recipe index

Easy starters

Hummus and pitta

Asparagus and ham (could add broad beans)

Beetroot, sour cream, bacon

Figs, ricotta, pine kernels

Figs and ham

Beetroot, feta, pomegranate dressing

Soups

Apple, parsnip, stilton

Green pea and chorizo

Haricot and cauliflower (4 Mar 2006)

Lentil and sweet potato or squash; add bacon

Gazpacho

Garlic and onion

Borscht

Sweetcorn and crab (22 Nov 2006)

Clam and bacon chowder

Chorizo, chestnut, wheat or barley

Pumpkin, orange, saffron (6 Mar 2010)

Interesting starters

fish

Sardines, onion, chilli, sourdough toast

Sardines and lentil purée, lemon

Sardines with spiced dhal (12 May 2006)

Cockles, bacon, seaweed, potato or pea purée

Smoked trout, fried bacon, watercress, hot cream, potato cakes

Smoked salmon and salmon pate with wasabi

Smoked salmon, crispy bacon, potato cakes

Crab, aubergine and tomato

Crab filo parcels (1 Jul 2006)

Crab guacamole tortillas (31 Jan 2007)

Salmon with lemon myrtle, spinach and garlic

Peppers with salt cod (18 Dec 2010)

meat

Pork belly, lentils, pakchoi in oyster sauce, pickled plums

Spring roll parcels e.g. oxtail (18 Mar 2006)

Duck livers, figs, coffee-chocolate oil (9 Apr 2006)

Black pudding, dried split peas, pickled walnut

veg 

Chèvre souffles (Delia Smith, Summer Cooking)

Asparagus velouté with vanilla

Peppers with tomato-olive ice (11 June 2006)

Dolmades

Aubergine with barberries, caramelised onions, hummus

Salads

Watercress, blood orange, ricotta, chilli

Red cabbage, orange, beetroot

Lettuce, blood orange, feta, mint, hazlenuts

Pink grapefruit, soft cheese, mint, lettuce

Stilton, walnuts, potatoes, lettuce

Rocket watercress spinach with roast garlic purée

Rocket, red pepper, pinekernels

Watercress, blue cheese, walnuts

Avocado, aubergine, bacon, rocket

Watercress and bacon

Caesar salad

Chicken in raspberry vinegar

Chicken, cashews, mirin dressing

Nicoise

Confit of gesiers, lettuce

RWS with steak strips

Generic Sauces and curries

Tandoori roast

Thai curry

Laksa (Nigel Slater)

Garlic, ginger, chilli

Cashew satay sauce

Moroccan spices, dried fruit

Red peppers, tomatoes, paprika, cream or chèvre, chorizo

Tomato, olives, basil, cream

Lemon and black pepper

Tapenade

Port, orange, mushroom (8 May 2006)

Wild mushrooms, cream, truffle oil

Vegetarian and low-meat veggie recipes

Artichokes, peppers, hazlenuts, halloumi

Radicchio, stilton, walnut gratin

Braised caramelised chicory

Chicory gratin with cream, cheese or bacon

Braised lettuce or celery

Cabbage with chilli, balsamic, cream

Cabbage with porcini (Annie Bell)

Cabbage with juniper

Cabbage gratin with Roquefort

Greens with preserved lemons, chilli, halloumi

Greens with balsamic or sherry vinegar, walnuts or cream

Greens and onions with chilli, pomegranate molasses

Greens with shitake mushrooms and oyster sauce

Greens and aubergine with miso

Greens with toasted nuts

Pak choi with oyster sauce; with garlic

Purple sprouting with pinekernels, lemon, anchovies, capers

Spinach with lemon; with cream; garlic

Spinach and Feta; classically in filo pastry

Green beans, blue cheese, walnuts

Green beans in butter with toasted almonds

Peas with shallots in butter

Cauliflower cheese

Cauli fritters with tomatoes, capers, olives

(vg)Morels, peas, leeks in cream with truffle oil; wild garlic

Mushroom spring rolls with split pea and leek purée (31 Dec 2006)

Cabbage leaves stuffed with mushrooms

Red peppers: courgettes and halloumi, dill and cinnamon

Red peppers: chèvre and spinach, hazlenuts

Red peppers: mushroom, lentils, smoked cheese

Red peppers: lamb

Red pepper and celeriac (Annie Bell)

Ratatouille

Aubergine (roast or grill) with pesto

Melanzane parmigiana

Aubergine, tomato, mozzarella

(vg)Aubergine with tomato, anchovy, pinekernels, sultanas, cinnamon

Aubergine in sesame batter

Aubergine roast with miso

Chèvre and chestnut tartlets

Chèvre and beetroot tartlets (29 Jan 2007)

