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
This recipe has been adapted from my ancient cookery book The Dairy Book of Home Cookery (see my About Page for more info) Sometimes, the old recipes are the best, and this one is fantastic. I've just updated it with extra herbs and flavours, and wow! It doesn't look much, but it tastes so good! … Continue reading Haddock Bake
You can't get through half-time at a football match without a pie and a pint. It's almost the law in Britain (or so my husband tells me). Like most of Britain, he's been glued to the Euro's. He's enjoyed the TV coverage, and loved seeing fans back in the stadiums, but watching it on TV … Continue reading Jackfruit Tikka Pies
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
I can't begin to describe how good these little fritters taste. Everyone who eats them, loves them, including those who aren't keen on courgette or feta cheese. There's something about the combination of herbs, spices and veg that just makes them incredibly moreish. And when dunked in Tzatziki, they're divine! These Courgette Fritters are incredibly … Continue reading Courgette Fritters
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
This is such an easy recipe to make, and tastes great. It's a perfect week-night, family friendly meal, as you don't have to think too much about it and can serve it with whatever you have in the house - salad, coleslaw, potato wedges, guacamole or corn on the cob. I usually make up a … Continue reading Jackfruit Enchiladas
There's nothing more comforting on a cold, wet, winter's day than a steaming bowl of hot tomato soup. You can, of course, buy very good tinned soups, but if like me, you get a lot of joy, and take a lot of pride in cooking things from scratch, then you'll enjoy making your own. And … Continue reading Easy Homemade Tomato Soup
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
I used to work as a waitress in a lovely little local pub. All their food was freshly made and sourced locally and as a result, it was always busy. One of the dishes they served was a Cheesy Broccoli Bake. It was a popular dish consisting of potato, onion and broccoli cooked in a … Continue reading Brassica Bake
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
This dish is rich and creamy with subtle aromatic flavours and a hint of lemon, perfect for a date night or dinner party. It's ready in about 20 mins and is really easy to prepare. We eat a lot of salmon in our house, we love it. It's such a tasty, versatile fish that's reasonably … Continue reading Creamy Salmon and Broccoli Spaghetti
In 2011 I went to Italy for the first time. One night, I ordered a Caprese Salad, and I couldn't believe it when a plate of just mozzarella and tomatoes arrived on the table - That's not a salad! Where's the lettuce?! I gave it a go anyway, not wanting to show my ignorance and … Continue reading Caprese Bruschetta
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
Stuffed peppers make for a lovely, fresh, summery meal. They're perfect served at a BBQ or garden party as an alternative to charred meat, and they need only a simple mixed leaf salad for an accompaniment to make a yummy light lunch, plus a few cheeky chips for an evening meal. Vegetarian stuffed peppers are … Continue reading Stuffed Peppers
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
Mexican food was always my go-to option whenever I had people round for dinner when I first moved out and started learning how to cook. Chilli Con Carne (recipe here) was the first recipe I ever mastered, and my friends loved it. Then I discovered the Fajita and Enchilada kits you can buy in supermarkets. … Continue reading Black Bean Quesadillas
I'm not sure why cheese savoury is called cheese savoury, I've never seen a sweet cheese based sandwich filling, but that's what it's called. It just means a mixture of cheese, mayonnaise and salad veg. It's yummy in sandwiches and on jacket potatoes, but I'm going to show you how to use it to create … Continue reading Cheese Savoury Pinwheels
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
This is a regular mid-week breakfast for me as it's really quick and easy, contains 1 of my 5 a day (2 if I wash it down with fresh fruit juice) and it tastes so good! Yes, it's a bit more effort than just spreading the toast with jam, but not much, and it sets … Continue reading Pan Fried Tomatoes With Mushrooms On Toast
When I was a student I worked weekends and evenings in a corner shop - stacking the shelves and serving on the tills. I loved it, the majority of the customers were pleasant and polite and I got on really well with the other staff, we would chat and laugh all shift. The late shifts … Continue reading Cheese and Poppy Seed Twists
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 first made these tartlets to use up some left over ingredients - half a jar of this, a handful of that, things that were just sat in the fridge waiting to go off. But they were so tasty, I ended up buying all the ingredients again and making more. This recipe makes 6 tartlets, … Continue reading Goat’s Cheese Tartlets
