They call aubergine the poor mans meat, or is it the vegetarians gold? I love this recipe, it’s velvety, creamy, economical and beautifully simple. Heat oven to 180C. Slice 2 aubergines lengthways and use a knife to score through the flesh in a criss-cross pattern close to the skin. Drizzle with oil and bake for…
Category: Vegetarian
Imam Bayildi
(Makes 4 stuffed halves) Legend has it that this dish acquired its name because it caused the Turkish Imam to faint through pure pleasure. Great served warm but some say best enjoyed at room temperature the next day, which makes it a perfect BBQ side dish, easily prepared in advance. Make a meal out of…
Pizza Bianca
(Makes 2 large or 4 small pizzas) This no-knead pizza dough recipe is one of my absolute favourites. It’s a good late summer dish, as the warmth of the sun aids the rise of the dough. Personally, I leave for a minimum of 24 hrs and for anything up to 48, depending on the warmth…
Baked Peaches with Amaretti and Vanilla Mascarpone
If I had my little way, I’d eat peaches every day, but imported peaches do not compare to those picked at their peak and July is the perfect time to indulge in these juicy morsels. The flavours in this dish are so well matched that it’s a wonder how amaretti and vanilla don’t grow on…
Sprouting broccoli and Pea Pesto Orecchiette
It may not sound hugely exciting but blending broccoli is one of the most simple and tasty ways of eating it. I have been sneaking it into classics like carbonara and pesto, roasting it with spices and frying it with Asian flavours Put 200g of sprouting broccoli (green or purple) and 100g frozen peas into…
Super-Spicy Daal with Eggs and Spinach
I really love this recipe. It is packed with loads of nutritious ingredients, it’s filling, it’s protein, it’s cheap and it makes enough to feed a small army (freezes well so don’t worry). Great to whip out if you come down with a sore throat and versatile too…. Serve as breakfast, brunch, as a side…
Bakewell Slice,Very Nice
I am an avid frangipane fan and try and sneak it into recipes all the time – apple cakes, crumbles, mince pies, it’s always a bonus rather than a defamer. Here I have showcased it in all its splendour with a scattering of fresh raspberries, a generous layer of jam and addition of a good…
Pici with a Rich and Unctuous Tomato Sauce
I discovered the wonders of pici in Tucany, where it is served commonly with wild boar (the poor old stuffed heads are everywhere, usually sporting spectacles funnily enough). The best I had was in a tiny village high up in Montepescali, in Osteria Sotto Le Logge and one of the best food experiences in my…
Madeleines
What I especially love about these light little sponges is the elegance in their simplicity. These particular bites bare a hint of honey and lemon but adorn your own as you fancy. With your rindless lemons, it could be nice to try making a sugar glaze with the juice. The batter is best left over night…
Thai Inspired Roasted Cauliflower Soup
I know the words Thai and cauliflower don’t normally go together, but why should the flavours suffer the same fate? When I attempted to google this, I was lead to a website ‘Cauliflower ear, the easiest way to pick up girls’ promoting Muay Thai fighting, as all girls apparently love scars of any kind? The…
Roasted Cauliflower Olive and Sundried Tomato Cavatelli
If you’ve not yet hopped on the roasted cauliflower bandwagon, please do soon for you will not be disappointed. Charring and caramelising the edges brings out a nutty, buttery flavour and when lightly oiled, salted and roasted for 20-30 minutes in a high temp oven it is tempting to pop it in like popcorn. I…
A Punchy Little Sandwich for Spring
Even though I am partial to the odd BLT or BELTAC, (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado and Cheese) I tend to stray away from the DIY version at home…..maybe not giving credit enough to the old two slices which serve as a container for other food. In Australia it was unusual for me to see…
Simple Spring Celebration Pasta
Having left Australia mid summer, travelled and returned to the UK at the beginning of spring, we have sneakily missed out on a winter. Even though in my opinion there can never be ‘too much summer’ I am really appreciating the UK spring and how the season effects earth and nature. We ventured to our…
Spicy Noodle Salad with Tuna Toasties & Tobasco Tomatoes
Living so close to Victoria Street has given me a taste for Vietnamese, lots of mighty flavours and infinite ingredients to experiment with…… if you are nearby, check out ‘Weasels Garden Café’ it’s on Murray St, tucked away, always very quiet, the foods pretty good and the garden is like a slice from a tropical…
Spelt Spaghetti, Red Onion, Basil Oil and Roasted Vine Tomatoes – with Chilli!
