sausage and ricotta pasta bake

This is what I call comfort food! Eve made this from a very popular NYT recipe by Melissa Clark. Heat your oven to 220ºC (425F). Heat some olive oil in an ovenproof pan or skillet over medium-high. Crumble 350g (¾ of a lb) of Italian sausage (we used pork and fennel sausage) into a skillet…… Continue reading sausage and ricotta pasta bake

spiced rum Christmas cake

Now is the perfect time to make a fruit cake for Christmas – plenty of time to feed it rum! Adapted from this recipe by Laura from A beautiful PLATE. First chop 300g (2 cups) of dried apricots, 160g (1 cup) of unsweetened black figs, 160g (1 cup) of unsweetened sour cherries and 120g (¾ of a cup) of dried unsweetened…… Continue reading spiced rum Christmas cake

montadito

Montadito is Spanish for bread or toast with toppings, basically tapas on toast. These are excellent as pre-dinner nibbles or as a delectable lunch. Using fresh produce from the garden and served on lightly toasted sourdough rye bread, these four are from or inspired by the cookbook MORO easy by Sam and Sam Clarke. Pepper,…… Continue reading montadito

roast vegetables with orzo and olives

This makes a great meal on it’s own or serve it as part of a larger menu. From the wonderful cookbook MORO easy by Sam and Sam Clarke. Preheat your oven to 220ºC (435)F). In a roasting tray or dish with some depth combine 2 sliced zucchinis (courgettes), 1 quartered and sliced eggplant (aubergine), 1…… Continue reading roast vegetables with orzo and olives

roast garlic and coriander chicken

Moroccan flavours of sweet poached garlic, coriander (cilantro), saffron and cumin are stuffed under the skin of this wonderfully moist roast chicken. From the fabulous cookbook MORO by Sam and Sam Clarke. For the stuffing break up 3 garlic bulbs, discarding any woody bits and place them in a small saucepan with skins on. Cover…… Continue reading roast garlic and coriander chicken

kimchi fried udon

Udon (うどん) are thick wheat flour noodles commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In Korea they’re called udong-myeon (우동면). I bought fresh noodles but there are excellent dry and frozen options available. Kimchi and bacon provide a punch of flavour in this quick and tasty meal from Sue of My Korean Kitchen, First make the sauce…… Continue reading kimchi fried udon

triple chocolate buckwheat cookies

Buckwheat lends a nuttiness to these very chocolatey cookies from the inimitable Nigella Lawson. Soft with a satisfying cake-like texture they’re also gluten free! Chill 150g (5½ oz) of dark chocolate chips in the fridge or freezer. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and line a couple of baking sheets with baking paper. Roughly chop…… Continue reading triple chocolate buckwheat cookies