Hummus

I think making houmous is a bit like homemade pesto. It's all a bit imprecise and down to personal taste. You can tweak both recipes to suit your tastes and there is no right, or wrong end result (within reason!), but here is my version.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 as part of a mezze

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas

• 1/2 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 5 tbsp tahini

• juice of 2 lemons

• To finish: parsley, sprinkle of paprika, coriander, olive oil

Method

• This could not be more straightforward: place all the ingredients into a blender and whizz up until a smooth paste!

• Decorate to look pretty once the hummus is in a bowl.

• Serve with homemade pittas, crudités, or as part of a Moroccan feast.

Plum & almond tart

This is our house favourite for a grown-up birthday cake. We can't resist a frangipane, which is basically what this tart is; lovely shortcrust pasty filled with squishy almond filling and slightly sharp plums. Really delicious at any time of the day. I'm not kidding this tart is great for breakfast with fresh coffee - think of it as a French-style patisserie type of affair. 

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

• 6-7 plums , halved and destoned

• 3 tablespoons vanilla, or plain caster sugar

• 300 g unsalted butter

• 300 g caster sugar

• 3 whole free-range eggs

• 350 g ground almonds

• 1 handful whole pistachio nuts , shelled (optional)

• Shortcrust pastry (see below)

Method

• Line a 28cm/11 inch loose-bottomed flan tin with the pastry and bake it blind (see instructions below).

• Toss the plums in the vanilla sugar, let them macerate for while you make the filling.

• Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and creamy.

• Add the almonds and then the lightly beaten eggs and fold in until completely combined. Stir in the pistachio nuts, then place in the fridge to firm up slightly.

• Once the mixture has chilled, spoon it into your tart case making sure it is about three-quarters full. Don’t overfill otherwise it will spill over the edge in the oven.

• Push the plums into the mixture.

• Bake on a tray at 170°C/350°F/gas 4 for 1 hour, or until the almond mix has become firm and golden on the outside, but is still soft in the middle.

• Allow to cool for about ½ an hour and serve with ice cream, or crème fraîche.

  Sweet shortcrust pastry

I have found that this Jamie Oliver recipe that works best for me. Others have ended in various versions of grey lumps. I use a food processor to start the pastry off as it saves time and is much easier, but probably not purist. If you don't have one, grate the butter into the flour and use cold hands!

Ingredients

• 125g unsalted butter, 2cm cubes

• 250 g organic plain flour , plus extra for dusting

• 50 g icing sugar , sifted

• 1 large free-range eggs, beaten

• ½ - 1tbsp milk

Method

• Put the butter, flour and icing sugar into the food processor.

• Using the cutting blade, turn the food processor on in 2 second bursts to chop up the butter until you have a crumb-like texture.

• Continue until all the butter is combined with the flour, a few small lumps is fine though.

• Slowly add the eggs to the blender and again set the mixer going in very short bursts until you see the mixture coming together.

• Once you have added all the egg the pastry should be beginning to form.

• Carefully scrape the mixture out and onto a clean worktop and gently bring together with your (cold) hands, you may need to add a little milk at this stage.

• As soon as the pastry is just about sticking together, but still looks quite flaky and not blended that well, shape into a large donut, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• Take the pastry out once it has had time to rest and leave on the side to warm up to room temperature, so it is easier to roll out.

• Roll out fairly thin for your tart base. As the pastry has not been kneaded and worked too much you will notice small pieces of butter in it and it will have a fairly uneven colour and texture overall. This is fine; you will end up with a lovely flaky pastry that will be really light.

• Use the rolling pin to lift the pasty into the tart case and place in the freezer for 15 minutes so there is less shrinkage when baked.

• Remove the tart from the freezer and place baking parchment right over the pastry (including the edges) and fill the case with baking beads. Bake on 200°c for 20 minutes, remove the paper and beads before putting back in the oven for about 10 minutes on 170°c, or until the pastry begins to colour slightly.

