Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Walnut & Pumpkin Seed Scottish Oatcakes are rustic, wholesome savoury biscuits or crackers. Chopped walnuts and pumpkin seeds marry perfectly with the nutritious oats while optional walnut oil intensifies the nutty flavour. Perfect with cheese, pâté, nut butters, or to eat alongside soups, they’re incredibly easy …Read more
Aubergine & Beetroot Moutabal (or baba ganoush) looks beautiful and tastes both smoky and sweet, earthy and mildly spicy. But this Middle Eastern inspired dip or spread with tahini, garlic, lemon and cumin is very easy to make. A whole aubergine is charred under the …Read more
Scandi-Style Smoked Fish Salad is an easy, colourful main course salad. You can include any smoked fish you like in this Scandinavian/Nordic-inspired dish. I’ve used pan-fried, lightly smoked salmon fillets, but regular smoked salmon, smoked trout or smoked mackerel will all work well. Potatoes, beetroot …Read more
Tuna & Potato Salad with an Italian twist: capers, olives, garlic, lemon and optional anchovies. Full of gutsy flavour, plus filling ingredients like potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, you’ll find this a tasty and satisfying salad. Enjoy on its own or as one of several dishes, …Read more
Cucumber & Sesame Noodle Salad is quick, easy, refreshing and utterly delicious. Especially good during hot weather, the only cooking required is your choice of noodles. I’ve used egg noodles, but rice, soba or your own favourite will work too. The noodles are tossed with shreds …Read more
Cheesy Scottish Oatcakes are easy to make with simple ingredients. But they’re wickedly good with the addition of cheese to the traditional savoury biscuit or cracker taking them to another level. Enjoy as part of a cheeseboard, with spreads and dips or even instead of …Read more
Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Mint Pesto is one of my current favourite dishes. Aromatic cumin seeds, fruity and warm Aleppo pepper plus refreshing mint, transform earthy root veg and pulses into a great summer salad. The Mint Pesto that’s the star of the …Read more
Turkish Eggs with Chickpeas and Flatbread is my idea of heaven on a plate. Chewy, satisfying bread topped with minty, garlicky yogurt, a runny poached egg plus nutty chickpeas in a cloak of spicy butter. I’ve flavoured the yogurt with vibrant homemade Mint Pesto but, …Read more
Mint Pesto is a lively condiment that takes little more than ten minutes to make. Without the cheese included in the classic Italian basil version, vibrant Mint Pesto is hugely versatile. All you need are: almonds (or substitute your favourite nuts), garlic, a lemon, salt, …Read more
Pea & Mint Baked Falafel make a great change from regular chickpea-only falafel. Replacing half the chickpeas with frozen peas gives a slightly sweeter edge. Mint leaves bring freshness that lifts the coriander and cumin spices. Brushing with oil and baking instead of deep frying …Read more
Bang Bang Chicken Noodle Salad is full of bold spicy, nutty, salty, sweet and savoury flavour. Based on a Chinese classic, my version takes tender shredded chicken, a knock-out 5-minute sauce, and combines them with noodles and lots of fresh vegetables to create an easy, …Read more
Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint is light and refreshing. So quick to make, it’s perfect for hot summer days. Lovely as a side with fish, meat or barbecued foods. Or try it as a main meal salad topped with feta or goat’s cheese. …Read more
Quick Roasted Pepper Pasta is a super-speedy dish for when you need something filling and tasty, but fast. Whizzing together a roasted pepper from a jar, garlic, a little cream, olive oil and seasoning is done in seconds. The rich, creamy sauce is then heated …Read more
Rough Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls are surprisingly easy to make at home. Once you’ve tried them, I think you’ll agree that the homemade version of this popular British savoury snack is miles better than any mass produced offering. If you’ve never made rough puff pastry before, …Read more
Mushrooms with Miso Butter are intense little flavour bombs! Stuffed with an umami-rich, savoury butter then quickly roasted until golden and bubbling, I think you’re going to love them. Great as a side with steak, chicken or fish, but so good they can be the …Read more
Roasted Pepper, Salami & Cheese Scones are my latest take on the classic cheese scone. Inspired by the flavours of Italy, these savoury scones are studded with roasted red and yellow peppers, nuggets of sun-dried tomato, garlicky salami, fresh basil and, of course, plenty of …Read more
Tamagoyaki Japanese Omelette, with its layers of folded egg, may look difficult. But it’s actually easy once you know how. Great for packed lunches and bento boxes, picnics, breakfast, or main meals, they make a tasty change from European-style omelettes. Okay, you may not be …Read more
Potato Salad with Smoked Mackerel takes a classic side dish and makes it extra special. Creamy, smoky and with a hint of horseradish, hard-boiled eggs add to the interest along with flakes of mackerel. Pair with a green salad to enjoy as a main meal …Read more
Roasted Radishes may sound unusual, but they’re surprisingly tasty. Fast roasting in olive oil for around ten minutes mellows the radish’s natural pepperiness and makes them delectably juicy. Flavoured with garlic and a squeeze of lemon, I think they’re great as a side dish, warm …Read more
Savoury Flapjacks with Apple, Cheese & Walnuts are great for a healthy snack, packed lunch or picnic. Pair them with salad or veggies and they’re perfect for a main meal too, hot or cold. Based on oats, nutritious, savoury flapjacks are so easy to make. …Read more
Beetroot Crackers not only look good but, speckled throughout with nigella seeds, they taste wonderful too. The beetroot brings an attractive colour and earthy sweetness. The seeds, said to resemble anything from onion, cumin or oregano, add a contrasting mild bitterness that becomes quite addictive. …Read more
Grilled Spring Onions with Romesco Sauce turns an everyday ingredient into a simple but oh-so-good feast. Based on a Spanish-Catalan classic, spring onions are doused with olive oil and grilled. Or, if it’s barbecue weather, you can char them over hot coals. But what …Read more
Cheese, Onion & Chilli Bread is a great accompaniment to soups and stews. But it’s equally good sliced and made into sandwiches, especially toasted. Using my no-knead, overnight method, and baking the bread in a covered pot, it’s easy to get a well risen, flavoursome …Read more
Celeriac Latkes, or pancakes if you prefer, are a great alternative to the traditional potato version. Grated celeriac is mixed with onion, eggs, flour, seasoning, and griddled or fried until golden brown. This sweetens celeriac’s subtle celery-parsley-like flavour to make a delicious appetizer, snack or …Read more
Chinese Coleslaw Salad, full of crunchy vegetables, is the perfect accompaniment to many East Asian-inspired dishes. You won’t find the rich, creamy dressing of traditional European coleslaws here. Instead, shredded cabbage, carrot, cucumber and onion has a lightly sweet but refreshing and tangy dressing inspired …Read more