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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
Karniyarik is a Turkish dish of soft baked aubergines stuffed with meat in a tomato sauce. My version includes lamb mince spiced with cumin, cinnamon, and chilli, topped with the traditional slice of green pepper and tomato. Served with rice or bulgur pilaff, a salad …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
Five Spice Pork Belly is a rich blend of cubed pork braised in a spicy tomato sauce. As well as Chinese flavours like five spice mix and Shaoxing rice wine, there’s a Thai influence too. The best of both worlds! Try Five Spice Pork Belly …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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Chicken Chilli is a lighter alternative to many traditional chillies, whether meat or veggie. Instead of a tomato base this is a ‘white’ chilli with sweetcorn and white beans as well as chunks of chicken. The spicy mix, with as much chilli as you like, is …Read more
Chicken Croquettes, creamy on the inside with a hint of Parmesan, crunchy on the outside, are a great way of turning leftover roast chicken into irresistible fried morsels. Serve with potatoes and salad or vegetables, or with similar little dishes in an Italian style fritto …Read more
Green Bean, Tomato & Coconut Curry is full of spicy flavour. The creamy coconut milk in the sauce is balanced by tomatoes and a final squeeze of lime. Use fresh or frozen green beans of any kind in this easy, completely plant-based curry. This curry …Read more
Tahini Miso Vegetable Slaw with Crispy Chickpeas is a big, satisfying bowlful. Crunchy shredded vegetables with a dressing based on creamy tahini, full flavoured miso paste and as much chilli heat as you like are joined by chickpeas roasted until crispy and moreish. A hearty, …Read more
Roast Beef Salad is undoubtedly a sensible way to use up leftovers from the Sunday roast. But, made with quality beef sirloin, I think it’s so good it’s worth roasting a joint specially to make this satisfying plate. With little salads of roasted carrots, garlicky …Read more
Aubergine & Chickpea Curry, full of rich, spicy flavour, is so simple to make. Apart from the aubergine, most of the ingredients, including tinned chickpeas and tinned tomatoes, are fridge and kitchen cupboard staples. Which makes this tasty, nutritious curry perfect for a weeknight dinner. …Read more
Black Bean Chilli with Peppers & Corn is a tasty, easy dish. Combining convenient tinned black beans, tomatoes and sweetcorn with fresh peppers, coriander and a host of store cupboard spices, it’s perfect for a healthy, midweek meal. And forget boring old rice with your …Read more
Quinoa Salad with Peas & Broad Beans includes some of the best ingredients of Spring and Summer. But you don’t have to wait until the new season’s peas and broad beans are available to make it. That’s because frozen versions, available all year round, can …Read more
This Miso, Ginger & Sesame Vegetable Salad is a real favourite at our house. The sweet and tart, zingy dressing is made in about five minutes. All you need to do then is decide what crunchy veg you want in the salad. I love carrot, …Read more
Sriracha, Soy & Honey Glazed Salmon is one of those dishes I’ve been making for a good few years now. Full of spicy hot, sticky sweet and tangy flavours, who wouldn’t love it? This glazed salmon is really easy to put together and cooks so …Read more