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If you’ve recently seen my socials, you will know that I hosted my first cookie pop-up at a local café wine bar in Battersea — Spruce. It was SO much fun to finally have the chance for people to taste my cookies in real life (although, my cavernous eye-bags might also suggest that it was hard work). I develop and share my recipes, but I never know where they end up in the social media abyss and who actually makes and tries them…

This cookie recipe came to life when we decided that it needed to be all things green to pay homage to their iconic “Spruce green”. And sorry, but matcha and Dubai chocolate just weren’t going to cut it.

It took quite a few tweaks to get this one right. I wanted you to taste the pistachio, and I mean really taste it. Pistachios aren’t cheap, so if you’re going to use them, you want to maximise the expense.

With this is mind, we’re subbing some of the dairy butter for 100% pistachio butter and browning the dairy butter slightly less than usual as the browning of the fat solids can mute the nuttiness. We’re also swapping out dark brown sugar for light brown as the deep molasses can also dilute the nuttiness. Can you see how much I’ve thought about the precautions to protect the pistachios here? The additional effort of roasting the whole pistachios is essential (and so worth it) for boosting the nuttiness, and we’re lacing it throughout the dough with some ground down to replace the flour, and the rest roughly chopped for added CRONCH.

As if all of that wasn’t enough pistachio for one cookie, we’re then piling in pistachio halva. If you’re not familiar with halva, it’s a Middle Eastern sweet made by blending tahini with honey. It has a crumbly, fudge-like texture and melts into the dough as the cookies bake.

That’s it… finally. Now, all I need you to do it make them!

This Week’s 1st Recipe: Roasted Pistachio, Halva & Dark Chocolate Cookie

INGREDIENTS (makes 10):
- 100g Unsalted Butter
- 40g 100% Pistachio Butter
- 100g Golden Caster Sugar
- 50g Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 150g Plain Flour
- 50g Roasted Pistachios, ground
- 1 tsp Sea Salt, extra flakes to finish
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 75g Dark Chocolate Chips
- 75g Pistachio Halva
- 50g Roasted Pistachios, roughly chopped

METHOD:
- Heat butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until golden-brown and smells nutty. Off the heat, stir in the pistachio butter until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cooled butter and sugars until creamy.
- Mix in the egg very briefly.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, ground pistachios, salt and bicarb.
- Use a spatula to gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture.
- Before fully combined, fold in the dark chocolate, pistachio halva and chopped pistachios until well-distributed.
- Divide the dough into 10 equal balls (approximately 74g each). Cover and rest in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 170°C (fan). Space the dough balls out on cold, baking paper-lined trays.
- Bake for 9 minutes.
- Remove and bang the tray on the kitchen counter three times. Then, apply a circular motion around the cookies, using a cookie cutter (or cereal bowl).
- Bake for 3 more minutes.
- Repeat tray bangs and circular motion.
- Whilst they’re still hot, sprinkle with sea salt.
- Leave on the tray for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

This Week’s 2nd Recipe: N’duja and Prawn Rigatoni

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2-3):
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 1 Shallot, finely diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- Fresh Basil, stalks chopped & leaves torn
- 1 tbsp N’Duja
- 150g Cherry Tomatoes
- 300g Raw Large King Prawns
- Half Lemon, zested & juiced
- Black Pepper
- 150g Rigatoni
TOASTED CORN PANGRATTATO:
- EVOO
- 1 Small Corn Cob
- 1 tbsp Panko Breadcrumbs
- 0.5 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Sea Salt

METHOD:
- Heat EVOO in a sauté pan over a low heat.
- Gently, sweat the shallots for 10 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic and basil stalks. Fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Spoon in the n’duja and fry for a few minutes until oils release.
- Add cherry tomatoes and leave to blister and softened for 10 minutes - use the back of your spoon to break them down.
- Whilst the tomatoes soften, cook your pasta in heavily salted water until al dente. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water
- For the toasted corn, heat EVOO in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the corn, panko, paprika and sea salt. Toast until heavily-golden and nutty-smelling.
- Transfer the pasta to the tomatoey-prawns, along with the torn basil leaves and the starchy pasta water. Stir until glossy and coated.
- Top with the corn pangrattato and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

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As stuffed dates continue to dominate your social media feed, it felt only right for me to throw them into a cookie. They’ve been hero’ed as a health-sensation substitute for processed-sugar snacking, but - in all honesty - I love a date purely for its rich, caramel-ly flavour and gooey, chewy texture. I think the health side of things comes from the pure JOY that eating one of these cookies exudes.

Originally, I got my inspiration for this combo from an olive oil cookie in Australia, but you know me, I’m a brown butter gal through and through.

I rarely make a cookie dough that isn’t loaded with add-ins (no complaints on this), but it was actually quite refreshing to keep things pure this time to let the stuffed-date centre shine through as you bite into the soft cookie dough.

When you do the usual tray bangs during the bake, you see the ripples and curves form around the stuffed date centre, and it is SO satisfying - like a little hidden present. From taste testing experience, we didn’t know which bite would be the best to go for first, but go big and aim for the centre. You won’t regret it.

This Week’s 1st Recipe: Peanut Butter Date Cookie

INGREDIENTS (Makes 10 Cookies):

INGREDIENTS (makes 10):

• 140g Unsalted Butter

• 10 Medjool Dates, pitted

• 5 tsp Peanut Butter

• 75g Dark Brown Sugar

• 75g Golden Caster Sugar

• 1 Orange, zested

• 1 Large Egg

• 200g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Sea Salt, extra flakes to finish

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• 0.5 tsp Ground Cardamom

• 200g Dark Chocolate

METHOD:

• Heat butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until a deep golden-brown and smells nutty. Cool to room temperature.

• Meanwhile, stuff pitted dates with peanut butter and close to conceal.

• In a mixing bowl, rub the orange zest through the sugars.

• Using an electric mixer, beat the brown butter and sugars until creamy.

• Mix in the egg very briefly.

• In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, bicarb and cardamom.

• Use a spatula to gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture.

• Divide the dough into 10 equal balls (approximately 64g each).

• Flatten the dough in the palm of your hand, place the stuffed date in the centre and mould the dough around it until fully concealed.

• Cover and rest dough in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180°C (fan). Space the dough balls out on cold, baking paper-lined trays.

• Bake for 9 minutes.

• Remove and bang the tray on the kitchen counter three times. Then, apply a circular motion around the cookies, using a cookie cutter (or cereal bowl).

• Bake for 4 more minutes.

• Repeat tray bangs and circular motion.

• Leave for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

• Melt 100g chocolate until smooth and stir in the remaining 100g off the heat to temper the chocolate until smooth and shiny.

• Dip half of the cooled cookie in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

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This Week’s 2nd Recipe: Greens & Grains

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2 as main/ 4 as side):

GREEN DRESSING:

• Fresh Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Coriander, Chives

• 1 Garlic Clove

• 2 tbsp Thick Greek Yogurt

• 2 tsp Nonpareille Capers

• 1 tsp Honey

• Half Lemon, juiced

• 1.5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

SALAD:

• 225g Halloumi, cubed

• 120g Grains (we used giant couscous)

• 240ml Bone Broth/ Stock

• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Handful Tenderstem Broccoli

• Half Cucumber, small diced

• 2 Spring Onions, finely chopped

• 150g Edamame Beans

• 1 tbsp Mixed Seeds, lightly toasted

METHOD:

• Place halloumi in a bowl, cover with just-boiled water, and rest for 15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, blitz all dressing ingredients together. Taste and adjust accordingly.

• Cook grains in stock/ broth according to packet instructions.

• For the final 5 minutes of grains cooking, add your tenderstem on top to steam until al dente.

• Add all greens and cooked grains to a large mixing bowl. Pour in dressing and toss.

• After 15 minutes, remove the halloumi from the water and pat dry with paper towels.

• Heat a frying pan with EVOO over a medium-high heat until hot. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown, then remove immediately.

• Serve your halloumi over your greens and grains. Top with toasted seeds and an extra drizzle of EVOO!

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My favourite food, even since I was a baby, is sweetcorn (evidence in the baby book at my mum’s house to prove this). It’s a love that never dies. Now, while I may not have been brought up eating sweetcorn laced through brown butter cookies, I had an itch to scratch in my cookie adventures, so in it went…

My recipe ideas are often dictated by UK seasonal produce because that’s when the ingredient is at its tastiest, so I wanted to maximise the opportunity while it’s here for both corn and berries. Naturally, with the way my brain works, I thought why not put them in a cookie together..?

For full transparency, the first few attempts were somewhat shambolic. I’m probably being a bit dramatic (unlike me, I know). Edible? Yes. Enjoyable? Also yes. But still the level of not-quite-right that keeps my brain ticking over at night. Eye bags to prove this point.

