Marielle Vensora Aubergine, breadcrumbs and herbs form these meat-free balls. Lemon and optional black olives season the mixture before it is shaped and fried. Serves 2 Ingredients 1 aubergine 1 onion, red or white 1 large garlic clove 1 red chilli or a pinch of dried chilli 1 tbsp finely chopped black olives, optional 3 tbsp oil … Read more
These savoury muffins use plain flour and mashed sweetcorn, with onion, herbs and a little chilli. The same mixture can be baked as a loaf. Makes 8 muffins or 1 loaf Ingredients 250g plain flour ½ tsp salt 10g baking powder, approximately 2 tsp 50g sugar ¼ tsp chilli flakes or 2 pinches cayenne pepper … Read more
This recipe came about after seeing the tins of soup in the supermarket and thinking, ‘I can do better than that.’ So rather than stocking up on thin tomato soup (with suspiciously few tomatoes) I thought I’d treat myself to some cheap, versatile, protein-packed spicy goodness instead. The quantities here make four generous portions. Serves … Read more
This tomato sauce is exactly what its name says – a wonderfully versatile sauce for all occasions. It was inspired by a basic tomato sauce in Economy Gastronomy by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett – which is a brilliant guide to cooking fantastic food on a budget. With mine, I make a batch, eat some, … Read more
Somewhere in the midst of showing people around my house this morning, watching them leave with some of my belongings, and tagging and pricing what’s left in preparation for the Big Open House Sale on Saturday the 18th (which is exactly what it says on the tin, in case you have been living under a … Read more
Well well well. It appears that Tony Cox and I agree on something, according to todays Echo: I’m sure I recognise his words from an Echo letter back in September (and an article on my blog in May) where I said: “I wrote back in May on this blog, mooting this as an idea, to … Read more
For John S. Hadjicostas, in memoriam. John Hadjicostas – or as I called him, Grandad – passed away this morning at Southend Hospital. The man that we thought was invincible, who survived strokes, heart attacks, and cancers, has gone. I spent summers down at his guest houses on the seafront, folding bed linen and washing … Read more
This tagine uses my three staple spices – turmeric, cumin and paprika – to deliver a gorgeous sweet and spicy dinner. I made it for Xanthe Clay from the Daily Telegraph when she visited for an article called ‘My 49p Lunch With A Girl Called Jack’. In her words: ‘the food is very fine, and … Read more
While in Sainsburys earlier picking up £2.69 of shopping (fromage frais, apples, rice pudding, orange and grapefruit juice and lots of kidney beans, if you’re curious) I couldn’t help but notice the following: As someone who buys pretty much the same items every week, spending around a tenner a time, I know the prices of … Read more
This loaf is a favourite weekend recipe of mine, which is easily adapted to personal tastes and what you have in the cupboard. Sometimes I like to thoroughly mash the chickpeas for a smoother bread, and sometimes I chuck them in whole for a knobbly, crunchy texture. Delicious toasted or grilled with butter, or bacon, … Read more