You might already know that nasturtiums are edible (and if not, welcome to the club!), but did you know they make an excellent pesto? It’s true! When it comes to edible flowers and plants, nasturtiums are a bit of a superstar. The entire plant can be eaten- flowers, leaves, stems and seed pods. All parts
Use berries from your backyard to make this fresh, vegan, sugar-free dessert. When mulberry season is in full swing, you can only eat so many straight from the bush…so what to do with the remaining eleventy-hundred? Here’s a fresh idea for a low-calorie dessert that showcases this wonderful local fruit. Now if you don’t have
Whether you’re a vegan or just fancy loading up on vitamins, these easy fried veggie wraps are always a tasty treat! A while ago I got into the habit of going meat-free on a Monday, and devised these vegan wraps…they soon became a regular menu item. Ideal for lunch, dinner, or snacks in between, they
Hummus is great, especially when you make it yourself. You can add in extra veggie goodness to make it healthier and more nutritious- just like this carrot hummus!Everyone has their own version and this is one I have perfected over the years to precisely suit my preferences. The beauty of this recipe is you can
These kale chips are easy to make and so healthy that I ate mine for breakfast- yes really! These kale chips consist of nothing more than kale, olive oil, vinegar, salt and herbs, so they make for great eating at any time of the day or night! My kale plants were looking really good this
Don’t be misled by the ho-hum name; our lemon chicken meatball soup is a flavour superstar! Fresh herbs & zingy lemon are blended & ensconced within a creamy leek sauce which complements the soft meatballs and fine pasta perfectly. I make this lemon chicken meatball soup regularly. I recommend making a double batch, as it
When you make our rhubarb raspberry jam, you can make these delicious jam-filled cupcakes to go with it. The recipe is easy and it’s a big hit in my household. They somehow disappear in no time! The rhubarb raspberry jam is a very ‘clean’ recipe. It consists of nothing more than fruit and rhubarb. This
This rhubarb raspberry jam is so versatile that it’s more than just a jam! Naturally it’s fabulous on toast & breads, but it makes an interesting addition to pancakes, yoghurt or a filling for our rhubarb redcurrant pie. Why not try it as a filling for these rhubarb and raspberry filled cupcakes– they are sooooo
Quick to make, impresses your guests and has just 5 ingredients- what more could you ask of the humble cheesecake?! Cheesecake has long been a classic yet has never gone out of (foodie) fashion. It’s a traditional favourite for a reason; it looks great, tastes great, & serves a crowd in a flash. This no-bake
Fresh-roasted nuts, crispy bacon & creamy pumpkin: what’s not to love?! This simple yet delicious pumpkin, bacon & pine nut pasta dish ticks all the right boxes for flavour, texture, aroma & colour. Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable with such great colour & texture it’s no wonder we make the most of it when in
Whenever I make Spatzle I think of my sweet grandmother. This German-inspired dish is something she used to make often. She wasn’t German, but lived close to the border and it was cheaper to do grocery shopping there. When she had a growing family it was a thrifty, simple & delicious dish everyone loved, so
There’s a reason that pumpkin soup is a classic the world over; because it’s delicious! A wonderful and traditional winter warmer, pumpkin & leek soup w/pine nut cream can feed a family and makes short work of a big harvest. Something about winter makes me crave smooth, creamy soups. The type that melt in your
Mid-morning, afternoons, on the go…whenever you need a quick snack, these savoury herb muffins are a winner! They’re perfect to include in school or work lunches, and can be batch-cooked & frozen for later. We all know how lovely it is to cook with fresh herbs from our own garden, and this recipe brings those
Strawberry season is upon us! Whooohooo! I always get excited because I love home grown strawberries. This marinated strawberries recipe is super easy, you just have to be patient enough to let them marinate before you eat them. Ever since I started growing my own strawberries about 10 years ago (it was my first crop
Everybody loves pancakes- I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t. But sometimes pancakes are not the healthiest food on the planet. So I added vegetables and made them gluten- and lactose free. These versatile veggie pancakes can be sweet or savoury- that’s a better batter! These pancakes have zucchini (courgette) and carrot in them.
This traditional Greek tzatziki dip is a classic! Just thinking about it transports me back to the holidays we had in the Greek islands. Tzatziki is very refreshing and this version is full of cucumber. Tzatziki dip is a natural accompaniment to Greek dishes like gyros and souvlaki. I like to use it instead of
Cauliflower is amazingly versatile. You can cook, roast, bake, steam, puree and make soup out of it. You can even use it as a substitute for rice. But did you know you can also use cauliflower in sweet dishes, and as a substitute for oats? Wait, what?! Cauliflower in something sweet? You must be crazy.
Frozen peas are good, but fresh peas are even better! The same goes for sugarsnaps. And they are so good for you too.It is one of our quickest-growing crops here in the Netherlands, and they are so yummy when eaten fresh. So when we can harvest, we do so immediately to make this pea and
This carrot cake with warming spices and dried apricots is so very more-ish! There’s no need to feel guilty either; it’s vegan, gluten free and contains no refined sugars. We eat this carrot cake for breakfast, lunch and dessert! If you can make this carrot cake last for longer than one day, you have amazing
Hot sauce truly fires me up! They provide the spice of life we sometimes need. My children are still young and don’t yet appreciate hot sauce, but they always ask me, “Daddy, why do you put hot sauce on everything?” I answer “Because hot sauce makes things exciting!” I really can’t describe it any other
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
