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Super easy vegetable curry

Ugly super easy vegetable curry

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I am currently poorly. I’m trying not to bang on about it, but I think this is possibly the most rotten I’ve felt in a while. On the upside, it means I’m confined to bed and have had to cancel absolutely every engagement, which is strangely freeing. I’ve had a couple of days where I haven’t been able to eat anything, but as my appetite’s come back, I’ve been craving something really simple and nourishing and it made me think of this curry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made it, and every time I make it I think that I really must write up the recipe. Trouble is, it never looks good. Food photography and dark evenings never really mix and - well, it’s just not photogenic. BUT it tastes delicious and a couple of people have asked me for the recipe, and I guess it’s bad to always strive for perfection, so it’s going up anyway. As the name suggests, this super easy vegetable curry is super easy to make. It’s naturally vegan, and basically just a case of chopping loads of stuff and whacking it all in a big pan. It’s such a lovely thing for those times when you’re craving something really soothing and easy to eat, perfect if you’re under the weather or need something warming on a cold night. It’s also fab for using up any leftover veg you have hanging about - the bonus being it’s never quite the same any time you make it. Anyway, enjoy, and sorry for the hideous photos. I promise when I’ve got my energy back I’ll take more pics and make it look a bit prettier.

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Easy fish tacos with corn salsa

Easy fish tacos with roasted corn salsa

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I’m a big fan of easy dinners, especially when I’m busy. Sometimes, like with my mushroom risotto, I like to take my time in the kitchen and really enjoy the process, but others it’s a case of getting something - anything - on the table as soon as possible. I don’t believe, however, that just because you want something easy, it has to be a ready meal. I wrote recently about what I keep in the freezer, and as well as a lot of frozen veg and fruit, there’s also veggie sausages (Linda McCartney are the nicest we’ve tried) and if they’re on spesh, I always grab some of those crispy coated cod fillets (or the big fat Waitrose fish fingers are great too). If you’re on a budget, Lidl do Ocean Trader MSC Certified Chunky Battered Cod Fillets for just £2.49 for 4 decent sized pieces. One of our favourite ways to use them are these easy fish tacos with corn salsa. Ready in as long as it takes for the fish to cook, and with minimal prep too.

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Creamy vegetable bake with a cheesy topping

Creamy vegetable bake

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This is such a good recipe if you’ve got leftovers. In fact, we like it so much that I’ve started deliberately cooking too much roasted veg on Sunday so we can use the leftovers for this one on the Monday. I’m not a vegetarian or a vegan (but did you know that next week, 13th - 19th May is National Vegetarian Week?), but I always try to do a couple of meat free meals a week. If you are, I’m sure you have all your favourite brands/substitutes for things like stock, cheese and cream. I would imagine coconut milk would work okay, but a dairy-free friend of mine has told me that Oatly do an actual crème fraîche substitute. There’s a bit of prep to this recipe, but once you’ve got it down I promise you’ll make it again and again, and probably personalise it too. If you like more sauce, add more stock, or maybe you’d prefer it without the topping. I think it would make a delicious filling for a pie too. The thing I love about this dish is that it’s always slightly different, depending on what you have in the fridge.
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Lentil and vegetable hotpot 3

Lentil and vegetable hotpot

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Although we’re not vegetarians, I try to make several meals a week that don’t include meat, so when Hello Fresh asked me if I’d like to try one of their recipes, I went for the veggie option and chose this lentil and vegetable hotpot. I would imagine this would be really easy to make into a vegan dish by changing the cheese too, so it’s a really good staple supper recipe to have under your belt if you’ve got a houseful of people who all have different dietary requirements. I’ve changed the recipe a tiny bit (we love a bit of spice), but feel free to leave it out or add your own tweaks too. I guarantee this will end up being one of your favourite veggie dinners. These amounts are supposed to serve two but we had a ton of leftovers - just double up if you need to.

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The only recipe for chicken fajitas you'll ever need

The only recipe for chicken fajitas you’ll ever need

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Chicken fajitas are one of our all time favourite dinners. They’re brilliant for a quick family supper, but they’re also great if you’re feeding a crowd - you can posh them up a bit with some delicious fresh tomato salsa and some homemade guacamole, plus a dollop of sour cream too if you like (we like the sour cream and chive dip you get in the supermarket). Charlie makes them a lot at uni as you can make a little bit of chicken go quite a long way, but of course you can use steak, or even some firm white fish. I keep the seasoning really simple, but as usual, feel free to experiment. Here’s my favourite recipe for chicken fajitas!

