Category: Food

🥘 Carole’s anchovy and garlic croutons…

These croutons make a tasty addition to a salad. Make them as larger rounds topped with tuna or smoked salmon for nice canapes.

Ingredients:

  • Day old crusty bread
  • Anchovies
  • Garlic
  • Salt
  • White balsamic vinegar
  • Lemon juice

Step by step:

  1. Cut the bread into small squares or cubes
  2. Pound (or blend) the anchovies, garlic and salt in a pestel and mortar and slowly drizzle in the balsamic vinegar to make a nice paste
  3. Toss the bread in the anchovy paste and place on a baking tray. Heat in a hot oven until nice and crisp
  4. Serve with a few light sprinkles of lemon juice

Notes:

  • White balsamic vinegar is a much lighter flavour than regular balsamic vinegar
  • Try it mixed with garlic, thyme and olive oil and stirred through grilled or oven cooked vegetables
  • Mixed with sage it makes a great marinade for chicken pieces without being too caramelised
Available in specialist food shops or online
Available from delicatessens and large supermarkets

🥘  Carole’s low calorie parsnip and apple soup…

Carole’s parsnip and apple soup (without cream)

This low calorie version of Carole’s parsnip and apple soup is easy to make and extremely tasty.

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium size parsnips
  • 1/2 an onion, or 2 spring onions
  • 2 eating apples
  • 150ml milk
  • 1 low salt vegetable stock cube
  • Maggi seasoning (optional)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Handful of chopped parsley

Step by step:

  1. Peel and chop your parsnips, onion and apples. Place them in a saucepan with the olive oil and fry them gently, stirring gently so they don’t burn.
  2. Add the milk and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until the apples and parsnips are soft. Season to taste.
  3. Blend with a stick blender and add a tablespoon of Maggi seasoning (optional).
  4. Add more water if you like a thinner soup. Serve with a dash of olive oil and fresh chopped parsley.

Tips:

Add a little curry powder to the onions before adding the stock for extra flavour

🥘 Carole’s couscous salad…

🥘 1 | 🍽 Serves 6-8 | 🛒 8 ingredients | ⏱ 20 mins | £5

This attractive mediterranean salad is a great light lunch or side dish to meat or fish. It keeps for several days in a sealed tupperware container.

Ingredients:

  • 1 mug of couscous
  • 1 1/4 mug of hot stock
  • 1 knob of butter
  • 10 dried soft apricots
  • 1 handful chopped cranberries
  • Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
  • 1 handful chopped mint
  • 2 handfuls of shelled pistachios, chopped

Step by step:

  1. Put the couscous in a pan, add the stock and butter and cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat, leave for 10 minutes and fluff up with a fork.
  3. Add the chopped apricots, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, mint and pistachios.

Serve with chilli and honey vinaigrette:

For the vinaigrette whisk together

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp apple or white wine vinegar
  • 1 dsp sweet chilli sauce

Stir the vinaigrette through the couscous

Notes:

  • Swap the pistachios for flake almonds or chopped walnuts and add any seeds that you like.
  • Raisins go well as does chopped cucumber and baby tomatoes.

🥘 Carole’s shredded filo börek…

🥘 1 | 🍽 Serves 4-6 | 🛒 11 ingredients | ⏱ 1 hr | £5

Originating from Turkey, börek is similar to a frittata but made with filo pastry and is an ideal use up dish. Use any leftover pieces of cheese grated and mixed together and cooked with strips of filo pastry. We have used feta, but halloumi, parmesan, manchego, cheddar or mozzarella all go well. Use a fresh chilli finely chopped if you want it with extra zing.

Ingredients:

  • 270g filo pastry
  • 1 courgette
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 100g spinach, cut into 2cm-wide slices
  • 200g feta
  • 4 eggs
  • 200ml milk
  • 80ml olive oil
  • 1 tbsp nigella seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp pul biber
Have your ingredients ready
Pul Biber is also known as chilli flakes

Step by step:

  1. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan) gas 7. Take the filo pastry out of the packet, keeping it in a roll (it usually comes in one) and cut it into 1cm-wide shreds. Separate the shreds like noodles on to a tray and leave to dry while you make the filling. Grate the courgette, then strain off the excess liquid by squeezing it between your hands, I squeeze the courgette in a clean tea towel to remove even more moisture. Put the grated courgette into a bowl, add the spring onions and spinach, crumble in the feta and mix thoroughly.
  2. Beat the eggs in another bowl, then add the milk and oil, and mix thoroughly. Combine the courgette and egg mixtures, then start stirring the filling into the filo pastry a handful at a time, making sure each addition has been absorbed before stirring in the next.
  3. Tip the filo mix into a 23cm round nonstick ovenproof dish (you could also use a cake tin or any oven dish, so long as it’s roughly the same size and the mix is about 5cm thick). A square dish or tray is nice for presentation of the börek in squares. Sprinkle the sesame and nigella seeds and pul biber over the top, then bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

Tips:

  • Use whichever vegetables you prefer, or have to use up. I often add sliced mushrooms and red onions.
  • Traditionally, chefs make börek with Turkish yufka dough, which is a very thin, unleavened dough made from flour, water, and salt.
  • If you want a sweeter börek, put a drizzle of honey on top when you serve.

Variation:

Use three sheets of yufka, placing one in the base of the baking tin and the other two hanging over the sides of the tin. Place the filling in the baking tin and pull up the sides to cover the filling completely. Brush with the egg and sprinkle more nigella and sesame seeds over. Bake for about 20 minutes checking occasionally that it doesn’t burn.

🥘 Best pesto…

Most jars of pesto are 190g which makes price comparisons easy. However, there is a big difference in the taste and having tried most leading brands here are my Top 3.

  1. Filippo Berio classic pesto predictably came out on top
  2. LIDL Baressa green pesto at half the price came second
  3. M&S Green Basil Pesto was the most expensive and came third

How we calculate the best value? We compare pack size and price, taste test results and arrive at an overall satisfaction rating.

Shop / BrandPackPriceRankTasteValue






Filippo Berio190g£2.00155
LIDL190g99p245
M&S190g£2.20342
Research data 2nd April 2025

No other brand came near these three in taste tests and LIDL Baresa is clearly a great value product.

Filippo Berio – Classic Pesto

Made with Italian ingredients to a traditional Italian recipe, this olive oil based pesto has an appetising colour and texture together with an excellent flavour due to the use of grana padano and pecorino.

LIDL Baresa – Green Pesto

Rather more oily than Filippo Berio but with a nice herby flavour. There is a nice citrus taste that develops as its heated. A perfectly acceptable flavour and worth stocking up at this price.

M&S Green Basil Pesto

Slightly sweeter and nuttier flavour which the children liked. With pine and cashew nuts, it has a good texture and a worthy third place.

🥘 Carole’s minestrone and kielbasa soup…

🥘  1 pan |  🍽 Serves 4 | ⏱ 25 mins
🛒 12 ingredients | £1.50pp

Kielbasa is the generic name for any Polish meat filled sausage and is available in most Polish supermarkets.

The smoky flavour of the sausage and addition of gnocchi makes this a delicious and hearty soup. Ready in less than half an hour, it freezes well in the very unlikely event there are any leftovers.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 medium size onion, chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, chopped
  • 1 small red pepper, chopped
  • 6 mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 low salt vegetable stock cubes to make 500ml stock
  • 1 tin cannellini beans
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • 1/4 Polish sausage, chopped
  • 1/2 packet gnocchi
  • Chopped parsley

Step by step:

  1. Sauté the chopped vegetables in the olive oil, approx 5 minutes
  2. Add the tomatoes, stock and sausage. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked
  3. Add the gnocchi which will thicken the soup and cook for another 3-5 minutes

Notes:

We use Kallo® organic vegetable very low salt stock cubes.

£1.50 for 8 cubes – Waitrose Special Offer

🥘 Rhubarb cheesecake…

This attractive cheesecake is ideal for a dinner party dessert. Serve with stewed rhubarb pulp.

