Salads & sides
Courgette, mint and almond couscous for the freezer
Freeze the couscous base in flat portions, then bring back its brightness with fresh lemon, mint and almonds at serving time.
Budget
77 pages tagged budget.
Dinner ideas
5 dinners for a bag of carrots
Roast carrots with beans, blend them into lentil soup, fry them with rice, fold them through pasta or build a spiced traybake around them.
Buying guides
How to choose a cabbage that will stay crisp
A crisp cabbage feels dense, has tightly packed leaves and a dry cut base. The shop test takes less time than rescuing a wilted half later.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast for a one-pot dinner
Tomato butter beans and greens cook together in one saucepan, then go straight onto toast for a complete pantry dinner.
Storage and keeping
How to store sweet potatoes without chilling them
Sweet potatoes keep best in a cool dry cupboard with air around them. Do not wash them before storing, and inspect the ends before cooking.
Traybakes
Harissa roast chicken traybake
Chicken thighs roasted on top of chickpeas and red peppers, so the fat renders down into everything underneath. One tray, one wash-up.
Buying guides
Tinned or dried chickpeas: which should you buy?
Dried are about a quarter of the price and hold their shape better. Tinned take four minutes. The honest answer is that you want both.
Salads & sides
Two-ingredient yogurt flatbread
No yeast, no proving, no oven. Flour and yogurt in a bowl, and hot bread twenty minutes later.
Dinner ideas
5 dinners for a box of mushrooms
A box of mushrooms can become a fast toast topping, a rice skillet, a pasta sauce, a bean dinner or a pan of eggs when the cut matches the clock.
Buying guides
How to choose a dense cauliflower with fresh leaves
A good cauliflower feels heavy for its size, has a tight white curd and fresh leaves around a dry base. The leaves are the quickest freshness clue.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with tahini swirl
A loose lemon tahini swirl rounds out the tomato sauce and turns crisp toast into something worth dragging through the bowl.
Storage and keeping
How to store passata after opening
Refrigerate opened passata as the label directs, freeze the amount you will use and write the date on the container. Smooth tomato is easy to save when it has a destination.
Cooking technique
Why aubergines drink oil and how to stop it
Aubergine absorbs oil because its open cell structure takes it up while the flesh is cool. Heat, salt timing and measured brushing keep the result silky instead of greasy.
Soups & stews
Charred red pepper and chickpea stew
The peppers go under the grill until they are properly black in patches. That ten minutes is the whole flavour of the dish.
Cooking technique
How to build a filling tofu bowl
Build the bowl around crisp tofu, then add a base, a fresh vegetable and one strong sauce. Texture and portion balance make simple ingredients feel complete.
Dinner ideas
5 easy dinners with sweet potatoes
Roast sweet potatoes with beans, simmer them in curry, fold them into tacos, pair them with lentils or turn them into a quick skillet hash.
Storage and keeping
How to keep carrots fresh for weeks
Cut off carrot tops, keep the roots cold in a breathable container and control moisture. A dry towel inside the drawer helps, but a wet one needs changing.
Weeknight dinners
Kimchi fried rice with peas with yogurt
Cool sesame yogurt softens the kimchi heat and gives the crisp rice a creamy contrast without making the pan wet.
Buying guides
How to choose tomato paste with the deepest flavour
Look for dense paste, a short ingredient list and a package you can finish. The biggest flavour gain still comes from frying it properly.
Storage and keeping
How to keep courgettes from going limp
Courgettes go limp when moisture and cold air damage the skin. Store them whole, dry and loosely wrapped, then cut only what you need.
Soups & stews
Spiced chickpea soup with lemon
Blending all of it gives you baby food. Blending none of it gives you thin broth with things in it. Half is the answer.
Buying guides
Tinned tomatoes vs passata: which belongs in your sauce?
Use tinned tomatoes when the tomato should stay visible. Use passata when you want a smooth sauce with less work. The middle ground is where most pans go wrong.
Cooking technique
How to press tofu without a tofu press
You can press tofu with a tea towel, plate and heavy pan. The aim is a drier surface, not a perfectly flat block or a long kitchen project.
Storage and keeping
How to keep a cut cabbage fresh for a week
A cut cabbage can stay useful for a week when the exposed face is dry, covered and kept cold. Slice from the outside and leave the core intact.
