Notes about Recipes in this book

• Spicy fruit porridge

  • veronicafrance on September 16, 2024

    I have hated porridge since the age of 9, but needs must. This is not at all bad; the spiced pear made it totally bearable, and it’s very filling.

• Tuna, artichoke and butterbean salad

  • veronicafrance on October 23, 2024

    I made this with haricot beans instead of butter beans. It was excellent, a perfect packed lunch. You could use feta cheese or hard boiled eggs instead of tuna for a vegetarian version.

• Celeriac and apple soup

  • veronicafrance on September 29, 2024

    An excellent autumn/winter soup. It made masses, at least 8 servings. Frozen in two-person portions. We thought crispy bacon lardons sprinkled on top would be a good alternative to the nuts, and maybe some blue cheese crumbled in just before serving would be nice too.

• Spicy spinach and lentils

  • veronicafrance on September 29, 2024

    I’ve liked everything I’ve cooked from this book so far. This is a creamy dhal, with mild but interesting spice; you might want to add some more chilli if you want something hot. A good side dish but can work alone or with some protein, e.g. chicken.

• Cauliflower cheese

  • veronicafrance on November 23, 2024

    Hmm. I admit that I didn’t put crème fraîche in this, replacing it and the ricotta with some 8% fat curd cheese. Maybe that’s why the “sauce” separated; there was also a lot of liquid that presumably came from the cauliflower. It was edible, but I wasn’t impressed. And really, how much carb is added by one tablespoon of flour to make a roux? Won’t do this again.

• Creamy skinny kedgeree

  • veronicafrance on September 16, 2024

    This was a very pleasant surprise. It’s a bit of a faff to make, lots of pans needed. But I enjoyed it as much as a normal kedgeree. I’ve tried cauliflower rice before and not been a fan; the trick is to not overcook it — keep a bit of crunch — and add plenty of strong flavours. Might add fried mushrooms next time. The recipe makes more than enough for two.

• Chickpea chilli

  • veronicafrance on September 20, 2025

    This is very quick and easy to make with tinned/jarred beans and chickpeas. Substantial, a good flavour — don’t leave out the vinegar, it adds a nice zing. I served it with cauliflower rice and Greek yoghurt.

• Spicy stuffed red pepper

  • eeeve on July 08, 2025

    I like stuffed peppers a lot, but wasn't too keen on this mix. Found the cinnamon totally overpowering (and I'd only used one stick, not two). Also added half a can of tomatoes as the mix was too dry for my liking. It's not inedible, just not for me.

• Bulgar wheat risotto

  • veronicafrance on October 03, 2024

    Not bad, though not really like risotto. I didn’t have left over chicken so I cut a chicken breast into cubes, browned them in the oil, set aside, fried onion and garlic, and returned the chicken to the pan once the stock was added.

• Chicken korma

  • veronicafrance on September 27, 2024

    This gives a very nice creamy result. I found it a bit under seasoned for my taste; will add more chilli and salt next time. Served with peas, and used mint instead of coriander.

• Smoked mackerel and mushroom frittata

  • veronicafrance on September 18, 2024

    Another success for the low carb challenge. A good light lunch with some salad. I changed it a bit; I didn’t have any cottage cheese (yuk) so I added an extra egg and a glug of milk. No spinach, so I used a few thawed frozen peas. Saved a bit of the Parmesan and sprinkled on top before grilling.

• Moroccan meatballs in tomato sauce

  • veronicafrance on September 20, 2024

    This was a decent and filling lunch dish, served with cauliflower rice. Simple to do, good for freezing for later meals.

• Spanish chicken with chorizo and beans

  • viv_fk2gkp on May 26, 2026

    Nice recipe Pat friendly

• Baked fish and chorizo parcels

  • Leo on March 18, 2025

    Simple weeknight supper. The cider vinegar adds a tang to the juices. Fennel and chorizo really good with the fish.