I Love Food Recipes

There was a time when fresh egg noodles were the provenance of specialist stores, however they can now be found in the fridge compartment of most supermarkets. If your supermarket hasn’t quite caught up then use the dried version, following the package instructions for rehydrating. Use this recipe as a template; it works just as well with pork or prawns as it does with chicken. Also feel free to add other vegetables, such as peppers, green beans or pak choi. Serves 4 chicken breasts 2 large, cut into 1cm strips light soy sauce 4 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 2 tbsp garlic 3 cloves, finely sliced red onion 1 large, cut into about 8 thin wedges fresh ginger 2cm piece, peeled and finely chopped mangetout 100g, cut in half widthways fresh egg noodles 400g Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 3 tbsp sesame oil 2 tsp spring onions 4, trimmed and finely sliced Place the chicken breasts in a small bowl and pour in 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, mix and leave to sit for 5 minutes. When read...

How many people does it take to turn a frittata di pasta? Here, at the moment, two. We discuss (argue) about when exactly, and whether a pan lid or a plate is better for inverting, and which of us used a pan scrub on the nonstick pan. It wasn’t me. Lockdown has concentrated everything, reduced our stocks and patience. It has also concentrated the importance of leftovers, or, as a friend calls them, “leave-that-alone-don’t-eat-it-it-is-for-tomorrow’s-lunch”. With most frittate – potato, asparagus, onion, bottom-of-the-fridge – the ingredients are held together by the egg. With a frittata di pasta, it is the other way round: the egg is held by the pasta. That isn’t to say that the eggs in frittata di pasta aren’t glue – they are, adhering to the strands of spaghetti like mud in a bird’s nest, but without encasing the whole thing. This means that, instead of a heavy yellow frame, the edges are made by the curves of spaghetti which, like snags in a sweater, poke and stick out, toasting...

Butternut squash is not just a vegetable. When cooked and blended into a puree, it becomes a silky, creamy sauce. For those wanting to carb-load, you can shovel down this macaroni pasta bake in the knowledge that you are not eating loads of cheese. Be warned, though, not all butternut squash are equal. Bigger are not better – they tend to be woolly and don’t give the sweet, chestnutty flavour and luxurious texture you can get from smaller squash. Serves two For the thyme pesto ½ bunch of thyme 1 small bunch of parsley 1 bunch of basil 30g hard cheese (optional) 30ml olive oil 1 clove of garlic 10g roasted pistachios 10ml lemon juice For the rest 500g peeled butternut squash 1 large onion Olive oil 150ml white wine 400ml vegetable stock 6 cloves minced garlic 1 tsp oregano ½ bunch of thyme 1 tsp paprika ¼ tsp chilli ½ tsp salt 250g macaroni 100g spinach 2 slices of stale sourdough Salt and black pepper Blitz all the pesto ingredients until smooth. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/40...

Unlike carrots, potatoes and turnips, you can’t get away with not peeling a swede. swede 1.5kg butter 50g Peel the swede then cut into small pieces. Pile into a steamer basket and leave to steam over a pan of boiling water, covered with a lid, until soft. Check for tenderness from 15 minutes. Put the swede into a bowl or empty pan, add the butter in pieces and crush roughly with a potato masher or fork. Keep warm and covered. Potatoes with rosemary and olive oil Should the oxtail be ready before the potatoes, remove it from the oven (it will come to no harm, with its lid in place) and turn the heat up to 220C/gas mark 8, until the potatoes are the requisite golden brown. potatoes 1kg, Maris Piper or similar olive oil 250ml rosemary 4 large sprigs You will need a 25cm ovenproof frying pan that doesn’t stick. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Scrub the potatoes (I don’t think you should feel the need to peel them) and slice very thinly. Pour the olive oil into a mixing bowl. Finely cho...

It’s possible to make this look like a still life from the National Gallery. Serves 4 chestnuts 100g, whole, raw or pre-cooked radicchio 2 heads black grapes 150g, small, cut into clusters garlic 3 cloves, cut in half sage ½ bunch olive oil fennel seeds 1 tsp grappa 75ml, or brandy butter a knob Heat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5. If preparing your own chestnuts, score with a sharp knife. Roast uncovered in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the shell and skin come away. Don’t worry if they are not yet cooked through. Peel them. Wash the radicchio, removing any shabby outer leaves and trimming the end of the stalk. Place in a baking dish surrounded by the chestnuts, grapes, garlic, sage and fennel seeds. Drizzle with oil, season well and drench with alcohol and an equal amount of water. Place a knob of butter on top, cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender under a knife.

This isn’t as tricky as it looks. Ideally your chocolate swiss roll won’t crack, but if it does, the ganache will cover up any flaws. Decorate the top however you like, to create your own autumnal scene. Serves: 8 For the cake: 5 medium eggs 125g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 80g plain flour 35g cocoa powder 10g boiling water Advertisement For the filling: About 400g ice cream (any flavour you like) Strawberry jam For the ganache: 200g dark chocolate 200g double cream To decorate: Crumbled walnuts, fresh fruit (blueberries, blackberries and raspberries work well), biscuits and fondant leaf cutouts (both optional) Spoon softened ice cream into a rough log shape (about 18-20cm long) on greaseproof paper. Lift the sides over, then twist the ends together. Freeze until solid. Meanwhile, prepare decorations for the top of the roll. I made a biscuit squirrel and some painted fondant autumn leaves. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas mark 7. Grease and line a 10 x 15in swi...

It’s a strange thing to be writing a recipe for a possible future post-Brexit Britain. I suppose it’s a worthwhile exercise in thrift, to force myself to think only of locally produced ingredients, instead of what feels local to me now: market stalls with plantain and pomegranates alongside apples and plums. Pears and honey are at the heart of this tart: ingredients that, I hope, will still be easy enough to come by. There is a lot of honey, but think of this as being in the same family as a treacle tart. Something sweet and comforting to savour in uncertain times. Honey and pear tart There’s no need to buy breadcrumbs for this; it’s easy enough to make them with stale bread and a blender. Or a bag, rolling pin and a strong arm. Prep 50 min Chill 30 min Cook 45 min Serves 10 For the pastry 225g spelt flour 110g unsalted butter, cold, plus extra for greasing 35g icing sugar 1 medium egg, beaten For the filling 50g unsalted butter 400g set honey ¾ tsp salt 125g breadcrumbs 1 medium e...