Author: Sophie

New potatoes with lemon and almonds

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A warm potato salad with a delectable combination of flavours and textures.

  • 500g new potatoes, left whole unless they’re big in which case cut into halves or thirds
  • 1 preserved lemon, skin only finely chopped (pith and flesh discarded)
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 50g flaked almonds, toasted (just give them a couple of minutes in a dry pan over a low-medium heat until golden brown)
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Small handful parsley, chopped
  • Small handful mint, chopped
  • ½ tsp salt
  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the new potatoes for 12-18 mins (depending how big they are) until tender
  2. While they’re cooking, mix the other ingredients together in a small bowl
  3. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and tip them back into the pan
  4. Pour the dressing over them, gently mix through and leave to stand for a minute or two before serving

Serve as a side dish at a barbecue, alongside a lovely medium-rare grilled steak or simply with hummous and a crunchy green salad.

Roast potatoes

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Crisp and crunchy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. Pure potato magic. And luckily also incredibly simple to make.

There are no quantities on this recipe because it’s the same however many potatoes you make. And you’ll want to make loads, I guarantee it.

  • Floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky, roast potato-sized pieces
  • Veg oil
  • Salt
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C fan (210C)
  2. Half fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil over a high heat
  3. Tip the potato pieces in with minimal splashing
  4. Stick a lid on and bring to the boil, then take the lid off and cook for 5 mins
  5. Drain the potatoes and pop them back into the pot. Hold the lid on with both hands and shake the pot to roughen up all the edges
  6. Leave to one side with the lid off to let some of the steam escape and the potatoes dry out a bit
  7. Choose a roasting tin which the potatoes will fit into in a loose single layer, not all crammed together
  8. Pour veg oil into the roasting tin until it just covers the bottom of the tin. Not deep, just a slick
  9. Put the tin in the oven for 5 mins to let the oil heat up
  10. When it’s hot and the oven is back to temp, pull it out and quickly tip the potatoes in
  11. Gently spread into a single layer, sprinkle with salt and turn the potatoes over once in the oil
  12. Stick them in the oven and leave them alone for 30 mins
  13. Then take them out, turn them over carefully and put them back for another 15-20 mins until golden and crisp all over

They should make an amazing crisp rustling sound as you put them into your serving dish. Top with a pinch of flaky salt and eat up immediately with lashings of gravy.

Baba ganoush

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Smoky, bitter, creamy, sweet, nutty and enormously scoopable. Not altogether authentic, but still very good – and handily avoids the whole Explosion in the Oven scenario, which left me picking bits of auberine out of the fan for an hour last time I tried.

  • 2 aubergines, peeled and diced into 2cm chunks
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole and squished gently with the flat of a knife
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp cumin
  1. Heat oven to 140C fan (160C)
  2. Put the aubergine and garlic in a baking dish, add the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and mix together well
  3. Cover with a tightly fitting lid or foil
  4. Bake for an hour (or more) until everything is squishably soft
  5. Tip the contents of the baking dish into a bowl and add the tahini and cumin
  6. Use a hand blender to whizz it up into a paste (or just squish with a fork for a rougher texture). Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon juice if needed
  7. For a looser dip, add another 100 ml olive oil before blending
  8. Try not to eat all of it at once before serving (sprinkled with pomegranate seeds or za’atar) next to a pile of hot toasted pitta strips for the scooping.

Tomato, coconut and cashew pilau

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Enormously comforting and fragrant with coconut and warm spices. An excellent side dish with grilled spicy chicken. Feeds 2.

  • 180g basmati rice
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 6 fresh curry leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 onion, finely sliced into half moons
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 green birdseye chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 50g unsalted cashews
  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 200ml tin of coconut milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  1. Put the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 15 mins
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat
  3. Add the curry leaves and cinnamon stick
  4. Stir and cook for 1 min, then add the onion and lower the heat
  5. Cook for 10 to 12 mins until it’s golden brown and soft
  6. Add the garlic, chilli and cashews, and cook for a couple of mins
  7. Add the tomatoes and pop the lid on
  8. Cook for about 8 mins until the tomatoes are soft.
  9. Drain the rice, add it to the pan and stir in
  10. Add the coconut milk, salt and 110ml boiling  water
  11. Stir again, turn the heat up and put the lid on
  12. Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down to a low simmer and cook for a 10 mins

Top tip – use the leftover coconut milk from the tin to make a delicious coconut chai spiced loaf.

Goats cheese and thyme souffle

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Fluffy, creamy and delicate. Cook in shallow (ovenproof) bowls rather than ramekins so you don’t have to worry about the perfect straight-edged rise! Feeds 2 for an elegant date-night supper (or a comforting in-front-of-the-TV dinner).

  • 200g soft rindless goats cheese
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 100g parmesan, finely grated
  • 80ml double cream
  • Sprig of thyme, leaves chopped finely
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks
  3. Beat together the goats cheese, egg yolks, half the parmesan, cream and thyme until well-combined
  4. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture
  5. Brush the insides of 2 individual ovenproof dishes with melted butter and sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan
  6. Gently scoop the souffle mixture into the dishes and scatter with the remaining thyme leaves
  7. Put the dishes onto an oven tray and bake for 10-12 mins until risen and golden

Serve warm with tomato, artichoke and walnut salad and beetroot and dill salad for maximum effect!

Chicken, leek and ham pie

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Creamy, savoury and delicious. Steamy and bubbly, covered up above and below – there’s no stew with a hat in here, it’s pastry all over!

