Notes about Recipes in this book

• Watermelon, radish & watercress salad with pickled cucumber

  • TippyCanoe on January 19, 2019

    I made this without the watermelon and it was still delicious. I added sliced oranges because that was what I had, but the various dressings -- the mild pickling liquid for the cucumbers and then the lovely honey cinnamon dressing makes this salad a real winner and extremely flexible.

• 'Confetti' rice with courgettes, aubergines, peppers, pine nuts, sultanas & herbs

  • TippyCanoe on January 19, 2019

    Bright and lovely rice dish. A big hit.

  • FJT on June 24, 2019

    A really tasty way to make rice more interesting! Went down well with everyone.

  • treay on November 14, 2024

    This is the first time that I have tried this recipe. It was easy to make and the result was delicious. A healthy and tasty recipe that can be used to accompany meat, poultry or fish, or just by itself.

• Cardamom & coconut dhal with turmeric & nigella seeds

  • TrishaCP on August 06, 2021

    This is a luxurious dal, with the coconut adding a mild sweetness. I would make this again.

  • joneshayley on April 27, 2019

    A very tasty mild dhal. The coconut flavour is lovely and the toppings make it.

• Yogurt & harissa marinated chicken

  • TrishaCP on May 02, 2020

    We loved this marinade also. Very easy and flavorful.

  • rglo820 on January 20, 2018

    This was simply fabulous. The marinade is very easy to put together - just chuck all the ingredients in a food processor for a bit - and imparts so much flavor even with just a short marinating time (I did about two hours). I would almost be tempted to make extra and use it as a dipping sauce for the cooked chicken (or really anything) - it was that good.

  • FJT on June 24, 2019

    Easy to make and very tasty. Will make again.

  • FritB on April 23, 2023

    I agree with Tlouises husband. Not very keen.

  • TLouise on August 18, 2021

    I really liked this chicken but my husband wasn't very keen. I would still make it again if I had all the ingredients on hand as it was so quick and easy.

• Pan-fried lamb steaks, preserved lemon, coriander & garlic

  • TrishaCP on January 29, 2021

    Didn’t enjoy this at all. The marinade didn’t really flavor the lamb (marinated for 45 minutes) and it was just bland.

  • saladdays on October 02, 2017

    The first recipe I have cooked from here and it is really good. I marinated the lamb for the minimum time suggested - 20 minutes - whilst I prepared and cooked rice and they were really tender and succulent when cooked for 5 minutes each side. Will cook this again as it is really easy.

• Ultimate chicken shawarmas

  • TrishaCP on March 31, 2018

    These made for a great, quick dinner. I marinated the chicken for about two hours, but I would go for overnight next time (if I can plan far enough in advance) for extra flavor.

  • KarinaFrancis on May 14, 2022

    Yum, this is the shawarma I’ve been looking for. The marinade is spicy with a touch of heat and keeps the chicken moist on the inside. We loved it!

  • LuTravers on March 22, 2018

    Excellent

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 10, 2019

    Fully agree with Kduncan and TrishaCP, I would marinate the chicken much longer than 30 minutes and the sides were a bit bland. But the marinade was definitely delicious and I will make it again. Next time with flat bread instead of pitta.

  • Kduncan on December 05, 2018

    Marinated the chicken overnight. My biggest problem with this is the chicken is great, but I wish there was a bit more spicing for the red onion/tomato/yogurt filing, that is the part that fell flat.

  • treay on November 26, 2024

    A scrumptious recipe! I had never heard of 'shawarma' and it is one of the best street foods in the world, typical of Egypt. It is cooked in a similar way like doner kebabs. The marinade gives the meat a fantastic flavour. You can taste it already while you are cooking the chicken! It makes your mouth water. The first time I served it with Lebanese bread, but you can use pita bread or just served in a platter with other vegetables and pickles.

• Spiced garlic Savoy cabbage ribbons

  • Astrid5555 on June 21, 2020

    We loved this one! I went heavy on the spices and it was delicious! Quick to make and dinner party-worthy.

