For the life of me, I cannot stop making this. Last week I mentioned it in passing on here, and I figured it deserved its own post instead of living forever in my “will get right to it” drafts folder. Some Greek yogurt, fresh parsley, and just 10 minutes of your day (at most) and you have an incredible sauce right in front of you.

One small but important piece though, unlike what I did, if you prefer a less garlic dense sauce, heat the garlic clove in a bit of oil before blitzing it in. Just a minute or two, low heat, enough to take the raw edge off. It tones down that lingering garlicky aftertaste that overshadows all else, while keeping the same flavour.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Lemon-Parsley Yogurt Sauce Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

• 2 dl Greek yogurt

• A small handful of parsley

• 2 whole garlic cloves

• 1 tbsp crème fraîche

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 3 tsp lemon juice

• 2–3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Add the Greek yogurt, parsley, garlic, crème fraîche, Dijon, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil to a blender or food processor.

2. Blitz until smooth, tasting as you go and adjusting seasoning or lemon until it’s exactly how you like it.

3. Taste and adjust. More lemon if it needs brightness, more salt if it tastes flat.

4. Use as a salad dressing, a dip, or a sauce for pretty much anything.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Toasting the garlic mellows the sharpness without losing the punch. You still get all the flavour, just none of the aftermath.

• If you’re making a bigger batch, toast the garlic in batches rather than doubling it in the pan. It cooks unevenly otherwise.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

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I love a proper salad. Drenched in olive oil, meaty, coated in a very good dressing that totally refuses to be a side thought. This one delivers on all of that. A well-salted, pan-seared pork chop, shallots blistered in leftover pork fat, and a protein-dense dressing tasked with holding everything together in the best way possible.

The dressing is just Greek yogurt, parsley, garlic, a hint of Dijon, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Which is also proof that “good for you” doesn’t have to mean “tastes like it.” That was the whole point. Blitz it all together, tasting as you go, until you end up on the texture and flavor you actually want.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Pork Chops Salad Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

• Olive oil

• ½ head cabbage, chopped in large chunks

• 3–4 shallots, halved

• A handful of cherry tomatoes

• 2 pork chops

• Crushed nuts, for topping

For the dressing:

• 2 dl Greek yogurt

• A small handful of parsley

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 3 tsp lemon juice

• 2–3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

Dressing:

1. Add the Greek yogurt, parsley, garlic, Dijon, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil to a blender or food processor.

2. Blitz until smooth, tasting as you go and adjusting seasoning or lemon until it’s exactly how you like it.

Salad:

1. Generously season the pork chops with salt and pepper and set aside for 10–15 minutes.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan and sear the chops on both sides until browned and cooked through. Sprinkle a few drops of water around them and cover to finish cooking through without burning. Set aside.

3. In the same pan, add the shallots and cherry tomatoes and sear until the tomatoes are blistered and the shallots are charred just right.

4. In a separate bowl, toss the cabbage chunks with 2 tbsp of the dressing, using your hands to coat it well.

5. Spread the remaining dressing on a plate, then layer the dressed cabbage on top.

6. Scatter the tomatoes and shallots over the plate.

7. Slice the pork chops and place them on top.

8. Drench in olive oil and top with crushed nuts. Enjoy!

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Mellow the garlic: Raw garlic can fully dominate a dressing. Warm the clove briefly in a splash of olive oil (30 seconds in a hot pan, or a few seconds in the microwave) before blitzing. It takes the edge off without cooking it through.

• Taste the dressing before you commit to it. The balance of Dijon and lemon is very personal, and it should taste good enough to eat with a spoon.

• Use the same pan for the shallots and tomatoes; the leftover pork fat is a lot of flavor to let it go to waste.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

Think potatoes roasted in butter, fennel spiced and cooked right alongside them, crispy prosciutto on top for the crunch you had no idea you needed. If that doesn’t excite you, I’m not sure what will.

Yet another one of my out-of-the-whim recipes, but this one, so far, takes all the cake. Boiling potatoes then roasting them in oil and butter isn’t new but what’s new is what you throw in with them. The fennel goes soft and sweet against the crisp edges of the potatoes, picking up the smoked paprika and chilli in a way that makes it taste like it was always meant to be there. The prosciutto is salty and shattering on top of all that softness. And the plain yogurt underneath does the work of pulling it all together, cool and tangy against the spice, so every bite has like something different to answer to.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Roast Potatoes, Fennel & Crispy Prosciutto Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

• Baby potatoes, unpeeled

• 1 fennel bulb, sliced (fronds reserved for garnish)

• Olive oil

• A knob of butter

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• A sprinkle of chilli flakes and smoked paprika

• Fresh prosciutto slices

• Fresh parsley, chopped

• Greek yogurt, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a pan, add the unpeeled potatoes. Pour in boiled water with a generous amount of salt, just enough to nearly cover them, and let it boil until the water dries out (about 15-18 minutes on medium high heat).

2. Add oil and butter to the pan, mixing to roast the potatoes in them (4-5 minutes, until they start picking up colour).

3. Add the sliced fennel with a sprinkle of salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and chilli flakes. Sauté together with the potatoes (6-8 minutes, until the fennel softens but still has some bite).

4. Once done, sprinkle in the fresh parsley and mix well briefly. Set aside for serving.

5. In the same pan, with no added oil, place the prosciutto and sear on both sides briefly until browned and crispy (1-2 minutes per side).

