I popped into Sainsbury’s on my way back from a trip to Somerset on Sunday and found a packet of Brussels sprouts in the bargain section – 300g reduced from 80p to 19p – so I decided to use them in a vegetable bake. Added to a few florets of cauliflower (taken from a cauliflower…
Tag: Food
Broccoli and Stilton soup
I was sitting up in bed on Saturday morning planning my week’s food shopping – reading through recipes online, as well as my cook books, while drinking cups of tea in the warm. I came across this article (How to make the perfect broccoli and Stilton soup by Felicity Cloake) so decided to add this soup…
Chocolate brownies with cranberries and hazelnuts
This is based on a Jamie Oliver recipe and works really well every time. You just need to make sure you don’t over bake the mixture as brownies should be soft and gooey in the middle. So there should still be some mixture on the skewer when you test it (the traditional way of testing…
Melanzane alla Parmigiana (baked aubergine with Parmesan)
This is my version of baked aubergines cooked in tomato sauce and Parmesan. I never get sick of aubergines. They are hearty and versatile and a good staple for a vegetarian diet. Aubergines are brilliant for dips, tagines, stews like ratatouille and of course cooked simply on their own. I often just brush them with…
Puy lentils with anchovies and toasted pine nuts
I always keep Puy lentils in the cupboard and much prefer them for salads than green or brown lentils which I use for cooked lentil recipes like vegetarian shepherd’s pie. Puy lentils go very well with anchovies and toasted pine nuts and I’ve just added some hard boiled eggs in this recipe for a more…
Apple tart (tarte aux pommes Maman Blanc)
I made this apple tart for the buffet table for a New Year’s Eve celebration with friends. I also baked some chocolate brownies (made with good quality chocolate, hazelnuts and organic cranberries) and a Waldorf salad which is fresh and crunchy and goes well with most buffet food. I had a cosy time in the…
Pavlova
This was our Christmas Eve dessert this year (unusual for me to make dessert actually because it’s my birthday and I normally celebrate by eating out). A Pavlova always looks festive and special and belies the amount of time required on preparation. You just need to make sure the meringue mixture is the right consistency…
Delicious salmon en croute for a cozy Christmas Eve
I made salmon en croute for Christmas Eve dinner – the plan was to have a quiet evening in, just me and my (grown up) children. We normally go out to eat on Christmas Eve because it’s my birthday. But this year was a big birthday and I had a party the week before so…
Mini lemon drizzle cakes
I made a large lemon drizzle cake to take to the office this week as it was my last day in the job. In the end I didn’t get to eat any myself (yes it must have tasted good to be gobbled up) so I wanted to make another one to have this weekend. But…
Super green lasagne
I had a similar lasagne last week at The Magic Garden pub in Battersea – it was delicious – and as usual when I find something particularly good I want to see if I can make my own. The Magic Garden used asparagus and I did too because I found a packet at a reduced…
Roasted cauliflower steaks with vierge sauce
This is a surprisingly substantial and filling dish and at about £1.50 a portion is incredible value. The cauliflower retains a firm texture and the vierge sauce is fresh, crunchy and colourful. Adding capers to the sauce gives the dish a sharp and piquant flavour. This is a very easy meal to make and only takes about…
Hazelnut and pistachio crunch
This is an Antonio Carluccio recipe which sounds so much better in Italian – croccante di nocciole e pistacchi. I followed the recipe to the letter so head to the Antonio Carluccio website for the instructions. Now that it’s mid November it’s probably acceptable to start making something a bit Christmassy. The recipe is very…
Cheap, fresh and easy 