This pasta is so simple, it’s not even really a recipe and I didn’t intend to blog it – but it tasted so good, I thought I’d whip out the camera and write the mix so not to forget it. The tomatoes will take a good hour or 2 to slow roast, but speed this…
Herby Roast Vegetable Salad with Tahini Dressing
Back again to Daylesford for Ben’s birthday and a sneaky surprise stay in an old butcher’s… Back in Daylesford and our little country escape, I thought a nice warm vegetable salad would warm the cockles and also spare us more time for the finer things in life (monopoly and Prosecco in this case). This is…
Sweet Tomato and Basil Fritters with Tzatziki
A photo inspired this dish, actually an old man holding a plate of these with a beautiful backdrop, in Santorini. These would of course traditionally be made with the finest sun filled tomatoes so unless you live in the med, try and find the best quality you can as it will make such a difference!…
Beet Tartare and Avocado Spread
The only reason I stumbled across this recipe was the fact it mentioned ‘tartare’ which appealed in it’s resemblance to the common steak tartare – which I LOVE. I thought it was time to feature something a bit ‘healthy’ and bright on here and with such a low risk of bacterial infection, how could I…
Bagel Power – Kablam
We’ve all experienced the wonder of bagels, whether it be plain as butter or completely complexioned – as far as bagel fillings go. There were my younger days, when I would peruse the vast, white impersonal shopping centres with friends…..clinging onto an onion bagel for comfort. We’d eat them just as they came, no jazz,…
No Knead Pizza Dough & 2 Very Simple Toppings
About a month ago we ordered takeout pizza from ‘Baby Pizza’, Church St, Richmond in Melbourne. Maybe because it was the night before our holiday or maybe it was the pizza but it sparked off a bit of a pizza phase for us and when I came across Jim Lahey’s no knead dough recipe, I…
Date, Apricot and Walnut Loaf…or is it cake?
You don’t need to ‘use your loaf’ to make this one, it’s very simple, very nutritious, a great breakfast and quite tasty too. We ran out of bread and milk yesterday and had nothing to ‘rustle up’ quickly, apart from beans (which you don’t always fancy at 7am). In order to make up for this…
Country Eggs and Slow Roast Tomatoes
We booked a weekend away in Daylesford, staying in a house with beautiful olive groves and a kitchen with the charm of an old farmhouse, all wood and utensils galore (which is what inspired the cooking on this trip). I brought Bolognese with us, straight out the freezer which was as usual devoured in 3…
Sweet Pepper, Cherry Tomato and Basil Oil Orecchiette
I am really happy to be posting this, as it’s really delicious and I feel safe having the recipe here as I will never lose it or forget about it. It’s one of the simplest pasta dishes there could possibly be and meat lovers – add pancetta or some other meaty morsel, it will also…
Welsh Cakes
I don’t know what first prompted to make these, but my boyfriends from Wales (even though he has lived here in Melbourne since he was 8 and has an Aussie accent) funny, thinking he was fluent in Welsh as a little boy…..but I wanted to see if he’d had these. Maybe the taste would spark…
Harissa Fish with Zucchini, Mint and Lemon Potatoes
Described commonly as Tunisia’s main condiment, harissa is used in all kinds of stews, a rub for meat, a flavouring for couscous and in a chickpea soup which is usually served for breakfast. No harissa I have ever bought has tasted the same as the next and as always it’s far better to make your…
Debbie’s Carrot Cake
Yes, it’s been around the block a bit…Carrots were used in medieval times as an alternative to expensive sweeteners, this cake has been popular in Switzerland since 1892, revived in Great Britain due to the rationing of the Second World War, voted no 5 in Americas top fad foods of the 1970’s and even been…
Sun-dried Tomato and Green Olive Garganelli
A quick one here, great for weeknights and again – a pantry pasta. Garganelli is one of my favourite egg pasta shapes and I believe the names derives from the dialectal word garganel, chicken’s gullet (which the ridged garganello resembles). This was inspired by a well-known brand, the only pasta sauce I have ever really…
Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce
I enjoyed this breakfast over the weekend but also felt slightly annoyed I hadn’t thought of this before, as it was so good. Perfect quick, simple breakfast but hearty enough to obliterate the worst of hangovers, great to feed a crowd, nurse a cold or flu and made from pantry staples too! – just add…
Croxetti with Walnuts and Lemon
For those who aren’t familiar with this odd looking pasta shape, it’s name is Croxetti and it is circular and stamped usually with an intricate pattern. It’s something I’ve only become familiar with recently and can’t resist an unexplored pasta variety! This is really very simple and absolutely delicious, I would recommend using a thick…
Pantry Harissa Wholegrain Linguine
I love to find a new pasta dish that is created (I wanted to say spawned but it sounds a bit alien) from pantry staples. This is it! It has flavour, it’s healthy and it really works! Substitute ingredients for others you have, such as swapping kale for spinach or changing the type of pasta…
Waffling About
Everyone needs a bit of waffle now and then….so here’s to waffling on…and on………and on…………… I have a stove top waffle iron, which is good but I would still favour the old electric waffle irons purely for the fact it’s easier to get the timing right and the edges are less susceptible to burning. Anyway,…
Farro Spaghetti with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Lemon, Chives and Parmesan
The oldest cultivated grain in the world……. Even though this title sounds long, the actual dish is really simple, fresh and delightful – quite frankly. Farro had intrigued me for some time but I didn’t hold out too much hope as even though I like spelt pasta, I haven’t yet tried a wholemeal pasta that…