6. To serve, plate a bed of Greek yogurt at the bottom, then top with the spiced potatoes and fennel. Place the prosciutto on top and garnish with fennel fronds. Spoon over any leftover oils from the pan for extra flavor. Serve warm.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Let the water fully cook off before adding the oil and butter, or the potatoes will steam instead of catching color.

• Prosciutto goes from crispy to burnt fast in a hot pan, you are advised to stay close and pull it as soon as it browns.

• The pan drippings at the end are essential for adding more flavour to the plain yogurt at the bottom. Don’t skip it.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

For someone with an unnatural allegiance to salting my food, I did not salt this food. At all. Why? Thought you wouldn’t ask. Halloumi tasted salted enough for me. Plus the salted pasta water, and everything just felt like enough. Does that count as salting? If it does, I guess I did, haha.

Seared garlic in olive oil, halloumi seared to perfection, peas thrown in for a little extra protein and fibre, buttery pasta cooked just right, a hint of crème fraîche, a lot of grated Parmesan on top, and freshly ground black pepper. Easy, flavourful dinner for the night.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Halloumi Pasta Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 200g halloumi, diced

• 100g frozen peas (fresh works too)

• 200g short pasta

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

• A knob of butter

• 2 tbsp crème fraîche

• Reserved pasta water (about 1 cup)

• 40g Parmesan, grated, plus more to serve

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Salt, for the pasta water

Instructions:

1. Pat the halloumi dry and dice it. Sear in a dry pot over medium-high heat, no oil, until golden on a couple sides, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

2. Salt a pot of boiling water generously and cook the pasta until 2 minutes short of package instructions. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

3. In a pan, add the olive oil, then the garlic. Let it sear and brown briefly, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and celery and sauté until fragrant and softened, 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the seared halloumi back in and mix. Deglaze with a splash of pasta water and let it reduce slightly, 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Add the peas and mix well, splashing in more pasta water as needed to loosen everything, another 2-3 minutes until the pasta finishes cooking and the peas are warmed through.

6. Add the crème fraîche and butter. Mix until glossy, smooth, and perfectly creamy, adding a touch more pasta water if it needs loosening.

7. Serve warm, topped with grated Parmesan and a generous crack of black pepper.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• No added salt beyond the pasta water. Halloumi is salty enough on its own, and between that and the Parmesan, the dish doesn’t need more.

• Searing the halloumi dry (no oil) first lets it release a little of its own fat and get a proper crust before the aromatics go in.

• Don’t skip reserving the pasta water. The starch in it makes the crème fraîche and butter cling to the pasta even more instead of pooling at the bottom.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavor-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

There has been so much cabbage discourse on X lately that I finally gave in and bought a head of it. Not that I needed much convincing. Cabbage is probably the one vegetable I have absolutely nothing against. I genuinely can’t think of a bad thing to say about it. Raw, sautéed, steamed, roasted, or lightly blanched… it somehow works every single time.

I didn’t have a grand plan for it when I brought it home, so I did what I often do, which is opening the fridge and work with what was already there. Some chicken thighs, a container of boiled chickpeas, half a red onion that needed using up, and a handful of pantry staples later, this simple cabbage skillet came together.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Gochujang Chicken & Cabbage Skillet

Servings: 1 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

For the skillet

• 2 cups (about 200 g) green cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed

• ½ cup (80 g) boiled chickpeas, drained and patted dry

• 1 small boneless, skinless chicken thigh (about 120–150 g), cut into bite-sized pieces

• ½ red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, or sesame), for serving

• Salt, black pepper, and paprika, to taste

For the chicken marinade

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp garlic powder

For the sauce

• ½ tbsp gochujang

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 1 tsp soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chickpeas and season with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly crisped. Transfer to a plate.

3. In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if needed. Add the chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to the plate with the chickpeas.

4. Add another small drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Sauté the red onion and cabbage for 3–4 minutes, until the cabbage begins to soften. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and steam for 2 minutes.

5. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, lemon juice, mirin, and soy sauce.

7. Return the chicken and chickpeas to the pan. Pour in the sauce and toss everything together until evenly coated and warmed through.

8. Stir through the fresh parsley and remove from the heat.

9. Serve immediately, topped with the mixed seeds for crunch.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Savoy cabbage or pointed cabbage both work beautifully here and soften a little faster than standard green cabbage.

• The chickpeas add texture, but white beans or edamame make good substitutes.

• Don’t overcook the cabbage. It should retain a little bite for the best texture.

• This is the sort of recipe that welcomes improvisation. Use whatever herbs, proteins, or vegetables you have on hand and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

Do I love burgers? Yes. Very much, actually. I hate making them unless it’s outside on a grill, though. The most egregious process in my kitchen life is building a burger indoors, because for my order-obsessed self, it’s a lot of mess. But I digress.

I made a burger because I realized it’s a dish I eat constantly and had never once filmed, so I fixed that. This is a double beef burger with Swedish cheese, red cabbage and a perfect sauce to wrap it all together. Consider it proof that you can absolutely pull this off at home too.

