Notes about Recipes in this book

• Cauliflower and cashew nut curry

  • Jane on June 21, 2020

    This was Nigella's Recipe of the Day and since I had a cauliflower to use up and had all the other ingredients, this leapt at me. It was quick to make and tasty. I thought I had all the ingredients but when I went to get my cashews they were used up. So it became a Cauliflower and almond curry. I served it with naan bread.

  • Astrid5555 on October 29, 2019

    This is a nice, quick weeknight dinner curry. As Nigella promised turning a whole cauliflower into a curry for 2 was perfect for husband and myself. Since the Thai red curry paste we used was quite hot we added some yogurt to mellow the spice level of the curry, Made some homemade Naan bread to go with it. Would make again!

• Triple chocolate buckwheat cookies

  • Jane on June 08, 2020

    A lot of my baking these days is GF since my daughter and a good friend are gluten intolerant. These cookies were great as GF and as good as any chocolate cookie made with regular flour. The buckwheat gives a slightly nutty flavor and the texture has the slight grittiness of sandies or shortbread which I like. I used good quality cocoa and chocolate (Valrhona) which helps the flavor.

• Salmon, avocado, watercress and pumpkin seed salad

  • Fiona on October 21, 2015

    Delicious, quick and healthy - what more could you want. Lots of watercress around at the moment so a great way to use it.

• Prawn and avocado lettuce wraps

  • wester on February 22, 2022

    Made by my teenage daughter. Tasty and simple to make. Do make sure to add enough lime juice. Not quite sure about the prawns though.

• Ramen

  • wester on February 19, 2022

    Very good. Made it together with my teenage son. We added some ham as well. The amount could be larger, and I think I prefer the egg half a minute longer, but that is easily remedied.

  • joneshayley on January 21, 2020

    Easy, adaptable and delicious. Perfect quick lunch for one

• Merguez meatballs

  • wester on September 19, 2019

    As this recipe is really a series of shortcuts I do not apologize for using slightly different shortcuts. I had made some of Nigellas "moonblush" tomatoes with cinnamon, and I used those. I found it easier to find normal red peppers than jarred ones, so I used those and panfried them for a few minutes on high. I did not add honey. Otherwise I followed the recipe, and I did like the sauce a lot.

• Warm spiced cauliflower and chickpea salad with pomegranate seeds

  • wester on March 15, 2021

    A nice addition to the roasted cauliflower repertoire. I did think the chick peas and tomatoes could have used a bit more oven time, next time add them earlier.

  • BusyGirl on November 06, 2015

    I made this without the parsley or pomegranate (didn't have any), but it was still lovely and I will definitely make it with the missing bits next time round. If you think cauliflower is a dull vegetable then you must try roasting it in this way, it's just so much tastier!

• Pea and broccoli soup

  • wester on February 19, 2017

    Nice soup, as green as the photo. The flavor is different but I'm not sure I liked it. The rest of the family did though.

  • lorloff on October 24, 2020

    This soup was delicious. Based on what the other reviewer said about the odd flavor, I switched the flavor profile somewhat and it came out perfectly. Absolutely delicious. I added about a ½ cup of chopped onions, sautéed them with the garlic in olive oil to start. Then I boiled water and added it together with fresh chives and parsley instead of the mint, Then I followed the recipe from there and it came out amazingly. I blended the soup in the vitamix which worked perfectly. Will definitely make again. Highly recommended!

• Miso mayonnaise

  • wester on August 22, 2017

    Very moreish. I might add some sesame oil next time.

• Lamb ribs with nigella and cumin seeds

  • wester on December 25, 2018

    These were quite good. I think I want to tweak the flavorings a bit, possibly including some lemon juice. Better cold than hot.

  • Foodycat on October 23, 2015

    Takes moments to prepare, then 2 hours to cook. We had them as a meal with stirfried veg, but they would be a fantastic appetiser or game-day snack. Most of the fat renders out, they aren't too spicy, but very well flavoured. Definitely do again.

  • TLouise on January 11, 2021

    Cooked for an extra hour as I wanted more fat to render off. They taste very good and are very morish.

• Chicken traybake with bitter orange and fennel

  • wester on April 15, 2017

    This sounded excellent, and it smelled fantastic, but I feel there is something missing from the final result. The taste is a bit thin, and I don't know what would repair it. Cream? Cheese? Nuts? Or different spices? Maybe it would be better if I tried real bitter oranges instead of her lemon/eating orange combo. It was very easy to make, and it taste good enough to repeat, but I will keep on tinkering until I find out what's missing.

