Lentil, bean and pea cassoulet with a perfectly fried egg and harissa creme fraiche

March 25, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

veggie cassoulet, vegetarian stew, lentil and bean casserole, brunch ideas with beans, fried egg and lentils

Comforting, meaty (yet meatless!) hodge-podgey casseroles are my jam at the moment. For dinner with sausages (have now sampled Linda’s veggie version and can report that they’re pretty good) or like this at breakfast/brunch with a fried egg and some hash browns, ooh and buttered white bread to mop up the sauce… it’s delicious. Basically, […]

Creamy basil pasta with nduja and broccoli

March 20, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

creamy pasta recipe, pesto pasta with nduja, basil and nduja tagliatelle, quick and easy pasta ideas

So simple, so satisfying; this is a regular solo-night-in recipe for me. When Alex is away and I just want something quick and easy – and creamy, ’cause his tastebuds err away from that – I either go for carbonara or this. It ticks a lot of boxes. There’s garlic, cream, a little bit of […]

Carrot gnocchi {Potato-free gnocchi recipe)

March 7, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

gnocchi recipe, carrot gnocchi, how to make gnocchi without potato, potato-free gnocchi recipe

Please don’t take this post as an indication that I don’t love potatoes, because me and spuds are most definitely friends. We go way back. Oh, the times we’ve had together, at breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and in between – who doesn’t love a snacking hash brown? I just had a lot of carrots hanging […]

Nashville-style hothothot fried chicken {just like Howlin’ Ray’s)

March 5, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

how to make kfc at home, homemead kentucky fried chicken, nashville hot chicken recipe, howlin rays chicken at home, fried chicken without a deep fat fryer

Some things you eat and enjoy and then you move on. Some things you eat and enjoy and then want to eat again every day for the rest of your life and daydream about how you could justify a trip over 5000 miles away, plus a two-hour queue in a weird shopping centre just to […]

Cheddar and green chilli pancakes {Savoury ideas for Pancake Day!}

March 5, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

cheddar and chilli pancakes, cheese and jalepeno pancakes, savoury pancake ideas, pancake day recipes, how to make cheddar crepes

We take Pancake Day seriously in this house. Usually, we set up savoury and sweet stations and keep flipping till we pop, but this year, due to a scheduling issue – we’re off to see Bill Burr for the 300th time tonight – the batter was mixed a day early and we stuck with just […]

Slow-cooked chipotle beef quesedillas with blue cheese and avocado cream

February 25, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

slow cooked beef quesadillas, beef and blue cheese quesadillas recipe, blue cheese and avocado dip sauce cream, avocado sauce ideas, mexican beef recipes

I promise that’s the last of the Stilton! I will take a break from blue cheese recipes now! Well, for a day or two, at least… Alex sorts the Ocado in our house and I always say it’s like his love letter to me. As well as the usual suspects, he always adds on something […]

Blue cheese, mushroom and bacon risotto, topped with truffle and garlic breadcrumbs

February 20, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

risotto recipe, blue cheese risotto, truffle risotto recipe, mushroom risotto, bacon blue cheese and mushroom risotto

Earlier this week, in the middle of a working day, I decided I needed to eat arancini. But that requires risotto – which hereon out I’m promising to always have a batch of in the freezer; I will be the woman with a backup risotto, on hand for any eventuality – so I had to […]

How to make oven-baked blue cheese, mushroom and bacon arancini {What to do with leftover risotto)

February 20, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

how to make arancini, oven baked arancini recipe, blue cheese arancini, mushroom and bacon arancini, can you make arancini in the oven, easy arancini recipe, how to turn risotto into arancini, what to do with risotto leftovers

If this is the first page of Plates and Places you’ve landed on, firstly hello! and secondly, go here first. This is the follow-up recipe to a previous post: Blue Cheese, Mushroom and Bacon Risotto, which is very delicious on its own but also the base of my arancini recipe. To make arancini you will […]

Paneer itame (like Wagamama’s, but better and vegetarian)

February 18, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

itame recipe, wagamama itame recipe, how to make itame, paneer itame recipe, paneer recipes, thai noodle soup

My most popular post on here is Chicken Itame (despite the god-awful photo that accompanies it), but in recent months I’ve been on a bit of an eat-less-meat kick, so haven’t felt particularly excited about making it. This weekend, I had a craving and swapped out the chicken for cheese – Indian-style Paneer cheese, to […]

