• Eat Your Books

  The page numbers in the US edition are each 12 lower than in the indexed UK edition (the page is in the Notes for each recipe).

• ellabee on June 18, 2015

  Why no chapter tables of contents, Ten Speed Press? WHY? Resorted to making my own: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rccyGe6-qCSlFLo04ToCy5bP6BqHoWO-tcFrlwjH0kM/pub

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Peas with sorrel and mustard

  • krista_jo on August 07, 2015

    This recipe was extremely delicious -- it elevated frozen peas to a new level -- and will enter my regular repertoire. I substituted arugula for sorrel, which, alas, is impossible to obtain where I live.

  • clkandel on July 01, 2021

    Such an interesting flavor profile from the mustard. Really enjoyed this take on peas.

  • Rutabaga on April 29, 2015

    This recipe is pretty quick and easy - certainly compared with most of the Plenty More recipes! It's great to have a different way to prepare frozen peas, and perfect for spring, when sorrel is available at the farmer's market. With the exception of the sorrel (and the dry mustard, which I simply omitted), the ingredients are ones I typically have on hand. It would be good without sorrel, too, but I'd add some lemon juice to give it a little tang in that case.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    With Farmer's Market fresh peas and home grown sorrel. A delight.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Ottolenghi shakes up our expectation of peas with this recipe that combines the soft green flavour of peas with the tartness of the green leaves and the nuttiness of popped black mustard seeds (buy them from your Indian grocery). It brings bursts of exciting flavours that surprise and delight. Purslane (which I used) and sorrel will spruce up even the most frugal of meals. The sour leafed sorrel is difficult to get locally, so I substitute with Purslane, which you can cook a little or leave raw. Or tender young rocket or mustard leaves, plus a squeeze of lemon, makes a good substitute. But my favourite substitute is Purslane. You really have to love mustard to love this dish. Some may think it is mustard overload. But what makes this dish is the lemony tang from the Purslane or Sorrel – so perfect with the peas – and the slight sauce from the added yoghurt which is heaven. With some plain rice or bread, this dish is a light meal in itself, and it is an excellent side dish.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    I have to say something about Ottolenghi's use of mustard seeds. He adds LOTS of mustard seeds without frying in oil until they pop. Brown/black mustard seeds have two predominant flavours. First is the mustard – nice, rounded, definite. Then you begin to notice the acrid bitterness that sits under the mustard note. The pungency of both flavours deteriorates over time (about 3 days) and that is why they feature in dishes that mature eg pickles. But the acrid flavour will be there if used raw in dishes . Toasting the seeds adds a nutty flavour but the bitterness is not depleted. When the seeds are fried in some oil, they pop and releases their nuttiness. They retain a mustard undernote without the bitterness. Ottolenghi’s method hides the bitterness with sugar, mustard powder and mustard paste. I prefer using only a tspn or 2, and popping the seeds - if you want to try his method, simply toast the mustard seeds until the colour turns a little greyer.

• Lemon and curry leaf rice

  • Jane on November 14, 2018

    I'm not a big fan of plain rice - infusing the baked rice with lemon zest, curry leaves and cinnamon stick really elevated this. I served it with Squash with cardamom and nigella seeds, also from Plenty More. It worked very well - both as a flavor combination and that the rice could bake in the oven at the same time as the squash.

  • TrishaCP on November 10, 2020

    I love curry leaves so this dish really worked for me. I halved the recipe but used the specified cooking time and my rice came out perfectly. (My husband was late from work so my rice soaked longer than specified-and intended. About 30 minutes total.)

  • debkellie on May 29, 2016

    Really, really tasty.. I liked his head note, which is why I tried it. Would definitely do again. And I think it does need the butter!!

  • Melanie on October 12, 2014

    Fantastic, will definitely make this again. Essentially, you boil some water with the herbs and spices before mixing in with the rice and baking. I loved the taste of the rice after all the flavours infused. Although I added the lemon and butter mix at the end I don't really feel that this is an essential component.

  • KarinaFrancis on February 26, 2021

    I’ve only recently “discovered” curry leaves and I loved them in this rice. The only downside is the lemon at the end competes with the delicate fragrance of the curry leaves, next time I’ll just reduce it a little or leave it out.

  • dinnermints on November 01, 2014

    I made this the regular ol' way in a pot because I prefer brown rice (and the oven was occupied) and didn't have time to experiment. Once I figure out what works for baking brown rice in the oven, I'll try this again. Probably didn't need that much butter at the end, if any.

  • dinnermints on February 22, 2015

    Update: Used brown basmati rice and 3 1/4 cups of water. I didn't increase the soaking time for the rice, but baked it for 40-45min .Thirty-five min. of that was at 375, since I find his oven temps to be a bit too high sometimes (although I don't think that's the case here) - next time will keep it at 400. I used two tablespoons of butter, and next time will cut it down to one tablespoon. I'll also try decreasing the salt by 1/4 tsp. This time I used frozen curry leaves - fresh were definitely more flavorful. But overall it was still delicious.

  • tofudogg on January 15, 2015

    We made this for dinner tonight, and we all loved it. I used brown basmati and just used more water for the infusion. I also soaked the brown rice for 30 minutes instead of 15. The flavor and texture of the right was great. I do agree that the butter at the end was too much. I think I will do it with just lemon juice next time. My son, a butter fan, did love all the butter.

  • Keighleyjm on February 08, 2019

    Cooked for the first time and well worth it. Wonderful flavours and an excellent crusty rice layer to fight over. Next time I’d make sure I used a smaller baking tray - the rice was a little too spread out this time.

  • StephEpices on November 30, 2019

    A very nice flavorful side as an alternative to plain rice. I needed to cook mine in the oven 15 minutes longer than stated. Other than that I followed the exact recipe. I believe this serves more like 6 people rather than 4.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This rice dish, very delicious I must say, is cooked in the oven. This method is very handy if you are cooking a large meal and want to leave the stove top for other dishes. But look, as much as I love Yotham and crew, they need to get a better handle on Indian ingredients (IMO) - I do cringe at the way they use some Indian ingredients and techniques.

• Saffron, date and almond rice

  • Jane on October 09, 2014

    This was a technique I had never used before for rice. A 2 hour soak in salty lukewarm water, a very brief boil (4 minutes) then a 35 min very gentle steam with minimal added water. It worked really well - perfectly cooked and separated grains of rice. The top layer of rice was maybe a little undercooked and quite lukewarm as the heat didn't really reach the top of the pan. But once it was topped with the Iranian vegetable stew with dried limes (p.146) I was serving it with, those quibbles didn't matter. Because the saffron soaked water is drizzled on at the end before a last 10 minute rest, the grains are distinctly white or yellow, which looks pretty.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    Goodness, what a beautiful rice dish. Ottolenghi again creates magic with this Iranian recipe that he credits Claudia Roden’s classic A Book Of Middle Eastern Food. He believes that Irani people cook the best rice, and I have to say he might be right. This recipe takes a bit more effort than banging some rice into the rice cooker, but for special occasions, and for weekends, it is definitely worth it. The rice grains are beautifully separated and soft. The dish has a sweet overtone from the dates, and conjures up beautiful Middle Eastern feasts on low tables in tents with thick rugs covering your legs. This dish is cooked like a biryani, in layers. It needs a very low heat – if you need to, raise the pot above your heat source a little if you can (eg place a roasting rack or heat diffuser over the heat source). It could also be cooked in a very low oven, but you’ll miss the crunchy rice that forms at the bottom.

• Alphonso mango and curried chickpea salad

  • Jane on June 02, 2017

    This was one if those dishes where I entered what I had (mangoes, spinach, cauliflower) into EYB and this is what came up. I didn't have time to use dried chickpeas so used a rinsed can. Not sure whether that would have made a difference but I found this a bit bland. The curry flavor was not very pronounced. If I make this again I would up the spices and also roast the cauliflower florets rather than blanching and pan-frying them. Actually I think tossing the cauliflower in more of the spices before roasting would be a big improvement.

  • Breadcrumbs on May 25, 2015

    p. 105 - This dish combines a number of familiar and delicious flavours in an unconventional way. I make chickpea curries, I make curried cauliflower and I’ve served each with mango chutney but never a salad combining these ingredients. In the recipe head note, YO professes his love for the Alphonso Mango and it was his passion for this fruit that really attracted me to this recipe as I suspected he’d be using it in a way to really highlight its flavours. This is indeed a dish where the mango plays a starring role visually, flavour-wise and texturally. In our case, the cooling sweet effect of the mango was to perfect counter to the spicy heat of the curry. This is definitely one of the best curried vegetable salads we’ve ever eaten. Well worth a try, delicious! Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012789?commentId=9576990#9576990

  • vickster on June 13, 2017

    I really liked this and I highly recommend it. And it is easy. The spice combo and elements of the dish go so well together. Unfortunately my husband doesn't really like this flavor profile, so I probably won't make again.

  • radishseed on April 21, 2015

    This is awesome. The spinach doesn't incorporate well with the rest of the salad, though. I feel like it should be wilted or maybe chopped into smaller pieces. I do like the bit of green and snap it adds. I also threw some toasted sliced almonds on top.

  • kari500 on July 15, 2020

    No spinach, and subbed peaches for the mango #CovidCooking. Needed a bit more curry powder and salt this way, but still delicious.

  • kari500 on November 05, 2016

    Used canned beans and regular mango. LOVED it.

  • TrishaCP on May 31, 2015

    This had quite a few steps, but great flavor if you like mangoes and curry. I didn't have time to soak and cook the chickpeas so I used one can- rinsed and heated with the onion mixture. I sauteed the cauliflower longer than required to get more color- and I would be tempted to skip the parboiling step in the future to save a pot- I think if the florets are small enough just sautéing is ok. I agree that the spinach would be better chopped finely for more even distribution, but really this is a minor detail- overall, this is a really nice dish.

  • dinnermints on October 15, 2015

    This was good, although I'd decrease the oil next time. Also, I didn't use the baking soda with the chickpeas, but did cook them with some added vegetables and later on salt for flavor. I think this is the only Ottolenghi dish I've made so far that could've used a little more salt (maybe I accidentally skimped/omitted somewhere). It also took me longer to get color on both the onion and the cauliflower - not sure if that was because I was using a cast iron skillet. Also, I'd try toasting the mustard seeds separately next time, since the coriander and cumin were getting a bit brown and the mustard seeds still weren't popping.

  • turnipgreens on March 13, 2021

    A very lovely salad for days you have fresh sweet mangos in the fruit basket. The light warmth of curry, the tender of crunch of chickpeas, plus (yes I steamed it) cauliflower, are a wonderful foil for the fruity sweetness of mango in this salad. Mango is the star! One mango is not enough however. Next time I will have two ready to go. I added ruby grapefruit supremes plus lemon juice and grapefruit juice to bring out the mango sweetness and add brightness to the salad. Also, I omitted both the sugar and the oil, cooking the onion with a small amount of water. No one noticed.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    In this gorgeous salad, curried chickpeas are mixed with browned onions, cauliflower florets, and either mangoes or papaya – truly a delicious salad that can be eaten warm or cold. In the original dish he uses Alphonso Mangoes, those intensely flavoured Kings of Mangoes available in India during Mango season, and shipped to some countries outside of India. Sadly and despite the large Indian population here, it is rare to find them. I have only seen them once, and promptly bought a whole tray. If you can’t get Alphonso, try to find them in tins/cans. Or if you want to make this outside of mango season, our substitute is to use papaya. It doesn’t bring that same intensity of flavour that mangoes do yet it is surprisingly delicious. Ottolenghi specifies curry powder in the ingredients, but curry powders range from very hot to quite mild. You might like to adjust your green chilli level, for example, if you are using a hot curry powder.

• Tomato and pomegranate salad

  • Jane on September 28, 2014

    A very tasty and pretty salad but boy does it take a long time to dice all those tomatoes and peppers into 0.5cm dice (and I only made half quantities). I thought the flavor of the oregano leaves was a bit dominant when I bit on a leaf so I'll skip those next time. He says this serves 4 but I think it stretches to 6 as a side dish.

  • FJT on June 26, 2015

    Loved this so much I made it again the day after. I didn't dice the tomatoes quite as small as the recipe said - life is too short!!

  • hyperbowler on August 10, 2016

    I'm glad I took others' advice about serving size and cut the recipe in half--- this salad doesn't keep well. I used juicy, peak ripeness, heirloom tomatoes and the salad turned into a soup within 24 hours.

  • Dishyrishie on March 15, 2015

    Makes heaps and I'd go a little more 'rustic' on the dice. Another winner from Ottolenghi

  • Yildiz100 on February 20, 2018

    Great flavors but the proportions are a little weird. Started with a third of the tomatoes and added the same ratio of most ingredients, however I needed more pomegranate (used 1/2 instead of a third) and more oregano (full amount). Delicious but I wonder if something else would be better than the oregano. Might try thyme, mint, or parsley, or a combo of thyme and oregano.

  • clkandel on April 12, 2021

    Simple and refreshing.

  • clancotter on January 17, 2015

    Very pretty tastes delicious but makes a lot, would be enough for 6 as a side

  • dinnermints on November 01, 2014

    Tastes delicious and looks pretty, but would have to be at least twice as delicious to justify all of that tiny dicing. Also think this could serve 6.

  • IsaSim on October 29, 2014

    Indeed very long to prepare; maybe cheat with a few pulses in a food processor? That's what I will try next summer: it will be less pretty, but that's the only way there is going to be a repeat... Also, I found the vinaigrette amount too small for the quantity of vegetables, as is, the salad lacked punch to our taste.

  • CarltonCaz on May 02, 2016

    I love this dish. The better the tomato the better the final result.

  • Ganga108 on January 11, 2022

    Ottolenghi comes up with a wonderful tomato salad with hints of the Middle East. It has become a firm favourite Xmas dish.

• Iranian vegetable stew with dried lime

  • Jane on October 09, 2014

    This was an easy every night dinner and very good. It also looked very pretty - orange squash, red tomatoes and green spinach. I thought I had dried limes but when I pulled them out they were dried lemons, so I used them instead. They added a subtle sharpness to the sauce, quite different to fresh lemon juice. I'm going to search out some limes for next time I make it and see how they differ. The first night I served it with plain boiled rice and the second night I made Saffron, date and almond rice (p.61). Either is fine, though I preferred the second.

  • Rutabaga on November 20, 2014

    Unfortunately, my husband did not enjoy this dish, although I liked it. This was primarily because he's not a fan of squash, and while I had hoped this savory preparation with a variety of vegetables would overcome that, this was not the case. Also, my squash became very soft, while the potatoes were only just done, and neither the squash nor potatoes were browned like they are in the photo here. It was still a beautiful dish, but not for the squash-averse! If I made it again, I would add more barberries and stir in some powdered dried lime, as those gave the stew its special sourness, and we both felt those flavors could have been stronger.

  • Poppyseedbagel on February 13, 2022

    Made it again using a variety of root vegetables from the organic veg box. We cut them into 2 cm lumps, and only just covered with water, added Brussels sprouts, our only available green vegetable. As before for adding herbs and chopped lime. So a greatly adapted and very British version. We just ate it on its own with yoghurt no rice etc. it was excellent.

  • jenburkholder on August 16, 2020

    I liked this but wasn’t in love with it, especially given how expensive it is to procure fresh herbs in Ottolenghi quantities in the dead of winter here. It felt a bit flat, needing significantly more flavor, and with just vegetables it wasn’t quite filling enough alone. I added a can of chickpeas.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    In this recipe, vegetables are simmered in a broth of tomatoes, onions, herbs and dried limes, before being baked with barberries in the oven. It produces an amazing plate of vegetables with a thickened sauce and an amazing, bright, citrusy flavour.

• Green beans with freekeh and tahini

  • Jane on September 09, 2015

    I needed a more substantial side than just green beans so I increased the freekeh proportion. I liked the sauce - my tahini was quite thin so I think that helped. Though if you have a thicker tahini, you can thin the sauce by adding water. I didn't have chervil and didn't add the walnuts - I didn't feel like it was missing anything.

  • RosieB on October 30, 2014

    This was a tasty side dish. The sauce was very thick so next time I will reduce the amount of tahini. I didn't have chervil but I added the walnuts which gave the dish a nice crunch.

  • KarinaFrancis on April 14, 2021

    This was ok but not great. I loved the dressing and can see it being useful for other applications. I didn’t have freekeh so I used coarse bulgar wheat.

  • thekitchenchronicles on July 25, 2017

    I really liked this- the sauce was interesting but not too out there and it made for a much more substantial side dish than just green beans. Especially liked the addition of the nuts. I couldn't find fresh chervil so used half parsley, half tarragon and it worked well. Wrote it up here: http://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2017/06/01/green-beans-with-freekeh-and-tahini/

  • peaceoutdesign on January 04, 2022

    I didn't use the freekeh and it was tastier than I thought it would be. I think that this may also be good on brussels sprouts, again without the freekeh.

  • joanhuguet on August 13, 2015

    We found this inedible - the thick sauce and boiled grain coated the delicate fresh beans in a stodgy, brown glop. We rinsed off the sauce and ate the beans plain instead.

  • anya_sf on September 03, 2018

    I doubled the freekeh, used parsley instead of chervil, and omitted the walnuts as I didn't want the extra richness. I forgot to add the chile flakes. My tahini was fairly thin, so the sauce wasn't too gloppy. There was plenty of sauce for the extra freekeh, so with the original quantity, I'd probably use less sauce. My family enjoyed this dish. I can imagine that the walnuts would taste good in this. Next time I'll try it with roasted chicken.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Feekeh! No longer an ingredient that we need to travel across town to buy. With several new Afghan shops close-by, those sorts of ingredients now go on the weekly shopping list. Oh, the joy! Green beans are cooked and mixed with walnuts, then drizzled with a minty-tahini dressing. The dressing is what ranch dressing would taste like if it spent a few months traipsing through the Middle East, so they say. Yotham advises beans of the best quality for this dish. He also says that the walnuts can be omitted, but we are loving them so much this season, so they are definitely in. They provide a texture in this salad that is otherwise missing. We do find that the maple syrup available locally seizes the tahini in the most unacceptable way and it becomes gluggy - adding water, even warm water, does not help. Otherwise it is such a good dish. I also love to increase the amount of freekeh.

• Lentils with mushroom and preserved lemon ragout

  • Jane on January 29, 2019

    This was lovely though quite a bit of work and a lot of washing up. The preserved lemon gives a lovely tang and there’s a lot else going on with caramelized leeks, mushrooms, carrots, celery root, and cilantro to boost the lentils. I served it with burrata rather than yogurt. A lovely meal.

  • Poppyseedbagel on March 01, 2015

    I have made this twice and it's lovely. I can't get or afford fresh porcini so use big chestnut mushrooms and just increase the amount of dried mushrooms. The combination of the lentil mixture, and the mushrooms together is gorgeous. I also don't add the cream – to keep it low saturated fat. So I just boil everything down for a long time – this takes a lot longer than Yotam's instructions, but still results in a delicious mixture. Doing it this way, this quantity serves three of us, eaten with bread.

  • DePollepel on December 02, 2021

    Brilliant! Found out I forgot the leek and substituted that with caramelized onions. Sauce is probably also suitable over rice

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This recipe is a fairly complicated one - lots of processes – cooking the lentils, roasting the vegetables, cooking the leeks, cooking the mushrooms, and making the creamy preserved lemon sauce, all before plating. But it is so very delicious, and a perfect Wintery dish.

• Squash with cardamom and nigella seeds

  • Jane on November 14, 2018

    This wasn't the prettiest of meals but boy was it flavorful. The combination of the caramelized red onions and all the spices gave the squash so much depth. I didn't see the point of changing pans to put the dish in the oven so I did the stove-top cooking in a Le Creuset pan that could go into the oven. This avoided washing up another pan plus all the lovely caramelized onion stuck to the bottom of the pan went into the oven. This also helped the stock issue noted by others - my stock was well absorbed by the end of the cooking time with enough left for a sauce. I served it with the lemon and curry leaf rice in the same book - great combination.

  • TrishaCP on November 10, 2020

    This is an absolutely great preparation for butternut squash. I agree with the comments about an added depth of flavor developed by this recipe. My squash was perfectly cooked and not mushy.

  • debkellie on May 29, 2016

    We liked this dish: the balance of flavours was great (served with the suggested side). Yes, method was strange.. but my Kent pumpkin needed longer (even with the stock!). Recommended.

  • dinnermints on November 01, 2014

    The flavors in this recipe were excellent, but the cooking method was a bit strange. Putting a cup of broth over the squash before roasting it made it a bit mushy - would not make it that way again. I think just omitting the broth would do the trick.

  • anya_sf on January 26, 2021

    This was a miss for us. For some reason the flavors just didn't come together. The only change I made was substituting chicken broth for vegetable. I used a wide braiser which fit the squash in one layer, so just used the same pan for the oven; the squash took 10 extra minutes to soften.

  • doughet on June 02, 2017

    The cooking method and the stock worked well with the two small butternut squash that we used for this recipe. The squash was tender but not mushy. We served the squash over Ottolenghi's lemon and curry leaf rice, which looked like a work of art with the cinnamon and curry leaves and lemon peel arranged over the top under the waxed paper. Great flavors in both dishes and we will definitely make these again. I put both in the oven together at 400 degrees F. and that worked fine.

  • Keighleyjm on February 08, 2019

    A complete transformation from normal roast vegetables - a wonderful combination of flavours. I mixed the yoghurt and cilantro which was a perfect complement and had it with the lemon and curry leaf rice!

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Roasted pumpkin is a must-have dish in Winter, and we use butternut a lot kitchen (in Australia we call butternut a pumpkin, not squash). Kent is another pumpkin we like, but its availability has decreased over the last few years. Red pumpkin used to be available from a few specialty shops but sadly those have closed now. Roasting or baking vegetables with spices always attracts our attention. So when Ottolenghi includes cardamom and one of our favourite spices, Nigella, we are captured. The recipe is easy and no-fuss, compared to many of his other recipes, so this is perfect for a pretty lazy Saturday or Sunday morning at our place. Mid winter, even if the weather is sunny, we don’t feel like rousing ourselves too much, instead, laying around reading and listening to music. Lazily, I turn the oven on and bake the pumpkin. Wonderful!

• Cauliflower, grape and cheddar salad

  • Jane on July 10, 2018

    I didn't love this. It was OK but somehow the combination of flavors didn't really work for me. I only had green grapes and my cheese was a fairly strong Neal's Yard cheddar but I don't think even with those changes this would be worth a repeat for me.

  • westminstr on October 31, 2016

    As others have said, a very nice salad and perfect for fall. My cheddar was rather strong (I used an aged English cheddar) and I actually think I would have preferred something a bit milder. But overall great salad.

  • Breadcrumbs on May 12, 2015

    p. 178 - Even the word delicious somehow seems inadequate to describe this unique and flavour-packed salad. I think the fact that the combination of ingredients is so unusual really adds to the overall appeal of this dish, it creates a totally new taste-sensation in your mouth. The toasty crunchiness of the roasted hazelnuts, the fresh, juicy flavour bursts from the grapes, the sweetness of the honey and the tang of the Dijon and vinegar, somehow this all comes together to produce something truly sensational. This is a salad I’ll be serving when I entertain for years to come. Everyone raved about it and wanted the recipe. Thanks to those who wholeheartedly endorsed this on the “Cookbooks” thread, you were absolutely right!! Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012789?commentId=9556919#9556919

  • TrishaCP on May 29, 2015

    I am not a huge cauliflower fan, but this was absolutely wonderful. I served it for a barbecue, and like Breadcrumbs, everyone wanted the recipe- the consensus favorite of my guests were the bits of toasted hazelnuts and the cheddar cheese (I used a sharp white). I made a double batch and had some leftover, but while still tasty, the dressing gets really strong overnight. It made eating the salad a second day almost like eating a pickle. ETA: July 26, 2015- I have made this for a few potlucks at this point, and everyone wants the recipe.