It’s a burger. There isn’t much je ne sais quoi to it when it comes to flavor. It’s straightforward and well known. The sauce at the end is the real deal. Made from the fond left in the pan, loosened with a little crème fraîche and a sprinkle of chili flakes for a bit of a kick.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Double Beef Burger Recipe

Servings: 1 | Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

• 2 beef patties

• 1 brioche burger bun

• Red cabbage, sliced

• Tomato, sliced

• 1 tbsp crème fraîche

• A sprinkle of chili flakes

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• A splash of lemon juice

• A knob of butter

• Two thick slices of Swedish cheese

• White onions, thinly sliced

• Ketchup, for a spread

Instructions:

1. Melt a knob of butter in a heated pan and toast the burger buns until brown and crisp. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, add olive oil if needed and sauté the onions until perfectly caramelized. Set aside.

3. Add more oil or butter if preferred, then add the patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper and sear for about 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temp around 57–60°C/135–140°F).

4. Add the cheese slices on both patties, cover and let them melt briefly on top of the patties. Let them rest for a couple of minutes before assembling. Set aside.

5. In the same pan, add the crème fraîche, a splash of lemon juice, a small splash of water, the garlic powder, and the chili flakes. Stir to combine into a smooth sauce.

6. Build the burger: ketchup on both buns, then red cabbage, tomato slices, the first patty, another layer of red cabbage and tomato slices, the second patty, and the caramelized onions. Close with the top bun. Slice in half.

7. Pour the sauce onto a plate and set the burger, sliced side down, and get right into it. Enjoy.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Don’t skip toasting the bun in butter. It’s like the major difference between a burger that holds together and one that collapses by bite three.

• The sauce is really just deglazing with extra steps. Whatever fond is stuck to the pan after the patties is where the flavor lives.

• The stacking order is quite intentional. Alternating cabbage and tomato between the two patties keeps every bite balanced instead of top-heavy.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

A lot of shallots and celery, a handful of peas, a lot of garlic and salsiccia. This is the pasta bowl of my dreams, considering every ingredient is seasonal and fresh and as good as it gets right now.

This one came out of a craving. I wanted a Salsiccia pasta with a boatload of shallots and garlic, nothing more complicated than that. The cheese and butter at the end round it up perfectly into a glossy, tasty bowl that’s exactly right for dinner.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Salsiccia and Shallot Pasta Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

• Olive oil

• Salsiccia, casings removed

• 6 shallots, halved

• Celery, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, slivered

• Cherry tomatoes, halved

• 200g Pasta

• 3dl Pasta water

• 1 tsp black pepper

• Salt, to taste

• A handful of peas

• A knob of butter

• Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and break in the salsiccia. Let it cook through until browned.

2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

3. Add the shallots and celery to the pan with the salsiccia and cook until softened. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook through. Deglaze with a splash of pasta water.

4. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and add it to the pan with a little more pasta water. Let it simmer down.

5. Once the water has reduced, add the black pepper, salt, and peas, and mix thoroughly.

6. Throw in the knob of butter and Parmesan, mix well, and serve warm. Enjoy!

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Halving the shallots keeps them substantial enough to hold their shape and caramelize at the edges rather than dissolving into everything else.

• If your salsiccia is on the fattier side, you may not need much olive oil at all. Let the sausage render first and adjust from there.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

I do occasionally crave a nice Korean-esque bowl of food, so what’s the best way to go about it? Glazed pork, a bowl of rice, and a cucumber salad.

This one lives in that sweet spot between comfort and freshness. The pork gets sticky and a little sharp from the gochujang and ginger, but the cucumber salad keeps things light and cold, which is exactly what you want when it’s warm out and you still want something that feels like a proper meal. Sweet, savoury, a little heat, a lot of crunch.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Glazed Pork Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

For the pork:

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 300g), sliced lengthwise

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• Salt and white pepper, generous amount

• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for searing

For the honey glaze:

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp gochujang

• Lemon juice

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• Ginger, grated

For the cucumber salad:

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp mayonnaise

• Pinch of salt and black pepper

To serve:

• 2 servings cooked rice

Instructions:

1. Season the pork with salt and white pepper, mix well, and set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.

2. While the pork rests, make the cucumber salad: toss the cucumber slices with lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper. Set in the fridge to chill until ready to serve.

3. Mix the honey, soy sauce, gochujang, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger together in a small bowl to make the glaze.

4. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and sear until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

5. Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until just softened.

6. Pour the glaze into the pan and toss everything together, letting it simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick, glossy, and coating every piece.

7. Serve warm over rice with the chilled cucumber salad on the side. Enjoy!

Kitchen Notes 📝

• You can also slice the pork tenderloin against the grain into medallions about ½ inch thick so it sears faster and stays tender.

• Don’t skip resting the pork in the seasoning because even 10 minutes helps it take the glaze better.

• The glaze will look thin at first. Keep it moving in the pan, it thickens fast once it hits a simmer.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

Bring to you another delectable sandwich. I posted a tuna recipe here a few months back and apparently convinced some of you to give tuna a try, which felt genuinely nice.

Tuna is good. It might take a bit of getting used to at first, but once it clicks, you realize it’s one of the easiest and tastiest sources of protein out there. Rice, toast, pasta… you can fold it into almost anything.

This sandwich is spiced tuna and vegetables layered with mozzarella, pressed between crispy bread toasted in parsley garlic butter.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Tuna Sandwich Recipe

Servings: 1 | Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

For the sandwich:

• 1 can of tuna

• 2 slices sourdough bread

• Mozzarella cheese

• A knob of butter, for the pan

For the tuna mix:

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1 tomato, diced

• Celery, sliced

• A handful of spinach, chopped

• A pinch each of dried oregano, chilli flakes, cumin, and garlic powder

• 1 tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• A splash of lemon juice

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the parsley garlic butter:

• 25g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Combine the tuna mix ingredients with the tuna in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Mix the softened butter with the garlic and parsley until evenly combined.

