Veggie Tray Bake with Chickpeas & Tahini Dressing

October 27, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

Tray bakes are very popular at the moment and as winter draws in, throwing a few veggies into a large tray and roasting them in the oven can produce a quick, easy and comforting supper. I often roast vegetables but usually a close-to-ratatouille mix with onions, peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and sometimes, though not always, aubergine. […]

Puy Lentils with Aubergine, Tomatoes & Yoghurt

August 22, 2021.Reading time 8 minutes.

This is another recipe from the brilliant Ottolenghi Simple. It’s slightly adjusted to make a smaller portion as I was cooking just for myself and I thought 4 aubergines would be far too much! And anyway, I only had one. Then he used a 350g pack of precooked Puy lentils and mine was 250g … good […]

Lamb & Feta Meatballs

July 24, 2021.Reading time 7 minutes.

I had some lamb mince in my freezer that I wanted to use up; there was an aubergine in the fridge, delivered by Waitrose a week ago, that also needing using up. My first thought with the mince was kofte – this is what I mainly buy it for, kofte to go on the barbecue. […]

Hazelnut, Peach & Raspberry Cake

July 18, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

I saw this recipe in Ottolenghi Simple ages ago and thought it looked and sounded wonderful. But of course it’s not a recipe for the winter. Well unless you’re happy buying out-of-season fruit that’s been flown in from the other side of the world. This isn’t just an environmental point; out-of-season fruit really doesn’t taste […]

Bulgur with Tomato, Aubergine & Preserved Lemon Yoghurt

August 4, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

This is an Ottolenghi recipe from his book, Simple. Ottolenghi + Simple are not two words I’d normally put together. His recipes often contain very long lists of ingredients and are quite complicated. However, I was completely addicted to his Jerusalem book when it first came out in 2012 and cooked from it endlessly. Some […]

Spiced Apple Cake

January 21, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

This is another recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Simple book, which I wrote about last time. I made this apple cake for dessert. One of the great pleasures of visiting Ottolenghi’s Islington deli and restaurant is the glorious display of food in the window – especially the cakes! So fabulous is it, that it’s almost impossible […]

Beef Meatballs with Lemon & Celeriac

January 21, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

‘Simple’ and ‘Ottolenghi’ aren’t words that I’d instinctively put together. I love Yotam Ottolenghi’s food but it has to be said that his recipes are often complicated and contain many ingredients, even though a lot of them are ½ teaspoon of ‘this spice’ and ¼ teaspoon of another. So I have to confess I was a […]

Ottolenghi’s Roasted Aubergine with Saffron Yoghurt

August 23, 2017.Reading time 7 minutes.

I used to cook lots of Ottolenghi’s recipes after I bought his Jerusalem book (published 2012) but then turned my attention – as often happens – to new books I bought. However, I so much loved my visit to the Ottolenghi restaurant in Islington last Saturday that I vowed as I ate the delicious food […]

Restaurant Review: Ottolenghi

August 20, 2017.Reading time 12 minutes.

It’s been so many years since I last went to Ottolenghi that it was pre-blog days – and the blog turned 6 last month! So when Annie suggested we ate there last night before going to the Almeida Theatre, I was really pleased. I’m not sure quite why it’s taken me so long … I’ve […]

Quick and Easy Harissa Hummus

April 14, 2017.Reading time 7 minutes.

I make a version of ‘hummus’ quite often. By this I mean, a basic hummus recipe but not necessarily made with chickpeas but often with butter beans or cannelloni beans instead; even roasted vegetables such as beetroot and squash. Then the other day I was in the National Portrait Gallery café and had a sandwich that had […]