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Happiest in the kitchen. Should probably have been a 1950's American housewife. Love making a mess. Whenever I’m cooking, there’s always food being flung around, music on and wine being drunk.

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Grilled aubergine and ricotta roses baked in a hot tomato sauce
My new obsession is the stovetop griddle. Essentially, my new obsession is being able to barbecue indoors despite the mulchy British weather. There’s just something so beautiful about thick charred lines across a freshly sliced courgette or aubergine. Beyond beauty griddling also adds that smokey flavour and blistered skin that bring the outdoors, in.
The question is what to do with these beautifully griddled vegetables. Unless it’s a warm summer’s lunch on the patio, a salad can lack in substance. Even a mezze plate, delicious as it is, can lack pizzazz. So here’s my answer to the question: wrap them up with cheese and bake in a piquant tomato sauce. Actually, this is the answer to most of my questions in life.
A single rose makes for an original appetizer at a dinner party. Else, one or two over a bed of spaghetti is just perfect for a Sunday night in.
Ingredients (To make two roses)
A large aubergine
A tub of low-fat ricotta cheese
A carton of tomato passata
A handful of fresh tomatoes (I often add a handful of semi-dried tomatoes too)
Two garlic cloves
A couple of bay leaves
A tablespoon of sugar
A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
A few fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Plenty of good quality olive oil
Pour the passata into a saucepan and heat to a simmer. Throw in the tomatoes, garlic cloves (I keep mine whole and just score it with a sharp knife to allow the flavour to escape), bay leaves, chopped basil leaves, the tablespoon of sugar and the tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
Heat the griddle to a medium-high heat and use a brush to coat well in olive oil. Using a vegetable slicer, slice the aubergine lengthwise about 2 or 3mm thick. If you don’t have a vegetable slicer you can cut the aubergines by hand, although it’s not the easiest of tasks. Sprinkle the slices lightly with table salt.
Place the aubergine slices on the griddle a few at a time, coating it in fresh oil each time, until each side is left with charred lines. Place the slices on a piece of kitchen towel to drain the excess oil.
Line half of the slices of aubergine up end up end, overlapping by about an inch. Stir the ricotta with a hefty pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper and smear it generously along the aubergine. Roll the sheet up tightly enough that it holds, but not so tight the ricotta is squeezed out. If it fails to hold together, wrap around another piece of aubergine or pop a wooden kebab skewer through it whilst it bakes.
Take the tomato sauce off the heat and allow to cool. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a small baking tray and place the roses on top, petal side up.
Bake for 10-12 minutes and serve.

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Greek pie
As you may be able to tell, I’ve lost my gorgeous, talented photographer Mike. The bastard chose not to follow me back to Durham from Brooklyn and has left me to my own devices - the devices in question being a seven year old point and shoot Canon and an iPad. So apologies for the lack of beautiful food shots going forth, unless of course any of my disgustingly talented friends would like to trade dinner for taking beautiful photos for me for an evening..
Ingredients
A sheet of puff pastry (I would encourage you to make your own. I, as a totally inept baker, did not)
150g good quality plum tomatoes
150g pitted olives - green and black preferably
Half a red onion
200g feta cheese
A generous handful of chopped parsley
Half a lemon
Two tablespoons of greek yoghurt
A handful of wilted spinach (I didn’t add this, but it would make a lovely addition)
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Lay your sheet of pastry on a well-oiled oven tray and paint the top layer with more olive oil.
Throw on top the halved tomatoes, halved olives, sliced red onions and crumbled feta (and wilted spinach).
Pop in the oven for about 15-18 minutes, until the pastry has risen around the edges and turned a beautiful crispy brown and the middle is no longer raw and greasy (as you may be able to tell from the photo, I was exceptionally hungry and took it out very slightly too early - learn from my mistake!).
Mix the greek yoghurt with the parsley and the lemon juice and mix. Drizzle over the pie and serve in squares.

1 note | 1 week ago

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Vegan mushroom stroganoff with wild rice
This isn’t a politicised recipe. I just only had vegan sour cream to hand. Feel free to use the original and delicious cow variety.
I think this is the first dish I ever made for my family - In Santa Monica, California at Christmas - that convinced them that I really could cook. The joke was on me - now I’m expected to feed them continuously and deliciously.
I think what I love most about this dish is that it is the ultimate umami - salty, creamy, meaty and earthy - it’s almost as if your tongue is being given a gigantic hug.