3. Heat a pan with a little oil or butter. Spread the garlic butter on one side of each bread slice. Place one slice butter-side down in the pan and toast until golden.

4. Layer mozzarella onto the toasting bread, followed by the tuna mix, then another layer of mozzarella.

5. Top with the second slice of bread, butter-side facing up.

6. Flip the sandwich carefully and toast the other side until golden and the cheese has melted through.

7. Slice and serve warm.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• If the filling feels loose, let the tuna mix sit for a few minutes before assembling. It firms up slightly and holds together better in the pan.

• A press or a flat plate with light weight on top while toasting helps the layers set without losing the crisp.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

I’ve lost count of how many toasts I’ve made this summer. With this heat, they’ve become my go-to. A quick, filling meal that isn’t a salad, but also isn’t a whole production. This chicken and avocado toast is the one I keep coming back to, and I devoured my first plate in about two minutes flat.

The real star of the show here is the bread… toasted in a quick parsley and garlic butter I threw together with regular butter, fresh chopped parsley, and minced garlic (you have to try it!). It takes basic buttered toast somewhere else entirely. I’ll write up that butter properly with exact measurements another time, but for now: a sprinkle of chopped parsley, one minced garlic clove, and about 25g of unsalted butter will get you most of the way there. (Fair warning though, those measurements came straight from memory, so feel free to wing it until the flavor feels right to you.)

The chicken marinated overnight, mostly because I remembered to do it in advance for once and not because it necessarily and strictly needs that long. 45 minutes to an hour will do the job just as well. What you end up with is a delectable spiced chicken on parsley butter toast, a layer of melted cheese, crunchy red cabbage, and a finish of perfectly sliced avocado.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Chicken & Avocado Butter Toast Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, sliced in half lengthwise into two thin cutlets

• 4 slices sourdough bread

• 4 slices cheese

• 1 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded

• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

• 1 avocado, sliced

For the marinade:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• ½ tsp chili flakes

• ½ tsp dried oregano

For the parsley garlic butter:

• 25g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Small handful fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Combine the marinade ingredients and coat the chicken cutlets fully. Marinate for at least 45 minutes to an hour, or overnight for deeper flavor.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan and sear the chicken on both sides until fully cooked through. Set aside.

3. Mix the softened butter with the minced garlic and chopped parsley. Butter the sourdough slices on both sides and toast them in the same pan, in the leftover chicken fond.

4. Lay the cheese slices on the toast and let them melt briefly, then remove from the pan for plating.

5. Layer red cabbage on the toast, top with the sliced chicken, then finish with the avocado.

6. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• The parsley garlic butter is the whole point of this toast. Don’t skip toasting the bread in it, and don’t wipe out the pan after searing the chicken. That fond is meant to seep into the toast as well.

• Marinating overnight isn’t essential. 45 minutes to an hour gets you nearly the same flavor if you’re short on time.

• Any melting cheese works here so go with what you have.

• Slice the avocado just before assembling so it doesn’t brown while you’re building everything else.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

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If you made the sticky chicken thighs from the other week (see here: Sticky Chicken Thighs Recipe), you already did most of the work. This is pretty what came next.

The full picture was always a bowl… rice, those honey-glazed thighs, and this sauce poured over everything. Creamy, tangy, with a subtle heat from the gochujang that builds as you eat. The honey from the chicken did something I considered quite interesting tbh, the way it seeped into the sauce and rounded out what would otherwise be a sharp, punchy base. The result was a sauce that tasted sweet and savoury in the best possible way.

It also works as a salad dressing if you swap the rice for some greens. I’ve had it both ways and genuinely can’t pick a favourite.

Start with the sticky chicken thighs (see here, again), the sauce is built in the same pan, so none of that sweet gooey fond goes to waste.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Creamy Gochujang Sauce Recipe

Servings: 1 | Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp gochujang

• ⅔ dl coconut milk

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• Splash of chicken broth ( ~4dl)

• Salt to taste

• Squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Sear the chicken thighs in a hot pan according to the sticky chicken recipe, then set aside.

2. In the same pan, add oil if needed and grate the garlic directly in. Add the ground coriander, coconut milk and a splash of broth. Stir to combine and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add the gochujang and stir it through until fully incorporated.

4. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir again.

5. Simmer on low for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and everything has come together.

6. In a bowl of rice, place the chicken thighs on top and pour the sauce over generously. Finish with fresh coriander and a pinch of chilli flakes for heat and crunch.

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Kitchen Notes 📝

• Minced garlic renders a better flavour and pungency for this dish compared to grated/pressed garlic.

• One teaspoon of gochujang keeps it approachable. Add a second if you want the heat more present. The coconut milk softens it either way, so don’t go wild.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

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MORE RECIPES BY ORECULINAIRE:

I 100% made this recipe up as I went. I knew the destination I was going for… a peas and soybean pasta with mozzarella torn on top as a kind of garnish, but the spice profile got figured out in real time, on the fly, pan in hand. I did reach for white pepper at one point, but it felt too sharp for what this dish wanted to be, so I left it out.

