• Kelseyg33 on June 14, 2024

  I have a question for fellow EYBers! I’ve made the chicken thighs with ‘nduja and pineapple. It was yummy, but the sauce was very greasy as the chicken and pork fat all melted together. Looking at a lot of the photographs of recipes they generally all look greasy, but I’m really only seeing rave reviews on here. Has anyone found the recipes to be too fatty? And if so have they had to modify recipes? Or are the recipes less oily than they appear? I do have a soft spot for fatty foods, it’s more of a textural concern.

• gamulholland on December 31, 2023

  @Barb_N — As someone whose family likes their food mild, I’m an old pro at substituting chiles, and you can definitely do that with any of these recipes— you could go really mild with an Anaheim or Poblano, or even just take the seeds and ribs out of a jalapeño. Something I’ve discovered as a fan of Mexican food— so many authors just say “or the chiles of your choice” that it is probably a general principle.

• Barb_N on December 30, 2023

  I received this for Christmas and was wowed by the graphics and bright cover. Now I am not sure I will find recipes to make. The majority have chilis, habanero or scotch bonnet or BOTH, which are very hot. In many of the recipes they seem gratuitous. In her ingredients chapter she even mentions that she may use chilis “excessively”.

• KatieK1 on October 27, 2022

  I have this book out from the library and I have to say up front that the typeface is ridiculously small (could it be 4 pt.?). When I buy it, I'm going for the ebook instead. The sample of the ebook on amazon is eminently readable.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Cheesy roasted aubergine with salsa roja

  • rachelblair on September 09, 2022

    Wow! I’m really not a fan of eggplant but this was great! My 3 eggplants weighed more than what the recipe called for but it wasn’t an issue. The salsa really makes this dish, so good! It also kept pretty okay as leftovers.

  • snackbaby on January 26, 2024

    lovely dish. and, as is often the case with ixta's recipes, the real treat here is the salsa roja, which is great to have in the fridge.

  • alinutzamica on July 29, 2025

    Very good. I had a big aubergine which I sliced it in five portions. It worked well. I had lots of salsa roja left over but I'm sure I will find a use for it.

  • bernalgirl on August 14, 2025

    Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and it came out just like the picture. We loved it.

• Porcini ragù

  • Pimlicocook on September 11, 2022

    This wasn't bad. It's certainly easy and quick, but I was somewhat indifferent to it (whereas I was really impressed by the lengthier, more complex Ottolenghi traybake ragu). I'll probably give it another go, given it uses ingredients I usually have on hand - and perhaps ease up a little on the pepper, as I felt that overwhelmed my dish a bit. I made a third of the recipe for one main portion.

  • OhhWhatsThisAllAbout on November 07, 2022

    Amazing recipe with great depth of flavour BUT adding 350g of the pasta cooking water would be far too much, just whatever clings to the noodles is fine. Easily serves 3 as a main.

  • jfleissn on January 21, 2023

    Let me agree that the amount of cooking water called for here is way too much. The flavors were lovely but really got drowned out!

  • Havemoicy on July 16, 2025

    Stunning! I added all of the porcini water and less pasta water than what was called for due to the previous comments. Definitely would be a lot for two people. Anyway it’s yummilicious!

  • SheilaS on July 17, 2025

    This was very nice but given how $$$ porcini are, it didn’t knock my socks off. I didn’t have the watery sauce issue, though I admit I simmered til I thought it looked right rather than watching the time.

  • AMcGrath on September 13, 2025

    Absolutely delicious. I found no need to reduce the amount of liquid specified in the recipe. It reduced down beautifully after I’d simmered it.

  • eela on April 24, 2026

    Lovely!

• Tomato salad with tahini, ginger sauce, chilli oil and crumpet croutons

  • KarinaFrancis on September 20, 2022

    WOW!! Who knew crumpet croutons would be so awesome? I’ll definitely repurpose that idea! The salad is just cucumber and tomato but the dressing, chilli oil and croutons turn it into a showstopper.

  • snackbaby on December 02, 2024

    very good! loved the simple but delightful chilli oil in particular

  • bernalgirl on July 24, 2025

    We couldn’t stop eating this. My family asked that I not include croutons, but the salad didn’t need it. The combination of beautiful ripe tomatoes, a zingy tahini-ginger sauce, and the chile oil (which is not spicy), was perfectly complex and satisfying. I used pomegranate molasses in place of the maple syrup.

  • SheilaS on July 28, 2025

    I used a mix of heirloom tomatoes so, of course this was delicious but I think the dressing, chile oil and crumpet croutons were make this special even with winter romas. The croutons are amazingly crunchy and I will definitely make them again to use in other salads.

• Upside down plantain omelette with Scotch bonnet salsa

  • patioweather on September 19, 2025

    I could not find plantains dark enough to satisfy either Ixta or myself, so I used the darkest I could find and sprinkled them with a bit of brown sugar before using them. They could have also benefited from being tossed in the microwave with a bit of water first to pre-cook them to a softer texture to simulate riper plantains. In any case, this was still delicious and my partner ate half of it by himself. I used two habaneros in the salsa and it somehow wasn't hot at all, so test your peppers!

• Triple citrus tomato salad (or soup)

  • joneshayley on June 29, 2023

    I loved this salad, especially the ginger. It’s a new and surprising way to serve your best summer tomatos

  • SheilaS on August 03, 2025

    Very tasty salad. I tend to think that perfect summer heirloom tomatoes don’t need so much stuff going on but I did enjoy the flavors. There was a lot of liquid given off by the tomatoes. I drank it all up and it was fabulous so I’m thinking the soup version will be even better than the salad.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Loved the dressing!

• Crumpet croutons

  • SheilaS on August 03, 2025

    These croutons are wonderfully crunchy. If you’ve got crumpets, you should try them. I used them in the salad but can’t wait to try them in a soup.

• Roasted and raw cabbage with tomato, lemon and lime dressing

  • treay on November 12, 2024

    This salad is just yummy! The dressing is just really delicious and brings the rest of the ingredients together. I changed a couple of things, and used tomato ketchup instead of tomato paste and also put only half the amount of chilli flakes - we don't like it too hot. Also, some parts of the recipe were a bit ambiguous so I made it my own way. I shredded the cabbage, both the raw and the cooked one (after baking it) because it worked better.

  • Astrid5555 on March 29, 2025

    This salad is a revelation. Even my kids who never eat any kind of cabbage liked this. As memeber treay says the dressing just brings everything together, an absolute recommendation.

  • Running_with_Wools on March 31, 2025

    Different and good, I served this with Alison Romain’s harissa rubbed pork shoulder with with beans and chard. So it was a play on pork with beans and a cabbage slaw. I think I’ll make it again.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Nothing roasted just raw cabbage

• Mango and cheese salad with jalapeño and lime

  • Senkimekia on February 26, 2023

    This was good, I would make it again and try different cheeses.

  • KarinaFrancis on January 13, 2024

    I’ve been intrigued by this recipe for a while now and with mangoes in peak season now was the time to try it. Somehow it really worked, I used Colby cheese and could have had something with a bit more bite. It was a perfect match with pork fillet

  • rmardel on July 20, 2025

    This was excellent. I used an aged Gouda, which worked very well. The crumbly sharpness of the cheese balanced the sweet/hot/tart flavors of the salad. I would make it again with a variety of sharp cheeses.

