Pastel de nata

Ingredients Custard: 3 tbsps plain flour, 1 ¼ cups milk, 1 ⅓ cups caster sugar, ½ tsp vanilla essence, 6 egg yolks, 1 tsp cinnamon.

Dough: 220g plain flour, 7g yeast, 160ml milk, 2 1/2 tsp caster sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbs vegetable oil, 150g butter.

Serves: 9 Preparation: 2 hours (plus overnight)

As part of the World Cup Food Challenge 2014, this recipe represents a traditional meal of Portugal. Pastel de nata are stunning little cinnamon custard tarts, with a gorgeous flaky croissanty crust that has to be tasted to be believed. It's a LOT of work to make these, but they're well worth it and they freeze well.

1) To make the dough for the pastry case, please see up to step 5 of my croissant recipe.

2) To make the custard, bring the sugar and cinnamon to the boil in a pan with 2/3 cup of cold water until a syrup forms- don't stir it!

3) Separate the milk with 1/4 in a bowl and 1 cup in a pan. Whisk the flour in with the bowl of milk until smooth and set aside. Meanwhile, scald the milk in the pan, then whisk in the flour-milk mixture.

4) Add the cinnamon sugar syrup into the hot milk and flour whilst whisking furiously (you might want to ask someone to help!) then take off the heat once it is a smooth, just pourable consistency. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.

5) When the mixture has cooled just enough for you to comfortably touch it without swearing (about the temperature of a cup of tea if that helps!) whisk in the egg yolks and set aside to cool.

6) Pre-heat the oven to 290 degrees celcius and grab your pastry from the fridge. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1cm thickness and cut it into squares the approximate size of your chosen muffin tin dimples. Wet your fingers and press the dough into the muffin tin, moulding with your fingers until you've created a "lip" about 1/2cm above the muffin tin surface and pour in the custard.

7) Bake until the edges of the pastry are brown and the custard has a good wobble on. Serve warm, sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon.

Deep fried cauliflower with brie dip

Ingredients Cauliflower, breadcrumbs, 1 egg, brie, mustard, almond milk.

Preparation: 15 minutes

This recipe goes hand in hand with my deep fried brie with cauliflower dip - I tend to serve them side by side for anyone who doesn't like cauliflower. Because naturally, me being me, I refuse to accept that a person could deny themselves such luscious, creamy goodness!

1) To make the brie dip: Slice the rind from the brie and add to a milk pan along with the almond milk and mustard. Warm gently whilst whisking until melted and creamy. Set aside, reheating if necessary

2) To make the breaded cauliflower prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and slicing the stem to the base. Slice around the stem to release the florets.

3) Prepare two dishes - one with a beaten egg in it and one with the breadcrumbs. Dip the cauliflower into the egg, then roll into the breadcrumbs until coated - double dipping if necessary.

4) Bring a pan containing a couple of inches deep of vegetable oil to the boil (or turn on your deep fat frier) and fry the cauliflower until golden brown.

Deep fried brie with cauliflower dip

Ingredients Brie, breadcrumbs, cauliflower, 1 egg, vegetable oil, almond milk, mustard.

Preparation: 15 minutes

This recipe goes hand in hand with my deep fried cauliflower with brie dip - I tend to serve them side by side for anyone who doesn't like cauliflower. Because naturally, me being me, I refuse to accept that a person could deny themselves such luscious, creamy goodness!

1) To make the cauliflower dip, prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and slicing the stem to the base. Slice around the stem to release the florets. Dice both and either steam or add to a pan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes until soft.

2) Drain the cauliflower and puree in the blender, adding a little almond milk until the desired dipping texture is reached. Flavour with mustard to taste (I usually add a teaspoon) and transfer to a dip dish.

3) To make the breaded brie, prepare two dishes - one with a beaten egg in it and one with the breadcrumbs. Dip the trianges of brie (I like to make them relatively bitesized as you'll only get one good dunk before biting into the lovely liquid centres!) into the egg, then roll into the breadcrumbs until coated - double dipping if necessary.

