Notes about Recipes in this book

• Lemon, chickpea & green herb stew

  • Apollonia on April 11, 2021

    Absolutely loved this. Lemon and turmeric is such a great combo, and the strong lemon here was divine. Absolutely a repeat. I'd consider maybe going down to two cans of chickpeas next time, because I prefer things soupier, but it's great as written as well.

  • lilham on December 16, 2021

    This is amazing and so easy. Everyone wants seconds.

  • aliceowlmug on April 18, 2021

    This was absolutely lush. Such a creamy sauce and not too lemony, just right. While it was cooking I thought it looked a bit one dimensional, so I fried up a couple of diced courgettes until golden, then added them in to the stew. The crispy shallots on top were also a revelation, I'll be making them again and topping all sorts of dishes!

• Courgette & halloumi fritters with chilli & mint jam

  • Apollonia on April 11, 2021

    The rice flour was a nice touch here--- gave them a chewiness reminiscent of chive dumplings --- but the real standout was the chili and mint jam. Maybe that's a combo others have had before, but it was new to us, and we loved it. I've made the jam several times since then, to use on other fritters, eggs, avocado toast, etc. Really worth trying.

  • Pimlicocook on August 13, 2021

    Nice enough - and I think she might be right, that the rice flour does help crisp up the fritters. But I haven’t found a courgette fritter that eclipses the cardamom scented Nopi recipe, which is a bit more work.

• Pine & Crane peanut cucumber noodles

  • Apollonia on May 02, 2021

    Pretty bog standard peanut noodles, but I did like the tip of blending the scooped cucumber into the peanut sauce.

• Carrot & peanut nasi goreng

  • Apollonia on July 16, 2021

    I can't say this tasted a lot like nasi goreng, but it was tasty and reasonably quick. Definitely needs all the garnishes.

• Leek & potato traybake with quick romesco

  • Apollonia on July 27, 2021

    We enjoyed this a lot. I think I overdid the bread in the sauce, so it was a bit thick, but tasted lovely nonetheless. Lots of flavor and nice texture for such a simple dish--- we'll make again!

  • joneshayley on June 07, 2021

    Lovely crispy chickpeas, soft leeks, tender potatoes and a beautiful romesco sauce. All in a perfect family meal.

• Orecchiette with sweetcorn & green chilli

  • Astrid5555 on October 01, 2021

    We found this rather lacking in flavor, but this is due to my tinkering with the recipe than the recipe itself, no green chillies, so substituted chilli flakes, wrong ratio chard to corn (way too much chard), and not enough basil. Husband kept adding Parmesan cheese until he was happy.

  • joneshayley on June 05, 2021

    This went down very well (adding chilli at the end for those that wanted rather than cooking it in) and is a good way to get a lot of veg into us. I loved the corn ricotta basil lemon and pasta- I felt that the added greens were there to up the veg content and didn’t add a complementary texture or flavour really. But as it didn’t detract either, I guess it’s better in than out to add to the nutritional value. As is often the case for us, 400g pasta would have been too much so I reduced the pasta to the 250/300 that I usually use. Followed exactly as per recipe otherwise. Quick easy and delicious all round.

• Tomato spoon salad

  • Astrid5555 on July 25, 2021

    One of the best tomato salads I have made so far. The dressing is just delicious!

• Corn and cauliflower chowder

  • Hellyloves2cook on May 26, 2021

    I thought this was delicious. Will definitely repeat.

• Quinoa, lime and jalapeño pilaf

  • Hellyloves2cook on May 26, 2021

    Easy to make and quite tasty.

  • Lepa on June 25, 2021

    This is pretty good. I thought it would be better with fresh arugula instead of steamed spinach so that's how I made it- and will probably make it this way from now on.

• Lemon, tomato & cardamom dhal

  • Hellyloves2cook on May 26, 2021

    This was the first recipe I made from this book and it was a total hit with the family. Yet another tasty and easy recipe that will definitely be made again.

• Quick chickpea braise with kale & harissa

  • Hellyloves2cook on May 26, 2021

    Simple and easy recipe to whip up for a weekday supper. It was a one pot meal. My teenage son wasn’t a fan of the preserved lemons. I used 4 quarters - the recipe states 1 preserved lemon. It was perfectly balanced with the flavour. Another 10/10 recipe that I will make again.

