I am always delighted when people tell me they find my Christmas tips useful so if you are one of those then please, do read on.  There are several posts from previous years (December 2020, November 2016)  which you could turn to or see this recap below.  There might seem a lot but it’s a fairly quick read and if you just take a couple of tips which help then it’s worthwhile.  Plan some menus, make a few things ahead, shop well – it all helps.

Getting ready for Christmas means different things to us all.  For some it is getting your presents bought and wrapped in October, for others it is having a freezer full of ready prepared meals and, of course, some would panic if their house wasn’t decorated top to toe by the 1st December.  I am a mix of the first two but rarely get the house dolled up much before 16th or thereabouts as that is when term used to end for my children and we embarked on the Christmas holidays proper.

Food is what we are here to talk about however so, here we go.  My plans can go two ways depending on whether or not we are hosting so let’s kick off with that.  Without doubt, the more people we have here for Christmas the more organised I am.  Anything that can be prepared ahead and stored or frozen will be and this includes –

Roast potoates – these can be par boiled, shaken and frozen separate on a tray.  Once frozen just tumble into a bag or box and freeze until Christmas Day.  Put them straight onto a baking tray with hot oil and roast from frozen.  These work a treat and getting them done is a most satisfying box to tick. I favour King Edwards or Maris Pipers for really good roasties and do more than you think you will need, they will get eaten.

Gravy – I will make a base gravy ahead of time and then combine that with turkey or beef cooking juices on the day.  Much easier to get ahead with this than to be juggling giblets in your Christmas best.

Pigs in blankets – unless your butcher does cocktail sized sausages I would buy good, meaty chipolatas, twist in half and cut each one then wrap in streaky bacon.  Again flat freeze until hard then keep the in bags in the freezer, these I would defrost before cooking. Alternatively freeze the in foil trays and cook them directly in those.

Cranberry sauce – make it ahead and freeze then defrost and decant.

Bread sauce – make this as usual then freeze.  Defrost and on heating you might well need some extra milk to loosen the consistency.

Stuffing – I will usually make a pair of stuffings, one sausage based and one veggie.  Pack into foil trays then defrost and cook in these.  Decant into prettier bowls for serving.

We tend to have a baked ham for lunch on Christmas Eve.  It is suitably festive and celebratory to get things going and then means the ham is all ready for sandwiches, if you can fit them in, for supper on Christmas Day (or a slice to go with a fried egg on Christmas morning if needs be).  We have these with red cabbage and boiled potatoes.  I either strew the boiled potatoes with a good handful of chopped parsley or, if I have the energy and inclination, make a parsley sauce to go with the ham.  Cumberland sauce is never a bad thing to have here.  We almost always have my Tiramisu Buche de Noel (picture above) for pudding here.  Whilst rich and treaty it is also very light and you can make both components the day before.

Christmas Eve supper is where I definitely want to get ahead.  You may have guests arriving, presents to wrap or simply a lack of energy – either way it’s good to know that supper is already prepared.  I favour a vegetarian curry or tagine of some description.  These are easy to put together and it doesn’t hurt to have a night off meat before the big day. Sarah Raven’s mushroom, chickpea and kale one has served me very well a couple of times and is happily made ahead and frozen.  I’ll add rice, poppadoms, raita and chutney.

I think breakfast on Christmas Day is essential.  You may have been woken up early by children and it is worth considering that a drink or two may be taken around midday (if not earlier) so some lining is a good idea.  Whilst I wouldn’t necessarily go for a full cooked number I would offer my Christmas granola with yogurt, croissants, toasted sourdough and maybe boiled eggs.  If, however, you are going for a late afternoon lunch you may want something much more substantial for breakfast – don’t go mad though, remember you have quite the feast coming up.  We’ve always had children around so I tend to keep lunch at lunchtime.

 Canapés are a treat I always look forward to with drinks and everyone seems to appreciate these to keep them going before lunch.  My gougerès are a must and I am quite a sucker for traditional smoked salmon on either thin brown bread or little blinis.  These pancakes can be made a head and frozen, I rather like them with some finely chopped chives mixed in the batter.

