Category: Recipes

Sticky spicy cauli

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

The ultimate snack-with-beer or starter to whet the appetite. Spicy, sweet, savoury – crunchy round the edges and soft in the middle.

  • 1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
  • 100g plain flour
  • 40g cornflour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp gochujang chilli paste
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 3cm ginger, sliced into 2mm rounds
  • 2 cloves garlic, lightly squished with the flat of a knife
  • Fresh coriander
  • Spring onions, finely chopped
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C) and line a baking tray with baking parchment or a silicon mat
  2. In a bowl, briefly whisk together the flour, cornflour, baking powder, garlic and salt with 140ml cold water to the consistency of thick pancake batter
  3. Throw in the little cauliflower florets and stir gently until they’re completely coated with the batter
  4. Spoon each floret onto the lined baking tray, leaving a bit of space between them so they don’t stick together
  5. Bake for 20 mins until golden
  6. While they cook, heat a small saucepan over a medium-low heat and add all the remaining ingredients except the coriander and spring onions
  7. Stir together and heat to a bubble, stirring for a couple of mins until thickened
  8. Take the cauliflower out of the oven and tip into a bowl
  9. Pour over half to two thirds of the sauce and gently toss the toasty florets in it until coated
  10. Place them carefully back on the lined baking sheet (any sauce left in the bowl can be scraped back into the pan with a spatula)
  11. Put the cauli back into the oven for 10 mins until browned and crisp round the edges
  12. Tumble all the crunchy beauties onto a pretty serving plate, pour over the remaining sauce and sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander and spring onions

Eat them hot from the oven while you blow on your fingers and lick your lips.

As a shortcut (or just because you fancy chicken) you can use chicken nuggets instead of cauliflower and toss with the sauce for the final 7 mins of cooking

Elderflower cordial

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The delicate, deeply-scented, floral flavour of early summer. And the bonus that you get to feel deeply, contentedly smug about making it from scratch. It’s just the thing with sparkling water, a slice of lemon and a substantial slug of gin.

  • 25 large, heavily pollen-y elderflower blossom heads (or 30 small ones)
  • 2 lemons, zest pared in strips and then the fruit sliced
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 2 kg granulated sugar
  • 50g citric acid (or the juice of the lemons)
  1. Gently shake each of the elderflower heads outdoors (or over the sink) to remove any errant bugs
  2. Place in a large bowl with the sliced orange and lemon
  3. In a large saucepan on a low heat, dissolve the sugar in 1 litre of cold water
  4. Stir over the heat until the liquid is completely clear
  5. Then increase the heat to bring the syrup to the boil, then stir in the citric acid and pared lemon zest
  6. Pour the syrup over the elderflower, orange and lemon
  7. Cover the bowl with a big plate and set on one side in a cool place to steep for about 24 hours
  8. Strain into a jug, through a muslin-lined sieve, and them divide between sterilised jars or bottles
  9. Seal tightly and keep in a cool, dark place. Use within 2 months and refrigerate after opening

I love the early summer search for elderflowers, guided by the heady scent of a whole trees-worth of blossom. Bring sharp scissors to snip each nodding head at the base of the flowerhead straight into a plastic carrier bag. Go picking on a warm, sunny day – if you pick them after rain, much of the flavour of the blossoms will have been washed away.

Gingerbread cookies

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The beautiful lovechild of a soft, chewy cookie and a spiced gingerbread biscuit. For ultimate sweet-spicy dessert, use 2 cookies to sandwich a scoop of salted caramel ice cream.

120g unsalted butter, softened
1½ tbsp black treacle
150g soft light brown sugar
¼ tsp fine sea salt
1 egg
250g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g golden granulated sugar

  1. Beat together the butter, treacle, brown sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl
  2. Add the egg, then mix in all of the remaining ingredients apart from the granulated sugar, forming a soft dough
  3. Put the ball of dough into a bowl, or wrap in clingfilm, and chill in the fridge 20-30 mins
  4. Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan (200C)
  5. Line two baking trays with baking parchment
  6. Roll the mixture in your hands into around 20 walnut-sized balls
  7. Tip the granulated sugar onto a small plate, then firmly dab one side of each ball into the sugar. Place the balls, sugar-side up, spaced out on the baking tray
  8. Bake for 13-15 mins until golden brown
  9. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack

Cheese and potato cakes

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Ultimate comfort food, so delicious!

  • 2 large floury potato, peeled and cut into pieces
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 50g cheddar, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • Veg oil
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and tip in the potato pieces
  2. Cook for 20 mins or until soft, then drain and leave to cool and allow some steam to escape
  3. In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp veg oil in a little pan and cook the onion for 5-10 mins until soft
  4. Put the cooked potato and onion into a bowl with all the other ingredients and squish everything together until thoroughly mixed
  5. Heat a frying pan with a couple of tbsp of veg oil over a medium heat
  6. With your hands, form the mixture into 4 burger-sized potato cakes
  7. Fry without moving them until golden brown on the underside, then flip carefully and do the other side

Quinoa, avocado and black bean salad

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A tumble of vivid flavours and textures, gorgeous alongside grilled steak marinated with chilli, cumin, garlic, paprika and lime. Feeds 4.