What I landed on is a very lemon-forward pasta, and I’ll take a lemon pasta in almost any form. This one’s a bit of an outlier from my kitchen too, since I don’t often make a fully vegetarian pasta, but I had a container of pre-boiled soybeans staring at me and a serious pasta craving, so this happened. The result is bright and a little earthy with a lemon and oregano up front and cumin underneath giving it a warmth you absolutely do not expect. The mozzarella finishing wraps it all up perfectly together.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Peas & Soybeans Pasta Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 200g pappardelle or tagliatelle

• 100g frozen peas

• 100g pre-boiled soybeans

• 1 small white onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 125g ball of fresh mozzarella

• A knob of butter

• 1 lemon (juice and zest)

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Fresh Parmesan, grated

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining.

2. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant.

3. Add the peas and soybeans. Season with oregano, soy sauce, cumin, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in some lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice and stir briefly.

4. Add the drained pasta, a generous grating of Parmesan, and a splash of pasta water. Toss well, then squeeze in half the lemon and add salt if needed. Taste and add more lemon if you want it sharper.

5. Off the heat, tear the mozzarella over the pasta. Fold it through if you like it melted, or leave it in big chunks. Enjoy.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• If you want more zing, hold back some lemon zest to scatter on right before serving rather than mixing it all in.

• In the case of soybeans not being your thing or an option, edamame works as a straightforward swap.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

I guess the berry season just got a seat at the dinner table.

I love finding out what I can do with fruits beyond the obvious like baking, jams, the occasional smoothie. There is something quietly satisfying about pulling a fruit off its expected shelf and dropping it into a dinner pan to see what happens. This season I have been doing exactly that with berries. First it was apple chicken, then blueberry chicken, and now we are here with my raspberry chicken, dressed in a crimson sauce that is more savoury than it looks.

Raspberries, when cooked down, do not behave like a dessert ingredient. They are tart and acidic, closer in function to a tomato than a berry, and that acidity is what makes this dish work. It cuts through the richness of the chicken thighs and gives the sauce a sharpness that keeps every bite interesting. The long uncovered simmer at the end is where the sauce earns its colour and its character. Twenty to twenty-five minutes, low heat, and the broth reduces while the raspberries dissolve completely into something richer than what you started with. That step is not optional.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Raspberry Chicken Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken thighs

• 1 red onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Olive oil

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

• 250 ml chicken broth

• 1 tsp honey

• Lemon juice

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear until golden on both sides. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Add coriander and paprika and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the Dijon mustard and raspberries. Let them break down gently in the pan.

4. Pour in the chicken broth and honey and stir to combine. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, and fresh basil into the sauce at this stage.

5. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the sauce over each piece, and simmer on low heat uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the sauce deepens and thickens slightly.

6. Spoon generously over rice and serve with boiled peas on the side.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Fresh vs frozen raspberries both work. Frozen raspberries tend to break down faster and release more liquid, so your sauce may need an extra few minutes to reduce. Fresh will hold their shape a little longer before dissolving, which gives you more control over the texture.

• On the simmer, you want to keep it genuinely low. A hard simmer will tighten the sauce too quickly on the outside while the chicken finishes cooking unevenly. Low and slow is what gives you that glossy, cohesive sauce rather than something sticky and reduced too far.

• Taste before you finish because raspberries vary in tartness depending on ripeness and whether they are fresh or frozen. Taste the sauce before the final simmer and adjust. A little more honey if it is too sharp, a little more lemon if it needs lifting.

• For the basil, add some into the sauce as the recipe says, but keep a few fresh leaves to tear over the finished plate. It makes a difference to how the dish smells when it hits the table.

• If you only have bone-in chicken, they work, but extend the simmer to 30–35 minutes and check that the chicken is cooked through before serving.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

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All I can currently think about is salads. Cold salads in every form. What I have been doing lately is finding ways to keep the salad interesting with different plates, different ingredients, different combinations, so that dinner during warm weather still feels like something worth sitting down for.

My most recent creation is this spiced chicken and citrus kale salad. It came together the way the best things do. From whatever was in the fridge that evening, shaped by a craving for leafy greens and chicken wings. The oranges were almost an afterthought. I added them initially for colour, a little brightness on the plate, and then tasted everything together and realised the flavours were doing something genuinely special. Sweet, spiced, a little sharp from the lemon.

I loved everything about it. It is very easy to put together, filling in the way a proper dinner should be, and it does not feel like a compromise. Which is exactly what warm-season dinners need to be.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Citrus Chicken & Kale Salad Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 30 min | Bake Time: 35-45 min | Total Time: 1hr 15 min

Ingredients:

For the wings

• 500g chicken wings

• 1 tbsp plain yogurt

• 1 tsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Lemon juice

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, chilli powder, cayenne pepper, and dried oregano

• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the salad

• 150g kale, tough stems removed

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 large oranges

• 2 tbsp mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame)

• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, to finish

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken wings with the yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, all the spices, and a generous seasoning of salt and black pepper. Mix until every wing is thoroughly coated. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge.

2. When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Arrange the wings in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the skin is deeply coloured and the edges are just catching.

3. While the wings roast, place the kale in a wide bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Use your hands to massage the kale firmly for about 2 minutes, until it softens, darkens, and feels silky rather than stiff.

4. Slice the top and bottom off each orange and stand upright. Cut the peel and pith away in downward strokes following the curve of the fruit.
   Working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut between the membranes to release each segment cleanly. These are called supremes. Set aside with any collected juice.

