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(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)

Welcome to Menu Mistress…

I love cookbooks and have an extensive collection! The idea of Menu Mistress is to share recipes from these books that I’ve tried and tested. This blog is essentially for people who love food but don’t have the time, energy or patience to find that winning recipe – that’s the job of Menu Mistress! Naturally I also enjoy eating out, so I’ve turned my hand to restaurant reviews too – check them out here!..

(Recipes are updated regularly – scroll down and sign up at the bottom of this page to receive reminders)

October 2026

Hasn’t the weather been glorious during September?! As I write up the recipes for October, the sun is shining, and it doesn’t quite feel right to be talking about cooler days and the need for comforting food. But, let’s face it, they’re definitely on the horizon. And with that in mind, I have two wonderful recipes to share with you, which you will appreciate when there’s a slight chill in the air. Menu One is ‘Chicken, Bacon and Lentil Cassoulet’ from the cookbook ‘Medesque’ by Georgina Hayden. It’s not as robust as a traditional French cassoulet (made with pork, sausages and beans); instead, with Chicken and lentils, it has a lighter edge and is much easier to cook! Menu Two is a vegetarian dish from Anna Hedworth’s cookbook ‘Service’. ‘Spicy Bean Chilli with Sour Cream & Lime’, is a very tasty recipe that is easy to create from your store-cupboard staples. The addition of dark chocolate and lime at the end of cooking takes its flavours to a higher realm!

Happy October… I hope these recipes will make it even more enjoyable!..

Menu One

Chicken, Bacon and Lentil Cassoulet (Serves 4-6)

This is a recipe from the cookbook ‘Medesque’ by Georgina Hayden. It’s not as robust as a traditional French cassoulet (made with pork, sausages and beans); instead, with Chicken and lentils, it has a lighter edge and is much easier to cook (particularly if you use a blender to chop the vegetables!). Don’t forget to sprinkle over chopped tarragon, and add a dollop of crème fraiche at the end of cooking as they really do make a difference to the dish…

6 skin-on chicken thighs or 4 chicken legs

Olive oil

8 smoked streaky bacon rashers, finely sliced

3 onions, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

25g unsalted butter

250g Puy lentils, rinsed

650ml chicken stock

2 tablespoons red wine (or sherry) vinegar

½ bunch of tarragon, leaves chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Crème fraiche, to serve

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place a casserole pan over a medium heat, drizzle with olive oil, when heated, add the chicken, skin-side down. Cook for 10 minutes until the skin is deeply golden. Then transfer to a plate.
2. Add the bacon to the pan. Fry for 5 minutes, until starting to crisp up, then add the butter and all the chopped vegetables. Sauté for about 10 minutes .
3. Stir the lentils into the pan, then pour over the stock and vinegar. Bring everything to the boil, season, then place the chicken thighs (or legs) on top, skin facing up. Cover with a lid and transfer to a preheated oven, 180’c, for 35-40 minutes.
4. When the chicken is ready remove the lid and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes until the meat is golden and the lentils are tender.
5. Finally, sprinkle over the chopped tarragon and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Menu Two

Spicy Bean Chilli with Sour Cream & Lime (Serves 4)

This is a very tasty recipe that is easy to create from your store-cupboard staples. The addition of dark chocolate and lime at the end of cooking takes its flavours to a higher realm! Simply serve with rice or jacket potatoes.

Olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 carrot diced

1 red pepper, diced

Small handful of fresh coriander

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

400g tin chopped tomatoes

400g tin red kidney beans, drained

400g tin black beans, drained

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Juice of 2 limes

2 squares of dark chocolate

Sour cream, to serve

Lime wedges, to serve

Check the seasoning – you may want more salt or sugar – then add the juice of the second lime and melt in the chocolate. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkled with the reserved coriander leaves and lime wedges.

Heat a good amount of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the onion and carrot with a generous pinch of salt. Fry for 10 minutes, then add the pepper and cook, stirring, until everything is soft and a bit sticky. Finely chop the coriander stems (reserve the leaves as garnish) and add to the pan. Grate in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the cumin, paprika, cinnamon and chilli, and cook for a final minute.

Add the tomatoes, fill the can with water and add that too. Add the beans, salt, sugar and the juice of 1 lime. Leave to simmer for about 45 minute, topping up with water if it seems too thick.

A Little Bit of Housekeeping…

To find all the recipes from my blogs go to the Recipes page where there is a link to print them off. 

Oven Settings – All my recipes presume that you are cooking with a fan oven, increase the temperature by 20’c for conventional ovens without a fan.

‘Staple Side Dishes’ – when you see this note beside a recipe, it indicates that I have previously published this side dish on Menu Mistress. I have re-published it so that you don’t have to trawl through my old recipe blogs to find it – Menu Mistress is about making your life in the kitchen easier!

Gluten-Free – I eat gluten-free, so all of my recipes have gluten-free options, although I must stress that if you have an allergy please double check all ingredients. If flour is used you can substitute it with gluten-free flour (I use Dove’s Free From range) and likewise with other ingredients such as pasta or soy sauce, you can use gluten free options.

Most of the recipes on Menu Mistress are courtesy of the creativity of cookery book writers, old and new. The recipes are an ‘amuse-bouche’ of those available in their books. Please go to my Cookbooks page for more information.

Music to Cook to….what I’ve been listening to in my kitchen!….Click on this link to listen to my playlists (listen without judgement – it’s just a bit of fun!)

Any feedback or recipe ideas? Leave your comments at the very bottom of this page… or feel free to contact me personally here!…

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