  • Delys77 on July 16, 2020

    I also used the orange/lemon approach and thought the flavour on the chicken was pretty good. I did however go with the same amount of marinade for 8 thighs so that might have done it. I also thought the cooking time was too long. I pulled them at 45 and they were done. For me there is too much oil in this recipe. The resulting pan sauce is far too fatty for our test. That said, I think this has good bones. I would cut the oil a bit and stick with the larger amount of marinade otherwise. I would add a splash of some liquid, perhaps white wine/vermouth/pernod and then drizzle at the end with the more boozie less fatty pan sauce.

• Roast radishes

  • wester on July 12, 2018

    It seems radishes are one of the very few vegetables that do not improve on roasting. The texture was fine, but they had a turnip-y flavor that I did not enjoy at all. Probably not Nigella's fault.

• Braised peas with mustard and vermouth

  • wester on April 15, 2017

    A good store-cupboard side dish, sweet and flavorful.

• Butternut squash with za'atar and green tahini sauce

  • wester on December 12, 2021

    I don't like tahini so I didn't make the sauce, but the combination of butternut squash and za'atar is a good one.

• Matcha latte

  • wester on April 15, 2017

    A nice variation for morning drinks.

• Buckwheat, banana and carrot muffins

  • wester on September 10, 2017

    Easy to make, liked by the children.

• Oat pancakes with raspberries and honey

  • ccav on October 13, 2020

    We made these without the raspberry sauce. As Nigella says in the directions, take care to cover with tea towel after cooked so they don't dry out. Nice flavor but dry, so we will make with raspberry sauce next time which the pancakes should absorb and not be as dry.

• Slow-cooker chickpeas with cumin and spinach

  • ccav on December 24, 2020

    Used 3 garlic cloves for half recipe, also added trapeze hot sauce at the end of cooking. Served with lemon rice from Beth Hensperger’s rice cooker book.

• Lemon Pavlova

  • kari500 on November 26, 2017

    We loved this. It’s huge, so either halve or only serve to a big group.

  • KarinaFrancis on December 29, 2016

    The base was an epic fail, I followed the recipe to the letter and it charred and was inedible. To save our Christmas dessert I did a mercy dash to the supermarket for a pre-made base and proceeded with the recipe. In the end it was a nice pav but I'm unlikely to try it again.

• Oven-cooked chicken shawarma

  • TrishaCP on November 15, 2017

    Made this last night as well, and we thought it was great. Cooked chicken thighs for 30 minutes, and they were juicy and delicious. Served with the yogurt/tahini sauce (good), naan bread, and some salad items.

  • Astrid5555 on December 20, 2015

    Great marinade, chicken meat turned out a little dry. Would probably barbecue the chicken next time to keep it moist.

  • KarinaFrancis on April 21, 2022

    I didn’t love this, it lacked enough punch. To get some nice colour I brushed some pomegranate molasses on top for the last five minutes. Not a repeat for us.

  • stef on September 07, 2017

    This was enjoyed by all. I prepared everything ahead and assembling was quick. Served with marinated red onions, cucumber and red pepper. Made the yogurt sauce too.

  • Foodycat on December 10, 2015

    I made the marinade and used it on lamb neck fillets, then followed the same cooking method. Very good. Will definitely try on chicken as well.

  • adelina on September 05, 2017

    The family loved the flavors. Very authentic to shawarma spices. I used chicken breast as well and added about a teaspoon of turmeric and allspice. I would like to use the same spices on beef next time.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on November 15, 2017

    Very nice recipe, easy and fast. Used sliced chicken breast, cooked in 16 minutes this way. Yoghurt sauce was very good too.

  • embk27 on September 01, 2017

    Brilliant recipe - I used chicken breasts and cooked for 25 minutes. Chicken was juicy and well-flavoured due to great marinade. Went really well with chilli pitta breads, quick pickles and houmous.

  • etcjm on July 13, 2019

    Very good. Barbecued the thighs and they were great. Yes 4 of us pretty much ate it all! The sauce worked with 'koko' yoghurt for a non dairy substitute. It was actually quite spicy with the raw garlic. Served with wraps, lime soaked onions, peeled courgettes with Six Seasons citrus vinaigrette, shredded lettuce and the leftover courgette bits cooked with the chicken. Easy, tasty, why not!