5. Spread the massaged kale across a wide plate or shallow bowl. Arrange the orange supremes on top, scatter the seeds over, and drizzle with any juice collected from the oranges.

6. Once the wings are done, rest for 5 minutes, then arrange on top of the salad. Finish with roughly chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• The longer the wings marinate, the better. Even 4 hours makes a noticeable difference in depth of flavour. Overnight is ideal if you are planning ahead.

• Do not skip massaging the kale. Raw kale straight into a salad is tough and bitter. Two minutes of work with your hands transforms it completely.

• Supreming the oranges removes all the membrane and bitter pith, leaving only clean, sweet fruit. The technique sounds fancier than it is.

• Check the wings at 35 minutes if they are on the larger side. You want the skin properly coloured and pulling away from the tips, not pale and soft.

• The seeds are flexible. Toasted sunflower and pumpkin work well. A handful of dukkah instead would also be a very good idea here.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your dinner rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

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I’m not a big baker because I generally dislike sugary foods. I also dislike replacing sugar with syrup or similar ingredients in baking as I find they often taste unpleasant. Therefore, whenever I bake I stick to scientifically proven ingredients that consistently produce great results in terms of taste flavour and rising.

This matcha swirl banana bread was a thrilling experiment for me as it marked my first time using matcha in the kitchen and thank you to Prozis for making that possible. Being a huge coffee lover, I was particularly excited. My best friend’s initial reaction was “what does it taste like?” and I must say it was delicious. I’ve already made three banana bread variations and this is definitely my favourite.

The matcha and banana create a truly captivating combination. Matcha’s grassy and slightly bitter flavour cuts through the banana’s sweetness rather than competing with it. Olive oil adds a subtle fruity depth that ties everything together while yogurt keeps the loaf moist and soft without making it heavy. Vanilla quietly rounds off any sharpness and gives the whole loaf a delicious aroma. The result is a layered bread that’s sweet yet not cloying and earthy without being medicinal.

I topped the slices with melted dark chocolate drops and sea salt to make it even more delicious.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Matcha Swirl Banana Bread Recipe

Servings: 6-8 | Prep Time: 15 min | Bake Time: 40-50 min | Total Time: 1hr 10 min

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup light or mild olive oil

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

• 1 tbsp matcha powder (ceremonial or culinary grade)

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a small loaf tin and/or line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy lifting.

2. Whisk the matcha powder with the hot water until smooth and lump-free. Set aside

3. Mash the bananas then sift in the flour, baking soda, vanilla powder, and salt. Fold gently until just combined. A few streaks of flour are fine. Do not over mix or the bread will be tough.

4. Whisk in the olive oil, sugar, egg, and yogurt until combined.

5. Transfer about one-third of the batter into a separate bowl and stir in the matcha powder until fully incorporated. Pour half the plain batter into the loaf tin, spoon over the matcha batter, then finish with the remaining plain batter. Use a skewer or knife to draw 3 to 4 figure-8s through the tin. Less is more for defined swirls.

6. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil after 30 minutes.

7. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. The swirl reveals itself when you cut in.

8. Top the slices with melted dark chocolate and sea salt, and enjoy.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Use light or mild olive oil for the most neutral result. Extra virgin will work but adds a more pronounced flavour. Lovely if you enjoy it, just know it’s there.

• The riper the banana, the better they should be almost unrecognisable. This is what makes the bread sweet, moist, and fragrant without relying on extra sugar.

• Resist the urge to over-swirl. Three to four passes with a skewer gives you beautiful defined ribbons. Too many passes blends the batters together and you lose the contrast.

• A small loaf tin (around 20x10 cm) or two mini loaf tins both work perfectly. You could also use a 20 cm round cake tin for a thinner, quicker-baking version.

• Keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 5. Or freeze it to have infinitely.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your baking rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

Shop everything from Prozis at a discounted price through the link on my Instagram bio.

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

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The beauty of spring and summer cooking is the quickness of it. You are not building a braise or nursing something in the oven for two hours. You are making fast decisions — a handful of greens here, a grain there — and the protein you lay on top has to carry the whole thing. It has to do the heavy lifting in flavour so the rest of the bowl can stay simple.

These sticky chicken thighs are what I reach for when I want that. I first made them in autumn and they have stayed in my rotation since. Now that the season is turning and I am thinking about kale salads and lighter meals, I keep coming back to this marinade. It travels well across seasons.

The soy and honey are the anchors here, and they work because they do opposite things at the same time. Soy bringing a savoury saltiness and honey caramelises when it hits a hot pan, pulling those edges into something sticky and slightly charred. Every element of this chicken has a reason to be there.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Sticky Chicken Thighs Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 50 min

Ingredients:

For the chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the marinade

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• A splash of olive oil

• A splash of lemon juice or rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 cloves garlic, grated

• Half a thumb of fresh ginger, grated

Instructions:

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken thighs and toss them until fully coated. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer if you have the time, up to overnight in the fridge.

• Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a knob of butter and let it melt and begin to foam. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan, and let them cook for 6–8 minutes. Resist the urge to move them for a proper sear, and the honey in the marinade needs time to caramelise against the heat.

• Flip and cook for another 6–8 minutes on the other side. If the pan looks like it is catching too fast, lower the heat slightly. To check for doneness, slice into the thickest part of one thigh, the meat should be white throughout with no pink remaining.