Roast onions, crème fraîche, chèvre: try kalonji

Roast fennel

(vg)Fennel, tomatoes, olives, Feta, Pernod (Annie Bell)

Leeks with cream and ham

Leeks with lemon and olives

Roast squash wedges

Squash, courgette, red pepper cubed and fried

Squash, beetroot, feta

Squash, blue cheese gratin

Squash with satay marinade

(vg)Roast squash in tandoori marinade

Parsnips Gratin with Stilton and walnuts

Celeriac, Potato, Stilton gratin

Beans

Butter beans with chorizo, cream

Beans with leeks, ham, cream, truffle oil

Beans with mushrooms

Chickpeas and spinach

Chickpeas, feta, herbs, mint

Chickpeas, fried halloumi, or feta

Chickpeas, tahini, lemon

Puy lentils and fresh tomatoes

Chickpeas, roast squash, preserved lemon

Kidney beans with tomato, chilli, shallot, cilantro

Kidney beans with tomato, spices, chilli, chocolate

Cassoulet

Veggie starch-based

Risotto with porcini

Risotto with saffron, tomatoes peppers artichokes broad beans

Risotto with lemon, artichokes, almonds

Risotto with radicchio and blue cheese

Risotto with cauli and blue cheese

Lemon coconut black pepper rice

Broad bean and thyme risotto

Spaghetti alla norma

Penne al vodka

Gnocchi, wild mushrooms, spinach

Tartiflette

Bulghar, fried almonds, shallots, chilli, garlic, lemon, tomatoes

Quinoa with ricotta and chilli

Quinoa with roast garlic puree and yoghurt

Wheat kernels fried in butter then cooked in stock

Pissaladière

Polenta with parmesan; can be made into cakes (Alistair Little)

Potatoes

Rösti

Gratin dauphinoise

Roast potatoes

Potato pancakes

Aloo parantha with lime pickle

Potatoes with oil and shallot; avocado oil is good

Meat recipes

Meat and fish starch-based, and pasta sauces

Risotto with smoked sausage, cauliflower, chilli, fennel

Risotto with peas and ham

Risotto with crab, scallops, caviar

Champagne risotto with prawns or smoked salmon

Paella

Lemon, cream, ham, olives (Roux Brothers)

Chicken strips, chèvre, red pepper, tomatoes

Spinach, bacon, nutmeg, cream

Vincisgrassi

Spag bol

Duck and Goose

Confit of duck

Duck breast, crispy skin

Duck breast with Sybil Kapoor’s marinade

Roast goose (Mark Hix)

with sour cherries and rhubarb

with mango and ginger

with pickled plums

with peach slices and vodka (6 Mar 2007)

Chicken and Guineau Fowl

Marinated chicken for barbecues

Stuffed baked chicken breasts

Chicken, shallots, tarragon, sherry (Delia Smith, Summer cooking)

Pollo con mole

Chicken with spicy peanut sauce (14 Oct 2006)

Chicken with saffron almond sauce

Chicken, leeks, morels, cream, truffle oil

B’stilla (31 Mar 2006)

Chicken with 50 cloves

Orvieto chicken (Alistair Little)

Chicken livers, chorizo, spices, cream

Chocken livers with shallots

Chicken livers in spiced flour, sautéed; wine or stock sauce

Chicken and Guineau Fowl, stuffings

Black pudding, pine kernels, breadcrumbs

Prune and pine kernels

Orange and pine kernels (17 Sept 2006)

Sweet potato, chestnut, thyme (Rosamund Grant)

Couscous, preserved lemon, pine kernels

Partridge, wood pigeon, quail, pheasant

Partridge with chestnuts and blackberry (Roux Brothers)

Partridge with Savoy cabbage (Alistair Little)

Panfried pigeon breasts

Boned stuffed quail

Lamb

Rack of lamb with herb and olive crust

Aubergine and lamb millefeuille

Aubergine and lamb in a 1000 other ways

Kleftiko

Slow cooked shanks, herbs and olives

Slow cooked shanks, Indian or Persian spices

Cumberland hotpot

Kidneys with cream and green peppercorns

Haggis, neeps and tatties

Pork

Sausages with onion and pearl barley

Pork belly and 5-spice, braised

Roast pork loin with crackling

Pork goulash

Tenderloin with ham and sage

Tenderloin with lemon, cream, pepper

Faggots, onion and Guinness, barley; green split peas

Pork with shitake mushrooms, oyster sauce

Pork with prunes and cream

Spanish lentil and pork stew (Sainsbury book)

