Well hello there cupcake, how are you? Growing up in the UK we had the daintier, way less indulgent fairy cake, but when cupcakes arrived in the early 2000’s we all went nuts for these sugary beasts. This is my standard vanilla recipe, but I’ve made many different versions – rose, chocolate, passionfruit, carrot, pistachio,… Continue reading Cupcakes
Author: jo_tofts
Roast beef, Yorkshire puddings + gravy
When it comes to a roast, all my family actually cares about are Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and gravy (and maybe fling some pigs in blankets in there too). Consequently we have Yorkshires with roast chicken, pork and lamb as well as beef because life’s too short not to. This time around it was beef,… Continue reading Roast beef, Yorkshire puddings + gravy
Korean sesame chicken
My teenage BTS* fan absolutely loves this. I mean she reeeeallly loves it, almost as much as she loves BTS. It does make a rather wonderful lets-pretend-we’re-having-a takeout dinner and can mostly be made (sauce) and prepped (chicken + garnishes) in advance. It’s yummy. I don’t see why you couldn’t substitute a firm white fish… Continue reading Korean sesame chicken
Soda bread
This is far and away the quickest bread to make (no long proving time!), but alas the trade off is that it doesn’t keep particularly well. That’s never been an issue in our house though as it tends to be snarfed pretty quickly, or you can always toast it. An excellent bread to make alongside… Continue reading Soda bread
Parsnip + apple soup
This soup is goooooooood. Just add some bread and maybe some cheese and you’ve got a perfect lunch ahead of you. Yums. Serves 4. Ingredients 20g unsalted butter 1 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, chopped 500g parsnips, diced 2 apples, diced 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 500ml veg stock 250ml milk Drizzle of double cream Chopped… Continue reading Parsnip + apple soup
Victoria sponge with fruits
A classic cake, with added fruit to at least make it feel like it’s a good idea. But cake is always a good idea, right? Ingredients Cake: 200g unsalted butter / stork 200g caster sugar 3 large eggs 200g self raising flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 or 2 tbsp milk Icing: 40g soft unsalted… Continue reading Victoria sponge with fruits
Fish with Thai sticky sauce
I was lucky enough to teach English in Thailand for almost six months when I was 22, and stepped on the plane from London having never eaten any Thai food. Every meal was a whole new experience and I absolutely loved it, and this meal is like a flashback on a plate. Serves 3. Ingredients… Continue reading Fish with Thai sticky sauce
Truffles
In the words of BeyoncĂ© ‘Uh-oh uh-oh uh-oh oh-no-no’. Be warned, these are Dangerously Yummy. In theory straightforward to make (however I managed to turn the kitchen into a chocolately mess!), the end result was wonderful and made a pretty special present for a friend’s birthday. Makes around 24. Ingredients 150ml double cream 60g light… Continue reading Truffles
Lentils with leeks + dumplings
This is yum. Simple ingredients, ready in an hour from start to finish and can be scaled up or down – I think it’s the meal I made the most over winter last year. And it’s got dumplings 🙂 Serves 4 easily. Ingredients Casserole: 2 tbsp olive oil 2 large leeks 2 medium potatoes 2… Continue reading Lentils with leeks + dumplings
Sausage + bean stew
AKA autumn in a bowl. Yesterday the weather was awful – dark skies, endless rain, blustery winds – so after the wettest dog walk ever we ate this for dinner and all felt a lot better. If that wasn’t enough, my daughter ate the kale without question. SHE ATE KALE!!! Massive tick on the parenting… Continue reading Sausage + bean stew