  • osulliae1 on October 11, 2021

    This was really delicious. I will be making it again.

  • ALawson25 on November 13, 2022

    This was nice, but didn't go with the rest of the meal I'd cooked. The spice flavour is quite strong, not sure what to pair it with!

• Coriander, lime & garlic rice

  • saladdays on October 02, 2017

    Cooked this rice to go with lamb steaks on the same page. When I cook it again, I will be quite generous with the flavourings as I felt the taste was a bit more subtle than I was expecting. I used dried Kaffir lime leaves which were all I could get, so need to use more lime juice and zest to compensate.

  • LuTravers on March 22, 2018

    Delicious

• Charred cauliflower with tahini, harissa honey sauce & preserved lemons

  • shewolffe on August 09, 2024

    Sensationally good flavours and textures. Don't miss out the preserved lemons - those wee hits of sour are exquisite

  • KarinaFrancis on July 16, 2020

    I think that the harissa/honey mixture is one of my new favourite things, I had to mix up some more to drizzle over the cauliflower before serving. I did take the easier option of roasting instead of frying, so I missed out on some of the char, but it was still delicious.

  • joneshayley on September 21, 2019

    This is delicious, tart and smoky.

  • Livia on June 16, 2021

    Not sure what went wrong but I didn't enjoy this at all.

• Eastern prawn linguine with feta, garlic, pul biber & Greek basil

  • scarlettchef on December 01, 2019

    This is a quick, fabulous pasta dish. Very quick, but impressive. Key to flavour is to flavour the oil with garlic early and to cook the prawns until they are just pink, but still moist. I like parmesan with this, sorry Gino!

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 07, 2019

    Really easy, I didn’t add feta since the mr really dislikes it. Maybe other prawns next time, this was a bit bland.

  • yveyhoward on April 14, 2018

    Really easy to make and flavoursome. Will definitely make this again.

  • JJ2018 on May 21, 2019

    Really enjoyed this as I’m a huge fan of feta cheese. It comes together in minutes. Next time would be a touch more conservative with the chilli.

• Carrot, orange, ginger & walnut dip

  • KarinaFrancis on December 24, 2020

    This was pretty good, I roasted the carrots instead of boiling because I love roasted carrots

• Blackened spatchcock chicken

  • KarinaFrancis on July 06, 2020

    Amazing! Very low effort/high reward. The smell while it was roasting was mouthwatering and the result was delicious, tender and juicy. I didn’t have dried thyme so I used za’atar, I’d do it that way again. A definite repeat

• Sticky, spicy aubergines with toasted sesame seeds & spring onions

  • KarinaFrancis on November 15, 2021

    So good! I’m always adverse to frying in my kitchen so I roasted the eggplant and hopefully used a bit less oil. The harissa/honey glaze was delicious and the eggplant soaked it up, I added a splash of red wine vinegar for a bit of zing.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 08, 2019

    Delicious!

  • JJ2018 on March 06, 2019

    These were delicious I would definitely make again - really nice mix of sweet and spicy

  • HKCookHK on January 17, 2022

    Made this tonight, next time I will use a bit less honey and roast the aubergines as quite oily. It was a really delicious dish and I will definitely make again.

• Pan-roasted peppers with a sweet harissa glaze

  • KarinaFrancis on August 09, 2020

    Very easy and high impact, bursting with flavour. Loved it ! Shame I couldn’t get yellow capsicums, it would have been even prettier

• Peach, feta & mint salad with pul biber

  • KarinaFrancis on January 12, 2023

    I wasn’t prepared for this to be as good as it was. It would be even better if my nectarines were a little more ripe. Perfect with grilled pork.

• Green couscous & roasted veg with black garlic & preserved lemons

  • LuTravers on March 22, 2018

    Delicious, works really well.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 08, 2019

    Very tasteful and easy to make. The couscous with green herb oil was a big hit.

  • JJ2018 on March 06, 2019

    This came together really quickly and was very nice - would go well with crumbled feta

• Sausage, potato, pepper & onion bake with yogurt & chilli sauce

  • joneshayley on November 09, 2018

    Great recipe for making 6 sausages stretch to feed four! Spicy and satisfying. Well worth making this.

