Almond Pie

This is one of the pies my mom used to bake when I was a kid. I loved the fact that it always made my friends' mouths water whenever I took one to a school party. It still is a party favourite. 

Mix 200g of flour, 100g of sugar, 125g of butter or margarine and 2 eggs. Then spread the mixture in a baking pan - preferably one with a removable bottom. 

While it bakes in the oven, prepare the topping in a cooking pot: melt 125g of butter or margarine with 100g of sugar and 4 tablespoons of milk. Then add 150g of sliced almonds and a couple of minutes later take the mixture out of the heat. 

When the pie is cooked, take it out of the oven and coat it with the topping. Put the pie back in the oven until it gets golden. 

Enjoy!

My Mac and Cheese recipe

I look for warmth everywhere. In my friends' smiles, in fun holidays, in a strong thank you, in delicious meals. If I'm lucky, sometimes I find a meal that feels like a big hug.

Boil about 250g of elbow macaroni in salted water.

While the macaroni is cooking, melt 2 generous tablespoons of butter (or margarine) with 2 tablespoons of flour. Pour 1 mug of milk and stir. Then add about 40g of parmesan powder and keep stirring. Finally, slowly add 150g of cheddar cheese and stir until it completely blends. Add the boiled elbow macaroni and stir again.

Pour into an oven-proof dish. Coat it with about 10 to 20g of parmesan powder. Some people use bread crumbs but I prefer the cheese.

Turn on the top part of the oven: you only want to make the mac and cheese golden and crispy. I usually let it stay for about 10 minutes, checking from time to time so it won't burn.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka, my way

I just love Indian food: the colours, the spices, the aromas, the flavours. In fact, some of the best memories I have include a couple of really fun dinners with friends at an Indian restaurant, which always come back to me whenever I have Indian food. Since there isn't any Indian restaurant nearby, all I can do is try and cook Indian-inspired food at home.

Pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a hot pan. Add 2 onions, roughly sliced. When they start to become golden, add a generous amount of tomato sauce - I prefer it seasoned with onion and garlic -, and stir. After a couple of minutes, add 3 teaspoons of curry and a pinch of salt. Finally, add the chicken breasts, cut in pieces. Let it cook in medium heat for about 15 minutes.

In a bowl, pour a yoghurt and the same amount of water. Add it to the pan and stir. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice.

Raspberry Mousse

With such a luscious colour and great health benefits, raspberries are usually a great ingredient for a trendy surprise dessert when you invite your friends over. And after the usual "Is this strawberry?" it's always fun to see their impressed expressions when you say "oh, no!, this is a special raspberry mousse".

First you mash 150g of raspberries. Then beat 200ml of cream and add 100g of sugar. Soak 3 gelatin leaves in cold water. Heat the raspberries in a pan and add the soaked gelatin leaves, mixing until they dissolve completely. Take the mixture out of the heat and incorporate the cream.

Divide it in individual bowls and leave on the fridge for a couple of hours. When it is set, decorate with raspberries and mint leaves.

Your friends with love it!