Recipes

Hot Smoked Salmon, Fennel and Sweetcorn Chowder

I was in a restaurant and the table next to me had ordered a prawn chowder as it was a cold day it looked so appetizing so I thought I am going to make that tomorrow. My local supermarket has 25% off fish on certain days, perfect! I chose salmon as I wanted to try…

Wild Rice and Fresh Plum Salad with an Asian Dressing

Here in the uk we have the most amazing sweet plums that are in season now. I can eat them on their own and yes the juice runs down my chin. As I was given so many I had to be inventive and wanted to go down a savoury route. We had roast duck with…

Succotash Salad with Pancetta

I’d never heard of this salad before, but loved the idea of it. I love American salads and side dishes as there are SO many different areas and influences to the ingredients because of the diverse history. This was fresh, sweet, crunchy and the pancetta added another depth of flavour. Ingredients (serves 2) Directions

Pork Steak with a Miso, Ginger and Orange Sauce, Broccoli and Stir Fried Beansprouts

I love orange and pork together it’s traditionally with duck but I think pork is just a good. The miso really compliments the orange. Its also a nice quick dinner too. I had run out of noodles as that’s what I was going to serve this with but I had a tin of beansprouts in…

Fresh Whole Crab Lettuce Cups with Avocado

Yum yum yum! Fresh crab is delicious, if I close my eyes while eating this I can hear the waves and the seagulls. I grew up in a seaside town called Torquay and it’s right next to Brixham which is famous for brown crabs. We use to have them in such abundance that the prizes…

Marinated Seared Steak with Satay Sauce and Quick Pickled Cucumber

I got married in Bali so it is one of my special places. I love the food it’s totally different to Chinese or Japanese food. I’ve also been to Thailand and Malaysia and satay is one of my favourites. Satay means skewer so it’s not the sauce but it was served as a dipping sauce…

Feta and Sugar Snap Pea Salad with a Parsley and Mint Yoghurt Dressing

Sometimes I really fancy something healthy just like when I have a craving for junk food. I had a pack of sugar snap peas that I forgot to add to a stir fry so I thought id put them in a salad. They were delicious crunchy, sweet and fresh. I also had ½ red pepper…

Tofu, Asparagus and Cashew Nuts in Oyster Sauce

This is such a comforting dish and I know it sounds strange but really inoffensive The reason I say that is there it isn’t too spicy or salty it just has really delicious familiar flavours like you get from your take away. Its been elevated into a special dish purely by the ingredients. I love…

Beef, Rocket and Potato Salad with a Horseradish and Thyme Dressing

This is such a classic British combination, roast beef, potatoes and horseradish. I really love cold roast beef and it can be added to all cuisines in a salad (I also love it in Asian noodle salad) I also cook a few extra potatoes when I am using them for a dinner so I can…

Pork Meatloaf with a Tomato Glaze

This meatloaf is delicious and lasts for a dinner and cold as a lunch with salad. The apricots add sweetness and the prosciutto saltiness. Being British I used that brand of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. I also used lean pork so it wasn’t too greasy as the loaf tin is lined with the ham. Old…

Prawn, Squid, Fennel and Scallop Stew with Ginger and Saffron

So this was an easy recipe as all the shellfish was in my freezer so I could take a handful out of each and it defrosts really quickly. I love fresh fish but I also think it is handy to have some frozen backups too. This tagine was delicious the aniseed flavour from the fennel…

Broccoli, Leek and Potato Soup

This is a simple but really comforting dish. As it has 3 vegetables I find a large bowl with some yummy crusty bread is enough for me dinner. I always save my parmesan rinds in the fridge and chuck them any soups I make. I used frozen broccoli just to see how it turns out….

Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad

I love a good Caesar salad but I can find them a bit heavy and calorific. I have lightened up the dressing on mine by using light mayonnaise. I also used a smoked chicken breast to make it a bit more exciting. I just love the contrasts of really crisp lettuce, soft chicken, crunch from…

Cauliflower Cheese with Black Pudding and a Chestnut and Sage topping

This is my go to comfort dinner, I love cauliflower cheese and treat as a meal on its own tho I do like a gammon steak with it sometimes to. I pimped it up by adding some black pudding and some chestnuts and sage to the breadcrumbs. Its just so tasty! If you don’t like…

Roasted Tomato and Goats Cheese Tart with Tapenade

This is perfect for this bank holiday as part of a spread or starter, it can be eaten hot or cold. I had mine warm with some salad. It is such a good way to use up someof thos tomatoes that are still hanging around. I used olive tapenade as my base but pesto would…