Tip

Instructions for using a 23cm tart case:

• 3-4 plums , halved and de-stoned

• 1-2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, or plain caster

• 200 g unsalted butter

• 200 g caster sugar

• 2 large free-range eggs

• 200g ground almonds

• 1 small handful whole pistachio nuts , shelled (optional)

  Shortcrust pastry:

• 100g unsalted butter, 2cm cubes

• 200 g organic plain flour , plus extra for dusting

• 40 g icing sugar , sifted

• 1 large free-range eggs, beaten

  Bake pastry blind as above and reduce tart cooking time to 170°C/350°F/gas 4 50 minutes.

Cous cous & chickpeas in ras el hanut

Cous cous can be a bit boring unless you really work on the flavourings and this recipe certainly does that. Usually consigned to side dish status, here the long suffering cous cous gets a chance to shine. Great with any kind of tagine, but also it works really well for lunch the day after topped with a poached egg.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 small onion

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ras el hanut spice

• 200g cooked chickpeas

• 1 tomato

• 120g cous cous

• 360ml boiling water

• Handful chopped coriander, to taste

Method

• Fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften and colour. I use a large skillet for this dish and serve the cous cous in the pan on the table.

• Add the salt and ras el hanut, mixing well to release the flavours.

• Next add the chickpeas and chopped tomato and cook for a minute or so. Tip in the cous cous followed by the boiling water, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat and cover.

• Leave to stand for about 10 minutes while the cous cous absorbs all the water. When ready break up with a fork and serve with chopped coriander.

Courgette & spinach soup

I actually had no recipe plan today, just a need for an energy boost, so finding several courgettes and a bag of spinach that needed eating I decided to make a soup. I also had some homemade chicken bone broth ready and waiting in the fridge too, which makes my version of the recipe non-veggie, but you could easily substitute with vegetable stock.

Ingredients

Makes about 1.4L, or 4-5 servings)

• 4 courgettes, sliced

• 1/2 clove garlic, grated

• 1.5L Chicken, or vegetable stock

• Handful of parsley, extra to garnish

• 100g spinach

• Seasoning

Method

• Get a large saucepan and add a couple of big glugs of olive oil. Add the sliced courgettes and fry gently for around 15 minutes, or until soft. Some might be slightly browned, but that's fine, it'll add extra flavour.

• Once the courgettes are cooked, add the grated garlic and stir, cook for a couple of minutes.

• Next pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the spinach.

• Cook for 5 minutes, then add a handful of parsley, including the stalks.

• Blend using a food processor, or a hand-held.

• Sprinkled on some thinly sliced chilli, plus some extra parsley leaves to finish if you have some. Season.

Squash and cumin soup with croutons, pumpkin & cumin seeds

This is one of my all time favourite soups as I love roasted squash; it’s lightly spiced and finished with fresh herbs and crunchy seeds.

Ingredients

Makes about 2.5L

• 1 butternut squash, chopped into large chunks

• 1 medium sweet potato, whole unpeeled

• 2 onions, chopped roughly

• 3 tsp ground cumin

• 1.5 tsp salt

• 1.6L vegetable, or chicken stock

• Pumpkin seeds & cumin seeds, toasted gently in a frying pan - a small sprinkle on each bowl

• Handful of fresh coriander leaves

Method

• Firstly buy yourself a decent peeler as it will make the job of peeling the squash so much easier!

• Heat the oven to 190ºC

• Place the squash on a roasting tray (you may need to use two to avoid overcrowding the squash which will make it steam, not roast) and drizzle with olive oil, season.

• Sprinkle over a teaspoon of cumin and rub into the squash. Put the sweet potato on the tray as well.

• Place the tray/s into the oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until the squash is soft and has browned a bit at the edges.

• In a large pan heat a couple of glugs of olive oil and fry the onions gently for about 10 minutes.

• Add the rest of the cumin and grated garlic and fry for a couple of minutes to cook through.

• When the squash is ready, add to the pan with the onions and pour over the stock. Heat it through.

• Peel the sweet potato using your fingers and add to the pan.

• Either blend using a hand-held, or transfer to a food processor for a smoother texture.

• Toast a few pumpkin seeds and cumin seeds in a pan for 2-3 minutes and sprinkle over the soup with some coriander.

