Food In My Home

This is an exciting recipe for me to share with you, firstly because I actually picked the carob myself in Ibiza and turned it into powder, and secondly because I discovered that you can make an egg replacement using chia seeds...totally bananas! Your probably thinking wow this is totally kickass, or wondering what the hell carob is and also how chia seeds can resemble an egg?? Well I will tell you... Carob is a funny looking pod that grows off the trees in hot places, I had no clue what it was until a month ago when I saw Sarah B's recipe for these muffins from My New Roots. She was inspired to do the recipe from smelling the carob growing off all the trees in a visit to Ibiza. Well, I saw this and it just so happened I was off to Ibiza that week, so being the new forager that I am, I picked as much as I could fit into my carry on case and brought it home, it was not hard to find there are carob trees as far as the eye can see. Some people say carob is like chocolate...those peopl...

I remember my first ever falafel, I was eighteen. I imagine not many people would remember something like that, but given that I was fresh from the Dorset countryside and there weren't many opportunities to try new food, I remember it! Maybe it was actually more memorable because of the epic shock I had when my head was blown off by the spiciest sauce ever! After a bit of swearing, sweating and a running nose I recovered and went back to my normal routine of ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch. Unfortunately I worked minutes away from Mustafas falafel van on Portobello and my workmate and now fellow hippy food friend Philly loved them, she dragged me back and under strict instructions Mustafa was banned from the bottle of spicy sauce. Anyway end of my story is that it turned out falafels are pretty damn good once you can taste them, and if your ever hungry on Portobello go and give them a try! This recipe is from Green Kitchen Stories which is one of my new favourite blogs, it...

The last week my kitchen has turned into a raw vegan dessert experimental mess. I'm eating ice cream cakes for breakfast which is awesome and they are not even the slightest bit bad for you! It's way too much fun playing around with recipes, especially because unlike normal baking, nothing is going in the oven, so no more hot kitchen, burns on my hands or black cakes in the oven, just a bit of music, dancing and mess. My friends have been teasing me about the new veganism, especially because living in a ski resort the local diet is a whole load of melted cheese, bread and meat. I will have to come to terms with the fact that I am going to be blacklisted from all dinner invites in the future. However, I have been feeding them my experiments and trying to make some new recruitments. So far I have almost made one and had lots of requests for this delicious very naughty looking chocolate brownie recipe from This Rawsome vegan life so here it is! Good luck trying to not eat the mix...

So this summer I have been turning into a bit of a hippy and trying veganism, vegetarianism and eating a more raw diet. I can't say I'm a total convert yet which was made obvious last night when I ate a moo but that was just a small relapse! My latest craze has been experimenting with funky vegan desserts using new ingredients like raw cacao butter, coconut oil and lots of dates and nuts. If you have tried raw chocolate before you have probably become a little bit obsessed, it's all creamy and amazing, not even that much like normal chocolate, more like rich chocolate mousse without the naughty stuff in it..phew! However out in the mountains it is totally impossible to get, I have one pack of cacao butter and I have a feeling it's going to be gone pretty swiftly with this new recipe. You will need to go to an organic health foods shop like wholefoods to find the raw cacao powder and butter. makes 5/6 mini cupcakes 1/4 cup raw organic cacao butter melted 1/4 cup raw orga...

The last week I have been working in the sunny Cote d'azur trying to squeeze in the last of summer. It turns out the french riviera makes for excellent people watching! As I basked in the sun my eyes were on stalks checking out all ze oiled up men in scarily tight budgie smugglers, sipping on chilled rosé and lunging in the direction of lots of uninterested glamourous ladies. I have been trawling through the Denis Cotter book 'For the love of food' trying out recipes that I have wanted too for ages and this one is really really yummy! If you have any leftover make some summer rolls adding pickled ginger, rocket, spring onions and spicy prawns and wrapping up in rice paper rolls with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and dipped in soy sauce..mmmm. Serves 4 1 tbsp coconut or rapeseed oil 2 small shallots, finely chopped 2 fresh green or red chillies, finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger 400g savoy cabbage, finely sliced 200g rice noodles for the almond and coconut dressing 10...

