I eat salad at least once a day now, and this type of dressing has been my favourite for a while:

Blend about a dl of tahini, four garlic cloves, a bit of fresh ginger, chili in some form or other, one tblsp roasted sesame oil, two tblsp olive oil*), 1 tsp black treacle**), grated peel and juice of two lemons, and one tesp roated cumin seeds finely ground. Add cold water a little at a time till the desired consistency, usually about the same amount as the amount of tahini.

As long as you don’t eat it by the spoonful by itself before that, it will last four to five days in the fridge. I believe it can also be frozen, although I would probably prefer to blitz in the garlic upon defrosting. Any which way, having a batch on hand cuts down on preparation time. I must admit – preparing, and eating, a big salad for breakfast does take a lot longer than slapping some cheese on a slice of bread and eating it.

*) Yes, I know, the WFPB police will come after me, but I refuse to live without olive oil & co. at least for now. In recent months, I have been learning so much about nutrition and made quite a few changes to my regular diet (and liking it and feeling great – don’t get me wrong) that I am thinking (sobbing) – PLEASE don’t take my beloved olive oil away from me. I have yet to be convinced that it is the great evil that whole-foods people say it is, but who knows ….. that day might still come where this last frontier of my complete surrender to Dr Greger’s Daily Dozen Doctrine will fall.

**) Most similar recipes call for maple syrup or honey, but black treacle from Alnatura is my always-available, staple sweetener (of which I don’t use a lot anyway) and has been since I was a little bit iron deficient not so long ago and found out that one tblsp of it will have your iron levels replenished in no time.

Updated 16 January with this tip: For hummus, the best result is obtained when the “skin” is removed from the chickpeas. This is quite bothersome and time consuming and have hardly ever done that now. However, I have discovered that you can now buy dried chickpeas with the skins removed in bio supermarkets, at least in Berlin, of the brand Vivaterra. Also, to make sure that the chickpeas get nice and mushy fo the purpose, add a heaped teaspoon baking soda (natron) to the water in which you soak the chickpeas for 8-10 hours. Rinse before boiling in new water.

400 g cooked chickpeas (if you must use tinned, then rinse thoroughly)

Salt

3-4 cloves garlic

3-5 tblsp (up to 150 g) tahini

2 tblsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1,5 tsp roasted cumin seeds

If you are not using skinless chickpeas as mentioned in italics above, try to rinse and remove as many skins as possible. Then process all ingredients, tasting along the way, and add more of everything as needed.

Obvously, the creamier you want your hummus, the longer you have to process – up to ten minutes, which means the processor can run warm, and thus warm up the hummus. To counter that, instead of adding the cold water all at once, add an ice cube at intervals.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours to settle.

(And no, I am not gluten intolerant but like many others, I feel as I get older that my joints like me better, the more gluten free I manage to eat.).

• 450 ml water
• 30 g psyllium husk powder, a.k.a. yellow flea seed shells, a.k.a. Flohsamenschalen
• 100 g buckwheat flour
• 100 g rice flour
• 100 g chickpea flour
• 40 g starch (tapioca, corn, potato, any starch will do
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (natron)
• 1 tsp salt
• 50 g pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• 1 tblsp dried marjoram
• 1 tblsp kalonji

Mix water and psyllium husk powder, whisking, as it starts to gel really quickly. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all the dry ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Add the psyllium gel to the bowl and knead the ingredients with a mixer or your hands. It will take about 5-10 minutes for the dough to come together.

If the dough appears too wet, sprinkle it with 1-2 Tbsp tapioca flour. If it feels too dry, add a little water.

Shape the dough and press it into a an oiled baking tin (I usually line mine with baking paper as well).

Bake for 50-60 minutes.

• 2 tblsp  avocado oil
• 2 red onions, sliced
• Large knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 whole garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• Chili in whichever form you have available, to taste
• 500 g green lentil, cooked
• 500 g sweet potato, thoroughly scrubbed and cut into chunks
• 500 g white cabbage, shredded
• 2 tsp garam masala
• Coriander and yoghurt to garnish (optional)

Soften the onion in the oil, along with the ginger. Add spices, sizzle for a little while, stirring, and then stir in the garlic and the potato and cook for a little while before adding the rest of the ingredients rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer till the potato is cooked through and the cabbage wilted.