• Remove from the heat and rest for a couple of minutes before slicing or serving whole over a salad of your choice.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Rice vinegar gives a slightly rounder, more mellow acidity than lemon juice. Either works.

• These thighs are just as good cold the next day, sliced thin over whatever you have left in the fridge. The glaze firms up overnight and gets even better.

• Watch the heat when the honey starts to caramelise. A hot pan is what you want, but if it goes too far the sugars will burn and turn bitter. Medium-high is the ceiling.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your weeknight rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

15 degrees outside again. And honestly, that is doing nothing for my motivation to stand at a stove. This is the temperature at which my quick rotation recipes make their subtle comeback. You know… the ones I have made enough times that I barely need to think.

My Honey Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes is one of those. Everything goes into a blender, everything goes into one dish, and the oven does the rest. I have been making some version of this nearly every year and it earns its place every single time.

Now, for the flavours, this marinade is doing a lot of quiet, considered work. Honey brings a floral, rounded sweetness that caramelises in the oven and gives the chicken its colour and gloss. The garlic sauce is the finishing touch that is warm, not cooked, but just bloomed in fat, it pulls the whole dish together with something fresh and aromatic to cut through the roasted richness.

Every element has somewhere to be and nothing is doing too much.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Honey Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 45 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients:

Chicken & Potatoes

• 2 chicken thighs

• Potatoes, sliced into quarters

Marinade

• ½ red onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tbsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp honey

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Olive oil, a light drizzle

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• Small handful of fresh parsley

Garlic Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter

• 1 garlic clove, finely minced

• Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Slice the potatoes into quarters and set aside.

2. Add all marinade ingredients to a blender and blitz until completely smooth.

3. Place the chicken thighs and potatoes in a baking dish. Pour the marinade over and turn everything to coat thoroughly. Cover and marinate for 20–30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

5. Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes, turning the potatoes once halfway through to ensure even roasting and colour on all sides.

6. For the final 5–7 minutes, switch to the grill or broil setting to deepen the colour and get those caramelised edges on the chicken. Keep a close eye because the honey in the marinade means it can catch quickly.

7. While the chicken finishes, gently warm the olive oil or butter, minced garlic, and chopped parsley in a small pan over low heat. You are not frying anything but just blooming the garlic in the fat until fragrant, about 2–3 minutes.

8. Drizzle the warm garlic sauce over the chicken and potatoes just before serving.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• If your baking dish is crowded, the potatoes will steam rather than roast, so use the largest dish you have.

• The garlic sauce is optional but worth it because it adds a freshness at the end that the oven alone cannot replicate.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your weeknight rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

The warm season is officially making its entrance, and the meals are shifting with it. Lighter, quicker, less time hovering over the stove. Even the warm dishes are cooperating. Which makes this the perfect moment to bring back one of my favourites: vanilla-orange chicken with carrot puree.

The chicken carries this full, rounded flavour, a hint of vanilla, the brightness of orange rind, something that feels both familiar and a little unexpected. It bursts in the mouth in the best way, and the carrot puree meets it perfectly, smooth and buttery, melting into every bite. This one came out of an experiment that genuinely surprised me, which is always the best kind of recipe to write about.

Vanilla chicken with orange-honey glaze, served over a pan-seared carrot puree. Let’s get into it.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Vanilla-Orange Chicken (with Carrot Purée) Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total Time: 1hr 20min

Ingredients:

Chicken and marinade

• 4 chicken thighs

• ½ tsp vanilla powder

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• ¼ tsp white pepper

• 1 tbsp honey

• Orange rinds

• ½ tsp sea salt

Orange-honey glaze

• 2 tbsp honey

• Juice of ½ orange

• Orange rinds

• Pinch of cinnamon

Carrot puree

• 3–4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1 shallot, roughly chopped

• A knob of butter

• Salt and white pepper to taste

Garnish

• Fresh thyme sprigs

• Orange zest curls

• Small handful of toasted walnuts or almonds

• Squeeze of lemon juice

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Instructions:

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the chicken pieces thoroughly. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge if you have the time.

2. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Place the chicken in a roasting dish and roast for 35–40 minutes total.

3. While the chicken roasts, make the glaze. Combine the honey, orange juice, orange zest, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and simmer for 3–5 minutes until it thickens into a syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. At the halfway point (around 18–20 minutes in), brush the chicken generously with the glaze. Return to the oven for the remaining time, then brush again in the final few minutes.

5. Once the chicken is cooked through, switch the oven to grill/broil and finish for 3–4 minutes to caramelize the glaze and crisp up the skin. Keep an eye on it.

6. For the carrot puree, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and shallot and sear until softened and lightly golden, stirring occasionally, about 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, then return the puree to the pan. Season with salt and white pepper, stir through, and adjust to taste.

7. Plate the puree as a base, lay the chicken on top, and scatter over the thyme, orange zest curls, and toasted nuts. Add a squeeze of lemon just before eating.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Overnight chicken marination will always work in your favour. The vanilla and thyme sink deeper into the chicken and the flavour payoff is noticeable.

• Don’t rush the glaze reduction. It needs to be genuinely syrupy before brushing, otherwise it slides right off.

• The grill/broil finish at the end is not optional if you want that caramelized crust. 3–4 minutes makes a real difference.

• Squeeze lemon juice over the finished plate just before eating. It cuts through the sweetness of the glaze and lifts the whole dish.

