Boil/Simmer

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Creamy Pea Soup

Friday, June 20th, 2008

You are hungry, but in a hurry. You want something simple, yet a tad extravagant. It should be easy, but must impress even the fussiest guests. Voila! Here’s your solution. Only two ingredients are needed in this soup. By the way, did I mention TWO??? Salt and pepper don’t count! Believe it or not, this […]

New Potato & Dill Salad

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

Like any human being my personality and behaviour are marked with idiosyncrasies. One of them is when I was a child I used to love growing herbs. Lots of them; from lemon balm to sage. You see, herbs aren’t just any plants. They don’t just stand there looking pretty with a flower or two, but […]

Tangy Honey-Glazed Shallots

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

What is not to love about this side dish? The slightly salty, sweet and sour flavours mingle, and tingle the tongue. The tiny onions are so tender that they almost instantly melt in your mouth. Visitors have to dive in quickly to get their share because when the Greedy Gourmet comes along it is highly […]

Sweet Potato Rice

Thursday, March 13th, 2008

I keep a stash of recipes that are ready for publishing in a folder. Ready to do some spring cleaning I paged to the oldest one. Yikes! September was only yesterday, wasn’t it? But…but…but it’s 6 months ago! How could this recipe go unnoticed by me? Okay, let’s admit it; it’s not as fancy as […]

Green Bean, Red Onion & Pecorino Salad

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

Pecorino doesn’t come cheap and I would have hated to let the leftover chunk in our fridge go to waste. After having made Creamy Pecorino & Lemon Pasta with it, I felt it was time for a change. Looking for a bit of inspiration, I paged through a few Good Food magazines and cookbooks when […]

Pork Sausage, Leek, Carrot & Butter Bean Casserole

Monday, February 18th, 2008

Potatoes, or more specifically mash, are almost always on our daily dinner plates, so this dish is a refreshing change. It is so easy to forget about the filling and nutritious qualities of legumes and every time I do come around to eating them I can’t help but ask myself why don’t we eat this […]

Mussels with Leeks, Sherry and Cream

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

Once in a while I get a craving for mussels and this is the recipe I usually prepare to satisfy my need. It’s dead easy to follow and very quick to make. What I love especially of this dish is the sauce, so much so that I end up scraping every last drop out of […]

Creamy Pecorino & Lemon Pasta

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

Everyone knows about Parmesan, also known as Parmigiano Reggiano, but what about Pecorino Romano? It is aged and hardened especially for grating and can be exactly the same way that Parmesan is. So what’s the difference? One, Parmesan is made of cow’s milk whereas Pecorino comes from ewe’s milk. Two, Pecorino has a saltier and […]

Haricot Bean & Parmesan Soup

Saturday, February 2nd, 2008

The reason I love soups is because they are just so versatile. Almost any ingredient can be transformed into a soup and more often that not you hit the jackpot. If not, chances are you can save your creation most of the time, by diluting it, adding salt or cream, you get the idea. Haricot […]

Beef, Prune & Guinness Stew

Thursday, January 3rd, 2008

Nothing yells Irish more than Guinness. Two billion Euros’ worth of the dark, frothy stout gets poured in glasses around the world every year. Now that’s a lot of pints, people. Surprisingly, Guinness is healthier than the average beer like Corona, Samuel Adams, Budweiser, Heineken, you get the picture. Why? Guinness is lower in alcohol, […]

Apple & Cinnamon Infusion

Friday, December 21st, 2007

This drink is a refreshing alternative to the real sap if you don’t have a juice extractor. As you simmer the apples their flavour and sweetness flow into the hot water and what you’re left with is the pure essence of apple.
Since raw apple is too acidic for a baby I thought it would […]

Tomato, Borlotti Bean and Garlic Soup

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

Tomato soup is one of those dishes you can’t have as a meal on its own. By the time you get up from the table you have to pee and afterwards you realise it must have been the tomato soup because you’re still damn hungry. To address this problem beans have been added to this […]

Potato, Fennel & Caraway Soup

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

Winter is officially upon us. When I got up this morning and peeked through the window all I could see was white. For a second I thought it snowed, but actually the whole countryside was frosted with ice. Slowly as the sun rose, the ice melted and the once bleak landscape got infused with a […]

Broccoli, Pine Nuts & Mascarpone Pasta

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007

No wonder pasta is such a favourite for families all over the world. It is quick to prepare and has the potential to be healthy, depending on the sauce you make with it. Children have an endless fascination with all the shapes and sizes pasta comes in. Speaking of which, Gabriel tasted pasta for the […]

White & Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunks

Monday, December 10th, 2007

Warning: This turns brainy and docile old ladies into scatty, hyperactive big kids. Let me explain.
The annual Hockley Scrabble Christmas party was coming up and I volunteered to make my favourite chocolate cake. As luck would have it, a few days before the event our old and half-useless oven gave in and with its last […]

Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan

Monday, November 26th, 2007

As I mentioned earlier, our veg plot has suffered greatly this year because of our unintentional neglect. Other than the abundance of tomatoes in the summer, we have one consolation for the winter. Brussels sprouts. Just like chestnuts, sprouts remind us that winter is just around the corner. Do not despair! When Brussels sprouts are […]

Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

Recently I’ve checked my website statistics (the traffic has skyrocketed by the way) and saw a new site linking to me. Curious as always I went to investigate. Nicole from For the Love of Food decided to make my Chicken Calvados and it was a great success which really delighted me. After reading her […]

Simmered Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how easily tomatoes grow here in the UK. For four years in a row we’ve had bumper crops of tomatoes. With Gabriel’s arrival this year our vegetable plot got grossly neglected and our poor tomatoes missed out on the tender loving care they needed. Yet we […]

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Mushroom Stew

Thursday, September 13th, 2007

Yams, cassava, rice, peanuts, spinach, plantains and peppers are just a few ingredients that are regularly used in the rich West African cuisine. What surprised me most was the peanut butter in this dish. Curry and peanut butter sure sounds like a strange combination, but in reality it works beautifully. The peanut butter adds depth […]

Butter Bean, Bacon & Thyme Soup

Friday, August 31st, 2007

The butter bean didn’t get its name for no reason. When you taste this creamy soup you would have never guessed there is no dairy in it. Pulses are wonderful because they contain both starch and protein that make you feel satisfied for longer and they’re cheap. The bacon is just a little luxury in […]