• Plantains with Scotch bonnet, garam masala and lime

  • KarinaFrancis on November 10, 2022

    I’m not sure that what I bought were plantains because they were very sweet and soft….like bananas that took 2 weeks to ripen. The end result was pretty good and nicely spiced but I’m not sure I’ll try again

  • Senkimekia on February 26, 2023

    This was very good, sweet with a spicy kick. The garam masala made for a nice spice choice and I enjoyed the cinnamon undernotes. I did not have scotch bonnet chilies so I replaced with bird’s eye chilies. A nice preparation of plantains, I would make this again.

  • ellwell on March 12, 2023

    I had some frighteningly black plantains when I got home from a trip which of course were perfect in this dish! I thought the sweet/spicy flavor of this dish was outstanding. No leftovers! it was almost a dessert.

  • snackbaby on November 05, 2024

    excellent side dish! lovely combination of sweet, salty, and spicy

  • anniecc on January 12, 2026

    Amazing flavour, easy to make. I omitted the chilli so my kids would eat it.

• Spicy ginger, tomato and sesame dip

  • reader1trees on September 23, 2022

    This was very easy to make, I used the food processor method given at the bottom of the page, and tasted delicious. I preferred the texture the following day because the sesame seeds had softened slightly while the jar was sitting in the fridge. Don't skip the tahini drizzle, it really makes it.

  • Gilbatron on March 13, 2026

    Works great with canned tomatoes. A bit too much oil. Otherwise delicious!

• Ricotta dip with hot sauce butter pine nuts

  • KarinaFrancis on September 25, 2022

    Super easy and really good. Perfect for alfresco lunch, best with bread to soak up the delicious hot sauce topping.

  • pattyatbryce on July 02, 2025

    My husband liked both parts, but didn't feel they went together. I liked, but thought overly-hot. I don't know the brand specified and chose Cholula because I felt it was more mild than Tabasco. It wasn't bad, but I doubt I'd make again.

  • bernalgirl on July 12, 2025

    This was extremely popular with a group of friends — we finished it with a baguette. Hearing feedback that the ghee gets unpleasantly firm at room temperature, I opted to use a mild olive oil instead, and Crystal hot sauce since it also has a more neutral flavor. I loved the vinegar kick of the hot sauce with creamy base.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Very nice!

• Gem and herb salad with maple, lime and sesame dressing

  • ellwell on November 01, 2022

    This was a good salad with a wonderful dressing. Ixta did not specify the type of green chilis, so I cut up some Serrano. Using two would have been way too hot. I loved all the elements and it was well received. Served along with the skirt steak recipe.

  • snackbaby on December 08, 2023

    excellent salad that goes with a lot of different things, one I keep coming back to. I usually skip the spring onions and prefer this with mint and coriander and 1 chili. I agree two is a lot (for the green chilies I usually have).

  • treay on February 20, 2025

    This is a very delicious salad that can go well as a side dish that requires a green salad. The dressing is amazing. Certainly a keeper.

  • bernalgirl on July 31, 2025

    I kept the maple syrup in this recipe and we all enjoyed the sprightly, refreshing salad. This isn’t a Queen of Flavor salad, instead this simple concoction would go well with a wide variety of mains, and for that I can see making it often, although I’d prefer to tap into my regular jar of pickled red onions than bother with the shallots.

  • Tessvssr on April 03, 2026

    Suprisingly good! Works very well along with a heavier main. Can be adapted to whatever you have on hand. I used red chillies for example.

• Spinach and herb dumplings with cherry tomato sauce

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Liked the flavors, but not the dumplings.

• Kohlrabi with miso meunière

  • rachelblair on August 24, 2022

    I've never known what to do with the kohlrabi in my CSA basket but now that I've tried this recipe I order extra, it's so good yet so simple!

  • KarinaFrancis on November 04, 2022

    How to take a humble (and kinda ugly) vegetable and make it super luxurious and elegant! The kohlrabi steaks become soft on the inside with beautifully caramelised edges and the sauce is as simple as it is delicious. I had some butter leftover, think I’ll use it with some prawns.

  • ellwell on November 08, 2022

    I could not find Kohlrabi, so I used the recommended celeriac. It was not that good. The celeriac had an interesting roasted flavor—very strong and it was interesting on its own, but I didn't think the sauce enhanced it at all. I’d be curious to know if the sauce works better with kohlrabi. Also, the recommended cooking method for the celeriac is to follow Ottolenghi’s method. If you do, definitely do NOT salt the “steaks” before you broil them— it was WAY too much salt.

  • ellwell on March 12, 2023

    This time I found some lovely large kohlrabi at the international store, so I decided to give it another go. the steaks appeared to shrivel and I was afraid they had dried out but they were still quite moist. I had never cooked kohlrabi--it kind of has a cauliflower taste. my husband was a bit put off by the edges, which were a little harder to cut through, so I think I would peel them next time. I only made 3 steaks and had extra butter sauce which I used to sauté some small chicken breasts. It was very good!

• Crispy oyster mushroom skewers with crushed chickpeas

  • bernalgirl on July 19, 2025

    I made the mushrooms along with red peppers and yellow zucchini tossed in the same harissa combination — with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika. This was wonderful on the garlicky yogurt-infused crushed legumes which I did in the bowl that had contained the harissa mixture. The cilantro and chive salsa verde added brightness and flavor.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Made with cauliflower instead of mushrooms and yoghurt instead of chickpeas mash. Great flavors !

• Sheet-pan sausages and charred citrus

  • KarinaFrancis on July 18, 2022

    What a fantastic start to my dive into this book. Perfect for a weeknight, punchy flavours and pretty colours. I love the sweet zingyness of the charred citrus. The chickpeas are necessary to make it a complete meal.

  • meggan on September 27, 2022

    Nice and easy meal - I did not add the chickpeas but I will next time.

• Spiced lamb and aubergine ragout

  • KarinaFrancis on August 05, 2022

    I had my doubts about baking a ragout, but they were totally unfounded. I cooked the mix for 35 minutes to get the eggplant super soft and the mince with some crispy edges. The star of the show is the salsa, it’s divine, I had some leftover and it livened up my morning avo toast. I did make the soy cured eggs, but they aren’t a big contributor. Added bonus, my eggplant adverse beloved gave it a thumbs up

  • TinyCitiKitchen on July 19, 2023

    I didn't expect to love this as much as I do. And I NEVER expected my "super senior" mom to relish it! I serve it with soft flatbreads from a local bakery and it's wonderful. Make extra tomatoes and keep them in the refrig. I just had a super lunch of a piece of flatbread spread with olive paste, scattered with a few white anchovies, and topped with a couple of Tblsp of the tomatoes

  • bernalgirl on July 19, 2025

    I made this as directed, then combined the tray bake ingredients with the remaining tomato salsa and served it over corn grits with grated pecorino romano. Fantastic!

  • alinutzamica on July 19, 2025

    Third recipe from this book and another winner! It was so good that I went back for seconds even if I was already stuffed. I didn't use the egg yolk but I will definetly include it next time.

  • catmummery on June 01, 2026

    wow. this is a flavour bomb. delicious. the egg yolk is a nice to add but not necessary, just gives a bit more unctuousness. the chipotle paste is fabulous. very forgiving in terms of timing - i got the oven temp wrong and just extended time and wacked up when i reaslied - all was well

• Giant cheese on toast with spring onion, honey and Urfa butter

  • MollyB on August 13, 2022

    This was very good but very rich. Make it when you're really in the mood for melty cheese! I used the heavy cream available in the US, not double cream - I might use a little more yogurt and a little less cream next time, as it was a bit runny when it started to melt. (The stuff that dripped off the edge of the bread crisped up in the pan and was a nice snack for the cook!)

  • SheilaS on August 03, 2025

    I made this on toasted sourdough instead of a big loaf and probably used less cheese per slice but ot was still cheesy and delicious. Very tempted to try a big focaccia version.

