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Homemade Croutons are incredibly easy and economical. Traditionally a way to use up stale bread, they’re a wonderfully moreish and crunchy addition to soups and salads. Containing just bread and oil plus any flavourings you want, the only difficulty is not nibbling them all before …Read more
Savoury biscuits and crackers for cheese or other tasty toppings are surprisingly easy to make at home. Whether you want to avoid nasties like palm oil found in shop-bought, or have artisan-style crackers at a fraction of the cost, it’s wonderful to be able to …Read more
Cream of Vegetable Soup is beautifully simple but so tasty. Full of vegetables like carrot, leek, and peas, it’s subtly flavoured with garlic and herbs. Despite the name, like most traditional ‘cream of’ soups, it doesn’t contain cream. Its velvety texture is thanks to a combination …Read more
Spiced Fruit Bread is flavoured with cinnamon, mixed spice, orange zest, and is studded with bursts of juicy, plumped-up dried fruit. Wonderful buttered for breakfast or afternoon tea, I think it’s even better toasted first to bring out the subtle sweetness and rich taste. Made …Read more
Refried Bean Quesadillas are a crispy, cheesy, melty and delicious delight. And incredibly easy too! Using either canned or made from scratch refried beans (I recommend my quick and spicy homemade version), simply spread some over a tortilla wrap, add plenty of cheese plus vegetable …Read more
Refried Beans or frijoles refritos are so easy to make at home. And super-quick when you start with tinned pinto, borlotti, kidney, or black beans. In this tasty version inspired by the traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dish of mashed beans, there’s loads of spicy favour …Read more
Blackberry Brandy is a satisfying, easy project made with seasonal, foraged fruit. The spirit is flavoured with blackberries and sweetened with sugar to make a delicious, liqueur-like drink. Swap the brandy for gin, vodka, whisky, or dark rum if you prefer. Made using fresh or frozen …Read more
Green Bean and Roasted Pepper Salad is subtly flavoured with garlic, parsley, and olive oil. It’s lovely served on its own with bread, served as a side, or eaten as one of several little dishes to enjoy together mezze or tapas style. This simple salad …Read more
Sicilian Semolina Bread is a flavoursome, beautifully golden-coloured loaf with a chewy crumb and crispy, sesame-topped crust. It’s made with the hard durum wheat used for pasta which is also excellent for baking bread once it’s double-milled. In this post I offer a choice of …Read more
Cucumber & Sesame Noodle Salad is quick, refreshing and utterly delicious. The only cooking required is your choice of noodles, making this salad especially good during hot weather. The noodles are tossed with shreds of cooling cucumber plus spring onions, whole coriander leaves and a punchy …Read more
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is healthy and delicious. With nutritious chickpeas, crunchy and juicy veg like red pepper and tomatoes, plus herbs, feta cheese, and a garlicky-lemon dressing, it’s perfect for an easy lunch or light warm weather dinner. This so-simple salad also works well as a …Read more
Simple Wholemeal Bread is a one hundred per cent wholemeal loaf that’s nutritious and full of flavour. Easy enough for beginners, it’s a versatile, everyday bread that’s great for sandwiches, toast, or eaten with soup and salads. Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. If …Read more
Rosemary Scottish Oatcakes combine the aromatic Mediterranean herb with the traditional and well-loved savoury biscuit or cracker. Incredibly easy to make at home with just a handful of everyday ingredients, the oatcakes are the perfect partner to cheese, dips and spreads or alongside soups and …Read more
Crusty Potato Bread has a soft and bouncy crumb that stays moist and fresher for longer. Easy to make with my no knead, overnight method, this substantial, tasty loaf is cooked in a covered pot for a great rise and crispy crust. Perfect for sandwiches, …Read more
Easy Homemade Nut Crackers are crispy and crunchy with a subtle nutty flavour. Perfect with cheeses, dips and spreads, these savoury biscuits have a combination of hazelnuts, almonds and pecans, or you can swap in your favourite nuts. With both white and wholemeal flours plus …Read more
Muhammara is a beautifully simple but richly flavoured dip or spread. Based on roasted red peppers, walnuts, and breadcrumbs, its lightly smoky, spicy, sweet and sour tanginess is popular all over the Levant or eastern Mediterranean. Delicious served on its own with bread or part …Read more
Wild garlic, in season from March to June, is a wonderful (and free!) ingredient. Found in most of Britain, it’s probably the most easily recognisable foraged food, making it perfect for beginners. In this post I’ll tell you where to look for wild garlic, how to identify …Read more
Banana porridge with tahini and date syrup is an unusual but truly delicious combination. The earthy Middle Eastern sesame paste pairs wonderfully with the dark, rich fruitiness of date syrup when you drizzle them over oats cooked with banana, cinnamon and optional vanilla. Finish with …Read more
Spicy Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew makes a satisfying, comforting bowlful. With an Indian-inspired mix of aromatics, whole and ground spices, this incredibly tasty but easy dish is packed with vegetables and pulses. Eat just as it is, with a dollop of yogurt on top, …Read more
Smoky Not-Baked Beans, spicy with smoked paprika, chipotle chilli flakes, and cumin, might taste like they’ve been lovingly simmered for hours. But they’re actually made in around thirty minutes with a simple base of tinned cannellini beans, onion, garlic, and tomato puree. Enjoy on toast, …Read more
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup is incredibly simple but tastes so good. With a smooth, silky texture, it’s full of flavour without heavier ingredients like cream found in many versions. In fact, I think this pared-down recipe which allows the vegetables to shine, might be …Read more
Quick Dumpling Soup, based on frozen gyoza and inspired by East and Southeast Asian flavours, can be made in fifteen to twenty minutes. With store cupboard ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chilli oil, a handful of aromatics (garlic, ginger, spring onion) plus your …Read more
Soupe au Pistou is a simple vegetable, bean, and pasta soup from the south of France. Traditionally based on seasonal summer vegetables like courgette, beans, and tomatoes, the highlight is the punchy basil and garlic pistou from which the soup gets its name. A stripped-down version of …Read more
Green Bean, Tomato and Potato Salad with Aioli contains simple ingredients. But eaten in season when beans, tomatoes and new potatoes are at their best it feels like a real treat. The light dressing is based on cheat’s aioli or jarred mayonnaise flavoured with garlic, …Read more
Chickpea and Spinach Pasta uses tinned chickpeas, frozen spinach and dried pasta to create an economical but tasty dish. Flavoured with garlic, lemon, parsley, hot chilli or mild red pepper flakes, the sauce ingredients can be prepped and cooked in the time it takes the …Read more