If you'd like to give bread making a go, focaccia is a great recipe to start with. You have to wait for the dough to prove twice, so it's not a quick recipe, but the effort involved is minimal and the results are delicious. This recipe has been developed from a Paul Hollywood focaccia recipe, … Continue reading Poppyseed Focaccia
If you like Bounty chocolate bars, you'll love this ice cream whether you're vegan or not. It's the perfect treat for a hot sunny day, and it's very simple to make. Yes, you'll need to get your ice cream machine out of the cupboard and be patient while it works it's magic; but there are … Continue reading Vegan Bounty Ice Cream
This is a hearty, traditional soup, with a Pesky twist. It's tasty, filling, super easy to make (there are hardly any instructions below) and makes the perfect lunch for a cold, wet November day. You can use any colour lentils for this recipe - Yellow (sometimes called Dal), green or red, or a mix of … Continue reading Carrot and Lentil Soup
This isn't really a recipe, more a How To. If you want to make some fun Halloween themed food that the whole family will like, but can't be bothered to get the mixing bowels and cake tins out, I got you. Below, I've shared 4 different Halloween themed pizzas for you to make, each at … Continue reading Halloween Pizza
Salads are massively underrated. During the summer I eat salads pretty much every day with different cheeses, fish or roasted vegetables and of course, dressings. I love a shop-bought salad dressing, it's so easy to put a bottle in your lunch bag to take to work, but if I'm at home, I like to make … Continue reading Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
Potato Salad is a must at any BBQ, picnic or garden party. It's so quick and easy to make and is absolutely delicious with quiche, salad, meats and vegetables. You can, of course, use regular potatoes. But I think the tinned new potatoes taste really nice, and as there's no washing, peeling or chopping, they … Continue reading Vegan Potato Salad
A couple of years ago, my husband and I went to Mexico on holiday. The food was good at the hotel, though it was all aimed at tourists. There was a vast difference between the 'posh' version of Mexican food we were served in the hotel, and the street food we ate in the towns … Continue reading Refried Beans
This is a favourite weekend breakfast for me - a fat slice of crusty bread, lightly toasted, with Smashed Avocado slathered on it, topped with a veggie sausage pattie or a slice of cheese and a runny fried egg. Heaven! The Smashed Avocado recipe is vegan, so of course, serve it with whatever you like … Continue reading Smashed Avocado
I haven't gone mad, Courgette Cake is a thing, I promise! Most people pull a face when I offer them a slice, because it sounds weird, I get it. But once they've tried it, they love it. It's similar to carrot cake - slightly spicy, moist, nutty and moreish. I developed this recipe years ago, … Continue reading Courgette Cake
You'd never know these muffins were dairy free. The texture and rise is just like a normal muffin, and they taste delicious - zesty, sweet and full of blueberries. I've made them using coconut milk and oil, instead of butter, soured cream, milk or yoghurt, so they're completely dairy free. (They are, however, made using … Continue reading Dairy Free Blueberry and Lemon Muffins
OK, so I know what you're thinking, but jelly (or jello, for my friends on the other side of the pond) is definitely NOT just for kids; especially not this one! Made with fresh fruit, Pimms and prosecco, it's the perfect dessert to eat outside, in the sunshine, watching Wimbledon . Weather you're a tennis … Continue reading Wimbledon Jelly
This Grain Salad is refreshing, zesty, minty, and SO quick to make! It makes the perfect side to BBQ'd meat, fish and vegetables and can be made a few days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Just serve it cold, with an extra drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on … Continue reading Grain Salad
Coleslaw is a firm favourite in our house, and a staple dish at any BBQ, buffet or party. It goes with pretty much every savoury dish (even sausage and brown sauce sandwiches - try it!) and its so quick and easy to make yourself. Normally, coleslaw is made using white cabbage, but I've used red … Continue reading Pink Coleslaw
