Cooking With Dia

If you are like me, you are constantly trying to veganize dishes you remember from your pre-vegan life. I for one have been obsessing on how to make the perfect vegan mozzarella. I’m pleased to say I’ve finally cracked the code, and managed to make a ball of vegan mozzarella, and I will be sharing that recipe with you soon. While obsessing on things like that, I forgot that the best part of being vegan is staring right in front of me-All the wonderful fruit and veg I get every week. So, today it’s back to basics with this very simple spicy risotto. If you’ve never made risotto before, this is a good starter recipe, and then as you get more confident, you can add whatever you like to it.

This soup is nice, thick and spicy, but not too rich. I would suggest serving it in small soup bowls as an appetizer rather than bigger portions for a main course. I chose to slow cook mine over 4 hours, but you don’t have to wait that long! I just find [...]

When I got home from my trip, the first thing I made was Thai Sweetcorn cakes, the way they should taste in my opinion. And they finally satisfied that 3 day long craving of hot chili with the sweetness of the corn.

Even in nice weather, people get unwell. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of noodle soup. Many have come to associate noodle soup with chicken, but as someone who does not eat meat I had to improvise.

I have been wanting to make Dolma for a while now, it is an Eastern European way of hollowing and stuffing vegetables which have the typical appearance of looking rolled. Most cooks will stuff their chosen vegetable with cheese and meat, or cheese and fish. I decided to stuff mine with Orzo, a rice shaped pasta, sweet peppers, chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions. Why not just use rice instead? Orzo has the most delicious flavor, that even the finest risotto rice cannot duplicate. I use this a lot in my pasta dishes and soups. Be sure to try it some time!

Nothing is better to come home to on a cold winter’s day than a nice warm dish of paella. In this recipe I have mixed it up a bit by turning it into a pastry less pie. I have also used Spanish ceramic dishes that are good for individually sized portions.

Here is another wonderful and tasty vegetarian meal that I made up one night with left over ingredients. I now make this often, sometimes substituting the fresine for spaghetti, but it still tastes just the same. You can even add aubergines and zucchini to the mix because this recipe is so versatile.

I don’t claim to be a vegetarian, but this dish is a fantastic vegetarian meal.

Something I have trouble explaining to my carnivorous friends, is that you don’t need meat on your plate to feel full. A nice vegetable stir fry can do the trick. It is warm and comforting, and best [...]