  • Melanie on October 12, 2014

    Great mix of flavours and textures. I enjoyed this more than I had expected and loved that each mouthful had a different "pop" of flavour.

  • KarinaFrancis on February 04, 2021

    I’ve been curious about this recipe for a while and grape season coupled with super cheap cauliflower, now was the time. We really liked it, grapes and cheese are a classic but it took Ottolenghi to think of adding it to roasted cauliflower. Delicious!

  • ksg518 on November 01, 2021

    I've made this many times and it's always wonderful. Unlike others, I love a strong cheddar in this salad.

  • shoffmann on January 20, 2019

    We enjoyed this. Good combination of flavors and textures, and not too complicated to pull together. I would definitely make this again.

  • dc151 on May 08, 2021

    I agree with another commenter that a milder cheese would go better- my sharp cheddar was too strong a flavor. Otherwise it was a nice, interesting mix

  • jenburkholder on November 01, 2020

    Very nice salad. Even keeps well as long as you don’t mind the hazelnuts getting soggy (I don’t). Maybe nothing earth-shattering, but lovely for fall and quite easy to throw together for an Ottolenghi dish. I will say, though - I felt like it needed more dressing. 2 tbsp of vinegar for 2 pounds of cauliflower was inadequate to my tastes.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    A lazy Sunday Llunch with my Father included this great Wintery salad with roasted cauliflower. Easy to make, this Ottolenghi salad can be partly prepared earlier, to mix and serve at the table.

• Apricot, walnut and lavender cake

  • Jane on July 31, 2017

    This was a lovely summer cake. I didn't use lavender, mainly because I didn't have any, but also I don't very much like the taste (it tastes soapy to me). The cake had a lovely moist texture. My placement of the apricots wasn't as pretty as in Ottolenghi's own photo - my cake baked up over more of the fruit than in his version. But a delicious cake I will be repeating - maybe even adding lavender next time.

  • caitmcg on July 10, 2016

    I used all ground almonds, rather than almonds and walnuts. The result was a delicious cake that was a big hit and will make a regular appearance during apricot season.

  • TrishaCP on June 14, 2020

    The flavor of this cake is great. I omitted the lavender (not a fan), and the icing (odd confectioner’s sugar shortage). But in spite of everyone’s notes, I also burned the cake. I baked it for 60 minutes- after checking it at 45 minutes when it was still under-done. In my case it was the sides of the cake AND the bottom that burned. If I make this again, I would definitely reduce the oven temperature.

  • darcie_b on July 23, 2016

    I've made this twice - once as written and once with a few substitutions. The second time I used pistachios instead of walnuts and added 1/4 tsp each cinnamon & nutmeg instead of lavender. Both times the cake was delicious. The cake is moist and tender with excellent flavor. Watch the times, though - my cake got done slightly faster than the lowest time in the estimated range.

  • Kattancock on July 31, 2021

    Really delicious. I can't eat walnuts so I made with pecans and olive oil and it worked just fine. Would have used pistachios if I'd had any! I baked in my gas oven at 350 with the convection on and it took 75 minutes. My apricots sunk as well but I think it's more delicious that way. For those nervous about lavender, it's a very subtle flavour.

  • mondraussie on July 05, 2015

    Very interesting combination of flavours: walnuts, lavender and a hint of lemon zest. Nice and moist. I used fresh lavender, next time will have to try with dried.

  • dinnermints on July 07, 2018

    This was good, although quite rich. I weighed the fruit after pitting it; would do that again as it seemed just the right amount. I saw the notes about not letting it bake too long and so was cautious about checking it often towards the end, but then it seemed done at 70 minutes (and I think it could've gone longer). I think I let the butter got too soft/warm given the warm weather the day I made it. It did look lovely.

  • anya_sf on July 30, 2017

    I lined the bottom of the pan with parchment, but sprayed the sides with cooking spray, which worked fine. I should have read the other notes first, because I was very busy doing other things while baking this, and didn't check the time until 70 minutes, at which point the cake was already burnt on the edges. Sigh. We cut away the burnt parts and ate it anyway. It was still good and quite moist inside. I used dried lavender and the flavor was subtle, but added a beautiful perfume to the cake. The cake isn't too sweet and you could almost have it for breakfast (OK, I do plan to do this, so not almost...). I might play around with the flavors next time - maybe add vanilla, use orange zest instead of lemon, possibly some spice.

  • StephEpices on August 10, 2019

    I have made this several times and it one of my favorite cakes! When apricot season was over, i made it with figs and it worked really well too. When I was out of lavender I once used rosemary and it also was excellent. This is just one of the best cake recipes I've made so far. I do cut the sugar in half, though.

• Aubergine cheesecake

  • Jane on October 29, 2014

    Fantastic. It takes a long time from start to finish - over 90 minutes - but most of that is just oven time. The prep time is very quick. And it is so good. Mine needed an extra five minutes in the oven to get golden.

  • chawkins on September 13, 2017

    Like anya_sf, mine also took 50 min of baking to set. It is a simple recipe but does take some time for the cook, with the pre-baking of the eggplant and the baking of the assembled cheesecake, the total oven time is hour and a half. We both like it , it is a good use of the abundant eggplants coming out of the garden.

  • hillsboroks on August 10, 2015

    Fantastic recipe, not too difficult and full of flavor. Like emilyrf I also was able to convert a non-eggplant eater into someone who raved about this dish. I used some of the numerous Japanese eggplants coming out of our garden and while it does take time, it is not very much hands-on time, most of it is just oven time. Both my husband and I, and the next door neighbors that I shared half of the finished cheesecake with, all agreed that the flavor just got better as it cooled closer to room temperature. I also think this would make a fabulous appetizer that could be made ahead, allowed to cool to room temperature and then cut into small squares to serve.

  • ksg518 on August 18, 2015

    Agree with the other notes that this is a great recipe. As others have noted, it does take time but most of it is hands off. I might try roasting the eggplant ahead of time and letting it come back to room temperature before proceeding to the next step. It occurs to me that you could substitute other vegetables for the eggplant (although I love eggplant). Perhaps roasted zucchini?

  • DeborahBluhm on September 21, 2014

    Was fab! Next time I will roast the tomatoes along with the aubergines too make it sing even more! So easy and quick too prep :)

  • emilyrf on July 22, 2015

    Absolutely lovely. I agree with Jane that it takes a long time - definitely not one to throw together on a whim, but it's not too demanding and the results are well worth it. I'm tempted to throw in some other roasted Mediterranean vegetables, and dot the surface with little cubes of feta, but this paired beautifully as a side-dish with some spatchcocked chicken, and even converted an aubergine-hater.

  • anya_sf on July 30, 2017

    I used 1.5 eggplants (a bit over 1.5 lbs) and only 4 oz cream cheese, because that's what I had left. I roasted the eggplant earlier in the day. I assumed that the cheese mixture did not have to be mixed completely smooth - the feta was still in small lumps - anyway, it worked fine. Mine took 50 min to bake, and even then, it was set but just barely lightly browned. We loved it. Three of us ate nearly all of it, and gladly would have eaten all had the side dish been less filling.

  • Ganga108 on October 30, 2021

    I made this egg-free by using chickpea flour in the mix. It is a gorgeous baked dish with eggplants, cream and 3 soft cheeses. Made without eggs, the result is an addictive dish with a thick set custard-like consistency.

• Cauliflower cake

  • Jane on September 25, 2014

    There are so many recipes I want to make from this book but this is the one that grabbed me first (mainly because I had all the ingredients at home). Well, all except basil so I subbed sage. This cooks for 45 mins then sits for 20 mins so plan accordingly. Really delicious and looks gorgeous with the cheesy bronzed crust on top and circles of red onion. YO says it's even better the next day so I'm looking forward to the leftovers.

  • ellabee on June 21, 2015

    Quantities in the book are those at the link in digifish's note. No doubt some recipes were adjusted from the version that first appeared in the Guardian during re-testing for the book.

  • Cati on September 27, 2014

    Following Jane's notes decided I had to make before cauliflower season finished. Became an instant favourite especially since left overs will save me cooking tomorrow. I might cut down a little on the rosemary next time but possibly the new shoots on my young plant may have had more oil in them than an older plant.

  • lorloff on February 07, 2016

    Really liked this served as a side side with roasted chicken. Will definitely make again.

  • mcvl on May 08, 2021

    I'm not a vegan, but my husband is, and I like to make him a treat from time to time, so I rigged up a vegan version, using JUST egg substitute (https://www.ju.st/products/just-egg), Earth Balance baking sticks to "butter" the springform (https://www.earthbalancenatural.com/baking-sticks), and Rebel Cheese Parmesan substitute (https://www.rebelcheese.com/). It was pleasant, and he was grateful.

  • TrishaCP on May 04, 2020

    We really liked this. I didn’t read the reviews prior to making this, but had I done so, I would have added mustard as mentioned below. I had the nigella seeds and they were really good here. I also used frozen cauliflower (#covidcooking) and it worked just fine.

  • debkellie on June 23, 2015

    I was inspired to make this after reading notes this week about disputed quantities.. my variant halved quantities in the book version, and didn't quite follow specified technique - it seemed bizarre to add the eggs to the onion and to mush the cauli .. so I made the batter and added the onions to it; poured the batter into the tin, and pushed microwaved cauli florets into the batter, so they stayed whole. I also subbed in mascarpone in place of hard cheese.. it was delicious! And even with half quantities there's still enough for 6!

  • FJT on May 11, 2015

    This was easy to make and quite nice to eat - I don't think it really wowed me as much as I had expected. Fairly sure the family won't be putting in requests for me to make it again although they'd eat it if I served it up.

  • Melanie on November 05, 2014

    Another success, this was tasty and relatively easy to make. Looks great and the leftovers are fantastic.

  • Bloominanglophile on May 02, 2015

    I thought this was good, but not spectacular. Leftovers, however, are ideal for the lunchbox!

  • chawkins on February 22, 2015

    Very good and very easy to prepare, but it does take a bit of time, because both the cauliflower and the onion/rosemary mixture need to cool down before you can proceed with the rest of the steps. It also did not help that I was distracted during the preparation by a herd of over a dozen deer grazing in my backyard.

  • KarinaFrancis on June 20, 2015

    This is as good as they say. I had a little feta in the fridge so I added that too. I guess I'll have to make it again to find out if it is good the next day, no leftovers.

  • digifish_books on June 21, 2015

    Quantities of some ingredients (e.g. cauliflower, eggs, parmesan) in the linked recipe are quite different from those on the Ottolenghi website (http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/cauliflower-cake-shop).

  • digifish_books on June 27, 2015

    Yay! I made it using the lesser quantities (as per my other note) and the method from 'The Guardian' link. The 'cake' came out perfect. Some minor modifications - 6 eggs (instead of 7), no fresh basil, only dried (it is winter here) and no nigella or black sesame seeds, just regular sesame seeds. Also added (as I like to do with all omelette/frittata recipes) 2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt and 1 teaspoon sugar.

  • dinnermints on August 09, 2015

    Good, but was expecting something more transcendental given the reviews. Also I think we overcooked it a bit. Nonetheless it was a hit at our brunch, served with irish soda bread, pistachio sausage patties, the fig salad in Plenty More and sliced melon.

  • Zosia on November 10, 2014

    Beautiful, tasty, and not very complicated to make. I used thyme since it was all I had and it went wonderfully with the other ingredients. Leftovers, as has already been noted, were delicious.

  • ksg518 on March 20, 2017

    I know I'm late to the party with this recipe but what's one more review? We made this by the recipe except that we only had regular sesame seeds instead of the nigella seeds. I think that step might not be worth the effort in any event. I liked this fine although mine was a little dry; perhaps next time I'll add a few tablespoons of milk or cream. Overall, I thought this was a little on the bland side. But I plan to make this again in the summer with roasted peppers instead of the cauliflower.

  • MelissaM0223 on January 11, 2015

    Delicious! Skipped the nigella / sesame seeds, and used dried rosemary instead of fresh, but this was excellent. Takes a while so as noted, plan accordingly.

  • Lepa on February 22, 2018

    This was fine but not as good as I expected from all the rave reviews. I make a similar cake with broccoli, cheddar and bisquick from a recipe my MIL got from her friend years ago (the lady was a home economics teacher in the 70's). That recipe is much easier (no pre-cooking for the broccoli and onions) and, I'm sorry to say, tastes better. If my family wasn't already loyal to broccoli cake, I imagine this would have been more exciting.

  • emilyrf on July 22, 2015

    I made this without any turmeric, as I was cooking in someone else's kitchen and assumed that they must have some, (I seem to have at least 3 jars on the go at any one time), but it was nevertheless extremely tasty, and went down well with both my 90 year old grandmother and my 17 year old brother - not the easiest feat. I will admit to just using whichever small seeds I could get my hands on for the crust, but the lovely textural contrast between the crisp seeds and tender cauliflower made me glad I didn't skip it entirely. I'm definitely making this again, if only to use up some of that turmeric.

  • e_ballad on September 03, 2016

    Really tasty - boosted the flavour even more by roasting the cauliflower while I prepped the rest of the ingredients. The Parmesan also made this sufficiently seasoned, so I've omitted the additional salt. As with everyone else, the leftovers were even better!

  • meginyeg on October 12, 2021

    This was way better than I anticipated. We would make it again. It rounded out a vegetarian meal nicely.

  • raybun on June 12, 2017

    I made this to take to a picnic and it was delicious! I followed general advice and added a dollop of whole grain mustard and some pesto to the mix.

  • Frenchfoodie on December 20, 2020

    Looks great and is tasty too, breaking me out of a cauliflower cheese rut. Best as part of a spread with some punchier flavours,

  • anya_sf on August 01, 2021

    I'd made this years ago before I knew about EYB - remembered liking it and finally made it again. Lacking basil, I added some dried herbes de Provence and also supplemented the parmesan with cheddar. Baked 45 minutes, it was a bit overdone (should have checked sooner) but still very good. More seeds stuck to the parchment than the cake and I may not bother with them next time. I quite enjoyed this with some roasted cherry tomatoes.

  • jhallen on November 15, 2020

    This was good but not as great as I was expecting. It took much less cooking time than specified in the recipe for me.

  • Shaxon on August 08, 2021

    Add crushed cumin. Consider roasted cauliflower instead of boiled for more flavor. This is basically like a frittata, so it is open to any creative variation - meat, vegetarian meat, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, corn, etc.

  • Shaxon on March 21, 2021

    I used a large paella pan instead of springform so it finished in 30 minutes (400 deg f convection fan oven). I didn't have rosemary so I added a little sage but it didn't really come through. I served it with tomato & pomegranate salad from the same book. Good vegetarian brunch, lunch or dinner.

  • Ganga108 on October 29, 2021

    Ottolenghi says that cauliflower needs more attention. He says that it’s one of the most magnificent of all vegetables and is as versatile as potato. I reckon he is right. I don't cook with eggs, but wanted to make something with similar flavours. So I made a farinata using the other ingredients in the recipe. I hadn’t cooked Farinata for so long, years in fact – so long that I have forgotten how good it is. So it is back on the menu, with cauliflower, onions and parmesan. Farinata tastes a little like an omelette, and cooked right, it will slide right out of the pan. Served in wedges with a salad (and some Ottolenghi Celeriac Chips!), it makes a lovely lunch or light evening meal.

• Dakos

  • westminstr on September 23, 2016

    I subbed stale-bread croutons for my freezer, tossed with olive oil and toasted until golden brown and dry, for the rusks. Also omitted the all-spice. Otherwise made as written and everyone really enjoyed it!

  • kari500 on January 01, 2020

    First time I made exactly as written, and it was delicious. This time I made it with TJs garlic/cheese croutons, and it was only slightly less delicious, and they were much easier to find. I also sort of played around with amounts - this recipe is very forgiving, and easy. It was the star of our New Year's Eve dinner.

  • mondraussie on September 08, 2016

    I used home made labneh instead of feta. Delicious!

  • lizebeth on December 18, 2017

    Unable to find dakos and no time to bake bread. I used toasted until crisp sourdough and the salad was still terrific.

  • lou_weez on July 09, 2021

    Delicious!! I used friselle - a twice baked bread that needs to be dipped in water to soften slightly and is totally addictive.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This was the first time I was introduced to dakos and was able to search them out, along with friselle, from the local continental shop. The salad is surprisingly good, and wonderfully Summery.

• Sprouting broccoli with sweet tahini

  • jzanger on April 12, 2019

    Great side dish, and I have a feeling it's super adaptable. I made the sauce as written and used all the rest of the ingredients, but nothing else was measured in an exacting way. After blanching the broccoli (small heads cut into thin florets, not sprouting broccoli) and the green beans in salted water, then cooling them and draining, I charred them quickly in a hot cast iron skillet for a little more interest. The only other change I made was to toss in a large handful of grape tomatoes, which also went really well with the tahini sauce. I imagine this tahini sauce would be great as a kale salad dressing or in a carrot salad as well.

  • pennyvr on August 10, 2016

    Delicious. I left the salt out of the dressing, and microwaved the veggies instead of blanching. This was easy to make and well received.

  • dinnermints on March 18, 2018

    Excellent. Made the recipe exactly as stated (subbing broccolini for sprouting broccoli), found it to be full of flavor.

  • Rutabaga on May 01, 2015

    I wanted to like this more than I did; it was good, but felt a little lacking. To be fair, I used only purple sprouting broccoli - no haricots verts or snow peas - and I think that made the dish a little less interesting. I may have also used too much broccoli, as the flavors of the dressing seemed to get a little lost in it. The dressing itself was quite good; I tasted it before dressing the broccoli, so perhaps my ratio of dressing to broccoli was just a bit off.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    A salad to convert even the biggest tahini-hater. It is a take on a Japanese favourite. Broccolini, or use sprouting broccoli, is mixed with other greens for a visually pleasing and refreshing blend of textures. As a variation, the recipe can also be made with broccoli, sprouting broccoli or broccolini, just with the dressing. Perfect. Even more perfect – the Broccolini can be char-grilled for the salad, should you so wish.

• Rice salad with nuts and sour cherries

  • Breadcrumbs on May 12, 2015

    p. 54 – Fabulous dish! I made half and this recipe still produced a LOT of salad. I used some incredibly malty-nutty wild rice I brought back from a trip to Manitoba and it alone was so aromatic I’d have been happy if that were the only grain in the dish. But it wasn’t. Of course I then got to add in my favourite rice, basmati and on top of that, quinoa. Even mr bc who doesn’t take a huge interest in any side dishes that don’t involve potatoes couldn’t help asking about this dish as the house just got more and more delicious-smelling as I prepared this recipe. The toasted nuts and caramelized onions sent him over the edge and one of our guests almost shouted “caramelized onions and sun-dried sour cherries” when I was describing what went into this dish because he was so excited about the thought of it! No surprise this paired perfectly with our grilled lamb. So delicious! Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012789?commentId=9558026#9558026

  • caitmcg on June 25, 2015

    I made this with wild rice, Camargue red rice, and brown basmati rice because I had them on hand and it was delicious, and a huge hit at the potluck I took it to. I have also had it made with quinoa as written, and I prefer the texture when made with all rices. Yield is about double that indicated.

  • Aggie92 on June 27, 2015

    Another delicious recipe from Mr. Ottolenghi! Since I was only cooking for 2, I cut the recipe in half and we still have a generous amount of salad left for at least 2 more nights. A half recipe easily feeds 6-8 as a side. I really liked the combination of flavors. Used a little extra lemon juice (another half lemon) since I like a zippy lemon flavor on my grain salads. Sadly I didn't have any arugula so had to leave it out. Will most definitely make this again.

  • Astrid5555 on March 18, 2017

    Delicious and for an Ottolenghi recipe quite quick to prepare. Made with a brown and wild rice mixture, and left out the quinoa since I made another quinoa salad as well. Really enjoyed the sour cherries in this one! Will definitely be making again!

  • Rajcakes on June 06, 2018

    This was my favorite from the book so far. It did take a while to put together and made a lot of salad, but it was delicious as leftovers the next day. Added lemon flavored olive oil and that really gave a boost to the lemon zing.

  • stockholm28 on September 16, 2019

    This was great. It makes a huge amount, but keeps well in the fridge. I add the arugula at serving time so that it doesn’t get that wilted texture. I think I prefer the Camargue Red Rice and Quinoa with Pistachio and Orange that is in Ottolenghi’s first book.

  • Frogcake on June 13, 2016

    Like others, I found this to be delicious and easy to prepare. (Don't mind all the pots and pans!) I did not have arugula and used kale instead. As well, I substituted dried cranberries soaked in lemon in place of sour cherries. We were all very happy to take this for lunch the following day!

  • steinsm on December 26, 2017

    Lovely salad but I found it took about 2 hours to make with all the stages! I did it exactly as stated and it made a huge quantity. The dressing could have done with a bit more "zip" -- not sure what I would add, but it definitely needs something more.

  • chezmaryb on October 19, 2020

    Loved this one. Lots of texture and very fresh flavor. I added extra lemon and cherries. I went a bit light on the olive oil too to save some calories

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This is one of those recipes that gives Ottolenghi’s recipes a bad wrap – lots of ingredients, but even worse, SIX different cooking processes each with its own pots and pans and utensils to be washed, bench to be cleaned. It better be worth it, I thought. It is not a dish for weeknights and takes some time to chop chop chop. And I recommend washing up the pans as you go, even if you have a dishwasher. But it is spectacular, both in taste and visually.

• Pink grapefruit and sumac salad

  • Breadcrumbs on May 12, 2015

    p. 32 - It was love at first sight when I spotted this salad in the book, it looks like art on a plate so if you eat with your eyes, this salad will leave you more than satisfied. I could only find green vs red endive however this dish didn’t suffer for it, except perhaps visually. My grapefruits weren’t as red as those in the book but no matter, I’m sure they were just as tasty. I chuckled when I read the prior reviews about guests drinking the remaining dressing off their plates. I’m not surprised; it really is that good. This isn’t a dish you can throw together when you come home from work at night but let me tell you, every minute you invest in this recipe is worth it. The pay off is ten fold. The combination of basil and watercress is bright and fresh already, but when you add this incredible grapefruit syrup dressing and supremed grapefruit the end result is sublime. Seriously. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012789?commentId=9558017#9558017

  • radishseed on February 05, 2015

    I made the mistake of trying to make this on a weeknight. After prepping the salad greens, supreming the grapefruit, reducing its juice, and cleaning up the sticky mess I made (including all the grapefruit juice that ran off the cutting board and into a drawer full of kitchen towels), I gave up on waiting for the juice to cool and made an egg sandwich for dinner. But the next day (and for the rest of the week), I had a delicious salad all ready to eat. I love grapefruit, and the combination with the bitter greens (and not-so-greens) is delicious.

  • SheilaS on May 25, 2021

    I made this to bring to a friend's house for dinner and she was blown away at first bite. The dressing is really excellent. I used a mix of curly endive and arugula for the greens and added watermelon radishes for crunch and they looked pretty.

  • dinnermints on January 10, 2015

    Beautiful and delicious. Some of my guests, after brief apology, drank the dressing off their plates (I may have done so as well in solidarity). I used a guajillo pepper in the dressing, and it worked out well - provided kick and some smokiness, but not so spicy as to overwhelm the salad. I used arugula instead of watercress, which worked fine; and also sliced the grapefruit and made the dressing a day in advance.

