healthy

artichokes with an anchovy sauce

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The combination of artichokes and anchovy is a marriage made in heaven. They are a bit labour intensive to eat, but I like that. It slows you down. They are worth the effort and there’s something luxurious about eating the soft creamy heart as the prize after eating the soft ends off of the leaves. If you don’t know how to prepare or eat them, follow my recipe and I promise they are divine plus artichokes are a super food packed with antioxidants and liver cleansing properties..just google them for their list of health giving benefits.

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orange scented radicchio salad (radicchio rosso alla’arancia)

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This absolutely delicious and beautiful salad is from one of my ancient Italian cookbooks. All the recipes are typical Italian in their simplicity and have no measurements, so I have added the measurements I think work well with each recipe I do from the book. Every recipe has few ingredients and magically become the most delicious dish. This salad would be good with any of my other Italian main dishes.

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french aubergine (eggplant) caviar

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I might be late to the party but I’ve just discovered this unbelievably light creamy caviar d’aubergine which is an excellent alternative to baba ganouch. If you like that you will love this. It’s great with roasted sourdough, or on crisp breads or with crudités with an aperitif or as a starter.

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friggione bolognese (slowly braised onions that go with everything)

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If you read my blog you will know I adore onions, and this ancient recipe from Bologna dates back to 1886. It’s a homage to the onion and once cooked this way they become sweet and unctuous. It’s traditionally served on bruschetta, polenta, cheese or with meat or fish, and it tastes absolutely delicious. I sometimes eat it on my scorched or roasted sourdough (recipe on here) with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and you can add big grating of parmesan if you fancy and a salad for lunch or it’s even delicious with pasta. It would be brilliant on canapés too. You can add pancetta and chilli flakes, however it’s the simplicity of this recipe that makes it magical.

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killer spaghetti (spaghetti all’assassina)

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This spaghetti recipe from Puglia looks simple from the ingredients, but it’s all about the technique. The trick is the spaghetti has to crisp up and scorch a bit because this is what gives it its unique flavour and texture. It’s cooked in a similar way to a risotto with the liquid added bit by bit till the pasta is cooked. It’s one of those recipes you wonder how you missed it, if you haven’t already tried it. The pasta goes red from the tomato and absorbs all the flavours from the chilli and garlic and it’s utterly delicious.

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sweet and sour crispy tofu

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This recipe is brilliant if you fancy a bit of sweet and sour and don’t fancy meat. The tofu goes super crispy and the rich sauce is packed with the flavours of ginger, garlic, chilli and soy. My friend Steve made it with a small tin of pineapple chunks in juice and added a tablespoon of the juice. He said it tasted better than traditional sweet and sour sauce. You can serve it with rice if you prefer, and it’s the perfect vegan homemade takeaway .

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my big fat greek baked beans (gigantes plaki)

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I have always had a soft spot for these delicious Greek baked beans, they are easy to make, all plant based and excellent with warm flatbreads (check out my pizza dough recipe to make truly fresh flatbreads) and my creamy bean hummus (takes 5 minutes) with a crisp green salad. If you aren’t going down the vegan route then they are fantastic served with a big block of feta, some olives and warm flatbreads for a tasty mezze.

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mock crispy duck canapés

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these are a lower carb version of the little mock duck pancakes that I get from Feng Sushi in London. They are absolutely delicious and moreish and I love a canapé, I’d live on them if I could as they are tiny and tasty. You can serve them on Chinese pancakes if you prefer.

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Vietnamese(ish) noodle salad

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A colourful refreshing salad that is really tasty and healthy and full of fresh veg, herbs and noodles. You can add hot fried prawns to it if you fancy and If I want to make a lower carb version I use zero noodles (there are lots of makes…) which have no carbs and are available in most supermarkets, Asian shops and online.

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japanese (ish) slaw with or without sashimi

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This slaw is refreshing and perky and has lots of crunchy veg and creamy avocado. You can serve it on its own or with sashimi or sushi, sushi rice, or a tin of crab, or boiled eggs or roasted salmon.

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