We have another dish that confuses us with its origins! Named after the Malaysian island of Penang, this dish is well known across central & southern Thailand. I'm a real fan of making life easier by using quality, ready made curry paste, though there are certain Thai curries for which I highly recommend you make the paste fresh, such as my Chiang Mai Thai Curry recipe, which would simply not be the same without the bold flavours that can only be found with fresh ingredients.

This beautiful salad is a great starter or side dish for summer meals. Quick & easy to make, it is sweet, tangy & fresh! I used a charentais melon (a French variety similar to a honeydew melon) but you can use pretty much any melon that you like, so long as it is ripe & sweet. 4 Servings Ingredients: 1/2 a melon, peeled, deseeded & cut into 8 slices 150gr mozzarella mini balls 4 slices of Parma ham, each slice cut in half horizontally 8 slices of cucumber Juice of 1 lime 2 tb

When I discovered this incredible dish from Finland, I fell in love with it instantly. I love fish, particularly salmon, though I had never thought to use it in a soup. Not only is this dish incredibly healthy, it is very easy & quick to make. The fresh dill really is the star of the show & adds that Nordic flavour that makes this soup one of a kind. This soup is even better the next day, when the dill has had more time to infuse the broth. 4 Servings Ingredients: 2 tbsp butt

This is a popular, tasty aperitif snack here in France, where 'apero' is a sacred event.. The French also call it 'amuse-gueule' which means 'mouth fun', though English speaking countries would call it an 'appetiser'. It really is something different to offer your guests when having drinks together & is served with toothpicks. For the best outcome, marinate overnight or at least 4 hours before serving. Ingredients: 400gr tin of mushrooms, drained well 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

This recipe came about one evening when I wasn't sure what to cook for dinner, so I threw together what was left in the cupboards and fridge; a happy accident that only 30 minutes later, resulted in a dish that is now a firm favourite in my home. I am a massive fan of arrabbiata sauce. You just cannot beat that spice! At times, I make the sauce from scratch, especially in summer when I can use my homegrown tomatoes as the base for the sauce. However, in the winter months I us

I love tacos in many forms. This is an original way to make them that is quick, healthy & bursting with tangy, sweet flavours. Serve with warm tortillas & a spicy mayonnaise sauce. Enjoy! 4 Servings Ingredients for the Caramelized Pork: Olive oil, for frying 2 cloves of garlic, minced 800gr boneless, fatless pork, finely sliced 2 tsp fish sauce (can be substituted by soy sauce) 4 tbsp sugar Ingredients for the Pineapple Salsa: 200gr fresh pineapple, peeled & cut into very sma

spicy chicken pasta recipe

There are certain recipes that are dearer to my heart than others & this is one of them. I have always loved noodles, particularly rice noodles in soup. I find eating noodles feels like a warm hug; there is something so comforting about it. This dish is heavily influenced by my childhood in south east Asia & my love for Thai food in particular. It can be easily converted into a vegan recipe by simply leaving out the chicken & swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock. Ma

This in an incredible combination of flavours; one that explodes your taste buds & leaves you feeling like you've really had an amazing culinary experience. The bitterness of the chicory pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the pear, whereas the crunch of the walnuts clashes marvellously with the creamy texture of the Roquefort cheese. All of this, finished off with the tang of a red wine vinaigrette. It is heaven & the perfect starter to impress your dinner guests. 2 Serv

This French classic recipe is very easy to make with few ingredients involved. Chicken breasts, crispy fried, with a creamy mustard sauce. It pairs beautifully with mashed or roasted potatoes, but also rice or even pasta. 4 Servings Ingredients: 750gr of chicken breasts, each sliced in half horizontally 100gr flour 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 3 shallots, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 chicken stock cube diluted in 25cl of boiling water 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 tb

Raclette is an amazing, strong smelling cheese we have here in France. It is famous for the being the cheese used for 'a Raclette', which is a meal named after the cheese. It is a very social dinner, immensely popular for gatherings between family or friends. Having 'a Raclette requires a Raclette machine which is a plug in cooking device that the diners use to melt their cheese using little triangle or square trays. You place boiled potatoes, charcuterie & cornichons on yo

