Category Archives: Food & Entertaining

FOOD HEAVEN | TOFU AND PUMPKIN LAKSA RECIPE

7 January 2015

food heaven, donna hay, recipes, tofu, laksa, pumpkin, coconut, exotic, flavoursome, easy, quick, inspiration, noodles, healthy, light cuisine

Time for a little bit of FOOD HEAVEN today. After Christmas I’m kind of fed up with meat, stews and root vegetables in general and am craving exotic flavours and light cuisine, something spicy and fresh without meat would be nice. And since I can’t just hop on the plane and jet off to Thailand I had a little browse on Donna Hay’s site, one of my favourites for recipe inspirations.

She has got a brilliant ‘fast weeknights’ section with simple, healthy and flavoursome recipes and this tofu and pumpkin laksa is definitely on the menu for us this week. I love the flavours in combination with noodles and tofu and I’m hoping the taste and smell will transport me straight to Koh Phi Phi.

TOFU AND PUMPKIN LAKSA

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
185g store-bought laksa paste
500ml chicken stock
2 x 400ml cans coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
800g pumpkin, peeled and sliced
400g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed and chopped
250g dried vermicelli noodles, cooked
300g silken tofu, sliced
4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves
2 long red chillies, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the laksa paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, coconut milk and fish sauce and bring to the boil. Add the pumpkin and cook for 12 minutes or until tender. Add the tenderstem broccoli and cook for a further 2 minutes or until tender. Divide the noodles between bowls and spoon over the soup. Top with the tofu, green onion, coriander and chilli to serve.

 
MORE INFORMATION & PHOTOGRAPHY | Donna Hay with thanks
 
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FOOD HEAVEN | SPICY CHICKPEA STEW

10 December 2014

lindsey love, dolly and oatmeal, food intolerances, gluten free, diary free, seasonal, fresh, produce, ingredients, recipe, amy chaplin, spicy chickpea stew, quinoa pilaf, wholesome, food styling, photography, brooklyn, trend, style, food heaven

I’m super excited to introduce you to Lindsey Love and her blog Dolly And Oatmeal today who kindly gave me permission to feature some of her beautiful food photography with a link to one of my favourite recipes.

If you haven’t already heard of her blog it’s been on my drool-roll for a loooong time. Not only does she cleverly use fresh seasonal produce but most recipes are gluten and diary-free as Lindsey has got some food intolerances. I love her attitude towards food which means feeding the body and mind in a more conscious and mindful way by creating nourishing and tasty meals. A commitment I fully subscribe to despite my occasional chocolate binge.

As you know I’m a stickler for detail and her top-notch food styling and photography had me at first glance. It’s a mostly rustic (that word again!) setting that gives off a real homely atmosphere featuring her awesome vintage dining table with some deliberately un-ironed napkins popping up occasionally as well as other barely noticed gorgeous props that simply complete the shot. She has a great eye for detail and composition and I could just dive into any of her recipes.

On her blog Lindsey also writes about her travels with hubby Frank and what’s happening in her Brooklyn neighbourhood. The spicy chickpea stew and quinoa pilaf is actually a recipe from one of her ‘heros’ and go-to’s for inspiration, Amy Chaplin. You can find this and many other wholesome seasonal recipes in Amy’s book At Home In The Whole Food Kitchen, which is going straight onto my Christmas wish list.

Now feast your eyes on these wholesome tasty teaser shots and hop over to Dolly And Oatmeal for the real deal – pssst… Lindsey uses delicata instead of butternut squash, genius!
 
lindsey love, dolly and oatmeal, food intolerances, gluten free, diary free, seasonal, fresh, produce, ingredients, recipe, amy chaplin, spicy chickpea stew, quinoa pilaf, wholesome, food styling, photography, brooklyn, trend, style, food heaven

lindsey love, dolly and oatmeal, food intolerances, gluten free, diary free, seasonal, fresh, produce, ingredients, recipe, amy chaplin, spicy chickpea stew, quinoa pilaf, wholesome, food styling, photography, brooklyn, trend, style, food heaven

lindsey love, dolly and oatmeal, food intolerances, gluten free, diary free, seasonal, fresh, produce, ingredients, recipe, amy chaplin, spicy chickpea stew, quinoa pilaf, wholesome, food styling, photography, brooklyn, trend, style, food heaven

