This prawn and noodle salad is pretty much a reinterpretation of a Vietnamese salad roll. I often make it for lunch, using whatever vegetables and fresh herbs I have on hand. Continue reading
Salmon and quinoa
19 Jul
As delicious as this recipe for grilled salmon with quinoa tastes, it’s the combination of textures that make it such a winner. The silky richness of the salmon, pop of quinoa, and juicy crunch of red pepper play beautifully off one another.
Kachumber
16 Jul
Kachumber is a simple, delicious Indian chopped salad that takes just minutes to make. It provides a welcome freshness to any Indian meal, and works particularly well with kebabs and grilled meat.
Kachumber is so straightforward to make that a recipe isn’t really necessary. But for the record, here’s the way I make it. Continue reading
Tonno e fagioli (tuna and cannellini beans)
14 Jul
Now that I’ve overcome a lifelong pressure cooker phobia resulting from the applesauce incident, I prefer cooking dried beans to buying tinned.
It’s more work, but with recipes like tonno e fagioli, the difference in texture and taste is worth the extra effort. Continue reading
Peach-basil sorbet
12 Jul
Peaches and basil both say “summer” to me – and in this peach-basil sorbet they can say it together…
I made this sorbet with those little flat white peaches that have been appearing in the shops the last few years. The lovely rosy colour was a pleasant surprise – the result of leaving the skins on the peaches when I puréed them. Continue reading
Hummus
10 Jul
Once exotic, hummus is now a grocery store staple. It is also now considered children’s fare (at least in the UK), along with fish fingers, chipolatas, and those mini Babybel cheeses. Both my girls adore sandwiches filled with hummus and sliced black olives.
Other vegetables are getting in on the hummus act. Butternut squash, red pepper, spinach and beet hummus are all a thing. Call me old fashioned, but if it doesn’t contain chickpeas and tahini, it’s not hummus – it’s a dip. Continue reading
Strawberry shortcake
8 Jul
Strawberry shortcake is America’s take on the quintessentially British scones with cream and jam. Fresher, looser, less “proper”, and somehow more bountiful – for me, strawberry shortcake wins hands down. Continue reading
Lemon risotto
4 Jul
A dish of lemon risotto with a heap of steamed asparagus is one of my favourite spring/summer meals. It also makes a great starter – in which case this recipe will feed four. Continue reading
Lemon-ginger flapjacks
2 Jul
In Canada a flapjack is another name for a pancake. Here in the UK, it’s a sort of baked oat square. Similar to a granola bar, a good flapjack is chewy and dense and sweet with golden syrup.
The first flapjack I tasted was not good – in fact, it was a huge disappointment. While it looked tempting enough in the sandwich shop with its generous coating of chocolate, it tasted of nothing but cheap oil and sugar, compacted itself into my molars and left a coating of grease on the roof of my mouth. I didn’t finish it – or buy another flapjack for a good ten years. Continue reading
Bruschetta al pomodoro (tomato bruschetta)
30 Jun
Bruschetta al pomodoro is simplicity itself – so why write a post about it?
Two reasons:
- While the list of ingredients is short and the preparation straightforward, there are a few things worth knowing that can make the difference between a mouthwatering crispy delight and a confused, soggy mess.
- I’ve been served so many disappointing, and frankly odd, versions of tomato bruschetta that it seems worth setting down how to do it right.
Chicken soup with rice
28 Jun
“I told you once, I told you twice, all seasons of the year are nice for eating chicken soup with rice!” Maurice Sendak
From the moment I first read Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup With Rice to Nova, she was after me to make it for her supper.
More often than not, I opted for this Asian-inspired version, that uses the cooking liquid left after making crystal chicken. Continue reading
Chicken and tofu
26 Jun
I’ve been making this classic Chinese dish for years – sometimes using prawns instead of chicken, or a veggie version with just tofu and mushrooms – and it’s always delicious. Continue reading
Scott’s martini
24 Jun
There are a lot of strong opinions about what makes a great martini. Personally, I’m pretty flexible. I’ve enjoyed them with gin and vodka – dry, wet or dirty. I’m happy with olives, lemon peel or a cocktail onion (though actually I think that’s a Gibson).
