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…
Tag: basil
The Ultimate Spring Chicken Salad with Jersey Royals and Basil Mayonnaise
This salad makes the most of the fantastic seasonal produce we have around this time of year. Don’t be scared of mayonnaise, especially if you have a blender – as long as you add the oil in a slow steady stream, you will triumph. There is ample, so be sure to finish it up in…
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…
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…
Sausage, Mustard and Basil Seashells
After all the extravagances of Christmas, this dish is a welcome relief to all the hearty, farty, complicated foods – perfect to whip up weeknights and still momentous enough to reward yourself or special people for a hard day’s work. Recipe is thanks to but slightly adapted from Nigel Slater. True to his fashion, a…
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…
8 Hour Lamb with Herby Dressing and Crumbled Feta
I came across this particular recipe in the first cook book I bought since being in Australia ‘What Katie Ate’ and this is what inspired me to create my own food blog. Katie Quinn Davies only really got into cooking in her early thirties, spending most of her twenties as a graphic designer where she…
Quick Poached Chicken Salad with Basil Mayonnaise
This is another quick recipe, perfect for week nights. I don’t know why but if you’re scared of making mayonnaise….don’t be – as for some reason I’ve always had success with this recipe which doesn’t happen that often. The mayonnaise and shredded chicken also works well as a tasty filling for a nice crusty baguette…
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…
Pasta Jumble Bake
I came across this pasta at the weekend and bought it along with Sicilian and Kalamata olives, mozzarella, lots of large pomodoro tomatoes and basil with the intention of making a pasta bake. I’m always a bit dubious about pasta bakes as I don’t like overcooked pasta or too much sauce but this particular purchase…
Market Spaghetti
After a productive week, a bottle of well-deserved Prosecco turned into 2 less justified bottles, which lead onto my first experience at ‘Revolver’. Great fries, electronic music (not really our thing but good music anyway), vodka tonics and to top it all off – a burger I had prepared earlier from Ben’s ‘Hamburger Gourmet’ book….
Thyme Roast Tomatoes with Feta and Basil
This is one of the most simple breakfasts but so fresh and so punchy – it was tough taking the photos before devouring this tasty morsel. It’s probably wrong for me to call this a recipe, it’s more like a good flavour combination. Plates all too often get busy or confused but good ingredients can…
Spaghetti Bolognese
My choice for death row, without a doubt. Hearty, homely and ‘a cuddle in the mouth’. I did try this in Bologna and it was very good (almost as good as this little number) – not too saucy, caressing the spaghetti, rather than drowning it. It was also mixed in, which my partner was happy…
The Travelling Pantry 