• Saag aloo shepherd’s pie

  • Hellyloves2cook on May 26, 2021

    This is a recipe that takes time. A good idea to get ready at least 90 mins before you want to put this on the table. It is not complicated at all but does require the sauce and potato topping to be made separately before the dish goes into the oven for 40 minutes. Totally worth the time for it was wonderfully warming and comforting, not to mention tasty! 10/10

  • aliceowlmug on April 15, 2021

    Made this tonight and would definitely make again. I bulked up the bean base by adding a couple of courgettes, carrots and celery sticks which I chopped into fine pieces in a food processor and cooked these down with the onions. I like to add extra umami to recipes so also added some miso, tomato paste and some marmite to the sauce. Also added a bit of honey as it needed a bit of balance. Love the saag aloo topping! I'm not good at sticking to recipe quantities so I'm sure mine made more than the recipe specified, and it made 7 portions!! Very yummy.

• Gobi Manchurian

  • Hellyloves2cook on May 26, 2021

    Really lovely dish. Unfortunately I had the incorrect sized cauliflower in my fridge that needed using up. I ended up with an imbalance of sauce to veg ratio which I guess was to be expected. I also didn’t have much in the way of lemon grass either. Oh well, it was still delicious despite the above.

• Green pepper & pistachio risotto

  • VineTomato on April 24, 2021

    I was really excited to try this, it sounded strange, like nothing I've made before and I couldn't imagine how it would turn out. It was very good, a type of pesto risotto. It's rich and lushious with a mild flavour. I don't feel the green pepper flavour came through and felt it could do with more lemon. It calls for a lot of olive oil and butter, I'll reduce both next time and hopefully it will.still be good, if not as good. Mr VT absolutely loved it.

  • tekobo on September 08, 2021

    Enjoyed this and found it quite rich. The lemon was a highlight flavour.

  • Boffcat on July 04, 2021

    We found this a bit bland, and the pesto had more of a distinct "green pepper" taste than I'd hoped for. The quest to find a truly enticing use for green peppers continues!

• Creamy parsnip, leek & white bean crumble

  • VineTomato on April 22, 2021

    This is absolutely delicious. The individual flavours of lemon, thyme and leek shine through making each mouthful different but coated in delicious creamy garlic sauce. The crumble topping is fabulous. We are not the biggest fans of parsnips, but the flavour is mild and it works. Can't wait to make this again!

  • Tealismyname on January 16, 2022

    Not surewhat went wrong here but it was rather dry and the crumble didn't feel properly cooked. I didn't make this, my partner did so not sure waht went wrong here.

• Green olive & herb Welsh cakes

  • joneshayley on June 07, 2021

    Lovely cakes , perfect for a picnic with cheese and chutney

• Broccoli on toast

  • joneshayley on June 07, 2021

    A lovely way with broccoli for a good weekend breakfast

• Five things to do with baked potatoes 4: leeks with mustard and cheese [topping]

  • joneshayley on June 03, 2021

    Lovely idea for a twice stuffed potato. Whole family enjoyed

• Pan-roasted cauliflower with saffron butter

  • joneshayley on June 02, 2021

    Made this exactly as the recipe and it was brilliant. Easy to put together but still impressive on the dinner table. The flavour combinations are perfect. I’d say the whole recipe serves 2 adults as a main meal, not four- we may be greedy, but, even with a flatbread, a quarter of a cauliflower is not enough to fill us as a main. It would be brilliant served as part of a mezze spread too.

  • ChelseaP on June 06, 2021

    This is so delicious! Took quite a while to brown all the cauliflower though and I think maybe next time I might try and just roast the cauliflower instead. Served with homemade flatbreads.

• Crispy caper & slow-roasted tomato pappardelle

  • joneshayley on June 08, 2021

    I used oregano and mixed tomatoes. This was a nice pasta, but it’s the crispy capers that are the stand out- they are a revelation. I love them. I’d use a punchier cheese next time.

• Brown butter double-chip cookies

  • joneshayley on June 05, 2021

    These are the best cookies I have ever made. They are crunchy on the outer side and squishy in the middle with lovely generous choc chips throughout. The brown butter and spelt combine to make a unique nutty flavour too, which we loved. My children haven’t stopped asking for more since I gave them a few an hour ago.

