300 g flour
200 g sugar (any kind – I used brown “Rohrsucker”)
2 tblsp of the best cocoa powder you can find
175 g whole almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 heaped tsp ground cloves
1/2heaped tsp ground cinnamon
Grated peel of 1 organic (or at least unwaxed) lemon, washed.
3 whole eggs

Preheat oven to 175 C.

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, whole almonds, baking powder, clove and cinnamon thoroughly.

Add lemon peel and eggs and knead to a uniform dough. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Shape the dough into two approx. 20 cm long rolls. Place on baking paper and flatten them slightly to achieve the classic biscotti shape.

Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. When the rolls are cool enough to handle, using a very sharp knife, cut them into approx. 1 cm slices and bake again for ten minutes.

Let cool completely and keep in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

And remember – biscottis are supposed to be hard. That way, at least those of us with old teeth have an excuse to dip them in our coffee before eating.

NOTE: The recipe that inspired me did not mention neither thyme, rosemary, ginger or garlic, but I think those flavours are required, and go well here. Alternatively at least a couple of bayleaves. There is no reason to make northern European food more bland and boring than it has to be. Perhaps I’ll add garam masala and chili next time.

It did list a dl of cream, but I have never been able to see the point in adding cream to savoury dishes, so I threw in 100 g oats instead (since I am trying to incorporate oats into everything these days).

Cut the chestnuts, potatoes, onions and garlic in large pieces and add, together with the ginger to a pan and sizzle in the butter (or ghee).

Add the stock, thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper and bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Fish out the herbs, and blend the rest. Season and serve garnished with chopped parsley or roasted oats.

650-700 g hokkaido, in 2 cm pieces.

200 g cooked chickpeas

100 g oats, plus some for garnishing, roasted in ghee or oil

250 g broccoli, in pieces

100 g snow peas, trimmed and halved

200 g chopped red onion

3 (or more) finely chopped garlic cloves

20 g finely chopped ginger

3 tblsp coconut oil

2 tblsp sugar (coconut blossom sugar if available)

2 tsp Thai red currypaste, OR fresh lemongrass, lime leaves and chili

400 ml coconut milk

Salt and pepper

Lime or lemon juice

Fresh koriander

NOTE: An ice-cream scooper usually helps to carve away pumpkin seeds and fluff.

Also, Contrary to what many recipes will have you believe, it is not necessary to remove the peel. When cooked, it is eminently edible, and there is nutrition, colour and texture which it is a shame to waste.

Sautée onion, garlic and ginger in the oil.

Add sugar and let it lightly caramelise.

Add currypaste or lemongrass/lime leaves/chili and stir.

Add coconutmilk and bring to a simmer

Add pumpkin and chickpeas and simmer for ten minutes.

Add broccoli and snow peas and simmer for about three minutes.

Season with salt, pepper and lemon or lime juice, and garnish with the chopped fresh coriander and roasted oats.

1 butternut squash

2 cloves garlic

2 red onions

1 tin tomatoes

1 tblsp harissa

1 knob fresh ginger

1 tsp turmeric

2 tblsp olive oil

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

Bayleaves

1 tblsp honey

1 tsp smoked paprika

100 g feta

Herbs to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200 C

Halve the squash and remove the seeds with a spoon or an ice scooper, depending on the size of the cavity.

Place the squash peel up and cut almost through at about 4 mm intervals. Place a pencil on either side to make sure you do not cut it all the way through.

Slice garlic and onions and mix with the tinned tomato and 1 tblsp olive oil, season with turmeric, chili, salt and pepper, and spread this mixture in a small baking tray.

Place the squash peel up on top of this layer. Place a couple of bayleaves in the slits. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil on the squash halves and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Paint the squash halves with honey, dust with smoked paprika and bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.

Scatter feta cheese over the halves for the last ten minutes in the oven, or just before serving.

Again recently, a lot has been written about the health benefits of oats, so my current obsession is to try to incorporate oats into as many meals as possible.

In this case served with one of my favourite aubergine dishes – an old faithful.

2,5 dl oats

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic and a small knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped

5 dl vegetables, in this case red pepper and zucchini, chopped

1 dl cooked green lentils

1 small tsp turmeric

Salt

Chili to taste, in whichever form you have available

1 tsp garam masala

Dry-roast the oats till they smell good.

Heat the oil and sizzle the cumin seeds. Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté.

Add the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients except the oats, and sauté till the vegetables soften. If it starts to dry up, add water rather than oil.

