Recent Posts

Turkey, Sage & Cranberry Dog Biscuits

Turkey, Sage & Cranberry Dog Biscuits

Turkey, Sage & Cranberry Dog Biscuits are an easily made Christmas treat, full of natural ingredients that your pooch will love.     I’ve posted quite a few Christmas recipes for us humans, including Mincemeat, Mince Pies, Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding and Turkey Stock. …Read more

Spicy Lentil & Coconut Soup

Spicy Lentil & Coconut Soup

Spicy Lentil & Coconut Soup is creamy, warming but with fresh, vibrant flavours. In this easy but satifsfying soup, red lentils are simmered with tomatoes, vegetables and spices then made creamy with coconut milk. To finish, whole spices are fried and stirred through the soup, …Read more

Turkey Stock made in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker

Turkey Stock made in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker

Although I’ve put this post in the ‘recipes’ category, it’s hardly a recipe at all. To make turkey stock, or any other meat stock really, it’s simply a case of putting the bones plus any scraps of meat, skin and fat plus selected vegetables in …Read more

Homemade Sage and Onion Sausagemeat Stuffing

Homemade Sage and Onion Sausagemeat Stuffing

Forget those over priced, palm oil laden packet stuffing mixes. My Homemade Sage & Onion Sausagemeat Stuffing is so much better and contains just a few simple ingredients: onions, garlic, dried sage, fresh parsley and crumbs made from leftover bread. Delicious mixed with pork sausagemeat …Read more

The Napoli, Leek

The Napoli, Leek

One day last week I had the best brunch I can remember in a while. Leftover pizza. Yes, you read that right. After a bracing walk with the dog, a chill in the air with expected snow to come, it was with great pleasure that …Read more

Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding

Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding

Fancy something a little different to the traditional Christmas pudding this year? I love Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding as a delicious, light and easily made alternative. Good for using up leftover panettone after Christmas too.   CHRISTMAS CAKE, MINCE PIES & CHRISTMAS PUDDING: A …Read more

Sweet shortcrust pastry: as easy as (mince) pie

Sweet shortcrust pastry: as easy as (mince) pie

THERE IS A NEWER VERSION OF THIS RECIPE HERE There’s no mystery to making light, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth sweet shortcrust pastry at home. So much better then any ready-made pastry in the shops, if you haven’t made it before, you might be surprised how easy it …Read more

Winter Tasting Menu at The Lighthouse Restaurant, Boylestone

Winter Tasting Menu at The Lighthouse Restaurant, Boylestone

We’d been bowled over by our last visit to the Lighthouse Restaurant in Boylestone, Derbyshire and wondered exactly why we’d left it so long between previous visits. Admittedly, it’s a 45-minute drive each way from the Staffordshire Moorlands where we live but if you’d read …Read more

The Columbo Cookbook: recipe testing John Cassavetes’ Youvarlakia (Minted Beef)

The Columbo Cookbook: recipe testing John Cassavetes’ Youvarlakia (Minted Beef)

Food – dogs – books – films It’s always satisfying when I come across something that combines at least two of my major passions. And, for the record, my major passions include: food (obviously), dogs (especially English cocker spaniels), books and films. For instance, as Ernest …Read more

Homemade Christmas Mincemeat: easier than you think

Homemade Christmas Mincemeat: easier than you think

Did you know that Homemade Christmas Mincemeat is incredibly easy? It’s really just a case of mixing up the ingredients, leaving overnight and then putting in a low oven for a couple of hours. Then it’s ready to put in jars! Get making my easy …Read more

Qarma Tandoori, Leek

Qarma Tandoori, Leek

Qarma Tandoori, situated in Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands, offers a winning combination. British Indian restaurant classics plus less familiar and more innovative dishes. On my first visit I was impressed by the excellent quality and well-judged spicing.   QARMA TANDOORI Before moving to the …Read more

Sausage, Vegetable & Lentil stew

Sausage, Vegetable & Lentil stew

Sausage, Vegetable & Lentil Stew allows you to stretch good quality, free-range sausages by adding vegetables and pulses. Warming and full of flavour, a portion of this stew will provide at least three of your minimum five a day fruit and vegetables.     Sausages: quality …Read more

Smoky Tomato Chilli Chutney: don’t just save it for cheese

Smoky Tomato Chilli Chutney: don’t just save it for cheese

Smoky Tomato Chilli Chutney, spicy with a sweet edge, is utterly addictive! Great for using up homegrown tomatoes and/or chillies, its smokiness comes from a generous amount of Spanish paprika. Delicious and versatile, you’ll love it not just with cheese and crackers, but with kebabs, …Read more

