Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Cheese and Vegetable Muffins are full of cheesy flavour and packed with courgette, carrot, red onion, and chives. If you want a crunchy element, there’s optional nuts and seeds too. With a wonderfully fluffy texture, these delicious savoury muffins are so easy to put together …Read more
Main course salads are a great way of eating. Packed with veggies, proteins, and flavourful ingredients, they’ll keep you satisfied for hours. So forget relegating salad to a side dish and take a look at my round-up of favourite main course salads. BEAN & TUNA …Read more
Muhammara is a beautifully simple but richly flavoured dip or spread. Based on roasted red peppers, walnuts, and breadcrumbs, its lightly smoky, spicy, sweet and sour tanginess is popular all over the Levant or eastern Mediterranean. Delicious served on its own with bread or part …Read more
Santiago is a tapas restaurant, bar and deli in an historic building in Buxton. Highlighting authentic Spanish food including ingredients sourced from Spain, the menu offers an enticing mix of familiar and not-so-familiar dishes. On my first visit I ate a faultless tapas feast that …Read more
Savoury Mediterranean Quick Bread is an easy but delicious loaf packed with classic Mediterranean flavours: courgette, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, herbs like basil, plus nuts, seeds, feta and Parmesan cheeses. Made with self-raising flour and eggs, there’s no kneading and no proofing. …Read more
Shokupan Hot Cross Bun Loaf is a wonderful combination of super-soft, fluffy Japanese-style milk bread and the traditional British fruity and warmly spiced Easter treat. Whether cut into slices or pulled apart and eaten as buns, you’ll love this surprisingly easy loaf spread with butter. …Read more
Smoked Salmon & Egg Salad is delicious, nutritious, and so quick and easy to put together. Protein-rich smoked salmon and boiled egg sit on a salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion and radish dressed with a simple vinaigrette. Adding lots of punchy flavour are …Read more
Luxury Tuna Melt takes the ever-popular tuna melt to the next level. With rich tuna flavour, intense cheesiness from Parmesan and Cheddar, egg, plus piquancy from garlic, dill, pickle, mustard, and lemon, I think this really is the ultimate tuna melt. So you can pile …Read more
Wild garlic, in season from March to June, is a wonderful (and free!) ingredient. Found in most of Britain, it’s probably the most easily recognisable foraged food, making it perfect for beginners. In this post I’ll tell you where to look for wild garlic, how to identify …Read more
Vegetable Masala Omelette is inspired by the masala omelettes of India, often eaten for breakfast at home or on the go. But it can be a tasty, quick and nutritious meal at any time of day. Packed with veggies plus spices like garam masala, turmeric …Read more
Corn, Cheese & Spinach Pancakes make a tasty weekend breakfast, brunch or even an easy dinner alongside a salad. As well as plenty of flavoursome cheese, there’s chilli heat, sweetcorn, plus spinach for vibrant colour. Try a stack topped with melting cheese and my Spiced …Read more
Spiced Chilli Butter is a versatile condiment that’s put together in a matter of minutes. Inspired by Tex-Mex flavours, including chilli, garlic, cumin, paprika, and oregano, the punchy butter is perfect for topping corn-on-the-cob, chicken, steak, fish, baked potatoes, steamed veg, savoury pancakes and waffles, …Read more
Traditional English Pancakes are so simple but always feel like a treat. Made with just flour, eggs, milk, and salt, they’re most often served with a sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Usually reserved for Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, I think they’re …Read more
Very Cheesy Cheese Scones might just be the fluffiest, cheesiest, best cheese scones ever! Warm from the oven, split and spread with butter, there can’t be many home baked savouries that are so comforting yet take hardly any time and effort. Ready to enjoy in …Read more
I’m most definitely not one of those people who say that lunch is for wimps. For me, a decent meal in the middle of the day is vital. Not only does it physically revive you after a morning’s work and sustain you for whatever you’ve …Read more
Apple & Oat Quick Bread, with flavours reminiscent of toffee apples, is so much easier than traditional cake. With a caramel-like flavour from brown sugar contrasting with tart apple, plus hints of vanilla and wholesome oats, it’s a wonderful treat thickly sliced with a cuppa, …Read more
Dog Friendly Eating & Drinking in Staffordshire is a personal guide to my favourite independent dog friendly pubs, restaurants and cafés in the county. Besides enjoying the outdoors with my cocker spaniel Larkin, eating and drinking is how I spend a lot of my leisure time. …Read more
Chickpea Feta Salad Sandwich makes an easy and nutritious, tasty and satisfying lunch. Semi-smashed chickpeas are mixed with tangy feta cheese, crunchy veg, garlic and herbs, plus a little creaminess from mayo or yogurt, to create a sandwich filling that’s both healthy and delicious. Disclosure: …Read more
Corned Beef Rissoles are simple, economical comfort food: a soft filling of canned corned beef mixed with cooked potatoes and onions with a crispy golden breadcrumb coating. Great for a weekend breakfast or brunch with eggs or try them as a homely dinner with baked …Read more
GoFish Seafood, Bar & Grill in Buxton serves up affordable, great-tasting dishes featuring top quality seafood. After enjoying a quick lunch soon after they opened back in October 2024, last weekend I went back for dinner to try their extended menu and was impressed. I …Read more
Savoury Digestive Biscuits are a low sugar version of the British favourite. Made with oatmeal and wholemeal flour, the rustic, satisfying biscuits are ideal for eating with cheese, nut butters, pâté, or other savoury toppings. So easy to make, once tried you’ll never go back …Read more
Baked Eggs with Mushrooms & Kale is a tasty and healthy one-pan meal. Mushrooms and kale are sauteed in olive oil with garlic before you crack in a couple of eggs. Pop on a lid and a few minutes later you’ve a nutritious breakfast, brunch, or …Read more
Banana porridge with tahini and date syrup is an unusual but truly delicious combination. The earthy Middle Eastern sesame paste pairs wonderfully with the dark, rich fruitiness of date syrup when you drizzle them over oats cooked with banana, cinnamon and optional vanilla. Finish with …Read more
Après is the second restaurant from Thom Bateman, the Cheddleton chef with a rapidly growing national reputation. Upstairs from the Michelin recommended Flintlock in the Staffordshire Moorlands, Après offers an outstanding tasting menu experience for just sixteen diners, presented by Thom and his chefs. Après …Read more
Savoury Biscotti are delicious biscuits, twice cooked so they’re wonderfully crunchy. Flavoured with cheese, nuts, herbs, and spices, they’re a variation on classic Italian sweet biscotti. Perfect to accompany cheese, pâté, alongside soups and salads, to nibble with drinks, or as impressive homemade addition to …Read more