• Nutella brownies

  • Astrid5555 on December 01, 2015

    This must possibly be the simplest dessert ever! Beat eggs until doubled in volume, add Nutella which has been microwaved for minute to make it runny, bake for 17 minutes. The end result are those incredibly delicious gooey brownies which are gone within minutes!

  • redjanet on March 19, 2016

    I never thought I would say this about a Nigella baking recipe, but I was so disappointed with these brownies. The idea of a Nutella brownie sounded amazing, and what was even more amazing that the only ingredients were Nutella and eggs (and a bit of sea salt). I followed the instructions and weight measurements exactly, but these ended up tasting mostly just of chewy eggs. I don't know what I did wrong.

• Thyme and lemon bundt cake

  • Astrid5555 on December 30, 2018

    Had a Meyer lemon, a little buttermilk and lots of thyme left in the fridge and this recipe turned up in my EYB search. Made a 16cm mini bundt cake without the glaze. Despite the amount of thyme that goes into the batter the final cake has a nice and subtle thyme and lemon flavor and without the glaze it isn’t overly sweet, which I actually appreciate a lot.

  • mondraussie on August 23, 2017

    Add lavender - takes it to a whole other level!

• Roast chicken with lemon, rosemary, garlic and potatoes

  • Astrid5555 on April 07, 2019

    Used a whole organic mini rooster since it was just me and the kids, worked perfectly. Cut the potatoes into 2cm cubes to adjust for the smaller size of the bird. Nice and easy traybake with very little prep time needed.

• No-churn white miso ice cream

  • Astrid5555 on December 24, 2017

    Not sure how to describe this ice cream flavor, probably interesting is the best word. The first taste is quite strong and salty, but then it mellows out and tastes like caramel. In the end addictive! On top, ready to freeze in 5 minutes.

• Sweet potato macaroni cheese

  • redjanet on March 01, 2016

    I'll admit straight away that although I like it, I am not generally the biggest fan of macaroni and cheese as I generally find it to be too heavy. That said, I was intrigued enough to give this recipe a try for the interesting combination of sweet potatoes and feta cheese in the mix. Although this, like other mac and cheeses, was rather heavy and a big laggy, the contrast of the sharp feta to the sweet potatoes was very good and there was an overall more creaminess to the texture which I liked. I think it could have used a bit more English mustard or paprika (or a bit more of both) as it still felt a little lacking in taste, but still was quite enjoyable. It also made for a hefty amount of leftovers for lunch the next couple of days and was quite good eaten cold. I prepared this in one big baking dish and the timings were fine.

  • ncollyer on February 21, 2016

    Very tasty. The feta, mustard and sweet potatoes were welcome additions to the usual Mac and Cheese. Liked the presentation in individual dishes, which also baked more quickly.

  • Frogcake on August 20, 2018

    This was so good! As others have noted, a great combination of flavours here with the sweet potato, feta and sage. I added three hot Italian sausages, cut into chunks, prebroiled with the sausage juices, and also topped the casserole with rye breadcrumbs.

  • raybun on February 06, 2017

    We loved this, a really comforting meal perfect for this cold evening. I didn't have sage, so replaced it with thyme.

  • JJ2018 on March 20, 2019

    This was very nice a bit different to normal macaroni cheese. It is sweet because of sweet potato so make sure to season quite heavily - I needed more salt despite the cheese

• Sake-sticky drumsticks

  • Delys77 on February 08, 2016

    There were pretty good. The instructions to glaze and then baste has you going into the oven a few times, but the result is that the chicken actually does glaze fairly well. The actual flavour is a touch sweet but not overly, but it is definitely lacking in heat. I would double the amount of chilli flakes. I also think the lime at the end is a must.

• Miso salmon

  • Delys77 on February 21, 2016

    Pg. 25. Tried this with some lovely skin on sockeye filets. I ended up going for about 8 minutes but I think 7, or maybe even 6 minutes, would be great. The flavour of the marinade really penetrates the fish, despite the short marinating. For us this was a real weeknight winner, quick, healthful, and flavourful.

  • mharriman on December 17, 2020

    We liked this Nigella salmon recipe better than the mirin one featured in one of Andrew Weil’s cookbooks. I ended up marinading for 25 minutes. The flavors were great, especially with steamed broccoli and Asian ginger dressing and jasmine rice.

• Chinese-inspired chicken noodle soup

  • Delys77 on February 04, 2016

    Fairly good flavour combo of Asian and European flavours. Wouldn't likely repeat but definitely not bad.

