Notes about Recipes in this book

• Cream of pumpkin soup (vegan)

  • Pimlicocook on March 06, 2024

    Quick and easy in the pressure cooker, though there was a bit too much celery (which I used instead of fennel) for my taste. The chopped apple was a great tip, however.

  • tui on June 02, 2024

    Comfort food soup. Good to have in the freezer for a cold wet day.

• Magic pasta with mushrooms, garlic, cream and wine

  • veronicafrance on November 14, 2023

    This worked well. It's a classic combination of pasta, mushrooms, cream, but it's all cooked together in one pan. It's not quicker than cooking separately, but at least it cuts down on washing up. It's best to use pasta that cooks relatively quickly -- I used tagliatelle. I added a good grind of coarse black pepper, not mentioned in the recipe, but it's a no-brainer with mushrooms. I don't like parsley so I substituted oregano. If I'd thought of it I'd have soaked some dried mushrooms and added them finely chopped. Always an improvement when you only have button mushrooms. With the black pepper and a generous squeeze of lemon it was very good though.

• Cauliflower, saffron and chorizo pasta

  • veronicafrance on November 09, 2023

    I should probably have tried the master recipe for this method of cooking pasta before cooking this one. It just didn't work. There was no "sauce", only a little water left from cooking it, and it just didn't hang together, with little flavour and chewy pasta. It might have worked better with smaller, thinner pasta than the fat spirals I used, but I won't be trying it again.

• A more forgiving sweet tart: Orange and cardamom shortbread squares

  • riapugh on February 15, 2024

    Really nice, but the curd was a touch too sweet for me alongside the also sweet shortbread. I would omit the oranges next time and do a zingier lemon-only curd.

• Raymond's butter-poached carrots [Raymond Blanc]

  • emma_clare on January 12, 2024

    This recipe was a revelation to me. I think I will be using it as my new go to way to cook veg - so convenient and very tasty.

  • ldyndiuk on February 21, 2024

    I’ve made this twice and the carrots didn’t cook in the five minutes either time. I turned the heat down a bit and gave them a few minutes longer. They were pretty good.

• Gochujang carrots with fried spring onions and silken tofu

  • djnielsen64 on February 27, 2024

    Loved these! The sauce was so good. Will def make again.

• Butter-braised asparagus

  • Lepa on February 02, 2024

    I thought this was okay but I probably won't revisit this cooking method for asparagus. It was too soft and stringy. I think I prefer a firmer asparagus and also the flavor of roasting.

• Lime and spice pound cake [Anna Hansen, Niki Awfnir]

  • Lepa on September 23, 2025

    We didn't like this very much. It DID taste like coca cola. Nor a repeat.

  • BachranBears on March 03, 2026

    We loved this unusual cake, and my guest immediately asked for the recipe. Manages to be both cozy and bright.

• Four-ingredient chocolate mousse

  • katmagdunn on January 03, 2024

    I made this for dessert on Christmas Day when we had nothing in the house other than eggs and Christmas chocolate -- and it was perfect! Easy, rich, and delightful, but still manages to feel light rather than heavy. I added a fair bit of salt; the portions are fairly small so I doubled the recipe and fed 6 people each a generous pot... this was a good amount, I found.

• Courgette and herb fritters

  • riapugh on February 15, 2024

    Loved these, was a real revelation to cook the fritters in the oven!

  • luke_i8msqc on May 08, 2026

    Cooking in the oven works so well and avoids the mess and stress of deep frying. Made with the root vegetable variation suggested by the recipe (beetroot and carrot), which worked brilliantly.

• Skillet scallions [Edna Lewis]

  • riapugh on February 15, 2024

    These are amazingly delicious and so simple to make. I have made regularly since getting the book.

• Adaptable âsh

  • breadenthusiast on July 09, 2025

    I made this twice, each time with different vegetables (one with spinach and courgette, another with chard, potatoes and carrots). Both tasted good and a great way to use up some leftover veg. A quick, filling, cozy soup, will definitely make this again.

• Sri's donburi rice bowls

  • Jane on March 22, 2024

    A quick and easy stir fry. Bee gives lots of protein/vegetable combinations - I used leeks, bok choy, broccoli and fennel with sliced sirloin. The pickled ginger as a suggested garnish helped amp up the flavor. It wasn't very exciting but perfectly good for a weeknight dinner.

• The loveliest red curry sauce

  • KNivia on March 23, 2026

    My husband made this while I was working-he made both the sweet potato kale version and the chicken version so we could freeze lots. And it’s delicious! He did use the combination of curry powder, cardamom, and ground coriander and he blitzed the sauce with an inmersión blender. I had the chicken version for lunch today and it’s really good!

• Chicken curry

  • Jane on March 25, 2024

    This isn't a quick recipe though the curry powder makes enough for at least three batches of curry sauce, and the sauce is enough for two curry recipes. So repeats will be quicker - and I will repeat it as it was really good. Freshly toasted and ground spices for the curry powder make a big difference so I'd recommend doing that rather than using that old jar of curry powder we all have. Next time I think I'll try it with cauliflower rather than green beans. If you do use beans, add them much earlier than she suggests.

  • KNivia on March 23, 2026

    This is not a fast recipe! But definitely worth the effort as it makes so much and you can freeze it! We put pinto beans in ours as that is what we had. Very good!

• Sweet potato and kale curry (vegan)

  • KNivia on March 23, 2026

    My husband divided the recipe and made this version. Really good and I love that you can freeze it. If you make the sauce the same day it does take a long time!

• Green pumpkin curry with potatoes and green beans

  • luke_i8msqc on March 18, 2026

    Very simple and tasty- I had to cook for longer than the time recommended for potatoes too cook. Addition of cream as suggested was good.

