Wholesome cakey goodness.
Blueberries and bananas make foolproof muffins that are wolfed down by children and adults alike.
One of the things I like most about this recipe is I’ve never messed it up (I’m not much of a baker you see).
Read moreBeefy empanadas
Glutton without prejudice.
Minced beef crispy pancakes, remember them? Yeah me too. They were one of my pikey penchants during my teenage years, glutton without prejudice that I was.
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 moreCrab pops
My favourite kind of lollipop.
I love a crab cake, but they’re a little difficult to scoff at parties in polite company. For soirees one needs food that’s edible using just one hand, which is where the idea of these cute little crab pops came from.
Read moreBeetroot falafel
Super superfoods.
I was super excited when I was recently asked by a publishing company to create, style and shoot six everyday superfood recipes for a new book they were producing.
Read moreGrown ups brunch
A very British brunch.
I’ve had more than my fair share of Bloody Mary’s over the years and reckon I’ve given most incarnations a go. I love those that are generous in their spicing, I quite like the ones with grated fresh horseradish (as long as they’re served ice cold), I’m not sure about the tablespoon of red wine one, I don’t like the ones made with chilli vodka, and as far as I’m concerned, jalapeños and pickles have no place in a good BM in my book.
Read moreMini tortillas
Picnic perfection.
Picnics are a great playground for the cooks imagination. As we swap our sofas and dining tables for the great outdoors, it’s chance to not just take indoor food outside, but to get inventive with ingredients as we have a bit more fun in the sun.
Read moreApple crisps
One in the oven.
Nope, it’s not just a pun (tenuously) based on these apple crisps being oven baked, but my way of also saying that I’m having a baby.
Read moreSavoury jammy toasts
A store cupboard treat.
The savoury crunchy seeds and spicy tomato jam will keep well in airtight containers for ages, ready for you to go to when you fancy adding a bit of sweet heat or savoury crunch to mealtimes.
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 moreSweet potato fritters with charred corn
I’ve eaten some great scran in airports.
But never here in the UK. We all know British airports aren’t known for their culinary treasures. They’re known for 7am pints, substandard fry ups and lukewarm fast food. The most you can hope for is a pint or two of Stella and a slight wooziness as you board your flight, full of melty cheese, wobbly bacon and scorched coffee. Healthy food it is not.
Read moreFilled and grilled avocados
One of nature’s jewels.
The classic way to eat an avocado has got to be to pack it full of prawns in marie rose sauce. I must have had this 1970’s treat a hundred times courtesy of my beloved grandma. I ate it so often as a child that to this day whenever I visit her she makes sure to have one or two avocados in for me to scoff. That and a pork pie, but that’s another story.
Read moreChorizo sausage rolls with honey
One last hurrah.
I realise many folk will feel this is perhaps the worst time ever for me to blog these naughty delights, but... in my world, January doesn’t really, properly kick off until the first full week of work. And that means as far as I’m concerned, we’re all free to scoff with abandon until Monday. Or that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.
Read morePotato and pea samosas with coriander and cucumber raita
Some flavours are hard to forget.
It was the autumn of 2004 and me, my boyfriend at the time and some of our friends were on an Indian adventure.
Instead of seeing friends off on their round the world traveling mission here in blighty, we decided to accompany them on the first leg of their journey — kicking off in Goa.
Read moreMinced Chinese chicken in lettuce cups
Many moons ago I lived in a rough and ready part of town.
What it lacked in beauty it more than made up for in spirit and food, and there I got to experience flavours from far flung places like Jamaica, Kurdistan and Pakistan.
Read moreSmoked eel croquettes
Chicken, pecorino and sesame nuggets with Bloody Mary dip
Sexed-up chicken nuggets had been whirring around in my head for a while.
And on browsing Tastespotting I came across just the jolt of inspiration I needed, a cracking recipe and great photo from Sabrina at Inside The Bag.