Sesame-crusted chicken
Chicken livers with onions
Chicken, parsnip and potato bake
Tarragon chicken
Spiced fried chicken
Rack of lamb
Sumac lamb chops
Honey mustard pork chops
Fried potatoes with cabbage and chorizo
Flavoured butters for steak
Apple fool
Hot buttered plum pudding
Lemon posset
Cardamom and orange semifreddo
Yoghurt, apricot and pistachio pots
Chocolate zabaglione
Rhubarb and ginger meringues
Chocolate mousse cake
Strawberry and nectarine tart
Pear and cinnamon tart
Chocolate and banana tart
One Pot
Minestrone
Carrot, ginger and coconut soup
Red lentil soup
Cauliflower soup
Smoked sausage, bean and root vegetable soup
Asparagus and goat’s cheese risotto
Kale and bean stew
Mediterranean pasta
Fish stew
Fish chowder
Easy paella
Spring vegetable roast chicken
Chicken open-pot roast
Chicken and chorizo with rice
Chicken and couscous tagine
Chicken biryani
Pot-roast duck legs with onions and root vegetables
Lamb and chickpea tagine
Leg of lamb with roasted vegetables
Lamb shanks with potatoes and pearl barley
Lamb and sweet potato curry
Slow-roast shoulder of pork
Spanish pork stew
Sausage and lentil stew
Provençal beef stew
Beef pie
Beef and red wine hot pot
Caramel rice pudding
Cinnamon baked apples
Spiced plums in red wine
Pear, almond and chocolate crumble
Chocolate croissant bread and butter pudding
No Cook
Beetroot gazpacho
White gazpacho
Fennel and pink grapefruit with feta
Fennel and mango salad
Parma ham and nectarine salad
Pear and blue cheese salad
Mashed chickpeas on toast
Artichoke purée on toast
Chicken with basil mayonnaise on toast
Mixed root remoulade with ham
Thai crab toast
Spiced chicken open sandwich
Ceviche
Smoked salmon and avocado on rye toast
Japanese-style salmon tartare
Smoked mackerel, apple and fennel salad
Sardines on toast with basil and rocket
Oranges with honey, pistachios and mint
Quick banana ice cream
Little banoffee pots
Amaretto tiramisu
St Clement’s syllabub
Melon with vodka, orange and mint
Strawberries with amaretti
Messes
Fuss-free Extras and Sides
Roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted new potatoes
Perfect mashed potatoes
Sautéed potatoes
New potato salad
Paprika potato wedges
Fried kale
Root vegetable mash
Red cabbage coleslaw
Buttered cabbage
Roasted cauliflower with gremolata
Green beans with anchovies and toasted almonds
Sautéed courgettes
Broccoli and oyster sauce
Sticky roast carrots in maple syrup
Two ways with lentils
Plain boiled rice
Brown pilaf rice
Couscous
Brown scones with treacle and sesame seeds
Poppy seed scones
Quick red pepper and pesto focaccia
Shortbread biscuits
It seems like we all lead such hectic lifestyles these days. Even though I love to cook, often I just don’t have the time to make complicated food. I’d love to spend six hours cooking an elaborate meal, but sometimes it just isn’t realistic. I think that’s true for a lot of people. Our lives are so busy now it can be difficult to set aside time to cook. That said, I don’t think it’s always the case that the more time you take over a meal the better it is. Truly great food can often be made in minutes and only using four or five ingredients.
It’s not just time though; I often