Badam Burfi (Almond Candy)

I have fond memories of my mother picking me up from junior school and occasionally stopping off at her Indian friend, Dolly’s shop. I don’t even remember which shop was Dolly’s, what she looked like, or what her shop sold… but I do remember that she used to have a limited selection of mithai (Indian sweets). We’d buy a very small selection (as our budget didn’t allow for more), but more often than not, we’d have jalebis or burfi (barfi) of some sort.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This dish was born out of laziness… pure laziness. However, when I came around to making it – I ended up making my own bread, roasted red peppers and pesto. How that happened, I will never know!

The soup is served with basil pesto toasts and is perfect for the cold autumn/winter nights. It’s easy to make, packed full of flavor, and will supply you with a boost of vitamin A, C, B6, antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Soft Polenta with Ratatouille

I’ve eaten polenta on numerous occasions, and it’s always been so bland and tasteless. When set and cut into pieces, it’s boring, and when soft, it brings back bad childhood memories of being forced to eat disgusting semolina with a splat of jam. Urgh… UK school dinners (or more correctly lunches) in the 80’s.

Polenta was one of those things that I thought I just hated. That was until J ordered vegetarian polenta at The Olive and Grape for lunch. Two things were weird – he went for a vegetarian dish, and it was polenta?!?

Chocolate Dipped Tuxedo Strawberries

Ten years have passed since I accidentally melted a chocolate heart I bought for J for Valentine’s Day. It’s a hilarious story - I wrapped it all nicely and popped it on my dining room table on 13th February. I had my storage heater on, as it was still very cold in Southampton. After I switched the heater off, I went to get ready for bed and decided to have a quick tidy around. This tidy around involved putting the chocolate heart on the heater…

Insalata Caprese

I cannot believe I'm writing an entry for caprese salad! It's one of the simplest things in the World. It's also one of my favorite salads of all time, and that's why we had it for our starter for Valentine's Day. It's amazing how just a few simple ingredients can make such a delectable salad. The trick is to use the best quality tomatoes and mozzarella you can find. In the best mozzarella, I mean Italian imported buffalo mozzarella. Imported buffalo mozzarella is like heaven in a mouthful – it’s soft, creamy and oh-so-delicious. Once you’ve tried this mozzarella, no other will ever do.

Bacon and Fennel Pasta

I know, I know the finished dish looks like a cat has vomited on a plate of pasta... but I've always found taking photographs of pasta really difficult. You have to trust me when I say it's delicious!

Carrot Cake Muffins - Gluten Free & Vegan

I've decided that carrot cake is evil - I can eat so much of it without batting an eyelid... it's incredibly deadly for me. I'm unsure why I love it so - it maybe the moistness of the cake, the fruitiness, the nuttiness, the high sugar and fat content, or simply the cream cheese frosting that adorns them. Lucky enough, I've limited my dairy intake (due to allergies), so any piece of carrot cake that calls me when I'm in PCC will have to sit on the hips and thighs of someone else.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

It was J’s 24th birthday yesterday…. yeah, right! Switch the numbers around and you’ll get his real age. You must remind me to ask what the view is like at the top of the hill...

He’s a die-hard chocolate fan, so what could be more appropriate than chocolate cupcakes for his birthday? These babies are vegan-friendly, moist, delicious and packed full of chocolaty goodness.

Dutch Pancakes (Pannekoeken)

When I asked J what he wanted for his birthday dinner – he replied “pancakes… we haven’t had them for dinner for ages!” He was right, it was probably 2004 when we had them last.

The pancakes he was talking about were Dutch pancakes, not Dutch baby pancakes, but real Dutch pancakes. They are large and slightly thicker than a crepe, and are often served with a variety of toppings, including cheese and bacon. We enjoy them for dinner, not breakfast.

Cod with Roasted Baby Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil

This is a healthy and delicious fish supper, which is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, yet elegant enough for a dinner party. It’s simple to make, low in fat and packed full of deliciousness. Tender strips of courgettes (zucchini) are topped with a fillet of poached cod, and roasted baby plum tomatoes with garlic and fresh basil.

Moist Vegan Mango and Cardamom Cake

Many varieties of mangoes exist, however the king of mangoes is the Alphonso. No other mango compares to this wonderful mango, which is also known as an Indian mango. They are large, yellow, juicy, sweet and not at all stringy. They are the type of mangoes that you have to devour over the sink because they are so juicy.

Beef Stifado

I love Greek food - it’s one of my favorite cuisines. This beef stew reminds me of when we were holidaying in Cyprus. Beef and shallots are simmered in red wine and seasonings until meltingly tender. It takes a little while to make, but it’s worth the wait.

We enjoyed it with roast potatoes and Greek salad, yumz! It’s also delicious with crusty fresh bread.

Pork and Cider Stew

... a pork recipe? Yep! I had to try this stew when they were ranting and raving about it on the Chris Moyles show on BBC radio 1. The classic winter stew in our household is beef stew with gravy and herbed dumplings. However, this pork stew made a delicious change. It brings together the perfect marriage combination of pork and apples.