Last week we had four friends from church over for dinner. I realised as I was setting the table for six that we haven’t invited guests over to our home as much as we used to. But that’s just how life is at the moment, I told myself. Calum started teaching full time in January and I’ve been getting my business up and running. It was a good reminder though, not to forget what is important to us.

I wanted to cook something super easy (and super tasty) so I could spend as much time with our friends as possible. And it hit me suddenly – the slow cooker! Yes. Before the word had even jumped out of my mouth I was sitting on the floor of our study with a few cookbooks open, busily searching for a recipe to grab me. Soon enough I found it. Warm, hearty, flavour-full chilli con carne. All I had to do the morning of the dinner was chop some vegetables, brown the beef mince, stir in the liquids and spices, then leave it to bubble away for eight hours. With the smell wafting through the house all day, I was pretty excited to finally tuck in that evening.

I served the chilli con carne with steamed rice, and laid out bowls of coriander, sour cream and grated cheese on the table in ‘garnish your own’ fashion. The result – second helpings and spotlessly clean plates. But the best best thing about the night? Our table was full again.

Why I love the slow cooker:

• Minimal washing up afterwards – one frying pan (to brown the meat) and one bowl (from the slow cooker)
• A lot of food for little effort – 10 helpings from one batch of chilli con carne!
• Great if you don’t have much time in the evening – get it going in the morning and it’s ready when you get home from work
• Versatility – with one appliance you can cook curries, stews, roasts, casseroles, soups and even desserts

Skye Craig, dessert queen of MasterChef series 2 and founder of Wild Sugar, was on The Morning Show this morning cooking up pecan and pomegranate tarts. Now, I’m sure it’s no surprise that I’m a fairly huge MasterChef fan. When on the show Skye definitely intrigued me with her unique way of creating decadent desserts with healthy raw ingredients (remember the chocolate avocado mousse?) so naturally I was keen to see her signature style in these little tarts.

The use of dates in the base act as a low GI sugar substitute, leaving only a little brown sugar in the filling which makes this recipe just perfect to add to the growing collection of healthier desserts in this series (Skye omitted the chocolate in the base). Plus, pecans are packed full of goodness – vitamin E to protect the nervous system, naturally-occurring antioxidants to keep our heart healthy and prevent disease, assist in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, aid in weight loss and maintenance, contain very little saturated (unhealthy) fat and boast more than 19 vitamins and minerals.

Need more to tempt you to try this recipe? You don’t even have to turn on the oven or stove top! I’m won.

Calum and I just love making sorbet, particularly in summer when the mangoes are golden and delicious, the berries are abundant, and stone fruits are sweet and juicy. Sorbet doesn’t have to be reserved for the warm months alone though. For example, refreshing green apple sorbet, or the classic lemon sorbet can be made all year round.  The possibilities are endless! You are only restricted by your imagination.

It is true that sorbet can contain a heck of a lot of sugar, however I have been doing some research and was thrilled to discover a natural alternative to the processed white stuff. Agave nectar (also known as agave syrup) is a natural plant-based liquid sweetener that can be found in health food shops. Agave nectar can be used in the place of honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, white sugar, and brown sugar to name a few. In the case of sorbet, all you need to do is replace the white sugar with agave nectar and skip making the sugar syrup. It’s that easy! Here is a simple strawberry sorbet recipe to tickle your tastebuds.

Strawberry Sorbet

4 cups whole strawberries, washed and hulled
6 tablespoons agave nectar
1/4 cup water
1 egg white

Blend the strawberries in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. In a mixing bowl, stir together the pureed strawberries, agave nectar and water. Refrigerate mixture overnight.

Transfer the strawberry sorbet mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn. When the sorbet has started thickening, add the egg white (the egg white results in a lovely creamy sorbet, helps stabilise it in the freezer, and makes it last even longer). When finished churning, transfer sorbet to an air tight container, cover and keep in the freezer.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, transfer the sorbet to an air tight container and place in the freezer. Take the sorbet out every 30 minutes and stir, until you have reached the desired consistency.

It’s hard to believe Practising Hospitality is over a year old! Looking back over the many posts I have written (and have loved writing!) I was reminded of one of my earliest posts The Best of Autumn. With Autumn upon us again after what seemed hard to believe was summer, I pay tribute to the year that’s been as I’m brought back to what I’m cooking with this new season.

I’m loving…

A Moroccan vegetable salad with roast pumpkin, carrot, red onion, couscous and lots of fresh herbs.

A warming broccoli pasta from my favourite new chef Alice Hart.

I’m planning…

Stewed apples and rhubarb to have cold with yoghurt for weekend breakfasts.

Baked eggplants mixed with tomatoes, capers, parsley, pine nuts and spices for a hearty relish from my mum in Florida.