Beef and Venison

Steak with red wine, shallot, cream

Steak with roquefort sauce

Steak with tomato and chilli sauce

Steak with mushrooms, truffle oil

Steak with breadcrumbs crust

Venison with chestnut and blackberry

Venison with myrtilles sauce

Venison with chocolate sauce

Venison with orange and lapsang souchon (David Everitt Matthias)

Lomo saltado : strips with red pepper, tomatoes, onion, chilli, Cerveza Cusquena

Beef stroganoff

Braised beef or oxtail, pearl barley or wheat kernels

Oxtail (21 Nov 2006)

Steak and kidney : use Guinness or add oyster sauce

Rabbit and Hare

Stuffed saddle of rabbit (10 Mar 2007)

Braised rabbit legs, or confit

Saddle of hare in cream (Joyce Molyneax, Elizabeth David)

Hare in chocolate sauce (Joyce Molyneax)

Fish recipes

Use prawn or crab shell for stock

Sri Lanka fish curry

Thai curry

Fish cakes; wasabi or horseradish cream

Crispy skin salmon

Salmon with miso paste

Salmon with mirin

Salmon with lemon myrtle; split pea purée

Salmon with mustard, dill, cream

Cod with Parma ham, basil, garlic

Cod with saffron, chorizo, cream, tomatoes, peppers

Cod chowder (Alistair Little)

Cod with green pea purée (11 Dec 2006)

Prawns and mushrooms with tamarind

Tuna with tomatoes, avocado, chilli, cilantro

Tuna with satay sauce

Trout with saffron, lemongrass, tomato (Bruno Loubet)

Dessert recipes

Fruit-based desserts

The general idea is that you add alcohol, cream and cake

Apricots, baked, with amaretti

Apricots with rosewater and pistachios

Tarte tatin: apple, quince, pear, mango

Poached quinces in syrup

Cherries in kirsch

Banana and passion fruit, ginger

Banana with rum

Pineapple, orange juice, coconut milk, Bacardi

Pears, poire williams, toasted almonds, brioche

Pears, toasted almond pannacotta

Pears, dried cherries in Kirsch

Pears with gorgonzola

Pears with sesame caramel sauce

Pears, chestnuts, gingerbread, preserved ginger, ginger wine

Dried fruit compote, dulce de leche

Rhubarb and ginger : crumble or compôte

Apple and blackberry crumble

Mango chilli vodka fool

Mango and coconut filo parcels (16 Sep 2006)

Mango and strawberries, thai spice syrup

Mango, coconut, rum

Pineapple and banana filo parcels (Tessa Bramley)

Strawberries, brioche or shortbread

Raspberries, framboise

Figs in raspberry vinegar

Figs stuffed with chestnut purée

Figs with spices

Figs with preserved ginger

Plum bread or plum tart or plum and brioche

Plums with 5-spice

Apple and blackberry pie

Damsons

Orange and gingerbread trifle

Orange, chilli, vodka

Lemon curd

Puddings, cakes, tarts

Chocolate and cherry puddings, chocolate sauce

Toffee and date pudding

Steamed ginger pudding (Simon Hopkinson)

Cheese cake with pine kernels and honey; oranges

Chocolate and prune tart (Waitrose)

Chocolate and coriander tart (David Everitt-Matthias)

Chocolatey goo (11 Mar 2007)

Citrus cheese cake (Nigel Slater)

Brioche bread pudding with peanuts (31 Dec 2010)

Pear and almond cake

Baklava

Pumpkin mousse with caramelised seeds (16 Nov 2006 and 2 Dec 2006)

Lemon chilli vodka cake (Sybil Kapoor)

Christmas pudding (Delia Smith recipe, but less sugar and add 1tbs chilli)

Cantucci and dessert wine

Atholl Brose (28 Jan 2007)

Carrot halva (Indian traditional)

Pumpkin things (22 Dec 2010)

Custards and dairy-based

White chocolate and lavender mousse

White chocolate and rose petal masala

White chocolate, strawberry, rose masala, rosewater (11 Jun 2006)

White chocolate, lime and chilli mousse (7 Feb 2007)

Caramel and sesame or fennel

Set yoghurt, honey, pine kernels (2tsp gel for 10 floz)

Set yoghurt, ornage cardamom (18 Dec 2010, 2 leaves gel for 15 floz)

Black rice pudding, Thai spices (14 Dec 2006)

Rice pudding with Indian spices

Toasted almond pannacotta (David Everitt Matthias)

Ice cream

Beetroot (21 Aug 2010)

Lemon curd (16 May 2010)

Sweetcorn (Annie Bell)

Chocolate Sorbet (Tomasina Miers, 14 Aug 2010)

Ginger

Brown bread ice cream, with plums (31 July 2010)

Sloe gin ice cream, damsons (8 Aug 2010)