Giant pork and apple sausage roll {A quick and tasty idea for your leftover Christmas stuffing}

January 4, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

sausage roll, how to make a giant sausage roll, stuffing sausage roll, apple and pork sausage roll, ideas for christmas leftovers

Christmas has come and gone and all that’s left in my house is a Tupperware of cauliflower cheese, three stray Bounty Celebrations and a bag of stuffing from the butcher. The cauli cheese’s destiny is already sealed (you are going to want to click here), the chocs will sit on the side for another few […]

Rare rump steak with pesto and asparagus gnocchi

August 1, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

steak and gnocchi recipes, rare steak and pesto gnocchi, how to cook rare steak, gnocchi recipe ideas, pesto and asparagus and tomato gnocchi

This dish is perfect for a Friday night in or if you’ve got someone coming over for dinner and want to impress without having to spend hours in the kitchen. Rare rump steak with pesto, asparagus and tomato gnocchi – served with a really punchy red, perhaps – might sound fancy, but it’s super easy […]

Roast rump of lamb with Epoisses-cheese risotto and gravy

July 26, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

lamp rump recipes, what to do with lamb rump, lamb with risotto, roast lamb rump with epoisses risotto and gravy, risotto recipes, epoisses risotto recipe, food blogger, epoisses cheese recipe ideas

It’s been a while since I’ve written up a recipe. This is in part due to the heat – I’m eating exclusively oven-less meals and cannot bear to be at my whirring warmth-machine of a laptop when I don’t have to – and partly because I have felt quite uninspired. But I’m back! Today, I […]

Chorizo and coriander scotch egg

May 31, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

scotch egg recipe, chorizo scotch egg recipe, how to make scotch eggs, homemade chorizo scotch eggs, how do you make scotch eggs, easy egg recipes, picnic recipe ideas, buffet recipe ideas, food blogger, plates and places food blog

Picnic food is my absolute fave. I am genuinely just as happy at a schmancy restaurant as I am with snacking sausages. Mini quiches, pork pies, and of course, scotch eggs, are my weakness all year round. I’m either setting them out on a blanket in a park in the summer or popping them on […]

Butternut squash, pancetta and blue cheese risotto

February 25, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

risotto recipes, butternup squash risotto recipe, blue cheese risotto, blue cheese and butternut squash risotto, how to make risotto with soup, london food blogger

I’m writing this the night before we go to Paris (eeeee!) and that’s not just a humble brag, it’s relevant in that it explains why I even considered using a half-used tub of Waitrose butternut squash soup to make this risotto: it was part of my ceremonial fridge-clear-out-before-a-holiday. I can’t bear to throw stuff away. […]

How to make cauliflower cheese {TRIPLE-cheese cauliflower cheese that is!}

November 15, 2017.Reading time 3 minutes.

the best cauliflower cheese, how to make cauliflower cheese, three cheese cauliflower cheese, easy cauliflower cheese recipe, cheddar and mozzarella cauliflower cheese, healthy mac and cheese alternatives

Of course, my recipe for cauliflower cheese includes three cheeses. Of course, it does! Up until last Sunday, my dad made the best cauliflower cheese in all the land, but I’m pretty confident the crown is now mine. Soz Daddy Press. I did steal a tip or two from the master – grate the stalk […]

Sweet and sticky Thai red curry with cauliflower, red pepper and sweet potato

October 11, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

thai red curry recipe, how to make thai red curry at home, thai red curry with cauliflower and sweet potatoe

Lately, I’ve been trying to eat less *whisper it* meat. I didn’t think I’d ever type that either, but here we are. I’m still steak’s number one fan, I’d still trade my boyfriend for sweet ‘n’ sticky baby back ribs and a nut roast will never be my kind of Sunday – my body just […]

Turkey meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce with harissa yoghurt and jalapenos

August 1, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

homemade turkey meatballs, spicy turkey meatballs recipe, best turkey meatballs recipe, how to make turkey meatballs

This is the only turkey meatball recipe you’ll ever need. The result is supremely succulent – almost melt-in-the-mouth-y – comforting but not so much so that you’ll need a nap post-feed, and suitably spicy. And if you faltered at the ‘turkey’ bit, let me assure you – as a self-confessed turkey naysayer – that these are […]