I wanted the cookie to really (but politely) smack you in the face with flavours of smoky maize against sweet bursts of blueberry. Cornmeal wasn’t quite cutting it in the mixture, so I opted for blitzed up freeze-dried corn (you know that Love Corn stuff that is insanely moreish?). I also decided that blueberry in one form wasn’t enough, nor two, so you’re getting three - again, necessary.

This Week’s 1st Recipe: Blueberry Corn Cookies

INGREDIENTS (Makes 10 Cookies):

• 140g Unsalted Butter

• 75g Dark Brown Sugar

• 75g Golden Caster Sugar

• 1 Lemon, zested

• 1 Large Egg

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 150g Plain Flour

• 50g Dried Salted Corn, blitzed to powder

• 0.5 tsp Sea Salt (plus flakes to finish)

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• 50g Dried Blueberries

• 100g Fresh Blueberries

• 3 tbsp Blueberry Jam

• Fresh Corn + Dark Brown Sugar

METHOD:

• Heat butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until a deep golden-brown and smells nutty. Cool to room temperature.

• Add the lemon zest to the brown sugar and golden caster sugar. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugars for 30 seconds until fragrant and moist.

• Using an electric mixer, beat the brown butter and lemon-infused sugars until creamy.

• Mix in the egg and vanilla very briefly.

• In a separate bowl, combine flour, blitzed corn, salt and bicarb.

• Use a spatula to gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture.

• Toss blueberries lightly in 1 tbsp of flour to prevent bleeding.

• Before fully combined, gently fold in the tossed blueberries and dried blueberries until well-distributed.

• Spoon in spaced out dollops of blueberry jam and gently fold the dough a few times until swirled through.

• Divide the dough into 10 equal balls (approximately 75g each). Cover and rest in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 170°C (fan).

• In a small bowl, toss fresh corn with a little dark brown sugar.

• Space the dough balls out on cold, baking paper-lined trays. Top with the optional sugared fresh corn.

• Bake for 10 minutes.

• Remove and bang the tray on the kitchen counter three times. Then, apply a circular motion around the cookies, using a cookie cutter (or cereal bowl).

• Bake for 7 more minutes.

• Repeat tray bangs and circular motion.

• Whilst they’re still hot, sprinkle with sea salt.

• Leave for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

This Week’s 2nd Recipe: Harissa Salmon, Nectarine and Tomato Salad

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):

TO ROAST:

• 2 Salmon Fillets

• Dried Herbs & Spices: 2 tsp Smoked Paprika, 2 tsp Dried Oregano, Sea Salt

• 1 Orange, half juiced (half for dressing)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• 1 Banana Shallot, halved lengthways (skin-on)

• 1 Yellow Nectarine, quartered

• 3 Medium Vine Tomatoes, halved

SALAD:

• Dressing: Reserved Orange Juice, 2 tsp Rose Harissa, 2 tsp Capers, 2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, Black Pepper

• 1 Banana Shallot, very thinly sliced

• 1 Yellow Nectarine, sliced

• 3 Medium Vine Tomatoes, sliced

• Fresh Basil, torn

• Toasted Seeds, optional to garnish

METHOD:

• Pat salmon dry with kitchen towel. Season all sides with paprika, oregano, sea salt, orange and EVOO.

• Lie in a foil-lined tray and scatter shallot, nectarine, tomatoes around the sides. Drizzle with EVOO and sea salt.

• Roast at 170°C (fan) until salmon is cooked through (aiming for internal temp. 54°C).

• Remove salmon and set aside to rest. Return fruit and veg to oven for additional 5-10 minutes until softened.

• Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine dressing ingredients.

• Add raw shallot, raw nectarine, raw tomatoes and torn basil. Toss.

• Add in roasted fruit and veg, and their roasting juices. Toss again.

• Serve salad and flake over your rested salmon fillets.

• Sprinkle with toasted seeds.

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My favourite initial reaction to this cookie flavour was, “This confused my brain”.

Chilli and chocolate is a tried and tested duo, that a lot of people already know and love, but I’m heading back in time (2,500 years back, in fact) to give credit where it’s due to the Mayan civilisation, who invented the original hot chocolate. It was thick, bitter and spicy from the roasted cacao beans and chilli peppers, so I’m honouring all of those elements by jamming them inside a brown butter cookie.

For full transparency, I don’t think the Mayan’s served marshmallows in their hot chocolate, but give me some artistic license here, please!

Since the first editions of this flavour, I’ve upped the cinnamon quantity for additional warmth, swapped dark chocolate chunks to thick chips to help with the cookie’s structure, and I’ve added candied chillies to finish for a sweet, spicy chew - and to remind you of the flavours lurking inside.

For quite a few of my taste-testers, this is apparently one of their favourites flavour combinations that I’ve invented. In all honesty, I was quite shocked to hear it, but I love the love for thinking outside the box! This is why you’re my kind of people.

This Week’s 1st Recipe: Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

INGREDIENTS (Makes 10 Cookies):

COOKIE DOUGH:

• 140g Unsalted Butter

• 25g Cocoa Powder

• 75g Dark Brown Sugar

• 75g Golden Caster Sugar

• 1 Large Egg

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 175g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 1 tsp Sea Salt

• 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes

• 100g Dark Chocolate Chips

• 10 Marshmallows

CANDIED CHILLIES:

• 45g Golden Caster Sugar

• 40ml White Wine Vinegar

• 65g Red Chillies, thinly sliced

METHOD:

COOKIE DOUGH:

• Heat butter in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring continuously, until deep brown and smelling nutty.

• Whilst hot, stir the cocoa powder into the browned butter. Cool to room temperature.

• In a mixing bowl, beat the cocoa butter and sugars until creamy.

• Mix in the egg and vanilla extract briefly.

• In a separate bowl, combine flour, bicarb, cinnamon, sea salt and chilli flakes.

• Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula.

• Fold in the chocolate chips until well-distributed.

• Divide the dough into 10 balls (approx. 70g each). Flatten the ball in the palm of your hand and stuff with a marshmallow. Mould the dough around the marshmallow, leaving the top exposed.

• Cover the dough balls and refrigerate overnight.

• Preheat oven to 180°C (fan). Space the dough balls out on cold, lined baking trays.

• Bake for 9 minutes.

• Remove and bang the tray on the kitchen counter 3 times. Then, apply a circular motion around the cookies using a cookie cutter.

• Top with candied chillies. Bake for 4 more minutes.

• Repeat banging the tray 3 times and circular motion.

• Whilst hot, garnish with candied chillies, and sprinkle with sea salt and chilli flakes.

• Leave for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

CANDIED CHILLIES:

• Add ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to the boil.

• Add the chillies and simmer for 5 minutes.

Baking chips kindly provided by the best of the best: Guittard Chocolate!

This Week’s 2nd Recipe: Pesto & Samphire Risotto with Lemon & Thyme Chicken

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):
CHICKEN:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• 4 Chicken Thighs, skin-on & boneless (pat dry)

• Half Lemon, zest

• Fresh Thyme Leaves

• 1 Garlic Clove, crushed

• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

RISOTTO:

• EVOO

• 1 Shallot, finely diced

• 2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

• Fresh Basil, stalks finely chopped & leaves torn

• 120g Arborio Rice

• Glug of White Wine

• 600-700ml Chicken Stock

• 100g Samphire (rinsed)

• 2 tbsp Pesto Genovese

• 20g Parmesan, finely grated

• Half Lemon, juiced

• Black Pepper

METHOD:

CHICKEN:

• Toss the chicken with EVOO, lemon zest, thyme leaves, garlic, sea salt & black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• Lie chicken, skin-side down, in a cold pan and bring up to a medium heat (option to place a weight on top).

• Leave to fry for 8-10 minutes until the skin is golden and naturally releases from the pan. Flip and seal until cooked through (internal temp. 74°C).

• Rest before slicing.

RISOTTO:

• In a sauté pan, heat EVOO over medium heat. Sauté the shallot for 5 minutes until softened.

• Add garlic and basil stalks, and fry for a minute until fragrant.

• Stir in the risotto rice and toast for a minute.

• Pour in the white wine and rapidly bubble until evaporated.

• Reduce to a simmer and add the hot stock, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently and letting it absorb.

• Toss the samphire into the risotto just before the rice is al dente. The texture should be loose and silky!

• Remove from the heat and stir in pesto, parmesan, torn basil leaves, lemon juice and lots of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

• Serve risotto and top with sliced chicken. Garnish.

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Another week and another cookie out of the archives for a refresh! Now, this isn’t to say that the original banana bread cookie recipe I created isn’t delicious (can confirm: it is), but think of it more like when Apple updates the iPhone - only I won’t update it 20 times per year and charge you a fortune for the privilege…

I wanted to play around with add-ins this time for more textural variation and, you know what, just to add a bit of extra flare because why not?! The brittle packs a serious CRUNCH and is a stark contrast to the soft, fudgy cookie interior. By including the sugar-based brittle, I needed to play around with the sweetness in other areas to avoid it tasting overly sweet or, even worse, being too sweet to finish a whole cookie. One thing I never understand is making baked goods that are “too sweet” to finish in one sitting as, to me, that defeats the whole object. Anyone else? With this in mind, the sugar quantities in the dough were reduced and milk chocolate swapped to dark for added bitterness.