• Slow-cooker Korean beef and rice pot

  • Delys77 on April 06, 2016

    I am being careful of sugar intake so I went with Sichuan chilli bean paste instead of gochujang because it as far less sugar. I do think it worked out really well except that it is quite unattractive. I wouldn't serve to company but I might repeat. So so easy and pretty good flavour.

  • Nomola on November 14, 2015

    Add some lime juice to serve - gives a little tang

  • UKangelaW on September 22, 2018

    This really wasn't nice, texturally and taste-wise. A rare dud from Nigella which is a shame as I'd had my eye on it for ages.

• Slaw with miso ginger dressing

  • Delys77 on February 21, 2016

    Pg. 239. We liked this. Not amazing but definitely pretty good. I would probably go with the processor to get it a bit thinner than I could normally manage with my knife, the finer texture will likely make it easier for the sauce to really get in there. She also suggests you serve immediately but I think it improved with a bit of time in the fridge, as with most slaws. Simple and tasty enough to repeat.

• Barbecuey pork butt

  • mondraussie on May 01, 2018

    Can cook in slow cooker. Put layer of onions on base, add about a cup of water and then place marinated meat on top. If you want crispy bits, just pan fry a little before serving.

• Pasta alla Bruno

  • mondraussie on September 15, 2023

    This makes a nice vehicle for using up bits and pieces from the fridge. Today I added a couple of roasted peppers, a few and a handful of leftover olives to the basic recipe. Worked very well.

• Apricot almond cake with rosewater and cardamom

  • KarinaFrancis on September 16, 2017

    A very nice cake and relatively easy to make. Unfortunately my cardamom seeds stayed whole even through the blitzing process so it didn't infuse the whole cake with the flavour. Photo uploaded

• Salted chocolate tart

  • KarinaFrancis on December 01, 2019

    This was exactly as Nigella described - dark, rich, not overly sweet and very simple. The crumb was crisp and the filling was deliciously silky.

• Slow-cooker Cuban black beans

  • VineTomato on October 10, 2018

    I had some spare peppers I wanted to use up and so decided to cook this meal for the freezer. It is the first time I have used my slow cooker (I have the Sage fast slow pro which is pressure cooker and slow cooker in one) and the beans smelt divine while cooking away all day. Super easy start - you just chuck it all in and turn on the heat. It took about 8 hours until my beans were tender. Had a small taste which was good, but they are all packed away for a quick week night meal in the freezer, so I’ll need to come back and comment further! After all, I forgot to put the peppers in!

• Spiced chicken escalopes with watercress, fennel and radish salad

  • mharriman on August 22, 2019

    A straightforward light chicken salad with very few ingredients that felt like a luncheon meal more than a dinner one for us. Would be a good choice when you’re not that hungry. This was easy to make and refreshing. We liked the combination of watercress, fennel, and radishes.

• Fish tacos

  • stef on March 18, 2022

    Used tilapia. Nicely spiced fish and ready in 12 minutes. I made the sirachi sauce. Made a quick meal

  • KillaBee2k5 on March 27, 2022

    Very good and quick too!

• Feta and avocado salad with red onions, pomegranate and nigella seeds

  • cheese1227 on January 25, 2018

    Just a little bit of sugar and pom molasses added to the onion pickle.

  • JJ2018 on April 09, 2018

    Added leaves and served with grilled flatbreads for lunch. Very tasty.

  • Thermomixit on July 22, 2018

    Really delicious - light and fresh!

• Greek squid and orzo

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on August 18, 2023

    We probably did something wrong: very bland and overcooked. It looked so nice in the picture.

• Steamed sea bass with ginger and soy

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on June 06, 2017

    Tasteful, but not very special. I used fillets, and they didn't look very attractive when presented.

• Leek pasta bake

  • Hannaha100 on September 23, 2017

    This tasted great. Felt a bit overcomplicated though. Not quick and not healthy - comfort food. Portion sizes pretty spot on. Would be great for informal dinner party with salad and/or green veg.

• Lamb shank and black garlic stew

  • e_ballad on June 13, 2018

    A variation on Sabrina Ghayour’s recipe, we actually preferred this recipe to the original, though this may largely be due to the significantly longer cooking time, which resulted in meltingly tender meat. Can highly recommend.

• Breakfast banana bread with cardamom and cocoa nibs

  • Frogcake on July 31, 2016

    We loved this banana bread, which is a bit difference from others I've tried due to the addition of cardamom and cocoa nibs. Will definitely make this again. I increased the sugar to one and a half cups. It's also very easy -mixed everything in my processor. It comes together in minutes.