• Toasted walnuts add a nice bitterness against the sweet glaze. Almonds work too if that’s what you have.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your weeknight rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now

A coworker and I were talking about our home countries’ foods recently. She’s Italian, which meant the conversation was exactly as animated and opinionated as you’d hope. She told me about dishes I’d never heard of, the regional stuff that doesn’t make it onto restaurant menus abroad, and then she turned to me and asked, “Do you have vegan food in Tanzania?”

We do. Plenty of it. The words “vegan” and “vegetarian” don’t map neatly onto everyday Tanzanian life (linguistically, culturally, the categories don’t quite land the same way) but the food exists, and it always has. We just call it food.

This kidney beans dish is one of them. But done the Oresta way.

Kidney beans cooked low and slow in a green curry and coconut milk sauce that is warm and fragrant. Rich and almost velvety, with a hint of gochujang sitting quietly underneath it all, adding depth without announcing itself. It definitely is the dish that smells like dinner is going to be good before you’ve even set the table.

In Tanzania, we eat this with rice, chapati, or ugali. I’ll always recommend rice though. The sauce needs something to sink into, and plain rice is, in my opinion, the most honest answer to that. This is a 30-minute weeknight dish. It is also, genuinely, one of the most comforting things I make time and again.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Creamy Kidney Bean Coconut Stew Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium white onion, halved and sliced

• ½ leek, sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp green curry paste

• 1 tsp gochujang

• A splash of lemon juice (about 1 tsp)

• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 250ml coconut milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic and sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened and fragrant.

2. Add the green curry paste and gochujang. Stir through the vegetables and cook for another 1–2 minutes until the pastes are slightly cooked and fragrant.

3. Deglaze the pan with a splash of lemon juice and stir to combine.

4. Add the kidney beans and stir well, making sure they are fully coated in the vegetables and spices.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, pour in the coconut milk, and mix everything together well. Leave to simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly.

6. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm over steamed rice.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• If you prefer to use dried kidney beans, soak them overnight and boil until fully tender before starting the recipe. Tinned beans work just as well here and keep this firmly in weeknight territory.

• Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste and it adds a quiet, savory heat that I like. If you don’t have it, a small pinch of chili flakes or a dash of sriracha works as a substitute, or skip it for a gentler flavor.

• The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits. If reheating, add a small splash of water or coconut milk to loosen it. And it definitely tastes twice as good the next day when preserved in the fridge.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your weeknight rotation. Enjoy :)

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Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavor-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

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There are recipes you make once and move on from, and then there are the ones that quietly become part of your weekly rhythm. This spicy pork stir-fry is firmly in the second category for me. It comes together fast — we’re talking 30 minutes on a slow day — and somehow always tastes like everything you ever wanted.

What makes it work perfectly is the layering. The marinade does the heavy lifting before the pan even gets hot. It’s bold without being one-note. Spicy but not punishing. The vegetables stay crisp, the pork stays tender, and the whole thing is ready before you’ve even finished your first glass of whatever you’re drinking while you cook.

Beef or chicken work just as well here if pork isn’t your thing, the marinade is forgiving and the sauce is the real star anyway.

Full visuals are available on my Instagram @oreculinaire

Let’s cook now, shall we?

Spicy Pork Stir Fry Recipe

Servings: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

Pork Marinade

• Pinch of salt

• Black pepper

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Stir-fry Ingredients

• 300–400g pork, sliced thin

• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

• 1 red onion, sliced

• 1 carrot, sliced

• 1 habanero, finely chopped (adjust to your heat preference)

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

• A handful of haricots verts (green beans)

• Fresh parsley, chopped

Sauce

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• A squeeze of lemon juice

• 1 tsp Royco (or cornstarch slurry)

• 1 tsp cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Toss your pork in the marinade ingredients and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Longer if you have the time.

2. Heat a pan with a little olive oil over high heat. Sear the pork until browned, then set aside.

3. In the same pan, add a splash more oil. Sauté the red onion, carrot, bell pepper, habanero, and garlic until slightly softened but still with some bite.

4. Add the sauce ingredients (rice vinegar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, cumin, and Royco/cornstarch slurry). Stir to combine.

5. Return the pork to the pan and toss to coat everything in the sauce.

6. Add the haricots verts and parsley. Stir, cover, and let simmer for 2–3 minutes.

7. Serve hot over rice. Garnish with extra parsley or chili flakes if you want to push the heat.

Kitchen Notes 📝

• Slice the pork as thin as you can against the grain. Thinner slices mean faster searing and more surface area for the marinade to work with. Frozen pork is actually easier to slice.

• One whole habanero makes this genuinely spicy. Half is more of a warm background heat. Remove the seeds to dial it down further without losing the flavor.

• The haricots verts go in last deliberately because they only need 2–3 minutes and you want them to stay bright and snappy, not soft.

• Stir-fries don’t wait well. Get your rice ready before the pork hits the pan.

I hope this recipe earns a regular spot in your weeknight rotation. Enjoy :)

Share

Author’s Note 💌

For more comforting recipes just like this one, feel free to grab a copy of my Digital Cookbook. A small collection of my all time favorite comforting dishes straight from my kitchen to yours.

And if you’re totally new here… WELCOME!!! For more cozy, flavour-packed recipes straight from my kitchen, make sure you subscribe to my Substack where I post new recipes every Wednesday for you to try.

Subscribe now