4) Bring a pan containing a couple of inches deep of vegetable oil to the boil (or turn on your deep fat frier) and fry the brie triangles until golden brown.

5) Serve the brie triangles with the cauliflower dip immediately.

Breaded new potatoes

Ingredients Egg, breadcrumbs, new potatoes, vegetable oil.

Preparation: 30 minutes

These crispy coated bites of soft potato may sound a little bland alone, but they make lovely croutons for soup and are especially incredible when dunked in chilli con queso. The smallest new potatoes work the best - these were about the size of cherry tomatoes.

1) Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes in a pan of hot water, then set aside to cool.

2) Set up one dish with a beaten egg and another with breadcrumbs, then when the potatoes are cool enough to handle, dunk in the egg and then into the breadcrumbs until coated. Double dipping may be necessary though I found the crumbs stuck perfectly to the skin of the potato.

3) Drop the potatoes into a pan of hot vegetable oil and fry until crispy and golden.

Aubergine & bean croquettes

Ingredients 1 can cannellini beans, 1 aubergine, 1 tsp paprika, 1 garlic clove, breadcrumbs, 1 egg, cooking oil.

Makes: 10 Preparation: 30 minutes

When Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty brought the charred aubergine into my life, I was a happy little bunny. Personally I prefer not to remove the burned skin as I think it adds so much gorgeous smoky flavour to the delicacy of the bean mash. If you liked my Butterbean Croquettes, you're going to love these!  

1) Using tongs, hold the aubergine over the open flame of your hob or a barbecue, turning around until the skin is evenly charred and the aubergine is softened.

2) Simmer the beans for 10 minutes in hot salty water, then drain and add to a blender along with the aubergine, 1 crushed garlic clove and the paprika. Pulse thoroughly until combined and season with salt.

3) Set out three dishes, one with a beaten egg, one with breadcrumbs and one to rest the croquettes on. Scoop out a handful of the mixture and form it into a ball, packing tightly - then roll out into a sausage shape or small bites as above.

4) Dip the croquette into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs until covered evenly. Either shallow fry or bake in the oven until the crumbs are golden and crispy, then serve hot.

Lavender-almond croissants

Ingredients Croissants: 220g plain flour, 7g yeast, 160ml milk, 2 1/2 tsp caster sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbs vegetable oil, 150g butter.

Glaze: lavender jam Filling: 2 eggs, 100g ground almonds, 100g caster sugar, 100g butter, 1/2 tsp lavender

Serves: 12 Preparation: we're talking well over 8 hours...

Croissants aux amandes were invented, I believe, to revitalise day-old/stale croissants so you could buy croissants and just glaze and fill them if you prefer. Lord knows making croissants is a labour of love, one which will leave a sheen of butter on your table and leave you with aching hands from the lamination (layers of butter and dough which produce that magical flakiness - if your croissants don't fill your bra with crumbs, you aint doing it right!). Whether you bake or buy your croissants, my lavender jam makes the perfect glaze and the lavender almond cream in the centre is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Just look at those lovely shiny crescents, the effort is so worth it!

Baking the croissants

1) Combine the yeast, 3 tsps of warm water and 1/2 tsp sugar in one jug and set aside until it begins to froth. Add the vegetable oil. In a separate jug, dissolve 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in the milk.

2) Sift the flour into a bowl and add the two jugs of liquid. Mix thoroughly and then kneed for approximately 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm room for approximately an hour until it has TRIPLED in volume.

3) Knock the dough back, gently with your fingertips, cover and set aside again to double in volume. Finally knock back the dough again and chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.

4) Now comes the fun part... roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 30 x 20 cm in size) and using room temperature butter, spread liberally over the left 2/3 of the centre of the dough, leaving a half centimetre unbuttered border. With the unbuttered 1/3 at the left, fold to the right, and then fold again. Roll back out then dust with flour, cover with cling film and chill for 2 hours in the fridge.

5) Roll dough back out and repeat the buttering and folding, dust with flour, cover with cling film and return to the fridge to chill for 2 hours.