I love it. I hope you do too.

As a complete contrast, I’ve also included my miso-honey roasted watermelon and duck salad recipe in this week’s newsletter because a). I am eating watermelon by the boat-load in this heat and b). the texture of roasted watermelon is an experience not to be missed. It becomes almost… meaty? Just you wait until you try it!

This Week’s 1st Recipe: Banana Bread & Pecan-Sesame Brittle Cookies

INGREDIENTS (Makes 12 Cookies):

BRITTLE:

• 75g Golden Caster Sugar

• 25g Honey

• 2 tbsp Water

• 50g Pecans, broken

• 50g Banana Chips, broken

• 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds

• 0.5 tsp Flaky Sea Salt

COOKIES:

• 140g Unsalted Butter, cubed

• 60g Dark Brown Sugar

• 40g Golden Caster Sugar

• 1 Small Very Overripe Banana, mashed

• 1 Large Egg Yolk

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 200g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 0.5 tsp Ground Ginger

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• 1 tsp Sea Salt, plus extra to finish

• 100g Dark Chocolate Chips

METHOD:

BRITTLE:

• In a saucepan, heat sugar, honey and water until golden-amber.

• Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the pecans, banana chips, sesame seeds and sea salt until fully combined.

• Transfer to a baking paper-lined tray and press down with a greased spatula until a flat slab.

• Leave to cool and set completely before breaking into small shards.

COOKIES:

• Heat butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until the white bits turn brown and it smells nutty. Cool to room temperature.

• Use an electric mixer to beat the sugars and brown butter until creamy.

• Mix in the mashed banana, egg yolk and vanilla extract briefly.

• To a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, ginger, bicarb and sea salt.

• Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet.

• When almost fully combined, fold in the brittle and dark chocolate until well-distributed.

• Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (approx. 70g each).

• Cover and rest in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

• To bake, preheat your oven to 170°C (fan).

• Space the cookies out on cold, baking paper-lined trays.

• Bake for 9 minutes.

• Remove from the oven and bang the tray on the counter 3 times. Apply a circular motion around the cookies, using a cookie cutter (or a small bowl).

• Bake for 5 more minutes.

• Remove and repeat tray bangs and circular motion.

• Whilst they’re still hot, sprinkle with sea salt.

• Leave for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baking chips kindly provided by the best of the best: Guittard Chocolate!

This Week’s 2nd Recipe: Miso-Honey Roasted Watermelon & Duck Salad

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):

ROASTING:

• 2 Duck Breasts, skin patted dry & skin scored

• Sea Salt

• Half Watermelon, thick chunks

• 4 Spring Onions, whites chunked (greens for garnish)

MISO HONEY:

• 1 tbsp White Miso Paste

• 1 tbsp Honey

• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce

• 1 tsp Sesame Oil

• 1 Lime, juiced

SALAD:

• Salad Leaves

• Spring Onion Greens, thinly sliced

• Fresh Coriander

• Roasted Peanuts, chopped

METHOD:

• Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan).

• In a small bowl, whisk miso, honey, soy sauce, and lime juice until smooth.

• Season both sides of the duck generously with salt. Place them skin-side down in a cold, dry pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and slowly render the fat out until the skin turns golden and crispy (8 minutes). Pour off excess duck fat.

• Meanwhile, add watermelon and spring onion whites to a roasting tray and toss with 2 tbsp miso glaze.

• Flip the duck breasts over and sear the flesh-side for a minute. Remove.

• Nestle the duck breasts, skin-side up, amongst the watermelon. Brush the skin generously with the miso glaze.

• Roast in the oven for 8–10 minutes (duck internal temp. 57°C for medium-rare).

• Remove and rest the duck for 10 minutes before slicing. Return the watermelon to the oven for 10 minutes.

• In a mixing bowl, toss salad leaves and spring onion greens with the reserved 1 tbsp dressing. Then, toss through watermelon.

• Scatter over your platter and top with slices of duck.

• Garnish with coriander leaves, peanuts and an extra squeeze of lime.

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I’ve brought another cookie out of the archives for a refresh and, holy moly, I’m glad I did because I was delightfully reminded that this might just be one of my favourite flavour combinations… I know, I feel like I say that every time too, but I really mean it.

I’ve taken my inspiration from Middle Eastern flavours. If you’re unfamiliar with halva, it’s a crumbly, fudge-like block made from whipped tahini mixed with a honey syrup. It’s phenomenal as a sweet snack in its own rite, but its nutty flavour (enhanced even more because we’re using the pistachio variety) melts through the cookie dough and marries deliciously with the sourness of the cherries, the warmth of the cardamom, and the bitterness of the dark chocolate.

Rye was the chosen flour this time because 1) I personally love it and baking comes from the heart (in this case, my own), and 2) it adds another layer of nutty complexity to the flavour profiles.

If you’re sceptical about turning the oven on in this week’s temperatures, do it just to bake a batch of these. Screw the dinner. I’m joking, don’t worry. On the topic of the current heatwave, I’ve also thrown in my no-cook peanutty chicken and mango salad recipe. See, you really do only need the oven for the cookies.

This Week’s 1st Recipe: Sour Cherry, Pistachio Halva & Dark Chocolate Rye Cookie

INGREDIENTS (makes 12):

• 140g Unsalted Butter

• 75g Dark Brown Sugar

• 75g Golden Caster Sugar

• 1 Large Egg

• 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

• 200g Rye Flour

• 1 tsp Sea Salt, extra flakes to finish

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• 1 tsp Ground Cardamom

• 100g Dried Sour Cherries, chopped

• 100g Pistachio Halva, crumbled

• 75g Dark Chocolate Chips

• 20g Sesame Seeds

METHOD:

• Heat butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until a deep golden-brown and smelling nutty. Cool to room temperature.

• Using an electric mixer, beat together brown butter and sugars until light and creamy.

• Briefly mix in the egg and vanilla.

• In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, bicarb and cardamom together.

• Then, using a spatula, gently fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture.

• Before the dough is fully combined, fold in the sour cherries, dark chocolate and pistachio halva until well-distributed.

• Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (approximately 74g each).

• Roll half of the dough in sesame seeds.

• Cover and rest in the fridge overnight.

• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 170°C (fan). Spread the dough balls out on cold baking paper-lined trays.

• Bake for 10 minutes.

• Remove and bang the tray on the kitchen counter 3 times. Then, apply a circular motion around the cookies, using a cookie cutter.

• Bake for 4 more minutes.

• Repeat tray bangs and circular motion.

• Whilst hot, top with extra halva and a sprinkle with sea salt.

• Leave on the tray for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Baking chips kindly provided by the best of the best: Guittard Chocolate!

This Week’s 2nd Recipe: No-cook Peanutty Chicken & Mango

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):

RICE:

• 100g Sticky Rice, washed

• 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

• 1 tsp Caster Sugar

• Pinch Sea Salt

PEANUT SAUCE:

• 1 Garlic Clove, grated

• Small Piece Fresh Ginger, grated

• 1.5 tbsp Peanut Butter

• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce

• Half Lime, juiced

• 1 tbsp Warm Water

• 1 tsp Honey

• 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

• 1 tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil

• Coriander stalks, finely chopped (leaves for later)

CHICKEN:

• 4 Leftover Chicken Thighs, cold & shredded (or whatever chicken you have)

• 1 Ripe Mango, peeled & thinly sliced

• 2 Spring Onions, thinly sliced

• Half Cucumber, thinly sliced

• 1 Carrot, thinly sliced

• Red Cabbage, shredded

• Coriander Leaves

• Handful Roasted Peanuts, chopped

METHOD:

• For the rice, add rice and 120ml cold water to a small lidded saucepan. Bring to the boil then simmer over a low heat until al dente. Leave the lid on and rest for 10 minutes. In a small dish, mix together rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Gently fold the seasoning through the rice. Cool.

• For the dressing, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl, loosening with more warm water if needed.

• For the chicken, add all ingredients (minus peanuts) to a large mixing bowl. Pour over the dressing and fold everything together until fully coated.

• Serve the peanutty chicken and veg mixture with your sticky rice. Garnish.

This week’s cookie recipe was heavily inspired by my trip to Sri Lanka earlier this year, where my main sources of hydration were Milo and masala chai - both stunning when consumed separately, but a whole world above when enjoyed together… Should I have had water as a main source of hydration? Probably yes. Do I have any regrets? Not one. The malty, chocolatey flavours of Milo know just how to mingle with the warming tea spices of Ceylon.

