Author: Sophie

Lamb and pistachio koftas

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

This recipe makes 10-12 succulent, highly-flavoured, barbecue favourites. Equally as delightful indoors if the weather turns against you. Best stuffed into a pitta with a drizzle of yogurt, a squeeze of lemon and a crunchy salad

  • 750g minced lamb
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 large onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • Bunch of fresh parsley
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 50g breadcrumbs (would work with GF breadcrumbs if you prefer)
  • 100g pistachios, roasted and chopped
  • 80g currants/dried sour cherries/dried cranberries
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pul biber (mild Turkish chilli flakes, substitute with a pinch of dried chilli flakes)
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  1. Use a food processor (or pestle and mortar in absence of machinery) to make a rough purée of the pepper, chilli, onion, garlic and parsley
  2. Scrape into a big bowl and add the lamb
  3. Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix really well to create a uniform texture
  4. Shape into sausages around a skewer – two to a long metal skewer/one to a short wooden one
  5. Place in the fridge for at least 20 mins and up to 24 hours before cooking. This helps them hold together when you cook them
  6. Barbecue them or roast at 200C fan (220C) for about 20 min

These also make good meatballs or burgers if you don’t want to do them on skewers

Green mango salad

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

A brilliant summer salad to serve with something barbecued and spicy. Cool, refreshing, crunchy, sweet, sour, nutty, herby. It’s like a small and very delicious party in your mouth. A favourite with everyone who tries it. Feeds 4-6 as a side dish. Don’t worry about exact quantities – it’s very forgiving!

  • 1 large unripe mango – it needs to be unripe or it’ll turn to mush when you slice it
  • ½ red pepper
  • ½ small red onion
  • 4 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
  • 6 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • 4 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely ground (not too fine, into small pieces rather than meal)
  • 6 tbsp roasted unsalted cashew nuts
  • 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
  • ½ clove garlic, minced as finely as poss (a microplane grater is ideal for this)
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp peanut oil (or any unflavoured oil)
  1. Peel the mango using a vegetable peeler.
  2. The description of how to cut them is a bit complicated. If it makes no sense, just bear in mind that, at the end of the process, you should end up with a large pile of long and very thin strips of mango. Here goes… Lie the peeled mango on one of its broad sides and, holding it firmly and still, use a large (very sharp!) knife to cut into it lengthways from top to bottom in very narrow stripes down to the stone about 3-5mm apart. Cut a small slice off the base of the mango so it can stand on its end without falling over then stand it up and cut very thin layers off the sliced front of the mango. Turn the mango round and repeat the process on the other side. With the edge pieces where there is no stone, just chop them off and slice them separately
  3. Cut the red pepper into long, thin strips to match the mango
  4. Cut the red onion into wafer-thin half moons.
  5. Put the mango, red pepper, red onion, herbs and peanuts in a bowl
  6. To make the dressing, mix together the garlic, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and oil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. It smells quite pungent, but it tastes really good, so don’t worry!
  7. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix it all together so that everything is coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed – it should be piquant with garlic, sour with lime, sweet with sugar, savoury with the fish sauce, and you should be able to taste all the different elements being delicious in perfect harmony.
  8. Serve immediately (or within the hour)

Banana bread

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

A recipe handed down by my mum and the absolute best way to use those very brown bananas that you’ve been trying to persuade your family to eat for a week and no-one wants to touch. The addition of walnuts and cranberries adds a touch of bitterness and sourness which offsets the sweetness of the banana perfectly. I tend to buy cranberries when they’re in season and keep them in the freezer. They keep for months, and you can use them from frozen. In fact, I don’t think I ever use them for anything else. Perhaps I need to expand my cranberry repertoire.

  • 200g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda 
  • ½ tsp salt 
  • 75g unsalted butter at room temperature 
  • 175g caster sugar 
  • 2 eggs, beaten 
  • 450g bananas, mashed. This is quite flexible – I usually use 2-3 bananas, I’m not sure what they weigh
  • 100g walnuts, chopped roughly 
  • 100g cranberries 
  1. Preheat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Grease and line a 8×4” loaf tin. I dislike this job out of all proportion to the effort it takes, so I always try to delegate it
  3. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt into a bowl 
  4. Stir in the nuts and cranberries so they’re coated with flour – this means they won’t sink to the bottom of your loaf. I don’t know why. Witchcraft? Chemistry? But it works
  5. In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
  6. Add egg a little at a time and beat well as you go
  7. Stir in the mashed bananas
  8. Then tip in the flour mixture and stir together (don’t beat it at this stage)
  9. Coax into the loaf tin, make sure it gets into all the corners
  10. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours. Use a clean skewer to check if its done – if you poke it into the middle of the loaf, it should come out clean

Spanakopita

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Spinach pie. Wholesome – because so much iron in spinach! – prettily greenly herby, crunchy on the outside, and mouthwateringly yummy. An excellent vegetarian main course for 4.