• Roasted cabbage with mango and harissa salsa

  • rachelblair on August 24, 2022

    I never would have thought that cabbage, mango and harissa would go so well together but this recipe is great! My homemade harissa is pretty spicy so I didn't add the jalapeño on top. I also used a variety of pointed green cabbage since that's what I had on hand instead of savoy cabbage and it was great.

  • Pimlicocook on September 11, 2022

    An unexpected combination that was delicious - will definitely make this again. I made half the recipe as a light supper for one, but it would work beautifully with roast chicken, I think.

  • Hansyhobs on January 30, 2023

    This was excellent (had with roast chicken). Was quite hot (I was using a very spicy harissa) so the yoghurt was welcomed. Would definitely make it again

  • JoanN on July 09, 2025

    Surprising combination of flavors and simply delicious. Couldn't find Savoy cabbage on short notice so used Napa. Wonder if that made much of a difference? I, too, made half a recipe and it was a lovely, light dinner for one.

• Piri piri tofu over crispy crispy orzo

  • rachelblair on August 24, 2022

    The flavour of this is great and I really enjoyed it even though it didn't turn out perfect. My orzo didn't get crispy, just stuck to the bottom of my pot and it ended up a bit liquidy. Also I'm not a big fan of silken tofu (I'm a texture person) so I'd probably use a slightly firmer kind next time, I don't think it would make a big difference to the overall dish.

  • rhb on December 14, 2022

    This is almost a pantry meal and is pretty good. We used 2 t of piri piri and it was pretty spicy. It was too smoky for my husband for a main dish, he said he'd eat it again but with something else that is not smoky. I didn't have some of the ingredients so I substituted: Israeli couscous, firm tofu, and 1 1/2 t of Cheat's Lemon Preserves (Ottolenghi Test Kitchen). I also used 5 oz of spinach. I used a non-stick skillet; the couscous got sticky/chewy and slightly crispy. It's a bit stodgy but that was okay...very filling. It really needed the extras for serving and then some...we also served it with some lime pickled onions, sour cream, yogurt, and Cheat's Preserved Lemon. The pickled onions made a big difference.

  • Senkimekia on February 26, 2023

    This was very good but as we cooked our way through other recipes I realized it’s not as spectacular as some of the other recipes in this book. It is very easy to cook though, great for a weeknight dinner. We used tofu but if I were to make it again I would go with shrimp instead.

  • hbakke on September 15, 2023

    I used the full tablespoon of piri piri seasoning and it was almost too spicy. I doubled the spinach and could have probably used even more for my preference. Overall this was a nice, easy dinner that I would make again. My orzo also did not get crispy.

  • meggan on March 13, 2026

    I also would use the firmer tofu as it really falls apart in this dish but otherwise good!

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Made it with courgette instead of tofu, because I don’t like tofu! Still very nice.

  • Pimlicocook on January 16, 2026

    We liked this, but weren’t blown away by it. I made the entire sauce recipe for half the rest (2 people) reducing orzo and water, but adding extra spinach. I used almost a tablespoon of piri piri (M&S), and to be honest, could have used more; it wasn’t especially spicy and I felt the smoked paprika slightly overwhelmed things. Bottom did end up crispy in a Le Creuset pan. I made salmon on the side for me, which worked well, and used firm tofu for veggie bf.

• Chicken with pineapple and 'nduja

  • rachelblair on September 13, 2022

    This was delicious! I wish that I had a bigger cast iron pan so that I could double the recipe because I would have loved a second helping or leftovers. I saw that on Ixta's Instagram she had a video of the recipe where she said that if she was to write the recipe now she would use pineapple juice instead of broth so that's what I used and it was delicious.

  • meggan on September 15, 2022

    I had poor quality chicken (that sounds gross as I write it) but this was still good. I would marinate in the paste a little longer and maybe use boneless to speed it up. As suggested, I blow torched the pineapple to caramelize; it was fun.

  • KarinaFrancis on September 22, 2022

    This was delicious, the combination of chicken and pineapple is a winner for me, the 'nduja adds porky goodness. Very low fuss, although I should have got the blowtorch out for the pineapple

  • Celia88 on May 30, 2023

    I think this was quite a small portion, it served us as two instead of four. But the recipe is absolutely delicious, will definitely make again.

  • ellwell on June 20, 2024

    A little disappointing after reading the good reviews here and on Facebook. My sauce was very thin, and I felt like (even though I marinated them for 24 hrs) the marinade did not flavor the meat because it didn’t penetrate the skin. I used Ixta’s recommendation of subbing pineapple juice for the broth. Maybe that is why it was thin? Anyway, I felt it was rather bland.

  • Detheria on March 19, 2025

    Doubled the chicken in order to have leftovers. Doubled a lot of the ingredients but didn't need to double the pineapple. Yummy.

  • pattyatbryce on July 12, 2025

    Very enjoyable. My 'nduja was fairly mild, so if I use this brand again, I'd double the amount in the dish. I also felt the sauce was too thin. Next time I'd use less liquid. But overall, I really liked it. My only change was to cook all of the onions because I don't love them raw.

  • patioweather on September 19, 2025

    My only regret is not having more carbs on hand to sop up the incredible sauce. There are many steps, making it a bit fussy, but it was incredible. Our skin didn't get crispy, so I think next time we'll be more careful with how we arrange things in the pot and even wiping off the tops of the chicken before we put it in the oven.

  • MmeFleiss on February 18, 2026

    This kinda reminded me of al pastor but with chicken. I'm interested in trying this again but subbing the 'nduja with Mexican chorizo.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Made a simply version of this dish, because it was a dinner for one. But still delicious!

  • WaterPenny on April 09, 2025

    Loved it and next time will definitely double the recipe, if not just to have a decent amount of leftovers to enjoy again.

• Charred gem lettuce two ways: dill roasted tomatoes

  • KarinaFrancis on October 26, 2022

    Charring lettuce, who knew it would be good? It was delicious but the star of the show are the tomatoes roasted with caraway and dill. I threw some asparagus in for the last 10 minutes to cook in the delicious oil.

• Skirt steak resting over tomatoes with black lime and maple butter

  • stepharama1 on October 27, 2022

    Wow - I will definitely make this again! Now I understand the hype over this book. The dish was streamlined to prepare and had fantastic layers of flavors - slightly sweet (maple syrup), hot (I added a little more chilli), citrusy (dried black limes -yum) and rich (from the ghee).

  • ellwell on November 01, 2022

    Ok everybody needs to stop what they’re doing and make this now! It took a fair amount of time to get the components together, but wow it was worth it! Cant wait to fight over the leftovers tomorrow. Served with the little gem salad (which was a lot of acid with the two combined but they were good together.

  • Io.veronicascott on January 24, 2023

    I liked it, but it didn't quite come together the way I envisioned

  • joneshayley on June 29, 2023

    I made this substituting the ghee for butter. It is wonderful. Taking a relatively cheap steak and elevating it to a show stopper. One I’ll definitely make again.

  • JoanN on July 09, 2025

    I thought this was just spectacular. I'm sure it didn't hurt any that I used a SRF wagyu flatiron that was in the freezer. Red onion was a little harsh; remember to soak it in cold water for a bit.

  • traveller on January 20, 2026

    Made this tonight and didn’t love it - I think it was the sweetness of the maple syrup with the already sweet tomatoes and I didn’t like the flavour of the black limes. I might have to try again as others seems to love it!!

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Some recipes I really like to try, even if they are not vegetarian. Here I used courgette instead of steak. Definitely a recipe with great flavors, even with the courgette!

