I discovered quinoa over the summer and has made it several times as a salad or as the starchy part of a meal. Little did I know, until I read more about it, that chocolate and quinoa go so well together.

This recipe is adapted from here. The author thoughtfully tried to convert American cup measurements to metric but failed in a spectacularly cute way — there is no way on earth that flour and sugar are measured in ml.

3 eggs
150g sugar
100g butter
100g chocolate
225g cooked quinoa
175g flour
1 tsp bp

1. whisk egg and sugar until pale and thick
2. melt butter and chocolate over bain marie
3. add chocolate mixture to egg mixture
4. add quinoa
5. sift in flour and bp
6. bake at 180°C for 30-35mins

Okay, this is just…phenomenal. The quinoa gives it a chewy crunchy texture that is unique and the cake itself is moist and fluffy. I ate a slice, then half of one, then the bits that fell off when I moved it. I’ve never been so lacking in discipline, and I don’t usually like chocolate.

about 2/3 loaf of sourdough bread, cut into cubes
half a punnet mushroom, roughly diced
about 12 stalks asparagus, cut to 1” lengths
2 eggs
500ml mixture of milk and vegetable (or chicken if non-vegetarian) stock, about 2:1 ratio

grease the bottom of an oven dish with butter, spread over the bread cubes
add the vegetables
mix the eggs, milk and stock together, pour over bread and vegetables, season
stand for 5-10mins for the liquid to be absorbed, pressing the bread with a spoon if necessary
bake at 200°C for 1 hr until golden brown
stand in dish for 10-15mins before seving

season 4 chicken portions with cumin, tumeric, salt & pepper (I used drumsticks)
brown in a casserole dish or deep pan with chopped garlic
add a can of chick peas and a can of chopped tomatoes
simmer for 25-30mins until chicken is done and the sauce has reduced
throw in green peppers
season again
serve over garlic mash — or cous cous for more mediterranean flavour

A variation (and less visually appealing) of Clotilde’s Carottes Rapées à l’Avocat. What I like about this recipe is that it can change according to taste and what’s available.

All I did was grated a few carrots, chopped up a couple of tomato and one each of yellow and red pepper. Then I scooped out the flesh of a ripe avocado and that’s it. A little olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.

rocket, tomato, red pepper, olives, avocado, warmed mushroom (button and dried) topped with 2 steamed prawns.

This is one of my favourite recipes, and one that is always requested. It was passed to me by a very nice Swiss lady.

300g dark toblerone
2 large eggs, separated
400ml whipped cream
icing sugar

Melt chocolate in bain-marie with knob of butter
Stir 2 tbsp icing sugar into egg yolks, add melted chocolate
Whisk egg white and fold into chocolate mixture
Whip cream and fold into chocolate mixture
Set in fridge