Although Christmas lunch is no more than a big Sunday lunch really, there are always distractions, drinks and demands so this is one of those times when I write down a time plan.  Whilst it may seem a bit over the top I can’t tell you how much it helps when a glass of fizz has been taken to have a reminder of what needs to go in the oven and when etc.  You don’t want to feel frazzled before lunch even starts and you don’t want guests drunk or starving.  Do remember to get the turkey, goose, beef or whatever out of the fridge in good time, this really must be at room temperature before going in the oven.

Once lunch is out of the way it’s usually the King’s Speech (although we aren’t always quite finished by then) and then after a suitable pause a walk for some much needed fresh air.  As a child we walked down the lane playing hockey with upside down walking sticks and it set us up for a pot of tea and Christmas cake.  Now you really are on the home run with just those wonderful leftovers winking at you for supper.  Please make sure you have some good mayo on hand, mine is super easy and you can make it well beforehand.  I would also recommend some appropriate bread, it might just be me but I find a well filled sandwich made with sourdough requires jaw dislocation to eat.  Which brings me on to a few more useful things to have in the freezer –

A couple of different loaves, we love sourdough but it isn’t perfect for everything, as mentioned above, the smoked salmon and leftovers sandwiches are better with a thinner slice.

Ice, buy some bags so that no one gets in a bait when they find that the ice trays haven’t been refilled with water and frozen.

Coffee, freezes a treat and no-one wants to run out of it.

Vanilla ice cream, for a quick pud with a slice of fried left over Christmas pudding, an affogato or just with a chocolate or caramel sauce.

Naan breads to jazz up any leftover turkey curry.

Having said all that, I know the shops are open practically every day but I rather like the feeling of being well stocked and not having to go out for a week.

Finally, you being happy and relaxed will create the best atmosphere.  Remember, lighting some candles will cast a pretty glow and no-one will notice a dusty house;  a good sprinkling of chopped, fresh herbs will cover most mistakes;  a brisk walk in some fresh air is the ideal re-set;  there will be masses of food so everyone will be fine.

However you are planning to spend Christmas, I hope you eat well whilst remaining relaxed and if any of these tips have helped you achieve that then my Christmas will be all the better.

This is my Chocolate Pudding cake which you can make now and put in the freezer.  A treat to find lurking in the icy depths when you barely have the energy to lift your head from the sofa.

Another entry in my “Favourite Salad This Summer” line up.  Once again this one embraces pulses and not for the first time I am banging the drum for Bold Beans.  This isn’t an ad and they are not paying me but I have got to tell you, they are truly fantastic beans.  Superb texture and taste which, after all, is pretty important if the pulse in question is a key component of your lunch.

Here courgettes are the other star along with dill.  It might seem a surprising combination but, as they say, trust me.  A simple trio but a mighty outcome.  This works well as side, I served it alongside the last salad featured here, Roast Cauliflower with herby yogurt, and some chicken and was immediately asked for the recipe.  Equally, I am happy to serve this on its own for supper and sometimes add mushrooms to the equation.  If you want to do that too, just add a similar amount of sliced mushrooms to the courgettes when cooking.  This beefs it out a little, as it were, and also soothes my son who loves the mushroom and courgette combo but has had enough of my pulse obsession.  Actually as a side note, he will often cook himself the courgettes and mushrooms but with not a bean in sight so that is another option really.

This is a corker for your leftovers lunch bowl so make a little extra at supper time and relish the smug glow of knowing a delicious lunch is prepped before you even go to bed.  Win win.

Courgettes, butter beans and dill.

Here is what I use but obviously this is super simple and very adaptable.  Scale up as you please or go the added mushroom route.  I am particularly fond of this served with a little yogurt and chilli sauce or the herby yogurt from the previous recipe.  The pumpkin seeds add a pleasing crunch and contrast in texture but leave them out if they are not your thing. This amount would serve four as a side.

