To the library.
I’ve no idea if this originated on the island of Montechristo or if it appears the literary classic that shares the same name, but it’s bloody good.
Read moreCheesy Polenta Chips
No frying was involved in the making of these chips.
That's right, these crispy skinned and soft centred cheesy polenta chips are made in the oven, not the chip pan.
Read moreBeer braised short ribs
Bigger, bolder, beefier.
Beef cooked on the bone always tastes better — it’s bigger, bolder and well, er, beefier. Shame it’s usually super pricey.
Read moreMushroom risotto soup
No longer a labour of love.
I do love a risotto, but all that stirring? It’s enough to drive a girl mad. The good news is you can make a rich risotto without having to slave over the hob — because with this recipe the oven does all the work.
Read moreChicken Caesar salad
Love those leftovers.
This is my favourite way to use up precious leftover chicken from a Sunday roast.
Read morePuff pastry pizza
A great go-to.
A puff pastry roll kept in the fridge is a great go-to ingredient when you need fast dinner ideas.
Read moreGreen Caesar crab salad
Room for one more.
I love salsas, sauces and dressings I can drizzle on to things or dip things in to. You’ll find some of my favourites here on my site, like Bloody Mary (great with croquettes), coriander salsa (great on salads), rocket and walnut pesto (great on sarnies), and romesco (great with nuggets), and now I have a new one to add to the list; green Caesar, and it’s great on all of the above.
Read moreTaleggio and basil stuffed arancini
EVEN BETTER SECOND TIME AROUND.
I don't make risotto very often, which is perhaps why when I do, I make far too much. But never mind, I think risotto is actually better the next day — not reheated in its same form (actually that ruins it), but turned in to another dish altogether — arancini.
Read moreWild boar ragu
Big bold boar.
We’ve all done it, come back from the food shop with random things you didn’t plan on buying, only later to find yourself wondering “what was I thinking?”.
Read moreSummery orzo pasta salad
Wiping the winter cobwebs away.
As the weather starts to warm up, salads naturally put in more of a mealtime appearance. But while tasty, I’m rarely content with leaves alone, preferring to add a few grains that can bring texture, make a meal go further and keep me fuller for longer.
Read moreSpicy turkey pasta
Fast, flexible and fail safe.
With the nights drawing in and my commute feeling ever longer, it’s more and more important to get a bank of fast and cockle warming recipes I can turn to when time in the kitchen is limited.
Read moreCrispy taleggio
Crispy cheese is a thing of the gods.
If you fancy making some that’s more this decade than the old fashioned fave, baked camembert, why not give these a go – wedges of taleggio in crispy sourdough breadcrumbs, finished with a little sticky balsamic. Ooosh.
Read moreVeggie ragu
“This would be nicer if it had some chicken in it.”
Is the last thing you want your veggie pasta to make you think. And in this little take on the familiar classic, meat has no place and it isn’t missed one bit.
Read moreCourgette noodle salad perfect for BBQ’s
I was asked recently to ‘do a bit of food’ for a pitch at work.
In the space of a week it managed to go from a couple of sample dishes using the clients produce to a 5 dish lunch for 15 people. Cooked on the roof. On an industrial BBQ. In 28 degree heat. No pressure then.
Read moreWholewheat spaghetti with artichokes and capers
Simple store-cupboard suppers.
When pushed for time in the kitchen I often reach for pasta. But in an attempt to break away from the riff off a tomato sauce that I catch myself making on auto pilot, I figured I’d see what could be conjured out of some of my other favourite store cupboard and fridge staples instead.
Read moreItalian style meatloaf and rich tomato sauce
Not all food memories are fond.
I’ve fancied making a meatloaf for a while, but having been traumatised by a few sorry versions of it as a child I was determined to cook one that was delicious and juicy, rather than dense, dry and dull (apologies to any of my former school dinner ladies that are reading).
Read moreFresh rocket and walnut pesto with taglierini pasta and sausage and fennel sauce
Pesto is a great kitchen staple, whether homemade or from a jar.
It adds a dash of Italian sunshine to all it touches and is an easy and fast way to inject flavour into mealtimes.
Read morePortabella mushrooms with romesco sauce, fresh pesto and goat’s cheese
Too much of a good thing.
It can be all too easy to get stuck in a dinnertime rut. The same old favourite dishes cropping up time and again – if you’re not careful you can love them to the point of extinction. No popular meal should have to suffer this fate.
Read moreBlack pizza with pepper purée, goat’s cheese and crab
Aaah, black. In my eyes, the finest colour.
Jeans, jewellery and cars are all better in the inky dark cloak that is black. I love how it can be glamorous, serious and dramatic, in fashion I like how easy it is to wear (I especially like how it tries to make me look thinner), but I’ve never really been drawn to black food – until now.
Read morePan-fried pollock with homemade gnocchi and Calabrian nduja
Restaurant recreation.
When I return to Nottingham I often schedule in a (boozy) lunch with my good friend Zoe. For a few hours our pursuit is gassing and gossiping over food and (invariably) fizz, and recently we’ve come to frequent a particular restaurant that does a cracking dish of cod on Calabrian sausage.