The combination of poppy seeds and saffron make a wonderful combination in a cake, but they are fabulous in a bread such as this. Continue reading “Poppy seed and saffron sourdough”
Tag: Food
Lemon, pistachio & rose cakes
Rose, lemon and pistachio work so well together and my poshing-up of the classic fondant fancies – real, unashamed retro food – gives what I think is a delightful sweet treat. Continue reading “Lemon, pistachio & rose cakes”
Spiced coconut & lime chicken
Spiced coconut & lime chicken is one of my go-to speedy curries! Easy, warming and very satisfying. Continue reading “Spiced coconut & lime chicken”
Butternut squash gratin
Whether served as an accompaniment to a roast, with some slowly cooked sausages or simply eaten by itself with some bread to mop up the cheesy sauce, this gratin is real autumnal comfort food. Continue reading “Butternut squash gratin”
Courgette, cheese & chilli soda bread
Perfect for using up some of the homegrown courgettes, this very speedy soda bread is made and ready to serve within about 45 minutes. Continue reading “Courgette, cheese & chilli soda bread”
Peanut butter biscuits with a chocolate filling
Chewy, nutty and oaty, sandwiched together with a peanut butter ganache, these incredibly simple biscuits are certain to be devoured quickly.
Continue reading “Peanut butter biscuits with a chocolate filling”
Fig, rose & pistachio rolls
This is particularly good timing: our fig tree is currently being generous with its fruit and the technical challenge for Episode 2 of The Great British Bake Off is that classic crowd-dividing biscuit: the fig roll. Continue reading “Fig, rose & pistachio rolls”
Blackcurrant, lime & vanilla Angel Cake slices
With the return of Great British Bake Off, it is the Technical round that interests and excites me the most. This is my tangy take on Episode 1’s Angel Cake slices.
Continue reading “Blackcurrant, lime & vanilla Angel Cake slices”
Apple & blackberry cake (gluten-free)
A very seasonal and light sponge cake, celebrating the delighful pairing of apples and blackberries. A tangy blackberry buttercream and fresh blackberries finish off the cake. Continue reading “Apple & blackberry cake (gluten-free)”
Ispahan éclairs: with a cheat’s mousse filling!
These éclairs – with the great flavours of raspberry, lychee and rose – are made with a cheat’s mousse and are topped with raspberry fondant. A sweet treat that is bound to please! Continue reading “Ispahan éclairs: with a cheat’s mousse filling!”
Quick Mongolian beef
Made in about 15 minutes, this insanely tasty dish – think hoisin sauce coating tender strips of gingery beef – has THE most addictive sauce and it easily tops any dish you can buy from a take-away. Continue reading “Quick Mongolian beef”
Spiced lamb egg chops
This sublime dish – great as a starter or to serve with drinks – is a joy to behold and I guarantee that once you start eating these chops you will not want to stop!
Saffron and roasted garlic bread
Delicately scented but with much depth of flavour, my saffron and roasted garlic bread is a real treat when eaten with good butter and perhaps some cheeses. Continue reading “Saffron and roasted garlic bread”
Spiced onion & chilli bread
Think onion bhajis in a bread, with a chilli kick, and that will give you the idea behind what I think is a wonderful tear-and-share bread. Continue reading “Spiced onion & chilli bread”
Peach Bellini macarons
Macarons that have a fruity tang tick every box for me, and if there is a kick of alcohol in the filling then I am all over them! These Peach Bellini macarons are little bites of pure, unadulterated indulgence. Continue reading “Peach Bellini macarons”
Fool-proof focaccia
I am always sceptical whenever I see “fool-proof” preface anything: this often leads to vastly inferior approximations of what you really want….but this approach to focaccia gives an exceptional bread. Continue reading “Fool-proof focaccia”
Chocolate strawberry shortbreads: vegan & gluten-free
Vegan and gluten-free shortbread, topped with luscious dark chocolate & tangy dried strawberries: little bites of melt-in-the-mouth joy! Continue reading “Chocolate strawberry shortbreads: vegan & gluten-free”
Salted caramel pretzel rocky road
This is such an easy, no-bake treat, using mostly ingredients lying around. A real crowd-pleaser, it is packed with goodies such as chocolate pretzels, salted caramel, Kirsch-soaked cherries and the like: very rich (and rightly so!) but moreish. Continue reading “Salted caramel pretzel rocky road”
Spiced tandoori chicken wraps
Tender, spiced chicken pieces in soft flat breads, bursting with lettuce, red onion and a tangy yoghurt dressing, these are incredibly easy to make and are so tasty. Continue reading “Spiced tandoori chicken wraps”
Moroccan lamb tagine
A tagine, with a warmly spiced, almost perfumed sauce that caresses the meat or vegetables, is a wonderfully comforting dish. This is my verson of a lamb tagine, with a sauce made using pomegranate juice and a simple homemade spice mixture. Continue reading “Moroccan lamb tagine”
sourdough Black Forest brownies!