3 courgettes, topped, tailed, sliced and these slices halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped

700g jar butter beans (or different beans if that is what you have) drained

1 tablespoon chopped dill

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, dry toasted in a frying pan

Warm the oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgettes with a pinch of salt until soft and just getting some spots of colour on the edges.  Add the beans and garlic and give it all a good stir for a minute of so until the garlic is just cooked and the beans warm.  Season well, mix in the dill and decant into a serving bowl or dish.  Scatter over the pumpkin seeds.

As Ina would say, how easy was that?

I am mad for a big salad, the sort of thing that works as your main course but could also be a side if required.  A combination of ingredients with various flavours and textures that just work together.  Sometimes this could be a bowl lunch (do they call this a Buddha bowl) where I have collected various bits from the fridge or it could be something that involved a little more planning.  As such I am always putting things together to see what deserves to be written down.  Often these collections will include pulses of some description, I can barely go a day without either butter beans, lentils or chickpeas and favour Bold Beans, they are spectacular.  There must also be crunch and some kind of dressing, possibly yogurt or maybe a herb one along the lines of my Fresh Herb Sauce (July 2013).

Here we have some roast cauliflower and I think roasting brings out something really special in this particular vegetable, miles better than the boiled of old (that said I wouldn’t be without cauliflower cheese in the winter).  Some singed edges and the added spices make it really sing and I love the contrast with the herby yogurt and tang of the pickled onions.  You can of course use broccoli if that is what you have or prefer and I’ve made a similar salad using potatoes as the veg when that has been all the larder yielded.

Make the component parts ahead if that works for you and then bung them together before you serve.  We had this recently with a couple of other salads and a big pile of marinated, grilled chicken which was fabulous but I would be just as happy with this on its own.  Easy, cheap, make ahead, delicious – what more could you want?

Spiced Cauliflower, herb sauce and pickled onion salad

I often make my own spice blend using cumin, paprika, a little cayenne etc or a cajun type mix I get from the farm shop but here I used Cape Herb & Spice rub in Portuguese piri piri which has a great flavour and heat and I just happened to have it to hand.  I rarely use these pre-made blends but have found a couple I like and they do save a bit of time.

1 cauliflower, chopped into small florets, core cut up and leaves retained

1 tablespoon spice mix, see intro

2 tablespoons olive oil (nothing special)

A couple of stems of cherry tomatoes still on their vines if possible

300g Greek yogurt

1 batch Fresh herb sauce (July 2013)

1 batch Quick pickled onions (August 2014)

Preheat the oven to 200.  In a large bowl mix the cauliflower florets and core with the olive oil and spice mix, spread over a large baking tray and cook in the oven for around 30 minutes until it’s taken on colour (not just colour from the spices).  For the last 10 minutes, add the cauliflower leaves to the pan (turn them in the spices and oil) and finally the cherry tomatoes just to bring these to point of the skin splitting.  You can then leave all this to cool until just warm or even cold but I wouldn’t want it fridge cold. Check whether the cauliflower needs a bit of salt, it depends on the spice mix, some are quite salty.

Spread the yogurt onto a large plate and swirl the herb sauce over it.  Top with the cauliflower, scatter over the drained pickled onion and top with the cherry tomatoes. A pinch of salt over the top and you will be good to go.  This would serve four as a side.

I am, if not fanatical, then certainly evangelical when it comes to pulses.  For years I have raved and enthused about lentils, chick peas, cannellini beans and the like (please note there are recipes for all of the above on these pages).  Now it is the turn of butter beans to be my true favourite.  I say now but in fact many, many years ago in a shared house one popular communal supper was a combination of butter beans, tuna, spring onions and a lively vinaigrette.  So, whilst that particular recipe isn’t a current favourite, it seems pulses have long been popular in my life.  These days pulses are all the rage and readily available in jars which is my preferred choice.  Until recently jarred beans were the preserve of delis and Spanish shops but not only are they on the shelves of most supermarkets now but can also be delivered to your door which is how I found myself with a monthly subscription to Bold Beans.