This classic British starter remains one of the country's favorite starters. Cold prawns slathered with tangy Marie Rose sauce... it is simply delicious & a perfect, easy starter to impress your family & friends. 2 Servings Ingredients: 250gr cold, cooked prawns, shells removed 200gr mayonnaise 1 tbsp ketchup 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp tabasco Juice of 1/2 a lemon S&P 2 handfuls of iceberg lettuce, finely sliced Instructions: Simply whisk together the mayonnaise, ketc

This classic dish is quick & easy to make for a weeknight dinner. The gravy can truly be described as comfort food & this dish is perfect paired with freshly mashed potatoes & green beans. 4 Servings Ingredients: Olive oil 24 meatballs (roughly 600 grams) 4 tbsp butter 4 tbsp flour 60cl hot beef stock 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Dijon mustard 15cl cream Pepper Chopped parsley, to serve instructions: Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs t

This recipe is from Aveyron in the South of France, situated between Montpellier & Toulouse. It is a simply, easy dish to make that has the perfect balance for a healthy lunch with lots of chard greens, eggs & sausage meat. It pairs well with a side salad. 2 Servings (6 farçous) Ingredients: The dark green leaves of 3 white chard stalks, roughly chopped 1/2 onion, roughly chopped 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 100gr sausage meat 2 eggs 40gr f

This is a great way to add a twist to a pasta dish by incorporating fish. If you are not a fan of tuna, you can replace it with mackerel, sardines or even prawns. This dish is from the south west of France, specifically the Basque region, where the famous 'piment d'espelette' chilli powder is from. Its unique, smoky flavour is unrivalled by any other chilli though, if you really cannot find it near you, you can replace it with hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper. Although jam

This recipe is incredibly easy to make & it is a 1 tray recipe, making it a quick solution for a week night dinner. 4 Servings 800gr new potatoes 2 red onions, cut into quarters 2 courgettes, cut into chunky cubes 2 tbsp olive oil 4 chicken breasts 2 tbsp honey 1 heaped tbsp wholegrain mustard Juice of 1 lemon 250gr cherry tomatoes S&P Instructions: Heat oven to 180c for fan assisted ovens & 200c for traditional ovens. Parboil potatoes for 10 minutes & then allow to drain wel

This beautiful pesto dish combines so many flavours & ingredients that I absolutely love. Is there anything better than a comforting bowl of pasta on a rainy autumn day? For this pesto I will be using almonds instead of pine nuts. It is a great alternative & can be bought whole & blended, or already blended to a fine powder. The latter will yield a smoother texture though I personally prefer the first option, as I like the extra crunch that freshly blended almonds give the di

Also known as 'drunken noodles', this Thai dish was given this name as it is a rather spicy dish that is often eaten at the end of boozy nights out. It has a real kick to it and is perfect accompanied by a chilli sauce called Sambal Oelek, which you may be able to find at your local Asian store. 4 Servings Ingredients: 4 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp water 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 6 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp peanut oil or sunflower oil 400gr rice noodles 5 cloves of garlic,

This beautiful dish originates from Russia & is a great idea for a week night dinner, as it only takes 15-20 minutes to make. It is also very easy to convert it to a vegan dish by simply increasing the quantity of mushrooms to 700gr, & although I used oyster mushrooms for my dish, you can use a variety of different mushrooms to make it even more interesting. For the vegan version, simply add the flour to the mushrooms followed by vegetable stock, and the rest of the ingredien

It makes me wince when people chop off the stalks or base of a broccoli and discard it. I absolutely love this part of broccoli. Simply remove the rough outside layer and you will find smooth, much softer flesh inside that is tasty and perfect for stir-fries. This recipe is easy to make & packed with goodness. It is great as a side dish with teriyaki salmon (you can search for this recipe in the search box above). You can even add noodles & chicken for a 1 wok meal. Simply b