Two essentials for me: A great martini must be icy cold. And it must achieve a satisfying balance between its elements. Otherwise, it’s just a cold glass of gin…
I’m in the happy position of having two good friends who make great martinis. As Scott is visiting from Canada this week, I’m featuring his version here (with permission). Continue reading
Spinach salad
20 Jun
Healthy without being worthy, quick to throw together, spinach salad makes a great supper on a warm evening.
For a veggie version, omit the bacon or replace it with thinly sliced cauliflower florets. Continue reading
Chocolate-raspberry ice cream
18 Jun
Move over lemon ice cream… there’s a new kid in town.
I made this chocolate-raspberry ice cream for the first time other day. It certainly won’t be the last – all four of us were completely wowed by it.
The recipe couldn’t have been easier. Four basic ingredients – cream, chocolate, sugar, raspberries. And being a Philadelphia-style ice cream, there was no messing about with egg yolks and custard. Continue reading
Salsa verde
16 Jun
Salsa verde (or “green sauce”) is the most wonderful Italian concoction. It goes particularly well with fish, and with some new potatoes and steamed green beans alongside makes a great weekday supper. Continue reading
Hamburger mince gravy
13 Jun
At some point in my childhood, the responsibility for cooking the family meals shifted from my mum to my dad. I don’t remember what brought on this change – I’m not sure that I ever knew.
Before that point, I can recall him making only two things – the occasional roast dinner and his delicious sourdough bread. Once he became the main cook, Dad brought a typically structured approach to feeding the family. Continue reading
Antiguan pineapple bread
11 Jun
The distinctive taste of Angostura bitters sets this Antiguan pineapple bread apart from the other quick breads and loaf cakes I make.
I’m sure it would work nicely with vanilla as well, but given the last bottle of Angostura bitters I finished was “by appointment to his majesty King George VI” I’m very happy to stick to the original recipe. Continue reading
Champ
9 Jun
Champ – mashed potatoes with spring onions – is the most comforting of comfort foods. Apparently, it’s still sometimes served as a main dish in Northern Ireland, which would work for me…
Pasta alle zucchini
6 Jun
We were introduced to pasta alle zucchini by our lovely Roman friend Mariella. She was a bit dismissive when she served it for dinner one evening, describing it as simple family fare, but we found zucchini and egg to be a winning combination. Continue reading
Crystal chicken
4 Jun
This is one of the simplest, tastiest and useful ways to cook chicken that I know. Crystal chicken is a meal in its own right, or perfect for adding to salads, sandwiches, stirfries and other dishes. I also make an Asian-flavoured chicken rice soup from the cooking liquid. Continue reading
Aloo achaar (Nepalese potato salad)
2 Jun
Where have you been all my life, aloo achaar? Waiting quietly on page 50 of my well-worn copy of Madhur Jaffrey’s World of the East Vegetarian Cooking, that’s where. I must have flipped past you a hundred times on my way to the very spicy delicious chickpeas or diced potatoes with spinach recipe. Continue reading
Rhubarb crumble ice cream
30 May
Rhubarb crumble ice cream is an inspired idea – tart rhubarb, silky sweet cream, nuggets of cakey crumble. It’s not the most visually seductive of ice creams, at least when made with the chunky green stalks of rhubarb from my garden patch. None of that delicate pink forced rhubarb for us.
Lentil and smoked salmon salad
28 May
Lentils and smoked salmon make this a most satisfying main course salad. Easy to pull together on a weeknight, especially if you happen to have cooked lentils hanging about, as we often do. Continue reading
Lamb and pea samosas with mint yogurt
26 May
Pondering how to use up the remains of a jar of mint sauce that had been hanging about the fridge for too long, I hit upon the idea of making a batch of lamb and pea samosas.
Although I’ve made them for years, I still haven’t settled on a method for making samosas. Sometimes I buy frozen samosa wrappers from the Indian grocers. I’ve also had a go at making my own pastry (not a notable success).
Piyaz (Turkish white bean salad with a tahini dressing)
23 May
Piyaz is a traditional Turkish bean and onion salad, typically garnished with slices of tomato and hardboiled egg. The recipe varies from region to region – in Antalya they add tahini to the dressing, which gives it a pleasing mellowness. Continue reading
Frangipane tarts
21 May
Frangipane is such a beautiful word, conjuring up images of sugar and spice, flowers and French patisserie. These tasty little numbers with their moreish almond filling, tart slick of raspberry jam and flaky crisp pastry are as delicious to eat as the name suggests.
