The veg chaps at the market have been selling big bunches of basil all summer with leaves as big as spinach. So I’ve been making a lot of pesto (very simply parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, basil, olive oil whizzed together) and looking for different ways to use it. This one’s a lovely, light casserole. The meatballs […]

I’m not sure why, but every so often, the conversation in the office comes round to chicken Kiev. Everyone loves it – there’s a distinct sense of general excitement if someone’s having Kiev for tea. In recent years I may have progressed to the M&S variety, but there’s still a place in my heart for […]

It was quite strange to find out in my 20s that what I’d eaten all my life as spag bol was really nothing of the sort. It was ragu and it’s supposed to go with wide pasta. And since I’ve discovered a more authentic version of Bolognese I’d got out of the habit of making […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D With a bag of prawns in the freezer I’m never more than 10 or 20 minutes away from something that feels fairly celebratory for tea. And more often than not, that’s a midweek curry, normally korma or something a bit Thai. I spotted this recipe for Kerolan prawns in a recent […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D This is my version of a rich, silky Carbonara. A bit of low fat creme fraiche supplies the creaminess so that clearly cancels out any calories from the cheese and bacon. I’m sure that’s how it works, isn’t it? I always keep a few little packs of diced pancetta in the […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D I had a new year’s email from the nice chaps at WordPress this week with lots of useful facts and figures about my blog. I sort of keep an eye on the stats I see in terms of how many people are reading, but I don’t really have much of an […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D In a rather rash spurt of enthusiasm I planted about two dozen tomato plants in pots in my tiny little garden. It’s now like a scene from the day of the triffids and I need ideas for what to do with lots of tomatoes – cherry, yellow, striped and plum. Bruschetta […]

[tweetmeme source=”easyteas” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D I’d never made pesto before – always seemed like too much hassle when the stuff in jars is so convenient. But I bought a huge bunch of basil from the market recently, did nothing with it for a week and couldn’t think of anything else. In a mini-chopper I blitzed up […]

Time to share my favourite ever recipe. I’ve made this for family, a dozen friends at a time or just for tea midweek and it was the first meal I ever cooked for my better half. It takes a little while in the cooking, but it’s so easy to prepare and the end result – […]

This rich, creamy dish is a great way to make steak go a bit further.It’s tasty, quick and if you use low fat creme fraiche in place of sour cream it’s pretty healthy too. The meat is not cooked for long so is best with fillet (although sirloin and rump are both fine too). See […]