6) Finally, roll out to a rectangle approximately 50 x 10 cm and slice in half lengthways. Return one half to the fridge to chill and roll the other out to approximately 40 x 10 cm, then cut into 3 squares and cut these squares diagonally to leave 6 triangles of dough. Repeat with the dough in the fridge.

7) Roll the dough into croissants by rolling each triangle gently from the long side towards the point at the top, thus creating the classic layer pattern, and then bring the two edges together to form almost a circle. Allow to sit for a few minutes until the dough begins to puff back up a little, then bake in the oven at the highest setting (mine is 240 for 15 minutes)

Preparing croissants aux amandes

1) Cream the equal parts of butter, sugar and almonds together, then beat in the eggs. Grind lavender in a mortar and pestle and stir in. (If you wish, you could substitute the sugar for lavender jam in order to get the flavour)

2) Poke a small hole into the croissant at the side of the central layer and use a piping bag to fill with the lavender almond cream.

3) Dip a pastry brush into your lavender jam and glaze the outside of the croissant. From here, you can also scatter with slivers of almonds but personally I find this a little bit overkill! Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Kale Pesto Caprese Pancake Cannelloni

Ingredients 120g plain flour, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, 100g pine nuts, 1 lemon, 30g parmigiano, mozzarella, tomato, Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt, Cheddar

Serves: 4 Preparation: 45 minutes

I adore making pancakes. There's something so soothing about the ritualistic rolling of batter in a pan. When I created my recipe for kale pesto, I instantly envisioned it in contrast to oozing cheese and pasta. But then after using it as a pancake filling, I couldn't resist making cannelloni using my leftover pancake batter and borrowing the incredible yoghurt sauce that I created for enchiladas to smother my stuffed pancakes with. It's a delicious, yet light dish... coming soon kale pesto pasta. Om nom nom. 

1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs.

2) Measure 90ml water in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture until smooth.

3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.

4) To make the pesto - Add the basil leaves to a mortar bowl along with a pinch of salt and the pine nuts. Grind thoroughly, adding a squeeze of lemon juice and grated parmigiano to taste. Tear the leaves of the kale from the woody stalks and add to a blender along with the pesto. Blend thoroughly, drizzling oil at the same time until the desired consistency has been reached.

5) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!

6) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!

7) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, repeat until you have 6 pancakes. Spread the kale pesto onto the pancakes and add a line of mozzarella in the centre. Roll up the pancakes and set them in an ovenproof dish.

8) To make the sauce, grate the cheddar into the yoghurt and spread over the pancakes. Top with an extra layer of cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

Pancakes - kale pesto caprese

La	Ingredients 120g plain flour, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, 30g basil, 200g kale, 100g pine nuts, 1 lemon, 30g parmigiano, mozzarella, tomato, olive oil

Serves: 6 Preparation: 20 minutes

I adore making pancakes. There's something so soothing about the ritualistic rolling of batter in a pan and who says that pancakes have to be sweet? When I  created my recipe for kale pesto, I knew that I wanted to make a warm version of a caprese salad (basil, tomato and mozzarella) and with pancake day coming up... what better way to serve it?! 

1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs.

2) Measure 90ml water in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture until smooth.

3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.

4) To make the pesto - Add the basil leaves to a mortar bowl along with a pinch of salt and the pine nuts. Grind thoroughly, adding a squeeze of lemon juice and grated parmigiano to taste. Tear the leaves of the kale from the woody stalks and add to a blender along with the pesto. Blend thoroughly, drizzling oil at the same time until the desired consistency has been reached.

5) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!

6) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!

7) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve filled with slices of mozzarella, tomato and the pesto.

Banana pancakes

Ingredients    2 very ripe bananas, 1 cup plain flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp honey, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup crushed pecan nuts, 1/2 cup milk

Serves: 6 (Scotch pancake style) 12 (crepe style) Preparation: 40 minutes


I'm going to deviate away from culinary references here and turn to the world of music. Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes is one of my favourite of his songs and every time I hear it it gets stuck in my head and I have an overwhelming compulsion to make banana pancakes. These work best in my opinion as a thick stack of scotch pancakes, drizzled with honey but The Boy demolished them before I could take a picture! So here's a crepe style made with the dregs of batter... 