Lasagne is a dish served in many pubs, cafes and restaurants all over the UK. You usually have two options when ordering lasagne - a meaty one which doesn't usually include any veg other than onion and tomato, but has beef mince in the red sauce, or veggie lasagne which has no protein in it, … Continue reading Veggie Lasagne
When I was creating my Veggie Steak and Ale Pie recipe a few weeks ago I ended up with some left over pastry. It wasn't enough to line another pie tin, but it was enough to top a pot pie. A pot pie to me, (people get very touchy about their pie definitions) is a … Continue reading Cheesy Leek and Potato Pot Pie
It's St. Patrick's Day on the 17th March - the Patron Saint of Ireland, and how better to celebrate than with a recipe involving Guinness? (You do have to put it in the recipe, you can't just drink it while you're cooking. Sorry!) I have been to Ireland many times and sampled all sorts of … Continue reading Veggie Steak and Ale Pie
It's St. David's Day on the 1st March - the Patron Saint of Wales; and as I live on the Welsh boarder I thought I'd join in the celebrations with a Welsh recipe. St David, famously, was a strict vegetarian and only drank water - a lifestyle many of us are trying to adopt now; … Continue reading Very Welsh Rarebit
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
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
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
Next in The Ultimate Toasty Series is the tuna melt. I'm a big fan of tuna - in a jacket potato, with pasta, on pizza, and of course, in a sandwich; and how do you make a tasty tuna butty even better? Add gorgeous mozzarella cheese, tangy red onion, aromatic herbs and heat it all … Continue reading The Ultimate Tuna Melt
The glorious cheese and tomato toasty: molten slices of tomato, sandwiched between gooey cheddar cheese and crunchy toast. It's good, but we can do better. How about crumbly, salty, feta cheese combined with tangy sun-dried tomatoes and aromatic herbs? Now we're talking! This toasty can of course be made using a toasty machine like in … Continue reading The Ultimate Cheese and Tomato Toasty
I have this yummy omelette for breakfast 2 or 3 times a week. I always try to start my day with eggs as they are full of iron and us veggies and peskies have to keep a close eye on our iron count to make sure we have the energy we need every day without … Continue reading Super Tasty Mushroom Omelette
Ok, let's talk about pizza dough. I have tried almost every ready-made pizza dough out there - the frozen ones, the fresh ones, the already cooked ones, the roll out yourself ones - and none of them are as tasty as the the dough this recipe makes. It's from one of my favourite cookery books … Continue reading Homemade Fully Loaded Veggie Pizza
The weather is picking up now and it's starting to feel like summer, which makes me want big bowls of tasty pasta dishes served alfresco with cold glasses of white wine. Yum! Well this dish certainly fits the bill. It sounds posh and looks pretty impressive, but in reality, it's ready in about 20 mins … Continue reading Crab Tagliatelle
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
Greek food is my absolute favourite! I love their use of fresh herbs, gorgeous veg and aromatic spices, and they always seem to have loads of delicious dishes that just happen to be veggie. They're not added to the menu to tick an inclusivity box, they're fantastic, authentic recipes that just don't require meat. I'm … Continue reading Greek Pasties
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
This dish tastes so luxurious, no one will believe you knocked it up in less than 30 mins. It's perfect for a date night or dinner party and needs no accompaniments other than a glass of cold white wine and a few slices of garlic bread each. (Try my recipe for No Butter Garlic Bread, … Continue reading Creamy Mushroom Carbonara
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
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
This Filo Pastry Parcel takes a bit of time due to the roasting and cooling of the squash before you can assemble and bake the pastry. But don't let that put you off. It's so easy, there really isn't a lot of work to do, and it looks fantastic in the centre of the table. … Continue reading Filo Parcel with Goats Cheese, Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach
Scouse is a traditional stew from Liverpool made with beef or mutton, carrots and potatoes and was once a staple meal for working class Liverpudlians, as it's cheap, filling and really tasty! Both my parents are from Liverpool and when I was a child, my mum would make up a batch of Scouse and it … Continue reading Blind Scouse
In 2016, my now husband and I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. I was quite apprehensive before hand about what the food would be like whilst on the trail. I wasn't going to get through 4 days of hiking and camping in the Andes without sufficient sustenance, and I wasn't sure … Continue reading Salmon, Orange and Grains
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 