You’re in social isolation and opportunities for shopping might be limited. But you have a well-stocked store-cupboard and freezer and it’s still possible to get most food if you look in the right places.
This sweet-sour pickle makes a wonderful accompaniment to cold ham or turkey, nutroasts and roast meat of all sorts, especially pork or lamb. It’s simple to make even though you have to take it in several stages. Tied with a ribbon and adorned by a pretty label, it...
The River Cottage website has a wonderful sounding recipe for slow-cooked shin of beef with ginger and soy https://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/shin-of-beef-with-ginger-and-soy. I’ve never made it because I’m not keen on beef, but the ingredients sounded intriguing...
Hotpot has a strong claim to be THE British comfort food. For hundreds of years, cheap cuts of meat were put with onions and carrots, topped with skiced potatoes., into a slow oven inside a coal-fired range. It’s literally the first dish I remember eating as a small...
What a perfect dish for a summer buffet supper or lunch. You can make it well in advance and I prefer it at room temperature rather than warm. It’s a Sicilian dish and reflects the nearness of Sicily to the North African coast as it’s a classic combination of sweet,...
This is my go-to chili recipe. I prefer it to chili con carne. It’s easy to cook with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge or cupboard and is forgiving since It doesn’t matter too much about quantities. You make a fragrant sauce with celery, onion,...
Roasting chestnut mushrooms gives them a deep rich (‘umami’) flavour. Twenty minutes in the oven is all they need. Spaghetti or linguine is the best choice for pasta. Once the mushrooms have roasted they are sliced then you toss in finely shopped spring onions, garlic...
This recipe was inspired by my friend Jane. I had no idea you can roast cabbage, but yes you can! This dish is simple and quick – you can do the whole thing in just over an hour and there are only 7 ingredients. The chicken legs have some cunning flavouring tucked...
My friend Wendi sent me a lockdown gift of her home made chunky marmalade. Delicious. The real sharp taste of Seville oranges! I had some chicken thighs lurking in the freezer so I thawed them and made this simple casserole. The sweetness of the sauce is balanced by a...
When there’s a glut of chilies the market stalls are almost giving them away. Yesterday I paid £1 for a brimming bowlful of bright red glossy specimens – the fatter, longer and milder ones. This was several thousand percent cheaper per chilli than the dainty little...
perfect after a long day when you don’t feel like doing anything fiddly in the kitchen. It produces a fresh-tasting pretty dish speckled with bright green, red and pink. You can use any kind of crabmeat – fresh, chilled or tinned. The sauce is made by adding garlic,...
We are just entering the season of courgette glut. Everyone who has even just a single plant on their balcony will find it laden with bright green ‘fruit’ just asking to be eaten. I used to make these fritters when my children were young and have just reminded myself...
This is an ultra simple and extremely economical recipe. I made it with split peas but you could use orange or green lentils instead. Vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters will all love it (omit the splodge of yogurt for vegans). I made this as a dish that would serve 5...