  • lou_weez on October 09, 2016

    Everyone loves this banana bread, so I always double the recipe and make two gigantic loaves. The cardamom is delicious, but I have never made it with cocoa nibs as I'm not a fan.

  • Futuregirl23 on November 30, 2022

    Really delicious and so easy to make. I’ve tried it all ways and Nigella is right - toasted with butter is the way forward!

• Rhubarb and ginger compote

  • Botanybird on March 08, 2018

    This ingredients don't really need to be baked for so long in the oven. Ten minutes on top of the stove on a low heat is fine.

• Seed-studded Anzac biscuits

  • Botanybird on November 17, 2017

    You can add coconut oil instead of butter for the vegan version.

• Tequila and lime chicken

  • Chimeracat on October 05, 2019

    Great recipe, works well every time

• Spiced lamb stew with a goat's cheese and thyme cobbler topping

  • jncunliffe on April 18, 2016

    When making this as half quantity it was too dry without adding extra liquid. Also the accompanying scones, half quantity, only yielded four and not ten.

• Quick-pickled carrots

  • CeliaC on June 16, 2016

    Very good, with a mild, delicate flavour. Would make again

• Quick-pickled beetroot with nigella seeds

  • CeliaC on June 16, 2016

    Very quick and easy. Good flavour and the beetroot stays crisp. I made it with only half the salt and it kept perfectly well and wasn't soft. After I had eaten the beetroot I made a second batch re using the same vinegar solution (bringing it to the boil again before pouring it over the new batch of beetroot.

• Soda bread buns with fennel seeds and cranberries

  • Livia on June 17, 2018

    Used light rye flour as I did not have wholemeal and added roasted hazelnuts. Could do with a couple of minutes less as they got slightly burnt otherwise they were delicious.

  • BFG on April 27, 2023

    These are delicious! Quick and simple to make.

  • ksa on February 15, 2022

    I found these unexpectedly phenomenally good - the right level of sweetness coming from the cranberries and the fennel seeds added a unique flavour. Perfectly good with savoury and sweet toppings.

• Chocolate chip cookie dough pots

  • ChelseaP on July 08, 2022

    Awesome little recipe. I froze some and they baked up perfect.

  • etcjm on March 27, 2019

    I've discovered today, that I actually need new ramekins. Didn't think there was anything left to buy for the kitchen! I had to put them in a variety of different pots and results were different (as expected). All yummy though. I converted it to gluten free and won't use rice flour next time. It was a test for a cook ahead Easter dessert.

• Dark and sumptuous chocolate cake

  • JJ2018 on November 18, 2018

    Very nice cake but definitely tastes better after a day or two so worth making ahead

• Chicken Cosima

  • etcjm on September 18, 2019

    Really easy, substantial, bar the chicken probably store cupboard ingredients. Freezes well. Kids eat it happily and it's a regular.

• Gluten-free apple and blackberry pie

  • etcjm on September 23, 2019

    I had no blackberries (someone else snaffled them) but I still used the basis of the recipe since I fall into the gluten free pastry avoider category. As described it is definitely like 'normal' pastry. I subbed milk kefir for the sour cream and made the mistake of adding a bit more water when I thought it was too dry. I will persevere next time as I will use this recipe again. When I pinched a piece of the pastry which had come away from the pie it did taste a bit salty, but I didn't pick it up as a whole when eating the pie (with double cream!).

• Slow-cooked black treacle ham

  • angrygreycat on December 25, 2018

    Made this for Christmas Eve dinner this year in place of the usual Ham I make. Really tasty and super easy. I modified as to the time as I am in the US and most hams are pre-cooked. The glaze is wonderfully intense. I did make an everyday gravy for the potatoes because the drippings are so deeply flavoured of the treacle that they need to be used sparingly. Would definitely make again.

• Split pea soup with chilli, ginger and lime

  • Joanclemence on May 21, 2020

    Easy to make and absolutely delicious

• Toasty olive oil granola

  • s.shadan on July 27, 2023

    replaced one 1tsp of ginger with 1tsp of tumeric, and 50g or almonds with 50g of pecans. Amazing!

• San Francisco Chronicle

  Best Cookbooks of 2015: It’s one of those books that readers will dog-ear and stain, returning to the recipes that make one wonder why they didn’t think of that...

  Full review