The ultimate veggie roast dinner

Joining in with the tradition of ‘Sunday roast’ has to be one one of my favourite things about moving to England. In a cozy pub with a pint of ale or at home cooked with friends and a few glasses of wine, it’s just the perfect way to make Sunday feel relaxing and fun and to completely forget you’ll be back at work the next day.  But despite all those lovely words about roasts, I have to admit I’m a bit picky when it comes to choosing one…

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A veggie pie for the holidays

The day after our big Thanksgiving day feast, I was already thinking about what to make for Christmas. Sad but true! And this veggie pie is going to be the main event. The test run was so tasty, I might even be making it on Thanksgiving next year instead of the dreaded bird…

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Red cabbage and carrot curry

Yes, you read that right – red cabbage curry. It started out as a random idea but it turned out more delicious and delicate and aromatic than I thought it could be…

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Herb and greens pie

This was the perfect quick autumn meal the other night – lighter than winter stews and roasts but heavier than a summer salad, it’s filling, tasty, and a great way to use up herbs and greens from the garden or the shop…

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What to do with too many courgettes, summer squash and zucchini?

So autumn has snuck up on me! A couple festivals and a big trip to America and somehow the summer vegetable bonanza is almost over and I haven’t blogged nearly as many recipes as I meant to.

Luckily there is a summer veggie which carries on into September and just keeps on giving. If, like me, you haven’t made it to your garden or allotment in weeks and you’re a bit scared to go because of the amount of courgettes (aka zucchini or summer squash in the USA) that might have sprouted up since you were last there, fear not – I have been building up the recipe list for these little beauties for a few years now so you don’t have to be afraid of them anymore.

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Summer bbq recipes for veggies

OK so we’re about to head back to the good ole US of A for three weeks! Roll on real summer, sorry England.

As I might not be posting for a little while, I’ve got a load of summer recipes for those of you out there having enough of a summer to be hosting or attending lovely bbqs and parties. If I get really motivated I might even post about the eat-a-thon that’s about to take place while we’re away… But then again I might be too busy stuffing my face with Mexican, Chinese, pizza, bagels and so many more foods I’ve been missing for the past year. Oh and seeing lots of people I love too! Yay summer.

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Wholegrain salad with summer vegetables (and green leaf pesto)

All that digging and sowing and watering has finally resulted in some food this month! And some yummy recipes for using it all up…

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Spring green pakora and aloo matar (pea and potato curry)

Do you ever find yourself making the same dish over and over again? In the same week? It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes you make something that’s just exactly what you want to eat and you could just eat it over and over and over… Well, this was that something for me last week. So I thought I best share the recipe in case it might be that something for someone else.

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Feeding friends: Tandoori halloumi and vegetables with red lentil dhal and dhai bel puri

I’ve been cooking curries for a few years now but I’m still on the hunt for the best veggie curry recipe. I understand the basics – a base of fried onion, garlic and ginger and spices and then tomato, yoghurt, coconut cream or water to make the sauce. But without meat juices it can still be tough to achieve a really flavourful result with a nice thick sauce.

But this meal might be the closest I’ve come to my top curry feast! It starts with a rendition of the amazing fresh salad ‘dhai bel puri’ from Planet India in Brighton – almost like an Indian seven-layer dip and- inspired by a colleague who also tried making it at home – you must try this and soon. Instead of a dry curry I made roasted tandoori halloumi and vegetables with a simple but perfect red lentil dhal alongside. I’d like to think Madhur Jaffrey would be proud!

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What to cook for a vegetarian?

Apparently it’s ‘vegetarian week’ at the moment! Who knew… Oh yes, Twitter of course. The internet loves a themed day or week! So I could spend the week preaching about how great it is to be a veggie, but I thought I’d celebrate by suggesting some ways meat-eaters and veggies can get along better. And what issue is more contentious than cooking dinner for each other??

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