  • 200g cooked quinoa (80g dry weight)
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
  • 1 large green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small tin sweetcorn, drained
  • Bunch fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • Salt
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ clove garlic, grated or minced
  • Toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
  1. In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, spring onion, peppers, avocado, chilli, black beans, sweetcorn and coriander
  2. Whisk up the lime juice, oil, paprika, garlic and a decent pinch of salt in a small bowl or jug. Tip over the salad and mix well
  3. Serve at room temperature, sprinkled with toasted seeds

Thai chilli cashews

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Crunchy, spicy, toasty and incredibly more-ish. Amazing alongside a beer in the sunshine.

  • 150g cashew nuts
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 heaped tsp chilli flakes
  • Small squeeze lime
  1. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat
  2. Tip in the cashews and drizzle over the oil
  3. Cook and stir for a few minutes until the cashews are golden brown
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir constantly until the sugar melts and there’s no liquid left – this should only take a minute or so
  5. Tip onto a plate to cool

Tahini and lemon cookies

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This is a slightly tweaked recipe from my date-night favourite restaurant Honey & Co. Seriously, the chefs are complete magicians, the food is always mind-blowingly delicous and their cheesecake is EXTRAORDINARY.

These cookies are fragrantly lemony, delectably chewy and the warm, slightly bitter sesame comes in at the end.

  • 200g sugar
  • 140g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 110g tahini (I love this one)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp bicarb
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 250g flour
  • 2 tbsp marmalade
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Skin of 4 preserved lemons, chopped
  • Sesame seeds
  1. Cream the butter with the sugar and the egg
  2. Then beat in the tahini, followed by all the rest of the ingredients
  3. Mix well to form a smooth dough. Pop it in the fridge for 20 mins to set
  4. Heat the oven to 180C fan (200C)
  5. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll into walnut-sized balls gently between the palms of your hands
  6. Tip about 3 tbsp sesame seeds onto a plate and dap each cookie blob into the sesame before placing on a lined baking tray, sesame-side up
  7. Space the cookies out so they have room to spread, maybe use 2 baking trays or do 2 batches
  8. Bake for 8 mins, rotate the tray and bake for a further 5 mins until the cookies are golden
  9. Remove from the oven and cool on the tray before eating.

Rarebit jacket potatoes

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Cheesy, potato-y gorgeousness. A comforting collision of Welsh rarebit and a jacket potato. Feeds 2.

  • 2 large baking potatoe
  • 25g butter, melted
  • 2 heaped tsp dijon mustard
  • 50ml dark ale
  • 3 good shakes worcestershire sauce
  • 100g strong cheddar, grated
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 spring onion, finely chopped
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Stick a skewer through the middle of each potato lengthways (helps it cook quicker and evener)
  3. Bake directly on the oven shelf for an hour, maybe up to an hour and a half – until the skin is brown and crisp, and the insides are soft and fluffy
  4. Turn up the oven to 200C fan (220C)
  5. Cut each potato in half lengthways (if it has a lengthway) and scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving 1 cm in the skins
  6. Mash the potato with the butter, mustard powder, ale, worcestershire sauce, egg and cheese, chives
  7. Put the skins like little potato boats, upturned on a baking tray, stuff bountiously with the mash and return to oven for 15 mins until golden brown

Serve with a crunchy salad or some steamed green beans

Make chicken more delicious with marinades

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Adds bags of flavour and succulence to chicken, whether you’re barbecuing, grilling or roasting. Quantities given are for roughly 8 pieces of chicken, could be breast, thigh or drumstick. The basic principal is acid, sweet, salt and flavourings, so it’s endlessly adaptable to whatever you have in the fridge. Just mix together the marinade ingredients and chuck in the chicken. Mix well, cover and put back in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. Anything from 20 mins to 12 hours ahead.

LEMON GARLIC PAPRIKA

  • 1 lemon, juiced but keep the shell to add too
  • 4 cloves garlic, squashed with the side of a knife
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp salt

YOGHURT BBQ

  • 5 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 2 tsp onion granules
  • 2 tsp salt

HONEY, CHILLI AND LIME

  • 2 limes, juiced but keep the shells to add too
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp sriracha
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3 garlic cloves, squashed with the side of a knife

Pea and avocado salad

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Fresh summer salad, an excellent combo of sweet peas, sharp mint, creamy avocado and slightly bitter leaves. Feeds 4.

  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 20g mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 300g frozen petit pois
  • 2 baby gem lettuces, leaves separated and roughly torn (or other crisp salad leaves)
  • 2 avocados, scooped into chunky pieces direct from the skin
  1. Put the peas in a large bowl, pour boiling water over them, stir and leave to stand for 5 mins, then drain well and tip back into the bowl
  2. Add the sugar, vinegar, oil and most of the mint. Season and stir together well, leaving for 20 mins to get to know each other
  3. Just before serving, throw in the lettuce and avocado and toss everything together
  4. Strew onto a platter, sprinkle with the rest of the mint and serve straight away