  • 500g fresh spinach 
  • 1  onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed 
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 8 sheets of filo pastry 
  • 4 tbsp of butter, melted 
  • Grated nutmeg
  • 200g pack of feta cheese, crumbled 
  • 2 eggs, beaten 
  • Handfuls of fresh parsley, dill and mint, chopped 
  • Salt and pepper 
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Wash the spinach and chop it. In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil and cook the spinach until wilted
  3. Transfer it to a sieve and squeeze out as much water as possible
  4. In the meantime, add the other tbsp of oil into the same pan, drop in the onion and garlic, and saute until soft – about 5 mins
  5. Put the spinach, onion and garlic into a bowl and add eggs, herbs and feta. Grate a few gratings of nutmeg over
  6. Season and mix well until everything is combined
  7. Time for the butter! Best to apply it using a pastry brush if you have one. Butter the inside of a ceramic oven dish then place in a layer of filo pastry, letting the edges drape over the sides. Brush the filo with melted butter and then put the next sheet on. Do this with 5 sheets of filo altogether. You don’t need to butter the top one because you then fill your filo-lined dish with the spinach mixture
  8. Cover with the remaining filo sheets, buttering each one in turn, then flip the trailing edges over onto the top of the pie. Scrunch and crinkle them before also brushing them with butter for an extra crunchy top. (With hindsight, I know I called this dish wholesome – and I stand by that – but it’s also buttery and cheesy and eggy, so definitely not a diet food!)
  9. You can scatter the top with sesame seeds if you want to make it especially tempting and crunchy
  10. Bake for 20-30 mins until the top is golden brown and crisp
  11. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins before serving straight from the dish

A tomato salad goes really beautifully with this dish – incredibly simple to make. Beautiful, refreshing and delicious to eat. Just cut up some lovely ripe tomatoes (slices or wedges or whatever you like), sprinkle with salt, a good grind of black pepper, a large pinch of sugar and some decent extra virgin olive oil. That’s it.

Carrot and coriander soup

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Warm, gently spiced, pleasingly orange. For coriander-lovers only though. If the taste makes you think of soap, maybe give this one a miss. Check out one of my other soups instead! To me, this is a lovely lunch on a chilly day, and needs nothing more than some bread to dunk in it. Feeds 4

  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 5 or 6 big, fat carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • Handful of fresh coriander stalks (and/or leaves – but this is just such a good way to use the stalks up!)
  • 1 chicken stock cube (or veg stock if you prefer)
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan (not non-stick if you’re going to blend it in the pan – I’ve ruined both soup and pan doing that!)
  2. Add onion and cook over a medium heat until translucent
  3. Add the garlic and give it another minute
  4. Add the carrots and stir through the garlicky buttery oil
  5. Add the 2 corianders, turmeric, seasoning and crumble in the stock cube, then stir everything together until well combined
  6. Pour over about a pint and a half of boiling water, to cover the contents completely, and stir
  7. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 mins
  8. Spike a piece of carrot with a knife. If it’s soft, you’re ready to blend! If not, give it another minute or two
  9. Take the soup off the stove and use a stick blender to whizz everything to a loose puree.
  10. Check the seasoning and serve. If you want to get fancy, pop a bit of cream or creme fraiche on top once it’s in the bowl, and a couple of carefully-placed fresh coriander leaves

Mexican sweet potato bowl

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Less a recipe, more a construction job. An ideal mid-week meal and an excellent way to use up leftovers, which I’m mildly obsessed with. Feeds 2 people. Tasty, satisfying, adaptable.

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • Paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 packet pre-cooked basmati or long grain rice
  • 1 tin black beans
  • Chipotle chilli sauce (or regular chilli sauce with ½ tsp smoked paprika)
  • 1 avocado
  • Lime juice
  • Toppings – including pickled jalapenos, fresh coriander, sour cream, diced tomatoes
  1. Peel and dice the sweet potato. Mix the spices with the veg oil and then tumble in the sweet potato. Roast on a tray at 180C fan (200C) for 30-40 mins
  2. Drain the tinned black beans. Warm in a pan with the chipotle chilli sauce and a bit of the liquid from the tin
  3. Cook the rice according to the directions on the packet
  4. Dice the avocado and sprinkle with lime juice and a pinch of salt
  5. Construct the bowl with rice, then black beans, then sweet potatoes. Top with the avocado and any other toppings which appeal

By all means pre-cook the sweet potato to save time at dinnertime, use up leftover chicken, add grated cheese, substitute in brown rice, add fresh chilli. Munch on tortilla chips while you cook. So many options!

Kind of laksa

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This recipe is for 2 people, but is easily expandable to feed more. Yet another dish which makes zero claim to authenticity, but is both tasty and straightforward.

  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 stick lemongrass, grated (microplane for the win!)
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated/minced
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated/minced
  • 1 hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 500ml chicken stock (or veg stock)
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 heaped tsp smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 200g cooked rice noodles
  • Fresh coriander, chopped

You can add anything you’ve got knocking around – cooked, shredded chicken; roast sweet potato; fresh spinach; chopped, steamed kale; cubes of tofu.