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Lime and lemongrass noodle soup

Lime and lemongrass noodle soup

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Last week I mentioned that I’ve been working with Belvoir to create some deliciously warming autumnal recipes. One of the things I really enjoy about recipe development is playing with flavours. I put something in, cook the recipe, taste it, then maybe I’ll cook it again without it, just to see if it really does enhance the finished dish. This lime and lemongrass noodle soup is a classic example. The Lime and Lemongrass Cordial is a summer favourite in this house - it’s fresh and aromatic and we love it splashed into fizzy water with a load of ice cubes. We thought the flavour would work well in something Asian-inspired, but I wasn’t prepared for the difference the relatively small amount of cordial made to the end result. I find now that whenever I’m cooking anything that needs a citrussy, herbal lift, I reach for this cordial, which pleases me as it turns a summer favourite into an all-year-rounder. This gorgeous, flavoursome noodle soup is just perfect for autumnal days and as it’s really quick to make, it’s great for a warming, after work supper.

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The best spaghetti and meatballs with tomato balsamic sauce

How to make the best spaghetti and meatballs with tomato balsamic sauce

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Spaghetti and meatballs is one of our favourite family dinners (‘spagerder!’). You just can’t beat tender, savoury meatballs in a silky tomato sauce with mounds of freshly cooked pasta. Of course, there are a hundred different variations out there: some meatballs use pork and beef, some add Parmigiano to the mixture, some bake, some cook in the sauce… the possibilities are endless. My take on it uses a pretty standard beef meatball, baked in the oven first, then cooked in a rich tomato sauce with a hint of sweetness from the balsamic vinegar and a hint of chilli spice too. Of course you can use a jar of tomato sauce, which I often do too, and linguine instead of spaghetti if you don’t have it. Here, then, especially for you, is my own, well-loved recipe for spaghetti and meatballs with tomato balsamic sauce.

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Easy spiced lamb kofta meatballs

Easy spiced lamb kofta meatballs

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I love to travel, but it’s also really lovely to get home and do a bit of nesting. I miss being in our kitchen, cooking for everyone while we all chat, catch up and have a giggle - there’s nothing quite like a house full of people (and quite a bit of mess at the moment - I need to do some decluttering). Charlie is home from uni and Sam has finished uni (I’m so old!) so doing a bit of part time stuff until he can get something more permanent, so often there’ll be all of us - plus girlfriends and often the odd friend too. I love it. The more the merrier, and these easy spiced lamb kofta meatballs are perfect for feeding a crowd. I guess you wouldn’t really look at meatballs as sunny day food, but, if you’re anything like me, there’s only so many salads you can eat when the weather is warm.
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Baja fish tacos with fresh tomato salsa and guacamole

Baja fish tacos with fresh tomato salsa and guacamole

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Last week I was in San Diego (I know! I’ve got loads to tell you about it - coming very soon), and one of the meals we all completely loved was a visit to Galaxy Taco in La Jolla. San Diego is really close to the border with the Baja Californian Peninsula, so it makes sense that a lot of the cuisine has a Mexican influence. I loved my beef taco but had massive food envy for the crispy fish tacos that a couple of the others had ordered. The fish has a Baja spiced crispy coating and is served on soft tacos with a zingy tomato salsa laced with green chilli and heavenly fresh guacamole. I decided to recreate the dish for the boys when I got home and this is the result - I’m sure it’s not 100% authentic - especially the spicing, but it tastes pretty good! If you read my last post, you’ll know that Crisp ‘n Dry are supporting RNLI’s Fish Supper fundraising event this weekend and I thought that a whole bunch of these yummy Baja fish tacos with fresh tomato salsa and guacamole on the side would be perfect if you’re joining in (more of that on my creamy fish pie recipe here).

