Hello! Welcome to dontmissmyplate.

Thank you for visiting my website! I'm Maxine—a food blogger, home cook, travel enthusiast, and all-around lover of food and culture. In other words, I’m passionate about fusion cuisine—a style of cooking that blends ingredients and techniques from different countries, regions, and cultures.

My approach is shaped by both Southern African and American influences, reflecting my life experiences and making my recipes diverse and dynamic. I also love traveling and sharing my food adventures with you, from what I ate to where to eat, while discovering new flavors and techniques along the way.

I hope you find this website helpful and inspiring. Whether you're looking for something familiar or eager to try something new, there's something here for everyone. Enjoy exploring, and happy cooking!

Grilled Apricots with Honey and Walnuts

Grilled Apricots with Honey and Walnuts

When it comes to the summertime fresh fruits, they are usually not the star of the show for lunch and dinner, relegated to a salad or an appetizer platter, but a dessert is also a great option. For many people in the U.S., perhaps strawberry pie or peach cobbler comes to mind - check out my previous no-churn peach crumble ice cream recipes using homemade peach crumble- but you can also grill your fruits and serve them with mascarpone or ice cream!

That's what I did with this super simple recipe, celebrating the seemingly neglected apricot.

I love apricot jam and think they deserve more attention than they get. They stand their ground up against peaches, and we had a tree in my garden when I was younger.

Once soft and a dark orange hue, remove the sees, oil and season, and serve with toasted walnut, raw honey and ice cream - I used creme brulee, and it all came together so well. If you want some fresh herbs, I suggest mint, of course. So here's a quick, easy recipe for this easy, mouthwatering sweet summer treat.

Ingredients

4-5 ripe apricots, deseeded

3 tablespoons natural, raw honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Walnuts

Ice cream (I used crème brulee)

Instructions

Grease a grill pan liberally with a cooking spray and heat to medium-high.

In a bowl, gently toss the apricots in the olive oil, then add the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and about half the honey (you can also drizzle the oil, then sprinkle the other ingredients) but make sure you rub the oil onto the backs as well.

Once hot, lay the apricots, cut side down, and grill for 5-7 minutes or until the grill marks begin to show - you can check periodically, try not to burn the surfaces before turning them around. On the other side of the pan, you can add the walnuts, remove them after 4-5 minutes and toasted.

Once the apricots have cooked on both sides, close the lid of the grill pan. This will steam them to make sure they cook on the inside for about five minutes. Keep an eye, so they don't break down. Remove from the stovetop and serve warm with ice cream, honey, and the toasted walnuts.

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