Life has been throwing us all sorts of curveballs lately.
It feels like almost everything has been an uphill battle, taking up way too much time, effort, and most importantly; energy. That elusive, terribly finite resource that seems to run out before anything substantial at all is ever accomplished. Ever since I was diagnosed with IBD in 2011, my energy stores have dwindled down to sometimes rather pathetic levels…there are days where, I kid you not, the simple act of getting out of bed and getting dressed feels like a proper marathon.
Sigh.
So anyway, I’ve been overwhelmed in general, with all this ‘life’ stuff taking quite a toll on my emotional and mental wellbeing, as well as my desire to create and my overall motivation to do…well, STUFF.
I’ve been finding myself wishing, much more often than I usually do, that I was comfortably back home in Cairo in our now sold home (*stifled sob*), with my faithful, beloved Laila taking care of and intensely mothering me. She is the nanny that helped raise me since birth, and is basically a second mom to me. She is also the best cook on planet earth, and her homemade piles of thin, ultra crispy potato chips continue to haunt my dreams whenever I venture away from her and her impulsive desire to feed me every half an hour.
To get my cooking mojo back, I’ve been trying to take the pressure off by resorting to eating out/takeaway/ready-made alternative more often for the sake of my sanity, as well as coming up with quicker, less involved meals that require minimal effort yet deliver comfort and deliciousness. I’m happy to say that I believe it has definitely helped, and I feel my creative juices starting to flow a bit more freely again lately.
This sweet little creation here is a bit of a gem. It could easily win the award for prettiest dessert I’ve ever made, yet takes all of 10-15 minutes max to put together, with no cooking or baking at all involved. It is simply a matter of assembling some beautiful, simple ingredients together to bring out their absolute best qualities, with almost zero effort on your part.
Pretty great deal, hey?
It goes like this: a soft pillow of luxurious vanilla whipped cream supports a tumble of fresh raspberries macerated in a little sugar and a touch of fragrant rosewater, which are then topped with messy shards of crushed store-bought meringue and finished off with a sprinkle of emerald-hued pistachios.
The result is this dreamy, stunning, delicately floral celebration of berries and cream, full of texture & colour and just ever so slightly sweet enough for a light dessert treat. It is the perfect dish to serve your guests for an effortless yet delightful sweet end to a meal.
Of course, you can go the extra mile and make your own meringues in advance if you are feeling ambitious…but for me, this is one of the rare exceptions where ready-made is just as good (if not better) and makes for the most stress-free dessert without compromise (in flavour or sanity).
MULTI win!
So, without further ado, here is a sweet little video to show you just how easy and fun it is to put together.
Enjoy!
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…oh and p.s: how PERFECT is this for mother’s day?? Today (21/3) happens to mark our national Mother’s Day back home in Egypt, which is such a lovely coincidence. So, if you want to make something super special for your wonderful mum this mother’s day (which I strongly recommend), this little plate of heaven will surely go down an absolute treat 😉 I know I’d pick this over non-edible gifts ANY day!
My name is Noha.
I’m passionate about food, an avid traveler, and I love to explore new cultures and cuisines whenever I get the chance by sharing my recipes and experiences with my readers.
A big fan of exploring different cuisines and always looking for new and exciting flavors to explore. I’m especially interested in healthy eating and finding ways to make delicious dishes without sacrificing nutrition.