Haloumi with Honey, Lemon and Thyme
A salty, mild cheese originating from Cyprus with a high melting point, which makes this perfect to fry. It would normally be pronounced (huh-loo-mee) but my Turkish friend Leyla would always tell me off, saying (hell-im), so pronunciation varies. I have seen this become more and more popular in the UK, having felt very new…
Zucchini Fritters with Sour Cream and Smoked Salmon
I had always fancied making breakfast fritters of some kind as I’m always partial to ordering them if on breakfast menus. Potato rosti are also a massive temptation, I remember one of the best meals I have ever eaten in Palma was lobster tortellini served on potato rosti – I’ll have to try and recreate…
Crunchy Polenta Onion Rings
Someone very dear to me told me this was the best onion ring recipe…ever. As usual there was a slight doubt in my mind as this person is well known for let’s say ‘exaggerating the truth’. For example, the revolving BT tower in London – she went here for dinner one night, got a little…
Markets
As I’m a nosey parker who likes to know what other people eat and everyone loves to know about a good market – I thought I’d combine the two. Here’s some photos documenting what we buy from our local market in Richmond, as well as some suggestions as to where we have been and enjoyed…
Avocado on Toast – with Friends…
This post is really just to inspire ideas as we don’t want anyone’s breakfast getting mundane. I’m sure those of us that like avocado have had it on toast before, it’s a breakfast/lunch that I find myself snapping up again and again so it’s constantly evolving. Just simple additions can make it so much more…
Zucchini Flowers with Peas, Tomato, Basil and Saffron Parpadelle
A Ridiculously simple pasta dish, celebrating the zucchini flowers with the invigorating sharpness of saffron, the sweet tomato flesh and earthy fresh peas…. I found the flowers at my local market and was inspired by the enthusiasm of the stall holder, whose love for his produce shone clear through his recipe concoctions. I have stuffed…
Dips – Humous and Baba ghanoush
I love both these Middle Eastern and Arabic dips which are beautiful as starters or as part of a main meal. They have saved me from supermarket excursions, served as a starter many times for friends/family, satisfied as a late night snack and always feel special even though they are so simple to make. Both…
Easy No Knead Flatbreads
When I say these are easy, quick and delicious I am telling no lie. You literally add the ingredients together, divide the dough into 12 pieces, roll out each piece to a bread the size of a side plate and griddle. Perfect for dinner party/BBQ or just to rustle up as a snack for yourself….
Sage Butter Spaetzle, Burnt Tomato Bake and Fennel Salad
A type of German egg noodle, literally translated to ‘little sparrow’ as the odd shapes were thought to resemble these little birds. I like this interpretation, imaginative – more alluring than ‘little sperm’ which I have also heard along the way. First time I tried this was in a little wooden restaurant in Dorset with…
English Breakfast Muffins
English because they are savoury muffins, rather than the sweet American variety. Well worth the little effort taken to rise 2 hours before you plan to eat – here’s how it could go for you….. 7am – Up to make the simple batter (15-20 minutes, including kneading) then back to bed for 1 hour whilst…
Easy and Crispy Fried Gnocchi with Sundried Tomatoes, Olives, Mozzarella and Basil
Seriously, one of my favourite dishes, little effort required – maximum delight gained. To make this extra quick, use good quality shop bought gnocchi (but you will get a far better result making your own). When my mum came to stay recently I made a list of places to go and recipes I wanted to…
Fettuccine with Spiced Butter
I came across this recipe on the blog ‘101 Cookbooks’ – the healthy recipe journal, who I think was inspired by a version from Yotam Ottolenghi. I believe he uses fresh saffron tagliatelle – the recipe is in his book. http://www.101cookbooks.com/ I haven’t actually changed a thing apart from using fettuccine and adding more chilli…
The Perfect Tiramisu
This was my first attempt at tiramisu so I wanted to do my research to find the perfect recipe. I like the traditional method and Baileys or beer just wouldn’t cut the mustard. I use madeira lots when cooking and enjoy the flavour so decided to use this, although Pedro Ximenez sherry was tempting too….
Lovely Crumpets
A weekend breakfast maybe, but not difficult by any measure. Whether you go for bacon and maple syrup or poached eggs and dukkah – they are almost as revered as pancakes in my house (which is really saying something). I hope you give this recipe a go and you enjoy them as much as we…
Soft pull-apart rolls
I first made these as buns for fried chicken and they were so light, soft and fluffy that I have decided to stick with this recipe for all future fried chicken escapades. You could use these as burger buns but I am still in the mind-set that brioche works best with any burger other than…
Boston Beans, Two Ways
I’m pretty excited about this one. Baked beans have been one of my pantry staples since first leaving home and I have always wondered if it’s a bit of a ‘cop out’ to buy them in the tin. This was a little experimentation involving two recipes – a quick one and a long one (the…
Broccoli Orecchiette
Easter had left us feeling like beached whales and so I wanted to make something really simple, tasty and cheap for Easter Monday. Looking through books, I found this recipe crop up again and again and as it met all my specifications I decided to give it a whirl. You’ll probably have most of the…
Raspberry Buttermilk Pancakes
I tell no lie when I say this could be the easiest pancake recipe of all time. Buttermilk has a heavier consistency than American pancakes, and I can’t say I have a favourite. I would sway towards buttermilk, if adding fruit and wanted to whip something up quick but if not I’d probably go American….
The Travelling Pantry 