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Cheese & Ham Scones with Wild Garlic are great when you fancy a change from classic cheese scones. Still with plenty of cheese, they’re also studded with little morsels of ham. When wild garlic is in season, I love the subtle flavour it brings. At …Read more
Gazpacho Smoothie with Wild Garlic is a refreshing drink or light meal with lots of raw blended vegetables. Perfect on a hot day, you can substitute a small clove of garlic and greens such as spinach when wild garlic isn’t in season. If you want …Read more
Lentil, Mushroom & Cheese Bake makes use of economical, everyday ingredients in a savoury dish that’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Enjoy as part of a vegetarian dinner that you don’t have to be a vegetarian to find satisfying. Leftovers can …Read more
Cheat’s Chicken Broth, although made in little more than half an hour, is full of flavour. Using commercial stock cubes and a chicken breast, it’s perfect when you or someone in your house is feeling poorly and needs food that’s easily digestible but nourishing. Make …Read more
Chicken with Peppers is a simple, old Italian dish that needs very few ingredients but is full of flavour. The secret is cooking it gently in a covered pan so the peppers release their juices while the onions and garlic melt down. Together, they create …Read more
Coconut Oil Popcorn made at home is a fraction of the price of those expensive shop bought bags of ‘posh’ popcorn. Ready in less than 10 minutes, you’ll never go back to the packet stuff once you’ve tried this. We all need a …Read more
Microwave Sponge Pudding is just the thing when you want a sweet dessert and fast. After whipping up the batter, your pudding will take just 3 minutes to cook in the microwave. The result is a light and fluffy sponge, just ready to have some …Read more
Roasted Cauliflower Soup is a warming, comforting delight. Made with both milk and stock it’s creamy and velvety without being cloying or overly rich. Topped with crunchy, cheesy and garlicky croutons plus morsels of cheese to melt in as you eat, it’ll chase away the …Read more
Savoury Granola, a mix of seeds and nuts toasted with your choice of flavourings, is great for quickly adding nutrition, texture and flavour to loads of different meals. Kept in a jar in the fridge, a batch will last for weeks, ready to sprinkle over …Read more
Vegetable Slaw with Orange, Honey & Mustard Dressing is one of those recipes adaptable to whatever you happen to have in the fridge. I like a combination of shredded fresh raw vegetables with a good variety of colour. Favourites are crunchy peppers, carrot, onion and …Read more
Tamarind & Mint Chutney is a fruity, sweet and sour, tangy Indian-style condiment. It’s great for dipping into with snacks like onion bhaji, spiced potato balls or aubergine fritters. Using convenient jarred tamarind paste, the chutney’s made in minutes. Just whizz the ingredients together and …Read more
Onion Bhaji are easy to make at home with none of the stodginess found in most supermarket versions. Mine have a very light batter so that the taste of the onions and spices come through. In this post I’ll also tell you about a simple …Read more
Sourdough Pancakes are a great way of using up some of the discard created when you feed your sourdough starter. Light and fluffy, these American-style pancakes are fantastic with butter and maple syrup. Eat as a weekend breakfast treat or dessert with warm berries and yogurt. But …Read more
Beef & Bean Stew is simple comfort food for chilly days and nights. And it’s even better with fluffy suet dumplings cooked on top. As well as tender cubes of beef and gravy thickened with veg, there’s beans in this economical stew too. In this …Read more
Egg Foo Yung is a quick Chinese-style omelette cooked rather like a pancake. Eaten on its own or part of a larger meal, I think Egg Foo Yung is even better with a savoury, tangy super-fast sauce poured over. It’s great for using up leftover …Read more
Fresh Cream Muffins. How good does that sound? But it’s not just a filling of whipped, vanilla-scented cream that makes these muffins so special. There’s also a lemony preserve and juicy sultanas in the light, buttery muffins. Who doesn’t love a sweet muffin? Everyone will …Read more
Mushroom & Chestnut Soup is wonderfully full flavoured, containing dried porcini mushrooms as well as fresh mushrooms. I like to add a little smoked bacon, but that can be left out if you want to keep the soup vegetarian. But what makes this different to …Read more
Coconut & Coriander Chutney is a delightful combination of creaminess and tart lime with the freshness of herbs. I add a final tarka of fried mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chilli to add depth of flavour. My favourite way of serving this Indian-style condiment …Read more
Aloo Bonda, also known as Batata Vada, are wonderful little spiced potato balls coated in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried. Served as a snack, starter or part of a larger Indian-style meal with chutneys for dipping, you’ll be surprised how such simple ingredients …Read more
If you enjoyed plenty of festive feasting recently but are looking to bring things back into balance, my Top 16 Lighter Recipes for January are just right for you. I’ve selected my favourite lighter recipes from the blog and brought them together in one post. …Read more
Chai Spiced Star Bread, sweet, buttery and spicy, is a treat at any time of year. But I think it’s especially good at Christmas as, although not complicated to make, it looks really impressive. And those who don’t relish mince pies, Christmas cake and the …Read more
Pork Burgers make a welcome change from the usual minced beef. Subtly flavoured with sage and garlic, I top the cooked patties with slices of creamy Stilton cheese before popping under the grill to melt. Add a crunchy, tangy apple and cabbage slaw to your …Read more
Roasted Red Pepper & Borlotti Bean Soup makes use of economical and easy to use peppers from a jar plus tinned beans. With the addition of vegetables like onion, carrot and celery it’s a nutritious, vibrant soup with the warming heat of a little chilli …Read more
Chocolate Coconut Porridge is a real treat and perfect for chilly mornings when you want something a bit special. Oats, creamy coconut milk and intense cocoa or cacao powder are lightly sweetened with dates and a touch of vanilla. A sprinkle of cacao nibs and …Read more
Tangy Vegetable & Apple Coleslaw is a great variation on the classic salad of shredded vegetables in a creamy dressing. Crisp eating apples and a splash of cider vinegar give a tart edge and yogurt mixed with the mayonnaise lightens this satisfying side salad. …Read more