When I first began testing this recipe, I knew I was being optimistic to pack in so many big-character flavours, especially as I wanted you to appreciate their presence - otherwise what’s the point? In version 1, I bloomed the Milo in the warm browned butter (in the hope to release maximum malty flavour) and added the spices to the dry ingredients. While I was happy — like SO happy — with the texture, it just tasted like a very good chocolate cookie. A win, yes, but back to the drawing board I went... By the final version, I’ve now doubled the spice quantities, and they’re bloomed in the fat to really hit you in the taste buds with those aromats. Trust me on this difference - it’s even worth paying for..!

I also want to give a quick nod to this week’s free recipe as it’s the first that I’m sharing on my Substack from my newly launched series, “Bring Yo Momma to Work”. I started this series, unbeknownst to my mum, in the vain hope to show her how cool and fun my job is, and to eventually convince her to come and work with me. The employee position is currently unpaid (unappealing, I know, but we remain optimistic); however, the company is epic and so is the endless free food. We’re going to be heading to food events and cooking up recipes together over summer (more content over on my Instagram) to see how we go. I get my love of food, cooking and baking from my mum when I was growing up, so it’s time to have some fun and to repay the favour! She did however make us wear aprons in her kitchen, and I’m really not sure how I feel about that.

This Week’s Free Recipe: Pea Risotto

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):

RISOTTO:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• 1 Banana Shallot, finely diced

• 2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

• Handful Fresh Basil, stalks chopped (leaves for purée & garnish)

• 140g Arborio Rice

• Glug White Wine

• 800ml Chicken Stock

• 50g Petit Pois

• Knob Butter

PEA PURÉE:

• 100g Petit Pois

• Fresh Basil Leaves

• Fresh Thyme

• 30g Parmesan, finely grated (extra for optional Parmesan crisp)

• Half Lemon, juiced

• Black Pepper

METHOD:

• Heat EVOO in a sauté pan over a low-medium heat. Soften the shallot for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.

• Add garlic and basil stalks (they’re more robust to get the basil flavours in earlier on), and fry until fragrant.

• Pour in the arborio rice, coat in the mixture and toast for 1 minute (this creates a protective layer of fat around the rice to keep it al dente and add nuttiness).

• Pour in a good glug of white white and bubble rapidly until fully evaporated.

• Add a ladle of hot stock at a time to the risotto and allow it to absorb (you don’t want to cool the pan down as you go). Repeat the process, stirring regularly, until the rice is al dente and a loose texture when wobbled.

• Meanwhile, blitz your pea purée ingredients together with half a ladle of stock until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

• Optional Parmesan crisp - Grill small mounds of grated Parmesan on a baking paper-lined tray until golden and bubbling. Remove from the grill and leave to harden.

• Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in butter, pea purée, petit pois, torn basil leaves, lemon juice and lots of black pepper (these all just need residual heat). Taste!

• Serve up the risotto immediately whilst it’s hot and in a thin layer (you should be able to pat the bottom of your bowl to spread it out).

• Garnish with extra basil leaves, pea shoots and your Parmesan crisp for texture. Season to finish.

  ---

This Week’s Paid Subscriber Recipe: Milo & Masala Chai Cookies

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I first developed this recipe after seeing Barnaby’s, who hand-make chocolate bars in London, bring out a limited-edition bar with these very flavours. I trusted them, ran with it, and I am SO glad that I did. It’s a serious amalgamation of sweet, salty, tangy and warming.

I hosted my third social event for a bunch of gorgeous people in the food world a few weeks ago and, in classic me-form, I baked an abundance of cookies to chow down on whilst we chatted and drank wine all afternoon. If you haven’t tried the combination of cookies and wine yet, by the way, I urge you do so immediately.

As someone who develops and shares recipes predominantly remotely, it’s always fun (and somewhat nerve-wracking?) to share your cooking with others and get their immediate feedback. Most of the time (unless I get sent evidence), my recipes go out in the social media abyss, and I hope for the best that someone make it and enjoys it… Thankfully, this cookie feedback was resoundingly positive, and I knew I needed to bring it back for another moment in the spotlight.

This Week’s Recipe: Salt & Vinegar Crisp, Biscoff & White Chocolate Cookie

INGREDIENTS (Makes 10):

• 140g Unsalted Butter, cubed

• 140g Biscoff Spread

• 75g Dark Brown Sugar

• 75g Golden Caster Sugar

• 1 Large Egg

• 1 tbsp Balsamic Glaze (extra to garnish)

• 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

• 200g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 0.5 tsp Sea Salt, plus extra to finish

• 200g White Chocolate Chips

• 75g Salt & Vinegar Crisps, bashed (extra to garnish)

METHOD:

• Heat butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until it turns a deep golden-brown and smells nutty. Stir through Biscoff until melted. Cool to room temperature.

• Use an electric mixer to beat the sugars and brown butter until creamy.

• Briefly mix in the egg, balsamic glaze and vanilla until combined.

• To a separate bowl, combine flour, bicarb, cinnamon and sea salt.

• Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, folding gently with a spatula.

• Fold in the chocolate and crisps until well-distributed.

• Divide the dough into 10 equal balls (approx. 76g each). Cover and rest in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

• To bake, preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).

• Space the dough balls out on cold, lined baking trays.

• Bake for 9 minutes.

• Remove from the oven and bang the tray on the kitchen counter 3 times. Apply a circular motion around the cookies, using a cookie cutter (or bowl).

• Return to bake for 5 more minutes.

• Repeat tray bangs and circular motion.

• Whilst they’re still hot, sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

• Leave for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Baking chips kindly provided by the best of the best: Guittard Chocolate!

Here goes - my first cookie recipe for paid subscribers’ eyes only!

I hope I’ve given you enough reason to trust that I know how to make a good cookie recipe - good enough for you to go to the effort to bake yourself at home…

As we delve further into spring, I wanted to bring a lighter and brighter cookie variation with a zingy, citrus centre, and I firmly believe that lemon curd is the clear way to go here. After all, I stand by the fact that it’s a top-tier food. You can go all out with homemade lemon curd (I always have a stock on-hand) or you can opt for good-quality shop-bought. I could happily eat it straight from the jar with a spoon, but I guess that’s the privilege of being the baker (by all means, join me on this).

This Week’s Free Recipe: Spanish Chicken with Peppers, Paella Rice & Cavolo Nero

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):
CHICKEN:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- Half Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
- Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped (stalks & leaves separate)
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 0.5 tsp Dried Thyme
- 0.5 tsp Dried Oregano
- 80g Piquillos

Peppers, drained
- 1 tbsp Capers
- Glug Dry White Wine
- 300-400g Leftover Roast Chicken, shredded
- 150ml Chicken Stock
- Black Pepper
- Half Lemon, juiced
RICE:
- 100g Paella Rice
- Pinch Sea Salt
- 0.5 tsp Dried Thyme
- 0.5 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Optional - Leftover Chicken Skin, chopped
GREENS:
- 1 tbsp Sultanas
- 5 Cavolo Nero Stalks, shredded
- EVOO
- 1 Garlic Clove, thinly sliced
- 0.5 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Pine Nuts, toasted

METHOD:
CHICKEN:
- In a large skillet, heat EVOO over a medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent (5–7 minutes).
- Add in garlic, parsley stalks and smoked paprika. Fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the piquillos peppers and capers.
- Pour in the white wine, scrape the base of the pan, and rapidly bubble until reduced by half.
- Add in the leftover chicken and chicken stock.
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover for a further 5 minutes to thicken.
- Add parsley leaves and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
RICE:
- Cook rice in 200ml salted water with thyme, oregano, a bay leaf, and optional chicken skin until al dente.
GREENS:
- Soak raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain well.
- Blanch spring greens in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well.
- Heat EVOO in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry garlic for a minute until fragrant.
- Add cavolo nero, vinegar, honey and raisins, and fry for a further minute.
- Finish with toasted pine nuts. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

This Week’s Paid Subscriber Recipe: Lemon Curd & Poppy Seed Cookies

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A quick spot of cheap flights from London to Nice led to an impulse change of scenery for a few days over the Bank Holiday weekend. Having never been to the French Riviera before, I predominantly expected beautiful blue waters, but perhaps an air of stuffiness with designer-heavy Monaco, Cannes, and the like being such close neighbours to Nice?

The blue waters delivered, and I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty and charm of the surrounding areas – Villefranche-sur-Mer and Antibes were my personal favourites! Every building and narrow street, with its quaint balconies and shutters, was honestly beautiful. Shock horror: I wanted to photograph them all…

As the trip was so last-minute, I didn’t have my usual lengthy period to research food highlights (something I actually dread missing out on), and sadly we missed out on a few recommended spots as we didn’t have time to book a table in advance. To name a few: Chez Davia, Apopino, Chez Moi, and Le Canon. So, if I can recommend one thing… even out of season: BOOK. I cannot imagine the chaos of the high season!