  • Stephenn31 on August 31, 2025

    This was incredible. A lot more than the sum of its parts and it all came together quickly. I served with some spring greens and olive bread to soak up the juices. Next time I’ll add more Urfa - I was worried about it being overpowering but I could have used more than the recipe called for

• Miso butter butternut gnocchi

  • Pimlicocook on December 13, 2022

    An unusual combination of flavours anchored by a rich, smooth butternut squash sauce and layered with tangy fresh tomato and a drizzle of zaatar butter (which I felt I overdid a little and made the dish a little heavy). I only had brown rice miso (rather than white) but I think it worked fine. A different way to use butternut squash; would make again.

  • Astrid5555 on January 13, 2023

    Delicious, even my veggie averse teenagers happily finished their plates. Needs the salsa to cut throught the richness of the sauce. As mentioned by the other reviewer the za’atar butter overdoes it a little, maybe adding za’atar only without any butter does the trick?

  • Hansyhobs on October 14, 2023

    I made this to finish up a jar of rose harissa (you can use a lot more than the recipe states). It's a great recipe, very tasty and rich. I used an onion squash. I agree with the others about the zatar butter, I don't think it's that necessary, but it's very tasty and I used the leftover butter to cook scrambled eggs the following day.

  • Apollonia on October 27, 2023

    I tend to like things less rich than many cookbook authors, so based on that preference and the other reviewers, I cut the butter & oil by about half in the squash roast and skipped the za'atar butter and just sprinkled some on instead. It was still extremely rich and very delicious. We really loved the freshness of the salsa against the squash. Will make again!

  • mirage on June 24, 2024

    So Good! Can be made over several days

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Because no fan of gnocchi or mashed food, I just grilled the butternut squash in the oven, and used all the other flavors.

  • stahl_amy on August 28, 2025

    recipe available here: https://www.souschef.co.uk/blogs/the-bureau-of-taste/ixta-belfrages-miso-butter-butternut-gnocchi

• Caldo de feijão with spicy pine nut oil

  • rhb on December 14, 2022

    Loved this and so easy! To make it even easier, next time, I will just mash the beans with a potato masher. And I want to try it with some good quality dried beans cooked fresh.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Made it with sweet potatoes, because I don't like beans

• Mackerel udon

  • KarinaFrancis on December 21, 2022

    These were really tasty, the dressing really brought it all together. You could use tuna instead of mackerel (I probably will next time).

  • bernalgirl on July 09, 2025

    This is delicious! And comes together quickly since the infused oil is the only thing that requires cooking. I used Fishwife smoked mackerel in chile oil, which is not very spicy, and I used the olive oil from the tin for the dressing, which splattered terribly but was delicious. I also used sorghum syrup rather than maple, I had it on hand and like its neutral flavor but I’d also use date syrup. The balance is not overly sweet, just right, and the bits of toasted ginger are a treat. This is an excellent pantry meal.

  • alinutzamica on July 11, 2025

    Very good and pretty easy to makr. I added thinly sliced baby courgette from tge allotment and I fried some chard in the remaining oil and add it to the dish for extra veggie. It was still good. I used one chilli instead of two and that was the right amount of chilli for me. And honey instead of maple syrup

• Charred gem lettuce two ways: tuna crema

  • Senkimekia on February 26, 2023

    This was good, probably not a repeat (very few recipes make the repeat list) but we enjoyed it. There were 2 versions of the recipe, we went with the tuna crema version.

  • Jardimc on June 12, 2024

    Delicious! I made the tuna crema version, and loved it. The smoky char combined with the sweet lettuce, and the creamy tuna sauce is very good. Easy to make the tuna crema and cucumber salsa ahead, and sear the lettuces when ready to serve. Quite attractive on a plate.

  • bernalgirl on July 16, 2025

    This composed salad has three simple parts with a very pleasing result. I doubled the recipe for four, left out the dill and used a huge jalapeño and would do so again.

• TV fries

  • rachelblair on May 29, 2023

    The combination of ingredients sounds bizarre but this recipe is amazing and works in such a delightful way. It seems like a lot of components too but it’s actually super easy to throw together. It’s become a go-to Friday night meal to have when watching a movie.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Or as we called it, loaded fries. We loved it!

• Fish poached in charred tomato broth

  • grindabod on August 29, 2023

    This is the quickest route to bouillabaisse vibes on a weeknight. Super flavourful in almost no time. The aïoli is well worth making! Be mindful about not overcooking the fish, it has already been marinated in citrus, so it barely needs any further cooking. I had smaller pieces and they only needed to simmer about 1 minute on each side.

  • JoanN on August 02, 2025

    Grindabod is right. The aïoli definitely kicks it up a notch and isn't at all difficult to make. I loved this. Especially with fresh off the boat cod from the farmers market. My thicker pieces of cod did take the full three minutes to cook. Wouldn't bother with the olives next time. Didn't think they added much.

• Brown butter sea bass with tangerine dipping sauce and lots of herbs

  • jvozoff on October 14, 2023

    For the flavor complexity, this was really easy to make. Healthy and delicious. Will make again.

  • pattyatbryce on July 23, 2025

    Very easy to make and came out great. Grilled vs. cooked in the oven and lost some of the brown butter flavor, but it still resulted in a very moist fish.

• Lentils with caramelised onion aïoli and crispy chilli oil

  • maryhodgeisme on December 21, 2023

    great recipe with interesting flavors - the caramelized onions and chili oil pair nicely together.

  • snackbaby on January 26, 2024

    worth making for that caramelized onion aioli alone -- insanely tasty and good with everything. also this book taught me to always caramelize more onions than you need for a recipe, as you can always find a use for them.

• Fish poached in tomato and turmeric curry with udon noodles

  • snackbaby on January 26, 2024

    made with silken tofu, powdered tumeric instead of fresh and skipped the Thai basil. was an absolute delight, very flavorful and warming.

  • bernalgirl on July 03, 2025

    We really enjoyed this, although I didn’t have Thai basil. I used Thai lime leaves and substituted coconut sugar for maple syrup. I like her hand with the sweet side of the flavor profile. I served it over blanched baby bok choy seasoned with lime juice and fish sauce for a 1-plate meal.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Roasted cauliflower in tomato and turmeric curry!

  • amy_9scy2c on May 11, 2026

    An outstanding recipe and so easy. We have made it with halibut, arctic char, and orange roughy with delicious results. It would be good with chicken and mussels as well. We have even used leftover sauce with a poached egg, a slice of tomato and crispy fried prosciutto in homemade English muffins or crumpets for breakfast. I blanch cauliflower and add it when I add the fish. We serve with jasmine rice instead of noodles.

• Sweet and sour celery salad

  • mirage on January 04, 2026

    I'm not a fan of celery - but Oh, My! This was good

  • SheilaS on July 17, 2025

    I love braised celery and pickled celery so I thought I’d love this but it was only OK, nothing I’d make again. I found the maple syrup jarring and the pretty, bright green charred celery turned an ugly khaki color after resting in the dressing.

  • MollyB on August 18, 2022

    Great salad! I had some mature celery in my CSA box this week, and this was the perfect way to use it. I served it alongside grilled pork chops and farro, and that was a nice blend of flavors. I'd definitely recommend adding the optional ricotta - it offset the pretty assertive flavors in the rest of the dish.

  • bernalgirl on August 02, 2025

    Loved this! The raisins add mild sweetness, the charred celery, pine nuts, and basil are addictive together, and the soy sauce and maple syrup work really well here. I blanched the celery and we opted not to add the optional ricotta — and didn’t miss it!

