I make Dal for supper regularly - at least once a month. It's delicious, healthy and so easy, particularly if I'm busy. It takes no time to get this recipe going and after an hour or so when you're ready to stop and eat, it's done. It's also great when you've not had much time for shopping - you just need a few fresh ingredients.
I can't decide which is my favourite... risotto or paella? They are cooked quite differently and both are fantastic when made well. Whilst working on this recipe, I do think that perhaps paella might just get my vote, with it's bold, upfront flavours. This is seriously tasty comfort food. It's also a 'one pan wonder' and the bonus... no stirring!
Baba Ganoush is a wonderful smoky aubergine dip from the Middle East - it blows the socks off houmous. I love it with grilled pitta breads but often struggle to find the time to make it, that is until I discovered this new aubergine puree.
Shawarma is up there as one of my favourites, it's so tasty and the hands down winner over the Turkish Doner or the Greek Gyros. Although it's traditionally cooked on a large skewer, rotisserie style, it's easily possible to recreate this fantastic street food classic at home.
Growing up, cauliflower was generally presented to me smothered in cheese sauce and baked in the oven. It's delicious and still is a real family favourite. However, the wonderful nutty flavour that a simple cauliflower develops when roasted is a joy that I didn't discover until a few years ago. Cauliflower is widely available all year round, although they are at their peak in spring and autumn, they are a real workhorse during those drab months when not much seems to be in season.
It's hard to find authentic confit in the supermarkets here so I was so excited to discover this version, made in Ireland and in vacuum sealed packs with a good long shelf life. It's stunning quality and just as good as any confit you'll find in France.
This lentil recipe came from a chef friend who used to work at The Tate, he said it's one of those recipes you'll go back to time and time again. However, there's good news and bad news....
This recipe is like a beef stew with the added benefit that it all comes together in less than 10 minutes (with about 20 minutes of prep time). To save time and money use beef mince instead of sirloin.
These addictively savoury noodles, laced with fiery chilli oil and fragrant, mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns do require a reasonably well stocked Chinese larder, but are relatively straight forward to make and will quite possibly become a regular on your weekly menu.
Kung Pao Chicken - sometimes called Gong Boa - is a really simple stir fry recipe that's full of rich umami flavours spiked with the holy trinity of Chinese ingredients - chilli, ginger and garlic - seasoned with mouth-tingling Sichuan pepper and soy sauce. It's a classic for good reason - dark, sticky, sweet and sour and really tasty, quick and easy to make.
This recipe, using our Italian Pinsa Romana pizza/flatbreads showcases some of our Middle Eastern ingredients. The flavours go brilliantly together, these flabreads are absolutely delicious and will become a firm favourite on pizza night.
Chilaquiles are a breakfast staple in Mexico. In Oaxaca we tucked into this dish every morning sitting in an exquisite little sunny patio garden surrounded by hummingbirds and bougainvillea. Crispy corn tortilla chips smothered in warm salsa with a variety of toppings .
Khao Soi is a noodle soup from Northern Thailand, packed full of flavour. It's spicy, it's fresh, it's fragrant, there is so much going on - you'll love it. The base of the soup is pretty similar to a red curry so to keep things simple, I've just used our brilliant Thai red curry paste.
Discovering Achiote Paste for me was an epiphany moment in Mexican cooking. It's deep red in colour and actually more of a solid block than a loose paste. The key ingredient is annatto seeds, which are extracted from an evergreen shrub native to Latin America. It has a slightly smoky, earthy flavour that is popular in Mexican cuisine as a marinade for meat and fish. You have to dilute the block to use it and Mexicans often use a particular bitter orange for this. Getting hold of this special variety can be a challenge but you can recreate a similar effect by using regular oranges with some added vinegar.
This recipe is my homage to an amazing 'menú del día' of soft chorizo sausages, potatoes and beans, enjoyed in the Rioja region of Spain, where we ate and drank the most fabulous food.
When it's cold and rainy this beef ramen recipe has magical reviving properties, it's like nestling into an enormous sheepskin rug in front of a roaring fire on the grimmest of winter days.