1) Whisk the eggs with the milk, honey and vegetable oil and pour over the dry ingredients, whisking until they are combined.


2) Blend or mash the banana and add to the batter until incorporated. Leave the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes and then stir through.


3) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter (if you want crepes, quickly turn the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter, then return to the job) and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!

4) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!

5) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve with a drizzle of honey

Pancakes - Rose & pistachio

Ingredients 100g plain flour, 20g pistachios, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml rose essence, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, lime, rose jam (not currently for sale- please contact me for details).

Makes: 6 pancakes Preparation: 40 minutes


When I tasted this pancake I wanted to cry. Cry big, fat dramatic tears of pure joy because this is definitely going to be my favourite breakfast from now on! Rose and pistachio are a wonderfully delicate flavour combination which always makes me think of macarons. Give this a try - the batter is beautifully enhanced by the texture of the nuts and the taste is out of this world!


1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs. Grind the pistachios in a mortar and pestle and add to the mix.


2) Measure 90ml rose essence in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk. Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and rose mixture until smooth.


3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.


4) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!


5) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!


6) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve! I added a squeeze of lime and the remainder of last season's rose jam but truly, these would be delicious without the additional adornment!

Pancakes - Pecan rum & raisin with ice-cream

Ingredients 100g plain flour, 20g crushed pecans, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, sailor jerry's rum, raisins, caster sugar, vanilla ice-cream.

Makes: 6 pancakes Preparation: 40 minutes


My pecan pancakes are the perfect combination for rum and raisin so if you have any leftover rum & raisin caramel sauce this is a great way to serve it! This rich and seductive pancake is perfect with vanilla ice-cream.


1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs. Grind the pecan nuts in a mortar and pestle and add to the flour.


2) Measure 90ml water in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture until smooth.


3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.


4) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!


5) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!


6) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve with the ice-cream and sauce.

Pancakes - Balsamic spinach, strawberry & goats cheese

Ingredients 120g plain flour, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, strawberries, 400g spinach, 150g goats cheese.

Makes: 6 pancakes Preparation: 40 minutes


Words cannot express just how incredible a pancake filling this is. The combination of strawberries and balsamic vinegar is no stranger to this blog, but in combination with the sharp tang of goats cheese and the melting soft spinach this really is exquisite. 


1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs.


2) Measure 90ml water in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture until smooth.


3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.


5) Melt a good knob of butter in a pan and stir in the spinach. As the leaves begin to wilt, add a good glug of olive oil and stir in the strawberries, sliced. Turn off the heat.


4) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!


5) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!


6) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve filled with the strawberry, spinach and goats cheese.

Pancakes - Asparagus, pancetta & gruyere

Ingredients 120g plain flour, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, asparagus, pancetta, gruyere, basil oil.

Makes: 6 pancakes Preparation: 40 minutes


Pancetta and asparagus are lovely together; salty and rich, which in combination with the gooey gruyere is heavenly!


1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs.


2) Measure 90ml water in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture until smooth.


3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.


4) Drizzle the asparagus with a little basil oil, sprinkle with salt, stir in the pancetta and grill for 5 minutes.


5) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!


5) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!


6) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve with the gruyere, asparagus and pancetta.

Pancakes - Asparagus almond & gruyere

Ingredients 120g plain flour, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, 200g asparagus, handful toasted almond flakes, grated gruyere to taste, basil oil.

Makes: 6 pancakes Preparation: 40 minutes


I have combined almonds and asparagus several times in this blog and there's a blimmin good reason for that! They're made for each other and with a gooey helping of gruyere this pancake is oh so good.


1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs.


2) Measure 90ml water in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture until smooth.


3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.


4) Drizzle the asparagus with a little basil oil, sprinkle with salt and grill for 5 minutes.


5) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!


6) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!


7) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve filled with grated gruyere, the almonds and the asparagus.

Pancakes - Maple & pecan with banana

Ingredients 100g plain flour, 2 eggs, 210ml milk, 90ml water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, butter, maple syrup, banana, 20g crushed pecans.

Makes: 6 pancakes Preparation: 40 minutes


Maple & pecan are a perfect flavour combination and the sweetness of banana really compliments the smoky, nuttiness but this recipe is just as much about pancake texture as it is about flavour. Simply put, grinding nuts into your pancakes makes for pancake heaven!


1) Mix the flour with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs. Grind the pecan nuts in a mortar and pestle and add to the flour.


2) Measure 90ml water in a pyrex jug, then top it up to 300ml with milk.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture until smooth.


3) Stir in the vegetable oil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour.


4) Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, then add a small knob of butter. Pour in one ladle of batter, quickly turning the pan off the heat to coat the base evenly with the batter. Return to the hob and cook for about one minute, until the base is lightly browned. I like to use a spatula or palette knife to just loosen the edges of the pancake - once the air gets under it you will find it does not stick to the pan but slide about which helps it to flip!


5) Flip over the pancake (if you have a clumsy wrist, slide the pancake onto a plate, then tip the pan over the plate and turn it upside down. No one will ever know!


6) Once the pancake has cooked on both sides, serve with sliced banana in the middle and a drizzle of maple syrup on the top!

Lemon & poppyseed mini muffins

Ingredients 225g self raising flour, 50g plain   flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 6 tsp vegetable oil, 150g Rachel's Organic greek yoghurt, 125ml lemon juice, 1 egg, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 2 tbsp icing sugar.

Makes: 52 mini muffins Preparation: 20 minutes


I am a total soup junkie and forever creating different flavours of breads to dunk in, or different textures and flavours to use as croutons. I have even been known to fill Hula-Hoops with cream cheese and float them on my soup. Mmmm melty goodness. With parsnip soup, I like to make these lemon and poppyseed mini-muffins to float on the top but they're gorgeous just as they are too.

1) Sift together the self raising flour, plain flour, baking powder, icing sugar and baking soda.

2) Whisk together 1 egg with the milk, lemon juice and vegetable oil and stir into the flour mixture. Add the poppy seeds.

4) Stir in the yoghurt but do not make the mixture too smooth - it needs to be a bit lumpy for the muffins to rise and have those lovely fluffy bubbles of air inside.

5) Spoon into the mini muffin cases and bake at 220 degrees for 7-10 minutes (until they mushroom from the cases and become golden brown).

6) Allow to cool and pop them out of the cases and float on your soup.

Sausage & mustard mayonnaise salad

Ingredients 3 Quorn sausages, 1 lemon, 1 tsp grainy mustard, 4 eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, 1 pint vegetable oil.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 10 minutes


Quorn is a funny old thing. When I was just starting out as a vegetarian the key thing for me was to fit in, to prove that I wasn't a total weirdo and I could still eat all the same things as my family did. So at Sunday lunch I'd have a Quorn chicken/turkey breast. When they had a lasagne or shepherd's pie, I'd have the same but with Quorn mince. And on Saturday mornings I could have quorn sausage sandwiches, at parties Quorn sausage rolls and when making curry or stir fry I could use Quorn chicken pieces. As you'll know from reading this blog, I rarely use Quorn as a source of protein now - preferring to get creative with beans and nuts and pulses but occasionally I do and this quick snack makes a great side dish or picnic snack. You can make it with "real" sausages too!
1) To make your own mayonnaise - separate 4 egg yolks from the whites (discard the whites) and put in a large clean bowl to whisk (or use the whisk attachment on your blender if you have one). Add the lemon juice/vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly, adding the oil ONE DROP at a time until the mayonnaise is thick and glossy. You don't have to use all the oil - I like it quite thick but if it's too thick you can always add a little warm water to thin it back down again.


2) Grill the sausages, brushed with a little oil to help crisp the "skin", allow them to cool a little and then slice them into chunks.