  • Rutabaga on February 18, 2016

    Since I had some lovely sweet grapefruit on hand, this seemed the perfect time to try this salad. As others have noted, the flavors are wonderful. I left out the onion to accommodate a friend who doesn't like it, but we all felt the flavors were perfectly balanced without it. Since watercress isn't readily available this time of year, I used arugula, which, as dinnermints noted, is a good substitute. And while you can't make the entire salad quickly, but if you supreme the grapefruits and make the dressing in advance, you'll find it comes together quite easily. Use a sharp knife and hold the grapefruits directlty over the colander when slicing them to avoid losing any of the juice.

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Delicious! This is a salad that appears on paper like it won’t come together with Ottolenghi’s usual balanced and banging flavours. It feels like too much sumac. There is chilli in the dressing. And crispy, sharp raw onion. But the flavours are massive and surprising! Bright, puckery grapefruit gently mixed with peppery watercress (in my case, nasturtium leaves), bitter Belgian endive, sweet leaves of basil, sharp red onion slices, and a tangy vinaigrette heavy with the lemony tangy sumac. Flavour clash? Not at all. A beautiful, balanced, juicy salad that is colourful and divine.

• Grilled lettuce with farro and lemon

  • Breadcrumbs on May 12, 2015

    p. 151 – As a kid I used to turn my nose up at salad. To me, salad was boring. This is a salad for any salad-haters out there. This salad will change the minds of anyone who thinks a salad can’t be a meal; it’s something special! YO describes this as being similar to a Caesar & I’d agree. But then it’s a bit more than that. The grilled romaine is warm and smoky, the dressing is so bright and fresh then you have the earthy Parmesan and the crunchy croutons. Salad heaven! This is the first time I’ve cooked farro and it definitely won’t be the last. There’s just enough of this toothsome, nutty grain in here to elevate this dish from salad to meal. Farro made this a hearty salad. This salad with its anise-infused dressing reminded me how much I love tarragon. Tarragon leaves are roughly chopped and tossed in at the last minute so you have a fresh burst tarragon in almost every bite. Perfect. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012789?commentId=9556977#9556977

  • sosayi on April 13, 2019

    Absolutely loved this salad! It was the star of the first barbecue of the season. Next time I make it, I may sub kale (or another hearty green), as the romaine was a bit too wilted and soft post grilling. The dressing was bright and rich at the same time, and we kept sneaking bites with pieces of grilled bread before the salad was tossed together. We used the full amount, also sans croutons, and it seemed like a good ratio (but we did steal a fair amount with the bread, so maybe add to taste). Tarragon was fabulous in this.

  • anya_sf on July 08, 2018

    I skipped the croutons as I didn't want it quite so hearty. I enjoyed the grilled romaine a lot. I'm not sure what I was supposed to do with the preserved lemon - leave it in slices? That seemed odd, so I chopped it up, but then thought the flavor a bit strong; half the amount would have been good. I didn't have tarragon, so substituted basil. Overall, I liked the salad.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    The dressing in this salad is really interesting, with both maple syrup and Pernod, which nicely balances the fresh lemon and preserved lemon. Neither the syrup or pernod is obvious in the dressing, and the mix is balanced and perfect. Ottolenghi uses farro in this dish but freekeh can be used equally as well. In fact, any chewy grain could be used. Loved this dish.

• Fava

  • Breadcrumbs on May 12, 2015

    p. 233 - Outstanding! This isn’t what you might think. This is not a fava bean recipe. YO talks about discovering this spread while vacationing in Greece and notes “I thought I knew everything there was to know about pastes made of various legumes until a couple of summers ago….and came across this variation, which is nothing like hummus or similar pastes.” How could I resist! In fact the recipe is prepared with yellow split-peas that are boiled then pureed with other ingredients then topped with a delicious combination of caramelized onions, capers, chives and evoo. We served this as a starter with some grilled pita and folks were swooning over it. I think the capers are essential here, they bring a briny freshness to this sweet earthy spread. Another dish that I’ll most certainly make time and time again. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012789?commentId=9556935#9556935

  • dinnermints on February 11, 2018

    We made four recipes out of Plenty More this evening, and while the fava was good, the other three dishes were much better. It needed more salt, and turned out runnier than we'd hoped.

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Very much liked by very particular diners; great ration of impressiveness to labour. caramelizing takes more time than indicated.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Fava is a puree or spread made from yellow split peas, not Fava Beans (Dried Broad Beans). The naming of these Mediterranean dishes is a mine field! A puree made from dried Broad Beans is known as koukofava. There are many versions of Fava, some with cumin and sumac, but this one is made from split peas which are topped with capers and caramelised onion, eaten warm and served as a starter dip. Ottolenghi says the dish is soothing yet exciting. It is indeed. It is a delight to see Ottolenghi use white pepper in several of his recipes – a rare thing these days but an exquisite taste.

• Cannellini bean purée with pickled mushrooms and pitta croutons

  • Breadcrumbs on May 12, 2015

    p. 241 - If you’re a fan of bean spreads this is a “must try” recipe for you as it is absolutely sensational and unlike any other bean spread we’ve ever encountered. What differentiates this spread is the topping. The pickled mushroom/onion mixture is ridiculously good & an absolutely perfect contrast to the rich, creamy beans. The pitta adds a nice salty crunch to the dish and completes it beautifully. This isn’t just good; it’s fantastic! I’d highly recommend this recipe. I’ve made a lot of pickles over time but I’ve never tasted a pickling liquid that I wanted to drink! The liquid wasn’t acidic at all, it had a balanced, fresh and herbal with mellow, oniony undertones. I just loved it! I actually ended up pouring some in a little pitcher and bringing it to the table as folks wanted to add more to their spread. What can I say; another dish that knocked it out of the park from this book! Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012789?commentId=9557928#9557928

  • Poppyseedbagel on August 18, 2019

    As others have said this is an excellent recipe. Even without the mushroom mixture the purée is really delicious - so much nicer than houmous.

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Crowd pleaser, but not as much as Fava-less fava spread. worth making one;s own pita chips.

  • Totallywired on January 02, 2019

    Used the pickled mushrooms in another dish and they are terrific, deep flavour, good balance.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    We love our dips and spreads, as you know, and this recipe from Ottolenghi slots nicely into our collection. It is divine! Not that it’s a dish you need to begin the day before, to allow the mushrooms to pickle and the beans to soak.

• Spring salad

  • Fiona on November 26, 2014

    This is the perfect spring salad - a friend had just given me the last of their broad beans for the season so wanted to do them justice. This salad is really tasty and a great way to serve these ingredients while in season.

  • aargle on December 02, 2014

    We all loved this salad and it was very quick to pull together. I used frozen broad beans as unable to find fresh.

  • KarinaFrancis on October 18, 2015

    This was a lovely fresh salad to go with some rich lamb. Its a symphony of green, so looks pretty as well as tasting good.

  • Rutabaga on May 24, 2020

    This salad is indeed delicious, but it made far more than I expected. I had used frozen edamame in place of the broad beans, so perhaps I should have reduced the amount, as they are very dense and filling. Since the kids weren't big fans, my husband end I ended up taking several days to finish the leftovers. While it holds reasonably well, it is, as one would guess, not nearly as good leftover as fresh. Unless I were serving a larger number of people, I would cut the recipe in half, or at least use fewer edamame/broad beans.

  • shoffmann on June 05, 2017

    Yum. Great salad for springtime and came together quickly. I used frozen edamame instead of the broad beans because that's what I had.

  • Tealismyname on March 08, 2016

    This makes a great side salad. I really love the addition of the nigella seeds.

  • anya_sf on May 28, 2020

    I adjusted the vegetables to use what I had: 400 g asparagus, 350 g edamame, 150 g baby spinach, 1 shallot (which I found to be plenty), 1/2 red chile (so it wouldn't be too spicy - turns out my chile was quite mild). The salad was simple to prepare. I placed the shallot and lemon juice in the bowl for a few minutes to remove some of the shallot's bite, then added the other dressing ingredients, then the vegetables, finally the seeds. Just delicious!

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    The most glorious celebration of colour and Spring. Thanks Ottolenghi.

• Stuffed peppers with fondant swede and goat's cheese

  • Fiona on October 09, 2014

    This takes quite a bit of prep and time to cook - but worth the effort - they were so delicious, even teenager ate the swede (not the pepper). Uses lots of butter, but did as Yotam suggested, and will reuse for other veges. I didn't have chevre, so used goat feta, and just a small amount as I was serving with chicken thighs. It would make a good vegetarian dish on its own particularly using some good chevre.

  • FJT on September 06, 2015

    Absolutely delicious! I agree with Fiona about the time taken to make it, but it really was well worth it.

  • Rutabaga on October 11, 2018

    Like many Ottolenghi recipes, my husband and I enjoyed this while the kids weren't fans. Someday, I hope, their palates will be able to handle cooked vegetables with layered flavors. They did, however, gobble up the fried rice I made using the leftover thyme butter after cooking the rutabaga. Because this dish is cheesy and rich, I think many adults will like it, even if the idea of stuffed peppers doesn't automatically sound appealing. I also appreciate the fact that the filling and roasted peppers can be prepared in advance.

  • cultus.girl on May 17, 2018

    Love love this recipe. Even the meat loving husband enjoyed it as a dish on its own with a salad. The swede adds an interesting note.

  • RBJ on September 11, 2020

    Page 269 in my edition.

  • Boffcat on January 14, 2018

    I made this without the cheese and thought it was very good indeed. (Note to self though: don't substitute dried thyme for fresh; the flavour is inevitably off.)

  • Ganga108 on October 30, 2021

    Fondant is a word that is associated with icing these days. But it comes originally from the French, a cooking term meaning to melt. Fondant Potatoes is the most well known dish where the method of cooking is applied, but it can be used for other vegetables. They are cooked in butter, or in butter and stock, until achingly tender. Sometimes, as is the case with the Fondant Potatoes, an external crispy layer is achieved. Ottolenghi has a great recipe here for capsicums stuffed with fondant swedes. I was caught short, wanting to make this dish but forgetting to order swedes in the last vegetable delivery. So I twisted and turned his recipe to make it work with what I had on hand – Kent Pumpkin, Parsnips and Cabbage. Absolutely delicious.

• Parsley, lemon and cannellini bean salad

  • Laura on July 12, 2015

    I had cooked white quinoa and garbanzo beans the day before for another recipe and had plenty of both left over, so decided to use them in this dish. The other modification I made was that I used only 1 TBS of EVOO as I've learned over time to use far less oil than Ottolenghi calls for. I really liked the salad on its own -- it was light and refreshing, and I think it was more attractive than it would have been with the red quinoa. I served it over a mixture of baby greens (red and green chard, tatsoi, arugula and spinach) and it made a lovely light lunch.

  • kari500 on September 02, 2016

    We really liked this, but did think it needed more lemon. I added lemon juice and that did the trick. Wasn't sure I was tasting much of the mint, but that could have been a problem with my mint.

  • Astrid5555 on July 03, 2016

    This is the first Ottolenghi salad I have made that did not have the usual flavor explosion, but was rather bland. Maybe because of the canned beans I used and also because my whole large lemon (as opposed to half a lemon in the recipe) yielded only half the lemon flesh needed for this salad. Instead I added ground cumin and feta cheese, my go-to flavor enhancers and this worked quite well. Still would probably not repeat.

  • Melanie on November 05, 2014

    Although I don't have rave reviews for this recipe, it still ticked all the boxes - quick / healthy / tasty - this is a good mid week work lunch meal.

  • Rutabaga on April 12, 2015

    The mint and chopped lemon were very refreshing, but the beans were quite bland. That could just be the canned beans that I used; home cooked beans might make for a more toothsome salad. You could also substitute other varieties of beans; I could see favas being very good.

  • Tweedles81 on June 22, 2020

    I wholeheartedly agree with all the other comments - good, easy, and healthy but beans were bland and it needed more lemon juice. May make again if only for convenience.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This salad is light and full of sunshine! Herby and lemony, it feels so healthy and is ideal for outside eating in Summer. It's a Mediterranean style salad of quinoa and cannellini beans that is quick to put together. Super simple once the beans and grains are cooked, it is ready in minutes and very delicious. I use preserved lemon instead of the fresh lemon.

• Spicy chickpea and bulgar soup

  • Laura on March 13, 2015

    Pg. 86. I found this to be quite disappointing. The amount of bulgar called for was way too much as it absorbed most of the broth and the dish became more a 'chickpea and bulgar side dish' than a soup. It was quite spicy on its own from the harissa, but once I added the creamed feta paste the spice level fell to almost nothing. The feta paste was very tasty on its own and made a good spread on toast. I won't be making the soup again, but I would make the paste.

  • Apollonia on January 01, 2022

    Really enjoyed this. It benefitted from the herbs in the feta option a great deal, but the base itself was tasty and light, too.

  • Melanie on August 05, 2017

    Enjoyed the flavour of this - simple but not basic, and keeps well. Didn't make the feta accompaniment.

  • clkandel on May 17, 2020

    Very good. Served this with quinoa, since I was out of bulgar. Cooked the grain on the side, put it in the bowl, and topped with the soup.

  • dinnermints on March 24, 2016

    With some changes, this soup (more like a stew) was very good. Given the previous reviewer's notes, I used 6 cups of broth (and 3 cups of chickpeas instead of 2.5), and used 1/3 cup minced preserved lemon (peel and flesh) instead of the teaspoon of salt. I used some very flavorful bean pot liquor for the broth, which I'm sure helped, and also added more harissa directly to my bowl of soup to taste. I made the creamed feta paste too, and substituting low fat Greek yogurt for the creme fraiche worked out just dandy. With all of these changes, both my husband and I loved it.

  • ricki on August 29, 2019

    Quick to put together, and quite nice for a lunch. Almost a stew; less bulgar would suit me. I prefer it without dairy, but with chopped cilantro and mint to garnish and perhaps a squirt of lemon juice (I'll try preserved lemon someday). I used 2 tbsp of mild harissa and then added a tablespoon of a more spicy harissa.

  • christineakiyoshi on December 11, 2020

    Tasty soup that doesn't taste too spicy while eating, but the heat settles in a bit later. I used quinoa instead of bulgar and it turned out nicely. Garnished with cilantro leaves, since we are vegan. Will make again.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This soup has done the rounds in various publications and Ottolenghi modifies it slightly each time. In the book, he pairs it with a feta-creme fraiche paste, and elsewhere he replaces it with coriander oil, elsewhere with salbitxada – a sharp and lightly sweet Catalan sauce. You could choose a topping to suits your mood or the weather. One option is to make a huge pot of soup, and serve with feta-creme fraiche paste one day and with salbitxada the next. The soup does need a little something stirred into it at the end, to liven it. Use lemon juice if you don’t have the time to make the paste or the sauce. This recipe is a mid-week Soup, substantial enough to be eaten with heaps of flatbread and a green salad. It is hearty and comforting. The flavour improves even more if you allow it to stand for a few hours. Ottolenghi says it feeds four, but I say it will feed 6 or 8, depending on the hunger levels.

• Sweet and sour leeks with goat's curd and currants

  • Laura on November 18, 2014

    Pg. 123. We really enjoyed this dish. I used dried cranberries in place of the currants and goat cheese in place of the goat's curd, which I've never seen. The onion dressing provided a really nice tangy/sweet accent. If I make this again, I'd eliminate the goat cheese -- I really felt that it detracted from our overall enjoyment of the dish. I'd also cook the leeks longer than the recipe directs.

  • mondraussie on January 01, 2020

    Fantastic! Makes a great starter. Careful with the cooking time of the leeks however, I followed the instructions and they were a bit underdone... Perhaps my leeks were a little on the large side..

  • Tealismyname on March 08, 2016

    The first time I made this dish it blew me and my partner out of the water. It's so delicate and the sweetness of the currants (which I soaked for a while) and the goat curds was phenomenal. I disagree with the other note, I think the cheese is essential for the complex subtlety of the recipe. I went to our cheese shop and bought a high quality very creamy goat cheese. (The cheese monger suggested that as long as I got a really fresh and soft goat cheese it would be okay in place of the curd which they didn't have).

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Leeks are not often the primary ingredient in a dish, but just occasionally, and justifiably, they are the centrepiece. Their creamy flavour when slow cooked or braised is a delightful Winter element that is best appreciated outside of the soups and purees that they usually inhabit. The sweet oniony flavour is a surprise to people who have not experience it before. These leeks are braised in wine and olive oil, then sautéed a little to give colour to the pieces, before being served with a sweet-sour sauce, currants and creamy cheese.

• Aubergine kadaifi nests

  • jlg84 on December 22, 2017

    Very very good

  • VineTomato on December 12, 2021

    I've not seen kadaifi before, so when Mr VT was ordering honey from Maltby&Greek we spotted it. I remembered this recipe, so we clicked add to basket. A little bit of a faff to make, you need to start early to fit in all the roasting, cooling and draining. The results were outstanding. Totally delicious. I'll put this on the menu next time we have people over. For once I used the recommended amount of oil in an Ottolenghi recipe and I think it is necessary in this case.

• Hot and sour mushroom soup

  • radishseed on January 18, 2021

    I'm going to start by saying this soup is really delicious. I'm going to finish by saying it gave me…stomach trouble. I was trying to figure out if any of the many vegetables in it had gone bad or might have been contaminated, and then I realized--it's all those prunes in the stock. So! I might suggest putting in less prunes or replacing them with another sweet-sour dried fruit, like apricots. Or, if you're already on a prune juice regimen, this soup might fit right in!

  • dinnermints on December 31, 2014

    This soup had great flavor, BUT - this recipe has an error in it! DO NOT add the enoki and white mushroom to the stock to cook for 45 minutes! They're supposed to be added after the stock has been strained. In the recipe (in the U.S. version), you'll see that they're added twice. Unfortunately I didn't see this error until it was too late, and sadly strained the mushrooms out with the rest of the stock veggies because after 45 min all of their flavor went into the broth. I double-checked with the online version on the Guardian's website to be sure. I think the tamarind paste is also supposed to be added at the end instead of to the stock. Otherwise, would make this soup again, making the stock the night before.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This soup is faaaar more complicated than my usual soups. It is a kitchen-sink style approach. He considers this recipe to be a variation on Asian soups such as Thai tom yum or Vietnamese pho. The key is the stock, which must be rich and hearty, with many layers of flavour. And, the broth is extraordinary! Hot and sour as promised. Earthy and deep, yet with a lightness too. It was a real surprise. Make double and freeze half. He doesn’t add noodles, but you can. I recommend making double the amount of broth, make the mushroom soup as-is, then decide how to use the second half with the noodles. Mushrooms and noodles. Greens and noodles. Fried tofu and noodles. Whatever takes your fancy.

• Curry laksa

  • radishseed on January 04, 2021

    This was delicious, and also quite eye-wateringly, nose-runningly spicy. I almost put less chile in at the beginning, given the size of my dried chiles and the heat of the jar of sambal oelek, but I went ahead and followed the recipe because I like spicy. Anyway, it's excellent while also being a bit too much, so next time I will cut back. Also, the instructions say to grind the paste to a "semismooth" consistency, but I had some small chunks that never cooked down and were a bit gritty, so I would go ahead and grind all the way to "smooth." And I liked it better with the tofu puffs heated in the soup so they soaked up some broth, rather than dropped on top as a garnish.

  • Shaxon on December 30, 2021

    I agree with Radishseed about the consistency and I regret that I didn't see it before I made the recipe. I served this along with YO Broccoli and Edamane salad (NY Times) for a guest for a winter dinner party. The flavors were interesting and well-balanced. It wasn't very spicy, but it was a good blend of sour, salty and unami. I added a few sliced shiitake mushrooms because I had them, and it was a good addition. My husband is vegetarian; it was nice to have a dish that happened to be vegetarian. It made about 8 servings. After serving 3, there was still a lot left over.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Talk about a meal in a bowl, Laksa is the bomb. In this recipe, a spice paste is made by blending the ingredients then cooking it off slowly before adding stock and other flavour enhancing ingredients. This beautiful broth is served with noodles, sprouts, herbs and other toppings. The paste can be made ahead of time. Or make double and store the rest in the freezer.

• Roasted figs with pomegranate molasses and orange zest

  • radishseed on September 01, 2015

    Added orange flower water to the marinade and ate the figs with frozen yogurt instead of the yogurt-mascarpone mixture. The pomegranate-orange-thyme reduction is wonderfully sweet-sour.

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    modification that worked well: served some warm with unreduced marinade and saved rest in that marinade. Even better. For the record, the figs were from a top of the line food store and cost much, so the difference might be in the figs.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    The joy of life in Autumn is definitely lead by figs. Poaching, grilling and salads feature strongly, and I can’t emphasise enough how crucial it is to choose good, sweet, squidgy figs, no matter what you do with them. It makes all the difference. All sorts of things go well with figs – cinnamon, star anise, for example. Nuts. Orange. Almond butter. In this recipe Ottolenghi uses pomegranate molasses for a marinade then a rich, sticky sauce, orange peel and thyme.

• Walnut and halva cake

  • radishseed on February 10, 2015

    This is a fun cake. Very rich, with all that halva (maybe mine is extra sweet?). I might try it again with only half the halva. This wouldn't affect the texture in any way, since it's just a layer in the middle of the cake.

  • KarinaFrancis on July 04, 2021

    This was delicious, love the combination of walnut and halva

  • Foodycat on December 31, 2017

    Delicious - try to keep the halva in big chunks because they add a lot of flavour and texture.

  • DePollepel on August 26, 2021

    delicious and easy to make

• Corn and spring onion pancakes

  • caitmcg on July 10, 2016

    These are really wonderful, just the essence of summer corn, and the green onions, chile, and cumin complement it very well.

  • TrishaCP on July 29, 2016

    I agree that these were just amazing. I didn't have time to whip the egg whites separately, so I just added the second egg to the batter with the first. I'm sure my pancakes weren't as light as a result, but they were still delicious.

  • clkandel on June 02, 2021

    Pancakes are very light and fluffy. I'd like a little more heat and may add some cayenne pepper next time.

  • lesliec on August 04, 2016

    Pancakes were very fluffy. Taste was very good, most of the corn is ground in processor until smooth so just a touch of whole corn kernels. I used a 1/4 cup of white whole wheat flour with 1/2 cup of white flour instead of 3/4 c white flour and it came out fine.

  • Ganga108 on October 31, 2021

    Goodness, how good are these sweetcorn pancakes! They make the perfect weekend breakfast or lazy Sunday lunch. I would also make them for an eat-in-front-of-netflix weekend evening meal with a green salad, or, heaven forbid, some chips with spicy mayo. I don't cook with eggs so used my usual chickpea flour based substitute. I can't recommend these highly enough.

• Quince poached in pomegranate juice

  • caitmcg on July 10, 2016

    This is a lovely dessert, and it would make a fitting end to a Middle Eastern menu. The syrup smells just fantastic as it simmers, and has a rich and complex flavor. I served this with a dollop of Greek yogurt in place of clotted cream, and I liked its tanginess against the intensely flavored syrup.

• Beetroot and rhubarb salad

  • caitmcg on July 10, 2016

    Interesting and pretty salad. I used 3 tsp. pom molasses and 4 tsp. grade B maple syrup in the dressing and liked the sweet-sour balance with those proportions. I used feta instead of Gorgonzola (I don't care for blue cheese), and liked its saltiness against the sweet elements.

  • leahorowitz on April 18, 2015

    Nice spring salad. Instead of roasting the beets whole for an hour, I cut them into thin slices (ca. 2 mm) and roasted them together with the rubarb for 10 mins.

  • Rutabaga on June 10, 2019

    This salad has a lovely, somewhat unusual flavor. I made a downsized version, as I only had a few small beets, and also used mint instead of parsley. It's very easy to put together once you have roasted the beets and rhubarb.

