Tag: recipe

May 2025

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Aren’t our taste buds the most amazing things? Mine had a fantastic adventure in Malaysia recently, allowing me to discover new flavours and colourful combinations of spices. Back in March, before this trip, I whetted my appetite by cooking a few Asian dishes at home – you may remember that I shared a recipe from my new Singaporean cookbook, Agak Agak. Consequently, over the last couple of months, Asian cuisine has been very much on my mind and my menu. However, too much of a good thing can often make one spoilt and just recently my taste buds have started to yearn for ‘modern-British’ food; the taste of home and the comfort of the known. Hence this month I’m sharing recipes which will be familiar but by no means boring. These days our British food, having been influenced by our wonderful multicultural society, offers lots of flavourful adventures. Who needs to go abroad?!.. This month’s menus have been developed from traditional recipes resulting in very modern but comforting dishes.

Menu One is ‘Roast Pork Chops with Apple Sauce, Chimichurri & Crackling’. Chef, Paul Ainsworth, gives the traditional pork chop an extra punch with the addition of the Latin American sauce, Chimichurri. It works particularly well with the salty pork crackling and the sweet yet slightly tart apple sauce. It’s a lively dish perfect on any day, be it May or the midst of the winter. Menu Two is ‘Balsamic Pot Roast Chicken’, which is a modern take on a traditional roast and is one of those recipes which promises to be a new family favourite. The juicy flavours of this dish are enhanced by the subtle sweetness of balsamic vinegar which younger members will definitely love!

I hope that these recipes will tempt your taste buds! See you next week for a delicious Tuesday Treat…

Roast Pork Chops with Apple Sauce, Chimichurri & Crackling (Serves 4)


In this recipe from the cookbook, ‘For the Love of Food’, Chef Paul Ainsworth gives the traditional pork chop an extra punch with the addition of the Latin American sauce, Chimichurri. It works particularly well with the salty pork crackling and the sweet yet slightly tart apple sauce. It’s a lively dish perfect on any day, be it May or the midst of the winter. (I’ve slightly changed the preparation of the crackling and chops from the original recipe).

4 pork chops

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Apple Sauce:

2 Bramly apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

100ml cider

20g caster sugar

3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

For the Chimichurri:

60g flat leaf parsley, stalks included

60g coriander, stalks included

15g oregano, leaves picked

1 garlic clove, peeled

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

80ml olive oil

60ml cider vinegar

For the Crackling:

1-2 tablespoons malt vinegar

Sea salt

  1. First of all make the crackling: cut off the rind from the chops. Score the rinds a couple of times. Pour boiling water over each piece, dry it, and sprinkle over the malt vinegar, rubbing it in, finally sprinkle with salt. Leave to one side for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place on a baking tray and cook in the oven, 200’c, for 30 minutes until crisp. Leave to one side until ready to serve.
  2. To make the apple sauce, take a medium saucepan and add the Bramley apple, cider, sugar and thyme leaves. Cover with a lid and cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally. The apples will soften quickly. Once smooth, add the lemon juice. Set to one side; when ready to serve, gently reheat and add the diced Granny Smith apple.
  3. To make the Chimichurri, add all the ingredients to a liquidizer or food processor and blitz.
  4. For the Chops, lightly oil and season with salt and pepper, then place in a hot pan over a moderate heat and brown on each side. When the chops are browned place on a baking tray and cook in the oven, 200’c fan, for about 10 minutes depending on their thickness (a meat probe will read around 47’c). Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10minutes.
  5. Carve each chop and serve with the apple sauce, chimichurri and crackling.

Balsamic Pot Roast Chicken (Serves 4)

This is a modern take on a traditional roast and is one of those recipes which promises to be a family favourite. The juicy flavours of this dish are enhanced by the subtle sweetness of balsamic vinegar which younger members will definitely love! The recipe is from Donna Hay’s cookbook, ‘One Pan Perfect’. It is almost a ‘perfect one pan recipe’, however, if like me you prefer your potatoes a little crisped up, then it’s best after initially cooking together with the chicken, to move them into a separate roasting tin – I’ve adjusted the recipe below accordingly.

