Parsley and walnut pesto along with a simple pasta dish
Making parsley pesto is one of my favourite ways to use up a spare bunch of parsley. I find the flavour of this parsley pesto is a little more mellow and earthy than traditional pesto made from basil and pine nuts. I use it in exactly the same way though.
Mozzarella and pesto chicken with pasta
I have been making this chicken pesto mozzarella and pasta dish for about 20 years. It was something I learnt form a friend at uni and it has stood the test of time. Even though my repertoire in the kitchen has expanded dramatically since then, I still make it today!
This is one of my favourite ways to eat chicken breast, it’s quick, easy and is so filling and comforting. It goes so well with pesto pasta, which let’s be honest, is amazing on its own already!
Chorizo, pepper and potato hash with fried eggs
This is one of those recipes that I feel can be eaten for pretty much any meal, breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner! This chorizo, pepper, potato hash is easy to make and also super versatile in that you can swap in and out different vegetables, or just leave them out if you don’t fancy them.
Pesto fried eggs on toast
Pesto fried eggs, so simple, so delicious, why has it only recently become a food trend?! Pesto fried eggs are perfect for brunch, lunch or just a light meal whenever. I usually just have these with toast, however It’s pretty easy to elevate pesto fried eggs with some other additions. For example, why not serve with avocado, a side salad or even add some slices of chorizo or bacon on the side. Personally I like to keep it simple, there’s something that feels so virtuous and clean just keeping this to a 3 ingredient meal
Asian-style pickled cucumbers
This is possibly one of the simplest side dishes for Asian food I know. It’s particularly good if you have spicy or oily food and you want a side that is going to lighten and freshen everything up. It’s also great with sushi.
Warm cavolo nero, sweet potato, fennel and red cabbage salad with tahini dressing
Even though we are approaching winter, I still enjoy a salad and this is a lovely hearty winter-warming one. This cavolo nero, sweet potato and fennel salad with red cabbage and a tahini dressing is an unusual combination but it all just works. Hope you give it a go.
Roasted sweet potato, cauliflower and fennel salad with hazelnuts and feta
This is a great vegetarian salad that is substantial enough for dinner. Roasting the vegetables and serving it still warm really makes it feel more hearty too. The combination of cauliflower, sweet potatoes fennel and feta is wonderful and the hazelnuts are the perfect finisher. Great for a mid-week dinner and one you can easily change to your tastes and based on what you have in the fridge!
Roasted cod with tomato and chorizo rice
I must admit, the rice is actually my favourite part of this cod and tomato rice dish, it’s so full of yummy things that I thought would go well with the fish. In the end it turned out so well that I actually sometimes just make the rice to eat on its own! Still, the cod just finishes this dish off perfectly.
Gireum tteokbokki
This is a Korean dish of rice cakes fried in oil with spring onions, lots of Korean chilli paste (gochujang) and chilli powder (gochujaru). I’ve not come across this version in the UK but had it in Seoul in 2019 and make it my mission to learn how to make it on my return home, it’s so moorish and just satisfying!
Salmon, leek and potato traybake
This is such a great combo and well balanced meal that is comforting and satisfying. I often make it mid-week as it’s easy and just full of my favourite flavours that go so well together. Beautiful salmon, creamy leeks and roasted potatoes, what more do you need.
Red lentil and chorizo soup
This is a thick, vibrantly coloured soup which is slightly smoky and sweet with paprika and spicy with chorizo.
Salmon sushi bowl
The great thing about this sushi salmon bowl is that it’s easy to prepare. I had thought about making sushi but to be honest, I find the end result in terms of flavour is the same and this is way faster, easier and dare I say, looks better, than my home made sushi. I fully respect that making sushi well takes some serious skill, skills which I have not quite honed yet!
In this dish I have used salmon and salmon roe (ikura) which I have seasoned to add extra flavour.
Cavolo nero, sausage, cherry tomato and cannellini bean soup
This is sort of a soup, sort of a stew, not a million miles away from my chicken and white bean stew recipe. It is wonderful and hearty from the beans, sausage and the veg, but the broth is relatively light and the tomatoes provide a nice tang along with a hint of lemon and fennel.
Kale and lemon pasta with trout roe
This pasta dish with kale, lemon, trout roe and parsley is a quick and easy mid-week meal, but also the addition of the trout roe makes it seem fancier than it is. You could substitute the roe with anchovies which you can cook along with the garlic and kale if preferred.
Smoked mackerel, fennel, apple and beetroot salad
This salad is both light a fresh from the fennel, apple, greens and the zing of the lemon but at same time the smoked mackerel packs a punch of flavour making the salad feel meaty and substantial. I love this in the summer for dinner.
Tuna poke bowl
The great thing about poke bowls is that they’re easy to prepare, you can put whatever you want in them and they’re generally quite a healthy meal whilst also being so tasty and colourful. I’ve used tuna here but salmon is another favourite. If you can’t get sushi grade fish that you can eat raw then you could always just use cooked fish.
Sweet potato, chorizo and feta salad
This is one of those salads that people who don’t really like salads tend to like. In that sense it’s a crowd pleaser as it’s a great salad for salad lovers too! It’s full of goodies, salty feta, spicy chorizo, sweet potatoes, toasty pine nuts, the only real green is the baby spinach.
Seared tuna, avocado and cucumber salad
Use sashimi grade tuna for this salad and all it needs is a quick sear. This salad is light and fresh with a distinct hint of East Asian flavour.
Halloumi, chickpea and lentil salad
I’m a big halloumi fan, whenever I have it in any meal, I never miss having meat. This salad includes both lentils and chickpeas which makes it really substantial and suitable for a main meal.
Chinese chive omelette
What makes this omelette special is the Chinese/garlic chives. They impart such a wonderful flavour which just can’t quite be matched with any substitute. Though they can bit a bit tough to find unless you have an Asian grocer nearby, once you do have these, the rest of the omelette uses just 3 other ingredients and some oil to fry, super simple and fast to make! Perfect for lunch, dinner or as part of a larger multi-dish meal.