Once Upon A Fork

A blindingly great alternative to a traditional risotto, these coarse grains of cauliflower are coupled with pesto, leeks, feta and pine nuts for a standout bowl of nourishing comfort. In amongst trends that come & go, I've taken cauliflower rice to my heart and with good reason; it's plenty versitile enough to help any number of ingredients to the table, offering up its own nutritional benefits & filling properties. Feeds 2-3 depending on cauliflower size. Prep | cook time: 45 minutes. You will need: one large head of cauliflower, 2 good-sized leeks, 2 tbsp basil pesto, 2cm slice of feta cut from a block, 1tbsp pine nuts, 4inch chorizo sausage (optional) olive oil, salt & pepper, asparagus spears (2 per person, optional)

A supper that hits the high notes without demanding hours in the kitchen. Bold flavours from shores that never shy away from seducing taste buds at first mouthful. These ingredients are a sidestep from my usual reliance of foods gathered from our immediate continent yet strike a chord of content with me. Fittingly quick for a midweek supper and befitting of a fridge raid, invest in the store cupboard staples of this dish and I promise they'll not go to waste. Feeds 2. Prep | cook time 15 minutes (plus 4-6 hours to marinate meat if desired) 12oz beef fillet, 1/3 large head broccoli, 1 handful mangetout, 6 baby corn, a dozen baby tomatoes (plum or cherry) 1/2 bag spinach, 1 mild chilli, (red) 1 inch fresh ginger, 2 handfuls bean sprouts, 3 spring onions, 4 tbsp sesame oil, 4 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp white rice vinegar, 2 tbsp tamarind sauce, 2 tbsp kicap Manis, 2 tbsp + 1 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1/2 small bunch coriander

Pasta is ubiquitous across many kitchens today, renowned for its endless ways of picking up ingredients & letting them do the talking. Soft to the bite, wonderfully flavour neutral & every bit enjoyable piping hot or cold from the fridge, dried versions are a store cupboard staple by my reckoning. This recipe unites soft leaves & green veg, a variety of textures drenched with citrus vinaigrette & chalky white cheese crumbled for good measure. Enjoy whilst still warm, serve alongside foods straight from white hot barbeque coals or offer up alongside cold meats. Pack into Tupperware & devour at your desk, tuck into a bowlful whilst thumbing your favourite pages or throw onto the table amongst a myriad of other dishes to graze from. Just keep it in your armoury, for it leaves plenty of room to overhaul the ingredients to mirror those in your salad drawer. Serves 4 (or 6 as part of a wider meal) You will need 500g dried pasta (orzo, rigatoni or conchiglioni work best) one large red onion, 1/4 cucumber, half large head of broccoli, a cup of peas (frozen are fine) half a bunch each of the following; coriander, mint, parsley. Half a dozen stems of tarragon, (leaves pulled from the stalks). Red wine vinegar, demerara sugar, Olive Oil (or grapeseed oil) 1/2 lemon, quarter block of feta, salt & pepper, honey (optional)

This sauce has been leaned on heavily across the years. Cauliflowers, nuggets of macaroni, sheets of lasagne & croques of the Monsieur & Madame varieties have all been clad in its cashmere like blanket of rich sauce. Its a right jolly affair of a one pan method & a brief bout of vigorous stirring. This recipe makes enough to comfortably swathe any number of dishes to feed an army of 8. It freezes wonderfully and will come to no harm in the fridge for a few days. Make a vat of it and keep it to hand when time is not on side. A hasty macaroni with a fistful of peas & enough splinters of smoky bacon rashers can be cobbled in under 15 minutes and still find time to brown beneath the glowing bars of a grill. You will need; 50g butter, 50g plain flour, 1litre milk, a ball of nutmeg, 1 heaped tsp dijon mustard, 100g strong cheddar cheese, 2 bay leaves, one egg yolk (optional)

