Alan Rosenthal

WI love cooking with beetroot leaves, it’s such a waste to throw them away!  They taste a little like chard but have sweeter notes and work really well when wilted in warm salads such as this recipe.  You could, of course, use chard or spinach, but if you have beetroot leaves knocking around, give it a go! Serves 2 Ingredients ...

This fresh salad is perfect when fennel is young and tender. Make sure you trim off any tough outer leaves before slicing.  The salad pairs beautifully with grilled oily fish like salmon or mackerel; the gentle acidity, fruitiness and acid in the salad perfectly balancing the rich oils from the fish. You can, of course, swap out the oil and ...

This quick and simple recipe is a great way to use any soft green leaves you may have in the fridge. In the height of summer, there are all sorts leaves available to us so feel free to use the likes of kale, cavolo nero or spinach if you can’t get any chard. The slight bitterness from the leaves balances ...

It's now 8 months since I moved away from the corporate 9-6 world. I ‘d planned, of course, to write a regular blog about my ongoing progress on the path to sustainable self-employment; but I’m afraid I’ve failed miserably at that. Indeed, over the past few months, I’ve learnt to set myself more manageable goals to avoid the inevitable frustration ...

This recipe is perfect for the early summer when cavolo nero or kale is in plentiful supply.  The salty acidity from the cheese, lime and capers works so well with the slightly bitter minerality of the dark green leaves, rich in iron.  The trick here is to add enough of the pasta cooking water to ensure a creamy light sauce ...

Broad beans are delicious. But by the time you’ve removed the larger ones from their tough outer skins, one tends to be left with a fairly modest quantity. So it’s not the kind of vegetable you can expect a whole plate of; instead, dot them through pastas and risottos or use as one of several green vegetables in a light ...

This is a very simple soup recipe that’s delicious served hot or cold.  What makes it special is the balance of sweet, smooth and earthy beetroot and salty, crunchy slightly bitter olives. Recipes are always about balance and I think this hits the nail quite nicely on the head. Dehydrating the olives takes a bit of time but it’s super ...

I’ve been fascinated by Persian cooking for some time now. It’s so wonderfully fragrant and fresh, overflowing with vibrant herbs and warming spices and there’s a balance of sweet and savoury that’s second to none. I’ve cooked a few of Najmieh Batmanglij’s (a true guru of Persian cooking) recipes in recent years and she’s taught me quite a different way ...

Many recipes are merely starting points, the foundations for a skyscraper's worth of variations, alternatives and tweaks. For me, a recipe shouldn't be seen as gospel; it's there to give you ideas and inspiration rather than represent the only way. As Nikki Segnit explains at length, in Lateral Cooking, a recipe is merely one expression at a single point along ...

I love spanakopita, the delicious Greek pie, filled with feta, ricotta and spinach and veiled in wonderful flaky filo pastry.  Taking the base recipe as a starting point, I’ve changed things up a little by using a spice blend more akin to Middle Eastern cooking; sumac and ground allspice give the filling a wonderful warmth that perfectly combines with fresh ...

These delicious Greek inspired patties are aromatic with oregano, mint, lemon and cinnamon and come served with a pink sauce that will brighten anyone’s day.  Enjoy them hot, straight from the pan or at room temperature, al fresco, on a picnic.  I love the texture of the small pieces of halloumi that caramelise in the pan, but if you prefer, ...

I love cavolo nero’s rich iron flavour.  This, combined with caramelised garlic and crushed chilli flakes, makes for a great pasta sauce that takes literally minutes to make.  The recipe below is pretty versatile; if you don’t blitz the cooked cavolo and leave out the pasta, you’ve instead got yourself a great side veg; two recipes in one!  When I ...

Sometimes it’s good to go back to the classics.  My Crop Drop bag this week was overflowing with red onions, courgettes and aubergines and so, despite being a little early in the season, had ratatouille written all over it. I have memories of rather bland ratatouille as a child growing up (sorry mum) but I learnt, at some point in ...

Chargrilled cabbage with sriracha butter, and blue cheese - aka buffalo cabbage Taking the flavours and textures of buffalo wings (or buffalo cauliflower florets), I’ve created this great little recipe for white cabbage.  Chargrilling the vegetable gives it a wonderful smokey flavour and the sugars in the sriracha caramelise with the butter making something quite delicious.  If you don’t have a chargrill ...

It’s a crime to throw away cauliflower leaves. You’ve essentially got two vegetables in a cauliflower; those pure white florets being one, and the leaves being another.  The leaves have the familiar flavour of cauliflower, but with a little less intensity. You can rub them with oil and seasoning and bake in a hot oven until crisp, or, as in ...