Crazy Cucumber – Crazy Cucumber Blog

Lamb Curry

A comforting winter lamb curry which bursts into flavours of rich warming spices. The key to making a great curry are the freshest whole spices, as fresh as you can find. Layering is another secret of good curry, adding the spices a few times during the cooking you will get […]

Homemade Ponzu Sauce

Ponzu sauce is a soy sauce based Japanese dipping sauce made with adding of yuzu juice, a famous Japanese citrus that smells divine. Serve Ponzu as dipping sauce for gyoza dumplings, or sashimi. Use it as dressing for beef tataki or seared tuna or salad. When you will try this […]

Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry

This easy black pepper beef stir fry is incredibly flavourful and easy! Chinese beef in black pepper sauce is a real guilty pleasure and takes less time than to pick up your order from the nearest takeaway shop. Beef stir-fried in black pepper sauce is a typical Cantonese cuisine. Beautifully […]

Okonomiyaki

One time, our friend from Japan invited me and my family to his house and whipped up some Osaka-style okonomiyaki which is iconic Japanese street food. Okonomiyaki is a melting in your mouth savoury pancake, or giant vegetable bacon fritter, which is crispy outside and tender inside, and packed with […]

Japanese Pickled Air-dried Daikon “Takuan” (easy version).

No Japanese table is not completed without tsukemono or Japanese lactic-acid fermented vegetables (pickles). In Japanese culture, everything has its own place and purpose. Pickled vegetables are rich in probiotic cultures that promote digestive health (check my previous posts with the secrets of a Japanese healthy diet). Pickled daikon is […]

Soup of the Day: Potato, Chorizo and Kale Soup

Soup is my favorite winter dish. It’s warming and nutritious, and really helps me to stay in comfort during chilly winter without the nasty weight gain. I learned this secret from my grandma and my mom. All our family are collecting soup recipes. This recipe is inspired by classic Portuguese […]

Millet, Pumpkin and Sultana Porridge. GF, Vegan Recipe

What could be better than a bowl of delicious and nutritious warm porridge when you wake up in chilly winter morning. I have a collection of porridge recipes created especially as winter warmer. I like variety in good and prefer seasonal ingredients. Variety is the point, we have to get […]

Quick and easy orange, date and kombucha scones

Last summer we have traveled a lot across the country. And one beautiful morning ordering coffee in one very lovely cafe I found such delicious scones. I realized that I should do some research and get the recipe, but didn’t find something that even close. So I decided to create […]

Kimchi Udon Noodle Stir Fry

Thick and silky smooth udon noodles and beef mince, stir fried in kimchi butter sauce, topped with runny yolk saucy egg and spring onion.This dish is full of umami flavour and it only takes 15 minutes to make from start to finish!

Taste of Ethiopia: Sourdough Injera and Doro Wat

Eating Ethiopian food is an absolutely amazing experience, one that is best shared with friends and family. Tear off a piece of injera, scoop up some flavourful Doro Wat curry, and enjoy! Injera is a large spongy sour crepe, a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, it can be served with any dish […]

Soup of the Day: Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Timeless classic and a great winter warmer. Creamy dreamy and healthy broccoli soup. Both broccoli and blue cheese are strong flavors, but they mellow out in the soup, so don’t be afraid of this recipe! Broccoli is so nice and lush in autumn-winter time here in NZ, it became one […]

Caramelized Shiitake Mushrooms on Rice. Vegan Recipe.

Nothing screams autumn louder than mushrooms. They available in supermarkets all year round, but most enjoyable in autumn time, seasonal foods always taste better. The shiitake mushroom is a symbol of longevity in Asia because of its health promoting properties, especially boost for the immune system. These meaty and flavorful […]

Eggplant Casserole (Eggplant Parmigiana)

One of my latest projects I’ve made for my clients from Canada. Absolutely amazing experience .Recipe, food photography and food styling https://www.lenoregush.com Tender eggplant slices are layered with mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, and tomato sauce, and baked until bubbly. Delicious!

Potato and Sauerkraut Salad. + Vegan mayonnaise recipe. Vegan, GF.

Kiwi classic salad with a twist. This simple but sensational sauerkraut potato salad with delicious homemade vegan mayo will really add a wow factor to your BBQ season. And with the sauerkraut, it becomes a fabulous fermented probiotic side dish that’s equal parts healthy and delicious.

Autumn sun. Pumpkin Polenta Ricotta Cake. Gluten-free.

A nice and cosy autumn cake that warms the cockles of our heart. This is my daughter’s favorite cake. She loves to eat it for breakfast, I love to prepare it in evening before, it’s so quick and easy. The recipe was born many years ago and has been inspired […]

Soup of the day: Udon noodle soup with pumpkin miso broth and vegetables. Vegan recipe.

Soup weather is here again. Time to come back to my favorite theme Soup of the day! Quick and easy vegan soup which is inspired by Japanese vegan recipes. Pumpkin season is in full swing now and I really enjoy it this year. This pumpkin broth is so creamy and […]

Mediterranean-style beef meatballs.

Have you tried Mediterranean-style meatballs yet? These meatballs are extra juicy and super delicious with great Mamia’s sauce flavours. All swimming in a rich and wonderful sauce that everyone can make in minutes. Addition of three veg, golden Kiwi rule, makes this dish especially delicious. Serve meatballs with toasted Turkish […]

White Pizza with Pear, Gorgonzola and Prosciutto

This Gorgonzola and pear white pizza is loaded with Prosciutto, walnuts and kawa kawa apple jelly, this works! The combination is sweet and salty with the added creamy pungency of the cheese. Also, it gets a little peppery hit from kawa kawa and rocket. The taste is amazing!

Sourdough Pie with Sauerkraut and Chorizo Stew.

Homemade sourdough pizza dough packed with smoky hearty chorizo and sauerkraut stew. Sourdough, chorizo and sauerkraut are all products of fermentation, and foods are full of umami. So these pies are the ultimate combo. Sourdough is a mixture of flour and water inhabited by a symbiosis of Lactic acid bacteria […]