  • mduncan on August 25, 2018

    Easy & delicious; have made several times. I substituted vegetarian sausage, added additional peppers (red), and added dill, minced garlic, and lemon juice to Greek yogurt for serving.

  • Clog on February 25, 2024

    Great for both spicy sausages and plain pork ones.

  • Beth891 on August 01, 2024

    I didn't follow the recipe exactly this time as I used sweet potatoes and made a couple more changes but the idea of yoghurt and sriracha with the sausage bake is a complete winner - so tasty and I'd make the actual recipe at some point soon.

• Chicken, pistachio & black pepper curry

  • joneshayley on September 14, 2019

    I halved the chilli in this recipe to feed the family. We all loved it. Flavourful and fragrant, and so easy to make. This I will definitely make it again

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 10, 2019

    Nice and spicy, a bit watery.

  • EmmaJaneDay on October 09, 2017

    This was very peppery, and I only used one of the chillies, however, was a definite hit with my father-in-law.

• Chicken & turmeric vermicelli soup

  • joneshayley on September 09, 2019

    Super healthy and delicious. Made without chilli and it was nicely punchy with just the ginger. Instead of using water and pre cooked shredded chicken- I poached the chicken in the water which I think added a lot to the overall flavour

  • e_ballad on July 15, 2018

    We were expecting a flavour-packed soup, but this was surprisingly lacklustre. Would strongly recommend using stock instead of water.

  • Deja1 on December 05, 2024

    Made this when I was sick. I used broth instead of water and the soup was well spicy. Still, I didn't find the taste outstanding so I’m not sure if I will make this again.

• Freekeh, tomato & chickpea pilaf

  • joneshayley on August 18, 2019

    Halved this recipe easily and it came out absolutely spectacular. It looks beautiful to serve and tastes just as good. More than the sum of its parts. Added chilli sauce and yoghurt which set off the flavours perfectly.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on May 30, 2021

    Good comfort food, the taste of fried onion is crucial for its succes. Halved recipe, more than enough for two adults and a toddler.

  • EmmaJaneDay on October 09, 2017

    Happened on a box of freekeh one day and bought it on impulse. It has been languishing in the back of the cupboard for so long I am embarrassed. However, glad it was there. This was yummo. I will definitely be making this again. Just hope that shop still stocks freekeh!

• Banana, coffee & chocolate chunk cake with salted caramel & peanut butter sundae top

  • sarahawker on December 06, 2023

    There is a lot going on with this recipe. Cake smelled delicious but the almond flour makes it quite dense and the peanut butter and caramel topping are also dense. Maybe the peanut butter should have been about 1/4 of what was called for and whipped into the caramel? Just a bid odd. It's getting eaten, but only by the adults!

• Spicy halloumi salad with tomatoes & fried bread

  • sarahj22 on March 29, 2021

    I loved the idea of this salad but, like JJ2018, found the spices too overpowering. I might try it again cutting back on the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds and adding more lemon juice.

  • JJ2018 on June 14, 2019

    This didn’t really work for us. Perfectly edible but found our croutons went a bit too hard and the taste of cumin and coriander seed too overpowering. Unlikely to repeat

• Aubergine rolls with goats' cheese, herbs & walnuts

  • sarahj22 on October 03, 2017

    I tried the filling for these before I added the fenugreek and thought it was delicious, but the addition of that spice completely overpowered, adding an invasive, curry-like note which I found very unpleasant. (I like bold flavours and am usually not bothered by fenugreek, but this was just too much!) I tried to balance it out by adding some yogurt and extra cayenne to the mix, but it was impossible to get them back to how they were before. Some of my guests really enjoyed them but I wasn't a fan. That said, I think I would make these again but without the fenugreek (or cutting it back to a tiny amount). It's handy to be able to make in advance, rolling the aubergine slices is quite therapeutic, the filling tasted lovely up until the final step, and there's a nice contrast of textures between the soft aubergine and the chopped walnuts. The final result also looks pretty on the plate with yogurt drizzle and pomegranate seeds scattered over.

