Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Tuna & Egg Salad has become a regular, hearty summertime lunch for me. Cupboard staples like tinned tuna, olives, capers and hard-boiled egg are combined with fresh vegetables and a simple dressing. It doesn’t haven’t pretensions to be a classic salade Niçoise, but it will …Read more
Sprouting at home all kinds of seeds and beans is incredibly easy. In this post I show you how to get super-fresh, crunchy sprouts in just 3-5 days. I’ll tell you what simple equipment you need, which seeds and beans to sprout, how to do …Read more
Cashew & Bean Sprout Stir Fry is put together in around twenty minutes. Quick and healthy, it makes a perfect light meal, or serve alongside other dishes as a main meal. With garlic, spring onions plus a light dressing of soy sauce and sesame oil, …Read more
Green Shakshuka is a modern take on the classic dish which features eggs cooked on top of a spicy tomato and pepper sauce. In this version, there’s lightly spiced green vegetables and herbs instead of the peppers and tomatoes. I’ve used broccoli, courgette, baby spinach, …Read more
Tomato & Broad Bean Salad with Salsa Verde makes a wonderfully summery meal. I like it with some feta cheese crumbled over the top. But you can leave that off for a completely plant-based dish. Eat on its own, with bread, with a range of …Read more
Aubergine with Tomatoes, Chickpeas & Yogurt makes a great vegetarian main course or part of a mezze style meal. Aubergines & chickpeas are braised in a spicy tomato sauce inspired by the food of the Middle East and North Africa. To serve, contrasting creamy yogurt …Read more
Batata Harra literally means spicy or hot potatoes. This is my wonderfully moreish version, based on the Lebanese classic. Traditionally deep-fried, I prefer the convenience of roasting the diced potatoes. Dressed with a mix of garlic, spices, herbs and lemon, I think it’s a light, …Read more
Labneh is a creamy, Middle Eastern style yogurt ‘cheese’ that’s easily made at home. All you do is strain plain, full-fat yogurt for 24-hours until it’s rich and soft like cream cheese. Great for spreading or dipping into, you can flavour it how you like …Read more
Empanada de atún is a traditional pie from Galicia, up in Spain’s north west corner, where I’ve enjoyed it many times. Filled with tinned tuna, onions, peppers, olives and hard-boiled eggs in a tomato sauce, the simple ingredients nevertheless create a pie that’s incredibly good. Best …Read more
Turkish Eggs with garlic yogurt, or çilbir to give its Turkish name, is a strangely addictive little dish. Gently poached eggs sit on thick and creamy, garlic-scented yogurt, topped with a drizzle of melted spiced butter. Perfect for a light meal on its own, or …Read more
Pasta with Sardines & Fennel is my take on a Sicilian classic, but using convenient and easily available tinned sardines. Fresh fennel, fennel seeds, lemon and garlic are joined by raisins and pine nuts. Topped with crispy mollica breadcrumbs or ‘poor man’s Parmesan’, Pasta with …Read more
Salsa Verde with Roasted Cauliflower is perfect for those who love robust flavour. With powerful ingredients like garlic, capers, herbs, & optional anchovies, this Italian cold sauce can enliven so many dishes. In this post I give you my version of Salsa Verde & I …Read more
Beer & Cheese Bread with Oats is a hearty, rustic loaf that’s full of flavour. It’s perfect for eating with cheeses, meats and pickles or alongside soups and stews. In this post I show you how to make it using my easy, no-knead overnight method …Read more
One Bowl Meals are a great way of eating a variety of different foods including loads of vegetables. They’re also perfect for using up leftovers plus odds and ends of veg, helping you reduce food waste and save money. Take a look at my examples, …Read more
Sourdough Crackers are a satisfying way of using up excess sourdough starter. But I think they’re so good it’s worth making extra starter just so you can bake them. Great on their own as a tasty nibble, or eat with cheese, dips or as a …Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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