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The Sunshine Diet is packed full of exotic recipes that are simple to create and are packed full of flavour and fragrance.
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A simple and beautiful cake, sweet and fragrant and keeps fresh for at least 5 days due to the syrup that keeps the cake moist. A little goes a long way !
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This is a one-pan wonder, topped with tomato and mint salsa
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This lovely dessert is quick and easy to prepare and the perfect guilt-free treat. The deliciously healthy chargrilled pineapple pieces are beautifully juicy and for an added indulgence try serving with a low fat crème fraiche
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An incredible, healthy aubergine side dish from The Sunshine Diet cookbook. Plus enjoy making your own labneh with this easy recipe.
Labneh is a wonderful Middle Eastern strained yoghurt that is really easy to make and is a healthier alternative to soured cream or cream cheese. It usually takes around 12 hours to make, so it’s best to prepare it the night before and leave it to drain in the fridge overnight. You will also need a piece of muslin.
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These pancakes are thick and delicious. They taste like pancakes but have the thickness of a crumpet. Perfect for a homemade brunch.
These are amazing, I mean seriously amazing, so if you’ve never made pancakes with yoghurt before you have to try these. They are thick and delicious and taste like pancakes but have the thickness of, say, a crumpet. These pancakes are also simple to make and are very moreish and satisfying, so do try them for yourself.
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This is my Lighter Aloo Paratha recipe from my Sunshine Diet book is a nutritious treat. This traditional Indian-style bread is made without butter or ghee to keep it light.
I remember when I was at university after a long night of partying, waking up to the smell of aloo paratha cooked by a friend’s mum – the smell was truly intoxicating, with the combination of spices, chilli and coriander and the freshly cooked Indian-style bread. The thought alone literally makes me salivate! Traditionally this is made with oodles of butter or ghee, but I’d like to share with you a recipe that does away with all that butter and guilt.
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The smoked garlic in this beautiful griddled sweet potatoes dish intensifies the flavour.Taken from The Sunshine Diet book, it is perfect hot, warm or cold as a salad.
Smoked garlic (see Note below) has a milder flavour than raw garlic and therefore adds a beautiful BBQ-style taste to dishes. Here the sweet potatoes, which are rich in antioxidants and a good source of fibre, are griddled to concentrate their sweetness and to create a charred caramel flavour (equally you could do this on a BBQ). The smoked garlic in this dish intensifies the flavour. This is perfect hot, warm or cold and makes a change from traditional baked sweet potatoes.
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This lightand aromatic vegetable curry from The Sunshine Diet is the perfect dish for a midweek and weekend suppers.
One evening my sister’s friend and her mum showed me how to cook some traditional Sri Lankan dishes, and this was one of the stand-out dishes of the night. I was most impressed that it didn’t require the spices to be tempered or even roasted, yet the end result was a heady, layered and aromatic vegetable curry. This recipe’s simplicity is what makes it so special. The curry is perfect as a midweek get-together meal, particularly if you’ve come home after work wanting something really easy but delicious to prepare.
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Make this super quick dish of Korean brown rice with brussels sprouts for a healthy midweek dinner. It’s brilliant for using up leftover rice, plus you make your own kimchi.
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An exciting Caribbean allspice salad laced with pumpkin, black beans, lime and rice. This healthy lunch recipe has a lively kick from the Scotch bonnet chilli.
Whenever I use allspice it always reminds me of fragrant West Indian food such as pepper pot soup, curried goat or the classic jerk seasoning. In fact, allspice is sometimes described as Jamaica pepper. The wonderful thing about allspice/ pimento is that it has a flavour reminiscent of a number of other spices including juniper, black peppercorns, nutmeg and cinnamon, so by adding a touch of it to your food you end up adding lots of wonderful aromatic layers. This salad is packed with heaps of flavour and is high in fibre, antioxidants and vitamins, making it a good low-fat lunch that’s sure to keep hunger under control!
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This vegetarian Mauritian daube is a cross between a stew and a curry. Quick to make and very healthy, it makes for a great, easy midweek meal option.
I love every kind of daube (the Mauritian version of stew). Traditionally from the Daube region of France, these stews have become a staple in every Mauritian household. My version with potatoes and kidney beans is a very simple dish using only a handful of ingredients. I love eating this with steamed basmati rice and Fresh Carrot Salad, but you could probably eat this on its own and not feel underfed.
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A simple veggie burger with a nice kick of spice. Serve with a zesty mango salsa for a snack that’s full of flavour.
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In honour of our beautiful island celebrating its 50th year of Indepence I made these pretty la mousse in the colours of our flag.
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A rich and delicious vegan chilli with smoky flavours from the black cardamon a one pot wonder perfect if your in the house and you can let the stove do all the work.
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This is seen across pastry vendors across the country - a bring red cube covered in coconut and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. It must be seen as the Mauritian Lamington as it is so similar to the Australian version which is usually coated in chocolate. It has a distinct texture which is created once the cake has been soaked and covered in coconut. Mauritians love their afternoon tea and I’ve made this recipe as simple as possible to achieve.
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This used to be my after school snack that mum used to make for us before being sent to our rooms to do our homework! In Mauritius this is eaten for breakfast or as an afternoon treat with a hot cup of vanilla tea. I’ve made this recipe dairy free by taking out the butter and milk traditionally used and added more flavours and nuts that I think make this taste even more special.