Add the oats, stir well, and cook through.

Garnish with (preferably) fresh coriander, or any other herb you have available.

There are many recipes on-line. This time, I did this (note that whatever I do, I never add bread, nor water):

• 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 1 kg ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• Large glug of the best olive oil you can find
• Small glug of the best sherry or red wine vinegar you can find
• Salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bonus tip if you are the lucky owner of both a food processor and a blender: Save yourself a lot of fine-chopping for the blender and run the vegetables in chunks in the food processor first, and then blend with the rest of the ingredients. Time-wise, that is worth the extra washing up.

Pour some of the gazpacho into an ice-cube tray and freeze. That way, you have ice cubes to add when serving that will not dilute the soup.

(That is a little bit too much sugar for my taste, so I reduced it a bit, especially since I will be serving it with a crema catalana, which is already quite sickly-sweet). And yes, my next course should be food photography :-).

For the base

• 0,5 l milk
• 4 tsp cornstarch
• 3 dl whipping cream
• 100 g sugar
• 1 nip salt
• 3 tbsp cream cheese

Rhubarb Jam

• 500 g rhubarb, washed, topped and tailed, and sliced
• 100 g sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise and cut into two or three pieces to let the contents escape into the jam

1. Bring rhubarb, sugar, vanilla bean to a boil. Let simmer, covered, for five minutes. Puree with an immersion blender and let simmer again till a jam-like texture. Let cool completely in the fridge.

1. Bring milk, 1 dl whipping cream, sugar and salt to a boil and cook, whisking, for a couple of minutes. Thicken with the cornstarch and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.
2. Combine cream cheese and about a quarter of the milk mixture, whisking until smooth, then whisk in remaining milk mixture. Chill completely in the fridge.
3. Combine rhubarb and milk mixture when both are completely chilled. Whip the remaining cream and fold in the rhubarb mixture. Freeze, stirring every half hour till the right texture (unless of course you have an ice cream machine.

Loosely based on this recipe (altered to fit the size of plate and the ingredients I had available and some that needed to be used up): https://originalbeans.com/recipe/edel-weiss-cardamom-macadamia-squares/.

3 large or 4 small eggs

325 g butter or oil (I used half butter, half olive oil and a splash of sesame oil)

300 g sugar (I used brown sugar)

1 tsp cardamom seeds, finely ground

2 tsp ground ginger

Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed oranges

30 g plain flour

50 g unsweetened cocoa powder and 25 g cacao nibs

200 g white chocolate

115 g cashew nuts, coarsely ground

Beat the eggs till fluffy, then add butter/oil and sugar and keep beating. Then mix in the spices and the orange zest, and then the flour, cocoa powder and cacao nibs (if using). Finally fold in the cashew nuts.

Bake at 200 C for 30 minutes.

The Kadhi

• 50 g chickpea flour, aka besan, aka gram flour
• 3,5 dl plain yoghurt, brought to room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 12 dl water
• 2 tablespoons mustard oil
• 1/2 teaspoon methi aka fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon hing aka asafoetida
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 generous tablespoon  chopped ginger
• 1 generous tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Mix chickpea flour and yoghurt in a large bowl, and whisk till well combined.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder and whisk well, making sure there are no lumps.
3. Add water and mix well. Set aside.
4. Heat 2 tblsp mustard oil on medium-high heat. Add fenugreek and cumin seeds till they splutter and then add the hing.
5. Add the sliced onion and green chili and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Then add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook for another 1 minute or so until the ginger and garlic start changing color.
7. With the heat still on medium-high, add the chickpea flour-yogurt mixture into the pan, stirring continuously till it starts to boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt half-way through.
8. When considerably thickened and completely cooked, and just before adding the pakora, add the cilantro.
9. Take into account that the tadka thickens as it cools down, so you may need to add a little more water.

Pakora

• 100 g chickpea flour
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 250 g peas
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ajwain
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 0,5 dl water and possibly a bit more, as needed
• 1/2 teaspon baking soda
• Enough oil to fry the pakora half-way submerged, then flipped over

Tadka

• 1.5 tablespoons ghee or oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 generous pinch ajwain
• Red chili to taste – dried, fresh, flakes, whatever is available

1. Heat ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once ghee is hot, add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and a generous pinch of ajwain. Add 2-3 dried red chilies (you can break them for extra heat).
2. Pour tadka over kadhi, garnish with more cilantro and serve with rice or quinoa.