  • Lsblackburn1 on April 22, 2019

    Lovely spring side dish! I was worried it would be too sweet, but the flavors balanced perfectly.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    In this wonderful salad recipe, rhubarb is roasted rather than simmered into oblivion like my Mum used to (sorry Mum). The recipe mixes roasted beetroot with yoghurt and a dressing of maple syrup and pomegranate molasses. Lastly, the rhubarb and gorgonzola cheese are added. Gorgonzola seems such an unlikely addition, but the bite of the cheese and its creaminess pulls the dish together. Magnificent! The cheese adds lively highlight notes to the earthy-sweet-sour of the beetroot and rhubarb.

• Brussels sprouts with caramelised garlic and lemon peel

  • FionaC on August 28, 2016

    A lovely way to cook Brussels. Don't be afraid of the amount of garlic, it's sweet and unctuous. I think preserved lemons would be a good substitute for the candied lemon peel, even a squeeze of fresh lemon over the dish might do at a pinch. Other acidic elements such as tamarind or sumac might be interesting as well.

  • KarinaFrancis on April 19, 2015

    I have to agree with Rutabaga, on all counts. I added the lemon syrup as suggested and it brightened up an already great dish.

  • Rutabaga on December 15, 2014

    This must be the best brussels sprouts recipe ever! Flash cooked sprouts are mixed with five entire heads of balsamic caramelized garlic. It's the five heads of garlic that turn this recipe into a labor intensive side dish, so when making it on a week night, you might want to peel all those dozens of cloves in advance. I also don't see a reason to discard the small amount of lemon juice syrup that accumulates when cooking the peel; I just added it all to the sprouts - it's delicious! I didn't have basil, but look forward to including it next time.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on November 26, 2018

    Delicous way to prepare brussel sprouts. Served with salmon and couscous, easy to assemble when all the mise en place has been done. A big hit for dinner with friends.

  • lou_weez on July 11, 2021

    Really nice way to serve brussels sprouts. The garlic was sensational.

  • kateiscoooking on February 17, 2018

    We were out of lemons so I used grapefruit. And, I included the syrup. The garlic cooked into a lovely roasted garlic mash. The basil had gone brown so it wasn't included. But, I'll add it next time. This takes a good bit of time and effort and it's totally worth it! Even one of our guests who really doesn't like Brussels sprouts liked this.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This recipe uses pan fried sprouts, but there is nothing to stop you roasting them instead. In fact it saves some work if you decide to roast them (but they won’t be as crunchy). This recipe is classic Ottolenghi – 4 or 5 different processes, depending how you count them, and about an hour to make. But I have learnt to hold back my complaints about that (a little), as the flavours are always banging. The recipe takes the Brussels Sprouts and mixes them with a caramelised garlic syrup, candied lemon peel, chilli and basil. It sounds too amazing to be believed. And indeed it is – the interplay of sweet, spicy and tart flavours is nothing short of spectacular. Imagine this as your stand-out dish on the Xmas table, or, in Australia, make it for Sunday Lunch on the Queen’s Birthday weekend, or for Xmas in July. It will knock the socks off of your guests.

• Fig salad

  • pluralcow on September 25, 2015

    This is a very nice salad, though the components do take some time to pull together. I have made it with figs and also with blackberries subbed for figs (and a fig-balsamic vinegar). Both were very good.

  • dinnermints on August 09, 2015

    Delicious, but not as jaw-droppingly amazing as some of Ottolenghi's salads can be. Also, takes some time to roast onions and then the hazelnuts.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Used the first figs to come to WF, perhaps it would have been better with gutsier figs

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Nice. Bitter radicchio, watercress, purslane (our addition) and basil contrast with the sweet figs and onions, and then the nuts add crunch and texture.

• Candy beetroot with lentils and yuzu

  • erin g on December 27, 2014

    I used fresh yuzu, and seasoned it a bit more than the recipe called for. If you do get a fresh yuzu, making yuzu salt with the zest and some salt rubbed together makes a nice finishing touch. I also used baby arugula, and it subbed in fine.

  • jennyed on January 07, 2018

    I used lime juice instead of yuzu, and a mix of baby spinach/arugula, and it worked well.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Yuzu, a central ingredient in his recipe, is not to be found locally. So I have tinkered with it quite a bit, substituting cumquat juice and rind (as I have cumquats in my new garden and they are readily available in the local Asian grocery), and lime juice. Use all lime if you can’t source cumquats. I also change out the greens. Ottolenghi loves to use baby spinach and rocket but I prefer to use leaves of herbs and salad greens growing in the garden, including peppery and bitter ones like nasturtium, moringa leaves, purslane and watercress. Use soft herbs and leaves or the spinach and rocket, whatever is more convenient for you. The salad uses beetroot simmered until tender then cut into wedges, along with raw beetroot sliced absolutely paper thin. This two-layered approach is magnificent.

• Sprouting broccoli and edamame salad with curry leaves and coconut

  • okcook on January 25, 2016

    We enjoyed the Indian flavours here. I used baby lima beans and only put in 100 grams which was fine because we wouldn't have wanted more beans in the dish. I also only used one chilli and it was plenty hot enough for us.

  • Melanie on October 12, 2014

    Another winner. I didn't use fresh coconut, substituting dried coconut flakes, however I didn't think that this was missing anything. This one definitely works well by itself as a meal, although the suggested pairing of the lemon and curry leaf rice would also be great.

  • Dishyrishie on January 09, 2015

    Delicious. Would pair it with An Indian banquet and it's a great one to take to a BBQ and surprise friends. ah Yottam is the king of vege dishes.

  • tekobo on February 17, 2017

    Relatively simple to put together - for an Ottolenghi recipe! Mark loved the soy beans and I, for the first time, ate the fresh curry leaves and enjoyed them rather than fishing them out as spent flavouring like I have in curries.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This is a wonderful green salad of beans, edamame and broccolini or sprouting broccoli. It is flavoured sort of South Indian style, with black mustard seeds and a handful of curry leaves. The coconut adds a beautiful contrast to the beans, although it can be left out of the recipe if desired.

• Aubergines with crushed chickpeas and herb yoghurt

  • okcook on March 04, 2016

    I love the way the eggplants come out from the oven. Nice and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I used cooking spray rather than all the oil called for and I resprayed them half way through. The yoghurt mixture wasn't at room temp so it made the dish not as appealing as a dinner side. Next time I will leave it out on the counter. This is a great summer dish. It can all be prepared ahead of time.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    How comforting is a dish of eggplant, roasted in thick slices, with chickpeas and cumin, toasted, and a drizzle of minty yoghurt sauce. How satisfying. The eggplant is darkly roasted but achingly tender, the chickpeas are mixed with lemon flesh for an enlivening tang, and the yoghurt adds a light freshness to the dish. Wonderful! And the crushed chickpeas on their own are fabulous on toast.

• Fried cauliflower with mint and tamarind dipping sauce

  • lorloff on September 06, 2020

    This fried cauliflower dish was a 10.5 on a scale of 10 absolutely fantastic. Getting the flour to stick to the cauliflower before adding the egg and the panko was tricky and hard to do. But the dish was absolutely worth the tremendous effort. Next time we will increase the spices slightly in the seasoned panko and will substitute falafel mix for the flour. The sauce was for us the only weakness in the recipe. Eat the fried cauliflower by itself or with a tahini lemon sauce. This was delicious and worth the effort. We are thinking about trying the seasoned breading on chicken and other breaded things it was great.

  • Rutabaga on October 10, 2018

    The breadcrumb coating on this cauliflower is nicely flavored even though I accidentally forgot to add the garlic and intentionally left out the pepper flakes (to keep in mild enough for the kids), and the florets turned out nicely cooked and not at all greasy. I had to add extra olive oil to make the dip come together, but it was nicely tangy and herby, and also very good when mixed into plain white rice.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This is a life-altering Cauliflower recipe for you, from Ottolenghi. This is REALLY GOOD, and you won’t believe it is vegetarian. Fool your friends! In this recipe, cauliflower is deep fried in a spicy batter and breadcrumbs, then it is dipped in a sauce made from herbs and tamarind. We used an egg-free chickpea flour batter, as usual.

• Caramelised fig, orange and feta salad

  • Avocet on August 30, 2015

    We were not impressed with this salad. There is a lot of fussing with the figs, oranges and dressing that sounded interesting, but we felt ultimately detracted from the clarity of the flavors of the ingredients. The amount of the Pernod was excessive, even though I reduced the amount. The anise seeds were a good addition, however.

  • Dishyrishie on February 05, 2017

    Next time we'd use marinated goats cheese to give a bit more acidity. We also didn't have Pernod so used gin instead. Think Pernod would have been a bit too much aniseed.

  • cultus.girl on February 27, 2018

    We really enjoyed this salad just as it was. Pernod flavoured it beautifully.

  • JLDuck on December 31, 2018

    I modified it to make it suitable for an Indian meal. Worked a treat. Mainly removed the feta and changed the dressing. Will definitely make the recipe. The caramelised fruit was relatively simple and very tasty.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    Caramelised figs are one of the great ways to use figs, especially later in the season when they are lusciously juicy and soft. Caramelised figs can be used in a whole range of sweet and savoury dishes. Here we pair them with oranges (also caramelised), feta, and, would you believe, pernod. A delicious, moreish salad.

• Kale and cheese pikelets

  • mcvl on January 25, 2021

    Contradicting my usual preference for coarse textures, I like pikelets better with fully blenderized ingredients. Try these, they're yummy.

  • oakandsage on September 25, 2016

    Tasted ok but WAY too rich for my taste, and not good enough to want to eat anyway.

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Much better hot than reheated.

  • Ganga108 on October 29, 2021

    You won’t know that you are eating kale with this dish. The delicious cheesy pikelets successfully hide the vegetable and it is only if you focus can you detect the crunch and taste of the thinly sliced greens. It is quite an oily dish with heaps of butter and melted cheese. You might like to place on a kitchen paper towel after cooking. They are best slightly warm rather than hot. Cheesy and buttery – what can’t be good? But not something for every day, despite the kale. I don't cook with eggs so used our usual substitutions.

• Beetroot, avocado and pea salad

  • RosieB on November 22, 2014

    A great salad with wow factor. A good dish for a dinner party as you can do most of the prep in advance.

  • mondraussie on May 10, 2015

    Maybe a little more dressing next time? A little dry, but very tasty

  • clkandel on April 21, 2021

    Such a different salad. Lots of flavor with a little heat. I had golden beats and liked how the yellow looked with the avocado.

  • dinnermints on October 06, 2019

    The bite of the hot sauce with the creamy avocado and half tender beets is fabulous (along with all of the herbs and the winsome peas). To second RosieB, our guests loved this salad and found it to be unusual in the best way.

  • mfranklin125 on March 22, 2018

    Really good :)

  • Ganga108 on January 11, 2022

    The star of this dish is indeed the blanched then quick-pickled beetroot, and its contrast with the slightly bitter pea shoots. Rather than the hour-long boil or bake, eating beetroot raw, quickly sauteed or blanched is a healthy and very delicious alternative. The beetroot retains a bite or crunch that adds textural layers to a dish. Everything can be prepared in advance for this salad, kept in the fridge, and combined at the last moment. Divine! There is so much good stuff in this “almost superfood” salad that it makes you feel very healthy and conscientious indeed. Served as it is, it can be a very substantial meal – just scatter a few roasted hazelnuts and/or chunks of creamy goat’s cheese over the top, and you need nothing else.

• Corn on the cob with miso mayonnaise

  • RosieB on October 14, 2015

    This is fantastic. Easy to prepare. The miso and tamarind gives this a huge taste boost. Great for a barbeque.

  • lou_weez on January 17, 2021

    YUM!!! I cooked the corn on the BBQ, wrapped in foil. Took about 20 minutes.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    Sweetcorn can be very cheap in Summer, so we have been indulging ourselves in sweetcorn dishes. Such a versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw, simmered, grilled, roasted and pureed. In particular, corn on the cob is a special snack, bringing back memories of childhood and eating corn fresh from the vegetable garden, the juicy corns as sweet as sweet can be. For this recipe, the corn is blanched then char grilled before being smothered in a mayonnaise with tamarind and miso. It is delicious. I use an eggless mayo as we do not cook with eggs, but you do you. The tamarind and miso mayonnaise is utterly delicious!

• Iranian style pasta

  • Apollonia on December 31, 2021

    I'd say this was only moderately successful. Definitely one of those Ottolenghi recipes that requires a zillion bowls and ingredients, but it was reasonably tasty and different enough. Make sure to drain the eggplant--- you'll lose tons of liquid (incidentally, also the secret to great baba ganoush).

  • finebec on September 01, 2018

    Iranian pasta, kashk and GREEK not plain yogurst essential. noodles inexpensive at https://www.sadaf.com/sadaf-noodles-aash-e-reshteh-17-2961/. you will need a package and a half. next time I would put some effort in finding or making mint oil, as dried mint from WF did not make a strong enough oil.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Made with Sadaf noodles. https://www.sadaf.com/sadaf-roasted-noodles-17-2965/ . Roasted means dried standard pasta. DELICIOUS ON THEIR OWN. great in dish

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Let's celebrate noodles with this dish from Iran. They are topped with roasted eggplants that are then cooked with garlic and spices, a tangy yoghurt and creme fraiche mixture (or kashk), and a mint oil. Perfectly delicious.

• Sweetcorn slaw

  • TrishaCP on August 14, 2017

    Yeah, this was really, really good! I skipped the carrots and subbed basil for the mint. The corn is great here with the cabbage. I did follow the brining step for the onion and cabbage, but I'm not sure how much impact it made. I would be tempted to try this (at least once) without that step.

  • aargle on December 26, 2018

    Made this to go with our glazed ham on Christmas Eve. Delicious and easy and loved the corn addition. Might grate the carrot next time as my batons were too large. A definite repeat.

  • sharifah on August 22, 2020

    Grown up coleslaw; love it! I like that there’s not a lot of mayo/dressing compared to the amount of veg overall. Different combo of veg and herbs makes it very different from other coleslaws.

  • twoyolks on August 16, 2016

    This was great. The sweetness of the corn really compliments the tanginess of the dressing. The herbs are also nice. I shredded the cabbage on a grater but that really made it too small. I'd use a knife in the future.

  • erinreine on September 21, 2016

    We really enjoyed this salad, nice mix of flavours. I used two larger chiles and it was a quite spicy, I would probably just use one next time. Added some finely chopped celery leaves as I couldn't get hold of any cilantro (bizarre shortage this week I guess) and it was delicious regardless. Used the julienne blade on the food processor for the cabbage and it seemed just the right size. It held up well as leftovers the next day too.

  • ksg518 on July 16, 2017

    This will be my new "go to" coleslaw recipe. I skipped the chile but may add it next time. I may have had more cabbage than called for, so I adjusted the dressing accordingly. I was surprised that so little dressing worked so well, but it was really just enough for the slaw.

  • Rutabaga on July 26, 2015

    This is a delicious variation on coleslaw, with a good variety of textures and tastes. Compared with many of the recipes in Plenty More, the ingredients in this one are pretty basic, and the preparation is not too time consuming. If you are grilling, make the slaw ahead of time, then add the corn fresh off the grill.

  • emma_clare on September 22, 2019

    I agree with other posters - lovely recipe that is relatively simple. Light, clean flavours, not at all oily or claggy like coleslaw can sometimes be. We had it with pulled pork baps and it was the perfect accompaniment.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    This recipe uses beautiful sweetcorn in a slaw with cabbage and carrot. The sweetcorn is grilled first, intensifying the sweetness, before being mixed with a mustard dressing and the slaw ingredients. Fresh and light.

• Honey-roasted carrots with tahini yoghurt

  • TrishaCP on April 21, 2020

    This was so good. I had the same problem as ricki with the paste clumping rather than glazing the carrots, but I figured it was caused by using pre-ground spices. Regardless, it turned out just fine. I love carrots/coriander/ cilantro together so this was a big win for me.

  • Melanie on November 25, 2016

    Agree with the previous reviewers - the caramelised carrots work really well with the tahini yoghurt.

  • twoyolks on December 28, 2015

    The carrots are well cooked and just caramelized enough without being too caramelized. The spices compliment the carrots nicely but I might consider grinding them more finely in the future. The carrots are good on their own but the yogurt-tahini sauce elevates them even further.

  • KarinaFrancis on August 13, 2020

    Easy, tasty and can scale up or down. Winner!

  • dinnermints on January 02, 2016

    This was a side dish at our New Year's Eve dinner, and our guests raved about it. Our carrot-averse guest even liked the dish. Another guest wasn't particularly fond of cumin and felt it was often over-used, but was perfect in this recipe. All in all a very successful and uncomplicated dish, would make again. And I agree with twoyolks - the sweetness of the carrots combined with the tangy garlic tahini sauce brought it up to another level.

  • lou_weez on January 17, 2021

    These were delicious. I did them on the BBQ and they only took about 20 minutes.

  • ricki on April 15, 2020

    We're suckers for carrots roasted with cumin, and this was very good. It didn't result in much of a glaze on the carrots (did I need more oil?) but the honey and crushed seeds clumped to form little bits of a crunchy praline, which I enjoyed. This would make a nice light meal served on a bed of arugula with some feta.

  • sarahkalsbeek on May 29, 2020

    Delicious! Alone, the carrots and yogurt-tahini sauce are good, but not anything special, so when I tasted each alone I was worried. But together, they were absolutely amazing! Didn't measure anything precisely, just kind of eyeballed it all and it turned out great. Skipped the garlic in the yogurt-tahini sauce.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Another relatively easy recipe from Ottolenghi, and one that you can vary according to your seasonal produce (try cooking parsnips this way, they are amazing!). Quite magnificent, really.

• Sweet potatoes with orange bitters

  • tracyfox on January 02, 2015

    Made a half recipe and felt the garlic and herbs didn't really come through (and I was even a few teaspoons short of the 2 tablespoons of bitters requried). I definitely overcooked it as the coating was beyond sticky in places and the pan was a real mess. Next time I'll have an extra cup or two of orange juice on hand to keep deglazing and pre-line the pan with foil as it was a two SOS pad cleanup.

  • clkandel on December 17, 2015

    Love this dish! I used orange bitters to add to the orange flavor. I wasn't sure the recipe was going to work, but it caramelized perfectly in the last 15 minutes. The pan was quite sticky but cleaned up by just soaking it with water and dish soap.

  • KarinaFrancis on June 04, 2020

    I would never have thought of adding bitters to anything other than a drink but this totally works! I reduced the amount of bitters by half and it was just right for us, next time I’d be tempted to add more chilli. I’m glad I headed the advice below and lined my tray.

  • rmardel on December 20, 2014

    Excellent recipe. A bit of a production to put together, but well worth the effort. The liquid with the potatoes makes a sweet caramelized glazed on the potatoes yielding bites that are simultaneously crunchy, sticky, and soft. The saltines and creaminess of the goat cheese compliments the potatoes well.

  • e_ballad on November 30, 2016

    This was sensational. Please read the instructions closely & don't throw away the excess glaze when you put the sweet potato wedges on the baking tray - you'll need it to keep coating the wedges for tasty sticky yumminess. Speaking of trays, if you like yours, I recommend covering it using foil topped with baking paper to put your wedges on - I suspect you'd be scrubbing for days otherwise.

  • lou_weez on January 24, 2021

    I loved this!! Sweet, salty, bitter, creamy - it had everything.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Such a great dish. The glaze of a reduced, sticky balsamic with orange juice and bitters caramelises as it roasts. The sweet potatoes are left sticky and delicious. Add to the equation the roasted garlic and the sage and thyme leaves and this is a dish to impress.

• Root mash with wine braised shallots

  • tracyfox on January 02, 2015

    Amazing how adding the lentils completely changed the texture of the pan roasted potatoes and squash from a spatchcocked Christmas chicken. I mixed the lentils, potatoes and butternut squash, spiced the mash as directed and topped with the shallots and sauce. Really too good for a leftovers lunch. Definitely worth showcasing as a special vegetarian dinner.

  • twoyolks on November 05, 2016

    The root mash didn't have a cohesive enough flavor. I think the vegetables would've been better roasted than simply boiled. I did like the flavor addition of the lentils to the root mash but the texture was less pleasant. The braised shallots were nice.

  • jenburkholder on October 01, 2020

    I didn't care for this. The mash was fine, although I think I would have preferred it without the celery root - didn't blend in nicely texture-wise and was a strange off-note. The shallots, though, I didn't like at all. They tasted extremely blah, like straight wine. The sauce didn't thicken very well, even after I played with it, and remained somewhat watery-tasting. Wouldn't repeat.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    There’s nothing more marvellously Wintery than orange root vegetable mash; butter is all it needs. It has been icy here in the mornings – the type of morning you wish you had a wood fire to light, one you could put your old coffee pot on top of and have it bubbling away in no time. One you could heat the soup on and dry the clothes in front of. But the Wintery mash is all I have. Jazzed up with lentils and topped with a warming shallot stew! Wonderfully Wintery!

• Ricotta and rosemary bread pudding

  • debkellie on December 01, 2017

    Instead of sourdough I used the leftover Potato and herb pull-apart bread wreath from Donna Hay, I also substituted leeks for turnip and Persian feta for ricotta .. OK so too many subs.. but it was wonderful and lived up to my "no waste" agenda for Thanksgiving & Christmas 2017. Soo tasty!

  • Boffcat on January 14, 2018

    This was good (and fairly generous portions) - the custard baked to a light, silky texture. It was slightly bland, so I'd be tempted to flavour it more robustly. There are a few other things I'd do differently next time: * I wouldn't bother with the turnip (or swede, as I used): it didn't add anything that couldn't have been achieved by having vegetables on the side instead, and by elevating the bread it made it harder to submerge. * I would slice the bread more thinly, as it was too chunky to absorb much custard. (Presumably one would need less bread by weight if doing this.) * Method-wise, I'd proceed more like eggy bread: I wouldn't bother toasting the bread, and would simply soak it in the custard. I might not even bother with the ricotta topping; it didn't add as much as I'd expected. Essentially, I'd just make the custard and then use it for a baked eggy bread! Mike suggested adding sausages for a toad in the hole hybrid - I'm more drawn to the idea of smoked haddock...

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    The next dish I do when wanting to be challenged. given the amount and number of rich ingredients, I am hoping it will serve six as a vegetarian main dish. Otherwise, it's cost/serving ratio is on the high side.

• Taleggio and spinach roulade

  • Astrid5555 on November 03, 2018

    A real showstopper and so delicious. Not too much work, it just needs some planning ahead to allow for the dough to rise 3 times. I accidentally skipped the third rising, but it did not matter at all. Made the semi-dried tomatoes myself the day before. Lovely flavors and big hit with my dinner party guests. Recipe says feeds 6, if you make it as part of a mezze spread this bread easily feeds double. Will definitely make again!

  • Rutabaga on November 16, 2014

    This roulade looks gorgeous when brought to the table. I was afraid that the filling would be too runny when I cut into it only five minutes after removing it from the oven, but it was perfect. It's quite the showstopper, but not difficult to make as long as you allow enough time for the dough to rise three times and then bake. Good semi-dried tomatoes provide the needed bright acidity to counter the rich cheeses, so use the best quality you can find or make your own. The flavors are reminiscent of a baked insalata caprese, but with beautifully melted taleggio in place of mozzarella.

• Meringue roulade with rose petals and fresh raspberries

  • Astrid5555 on July 30, 2016

    Stunning and delicious! Thanks to Barb_N's comment I trusted the roulade to roll despite its initial crispiness. Could not find any raspberries, so I used pitted and halved cherries for the filling and whole cherries with their stems for the decoration on top. Will make again!

  • Barb_N on January 03, 2015

    I first saw this gorgeous dessert on The Wednesday Chef which gave me the impetus to try it. It is definitely a show stopper for a special occasion, but not prohibitively difficult. It did not seem inclined to roll as the meringue was kind of crispy (not like marshmallow) when it came out of the oven. I should have trusted the master - once the cream and berries were placed it softened enough to 'roulade'. I will skip the rose petals, mine were more like buds and got in the way of my enjoyment.

