Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Recipes for the enthusiastic home cook
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
In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during January 2020. Includes American pancakes (twice!), a perfect pizza, Indian street food, tasty local beef in a country …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
In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during December 2019. Includes a birthday meal with a MasterChef finalist, seasonal baking and Christmas in Wales. Love …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
In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during November 2019. Includes a controversial chilli, sustainable meat eating, tapas, South East Asian, Indian and Pakistani food and …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
Smoky Bacon, Leek & Potato Soup is a welcome change from the usual creamy leek and potato version. Made in around 45 minutes, this golden coloured soup has bags of flavour, including smokiness from bacon or pancetta. Say ‘leek & potato soup’ and what …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
In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during October 2019. Includes a recommended read on the history of cooking and eating, reports from one of Staffordshire’s …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
Bean, Bacon & Cabbage Soup is nourishing and flavour-packed. Using tinned cannellini beans speeds up the process and each bowlful will give you three to four portions of vegetables. Perfect comfort food for Autumn and Winter. As if the fact that Autumn is …Read more
In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during September 2019. Read about Love Lamb Week, dog friendly eating and drinking in Staffordshire, two great value restaurants, …Read more
Basic Biscuit Dough is a great recipe to have in your repertoire. From this base, you can flavour the dough with all sorts of add-ins to make a range of tempting biscuits. In this post I share with you my basic dough for crisp, buttery …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
Savoury Tear & Share Star Bread looks impressive, but it’s actually not difficult to create. Filled with layers of sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, basil, salami, roasted onions and garlic plus fennel seeds, you won’t be able to resist pulling off a piece and eating it warm …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
In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during August 2019. Includes quality but affordable dining in Lichfield, Thai lunchtime bargains, tapas at my local village pub, …Read more