Owing to this regular arrival of beans I have upped the pulse game Chez May and we eat a lot of them although that we doesn’t include my son who says he has been over pulsed and needs a break.  Endless winter suppers have been bolstered and padded out with these beans and now it is the turn of our summer salads to be pulsified.

The recipe that follows couldn’t be easier, in fact it is barely a recipe.  It utilises half of a batch of my fresh herb sauce (July 2013) but I recommend you still make the whole amount as you will certainly find a use for the other half*.  This is a salad with some backbone which is always useful, nothing to go particularly limp here so it can be made ahead of time and, in fact, is still good the next day so ideal for lunch boxes.  It can easily be scaled up so handy for summer lunch parties.  Above all though, it is the work of minutes and truly delicious.

Herby butter bean and tomato salad

1 700g jar butter beans, drained and rinsed (usually around 500g net)

1/2 batch fresh herb sauce (July 2013)

1 large handful of cherry tomatoes halved

Chopped chives (optional)

Mix the butter beans with the herb sauce and tomatoes.  Put into a serving bowl and scatter with the chives if you are using them.  Serves two for lunch or more people if there are other dishes alongside.

*If you have lots of tomatoes, simply slice then and serve with some of the leftover fresh herb sauce spooned over.  This makes a wonderful summery tomato salad and you can easily add some sliced mozzarella which is also delicious and looks fabulous.

Please excuse the really not very good photograph.

I suspect a lot of us have our own version of this classic.  Whilst I don’t think it holds up as a true Italian sauce for pasta, it is delicious and has found a very welcome home here.  Few things beat a good spoonful of this richly flavoured and satisfying sauce atop a pile of spaghetti, or whatever pasta you have. This is certainly one of the first things I remember cooking in a shared house after leaving home and haven’t really stopped making it since although I have certainly refined the recipe since.  The older readers of these pages won’t, I suspect, need a recipe, but students and less experienced cooks may find it useful so here we go.

This is an excellent recipe to make quite a lot of and then divide up and freeze some smaller amounts – you will never regret having a pot of bolognese in the freezer for times when you can’t be bothered to cook or are short of food or funds.  This sauce is entirely untroubled by being frozen but do remember you can only re-freeze this if you have changed the state of the meat ie if you have defrosted raw mince you should not refreeze that raw.  If however you defrost raw mince then make this Bolognese, you can freeze the now cooked mince.

I am always keen to slip in a little extra veg where I can and some finely chopped carrot along with the onion are a great way of adding to your 5 a day and using up carrots should they be languishing in the fridge.  A handful of red lentils will melt away, become almost indistinguishable, pad out the sauce and up your fibre intake.  Both are a win win but neither are in any way essential, just tips if you have either hanging around or you need to stretch supper.

Bolognese 

This is quite a large amount of sauce using 500g of minced beef.  This can easily be halved or make the whole amount, eat some this evening for supper and freeze the rest. If you haven’t got any tomato puree then a squirt of tomato ketchup will be fine but don’t go mad as it is quite sweet.  Probably the most important tip is long, slow cooking.

I tablespoon oil

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

500g minced beef

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tins peeled and/or chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf (if you have one but entirely optional)

Warm the oil in a large pan that you have a lid for and cook the onion with a pinch of salt slowly until really soft, probably around 20 minutes, with the odd stir.  If you are using carrot too then put this in the pot with the onion.  Add the mince and cook gently until it has all changed from pink to brown at which point you can add the garlic and oregano. Give it a good stir and leave to cook for a few minutes before adding the tomato puree (or ketchup), the tinned tomatoes, salt and the bay leaf if you have one.  Once this has all come up to a gentle simmer put the lid on and leave to tick away for at least an hour but two would be better.  You could also put this into a low oven rather than leave it on the hob.  Give it a stir a couple of times during the cooking time to check nothing is catching on the bottom of the pan.  Serve with pasta* and grated cheese if you want.  Make sure any sauce you are freezing is absolutely cold before you put it into the freezer.  When you come to use it, defrost and then make sure it is heated properly ie, really hot, before you eat it.  This amount would serve 8 people.

*When you cook pasta always keep a mugful of the starchy water as this is ideal for thinning down any sauce, helping it emulsify well and coating the pasta effectively.