Croutons

• Keep the ends of sourdough loaves as they make brilliant croutons. Just chop into bite sized pieces, place on a tray and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat fairly evenly, but don't drown them!

• Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes at 180ºC, turning half way through.

Camargue red rice, quinoa, apricot & pistachio

I've had a packet of red rice in the cupboard which has been sitting looking at me for a while, so I thought I'd try find a recipe to use it up. After a quick search I found one by Yotam Ottlenghi, which sounded really interesting, with ingredients I wouldn't have put together myself. That's the nice thing about other people's recipes, right? This salad looks quite unassuming when made up, but it has a lovely delicate flavour which is quite different from any other I've tried.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 60g shelled pistachio nuts

• 200g quinoa

• 200g camargue red rice

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 150ml olive oil

• grated zest and juice of 1 orange

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

• 100g dried apricots, roughly chopped

• 40g rocket

• salt and black pepper

Method

• Boil two medium sized pans of salted water.

• Add the quinoa to one and the red rice to the other. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 12 minutes for the quinoa and 35 minutes for the rice, then drain the grains and spread them out on baking sheets to cool.

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and gently fry the onion (I actually used red onion as I didn’t have any spring). Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown - about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

• Get a large bowl, mix the orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice, garlic and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil; season.

• Add the quinoa, rice, onion, apricots, pistachios and spring onions and mix together. Serve with rocket on top.

Tip

If you want to prep this salad the day before then just keep the dressing and nuts separate. Toss the salad together when you're ready to eat it.

Spiced sweet potato, red lentil & tomato soup

I do love a chunky, spicy soup and this vegan recipe ticks both those boxes. It's gently spiced and thoroughly warming on a cold day, of which we seem to have many in Leeds! I love anything with lentils in and I've put in some red ones to add extra protein, flavour and to make the soup nice n hearty. It's straightforward to make and you can whip up a large batch and freeze a few portions. 

Ingredients

Makes about 6 servings, depending on how big your bowl is ;-)

• 1 medium sweet potato, roasted in it's skin

• 2 medium onions, chopped roughly

• 1 large clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes

• 1 low salt vegetable stock cube (I like Kallo's) dissolved in 1L of boiling water

• 100g dried red lentils

• 3/4 tsp fine ground sea salt, or 1 tsp sea salt flakes

• Big handful of kale, spinach cavolo nero and/or coriander

Method

• Put the oven on 180℃ and roast the sweet potatoes until nice and soft.

• While the potatoes are cooking, gently fry the onions in a large pan for 10-15 minutes until they're soft.

• Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the spices and warm through for a couple of minutes.

• Put the tin of tomatoes and the dissolved stock in the pan with the onions and heat through.

• Use a hand blender to turn the mix into a smooth sauce.

• Add the lentils and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Season and add a big handful of greens and coriander.

Blueberry, coconut & maca smoothie

I love this smoothie. Super quick and easy to prepare too, but I appreciate not everyone has raw maca powder in their cupboard, but it’s pretty easy to find these days, even Aldi stocks it! You could always leave it out though, the smoothie would still taste great.

Maca is an ancient Peruvian root crop from the radish family, which has a malty, slightly caramel-like taste. It's a great supplement to add to your smoothies or porridge as it won't change the original flavour too much. Maca is well worth having in stock as it's high in antioxidants, nutrients such as Vitamins B1 & 2, calcium and iron, and energy-boosting compounds called macamides and macaenes. It is called Peruvian 'ginseng' as it is said to improve energy levels and help to restore hormone imbalances.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• ½ frozen banana

• 1 handful frozen blueberries

• 250ml coconut milk drink

• 1 tsp maca powder

Method

• Just put the ingredients in a blender and blitz!

Tip

• I keep a stock of frozen fruit in my freezer for smoothies as it's so much better than adding ice, which waters the flavour down. When I find bananas in the fruit bowl that are going a bit too brown, I peel them and add to my freezer bag.

• The coconut milk drink I prefer is made by Rude Health - it doesn't contain any additives or thickeners, unlike other brands, just coconut milk, rice and water.