Get more tasty, nutritious eggs in your diet: mini frittatas with cheese, bacon & red onion + ideas for alternative fillings

Get more tasty, nutritious eggs in your diet: mini frittatas with cheese, bacon & red onion + ideas for alternative fillings

The much maligned egg & why it should be in your diet I love eggs. Not just because they’re nutritionally amazing (and they certainly are, providing high quality protein as well as many vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients) but because they’re also incredibly versatile. So, …Read more

Ultimate meatballs & sauce / Meatballs & Pasta al forno

Ultimate meatballs & sauce / Meatballs & Pasta al forno

In this post, you lucky people are getting two recipes in one. Besides telling you about my ultimate meatballs and sauce for pasta, I’m also going to show you how to turn them into a fabulous pasta bake with a cheesy topping.   MEATBALLS? YES …Read more

Tea-Cake: Getliffe’s Yard, Leek

Tea-Cake: Getliffe’s Yard, Leek

If you’ve never been to Getliffe’s Yard in Leek, then you’re missing a real treat. Through a little archway just off Derby Street, not far from where it meets the imposing Nicholson War Memorial, you could perhaps be forgiven for not even noticing it’s there. But this treasure …Read more

Aloo Gobi with Lentils

Aloo Gobi with Lentils

My Aloo Gobi with Lentils takes a favourite British Indian restaurant side dish of potatoes and cauliflower and turns it into a main course with the addition of earthy green lentils. Once you’ve built up a supply of spices, you’ll find that cooking delicious Indian-inspired …Read more

RAWR Café, Bar & Kitchen, Hanley

RAWR Café, Bar & Kitchen, Hanley

I’d been meaning to try RAWR Café Bar & Kitchen in Hanley for a while now, spurred on by their delicious-sounding, fresh-looking dishes that keep popping up on my Facebook page. One recent Saturday, we’d a few hours to spare after dropping the dog off for a …Read more

Spiced Fruit Sourdough

Spiced Fruit Sourdough

Spiced Fruit Sourdough uses my easy, overnight, no-knead bread baking method to create a loaf full of rich flavour. Dried fruits are steeped in honeyed black tea and orange zest and folded into a spiced dough made the night before. Using the soaking liquid in …Read more

Late summer tasting menu at The Lighthouse Restaurant, Boylestone

Late summer tasting menu at The Lighthouse Restaurant, Boylestone

It was fitting that we ate this particular tasting menu at The Lighthouse Restaurant on the last official day of summer, the eve of the Autumnal Equinox, as the theme of the menu was ‘late summer’. Although we’ve eaten at this very well-regarded restaurant in the …Read more

Moroccan-style Spicy Mutton Stew

Moroccan-style Spicy Mutton Stew

This Spicy Mutton Stew is inspired by the tagines of Morocco, but I’ve resisted the urge to call it a tagine. As you’re probably aware, that name comes from the conical pot it’s traditionally slow-cooked in. However, my spicy mutton stew isn’t cooked in a …Read more

Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus

Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus

Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus is a smoky and spicy alternative to classic hummus. Chunks of sweet potato are roasted with spices such as cumin, coriander and fennel seed before combining with the usual chickpeas, tahini sesame paste and lemon plus a hit of smoked paprika. …Read more

Rice with peas, broad beans, griddled artichoke hearts & mint

Rice with peas, broad beans, griddled artichoke hearts & mint

Sometimes, the most unprepossessing store cupboard and frozen ingredients can turn into an unexpected delight. That was the case last week when I created Rice with Peas, Broad Beans, Griddled Artichoke Hearts & Mint. I’d spent a fair bit of time developing my recipes for …Read more

How I fell in love… with an Instant Pot pressure cooker

How I fell in love… with an Instant Pot pressure cooker

A number of recipes on my blog use an Instant Pot pressure cooker, so I thought I’d better let you know here what they’re all about. I think it’s an excellent product with lots of uses, so it’s well worth having one if you’re an …Read more

FoodFest 2017 Newcastle-Under-Lyme

FoodFest 2017 Newcastle-Under-Lyme

FoodFest is being held in Newcastle-Under-Lyme this weekend and I went along on Saturday morning to see what it was all about. There’s still one day left, so here’s a quick tour of what you’ll find at FoodFest. FoodFest is a community group based in …Read more