Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Rustic Bread Rolls, freshly baked, have a wonderfully crispy crust and chewy, substantial interior. Made with a fuss-free method, the simple no-knead dough is fermented overnight for great flavour. With next to no shaping required, the rolls have an attractive rustic appearance. Wonderful with jam …Read more
Sunflower, Honey and Oat Bread is a beautiful yet simple no-knead loaf. Inside you’ll find a moist, soft crumb lightly sweet with hints of honey, a generous amount of crunchy and earthy sunflower seeds plus optional flax seeds. The crust is baked with an attractive …Read more
Cheesy Scottish Oatcakes are easy to make with simple ingredients. But they’re wickedly good! Adding mature Cheddar cheese to the traditional savoury biscuit or cracker takes them to whole new level. Enjoy as part of a cheeseboard, with spreads and dips or even instead of bread …Read more
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
Christmas baking recipes are some of the most enjoyable treats to cook over the festive season. So I’ve brought together more than 40 of my favourites. From sweet favourites like mince pies and fruit cakes, to savoury sausage rolls and pies with melt-in-the-mouth pastry, homemade …Read more
Sausage Star Bread with Onions and Cheese looks impressive, tastes wonderful, but is surprisingly easy to make. Perfect for entertaining, especially at Christmas, this tear and share treat is inspired by Italian stuffed sausage breads flavoured with fennel seeds, garlic and herbs. Finished with a …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
Parmesan and Rosemary Shortbreads are light, melt-in-the-mouth but richly flavoured cheesy biscuits with a hint of fresh herbs. So simple to make, the buttery shortbread rounds are a delicious savoury snack that work brilliantly with cheeseboards, as a nibble with drinks, or as a foodie …Read more
Braided Herb Bread, or Plaited Herb Bread, is a deliciously soft no-knead yeasted loaf made with a dough enriched with butter, eggs, and milk. I love it flavoured with chives and rosemary, but you can swap in your favourite aromatic herbs such as thyme or …Read more
Semolina Baguettes are inspired by the famous breads of Sicily made with semolina flour. With a flavoursome, chewy crumb and sesame-topped crust, these rolls are perfect with your favourite fillings, or alongside soups and salads. Also excellent filled with the Sicilian classic of tomatoes, oregano, …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
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
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
Savoury Quick Breads include a wide range of bakes, most notably loaves, scones, and muffins. But what they all have in common is that instead of yeast, they’re made using raising agents like baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, or self-raising flour which already has them …Read more
Beetroot Bread is a beautifully coloured loaf with a crusty exterior and open crumb. While the red pigment in beetroot is notoriously fickle when heated and can result in dull coloured bakes in this recipe I use only every day natural ingredients to create a …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
Cheese and Vegetable Muffins are full of cheesy flavour and packed with courgette, carrot, red onion, and chives. If you want a crunchy element, there’s optional nuts and seeds too. With a wonderfully fluffy texture, these delicious savoury muffins are so easy to put together …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
Savoury Mediterranean Quick Bread is an easy but delicious loaf packed with classic Mediterranean flavours: courgette, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, herbs like basil, plus nuts, seeds, feta and Parmesan cheeses. Made with self-raising flour and eggs, there’s no kneading and no proofing. …Read more
Corn, Cheese & Spinach Pancakes make a tasty weekend breakfast, brunch or even an easy dinner alongside a salad. As well as plenty of flavoursome cheese, there’s chilli heat, sweetcorn, plus spinach for vibrant colour. Try a stack topped with melting cheese and my Spiced …Read more
Spiced Chilli Butter is a versatile condiment that’s put together in a matter of minutes. Inspired by Tex-Mex flavours, including chilli, garlic, cumin, paprika, and oregano, the punchy butter is perfect for topping corn-on-the-cob, chicken, steak, fish, baked potatoes, steamed veg, savoury pancakes and waffles, …Read more