  • paulabee on July 06, 2025

    excellent; would make again! I subbed fresh mozzarella for ricotta and pistachios for pine nuts, and both of those worked well (agree that you need some sort of fresh cheese). This would work particularly well for entertaining since it hangs out at room temperature.

  • Jojobuch on October 21, 2024

    I‘m always trying to find ways to use up celery since a whole bunch is too much to occasionally use as aromatic. This was a really delicious surprise (I only substituted dried cranberries for raisins, which worked well with the sweet/sour theme) - also support the ricotta comments, it adds a bit of creaminess. The dressing would be delicious in other salads.

  • pattyatbryce on July 31, 2025

    I'm not a celery fan, but this salad changed my mind! This is an awesome way to use leftover celery. I forgot the ricotta, but still loved.

  • rmardel on July 18, 2025

    This was excellent and I loved the way the components complemented and played off each other. The only thing I didn't really like was the ricotta; I think fresh mozzarella, or even a labneh, would have been a better choice.

  • Dinovino on March 16, 2024

    Coconut Aminos works well as a substitute for soy/tamari

  • KarinaFrancis on August 29, 2022

    I’d never thought to char celery but glad I tried this. It’s a great salad and very versatile. I agree with MollyB the ricotta is needed to give it balance

  • Sylfea on September 21, 2025

    Interesting side dish. Ricotta adds a creaminess that helps with the overall balance.

  • alinutzamica on July 29, 2025

    Wow, wow, wow! Surprisingly good! I really enjoyed this salad. So different! I added some raddichio and perilla leaves which I picked from the allotment. It worked well. I had this salad with the cheesy roasted aubergine with salsa roja.

• Chiles rellenos with salsa roja risotto

  • JoanN on July 31, 2025

    Made half a recipe with small poblanos, queso Oaxaca, and the leftover salsa roja from the baked eggplant dish. This was just terrific, but very filling. Since you can make the salsa days ahead of time and stuff the peppers earlier in the day, this would be a good company dish and I have quite a few friends I think would love it.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Love it when the oven does most of the work! Made a version without risotto and later a version with orzo pasta!

  • Hansyhobs on August 21, 2024

    I really enjoyed this and found it easier and quicker to prepare than I was originally expecting. I didn't soak the rice for longer than 30 mins but I don't think that impacted the end result. The rice (heated up) made great leftovers for lunch the following day.

  • Jardimc on August 31, 2024

    Delicious and much quicker than the forever-stirring needed for a traditional risotto. Would probably add roasted corn to the cheese filling. Quite good.

  • KarinaFrancis on October 13, 2022

    This was a bit of a miss for me. It was tasty enough but a bit too cheesy (if that’s even possible) and didn’t quite pay back for the time investment

  • rachelblair on November 17, 2022

    Loved this! I don't think I had the right kind of peppers, they seemed bigger than romano peppers so I didn't use as many but it was still delicious. I would probably use poblanos next time which are easier to find where I live and Ixta mentions that poblanos are the traditional pepper for this dish in the head notes. It also kept surprisingly well, often stuffed peppers don't do well as leftovers.

  • Happykikkers on December 10, 2022

    We liked the paprika’s but weren’t really a fan of the rice. The taste was nice, maybe we should warm the rice a little more next time.

• A very quick clam stew

  • JoanN on September 07, 2025

    Made this recipe just before leaving for Maine and liked it so much, I copied it out to take with me and made it again while I was away. Skipped both the chick peas and the heavy cream, neither of which seem necessary to me. Went with garlic bread to mop up the sauce instead. Substituted Habañeros for Scotch Bonnets both times because it's what was available and used dry sherry instead of wine on both occasions also. Great, super quick recipe.

  • bernalgirl on July 17, 2025

    this dish, which is outstanding. I did make some adjustments: 1) I couldn’t find good scotch bonnet peppers so I used serranos; 2) the clams wouldn’t cook on medium low so I increased the heat; 3) I tipped the pan and added the cream and simmered for a minute instead of drizzling it on as I didn’t want that raw cream flavor. The resulting broth was delicious with good bread. I halved the serranos and it was quite spicy, next time I’d leave them whole and skip the jalapeño garnish.

• Dende marinated prawns with burnt lime

  • SheilaS on July 23, 2025

    Excellent! The combination of the marinade plus the burnt lime is stellar. I served the shrimp over polenta and seared some sugar snaps in the same pan so they picked up a little flavor, too.

  • bernalgirl on July 24, 2025

    I forgot the burnt lime!! But even though my shrimp let off liquid and didn’t brown, and there was no burnt lime, it was really good. With the burnt lime I’m sure it’s sublime.

  • paulabee on September 07, 2025

    really delicious. Next time I might decrease the quantity of onion in the marinade paste (I think this is an issue with large American onion size)--I'd do a quarter of an onion or possibly a shallot instead; mine had a slightly intense oniony flavor but still really good. I served over orzo, with a large dollop of the marinade paste melted/mixed in. I also used some of the leftover marinade with tofu the next day and that was great as well!

• Tuna crudo crumpets with soy butter

  • SheilaS on July 25, 2025

    I liked the jalapeño-cucumber salsa with the tuna but found the crumpets odd and the soy butter doesn’t mix together at all and the ghee solidifies when it hits the cool tuna cubes. I’d season the tuna with a few drops of soy sauce, mix everything together and scoop it up with tortilla chips.

• Roasted onion aïoli and tomato toast

  • SheilaS on July 26, 2025

    This was good. The nice summer tomatoes I used didn’t really need this sort of spread but that ‘aioli’ would probably be just the ticket for some sandwiches so it’s certainly a good idea.

• Mussels and orzo in a coconut and saffron stew

  • SheilaS on December 14, 2025

    I loved this and will absolutely make it again. I used Thai bird chiles instead of Scotch bonnet and red bell pepper instead of yellow. Very minor issue was the orzo I had is a bit bigger than usual so it was more al dente than I like. I should have transferred the mussels to the bowls, added a bit of water to the pan and let the orzo simmer til done. Still a winner!

  • Gilbatron on December 23, 2024

    Very tasty, but I found orzo to be a bad pairing with mussels. Too small. Will use bigger pasta next time.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Made it with cauliflower, the flavors were really good!

• Cheesy polenta with curried onions

  • SheilaS on July 17, 2025

    I wasn’t sure I’d go for cheesy, curry polenta but I really liked this. No quick polenta on hand so I used regular, cooked in the Instant Pot as I usually do. Added grilled asparagus and it was a meal.

• Brown butter curried corn bread

  • SheilaS on July 17, 2025

    I’m glad I tried this as it gave me ideas for cornbread mix-ins. There's corn cooked in brown butter, fresh chili, green onion, lime zest, fresh ginger, curry powder and maple syrup. When it comes to cornbread, I prefer to pick a few flavors and let them shine rather than muddling everything together.

  • Idubinsky on April 14, 2024

    I thought this was outstanding. I used regular corn meal and it worked just fine.

  • rachelblair on September 13, 2022

    This was so good and different than any other cornbread I've had. I loved the chunky texture and the spice. I took the seeds out of the chili since I was worried about how spicy it would be for my guests I was serving it to and I'm glad I did since it still had a good amount of heat. I was a bit unsure about what kind of pan to cook it in since at the top of the recipe it says to line and butter a cake pan but then at the end of the recipe it says to release from the pan like you would with a springform. I cooked it in my 3" high springform and I'm glad I did since I think my 2" high cake pan would have been a bit too shallow.

• Oyster mushroom noodles with caramelised caraway onions

  • Astrid5555 on October 15, 2022

    Delicious, the caraway seeds made for an interesting flavor profile.

  • meggan on March 16, 2026

    very interesting tastes. I used some rehydrated dried mushrooms which worked.