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This sticky apple and ginger pudding is the perfect alternative to the classic sticky toffee pudding with sharp apple tones with molasses running through it with a perfect combination of warm spicy ginger. It must be served with cream or custard no short cuts here !
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A simple tart to make with a shortcut of pre bought pastry making it super quick with a wow factor. Beautiful crisp lime against mellow coconut make this the perfect flavour pairing, great for afternoon tea or dinner party dessert.
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A creamy and decadent flan filed with the tropical scent of coconut topped with a molasses caramel. This flan is a traditional dessert in Mauritius usually served after a meal but the coconut twist adds an extra dimension to a delicious dessert option.
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A sticky and moist upside down cake with a deep molasses flavour from the unrefined sugar, spice from the warmth of cinnamon and the beautiful tropical flavour of pineapple. Don’t worry about a container for this, as soon as it gets cut I guarantee they’ll be no cake left!
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This “snow” cake is the perfect alternative winters cake packed full of the tropical flavours of Mauritius with coconut and vanilla. Covered with fresh coconut and cream this cake is a real showstopper.
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These beauties can be knocked up in record timing using a handful of ingredients. They deliver the wow factor as they glisten in all their mango glory. The perfect afternoon tea snack or dinner party dessert.
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Usually prepared at special occasions and prayers in Mauritius. Made with sweet potato, coconut and lots of sugar! A little taste of paradise!
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These are the quintessential mauritian biscuit a mark left from our colonial history. The most buttery and short shortbread sandwiched together with perfect strawberry jam covered entirely with pink icing. Perfect for afternoon tea.
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The perfect make ahead muffin that you can eat on the go. Make on Sunday to keep you going throughout the week & perfect way to use up those old fruit bowl bananas!
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These summery little morsels are perfect if you don’t have much time but want to make an impression. An all in one batter cooked in 20minutes! Makes 14
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Baked tofu has a firmer texture and holds its shape better when tossed through a salad. This is deceiving as it is packed with loads of flavour, be liberal with the chilli and lemon as it really lifts this super fragrant dish.
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I was brought up eating quite a bit of tinned fish, mainly because fresh fish was so expensive when I was a child. Because of this, I’m partial to tinned sardines and pilchards. I know it sounds a bit retro but you get an intense flavour from tinned sardines, which works perfectly with the piquancy of the chilli. You could make a vegetarian version of this dish using a mix of beans instead of the sardines.
Extracted from ‘Sunshine on a Plate’
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This is a great way to use up those bananas that are turning black in the fruit bowl. It’s an easy dessert that uses ready made pastry to turn ageing fruit into something very delicious.
Recipe extracted from my first book ‘Sunshine on a Plate’
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This fragrant and spicy soup is the perfect dish to beat the winter blues. Make ahead and you can pack this for your lunch, the flavours taste even better the next day!
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Rougaille is a classic Creole sauce which gives its name to many Mauritian dishes; it looks like a simple tomato sauce but is so much more. It has a huge depth of flavour thanks to the European herbs parsley and thyme, the heat provided by the chilli and the Indian flavourings of ginger, coriander and garlic.
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At the end of the week I always end up with a umber of nearly off bananas! I decided to add some spice and turn it into something really delicious.
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This rustic red onion and gorgonzola tart is packed full of flavour and great for taking on a picnic
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A stylish treat for a delicious dessert option
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I made up this dish from some leftover feta and sweetcorn I had in the fridge - my girls were coming over in the evening and it was a quick starter which they loved.
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This is perfect to serve on hot balmy nights alongside a simple roast chicken or pan seared pork chops
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These burgers can be made in less than 15 minutes and are packed full of flavour.
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A vegetarian butter bean feast full of Moroccan-influenced flavours and will go down a storm with all the family.
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The sweetness of the lychees mixed with the tropical tartness of the pomegranate makes you dream of tropical islands…
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This recipe is very refreshing and zesty, it’s so easy to make and perfect for a dinner party as you can make it the day before.
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This dessert is perfect for celebrations and for special occasions.
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This is a Mauritian inspired recipe. These cookies are deliciously sweet as they use Billington’s sugar.
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Perfect for alfresco dining as part of a cheeseboard or tapas selection.
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A simple but impressive egg dish which you can serve as a starter or with rice as part of a main
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This dish is usually made using offcuts of beef, usually beef shin, and other meats can be used, but I think at this time of the year, we can’t get enough flavour from the wonderful root vegetables in season, so I tend not to use meat in this recipe.
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This deliciously moist cake is gluten and lactose free!
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This a lovely accompaniment to the ‘King Prawn Rougaille’. A subtly spiced and warming rice dish.
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These sweet amuse-bouche are perfect in-between courses, or at the of end a Thai meal. This was completely inspired by my wonderful trip to Thailand.
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This is such a versatile seasoning and can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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This is the ultimate comfort food! Perfect for rainy days…You can cook up big batches of these and keep in the fridge so you can pick on it during the week.
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These deliciously spicy gateau piment are best served hot and are perfect with a crisp beer like Pheonix. If you can’t get hold of this beer then it would work equally well with something like Asahi. Bon Appetit!
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I love aubergines, particularly the finger aubergines which tend to be sweeter in flavour - you can find these in specialist Asian supermarkets
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These take a bit of time but making your own doughnuts at home is do satisfying, serve warm with some ice cream on the side
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The Sunshine Diet is packed full of exotic recipes that are simple to create and are packed full of flavour and fragrance.
Order now from Amazon or Waterstones