Tag Archives: homecooking

Stuffed Portobello mushrooms (Serves: 2/4 – Preparation time: 25 mins)

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The recipe below is a little gem as it can be prepped and ready to eat in just over 20 minutes and works well both as a main meal or starter.  It is packed full of veggies meaning that you are well on your way to meeting your “5-A-Day”.  I am not really the type of person to talk about ‘clean eating’ as I am of the view that if you make something from scratch more often than not it falls into that category – that being said, for those of you that are looking for a healthy option for supper this recipe is right up there!

There is no denying that this is a ‘rustic’ recipe – in other words the presentation lacks finesse.  However, the variety of vegetables used in this dish means that your plate is filled with vibrant colours making it draw the eye and entice the eater.  The flavours complement one another giving a delicate balance between sweet, salty and creamy. Ladies and Gents, if you like mushrooms then this is one to try as it is tasty no nonsense cooking. Enjoy!

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Moroccan spiced shoulder of lamb with apricots (Serves: 4 – Preparation time: 1.5hrs)

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One-pot cooking is incredibly convenient for washing up purposes but also in terms of ease.  The idea with this style of cooking is that you can throw everything into a casserole dish, cover and leave to bubble away in the oven without needing to think about it until it is time to serve.    The added bonus with this particular dish is longer you leave it the more succulent and tender the lamb becomes.

As this dish cooks, the juices from both the apricots and lamb seep into the sweet potato mixture turning it into a stuffing that is infused with all the flavours of the dish.  I would recommend serving this meal with simple accompaniments for example fluffy couscous and steamed green vegetables so that you can relish the taste of the lamb.  This recipe would be a good alternative to a traditional Sunday roast, or would make a great centrepiece for a dinner party. Enjoy!

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Sticky beef (Serves: 2/3 – Preparation time: 20 minutes)

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Lately I have been finding that I am pushed for time in the evenings,  as a result I have been resorting to meals that can be prepped and on the table in 20 minutes without too much fuss.  The recipe below fits the bill perfectly as in the time that it takes to steam the rice the rest of the dish can be cooked.

This ‘sticky beef’ recipe uses dates to make sauce, giving it a wonderfully sweet caramelised flavour.  The spice and warmth from the chilli helps cut through the sweetness of the dish, however if you find it too sugary for your palette then add 1 tbsp of light soy sauce to the dish at the end.

By stir-frying the vegetables quickly they will retain a slight crunch which contrasts the smoothness of the sauce and tenderness steak.  Don’t feel that you have to use beef to make this recipe, it would work just as well with pork or chicken thighs cut into thin strips and cooked in a little oil before adding it to the sauce.  Enjoy!


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Goat’s curd and spinach tart (Serves: 4 – Preparation time: 1hr – 1.5hrs)

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I work a ten minute walk away from Borough Market in London which means on a good day I am able to head over there during my lunch break. I tend to amble through the market seeing what is in season, chatting to the stall holders about their produce and what they recommend doing with it. Bliss!

On my last visit I ended up buying some goat’s curd (soft cheese) from Ellie’s Dairy with the idea of making spinach and goat’s curd tarts. The curd had a delicate flavour and unlike other goats cheese I can safely say then you couldn’t taste the goat. Instead it had subtle zesty notes that lingered on the palette. If you can’t find goat’s curd then substitute with ricotta or another soft cheese of your choosing.

One of my concerns when making the tart was whether the moisture in the spinach would cause it to have a ‘soggy’ bottom – however this was not the case. So long as you squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the spinach after wilting it you should end up with a crisp pastry.

The tart can be served hot or cold which means it is ideal if you need to prepare something in advance or are simply looking for lunchbox ideas. Enjoy!

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Gazpacho (Serves: 3/4 – Preparation time: 15 mins)

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I told my Spanish friend Alejandro that I was going to make Gazpacho this week and he quizzed me about what I intended to put in it to ensure that I was making what he deemed to be an authentic Spanish Gazpacho.  When I dropped ‘lemons’ into the list of ingredients that I intended to use, he promptly stopped me and told me in no uncertain terms that lemon is not a Gazpacho ingredient and that the vinegar is all that you need – and I have to say that now having made it without lemons that I agree with him.

For those of you that are less familiar with Gazpacho it is a cold tomato soup made using raw ingredients and there is absolutely no cooking involved.  All you need to make it is a sharp knife and a hand blender – simple.  Whilst summer is drawing to a close this is a great option if you are looking for a refreshing starter or light lunch.  The underlying flavours are both tangy and slightly creamy making you want to go back for more.  Enjoy!

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Glazed gammon roasted in cider (Serves: 6 – Preparation time: 2 hrs)

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Gammon has to be one of my all time favourite meats!  Whenever I have it I can see my childhood self standing bare foot in the larder carefully carving off thin slivers of ham and savouring the deliciously sweet and salty ‘melt in your mouth’ goodness.

