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.
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
Sprouting at home all kinds of seeds and beans is incredibly easy. In this post I show you how to get super-fresh, crunchy sprouts in just 3-5 days. I’ll tell you what simple equipment you need, which seeds and beans to sprout, how to do …Read more
Green Bean Salad with Garlic & Mint makes the most of this wonderful seasonal vegetable. The just-cooked beans are dressed with garlic slices that have been gently fried to golden mellowness, plus a minty vinaigrette. An easy side dish that will complement almost any summery …Read more
Cashew & Bean Sprout Stir Fry is put together in around twenty minutes. Quick and healthy, it makes a perfect light meal, or serve alongside other dishes as a main meal. With garlic, spring onions plus a light dressing of soy sauce and sesame oil, …Read more
Green Shakshuka is a modern take on the classic dish which features eggs cooked on top of a spicy tomato and pepper sauce. In this version, there’s lightly spiced green vegetables and herbs instead of the peppers and tomatoes. I’ve used broccoli, courgette, baby spinach, …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
Tomato & Broad Bean Salad with Salsa Verde makes a wonderfully summery meal. I like it with some feta cheese crumbled over the top. But you can leave that off for a completely plant-based dish. Eat on its own, with bread, with a range of …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