When I first started making salads for work and lunch, pasta and tuna were one of the first I learned. Back then I didn’t know what a caper was whereas now I love them and we got through a jar every couple of weeks. I think tuna and pasta are such a comforting combination I…
Healthy Sausage, Fennel and Salsify Tray Bake
I love a one pan dish as it makes for a quick easy mid week dinner. Sausages make a great dinner. Instead of salsify you could use new potatoes. The mustard sauce goes so well with the aniseed from the fennel. You could chuck anything into this really I just used what I had at…
Cooked Chorizo on a Bulgar Wheat Salad Loaded with Roasted Courgettes and Tomatoes
So we are well into spring (sort of) so all the British tomatoes and courgettes are starting to appear. I love casseroles and roasted root vegetables salads but I am ready for some lighter lunches and dinners. I really like bulgar wheat but unless you pack it with flavours it can be a bit bland….
John Dory Fillets with a Caper and Lemon Sauce and Stir Fried Kale with Pancetta
I love going to the fishmonger and buying local fish as your not sure what you are going to get or what is in season. So on this visit they had some stunning John Dory. It is quite a distinctive looking fish with its sail fins and black dot (I’m sure there is a religious…
Greek Quesadillas – Stuffed with Feta, Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes
So we had pulled lamb wraps and I had some left over tortillas. I wanted to use them up so thought I would have a go at stuffing them and frying them like the Greeks do. The result was delicious the outside was nice and crispy and the inside was warm, soft and full of…
Roasted Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad with a Honey and Thyme Dressing
So as spring is upon us I thought I’d make the most of the winter salads. Roasting beetroot is my favourite way of eating it, piercing the skin means the garlic and thyme flavours really penetrate the flesh. As the beetroot is so earthy the creamy goats cheese and the sweet dressing work so well…
Harissa and Black Bean Loaded Sweet Potato Skins with Whipped Feta and Smashed Avocado
For this weeks meatless dinner I made stuffed sweet potato skins. I have wanted to use whipped feta for ages and it worked so well in this dish. It was really filling and healthy. The sweetness from the potato works really well with the smokey harissa paste. The creamy avocado and salty feta really finishes…
Smoked Salmon and Fennel Salad with a Preserved Lemon, Sultana and Olive Salsa
As it’s Easter bank holiday I fancied a treat so opted for smoked salmon I didn’t want anything heavy as I have been eating lots of chocolate, to keep it healthy and to add some texture I opted for fennel. As it’s Easter I thought I would pimp it up by making a salsa which…
Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Red Wine, Thyme and Leeks served with Cabbage and Chestnuts
Some cuts of meat need to be slow cooked and brisket is one of the. It isn’t the prettiest dish but it tastes delicious. It is also a good way to use up a red wine your not keen on. This also makes a delicious rich gravy, which I love. We had ours with sautéed…
Stuffed Chicken Breast Wrapped in Parma Ham on a Lentil Salad with a Mustard Dressing
So hubby bought a load of reduced Parma ham and I had taken a chicken breast out of the freezer for lunch. I looked in the fridge and we had a small chunk of goats cheese. In the summer we have this chicken on top of Courgettes and tomatoes so as the weather has been…
Healthy Baked Smoked Haddock, Chive and Prawn Fishcakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce
So I had some potatoes I didn’t use on Sunday and I fancied something light for dinner. These fishcakes worked a treat. I love smoked haddock and thought I would use it in these fishcakes. Making your own tartar sauce is great as you can adjust it to your own taste. I love capers and…
Marinated Seared Steak on a Pea, Sweetcorn and Herb Buckwheat Noodle Salad with a Black Bean Dressing
I love Asian salads and recently discovered fermented chilli black beans. They are so yummy, when I went to the Chinese supermarket I noticed them amongst all the other jars of sauces and Asian ingredients. When I go next time I am going to spend more time looking at all the jars to see if…
Gammon Steaks with Leek and Celeriac Mash and Apple Sauce
When we had a buy up from the Devon butcher he had some delicious gammon steaks that I couldn’t resist. I forgot how much I like gammon steaks and haven’t had them for years. They are such a pub classic that I didn’t want to go down the egg and chip route so I searched…
Zaalouk with Crispy Halloumi and Olives
I wanted to try a different recipe other than baba ganoush with charred aubergine. I found this recipe on the olive magazine website. It has all those middle eastern flavours I love, smokiness from the spices and aubergine, sweetness from the tomatoes and freshness from the coriander and lemon. I used a spoon to pile…
Comforting Caramelised French Onion Soup with Melted Gruyere Toast
I know this is a very old recipe but this was my first attempt. I got this version off the great British chef site. It is time consuming but the depth of sweetness and caramelised flavours you get are so delicious. I love sausage and mash with onion gravy so figured I would enjoy this,…