Once a staple of the Italian kitchen, beef Ragu has become a stalwart of witches the world over. With origins still rooted to the boot of the med, it provides a versatile dish that can find its way to the table beneath many guises. Tangled with spaghetti, layered between sheets of lasagne, tucked into crimped squares of pasta, tucked beneath a blanket of potato, or folded into pillows of pastry; each and every take on a pan spilling with vegetables, all the better for a day or two in the fridge and with room for improvisation is a winner. Cook time inc prep - 3 hours approx. Feeds 6-8. You will need; 1kg beef mince, 3 cans chopped tomatoes, 2 green peppers, 3 sticks celery, 4 medium carrots, 3 large red onions, 3 cloves garlic, 12-16 closed cup or chestnut mushrooms, 1tbsp oregano, 2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, half a dozen basil leaves (optional) 175ml red wine, a couple of beef stock cubes, tomato purée, 3 tsp sugar.

We're suckers for roast chicken here at No.11. With a myriad of uses, not least taking centrestage across a roast dinner, once cooked the tender chicken can be removed from the bones and used amongst pies, pastries, pasta, salads & sandwiches. Get into the habit of making this a weekly exercise and it'll not only expand your kitchen repertoire but make easy work of getting scrumptious suppers to the table in under 20 minutes. Ingredients: you will need - one chicken (the best your purse strings will stretch to) Two sticks celery, one onion, one carrot, two cloves garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper, a few sprigs thyme, half a lemon. Cooking time 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours, plus 20 minutes resting time.

I cannot lay claim to the origins of this recipe, nor can I appropriate praise & acclaim to the clever cook who dreamed up such a simple feast since it was introduced to me too many years back to trace it's origins when crowding an old friends table. It cleverly stretches just half a dozen sausages over four plates without hinting at frugility. Cloves punch above their weight here, as do rosemary needles softened in a bath of white wine. I'm a fan of dishes that lean on odds & ends amongst store cupboard staples and leaves room for a cook with a modicum of imagination to explore substitutes when those listed here are not readily available. You will need: 9-10 handfuls of dried pasta, 6 good quality sausages, a sprig of bushy rosemary, 5 tbsp white wine, a scant pinch ground cloves, a handful of kale leaves (or spinach) 6-8 chestnut (or closed cup) mushrooms, half a red onion. Salt & pepper, a knob of butter, parmesan. Cooking time: approx 18 minutes

Make these meatballs a stalwart of your midweek table. A one pan wonder that'll take care of itself in the oven & holds up the freezer and re-heating so double quantities and stockpile. Feeds 6. You will need. 1kg pork mince, 1 crust end of sliced bread, parmesan, olive oil, 3 tsp oregano, 3 tsp sugar, 3 x chicken oxo, tomato purée, 3 cloves garlic, 2 eggs, 3 cans of chopped tomatoes, any tomatoes hanging around that are overripe (optional) salt & pepper

This dish serves up a winning combination on the flavour front. Puddles of aniseed cream soak into toasted crusts, a whisper of garlic & the last notes of white wine omnipresent across the plate. I would argue quicker to rustle up than eggs on toast, the simplicity in its prep belie it's sophistication at any table. Serves One - You will need: one thick cut slice of sourdough bread. 125g mixed mushrooms - wild, chestnut, closed cup, shitake or just whichever variety you have to hand. Half clove garlic. 1 1/2 tbsp cream. 4 tbsp white wine, a few sprigs tarragon, 15g butter, one shallot. Cook time approx 10-12 minutes

As far as lazy indulgent breakfasts go, this one makes the top five here at No.11. Miniature pancakes heavy with banana & Maple syrup drizzled with a generous hand make for a winning start to any day. Cook time: 15 mins. Feeds 4. You will need: 125g plain flour, pinch salt. Tsp sugar, 2 Bananas, one egg, 100ml whole milk, maple syrup.

A riot of colour makes this filo clad Cumberland ring a head turner. Vibrant squash, gawdy peppers, emerald green leaves & flecks of sesame jostle for attention on the fork. Fit for a summer table or dark winters night, it can headline the table or be a noteworthy support act. The components of this dish provide the only inkling of any tedium across stop | start prep but the results are more than worth the twenty or so minutes it takes to cobble (with a few wasted minutes in between!) Feeds 4-6. You will need; one packet filo pastry, one butternut squash, 2 red peppers, one jar grilled artichokes, half block of feta, 3 garlic cloves, 2 large red onions, one tbsp sesame seeds, sumac, 3 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, knob is butter, olive oil, salt & pepper, one egg. Takes approximately 1 hour 15mins including cooking time.