Spicy red cabbage slaw

I made this the other night to go with some homemade fish fingers and minted new potatoes. The slaw brought a chilli kick to the plate and breathed new life into this classic combo. 
This is a very simple way to make red cabbage incredibly tasty and also if you double the quantity, you can use it in lunchtime sandwiches and salads for a week! 
One of our favourites was grilled halloumi, roasted red pepper, a thin spread of hummus and slaw on fresh, warmed ciabatta bread – really delicious. 
I would also pair this slaw with roast, or grilled chicken, or fish to make a summer-style roast dinner with other salads.
Using a food processor will save a lot of time making this dish if you have one, but if not you can finely chop the cabbage and onion by hand, then grate the carrot. 

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 1 red cabbage

• 3 carrots

• 1 white, or red onion

• 2cm of fresh ginger, finely grated

• Fresh green chilli

• 5 tbsp mayonnaise (homemade or a good quality brand)

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• Handful of coriander

• Salt & pepper

Method

• First blitz the red cabbage, carrot and onion in the blender. 

• Grate the ginger using a micro plane/ parmesan grater, if you don’t have one you can always chop very finely along with the chilli.

• Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix in the white wine vinegar, then add the ginger, chilli, seasoning  and mix.

• Finally mix the mayonnaise into the cabbage and there you have your amazing zingy side dish that will liven up any plate.

Roasted beetroot, brown rice & pistachio salad

This is my protein packed super food salad that is so good for you and very quick to make.  Basically you just throw all the ingredients together, except the beetroot. Dress the salad first and then add the beetroot last, or the whole salad will turn pink before everyone has tucked in. I placed mine strategically through the rice and on top at the end, so it still looked pretty. In this photo you might notice that I have added cannellini beans to the dish - these are totally optional, they’ll add a little creaminess, plus a protein and fibre boost if you do though.

Ingredients

Serves 8 as a side dish

• 3 large beetroot, approx 300g, chopped into 8 pieces

• 300g runner beans, cut into 2cm slices

• 200g brown basmati rice

• 100g wild rice

• Handful of toasted pistachios, roughly chopped

• Handful of coriander, leaves picked

• Salt & pepper

Dressing

• Olive oil

• Cider vinegar

• Honey

• Juice from ½ lemon

Method

• Put the oven on at 180℃ degrees.

• Cut the top and root off each beetroot and wrap individually in foil. Don’t peel before roasting as it is much easier to do once they’re cooked.

• Roast for about an hour, or until soft and the skin just falls off as you rub them gently. Allow to cool and chop into large chunks.

• While the beetroot is cooking, put a handful of pistachios in a roasting tray and place in the same oven for around 5-6 minutes, but don’t forget them as they’ll easily burn. I’m notorious for burning whole batches of nuts, so I always have to set a loud timer.

• Put the wild rice on to boil for around 20 minutes and then add the brown rice to the pan for a further 25 minutes so they’re both finished at the same time. Drain and cool.

• Blanch the runner beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and cool by running under the cold tap so they don’t continue cooking and lose their colour and crunch.

Dressing

• Find a dressing shaker (best one linked!) and mix the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey and lemon.

• Put the rice and runner beans in a bowl, then add a few tablespoons of the dressing and mix. Then place the beetroot carefully throughout the salad, sprinkle with nuts and coriander.

Roasted butternut squash, red onion with tahini & za'atar dressing

I could literally eat this salad everyday, it is so tasty in only a way that Ottolengi's recipes can be. It is a gorgeous combination of caramelised squash and onions with nutty, creamy, lemony tahini dressing.

Ingredients, serves 6-8

• 1 butternut squash

• 3 medium red onions

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 3-4 tbsp water

• 1 small clove garlic, grated

• 30g pine nuts

• 1 tbsp za'atar, or to taste - try it first to see if you like it

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

• Heat the oven to 220 degrees.

• Chop the squash into large slices, coat with olive oil on a roasting tray and place skin side down.

• Roast the squash for 20 minutes before adding the chopped onions; make sure they have a coating of oil on them as well.