Mayonnaise is a handy staple to have in the fridge at any time but I find myself reaching for it more during the summer months.  Who can resist a leftover Jersey Royal topped with a blob of wobbly, glossy mayonnaise?  There are so many picnic opportunities for the jar of mayo and it is essential for any number of salads or cold collations (now that’s a word I don’t often use).  Then there are chips, if you start dipping hot chips into this mayonnaise I predict you will struggle to stop.

Of course you can buy your mayonnaise and there are good ones available, but and this really is a proper but, none are as good as a jar of homemade.   Rich and unctuous with a satiny sheen, fresh yet savoury with a gentle hum of garlic – what is not to love.  I should mention that garlic isn’t traditional unless you are making an aioli (see Introduction) but having tried with and without, my lot prefer it with.

Like many other recipes using eggs, making mayonnaise is a form of alchemy and certainly isn’t difficult but there are a couple of important provisos.  The most crucial of these is to add your oil slowly, really slowly to start with, almost drop by drop.  Once the initial mix of the egg and other ingredients start to to thicken with the addition of the oil you can speed things up a touch but I tend to go pretty cautiously until I have thick and glossy mixture in the bowl.  I used to make mayonnaise with just egg yolks but when I saw an Ottolenghi recipe using a whole egg I adjusted my recipe and have been set on that ever since.  So much easier not to have a couple of egg whites winking at you from the fridge.

Mayonnaise

To make a simple aioli I would up the garlic to three cloves.  Whilst this might not have the authenticity to hold its head up in the South of France it works for me.

You can make the mayonnaise in a food processor but it is easier to use one with a small bowl otherwise the blade is chasing the egg around in rather a large space and it may not combine with the oil.  I find a hand held blender the easiest and most reliable method.

1 whole egg

1 heaped tablespoon of dijon mustard

1 clove garlic chopped (see Introduction)

1 heaped teaspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vinegar, white wine or cider (tarragon vinegar makes a glorious mayonnaise)

500ml vegetable oil (or 400ml vegetable oil and 100 of olive oil) in a jug

Juicy of half a juicy lemon

Put the egg, mustard, garlic, sugar, salt and vinegar into a bowl and mix briefly with your hand held/immersion blender.  With the blender going start adding the oil, drop by drop initially.  Once you can see the ingredients emulsifying you can up the oil to a thin but steady stream.  When all the oil is added and you have a thick and wobbly mayo, add most of the lemon juice and give a final whizz.  Taste, it should be spot on but you can add a little more lemon juice or salt if you wish.  A jar of this lasts for ages in the fridge but it tends to go pretty quickly.

I must make soup at least once a week and there are so many reasons for this.  Warming and nourishing, a great way to use up vegetables (particularly sad or slightly bendy ones), get your five a day in one go, disguise vegetables for those less keen, good for you, super cheap and of course absolutely delicious.  Whilst I make many variations on vegetable soup, what follows is my blueprint.

A couple of leeks and carrots is where it starts but you can add so many other things thereafter.  If I have some butternut hanging around then a few chunks of that, peeled, will go in.  A lonely courgette or a few florets of broccoli will also find a happy home.  I nearly always add some red lentils, a superb way to add to the already fibre rich soup and they yield such a velvety texture.  Half a bunch of parsley languishing in the fridge will go into the pot rather than the compost and a teaspoon of curry powder will certainly be added if there is a parsnip in the mix.

The resulting soup will go off in packed lunches and I will thoroughly look forward to my bowl when I stop for lunch.  Any extra (what?) can be frozen for another day.

If you are feeling flash add a swirl of cream or a handful of croutons when serving.  This is very simple and possibly rather old fashioned but it is an absolute winner too.

Everyday soup

Once blended taste for seasoning, depending on your stock you may need a touch of salt.  I sometimes add a splash of milk or indeed cream when whizzing to add a touch of richness, particularly if I have a scrap of cream (or creme fraîche) that needs using up. A splash of sherry just before adding the stock is only ever a good thing if you have a bottle to hand.

