Chicken and white bean stew
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. This was the first dish I ever made for my now hubby, so I’d say it’s a winner!
Tteokbokki (spicy Korean rice cakes)
This is a Korean street food snack made of spicy, chewy, moorish rice cakes. It’s unlike anything I could really compare to any Western dish. When my husband and I first tried it in Seoul we were immediately hooked. The cooking of this dish is actually incredibly easy, the biggest effort will probably be made sourcing the ingredients!
Burrata, potato, cannellini bean and pesto salad
This isn’t really a salad, it’s more the chance to eat crispy fried potatoes and burrata without feeling it’s totally indulgent.
Roasted cauliflower and hazelnut salad
This salad is surprisingly delicious, in fact it is so good that it reinvigorated my use of cauliflower in my cooking altogether. This salad made me realise how versatile cauliflower can be and how flavoursome it is when roasted.
Griddled halloumi, courgette and peach salad
I really enjoy fruit in a savoury dish, mainly as it usually brings a lovely juiciness, this salad is no exception. The sweet juicy, tangy peaches surprisingly go really well against salty halloumi. Griddling the components of this salad add a nice charred flavour and looks nice too!
Beetroot and feta pasta with walnuts and dill
This has got to be one of the prettiest pasta dishes, plus a beetroot lover’s dream! This dish comes together in not much more time than it takes to cook the pasta but looks so special.
Piedmont peppers
You’d never think that these basic ingredients could be so dramatically transformed when combined. This takes about 50 minutes in the oven but takes no more than 5 minutes prep time so makes an easy lunch or dinner. Have it with your favourite bread to mop up all the juices.
Halloumi and roasted tenderstem broccoli with cherry tomatoes
An easy to make warm salad that can be ready in less than half an hour. The halloumi makes this salad feel quite substantial and enough for a main, especially along with some nice bread.
Chinese pork burgers (rou jia mo, 肉夹馍)
I used to buy these in the Muslim quarter where I lived in China, they are originally from Shangxi province (near where the Terracotta Warriors were found) and are a very common and tasty street food.
Grilled cheese kimchi on toast
This grilled kimchi on toast recipe is really simple, great when you’re not in the mood to cook.
Nigella’s Forever Summer watermelon and feta salad
The ingredients in this salad may sound strange at first glance, but trust me, it is an amazing salad that you should definitely try!
Oma’s lentil soup
This is probably my most frequently made soup of all time. A family recipe from my hubby’s side!
Ottolenghi’s grilled mackerel with green olive, celery and raisin salsa
This recipe is from Ottolenghi The Cookbook, published in 2008, yet it was only recently that I tried this recipe and discovered its brilliance.