3) Add a good squeeze of lemon and teaspoon of mustard into the mayonnaise and stir the sausages through it.

White chocolate & olive potato salad

Ingredients   2 King Edward potatoes, dill, 2    squares white chocolate, 10 kamalata olives, 4 eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, 1 pint vegetable oil

Serves: 2 Preparation: 20 minutes


This might sound incredibly unusual, but the subtle sweetness of the white chocolate, the seductive vanilla notes and the rich saltiness of the olives are a wonderful combination.


1) To make your own mayonnaise - separate 4 egg yolks from the whites (discard the whites) and put in a large clean bowl to whisk (or use the whisk attachment on your blender if you have one). Add the lemon juice/vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly, adding the oil ONE DROP at a time until the mayonnaise is thick and glossy. You don't have to use all the oil - I like it quite thick but if it's too thick you can always add a little warm water to thin it back down again.


2) Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks then boil in hot salted water for 20 minutes and strain.


3) Whilst the potatoes are cooling, put the chocolate squares into a bowl and set it on top of a bowl of boiling water to make a bain marie. Stir the chocolate until it has melted, then take it off the heat. The chocolate should be warm and not hot because white chocolate has a low melting temperature but give it 30 seconds before stirring it into the mayonnaise to avoid it splitting.


4) Chop the dill and stir into the mayonnaise, then add the cool potatoes.


5) Pit the olives and add to the salad. Stir through and serve.

Baked potato: tuna, peach & gherkin

Ingredients Tuna, mayonnaise, gherkin, peach, potato, 4 eggs, lemon juice/white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, 1 pint vegetable oil, mustard.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Once you have made your perfect baked potato, you need to fill it! I have a pathalogical loathing of fish but The Boy absolutely loves it and he swears on peach and tuna as a taste-senstion combination!

1) To make your own mayonnaise - separate 4 egg yolks from the whites (discard the whites) and put in a large clean bowl to whisk (or use the whisk attachment on your blender if you have one). Add the lemon juice/vinegar, salt and pepper and a touch of mustard and whisk thoroughly, adding the oil ONE DROP at a time until the mayonnaise is thick and glossy. You don't have to use all the oil - I like it quite thick but if it's too thick you can always add a little warm water to thin it back down again.

2) Peel the peach and slice in half, around the stone. Pull apart and cut into slivers and then small cubes. Cut the gherkin into equal sized cubes and stir into a can of drained tuna.

3) Stir in a tablespoon of mayonnaise and rough up the mixture with a fork, adding black pepper to taste.

4) Spoon onto the potato and serve!

Spinach & aubergine curry

Ingredients  8 baby aubergines, 2 tbsp garam    marsala, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp mustard    seeds, 2 tbsps ghee or vegetable oil, 200g spinach, 1 white onion, 1 bulb garlic, passata, salt, olive oil, 1 red chilli pepper.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 45 minutes


I love curry, the scent of toasting spices, the gentle bubbling inside my enormous cast iron wok and that delicious high one gets from the exotic heat of the chillies. This dish is rich with flavour and has the most amazing buttery soft textured aubergines. Give it a try - perfect with my peshwari naan - this is the ultimate winter warming comfort food.


1) Slice the tops from the baby aubergines and slice in half lengthways, then horizontally. Arrange in an ovenproof dish with the skins down and sprinkle with salt to draw out the bitter juices. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.


2) At the same time, put an entire bulb of garlic into an ovenproof dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.


3) Put the mustard seeds and spices in the wok and toast for about 2 minutes - once the mustard seeds begin to pop, it's time to add the ghee (about 2 tablespoons) and stir through.


4) Peel and dice the onion and finely chop the chillies, then add to the spiced ghee and stir through until the onion has softened completely (5-10 minutes).


5) Once the aubergines and garlic are cooked, add the aubergines to the pan along with just enough passata to bring the ingredients together.


6) Peel the garlic and mince through the press until you are left with the puree. Stir into the curry and add the spinach leaves.


7) Once the spinach has wilted it's ready to serve.