This recipe is adapted from a Golden Coconut Pyramids recipe in my very old Dairy Book of Home Cookery (see my About Page for more info). I was making meringues for a special Easter recipe I'm developing, and the Coconut Pyramids was right next to the meringues in the book and it caught my attention. … Continue reading Flourless Almond Biscuits
My inspiration for this dish came from a recipe I came upon by chance on Pinterest quite a few years ago. The recipe was Pumpkin, Spinach and Walnut Spaghetti by a blogger called Lazy Cat Kitchen. It was a simple recipe - just lemon juice and zest, chilli flakes, garlic, salt and pepper to accompany … Continue reading Pumpkin and Sage Rigatoni
These chickpeas are really quick and easy to prepare, and they taste fantastic. I like them on a wrap with lettuce, red onion and a squeeze of mayonnaise or with a simple mixed salad for an easy, tasty lunch. They would also make a great starter mixed with chopped fresh tomatoes and served hot on … Continue reading Spiced Chickpeas
My husband loves onion. Red, white, raw, cooked, it doesn't matter, he'll have it with almost any meal. So when I told him I was going to make beer battered onion rings he hovered around in the kitchen, stealing them off the pile as I was making them. I had to wait until he was … Continue reading Beer Battered Onion Rings
My husband and I used to live in Carlisle, in the very North of England, and there was a Thai restaurant there that we loved. Usually when we eat out I like to try something new, but here I would order exactly the same thing every time - Sticky Tofu Noodles to start, then Sweet … Continue reading Chinese Tofu With Fried Rice
A Vegetable Pasanda is one of my favourite takeaway curry options. It's a very mild curry, but it certainly isn't boring, it's packed with gorgeous nutty, aromatic flavours. Whilst on lock down, I was craving my Pasanda fix, but couldn't bring myself to order the full fat takeaway option made with ghee and double cream, … Continue reading Vegetable Pasanda
Today is St. Georges Day - the Patron Saint of England, and as I'm English, I thought we could celebrate with a traditional English picnic on the lawn, complete with Salmon and Cress Sandwiches. St. George wasn't actually English, he was born in what is now Turkey, but he was a good soldier (legend has … Continue reading Salmon and Cress Sandwiches
I've made Garlic Mayo Dips for years, each time altering the recipe slightly; and this version is by far the best I've ever tasted. It's smooth, creamy and has a definite garlic kick but without being overbearing. It's also really quick and easy to make and needs only 5 ingredients. Serve this dip with a … Continue reading The Best Garlic Mayo Dip
I have spent years developing this recipe. Every winter I give it another go, changing the recipe each time, and each time it was a bit . . . meh. I knew it would work eventually, sausages, leeks, onions, gravy, what can go wrong? Turns out, when you're using vegetarian sausages, it's harder than you … Continue reading Veggie Sausage Casserole
Happy new year everyone! Have you eaten and drank far too much over the festive period? Have you reverted back to your teenage years of happily grazing on junk food all day and forgoing proper meals? Of lazing about in your pyjamas all day and watching films? Me to! It's been great, but - sigh … Continue reading Veggie Mince for Tatties
Finally in the Ultimate Toasty Series, we have my Spicy Bean Vegan Toasty. Just because you don't eat cheese doesn't mean you have to miss out on a yummy toasted sandwich! I am a bit of a cheese-oholic, but I really didn't miss it in this recipe. The veggies and toast provide all the textures … Continue reading The Ultimate Spicy Bean, Vegan Toasty
BBQs are great. I prep the food and decorate as I would for any party, but once the guests arrive my work is done. My husband takes over the cooking and I can put my feet up. Usually everything gets cooked from scratch on the BBQ, but I've found people get impatient waiting for each … Continue reading Teriyaki Salmon Skewers
I love pizza. I've never been one for the 'American style' ones you get delivered from the likes of Domino's though. As a veggie I find there are rarely any interesting toppings that don't include meat, and supermarkets do lovely fresh and frozen pizzas now for a lot less than you can get a sub-standard … Continue reading Stuffed Dough Balls
In the first home my now husband and I bought together, I created a little veg patch in a sunny corner of the garden. It wasn't big, but it was enough for me to catch the gardening bug. The first year, I decided to plant some courgettes as they are notoriously easy and perfect for … Continue reading Caramelised Courgettes/Zucchini