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Halloumi, olive and mint pizzas

Halloumi, olive and mint pizzas

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As Charlie goes off to university very soon (sob), and as we all know, being a student means living on a pretty limited budget. I want to make sure that he has loads of recipes that he can refer to here so that he can make himself a few decent meals without resorting to expensive takeaways. For a Friday night treat, is there anything better than pizza? It’s horrendously expensive to buy, but incredibly easy - and much cheaper - to make at home. Step forward my favourite essential Waitrose range which stocks all the products you need at great prices (and great welfare standards) without compromising on quality. Charlie loves halloumi, so I’ve created this pizza especially for him, piled high with all the ingredients he likes: here’s how to make my halloumi, olive and mint pizzas at home:

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Turkey nachos with Capsicana

Leftover turkey nachos

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Ahhh leftover turkey. I know people moan about it, but we always buy an extra mahoosive turkey, even if there’s just the four of us on Christmas day, as we love our turkey leftovers! This easy leftover turkey nachos recipe takes no time to put together, has some proper fresh, zingy flavours, and is a fabulous sharing dish - basically everything you want from Boxing Day and beyond. And for the rest of the year, well, just make it with chicken!

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Ryvita Lunch Packs

Quick and healthy lunches with new Ryvita Lunch Packs

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I’m home!! Oh we had such a lovely time on our cruise (if you’ve been following me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you’ll have seen all the fun), and I’m literally back for one day before Erica and I head out to Walt Disney World Resort, Florida to check out everything new in the world of Disney dining (and to whizz around on a few rides, of course). I was delighted to come back to a fabulous delivery in the shape of new Ryvita Lunch Packs, so as Erica’s staying before we head off to Gatwick, we though we’d have a little play and concoct some quick and healthy snackage to set us up for our long flight.

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Lamb keema stuffed chapatis with a fresh tomato and mango salsa

Lamb keema stuffed chapatis with a fresh tomato and mango salsa

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Are you a fan of keema? If you haven’t discovered it yet, think shepherd’s pie filling, but with a delicious, warm, spicy kick. We adore it. I first started making a similar version as a party nibble, stuffed into little lettuce cups, but we also just have it with rice. It’s a really easy, yummy way to spice up lamb mince (if you’re only using it in your shepherd’s pies, you’re missing a trick), and it’s a great, affordable way to feed the whole family. We don’t seem to eat at the same time as much on weekdays, so I sometimes knock up a big pan of keema, then Mr E and I will eat ours with rice, and the boys will heat theirs up later, which I think is where the whole stuffed chapatis/quesadilla idea came about (I’ve got to be honest, I was going to call these quesadillas, but y’know, it almost seems a fusion dish too far, plus since I decided to write this recipe up, we’ve started buying chapatis and they’re delicious).

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Easy summer dinners: grilled plaice with mushroom rice and peach salsa

This week I have been mostly eating: easy summer dinners

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This last week before we head off on our long-awaited cruise has been a bit strange. We’ve barely seen the boys as they’ve been spending time making the most of their last few days of freedom before education beckons again, and I feel a bit like I’m in limbo: like I know that this really is the last of our English summer and that when I come home it will properly be autumn. Already, as we’re walking the dog, the blackberries are ripe and ready to pick, and even on a really hot day, there’s that little nip in the air when the sun goes in. I’m still loving quick, healthy eating and we’ve been packing away easy summer dinners of warm salads, fish and stir fries. Read more

Creamy, bubbly cheesy Welsh rarebit

Welsh rarebit - cheese rules with Cathedral City

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Have you seen the new Cathedral City advert with David Jason? I love the ‘cheese rules’, especially the one about when the cheese gets too small to grate, you get to eat the last bit. That always happens in our house. Cathedral City asked us about our own ‘cheese rules’ and it immediately made me think of the bubbly bits left on the pan after making cheese on toast. We always fight over them, but clearly I win as I’m the cook. Talking of cheese on toast, here’s my version of Welsh rarebit - alcohol free and with the addition of a few herbs. It’s absolutely delicious and moreish and makes the perfect working from home lunch or easy supper:

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Sam's posh chip butty

Quick and tasty ways to upgrade your favourite oven fries

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Those lovely bags of fries. They’re the nation’s favourite, aren’t they? A staple for any classic British meal. Quick, easy and tasty, the faithful oven chip has never let us down. It’s simplicity is its strength, because it goes so well with so much. Steak and chips, egg and chips, fish and chips, and so on.

However, chips are still far from reaching their full potential, and there are, it seems, plenty of quick, easy and mouthwatering ways of preparing a bag of McCain fries that we need to try. Some of these may seem unexpected, but they may just be your new favourite way of eating Britain’s favourite side dish. Here’s how I got on with my research:

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