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Pearl barley and pesto risotto with griddled courgette and goji berries
I attended a cooking demonstration that based the menu on cherry blossom (it didn’t include any, sadly, as it’s rather inedible). It’s a lovely idea to use something visual to inspire a menu. Here is my cherry blossom-inspired recipe. The sliced courgette makes for the boughs of the trees, the pesto makes up the leaves, and the pearl barley and goji berries add the finishing floral touches.
I can’t wait to throw my next dinner party, where I shall be using some more floral inspiration such as lavender infusions and rosewater scents. (This might be the most pretentious sentence I’ve ever written)
Ingredients (For two)
100g of pearl barley
A courgette
A handful of dried goji berries
Good quality olive oil
A bunch of fresh basil
A clove of garlic
30g of pine nuts
Salt and pepper
A squeeze of lemon
Vegetable stock
The pesto can be made a day beforehand. I often make large amounts and use it in all recipes for a few days as it keeps well. Using a small blender or food processor, add the fresh basil leaves, the cashew nuts and a good slug of olive oil. Add a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and half of the garlic clove and blend. Taste it and add more garlic, salt, pepper to taste as well as a squeeze of lemon to bring out the sweetness of the basil.
Pop the goji berries in warm water to soak whilst you cook the rest of the dish.
Place the barley in a large pan and add 250ml boiling water (have some extra on hand), stir in a generous amount of vegetable stock and a pinch of salt. Simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. Add small amounts of boiling water if needed, but the barley should absorb all of the water used and not need draining.
Heat a stove top griddle or griddle pan. Thinly slice the courgette lengthways and paint each with the pesto. The griddle should be nice and hot - a few drips of water should sizzle and evapourate. Cook them on each side until they are left with brown griddle marks. Be careful not to overcook the courgette - it’s most delicious when fresh and crisp.
When the barley is ready, stir in the rest of the pesto and a shake of salt to taste. Spoon the barley onto a plate, drape the courgette slices over it, spinkle the whole plate with goji berries and serve with a drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil.

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Raw chocolate mousse, raw key lime pudding and raw lemon cheesecake
In America, pudding appears to be some strange Angel Whirl type food stuff and Americans get understandably confused when I use pudding interchangeably with dessert. For any Americans reading, pudding is what comes after dinner. Dinner. Not ‘entrée’. That means starter in French. Incidentally, it is starter, not ‘appetizer’… Oh, I give up… Here is some food to eat after some other food.
It’s pretty incredible to discover how few ingredients you need to make raw desserts - and how simple they are. I took two raw ‘cooking’ classes in New York last year and, despite my reservations and my dominant savoury tooth, the desserts were exceptionally impressive. We made a strawberry cheesecake with a nut and date crust, a key lime pie, and a decadent chocolate mousse with a surprising list - avocados, raw cashew nuts, agave syrup, coconut oil and dates form the basis of many receipes that I have seen.
Although it is relaxing to take a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen to create cakes and pies, for me dessert is something that is usually whipped up at 11pm when I have a sudden craving for sugar. So I chose simple recipes to make that don’t require too much pre-planning or a late night dash to the nearest 24/7 supermarket.
Next time you have friends over for dinner, try serving one of these in place of a sugary dessert and see how long it takes them to realise that their unhealthy pudding is an imposter.
Ingredients
Chocolate Mousse
1/3 cup raw pistachios
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 ripe avocados
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla flavor
Pinch of sea salt
A splash of cold pressed coconut oil
Blend pistachios until they are a fine consistency
Add the maple syrup (I add half now and half later in order not to oversweeten it), avocado flesh, cacao powder, vanilla extract and coconut oil and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Try it, and add the rest of the maple syrup and salt to taste. I prefer not to sweeten mine too much and serve it with sweet berries instead.
Pop into shot glasses, wine glasses or dessert bowls and refrigerate for a few hours before serving with fresh fruit, cashew cream or a dusting of cacao powder.
Key Lime Pudding
1 avocado, cut into chunks
The juice of two limes
1/4 cup agave syrup (may require slightly more or less depending on how tart you like it)
Filtered water
Blend ingredients (except for the water). The flavour of the lime seems to become tarter the longer it cools, so you may wish to add slightly more agave.
Add the water to get the consistency you want.
This is excellent to serve over the lemon cheesecake - pop the cheese cake mixture in a tall glass, chill until hardened, fill the glass with the key lime pudding and top with a few raspberries and shredded mint leaves.
Lemon cheesecake
3 cups raw cashew nuts
The juice and zest of two lemons
1/2 cup agave syrup (you may wish to use more or less depending on taste)
3/4 cold pressed coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
A splash of filtered water if necessary
Blend the cashew nuts until a very fine consistency
Add of the ingredients and blend on high speed until as creamy as possible. You can add small amounts of water to assist with the blending.
Refrigerate overnight before serving. Serve with strawberry compote, key lime pudding or fresh berries.