Dinner ideas
5 dinners that make frozen peas useful
Frozen peas are a small freezer ingredient with five strong jobs: brighten pasta, thicken soup, finish curry, lift rice and fill a warm grain bowl.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with yogurt
Cool lemony yogurt cuts through the rich tomato beans and gives crisp toast a creamy sauce to drag through.
Buying guides
How to choose an aubergine that is young enough to cook well
A young aubergine feels dense, has taut skin and a green cap that has not dried out. These checks matter more than choosing the darkest colour.
Storage and keeping
How to keep cauliflower from going grey
Cauliflower turns grey when exposed tissue dries or oxidises. Keep the head cold and dry, cover cut surfaces and cook before the spots spread.
Buying guides
How to choose tinned tomatoes without wasting money
Choose the form for the dish first, then read the ingredient list and salt. The label story matters less than the tomato, the liquid and the price per usable tin.
Cooking technique
How to turn leftover rice into a crispy tofu bowl
Leftover rice gives a tofu bowl a head start. Warm the grains separately, crisp the tofu in a clear skillet and add cucumber after the heat is off.
Weeknight dinners
Gochujang chicken with cabbage for the freezer
Cook the cabbage until silky and the sauce until thick, then add fresh toppings after reheating for a freezer meal with balance.
Dinner ideas
5 dinners for too many courgettes
A pile of courgettes needs different textures, not five versions of the same saute. These dinners use roasting, grating, blending, ribbons and stewing.
Buying guides
Tomato paste in a tube vs a tin: which is worth buying?
Buy a tube when you use tomato paste a little at a time. Buy a tin when you cook for a crowd or want the lowest cost per spoon.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with yogurt
A creamy chickpea curry is finished with cool lemon yogurt, which gives the coconut sauce contrast without taking over the bowl.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with warm flatbread
Make the tray saucy enough for flatbread, then warm the bread directly on the oven rack while the aubergine rests.
Storage and keeping
How to keep tinned tomatoes useful after opening
Move leftover tomatoes out of the tin, chill them promptly and freeze portions you will actually use. The best storage plan is one that has a next meal attached to it.
Weeknight dinners
Kimchi fried rice with peas for a one-pan dinner
Spinach and a fried egg turn kimchi fried rice into a complete dinner without taking away the crisp rice at the bottom.
Salads & sides
Miso-roasted cabbage for the freezer
Freeze the cabbage without dressing or herbs, then reheat it hot and add a fresh miso brush and lemon at the end.
Buying guides
How to choose small courgettes with better texture
Small courgettes usually have finer seeds and firmer flesh, but size alone is not a guarantee. Weight, stem freshness and skin tension are better checks.
Dinner ideas
5 dinners that use one spoonful of tomato paste
Use the last spoonful of tomato paste in beans, eggs, lentils, pasta or roasted vegetables. Each idea gives it a clear job instead of leaving it in the fridge.
Buying guides
Tenderstem vs regular broccoli: which is better value?
Tenderstem broccoli is not automatically better value. The useful comparison is edible weight, trimming and the kind of dinner you want to put on the table.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with chilli oil
The curry is gently spiced and creamy; a cumin chilli oil made in the same pan adds heat without making every mouthful fiery.
Weeknight dinners
Crispy tofu with cucumber with crispy beans
Brown the tofu and beans separately so the beans dry out instead of steaming in the tofu's moisture.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with yogurt
Roast the aubergine until deeply browned and put cold yogurt underneath, where it cools each hot, spicy mouthful.
Salads & sides
Miso-roasted cabbage with warm flatbread
Roast the cabbage until its edges are dark, warm flatbread in the last five minutes and use it to catch the miso and lemon juices.
Weeknight dinners
Kimchi fried rice with peas for the freezer
Freeze the kimchi rice in flat portions, then bring back its aroma with sesame oil and spring onions after reheating.
Storage and keeping
How to store tomato paste after opening
Protect opened tomato paste from air, label it and portion what you will not use soon. A small freezer stash is better than a hopeful fridge corner.