• Banana, sesame and maple cake

  • Astrid5555 on April 20, 2025

    I am a sucker for everything sesame so this cake was right up my alley. The bananas are not mashed but rather cut into pieces and provided these sweet pocktes of deliciousness!

  • ellwell on March 12, 2023

    I had some bananas that were destined to be either banana bread or something more interesting. I decided to try this recipe just to experiment. Full disclosure: I had to sub whole wheat flour for almond flour and vanilla for vanilla paste. The texture came out like most almond flour cakes and had soft banana slices which were islands of sweetness. The cake tasted heavily of the sesame flour that you grind from seeds and include in the batter. My husband liked it but I found myself longing for banana bread.

• Roasted aubergine with coriander and anchovy salsa

  • traveller on January 20, 2026

    Next time I would omit the raw garlic from the sauce - a bit sharp for me. I had this with lamb chops and it was pretty good but nothing special I am afraid.

  • bernalgirl on August 04, 2025

    Wow, this is good. I roasted the tomatoes separately from the eggplant and peppers in a ceramic dish and added a crushed garlic clove. I liked that the eggplant got some crispy edges while the tomatoes retained their juices. I combined everything at the last minute and that anchovy salsa is delicious! Definitely something to repeat!

  • bernalgirl on August 04, 2025

    Wow, this is good. I roasted the tomatoes separately from the eggplant and peppers in a ceramic dish and added a crushed garlic clove. I liked that the eggplant got some crispy edges while the tomatoes retained their juices. I combined everything at the last minute and that anchovy salsa is delicious! Definitely something to repeat!

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    We had it with Turkish cornbread. And used feta instead of mozzarella. And I had some sunshine while making this beautiful picture!

  • treay on November 09, 2024

    This eggplant recipe was delicious, and cooked it to instructions except that I used red capsicums instead of red chillies - I didn't have any.

• Prawn lasagne with habanero oil

  • traveller on January 20, 2026

    This recipe is the reason I bought this book - absolutely outstanding! The habanero is absolutely vital - the flavour is amazing. The other thing is Ixta mentions tomato paste and tomato purée as interchangeable. I have used both - the paste makes it very rich so I now use half half in the ragu. Also I used a food processor to chop up the tomatoes, onions, prawns and think it changes the texture - I much prefer it when it is hand chopped.

  • Senkimekia on February 26, 2023

    Wow, the flavor in this is unreal. If someone handed me a plate of this I actually would not guess there was shrimp in it at first. The flavors are strong in a delightful way and this is definitely going to be a repeat in our house.

  • VineTomato on December 22, 2022

    Totally divine. Kept the whole habanero in, just chopped it up and we loved it. Can't wait to make this again.

  • Frenchfoodie on July 01, 2023

    Delicious, deeply flavoured, rich and satisfying.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Made a vegetarian lasagna with cauliflower! We both loved it!

  • ellwell on March 21, 2023

    This was good. I guess I was expecting to be more “wowed” because of all the hype I have heard about this recipe. My husband said “give it a good review” . I thought the consistency of the shrimp was a little weird and we kept wondering if we would have preferred it with sausage.

  • catmummery on December 29, 2025

    loved this - husband says 'bonkers, f...ing delicious!' agree that flavours are rich and deep, there is enough moisture to keep the lasagne as it should be though i wondered about that when making it. When I made the oil, i ended up with crispy bits as fried it too long but those were super delicioius as an extra topping so might even make it again that way. Also kept the habanero in loved the heat - not too much. YUM. went really well with the citrusy green salad in the book

  • blaine_xla09q on March 12, 2026

    Crowd favorite, I think of her often. Sounds weird to pummel shellfish and drown it in cream and tomato and pasta and cheese but this recipe is stick-to-your-ribs divine. Flowery and fiery Habanero oil seals the deal.

• Sticky coconut rice cake with turmeric tomatoes

  • bernalgirl on July 27, 2025

    This is good, but I don’t really see the point of the rice cakes. While they are delicious straight out of the pan, they take time to prepareq and I wasn’t sold on the chewier texture of the crispy bits. I have an excellent coconut rice recipe to which I’m now inclined to add ginger and scallions, and since we have microwave sticky rice without any soaking. The turmeric tomatoes are a nice spin on roasted cherry tomatoes and go beautifully with the coconut rice. I’ll happily make that combination again.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Loved the flavors and the tomatoes, not so much the sticky rice

  • infotrop on August 06, 2025

    Seemed like an odd combination to me...but this was delicious. The crunch of the rice cake was just right with the charred tomatoes & their sweet juices.

  • eclairea on February 15, 2025

    SO GOOD! It does take time to make all the elements of the dish, but the resulting flavour combos were a delight. Added a crispy egg for a hit of protein, and this was a perfect summer meal!

  • Babeng.Bubba on June 30, 2024

    The turmeric tomatoes are excellent and easy. Used curry leaves instead of coriander. Can be used as pasta sauce or to sauce steamed vegetables.

  • Gilbatron on December 23, 2024

    I made the rice cakes to go with the confit salmon. Great match, but will add more spring onions next time.

• Limey cucumber salad with charred spring onion salsa

  • bernalgirl on August 04, 2025

    This salad is absolutely outstanding. The limey cucumbers provide a perfectly refreshing contrast to the richly textured charred scallion salsa. I’m a sucker for the way scallions melt into a sauce like this and the finely chopped jalapeños offer both flavor and texture — this is so good I want to make a giant batch to add to grain bowls or roasted vegetables.

  • catmummery on December 29, 2025

    super yum. will be on repeat. will work with EVERYthing

• Pappardelle with chipotle pancetta sauce

  • bernalgirl on July 02, 2025

    This is an incredibly rich and delicious sauce that I will happily make again. After tasting my chipotle chile flakes, I used the full amount but skipped the regular chile flakes and the heat was right for our family. I also reduced the olive oil in the sauce by half. It’s an intense sauce, I added some stracciatelle on top because I had that on hand, and loved the way it melted into the sauce, or a scoop of good ricotta would also be nice. I served it with pan-charred broccolini but a salad with a nicely acidic vinaigrette would be ideal.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Used the pasta I had and vegetarian bacon. It was oke, not great.

• Duck with Mexicorn sauce and spring onion salsa

  • bernalgirl on July 15, 2025

    This outstanding recipe requires some planning with the marinade and drying time, all of which plus scoring the skin results in perfectly cooked duck breasts — and for my doubled recipe — 3/4 cup of rendered duck fat (!!). The sauce is wonderful, and the green onion salsa adds an extra dimension that cuts the richness of the duck and the sauce beautifully. If the salsa is made prior to starting the duck and the sauce ingredients are prepped/gathered while the duck cooks, the sauce comes together while the duck rests — a few busy minutes and then this fantastic dinner! Rice or bread are essential for mopping up all those flavors.

  • Senkimekia on February 26, 2023

    Absolutely outstanding. All those flavors, this is a rich and satisfying dinner and is one of the best recipes we have made in a while. I never used pickled green peppercorns before, it’s a lovely ingredient I am glad to have discovered. We will definitely be making this again - excellent for company or a special dinner without being overly fussy.

  • meggan on November 11, 2024

    Very good sauces. The peppercorn sauce comes together very quickly so don’t burn it like I did.

  • carly_ztnb88 on May 01, 2026

    Absolutely fantastic recipe, really unique and full of flavour. I love duck so finding a new way to prepare it is always great. Loved this and will definitely make again. Highly recommend.

  • tony_a2d9cm on April 12, 2026

    By far the best duck recipe I have ever made.

