Main meal

Golden, chunky mushrooms and spinach in a thick red lentil sauce that’s silky without any cream or coconut milk. Plant-packed and filling, it’s made for scooping up with warm naan on a weeknight.

There’s a particular kind of soup that I crave once the weather turns: something that uses up a whole head of cauliflower, leans on sweetcorn while it’s still tender, and turns creamy without a drop of dairy in the pot. This chunky cauliflower corn chowder …

Barley’s been in my regular rotation for a while now, and these stuffed peppers are where a lot of that barley ends up. A weeknight dish that’s tidy, a bit elegant to plate up, but with real substance packed into a neat parcel.

A big bowl of fusilli with golden zucchini and sweet peas in a creamy herby whipped feta sauce. A proper summer dinner in about half an hour.

A fresh runner bean salad with gremolata dressing and toasted flaked almonds. Simple, seasonal, and ready in under 20 minutes.

This watermelon halloumi salad is cold, salty, crisp, and a little bit panzanella-inspired – because stale sourdough deserves a better outcome than the bin. Warm grilled halloumi, chilled watermelon, toasted bread that soaks up the balsamic dressing, and fresh mint on top. Question is lunch or a light summer dinner?

These black bean fajitas are smoky, colorful, and easy to make in one skillet with peppers, onions, canned black beans, and warm spices. Serve them in tortillas with sour cream, salsa, or pickled jalapeños for a plant-forward dinner with plenty of texture.

What do you crave when you only have to cook for yourself? For me – shrimp marinara – clean flavors, deeply satisfying, no negotiating dinner options, no extra sides, oh well maybe a slab of foccacia bread to mop that glossy sauce. Juicy prawn morsels, …

This piadina pizza bakes fast, even with a homemade Marinara sauce. No apologies for eating slices folded straight from the tray.

This asparagus pasta salad with avocado lime dressing is a fresh, filling lunch made with wholewheat penne, crispy tofu, grilled asparagus, pickled red onions, herbs, and pumpkin seeds.