Skip to main content

Harper Collins

Prosecco and Raspberry Jelly

Prosecco and jelly: two of my favourite things. And when combined with raspberries, they make a wickedly celebratory concoction. The reason for putting this in the freezer for the first half an hour is to help set the prosecco bubbles in the jelly. It also works very well with cava.

Simple Shrimp, Coconut and Eggplant Curry

This fast one-pot dinner is rich enough to comfort, but light enough that it won’t weigh you down.

Passion Fruit “Crumble”

This is such a sweet little dessert. As you know, I’m not one for sweet treats but this is a little pop of yumminess—perfect for dinner parties, and it won’t leave your guests rolling around on the floor with indigestion.

Citrus-Stuffed Branzini

This dish is one of my favorites for the grill. If a fish comes whole from the store, leave the head and tail on when you cook it, to help retain moisture. The fish is done when the inside of the stomach is dry.

Minty, Boozy Chicken

This is like pouring a cooked mojito over stewed chicken, with the rum, lime, and herbs mingling beautifully with the chicken juices. Serve it with rice and a cold, crispy Alsatian white like a Pinot Blanc.

Baked Peas with Tarragon, Yogurt, and Pistachios

Frozen peas are a gift to the breakaway cook: their creamy, earthy goodness bursts with flavor, and they couldn’t be easier to store and prepare. The pesto-like tarragon emulsion, made even creamier by the addition of Greek yogurt, really brings out the best in them, and the sprinkling of pistachios on top lends a lovely toasted, nutty texture. Try them with a broiled fish fillet and a glass of grassy Sauvignon Blanc.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart

Sweet and savory meet with delicious results in this elegant tart.

Red Chard, Avocado, and Blood Orange with Mango-Chutney Dressing

This side dish has it all: creamy avocado, tart orange, savory greens, zesty chutney, and crunchy toasted almonds. Serve as a salad or a side dish alongside a piece of grilled fish.

Coconut and Passionfruit Cream Pie

Store-bought ingredients are an easy way to spruce up old favorites, like coconut cream pie. Here, passionfruit curd lends its distinctive tropical flavor to the filling for a refreshing twist.

Chickpea and Eggplant Salad

This subtly flavored salad really celebrates the chickpea, which is an excellent source of fiber, protein and iron, and perfect for keeping us going on busy days.

Fig-Braised Chicken With Spiced Walnuts

Served with spicy toasted walnuts and smothered in a sweet and silky sauce, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.

Crispy Chicken Stew With Lemon, Artichokes, Capers, and Olives

The whole family will love this wonderfully zesty and briny Greek-inspired chicken dinner.

Poached Fish With Spinach in Chili-Tomato Sauce

I like this one because it's a one-pan dish—you will need a pan with a lid. You can use a can of tomatoes instead of making the purée if you wish, but puréeing the tomatoes produces a better result. You don't need to be precise with the quantities for this dish at all—a handful of cherry tomatoes, add some onion, etc. The important thing is to have the lid to keep in steam and heat so you get a very nice lightly cooked fish. You don't want to overcook it. I've used hake but you can use any white fish like cod, sea bass, halibut or even salmon. It's simple but tasty, and the kind of thing you could easily rustle up for yourself or friends. You can use any green veg but it works well with fennel—sautéed in a pan or slow-baked, or added to the pan and cooked with the fish and tomatoes. This is a great one for a novice cook.

Lemongrass-Ginger-Carrot Soup

This simple soup can be eaten hot or cold, in winter, or in summer. Many are aware of the healing benefits of carrots, mainly the antioxidant-rich carotenoids that are known to pack anticancer powers. We love them because they're a simple and delicious food. Combine them with a hefty dose of gelatin-rich bone broth, a touch of lemongrass and ginger, and you're left with a bowl of soup that beats any sugar-laden cold-pressed juice on the market.

Red Wine-Braised Short Rib Stew with Potatoes, Carrots, and Mushrooms

If you haven't noticed by now, we love braising. This stew wraps itself around your soul and squeezes ever so gently. And while it truly embodies the concept of a one-pot meal, we do like to roast the vegetables separately so they retain their individual flavor, creating even greater depth of flavor.

Mixed Leafy Green Soup "Caldo Verde" with Chickpeas

Caldo verde means "green broth" in Portuguese, and it is Portugal's unofficial national dish. This beautiful green soup is technically a hot smoothie, since its many nutritious greens are pureed together in a blender. Chickpeas are an important ingredient here, too. Fiber- and protein-rich, they've been shown in studies to help people lose weight. For added protein, top with 4 ounces of shredded chicken or add 2 dozen clams to the broth.

Poached Chicken, Crunchy Vegetables, and Herb Dressing

I used to be put off by poaching chicken as I feared it was more complicated than my simple fried version. But it's actually much easier, because while the chicken poaches you can prepare the rest of the food. These days I often poach 3 or 4 chicken breasts at a time, then keep them in the fridge so I can toss them into salads over the following days. Poaching really helps to keep the moisture in the meat, so the end result is much more enjoyable than dried, overcooked chicken.

Breakfast Bowl With Quinoa and Berries

Why spend all of that money on a breakfast bowl that you can easily make at home? This hearty, gluten-free bowl takes just minutes to throw together and is absolutely delicious.

Minute Steak with Roasted Fennel and Arugula and Caper Dressing

A lot of people assume that being healthy means that red meat is off the menu. But I'm delighted to say that it's very much on mine. That said, I am a stickler for ensuring that the meat we eat is of the highest quality and that it is always paired with an abundance of vegetables. Plants are always my main focus, but a little bit of good-quality meat here and there has worked best for me. I have tried being vegan and vegetarian but my health suffered during those phases. We are, after all, omnivores and so, unless you have a specific dislike of, issue with or reaction to meat, I think it's a food group that has an important role in our diet. If you like carpaccio, this recipe also works incredibly well with the beef served raw and very finely sliced.

Coconut, Beet, and Ginger Soup

There are many ways to make beet soup, the most well-known of all being borscht, the hearty Russian classic that also contains veggies like potatoes and cabbage. Beet soup can be eaten cold, so we like to make it with more delicate flavors and puree it. Here, the ginger beautifully balances the beet, and the coconut milk adds a nice fat component. We find citrus finishes this dish perfectly, so we garnish it with a bit of orange.
27 of 38