  • Countesschicklington on February 15, 2026

    Fantastic!! As original and inventive as I have come to expect from Ixta Belfrage. Glad I made double quantity of sauce AND Salsa because boy oh boy could we not get enough of this. Served with brown rice to soak up all of that saucy goodness.

  • Detheria on March 16, 2025

    This recipe is absurdly good. I swapped green peppercorns for pink ones and they worked great. I didn't quite manage to get the skin crispy in 10 minutes but it got better with more time in the pan.

  • ellwell on July 31, 2024

    This was very good —the duck was perfectly med-rare at just under 4 minutes. The original sear, which is supposed to take 9-10 minutes on the “lowest” setting produced no crispy skin. I upped to heat to medium low and after about 10 more minutes it looked right. The sauce was divine and the jalapeño/onion salsa added a wonderful freshness and complemented the dish very well. I will make again.

  • jfleissn on January 29, 2023

    This is a wow recipe—a must-try for fans of this cookbook! I had trouble imagining how all the flavors would work together, but the sauce is incredible and the salsa a brilliant complement. We left out the habanero and used dried green peppercorns, as we couldn’t find the pickled ones. Marinated the duck about 3 hrs. My husband did have to turn the heat up a little bit to brown the duck skin, though she says to fry it at a very low temperature.

  • joslovescooking on January 01, 2026

    Loved this recipe and the steps to cooking the most delicious duck I’ve ever done! Will definitely make it again.

• Roast chicken curry with crispy curry leaves

  • bernalgirl on July 31, 2025

    This came together beautifully and cooked to perfect doneness (nearly) as written. I used coconut sugar instead of maple syrup, and I doubled the recipe for a crowd and when I saw how much liquid there was, I didn’t add the second can of coconut milk. So my curry sauce was not as coconutty but still finger-licking good. At first I didn’t really “get” the sauce, and her presentation suggestion is… confusing. Are people supposed to tear the bird apart at the table? However, carved up and arranged over half the sauce, with the other half in a gravy boat and the red chiles and curry leaf oil poured across the top makes a gorgeous and easy to serve presentation. And cooking the spatchcocked birds in the sauce means the thighs are partially braised, always a good thing. My guests were delighted. I had ~3 cups of curry sauce leftover, which made a lovely chicken curry with the addition of carrots, onions, and leftover green beans and chicken.

  • meggan on March 15, 2026

    Loved the sauce so much. Next time I would just use thighs.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 29, 2026

    Had to make a few adaptations. Used cauliflower instead of chicken. When started to cook I realized that I didn’t have any coconut milk, so used a can of chopped tomatoes. Because of that I left out the cherry tomatoes. I never found fresh curry leaves here. Put 2 basil leaves on top for the picture ! I used crispy chili oil instead of fried chili on top. I roasted the cauliflower in a pan. And added the spices and the tomatoes. We had it with parathas, really nice!

  • Dinovino on April 26, 2023

    Loved it so tasty

  • KarinaFrancis on October 26, 2022

    I have to confess the Silver Fox liked this much more than I did, I’m just not a fan of curry powder (which is what he loved about it) My curry didn’t evaporate too much which meant I could shred the leftover chicken and have an old school curry for dinner the next night. I probably won’t make it again but I will try using mayonnaise marinade again

  • joneshayley on June 29, 2023

    Made with a pack of thighs, this was delicious. Deeply flavoured sauce (although quite thin)and juicy tender chicken with crispy skin. I think the Mayo in the marinade made for the crispness in the skin to be that much more pronounced than usual thigh in sauce recipes. I did add a handful of spinach to the sauce for a veg element and it did not at all detract. I’ll make this again.

  • et12 on August 31, 2025

    Delicious. Followed instructions exactly but cooked in a kamado type bbq and the subtle impart of smoke to the curry was very good. Super easy to make too!

  • treay on December 09, 2024

    This chicken recipe is just beautiful! Relatively easy to prepare and it's a new way to eat chicken curry for us. I served it with some Pilau brown rice & this also delicious cucumber salad. I thought we might needed the freshness of the cucumber to help with the heat of the curry, but to be honest, it was not too spicy and loved by all. The sauce is soo yummy!

  • sassy_momma on February 27, 2023

    Made this recipe tonite, it was just ok. Nothing special.

• Buttery porcini fried eggs

  • Stephenn31 on August 24, 2025

    Delicious and very easy. Don't miss the lemon and parmesan at the end - the lemon cuts the richness and the parmesan adds a bit more with a salty pop. I didn't have parsley so I used fresh basil from the garden and it was excellent.

• Pineapple pizza salsa

  • Gilbatron on March 13, 2026

    A bit too much oil, but otherwise great. I used canned pineapple and pureed it instead of cubing it for a dippier consistency. Worked like a charm.

• Macaxeira frita with chilli butter and lime mayo

  • Anea25 on August 18, 2024

    I had been a bit reluctant to make these because I wasn't familiar with manioc/yuka but after having some during my vacations and really liking it I gave it a go and WOW these are amazing - you don't even need the butter or mayo to go with the fries.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Made with sweet potatoes, very nice!

• Butternut and sage lasagne gratin

  • Pimlicocook on October 10, 2024

    Perfect for autumn! Simple and delicious: much more than the sum of its parts. Will definitely make again.

  • shylastrath on December 18, 2025

    Added 3 oz. prosciutto and 5 oz. chopped baby spinach. Loved this lasagne gratin!

  • Schooffiecooks on December 31, 2025

    Definitely My favorite of this cookbook!

  • chaffinski on December 03, 2024

    Low effort to great flavour payoff. Definitely repeat.

  • snackbaby on January 26, 2024

    really nice vegetarian lasagne! still looking for the perfect recipe though. my one note of complaint here would be that where lasagne is usually very nice the next day, this one I felt really was best eaten day of.

  • treay on April 18, 2026

    The lasagna was a winner, full of flavour. I used a butternut from our garden and was very easy to assemble once you had all ingredients ready. Will make again for sure.....

  • hlange on November 07, 2023

    This was divine. I used delicata instead of butternut. Omitted the tomatoes since we have super picky eaters but still used tomato paste. Finished with a habanero flake salt I had on hand. The flavors were out of this world. Sweet from the squash, cheesy, slightly spiced from the nutmeg. It also froze well in individual servings. Absolutely will repeat and a real treat.

  • Sylfea on January 27, 2026

    Very rich, almost decadent dinner vibes. Will slightly reduce salt next time - but there will be a next time!

  • anneliese_i59bmn on April 26, 2026

    I wish I'd used my larger casserole dish - I only managed two layers of pasta, and had to use some of the extra pumpkin tomato mix in a second dish. Very delicious regardless!

• Charred red pepper sauce with omelette noodles

  • paulabee on July 25, 2025

    good! Would make again, with the omelette noodles as written, or with pasta. This sauce is begging for summer corn stirred in. A fun way to eat an omelette for lunch/dinner; I enjoyed this.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Used pasta instead of the omelette noodles. Very simple very good!

• Tomato and lime galette with crunchy spelt chipotle pastry

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Homemade pastry without the polenta. Still very nice!

• Black-eyed peas with roasted onion aïoli

  • snackbaby on April 14, 2025

    This was nice but I think I prefer the other onion aioli (with caramelised onions) that's also in this books! This dish is like a fussier version of the other one and I am not quite sure if it pays off.

• Three cheese quesadillas with habanero oil

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Sooo good!

• Charred red pepper tartare with crispy ginger dressing

  • snackbaby on February 11, 2024

    wonderful! when at first I tried the marinate I wasn't sure it would really hit (soy came through pretty strong) but the next day it tasted beautifully balanced. served as a dip at a big party and it was gone in no time. lovely.