  • 400g chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, trimmed, rinsed and chopped
  • 1 celery stick, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 50ml white wine
  • 100ml milk
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 150g cooked ham, diced
  • Small handful parsley, chopped
  • 2 packs shortcrust pastry (2 x 320g)
  • 1 small egg, beaten
  1. Season 1 tbsp flour with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in the flour until coated
  2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat
  3. Fry the chicken in batches until lightly golden all over then transfer to a plate
  4. Lower the heat and melt the butter
  5. Add the onion, leek, celery and garlic
  6. Stir together and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins until softened and lightly coloured
  7. Add the other 2 tbsp flour and mustard. Stir in and cook for a minute
  8. Pour in the wine and bubble it away, then add the milk and stock
  9. Bring to the bubble, stirring to get all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan
  10. Turn the heat down to a simmer and season well. Cook for 5-10 mins until sauce is thickened and smooth
  11. Add the chicken back in, and throw in the ham and parsley. Take off the heat and stir
  12. Taste to check the seasoning, adjust if needed and scrape the filling into a bowl to cool
  13. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C), put a baking tray in to heat, and take pastry out of the fridge to come to room temp
  14. Roll one sheet of pastry into a round baking dish, draping the extra over the sides
  15. Fill with the cooled filling and brush the edges with beaten egg. Top with the other sheet of pastry and press down around the edges
  16. Trim the edges, and then press a fork all the way around to completely seal and make a pretty pattern
  17. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg and cut a little hole into the middle to let the steam out
  18. Bake on the pre-heated tray in the oven for 40 mins until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is bubbly hot

Spicy chicken and mange tout stir fry

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Succulent chicken, crunchy greens and chewy noodles, wrapped up in a fiercely spicy-sweet sauce which will make your tongue dance the fandango.

  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced ½ cm thin
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 red birdseye chilli
  • 4 spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 120g mange tout
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp chilli oil
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 400g cooked noodles of any sort (approx 200g dry weight)
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  1. Prep everything before you start cooking. This is a quick one
  2. Heat the veg oil in a wok over a high flame
  3. Throw in the garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir in and almost immediately chuck in the spring onions
  4. Flip them about in the oil, then add the chicken
  5. Move the ingredients about constantly – stir frying them you might say (!) until the chicken there’s no pink left on the chicken
  6. Add the soy sauce and chilli oil and a splash of water
  7. Stir together, then throw in the mange tout
  8. Stir cook for a final couple of mins on high then turn the heat down and add the hoisin sauce and noodles
  9. Toss the noodles (I love an udon!) through the chicken, veg and sauce – should only take 1 min
  10. Sprinkle with coriander and serve immediately with chopsticks and a massive grin on your face

Pretzels

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Chewy, fluffy, twisty delights. Makes 6 little breads.

  • 250g strong bread flour
  • 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 15g dark brown sugar
  • 20g unsalted butter, melted
  • 140ml whole milk, lukewarm
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Sesame seeds
  1. In a big bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
  2. Make a well in the centre and add the milk and butter
  3. Mix in with a spoon and then bring together into a dough with your fingertips
  4. Knead enthusiastically for around 10 mins until smooth and stretchy
  5. Clean the bowl, lightly oil the inside and pop in the dough
  6. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for an hour until it’s doubled in size
  7. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C) and bring a large saucepan of water to the boil
  8. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and shape into pretzels, securing the ends with a dab of water
  9. Add the bicarb to the boiling water and stir in
  10. Use a spider spoon or tongs to dip each pretzel in the water for 10 secs then transfer to a lined baking tray
  11. Sprinkle with salt flakes and sesame seeds
  12. Bake for 15-20 mins until deep brown before transferring to a wire rack to cool

Bombay potatoes

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A lovely, spiced, comforting dish. Eat it next to curry or just on its own.

  • 300g new potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 5 curry leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
  • 3 spring onions, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • Large pinch chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • Pinch garam masala
  • Salt
  1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt, turmeric and potatoes
  2. Cook the potatoes at a bubble for 15-20 mins and then drain. Leave to steam and dry a bit while you cook your spices etc
  3. In a large frying pan over a medium heat, warm the oil
  4. Fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves until they crackle (don’t let them burn) then add garlic and ginger
  5. Cook for a couple of mins before adding the spring onions, tomatoes and chilli flakes to the mix
  6. Stir in and cook for a couple of mins until the tomatoes start to break down
  7. Add cumin, coriander and a pinch of salt, and stir together
  8. Tip the potatoes in and carefully turn them in the spiced oil until they take on a little colour
  9. Stir through the pinch of garam masala and serve straight away, maybe with a little sprinkle of chopped fresh coriander

Jambalaya

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Savoury, highly-flavoured and tasty. A long list of ingredients, but super-simple to cook. Really just occasional stirring, adding stuff and a bit of waiting. Feeds 4.

  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • 125g chicken breast, cut into chunks
  • 125g smoked sausage/kabanos, sliced
  • 125g smoked ham, cubed
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pieces celery, chopped
  • 1 large green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 220g long-grain white rice
  • Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
  1. Heat the oil in large lidded pan
  2. Add onion, garlic, peppers, chilli and celery and cook for around 8 mins until softened and translucent
  3. Add tomato puree, stir in and cook for a minute
  4. Deglaze the pan with the stock and stir until all combined thoroughly
  5. Add the seasoning, tinned tomatoes, sugar and salt
  6. Bring to the boil then stick the lid on and cook over a low heat for 10 mins
  7. Add the rice, sausage and ham, combining thoroughly
  8. Place the chicken pieces on top and push them just under the surface of the liquid
  9. Put the lid back on and cook on low for 20 mins
  10. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the parsley and tuck in! Maybe serve with some sauteed spinach or chard