That being said, we still ate some delicious food – including some outstanding French pastries – albeit our savoury spots had quite a heavy Italian influence with the border being so close.

A few highlights:

• La Boulangerie by Michel Fiori – Frangipane Twice-Baked Croissant

• Casa Tua – Daube de Boeuf Gnocchi

• KOOC TOAST – Spring Onion & Egg Custard Bun

• Philippe Tayac Pâtisserie – Chausson aux Pommes and Pain au Raisin

• Le Terre del Sud – Paccheri with Tuna, Olives, Capers & Tomatoes

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This Week’s Recipe: Everything but the Bagel Salmon Bowl

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):

• Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil

• 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

• 100g Quinoa

• 3 tsp White Wine Vinegar

• Fresh Dill

• 300g Smoked Salmon Fillet, patted dry

• 2 tbsp Everything but the Bagel Seasoning

• 2 tbsp Cream Cheese

• 1 tbsp Capers

• Fresh Chives

• Black Pepper

• Half Cucumber, small diced

• 8 Cornichons, finely chopped

• Half Lemon, juiced

METHOD:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add onion and caramelise for 20 minutes until jammy. Add a splash of water to help it along.

• Cook quinoa according to packet instructions. Leave to cool slightly.

• Meanwhile, rub salmon with 1 tbsp oil Oil. Press bagel seasoning onto the flesh side of each fillet. Oven roast/ air-fry at 180°C for approximately 12 minutes or until the crust is golden and salmon is cooked through (internal temp. 54°C).

• In a small bowl, whisk cream cheese, capers, 1 tsp vinegar, chives and black pepper.

• Fold caramelised onions, cucumber, cornichons, dill, and 2 tsp vinegar into the quinoa. Season with sea salt, black pepper and lemon juice.

• Spread cream cheese across the bottom of each bowl. Spoon the quinoa on top. Finish with salmon.

Recipe originally developed in collaboration with Mellow Yellow for Instagram

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Since starting Life & Fork, I’ve never charged for my recipes. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with brands on recipe collaborations, and this has allowed me to keep bringing you free recipes.

With my cookie variations being my most popular recipes by a country mile, I feel a little more protective over them… so, one cookie recipe per month will now be only for the eyes of paid subscribers. I hope you think they’re worth it (because I do)!

Don’t worry, this one’s free.

This Week’s Recipe: Mango, Coconut & Lime Cookies

INGREDIENTS (Makes 14):

COCONUT BARK:

• 60g Desiccated Coconut

• 70ml Condensed Milk

COOKIE DOUGH:

• 140g Unsalted Butter

• 50g Raw Coconut Flakes, toasted (+ extra untoasted for rolling)

• 75g Dark Brown Sugar

• 75g Golden Caster Sugar

• 1 Large Egg

• 1 Lime, juiced (zest for garnish)

• 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes

• 150g Plain Flour

• 2 tsp Amchur Powder (Dried Mango)

• 1 tsp Sea Salt

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• 150g Dried Mango, small pieces

• 5 tsp Mango Chutney

METHOD:

BARK:

• In a bowl, mix desiccated coconut and condensed milk until fully combined.

• Press down on to a baking paper-lined tray until flat.

• Freeze for 1 hour.

• Tear into chunks.

DOUGH:

• Heat butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until a deep golden-brown and smells nutty. Cool to room temperature.

• Toast flaked coconut until golden. Cool.

• Using an electric mixer, beat together browned butter and sugars.

• Mix in the egg and lime juice briefly.

• In a separate bowl, combine flour, toasted flaked coconut, amchur powder, salt and bicarb.

• Gradually, using a spatula, fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture.

• Fold in the mango pieces and the coconut bark until well-distributed.

• Divide the dough into 14 equal balls (70g each). Cover and rest in the fridge for 2 hours.

• When ready, preheat oven to 170°C (fan).

• Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.

• Remove and bang the tray on the kitchen counter 5 times. Then, apply a circular motion around the cookies, using a cookie cutter.

• Spoon 0.5 tsp mango chutney on top of each cookie.

• Bake for 6 more minutes.

• Repeat tray bangs and circular motion.

• Whilst hot, sprinkle with lime zest and flaky sea salt.

• Leave on the baking tray for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To keep it short and simple (while I remind myself what to do), here’s a recipe I loved creating.

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This Week’s Recipe: Pasta e Butter Beans

I recently worked in collaboration with Merchant Gourmet on this recipe to celebrate the launch of their new Giant Butter Beans. I took them for a spin in a riff off the Italian classic, “pasta e ceci”. Their bite, body and creaminess works SO well.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 1 Shallot, diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 Red Chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary, chopped
- Handful Fresh Basil, chopped (stalks & leaves separate)
- 1 tbsp Tomato Purée
- 220g Butter Beans
- 750ml Vegetable Stock
- 1 Parmesan Rind + 20g Parmesan, grated
- Black Pepper
- 150g Small Pasta (we used conchigliette)
- Handful Greens, shredded
- Half Lemon, juiced

METHOD:
- Heat EVOO in a deep saucepan over a medium heat.
- Soften shallot for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, red chilli, rosemary and basil stalks. Fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add tomato purée and fry for a minute until it deepens in colour.
- Add butter beans, stock, parmesan rind and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Optional - Blitz a ladle of butter beans and stock until smooth and stir back into the stock for extra creaminess.
- Add pasta, cover and simmer until al dente (8-10 minutes).
- Stir in greens, basil leaves, lemon juice and parmesan. Wilt the greens for 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
- Ladle into bowls, and finish with a drizzle of EVOO and an extra grating of parmesan.

With only a few weeks here, I wanted to maximise every opportunity to eat traditional flavours. That being said, particularly as you venture along the coast, there are many (seemingly well-rated) Westernised restaurants—but I didn’t indulge. They are not what I’m here to celebrate.

📍 COLOMBO: The Spice Roots

The gateway to the island—best for traditional buffets and sunset snacks.

• Nuga Gama: A rustic, village-style buffet set under a giant banyan tree.

  • The Dish: A massive traditional spread (£20).

• Galle Face Green: The ultimate street food strip.

  • The Dish: Grab an Isso Wade (prawn crackers) or a spicy Kottu while watching the sunset.

📍 KANDY: Traditional Techniques

Where the spice levels rise and the prices drop. Perfect for quick bites and cooking marathons.

• Balaji Dosai: A fundamentally delicious dosa!

  • The Dish: Masala Mushroom & Cheese Dosa served with dhal, vegetable curry and coconut chutney (£3.30).

• Hela Bojun Hala: A women-led initiative by the “aunties” of Kandy, cooking authentic, ultra-affordable dishes. They start early in this outdoor food court, serving masses of locals before the working day begins. Every stand is different to negate competition. It’s certainly not a tourist spot—there is no English menu and no cutlery. Hands only for the real experience!

  • The Dish: Egg & Cheese Hopper (48p—my best hopper of the trip, perfectly thin and crisp) and Spiced Chana (24p).

• Café Banana Chill: Making the most of the island’s abundance of tropical fruits. Expect many monkeys overhead.

  • The Dish: Chia Smoothie Bowl & Flat White (£5.75).

• Devon Bakery: A local institution for on-the-go with morning queues out the door!

  • The Dish: Veg Roti (36p—wonderfully spiced with a generous filling).

📍 ELLA: Hill Country Comfort

Cozy mountain vibes with a focus on hearty curries and “Westernised” treats.

• Matey Hut: Tiny spot, big flavours. Expect a 30-minute wait.

  • The Dish: 4 Curries & Chicken (£3.48 - the Dhal with Spinach is a standout).

• The Claypot: Great music and friendly staff.

  • The Dish: Paratha with Chicken & Dhal Curry (£4.50). The paratha is their most popular dish for good reason, though not the tastiest dhal on the list.

• Café C: A local favourite for a late dinner.

  • The Dish: Egg & Veg String Hopper Kottu (£2.15). Personally, I prefer string hoppers to roti kottu - potentially controversial.

• Isle of Gelato: Claimed to be “the best ice cream spot” in Sri Lanka. However, read on for my personal favourite…

  • The Dish: Very Berry Curd (made with local buffalo curd), Almond Mochachino, or Roasted Coconut (£2.40 per scoop).

• Café Rainbow: Friendly service, though expect a bit of a wait.

  • The Dish: Ella Booster Smoothie Bowl (£4—the mango smoothie base tasted like melted ice cream; say no more).

📍 MIRISSA: The Coastal Catch

Fresh seafood meets trendy health hubs.

• No 1 Dewmini Roti Shop: Noted as the best roti in the area, though the fillings definitely need the side sauces!

  • The Dish: Chicken, Egg, Cheese & Veg Roti with Dhal (£3.50 - served with a questionable pot of tomato ketchup?)