A tablespoon of oil

A small knob of butter

2 leeks, finely sliced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped fairly small

100g red lentils

1 litre vegetable stock (chicken stock is fine if that is all you have)

A few sprigs of parsley if you have them

Melt the butter with the oil in a medium size pan.  Add the leeks and soften for a few minutes before adding the carrots and the lentils.  Stir into the oil and then add the stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the carrots are soft and the lentils breaking down.  Add the parsley and whizz with a hand held blender then taste and season if necessary.  This is enough for 2 very hungry people or three on a normal day but is easily doubled or trebled.

The picture above is before blending, the picture below is after.

Rarely have I taken a photograph that so inefficiently portrays the delight that this curry delivers.  The most arduous thing that is required here is to chop up a cauliflower and then let the magic happen in the pan.  Barely a recipe although one that a you can tinker with at will, adding or subtracting to suit you and whomever you are cooking for.  I sometimes make this with individual spices but more often turn to a good paste and then shake in a couple of extras that I like.  The use of a paste not only makes this even easier and quicker  but may be a useful shortcut for those without an entire spice drawer at their disposal.

The reasonably large quantity of stock which is required to cook the cauliflower is then given substance and body by the addition of red lentils.  I have only used half a tin of coconut milk because I’m looking for a suggestion of its sweet, fragrant note rather than a full on green curry vibe – the other half I freeze until next time.  I also use all the cauliflower, stalks, leaves and all which makes the supremely satisfying, not only in the eating sense but also in the frugality and no waste sense.

Cauliflower Curry

I add the cardamom and nigella seeds simply because I like their specific flavours but it is entirely up to you and the curry will absolutely not suffer without them.  If you love ginger add some grated ginger or chuck in extra garlic if that is your thing, the following is simply my way, you can go off piste as you please. The paste I have taken to using is a Jamie Oliver Keralan one but any good quality medium heat paste will be fine – use what you have.   Brown rice seems to work particularly well with this and leftovers are tip top for lunch the next day.

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 generous tablespoon of curry paste (see introduction)

100g red lentils

1 litre vegetable stock

1/2 can coconut milk

1 cauliflower chopped into small florets, stalk and leaves cut up too

A handful of cherry tomatoes

Fresh coriander, chopped

Soften the onion in the oil and then add the paste and lentils, stir it all well and then add the stock and coconut milk.  Bring it up to a simmer then add the cauliflower, florets, stalk, leaves and all.  Cook for about 15 minutes until the cauliflower and lentils are cooked – the lentils will break up a bit and thicken the sauce.  Add the cherry tomatoes for the last few minutes just to heat through and soften a bit.  Serve with masses of chopped coriander sprinkled over and some brown rice.  Serves 4.

Times have changed Chez May as my daughter starts her second year at University.  Food wise this means two things;  at home we can relax into more vegetable based, mediterranean style cooking and secondly I am on call for the odd piece of advice when it comes to cooking, said daughter now being in a shared house.

When I look back at my days of sharing a house it was definitely more fun, practical and economical when we shared shopping and cooking.  I once found myself living in a flat where we all had a shelf in the fridge and a shelf in the cupboard.  Miserable – not only were the contents of everyone else’s shelves more appealing than my own but it meant we cooked and ate separately, truly no fun at all.  Thus, before Minty left, we conducted an experiment.  I wanted to buy a bag of food as reasonably as possible the contents of which would serve four people sensible, easily cooked and delicious food for several days.   The challenge was to see how far the groceries would go and to make sure that nothing got wasted, that ingredients were used for more than one recipe and little twists and hints would give additional ideas. My daughter isn’t a fan of what she calls my hippy, lentil stuff but we found many recipes that fit the bill, there was only one absolute veto.

Minced beef can be easily transformed into a bolognese, cottage pie, meatballs or chilli (February 2014), all easily eeked out with no loss of flavour.   Whilst none are cutting edge recipes they absolutely are suppers that many students will be happy to both make and eat.  Of course many teens are adept at more sophisticated and exotic recipes but I would recommend getting the basics under your belt (literally) before branching out.  There is nothing more demoralising or more likely to put you off cooking than a disaster when you are hungry.