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Will make on a day when I have enlisted a master baker to help me.

• Baked orzo with mozzarella and oregano

  • lilham on November 15, 2015

    Lovely winter dinner. I used cheddar instead of mozzarella, so the end result is slightly oiler. But this didn't detract from the tastiness of this baked pasta. (I also used dried thyme instead of fresh). Even my 4yo who wouldn't normally eat aubergines and celery ate this without complaints.

  • Melanie on July 18, 2016

    I loved this dish, comfort food that manages to avoid being overly rich. Reheats well in oven covered in foil - probably better than the first night! Will repeat and make in bulk, I imagine this will freeze well.

  • clkandel on November 01, 2014

    Used whole wheat orzo, so added a little extra broth. Covered for first 20 minutes.

  • dinnermints on January 27, 2017

    Gets more addictive with each bite. Next time I'd make this in the fall when tomatoes are at their peak. Similar to other reviewers, I sprayed the eggplant cubes with an olive oil mister and roasted them in the oven (425) for 15-20 minutes, and then used 2 T oil for the carrots, 1-2 T oil for the onion. The carrots weren't quite cooked enough; next time I'd use a larger pan and maybe saute them longer - would prefer them a little caramelized. I also used whole wheat orzo and increased the broth by a couple tablespoons. Next time I'd try covering it at first like others did. I didn't think I'd ever say this about an Ottolenghi dish, but I'd actually add a little more salt. I couldn't broil it in the dish I chose, but would also try that next time.

  • leahorowitz on September 14, 2014

    Perfect comfort food. Used different pasta (casarecce) and it worked fine - same amount of stock and time in the oven. Covered the pasta with aluminum foil for the first 30 mins.

  • Zosia on March 19, 2015

    I really enjoyed this cheesey pasta dish with its chunks of vegetables and tomatoes that helped cut the richness. I used only half the oil, about 2 tbsp to coat the eggplant which roasted in the pre-heating oven while I sauteed the other vegetables stove top in 1 tbsp. The tomato slices protected most of the pasta from drying out during baking and I quite liked the crispy bits of the parts that were exposed.

  • coryelizabeth on February 03, 2018

    I'm another person saying that this recipe is delicious. I split the 7 TB of olive oil into two batches (half for the eggplant and half for the carrots/celery). I used smoked mozzarella, since that's what I had on hand, and I added more cheese than the recipe called for, because I'm a fiend.

  • lou_weez on June 17, 2017

    Yum!! A delicious meat-free meal.

  • anya_sf on June 26, 2017

    Recipe calls for 1 large eggplant (300 g), but my leftover half eggplant weighed 300 g, so I used that. I used chicken stock instead of vegetable. I doubled the mozzarella because I love cheese. I sauteed the eggplant in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil; of course it absorbed it all, but I didn't add more at that step, just added more for the carrots and celery. I thought I would be clever and saute in a Dutch oven, then add everything back to the same Dutch oven at the end for baking. The only problem was that it stuck quite a bit to the sides. I probably should have taken it out 10 minutes sooner. But it was still really good.

  • doughet on June 01, 2017

    We make this exactly as written with whatever type of eggplants we happen to be growing at the time and it's always very good. My husband doesn't even notice that it's a meat-free dinner! When good tomatoes aren't available, I use cherry or grape tomatoes, and they work just as well as sliced. Odd note: it's also dog-friendly -- our friends' Yorkie who visits literally cannot get enough of this -- it's her favorite!

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Better with true Italian orzo than with Whole Food brand; have made it with and without parmasan to accomodate a parma hater and did not taste that different. CRITICALLY important, quality of the tomatoes. Side by side comparison of dish with farmers' market heirlooms and regular showing that market tomatoes made a big difference.

  • StephEpices on October 19, 2019

    I was not a fan of the texture. Will not be making it again.

• Spicy turnip

  • bellatavia on October 16, 2016

    We love turnips, and this recipe was too pungent, bitter, andcrunchy for us. We loved the dressing but found the turnips not showcased at their best in this dish. A surprising disappointment from Yotam Ottolenghi.

  • toyinf on January 19, 2021

    I agree with @bellatavia. There's a lot of effort and uncommon ingredients all used to disguise the taste of the turnips. I would not make this again.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    We adore turnips, cooked or raw, on their own or in salads. This recipe blanches the turnips and then mixes them with a heady paste of chilli and spices. It is Oh So Good. It’s a heady condiment, a bit like a pickle, which keeps in the fridge for a few days. It’s great added to sandwiches, wraps and salads, or served with a curry, with a herby rice, or with roti and chutney.

• Grilled ziti with feta

  • HazukaPie on October 03, 2016

    This is in the index under "Pasta". Page 144

  • e_ballad on March 16, 2017

    Monumentally cheesy with equal quantities of pasta & cheese. Very tasty, but will be unlikely to make a regular appearance on the menu for fear of cardiac arrest!

  • Raquelcooks on August 22, 2021

    This was delicious but I added 2 tins of tomatoes to have a richer sauces.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    Ottolenghi grills this dish but I baked it. Partly because that is easier in our kitchen, but mostly because the recipe asks that the tomato sauce sits aside while the pasta is cooked, so it has lost heat. Baking heats the dish again beautifully. Ottolenghi layers the flavours in the dish using herbs and spices, as well as the bite of feta and the umami of aged cheese and parmesan. These add depth to the dish. It is different to similar recipes, eg Jamie Oliver's in his Italian book, in that the pasta is the focus and it is baked until the top layer is crispy and the cheese is golden brown. Delicious. In Jamie’s recipe the pasta is absolutely bathed in tomato sauce; Ottolenghi’s cooks pasta with a little tomato sauce. This recipe serves a heap of people, up to 10, depending on how hungry the mob is. So don’t be afraid to halve it for a smaller family meal. Just note that the baking dish must be big enough to hold the pasta in a shallow layer. Or bake in separate dishes as I did.

• Squash with chilli yoghurt and coriander sauce

  • FJT on June 26, 2015

    This was easy to make and extremely tasty. Would make a lovely side dish, but it stands up well on its own.

  • wcassity on December 06, 2020

    Delicious - family quickly devoured the whole dish. Used delicata and butternut squash. Be careful not to oversalt - mine was a bit over-salted so I mixed the yogurt into the cilantro sauce, sprinkled the roasted pepitas on top, and served it as a dip, skipped the sriracha.

  • Bloominanglophile on January 05, 2015

    I am not a vegetarian, but don't demand meat at all meals. This dish was delicious, healthy, and quite satisfying with some whole wheat bread to help sop up all the cilantro sauce and yoghurt. I used peeled sweet potatoes instead of the butternut squash, and it worked fabulously. Might even make a nice side-dish for a Southwestern-inspired Thanksgiving feast.

  • mondraussie on July 17, 2017

    Delicious - used sweet potato instead of squash

  • KarinaFrancis on July 18, 2020

    Agree with previous reviews, easy and delicious side. Bonus for entertaining, everything can be made in advance and assembled quickly before serving. I added 1/2 a green chilli to the herb dressing for a bit of extra zing

  • dinnermints on January 05, 2019

    Simple and delicious. Sprinkled some pomegranate seeds over the top.

  • cultus.girl on May 17, 2018

    One of our family’s favourites from Plenty More. The fresh herb paste takes it up a level.

  • sarahawker on January 18, 2021

    Very good, simple to prepare.

  • chezmaryb on October 06, 2020

    Pretty good and relatively simple for ottolenghi but not my favorite

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Simple to make, an easy recipe – the butternut is roasted and some pumpkin seeds are toasted in the residual heat of the oven. Yoghurt is mixed with chilli sauce and some coriander is whizzed with oil – both are drizzled over the cooked pumpkin. Quick and easy. It can be made early in the morning while the coffee is brewing and the porridge bubbling on the stove, and then left until lunch time.

• Brussels sprout risotto

  • FJT on January 21, 2022

    Very nice. Brussel sprout risotto was a bit of a hard sell, so I sprinkled some crispy bacon bits on top! Made with a creamy gorgonzola instead of dolcelatte.

  • Rutabaga on April 20, 2020

    This risotto is good and hearty. I left out the tarragon, and didn't have Dolcelatte, but used a ball of mozzarella di buffala instead. For more flavor, I would prefer dolcelatte or another blue cheese. The Brussels sprouts will get beautifully crispy if the oil is hot enough, making a lovely topping. Unfortunately, the kids weren't really into it. My older son seemed to like the sprouts and ate the rice without complaint, but the younger one put up a big fuss, but that was in part because he didn't like the texture of the buffalo mozzarella.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on March 04, 2017

    Lekker. Hele kleine spruitjes, niet gefrituurd, gewoon in z'n geheel gebruikt. Verder rode wijn in plaats van witte gebruikt, geen probleem.

  • anya_sf on July 30, 2017

    There was an error in the wine quantity; recipe states 2 cups, or 200 ml, which is less than 1 cup. I assumed 200 ml was correct, as that's closer to other risotto recipes. I did need to add a little extra stock (I used chicken, not vegetable), but otherwise the recipe turned out fine. I used mild blue cheese instead of Dolcelatte. The blue cheese flavor complemented the brussels sprouts nicely, but overpowered the tarragon (perhaps dolcelatte would have been better?). I think another herb would have worked here just as well. Although my sprouts were dry and not too large, they didn't really crisp up upon frying, although they did cook to just tender. I think roasted brussels sprouts, where the leaves get all browned and crispy, would have been fantastic instead of the fried sprouts. Still, overall, a nice recipe, which we enjoyed quite a bit. If you're not vegetarian, it's extra good with some crumbled, cooked bacon sprinkled on top.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    A brussels sprout risotto? You’d better believe it. Brussels Sprout are such a controversial vegetable – you either love them or hate them. We grew up with overcooked and soggy sprouts that had the colour and natural sweetness leached out of them and left the kitchen with a cabbage-y sprouts aroma. So in our kitchen they are either eaten raw, roasted, fried, or sauteed with a little garlic. Brussels Sprouts in a risotto is an unusual recipe but you will love it, as we did.

• Membrillo and Stilton quiche

  • FJT on May 11, 2015

    Delicious! Even my not-so-keen-on-vegetarian-food husband loved this and quickly stopped griping that I hadn't made a quiche Lorraine! I'll confess to not making the pastry case but using a bought-in, gluten-free pastry case instead.

  • cultus.girl on May 17, 2018

    Me too FJT I bought the pastry. This dish is terrific. Make sure you use all the Stilton as you need it to balance the quince paste.

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    done with and without Stilton; much better with.

  • pattyatbryce on September 22, 2019

    Wow - one of my cookbook clubs friends brought this tonight. Amazing.

  • Ganga108 on October 29, 2021

    This is an unusual dish of butternut pumpkin, roasted, then cooked in a creamy cheese sauce with quince paste (membrillo) for a great festive dish. It is a twist on a quiche. As we do not cook with eggs, I made this into a dish that is simply the roasted pumpkin baked with cheese and quince paste in a rich creamy sauce. It was cooked until the top was bubbling and golden.

  • Laurel21 on October 31, 2021

    I substituted the Stilton for a mix of cheeses I had on hand.

• Orange and date salad

  • Melanie on November 25, 2016

    We really enjoyed this, great combination of flavours.

  • mondraussie on November 16, 2014

    Didn't live up to its promise. The combination of ingredients was worth another go, but the dressing didn't do it for me.

  • KarinaFrancis on June 27, 2021

    We really enjoyed this, the flavours are both familiar and a bit different too. The orange blossom and fennel were surprisingly delicious. I just used a bag of supermarket mixed leaves and would do that again

  • dinnermints on April 01, 2018

    I'd made this at least once before, and it is delicious. Salads with lots fresh herbs are a trademark of O's, but it does take a bit of time to get them all picked into leaves. I used red butter lettuce instead of lollo rosso, and cut the Medjool dates into very thin lengthwise slices instead of quartering (and yes, maybe I'd add per lou_weez). Somehow it seemed a bit saltier than I remembered.

  • moppe on April 19, 2015

    Found the flavor combination wonderful. Wasn't so sure about that when I put everything together, but then the flavors just melted together and I enjoyed a very intense and flavorful salad. Didn't use rocket, though, but romana and treviso because rocket was sold out. The oranges I use were very sweet, I think this would work great with not so sweet oranges as well (found it a little bit to sweet for a salad).

  • lou_weez on January 19, 2017

    This was a sensational salad that was a little bit different. I added a few more dates and next time might reduce the oranges by 1.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This is a delightful Moroccan salad, simple to make and delicious to eat. Oranges and dates are both special in Morocco, and this brings them together in a vivid salad plate for the centre of the table. The dressing is one with spices – cinnamon, fennel, pepper, garlic – and orange blossom water to boost the orange flavour.

• Thai red lentil soup with aromatic chilli oil

  • Melanie on July 18, 2016

    We really enjoyed this! Great flavour, added some extra water at the end to loosen the soup. Will double next time.

  • mondraussie on January 14, 2015

    Excellent... a bit thick though, would add more liquid next time.

  • dinnermints on January 10, 2015

    Wonderful! Made 1.5 recipe and froze some.

  • Evicko31 on November 22, 2014

    The chilli oil is worth the effort! It also tastes better the next day.

  • MelissaM0223 on November 02, 2014

    This is delicious. I didn't make the chili oil, and omitted the kaffir lime leaves but it was still great. Serve with some crusty bread!

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on December 30, 2017

    I recommend to also make the chili oil! I added a little extra water at the end of the cooking time to the soup, and it was very delicious. Although the soup is very nice without the oil, the fragrant chili and herb oil makes it very special.

  • ramyaviv on March 30, 2016

    This was ABSOLUTELY amazing! Do make the chili oil (the smell alone is worth it!) and follow the instructions exactly. We loved it!

  • Shaxon on March 23, 2021

    Very good soup using mostly common ingredients (buy lemongrass, sugar snap peas). I'll add more curry paste next time. Served with brown jasmine rice.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    When Autumn arrives, the first thing I make is Rice Pudding. For Ottolenghi it is this Thai inspired soup that he makes when the arrival of autumn is officially announced. And what a way to celebrate Autumn! It is fresh, creamy and loaded with flavour. Great choice, Ottolenghi! In fact I'd say, Magnificent!

• Pea and mint croquettes

  • Melanie on March 08, 2015

    I thought these were tasty - they also worked out nicer than I had anticipated (only one or two fell apart). I didn't blitz the lead, attacking them with a mortar and pestle instead. Definitely follow all the freezer instructions and make sure you warm though at the end, these steps helped ensure success. I needed an extra egg during the coating process. Thought the accompanying sauce was unexciting and would have been nicer with lemon in the mix.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    You will adore these green croquettes – how spectacularly coloured they are, especially for Winter when foods can be darker hued. They make great snacks, dipped into the creamy sauce. They will become a favourite, I am sure, and the croquette/fritter mixture can be made and shaped the day before you want to cook them. Keep them in the freezer to help with the shaping of the croquettes, and bring them out 30 – 60 mins before cooking. To make them egg-free I added some chickpea flour to the mixture and made a chickpea flour batter to coat them. Divine!

• Roasted Brussels sprouts with pomelo and star anise

  • wcassity on December 06, 2020

    Nice flavors. A little bit on the sweet side. And the roasted brussels sprouts get soggy in the finished dish.

  • dinnermints on March 23, 2016

    Fantastic flavors. I used one less tablespoon of olive oil for roasting, and that worked out fine.

  • moppe on November 07, 2015

    Delicious, love the grapefruit marinated in the star anise and cinammon syrup. Works great with brussels sprout. Will make again.

  • chezmaryb on February 13, 2021

    Delicious and fairly easy. Flavor is similar to the other pomelo salad in this book. My brussel sprouts needed a little extra time roasting

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Some dishes need a tangy dressing – salads appreciate it, and Brussels Sprouts really pick themselves up when they come within cooee of a tangy dressing. Brussels Sprouts are roasted and served with a dressing made with preserved lemons and spring onions. If it is the season, we toss in cumquat juice and peel as well. This salad is AMAZING.

• Corsican pie with courgette flowers

  • pomona on April 28, 2019

    Modified a lot because of what I had to hand and what I wanted to do (turn a huge bunch of silver beet into something that would fit in the fridge) but of course, still very tasty.

  • EmilyR on July 05, 2018

    This turned out nicely as others have stated. I was excited because everything was growing straight in my garden. I probably should have grabbed a few zucchini blossoms, but just had zucchini noodles on the side. This pairs wonderfully with wine.

  • Zosia on August 04, 2015

    I was inspired by a bunch of Swiss chard and Rutabaga's review to make this recipe. I was missing sage, and zucchini ribbons replaced the flowers. I also used the recommended substitute of ricotta cheese and included the chard stems. It was as delicious as already reported.

  • Rutabaga on August 02, 2015

    Delicious! Ottolenghi really knows how to put together a stunning savory pie. I admit my husband and I enjoyed it more than our four-year-old did (although I think his objections were mostly bluster). I did make some changes, but stayed true to the heart of the recipe. For cheese, I used a mix of feta and Manchego, then added crumbles of goat cheese on top. Since I had no parsley, I added a little chopped basil, and instead of celery, I chopped the chard stem and added that to the mix. While I only had male zucchini blossoms, which means no cute baby zucchinis, the blossoms themselves were a beautiful addition and made the pie stand out above the typical Greek veggie pastry. For the pastry base, I used the rough puff recipe from the Ottolenghi cookbook, which worked very well.

  • Penchantforproduce on June 10, 2017

    Used 1/4 of a red onion finely chopped. Substituted chard stems for celery. 50 grams feta. 30 grams pecorino. 3 Tbsp ricotta. Used frozen gluten-free puff pastry (rectangle, not circle) Sautéed onion, then added stems for 2 mins before adding chard which I cooked until just wilted. Transferred to large bowl before stirring in lemon zest pine nuts and salt and pepper. Added cheeses after fully cooled. Cooked 25 mins.

  • Ganga108 on January 08, 2021

    Fabulous pie, even without the zucchini flowers. Relatively easy to make. The filling is delicious. I would call the pie Three Cheese Open Chard Tart. Any greens can be used. The greens have to be cooled down until really dry, and the edges of the tart need to be secure otherwise there might be leakage. Perhaps mix chickpea or wheat flour through the mixture before it goes into the pastry. Leakage could be from cheeses too. Looks SO VERY GOOD when cooked.

• Fennel with capers and olives

  • ncollyer on November 15, 2014

    Very tasty. I used the suggested versus substitute and it gave a nice complexity to the sauce. Will make again.

  • dinnermints on February 28, 2016

    Great flavor, and lovely rustic-looking dish. I used high heat in my cast iron skillet to get the fennel slices good and browned. The ricotta was a delightful addition. I also used the verjuice substitution and found it worked well.

  • dinnermints on September 25, 2020

    Update: still fabulous. Turned out a bit salty this time, but I also didn't serve it with the ricotta, which would have cut that a bit. Also, I don't have a vent hood over my oven, and this smoked up the kitchen/house quite a bit - would have to make it in advance if serving to guests.

  • anya_sf on September 03, 2018

    I also used the verjus substitute. Needed to braise the fennel for about 20 minutes, and had to add extra liquid, to become tender. Served as a side dish, so skipped the ricotta, but I imagine it would taste great. We enjoyed this dish.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    guest worthy. critical to slice to size indicated. best to find smaller fennel. and don't forget to turn on the vent over range.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    Ah fennel – the vegetable that says Summer to me, yet grows in Winter. It goes so well in crisp, light, lively salads, the sort that don’t seem to pair well with the cold, short, dark days of Winter. The trick of course, is to apply heat to the bulb, braising or sauteeing it into dishes suitable for Winter. This dish braises the fennel with salty capers and black olives, splashing it with verjuice before serving it with a little creamy feta and tangy lemon zest. Who else but Ottolenghi would put those flavours together? Just in case you are wondering, the 15 garlic cloves isn’t a typo – once scorched, they add a mellowing sweetness to an otherwise piercingly sharp dressing. Keep the ricotta in the dish if you can, it helps balance the acidity of the verjuice and other ingredients. Cut your fennel into quarters if the bulbs are huge.

• Super French toast

  • twoyolks on November 24, 2015

    This is very rich. The texture of the French toast is a little odd because of the "cooking like bread pudding" step. I really liked the additional of the orange flavor in the cream.

  • anya_sf on May 14, 2017

    I used 2% milk and half-and-half, rather than whole milk and cream. I baked the "bread pudding" and cut it into slices the day before. It was really quick to fry the next morning. There was extra custard. The texture is definitely denser and eggier than traditional French toast, but we really liked it. The flavor was delicious. Be careful when frying as the sugar and butter burn easily; I had to turn down the heat. We skipped the sour cream and served it with berries and maple syrup.

• Red onions with walnut salsa

  • SugarFree_Vegan on October 25, 2015

    Pg 176 - We loved the onions along with the salsa (although I felt that the salsa was a bit too vinegary even for me and I usually adore sharp food), we served this alongside Yotam's Squash with Cardamom and Nigella Seeds (pg 172 - same book) and some artisan bread for a great late supper.

  • KarinaFrancis on April 23, 2020

    A nice dish from simple ingredients, I subbed regular feta for goats cheese and pecans for the walnuts.

  • Barb_N on January 04, 2015

    I wanted to love, or even like this recipe. The onions just didn't work- perhaps if they were grilled so they were still crunchy but charred, but they ended up a little soft and didn't add to the dish, even though they are supposed to be the star. It is worth trying again because of the walnut 'salsa'.

  • luluf on June 29, 2020

    I had the oven 20 degrees higher because I was making the tomato and onion tart from the same book and my onions did get nice and crispy on the bottom shelf. As we had made the salsa an hour earlier than the onions were ready, it had absorbed the liquid so I put in a little more olive oil so perhaps that made it less sharp. We all thought this was absolutely delicious and will be making it regularly

  • fairyduff on June 12, 2021

    Brilliant and easy. I cooked this exactly as written in the recipe. (Next time, I might back off the amount of red wine vinegar a little, and try avocado oil instead of olive oil in the salsa.) The soft goat cheese combined with the roasted onions is delectable. I served this dish to accompany oven-baked herbed salmon fillet, with new potatoes. Must invite friends over and cook this just to show off!

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Red onions have a particular sweetness, and this recipe amplifies that by roasting them quite simply, just brushed with oil. Then the sweet, many leaved onions are served with a salsa of walnuts on a bed of rocket. A delicious and quite more-ish combination that really features the onion, for once allowing it centre stage. We loved it.

• Tagliatelle with walnuts and lemon

  • Yildiz100 on November 28, 2016

    Very good, worth doing again, but maybe not right away with so many years good pasta recipes out there. I had to use dried sage and was afraid of overdoing it, so I started with about half a teaspoon. I added about 50% more at the end and it definitely woke the dish up. The toasted walnuts were divine -my new favorite pasta ingredient.

  • KarinaFrancis on June 24, 2021

    Yum! This was great and low effort. Don’t skip the toasting of the walnuts, it makes a huge difference

  • peaceoutdesign on July 27, 2021

    Made with Lemon Ricotta Ravioli. i used a bit more cream and a little pasta water but left out the parm just because of the ricotta filling.

  • Tealismyname on March 08, 2016

    One of the first recipes I made from this. I used fresh pasta but you could definitely substitute for a fettuccini if you need to. I've been thinking of trying this with pecans for someone who is allergic to walnuts.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Will try again using best possible pasta type, i.e. one from Italy; the best Whole Foods had to offer was just too bland.

  • fairyduff on June 13, 2021

    Walnuts made an amazing flavour kick to this pasta sauce. I will be making this often.