125ml balsamic vinegar

250ml chicken stock

60g brown sugar

8 sprigs oregano

6 cloves garlic, halved

1 x 1.6 -2kg whole chicken

900g roasting potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

400g parsnips or carrots, or a mix of both, peeled and cut in half or quartered depending on their size

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

  1. Place the balsamic, stock, sugar, oregano and garlic into a deep casserole dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, breast side down. Add the potatoes and parsnips and/ or carrots. Drizzle with oil and cover with a tight fitting lid. Place in a preheated oven, 220’c fan, for 45 minutes.
  2. Remove the lid and carefully turn the chicken over. At this point I also remove the vegetables (see note above) to a separate roasting tin together with 2 tablespoons of the cooking juices.
  3. Baste and chicken in its pot and return to the oven, uncovered. At the same time baste the vegetables in their roasting tin and also return them to the oven. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
  4. Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile baste the vegetables and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until crisped to your liking.
  5. Serve the chicken and it’s wonderful cooking juices with the roast vegetables on the side.

‘Blast From the Past’ Recipe

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Lamb Biryani (Serves 4)

If , like me, you’re indulging in the wonderful Spring lamb which is in our butchers right now, this recipe for using up the leftovers is one that you shouldn’t forget. I first shared this tasty dish back in 2020…

This is a lovely ‘one pot’ recipe, great for using up leftovers – you could make it with other roast meats such as chicken, beef or pork. It’s definitely a recipe that you will want to make again and again, an easy Monday option!

200g basmati rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2cm piece ginger, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 handfuls baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon plain flour (gluten free if required)

2 tablespoons mango chutney

200g leftover roast lamb, or whatever other meat you have left (see note above)

1 cup lamb or chicken  stock

50g almond flakes

50g butter, melted

Sea salt and black pepper

Greek natural yogurt to serve

Fresh coriander, chopped, to serve

  1. Cooke the basmati rice according to the instructions on the packet, and set aside.
  2. Place the oil, ginger, garlic and onion in an ovenproof dish and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  4. Add the curry powder, flour, chutney, and the chopped lamb, season with salt and pepper then stir well. Pour in the lamb stock. Top with the reserved, cooked rice, sprinkle with the almonds and drizzle with the melted butter. Cover with a lid (or tin foil) and place in a preheated oven, 200’c fan.
  5. After 20 minutes remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes.
  6. Serve topped with the yogurt and the chopped coriander.

April 2025

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My taste buds are particularly ‘alive’ right now as I have just returned from the warmer climes of Malaysia. What an incredible culinary adventure it was. This month’s recipes reflect my sunny mood. April has finally arrived and spring has officially started, so I think it’s only fair to reward ourselves with some fresh flavours!.. These recipes aren’t spicy hot, instead, they rely on the depth of flavour created from a combination of well-balanced spices. They’re dishes which all the family will enjoy – even those with younger taste buds!..

Menu One is ‘Fresh Turmeric and Peppercorn Curry with Prawns and Asparagus’. This is a wonderfully fresh curry with delicious aromatic flavours. The recipe is from Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, ‘Comfort; whilst I must admit that I’ve found the recipes in this book rather ‘hit or miss’, this one is an absolute winner! Menu Two is ‘Moroccan Chicken with Tomatoes and Saffron-Honey Jam’, it’s yet another fool-proof recipe from one of my favourite cookery book writers, Diana Henry. It’s actually from one of her early cookbooks published around twenty-two years ago; ‘Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons’, has recently been updated and the new edition is a wonderful reminder of how some recipes have ‘staying power’. This is one of those recipes that should never be forgotten – the sauce is a delicious dream!..

Hopefully these recipes will reawaken your taste buds for the spring. Enjoy!

*Looking for some uplifting tunes for your kitchen?.. why not check out ‘Music to Cook to…Menu Music Fourteen’ – a refreshing mix of Motown and soul tracks!

Menu Mistress will away next week…

I will be back 15th April with a Tuesday Treat!..

Menu One

Fresh Turmeric and Peppercorn Curry with Prawns and Asparagus (Serves 4)

This is a wonderfully fresh curry with delicious aromatic flavours. The recipe is from Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, ‘Comfort’; whilst I must admit to finding the recipes in this book rather ‘hit or miss’, this one is an absolute winner! The tangy ‘cucumber and ginger relish’ is a very important element to this dish – don’t be tempted to omit it.