Vegetables can be sneaked into many things under the guise of ballast and stretching for another guest, such as can red lentils which melt away as theycook and become almost unidentifiable (almost).  Tired vegetables get a chance to shine chopped into a cottage pie or a soup and most fruits can either be whizzed into a smoothie or tucked under a crumble (October 2015).  Always aim to throw nothing away.

Our bag consisted of some vegetables which would provide a base for the bolognese, chilli, soup and dhal.  A basic collection of spices including curry powder, which can be built on.  The ever useful tinned tomatoes and red kidney beans.  Red lentils for the Easy tomato soup (March 2020) the easiest thing in the world yet cheap, delicious and filling which my daughter loved – but also for the quick dhal, which my son and I could eat every day but which my daughter wouldn’t even taste.  Pasta and rice of course, stock cubes plus oil, vinegar and mustard. There was also flour for quick flatbreads (March 2018), soda bread (April 2013), pancakes and crumble.  Chicken thighs to be split between the always popular Claypot chicken (May 2103) and a gentle curry – incidentally chicken thighs are less likely to dry out than breasts and to my mind, far more delicious.

As I’ve said before, cooking and eating well are one of the absolute joys in life and being able to feed yourself healthily and economically is a valuable life skill.  That’s why I am obviously keen for Minty to eat well but also to enjoy cooking and sharing food with others.  I’m not saying the alternative is a diet of Silk Cut and Jacob’s Creek but….

Finally a photograph of iced buns because they are far more tempting than a picture of a bag of groceries and also an easy recipe for a welcome treat (May 2017).  More recipes to follow.

Straight off let’s be clear that this is my version of a Shakshuka – the fact that it has a spiced tomato sauce with eggs poached in it leads me to use the name but it may not have full North African credentials.  That said it is properly delicious and is a regular chez May.  You probably have the ingredients to hand but if not  Shakshuka is happy to be flexible and adapt to your store cupboard.  Most of the year I will use a tin of good tomatoes but in the summer a pile of just too soft tomatoes are ideal.  I’m as happy with chopped coriander or parsley strewn over the top so use what you have or both.  This is an absolute favourite of my son but if he isn’t around I will add some spinach just before the eggs to wilt in the heat of the tomatoes.

The black beans were an addition when I was short of bread to toast so wanted to bulk up the Shakshuka a bit.  We liked this version so much that they are now a permanent addition, they give a little extra texture which I find most welcome – great for adding some fibre to your diet especially if you are off the bread for any reason.   Cook one of two eggs per person as you please, I find one is enough for me but the lads in the house welcome two.  As ever with my recipes there is room for manoeuvre, both as mentioned above but also in the level of spicing.  Listed below are the spices I use but do add extra spice by way of chopped fresh chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes if that suits. Should I have run out of harissa I will just up the amount of paprika and cumin and will certainly add chilli in this instance.

Black Bean Shakshuka 

I tablespoon oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon harissa

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 tin tomatoes (I prefer whole to chopped but whatever you have)

1 tin black beans, drained

Eggs, as many as you want to use, see introduction

A handful of chopped coriander or parsley or a combination of both

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan for which you have a lid (or you can use a baking sheet instead of a lid).  Cook the onion for 10 minutes or so until soft and translucent but not coloured.  Add the garlic and all the spices along with the tomato puree.  Cook for a couple of minutes then add the tinned tomatoes along with a slosh of water to rinse the can.  Finally add the beans along with a good sprinkle of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper.  Simmer for 5 minutes to bring it all together then make as many dips in the sauce as you have eggs.  Crack the eggs into the dips and put the lid on the pan whilst the eggs cook.  When the whites are set remove from the heat, cautiously check the seasoning of the sauce – add some salt and pepper to the eggs but you decide if the sauce needs any more.  Strew over the chopped herbs of your choice and serve on toast if you like.  Serves  3-4 and is good for breakfast, lunch or supper.