• Winter red cabbage & apple soup

  • Mayandbill on January 05, 2022

    Very unusual soup, what with the caraway and some sharpness from the 2 vinegars. Nice enough, but will only make occasionally.

• Persian noodle soup

  • Mayandbill on January 05, 2022

    Delicious if you like things lemony! Very similar flavours to Sally butcher’s black-eyed bean and lemon hotpot from veggiestan, which I love.

• Flash-fried sticky tofu

  • Lepa on August 13, 2021

    This looked so good but it was ultimately a bit of a disappointment. The green beans never properly cooked and the sauce was fine but not very exciting. I looked at Hetty McKinnon's cookbook to see how she recommends stir frying green beans with black bean sauce and she suggests cooking the beans for a couple of minutes and then adding the black bean sauce and a couple of tablespoons of water. That would steam the green beans a bit and probably would have saved this dish.

• Sticky sesame-baked cauliflower

  • Boffcat on May 29, 2021

    This is addictively good. I don't tend to have rice flour, so substitute cornflour in the batter. For the best results you need to space the cauliflower out well on the oven trays to help it crisp (I am sometimes too lazy to use a second tray, which results in soggier cauliflower). When pushed for time I've skipped the batter and simply roasted the cauliflower with the sauce, which isn't in the same league as the recipe 'proper', but still satisfying.

  • Geric on July 03, 2021

    We really enjoyed this. Had one small head of cauliflower for 2. There was a lot of batter left over but it covered well. The lettuce and rice worked well. If making with a large head of cauliflower I might consider upping the volume of sauce by half. Will make this again. Used tamari and cornflour.

• Ancho chilli & peanut mole

  • ksa on September 30, 2021

    I made this and by far is the biggest disappointment in this book. I didn't like it, I thought there was too much chocolate, it was too heavy because of all the nuts - what a shame given the ingredients. It makes way more than necessary for the dish and unfortunately it will go to the bin. I won't be making it again.

• Muhammara chickpea stew

  • breakthroughc on January 14, 2022

    Last night I was on the fence about this recipe and after eating the leftovers for lunch I’ve decided it won’t get a repeat. I love Muhammara so I was excited to try this. It is a recipe where the finished dish is less than the ingredients. All these lovely flavors kind of blend into a mediocre bowl of beans. It definitely needs something and it is not more lemon. I actually put ranch dressing on my bowl at lunch as there was some available in the refrigerator at work.

  • K_Simpz on January 16, 2022

    I really enjoyed this, one of the best meals I've made in a while. The kale really nicely balances the spiciness of the chick peas. I ate it with some spicy roast potatoes which were a great accompaniment.

• Crispy butter beans with kale, lemon & Parmesan

  • ALawson25 on January 06, 2022

    Next time I would cook butter beans in batches, and kale by itself in the pan so they crisp up more. Lemon is essential! Very good with crusty bread.

• Broccoli & sesame noodles

  • Pimlicocook on August 13, 2021

    Quick, tasty bowl of Asian flavours. I recommend adding the fried egg and a teaspoon of chilli oil.

• Chocolate, olive oil & rosemary cake

  • Pimlicocook on November 20, 2021

    Fabulous flavours (I love rosemary) and not too sweet. The only issue was that 40 minutes was nowhere near long enough. Skewer came out clean but slick (the oil), and the crust made it appear done - but it nearly fell apart when I took it out of the tin after 10 minutes, and I seem to have salvaged it by hurriedly putting it back and into the oven for another 20 minutes. Will definitely give it another go.

• Greens traybake

  • aliceowlmug on June 06, 2021

    I have almost more questions than answers about this dish. I appreciate it is from a section with small snapshots of dishes but the method didn't make sense. It uses 2 oven trays, one for broccoli and one for kale and beans. It tells you to add lemon zest and crushed coriander seeds then "return the tray to the oven" but it never said which tray to add these to, nor to remove the first tray from the oven. I made an educated guess and the finished product was very tasty, but not necessarily in the same way as the author intended! Also despite using more kale and broccoli than called for, it wouldn't have served 4 (adult portions) - it made 3 portions.