I have been in the Loire Valley for the last three weeks working for a lovely family with four kids, there has been lots of spaghetti on the walls, wine drinking, chocolatey faces and bum pinching from a certain naughty four year old. We are staying in a big Chateaux and my bedroom in in a turret so I am now calling myself Rapunzel, although no french men have been at my window trying to climb up my hair yet! Here is a nice little recipe from Jamie Oliver for smoked trout pate which I have been doing as a little addition to summer lunches. So unbelievably easy to make, just mix in a bowl or chuck into a magimix for a smoother pate. serves 6-8 125g cream cheese 2-3 heaped teaspoons jarred horseradish 1 lemon small bunch of chives finely chopped 125g hot smoked trout or salmon, skin removed sea salt and pepper Mix the cream cheese with the horseradish, zest from the lemon and half of the juice. Mix in most of the fresh chives just leaving a few to sprinkle on the top when you serve it. S...

It's been scorching for the last two weeks, and I can't even even brag to my friends back in England because apparently it's 30˚C there too which is totally unheard of! This recipe should appeal to all hot people out there because it's cold...whoopee and it's healthy unlike the other cold thing you eat...ice cream, which is yummy too. Maybe have one after since you will be so full of goodness! serves 4 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped 2 red peppers, seeded and roughly chopped 5-6 tomatoes, skinned 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced a small handful of basil leaves 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil generous salt and pepper handful of white/wholemeal bread, no crusts You can use bread thats a day old for this as you soak it in a little water until it goes soggy. I would use something like ciabatta or a nice brown loaf. Put the bread in a bowl and pour over some water and leave to soak, once soggy squeeze and put in the magimix or blen...

I am still loving France apart from the fact that I am meant to be brown by now and the sun has not come out nearly enough. We have become totally obsessed with eating fish since we are a 5 minute bike ride from the port where there is a market every day with the fisherman arriving with their catch from the morning. It also helps that it's so cheap! The only place I have ever bought fresh crab is straight from Ken the fisherman in north Wales where I have spent my summers by the sea every year since forever. It has always been a bit of a tradition to name them, so since our crab was french we named him Clemence, and he was very tasty...merci Clemence! This is a delicious, simple way to eat crab. You can buy the white meat from the supermarket or fishmonger too if you don't fancy cooking the crab and picking the meat out yourself. Also if you don't like the brown meat then just use the white meat and give the brown to your cat instead. serves 5 1 large male crab about 1kg or...

The weekend is almost here and that means brunch! I have been trying out new recipes from Denis Cotters book "For the love of food" and he has got all kinds of yummy healthyish brunch ideas. This is a really delicious take on traditional scrambled eggs and much fresher and healthier...oh and summery too! serves 2 sourdough or ciabatta sliced and toasted 1 avocado sliced drizzle olive oil 5 eggs, whisked in a bowl 1 small stalk of rosemary finely chopped half a chilli finely chopped 2 tbsps butter salt and pepper Chop up the rosemary and chilli and gently fry on a low heat with half the butter in a medium saucepan for a few minutes. Add the eggs and stir it all together, keep stirring until it is cooked as you like it. Stir in a little extra lump of butter for super creaminess and pour onto the toast. Serve the avocado on the side with salt, pepper a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. I recommend eating it in the sun with a glass of fresh orange juice which is probab...

This week has been a bit up and down with the weather, lots of rain and then an absolute scorcher yesterday in the 30˚s. Yesterday was an especially good day because not only did I get a little bit less pasty but I also stood up on my surfboard about 10 times!! I did almost die about twice getting absolutely smashed by waves and ended up with my hair looking a bit like a loo brush but very happy!! Since the weather has been crappy I made a huge cake, and I think this could be my newest most favourite cake I have ever made. I have been trawling through my River cafe books and there is so much amazing stuff so since I have all kinds of great ingredients on my door step I am going to go nuts and try loads this month. Serves 12 450g unsalted butter, softened 450g caster sugar 450g ground almonds 2 teaspoons good vanilla essence 6 free range eggs zest of 4 lemons juice of 1 lemon 225g polenta flour or fine semolina 1 1/2  teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon of salt Preheat the oven to ...