• Mix the tahini with the lemon, garlic and water in a small bowl or jar, whisk with a fork. Add extra tahini or water to get the right consistency; it should be like a thick salad dressing.

• Heat a frying pan and lightly toast the pine nuts.

• To serve, spread the vegetables on a flat platter and drizzle over the dressing before scattering the pine nuts over the top. Sprinkle za'atar and parsley to taste.

• Dig in.

Shown with aubergine chermoula and puy lentil, oven dried tomato & gorgonzola salad

Moroccan chickpea soup with cavolo nero

I love a hearty soup and this one is a firm favourite. I like to make a big batch as I have done here so I can freeze a few portions for easy meals on days I just don't have time to cook.

This recipe is for a big pan of about 3 litres, but if you don't want to make that much, or haven't the freezer space then just scale if down, halve the quantities and make a smaller batch to keep in the fridge for a few days. 

Ingredients

• 4 medium onions, halved and finely sliced

• 2 large carrots

• 1 large clove garlic, grated or finely chopped

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika or pimento

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 300g red lentils, rinsed in cold water

• 400g tin tomatoes

• 1.5 litres vegetable stock, fresh or a Kallo low salt cube

• 1 roasted (unpeeled) sweet potato, peeled and mashed

• 2 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt, or similar

• Handful of cavolo nero / kale / spinach or whatever greenery you prefer!

• 1 tin 400g chickpeas, drained

• Sprinkle of chopped parsley, to taste

• Blob of sour cream in each bowl

Method

• Get a large saucepan and heat a few gulgs of olive oil before adding the onions and carrots. Cook gently for around 10-15 minutes or until softened.

• Grate in the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.

• Next add all the dry spices and stir into the vegetables, allow to heat through for a further 2 minutes.

• Add the lentils, stir to coat in the spices then add all the stock, plus the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.

• Add the sweet potato - mash and stir it in, this will disappear to give a lovely sweetness and will thicken the soup.

• Season with the salt and then add the chickpeas and cavolo nero, kale or spinach, cooking for a further 5 minutes.

• Sprinkle with parsley and add a nice big blob of sour cream.

Roasted red pepper salad with coriander

Ahhh nothing beats roasted red pepper for me; the gorgeous sweet flavour and soft texture liven up any salad in my opinion. This dish goes perfectly with a Middle Eastern style meal; or can be eaten simply with some fresh bread, hoummus and grilled halloumi.

Ingredients

Serves 6 as part of a mezze

• 3 red peppers, grilled

• 1/4 garlic clove crushed

• Olive oil, couple of glugs

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (may be a little more depending on taste)

• Sprinkle of cumin

• Handful of chopped parsley and/or coriander to finish, leaves chopped

• Salt & pepper

Method

• Place the whole red peppers under a hot grill on some tin foil, making sure that they are not too close to the heat source. Allow the skin to blacken and then turn until all the skin is coloured, but not completely charred. The wrap in the foil and leave to cool, so it is easier to remove the skins.

• Crush the garlic and mix with the olive oil, vinegar and some finely chopped parsley. Season generously.

• Remove the peppers from the foil after about 10 minutes and peel off all the skin, deseed, core and tear in medium sized stripes, or use a knife if you prefer.

• Place the pepper on a plate and pour over the dressing, sprinkle on some cumin and the rest of the chopped herbs. Serve at room temperature. For those coriander-haters out there, use basil or parsley, this salad will still taste divine.

Caprese salad

There are very few salads that come close to a Caprese; gorgeous creamy buffalo mozzarella paired with ripe juicy tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil. Simple and perfect.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 ripe vine tomatoes

• 125g buffalo mozzarella

• Fresh basil leaves

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Aged balsamic vinegar

Method

• Slice the tomatoes and arrange on the plate, drain the mozzarella and gently use your fingers or a knife to split it into bite-sized pieces

• Sprinkle some torn basil leaves on top and drizzle the olive oil and balsamic

• Season

Tip

Homemade pesto is a really nice addition to this dish to give it a different twist. I usually add a bit more olive oil to the pesto so it drizzles on the plate - if you are doing this then cut out the plain olive oil.  

