Nectarine Upside-Down Cake

I love to eat nectarines in the summer, all ripe, sweet and juicy, but there's just something so delightful about the perfume of a freshly baked nectarine cake that makes me give into the craving every time. If you've read my Apple Upside-Down Cake post you know how much I like Susan Voisin's recipe (Susan is the author of FatFree Vegan Kitchen). I've made several fruit versions of her cake and while each one has something special the nectarine one remains at the top of my list. There are different types of nectarines and my favourite are those with gold and crimson skin and bright yellow flesh. I don't even peel them when making the cake and that creates an appetizing colour contrast while giving it a more rustic appearance.

No-Churn Coconut Chocolate Ice Cream

There is something truly magical about this ice cream that turns its simplicity into pure decadence. The rich coconut and chocolate flavours meet almost halfway, with chocolate slightly taking over. They're so wonderfully balanced that even someone who is not a coconut fan would love this ice cream. The heavenly fusion of flavours makes for an exquisite taste sensation. The texture is seductively smooth and velvety, forming a thick coating inside the mouth as the ice cream melts. Had I not made it myself, I wouldn't have believed vegan ice cream could be so incredibly creamy and light, especially without using an ice cream maker. Once you taste homemade ice cream the ready-made one becomes a distant memory.

Chocolate Brownies (gluten-free, no added fat)

You know those desserts that leave you speechless with their exquisite taste? The ones that are so decadent and addictive you find yourself sneaking into the kitchen for just one more bite, promising it would be the last? These chocolate brownies are that good! By the time I finished taking all the pictures I had already eaten a quarter of the brownies and that was just dinner, the dessert came later;) Author's advice: don't cut the brownie before having your meal, it's dangerously tempting and once you start eating you can't stop at one piece.

There is a special ingredient that helps keep these beauties moist and fudgy: butternut squash. I had some leftover purée after making butternut squash hummus and what better way to use it up than to make brownies? Now, the brownies themselves are great on their own, but what really takes them to that level of ultimate delight is the chocolate ganache. You wouldn't expect it to be so, considering how simple it is, but truly these brownies would be incomplete without it.

Somali Anjero (Canjeero)

The African cuisine with its diversity and exotic flavours exerts a kind of fascination on me that no other cuisine does. I became interested in learning the African ways of cooking during my stay in Dubai a few years ago when I had many opportunities to enjoy authentic Moroccan and Egyptian dishes. Unlike North-African and Ethiopian cuisines, Somali cuisine is not well known to the western world and I was fortunate to discover it through Xawaash (pronounced Hawash), a wonderful food blog run by a husband and wife team that documents traditional recipes and cooking techniques passed on by generations, in an effort to preserve the country's rich culinary heritage and to help Somalis living abroad to reconnect with their roots. Abdullahi and Leila's efforts to bring Somalia's distinctive cuisine to the world are admirable, as Xawaash is gaining popularity among African and non-African communities alike. Their dedication and passion shine through in every post.