Ca ri ga (Vietnamese chicken curry)
19 May
Cari ga, or Vietnamese chicken curry, is almost a chicken stew. With its familiar vegetable trio of carrot, potato and onion, it’s hearty enough to serve on its own, with maybe a hunk of baguette to soak up the sauce. Continue reading
Orecchiete with broccoli
16 May
Orecchiete means “little ears” in Italian, which gave Lyra a bit of a scare. “Are they really made from ears?” she asked – knowing it’s just about possible I would serve her a bowl of ears in the interest of reproducing some authentic regional dish.
I could see her trying to work out which poor animal’s ears they could possibly be before I set her mind at ease. Continue reading
Hong Kong green beans
14 May
Last November in Hong Kong we ate the most delicious stir-fried green beans one evening. Finding ourselves without dinner reservations on Saturday night, we were turned away from several places before finally landing a table in one of the many restaurants in the iSquare building on Nathan Road.
Barley salad with broccoli and zahatar
12 May
The love affair with zahatar continues around here. Is there nothing that isn’t improved by a generous sprinkling of this marvellous stuff?
This salad combines toothsome pearl barley with roasted vegetables and a creamy yogurt dressing. Essentially a cooked salad, it is freshened with peashoots and parsley. Continue reading
Eton mess
9 May
May is the start of strawberry season in the UK, and strawberries are going to feature large around here in the weeks ahead: strawberries on our cereal and in our smoothies, strawberry tops in our water, strawberry shortcake, strawberry ice cream, and Eton mess. Continue reading
Kisir (Turkish bulghur wheat salad)
7 May
While I’ve always found tabbouleh ever so slightly worthy, with kisir it was love at first bite. This Turkish bulghur wheat salad is a much more exciting number – from its vibrant orange colour to its fiery chilli kick. Continue reading
Balinese chicken skewers
5 May
I can’t recall where I found this recipe for Balinese chicken skewers, and never having been to Bali I can’t vouch for its authenticity. But I can confirm that it’s dead easy, extremely tasty, and a great hit with the girls. Lyra has already requested it for her birthday dinner (next March). Continue reading
Szechuan celery with beef
2 May
Szechuan celery with beef has become a family standby. As a lapsed vegetarian, I’m drawn to recipes where meat plays a supporting roles, and the celery is definitely the star here.
While there’s a bit of faffing around up front – peeling and blanching the celery, mainly – it comes together very quickly after that. Continue reading
Mini meringues
30 Apr
Mini meringues are a great favourite with the girls – both making and eating them. For years it was deemed necessary to dye these mini meringues pink, but we’re finally moving past the “all things pink” phase. Continue reading
Miso ramen
28 Apr
A great bowl of ramen noodles is a wonderful thing. Hot, cheap, filling and reasonably quick to throw together – unless your culinary ambitions stretch to making your own ramen noodles, like the amazing Migrant Chef has done. (I am in awe of this achievement…) Continue reading
Risi e bisi (rice and peas)
25 Apr
Neither a risotto nor a soup, risi e bisi is one of the most comforting bowls of food imaginable. With so few ingredients, quality shows through. It’s wonderful with fresh peas and the pods used to flavour the stock.
Of Venetian origin, risi e bisi is traditionally served on April 25, St Mark’s Day, when the first fresh peas become available. In fact, Marcella Hazan says it should only be called risi e bisi when made with fresh peas. We’re not such sticklers around here, and I’ve been making this dish long before I heard of her. Continue reading
Frozen banana “ice cream”
23 Apr
Frozen banana “ice cream” is a little bit of culinary magic – just sixty seconds in a food processor to transform frozen slices of banana into a smooth, silky dessert.
I first discovered it in David Cohlmeyer’s The Vegetarian Chef in my student days, and have been happily whipping up batches of the stuff ever since. Continue reading
Fish rice broccoli bowl
21 Apr
“Andrea has made… steamed Japanese rice, a store-bought smoked mackerel fillet, and steamed broccoli, garnished with strips of nori and a sprinkling of sesame seeds,” Nova drawled in wicked imitation of India Fisher, as we settled with our rice bowls in front of the telly to watch Masterchef.
I get this kind of thing a lot: “You’ve let yourself down on the presentation again, I’m afraid”, or “for me, the elements don’t combine into a single dish” or occasionally “this cherry sorbet is a lovely, lovely thing.”
Ten More Bites 