Asparagus with poached egg on sourdough

Last night was a rare occasion; husband was away and kids all fed in one way or another. I found myself starving at 8pm and looking into the fridge with despair, until I noticed the asparagus that I had bought from the local farmer's market at the weekend. I decided on a classic combo, pairing griddled asparagus with a soft poached egg on sourdough. Wow, what a dish! Very simple, very effective - my perfect mid-week dish description.

Having said this would also make a great breakfast, brunch or lunch!

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 6 asparagus spears

• 1 egg

• Fresh bread (of any variety)

• Pinch of sweet smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon parmesan, finely grated

• Salt & pepper

Method

• Baste the asparagus in a little olive oil and heat a griddle, or frying pan if you don't have one. Place the asparagus in the pan and allow to colour on both sides. This shouldn't take much more than 4-5 minutes. 

• As the asparagus goes in the pan, bring a pan of water to boil and poach the egg; put the bread in the toaster. Everything cooks quickly, so it all have to go on together pretty much. 

• Once the toast is done, butter and put on the plate followed by the asparagus, sprinkled with a little paprika and then top with the egg. Finish with the grated parmesan and there you have one of the tastiest, quickest meals you'll ever make.

Tip

Perfect poached eggs

Ever wondered how chefs get their poached eggs into small neat looking bundles that wobble delicately on top of you toast? The trick is to to put the whole egg (still in the shell) on a spoon and place it in boiling water for 10 seconds. Then remove and crack into the water. You'll find that the small amount of heat you gave it in the shell just keeps the white together nicely, so it forms a better shape when poached. Of course if you have super fresh eggs then this isn’t necessary, but it’s a good trick to know for most standard supermarket ones!

Apricot & cardamom cake

Oh my goodness I love this cake; it tastes amazing and is different from the norm. The subtle addition of cardamom makes this bake interesting and would be the perfect end to a Middle Eastern-style meal. Gorgeous. The recipe comes from Simply Nigella and is very easy to follow. I love Nigella's new book as it is full of fresh new recipes that are full of flavour, but more straightforward and lower in fat. 

Ingredients

• 150 g dried apricots

• 250 cold water

• 2 cardamom pods (cracked)

• 200 grams ground almonds

• 50 grams fine polenta (not instant)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free if required)

• 150 g caster sugar

• 6 large eggs; ideally at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon rosewater - I left this out as I find it too floral

• Sunflower oil or butter for greasing

• Decoration

• 2 teaspoons apricot jam (or rose petal jam)

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 2½ teaspoons very finely chopped pistachios

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°c

• Use a 20cm (or 21cm also works well) springform cake

• Put the apricots in a small saucepan with the split cardamom pods and just enough water to cover them. While you're doing this grease the tin and line with parchment. Bring to boil and turn down to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool and the apricots will absorb more water, so make sure you don't boil them dry

• Weigh the other ingredients while the apricots are cooling down. Once the apricots are cool put 5 aside and remove the cardamom pods, but not the seeds. Place the rest of the apricots and the cardamom seeds into a food processor, or if you don't have one you can finely chop with a knife (including the seeds - they'll be soft and easy to chop, just a bit fiddly)

• Next put the almonds, polenta, baking powder, caster sugar, sugar and eggs into a food processor or a mixer with the beater attachment and mix thoroughly. Once mixed add the lemon juice and then the apricots.

• Scrape the mixture into the tin and then position the apricot halves around the top of the cake and put in the oven for 40 mins.

• I checked mine after 30 minutes and it had browned enough on top so I placed a piece of tin foil lightly over the top for the last ten minutes - this is what Nigella recommends in her recipe

  Tip

• If you don't like cardamom then just leave it out of the recipe, or add a teaspoon of almond essence instead. It'll still be one of the most delicious soft cakes you have ever eaten.

Chana masala / chickpea curry

I made a big pot of this curry the other night so I have some tasty lunches over the next few days.

