It has been quite a while since I’ve posted a recipe on this blog, however I think that in the current uncertain times that we are all living in at the moment, there is more need than ever for adventurous comfort food, and this recipe hits all the spots for me! This is my variation on a BBC Good Food recipe, and can be used as a starter or side, but to be honest I thought that it was amazing on its own! Serves 4 Ingredients 4 large Aubergines 200g good quality feta cheese, roughly crumbled 150ml Greek yogurt 1 fresh green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 5 tbs extra virgin olive oil Small ..read more

This has got to be one of the most satisfying curries that I have made – I think it is the warming combination of the curry spices with coconut milk marinaded into the squash pieces that make for something that is quite hard to stop eating! It’s vegan and almost fat-free too, but you’d never guess! Serves 6 Ingredients 1 large onion, roughly chopped 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 tbs sunflower oil 1 tbs fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1 x 400g can of butter beans 1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp mustard seeds ..read more

After the delights (and excesses) of the Christmas period I find I tend to crave simple healthy meals to reset the balance a bit. This low fat recipe is crammed full of great vegetables and the chilli kick also helps to wake you up a bit ready for the New Year! Serves 6 Ingredients 1 large onion, roughly chopped 30g fresh ginger, crushed 1 tbs sunflower oil A small bunch of coriander, finely chopped 2 tsp fresh thyme 1 large courgette, diced 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 50g frozen sweetcorn 50g froze ..read more

This is my adaptation of a staple vegetable dish originating from Tamil Nadu in Southern India. Although essentially using what Westerners would consider ‘curry’ spices, this is a light and subtle dry dish, which provides a bit of light relief in these times of festive excess! Serves 6 as a side or 4 as a main Ingredients 1 small onion, peeled and finely sliced 3 tbs sunflower oil 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 6 baby potatoes, halved then sliced 4 medium carrots, peeled then cut into batons 1/2 a cucumber, cut into fine batons 10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 70g ..read more

This recipe is a great way to have a quick but satisfying snack when time is short, but something filling is needed! These are similar to my vegan samosas, and work as a great teatime treat or as a starter to a more substantial curry! Makes 8 Ingredients 8 small wraps 2 large potatoes, finely chopped 2 medium carrots, finely chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 50g frozen sweetcorn 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp medium curry powder 1 small green chilli 6 tbs sunflower oil Method 1. Heat 4 tbs of the oil in a large saucepan and fry the spices on a low heat for 1 minute. Turn the h ..read more

This is a nice warming and filling dish for the cold evenings that are starting to encroach upon us here in the North of England, and it definitely gives you your quota of vegetables. This is similar to a ratatouille, but with a nice twist with the addition of cumin, which gives it a Moorish feel, often common in Spanish dishes. Serves 4 Ingredients 50ml Extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 large onions, roughly chopped 2 large aubergines, cut into 1 cm dice then salted for 30 minutes 300g courgettes, roughly chopped 400ml can of good quality chopped tomatoes 3 peppers of diff ..read more

One of the few real success stories in our garden this year was courgettes. The children grew two different colours (Alfie=green, Jasmine=yellow), and both provided a really good crop. We left a couple to grow larger, but harvested them before they became full-grown marrows with inedible skins. This recipe worked really well in complementing the subtle flavour of the courgettes, and made for a very filling tea! Serves 6 Ingredients 1 large courgette or small marrow 100g wholewheat Couscous 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 300ml good quality vegetable stock 50g currants, soaked in water to softe ..read more

This is the result of my experimenting on the classic Italian dish Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni, which provides a bit more texture and variation of flavours. I found the addition of toasted cashew nuts worked really well, and stuffing the pasta shells certainly kept the kids amused for a while! Serves 6 Ingredients 400g Durum Wheat Conchiglioni Rigati shells 150g Ricotta cheese 100g fresh baby spinach, finely chopped 50g cashew nuts, lightly toasted then finely chopped 2 tsp dried basil 2 large aubergines, cut widthways into 1cm wide discs 4 tbs olive oil 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 tbs ..read more

This recipe is a bit of a departure for me – I struggle with getting inspiration for salads as I am a big fan of being filled up! This salad is definitely one that will leave you satisfied though, and works well as a side or as a main with flatbreads. Serves 4 as a main or 8 as a side Ingredients 200g Basmati Rice 1/2 medium cucumber, finely diced 12 baby plum tomatoes, halved 1/2 small red onion, very finely diced 100g Quorn pieces (or other soya or tofu chunks) 150g feta cheese, crumbled Small handful each or fresh coriander and basil, roughly chopped For the dressing 4 tbsp extra virgin ol ..read more

We are starting to reap our harvest here at home with my potatoes dug up and gobbled, my son Alfie’s carrots mostly picked, and today my daughter picked the first of her yellow courgette and pea crop. I thought that as she was so proud of the results that it would be a shame to just add them as an ingredient so I devised a warm salad to show them off at their best. None of us can take the credit for growing the avocado, but it did work well with the end product! Serves 4 as a side dish Ingredients 5 small yellow courgettes, halved lengthways 100g fresh podded peas 1 large avocado, peeled and ..read more