Date and Oat Bars (vegan unless I’ve missed something!)

I first saw these on Tori Haschka’s blog, and loved the idea of having them as a quick breakfast snack. I like dates very much, and bakes made with them always appeal to the Sweet But Not Too Sweet tooth I have. Sweet potato as a baking ingredient has won me over since Gizzi Erskine …

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Lemon Semolina Cake

Originally this was a honey and lemon semolina cake, where it got drenched in a syrup after cooking. It was an absolutely gorgeous cake, I made it for my 40th, but my tastes don’t run as much to sweet nearly a decade on so I decided on a variation.It’s my last Cake Club at work …

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Calcutta Cabbage Tangles

This is not my recipe, but one borrowed from Nisha Katona, founder and powerhouse behind the Mowgli chain of Indian restaurants. I say chain, but they are the furthest from the bland, corporate chain than anything could be. There’s a beating heart in each one, and each one, like siblings, retains the looks, but the …

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Artichokes with browned butter and Hilopites noodles

You know how sometimes a cooking method can escape you time and time again, and then one day you read one more account of how to do it, and it all makes sense? Today I had that with artichoke prep.Not the big globe ones, but the smaller, purple ones. Perfect little flower heads that, nonetheless, …

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Ajvar

The things I do for my colleagues. Ed mentioned that when he’d been on holiday in Croatia, he’d had this gorgeous dip made of aubergines and red peppers, and was bemoaning the fact that he hadn’t been able to find it since. I was pretty sure I’d be able to find a recipe, and I …

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Dizi: Persian Lamb Stew, a variation

Since watching Nigel Slater’s Middle East, my poor brain's been utterly full of the foods cooked during the three episodes of that lovely programme. (Only 3. I WANT MORE!)To be honest, I think my grey matter has jumbled everything up rather, so the ingredients I bought last weekend became a dish 'inspired by' rather than …

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Halloumi and Spinach Curry

I don’t know why I never thought to use halloumi in a curry before, seeing as it is virtually the same set of ingredients as paneer, but I guess I’m just so used to it being grilled or fried up in Mediterranean dishes that it never crossed my mind. Using it in a curry changed …

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Comfort Soup: Quick Fasolada

I have a feeling that cheap and cheerful comfort foods are going to be big on the menu for a while. It was so cold today, I couldn’t shake it from my bones, no matter how I wrapped up, and so some sort of soup was on my mind when I got in from work. …

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Pork belly and chick pea casserole

I’d hesitate to call this a recipe. It’s more like a memory from childhood in a pot, to be honest. A chuck it all in dish, if you will. We call a stew a yahni (γιαχνί) and that covers a lot of dishes! Many cultures have their own versions. I think Mum used to make …

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French-ish Onion Soup with Cheese Sprinkles

Lordy I just have to write this recipe down before I forget it. I wanted soup. I’d baked a lot today, and didn't want anything heavy for dinner so soup seemed ideal. I just seem to have a thing lately for clear, hot stocks. Nothing claggy, no roux, just stock with interesting things in. This …

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