Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Recipes suitable for vegetarians. Some are completely plant-based, others may include egg and dairy.
Carrot, Turmeric & Black Pepper Crackers have a mildly spicy warmth combined with a little sweetness from carrots. Satisfying crunchy, I think you’ll love them with cheese, dips and spreads, soups, or just enjoy as a snack. The crackers can be made with either ground …Read more
Berry Smoothie with Oats & Chia is a nutritious, quick and filling breakfast or snack at any time. As well as your choice of berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, there’s yogurt and milk, plus oats and chia seeds for extra fibre and protein. …Read more
Smacked Cucumber with Chilli Oil is a refreshing, flavour-packed salad based on a Chinese classic. Smacking or smashing the cucumber gives more surface area to be cloaked in the salty, sweet, hot and sour dressing. Flavoured with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and …Read more
Chia Jam, thick and full of fruit, can be made in around 20 minutes. Using chia seeds’ amazing ability to become gel-like, this jam doesn’t need the large amounts of sugar required to set traditional jams. In this post I show you how to make …Read more
Roasted Radishes may sound unusual, but they’re surprisingly tasty. Fast roasting in olive oil for around ten minutes mellows the radish’s natural pepperiness and makes them delectably juicy. Flavoured with garlic and a squeeze of lemon, I think they’re great as a side dish, warm …Read more
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 …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
Grilled Spring Onions with Romesco Sauce turns an everyday ingredient into a simple but oh-so-good feast. Based on a Spanish-Catalan classic, spring onions are doused with olive oil and grilled. Or, if it’s barbecue weather, you can char them over hot coals. But what …Read more
Brioche Buns, enriched with eggs and butter, have become the preferred roll for gourmet burgers, pulled pork and the like. However, I often find them just too sweet for these savoury fillings. So I created my own version. Open up these dark, shiny Brioche Buns …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
Chinese Coleslaw Salad, full of crunchy vegetables, is the perfect accompaniment to many East Asian-inspired dishes. You won’t find the rich, creamy dressing of traditional European coleslaws here. Instead, shredded cabbage, carrot, cucumber and onion has a lightly sweet but refreshing and tangy dressing inspired …Read more
Root Vegetable Tian, with its thinly sliced vegetables, seasoned and baked until tender, finished with optional cheese, is a beautiful dish for Autumn and Winter. Its distinctive pattern of concentric circles is very easy to achieve using as many different multicoloured root vegetables as you …Read more
Beetroot & Kale Salad, with roasted vegetables, grains, nuts, and a lively orange-maple dressing, is a perfect one bowl meal for Autumn and Winter. This warm salad is full of goodness, but with great textures and flavours too. I love it topped with golden-fried halloumi. …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
Celery Soup, made with onions, garlic, a little potato, half stock and half milk, finished with an optional dash of double cream, is beautifully flavoured with a subtle taste of celery. For top notch Autumn and Winter comfort food, top each creamy, satisfying bowl with …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
Harira is a traditional Moroccan soup, fragrant with spices and full of hearty chickpeas, lentils and sometimes meat too. But, often eaten to break a fast, it’s satisfying without being heavy. Lemon juice added just before serving brings a refreshing, zesty note. In this post …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
Roasted Aubergine with Herbed Tahini Yogurt & Crispy Chickpeas brings together some of my favourite things. Softly baked aubergine is topped with a creamy but punchy dressing of tahini, yogurt, cumin, garlic, fresh coriander and mint. Finished with a scattering of crispy baked chickpeas, za’atar …Read more
Cheesy Roasted Tomato Pasta Bake takes the simple, homely, pasta bake to a new level. But it’s still incredibly easy to make. That’s because at its heart is a roasted tomato sauce that can be made in advance. All that’s left to do then is …Read more