This is a recipe from Meera Sodha’s wonderful debut cookbook Made in India. Apparently I’m not alone in loving this dish as as she says in her description that, “right now, millions of Indians are probably tucking into a chana masala: it’s the dish that sustains a nation, the coals of India’s engine room.” Well, I can understand why – it’s full of protein-rich chickpeas, delicious aromatic spices and low in fat. What’s not to like?

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 200g dried chickpeas (or 2 x 400g tins)

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 3cm ginger, peeled and grated finely

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated finely

• 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped

• 3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil

• 2 onions, slicces

• 1 x 400g tinned plum tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon tomatoe puree

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon chilli powder

• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Method

• If you are using dried chickpeas then soak in cold water with the bicarbonate of soda over night, or at least 6 hours. Rinse, drain, then cover with more cold water and boil for 30-45 minutes until soft, discard the scum if it appears when boiling.

• Grate the ginger and garlic, then chop the chilli, mix together with a pinch of salt.

• Put the oil into the pan and heat, when it is hot add the onions and cook for 10 minutes or until they become golden. Keep stirring!

• Add in the ginger, garlic and chilli mix into the pan and stir, then the tomatoes and squash them once in the pan, followed by the tomato puree. Cook the sauce for 8-10 minutes.

• Add the garam masala, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, cumin, chilli powder and turmeric, cooking for a few minutes before adding the chickpeas. Add up to 5 tablespoons of water to thin the sauce if it is quite thick at this point. Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes.

• Serve with chapattis and a tomato and sweet onion salad dressed with rapeseed oil and fresh lime. 

Chapattis

Ingredients

Makes approx 5

• 300g Chapatti Flour 

• 100ml - 200ml water

• 2tbs sunflower or rapeseed oil (optional)

Method

• Place flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and stir the

• water in stages.

• Add the oil and work into a soft dough by hand. Knead for

• approximately 5 minutes.

• Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces and make into small balls by hand.

• Roll out each piece on a floured surface, with a rolling pin, into a thin round circle.

• Place a frying pan on a medium heat.

• Put the chapatti into the pan until blisters appear, then turn and cook the other side.

• Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve hot.

Tip

• Sodha's original recipe says to bash up the garlic, ginger and chilli using a pestle and mortor, but my method cuts out a lot of bashing time. I use a parmesan cheese grater or a Microplane to get a fine texture.

• Rapeseed oil – why use it ? It’s versatile, healthy, and is one of the only oils grown and bottled in the UK along with linseed. Rapeseed oil is high in mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats omega 3, 6 and 9, so can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels. It also has less unhealthy saturated fat than all other cooking oils and fats.

Simple white loaf

Weirdly, despite my interest in all things food and eating, I haven't made much of my own bread. I think I have always dismissed the idea as too time-consuming. However, yesterday I decided to experiment and make a couple of loaves. Well, there's no going back; the taste, texture and smell are so totally different from most bread you can buy off the shelf and even artisan bread. I think it is partly due to the loaf being so fresh; it's right there in your kitchen rather than having to make any kind of journey.

There is something hugely satisfying about watching the dough rise and then kneading it afterwards. I love to see it bake in the oven; turning from a pale squashy mass into ‘proper’ bread. It feels like I’m being very clever. In fact, I’m not, as it’s quite a simple process really and seems to work pretty much each time. Come back to me when I’ve toiled for a week over a sour dough though…

This is just about the most straightforward loaf you can make. I doubled the quantities and made 2 medium sized loaves. I also added ¼ strong wholemeal flour to improve the flavour and to trick the kids into eating fibre. I have also done 50:50 white and wholemeal which is also great. This dough only requires 3 kneads for 10 seconds each; you can't get much more low effort than that.

My sister in law, who is a fabulous baker, first put me on to Dan Lepard. She is a prolific bread-maker and really rates Lepard's recipes. I have been searching up his recipes online so far, but I must invest in some of his books. I like the look of 'The Handmade Loaf' and for my love of baked sugary things 'Short & Sweet'.

