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Leek, Potato & Watercress Soup is a nutritious twist on the familiar leek and potato soup. Adding the peppery leaves right near the end freshens and lightens this delicious soup that cooks in around twenty-five minutes. When it comes to easy comfort food, …Read more
Staffordshire Oatcakes are a regional speciality of The Potteries and north Staffordshire. Unlike the biscuity Scottish oatcake, these are soft, oatmeal pancakes that are lightly risen thanks to the inclusion of yeast. Most often eaten alongside or filled with traditional breakfast foods like sausage, bacon, …Read more
Cauliflower, Mushroom, Carlin Pea Curry is warmly spicy with a hint of creaminess thanks to a little coconut milk in the rich tomato-based sauce. In this easy curry made with whole and ground spices, roasting the vegetables intensifies their flavour and keeps more of the cauliflower’s …Read more
Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls are a delicious, easy treat or foodie gift that need no baking. Oats combined with rich peanut butter, pieces of chocolate, roasted peanuts, vanilla and coconut, are sweetened with maple syrup and rolled into balls. Dipped and completely covered in melted …Read more
Seeded Scottish Oatcakes are easy, wholesome savoury biscuits or crackers packed with nutritious seeds and oats. But not only are they good for you, I think you’ll love their toasted, nutty flavour and crunchy texture. Great with cheese, pâté, nut butters, or alongside soup, they’re …Read more
Mushroom, Lentil & Kale Stew is rich, thick, and tasty. Packed full of veg and pulses in a lightly creamy, garlic and thyme flavoured broth, it’s a comforting bowlful. Using tinned lentils, this easy vegetarian (and vegan adaptable) stew is perfect on chilly days. Serve …Read more
Spicy Carlin Pea Soup with Roasted Peppers is easy, satisfying, and full of flavour. Using everyday vegetables, tinned pulses, and jarred peppers, this warmly spicy soup cooks in around thirty minutes. I’ve used British grown carlin peas, but you could swap in chickpeas or your …Read more
Iced Tea is one of the most refreshing, cooling drinks there is. But there’s no need to buy expensive bottles because it’s so easy – and cheap – to make at home. Brew a litre of your favourite tea (black, green, fruity, or herbal) then …Read more
Homemade Strawberry Jam is one of my favourite seasonal treats. In this post I’ll show you how to make a beautiful, soft-set strawberry jam filled with luscious pieces of whole fruit. It’s easy to make even for beginners, with no special equipment needed. If you …Read more
Jam making needn’t be difficult or involve lots of fancy equipment. In this beginner’s guide I’ll tell you everything you need to know as well as taking you through the process step-by-step. Although all the jam recipes on my blog give full instructions, here I’ve …Read more
Homemade Oven Chips, crispy and moreish, are so easy. Whether you like classic straight, or crinkle cut, my fool proof recipe will give you crispy oven chips every time. Costing less than most store-bought chips and fries, and using less oil than the deep-fried version, …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
Watermelon Salad, flavoured with mint and lime, was made for hot summer days. Refreshing, quick, and incredibly good. Joining juicy cubes of fresh watermelon are crunchy diced cucumber plus a little red onion and lime zest. A simple olive oil and lime juice dressing brings …Read more
Spicy Bean Balls, inspired by Tex-Mex flavours, make an easy and tasty dinner or lunch. So quick to make using your choice of tinned beans, plenty of spices and a few other simple ingredients, the balls take just 20 minutes to bake in the oven. …Read more
Using this easy Mixed Grain Salad as a template, you can create a whole range of salads by changing which grains, vegetables, and seasonings to include. My grain mix includes brown rice, spelt, bulgur wheat, quinoa, and couscous. But almost any combination will work. I …Read more
Artichoke Spread, made using a jar of chargrilled artichokes, is an easy treat to make at home. Enjoy it bruschetta-style on toasted Italian bread or dipped into with raw veggies. With the pungent flavours of garlic, lemon, fresh mint, plus optional red pepper flakes or …Read more
Sesame Crackers, thin, crispy, with lots of earthy sesame flavour, are unbelievably easy to make at home. I love to scoop up dips like hummus and baba ganoush with them. But the crackers are just as good with cheese or peanut butter. So tasty, you …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
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
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
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
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
Stirato is a rustic, Italian-style baguette whose name means ‘stretched’. Made with just bread flour, salt, fast-acting yeast and water, it has a crispy crust and open crumb. With this easy, no-knead recipe you’ll get great-tasting bread for very little effort. Just mix up the dough the …Read more
Quick Pickled Cucumber is an easy pickle that’s ready to eat in a few hours. You can flavour the light pickling liquor however you please. Here I’ve used fresh dill and mustard seeds for one jar and warmly spicy Aleppo pepper in the other. Without …Read more