Category Archives: Recipes

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Chicken cacciatore, the love of bringing people together, Food for Life

Chicken cacciatore, the love of bringing people together, Food for Life
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…
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Spaghetti with feta, cavolo nero, olives, capers & lime

Spaghetti with feta, cavolo nero, olives, capers & lime
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…
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Broad bean, feta, mint and basil crostini

Broad bean, feta, mint and basil crostini
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…
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Beetroot velouté with black olive crumb

Beetroot velouté with black olive crumb
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…
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Persian style jewelled fragrant rice

Persian style jewelled fragrant rice
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…
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2 simple, delicious salads

2 simple, delicious salads
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…
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Aromatic spiced chard, leek & feta pie

Aromatic spiced chard, leek & feta pie
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…
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Beetroot & halloumi keftedes with beetroot tahini sauce

Beetroot & halloumi keftedes with beetroot tahini sauce
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…
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Spaghetti with cavolo nero, garlic and chilli

Spaghetti with cavolo nero, garlic and chilli
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…
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Ratatouille

Ratatouille
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…
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