Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Sweet & savoury snacks
Brioche Hot Cross Buns are a richer version of the classic Easter sweet and spicy fruit bread. You still get warming spices and plump sultanas studding the dough. But here there’s a buttery brioche flavour too. Unlike many brioche recipes, you won’t need a stand mixer …Read more
Savoury Flapjacks with Apple, Cheese & Walnuts are great for a healthy snack, packed lunch or picnic. Pair them with salad or veggies and they’re perfect for a main meal too, hot or cold. Based on oats, nutritious, savoury flapjacks are so easy to make. …Read more
Cheddar & Cream Cheese Scones with garlic & herbs are soft, fluffy and intensely flavoured. Cream cheese makes the scones flaky and tender as well as adding flavour. I’ve used a garlic and herb cream cheese, although you could use a plain one if you …Read more
Beetroot Crackers not only look good but, speckled throughout with nigella seeds, they taste wonderful too. The beetroot brings an attractive colour and earthy sweetness. The seeds, said to resemble anything from onion, cumin or oregano, add a contrasting mild bitterness that becomes quite addictive. …Read more
Cheese, Onion & Chilli Bread is a great accompaniment to soups and stews. But it’s equally good sliced and made into sandwiches, especially toasted. Using my no-knead, overnight method, and baking the bread in a covered pot, it’s easy to get a well risen, flavoursome …Read more
Celeriac Latkes, or pancakes if you prefer, are a great alternative to the traditional potato version. Grated celeriac is mixed with onion, eggs, flour, seasoning, and griddled or fried until golden brown. This sweetens celeriac’s subtle celery-parsley-like flavour to make a delicious appetizer, snack or …Read more
Smoked Mackerel Paté is incredibly easy but so good. Fillets of smoked mackerel are whizzed together with butter and a few simple seasonings, then topped with a horseradish-flavoured butter. Simplify the recipe further by leaving off the topping if you like. But, as the whole thing …Read more
Mincemeat Shortbread Squares with Almond Crumble are a great alternative to mince pies at Christmas. Incredibly quick and easy, there’s no pastry to make and no cutting and rolling out. A substantial, buttery shortbread base is covered in rich mincemeat. This is topped with a spiced …Read more
Potato Farls, sometimes called Irish potato cakes or potato bread, are really easy to make. Containing just seasoned mashed potato, butter and flour, they’re surprisingly tasty too. Fantastic with a dab of butter and softly poached eggs, or include in a big breakfast with sausages, bacon, black …Read more
Homemade Baguettes, with a tasty, light crumb and thin, crunchy crust, really aren’t difficult to achieve. With no nasties like the palm oil found in many mass-produced baguettes, unless you live next door to a great artisan baker, I don’t think you’ll get better than …Read more
Apple Tart is always a crowd pleaser. Sweet-tart apples, cooked to soft perfection, caramelized with a cinnamon and sugar topping. But what about the base? In this version, you can forget making pastry, rolling and cutting out. That’s because a simple shortbread type dough is …Read more
Scottish Oatcakes are traditional savoury biscuits or crackers that are perfect with cheese. So easy and satisfying to make, I think they’re head and shoulders above shop bought ones. Containing just oats, salt, olive oil or butter plus water, you’ll be surprised just how good homemade …Read more
Apple & Cinnamon Cake makes the most of apple season in this simple but beautifully flavoured bake. Rustic and homely, the cake is a comforting treat with a cup of tea or coffee. To make it extra special, try Apple & Cinnamon Cake warm as …Read more
Beetroot, Blueberry & Mint Smoothie may sound like an odd combination, but it’s one of my absolute favourites. Naturally sweet, but with a little earthiness from the beetroot, plus mint and lime juice to give a fresh zing. Perfect as a light breakfast or snack, …Read more
Spinach & Avocado Smoothie is a quick breakfast, but one that will keep you full for hours. A beautiful shade of green from spinach, but with avocado, banana, peanut butter and yogurt, it packs a hefty nutritional punch too. I came up with …Read more
Thai Pickled Shallots are a great little item to have tucked away in the cupboard or fridge. Flavoured with chilli, garlic, ginger, lemon grass and coriander, you only need a few, thinly sliced, to perk up salads and virtually any dish with a South-East Asian …Read more
Za’atar is a versatile Middle Eastern spice blend that’s a useful addition to your kitchen cupboard. Eat it with bread and olive oil, sprinkle over roasted vegetables, salads, eggs or yogurt, in marinades or as a dry rub. While za’atar is becoming more widely available, …Read more
Labneh is a creamy, Middle Eastern style yogurt ‘cheese’ that’s easily made at home. All you do is strain plain, full-fat yogurt for 24-hours until it’s rich and soft like cream cheese. Great for spreading or dipping into, you can flavour it how you like …Read more
Coconut & Lime Cake brings together a classic flavour combination in a light and fluffy treat. The moist, buttery cake has a great balance of sweet coconut and tart lime, and is coated in a simple lime icing. Perfect for dessert or afternoon tea with …Read more
Empanada de atún is a traditional pie from Galicia, up in Spain’s north west corner, where I’ve enjoyed it many times. Filled with tinned tuna, onions, peppers, olives and hard-boiled eggs in a tomato sauce, the simple ingredients nevertheless create a pie that’s incredibly good. Best …Read more
Turkish Eggs with garlic yogurt, or çilbir to give its Turkish name, is a strangely addictive little dish. Gently poached eggs sit on thick and creamy, garlic-scented yogurt, topped with a drizzle of melted spiced butter. Perfect for a light meal on its own, or …Read more
Fresh Mint & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is probably my favourite flavour of ice cream. And whether you have an all-singing, all-dancing ice cream maker, a simple one like mine, or none at all, this creamy, fresh and indulgent treat is really easy. …Read more
Cheesejacks are moreish little bites of oats baked with cheese and whatever seasonings you fancy. A crispier version of savoury flapjacks, I love them with drinks or just as a tasty nibble on their own. Adapted from The Cranks Recipe Book. CHEESEJACKS & …Read more
Apricot & Almond Scones take a classic combination and use it to flavour wonderfully light, American-style scones. Dried apricots are soaked to bring them back to plump lusciousness and are complemented by flaked almonds and a touch of almond extract. Heavenly with a light drizzle …Read more
Raspberry & Coconut Scones might just be my best ever scone. Bursting with juicy raspberries and with the sweet taste of coconut brought by desiccated coconut, coconut milk and a light coconut drizzle, I think they’re irresistible. Use fresh or frozen raspberries in these American-style …Read more