  • Gegag184 on December 10, 2020

    I did it with pecans and it was good!

  • TCDunlop on September 22, 2020

    I really enjoyed this. Simple, but delivers more taste than many simple recipes. I used mixed bits rather than just walnuts as that’s what I had in. And forgot to toast them! But would def do again.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Pasta night! The sauce is creamy and buttery – just the thing for a cooler Autumn night, although this is perfect for Summer lunches and light dinners as well.

• Carrot and mung bean salad

  • eeeve on May 26, 2015

    Hmmm, afraid this wasn't for us. Somehow the texture and flavours weren't right, the garlicky dressing was way too strong, and eating it sadly felt like a chore. Admittedly, we didn't caramelise the carrots but grated and added them raw, which may be totally where we'd gone wrong, but we really don't feel like repeating it either way.

  • j_knapp on May 08, 2015

    Substitute puy lentils for mung beans

  • Penchantforproduce on May 22, 2017

    We made this and loved it but made changes which I believe contributed to us enjoying the results. We omitted the garlic as neither of us likes it. We also reduced the amount of fat needed in the first step (carrot cooking) to 1 TBSP and used butter in place of the oil for this part of the recipe (used olive oil to fry the seeds.) The mung beans we used were from TruRoots and had been previously sprouted and dehydrated. We rehydrated these by covering with boiling water and allowing them to soak for a few hours, this created great texture. As it is spring, our carrots were small and young and needed far less cooking time than what was called for. I needed to pour off some of the water after about 3 minutes of boiling then added more butter to compensate for what I poured off and also added a drizzle of honey. We left the cilantro leaves whole rather than chopping which makes them more like leafy greens in the dish.

  • runoutofshelves on September 16, 2014

    made it in a hurry, a terrific light lunch full of flavour, I weakened and had it with a glass of white wine

  • e_ballad on September 28, 2019

    Loved this. Quite easy to pull together, but true to any Ottolenghi dish, there’s quite a few pans to clean afterwards.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This recipe is great. I so love the way the carrots are cooked, almost a la Grecque style. The lentils are rich in flavour, and the feta (I used somewhat less than stated) provided a lovely tangy contrast to the lentils and carrots.

• Sort-of-Waldorf

  • mondraussie on February 07, 2016

    Without a doubt the best coleslaw I've ever eaten!

  • macfadden on July 12, 2016

    Good stuff. Turned out I had less sour cream than I thought I did, but the recipe worked fine with only 1/3 cup.

  • lou_weez on January 24, 2021

    Delicious!!! I used crème fraiche instead of sour cream. I also used shop bought egg mayonnaise (160g) and mixed in the shallot, mustard & vinegar.

  • Niemie on March 24, 2017

    I replaced the sour cream with yogurt and had great success.

  • chezmaryb on January 27, 2021

    Liked but didn't love. Onion was too strong for my taste. An interesting combination.

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Gorgeous! We use barberries or dried cranberries instead of sour cherries.

• Aubergine with black garlic

  • KarinaFrancis on March 10, 2022

    Oh yes! This was delicious! I loved the black garlic dressing and crispy toppings. The best part is that my eggplant adverse beloved said he enjoyed and asked for it again

  • Rutabaga on September 29, 2016

    After I started making this dish, I realized that it was not the recipe I had intended to make - that would have been the aubergine and black garlic recipe from Nopi! Never mind, I will try that one next. The flavor of this dish is really great, definitely out of the ordinary. It's also very easy to make the separate components of this dish in advance and throw it together quickly right before serving. For herbs, I used dill and cilantro. My eggplants were getting a little old, however, and were smaller than the ones Ottolenghi used, so they became quite mushy after 30 minutes in the oven. They tasted fine, but the texture was a little odd. Worse than odd to my five-year-old, who simply did not like this dish (perhaps it's too sophisticated for his palate). Also, the recipe makes far more black garlic sauce than you need for the salad, so halve it or plan to do something with the leftovers.

  • e_ballad on May 07, 2019

    This was ok, but we weren’t wowed, unlike most Ottolenghi recipes. As already indicated by @Rutabaga, there is quite a lot of sauce. I used the online link which does not list basil in the ingredients.

  • Keighleyjm on September 13, 2021

    This was great, very unusual taste and the sauce went really well with the aubergine - we had it with a rare steak off the grill and the flavour and sauce were a perfect complement. Made it with black garlic liquid molasses and worked perfectly

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Ottolenghi took a while to warm to black garlic, he says but several recipes feature in his books – one absolutely gorgeous one in Nopi, and this one – both with eggplants that have been roasted. In this recipe the roasted eggplant slices are drizzled with a yoghurt-black garlic sauce, which is then topped with crispy chilli rings and garlic slices before being liberally sprinkled with herbs. It is wonderfully delicious. Of course.

• Urad dal with coconut and coriander

  • oakandsage on September 16, 2016

    I did the version of this that appeared in the Guardian, rather than the version in Plenty More, so I'm not sure if it was the same. I did it in the pressure cooker and it came out thick and rich and flavorful - I didn't have a problem with it being watery or bland. I grind my own garam masala, which probably has an impact on the flavor.

  • dinnermints on December 15, 2014

    I really wanted to like this recipe, but have to agree with the other person who rated it a three. It both tasted and looked watery despite doing a "rapid boil" at the end as recommended in the recipe for an additional 15-20min. And overall, it just needed more flavor. That being said, I did add the garam masala closer to the end of the cooking time, as several websites mentioned that adding it at the beginning of a recipe could produce a bitter flavor. This is the first time I've cooked with urad dal - delicious, and nice that they hold their shape. As for the coconut, this is the second time I've purchased a coconut to make something in this book and the coconut turned out to be rotten....have a lot to learn about coconut selection. If you've read this far in this review and have some tricks of the trade on this front, I'm all ears.

  • tekobo on February 26, 2017

    Made with white urad dal and didn't soak. Came out nutty and with a slight bite and tasted great. When I select coconuts I shake them to see if they have liquid in and have never had any problems with the quality - may have more to do with our local shop than my skill at selecting coconuts!

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    We love urad lentils so when we found this recipe for Urad Dal with Coconut and Coriander it sparked interest. It is a good dish, and the coconut, shallot and coriander toppings take it to the next level. But of course, being a sort-of Indian recipe, I had to adjust. First, mustard seeds are best popped in hot oil (ghee) before adding, otherwise can have an acrid taste. Also reduce the amount to 1 - 1.5 tspn. Secondly, add the garam masala towards the end - it is best as a finishing spice rather than a cooking spice. Give it 5 mins off the heat to infuse its flavours. Also, I used white split urad as that is what I had in the cupboard. Ural is best cooked (imho) until disintegrating. And as it has a slight mucilaginous texture when boiled it is best left a little soupy.

• Esme's old-fashioned apple and rhubarb pudding

  • dinnermints on August 11, 2019

    Hm. I baked this for two hours in a toaster convection oven, at 300, and while it was probably too close to the heating element (2/3 of the topping ended up burnt), 325 would probably be too high in a conventional oven (in the online version, the oven temp is 150 C, which translates to 300). Not sure I'd try this again.

• Blackcurrant friands

  • dinnermints on February 11, 2018

    Delightful! We made them with blueberries; would love to try with raspberries. We got nine cakes in a regular muffin tin by filling the cups to the top (since they don't rise); next time I'd make them in a mini-muffin tin. We also added 1 T black currant preserves, reducing the sugar by 1 T as well. There was way too much glaze, though, and it was super heavy - whereas in his photo, the glaze looks light. Would cut the glaze in half and use more lemon juice.

  • moppe on April 25, 2015

    These were way too greasy for my liking. Still, they tasted good. I will probably try them again with less butter (maybe about 75 g).

  • Poppyseedbagel on May 17, 2015

    I didn't think they were too greasy! I used the recipe idea, but for lack of black currants made them with loganberries & red currants, toasted walnuts instead of pistachios, and ground cardamom instead of cinnamon. They were gorgeous, but not really the recipe...

  • lindamck on August 26, 2016

    The size muffin tin Ottolenghi wanted was too small for the amt. of batter. I used my jumbo tin to get the 6 muffins, otherwise it seems you'd get twelve.

• Caramelised brandy pears with fennel seed crackers

  • dinnermints on March 18, 2018

    Finally got to try this whimsical and delicious dessert. My friends made the cracker part, and said they had to add more water/oil, or it definitely wouldn't have been a soft dough. 400 was a better oven temp, as they burnt after 3 minutes at 475. Also, could halve the cracker dough, since it makes 14 more crackers than needed (though they are delicious). And adding butter to a very hot pan...how does one do that and avoid burning the butter? Regardless, excellent flavor combo, and fun somehow to serve pears with a big puffy cracker.

• Butternut squash with buckwheat polenta and tempura lemon

  • dinnermints on April 29, 2015

    This was good, but not sure if it was worth the work. The tempura lemon would have helped, but I ran out of time to do it. I didn't rate this because I think it may have been a bit lost on me due to currently having no sense of smell.

  • Tealismyname on March 17, 2016

    Good, but not great. The butternut squash was absolutely delicious but felt that the polenta was missing something. According to Ottolenghi's alterations I made this with only polenta, so maybe if I had toasted the buckwheat it would have given it more texture. Like the other poster, I did not make the tempura lemon. I did sprinkle a tiny bit of feta which added a bit. This is definitely more of a side dish rather than a main dish. Using the leftover polenta to make polenta cakes for dinner tonight.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Love this dish. It is not difficult, but it does take about 90 mins to bring it together. The pumpkin is baked, polenta is make, tempura batter is made and rested for 45 mins, the lemons are cooked, and then it all comes together. The lemon of the tempura is divine! It is exactly what the dish needs – without the warm, lemony flavours of the flesh and rind the dish falls flat. It reinforces the fact that Ottolenghi’s dishes are meant for all the ingredients to be eaten together. If, for example, there is polenta left over, add lemon juice or other tart ingredients to balance it out. Likewise the garlic that is cooked with the pumpkin – the smoky earthy flavours of the garlic are absolutely essential to the final dish.

  • Cvtbird on March 20, 2021

    I thought the squash and polenta was nice but the lemon was a bit weird with it.

• Lentils, radicchio and walnuts with manuka honey

  • dinnermints on May 18, 2016

    Very nice flavor. I made 1.5 recipe, used 3/4 tsp maras chile pepper, doubled the herbs, and used a whole head of radicchio. I might use a bit less honey next time - maybe 120g (instead of 150g for 1.5 recipe). There was a little more honey paste than I needed, so I drizzled it over the walnuts before baking...next time I'd reserve it, since it just made honey leather between the walnuts (reserved honey paste would be great on bread served alongside, or just eaten with a spoon, truth be told). For a weeknight, next time I'd try to prep the herbs and nuts the night before.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Would you put honeyed lentils and honeyed walnuts with witlof or radicchio and herbs? Not many of us would. But Ottolenghi will, and does, and the earthiness of the puy lentils and the bitter of the Belgian Endive (witlof) or radicchio and the salty funkiness of the cheese balances the honey beautiful. I used witlof, as radicchio wasn't available. Ottolenghi recommends Manuka honey, but not only is that expensive (even in Australia), it may be difficult to source in other countries. I used a strong flavoured honey instead. Manuka honey tastes almost medicinal, so that is the sort of flavour you are after.

• Slow-cooked chickpeas on toast with poached egg

  • dinnermints on December 06, 2021

    We found this kind of meh for the amount of effort it took. Tried making it in a slow-cooker on low, and I think the heat wasn't quite high enough - would probably cook them on high for 3-4 hours or cook on low for 8 hours. But then again, it didn't seem like the garbanzos were very flavored from cooking in the sauce; I'd probably just use cooked garbanzos instead. And add preserved lemon and/or andouille sausage, as it seemed to be missing something.

  • bendres on July 08, 2021

    Works with canned chickpeas. Drain and rinse but skip the rest of the first paragraph in the recipe.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Sunday afternoons in Winter are the perfect time for slowing down, and what better way to do that than to slow cook a great dish for a Sunday night supper. This is a 5-hour dish – chickpeas simmered ever so slowly in a thick spicy tomato stock. The chickpeas are excellent served on toast or in toasted sandwiches, but today we add some burrata (instead of eggs) and leek strings. There was tons of time to make our own focaccia to go with it. We love slow cooking! The recipe is excellent for a Sunday supper, but also very good, cooked beforehand, for a slow Sunday breakfast or brunch. Beans on Toast, what could be better! The dish can be cooked in a slow cooker. It would also go well at a low heat in the oven. Or, cook it as I have, using a heat diffuser on my lowest gas flame, so that the tomato sauce is barely bubbling.

• Quinoa porridge with grilled tomatoes and garlic

  • dinnermints on November 15, 2021

    Delicious. Some friends told me ages ago that this was a good recipe, but I kept skipping over it, somehow not finding the idea of quinoa porridge for dinner very enticing. I made it with equal parts red, white, and black quinoa, which worked great. Since I tripled the recipe, I roasted quartered tomatoes at 425° for 30-40min instead of charring them in a pan and then sautéed the garlic separately in a little oil. I added a bit more feta for satiety's sake - I know quinoa has a lot of protein, but have never found it to be very filling - but some diced hard boiled egg on top would also be good. I could have easily used half the amount of oil in the herb oil. Would absolutely make this again.

  • Rutabaga on September 26, 2016

    As usual with Ottolenghi, the flavor combination here is really superb. My quinoa did not turn out very porridge-y, however, and I was concerned that adding much more stock would overcook it. The benefit was that it could be served on a plate. It's really the blistered tomatoes and herb oil that make the dish, of course. Unfortunately, the Vitamix has difficulty blending herb oil in small amounts, so it took a long time to blend, but other than that, this is an actually a simple dish to prepare.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Does not work well with red quinoa. white makes it a comfort food.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    In this recipe, Quinoa is cooked much longer than usual until a porridge-like texture is achieved, then it is enriched with butter and feta. It is topped with tomatoes and a herb oil, and the result is satisfying and comforting in a way that will appeal both to lovers of quinoa as well as those still in need of some convincing. For this recipe, Ottolenghi chars some cherry tomatoes. But we used our own dried tomatoes in oil with some lovely roasted garlic that we had sitting in a fridge. It is divine.

• Courgette 'baba ganoush'

  • dinnermints on August 01, 2017

    Huh. After seeing reviews of this on Serious Eats and elsewhere online, I was sure this would be a pants-knocker-offer, but for me, not so. I wish I knew how much zucchini flesh one was supposed to have ended up with - the smaller zucchini from my garden were a bit of a pain in the butt; larger zucchini would've been easier and probably would've produced more flesh. I do like Roquefort, but in this case it seemed to overwhelm the dish, would use goat cheese instead. The goat's milk yogurt was fun to try, but in a pinch, using regular yogurt + goat cheese is probably a good approximation. Also...is that egg necessary? Did it get cooked enough? The sauce was very runny, and I cooked it longer than it said to. I'm maybe overly squeamish on that front. I'd omit it next time and just heat the yogurt + goat cheese til warm. Ground the salt + garlic in a mortar and pestle. *Might* try it again with the changes.

  • leahorowitz on July 20, 2015

    A nice variation on baba ganoush. Don't like roquefort, used some feta cubes instead. My (rather thin) courgettes were done after about 30 minutes in the oven.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    Just when you had thought you had seen everything, charred/burnt zucchini crosses your path. In the same way that you would char eggplants for dishes like Babaganoush, zucchinis can be roasted and turned into delicious dips and spreads. After charring, the flesh is slippery, silky, smoky and delicious. Then, in Middle Eastern Style, the mashed zucchini flesh is topped with a sauce made with yoghurt and Roquefort cheese. As we do not cook with eggs, we added chickpea flour to the cheese-yoghurt mix, and let it cook out to produce the most beautiful sauce. It is tangy and intriguing, this sauce. THEN, over the top of what already feels like a whole dish, chilli buttery pinenuts are drizzled, and that is scattered with za’atar. Divine. Inspired. Gorgeous. It challenges Baba Ganoush for deliciousness.

• Butternut tataki and udon noodle salad

  • dinnermints on December 19, 2015

    Good flavor and would make again, but would roast squash batons instead of grilling all of these small vegetable pieces, which took forever.

  • lou_weez on January 19, 2021

    Took dinnermints advice and roasted the pumpkin, which made it a fairly quick dinner to assemble. It was nice, not mind blowing.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    This is a beautiful use of butternut, where it is prepared tataki. This method is usually reserved for non-veg items, but can be used with vegetables. It is a Japanese method where the vegetable is charred over a hot flame or on a pan, and then marinated in vinegar and ginger. Here the butternut is then combined with noodles and herbs for a delicious dish. The salad is amazing. The sweet sourness of the dressing, the crunch of the snowpeas and radish, the softness of the noodles, the sweet munchiness of the pumpkin, the heat of the chilli and bite of the radish, the texture of the sesame seeds. Beautiful.

• Squash with labneh and pickled walnut salsa

  • dinnermints on November 14, 2016

    This was okay....perhaps it suffered due to my tweaks. I used kabocha squash, and that maybe wasn't the best fit for this recipe (also roasted it instead of grilling); used greek yogurt instead of labneh, and goat cheese would have been better. But even then, I'd use more salsa. Still, not sure if I'd make it again.

  • MmeFleiss on January 23, 2018

    This was much better with goat cheese than labneh. It was too acidic when the pickled walnut salsa was combined with the latter.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    Sometimes the simplest of dishes are just as impactful as the more complex, time consuming ones. Ottolenghi has a reputation for complex dishes with many processes and even more ingredients. That’s true, indeed, and there are some very complex dishes in this book. But there are others (thank goodness) that are *relatively* simple. Rather than flavours layered over and over and over in a dish, the simple contrasts and textures are enough to provide just as much impact, but in a different way. This recipe recommends pickled walnuts, but they are difficult to find here. So we make a salsa with freshly shelled walnuts, and that is paired with the labneh and butternut pumpkin. It is a delicious combination. Really lovely.

• Seared girolles with black glutinous rice

  • dinnermints on December 19, 2015

    Okay, but didn't love it. I'd cook the black glutinous rice again this way, though, and would try the less expensive oyster mushrooms if I made it again.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    In this dish, the rice is cooked until starchy/glutinous. and is then paired with mushrooms seared in oil and tossed with butter, lemon and herbs. It is a dark and dangerous looking dish! It can be served with some goat’s curd or cheese – we like to use a Middle Eastern Goat Feta. I used a mix of mushrooms as girolles are not available here.

• Mixed vegetables and yoghurt with green chilli oil

  • dinnermints on February 11, 2018

    Excellent! We also roasted everything instead of frying - turned up the oven to 425 for the zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper, and roasted them for 20 minutes in two batches (altogether one hour of roasting including the tomatoes). Next time I'd salt the vegetables before roasting; maybe 3/4 - 1 tsp altogether. Strangely, the serrano pepper we used was about as spicy as a bell pepper - have never encountered that before. We ended up adding a cayenne pepper as well.

  • leahorowitz on September 09, 2016

    Easy and delicious, the three components really complement each other. Instead of frying the vegetables I roasted everything in the oven (seemed like a waste of energy to turn on the oven only for the tomatoes and it's probably healthier as well).

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    A glorious mix of fried vegetables in yoghurt – indeed exquisite, and direct from Istanbul (via Ottolenghi). Most of the veg are deep fried, but don’t let that put you off as it is indeed glorious. It works well with baked, roasted and grilled veg as well.

• Pot barley and lentils with mushrooms and sweet spices

  • dinnermints on March 18, 2018

    The flavor builds as you eat this, and what flavor: robust, earthy, and meaty. I forgot to soak the hulled barley, but it wasn't a big deal - just cooked it for 30-40min before adding the lentils (think it would need to be cooked longer than 15-20 min even after being soaked). We caramelized the onions instead of frying them. It took closer to 10-12 minutes to boil the liquid down after adding the porcinis, but otherwise not many changes. Delicious.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    You couldn’t get a more Wintery dish than this. Barley and Brown Lentils with Mushrooms and Crispy Fried Onions. And today is quite warm! What am I thinking? Haha, still, it is great comfort food. Pot barley is impossible to get these days, so we use pearl barley.

• Fancy coleslaw

  • dinnermints on May 26, 2015

    Wonderful. I made this for my husband's birthday BBQ party, and it was perfect.

  • stockholm28 on July 04, 2015

    I liked this slaw, but thought the dill was a little heavy-handed. If I made it again, I'd cut back on the dill. I also would have preferred a little more cabbage and a little less radicchio. I loved the spiced cashews and made double the recipe of those.

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Magnificent! The spiced cashews are essential - don't omit them.

• Celery salad with feta and soft-boiled egg

  • dinnermints on February 15, 2015

    This recipe was okay, but it was a lot of work for not being much of a show-stopper. However, it is very satisfying - lots of crunchy vegetables, and by the time you're done chewing, you feel like you've done sufficient jaw-work to feel full. It's a great way to make use of your mandoline, if you have one. I would change the thickness and size of the bell peppers, as IMO, they stood out unnecessarily from the rest of the salad. I'd slice them about the same thickness as celery, and then cut the strips in half so they're not so long. Here's a great vid on making/peeling soft-boiled eggs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1_0UYAlzEU Would've liked a wee bit more heat - used jalapenos, but would try serranos next time. Would also segment the lemons the night before if possible, as that took some time.

  • rmardel on November 25, 2020

    This was delicious, surprisingly so, and the salad itself, if you save it without the feta and egg, is even better the next day, when the flavors have melded and the celery softened further. I sliced the peppers so they were about the same size as the celery slices, simply because that seemed to make sense to me, and my hot peppers were rather mild and I could have used more heat. But this is a great salad to serve as a lunch or light supper and well worth the work required to pull it together.

  • Lizzzzy on October 04, 2016

    Delicious had for lunch as part of my 2 day diet. Loved everything about it, yes a bit of work but worth it.

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Get yourself into the kitchen and make this salad. It has the amazing quality of tasting equally healthy, tangy and comforting. It is especially good when you are overworked or under stress or having a hard time and you just need a little miracle. This salad is it. We use burrata instead of eggs in dishes like this.

  • linszu on June 20, 2021

    That was the first recipe I made from Ottolenghi and I enjoyed the hard work to create this salad. The creaminess of the running egg yolk went really well with the juicy, crispy salad.

• Pomelo salad

  • dinnermints on January 15, 2018

    Good, although I'm not completely convinced it's worth the effort (as is his grapefruit salad). Wish I'd remembered to add a bit of fish sauce per the recipe notes; that would've upped the flavor. I also used arugula instead of watercress.

  • Zosia on June 04, 2015

    Quite a bit of prep required for this but the result was worth the effort: the flavours were fresh and vibrant and the salad had enough textural contrast to keep it interesting. I omitted the raw shallots (not a fan) and used arugula in place of watercress.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Disagree with Otto. not "worth a bit of peeling effort" as it much more than a bit.

  • chezmaryb on February 02, 2021

    Really good and different. I love creative uses for orange flower water. The peanuts were really nice in this too.

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Excellent! This was the first time that we’d used Pomelo and it is a delightful find. Let me say, however, that it is a lot of work to peel and remove the membrane until you find the trick - then it is not a difficult task, just a little time consuming. The salad has such a fresh taste, embodying the joys of summer.

• Raw beetroot and herb salad

  • dinnermints on February 28, 2016

    Delicious, added some garlic chives because they happened to be in my garden. I used a combination of golden and red beets - very pretty. Could possibly serve 5.

  • leahorowitz on October 09, 2014

    Very quick when using a mandoline, very fresh tasting with a nice crunch.

  • Alfazed on August 09, 2015

    Love this salad, I've made it 4 times now. I think there are too many herbs, so I dial it back a bit (and the tarragon can be a bit intense, so it's good to check balance rather than just use the stated amounts). The crunch of the beets and nuts/seeds is great, and I love how the beets are not sweet.