• Olive oil in which to brown the onions
• 2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
• salt
• 300 g parsnip, peeled and very finely sliced
• 200 g potato, peeled and very finely sliced
• olive oil
• One 250 g sheet of puff pastry
• 200 g firm, round goats’ cheese, sliced
• Leaves from two sprigs thyme
• 1 heaped tsp kalonji
• 1 egg, whisked
• 2 tblsp honey
• 1 tsp chili flakes, or, as I did in this case: finely sliced fresh chili

Sizzle the onions in the olive oil with a pinch of salt, stirring regularly, over a low heat until the onions are caramelised, sticky and soft. This can take around 45 minutes. Keep an eye on them towards the end of this time as they can start to catch.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

Place the parsnips, potatoes, thyme and kalonji in a bowl and toss with a dash of oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the pastry sheet on a baking tray lined with baking paper and lightly draw a 3 cm border around the edges, taking care not to cut all the way through.

Spread the parsnips/potatoes,/onions inside the border of the pastry sheet.

Brush the pastry’s border with the beaten egg.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are almost tender. Then spread the cheese all over and bake for another20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the vegetables are tender.

Serve the tart with a salad and drizzled with the honey mixed with 1 tblsp water and the chili.

(Vegan and gluten free)

• 650 ml water
• 4 tablespoons ground linseed
• 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
• 2,5 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar (unfiltered)

Mix well, let rest 20 minutes, then whisk.

• 300 g buckwheat flour
• 100 g buckwheat flakes
• 1,5 teaspoons baking powder (phosphate-free)
• 0,5 teaspoon baking soda
• 1,5 teaspoons sea salt
• 250 g mixed seeds e.g. a mix of buckwheat and seeds such as sesame, pumpkin, flax, or sunflower, plus more for garnish (100g)
• Oil to grease the baking tin

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease a baking tin (for example 10 x 30 cm) and line with baking paper.

Combine the dry ingredients well.

Combine the wet ingredients well.

Combine the two and mix really well.

Transfer the dough into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Optional: sprinkle with extra seeds.

Bake for 1 hour 10-15 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and very firm to touch in the center.

Remove from baking tin as soon as it is cool enough to handle.

Keep refridgerated for about a week, and also freezes well.

In both the country I live in and the country I come from, this precious vegetable, extremely healthy and at the same time inexpensive, is served especially in winter, to accompany all the seasonal dishes from roast duck to pork with crackling

Here are two spicier alternatives, the first one with, among other ingredients, mustard seeds and ginger, and the second one with, among other ingredients, kalonji, onion and garlic:

Spicy cabbage number one:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, coconut oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 knob ginger, chopped
• 1 green chili
• 10 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves
• About 800 g coarsely shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt
• Vegetable stock or water, as needed

Sautée the mustard seeds in the oil or ghee till they begin to pop.

Add the cumin and curry leaves and sautée till fragrant.

Add the garlic, ginger and chili, sautée till starts to soften.

Add the cabbage and turmeric and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. Season with salt. Add a dl of water and cook till the water has evaporated and the cabbage is tender but still with a little bit of “bite”, about five minutes.

Spicy cabbage number two:

• 2 tblsp avocado oil
• 2 tsp kalonji
• 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
• 1 heaped tsp fenugreek seeds
• Chili, in whichever form you have available, and to taste. I used chili flakes this time
• 2 medium red onions, sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, sliced
• About 800 g coarsely shredded red cabbage
• Vegetable stock or water, as needed
• 1 tsp garam masala

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the kalonji, and stir for a few seconds. Then add the other seeds, and the chili if using, and stir.

Add the onion and garlic, and fry for a few minutes, until softened.

Add the cabbage, and fry for a few minutes.

Add enough stock or water to cover the bottom of the pan, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender.

Uncover, stir in the garam masala, and simmer off any remaining water

IN PROGRESS

• 14 ounce block medium firm tofu
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons potato starch or corn starch (for dusting)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 scallion, finely chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Drain the tofu from the package and place on a plate. Let sit for 15-20 to remove excess water. Alternatively, wrap the tofu in paper towel or tea towel to remove excess water. Repeat 3 to 4 times until the tofu is dryer.
2. Whisk garlic, sriracha, soy sauce, honey and rice vinegar in a bowl and set aside.
3. Dust tofu with cornstarch until all sides are coated.
4. Use a medium large pan and turn the heat to high. Add oil and when the oil is hot, almost smoking, add tofu cubes. Be careful of oil spits! Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes without touching or tossing too much, until golden brown.
5. Add sauce and gently coat tofu cubes. Cook for 3 minutes.
6. Turn the heat off and add sesame oil and sesame seeds.
7. Stir once more to evenly coat tofu cubes and serve topped with scallions.