Come summer I become a sucker for all things “dip”.

To be fair, I’m a sucker for all things “dip” pretty much all year round and I have been ever since I discovered a food processor in the recesses of a cupboard in one of the many flats I have rented over the years.

I mean, you have people coming over for dinner/a barbeque/general “doing nothing” and you need to prepare nibbles to welcome them, so what better than just putting a few selected ingredients in one place, whiz them together and then dip warm pitta strips into it?

Exactly my point.

This particular one has a lovely colour and freshness deign of the barbeque season.

• 200g broadbeans cooked
• leaves of 5 fresh mint sprigs
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon rind
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste

Put all the ingredients in thee food processor/blender.
Press the button.
Whiz for 3-4 minutes.
Put in a bowl.
Dip in.

One of the many things I’ve wanted to bring back from a holiday in Marrakesh is their breakfasts. For us it consisted of strong coffee, a boiled egg, bread, fresh fig jam, honey and a delicious soft and tender pancake called a beghrir.

Coming up with an authentic tasting recipe has resulted in a lot of trial and error. Some wouldn’t rise, some would taste too yeasty, or they’d stick to the pan. Finally though I’ve cracked it, so I give you one of the most delicious pancakes you will ever eat. Perfect with a little melted butter and runny honey drizzled on top!

Serves 2 \ Makes 6

• 350ml hot tap water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ tsp fast action dried yeast
• 4oz ground semolina flour
• 2oz plain or self raising flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• vegetable or sunflower oil for cooking

Pour the hot water into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and stir before sprinkling the yeast on top. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.

Check on the yeast, which should now be slightly frothy on top of the water. If it isn’t try and find a warmer place and leave it for a little longer.

Combine the semolina, flour, salt and baking powder and slowly whisk it into the yeasty water. Continue to whisk until all the lumps are gone.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and return to the warm spot for a further 20-30 minutes.

Place a small non stick frying pan on a medium heat. Pour in a little oil and wipe away any excess with some kitchen roll. The batter should have risen and be much thicker. Give it a good stir and ladle in enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan to ensure an even spread.

Once all the bubbles on top of the beghrir have burst and the batter is cooked, it’s ready! You can either flip it over and cook on the other side for a minute, or serve.

Tip: I make them to order, but if you want to cook them all at once, keep them warm on a plate in the oven. It’s a good idea to oil the pan after every pancake to stop them from sticking.

This adapted version will take no more than 30 minutes of your time in the kitchen, I promise.

Makes 20

• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 120g self-raising flour
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pink of black pepper
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

In a mixing bowl, beat the soft butter and grated cheese until combined. Add the flour, cayenne (to taste), and pepper and fold in. Roll the dough into a long sausage, wrap in cling film, and chill to harden.

Cut thin discs from the chilled dough sausage, and bake in a 180C oven for 10 minutes.

It couldn’t be simpler!

Tip:  If you’d like to make them a little snazzier, roll the sausage over a layer of poppy seeds before chilling so that the crisps have a pretty edge when baked.

Cauliflower cheese is one of those suppers that you forget about and then remember how much you like it. This is simple classic recipe that’s open for lots of experimentation, like using different types of cauliflower (Romanesco or Purple), or adding ham, chives or different cheeses.

How ever you make it, you’ll have a dinner on the table within 20-30 minutes!

Serves 2

• 800g cauliflower, stalk and leaves removed
• 50g butter
• 150g strong cheddar
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 400ml milk
• salt and pepper

Break the cauliflower into individual pieces. Boil in a large pan of water for 8 minutes and drain.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a non-stick pan. Add the flour and stir with a wooden or silicone spoon.

Once the flour and butter is combined, add the milk. Continue to stir until the lumps dissolve and the sauce thickens.

Add the cheese and stir until it’s melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Put the cauliflower in an ovenproof dish and pour over the cheese sauce. Sprinkle on a little extra grated cheddar and place under a hot grill for 5-10 minutes, or until golden on top.

Serve, maybe sprinkled with finely chopped chives or spring onions.

This is an easy recipe for Osaka-style Okonomiyaki, which is basically a Japanese omelette, but much tastier. It’s something which I really enjoyed eating in Tokyo, where you prepare it yourself on large hot plates.

Luckily for us it’s easy enough to make at home with readily available ingredients and a non-stick frying pan! The taste is pretty similar to the classic Okonomiyaki, and very much open to experimentation. You could add different meats, prawns, or make it Vegetarian. I hope you enjoy it.

Serves 2

Okonomiyaki

• 130g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150ml water
• 3 eggs
• 100g washed and shredded cabbage (tough parts removed)
• 2 slices of ham, thinly chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Simple Okonomiyaki sauce

• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

Garnish

• 2 washed and chopped spring onions

Mix the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add the water and whisk until most of the lumps have gone. Add the eggs and continue to whisk until combined.

Sprinkle in the cabbage and ham, season with salt and pepper and mix together.

Place a large non stick frying pan on a medium heat and pour in the vegetable oil. Once it’s hot spoon in the mixture and use a couple of spatulas to flatten it to around 1.5cm thick. Push in the edges to keep it round in shape.