Dinner ideas
5 easy dinners to make with passata
Passata can become a smooth sauce, a poaching base or a quick soup. These five dinners use one carton and ordinary cupboard ingredients.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with toasted seeds
Toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds bring a dry, nutty crunch to a creamy coconut curry without adding another complicated dish.
Weeknight dinners
Crispy lemon potatoes with white beans and greens
The potatoes take the heat first, then the beans go in late so they stay creamy instead of collapsing into mash.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas for a one-pan dinner
Add tomatoes for moisture, chickpeas for substance and spinach at the end, so the whole dinner still comes from one pan.
Salads & sides
Miso-roasted cabbage with lemon and herbs
Roast the cabbage hard enough to brown the cut faces, then brush on the miso so it stays savoury rather than burning.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast for the freezer
The tomato butter beans freeze well when kept slightly loose, so dinner only needs fresh toast and a squeeze of lemon later.
Dinner ideas
5 weeknight dinners to make with tinned tomatoes
One tin of tomatoes can take dinner in five different directions. These are the ones I use when the cupboard is fuller than the fridge.
Dinner ideas
5 dinners that make aubergine the main event
Aubergine can carry dinner when it gets enough heat, a sharp finish and something with substance beside it. These five meals give it the main role.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with pickled onions
Make the onions first so they turn pink and sharp while the coconut chickpea curry simmers underneath them.
Weeknight dinners
Gochujang chicken with cabbage for a one-pan dinner
Chicken roasts over cabbage and carrots, so the juices make a sauce while the vegetables caramelise underneath.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with toasted seeds
Toast pumpkin and sesame seeds separately while the tray cooks, then add them at the last second so they stay audible.
Salads & sides
Miso-roasted cabbage with toasted seeds
Toast the seeds separately so they stay crisp, then scatter them over the miso cabbage after roasting instead of letting them burn on the tray.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with warm flatbread
Thick tomato butter beans are served with warm flatbread, so every person can tear, scoop and catch the sauce at the table.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens for the freezer
Cook the coconut chickpea base now, freeze it in portions, and add fresh greens and lime after reheating so the curry still tastes alive.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with tahini dressing
Roast the aubergine hard, then loosen tahini with lemon and water until it pours instead of clumps.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with pickled onions
Quick pickled onions cut through the thick tomato sauce and give buttery beans and toast a clean, crunchy contrast.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens for a one-pan dinner
Everything for this coconut chickpea curry goes into one wide pan, including the greens, so dinner is on the table with very little washing up.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with chilli oil
Keep the roasting gentle enough for the aubergine to turn silky, then bring the heat with chilli oil at the table.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with lemon and herbs
Roast the aubergine until collapsed at the edges, then add the chickpeas so they stay crisp rather than turning to pebbles.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with toasted seeds
Toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds add a dry, nutty crunch to the soft tomato beans and crisp sourdough.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with warm flatbread
Keep this coconut chickpea curry thick enough for flatbread to scoop, with greens folded through just before the pan leaves the heat.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas for the freezer
Cook the sauce thick and leave the fresh finishes until reheating, so a freezer portion comes back glossy rather than watery.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with chilli oil
The beans stay mellow while a spoonful of fragrant chilli oil gives each plate its own level of heat.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with tahini dressing
A coconut chickpea curry gets a second kind of creaminess from lemon tahini, which is spooned over the top rather than cooked into the pot.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with pickled onions
Pickle the onions while the tray roasts; their vinegar and crunch keep the soft aubergine from feeling too rich.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with lemon and herbs
Tomato-braised butter beans become dinner with crisp sourdough, lemon zest and a handful of herbs at the end.
Weeknight dinners
Harissa aubergine with chickpeas with crispy beans
Roast the aubergine low on the tray and give the chickpeas their own hot corner, where they turn crisp and nutty.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with lemon and herbs
Chickpeas simmer in coconut milk with ginger, garlic and greens, then lemon and herbs keep the bowl from tasting heavy.
Weeknight dinners
Tomato butter beans with toast with crispy chickpeas
Crispy chickpeas bring a salty, crackly layer to saucy butter beans and toast without adding another complicated pan.
Weeknight dinners
Coconut chickpea curry with greens with crispy beans
The curry stays creamy and the chickpeas on top roast until dry and crisp, giving a one-pot dinner the crunch it usually misses.