Here’s one that my mum is always asking me how to make – perfect fluffy rice.

There are of course many ways to do this, but this is my usual method, and it’s pretty foolproof. I use the absorbtion method, which means that you need to have a certain level of accuracy in your measuring and cooking.

1) Select your rice: First things first, choose your rice. I generally buy a good quality basmati, although I also like Jasmine rice. However, standard long grain will usually just about work too. Don’t buy short grain or easy cook rice for this method – it will go all soggy as those varieties don’t need as much water and cook differently. Continue reading →

Here’s a super-simple recipe for Tzatziki (or Raita – I haven’t really figured out the difference between the two!). It’s best made up a few hours in advance, and it makes a super-tasty dip or a light side dish for a curry.

You’ll need:

1 large tub of plain natural yoghurt, or greek yoghurt (500mls)
1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped/crushed
Salt

Mint (optional) Continue reading →

This is literally one of my all-time favourite dishes in the entire world. Takes forever to make, so I tend to only do it on a Sunday when I have plenty of time, or for special occasions. However you can also make up the bolognaise the day before, which will save plenty of time if you want to impress your friends during a mid-week dinner party…

My mother taught me how to make the cheese sauce, and it’s more guess-work than measuring amounts, so apologies if the amounts given here seem vague…

For some reason, and I don’t know why, I always use a wooden spoon when making cheese sauce. No idea if it makes any difference though.

Serves 8-10 Continue reading →

This recipe is very similar to my Chilli Non-Carne, but with a few small differences. As usual, it makes a vat-load, but if you want to make my A-mazing Veggie Lasagna then you’ll need a fair amount.

Serves 8-10 Continue reading →

Another tasty classic – originally taught to me by a friend of mine as just a squash risotto, I’ve added the mushrooms cos I love mushroom risotto too. This one takes around 1 & 1/2 hours to make, and requires constant stirring, so do plan ahead! It’s a great meal to impress your friends, but will require you to stay in the kitchen while you make it.

If you want to make it more mushroom-y, then get some dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrate them, and add the mushrooms and the juice to the mix while cooking it as well.

Continue reading →

A favourite of mine – very simple, hearty, tasty, and filling, and the lentils can be substituted for minced meat if you want a non-veggie version. This is a fairly chunky chilli, as I love it that way, and I usually cheat and use a pre-mixed Chilli spice mix, like Old el Paso or Discovery, but I’ve added an alternative if you don’t have access to those. It is almost identical to my Vegetarian Bolognaise too – with only a few small differences.

This recipe makes a large vat of chilli – this is because it keeps really well and I usually like to make an enormous pan of it at once and then freeze portions for quick dinners I can microwave/defrost during the week, but it can also be good if you’re having a lot of people over – it also often tastes better if you prepare it the day before and re-heat it, as it gives the spices time to develop and you get a much richer flavour. However you can always halve the recipe if you don’t feel like feeding an army or filling up your freezer with tasty quick meals! Continue reading →

Well, after posting pics of all my Crafty Things, it occurred to me that I also have a load of tasty recipes for things I’ve made over the years (mostly vegetarian, but not always). Most of the recipes have come from books, so I can’t claim credit for inventing them, but I often adjust them or experiment with them a bit. I’ll try to find a link to the originals where I can though.

So, I think I’ll start sharing a few of my favourite recipes too! Sadly I don’t think I have many photos of these, but next time I make it I’ll try to remember to snap a photo or too! Watch this space…