snacks and small bites
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slow roast grapes and garlic for your cheese board
Need a cheeseboard of dreams? This slow roast grapes and garlic cheese platter is perfectly balanced with sweet and saltiness. It also looks beautiful and is perfect to plonk on the table at the end of a meal, giving people something to nibble as the conversation deepens and the wine glasses continue to be topped...
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Lemon and cheese stuffed courgette flowers
On my recent visit to Provence, one of the first things I snapped up at the market was a packet of baby courgettes (aka zucchini or summer squash) with the bright yellow, fragile flowers still attached. Stuffed courgette flowers are a once a year treat for me. I first fell for them when we lived...
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Scandi smoked fish for lunch or a party
A couple of weeks ago I took a road trip to my old stomping ground of Leeds to cook for a group of 30 interiors lovers who are all members of No House Rules. Given their love of all things home decor, I brought out my favourite food item from Ikea – the giant knackebrod...
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a giant sausage roll fit for a Royal Wedding
Just one look at Prince Harry and you know he loves a sausage roll. I’m with him. Let’s hope Meghan has learned to love them too. A giant sausage roll is a brilliant party centerpiece. Let people cut a sliver or a wedge off with a bread knife. Add jars of mustard, pickle and a bottle...
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coronation chicken tacos
I love a good Royal Wedding and the upcoming nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no exception. Pulling together the best bits of California and Britain is something I’m pretty adept at, so to help you celebrate the big day, I’ve created a party menu with recipes that bring together the best of...
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tacos and how to make taco night delicious
Until I moved to California from England, my experience of tacos was very limited and I’d never heard of taco night. Like most Brits, I had memories of those dusty boxes of crunchy Old El Paso tacos, stuffed with minced beef and topped with loads of cheddar cheese. Not good. My first taste of a proper taco in...
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Homemade wholemeal tortillas
These wholemeal tortillas are a great thing to make with children and can be used in so many ways – not just as tacos or tortilla chips. We often make them then use them as a healthy pizza base and we love them for breakfast with scrambled egg, avocado and bacon. They are ideal to...
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eggplant polpette with speedy tomato basil sauce
Meatless meatballs, aubergine balls, vegetarian balls – I struggled a bit to name this recipe. Anyhow, I’ve settled on eggplant polpette. Eggplant because I taught it first in my cooking classes in California, polpette because, well, ‘balls’ is only ever going to get one reaction. If you don’t like aubergine or eggplant I bet you’ll...
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mushroom barley soup with rosemary
This mushroom barley soup came about because I spotted loads of large mushrooms in the reduced area at the supermarket. I also spotted a bag of soffrito, reduced to 10p. Soffrito is just the Italian name for chopped onion, carrot and celery – the basis for most Italian soups, sauces and stews. I never usually...
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store cupboard pizza
This store cupboard pizza recipe is so simple but one of the most popular ideas I’ve shared on social media recently. We all need a tried and tested recipe for when we are tempted to reach for the takeaway menu at the end of, or during, a tiring week. This delicious pizza is so easy...
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banana pancakes – ready in 5 minutes
Friends of mine have been raving about these banana pancakes for months but I wasn’t convinced. Last week I tried them for the first time, not expecting to like them. I had visions of them being like those awful cloud eggs that were everywhere on insta last year, but they’re delicious. They’re perfect for anyone...
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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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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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cheese and courgette muffins
These cheese and courgette muffins are a great grab-and-go snack. And are a great way to use a glut of courgettes (zucchini) in the summer months. I often pop one of these in my boys’ lunchbox along with some veggie sticks and a flask of soup when we’re going swimming after school and will be...
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speedy spring tomato, corn and basil frittata
On Monday nights I have the combination of meat-free Monday and after school football (soccer) to shape my dinner plans. I’m usually trying my best to delay a trip to the supermarket so dinner is often a mad rush to make something from what is in the fridge and freezer. This speedy spring frittata ticks all...
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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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pappa al pomodoro – Tuscan tomato soup
This classic Tuscan bread and tomato soup, pappa al pomodoro, is super speedy, silky smooth, family friendly and works brilliantly for a lunch or dinner. It also freezes well, making it handy for quick after school and work dinners. Italian soups have a much thicker texture than you may be used to, this one has a...
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