Alan Rosenthal

RI’m a huge fan of sweet and sour flavours. There’s a natural sweetness in carrots which makes them perfect when paired with a vinegar reduction and some salty grilled halloumi for an umami kick! Ingredients 4-5 carrots ½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar ½ tsp sugar   1 tbs finely ...

This super quick pasta recipe is traditionally made with orecchiette. However, I think it also teams with many other pastas very well; and I’ve used spaghetti here.  It may seem strange to boil broccoli until within an inch of its life, but it needs to be soft enough to be broken down into a thick sauce with golden garlic and ...

Squash and pumpkin are always best when they aren’t laden with too much water; the flesh will be firmer, richer in flavour and less inclined to disintegrate.  So, try to get one from a grower or grocer you trust, or spend a little bit more on a supermarket one. You can use any wholegrain you like here but I particularly ...

This recipe is inspired by kuku sabzi, an amazing Persian style frittata packed full of fresh green herbs and aromatic cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Traditionally the recipe should also contains a few tiny dried rose petals, but those are harder to come by so I’ve left them out of this recipe; feel free to add a sprinkling of these ground ...

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, ...