Sunday supermarket shopping means plenty of bargains – this week, filled the freezer with fish.  So cod for tea and as the August rain lashed horizontally at the windows I felt the need for something warm and comforting.  Any flakey/smoked fish would work with this.  Start by putting the oven on to warm up to […]

Two things coincided to make me tackle a simplified version of this Italian classic – it featured on the brilliant Jamie’s Comfort Food and a box of lovely SO Organic goodies arrived from Sainsbury’s for me to try including arborio rice, Pinot Grigio and Balsamic vinegar. So I was all set for a saffron risotto […]

Presented with three key ingredients – a whole chicken, a bag of carrots and a couple of pounds of Maris Pipers – it would be easy to go for the obvious. And I do love a mid-week roast. But I’ve been challenged* to come up with something a little different so I’m going for lighter […]

It’s past the season for casseroles really, but with its chorizo, lemon and parsley this stew is light enough for a long sunny evening. And there are few dishes which aren’t improved by the addition of some fried chorizo. There are only  a few main ingredients and minimal preparation required. Start with the cubed beef – put […]

I always try to eat savoury then sweet pancakes on pancake day – so, cannelloni made with pancakes instead of pasta. These are dead simple to make. Starting with making two pancakes per person – Delia’s is a winner. Make up a ragu or bolognese sauce – or make sure there’s some in the freezer. […]

Happy St David’s Day! Today is a good day to get some Welsh cooking done – Welsh cakes are a must of course, but cawl should be on the menu too. This is my recipe so I can’t vouch for its authenticity – I’ve tried to make a lighter version that doesn’t need slow cooking. […]

Considering how often I cook meatballs, it’s a surprise even to me that I’ve never made lamb koftas. I’ll always order them off a menu and so I went hunting online for some recipes – this is a mix of several. First either finely chop or food-processor half an onion, a clove of garlic and […]

I spent a brilliant year at uni in Germany which left me with a lasting appreciation of German food. And I still get spoken to in German by waiters around Europe – must stop ordering Pils and sausages wherever I go on holiday. And looking a bit German. My German flatmate introduced me to Falscher […]

This is really just a quick easy marinade for grilled chicken – I’m optimistically banking on a few September barbies. Drumsticks and thighs are good for flavour and they’re good value – but they can take a while to cook through so I always slash them a few times down to the bone. It also […]

It feels a bit out of season to be blogging this on a glorious May day, as I always make it for a Boxing Day buffet. But it makes a tasty weekend lunch or it would be great for a picnic. I recently used a tin of tuna instead of the smoked mackerel and that […]