Photo: Craig Strachan / Flickr

This stuffed mushroom recipe will take just less than half an hour to prepare and half an hour to cook. You will need twelve large black mushrooms to serve six people. You will also require butter, sunflower oil, onion, garlic, rosemary needles, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, sugar, mozzarella cheese and some flaked almonds. The stuffed black mushrooms can be prepared well ahead of time if the dish is then covered and refrigerated. Bring it back to room temperature before baking and serving it though. (Read more…)

Photo: Roger Blackwell / Flickr

Dr Darren Baker, of the Mayo Clinic, has shown that ageing cells in mice can have detrimental effects on the healthy cells around them. Further, he has found that if the ageing cells are destroyed, the negative effects on surrounding cells are removed. This new finding suggests that something known, as the Hayflick limit might be true. The Hayflick limit describes the upper bound of how many times a cell can divide and multiply. It is possibly an anti-cancer mechanism. (Read more…)

Photo: vegan traveller / Flickr

These sweet and sour onions are great as a starter or they can be eaten as an accompaniment to a meat dish. Otherwise serve them with bread and cheese if you’re planning on a picnic or a simple lunch. You will need 500 grams of pickling onions, olive oil, brown sugar, white wine, white vinegar, tomato paste, dried thyme, currants, seasoning and parsley for the garnishing. Allow for an hour of preparation and cooking time ‑ and an hour of chilling time. (Read more…)

Photo: w00kie / Flickr

The same old beer at the local bar can get a bit boring after a while so why not switch up your drinking hole and travel to some of the most unusual bars in the world? From giant coffins, to caves and the inside of an African tree meeting a friend for a drink can be the experience of a lifetime. Famed the world over, and visited by hundreds, or even thousands of tourists each year these wacky bars are nothing short of wonderful. (Read more…)

Photo: robanhk / Flickr

This spicy vegetable tagine recipe is perfect for vegans. You will need mixed vegetables like eggplant, sweet potato, pumpkin, potato, carrot, parsnip, tomatoes and onions. Spices include paprika, cumin, cinnamon, saffron and ground ginger. Other ingredients to have at hand are preserved lemon, vegetable stock, dried pears, pitted prunes, almonds and flat-leaf parsley. This stew, which allows for four generous portions, will take 20 minutes to prepare and an hour to cook. Serve with instant couscous (but first remove the cinnamon stick). (Read more…)

Photo: Stock.Xchng

A salad doesn’t mean iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomato. When it comes to a proper salad, the more ingredients the merrier! Especially if you’re including a variety of dark green leaves which are rich in chlorophyll and nutrients. The result of regular consumption of alkalising green plants, nuts and seeds is healthy hair, nails and skin, as well as overall good health. Even the digestive system benefits from the extra fibre. Adding sprouts to a salad will further increase its nutritional value. (Read more…)

Photo: ant217 / Flickr

We’re sharing some ideas for Christmas now so that when the time comes, deciding what to prepare will be made a whole lot easier. This rosy plum crumble will give you the look and taste of Christmas: dark plums allow for a ‘Christmasy colour’ while nutmeg, star anise and cinnamon add a certain ‘spiciness’. You could always use some blackcurrants or blueberries with apples if you can’t get your hands on dark plums. This recipe allows for six very generous servings. Serve it with cream. (Read more…)

Photo: gtrwndr87 / Flickr

If you’ve ever visited Argentina or spoken to someone that has been there you are bound to have heard about their delicious food. Known the world over for their steak, they truly do not disappoint. A wonderful country to visit; full of culture, vibrant cities and breath-taking landscapes, food is at the centre of it all. Argentinians are social people and a work day is often cut in half for a long, big lunch with family and friends. (Read more…)

Photo: rhinoji / Flickr

If you’re cooking an Indian style dinner, you may be wondering whether to serve traditional rotis as an accompaniment or not. While nothing can measure up to a roti made in a proper Indian roti oven, it is possible to create very good rotis in a cast iron pan. If you can spare 15 minutes of preparation time, half an hour of resting time and 40 minutes of cooking time, you’ll be able to make these rotis. Ingredients include flour, bicarbonate soda, ghee, salt and milk. (Read more…)

Photo: blmurch / Flickr

Layered puff pastry and custard slices are referred to as Mille Feuilles in the French tradition. Mille Feuilles consist of layers of baked puff pastry interspersed with sweetened egg custard. They can be dusted with icing sugar before serving or they can be piped with chocolate filigree. Many variations of these puff pastry slices exist: fruit and cream and ice cream and chocolate, for instance. We’re staying close to the traditional version here, by simply adding mixed berries to the custard. (Read more…)