• N Ice Cream: Hands down the best coconut ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Ran by an epic young couple, their homemade flavours are all refined sugar-free! I was here every night during my time in Mirissa…

  • The Dish: Fresh Coconut, Cacao & Date, White Passionfruit, and Mango (£1.60 per scoop).

• Tuana: Refined seafood in a chic, “natural neutral” aesthetic. The chef has a personal love for Sri Lankan and Vietnamese fusion—and I am here for it.

  • The Dish: Sesame Soy Tuna with Green Pea Purée (£9). This is the “catch of the day,” recommended rare to maximise the flavour.

• W&D: Perfect for a fresh beach lunch.

  • The Dish: Catch of the Day (Red Grouper) with Yellow Rice (£11). Wonderfully fresh, tender, and generous, though it didn’t really need the unspecified sauce.

📍 HIRIKETIYA: Surf & Smoke

The culinary peak of the trip—creative, modern, and punchy.

• Raa: Easily the best meal of the journey. Sri Lankan classics refined with a serious punch of flavour and spice.

  • The Dishes: Claypot Braised Black Pork Curry with Stir-Fried Morning Glory, Dried Coconut Sambol, and Local Red Rice (£11.50). The tenderness of that pork will live rent-free in my head.

• Smoke & Bitters: Ranked 8th in the Top 50 Asian Restaurants Worldwide. (£50pp, including cocktails).

  • The Food:

    • Charred Prawns with Prawn Butter and Roast Paan.

    • Coconut Chicken with Pol Sambol Butter and Creamed Cauliflower.

    • Grill Carrots with Apple Glaze and Carrot Leaf Salsa Verde.

    • Burnt Leeks with Seeni Sambol and Almond Feta (My favourite leek dish I’ve ever eaten and a true celebration of a leek).

    • Kurumba Calamari with Tempura King Coconut and Cashew Cream (Standout: mind-blown that this was vegan yet tasted exactly like calamari!).

  • The Cocktails: Smokey & The Bandit, Coco B’Smash, Sippin’ on Gin & Juice, and the winner: Anula’s Poison (47 abv blend, tepache, orgeat, falernum, passoa, narrang, grenadine, banana honey, absinthe, angotura bitters).

• The Ruin: The best tuna carpaccio I’ve ever eaten!! Toes in the sand make it even better still.

  • The Dish: Dry-aged Tuna, Fermented Chilli Sauce, Fresh Tuna Hearts, Sumac, and Crunchy Tortillas (£6.85).

• Duni’s Hoppers: Tastiest smoothie bowls in Hiri.

  • The Dish: Açai Bowl (£5.50).

• Salt House: The go-to spot for post-pilates or post-surf fuel.

  • The Dish: “Hiri” Smoothie Bowl (£5.50).

📍 AHANGAMA: The Grand Finale

• Hotel de Uncles: Modern Lankan cuisine at its best.

  • The Dish: Lagoon Barramundi in Turmeric Coconut Broth with Milk Rice (£5). I smiled with every bite—deeply flavourful broth with a crisp fish exterior and a flaky, soft interior.

• Thileni’s: A stunning sunset spot on beanbags overlooking the sea.

  • The Dish: Coconut Prawns (£7.60). Great sauce, although slightly overcooked prawns.

• Local Bakery: A local bakery treat courtesy of my driver— best snack of the trip!!

  • The Dish: Fried bun with a boldly spiced potato and vegetable filling and a secret egg.

• Teddie’s: A rooftop, wave-watching spot.

  • The Dish: Tropical Smoothie Bowl (£5.70). Tasty smoothie base and toasted, nutty granola.

I know there’s so much more of this special country to be eaten and tried, and I fully intend to return one day to continue exploring!

I went on my first overnight work trip this week. It felt like a huge moment for me, and I ended up having one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. To call this “work” feels like a bit of a joke… trust me, I never take these moments for granted!

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We dined at The Avenue in Lainston House, a fine-dining restaurant headed by the legend Tom Hamblet. I don’t eat at fine-dining restaurants on a regular basis—partly because sadly I don’t have the expendable income, but also because I’m a firm believer that quality food can be found at any price point. In fact, some of the best food I’ve ever eaten has come from street-food vendors.

However, as fine-dining experiences go, this was sensational. We spent the entire meal talking about the food as we ate it; we couldn’t even contemplate discussing anything else. It demanded our full focus, care and attention.

I have so much respect for Tom, his creativity and the seasonal inspiration he draws from the produce grown in the Lainston Kitchen Garden. The menu constantly evolves to celebrate ingredients and flavours at their peak. Lainston’s signature scent is lemon verbena—a delicate herb with an almost sherbet-like taste—and it played a starring role in my favourite dish of the evening

.

To run you through the tasting menu (be prepared—it’s extensive), I should first say that while it reads as a lot of food on paper, the kitchen knows exactly how to balance flavours and portions. It was the perfect amount for me (granted, I have a massive appetite), with spot-on combinations of flavour profiles. I wasn’t about to leave a single bite uneaten.

Snacks – Cheese & Truffle Choux, Sesame croustade with duck parfait & puffed rice STAND-OUT; crispy salmon skin with whipped cod’s roe

Bread – Fennel-pollen laminated brioche STAND-OUT; onion-seed bun; garden-herb butter

Starter – Scallop, anchovy, seaweed pickle, ajo blanco

Intermediate – Gambero Rosso prawn, melon gazpacho, tomato & jalapeño sorbet

Main – Wild turbot, girolles, cauliflower, cordyceps, vin jaune STAND-OUT

Pre-dessert – Mango, kaffir lime & buttermilk, rapeseed jam, verbena FAVOURITE OF THE NIGHT

Dessert – Caramelised puff pastry, vanilla, yuzu, blackberry & pastis sorbet

“Squeeze them ins” – Sugared ginger jellies, nougat, vanilla & lavender biscuit sandwiches

First, let’s applaud—and normalise—calling petits fours “squeeze-me-ins”. Perfectly fitting (pardon the pun).

I could go into great detail about everything I ate, but I’ll let the ingredients, the pictures and your trust in my word do the rest.

This Week’s Recipe: Sardine & Courgette Casarecce

A nod to the soon-departing summer with potentially my last courgette recipe of the year!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Pinch of Saffron Strands

• Tinned Sardines, drained, oil reserved

• 1 Shallot, finely chopped

• 1 Large Courgette, half moons

• 1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped

• Half-1 Red Chill, finely chopped

• Fresh Basil, finely chopped (stalks & leaves separate)

• 1 tbsp Capers

• 1 tbsp Sultanas

• 1 tbsp Walnuts, toasted

• Half Lemon, zested & juiced

• Black Pepper

Method:

• Soak saffron strands in 2 tbsp hot water for 10 minutes.

• Drizzle sardine oil into a frying pan and soften the shallot for 5 minutes until translucent.

• Add the courgette and sauté over low heat until softened (approximately 4 minutes).

• Add garlic, red chilli and basil stalks, and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant.

• Add the capers, sultanas, walnuts and sardines and stir to combine. Gently break sardines apart with your spoon.

• Stir in the saffron strands and liquid. Season with half of the lemon zest and black pepper. Heat sardines through for a few minutes.

• Scatter in the torn basil leaves, remaining lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and lots of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly!

• Transfer pasta and starchy pasta water to loosen. Stir until well-coated.

Is a whole newsletter about folding and cutting paper really necessary? At first, I wouldn’t have thought so, but a closer look at what bakers get up to behind closed doors (or even in plain sight) proves that, yes, it absolutely is.

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Have you ever peeled baking paper away from a triumphant sponge or cheesecake only to find that a stray crease has worked its way into the batter—either a) stuck fast or b) pulling off chunks of your bake and leaving a ragged edge?

While it might seem easier to tear off a large sheet of baking paper, scrunch it up and wedge it into the tin, taking a few minutes to line the base and sides separately means the paper will sit flush and crease-free. It also ensures no leakage.

All you need is a 20cm round springform baking tin, baking paper, scissors and a little butter.

1. Turn your baking tin upside down and cut a large square of baking paper.

2. Fold it into a smaller square.

3. Continue folding to create a pointed fan shape.

4. Press the point of the fan into the centre of the tin’s base and crease the paper where it just overlaps the edge to mark the correct radius.

5. Cut along the crease.

6. Open it out to reveal a neat circle that will flatten perfectly into the greased base of your tin. The slight overlap up the sides is intentional to prevent leaks.

7. Next, stand the tin on its side and measure the height against a fresh sheet of baking paper.

8. Fold to the correct width and cut two strips. If you’re baking something with a high rise, cut the strips a little wider to help maintain an even lift.

9. Press the strips into the greased sides of the tin, overlapping the base layer and smoothing them so the entire surface is covered.

You’ve made it to…

The Recipe: Lainston Vanilla Basque Cheesecake

The wonderful creation from Lainston House’s Season Cookery School x Matt Edgell baking workshop.