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Goji berry, brazil and pistachio nuts and chia seed granola balls.
I just can’t get enough of homemade granola at the moment.. Another delicious recipe for you, made with superfoods to give you bang for your buck. It’s quick to whisk up, travel friendly and very aesthetically-pleasing. What’s not to adore? So here’s what you’re eating:
Ingredients
One cup Goji berries… are one of the most nutritionally-rich superfruits, providing vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants and anti-aging benefits.
One cup of Brazil nuts… contains exceptionally high levels of selenium. Adequate selenium foods in the diet help prevent coronary artery disease, liver cirrhosis, and cancers.
One cup of pistachios… contains 310 mg of potassium, an essential part of the sodium-potassium pump that controls the beating of the heart.
One cup of Chia seeds… are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid. They are also an excellent source of fiber, protein and minerals including as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
Three table spoons of raw honey… are anti-Bacterial, which boosts immunity.
Two cups of raw oats
A shake of sea salt

Pop the goji berries in a blender or processor for a few moments to break them down. Add the brazil and pistachio nuts. Blend until they are broken into small pieces, but be careful not to turn the mixture into dust.
Add the mixture into a bowl with the raw oats and the chia seeds. Throw in the honey (I very slightly warm it over a cup of hot water to make it easier to stir in) and heartily mix until the honey coats everything. You may wish to add a tiny splash of olive oil if the honey is very thick.
Using your hands, mould the the mixture into balls - this might require some serious pressure - and store in the freezer until you want to eat them. I like to sprinkle a little sea salt over mine before eating just to bring out the sweetness.

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Moroccan spiced stuffed peppers
Stuffed peppers are the bane of my life as a vegetarian. For some reason there appears to be an automatic mental connection between not eating meat and loving bland stuffed peppers that exists in omnivore’s minds that overrides all rational thought.
I’m here to tell you the same connection does not exist in our minds.
But if you do have a vegetarian friend and you insist on going down the stuffed pepper route, please, save their sanity and at least use this recipe..
Ingredients
One pepper per person
Two cups of cooked brown rice per pepper
A lump of good quality goats cheese
Half a cup of passata per pepper
A generous handful of golden raisins
A generous handful of sliced almonds
A chunk of red onion per pepper
A couple of garlic cloves
A slug of olive oil
A few stalks of flat parsley
A dash of chilli powder
A dash of cumin powder
A dash of cinnamon powder or a cinnamon stick
A small knob of grated ginger (jarred in fine too)
A small knob of grated turmeric (or a dash of powdered)
Salt
Wash the rice and throw it in a pan of boiling water
Halve and core the pepper and pop it in a medium-heat oven (with a little oil) to begin roasting. Leave for about 10 minutes or until you spot small dark spots developing.
Dice and sauté (I just learnt this means jumped, bounced) the onions with the olive oil in a large pan - it will later need to fit the cooked rice. When they begin to become transparent, throw in the minced garlic.
Turn the heat very low on the pan of onions, adding the ginger and turmeric with a slug of olive oil, and allow the flavours to fuse. I also add the raisins at this point to let them soak up some oil and become juicy.
Once the rice has cooked, drain and rinse and add to the pan of onions. Add the passata and use a fork to mix the two without stirring (stirring will eventually turn the rice to mush)
Chuck in your sliced almonds, spices, and salt to taste. When it is to your liking, stuff your peppers and crumble some goats cheese over the top. Whack your peppers into a hot oven until the cheese is golden on top.
Serve with a handful of roughly chopped parsley thrown over the top.

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Fruity Clara
One hour of my life well spent.

