Condiments & sauces
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Tapenade
Tapenade is another of my favourite flavour boosters, although admittedly not much of a looker! Like romesco sauce and salsa verde, it is something I make to keep in my fridge to add instant jazz hands to a simple meal. These flavour-bombe sauces make the job of cooking dinner so much easier as so much...
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Middle Eastern chicken with green tahini sauce and lemon roast potatoes.
In my twenties I could often be found on the Edgeware Road in London late at night, scoffing Middle Eastern food. The combination of char-grilled chicken, citrusy herbs, chilli, and sesame sauce remains one of the flavour combinations I most lust-after. This Middle Eastern chicken is a great summer recipe as it is delicious fresh...
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roasted cauliflower salad two ways
I love the bulk that roasted cauliflower adds to a meal. Most children and adult cauli-phobes find that they enjoy cauliflower and broccoli (its greener cousin) when it is roasted rather than steamed or boiled. That’s because roasting vegetables intensifies their natural sweetness by forcing the moisture out. These two salads are hearty enough as...
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pink pickled onions
Living in a house full of boys there isn’t much pink in my life so I have to create space for it in my own way and this pink pickled onions recipe is not only delicious but perfectly pink. This easy pickle adds the most beautiful pink, acidic crunch to my tacos and I always...
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Shredded lime and salt-dressed cabbage
This shredded lime and salt-dressed cabbage is a perfect taco night addition. It is so simple to make and really packs a punch. It works perfectly in tacos with pulled pork with roasted carrots, crumbled feta and avocado or steak (pan-fried until rare then rested for a few minutes before slicing finely) with roasted or...
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tomato salsa two ways
If I’m feeling particularly lazy I’ll just half some baby tomatoes and dress them with lime juice, salt and chili flakes. If I have a bit more about myself that day I’ll make this more authentically complex, but still very easy, smooth tomato salsa. The recipe below makes about 2 cups of salsa – plenty...
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Crispy skin salmon, kale, avocado and butternut salad
I’m not a big fan of food being pretty for the sake of it and god knows the internet is full of recipes that are style over substance. Flavour and texture are much more my bag, but a funny thing happens, often when you’re layering up great flavours and textures in a dish, the prettiness...
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Christmas dinner recipes and tips
You can now buy my stress-free Christmas cooking guide, containing all my recipes, time plans and tips. I cover everything from the Christmas Day dinner, cocktails and party food, a dinner party menu and what to do with leftovers. All my recipes are written for any level of cook and my years of teaching, answering...
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romesco toast with goats cheese
Romesco sauce is so versatile and a jar will last in the fridge for a week or two. I love having it on hand to add to pasta, spoon over fish or chicken, spread on toast or dip raw veg or bread sticks into. It is swoon-worthy with poached eggs and avocado on toast for...
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homemade tortilla chips with guacamole
Homemade tortilla chips with guacamole is a recipe I make all the time with my boys. It keeps them busy for a good half hour and the end result is a really healthy, delicious snack or becomes part of their dinner. My two are almost 6 and 7 and they can make this on their...
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tomato chilli jam
My mum is a chutney queen and every year she makes homemade chutneys, biscotti and limoncello or sloe gin to pack up for her friends. She’s the one who gave me the tomato chilli jam recipe below – it is simple to make but most importantly it tastes amazing. We pounce upon it and grieve...
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the easiest tomato sauce for pasta
Home from a week away and tired after a long journey. I was so close to ordering pizza but then I realised what I really wanted was a bowl of pasta with a good tomato sauce and too much Parmesan. So I turned to the easiest tomato sauce for pasta there is. This classic recipe...
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roasted tomato, herb and feta pasta
This roasted tomato, herb and feta pasta is so easy and has become a regular in so many of my students houses since I taught it last year. I love it because it is so simple, has very few ingredients and is packed full of flavour and goodness. It has a ton of variations so...
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romesco sauce – you’ll be adding this to everything
This romesco sauce is so versatile and yummy. It has a perfect Spanish balance of vinegar, smoke, sweetness and is packed full of goodness. It can be made in a jiffy using ingredients that I always keep in my store cupboard. A jar will last in the fridge for a week or two. I love...
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green herb sauce – ‘so good you should bottle it’
I made this green herb sauce for a client this week and it blew her and her family away. So much so that she said I should bottle it to make my fortune! The thing is, it is too fresh to bottle so I’m sharing it with you here instead. You’re welcome. All the ways...
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beetroot, cannellini, basil and sherry vinegar dip
I made a quick batch of this beetroot cannellini dip as part of a nibbly platter for my students last week. I’d been jonesing for these flavours since I had the Marks and Spencer version of this beetroot and bean dip at Christmas. Not only is this dip fabulously purple, it tastes amazing, can be...
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pea pesto crostini
This pea pesto crostini recipe is dear to my heart as it was taught in my first ever You say Tomato class. Since then it has become a regular in my students’ houses. They love it like I do because it is colourful, healthy, child and budget friendly. Most importantly, because it is mainly make-ahead...
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the best guacamole with bacon and seeds
If you thought guacamole couldn’t get any better, have a go at this guacamole with bacon and seeds recipe. I made this last week and my son had eaten almost half of it before I made it to the table with the rest of that night’s dinner. While he may be lacking in restraint, he...
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