Kidney bean curry (rajma)

One of the surprising things I discovered on my journey through India and staying, I have to confess, in nice hotels, was that the cooking in such places was actually very good, even the buffets, where you are presented with, say, twenty curries, the majority of them vegetarian. Rajma would be included in the buffet of every one of those hotels in the north of India, and with dishes like these I would have no problem being a vegetarian....

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Spaghetti with broccoli pesto

Boost your five-a-day by swapping pine nuts for broccoli in this tangy pesto pasta. It’s ideal as a quick midweek supper that even the kids will eat. Equipment and preparation: You will need a food processor for this recipe. Ingredients 300g/10½oz dried spaghetti 350g/12oz broccoli (about one head), broken into florets 30g/1oz fresh basil leaves 30g/1oz Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to garnish ½ garlic...

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Baked pappardelle with pancetta and porcini

Bake pasta for a bubbling sharing-at-the-table dish. Can you resist the aroma of cheese, pancetta and porcini? Ingredients 500ml/18fl oz milk 20g/¾oz dried porcini mushrooms 40g/1½oz butter 25g/1oz plain flour salt and freshly ground black pepper 100g/4oz pappardelle 50g/2oz pancetta, cut into 2cm/1in pieces 4-5 tbsp freshly grated parmesan Method Preheat...

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Italian Christmas Pudding Cake

This recipe is my own but at the same time a conflation of a couple of Italian Christmas must-haves: the glorious, fruit-studded panettone and crema di mascarpone, which is best described as tiramisu without the Savoiardi biscuit layer, and sometimes with pieces of chocolate stirred through the mascarpone mixture. I have brought in a cassata element, which means I add, along with the chocolate, some crumbled marrons glaces (though any candied...

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Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Although I first came up with this recipe because I had someone coming for supper who - genuinely - couldn't eat wheat or dairy, it is so meltingly good, I now make it all the time for those whose life and diet are not so unfairly constrained, myself included. It is slightly heavier with the almonds - though not in a bad way - so if you want a lighter crumb, rather than a squidgy interior, and are not making the cake for the gluten-intolerant,...

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Nutella Cake

Not only is this one of the easiest cakes to make, it happens - joyously - to be one of the most delicious. My household is totally addicted! Please don't feel obliged to rush out and buy a bottle of Frangelico, the most divinely declasse hazelnut liqueur, its monkish derivation signalled by the rope that is hung from the holy-brother-shaped bottle. I use hazelnuts bought ready-ground, but ones you grind yourself in the processor will...

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Devil's Food Cake

Forget the name, this cake is heavenly. The crumb is tender, the filling and frosting luscious. When I made it one friday, I expected my children, resident food critics much in the mould of the Grim eater, to find it too dark, too rich, not sweet enough: you get the gist. Instead, I came down on Saturday morning to find nothing but an empty, chocolate-smeared cake stand and a trail of crumbs. You may prefer to prepare this the other...

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Scallops With Thai Scented Pea Puree

Introduction I love the bouncy sweetness of scallops and, although you might think the equal sweetness of the peas would be too much alongside, the deep flavour of coriander and chilli and the sharpness of lemongrass miraculously provided by the thai green curry paste, make it a zingy and yet still comforting accompaniment. This is a real treat of a supper, both for the eater and the cook. Ingredients ...

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Chicken Traybake With Bitter Orange and Fennel

Introduction I don’t think I could say how often I’ve made this since settling into my new kitchen. Not that I’m ashamed of being repetitive – I find that comforting – but I’ve simply cooked it too often to count. This, as it cooks, fills your kitchen with its gentle anise and citrus scent, working as well in midwinter with in-season Seville oranges as it does in summer with eating oranges, their sweetness soured by lemon. I...

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Mexican Chicken or Turkey Salad With Tomato and Black Bean Salsa

Introduction This is the perfect recipe for using leftover chicken or turkey at any time. A jicama is sometimes known as a Mexican potato, though that's a bit misleading since you can eat it raw. It looks like a turnip wrapped in fresh ginger skin. If you can't get hold of a jicama, then I'd replace it with an Asian or Nashi pear or a couple of drained cans of water chestnuts, cut into matchsticks; what you want is juiciness and crunch....

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Breakfast Bars

Introduction I am addicted to these, and so is everyone I give them to. Although they're quick to throw together, they do take nearly an hour to bake, so what I suggest is, make a batch at the weekend and then you will have the oaty, chewy bars ready and waiting for those days when you have to snatch breakfast on the hoof. Mind you, they are just like milk and cereal in bar form, so there's nothing to stop you nibbling at one with...

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Breakfast Bruschetta

Introduction Something that is served, from California to Tuscany, as an evening savoury or appetizer may not seem an obvious choice for breakfast, but I say: think again. This is quick to make, absurdly easy in fact. The strange thing is that it is as easy to eat, even first thing. I can wolf this stuff down. Ingredients For the Tomato Bruschetta 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 thick slices toasted...

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