  1. Heat the oils in a saucepan and add the lemongrass, spring onion, garlic, ginger and chilli
  2. Stir fry over a low heat for 2 mins
  3. Pour in the stock, coconut milk and lime juice, bring to a good simmer
  4. Add the fish sauce, tomato puree, peanut butter, sugar and turmeric. Combine thoroughly and cook at a simmer for 10 mins
  5. In the final couple of minutes, add the rice noodles and any other ingredients, just to warm through
  6. Serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with coriander

Chicken with turnips and apricot

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Bear with me, I know it sounds weird but it works!

The dish reminds me a bit of something my dad used to make when we were little with baked chicken breasts, dried onion soup and tinned apricots. I’ve included the original recipe at the bottom, just for the sake of nostalgia. It felt incredibly sophisticated at the time, but it’s not quite so appealing now…

In this recipe, there’s no soup mix, but a similar savoury/sweet flavour profile. The turnips (trust me!) add a lovely bitter counterpoint. Sounds weird, tastes amazing. I prefer it with rice because I’m a sucker for rice and gravy in any form, but you could eat with potatoes or even just on its own with some green veg.

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 500g chicken thighs
  • 350g turnips, peeled, quartered and cut into 1cm slices
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 100ml chicken stock
  • 3 tbsp decent apricot conserve (you can’t use cheap jam here)
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 180C fan
  2. Heat oil in a deep, oven-safe frying pan
  3. Cook onions and turnips over high heat for 5 mins until they turn golden around the edges
  4. Add the stock, apricot conserve, mustard and thyme. Season and stir everything together
  5. Sit the chicken thighs on top, sprinkle with a little salt and roast for 35 mins, occasionally basting with the pan juices

My dad’s 80s style chicken with apricots (recipe originally from Babs Mitchell)

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 large can of apricot halves in juice
  • 2 packets Lipton’s onion soup mix
  • 4 large onions sliced
  • Toasted almonds
  1. Put the sliced onions into the bottom of an ovenproof casserole dish and place the whole chicken breasts on top of them
  2. Mix the onion soup mix with the apricot juice, and pour evenly over the chicken
  3. Season and place apricot halves on top of the chicken breasts
  4. Add half a cup of water and bake, covered, in a moderate oven for 1 hour

Patatas bravas

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Or, in other words, roast potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and a spiky garlic mayo. What’s not to like? This recipe feeds 2-6, depending what else you serve with it.

  • 500g potatoes
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 5 tbsp decent mayonnaise
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Put 3 tbsp oil into the roasting tin and heat for 5-10 mins
  3. Cut the potatoes into roughly 2cm chunks
  4. Take the roasting tin out of the oven and toss the potatoes in the hot oil
  5. Bake for 30-45 mins until crisp and golden

Meanwhile, make the sauce

  1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan on a low/medium heat
  2. Cook the onion for 7-10 mins until completely soft and starting to turn golden
  3. Add the chilli and stir in, cooking for another minute
  4. Then add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and smoked paprika, stir together well
  5. Bring to a bubble, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 mins until thick
  6. Take off the heat, add the sherry vinegar and check the seasoning
  7. To make the garlic mayo (aka Cheat’s Alioli), just stir together the mayonnaise and the garlic

Serve all the elements separately or together. I prefer to combine them in a way that makes sure the potatoes don’t go soggy, with tomato sauce on the bottom, then a pile of potatoes and a dollop of garlic mayonnaise on top. With a sprinkle of fresh chives if you want to get fancy. Eat immediately.

Gingerbread biscuits

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Perfect for Christmas, Halloween or just a rainy Saturday afternoon when you’re being plagued with “but I’m so boooooored”. Spicy enough to please adults, sweet enough to please kids (or the adults in my life with a sweet tooth). The raw dough can be frozen if you want to split it and save some for a later weekend afternoon.

  • 350g plain flour (plus extra for rolling out)
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 125g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge
  • 90g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp golden syrup
  1. Mix together flour, bicarb, salt and spices
  2. Grate in the butter (seems like a bit of a faff but this makes combining it with the flour much easier)
  3. Mix in with your fingertips, rubbing and lifting it until the mixture is the consistency of breadcrumbs
  4. Stir in the sugar
  5. Beat the egg and golden syrup together then pour into flour/butter mixture. Stir together and mix until it starts to come together
  6. Tip out onto the work surface then press and knead briefly until it’s a smooth ball of dough
  7. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 15 mins
  8. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C) and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper
  9. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to around ½ cm
  10. Cut out shapes and place on baking tray
  11. Bake for 12-15 mins until lightly golden brown
  12. Leave on the tray for 5 mins to firm up and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling
  13. When cool, decorate with icing sugar paste and ALL THE SPRINKLES