A dish of glorious decadence yet enviably easy & quick to get on the table, bowls of striking flavours & memorable mouthfuls are the order of the day with this dish. Scant Ingredients become a sum far greater than that of their individual parts when coupled with luxurious Truffle oil. Feeds two. You will need; approx 250g fresh egg linguini (or any other pasta shape) one shallot, a few sprigs of thyme, 25g butter, salt and pepper, 60g shitake mushrooms, 125g chestnut mushrooms. Truffle oil. Prep | Cooking time approx 15 mins.

Leaned on for decades, omelettes serve up a satisfying meal no matter the hour of the day. Rich in protein, they are recognised for being able to stave off hunger in the hours after and being bland in flavour scream for accompaniments to pique interest. A myriad of ingredients can be thrown at a pan of just set eggs; in this instance however I'm relying on the following. Serves 1 : two eggs, three sprigs of thyme, half a dozen basil leaves, a few leftover sage leaves, the last of a bunch of coriander. Other herbs to include extend to mint, tarragon, parsley, chives and oregano. A knob of butter approx 15g, two tbsp milk, salt & pepper and a small lump of cheddar. Parmesan (optional)

A stalwart of our table and a far cry from too many versions of this dish less able to pack a punch. A heady ensèmble that makes liberal use of store cupboard staples & quantities that guarantee leftovers to fill your freezer or use across other mealtime wins such as nachos or stuffed potato skins. You will need: 1kg minced beef, 250ml red wine 2 large green peppers, 4 cloves garlic, 2 sticks celery, I green chilli, 300-400g closed cup mushrooms, 2 large white onions, 3 cans chopped tomatoes, 2 cans kidney beans, Demerara sugar, 2 beef stock cubes, tomato purée, ground cumin, dried coriander leaf, ground coriander, chilli powder, cayenne pepper, Worcester sauce (optional)

This nifty little salad never fails to woo a crowd, coming into play when serving up tender ribeye steaks, tandoori lamb chops or nudging alongside meats charred over white hot barbeque coals. It can be enjoyed in isolation as a light lunch, or sit beneath a tender roast salmon fillet. You will need: a variety of tomatoes, preferably heritage and on the vine. 2 slices of sourdough bread, half a red onion or half a dozen spring onions, one bunch of coriander, olive oil, salt and pepper, rosemary (optional)

With 9 of us crowding the table, a sizeable shoulder of pork is the order of the day. Left mostly to its own devices, it makes easy work of entertaining & serves up a hearty meal. You will need: one boned rolled shoulder of pork (approx 3 kg) olive oil, 3 red onions, one carrot, 125ml white wine, a stick of celery, discarded ends of a leek (optional) salt flakes, 150g soft breadcrumbs, one egg, 14-16 sage leaves, 40g butter, coarsely ground black pepper

Today's episode finds me pulling together a Cauliflower & Leek Cheese ahead of crowding our table later with friends. Its a superb dish that not only brings vegetables to the mealtable, but can be served as a side to a multitude of dishes. Feeds 6-8 You will need: one large Cauliflower, 4 leeks, 100g butter, 150g strong cheddar cheese, 600ml whole milk, 1 nutmeg ball, Dijon & wholegrain mustard, 85g plain flour, salt flakes & coarsely ground black pepper.

Today’s episode finds me making burgers for our supper. With minimal prep & from fridge to fork inside 20 minutes, they are an easy to lean on meal when fast food is craved. To serve four, you will need: 500g minced beef, one egg, 3 tbsp soft breadcrumbs, tomato purée, approx 25g Parmesan, 1tsp celery salt, salt flakes & coarsely ground black pepper. To assemble, you will need: one baby gem lettuce, one beef tomato, 4 - 8 slices of cheese, 2 - 3 gherkins, mayonnaise, ketchup, 4 brioche buns (or other type of bun for serving it between)