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 follow Pesky Recipes on Instagram, you'll know all about the American road trip that my husband and I took in April. We started in Chicago, then drove down to Nashville and Memphis before spending our last few days in New Orleans. The trip was amazing, a true once in a lifetime experience. The … Continue reading Beer Battered Fish Goujons
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
I know, I know. It's a weird name, but that's what I call them. If you have a better suggestion, let me know! They're yummy little puff pastry parcels with gooey cheese, herbs and chutney inside. Like a posh, mini cheese pasty, if you will. They make brilliant nibbles to have with drinks, or as … Continue reading Posh Cheese Puffs
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 love roasted butternut squash. I usually chop a full squash into chunks and roast it in oil, seasoning and garlic, then keep it in an air-tight container in my fridge. I can then add it to pasta dishes or use it top pizza with, or microwave it for a few mins so it's hot … Continue reading Butternut Squash and Bean Bake
It's October, which means it's officially Spooky Season! So every week this month I'm going to be sharing some Spooktacular recipes and ideas. Whether you're planning a Halloween party or just want some creepy treats to snack on whilst watching horror films, I'll have something for you. But before we get onto the new stuff, … Continue reading This is Halloween, This is Halloween . . .
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
When I was 11 or 12, I attended a BBQ at a family friend's house. We didn't have a BBQ at home, so this was a real treat, and I couldn't believe it when she lifted the lid and showed me rows of jacket potatoes and corn on the cob cooking on the grill. Up … Continue reading BBQ Corn on the Cob
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
Up until 2016, I was convinced I didn't like mushrooms. They were just slimy, horrible things that were snuck into almost all vegetarian meals without my permission. Then, my now husband and I went to Edinburgh for the weekend with some friends, where we ended up having dinner in a lovely Italian restaurant. Back then, … Continue reading Creamy Garlic Mushrooms
I love nachos, they make a great sharing starter for a dinner party, or a buffet item at a party, as they're really quick and easy to make, and can be altered easily to suit everyone's tastes. But they're usually served piled up in a heap with the toppings dolloped on top. This looks good, … Continue reading Oven Baked Nachos
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
We have had some beautiful weather in the UK this week. It's been hotter than parts of the Mediterranean on some days and if we weren't still in lockdown there would've been garden parties and family BBQs happening up and down the country. We did get our BBQ out and the husband and I have … Continue reading Barbecued or Oven Baked Feta
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
Up North they have Cauliflower Cheese with their roast dinners, gravy and all. And hey, I'm not judging, I have gravy on pizza! But I think it would be a shame to smother this gorgeous, rich, cheesy, creamy version in gravy. This is a luxurious Cauliflower cheese, made with double cream and mature cheddar cheese. … Continue reading Cauliflower Cheese
Making a Bechamel sauce from scratch does take time, and the idea of making a roux is pretty scary if you've never made one before, but it is actually pretty easy to do. Infusing the milk takes the longest, but you can wonder off and do something else while that's happening and it tastes so … Continue reading Bechamel Sauce
Mac and cheese is a perfect dish to serve at this time of year. It's really easy to make, it's warm, filling, comforting, and feels just a little bit naughty. I like mac and cheese, but I can't eat much of it, I find it quite rich and sickly; and after a few mouthfuls, a … Continue reading Grown Up Mac and Cheese
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
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
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
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
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