Ingredients

• 210g Creme Fraiche (sub sour cream)

• 210g Double Cream

• 730g Cream Cheese

• 190g Golden Caster Sugar

• 3 Large Eggs

• 1 Large Egg Yolk

• 3 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

• 30g Cornflour

• 0.5 tsp Flaked Sea Salt

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 220°C (fan).

• Grease and line your springform baking tin with baking paper.

• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and vanilla for a few minutes.

• Pour in the sugar and continue beating until combined.

• Crack the eggs in individually, beating well between each addition.

• Add the cream and beat for a minute. Repeat the process with the creme fraiche.

• Sift in the cornflour and salt. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth and combined.

• Pour the mixture through a sieve into the lined baking tin to ensure it’s smooth.

• Tap the tin on the work surface 5 times to remove any air bubbles.

• Bake in the centre of the oven for 27-30 minutes - trust the wobbly centre when you remove it from the oven.

• Leave in the tin to cool completely. Refrigerate overnight.

• Remove the cheesecake from the fridge 15 minutes before serving and slicing.

• We served ours with a homemade blueberry compote and cinnamony crumble.

After an unplanned posting hiatus over summer (same as the kids), I’m now ready to get back to school and get my head down. If you know me, you know I don’t fare well in the colder months (a human snake), so expect more days indoors, writing lots of lovely things about food.

Summer was a blur of hens, weddings, baby showers, and moving house — I’m firmly in that era of life now (the only thing applying directly to me being the house move). On that subject, this is my first time living south of the river in London in my seven years of being here, and I’ve been happily exploring my new neighbourhood. By exploring, of course, I mean eating and drinking my way around it.

A Gal’s Lunch at Taverna Trastevere

My mum and aunt came down to see my new place and for a long Friday lunch in the sunshine. I’d had Taverna Trastevere ear-marked for ages, and now that it’s within walking distance, it felt like the perfect opportunity to finally try it.

When we arrived, every outside table was full, buzzing with chatter — exactly what you want to see. The atmosphere was warm, the staff welcoming, and we ended up staying for close to three hours (a very leisurely Italian pace).

The taverna is widely known for serving some of the best carbonara in London. It’s not usually my first-choice pasta, but once I told my mum and aunt about the reputation, they ordered it straight away. Lucky for me, that meant I could steal a forkful (or three). Verdict? The hype is justified. The sauce was glossy with egg yolk, deeply savoury with crispy guanciale and salty pecorino, and finished with a peppery kick. I also loved that they used homemade rigatoni rather than spaghetti — the ridges caught every bit of sauce.

Other highlights included the burrata with homemade pesto (featuring hefty chunks of fresh basil) and caramelised onions — sweet, herby, and perfect with creamy cheese. For dessert, my mum ordered Mille-Feuille with Chantilly cream and mixed berries; she was delighted by the crisp pastry against the other soft textures. I went for hazelnut gelato, which tasted like eating a perfectly roasted nut by the spoonful. As you know, I’m not a big dessert eater; however; I do judge restaurants on their ice cream/ sorbet selection, and this passed the test.

I’d happily go back for either lunch or dinner — the hearty ragu is already calling my name as the weather cools. And yes, I’ll still be raising a Hugo Spritz (from a self-proclaimed HS connoisseur) to toast the last of summer.

This Week’s Recipe: Harissa Nectarine, Tomato & Salmon Salad

A simple, seasonal stunner that plays with contrast: some ingredients roasted for sweetness and depth, others kept raw for freshness and bite. It feels like double the ingredients, with half the effort.

Ingredients (serves 1):

Roasting:

• 1 Salmon Fillet

• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1 tsp Dried Oregano

• Sea Salt

• ½ Orange, juiced (reserve half for dressing)

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• ½ Banana Shallot, halved lengthways (skin on)

• ½ Nectarine, quartered

• 1–2 Medium Vine Tomatoes, halved

Salad:

• Reserved Orange Juice

• 1 tsp Rose Harissa

• 1 tsp Capers

• 1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

• ½ Banana Shallot, very thinly sliced (option to lightly pickle)

• ½ Nectarine, sliced

• 1–2 Medium Vine Tomatoes, sliced

• Fresh Basil, torn

• Toasted Seeds, to garnish (optional)

Method

• Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper, then season with paprika, oregano, sea salt, orange juice, and EVOO.

• Place salmon in a small roasting tray. Scatter shallot, nectarine, and tomatoes around. Drizzle with EVOO, season, and roast at 170°C for 15–18 minutes, until the salmon reaches 54°C internal temp.

• Remove salmon and set aside to rest. Return the fruit and veg to the oven for another 5–10 minutes to deepen their flavour.

• In a bowl, whisk reserved orange juice, harissa, capers, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

• Toss sliced shallot, fresh nectarine, fresh tomato, and basil with the dressing. Fold in the roasted fruit and veg plus their pan juices.

• Flake the salmon over the top and scatter with toasted seeds.

Tip: Swap nectarines for peaches while they’re still in season, or try the same method with halloumi instead of salmon for a vegetarian version.

Yes, I know. “Penetration” feels like a jump-scare word to drop into a food newsletter. But stick with me — I promise it’s worth it.

So often we’re in a rush when cooking, but I really believe that doesn’t mean we need to compromise on flavour. Enter: the “quickle” (quick pickle). Hate the word? Same. Love the concept? Absolutely. A homemade pickle adds instant contrast and brightness to almost any dish, and they’re incredibly easy to make and stash in the fridge.

Here’s the hack: before you add your vegetables to the pickling liquid, score the skin lightly with a fork. Those tiny grooves open up more surface area, letting the liquid soak in faster — meaning you get that delicious tang in minutes rather than hours. Bonus: the ridges give your veg a pretty pattern. Win–win.

My mum still teases me about making all my food look “pretty,” whether it was tomato flowers on sandwiches as a kid or cucumber snowflakes now. But honestly? Beautiful food just tastes better.

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The Recipe: Quick Pickled Cucumber

Ingredients

• 1 Medium Cucumber

• 120ml Warm Water

• 1 tbsp Sugar

• 1 tsp Salt

• 120ml Vinegar (rice vinegar/ white wine vinegar)

• Optional Aromats: toasted sesame seeds, nigella seeds, a few peppercorns, garlic clove, red chilli, or fresh dill

Method

• Score the skin by lightly dragging a fork down the length of the cucumber to make ridges. Halve lengthways and slice into thin rounds.

• In a lidded jar, combine warm water, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar and salt dissolves. Add in vinegar and optional aromats.

• Add cucumber slices to the jar.

• Seal the jar and give it shake. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

These keep well in the fridge for up to a week — but they rarely last that long.

This week was relatively BAU (business as usual) – I learnt this acronym from my housemate and I love it – as I’m off on my best gal’s hen next weekend, so I’ve got my nose to the ground to get work done before we go.

So, I’m going to tell you a little more about Bibimbap and why I love it. Firstly, introducing this dish on my social media this week was hilarious because so many people thought I was just making the word up – from Kendrick Lamar lyrics to a riff on Cinderella’s “bibbidi-bobbidi-boo”, apparently. As fun as these hypotheses are, it’s a real thing – and it’s seriously delicious.

For a bit of background and history… “Bibim” means mixing, and "bap” means rice – so bibimbap literally means "mixed rice". It’s a staple Korean dish that originated from the custom of mixing leftover side dishes with rice — a way for people to make use of available ingredients. I first tried Bibimbap at Assa in Soho, London, and instantly loved it. Anything that involves a hefty portion of vegetables mixed together with an egg has me sold. And over a mound of rice? Say no more.

Bibimbap symbolises harmony and balance. It focuses on five tastes (salty, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy). You arrange the ingredients over your rice in a wheel, deliberately separate before mixing, representing unity among diversity. Whilst it looks extremely aesthetic – and we can’t deny we’re huge advocates for pretty food these days (social media being the biggest culprit) – there are legitimate reasons behind it.

As we head into summer and picnic/outdoor dining season, I wanted to offer an alternative to the 50 Shades of Beige spreads that usually come out of the woodwork. In all honesty, that kind of food is not my vibe (no discredit if it’s yours), but for me, it usually just ends with a stomach ache. Instead, I thought Bibimbap was a great way to get everyone attending to a). focus on one or two elements of the dish and make them epic, and b). relieve some pressure from one person to prepare everything. As the one who works with food, this usually falls on me… Not that I don’t love it, but sometimes it’s nice for cooking not to feel like work.

The real blessing of Bibimbap is that you have autonomy to take it in whatever direction you choose. Don't like it? Don’t include it. Love it? Include it in bucket-loads! I’ve given you a recipe below for a selection of elements that I personally love and feel work well together, so let me know if you give it a go – and what you might add or change!