• Smoked salmon with capers, olives & preserved lemons

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 09, 2019

    Supereasy, but beautiful dish. Fast to prepare.

  • treay on November 14, 2024

    Yesterday we had a late lunch, and I made this delicious salmon recipe. It has become our most popular way to eat smoked salmon, it's very yummy. The only thing I change is the preserved lemon - we don't like it much-, and use lemon rind instead. This recipe could work really well served with rye crispbreads. Just yummy!

• Chicory & pear salad with Sriracha honey dressing

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 08, 2019

    Easy and tasteful. As more often, the results depends heavily on the ingredients used. This was delicious!

• Spiced green bean & tomato stew with labneh, harissa oil & scorched peanuts

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on January 08, 2019

    It was okay, but not brilliant in combination with the green couscous from the same book. Probably much better when combined with chicken or meat, or just plain rice.

  • EmmaJaneDay on October 09, 2017

    I loved this. Didn't have rose harissa, so I used the ordinary stuff. Delicious.

• Burrata & burnt oranges with pistachios, mint & pomegranate

  • saarwouters on November 23, 2017

    Very special! The tangy citrus fruits and the creamy burrata were an excellent combination! We used 1 orange and 1 grapefruit. (Just 1 orange is too little in our opnion.) And we halved the ammount of pomegrante seeds. Will definitely repeat this!

• Butterflied leg of lamb with pomegranate salsa

  • e_ballad on May 15, 2021

    Loved this salsa. Unfortunately, the kids weren’t a big fan of the marinade, despite their carnivorous tendencies.

• Za'atar-crumbed halloumi

  • EmmaJaneDay on October 09, 2017

    Not sure about this one. While it's hot, it's rather good and slightly gooey. But it cools down very quickly. Used a za'atar from a farmers' market. Might make my own next time.

  • JJ2018 on March 06, 2019

    This is nice but I’m not sure halloumi needs to be crumbed as you get a lovely edge crispness cooking it alone

• Pea pastizzi

  • Livia on June 24, 2018

    Double up filling

• Orzo & tomato salad with capers & Kalamata olives

  • JJ2018 on March 17, 2019

    This was really nice and would be a great dish for a barbecue or buffet as it comes together super quickly but looks quite exciting. Used sundried tomato’s and reduced quantity of these and the capers slightly for taste

• Brown rice salad with olives, preserved lemons & apricots

  • JJ2018 on April 10, 2019

    This was nice and fresh tasting. It tasted healthy, reduced the preserved lemon slightly to my husband’s taste. Would make again

• Cumin-fried Padrón peppers with sumac, lemon & breadcrumbs

  • mduncan on September 03, 2018

    Lacked sweetness. I served with garlic tahini and pomegranate molasses; not sure I'd make again.

• Beer-roasted pork shoulder with plum sauce

  • Pinkrupee on February 27, 2022

    4 hours was far too long cooking time for our 2kg joint of pork shoulder and it came out very dry. Other recipes would have given it about 21/2 hours. However he plum sauce was gorgeous, though I only put half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in and that was plenty for those of us who don't like too much heat.

• Tamarind & honey pork ribs

  • misskatyenglish on March 12, 2021

    Delicious!!! Made these exactly to the recipe and they were perfect. Served with veggie stir fried noodles

• Quinoa patties with pomegranate molasses & yogurt

  • Cvtbird on March 23, 2021

    I could not get the patties to stay together when frying.. they just crumbled.

• Apple, cinnamon & sultana loaf with nigella honey butter

  • Cvtbird on March 23, 2021

    This went totally wrong and was so dense as to be inedible. It may have been my fault though rather than the recipe.

• Spicy chickpea, harissa & cheddar pittas

  • rachelblair on October 27, 2023

    This is a great recipe and easy to whip up. Instead of making it with the mini pitas I use larger pitas cut in half and stuffed into each other and then filled with the chickpea mixture and cheese so it's more like a big sandwich. I also double the recipe to get 4 servings out of it.