Sourdough brownies might sound bizarre but these are a great way to use up sourdough starter that might otherwise get discarded, with the starter adding a subtle tang to the brownies. Certainly everyone who has tasted these has gone back for at least another brownie! Continue reading “sourdough Black Forest brownies!”
Quick and easy festive Danish pastries
Whether made using traditional Danish pastry dough, a shortcut version or, even simpler, commercial puff pastry (the all-butter variety, not the cheap, nasty version made with oil!), these festive treats are sure to hit the spot. Continue reading “Quick and easy festive Danish pastries”
Panettone
This is my take on the classic panettone: a rich, buttery but oh-so-fluffy sweet bread, adapted from a recipe by Andrea Tortora. Continue reading “Panettone”
My YouTube video for my apple, marzipan & mincemeat tart
As I am getting to grips with YouTube, I am very much enjoying being filmed as I cook some of my favourite dishes. Continue reading “My YouTube video for my apple, marzipan & mincemeat tart”
Glazed apple tarts
The flavour of buttery puff pastry, rich almonds and sharp apples is sublime and they combine to give a fabulously simple, speedy tart. Continue reading “Glazed apple tarts”
Tiramisu roulade
This is my roulade take on the classic Tiramisu (one of my favourite desserts) and it has proved very popular whenever I have made it for dinner parties. Continue reading “Tiramisu roulade”
How to make spiced prawn crackers from scratch
A far cry from the white, bland prawn crackers that have hardly any flavour at all, these ones, made entirely from scratch, are more like those lovely crackers you can get in good Thai restaurants.
Continue reading “How to make spiced prawn crackers from scratch”
Chocolate and raspberry roulade
A dessert classic with my own twist, this indulgent roulade is a sure-fire hit when served.
Spiced crispy chicken skin
Shatteringly crisp, melt-in-the-mouth and with a gentle curry kick, these chicken skin shards – think spiced pork crackling – are so easy to make and are insanely moreish.
Pork & prawn jiaozi (spiced steamed dumplings)
Sticky, spicy and packed with flavour, these steamed dumplings are fairly easy to make and always go down a storm. They can be made ahead and frozen, to be steamed straight from the freezer. Continue reading “Pork & prawn jiaozi (spiced steamed dumplings)”
Spiced soy sauce-glazed chicken wings
One of several favourite starters in my local Thai restaurant is melt-in-the-mouth glazed chicken wings: smothered in a sticky and dark spicy soy sauce glaze, it ticks every box for me. Continue reading “Spiced soy sauce-glazed chicken wings”
Coffee and walnut chocolates
My favourite flavours for a cake, but in a chocolate! Ok, these are purely for eating without shame just as they are, but they would make a fabulous adornment for a cake. Continue reading “Coffee and walnut chocolates”
5-minute cheat’s trifle
This is such a simple and quick dessert: kind of Eton Mess meets trifle. And there is no fussing about with custard: just lemon curd and cream…… Continue reading “5-minute cheat’s trifle”
Panzanella: one of the best & quickest salads in the world. With YouTube version
Great food does not need to be at all complicated or time-consuming. Sometimes the right combination of humble ingredients can become something quite majestic; panzanella is a case in point….
