Wild Garlic and Nettle Tart – a wholegrain pastry base, with a creamy, savoury custard filling and foraged greens. As regular readers may have noticed, I go through obsessive periods with either certain dishes or ingredients. So, you’ll be unsurprised to see that you’ve had two different wild garlic recipes from me recently. However, unlike…
Lunch
Stuffed Aubergine with Olive Tapenade
While in the summer there are a whole load of fresh, light and bright dinner options available, having something comforting and imaginative in a cold spring can be harder. A relatively quick and delicious meal I’ve been enjoying recently is stuffed and roasted aubergine. Served hot or warm, the spongy flesh roasts up beautifully into…
Saffron Spiced Easter Salad
This impressive-looking Easter Salad of Quails Eggs & Hasselback Potatoes with a saffron dressing is actually very easy to make. The rich, velvety dressing can be prepared ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. The rest is really very straight forward with delicious results. Saffron and citrus, the sunshine in all…
Charred Vegetables with Tonnato Sauce
Ever heard of Vittelo Tonnato? It’s a dish from Northern Italy, very popular in ’80’s. Consisting of a creamy mayonnaise-like sauce flavoured with tuna and anchovies, served with cold sliced veal. It may sound odd to you but this combination works tremendously well. The dish was born thanks to a particularly creative chef who wanted…
Speedy Laxpudding (Swedish Salmon Pudding)
This has to be one of the finest examples of Swedish home cooking (husmanskost). This, for me, is nostalgia on a plate; Laxpudding or Salmon Pudding is a meal that is a wonderful way of using up leftovers, however that doesn’t mean it needs to be relegated to the status of a mere mid-week supper. …
Onion, Pearl Barley & Cider Soup
There’s nothing more comforting than a hearty, steaming bowl of soup when the wind is howling and the rain is lashing down outside. This delicious onion, pearl barley and cider soup is packed with intense caramelised onion flavour, with hints of thyme. To make this extra special I like to add a side of cheesy…
Beetroot Carpaccio, Pickled Blackberries, Halloumi & Granola
I adore the deep purple hue of beetroot and its sweet, earthy flavour. Paired with cheese and you have a match made in heaven. I’ve teamed this beetroot carpaccio with a tempting savoury granola, with hints of fennel and pickled blackberries for acidity. Extra virgin rapeseed oil is fast becoming a staple in my kitchen. …
Catalan-Style Sardines
I first devoured a dish similar to this some years ago in the Costa Brava; I’ve endeavoured to emulate it since. Tried and tested, I think I’ve now mastered the recipe. Fresh sardines, coated in flour and shallow fried until they’re just cooked through to preserve them. Then marinated in a tasty, piquant tomato sauce. …
Healthy Green Gazpacho
I have been making this green gazpacho for some time now, it’s become one of my favourites. It’s super healthy, full of plant power and certainly easy to prepare. Not only that, the vivid green is so appealing, you just know it’s going to be good for you! The wonderful thing about this soup is…
Home Hot Smoked Salmon
Hot smoking fish sounds intimidating but it’s something anyone can do. I have used my Big Green Egg to smoke mine but all you need is a kettle barbecue or a stove top smoker. The process takes a few hours but the only tricky part is the ability to control the heat if you’re using…