145ml tin coconut cream

1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk

25g palm sugar, roughly chopped (or light soft brown sugar)

20ml fish sauce

500g asparagus, cut into 3cm lengths, keep the tips separate

500g peeled prawns

Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Cucumber and Ginger Relish:

125ml rice (or other white) vinegar

80g caster sugar

½ cucumber, quartered lengthways, deseeded and thinly sliced (200g)

20g ginger, peeled and julienned

1 red chilli, halved , deseeded and thinly sliced

10g coriander, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly torn

1 lime cut into wedges, to serve

Salt

Spice Paste:

3-5g dried chillies, more if you like it hot (I used Kashmiri dried chillies)

½ teaspoon whole white peppercorns, toasted and coarsely ground

2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and coarsely ground

2 shallots (60g), roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

20g coriander stems, roughly chopped

10g fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon coconut cream

  1. First of all make the relish, this can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated. Put the vinegar and sugar into a small pan along with 60ml water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil, the simmer for a minute, stirring once or twice, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and, once cool, add the cucumber, ginger, chilli and coriander stems (not the leaves), transfer to a sealed container and keep in the fridge. Just before serving stir through the coriander leaves.
  2. To make the spice paste, place the dried chillies in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside for a few minutes. Put the ground white peppercorns and coriander seeds into a small bowl of a food processor, along with the shallots, garlic, coriander stems, turmeric, coconut cream, soaked chillies and 1 tablespoon of the chilli soaking liquid. Blend to form a smooth purée, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times.
  3. Put the 145ml coconut cream into a medium saucepan and place on a medium-high heat. When it begins to simmer, add the spice paste and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until thick, clotted and oily – it will appear split. Add the coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce  and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir gently, then bring to a simmer. Add the asparagus stalks, cook for 4 minutes, then add the prawns and asparagus tips. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the prawns are just cooked through.
  4. Serve with jasmine rice, the cucumber and ginger relish (with the coriander leaves stirred through) and a wedge of lime.

Menu Two

Moroccan Chicken with Tomatoes & Saffron-Honey Jam (Serves 4)

This is yet another fool-proof recipe from one of my favourite cookery book writers, Diana Henry. It’s actually from one of her early cookbooks published around twenty two years ago. ‘Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons’, has recently been updated and the new edition is a wonderful reminder of how some recipes have ‘staying power’. This is one of those recipes that should never be forgotten – the sauce is a delicious dream. It’s very simple, but do make sure you allow time to reduce the sauce so that it becomes really jammy – yum!

1.7kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces, or 8 chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

800g tomatoes, roughly chopped

275ml chicken stock or water

½ teaspoon saffron threads

3-5 tablespoons runny honey

1 teaspoon orange flower water

25g flaked almonds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan

Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Season the chicken pieces and quickly brown them all over in the olive oil.
  2. Set the chicken aside and cook the onion in the same pan until soft and just colouring. Add the garlic, cinnamon and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
  3. Tip in the tomatoes, mix everything together well, reduce the heat and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
  4. Boil the stock or water and dissolve the saffron in it. Pour this over the vegetables and bring the whole thing to the boil. Set the chicken pieces on top, together with any juices that have come out of them, and spoon the liquid over them. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is tender; it should take about 30 minutes, but check after 25.
  5. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside, cover and keep warm. Now bring the juices to the boil and simmer until well reduced to a kind of cream – it shouldn’t be at all sloppy. Add the honey to taste and continue to cook until well-reduced and jam-like. Check the seasoning and add the orange flower water. Return the chicken to the pan and warm through.
  6. Serve scattered with the toasted almond flakes and chopped coriander, with rice, couscous or flatbreads on the side.

Tuesday Treat

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Ice-Cream with Mars Bar Sauce (serves 4)

Yes, I know it’s still March and it’s cold outside, but this ice-cream dessert is served with a hot sauce! In addition it’s the simplest dessert to whip up; a proper ‘cheats’ recipe. It’s been my ‘go-to’ recently as I’ve been away a lot and time in the kitchen has been hit and miss, however, this recipe is one which always delivers even when running around like a ‘headless chicken’!.. As Skye McAlpine, the creator of this recipe, says in her cookbook, ‘A Table Full of Love’… “There is nothing that is sophisticated and absolutely everything that is utterly delicious about this pudding”…

100g Mars bar (about 2), chopped

8 tablespoons double cream

Vanilla ice-cream

Sea salt flakes

3-4 tablespoons flaked almonds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan (optional)

  1. Put the chopped Mars bar in a small saucepan. Pour in the cream and warm gently over a low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is completely melted. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Add a couple of generous pinches of salt to taste.
  2. Scoop the ice-cream into bowls. Pour over the hot chocolate sauce and, if using, sprinkle over the almonds. Serve immediately!

