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a summer party menu for friends
One of the questions I get asked most is for ideas for party food. I do this for a job so I’m always pulling together menus but I know that for a lot of people, having friends over can feel stressful and expensive. So I’m sharing a summer party menu to help. Now I’ve got...
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Orange, fennel, olive and caper salad
This easy orange, fennel, olive and caper salad brings zing and brightness to the table. The salt of the olives and capers balances the sweetness of the orange. This should really be made no earlier than 30 minutes before eating. If you want to get ahead, you can segment the orange earlier in the day...
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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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roast carrot salad with goats cheese, salsa verde and honey
I’ve been teaching this salad in classes for a while and it always gets amazing feedback. It is perfect for a light lunch or as a side dish to roast chicken....
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Spanish roast cod with patatas bravas, greens and aioli
This Spanish cod is smart enough to serve when entertaining but easy enough to make mid-week. My children love this dinner – I think the tomato sauce and the potatoes are the child-bait. I love it too because there is minimal washing and once you’ve made it a couple of times you won’t really need...
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Slaw the easiest way to max out your veg intake and brighten your meals
I can’t believe it has taken me this long to add a slaw recipe to my site. Although I did make this video a couple of years back. It is probably the side dish I reach for most, and often becomes the base of my lunch or dinner. I think the reason I’ve never added...
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A pot of baked beans – a base for all sorts of meals
I started 2018 by making a big pot of baked beans. We’ve totally over indulged the last few weeks so I’m craving proper healthy food again. No diets or deprivation, just loads of low-stress, home cooked meals – heavy on the veg and beans with plenty of fish and small servings of well-bred meat. You...
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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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lemon, garlic and rosemary courgettes
First up, a courgette and a zucchini are the same thing. We Brits took the French name and the Americans took the Italian name. Given the romantic languages we use to describe this vegetable it isn’t the one we get most excited about. It doesn’t have the sweetness of corn, or the usefulness of tomato...
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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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herby carrot pancakes with salmon and avocado
When I bit into these herby carrot pancakes on my last trip to LA, I did my usual food nerd thing of noting all the flavours and textures into my phone and photographing them from every angle so that I could recreate them for class. I’m sure I missed seeing some famous actor walk by...
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chickpea, feta and herb salad
First things first, chickpeas are known as garbanzo beans in the US. Now everyone is clear on that, let’s talk about why you need to make this chickpea feta and herb salad this week. This is one of the most-made recipes from my classes. I love how many of you have adopted this as part...
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chocolate sea salt pretzels and almonds
I’m a sucker for anything with salt and chocolate. I’m sure you know that by now. So these chocolate sea salt pretzels and almonds are pretty much like crack for me. The people I’ve given them to seem to agree. Chocolate covered pretzels were a revelation for me when I moved to California. As were...
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my favourite stuffing
I grew up, like most of us did, with stuffing out of a box. I do still have a nostalgic taste for that stuff, but once I tried making my own stuffing I found it hard to go back. Because the stuff in a box is so common, I always thought that making stuffing must...
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