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Recipes for the enthusiastic home cook
Who doesn’t love Hot Cross Buns at this time of year? With their roots in Britain’s pagan past and its celebration of the return of Spring, making a batch of these fruity and spicy buns isn’t difficult, even if you’ve never made bread before. …Read more
This post is the second in a series where I want to show you how meals based around roasted vegetables, accompanied by a range of tasty mix and match dressings, are a great way to help you reach your recommended daily intake of fruit and …Read more
This post is the first in a series where I’ll show you how roasted vegetables, accompanied by a range of tasty mix and match dressings, are a great way to help you reach your recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables. In this post I …Read more
My contribution to the Columbo Bowl Chili Cook-Along, celebrating the publication of Cooking with Columbo. There’s a word for the effect on my brain of watching Swan Song, episode seven of season three of Columbo: an earworm. An ear worm is a piece of music …Read more
Winter is traditionally the time for slow-cooked stews, and oxtail with its rich flavour and soft, silky texture teased out by long cooking, is understandably a contender for this sort of comfort food. But for me, oxtail evokes thoughts of warmer climates; specifically the southern …Read more
The first time I made this Kale, Spinach, Apple, Celery & Lemon Juice I was rather new to green juices and smoothies and a bit dubious about how it was going to taste, despite its beautiful deep emerald colour. With a hefty dose of our …Read more
If you’ve seen my post about Dry January you’ll know that I’ve set myself the goal of drinking no alcohol for a month. In that post I talked about how I’d recently found that deeply ingrained drinking habits, developed from a young age and which …Read more
Cranberry & Orange Scones are so quick and easy. To make them, I take the classic British fruit scone and give it a twist by using dried cranberries soaked in orange juice plus orange zest. To make them even more orange-y, serve them with a …Read more
Parmesan & Cheddar Biscuits might just be the best cheese biscuits you’ve ever tasted! Intensely cheesy and buttery, but so light and melting. Great as an indulgent nibble or wow your guests by serving with drinks. These cheesy biscuits as so good that …Read more
Thai Spring Rolls with Pork & Prawns are crispy, crunchy, and absolutely delicious. Inside is the perfect mix of rice noodles, mushrooms, prawns, minced pork, carrots, bamboo shoots and beansprouts. All flavoured with garlic, chillies, coriander and fish sauce. Fantastic with some sweet or hot …Read more
Turkey, Sage & Cranberry Dog Biscuits are an easily made Christmas treat, full of natural ingredients that your pooch will love. I’ve posted quite a few Christmas recipes for us humans, including Mincemeat, Mince Pies, Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding and Turkey Stock. …Read more
Spicy Lentil & Coconut Soup is creamy, warming but with fresh, vibrant flavours. In this easy but satifsfying soup, red lentils are simmered with tomatoes, vegetables and spices then made creamy with coconut milk. To finish, whole spices are fried and stirred through the soup, …Read more
Although I’ve put this post in the ‘recipes’ category, it’s hardly a recipe at all. To make turkey stock, or any other meat stock really, it’s simply a case of putting the bones plus any scraps of meat, skin and fat plus selected vegetables in …Read more
Forget those over priced, palm oil laden packet stuffing mixes. My Homemade Sage & Onion Sausagemeat Stuffing is so much better and contains just a few simple ingredients: onions, garlic, dried sage, fresh parsley and crumbs made from leftover bread. Delicious mixed with pork sausagemeat …Read more
Fancy something a little different to the traditional Christmas pudding this year? I love Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding as a delicious, light and easily made alternative. Good for using up leftover panettone after Christmas too. CHRISTMAS CAKE, MINCE PIES & CHRISTMAS PUDDING: A …Read more
THERE IS A NEWER VERSION OF THIS RECIPE HERE There’s no mystery to making light, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth sweet shortcrust pastry at home. So much better then any ready-made pastry in the shops, if you haven’t made it before, you might be surprised how easy it …Read more
Food – dogs – books – films It’s always satisfying when I come across something that combines at least two of my major passions. And, for the record, my major passions include: food (obviously), dogs (especially English cocker spaniels), books and films. For instance, as Ernest …Read more
Did you know that Homemade Christmas Mincemeat is incredibly easy? It’s really just a case of mixing up the ingredients, leaving overnight and then putting in a low oven for a couple of hours. Then it’s ready to put in jars! Get making my easy …Read more
Sausage, Vegetable & Lentil Stew allows you to stretch good quality, free-range sausages by adding vegetables and pulses. Warming and full of flavour, a portion of this stew will provide at least three of your minimum five a day fruit and vegetables. Sausages: quality …Read more
Smoky Tomato Chilli Chutney, spicy with a sweet edge, is utterly addictive! Great for using up homegrown tomatoes and/or chillies, its smokiness comes from a generous amount of Spanish paprika. Delicious and versatile, you’ll love it not just with cheese and crackers, but with kebabs, …Read more
The much maligned egg & why it should be in your diet I love eggs. Not just because they’re nutritionally amazing (and they certainly are, providing high quality protein as well as many vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients) but because they’re also incredibly versatile. So, …Read more
In this post, you lucky people are getting two recipes in one. Besides telling you about my ultimate meatballs and sauce for pasta, I’m also going to show you how to turn them into a fabulous pasta bake with a cheesy topping. MEATBALLS? YES …Read more
My Aloo Gobi with Lentils takes a favourite British Indian restaurant side dish of potatoes and cauliflower and turns it into a main course with the addition of earthy green lentils. Once you’ve built up a supply of spices, you’ll find that cooking delicious Indian-inspired …Read more
Spiced Fruit Sourdough uses my easy, overnight, no-knead bread baking method to create a loaf full of rich flavour. Dried fruits are steeped in honeyed black tea and orange zest and folded into a spiced dough made the night before. Using the soaking liquid in …Read more
This Spicy Mutton Stew is inspired by the tagines of Morocco, but I’ve resisted the urge to call it a tagine. As you’re probably aware, that name comes from the conical pot it’s traditionally slow-cooked in. However, my spicy mutton stew isn’t cooked in a …Read more