Cook for around 5-7 minutes. Once the edges start to brown carefully flip over and cook on the other side for a further 5-7 minutes. Once cooked through slide onto a plate.

Mix the Okonomiyaki sauce ingredients together and spread over the top, then combine the mayo ingredients together and drizzle on top. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and eat.

Lentil & basil savoury pate is made from brown lentils and despite it looking somewhat bland, it screams with flavour. I wanted to share this to dispel that myth of lentils being boring veggie food for ageing hippies.

It is easy to make and full of protein and fibre. Absolutely fab on homemade crusty bread or as a sandwich filler.

I have never replicated a ratatouille as they are all different depending on the proportions of what vegetables are available. If I am in a hurry and vegetables are abundant I will saute the onions and garlic and then put all the prepared vegetables in a pot and simmer slowly until the ingredients have cooked and the flavours have mingled.

But if I have time I prefer to use a more classical method of preparation that involves slicing and salting the aubergines and courgettes before frying in olive oil and then combining together. This produces a lush succulent dish that can be enjoyed hot or cold and merits a crusty baguette to mop up the juices.

Serves 10

• 3 aubergines, cut into ½ inch slices
• 1 ½ courgettes, cut into ½ inch slices
• 2 red onions, finely sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ¾ red pepper, sliced
• 3-4 tbs olive oil
• 1lb tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence, or fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano
• salt and pepper
• tomato puree is an optional extra that thickens the sauce

Place the aubergine and courgette in a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt, stir and transfer to a colander. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Fry off the onion in a small amount of olive oil for about 4 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook together for a minute. Transfer into a large pan, cast iron is perfect. Add the red pepper.

Rinse the aubergines and courgettes and dry with a tea towel or kitchen roll. In small batches fry off the aubergines, adding additional olive oil as it is soaked up. Allow them to colour but only turn once (turning more frequently makes the aubergine give up the oil). Next fry the courgettes.

Add the aubergine and courgettes to the pan with the onions, sprinke over the herbs and add the tomatoes. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes, then take the lid off and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes to drive off excess juices. Stir occasionally to stop burning on the bottom.

Taste and season before serving hot, reheated or cold. Any spare can be frozen!

Tip: Salting inevitably tastes the dish even after rinsing so wait until the sauce had thickened before adjusting the seasoning.

I’m not always a big fan of the risotto but this one turned out to be the most dramatically red and delicious supper.

Yesterday, with an hour to go before lunch, I looked in the fridge to see what was available. After buying in bulk for Tagliatelle with Roast Vegetables last week there remained an aubergine, a courgette and a half of red pepper. I also had some rubbed up short pastry.

There was enough to create a memorable flan, which we ate straight from the oven and have finished cold today. I topped ours with Goats Cheese but with slight adjustments this could be a vegan recipe; it is definitely a lovely vegetarian mix of colours, flavours and textures.

Serves 4

Filling

• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 aubergine, diagonally sliced
• 1 courgette, diagonally sliced
• ½ red pepper, sliced
• ½ tsp herbs de Provence
• Salt and pepper
• 2 – 3 tbs olive oil
• goats cheese (unless cooking Vegan version)

Short crust pastry for an 8 – 9” flan case

• 4oz plain flour
• 4oz wholemeal flour
• 2oz butter
• 2oz white fat or lard
• A pinch of salt
• 8 tsp cold water

Turn the oven on to 200ºc and pre-heat a large frying pan or wok.

Fry the onions in the oil for 5 minutes until golden before reducing the heat. Add the garlic and fry for a futher minute.

Add the remaining vegetables to the frying pan, plus a little extra olive oil, if necessary, to lightly coat the vegetables. Add the herbs and seasoning. Sauté gently whilst you make the pastry.

To make the pastry rub the butter and fat into the flour until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and fold in with a knife. Make into a ball and roll out into a circle (I put the flan tin over the pastry and roll it out to allow for the base and sides).

Place in a greased tin, and shave off any excess and fill in any missing places. Pinch the pastry, index finger between finger and thumb, to provide an attractive edge. Crumple up some aluminium foil and line the tin and hold the pastry down with dried beans or peas. (I have a bottle of beans kept solely for “baking blind.”)

Cook at 200°C for 20 minutes and then remove the foil and beans. Reduce the heat to 190°C and cook for 5 – 10 minutes more.

When the case is dry and golden fill it with the vegetables and top with slices of goats cheese, return to the oven for 5 – 10 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

Tip 1. At this time of the year (January) garlic is starting to shoot and the green shoots can be bitter, I remove them before chopping.

Tip 2. Rubbed up pastry can be very useful, as it keeps for a couple of days. In fact mine had been in the fridge for a week! The amount of water can be easily calculated: weigh the crumbed pastry divide weight (in ounces) by 3 and multiply by 2 to give the number of teaspoons of cold water required. It may need a little more but try to add the minimum so that the pastry rolls easily whilst maximizing the shortness of the eating quality.

In France this is called the lovely sounding Potage au Potiron, but we’ll just call it Pumpkin soup! We harvested only one potiron, but with it weighing 16lbs I decided to use just a quarter of it. If you can’t get your hands on pumpkin I think you could successfully replace with carrots. The smell when cooking this is wonderful.