  • Holler1985 on November 23, 2020

    So yummy! Fresh and crunchy with a bit of a kick to it

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    This crunchy salad is a good way to start or end a meal, or to serve as part of a spread of vegetable-based dishes. It is simple in its design and gorgeous in its delivery. It is very crunchy with the beetroot raw and the toasted nuts and seeds. So good.

• Legume (noodle) soup

  • dinnermints on January 17, 2016

    This was good, but took forever. Both the lima beans and split peas (maybe mine were old?) took much longer to cook than the recipe says. I also didn't soak the beans with baking soda, which I find leaves an unpleasant aftertaste and negatively affects the nutritional value of the beans. Next time I would plan to cook the split peas for 1.5 hours, and then cook the lima beans and chickpeas the night before. Or....could cook onions/garlic on high in the slow cooker (with lid off) and then add pre-soaked lima beans, chickpeas and stock (maybe a couple of extra cups of stock), and cook slowly during the day. Needed more salt, at least 1/2 tsp extra. The lime was fantastic. Also, next time would add the green onions with the noodles and add the spinach and rest of the herbs when the noodles have 5 minutes or so left to cook.

  • Brieforme on April 27, 2015

    This is a strange and surprising recipe. Tasty.

  • Lepa on November 09, 2017

    This was pretty good but, as others noted, it takes a very long time and I'm not convinced it is worth it. I make other soups that are much tastier with less work/time. In order to speed things up, I used a pressure cooker to cook the split peas/beans after I had added the sauteed onions and the whole recipe still took 1.5 hours!

  • fairyduff on June 14, 2021

    Very tasty, filling food. A turmeric-mellowed legume comforty-soup. A large number of the ingredients can be stocked in the pantry, making this a good standby dish. It met the vegetarian requirement for our teen, and wasn't spicy which suited our finicky child.

  • Totallywired on June 20, 2019

    Dreamy. Hearty, warm, savoury, satisfying soup/stew. Sour cream dollop can be slowly stirred in to transform texture to a rich stroganoff-type sauce, bright with acid. As a bean fiend, thought the pasta was superfluous and would happily omit, and the onion garnish was pleasant but inessential.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This dish is a fabulous, heart warming, thick soup – it seems like it is an Iranian echo of Minestrone or perhaps of the noodle soup your mother served you as a child when you were poorly. In Iran it is called ash-e reshteh, and it is the sort of soup that makes you feel happy, wholesome and nourished, all at the same time. You might find resteh noodles at a Middle Eastern grocery, but if not, use linguine or Asian flat noodles. Japanese noodles will work too. In fact the noodles can even be left out and the soup will still be deliciously amazing. Make sure that you purchase the type of reshteh noodles that are specifically for soup – there is another variety that has been toasted for use in rice dishes.

• Spring onion soup

  • dinnermints on May 05, 2019

    All I wrote on this recipe the first time I made it was "YUM!", which failed to remind me how much time the prep work takes for this soup. It is still delicious, but I'll wait to make it again until I have substantial time or several nights to prep in advance. I also added about 1/2 tsp more salt, and would add the kashk (or greek yogurt and parmesan mixture, in my case) to individual servings instead of to the soup pot.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Stunning, worth making a broth for. Kashk adds an interesting contrast to the sweetness of peas. That sweetness does not survive refrigeration and reheating.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This is a lovely soup, lighter than Ottolenghi's chickpea soups we have been cooking lately. Both whites and greens of the onions are used; they are sauteed with peas, zucchini and LOTS of garlic, and then blended with the stock. You might think that the garlic will overwhelm the dish, but the flavour mellows with the cooking.

• Fregola and artichoke pilaf

  • dinnermints on February 14, 2018

    This made for a delicious weeknight Valentine's Day meal. I used one can of artichokes instead of fresh, and used mograbiah instead of fregola. I cooked the mograbiah for 23 minutes and it still could've used a bit more; think it's bigger than fregola. I quartered the olives, and in the chile sauce amped up the garlic by a clove or two and decreased the oil by 1 T. For the lemon, 40g ended up being a little less than half of a regular-size preserved Meyer lemon. I'll definitely be making the chile sauce again - would be fantastic on tacos, for a start. Served this with poached eggs on top.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This dish is an unusual one – hearty yet fresh. It is best served just warm or at room temperature.

• Globe artichoke and mozzarella with candied lemon

  • dinnermints on May 27, 2017

    Good, with some buts. Extracting the artichoke hearts was a pain. For people who are used to doing this, it will be no big deal, but it took me a bit and then all the leaves went to waste (this was my first - possibly last - time attempting this). Next time I'd use frozen or canned. Buffalo mozz was good, but fresh mozz probably would've been just as good. I skimped on the oil (1/4 instead of 1/2 cup)....maybe that is enough oil, but next time I'd toss the lettuce, artichoke, and herbs + oil all together, then add the rest. Needed more salt, and I added more than a "tiny amount" of the candied rind syrup (next time would add even more).

  • lou_weez on February 26, 2018

    This was really delicious. I did, however, use a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and baby bocconcini instead of mozzarella. I also added all the candied lemon syrup otherwise, I feel, the oil would have overpowered the dish.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This lovely recipe is one of Ottolenghi’s easiest if you use a jar of hearts or bases rather than fresh artichokes, and forgo candying the lemon rind. Then it takes just a few minutes to put the salad together. It is fresh and delicious. But we mixed it up (of course). The mozzarella we used was smoked. And we candied the peel and segments of cumquats from our cumquat tree using palm sugar. The result was dark peel and syrup that was oh so very delicious. It takes about 15 mins to candy citrus peel, and it is worth doing for this salad. The sweetness contrasts well with the artichokes.

• Miso vegetables and rice with black sesame dressing

  • dinnermints on May 01, 2015

    This was good, and I'd probably make it again. I used kombu to make dashi, and I think the dashi stock powder would've been quicker and more flavorful. I used sweet brown rice instead of sushi rice, and that worked out well (1.5 cups dry to 3 cups water for 45min then let it sit for 10min - was maybe a bit too much water). Next time I'd try seasoning the rice a bit and/or either wouldn't reduce the sauce quite so much or make a bit more sauce. It does look lovely with the black sesame seed dressing.

  • Rutabaga on March 22, 2020

    This was good, but not as flavorful as I'd expected, primarily because the vegetables didn't seem to soak up much extra flavor from the simmering liquid. I didn't use dashi, as my older son is sensitive to seaweed, so perhaps that was part of it. For vegetables, I used broccolini, carrot, haricot vert, and cucumber. The peanut sesame dressing is good, and provides a welcome crunch as well as protein, making it substantial enough for a light vegetarian meal. The veggies were cold by the time the simmering liquid cooked done to a sauce, which was fine, but I prefer them served hot. Personally, I think a good hot sauce, such as sriracha or gochujang, is an ideal addition.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    Oh my, this miso flavoured bowl of rice and vegetables is gorgeous. We have made it with noodles too, with equal success. Vegetables are poached in a mixture of miso, soy, mirim and vegetarian dashi for a high flavoured stock. They are served on rice (or noodles) and dressed with sweet rice vinegar, peanuts and sesame seeds. Highly gorgeous. The play of the crispy veg with the soft rice and of the sweet and tart flavours of the sauce and dressing, the contrast of the dark sauce flavours with the freshness of the herbs and veg, the rubberiness of the mushrooms with the crisp veg, crunchy nuts and soft rice – all make this a dish worth the effort. Each veg has to cooked briefly, the rice is cooked, the sauce is reduced, the dressing is made, and, if you are making your own dashi, that needs to be made too (SO MANY STEPS!). A comforting and nourishing dish indeed, but one that needs some time devoted to it.

• Seaweed, ginger and carrot salad

  • dinnermints on July 04, 2017

    Not going to rate this, because I clearly need more practice dealing with seaweed. Not only did I end up with large, flubbery pieces of seaweed (overcooked per O's instructions), but 1.5oz of seaweed ends up being a LOT when reconstituted. Next time I'd search specifically for sea spaghetti, and would maybe just soak it instead of cooking it. And would dry it more thoroughly; maybe roll it in a couple of dishtowels. I ended up having to drain it, and with that went a bunch of the vinegar/salt. Otherwise the flavor was good. Will try again sometime.

  • dinnermints on February 12, 2018

    Update: made this again using hijiki that we soaked in cold water for 30min = perfect (did NOT then cook the hijiki with the carrots; just drained it when it was ready). Apparently if you consume hijiki often in large quantities, it can be bad for you, but infrequently in small quantities seems to be no big deal (although I'd be happy to find an alternative). Used Persian cukes and didn't peel them, and you need at least two mangoes. Also used roasted peanut oil. So refreshing and delicious this time around! Five stars.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This was the first time that I even heard of Sea Spaghetti and had to hunt it out. Eventually I found it online. This salad makes great use of it - Sea Spaghetti looks like dark fettuccine and has a similar texture. Perhaps it should be called Sea Fettuccine, to be more precise. It did take me some time to fall in love with it, but eventually I got used to using it and have quite fallen in love with it. If you are keen to try this recipe, but find it is impossible to find Sea Spaghetti, and if you have wakame in the pantry, use that. Or use any seaweed that you have or can find locally. You will just have to prepare it specifically for the type of seaweed, rather than cooking it as described in this recipe.

• Tart apple and celeriac salad

  • leahorowitz on April 14, 2020

    Made the vegetables as a side (no quinoa). The sweet/sour/spicy combination goes well with the celeriac. I used white balsamic as the vinegar for marinating the onions and should have dialed down the amount of sugar accordingly. I also used the marinade as dressing afterwards and the whole salad turned out a little too sweet. With this change I will surely make this recipe again!

  • joanhuguet on January 12, 2015

    As Ottolenghi states, a wonderful, bright winter side. I found this to be a nice change from the typical mayo-based celery root salad. Held surprisingly well overnight, with good texture and limited browning - suitable for packing in lunches.

  • chocobar on January 21, 2018

    Nice salad :) Half olive oil is ok

  • chezmaryb on March 01, 2021

    Very good and fresh

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    You know how it is, when you are making Ottolenghi dishes, when you are rubbing that vinegar and sugar mixture into the onions or the chilli concoction into the cucumbers, massaging gently, when you are cooking the fourth or fifth or sixth element for the recipe, you think this is never going to work, why am I bothering? But then you taste the final dish, and you melt, and the flavours are incredible, and it is totally worth the messy kitchen and the washing up. This is another Ottolenghi salad that brightens up the day. The king of flavours, Ottolenghi’s taste combinations really are quite extraordinary. This crispy salad hits you full on with its sharp sweetness and oniony heat, and it’s just what is required to shake up tired taste buds on a drowsy wintry or early spring night. You will love this one.

• Set 'cheesecake' with plum compote

  • leahorowitz on September 21, 2014

    Works well with apricots instead of plums. The cheesecake part of the dessert is very rich due to the mascarpone.

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Crumble likely to get overdone. should be watched carefully. good quality cream and cream cheese (e.g. not supermarket brand with lots of gum in it) makes a big difference

• Steamed aubergine with sesame and spring onions

  • Rinshin on May 25, 2015

    Not bad, but could be better. The taste is tad too sweet for me but it's not cloyingly sweet. By itself, it's a standard Japanese and Asian eggplant preparation. I dressed it up with the addition of char grilled shishito peppers for some textural contrast. I felt that amount of dressing/sauce could have been doubled for the amount of eggplant and photo in the book was not true to it's amount. Used Chinese eggplant.

  • Boffcat on January 14, 2018

    We enjoyed this (Mike was a particular fan), though I agree with the previous reviewer that the dressing quantities seemed a little skimpy for the amount of aubergine, and the photograph in the book suggested a more generous ratio. Preparation was nice and straightforward, and it's welcome to find an aubergine dish that doesn't involve cooking it in any oil.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Increased the scallion and the ginger as my eggplant was not very tasty (although from farmer's market, LOL)

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    Don’t you just love the silky texture of steamed eggplant – so different to its grilled and baked counterparts. Steaming maintains some of the aubergine flesh’s texture, which doesn’t happen if you cook it some other ways. It gives this dish a particular substantial quality, making it suitable enough to serve with just plain rice or fried tofu. It can also be used as a condiment or side dish.

• Tomato and roasted lemon salad

  • VineTomato on May 17, 2020

    Nice salad although I would serve this as part of a mezze rather than 'the side' or main event. I served with oven roasted salmon. The roast lemons were incredible, but I found the onion a little overpowering.

  • Barb_N on January 16, 2015

    I made a variation of this I found on the Kitchn- using the dressing to baste chicken and roasting with sliced citrus to get the charred effect. Great flavors without having to wait for tomato season. I would cut way down on the olive oil- the chicken doesn't need it. I plan to make the real recipe when summer comes around.

  • Rutabaga on January 26, 2015

    I admit it's a bit unfair for me to rate this recipe with three stars, as I have the feeling that with better ingredients it would be a solid four for me. It didn't quite come together, and I think a lackluster pomegranate and winter tomatoes were the culprit. Also, I didn't have red onion on hand, so substituted scallions, which just weren't the best match. The roasted lemon is intriguing, but needed stronger flavors from the other ingredients in order to match its potency. Too bad pomegranates and cherry tomatoes don't come into season together around here! Still, I want to try it again with a better pomegranate and (hopefully) tastier tomatoes.

  • JLDuck on December 14, 2017

    With seasonal ingredients and fresh pomegranate this recipe is very delicious.

  • lou_weez on June 29, 2021

    A nice salad. The roasted lemon added a good textural and sour element to the dish. I let my salad sit for a bit before serving and the onions had softened slightly which helped mellow their flavour.

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    definitely a keeper. high quality pomegranate molasses a must. After trying several, I now use "pomegranate paste" from Nader. I am lucky to have a Persian market nearby.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    Lemons, the ubiquitous and essential ingredient in kitchens the world over. We squeeze the juice into this and that, preserve them, grate their rind, and candy them. I have dehydrated lemon slices – not pretty but oh goodness, the flavour they added to dishes! Rarely do we think of roasting them. But that must change. Something magical happens to citrus when it hangs out in a hot oven. It takes on a sweeter, slightly-burnt complexity. The slices add flavour to any dish, but are also good on their own! This is a beautiful and delightful salad.

  • Acarroll on January 20, 2022

    The roasted lemons were very nice. This was a really light salad, though, that needed something else to be an entree. I couldn't find pomegranate but that would have made for a nice addition.

• Sprout salad, part two

  • ksg518 on January 09, 2018

    I've made this several times. This is a great Asian inspired salad with a nice bit of tartness. I've left out the kohlrabi when I couldn't find it. The umeboshi paste is a nice touch but I think you could substitute miso. (My local Whole Foods carries umeboshi paste so it's not impossible to find.)

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    Ottolenghi takes Mung Sprouts and pairs them with, of all things, Umeboshi puree, edamame beans and radishes!! It really works, and is a terrific combination. I use pomegranate molasses if I can't find umaboshi paste.

• Smoked beetroot with yoghurt and caramelised macadamias

  • ksg518 on August 24, 2016

    Typical Ottolenghi -- a fair amount of work for a great result. This really doesn't take much longer than roasting beets would since you just add the smoking step in the beginning. But smoking the beets requires lots of setup. The end result is a wonderful salad of sliced sweet and smoky beets topped with a yogurt dressing. The caramelized macadamias add a great pop of sweetness and texture. If there's a downside (besides the time it takes), it would be that my kitchen still had a smoky smell the next morning.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This recipe is one with multiple steps, process and pots and pans. Smoke the beetroot (I did it outside on the BBQ). Bake the smoked beetroot. Make the salad. Toast the nuts. Make the caramel. Spread on a tray with nuts. Make the yoghurt sauce. Quite a few pots and pans along the way. But it is a stunner of a salad – both in flavour and looks – and a fantastic way to open a fancy meal. The smokiness of the beetroot with the sweet-bitter caramel, both lightened with the curd. Heaven.

• Stuffed courgettes

  • amandashestokes on August 12, 2015

    Really delicious! The wall of my zucchini broke during cooking, so some of the rice exploded out and most of the sauce absorbed, but it was delicious anyway. I forgot to make the yogurt sauce, but next I'll be sure to because I'm that additional layer of flavor would knock it out of the park. Full disclosure, I used a GIANT zucchini from a co-worker's garden and cut it in half for this. So, the exploding rice was my fault because I had to craft an end to the zucchini half our of a weak seed wall.

  • Rutabaga on September 20, 2015

    I won't rate this one as I overcooked the zucchini and don't feel qualified to judge. After cooking them for roughly 45 minutes, I ended up needing to leave the house, and simply turned off the store and let them zucchini sit. Hours later, I came home to find the rice had swollen to the point of sogginess, and the zucchini were quite waterlogged. Except for some of the rice that had spilled over into the cooking liquid, they were still edible, just not especially tasty (although the yogurt sauce really is a good addition). I had added extra water to the pan to help ensure everything would cook thoroughly, but in retrospect I think I added too much. This probably contributed to the sogginess, too.

  • Tealismyname on March 08, 2016

    I found it a bit difficult to scoop out the courgettes but overall it was delicious. I felt my rice needed to cook for a bit longer but the flavours were really delicious. It really isn't a pretty recipe as mentioned in the book. The yogurt sauce was fantastic!

  • Ganga108 on December 28, 2021

    It is interesting that Ottolenghi has several different cooking times for this recipe in books and on the internet. The cooking time varies from 2 hours down to 40 mins. I found that when cooking for 2 hours, the zucchini was overcooked and the rice just a tad undercooked, even after all that time on very low heat. After all, it is being steamed rather than boiled as is usual. Our recommendation is that the rice should be par-cooked before using in the stuffing, and that the cooking time is then reduced to 40 – 60 mins so that the rice is really soft. As it is, the recipe did not work for us. It is a rare Ottolenghi fail in our kitchen - we have cooked more than 250 of his recipes and they have been consistently excellent.

• Rice noodles with spring onions and soy beans

  • Rutabaga on May 04, 2016

    I made this dish using ingredients I happened to already have on hand. This meant fewer spring onions and more edamame than Ottolenghi calls for, and no cilantro. I also used up some extra wide rice noodles from the freezer, which I have decided are not my favorite rice noodle, but worked much better here than I had expected. This was really a great, quick dinner dish, and being as it incorporates only a few very basic fresh ingredients (spring onions, lime, cilantro), this is a good recipe to reach for when you don't have much in the fridge and still want something fresh and vibrant tasting.

  • anya_sf on May 13, 2017

    I didn't have enough edamame, so I also added blanched broccoli florets. I did not use quite the full amount of green onions ("only" 4 bunches), but they actually cook down a lot, so I actually could have used more. I added crabmeat, as suggested, and we loved it.

  • Totallywired on December 14, 2018

    One of those dishes that looks like it needs something else for balance or ratio that convinces you otherwise in a subtle way.

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This is one of Ottolenghi’s dishes that is a breeze to make, relatively speaking. And there are always those times when Spring Onions (scallions, green onions) pile up in the fridge, forgotten. They are generally used in salads or as a garnish for soups and other dishes but rarely shine as a main ingredient. It is time to change that, and Ottolenghi is just the person to provide some inspiration. BTW, the lime juice really makes this dish come alive. Don't omit - it is absolutely necessary.

• Watercress salad with quail's eggs, ricotta and seeds

  • Rutabaga on April 08, 2015

    This is a nicely balanced mix of watercress, herbs, and seeds, very fresh and bright. I downsized the salad for two, left out the eggs, and substituted goat cheese for ricotta.

  • chezmaryb on February 21, 2021

    Just like the headnote said, this seed mix is delicious and adds perfect crunch to the salad.

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Magnificent! I made this salad with Baby Spinach, a little watercress and a lot of herbs. You could use rocket too, in place of or in addition to any of the ingredients. We have also made it with purslane. (Watercress is so expensive here.) The seeds sprinkled over this salad at the end give it a real boost in look, texture and flavour. I used burrata in place of the eggs or leave them off.

• Root vegetable pies

  • Rutabaga on December 07, 2016

    These root vegetable pies have a lovely gentle curry flavor (gentle, at least, if you leave out the chile pepper as I did). Unfortunately, the filling still wasn't to my five-year-old's liking, although he did appreciate the crust. My husband said all that was missing was the beef! And while beef would actually pair very well here, these make a satisfying fall or winter meal on their own, served with a simple salad. Making six mini pies is rather fiddly, so I just patched together the scraps to make rustic lids and didn't worry about making them look pretty.

• Aubergine pahi

  • Rutabaga on October 03, 2016

    I thought this was pretty good, although my husband and five-year-old weren't big fans. To be fair, I think this was at least partly because my eggplant was not too fresh and rather seedy, which gave it a slight bitterness in the finished dish. I was lacking lemongrass and curry leaves, so decided to add some cilantro to give it a little vibrancy. It would be interesting to try again with better eggplant and all of the curry paste ingredients. As swegener noted, it's not a difficult dish, but frying all of the vegetable separately takes time.

  • swegener on April 18, 2015

    This isn't so much complicated as time consuming. Each veggie has to be cooked separately for a while and if your cooking space isn't big enough has to be cooked in batches. Then it can be combined and cooked for a while. The sugar is really necessary to add balance to the dish.

  • Poppyseedbagel on October 11, 2020

    Made this again. I also cooked all in the oven which is a great idea and I used less oil than the recipe. Next time, I’d cook the spice mix with the vinegar more, to reduce the sharpness. I padded out the aubergine with mushrooms and actually their extra texture and flavour was an excellent addition. I served with yoghurt which was good.

  • Tabubua on November 27, 2016

    I suggest roasting the veggies in the oven rather than frying - I love this recipe but switched to roasting after the first attempt as it is a lot of frying! The roasted veggies take less effort, soak up less oil and taste even better.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Ottolenghi ventures into the world of Sri Lankan cooking with this recipe for a classic Sri Lankan sweet-sour curry that is traditionally thought of as more of a pickle. He does not elaborate on the roots of this dish which is disappointing as it is such a famous Sri Lankan dish. I used the recipe as inspiration but have altered the recipe significantly. Traditionally Eggplant Pahi is both sour, sweet and spicy - it is like a cross between a pickle and a relish. The beautiful balance of sweet and sour especially makes this dish a favourite festive dish. There are many different variations of the dish. It makes a great condiment used with rice, roasted vegetables, sauteed tofu or just roti. In making Ottolenghi's recipe, I used a Sri Lankan curry powder and sauteed the vegetables.

• Mushrooms, garlic and shallots with lemon ricotta

  • Foodycat on November 03, 2014

    I used white wine instead of Pernod. And I used a vegetable stock cube, without adding more liquid - the vegetables throw off plenty to make a good rich broth. We had it with rice. It's extraordinary how well tarragon goes with mushrooms!

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    Love this dish. The recipe takes an awful lot of small shallots and garlic, but the end result is definitely worth the effort. They are cooked with mushrooms, herbs, spices and pernod. Don't omit the ricotta, it balances the dish.

• Smoky polenta chips

  • marry_bellows on November 17, 2014

    Didn't work at all. Polenta was too creamy and did not set properly. Moreover, during frying the cheese melted and I got only "shells" instead of chips.

  • coryelizabeth on July 03, 2017

    This did not work: the polenta "fries" disintegrated during frying and turned into greasy, inedible clumps. However, I'm still happy I made this, as the smoky tomato sauce was delicious and could be used for any number of things.

  • StephEpices on September 29, 2019

    Same as previous comments. Impossible to fry, so after a small test batch, I baked them at 200C for 15-20 minutes after spraying a bit of olive oil and they were perfect. The sauce was absolutely fabulous! I will use the leftover sauce on pasta.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Ottolenghi's gorgeous polenta crisps recipe earlier in this book was enough impetus for us to search for the polenta in the back of the pantry and make this delicious snack. Who doesn't like chips?