After spending the winter in the snowy mountains I am now in south west France right by the beach. Life is good! We have been biking around and running on the beach and so far we have surfed, sunbathed, sprained one ankle, not mine this time thankfully, seen a very thin green snake, eaten the best mussels in the world, drunk lots of wine, spoken very bad alcohol fuelled french and shopped at the local fish and veggie markets...tres bon! It has been pretty boiling the last few days so I decided to make a fairly labour intensive salad to take to my friend Mhairi's bbq, a great excuse to spend the afternoon soaking up the sun and podding peas. The down side about this salad is that even if you pod a big bag of peas and broad beans it doesn't make enough to feed a big bunch of bbq folks, I bulked mine up after with quinoa which was really delicious, you could also use pretty bow pasta or if you want to keep it green add sugar snap peas too. The flavour is very fresh and clean with ...

Wow it has been a long time since I posted any recipes, Je suis très désolé! I have just got back from 5 months in the beautiful swiss alps where I have been cooking loads for the café, skiing a little bit and enjoying mountain life, anyway I have now returned to wet England for a couple of weeks and have some time and energy to start sharing some of my new fantastique recipes. This is one of my new favourite salads from the chef Denis Cotter's book 'For the love of food' which is so incredibly amazing and I can't believe I have only just found out about him. I feel like the rest of my blog for the next few months maybe a little shrine of his recipes as I am so desperate to try them all. Serves 4 2 medium aubergines, halved lengthways, cut into slices 1 cm thick 25g sunflower seeds 2 tsp soy sauce 400g broccoli salt and pepper For the bulghur 50g bulghur 4 tbsp olive oil 200g cooked chickpeas (either from a can or soak and cook your own) 2tsp cumin seeds 1 fresh chilli,...

serves 6 Asian dressing 4 limes juiced 20g palm sugar 1 red chilli finely diced 2cm piece ginger peeled and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves finely chopped Salad 2 handfuls peanuts roughly chopped half a bag bean sprouts 4 spring onions shredded 2 carrots grated 1/4 red cabbage sliced very thinly 2 red pepper thinly sliced handful mint leaves shredded big handful coriander chopped 400g rice noodles  For the dressing just mix all the ingredients together and let it sit for about 30 mins to let the flavours develop. Cook the noodles following the packet instructions and then run them under cold water to cool them down. Roast the peanuts in the oven at about 180˚ for 10-15 mins until nice and golden, then leave to cool. Mix all the veg and noodles together with the dressing then chop some coriander and mint through, taste for seasoning and then sprinkle the peanuts on top with some extra coriander

Easy peasy little tarts that are nice little starters or lunch ideas with salad. puff pastry cut into rounds caramelised onions goats cheese fresh thyme All you need to do is cut out rounds from the pastry, score a line about a cm next to the outside with a knife and spread the inside with the caramelised onion, cut some goats cheese and place on the top, drizzle with some olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme leaves. Egg wash the rim and cook in the oven on a lined baking tray for about 15-20 mins at 180˚C until the pastry is golden et voila, serve with a nice little green salad.

Heres another banger, so fresh, clean and summery and pretty colours too! serves 4 2 small fennel bulbs ½ red onion very thinly sliced juice and grated zest of 1 lime 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp chopped dill 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley 1 mild chilli, seeded and finely chopped 4 tbsp olive oil 16 tiger prawns, peeled and de-veined 1 tbsp sumac 2 tbsp chopped coriander pomegranate seeds to garnish Trim the bases and tops of the fennel, then slice widthways as thinly as you can, if you have a magimix you can use the thin slicer for super speedy slicing. Mix together with the onion, lime juice and zest, garlic, dill, parsley, chilli, 2 tbsps of the olive oil and ½ tsp of crunchy sea salt and set aside. Get a griddle pan smoking hot on the gas, meanwhile mix the prawns with the remainder of the olive oil and some salt. Grill them in small batches until they are golden, usually a minute on each side and then toss into the salad along with the coriander and sumac and give it a st...