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This Week’s Recipe: Spicy Pork Bibimbap

Ingredients (Serves 4):

MINCE MARINADE:

• 200g Pork Mince (not lean)

• 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil

• 1 tsp Brown Sugar

• 2 Garlic Cloves, grated

• Vegetable Oil

SAUCE:

• 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds, toasted (1 tbsp for Spinach)

• 1.5 tbsp Honey

• 1.5 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

• 1.5 tbsp Gochujang Paste

• 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

• 50ml Water

• 2 Garlic Cloves, grated

VEG:

• 250g Spinach (creamy option: 1 tbsp Tahini, 2 tbsp Warm Water, 1.5 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 tbsp Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds)

• 150g Beansprouts

• 150g Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced

• 2 Carrots, julienned

• Half Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

• 50g Kimchi

• 2 Eggs

• 200g Rice (we used 2 Tilda Coconut Rice Pouches)

Method:

• Marinate the mince in all the ingredients except the vegetable oil for 30 minutes.

• Mix the sauce ingredients in a small jar.

• Heat the vegetable oil in your wok over a medium-high heat and cook the mince until caramelised on the edges and cooked through. Remove and set aside.

• In the residual juices (add more oil if needed), add the shiitake mushrooms and avoid stirring. Fry for a few minutes until the moisture evaporates and they begin to caramelise. Toss and cook for a further few minutes until well caramelised.

• Meanwhile, in a saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the spinach and beansprouts for 60 seconds. Remove and rinse under cold water. Squeeze out any excess liquid.

• Optional but highly recommended: Mix the blanched spinach with the creamy dressing.

• Fry your eggs.

• Place the rice into a serving bowl and add the toppings. Pour over the bibimbap sauce.

If you’ve followed me on social media/ been in my company before, you’ll know that I talk about parmesan rinds in cooking a lot — some might say too much, but I respectfully disagree…

Parmesan is my favourite cheese because how fantastic to have a cheese that you use as seasoning for a dish! As much as I love salt to season, nothing hits like a mound of freshly grated parmesan. But I don’t need to tell you about the cheese itself because I’m going to happily assume that you already know that bit. The part often neglected, and dare I say binned, is the rind of the parmesan — the tough, waxy strip at the end of your block. Give it a smell; it is bursting with flavour!

As I’ve alluded before, I’m always looking for ways to elevate flavours in dishes without the need for extra ingredients. If you’re already adding parmesan to garnish your dish, why not ramp up the flavour as it cooks too?

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Here are the main advantages:

Deep Umami Flavour

Parmesan rinds are rich in glutamates, which impart a strong umami (savoury) flavour. This adds a complex, savoury — almost meaty — depth to dishes.

Natural Thickener

As the rind simmers, it softens and releases collagen and fat, slightly thickening the liquid without the need for cream or starch.

Minimal Waste

Using the rind is a great way to reduce kitchen waste. It repurposes what would normally be discarded into a flavour-enhancing ingredient.

Subtle Cheesiness Without Overpowering

The rind adds a mild, mellow cheese flavour rather than the sharpness of grated Parmesan, which can overpower delicate dishes.

Versatility

Parmesan rinds can be used in a wide range of dishes:

• Soups (e.g. minestrone, tomato, lentil)

• Stocks and broths

• Risottos

• Pasta sauces (e.g. Bolognese ragu)

Just don’t forget to remove it before you serve!

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The Recipe: Parmesan & Greens Butterbeans

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• 2 Shallots, thinly sliced

• 4 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

• Few Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

• 470g Butterbeans, plus jar juices

• Black Pepper

• 300ml Chicken Stock

• 1 Lemon, zested

• Parmesan Rind & 40g Parmesan, grated

• 100g Cavolo Nero

• 50ml Milk

Method

• Heat EVOO in a lidded pan over a medium heat.

• Reduce the heat and add the shallots, slowly caramelising them until golden (approximately 20 minutes), adding a little water if they start to stick.

• Add the garlic and thyme. Fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

• Pour in the butterbeans and their liquid. Season with black pepper and mix.

• Now, pour in the chicken stock and add the lemon zest and parmesan rind.

• Bring the pan to the boil before adding the cavolo nero and covering a lid. Reduce to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour (the longer, the more flavourful), stirring occasionally.

• After, pour in the milk and the grated parmesan. Let it sit on the top for 30 seconds before stirring to combine. Reduce for a final few minutes. Check seasoning and adjust accordingly.

• We meal-prepped ours and put the beans in the fridge, once cooled, to tap into for breakfasts and lunches across the week. As always with this sort of thing, it tastes even better the next day!

This week included my favourite day of the year: the day we go to see Bruce Springsteen. It was a full family affair — aunts, uncles, cousins included — as we headed to Liverpool for the Land of Hope and Dreams tour. I think this marks the seventh time I’ve seen Bruce now (?), and the feeling really never gets old. The atmosphere at Anfield was incredible; the setlist was stellar, and singing and dancing with my mum and sister is the best. That said, I did wake up with a sore throat on Thursday morning… I’ll have to mute any videos I recorded to spare you from my wailing of every single lyric.

I love Liverpool; it’s easily one of my favourite cities in the UK. I used to visit regularly when my friend was at uni there, though this trip featured far fewer clubs — thank God. I haven’t actually been back since she graduated, so what’s that… eight or nine years ago? Silently heaves. Age aside, there’s such a fun, friendly buzz in the city, and it’s packed with great bars, pubs and places to eat.

I booked a pre-show lunch for us at Maray as the brief was: tasty, not overly expensive, and somewhere my sister (aforementioned fussy eater) would enjoy. It’s a small Middle Eastern-inspired tapas restaurant with two sites in Liverpool and one in Manchester. We went to the Bold Street location and chose their lunchtime deal: one appetiser and two small plates for £19.95. If you know me, you’ll know just how much I can eat — and we couldn’t even finish everything! That’s how generous the portions were. I don’t think I’ve left a meal unfinished in years… genuinely. Overall, we were really happy with everything we ordered, and the service was ace — friendly and just the right level of attentive.

Standout dishes for us:

• Cauliflower Bhajis with kara chutney, coconut, chilli

• Chickpea Dopiaza with crispy chickpeas and coriander

• Crispy Seabass with sprouting broccoli slaw and toum

• Disco Cauliflower with chermoula, harissa, yoghurt, tahini, pomegranate, parsley, almonds

Feedback:

• The Spiced Lentil and Rice Mejadara lacked a punch of spice and was a little dry.

• The hummus fries were wonderfully crispy, fluffy and salty; however, the hummus itself was a little too thick for dunking and could’ve done with a bigger hit of cumin, in my opinion.

Overall, I’d definitely eat here again if I’m up north and would recommend — even more so as the G&T was £5.50, which, after living in London for so many years, almost brought tears to my eyes. My mum and sister really enjoyed it too, and my mum was glad I picked a cuisine she wouldn’t naturally choose herself. Mission accomplished.

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This Week’s Recipe: Cajun Prawn Bowl

Ingredients (Serves 2)

CAJUN PRAWNS:

• 300g Extra-Large Raw King Prawns, deveined & butterflied

• ½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

• ¼ tsp Sea Salt

• Dried Herbs & Spices: 1½ tsp Smoked Paprika, 1 tsp Oregano, ½ tsp Garlic Powder, ½ tsp Onion Powder, ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

• ½ tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• ½ tbsp Butter

• ½ Lime, juiced (use the other half for the slaw)

TOASTED CORN RICE:

• ½ tbsp EVOO

• ½ tbsp Butter

• 2 Spring Onions, thinly sliced (whites and greens separated)

• 1 Corn Cob, kernels removed

• 2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

• Handful of Fresh Coriander, stalks finely chopped (leaves for slaw)

• Coriander & Lime Rice (we use a Tilda pouch)

RAINBOW SLAW:

• ½ Small Red Cabbage, shredded

• ½ Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

• ½ Red Onion, finely sliced

• 1 Carrot, julienned

• ½ lime, juiced

• Fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped

• 1½ tbsp Mayonnaise

• 1 tbsp Natural Yoghurt

• 1 tsp White Wine Vinegar

• ½ tsp Dijon Mustard

• Pinch of Sea Salt

Method:

1. For the slaw, mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

2. For the prawns, place them in a bowl and toss with the bicarbonate of soda and sea salt. Set aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the spices in a small dish. After 15 minutes, sprinkle the spice mix over the prawns and coat well. Set aside while you prepare the rice.

3. For the rice, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the spring onion whites and fry for a few minutes. Add the corn and toast for a further 5 minutes until golden, slightly popping, and nutty-smelling — try not to stir too much. Add the garlic and coriander stalks, mix, and fry for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the packet rice according to the instructions. Off the heat, stir the rice and spring onion greens into the corn mixture.

4. To fry the prawns, heat the oil and butter in a wide-based pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the prawns in a single layer. Fry for around 50–60 seconds per side (depending on size) until no longer opaque and the spice forms a crust. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and toss to coat.

5. To serve, build your bowl with toasted corn rice, rainbow slaw, and Cajun prawns. Dig in!