to start being more conscious of your food. It means paying full attention to what and how you eat. Instead of eating in a rush, distracted by your phone or TV, you slow down and truly enjoy your food. Mindful eating can help you appreciate food more, improve digestion, and even prevent overeating. It’s a simple way to build a better relationship with food!
How to introduce mindful eating:
• Try to eat without distractions—turn off the TV, put down your phone, and focus on your meal.
• Take small bites and chew slowly—this helps you really taste your food and feel satisfied.
• Notice the flavours, textures, and smells—enjoy every bite as if it’s something special.
• Listen to your body—eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re comfortably full.
• Appreciate your food—think about where it comes from and how it nourishes you.
All this talk about healthy, seasonal food might have you wondering: do we ever indulge in a good dessert or a sweet treat? The answer is: absolutely! While we don’t eat them every week, we do love to enjoy something special on certain occasions. And as I promised in my last Foodie Corner post, today I’m sharing some of our favourite desserts.
Carrot Cheesecake Cake with Mascarpone Cream
This has always been a favourite in our home. We love the cream, we love the cheese, and we love carrots—but most of all, we love the incredible combination of flavours and textures! The creaminess of the mascarpone, the delicious flavour of the cheesecake, and the warm, spiced notes of the cake create the perfect duo.
I discovered this recipe from Dulce Sentimiento, a book I’m a total fan of!
Ingredients:
For the Carrot Cake Base
• 120ml sunflower oil.
• 2 medium eggs.
• 300g carrots, grated.
• 140g spelt flour.
• 120g coconut or brown sugar.
• 75g walnuts, chopped.
• 1 Tea spoon baking powder.
• 1 Tea spoon cinnamon.
• 1 Tea spoon nutmeg.
• 2 crushed cardamom pods.
• A pinch of salt.
For the Cheesecake Layer
• 250ml heavy cream.
• 100g sugar.
• 200g of fresh cheese.
• 100g of Philadelphia cheese.
• 2 medium eggs.
• 1 Greek yogurt.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Preparation
1. Prepare the carrot cake batter: Beat the eggs with the sugar, then add the oil. Fold in the grated carrots (squeezing out any excess moisture). In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then combine with the wet mixture. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
2. Make the cheesecake mixture: Blend the cream, yoghurt, sugar, and cheeses carefully to avoid incorporating too much air.
3. Assemble the cake: Line a springform pan, then pour in the carrot cake batter. Carefully layer the cheesecake mixture on top.
4. Bake in a water bath: Place the pan in a baking dish with about 1 cm of water and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 75 minutes.
5. Chill before serving: Allow the cake to cool, then refrigerate for at least two hours before removing from the pan.
6. Prepare the mascarpone cream: Beat together the mascarpone, double cream, sugar (or sweetener), vanilla, and orange zest until smooth and creamy.
7. Assemble: Spread the mascarpone cream over the cooled cake. Optionally, sprinkle with extra nuts or cinnamon for decoration.
Enjoy!
This cake is soft, flavourful, and naturally sweetened, perfect for a special treat!
Treat yourself to this delightful cake, and let me know, are you also a fan of spiced desserts?
Lemon Paradise Cake
We love lemons—they’re one of our favourite fruits! After experimenting with loads of recipes, I came across this one, which has made us really happy.
When I bake cakes for ourselves, I always try to avoid refined sugars and flours. I don’t eat gluten, but when I make these cakes, I use spelt flour. Although it contains gluten, it is easier to digest. I also always try to use organic flours and the best ingredients I can find.
Ingredients:
200g spelt flower.
100g coconut sugar or brown sugar.
100g olive oil o coconut oil.
1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
3 large eggs.
10g of bicarbonate of soda.
A pinch of salt.
120ml of buttermilk (full fat milk with 1/2 lemon juice).
Topping lemon cream:
Condensed milk with lemon juice.
Black sesame seeds.
Preparation
1. Prepare the buttermilk – Add ½ lemon juice to the milk and let it curdle. Do not stir. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven – Set to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease a 20 cm diameter baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving extra overhang for easy removal.
3. Mix the wet ingredients – In a stand mixer, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside. Beat the oil, sugar, egg yolks, and lemon zest for 2 minutes.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients – Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add them to the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the egg whites.
5. Bake – Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Cool and de-mould – Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and allow it to cool completely before serving.
7. Decorate – Top with the lemon cream mix and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.
Enjoy this incredible lemon beauty, and let me know what you think!
Gluten Free Donuts
Since I don’t eat gluten—except on special occasions—one afternoon, I found myself with some leftover almonds from making plant-based milk. I make my own almond milk, and I never quite know what to do with the leftover pulp, so I usually end up freezing it.
A while ago, I was in the kitchen when Alexa suggested this incredible recipe. These treats are amazing, and they’ve become my little pleasure!
Ingredients:
80 grams almond milk leftovers (raw almond and dates).
1 egg.
1 Table spoon of almond milk.
1 Table spoon of coconut oil.
1 Table spoon of pure cocoa.
1 Table spoon of sweetener or honey.
1 Tea spoon of vanilla extract.
1 Tea spoon of baking powder.
Topper.
Dark chocolate, coconut oil and seeds or nuts.
Preparation:
This is a super easy one-bowl batter! Simply mix all the ingredients together, pour the batter into a silicone doughnut mould, and microwave for 2 minutes. This recipe makes 4 to 6 mini doughnuts.
For the topping, melt some dark chocolate with a little coconut oil, then dip the doughnuts into the mixture. Sprinkle with your favourite seeds or nuts for extra crunch.
I like to let them chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, and OMG, they turn out absolutely delicious! Perfect to enjoy with a warm cup of chai tea.
I hope you enjoy these delicious recipes as much as we do! Cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients and indulging in homemade treats makes every meal special. Whether it’s a comforting carrot cake or a quick batch of chocolate-dipped mini doughnuts, food should be a joy to prepare and share.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes—I’d love to hear your thoughts! And stay tuned for more foodie inspiration in the next Foodie Corner, where we’ll explore our passion for Italian dishes.
Until then, happy cooking and happy eating!