 
MORE RECIPES & PHOTOGRAPHY | Dolly And Oatmeal with thanks
FROM | At Home In The Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin
 
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FOOD HEAVEN | ASIAN FALL VEGETABLES

14 November 2014

asian, fall, vegetables, recipe, gluten-free, seasonal, autumn, german, berlin, kraut-kopf, blog, dish, influence, world, ingredients, dairy-free, whole grains, simple, modern, contemporary, photography, wedding, bow-tie, label, fashion, style, trend, people to watch

Asian Fall Vegetables is a lip-smackingly delicious gluten-free recipe by talented photographers and kitchen wizards Susann and Yannic of the stylish German recipe blog Kraut-Kopf.

Fed to me via Pinterest (excuse the very bad pun) I was hooked on their simple, contemporary and minimalist aesthetics as well as their ethos of simple, healthy and balanced seasonal dishes incorporating influences from all over the world. With an awareness on ingredients they keep an eye on sugar, dairy products and grain. Cute little icons under each recipe show whether it’s vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free and if it is prepared with whole grains or without industrial sugar.

The site is a delight to browse with seasonal sections and a simple layout for ingredients and directions. After a quick chat with Susann I was delighted when she gave me permission to feature her Asian Fall Vegetables photography and I hope you’ll head over to Krautkopf for the real deal and to get your hands dirty.

On further investigation I found out that the multi-talented couple also shoot weddings and have created a little label called Paul’s Schleifen for handmade bow-ties. Whatever next? Watch this space… I’ll be keeping a close eye these hipsters from Berlin.
 

asian, fall, vegetables, recipe, gluten-free, seasonal, autumn, german, berlin, kraut-kopf, blog, dish, influence, world, ingredients, dairy-free, whole grains, simple, modern, contemporary, photography, wedding, bow-tie, label, fashion, style, trend, people to watch

asian, fall, vegetables, recipe, gluten-free, seasonal, autumn, german, berlin, kraut-kopf, blog, dish, influence, world, ingredients, dairy-free, whole grains, simple, modern, contemporary, photography, wedding, bow-tie, label, fashion, style, trend, people to watch

asian, fall, vegetables, recipe, gluten-free, seasonal, autumn, german, berlin, kraut-kopf, blog, dish, influence, world, ingredients, dairy-free, whole grains, simple, modern, contemporary, photography, wedding, bow-tie, label, fashion, style, trend, people to watch

asian, fall, vegetables, recipe, gluten-free, seasonal, autumn, german, berlin, kraut-kopf, blog, dish, influence, world, ingredients, dairy-free, whole grains, simple, modern, contemporary, photography, wedding, bow-tie, label, fashion, style, trend, people to watch

asian, fall, vegetables, recipe, gluten-free, seasonal, autumn, german, berlin, kraut-kopf, blog, dish, influence, world, ingredients, dairy-free, whole grains, simple, modern, contemporary, photography, wedding, bow-tie, label, fashion, style, trend, people to watch

asian, fall, vegetables, recipe, gluten-free, seasonal, autumn, german, berlin, kraut-kopf, blog, dish, influence, world, ingredients, dairy-free, whole grains, simple, modern, contemporary, photography, wedding, bow-tie, label, fashion, style, trend, people to watch

 
MORE INFORMATION & PHOTOGRAPHY | Kraut-Kopf
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY | Paul Liebt Paula
BOW-TIE LABEL | Paul’s Schleifen
 

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HARVEST EDITORIAL BY WICHMANN AND BENDTSEN

3 September 2014

wichmann, bendtsen, style, denmark, photography, autumn, harvest, fruit, jam, strawberry jam, sugar free, felicity cloake, perfect, how to make perfect, recipe, classic dishes, the guardian

I found this beautiful editorial by photographers Wichmann and Bendtsen when researching the Danish house by the sea back in August and I think it’s a perfect fit for the current season. Summer is coming to an end and fruit is ripe to be picked and made to jam, pies, cakes, tarts and other delicious treats.