Happy holidays and New Year! I have had a crazy few weeks, lots of parties to cook for in the run up to Christmas in London then last minute took a job in Switzerland and arrived 2 days before Christmas starting immediately....c'etait crazy! I am now in the beautiful mountains though so big smiles, lots of friends and skiing so I couldn't be happier, and I have a super cool chef job in a cute little cafe/restaurant called La Ruinette  in the Valley. Here is a recipe to a totally ridiculously amazing carby salad I made for a party, it's great to share and is the most amazing colours and flavours, and as per usual it is another Ottolenghi one! serves 4 3 medium sweet potatoes 1  ½  tsp ground coriander 1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced handful of coriander leaves Dipping sauce ½  lemongrass stalk, very finely chopped 200g crème fraîche zest and juice of 2 limes 50g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated Preheat your oven to 210˚C, give your potatoes a wash if they are ...

Peppers are such a great vessel for stuffing with delicious things. I was introduced to giant cous cous over the summer, which isn't really like cous cous at all, it's more of a mini round pasta. Mix with herb oils, vegetables and cheese and you have a pretty yummy side dish to go along with your dinner! Serves 4 2 red peppers halved long ways, de seeded giant cous cous 1 aubergine, diced into small squares 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into small squares small bunch basil and parsley 1 clove garlic, crushed olive oil feta/goats cheese or mozzarella Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Roast the aubergine and sweet potato cubes until golden and cooked through with some olive oil on a baking tray.  Cook the peppers too for about 15 minutes until soft but still holding their shape. Boil the giant cous cous to the pack instructions and then rinse in a sieve with cold water. For the herb oil, pick the leaves off the basil and parsley and pour over about 4 tbsps olive oil and add the garli...

Don't be put off by the slightly grey, something you might find in a babies nappy, colour of this dip, it is really good I promise! Served along side some healthy pitta crisps and you have yourself a good little chip and dip for the party season. makes 2 dipping size bowls 100ml olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped small 1 tbsp thyme leaves large pinch of chopped rosemary leaves 2 medium aubergines, finely diced 125g soft goats cheese, mild or cream cheese if you prefer salt and pepper pack of pitta breads olive oil handful fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped salt and pepper Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, add the onion, garlic, thyme and rosemary and sauté gently until soft. Add the aubergine, and cook for about 15 minutes until it is cooked through, stir regulary to stop it from catching and season. Allow to cool slightly before pureeing in a food processor with the goats cheese, check the seasoning and add more goats cheese to taste if nee...

I made this salad lots over the summer, it is so fresh and colourful, I use that cute mini flower pasta most of the time because orzo can sometimes be hard to find. Great served along side a bbq. serves 4 250g Orzo 2 red peppers handful pine nuts toasted 2 oranges, segmented small bunch parsley roughly chopped olive oil 1 lemon zested salt and pepper Start by cutting your peppers in half and placing them on a foil covered tray, skin side up. Put them under the grill and cook until the skin becomes black all over. Transfer the peppers into a bowl and cover with cling film, this lets them steam a bit as they cool down. Put a pan of water on and when it's boiled cook the orzo to packet instructions, then drain and run cold water over it until it's totally cool, leave in the sieve until all the water has gone, then transfer into a mixing bowl. While the peppers are cooling segment your oranges and put in the bowl with the orzo, parsley and pine nuts. Once the peppers are cool peel ...

Puff pastry pizzas are the BEST, they are so easy to do and like most things involving puff pastry and cheese they are so delicious. Perfect to do for kids or as part of a lunch for your friends. Use whatever toppings you like... 1 pre rolled packet puff pastry 1/2 a jar of passata or tinned tomatoes pureed handful of basil leaves 1 big ball of mozzarella torn apart 4 slices prosciutto, ham, salami 1 fresh chilli sliced or pinch of dried chilli flakes Preheat you oven to 180˚C and score a crust line about 2 cm thick around the edge of your pastry, using a fork prick the middle gently all over. This stops the pastry from rising too much in the middle so it's easy to apply your toppings. Cook the pastry on its own in the oven for about 15-20 mins until it is slightly golden and the pastry is almost cooked. If you don't cook it enough now then the pastry will become very soggy in the middle, although lots of people love that! Take the pastry out and spread the passata over the bas...