Hello Foodies, 

In this next issue of my foodie newsletter, I'm excited to unleash the vegetarian spirit within me that just loves (most) vegetables... but didn't quite know what to do with them other than steam or pan fry them with the standard butter, salt and pepper.

In part, it was due to a weekend of just having too much sugary treats that is to blame, after which I yearned for food that was not only good for the soul, but a little nicer to my hips as well.

It's also fun to be a little creative and silly in traditional spaces like re-inventing ravioli with an apple pie theme and discovering the difference between a chocolate beer cake and a red wine chocolate cake.

And finally, it doesn't hurt to soldier on into working towards cooking every top meal that exists with some delish dishes like lamb sausage rolls, beef wellingtons, chicken tagines  and  few excellent duck dishes.

Below, I've pulled out my favourite dishes from the 50+ new recipes I've made in these last 4 months (28 savoury, 22 deserts).  

Hopefully you'll find something from the list below that inspires you too!

Vegetable Delights

Kohlrabi, Tomato, Cavolo Nero and Roasted Pine Nut Soup - Beautiful mixture of flavours and textures. Very light on the tomatoes and introduces some fantastic unique vegetables like Cavelo Nero and Kohlrabi.

Miso Sweet Potato Mash with Brown Butter - Incredibly moorish and extravagant sweet potato mash... the brown butter adds such a beautiful richness and nuttiness to this side dish.

Korean Kimchi Fried Rice - It brings together the best of both korean flavours and fried rice!  Delightfully unique fried rice recipe.

Shitaake Mushroom and Kale Risotto - The addition of shitaake mushrooms and kale brings the standard creamy parmesan risotto to new heights in flavour. 

Cauliflower & Cavolo Nero Rice Pie - Simply a showstopper in terms of presentation and flavour. Cavolo nero can easily be substituted with kale in this recipe. 

Italian Ricotta Gnocchi - Potato gnocchi is a little tricky to make and heavy to eat.  So, just like Goldilocks, I found the ricotta gnocchi to be juuuuust right for texture, ease of preparation and taste.

Lebanese Jewelled Bulghur Pilaf - A gorgeous and unique non couscous and non rice accompaniment to middle eastern dishes such as the lebanese duck dish below. This dish has so much bling and flavour, it risks making the main part of the meal look under-dressed! Who would have thought bulghur could be so tasty?!

Other Great Savoury Dishes

Morrocan Chermoula & Apricot Chicken Tagine - Ive tried a few chicken tagine recipes and knew when I came upon this one that it was a winner.  Lots of flavour and a fantastic presentation too. Combined with the pearly couscous, it makes for a very moorish dish. 

Moroccan & Greek Lamb Sausage Rolls (2 Flavours) - For those who love mediterranean flavours, it's hard to eat just a couple of these easy to make treats. Perfect as an appetizer to give you the right start to the evening dinner or as a little afternoon snack for the family. 

British Beef Wellingtons - This dish is much easier to make than it looks! No more than a few steps to complete, Beef Welingtons are a fairly easy way to upgrade a plain old steak dinner.

Malaysian Curry Baked Chicken Wings - Delicious with just a light curry spice rub and a unique unexpected twist on chicken wings.

Red Lantern's Vietnamese Chilli-Salted Squid - A must try for those who love calamari and squid. Simple and quick to make with kick ass flavours.

Vietnamese Pomelo Salad - Well worth the time to segment the pomelos in this awesome unique salad with vietnamese flavour where the basis is actually light tasting citrus rather than the standard leafy greens. This is definitely one for the foodie adventurers to try especially when pomelos are in season !

Prawn Steamed Dumplings with Spring Onion & Ginger - Beautiful recipe full of asian flavours and made simpler using store-bought wonton wrappers. 

Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) - One of the more challenging recipes I'v tried but well worth the investment in time, as this is my all-time favourite dumpling. In this one, you're making the wrappers and you get to discover the not-so-hidden secret of how the soup gets inside! 

Quebec-style Duck with Apple & Maple Syrup - Great way to serve up duck that is not too heavy on the maple syrup.  Fantastic presentation and flavour.

Triple-Cooked Lebanese Duck with Cumin, Cinnamon & Cardamom - These spices compliment the rich duck flavours really well. It'll definitely take time to do this one but the result is juicy and tender, and certainly does not taste overcooked. And yet, the skin is marvellously caramelised and crisp. A definite winner for me! 

Something for Dessert

Apple Pie Ravioli - Very happy with the results of my first invented dish which has all the classic elements of an apple pie such as the soft cinnamon-infused apple filling, the crispy crust and of course topped with a butterscotch caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream (Thanks to Kamal who helped me brainstorm this pasta-inspired dessert and Cate for the pasta challenge!)

Profiteroles stuffed with chocolate cream (inspired by Mendl's Courtesan au Chocolat) - Defined by some friends as chocolate crack. These little bites of pure velvety chocolate pleasure were a little tricky to make (especially working out how to pipe in the chocolate in profiteroles) but very rewarding in the end. I'll definitely be making these again!

Fruit Jelly Cups - I've always wanted to make jello with real fruit.  Turns out, it's not that hard at all and provides a lot of room for variation and creativity.  These two awesome flavours (watermelon mint and orange pinneaple) should help those with similar curiosity to get started.

Chocolate Beer Cake - You'd have never thought beer would go so well with chocolate cake, but it does, oooh does it ever!  The result, a lovely light chocolate cake.  For those who lean more towards ordering wine in restaurants, don't worry, we have something for you too with this dense moist Red Wine Chocolate Cake. And even if you tell me, you'd prefer no alcohol thanks... we're not going to leave you out in the cold all hungry either with this seemingly random but just as delicious Chocolate, Hazelnut & Olive Oil Cake.  

Brasilian Brigadeiros (Chocolate Caramels) - Brasilian-approved traditional caramel treats that can be made for many and has surprisingly few ingredients too.  

Aussie Mini Lamington Bites - The best part of lamingtons for me is chocolate infusion inside and all-around as well as the coconut, so I re-invented these making them as small as possible to increase the amount of chocolate per bite) and added a tasty little alcohol kicker too of course. 

French Almond Croissants - A pretty big baking challenge to take on. If you've got a day at home (or you can start the evening beforehand), this is a great one to make and will make both eyes, tastebuds and tummies around you very happy.

Mediterranean Baklava Rolls - Easier to share and eat than the standard baklava squares, and just as simple and delicious to make.

Italian Smoked Almond and Cranberry Panforte - A bold thick fudge that is heavily fruit and nut based.  I loved the haute-couture dark flavours of this recipe (dark chocolate, smokey almonds, cranberries). 

Malaysian Sago Pudding with Palm Sugar - From the first day I tried this recipe, many moons ago, I've wanted to figure out how to make it.  Making sago can be tricky but this recipe is full of tips which can help you get through it all.  Few ingredients needed and can be made some days ahead.

Sour Cherry & Almond Crostata - For those wanting a twist on the standard fruit pie, this tart could be what you're looking for! Sour cherries and almonds make a delightful combination in this gorgeous-looking and quite large open-faced pie tart.

I hope you are inspired to try recipes from this latest series of new recipes!

... if not, there's certainly much more to peruse on the www.AboutNatia.com website. 

And please don't hold back if you have your own favourite recipes to share or some new foodie challenges you'd like to try.  

Happy bellies !