• Tomato and almond tart

  • JLDuck on December 07, 2017

    Delicious. Be very generous with the tomatoes.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on April 28, 2017

    As often, the result depends on the quality of the ingredients: very ripe tomatoes and good puff pastry and we had a very delicious lunch!

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Made with a skilled baker at my side, he declares it not worth doing again.

  • luluf on June 29, 2020

    Made it twice and both times, I split the butter mix when adding the eggs but it doesn’t matter because it still tasted great. Everyone loves this tart. Next time I’ll whisk the eggs and add very slowly. I definitely think it’s worth making.

  • Glinys on April 09, 2021

    This is a good tart - made it with fairly tasteless winter tomatoes and it was unctuous and satisfying. The filling gives the tart texture and flavour from the Parmesan plus it absorbs any excess juice from the tomato so it isn’t soggy

• Crunchy root vegetables

  • Poppyseedbagel on June 03, 2021

    This was lovely - and simple, though for us it’s a summer salad, as thats when we get kohlrabi in our veg box. I added some sugar, less than the quantity specified as an experiment, as I usually ignore Yotam’s adding sugar into savoury dishes. I wish I hadn’t added it - unadulterated lemon juice and vinegar would have been better! (And was, when we did it again) Note the instructions in the book are not clear. The photo in EYB shows the veg are julienned, but the book was read by my son as doing the veg in slices. Julienned is better

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    This is a great Winter salad, a great accompaniment to hot Wintery dishes, and healthy as well. Of course it can be made at any time of the year if you can get the veg - here they are available and best quality in Winter. Sometimes I will use jicama instead of kohlrabi. The root vegetables are julienned and dressed with a chilli vinaigrette before toasted almonds and poppy seeds are added. There is not much that is more delicious than this.

• Yoghurt and kaffir lime leaf spread

  • lizebeth on February 24, 2017

    Surprisingly tasty, this dip is now a family favourite (even with the family members who are not keen on zucchini).

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This is magnificent! Yoghurt salads are made the world over, except, perhaps, in English speaking and some European countries. It is a puzzle why we don’t make more use of them here in Australia with our temperatures up to 45C in Summer. Yoghurt is one of the most cooling ingredients. It uses makrut lime leaves with zucchini and garlic to make a great hot day dip or salad. We often have them around afternoon tea time, with some crisp crackers, with other salads and some flatbread for lunch, or as a precursor to dinner.

• Crushed Puy lentils with tahini and cumin

  • grindabod on November 04, 2018

    Made this as a kind of dip (without the eggs) for a potluck at work. Went down great, everyone asked for the recipe. Lightly pickled the red onion with some salt and lemon juice to make the allium taste milder.

  • anya_sf on May 14, 2017

    I made this for 2 as a main course, but there were leftovers. We had it over sauteed greens with Middle Eastern bread on the side. It was quite good, but I think without the greens it would have been a bit one-dimensional. Don't skip the red onion on top; the crunchy texture is needed to break up the creaminess of the lentils.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This sustaining meal-on-a-plate is a little bit like hummus, though much easier and quicker to prepare. Eat with warm flatbread and a salad. I have also made it using whole red lentils (masoor) and it was awesomely fabulous! Topped it with onion, beetroot and lentil sprouts.

• Courgette and fennel with saffron crumbs

  • Boffcat on July 04, 2021

    For me, the two components of this dish didn't really meld: the saffron crumbs were tasty, but didn't particularly make the vegetables sing. I also found the dressing for the vegetables a little flat, overly dominated by lemon.

  • anya_sf on May 29, 2017

    I only made half the crumbs, but it was plenty for 3 zucchini and 1 medium fennel bulb. The crumbs take some work, but they aren't difficult. They're flavorful, and a nice touch, but not totally necessary. I don't know if they were supposed to end up crispy/crunchy, but mine were still somewhat soft, but not unpleasantly so. The vegetables needed to be grilled in batches (mine took 5 batches), but that went fairly quickly, since they only cooked 1 minute per side. They were nicely crisp-tender. I loved that they could be made somewhat ahead. If you skip the saffron crumbs (or perhaps just use regular sauteed breadcrumbs), this side dish is very quick and easy to make.

  • Ganga108 on March 01, 2022

    Trust Ottolenghi to take grilled vegetables to the next level by adding “crumbs” or croutons that have been soaked in saffron water then fried with garlic. These are scattered over grilled vegetables for a salad that has visual impact and tastes delicious. The crumbs have many uses, so make them in bulk and use them often. The vegetables that Ottolenghi uses in this dish are zucchini and fennel, but don’t restrict yourself to this combination. Also, try scattering the crumbs over roasted vegetables too. And onto soups in place of croutons. My goodness, they are good.

• Lightly stewed broad beans, peas and gem lettuce with Parmesan rice

  • anya_sf on May 29, 2017

    I used farro instead of rice, but otherwise followed the recipe. It was good, like comfort food - didn't wow me like some Ottolenghi recipes.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    A couple of years ago I made a lovely French dish with our home grown broad beans – they are briefly simmered in stock and wine with peas and lettuce. It is such a gorgeously gentle, green and fresh dish. This is a similar recipe, sans the wine, and where the ingredients are cooked for substantially longer than our dish. He serves it with gorgeous, buttery, parmesan rice, a delicious accompaniment. I feel that the cooking times in Ottolenghi’s recipe are far too long, and have reduced them accordingly. I have also added a little verjuice to the dish, as I miss the tang of the wine in the French recipe. But the play of the vegetables against the buttery parmesan rice is quite amazing. Usually I recommend reducing the quantities of Ottolenghi’s recipes, they are always ample. This one makes enough for 4 people – however, if you think you might want seconds (and you will), make a larger quantity.

• Quinoa and fennel salad

  • finebec on September 22, 2018

    Luckily, I have middle eastern grocers who carry the beans frozen and shelled.

  • chezmaryb on January 25, 2021

    Everything we love about Ottolenghi. Unexpected combination, bright, fresh, complex and delicious. It's also a healthy, vegan recipe that clocks in at 300 cal per serving.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This is a wonderful Wintery dish using fennel. It is the sort of dish that can form a lovely lunch or supper on a cold day. I always miss fennel in the Summer, and when it appears in shops again in late Autumn our excitement is evident. The fennel is paired with Fava Beans (Broad Beans). Use fresh ones in the beginning of Spring when fennel is still available, or use frozen ones in Autumn and Winter. The best frozen Broad Beans are found in Middle Eastern shops – they are already peeled! Such a time saver. The fennel and beans are mixed with quinoa, spices and herbs. Don’t hold back on the black pepper, it really enhances this dish.

• Quinoa and wild garlic cakes with salbitxada sauce

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Not well received.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Ottolenghi’s Quinoa cakes are originally made with ramps (wild garlic) which are prolific in England and very delicious. However here they are considered a noxious weed and so are not available. Ottolenghi suggests spring onions instead, and it is a good substitution. This recipe uses eggs and I used my usual substitute of chickpea flour, cream and eno fruit salts. You could add a little ground flaxseed too, for more “stickability”. The result was still somewhat crumbly so make sure you add enough of the chickpea flour, and also that you squish the mixture together really well when making the patties. (The crumbly bits were very delicious too!) Ottolenghi adds a wonderful Salbitxada Sauce – a red capsicum and tomato spicy sauce thickened with ground almonds. We’ve had also served these these with a home made Cumquat and Mango Chutney (made with Alphonso Mango puree, would you believe). Absolutely delicious!

• Fritter roulette

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    Actually a friend did it for a more spice loving family than mine. with good results

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Sweetcorn fritters have a special place in my heart – they are quite divine, despite the fact that fresh kernels can explode if the heat is too high! (Be careful!) Often this property of sweet corn is not mentioned in recipes, leading to disastrous or painful results. Pulse fresh corn kernels very briefly in a small blender or chopper to lessen this likelihood, steam them (altho I’ve also had problems with steamed ones) or use tinned corn kernels. These are spicy and delicious!

• Cold rice and pandan pudding with Alphonso mango and lime syrup

  • finebec on October 28, 2018

    delicious, but rice pudding in Jerusalem even better

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    There is nothing like a rice pudding when the weather cools after the long Summer days of intense heat and nights spent under the air conditioning to keep cool enough to sleep. I judge my acceptance of Autumn (it takes a while) by the first rice pudding that is cooked. We can make this cold rice pudding a little earlier than the hot ones. I don’t cook with eggs so I made my favourite Greek Rice Pudding and added his lime syrup. It is really delightful – the syrup contrasts beautifully with the sweet rice. For fruit, I used persimmon and passion fruit. I love the simplicity of this dish. Stunning!

• Spicy scrambled eggs

  • fairyduff on June 21, 2021

    Another terrific and tasty recipe from Plenty More. I found the pace of this recipe useful; let the pan take its time, firstly with the spices, and later with the tomatoes slowly cooking down to a pulp. Handy time to be getting on with other things in the kitchen, Then the finish with the eggs takes literally 3 minutes and you're serving dinner. Love it.

• Crushed carrots with harissa and pistachios

  • chezmaryb on April 03, 2021

    Wow, this was way better than I expected. The carrot and yogurt were perfectly balanced in flavor. I would add a little extra yogurt next time

  • Ganga108 on October 31, 2021

    In this Moroccan dish, carrots are cooked and crushed to make a sharp and hot spread. Bring it to the table while still warm, on a platter with a pile of warm pitta breads. It makes a great starter or mezze dish.

  • Acarroll on February 12, 2022

    I added about 3x as much harissa than the recipe called for, and we still thought it was bland. The carrots came off as too sweet.

• Broad bean spread with roasted garlic ricotta

  • StephEpices on August 10, 2019

    This isn't one of my favorites although it was a hit when I served it. I used peppermint instead of mint by accident and I found it a bit offputting. Maybe I'll try again next summer the correct way.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    On the day that I picked 3 kg of broad beans, I knew I had to find some additional recipes. We have some wonderful broad bean dishes, but I was looking for something new and different. This recipe combines a herby and lemony broad bean mix with ricotta flavoured with roasted garlic. What could be better? Slather it on sourdough toast. You can make it with frozen broad beans too. We have made this successfully with cream cheese instead of the ricotta.

• Braised kale with crispy shallots

  • lholtzman on November 03, 2020

    Substituting oyster sauce works well. I might not add a full tbsp more as it is a bit salty.

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    The curly kale in the shops right now is magnificent. Here it is cooked simply but with strong flavours – kecap manis, garlic and sesame oil – to counteract its intense greenness. For texture, sesame seeds are stirred through and crispy shallots are layered on top. The crispy shallots are wonderful - don't omit them.

• Marrow with tomato and feta

  • Florafauna on October 01, 2020

    A friend gave us a marrow, I'd never had it before but will again for sure! This recipe and it was delicious, everyone agreed it was a keeper and marrow will be on the menu more often. We had it with giant cous cous cooked with a bit of tomato paste and white wine.

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    When a recipe specifies marrow as an ingredient, confusion ensues. Unlike the UK, Australia does not have a generic marrow, or indeed a variety of marrows. The closest we get to marrow is large zucchinis, yet these are difficult to purchase as it is small zucchinis that shops stock. India, however, has many melons, close enough, and they are available in Indian and Asian shops. For this recipe I used Long Melon (Lauki). It worked really well. A friend says that this is lifting the humble Lauki to new heights! It does work very well. And with only a few soft seeds in the centre, there was no need to remove them before cooking. Love the tomato sauce.

• Udon noodles with fried aubergine, walnut and miso

  • Gegag184 on December 10, 2020

    This recipe is a bit long to prepare but is very good!

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This is one of Ottolenghi's more complex recipes. It has 7, yes seven, different processes with associated pots, pans and equipment. Make the (vegetarian) dashi, ribbon cut and soak ginger and spring onions, prep the eggplants, deep fry the eggplants, saute the onions, walnuts etc, make the sauce, cook the noodles. So Ottolenghi flavours come at a price. Leave an afternoon free – at least several hours to cook and clean up – when making his more complex recipes. To be fair though – the man I call the Master of Flavour produces amazing dishes that makes the hours worth the effort!

• Stewed blackberries with bay custard and gin

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    DeeeeVine! This is a pretty wicked Summer dessert, definitely for hot Summer days. The beauty of it is that the custard and blueberries can be prepared ahead of time – eg the day before – and then it takes but a few minutes for the dessert to come together. As the title suggests, blueberries, slightly stewed, are served with icecream, a bay-flavoured custard, and savoiardi biscuits soaked in gin, rosewater and blueberry syrup. It sounds amazing, right? And it is (the gin-soaked biscuits are out of this world), but the title belies the ease with which this dish is created. Best to note that it is an adult dessert only!

• Char-grilled stone fruit with lemon geranium water

  • Ganga108 on October 31, 2021

    This is a recipe that epitomises the height of Summer in Australia. Beautiful sun ripened stone fruits, grilled on an Aussie BBQ, and drizzled with a sweet scented yoghurt. It really is the best of recipes for this time, perfect perhaps for an Australia Day BBQ.

• Batata harra

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Looking for an alternative to chips for late night snacks or to serve with vegetarian BBQs? This is the recipe for you. Rather than cooking as chips, the potatoes here are cubed and roasted with garlic and capsicums in a traditional Lebanese and Syrian dish. I like to add eggplants as well – the texture of these is a great contrast to the crispy potatoes and the sweet capsicums.

• Baigan choka

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This Trinidad style of Baigan Choka is very simple when compared with the many varieties of Baigan Chokha from India and of the closely related dish, Baingan Bharta. The Trinidad version is lighter and simpler in flavours, but still so delicious. I am constantly amazed how a simple shift in ingredients can create an utterly different dish. This style of eggplant dip is served with roti, naan, paratha or other flatbread. This recipe uses hot oil flavoured with onion and some vigorous whisking to achieve a wonderful creaminess and subtlety. Delicious!

• Bitter frozen berries with white chocolate cream

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    In the extreme weather of Summer in Australia – temperatures of 45C to 47C at times in Adelaide and catastrophic fires across Australia – we made this beautiful dish. It was a change from consuming copious amounts of icecream and fruit lassi. It really is beautiful – sweet, chocolaty with overtones of the bitters used to dress the fruit. It is my new favourite Ottolenghi dish. We don’t often make dessert but this one is one of the best, now on our Summer rotation. For this recipe, I bought a bag of mixed frozen berries, and used primarily the berries other than the strawberries. It was delicious and a cost effective way of making this dish in Australia. Ottolenghi suggests using a lot of red and black currents, but they are hard to get and expensive here. If you find your fruit too sweet with the chocolate cream, add lemon juice to them.

• Aubergine, potato, tomato

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    This is a lovely brunch dish. The sort that you can centre your brunch spread around. Add bread and real butter, home made jams, fresh coffee and full cream milk, fruit juice, sliced fresh fruit or perhaps baked fruit, a few cheeses, bircher muesli, yoghurt and some buttery pastries. This, plus the weekend papers and some good gossip, is all you need to spend half a day in unadulterated bliss. Of course, it also makes a great supper dish – I might make it on a cold Spring evening. Who doesn’t want something fried on a cold night? it takes a while to make and has 8 or 9 processes. He floats eggs on top of the fried vegetables – I use burrata, bocconcini or buffalo mozzarella. Actually the dish is somewhat similar to Mixed Vegetables with Green Chilli Oil, another dish from Ottolenghi.

• Crespéou

  • Ganga108 on October 31, 2021

    I had such fun making this recipe. Crespeou is a Provencal (France) layered dish normally composed of mini-omelettes filled with herbs and vegetables, and then layered in alternating colours. I make my usual chickpea flour pancakes/pudla/cheela instead of omelettes, to make the dish egg-free. It is a simple technique using common ingredients to produce a vibrant savoury cake. Prepared in advance, the dish can be served hot or cold. Serve warm with a tomato and red onion salad, or, even better, wrap in foil, refrigerate and serve next day. Take it on picnics and to potlucks. We layered each of the pancakes with a fennel puree and a wild peach chutney to keep it moist and delicious for a Sunday brunch. I love to top it with mushrooms. When taking on picnics, we take any layering pastes or purees separately and construct it on the spot. So good and so visually stunning.

• Aubergine kuku

  • Ganga108 on October 30, 2021

    I love my version of this dish. Kuku , sort of like a Persian omelette or frittata, comes in many forms. I made this one without eggs and love it. Because it doesn’t have eggs I tend to make it looser than a frittata. It is packed with herbs, and I love the tart barberries with the crunch of the walnuts. Kuku is traditionally served with flatbread, crunchy items like radishes, acidic pickles and feta. But I have served it on a Cauliflower Puree. It is a great mezze dish.

• Spice-stuffed potato cakes

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    One of the most wonderful tastes on this planet is the tangy spice, chilli and tamarind mix of Indian street food. It is glorious, addictive, and quite mind blowing. The flavours have a party in your mouth. No, truly! If you are doubting me, head off to your nearest good Indian restaurant and try Pani Puri, or Samosa Chaat – any chaat for that matter – and even Rasam will give you a sample of the hot and sour tastes that make up Indian food. This recipe takes the notion of the hot, sour, salty and sweet flavour mix and stuffs it inside a potato cake made from mashed potatoes. It derives from the Aloo Tika and Potato Cutlet snacks of India, with similarities to the flavours of the Podimas recipes of South India, and more recently I saw a fabulous BALL of mashed potato full of North Indian street-food flavours. It's disappointing that Ottolenghi doesn't acknowledge the roots of this dish. Of course it is delicious and quite easy to make. I'd use less tamarind and less mustard seed.

• Tomato and watermelon gazpacho

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    A Gazpacho-style soup with watermelon as well as tomato. It is delicious on a hot Summer evening, eating on the deck or verandah with friends and family. Serve as a soup, or even as a savoury drink, like you might serve a tomato juice – leave the bread out if you are going to serve it this way. Sipped or slurped, it is wonderful.

• Globe artichoke salad with preserved lemon mayonnaise

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This recipe is very very simple, especially if you are using preserved artichokes rather than raw. There are no candied peels to make, or toffee’d nuts. No charring or smoking a vegetable then roasting it. No unusual ingredients that you need to search the city for. Just artichokes, potatoes, herbs and mayo. Simple. Wonderful. Delicious. I like to make it without the artichokes as well - I sub in a little preserved lemon.

• Soba noodles with quick-pickled mushrooms

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    A great Summer dish. Soba noodles are flavoursome, textural and refreshing, and a great base or carrier for other flavours. This dish pairs some quick pickled Shimeji mushrooms, carrots, radishes, snow peas and nori seaweed with the noodles.

• Raw vegetable salad

  • Ganga108 on February 26, 2022

    Magnificent! A crunchy salad that lets the vegetables shine in a mustardy dressing of mayo thinned with vinegar and oil. It is an absolute delight. The dressing in this one takes an ordinary bowl of raw veg and turns it into heaven. I kid you not. (We use a an eggless mayo as the base for the dressing.)

• Sprout salad

  • Ganga108 on February 27, 2022

    This salad sounds quite virtuous, but in reality it is quite delicious. Made with a range of sprouts that are supported by herbs, spinach, radish, tiny tomatoes, and carrots. It IS healthy, but tastes like it could be really addictive. I have to say that I wasn't as excited by this salad as by others in this book, but it is still good and worth repeating.

• Broad beans with lemon and coriander

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    This dish is a great mezza plate. The combination of coriander and the beans is divine, and imagine this dish with some falafel and hummus. Glorious! I feel it is Greek in nature, but Ottolenghi says it is a take on an original old Jewish recipe from Aleppo, Syria, which is strongly flavoured with coriander powder. Ottolenghi swaps this out for paprika and allspice. The dish improves on standing for 30 mins.

• Indian ratatouille

  • Ganga108 on February 28, 2022

    Oh goodness– Indian Ratatouille. Yes, my friends, it is a thing in the UK. Throw a few spices at a ratatouille and you have Indian Ratatouille. The French food masters must be turning in their graves. And then Ottolenghi takes this British invention and makes it even more Indian – throwing out some of the the traditional vegetables, adding potatoes and okra, beans and tomatoes, and incorporating Bengali spices, tamarind and curry leaves. Has he insulted the French, the Indians and the British? Probably not, because the result is divine – let the food speak for itself, despite its name. I can't bring myself to call this dish Indian Ratatouille, so for me it is Vegetables with Indian Flavours. Magnificent!

• Crispy saffron couscous cakes

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    What a beautiful dish! Couscous is soaked with saffron and mixed with barberries and feta to form wonderful patties that are cooked until crisp and utterly delicious. They have an addictive flavour of mint and saffron. You will love them. The patties are quite easy to make – relatively easy for an Ottolenghi recipe. The couscous is soaked, the barberries infused, the mixture made and the patties cooked. We made an egg-free version.

• Buttermilk-crusted okra with tomato and bread sauce

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Okra lends itself to crispy frying, and here is another recipe that batters and fries it until crispy, before nestling it on a tomato sauce. It reminds me of fish and chip shop battered potato slices. This is a recipe from Ottolenghi, so it is definitely a modern take on the crispy-okra and okra-with-tomato-sauce themes. The okra in the fish-and-chip-shop style batter is topped with sour cream, a tomato and bread sauce, and a gorgeously green herb oil. The batter is made with a touch of polenta, and mixed with buttermilk which gives it a lovely tang. You know, the battered, fried okra are just as good without the sauces, just with lemon juice! I might even prefer them this way.

• Fried upma with poached egg

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Ottolenghi takes his version of Upma (a classic South Indian dish) and allows it to set before pan-frying wedges. It is a delicious way to use Upma and a great use of upma left-overs. Rather than use his recipe for the Upma part, however, I cook it in a more traditional way, then used his method to pan fry it. It was served as suggested with ricotta. Yoghurt could be used instead of ricotta. (We omitted the egg.)

• Polenta crisps with avocado and yoghurt

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Polenta crisps and polenta chips are the modern way to cook polenta, and both are jolly good. The polenta is cooked to a thick mass which is spread out on trays to firm up. It is then cut to shape and fried. I can’t tell you how moreish these polenta crisps are, totally addictive. And when used to scoop up an avocado, yoghurt and lime dip they are even more so.

• Curry roasted root vegetables with lime leaves and juice

  • Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

    Carrots (rather than a mix of vegetables) are thrown into the oven with curry leaves and shredded lime leaves with Cumquat Juice (or lime juice a la the recipe), and some curry powder as well. It's a lovely dish, perfect for Autumn weather. It is still warm weather so we are still eating outside when we can. This dish looks perfect on our outside table.

• Food52

  All through June, our Cookbook Club will be focused on Yotam Ottolenghi's repertoire, and we hope you'll join us.

  Full review

• Food52

  There's a whole gang of new ingredients to play with...and the techniques are expanded on.

  Full review

• Food52

  2015 Piglet Community Pick. Each recipe is served with a rich explanation of the dish and accompanying visually stunning photographs. It is simply a beautiful book.

  Full review

• Kitchn

  ...intoxicating to thumb through, with tempting titles and ravishing photos. Ottolenghi's recipes take into consideration the visual results just as much as the flavors...

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• Tasting Table

  ...Plenty became a beat-up, tomato-stained mess in our kitchens. It was the kind of book that rewards you for your efforts with delicious and stunning food; we expect Plenty More will do the same.

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• New York Times by Melissa Clark

  It gathers all of his previous influences and widens its grasp to include the Caribbean, India, Japan and Thailand, sometimes all at once, with generally excellent results.

  Full review

• New York Times by Melissa Clark

  It gathers all of his previous influences and widens its grasp to include the Caribbean, India, Japan and Thailand, sometimes all at once, with generally excellent results.

  Full review