The Dream Terrine {Recipe}

March 9, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

terrine recipe, chunky terrine recipe, homemade terrine, how to make terrine at home, pork and bacon terrine recipe, pork and pistachio terrine, food blog

Put a menu with terrine on in it in front of me, and rest assured I’ll take you up on a slice of meaty loaf. I’ve wanted to make my own homemade terrine recipe for ages but I always convinced myself it was too much agro, too expensive and too icky – I’m not a […]

Slow-cooked ox cheek goulash

February 9, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

ox cheek goulash recipe, beef cheek goulash recipe, slow cooker goulash recipe, how to make goulash, food blogger

In celebration of my ox cheek goulash recipe being published in Voucherbox’s new e-book, I’m re-sharing it with you lovely lot. The team at Voucherbox wanted to create a collection of 22 recipes that didn’t break the bank, and I was more than happy to let my low-cost goulash recipe out into the world. Did […]

The most decadent bacon sandwich you’ve ever eaten

January 27, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

the best bacon sandwich recipe, the most decadent bacon sandwich, bacon sandwich with eggy bread, how to make eggy bread, breakfast ideas, breakfast recipes, brunch recipes, food blogger, plates and places

We do weekend breakfasts in a big way around here. All calorie counting goes out the window, and butter is considered a main ingredient. Grease is not dabbed away with a fresh piece of kitchen towel, and small plates are disregarded – only great platters the size of your face will do. Understandably, the bacon […]

Red wine-braised lamb shanks with cheesy polenta

January 23, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

lamb shank recipe, red wine braised lamb shanks, how to cook lamb shanks, cheesy polenta recipe, lamb shanks and cheesy polenta, food blogger, plates and places

Oooooooh it just sounds hearty and winter-appropriate, doesn’t it!? I hadn’t cooked lamb shanks before this recipe, but I’ve eaten my fair share and I think they’re utterly underrated. When they’re cooked low and slow like here, they’re just as good as slow-cooked beef and have heaps of flavour. And you don’t have to treat them […]

Tartiflette with chicken

January 7, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

tartiflette, chicken tartiflette, chicken tartiflette recipe, how to make tartiflette, what is tartiflette, french recipe ideas, french potato recipes, food blogger, london food blogger, cheese recipes, winter warming recipes for january, plates and places

I saw a poster for apres-ski staple, tartiflette a couple of months back on the tube. The advert was actually about travelling to the French Alps with some low-budget airline, but the picture depicting a cheesy one-pot wonder was what lured me in (unsurprisingly) and after a little research (see: Googling ‘what the hell is […]

Easy chicken jalfrezi recipe

January 5, 2017.Reading time 4 minutes.

chicken jalfrezi curry recipe, hairy bikers curry recipe, hairy bikers chicken jalfrezi, homemade chicken jalfrezi, homemade curry, food blogger, plates and places, easy jalfrezi sauce, healthy curry recipes

This isn’t actually my chicken jalfrezi recipe. I pinched it from the Hairy Bikers – favourites of mine in particular for their fail-safe and relatively healthy curry recipes – and changed it a tiny bit. Mostly, I changed it because I can’t leave anything alone, but also because the recipe was written in a quite […]

5 mid-week meals you can prepare in advance

December 3, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

batch cooking ideas, meals you can prepare in advance, mid week dinners, mid week dinner recipes, what to have for dinner, soup recipes, puff pastry recipes, risotto recipes, hemsley + hemsley ragu recipe, goulash recipes, food blog, london food blogger, plates and places

I’m getting into the habit of spending my Sunday afternoon batch cooking our meals for the rest of the week and I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty life changing. Last weekend, I made butternut squash soup and a meaty ragu and we were good to go four nights of the week (plus I had lunch […]

Brisket and chilli ramen

November 29, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

chilli beef ramen recipe, wagamamas chilli beef ramen recipe, how to make chilli beef ramen, brisket ramen recipe, brisket recipes, ramen recipes, how to make ramen at home, food blog, london food blogger, plates and places

Saturday afternoons of Christmas shopping are best followed by a steaming bowl of ramen. And Sundays are, of course, perfect for succulent slow-cooked meats or buttery pies, generously filled. And my brisket and chilli ramen sorts you out for both, thanks to the masses of leftovers this recipe produces (more ideas for leftovers at the […]