• Butter beans with spinach, cream and crispy prosciutto

  • riapugh on February 15, 2024

    Great, quick, weeknight dinner

• Bulgur and aubergine pilaf with pistachio and lemon [Nigel Slater]

  • breadenthusiast on June 20, 2025

    Surprisingly flavourful dish, easy to cook (love that it only needs one pan). I make this regularly, often for lunch.

• Smoky lamb cutlets with not-romesco sauce

  • Dolcetto23 on April 04, 2026

    This is really nice, and really easy - although cutlets are not cheap of course. I will also make this not-romesco again to have with other things!

• Silky black bean ragù

  • Nossovitzky on March 24, 2024

    Can use gochujang or another chilli paste instead of the chipotle in adobo.

• 48-hour short ribs with red wine and celery

  • Nichill on February 18, 2026

    Brilliantly simple and oh! So delicious. It does take 48 hours, but there is very little to do. We followed her direction to serve with buttery pappardelle, and it made a superb mid-week birthday evening meal accompanied by a very special 20+ year Rioja. There are many such recipes with more ingredients and more stages, but they are unlikely to produce any better results.

  • KNivia on March 29, 2026

    We made this over the weekend and it’s so good! I did double the recipe as I’m expecting a baby and wanted some for the freezer…but with mashed potatoes this was incredible and actually besides time yes another person stated “brilliantly simple.” I love hunk this would also be incredible over polenta!

• Cauliflower cheese soufflé

  • veronicafrance on November 14, 2023

    Not bad. It's easy to make and doesn't feel like too much faff for a one-person meal.

• Sausage, greens and polenta

  • Pimlicocook on December 20, 2023

    Simple, tasty comfort food. I made sure the sausage got almost crispy. 150g of cavolo nero is a lot for one person, though - I used around 100g (half a packet from M&S) and even that was ample.

  • anicecuppa on April 06, 2024

    Delicious, easy and quick family favourite. Agree that we used about 2/3 the cavolo nero and it was plenty. Instead of cooking the polenta with water, we used chicken stock to amp up the flavour.

  • Nossovitzky on July 07, 2024

    Really quick and easy, fantastic weeknight dinner - longest part was the mash potatoes I made to go with it instead of polenta for family preference reasons.

• Buttery bean stew with kimchi and sausages

  • Pimlicocook on December 20, 2023

    Very speedy, tasty stew. Butter mellows out the kimchi, which still provides just enough heat. I added a few leaves of chopped cavolo nero with the beans. Whole thing is done in around 15 minutes. Would make again.

  • saladdays on January 25, 2026

    Cooked this using a sauerkraut made from fennel, apple and dill. It's such a good use of butter beans which can often be dry. Definitely on a repeat list, although I'll try cooking sausages in the oven, easier than a pan as mine were a bit scorched!

• Bean and sausage koftas with parsley salad

  • Pimlicocook on December 21, 2023

    Really liked this. Quick and easy to make, tasty and fresh - will make again.

• Roasting-tin chicken with fennel and citrus

  • Jane on September 25, 2023

    This was a lovely one-pan supper. Very quick to make but with lots of flavour. I forgot to marinate the chicken ahead but it still tasted great.

  • KNivia on May 17, 2026

    This was a good recipe and very easy but the fennel needed to roast longer than the chicken to get that amazing melted roasted fennel texture that is so delicious! I served this with polenta!

• A whole miso-glazed aubergine

  • Jayla45 on August 29, 2025

    Made this with three Asian eggplant and tripled the glaze recipe. Loved it. Leftovers were even better after the miso sauce had permeated.

• Chocolate and hazelnut macaroons (gluten- and dairy-free)

  • Nossovitzky on February 13, 2025

    Very easy and delicous way to use up some egg whites.

• The oldest recipe, aka chicken stew

  • Nossovitzky on April 02, 2025

    This was just fine, albeit very easy. A good base idea to riff off.

  • Nichill on September 06, 2025

    Cooked a double quantity to be able to freeze, which led to a 45-minute veg chopping session. It delicious, even made with medium quality chicken, and cooked easily as per the description. My husband felt it was scant on meat and too many carrots. We will repeat and vary.

• Homemade frozen pizza with buttermilk pizza dough

  • Pimlicocook on June 08, 2024

    Probably the best pizza I've made at home. I used fresh yeast and around half the buttermilk, because that's what I had left, and topped it with the easiest-ever tomato sauce included in the recipe, parma ham, black olives, mozzarella and - as per recipe - parmesan and a tiny bit of olive oil. Dough was super thin and crispy in around 15 minutes. The key is, as Bee notes, to be sparing with the toppings: "one of the secrets of cooking is knowing when to be generous and when to rein yourself in, and pizza topping, strangely, is a time for restraint". Indeed.

• Whole baked fish with ginger and spring onion

  • veronicafrance on January 09, 2025

    This was OK, but unremarkable. Spring onions are out of season, so we used finely shredded leeks instead, but I don’t think that made much difference. Wouldn’t make again.

• Tasha's never-fail chocolate cake (gluten-free)

  • emma_clare on February 28, 2025

    This was absolutely fantastic and I will definitely make it again. It was super easy to put together, great that it can be made in advance (I made it the day before), and got absolutely rave reviews. 2 people asked me for the recipe! I melted the chocolate and butter in the microwave, which worked well and avoided the hassle of a bain Marie.

  • MollyPellecchia on June 15, 2025

    Delicious cake! Moist, rich chocolatey. You can taste the almond. Definitely a repeat. Mine took 30 minutes in a 9” springform pan.

  • lucy_ab77dv on March 12, 2026

    Made for New Year’s Eve party. Excellent, great with an orange and vanilla whipped cream/chantilly cream. Also excellent heated up in the microwave with icecream a day or two later (if it lasts that long!)