Ingredients

• 400g strong white flour, plus more for dusting and shaping

• 1 tsp dry instant yeast (from the packet)

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 300ml warm water oil for kneading

Method

Mix flour, yeast, salt and warm water together in a bowl and mix until it ends up as a craggy mess. Cover with a cloth and let it be for ten minutes. Either use a mixer with the dough hook attachment or oil a work surface and knead the bread for 10 seconds. Return it to the bowl. Repeat this process twice more, waiting ten minutes each time.

Shape the dough into an oval, dust it with flour and place it seam-side down on a baking sheet or make it rectangular and bake in a 2lb cake tin (as seen in the photo). Cover again with a cloth and leave for around 45 minutes until the dough has increased in volume by around 50%. Flour the top of the loaf, slash it down the middle to create a tear and bake at 220°C for 35-40 mins until golden brown.

Tip

Lepard recommends placing a roasting tray in the bottom of your oven and pouring boiling water into it when you put the loaf in the oven to create steam, which will help your crust and the tear.

First published in The Handmade Loaf by Dan Lepard 2004, reworked in The Guardian 2007, to see more of Dan's work visit danlepard.com)

Sweet potato, mozzarella, chilli & basil

This is a lovely easy recipe that you can make quickly and either eat at home if you're not in the office, or put in Tupperware to take with you. I absolutely love the fresh flavours of this dish - I could eat it everyday!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 sweet potato

• 100g buffalo mozzarella, sliced

• 1/2 red chilli, thinly sliced, or chopped finely

• Juice of 1/2 lemon juice

• Drizzle of olive oil

• Basil leaves, ripped

• Salt and pepper

• Salad leaves & / roasted red pepper slices

  Method

• Roast a sweet potato on a baking tray in the oven at 180ºc for about 45 minutes depending on size. You can test with a skewer to see if is soft right the way through.

• Prep and plate the salad - have any combination you like, I like leaves and roasted red pepper (from a jar - easy!), but you could add grated carrot, red onion, raw peppers, cucumber - any salad you like.

• Cut the potato in half lengthways and top with mozzarella and chilli, then add a drizzle of olive oil and finish with a good squeeze of lemon.

Tip

• Keep a jar of roasted red peppers in your cupbaord as they’re great for quickly improving a salad or making sauces or dips like romesco or muhammara.

spicy chicken marinade

I made this chicken over the weekend for an impromptu BBQ when the sun was shining, and even though I say so myself, it was really bloody good! Early in the afternoon, I had a look in the fridge and found chicken thighs, Greek yogurt, and all the spices I needed in my cupboard.  I even had some leftover BBQ coals from last year. A minor miracle to organise a spontaneous BBQ and find you have all the things you need without making a dash to the supermarket.

I decided to make a couple of marinades, one spicy and one the kids could handle. Having a massive pot of yoghurt in the fridge I made this the basis for both.

I love using yoghurt to marinade meat. Its natural active bacteria breaks down the protein making the chicken moist and tender. The lactic acid in yoghurt also acts as a gentle tenderiser. It is much milder than citric acid and works a little slower, but this means it is unlikely to act too strongly making the meat mushy. You can leave the meat in the marinade for longer to gain flavour, but not lose texture.

As you can see from the photo, I made a simple salad with a yogurt and dill dressing, red cabbage slaw, roasted red peppers, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs (mine were skinless, but it doesn’t matter either way)

• 5 tablespoons of plain yoghurt (I used greek-style)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon Ras al Hanout

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you don’t like it hot)

• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

• Juice of 1 lemon, slice up the remains

• Large pinch of black pepper

Method

Get a large mixing bowl and put all the marinade ingredients into it, mixing thoroughly, including the lemon slices. Add the chicken and leave to marinate in the fridge for up to 12 hours. The longer the better, basically, but after 3 hours mine was really good.

Either fire up the BBQ and grill these outdoors, or use an iron griddle or frying pan to cook indoors if need be. My chicken thighs were quite small, so they only took about 6 minutes a side to cook. To be on the safe side, I always slice open one piece of chicken to make sure it is cooked through.

Tip

Serve with a Moroccan roasted red pepper and a green salad, red cabbage slaw and some sunshine.

If the weather is bad, these chicken thighs can be cooked on an iron griddle or frying pan; this method works equally well. Cooking times are the same.