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Raw chocolate granola bars with sea salt and cacao
I’ve never liked shop-bought granola. It’s too crunchy. Or not crunchy enough. And it always has pesky shards of coconut hiding amongst the over-dried raisins that gets stuck inbetween teeth, leading to a bitter battle with the tongue. And it all seems to be sweetened - sometimes sickenly so - with plain old sugar. Perhaps I’m just persnickety. Regardless, once you make your own granola and granola bars, I think it’s likely you’ll forget there was ever a moment of doubt.
The best part is that the precise ingredients have little baring on the end result (deliciousness). I personally love to make raw granola because inhaling it at the speed of light is less guilt-ridden. I love throw cacao powder in because as much as I protest that I don’t like chocolate, I really secretly do. I also love to add buckwheat for some serious crunch in comparison to the chewy cranberries. And I love the occasional Okay, I have to stop now before the craving get too much and I’m making granola till 2:00am.
My point being: You can use your favourite nuts, your favourite seeds, honey instead of agave syrup, raisins instead of cranberries. You could throw in chia seeds if you’re looking for protein, or replace raw cacao with maple syrup. Or go totally crazy and add peanut butter. Why the hell not. Make it your own.
But just in case you like the look of mine, here’s how I do it
Two handfuls dried cranberries
One handful raw almonds
One handful raw cashew nuts
A handful of buckwheat
Four handfuls of raw oats
A tablespoon of cacao
Two tablespoons of agave syrup
One teaspoon of sea salt
A teensy splash of olive oil
Optional: Coconut flakes to serve
Place the cranberries in a food processor or blender till they’re roughly chopped. Add the nuts and blend again until the nuts are roughly quartered in size. Careful not to over-blend, else you’ll end up with dust.
Pop the mixture into a large bowl and add the buckwheat, cacao, agave syrup and sea salt. Mix vigourously. You can add a tiny splash of oil to help mix the cacao.
When the ingredients are equally coated, add the oats and shake together. Place the granola in a oven dish and spread evenly. Cover in foil and place pressure (I used a book) to compact it.
Keep it in the freezer until serving. Immediately out of the freezer, you can chop it into bars. Soon after, it will soften and you’ll have granola. Also the coolness makes it a more refreshing bite.

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Potato pancakes topped with apple sauce over buttered green beans
On an unrelated note, I don’t understand people who don’t enjoy being in the kitchen. If you’re one of those people, open the window if it’s a warm evening. Pour a large glass of red wine. Dim the lights. Play Louis Prima’s Just a Gigolo. Louder. This is ‘cooking’. Isn’t it wonderful?
This recipe is a classic, a budget-friendly staple in various cuisines. I didn’t plan to make it: I just rummaged around the fridge and happened upon a couple of potatoes, an egg, half a bag of apples and some frozen green beans. Food-fate, some might say.
The cheese, optional if you prefer to be healthy, can almost any hard cheese - chedder goes particularly well with apple, gruyère is nutty and heavenly (my personal favourite for this), even halloumi or mozzarella would work well.
Ingredients
A couple of large of potatoes (one per serving)
One small to medium white onion (size dependent on how many servings you are making)
One egg
A cup of flour
20 grams of cheese per serving
Paprika
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
For the apple sauce
One apple per serving
Water
Ground nutmeg
A dash of sugar or sugar alternative
To serve
Green beans, frozen or fresh
Butter
Salt
Sour cream

Peel, core and chop the apple a heavy saucepan with a centimetre of water and place on a medium to high heat, adding water if needed. The apples should cook and disintegrate rapidly without browning or burning. I keep my sauce quite chunky, you may prefer to have a smooth consistency. Once the sauce is ready, add a dash of sugar (or honey / agave syrup) to taste and a pinch of nutmeg.
Skin and grate the potatoes and mix in a large bowl with finely chopped white onion and the grated cheese. Break the egg into the bowl and stir thoroughly. Slowly sift in the flour, tablespoon by tablespoon, until the flour/egg mixture is the consistency of a condiment (is that vague enough?) Chuck in a little paprika.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan (throw a little of the mixture in to test the heat - it should sizzle and turn golden and cripsy without burning) Using a spoon or ladle place dollops of the mixture in the pan and flatten.
Once both side have fried, I place the pancakes on kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil. Once they are all cooked, I pop them in an oven on a medium heat to ensure they cooked through and crisp them a little more. Depending on the size, this will usually take between 5 - 8 minutes.
As the pancakes bake, flash-boil the green beans to keep them crunch and fresh. Once drained, stir in a tablespoon of butter or oil and a dash of sea salt.
To serve, heap some green beans on a place and place a couple of pancakes on top. Smother with apple dauce and a touch of sour cream.