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Recipes for the enthusiastic home cook
Victoria Sponge Cake is a British classic. And with good reason, I think. Because there’s something so satisfying about its combination of simple flavours. Buttery sponge cakes sandwiched with fruity jam and, in my version, plenty of buttercream with a hint of vanilla. A good …Read more
Potato Focaccia is a beautifully moist and tasty version of the classic Italian flatbread. Although you might not guess it was there, grated potato adds complexity of flavour and wonderful texture. The crust is appetizingly dark golden brown. Inside you’ll find a springy, open, and …Read more
Marinated Roasted Peppers are even more delicious than regular roasted peppers. Here they take up the spicy flavour of the marinade which becomes infused with the peppers’ charred smokiness. Temper that spicy, smoky heat with creamy yet tangy goat’s cheese for a perfect pairing. Served …Read more
Asparagus Risotto is one of the joys of Spring. But my version takes it to the super-luxury level with a golden, melting grilled goat’s cheese topping. The season for British asparagus is short. So I make the most of it with generous amounts of the …Read more
This Dog Birthday Cake is perfect for fish-loving dogs – and you won’t believe how quick and easy it is. The ‘cake’ is made from just tinned tuna, flour, egg and water. The sugar-free, low-fat ‘frosting’ is mashed potato and a little yogurt. Decorate with doggie …Read more
This Picnic Pie will look so impressive when you unwrap and cut into it at your outdoor feast. With its glazed shortcrust pastry and richly savoury filling of sausage meat, apples and onions, it’s bound to be the star of the show. But what your …Read more
Tuna Dog Treats are so quick and easy to make and have just 3 ingredients plus water. Made in ten to fifteen minutes, the treats have a soft texture and a flavour that fish-loving dogs will go barking mad for. All you need is a tin …Read more
Potted Game is an easy but delicious spread using wild meat. In this recipe I use ready-prepared diced venison, partridge, and pheasant. This gives a meaty but mild game taste, plus a little smokiness from bacon, that everyone will love. The game is slowly cooked in …Read more
Wild Garlic Butter is a wonderful, seasonal condiment. You need just two ingredients to make it, and one of those is absolutely FREE! Wild garlic is found in most of Britain from March to June. And with its distinctive aroma, it’s easy for foraging beginners to …Read more
Hot Cross Scones are a quick and easy, light, and fluffy alternative to hot cross buns. Full of spice and dried fruit, you can be enjoying this easy twist on traditional sultana scones in around thirty minutes. Eat the scones while still warm, split and …Read more
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is a smoky, spicier take on traditional hummus. It still has the classic ingredients of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon. But the earthy original is given a lightly sweet and smoky edge with roasted red pepper and Spanish paprika. For extra …Read more
Grapefruit Jam is an easy, tangy homemade preserve that’s perfect for your morning toast. Great for beginners, the only ingredients you need are three or four grapefruits plus jam sugar. After discarding the peel and pith from the grapefruits, the flesh and juice are quickly …Read more
Italian Pork Meatloaf is my take on polpettone which means ‘big meatball’. With herbs, garlic, fennel seeds, lemon and Parmesan, this easy recipe combines classic meatball flavours with a sliceable loaf that’s great hot or cold. I’ve used all pork mince, but you can replace half …Read more
Orange Shortbread Biscuits, light, buttery, and with a hint of citrus, are an absolute delight. Enjoy them with a cuppa or as a crunchy accompaniment to desserts like panna cotta and ice cream. Or make as a welcome gift. So easy, you just whizz up the …Read more
Cheese & Chive Pancakes, a savoury version of Scotch pancakes or drop scones, make a great breakfast, lunch, or snack. The simple batter of flour, milk and an egg plus mature Cheddar, Parmesan and fresh chives, is whisked together in seconds. Drop spoonfuls onto a …Read more
Ginger Oat Biscuits are crispy, crunchy, sweet, and buttery, with the warmly spicy flavour of both ground ginger and stem ginger. A cousin of digestive biscuits, the combination of oats and wholemeal flour gives a lovely rustic texture. Neither hard like traditional ginger nuts, nor soft …Read more
Waldorf Salad is an easy classic. At its simplest, just crunchy apples and celery in a mayonnaise dressing, these days it usually includes walnuts too. In my version there’s also plump raisins (substitute halved grapes if you prefer) and a dressing that’s lightened with natural …Read more
French Onion & Oxtail Soup is great comfort food. Dig down beneath a toasty, cheesy topping and you’ll find rich onion soup made with tasty beef broth, filled with shreds of meltingly soft oxtail. Although the soup is best made over a couple of days, …Read more
Cheese, Chorizo & Chive Scones are the latest incarnation of my popular light and fluffy cheese scones. Like the original Very Cheesy Cheese Scones, there’s plenty of tangy Cheddar in there. But a generous amount of smoky chorizo plus fresh chives means these are packed …Read more
Baked Oat Pudding with Apple & Cinnamon is a super easy dessert with a taste and soft texture you’ll love. It combines rolled oats, grated apple, optional sultanas, brown sugar and cinnamon with milk, eggs, melted butter and a touch of vanilla. The result is …Read more
Rye, Spelt & Sesame Crackers are crispy and crunchy, with an earthy, nutty flavour. With no yeast, no kneading, and no proofing, these easy homemade crackers are ready to eat in little more than half an hour. With rye, spelt and white flours plus sesame seeds, …Read more
Quick Pea & Bacon Soup, using convenient frozen peas, can be on the table in less than thirty minutes. Beautifully green in colour, with hints of smoky bacon and garlic, each bowl will provide at least two of your daily veg portions. Great as a …Read more
Spanish Lamb Stew is inspired by a dish I ate many years ago in central Spain. With chunks of tender meat and soft peppers in a garlic and paprika scented broth, close my eyes and I’m almost back there. My version includes chickpeas to stretch …Read more
Prawn Cocktail is a classic and rightly so. Tender, juicy prawns in a lightly spicy, creamy Marie Rose sauce atop fresh salad. While you can buy bottles of the sauce, making your own takes just a few minutes. All you need are mayo, ketchup and …Read more
Spicy Roasted Parsnip Soup is warming in both senses of the word. A steaming bowlful is just what’s needed on chilly days, plus its spice will bring a warming tingle to your taste buds! Roasting the parsnips first, with a generous amount of my special spice …Read more