Their romantic Danish setting is a beautiful backdrop for the harvest season and I love the contrast of the green backdrop and rustic weathered wood – just the perfect shade of silver grey for me.

To compliment their photography I searched high and low for some sugar-free jam recipes and sort of failed. It seems a bit tricky to cut out the sugar altogether as the lovely Felicity Cloake found out when writing her ‘How To Make Perfect’ strawberry jam column for the Guardian.

If you’re a food fanatic I highly recommend her book ‘Perfect’ for which she tried and tested endless recipes by famous chefs and authors to create the perfect version of 66 classic dishes from Spaghetti Bolognese to poached eggs. Below is her perfect recipe for Strawberry Jam but in the meantime enjoy these lovely shots by Wichmann and Bendtsen.

 

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wichmann, bendtsen, style, denmark, photography, autumn, harvest, fruit, jam, strawberry jam, sugar free, felicity cloake, perfect, how to make perfect, recipe, classic dishes, the guardian

 

STRAWBERRY JAM

Makes 4 x 200ml jars

INGREDIENTS:

2kg small ripe strawberries
1.7kg jam sugar
Juice of 2 lemons

DIRECTIONS:

1. Hull the strawberries and discard any rotten ones. Set aside about 10 of the smallest berries, and then mash the rest up into a rough pulp. Put into a wide, thick-bottomed pan, add the sugar and the lemon juice, and bring to the boil. Add the remaining strawberries to the pan, and put a saucer in the freezer.

2. Boil the jam for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly checking the setting point every minute or so during the last 5 minutes. To do this, take the cold saucer out of the freezer, put a little jam on it, and put it back in to cool for a minute. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, then it’s done. Strawberry jam is unlikely to set very solid though, so don’t expect the same results as you would with a marmalade.

3. Take off the heat and skim off the pink scum. Pour into sterilised jars and cover with a disc of waxed paper, seal and store.

 
PHOTOGRAPHY | Wichmann and Bendtsen with thanks
RECIPE | Felicity Cloake with thanks
 
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FOOD HEAVEN | WARM ASPARAGUS SALAD

24 July 2014

food heaven, recipe, warm, asparagus, salad, walnuts, parmesan, lemon, olive oil, quick, easy, gourmettraveller, australia

Here’s a quick, easy and most importantly healthy recipe that’ll take you 20 min to prep and 5 min to cook. It’s via Gourmet Traveller, Australia’s premier food and travel magazine who always seem to have a new and innovative take on old favourites.

It’s a great site for recipe inspiration as it’s well structured with beautiful photography and interesting features from around the globe. Fabulous for pinning those delicious food shots too.

Talking of photography you can imagine, I absolutely adore the styling of this warm asparagus salad by Lucy Weight, Emma Knowles, Lisa Featherby & Alice Storey. Lovely touch with the vintage lamp and chair just creeping into the shot. Yum!

NOTE: If you’re a bit of an asparagus fan like myself check out this tortilla too!

WARM ASPARAGUS SALAD
INGREDIENTS:

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, peeled, cut diagonally into 5cm lengths
80 ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
80 gm walnuts, coarsely chopped
100 gm firm ricotta, crumbled
50 gm parmesan, shaved

To serve:
baby basil leaves
Juiceof 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Cook asparagus in boiling salted water until just tender (1-2 minutes). Drain and transfer to a bowl.
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add walnuts and stir occasionally until just golden (1-2 minutes), then pour onto asparagus, season to taste and toss to combine.
To serve, transfer asparagus to a platter and scatter ricotta, parmesan and basil leaves over, drizzle with lemon juice and serve immediately.

 

 
VIA | Gourmet Traveller
RECIPE | Emma Knowles, Lisa Featherby & Alice Storey
PHOTOGRAPHY | William Meppem
STYLING | Lucy Weight, Emma Knowles, Lisa Featherby & Alice Storey
 
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