Tag Archives: Starters
Olive, rosemary and goats cheese muffins
Savoury muffins are a great alternative to sandwiches for picnics as they transport a lot better, don’t get soggy and don’t have a tendency to spill everywhere. Ingredients 2tsp of baking powder 250g of plain flour 50g of cheddar, grated 3 free-range eggs 40mls milk 50ml olive oil 2tbsp fresh rosemary 100g good pitted olives […]
Berenjenas con miel
There are a few different recipes for berenjenas con miel or aubergines with honey, all of which are pretty good. Some recipes deep fry the aubergines in batter, however, I think the stripped down simple version is best. I first ate this tapas dish in Barcelona and promised myself I would learn how to make […]
Roasted garlic soup with chilli oil
The soup is pretty creamy so the chilli oil drizzle works really well by cutting through the rich soup. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of garlic used here – the roasting process will lessen the garlic flavour. Ingredients (serves 2) For the roasted garlic soup: 3 large bulbs of garlic 1 white onion 1 […]
Roasted red pepper and tomato soup
This is a very sweet soup – when you taste it you’ll be amazed you have not included any sugar. Keep any leftovers for a pasta sauce – simply reduce the mixture by cooking for a while longer and add more chilli flakes to liven it up a bit. Ingredients (serves 4) 4 red peppers […]
Mini pear, stilton and honey tarts
These are really easy to make and don’t require many ingredients. The pears will caramelise in the honey while the stilton will provide a lovely tangy aftertaste. I used two different sized round pastry cutters, one smaller than the other. If you don’t have pastry cutters, you could simply improvise with different sized glasses. Ingredients […]
Dairy free mushroom pâté
I recently made this for some friends who came around to our house for pre-drinks and nibbles before heading out for New Year’s celebrations. Since most of our friends are meat-eaters, my husband also bought some cured Italian meat. Suffice to say, these little toasted mushroom pâté morsels were completely devoured before the meat got […]
Beetroot dip
This brightly coloured hummus-like dip will wow your guests. It is incredibly easy to make and very healthy. Ingredients 4 cooked beetroots 1 tsp of creamed horseradish ½ can of chickpeas 1 tbsp tahini paste Salt / pepper Juice of ½ a lemon ½ tsp cumin A sprinkling of sesame seeds (optional) Method Whizz all […]
Stilton arancini with a walnut crust
These arancini balls make fantastic starters. They are pretty rich so team them up with a fresh salad with a sharp dressing or dipped into a fiery tomato salsa. Key to cooking these is patience. The rice needs to be cold before you add the eggs and the arancini then need time to sit in […]
Rosemary polenta cake with olive tapenade and tomatoes
I visited the Dolomites in Northern Italy last year and while I was there, polenta quickly become part of my daily diet which gave me the energy to hike over the huge mountain range. I don’t understand why it isn’t used more in British cooking. It is so easy to make, versatile and extraordinarily cheap. […]
Really Easy Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed vegetables are super easy to make. They used to be the main vegetarian option of choice at almost all dinner parties a few years ago and have since become a little unfashionable. They could be put in the same group as crêpe suzette and volovants. But, they are having a little revival and are […]
The everyday vegetarian UK 