Patatas Bravas is a Spanish tapas dish consisting of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato based sauce. Quite often in restaurants the sauce is served on top of the potatoes. This looks pretty, but you end up left with dry potatoes at the bottom of the bowl as everyone takes the ones with the delicious … Continue reading Patatas Bravas
Does anyone remember a TV program that was on in the mid 00's called Cook Yourself Thin? It created healthier versions of favourite dishes for people who were trying to loose weight. I really enjoyed it, and this recipe is from it. It's not 'healthy' as such, but it doesn't include any cream or sugars, … Continue reading No Cream Chocolate Truffles
I first had a Bhaji Butty at an airport. We were hungry but didn't have enough time to sit and have a proper meal at one of the restaurants so we grabbed some pre-packed sandwiches from a shop. They didn't have a great veggie selection, it was either this or plain cheese, which I thought … Continue reading Bhaji Butties
The packet spice mixes you can buy at the supermarkets are great. They take all the guess work out of mixing your spices and they always have recipe suggestions on the back. However, I never feel like there's enough veg in these recipes. 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and 1 tin of kidney beans, like … Continue reading Meat Free Chilli Con Carne
These Tortilla Dippers are a great alternative to crisps or bread sticks at a party. They take literally minutes to prepare, look great on the table and are pretty darn tasty too. They also work out cheaper than buying packets of good quality crisps or bread sticks. They're really filling, I only manage 4 or … Continue reading Tortilla Dippers
I am a bit of a carb-aholic, and my favourite carbohydrate has to be bread. Chocolates, biscuits and sweets can go untouched for months with me, but I'd happily munch through an entire loaf of crusty bread in one sitting if I let myself. So of course, whenever I have a pasta dish, I always … Continue reading No Butter Garlic Bread
Everybody loves a roast potato don't they? But who can be bothered to faff about with boiling them until they're cooked but not falling apart and then having molten fat spitting at you while you're trying to transfer them into a hot roasting tray? No wonder we usually only bother on a Sunday. Well this … Continue reading Easy Garlic and Herb Roast Potatoes
We don't eat a lot of cod at home, in fact, unless it's covered in batter and fried, I don't even think to buy it. However, my local supermarket had some lovely responsibly sourced skinless and boneless cod fillets on offer last time I was in there so I picked some up on a whim … Continue reading Moroccan Style Cod
I saw this dish on a special's board at a local pub last summer and thought it sounded amazing. It's so quick and simple to make and so tasty, that it's now one of our staple dinners at home. Stir fries aren't always as healthy as they seem, despite all the veg, due to the … Continue reading Sweet Chilli Salmon and Noodles
Briam is a tomato based Greek casserole that just happens to be vegan. We aren't trying to fake meaty flavours here, we let the gorgeous Mediterranean veg show off it's true potential with a few helpful herbs to take the flavour to the next level. It is one of my favourite dishes, as it is … Continue reading Briam
I first had broccoli in coleslaw at a friend's wedding a few years ago, and I'll be honest, I was dubious. Growing up in the North West of England in the 90's, broccoli was something that was boiled until it was mushy and then smothered in gravy. However, the catering staff had gone out of … Continue reading Kale And Broccoli Coleslaw
My husband's family quite often visit us on a Sunday and they usually arrive around 10 or 11am. We wont have had anything to eat before they arrive as we're either having a lie in or running round tidying up ready for them (usually the latter). So when they arrive, we're getting pretty hungry and … Continue reading Eggs In Hell
These spiced wedges are so simple and easy to make and they always go down a treat. I serve them at pretty much every gathering we host, as a 'filler dish' - not the star of the show, but something to fill people up with if I haven't quite made enough food. (Which never happens, … Continue reading Spiced Wedges
Pesky Recipes 