Continue reading “Panzanella: one of the best & quickest salads in the world. With YouTube version”
Quick spiced beetroot dip & easy salads
This vibrantly coloured dish is one of the simplest I know: made in seconds (if using ready-cooked beetroot), it tastes absolutely wonderful and is a great vehicle eaten with flatbreads. Continue reading “Quick spiced beetroot dip & easy salads”
Deep-fried spiced courgettes
Shatteringly crisp smoky batter with beautifully soft courgettes within, this is a seriously tasty snack. It only needs to be mounded generously on a plate with a gutsy dip such as an aoili or a chilli relish before getting tucked into with ice cold drinks….. Continue reading “Deep-fried spiced courgettes”
Smoked ham and fennel tart: a great “left-overs” dish
I adore classic dishes and often like nothing more than to bake a true classic without embellishment. However, while clearing out the fridge and thinking how to use up what was left in there, I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to make my twist on the brilliant Quiche Lorraine: so much for unembellishing! Continue reading “Smoked ham and fennel tart: a great “left-overs” dish”
Tangy fruit éclairs & tips for a neat glaze finish
A fruity take on éclairs: one of my favourite pastry treats. Fresh, frozen or even tinned soft fruit work well here to give a sticky, tangy icing. In this post, I also give a recipe for an easy fruit mousse filling and tips for achieving a neat sticky glaze. Continue reading “Tangy fruit éclairs & tips for a neat glaze finish”
Curried cauliflower soup with cumin & onion flatbreads
This is a hearty spiced cauliflower soup that is easy and costs very little to make. I often make at least double the quantities and freeze some for a later time – although all too often even a larger amount of soup gets polished off in one sitting! Continue reading “Curried cauliflower soup with cumin & onion flatbreads”
Stilton cheesecake with balsamic & honey roasted shallots
Stilton, shallots and balsamic vinegar are great bed-fellows, and they come together beautifully in this savoury cheesecake in which creaminess, sharpness, sweetness and sourness all come into play. Continue reading “Stilton cheesecake with balsamic & honey roasted shallots”
Speedy spiced tortilla bites
This is one of my “go-to” snacks for whenever I want something quick and tasty. Assembled in moments and cooked in about 10 minutes, these epitomise fast food for me and are perfect devoured in front of the television, or passed around at any gathering for others to tuck into. Continue reading “Speedy spiced tortilla bites”
Blackcurrant curd – and a video from me!
Blackcurrant curd is vibrantly coloured, intoxicatingly fragrant and tangy – and it is very simple to make. As blackcurrants are very much in season here in the UK (I am picking punnets of them every few days at the moment), I love making several batches of them. Continue reading “Blackcurrant curd – and a video from me!”
All about scones: sweet and savoury!
Freshly made scones with cream and home-made curd or jam is one of life’s best food pleasures. But savoury scones are also very exciting both to make and to eat. This post gives a selection of my recipes for both sweet and savoury scones. Continue reading “All about scones: sweet and savoury!”
Raspberry curd (and a top buttercream tip!)
I have always been a fan of fruit curds: they liven up any scone and cake. They are so simple to make and they taste far better than any curds you can buy: even the luxury ones that cost a small fortune at farm shops. This is my recipe for raspberry curd. Continue reading “Raspberry curd (and a top buttercream tip!)”
Harry Potter Spell Book birthday cake
This is my Harry Potter-themed cake for the daughter of one of my colleagues. Chocolate sponge and salted caramel buttercream, with various fondant Potterisms I made….. Continue reading “Harry Potter Spell Book birthday cake”
Pasta with wild rocket pesto & crispy chorizo
Pesto is one of my favourite go-to sauces to make. I usually make it with basil I have grown, but it is fabulous made with other leaves: wild garlic makes a stunning pesto and rocket, which I have used here, gives a nice peppery kick. Here I give my favourite way of serving pesto: with freshly made pasta and crispy chorizo. Continue reading “Pasta with wild rocket pesto & crispy chorizo”
A sous-vide duck egg brunch!
This is a totally fuss-free light meal: freshly made sourdough (toasted), crispy pancetta and a slowly cooked duck egg, with a few fresh chives snipped over the top. When simplicity reigns! Continue reading “A sous-vide duck egg brunch!”
Strawberry millefeuille pastries
Shatteringly crisp, buttery pastries, glazed with lemon syrup, filled with an almond and vanilla cream and fresh strawberries: what is not to love?
smoked sea-salted caramel chocolates
Caramel-filled chocolates are right up there among my favourite chocolates to make, so this time I used smoked sea salt to flavour the caramel. These are great to give to people as gifts or simply to munch on without guilt! Continue reading “smoked sea-salted caramel chocolates”
Crab bisque
This is a soup that I love to make whenever I have fresh crab shells: in fact, whenever I buy fish from the fishmongers I always like to ask for some of the shells from crab, prawns and the like to use as the basis of a great seafood sauce. Continue reading “Crab bisque”