Happy morning – Banana muffins

Posted on December 10, 2015 by petitedecadence

Whoever says you can’t have cake for breakfast will surely disagree with rum for breakfast. In fact, I’m not too sure I agree with it myself. (Unless by breakfast you mean a 5 am nightcap, in which case rum is totally fine if that’s your drink of choice). But these muffins, with a slightly spiced flavour and a little (barely there) kick of rum are the perfect breakfast. Pair them with your morning coffee and you’ll be sure to start the day on the right foot. How could your day not be perfect when you’ve had a small, slightly happy pastry for the most important meal of the day?
Read more for the recipe!

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Comeback – Super quick artichoke cheese pull apart bread

Posted on December 2, 2015 by petitedecadence

Let me start by saying that I’m sorry that I’ve disappeared again…I have been crazy busy with work and have had zero time to post 😦 but I’m back with a recipe that will definitely make up for the absence….not only is it quick and easy, (30 minute dough!!) it is beyond delicious and it’s the perfect thing to bring to a luncheon or dinner party. Pull apart bread is, by nature, the ultimate treat for sharing! And this savoury version, stuffed with artichokes and cheese, is moist and full of flavour. Just make sure you don’t eat all of it in one go or you won’t have any space leftover for actual lunch! This recipe pairs extremely well with a glass of chilled dry white wine, so it’s also perfect for snacking on while sipping a glass with friends. Interested? Read more for the recipe!

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Did you say summer? – Almond milk oatmeal and other detox recipes

Posted on August 16, 2012 by petitedecadence

I know, I’m shameless to show my face around here after over a month of sudden unexplained disappearance, but it was summer! Which means I did nothing productive or worth mentioning for the last month except lounging around, gossiping with friends and eating and drinking. And boy did we eat. And did we drink. And did we not do any physical activity! And now it has all taken it’s toll on me, since on Monday I woke up feeling as if small balls of play doh were running through my veins. But fear not, detox week came to the rescue! And since I can’t cook and share with you anything fancy for my return, I’ll gladly share a couple of my recipes here! (And when I say detox, I don’t mean starve yourself while you drink nothing but cayenne water and pepper, lose 15 pounds in two days and then gain 30 back in one week. Oh no. I don’t do that. What I mean by detox is more in the line of eat insanely healthy and give your body a rest of processing greasy/hard to digest/non-natural foods)

A couple of days of fruit smoothies and juices, (with soy/almond milk) then add oats and nuts and eventually vegetables (about the 4th day) and then gradually move back to your normal diet by eating small portions of fish, rice and goat cheese (since it’s easier to digest). Totally worth doing this, plus, if you’ve got good fruits it’s also delicious! (Like the almond milk oatmeal which is so good it has officially replaced my standard oatmeal) Read more for the recipes.

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Nervous dinner – seared tuna, skewered everything else

Posted on August 15, 2011 by petitedecadence

So friday night I faced the task of putting together a whole dinner after having something of a mini-nervous-attack, which was not in the slightest related to my kitchen, cooking, or anything similar, but to other more troublesome situations of life, but which nonetheless left me with a bad case of shaking hands at around 6 pm; dinner was supposed to be served at 8:30 and I had in front of me a huge pile of vegetables to slice, raw tuna to turn into cubes and a bunch of sauces to prepare. After a well chilled glass of Martin Codax albariño though, my hands found half of their steadiness and so off I set preparing sauces. Due to the lack of time, I did not make recipes out of any of these (Because who has time to measure, photograph, slice, dice, skewer, write down *and* be calm and collected?) but I’ll share with you the menu and a few of the shots I did manage to take. If you’re interested in any of the dishes let me know and I’ll gladly explain how to make it!

The tuna chalupitas (which are a sort of mini toasted tortilla) with a spicy and sweet soy sauce dressing:
(Excuse my picture, it was taken after most of them were gone. Oh, and I must add thanks to my previous photography helper friend @danmijares)

The baked potatoes, which were served with a cream-cheese, chives and heavy cream sauce:

And the skewered and grilled chicken, meat, eggplants, mushrooms, asparagus, and baby onions, served with a sweet and sour asian-y sauce:

Retrouver l’equilibre

Posted on June 27, 2011 by petitedecadence

I’m at a point in life where everything is uncertain; the future looks scary. And this is the first time this has ever happened, because I’ve never been one to worry about the future. I’ve always believed that life gives us what we need just at the right moment and in the right amount; never more and never less. And I’ve always believed that this is the perfect way of things, the flow of life. But in the chaos that has been my life lately, I’d forgotten about all of this. And it’s not forgetting something like a fact, you know, like “I forgot the capital of Russia”, but more of a “I forgot what it feels like to know what the capital of Russia is”. And so today, after a week of feeling like a yo-yo underwater, I’m remembering that feeling. I’m placing my faith back where it belongs; in life. It’s not an easy feat, that’s for sure, but as everything else in life, it takes time, it takes dedication. As the french would say, Retrouver l’equilibre. So here is, growing along with me, and in this re-found feeling, the herb garden I’d been planning to make for some time now. Because nothing needs balance in life like taking care of someone or something, even if it’s just a small basil plant!