Sesame chilli aubergine with halloumi and seaweed

  A splendid dinner for one. Savoury and moreish, you’ll be so pleased you didn’t settle for a ready meal. Using sushi nori sheets is a really simple, accessible and delicious way to introduce seaweed into your diet. Ingredients 1 aubergine 3 slices halloumi cheese 1 teaspoon pickled ginger, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger,…

Quick creamy mushroom and olive pasta

Very close to a stroganoff, but even slightly quicker. I challenge you to miss meat while eating this savoury, comforting dinner. Serves 4, generously Ingredients 500g mushrooms, sliced 4 tablespoons olives, well rinsed and roughly chopped 2 teaspoons thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 teaspoon paprika 150ml double cream or…

Thai-meets-Scottish crab cakes to celebrate Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight

The approaching end of Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight prompted me to devise this recipe showcasing one of my favourite local ingredients – crab. Our house in East Lothian almost dips its toes into the North Sea, and fishing boats are a common sight from our windows. Though there’s little white fish left, mackerel, langoustine and crab remain plentiful, the…

Sweet potato and chickpea burgers with halloumi

This is an incredibly cheap, quick, healthy and satisfying meal (don’t scrimp on the cheese). In these hastily executed dinner photos I decided to add the halloumi to the side salad – this was a mistake. It’s much better in the burger. The burgers would also be a great kid’s or weaning meal, and freeze…

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos rancheros, or ‘rancher’s eggs’, is the original Mexican brunch: a big mid-morning meal designed to keep farm workers going. Nowadays brunch more likely means a late night requires a spicy, filling hangover cure, but don’t feel bad about it: this is still better for you than a fry up, just as satisfying and as easy to make. Equally splendid as…

Haemul pajeon – Korean seafood pancake

This rainy-day Korean snack is a favourite dinner of ours – we call it ‘humpty pigeon’, after my husband mis-read the meals blackboard. Healthy comfort food, it’s an omelette pancake based on spring onions and seafood: ‘pa’ means spring onion, ‘jeon’ pancake, and ‘haemul’ seafood. It’s usually made with shrimp or prawns among the seafood,…

Walnut Pesto Two Ways

Two versions that put a quick, healthy, cheaper spin on the usual basil & pine nuts variety – this makes an ideal week-night dinner, and spare pesto will keep well in the freezer. It’s a good way to get healthy nuts into babies and young children, but don’t serve it to babies under six months…

Flawless Flour Tortillas and Tortilla Pizza

Tortillas (makes 8) • 200g plain white or wholemeal flour • ½ teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 2 tbsp butter, melted (or ideally lard) • 100ml hot water Note before we start: if you’re going to use all the tortillas as pizza bases, you don’t need to be as precious about kneading or resting the…