Equipment needed:

A loose bottomed 20cm round cake tin and a food processor

Ingredients:

FOR THE BASE

  • flavourless oil, to grease
  • 200g digestive biscuits
  • 75g butter, melted

FOR THE CHEESECAKE

  • 4 sheets of leaf gelatine
  • juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • 500g mascarpone
  • 2 x 180g packs full-fat soft cheese (we used Philadelphia)
  • 100g caster sugar

FOR THE RHUBARB JELLY

  • 400g rhubarb, chopped
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 4 sheets of leaf gelatine 
  1. Line the base of the cake tin and brush the sides lightly with oil.
  2. For the base, blitz the biscuits into crumbs in a food processor, combine them with the melted butter and stir well so all the crumbs are coated in the butter. Press into the base of the tin in an even layer. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
  3. For the cheesecake layer, soften the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Put the lemon juice in a pan and heat until just simmering. Remove from the heat. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the gelatine, then add it to the lemon juice. Stir until dissolved, then set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Put the mascarpone, soft cheese, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the lemon and gelatine mixture and continue to whisk until fully incorporated. Pour into the tin and smooth the top, making sure that it’s as level as you can make it. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or until set firm.
  5. To make the jelly, put the rhubarb and sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is very soft. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes until soft.
  6. Press the rhubarb through a sieve, catching the juice in a jug underneath, then set the rhubarb pulp aside. Add the gelatine to the hot rhubarb liquid and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then pour the jelly over the top of the cheesecake. Cover and chill for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight if possible, to set firmly.
  7. To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin and slice into 8 slices.
£2.12 from Ocado
£2.20 from Tesco £1.20 with Clubcard

🥘 Carole’s homemade granola…

🥘  1 pan and 2 mixing bowls  🍽 Serves 12  🛒 4  ⏱ 30 mins £8 (V) (LF) (LS)

Nothing quite beats the taste of homemade granola and once you get used to making your own, shop bought will never taste as good again. Use nuts of your choice, we use Sainsbury’s So Organic mixed nuts. Not the cheapest option, but they give great results.

Ingredients:

  • 350g oats
  • 300g mixed nuts
  • 120g light butter
  • 100g honey

Step by step:

1 Set your oven to 160C (140C fan), gas 3.

2 Stir and mix together the oats and nuts in a large bowl.

3 Melt the butter and honey, and stir well to combine. We do this in the microwave for convenience, otherwise use a saucepan over a medium low heat.

4 Tip the butter and honey mixture into the bowl of oats and nuts. Stir well so the granola mix is well coated with the butter and honey.

5 Spread the granola mix on a baking tray and place on a low shelf in the pre-heated oven. Keep checking the mixture every 10 minutes and keep turning the mixture so it cooks evenly.

Clover Light £2.45 / 500g Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s So Organic Mixed Nuts £5 / 300g

🥘 Carole’s – chicken, vegetable and noodle soup…

Cooler evenings arrive and it’s time for a warming soup. Quick and easy, this one pot soup using up yesterday’s leftover cooked chicken hits the spot.

🥘  1 pan |  🍽 Serves 4 | ⏱ 20 mins | 🛒 11 ingredients | €4

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 3 small potatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 6 mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 750ml low salt chicken stock
  • 2 legs cooked chicken off the bone
  • 1/2 pack fideo noodles
  • 1 big handful parsley, chopped
  • croutons

Step by step:

  1. Put the oil in your pan, add all the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the flour over and cook for another 2 minutes
  2. Add 750ml hot chicken stock
  3. Continue cooking until vegetables are soft. Add the cooked chicken, noodles and parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes approx.
  4. Season to taste and serve with croutons and extra chopped parsley
Kallo stock cubes available from most supermarkets

Notes:

Use ginger, garlic and coriander for an Asian flavour variation

🥘 Aldi chicken burger with Spanish style grains…

Out in the caravan, this is a quick and delicious meal. Cook your burgers on the George Foreman grill, and the grains in the microwave.

🥘  1 pan  🍽 Serves 2   🛒 2 ingredients ⏱ 15 minutes £5

Ingredients:

  • 2 Roosters 100% chicken burgers
  • 1 pack Spanish style grains

Step by step:

  1. Cook your burgers on the grill and pop your Spanish style grains either in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
  2. Rustle up a salad and dressing or boil some peas.

Notes:

Rooster chicken burgers contain fewer nasties than many other processed foods and are a good quick on-the-go meal. They are low fat and a little salty, so you only need a good grind of black pepper for seasoning.

The Spanish style grains are a nice blend of whole long grain rice, and black rice, spiced with chilli flakes, smoked paprika and yeast extract.

£2.27 / 227g
£1.19 / 250g