Mushroom & Lentil Lasagne

Throughout my years as a blogger, my most constant and best source of inspiration has been other bloggers. As much as I love my cookbooks, my food magazines and my Saturday morning cooking shows, I love to see what other people are making in their own homes as part of their own busy, real lives….

Aubergine, Sweet Potato & Butternut Bake

This January I decided to go vegetarian. This is not a permanent change for me, more a personal challenge, to see if I could stick to it and a chance to give my body a break after the incessant indulgence of the Christmas period. For the first week or two I was really enjoying it,…

Spinach & Ricotta Courgetti Bake

I LOVE pasta, I will happily confess this and, regularly, bang on about it quite a bit. However, I am also aware that the amount of pasta I would happily stuff my face with is not necessarily that good for me and leaves me feeling heavy, stuffed and bloated. I have by no means given…

Coupa Café, Palo Alto

One of the great things I’ve discovered about eating out in America is that they really know how to do a good breakfast. I’m not talking piles of pancakes covered in bacon, ice cream and maple syrup  to start your day off (although you certainly can get that if you want it!) but proper, nice,…

Aubergine, Tomato & Mozzarella Tower

This is a dish I’ve often had different versions of in a variety of different (mostly Italian) restaurants but before now never attempted to make myself. I can’t think why not because it’s a really simple and tasty starter. This is obviously ideal for vegetarian guests and light enough that it’s not going to fill you…

Italian Deli Wrap Lunchbox

There’s nothing better than absolutely jam packing a sandwich or a wrap with lots of yummy things, I absolutely cannot stand those horrible limp sandwiches with one measly slice of ham. This one packs slightly more calories than my usual wraps coming in at 574, but well worth it and a great tasty reward (that’s…

Antipasti Salad

This is a really quick and easy lunch that takes five minutes to throw together and despite the fact that it’s ‘just a salad’ is absolutely jam packed full of flavour. I’ve called it an antipasti salad as it contains a few ingredients you wouldn’t be surprised to find on an Italian antipasti platter. The…

Sweet Onion & Mozzarella with Pesto & Tomato Bruschetta Platter

I was doing a big dinner for my family and The Boyfriend last weekend and I wanted to make a starter to go with it, something really tasty but also quick and simple so that I could quickly throw it together while the main dish was cooking. Running with my Italian theme (the main was beef…

Cous Cous with Mozzarella & Mediterranean Veg Lunchbox

So if, like me, you’ve been getting a bit sick of my lunch boxes being salad after salad, here’s a delightfully refreshing change. Sometimes (particularly in this cold, wet, vile British weather) you just want something a bit more substantial for your lunch. I’ve found that cous cous can be a little bit of a…

Dean St Pizza Showdown Part II: Soho Joe

Welcome, at last, to my second edition of the (not very official) Dean Street Pizza Showdown. After a delightful evening in the recently established Pizza Pilgrims last month, last week I paid a visit to the second restaurant on my list: Soho Joe. I’ve been a regular at Soho Joe for a number of years…