Growing up we tended to only eat gammon at Christmas as it was considered a special treat.  My mother would cook it late on Christmas Eve and its aroma would waft through the house in an almost teasing fashion as we knew we’d have to wait until Christmas lunch before we were able to indulge. Self-restraint is not something my family are known for when it comes to food.

Gammon can be cooked like any other roast – pop it in a roasting tray with onion and other bits and bobs and then cook in the oven for as long as it needs depending on its weight.  For gammon you work on the principle of 30 minutes per 500g at 190C.

 As you cook the recipe below the smell of mulled cider will fill your kitchen as the spices infuse with the cooking liqueur. The ‘piece de resistance’ comes when you glaze the joint with runny honey mixed with the juices – the result will be a sticky sweet slightly caramelised unctuous gammon. Enjoy!

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Basic pasta recipe (Serves: 2-3 people – Preparation time: 1 hr)

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Sometimes it is important to go back to basics and learn how to make certain staples.  The staple that I am going to focus on here is pasta.  I personally eat a lot of pasta due to its convenience; most dried pasta cooks in less than 10 minutes, which means often you can have your meal ready in 15 minutes.  So why make fresh pasta? Well, firstly it tastes a lot nicer and secondly it can be a fun thing to make with friends.

 Pasta is incredibly simple to make: all you need is eggs and ‘00’ flour, bring together as a dough, knead and roll out finely and you will have made pasta.  All other ingredients that you add to the dough just act as flavouring for the pasta.

 The key to making pasta is getting the texture of the dough right; what you are looking for is a firm but elastic dough.  If the dough is too malleable and soft it will break up when it comes to rolling and you may find that the dough sticks together afterwards.  If this happens, then add some more flour to the dough and restart the rolling process.

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Summer tagliatelle (Serves: 4 -Preparation time: 10 minutes)

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I have been playing around in the kitchen making fresh pasta over the last couple of weeks.  Making pasta can be hit or miss if you don’t get the consistency of the dough right, if the dough is too supple it will break up when it comes to rolling or will not hold its form when you cut it into tagliatelle or spaghetti. What you are looking for is a firm dough that is firm and elastic. As with many things practise makes perfect and once you get used to recognising when the dough has the right consistency it is very straightforward and fun to make.  I am going to share how to make fresh pasta in a separate blog in the upcoming weeks breaking it down into a helpful guide so that hopefully you can avoid making the same mistakes I did when I was learning.

The recipe below is very simple and can be prepared in a matter of minutes.  It is a vibrant dish due to the colour of the ingredients that you use.  The key to making this recipe shine is buy the best quality tomatoes and mozzarella that you can afford as this will take this dish from being good to great!  If you can get a combination of tomatoes preferably a combination of yellow and red that are ripe and packed full of flavour that would be ideal.  This is a great mid-week recipe to have on hand if you are having friends over, it is incredibly easy and packed full of the flavours of summertime.  Enjoy!

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Herb ‘tear and share’ buns (Makes: 9 -Preparation time: 4hrs)

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The herbs in my garden are flourishing at the moment and most weekends I make a herb pesto or salsa of sorts to keep them under control.  There is no right or wrong way to make a pesto, just use the herbs that you have available and adjust to your own tastes.  My preference is to make a straightforward herb pesto and add different ingredients to it depending on what I am eating.  By adding a little white vinegar, gherkins and capers you get a sharper almost salsa verde type dressing to go with lamb, or If you add pine nuts and parmesan to the mix then you will have a more traditional pesto.

The herb pesto recipe makes roughly a jam jar full and will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.  You can use herb pesto in all sorts of ways as it is particularly versatile, for example it can be used to flavour bread as below, as a dip, as a sauce for pasta or simply as an accompaniment to grilled chicken.

The herb buns are a great tear and share food to have with a barbecue or as an accompaniment to a salad.  This bread recipe is simple and makes light, fluffy buns, just make sure that you do knead the bread properly at the outset until the dough springs back when you touch it and then just be patient and wait for it to rise. Enjoy!

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Sticky Asian ‘beer can’ chicken (Serves: 4/6 – Preparation: 1hr)

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At home my barbecue is starting to come into its own as it is now being used regularly at the weekends rather than gathering leaves in the corner of the garden.  ‘Beer can chicken’ is something that I cook fairly regularly on the barbecue as it is very easy and keeps the meat moist and succulent.  The only difficulty with this recipe is getting the chicken on and off the barbecue – I would strongly recommend that you have a couple of decent pairs of tongs to hand when you do this…

You can make this recipe in the oven if you don’t have a barbecue, however you won’t get the delicious smoky flavour.  If you are going to use the oven instead then cook at 180°C for 1hr 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.  Don’t forget to stand the chicken on a roasting tray if you do cook it this way otherwise you will have one messy oven to deal with afterwards.

This recipe is definitely worth a go if you are having friends over this weekend, just serve with some barbecued veggies or a couple of big salads. Enjoy!

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