  • KarinaFrancis on February 26, 2023

    Outstanding! I made the dressing and roasted the peppers the night before and marinated them for about an hour the following day. My ginger didn’t really crisp up, possibly because I cut it too thick. When the tahini, peppers and dressing all come together it’s so good. Will absolutely make again

• Chard rotolo

  • paulabee on July 13, 2025

    excellent. a project, but not hard. I subbed capers for anchovies to make the arugula paste vegetarian (she also suggests miso for this!)

  • Mapi on October 31, 2023

    I simply loved this recipe!!! For health reasons I subbed the mascarpone in the filling with low-fat ricotta cheese: an easy tweak that took nothing from the incredible flavour. Also, as an Italian I'll never use butter in the tomato sauce, but only extra virgin olive oil. It's really delicious and not as difficult or time-consuming as it may look at first sight (in fact, it's faster than lasagne!), plus it looks stunning.

  • rachelblair on August 24, 2022

    I'm usually not a fan of chard, I find it too bitter and earthy but this recipe made a love it. It's surprisingly simple, I especially love the tomato sauce that is so quick and easy.

• Creamy yuca gratin with onion and caraway farofa

  • Schooffiecooks on March 27, 2026

    Made it with cauliflower instead of casava suggested by Ixta. Very nice

• Giant mushroom and sesame roll with salsa verde

  • Tessvssr on April 03, 2026

    Lot of effort! Started way too late resulting in a 21:30 dinner :-) but, yummmmmm!!!

• Roasted kohlrabi and tomato broth with crispy ginger

  • fernqueen on December 07, 2025

    one of my favorite recipes ever, so so good and versatile! sometimes i add noodles to it to bulk it out into a couple meals

• Red curry sweet potato gratin

  • Detheria on April 01, 2025

    This was a little fiddly but tasted incredible. Used a lighter coconut milk and it still worked very well. We made it for 2 with rice, I think it would comfortably serve 3.

• Shrimp dumplings and creamed corn

  • CheesyKranskyLove on October 03, 2022

    Very tasty and surprisingly easy. I recommend cooking a little bit of the prawn ball mixture in order to season to taste. I used the full salt amount for the mixture and it ended up slightly too salty. No issue with the tomato & creamed corn components.

• Moqueca fish pie

  • alinutzamica on July 17, 2025

    Amazingly good! One of the best fish pies I have ever tried. I can see myself coming back to this recipe over and over again.

  • treay on April 27, 2025

    I can only say that this is one of the best fish pies we've ever eaten. Both hubby and I agreed it has mouth-watering flavours and it is such a comfort meal... We had to stop ourselves from eating the whole lot! Hopefully it will still be lovely when we have the rest for dinner tonight!

• Celebration salmon

  • Gilbatron on December 23, 2024

    The salsa is very good on its own. Great citrus aroma mix. Can be made ahead. Salmon is a great pairing. But confit salmon not so much. I think it would be much better with grilled salmon.

• Scallops with curried onions and lime

  • pattyatbryce on July 08, 2025

    Could work with any fish or chicken or pork. Flavor is all in the onions, which are cooked separately. I used Vadouvan curry based on trying every curry in the house and felt that one would be best with the gentle flavor of the scallops. Make sure you have a carb to mop up the sauce.

• Mackerel with charred corn and Calabrian chilli salsa

  • KarinaFrancis on August 06, 2022

    Ixta has a way with salsas! The salsa component blew me away, not super hot, but the flavour is bright and punchy! I butterflied the fish after watching a few YouTube tutorials, it’s not too hard. All in all, a great dish

• Black pepper pork steaks with pineapple and peppers

  • KarinaFrancis on February 14, 2023

    The flavours were so really good, pineapple and pork is always a winner. The only issue I have is the pork shoulder which turned out to be a bit chewy, I’ll try it again but will try pork fillet

  • Keith_P on October 01, 2022

    Recipe calls for small piquant padron type peppers not sweet bell peppers.

  • nomeshk on February 11, 2026

    Ended up marinating for the maximum time suggested (48 hours). Used only spring onion instead of spring onions and regular onions, as mine were very large. Because I bought huge Costco pork shoulder steaks, I accidentally doubled the pork quantity, but there was more than enough marinade. Flavour was wonderful but I am knocking off one star because it was a slightly faffy recipe with a lot of multitasking involved.

  • nomeshk on February 11, 2026

    Ended up marinating for the maximum time suggested (48 hours). Used only spring onion instead of spring onions and regular onions, as mine were very large. Because I bought huge Costco pork shoulder steaks, I accidentally doubled the pork quantity, but there was more than enough marinade. Flavour was wonderful but I am knocking off one star because it was a slightly faffy recipe with a lot of multitasking involved.

• Lamb loins with ajvar and miso butter

  • KarinaFrancis on September 24, 2022

    Another outstanding recipe from this book! The ajvar and miso butter were flavour bombs and the whole dish comes together beautifully. The only change I made was to use pork fillet instead of lamb. Definitely one to make again, but probably a better left for the weekend when you have a bit of time on your hands.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Made with oven roasted courgette, another great dish from Mezcla!

• Cannelloni enchiladas

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Used courgette instead of chicken, was great too!

• Sticky banana and chocolate skillet cake

  • Sylfea on January 28, 2026

    Followed the recipe exactly. Final product was more like very rich choc pudding or undercooked brownie with fried bananas on top. Not exactly a failure but won't make again.

• Strawberry, cinnamon and chipotle chocolate layered cake

  • rachelblair on September 13, 2022

    So this tasted great but turned out a bit of a mess. My ganache was fully cooled as instructed in the recipe but I think I should have put it in the fridge for a bit to firm up further before layering it since it didn't set at all in the tin. Also I think I should have whipped the cream to stiff peaks instead of medium peaks as it says to do in the book because it really deflated in the tin. When I turned this out it pretty much fell apart when trying to slice it. It also barely fit into my standard loaf tin so I wasn't able to use all my cream and I had to trim the bottoms of the biscuits. I would make it again but I don't know if maybe a bit of freezing would help it stay together better.

  • Nancarrow on June 30, 2024

    I'd already read the @rachelblair note so made sure every element was well chilled and the cream extra whipped (yet with the yolks and maple syrup it only goes so far). Chilled overnight in the specified tin. Unmoulded and the whole thing falls apart and spills off the platter within a minute. Delicious mess but this calls for gelatine in the strawberry mixtures, and / or a cooked and set custard version of the cinnamon cream, or freezing the entire thing.

• Peach and rooibos iced tea sorbet

  • Anea25 on July 18, 2023

    Made it with black tea instead of roïbos. Used an ice cream maker as I have one. Very very tasty! Will probably become à regular

  • Gilbatron on May 28, 2026

    Simple and good! If you don't have fresh peaches, puree/juice works great, too.

• Coffee ice cream with Kahlua fudge sauce

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    This is my version of the Coffee icecream with Kahlua sauce! First I made the Kahlua sauce: with a cup of Amaretti espresso. Didn’t have Kahlua in the house or vanilla paste. Mixed the sauce with soft vanilla ice cream, cacao, shredded pure chocolate and some salt. Put it back into the freezer for a few hours. Delicious flavors!

• Passion fruit pudim

  • snackbaby on December 02, 2024

    fairly simple to make with a lovely result! the way the passionfruit cuts through the richness is very nice. would recommend serving with extra passionfruit.

• Cinnamon custard brûlée

  • pattyatbryce on July 08, 2025

    Very nice, but I could only really taste chocolate. Not too sweet, which was nice.