dinners

apple snow

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my mum used to make this traditional English apple dessert on special occasions and according to what I’ve read about it’s history the recipe dates back to the 17th century and was called apple fluff amongst other things. I remember big bowls of it in the larder where I would stick my finger in and scoop up a delicious morsel. It’s light as a feather and you can add a teaspoon of your favourite spice to it if you fancy, to make it more Christmassy. It’s a great alternative to all the rich festive food and works as a light pud all year round.

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spaghetti al limone

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if you love lemons this recipe is for you. It’s all store cupboard and really easy. The lemon makes it zingy and the almonds add a nutty crunch. It’s a popular primo in southern Italy and particularly in the summer. If you can get lemons from Sorrento even better, but it’s not essential at all.

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italian broad bean salad with anchovies

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I bought a big bag of frozen broad beans from a Middle Eastern grocers and was wondering what to make with them, then I remembered an old Italian recipe for a broad bean salad with an anchovy dressing. I’ve adapted it slightly to suit my tastes and make it easy and added lemon and basil instead of vinegar and marjoram and it tastes really fresh even though it’s all store cupboard. It’s perfect as a side dish with a main meal or I serve it on scorched toast.

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celeriac remoulade with fresh mackerel

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I have been meaning to put this recipe on the blog for ages, it’s just so delicious because the combination of the flavours of the mustardy, lemony dressing cuts through the oiliness of the mackerel and just tastes great. The celeriac remoulade recipe is from The Ivy cookbook and I added some chopped chives. It’s a really delicious lower carb meal or delicious with roasted sourdough if you prefer and mackerel is not only packed with omega3 oils which are really good for you but it’s also budget friendly.

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pasta con baccalà in rosso

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This delicious traditional Italian pasta recipe is made with salt cod in a tomato sauce: the salt cod needs a couple of days prep in advance but it’s really easy and really worth it. It’s the most delicious combination of textures and the salt cod has a divine flavour. Salt cod is an excellent store cupboard ingredient too. 

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baccalà alla Napoletana

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This Italian recipe is made on Christmas Eve and holidays but I like to eat it anytime and it’s made with the unbelievably delicious dried salted cod which is rehydrated in the fridge for 3 days before you cook it (salted dried cod is a brilliant store cupboard ingredient and it’s available in most supermarkets in the world food section or a Spanish or Italian deli). It’s a complete meal with the potatoes, just add a crisp green salad and that’s lunch or dinner sorted… if you are extra hungry you could add some roasted sourdough with olive oil and a scraping of fresh garlic. It’s even delicious served at room temperature. if you haven’t got time to soak the salt cod, you can use fresh cod cut into chunks and put it in the stew to poach for the last ten minutes of cooking or till cooked through.

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marinated tomato salad with pickled shallots

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I was inspired to make this simple salad after I had a similar tomato salad at the excellent Turnips restaurant in Borough Market. It’s really delicious on its own or with burrata, as a side to a main meal or with or on toasted sourdough bread. You can add chopped herbs like basil and parsley to it too if you fancy. 

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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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spaghetti con la bottarga

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I have been meaning to put this Sicilian recipe on the blog for a long time as I adore it and love bottarga. Bottarga is a dried, salted fish roe which is a condiment that adds the unique flavour of the sea to the pasta. You can buy it in most Italian delis or online and a little goes a long way, as you only use a small amount. The breadcrumbs add a bit of texture and you can add some lemon zest too like I do. It’s perfect for dinner for two with a salad.

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easy imam bayildi

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This aubergine recipe is absolutely one of my favourite things. It’s an ancient Middle Eastern recipe that is so delicious I could eat it every day. Traditionally it’s made with scooped out roasted stuffed aubergine halves which can go a bit too leathery, so instead I make it with sliced aubergines like a lasagne. You can serve it with warm flat breads, Greek yogurt or labneh and salad and it’s the perfect lunch or starter. It’s brilliant with my Baked Falafel too. Sometimes I add toasted pine nuts on top with the mint and parsley leaves.

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