March 2025

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I don’t need to tell you that I adore cookery books. I could happily while away time flicking through my cookbook library, unfortunately there are never enough hours in the day and I always end up feeling rather guilty for having ‘wasted’ time… even if these days I have the excuse of ‘research for Menu Mistress’. Anyway, one advantage for my family is that it’s always easy to choose a present for me! Unsurprisingly I received quite a few new additions to my collection last Christmas, so since the new year, I’ve been enjoying ‘trying and testing’ them.  One of those books is  ‘Agak Agak’ which is a cookbook of everyday recipes from Singapore. It was an inspired gift as this month, for the first time, I’m visiting Singapore and Malaysia. This cookbook by Su Han Lee has been whetting my appetite for the authentic food which I’m looking forward to trying. The cookbook itself has lots of inspiring recipes, I’m gradually making my way through the book but one recipe which I’ve made and particularly liked is ‘Hainanese Pork and New Potato Curry’. So this month I thought I’d share this so that you too can escape with me, at least for an hour or two, to South East Asia!…

This month’s Menu One is the aforementioned recipe, ‘Hainanese Pork and New Potato Curry’. It’s a sweet and mild dish with a depth of moreish fragrant flavours. It’s one of those curries which the whole family will love – they’ll be wanting second helpings so you might want to double the recipe! Menu Two has totally different flavours but is none the worst for it. ‘Peppered Rack of Lamb with Creamed Flagelolet Beans’, is perfect for making the most of the new season’s spring lamb. It’s a recipe which I found in an old cookbook, ‘5th Floor Harvey Nichols’ by Henry Harris. The original recipe was made with a rump of lamb but I prefer a rack, however, feel free to use the cut you like, just adjust the cooking times. The creamed flageolet beans should be noted as a ‘stand-alone-recipe’, as they make a great side for lots of other dishes and are super easy to make!

Menu One

Hainanese Pork and New Potato Curry (Serves 3- 4)

This recipe, from the Singaporean cookbook ‘Agak Agak’, is a sweet and mild dish with a depth of moreish fragrant flavours. It’s one of those curries which the whole family will love – they’ll be wanting second helpings so you might want to double the recipe!

500g pork shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

2 lemongrass stalks, bashed lightly

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

200ml coconut milk

About 250ml water

250g baby new potatoes, unpeeled, left whole, larger ones halved

3 tablespoons light soy sauce or to taste (gluten-free if required)

2 teaspoons light brown sugar or to taste

For the spice paste:

100g shallots, roughly chopped

15g piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Big pinch of sea salt

  1. For the spice paste, pound the shallots, ginger and garlic using a pestle and mortar or whizz in a blender until you get a smooth paste. Then mix in the ground spices and salt. Coat the pork chunks with the spice paste and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
  2. In a wok or shallow casserole, fry the whole spices and the lemongrass in the oil over a medium heat for about 1 minute, to help release their fragrance.
  3. Add the marinated pork, scraping in all the spice paste, then fry for about 10 minutes until the pork browns.
  4. Next stir in the coconut milk and enough water to just cover the pork. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to low and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  5. Gently tip in the potatoes and season the curry with soy sauce and sugar. Pop the lid back on and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the pork and potatoes are very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with more soy sauce or sugar if you like. Serve with rice.

Menu Two

Peppered Rack of Lamb & Creamed Flageolet Beans (Serves 4)

This is a recipe which I found in an old cookbook, ‘5th Floor Harvey Nichols’ by Henry Harris. The original recipe was made with a rump of lamb but I prefer a rack, however feel free to use the cut you like, just adjust the cooking times. The creamed flageolet beans should be noted as a ‘stand-alone-recipe’; they make a great side for lots of other dishes and are super easy to make!

2 x 400g cans flageolet beans, drained and rinsed

250ml whipping cream

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

2 racks of lamb (six cutlets each)

1 tablespoon peppercorns, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

60g butter

4 tablespoons cognac

250ml strong lamb stock

  1. Combine the beans, cream, garlic and rosemary in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  2. Sprinkle the lamb racks with the crushed peppercorns and press in with the palm of your hand, then season lightly with salt (it’s important to do it this way as if you salt first and then pepper afterwards, the pepper is likely to fall off).
  3. Add the olive oil to a frying pan. When it is hot add the racks and fry briskly until they have a golden crust.
  4. Place the racks on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven (200’c fan) for about 25-30 minutes (if you have a meat thermometer it should register 65-70’c). Rest for 5-10 minutes then slice into cutlets.
  5. Meanwhile, pour off the olive oil from the frying pan. Add the butter, cook for a few minutes until it goes a gentle nut brown. Add the cognac and cook for a further minute or so to drive off the alcohol. Add the stock and bring to the boil and reduce, whisking regularly, until a good syrupy sauce is achieved.
  6. Finally, spoon the beans on to warm plates, arrange the cutlets on top and serve with a little of the sauce.

Menu Mistress will be away for a couple of weeks…

I will be back 25th March with a ‘Tuesday Treat’!..