I’ve created this pie with ready-to-roll pastry to make it as easy and non-time-consuming as possible. You can, of course, make your own pastry if you prefer, but the idea behind this is to keep it simple. Chestnut mushrooms are easily accessible and a perfect size for a chunky pie, when cut either in half…
Category: Main Course
Three Ways with Pizza
I was thirteen years old when I first learned to make pizza. I was visiting family in Leicester when, on a visit to a book store, I came across Antonio Carluccio’s An Invitation to Italian Cooking. I bought the book, published the year before, after a brief flick-through of its glossy pages, and set to…
Vegan Cheese, Ham and Sundried Tomato Slices
These are basically vegan pasties, which is kind of like the Holy Grail of vegan junk food. At the time of writing this I haven’t been able to find any that you can buy (although the recent arrival of the Greggs sausage roll is a welcome step in the right direction). So, until the day…
Fried Tofu with Rice Noodles and Black Bean Sauce
Noodles and black bean sauce has always been one of my favourite Chinese dishes. I used to eat it on Shaftsbury Avenue when I was in my early twenties, in those Chinese restaurants that were permanently busy and where they would cram you in at tables next to complete strangers to eat your food (It…
Kale and Dill Wraps with Aubergine, Pineapple and Black Beans
These are the standard chickpea flour wraps, but with the addition of kale and dill to the batter to give it a green colour, and to get a little extra veggies in us. This is done by adding the kale, dill and some lime juice to water and blending together until completely smooth. That then…
Roasted Red Pepper and Aubergine Pasta Sauce
Pasta sauces are great for those nights when you just want to throw something together with the minimum fuss possible. I came up with this one when I suddenly found myself with a load of people to feed and not much time (or many ingredients) with which to do something creative. This dish was literally…
Stir-Fried Tofu with Aubergines
Great food doesn’t have to keep you tied to the kitchen for a whole evening. Sometimes you just want to get in and get it done, which is one of the many reasons stir-fries are great. This one is packed with flavour and can be ready to eat in the time it takes you to…
Pumpkin and Mango Curry
I’m one of those people who, when it’s pumpkin season, tries to put it in everything. Main courses, desserts, cakes, if I can get it in there I will. I also try to hang onto them as long as I can. Whether I’m freezing the flesh or keeping them whole for as long as they…
Baked Rhubarb with Sweet Potato, Swede and Crushed Hazelnuts.
Rhubarb lends itself well to savoury dishes if given the right sweetness during cooking. It is also an extremely delicate plant to cook with and as such must be dealt with carefully if you want to keep it intact. For this recipe the rhubarb is baked in a syrup for about 15 minutes, without touching…
Courgette Fritters with Basil and Dill Dressing
Vegetable fritters are an ingeniously tasty way of getting vegetables in you. They’re basically a pancake batter that’s crammed with whichever vegetables you happen to have lying around. I’ve chosen courgettes and spring onions because of their fresh taste and the fact that courgettes grate really well (though you do have to squeeze the moisture…
