Category: Food

🥘 Carole’s tagliatelle with trout, lemon and dill…

🥘  1 pan  🍽 Serves 2   🛒 10 ingredients ⏱ 45 minutes £8

This recipe is adapted from Rukmini Iyer’s Quick and Easy Linguine. Use pre-packed trout or salmon fillets to make it an even faster preparation and no need to use the oven.

Ingredients:

  • 2 trout fillets
  • 2½ tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Juice and finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus 2 lemon slices
  • 180g tagliatelle
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 large courgette, trimmed and coarsely grated
  • 10g fresh dill, roughly chopped
  • 4 tbsp pine nuts, or 4 tbsp M&S nut and seed mix
Have your ingredients ready

Step by step:

Step 1

Heat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Place the trout fillets on a small lined baking tray, drizzle with half a tablespoon of olive oil, scatter over a pinch of sea salt and top each fillet with a slice of lemon. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just cooked through. (If you are using your air-fryer, the fish will take eight to 10 minutes.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions, until just al dente. While the pasta is boiling, get all the remaining ingredients ready.

Sainsbury’s Fresh tagliatelle £2.40 / 500g

Step 2

Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Return the empty pasta pan to the hob on a low heat, add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, then fry the garlic, chilli and lemon zest for just 30 seconds.

Add black olives to the courgette for extra flavour

Step 3

Add the grated courgette, fry for a minute, until just starting to soften, then add the drained pasta, dill, lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well – there should be enough liquid from the courgette to form a sauce, add a tablespoon of the reserved pasta water if necessary. Flake the cooked trout in large pieces into the pasta, then stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Step 4

Use tongs to divide the pasta and trout evenly between two warmed bowls, top with the pine nuts and serve hot.

We used Sainsbury’s Scottish Loch trout fillets. The sweet chilli salmon fillets from Sainsbury’s were also very tasty. Iceland’s ginger, chilli and lime salmon fillets are also excellent. They all come in 2 X 240g fillets.

Tips:

  • Use spaghetti or linguine if you prefer
  • Use fresh chillies (with or without seeds)
  • If you don’t like garlic, use onions
M&S £6 / 300g

🥘 Carole’s risotto use up – arancini…

🥘  1 pan  🍽 Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • Leftover risotto
  • 1 egg
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Olive oil

Step by step:

  1. Take your leftover risotto and roll it up into small balls (approximately 2cm diameter) no bigger than a golf ball.
  2. Whisk an egg in a small bowl and place your breadcrumbs in medium size dish. Heat some oil in a sauté pan
  3. Roll the risotto balls through the beaten egg mixture and then roll through the breadcrumbs. Place the rice coated balls in the saute pan and cook until nicely browned all over.
  4. Serve with a crisp salad and some vegetables of your choice.

Broad Bean Risotto > HERE

🥘 Carole’s Risotto Primavera 🇮🇹…

🥘  1 pan  🍽 Serves 4   🛒 12 ingredients ⏱ 45 minutes £5

Spring vegetable risotto celebrates new life in the garden and this variation on the traditional Venetian recipe is delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
  • 1/2 leek, finely chopped
  • 6 green beans, chopped in 1 centimetre lengths
  • 400g risotto rice
  • white wine
  • chicken stock cube
  • 100g butter
  • olive oil
  • 60g Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • Single cream
  • 12 asparagus spears, chopped

Step by step:

Step 1

Add a large knob of butter to a pan and sauté the red onion, celery, beans and asparagus adding more oil and butter as necessary.

Step 2

Add the rice, stir well and add white wine to taste. Start adding the stock a ladle full at a time and keep cooking on a low heat, stirring occasionally until all the stock is absorbed.

Step 3

Season with black pepper, stir through the cream and Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano.

Dress with sage leaves or parsley and serve.

​Adapted from favourite Italian cookbook Antonio Carluccio’s Italia (2005 Quadrille). See More: HERE

Tips:

Use your favourite vegetables and what you have to hand. We didn’t have any carrots, but they are in the usual recipe.

Use leftovers go make arancini > HERE

Aldi £2.99

🥘 Chocolate Marquise…

I discovered this delicious chocolate dessert at The Olimpia bakery in Margate. Perfect served with a hefty dollop of their homemade vanilla ice cream.

Whilst it takes a little effort, this showstopper dessert is ideal for dinner parties and get ready for lots of oohs and aahs from guests.

Ingredients:

  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 120g unsalted butter
  • 60g cocoa powder
  • 110g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
  • 190ml double cream, lightly whipped with 2 tsp of icing sugar
  • vanilla ice cream to serve

Method

  1. Dissolve the sugar in 50ml water and bring it to the boil, then simmer for a minute.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks until they are thick and fluffy, then gently pour in the hot sugar syrup and keep whisking until you have a very thick mixture. Keep whisking until the mixture is cold.
  3. Melt the butter and cocoa powder together, and melt the chocolate in a separate pan.
  4. Whisk the butter and cocoa powder mixture into the egg yolks, followed by the chocolate, then fold in the lightly whipped cream. Pour into a 750ml terrine lined with cling film and chill until set (at least 3 hours).
  5. To serve, lift out the marquise using the cling film and cut it into slices using a hot knife. Put a slice on a plate or in a bowl and a dollop of ice cream on top.

Tips:

  • The shiny surface is achieved by a quick flash under a hot grill, a nice touch but not essential.
  • Use some finely chopped praline or hazelnuts to decorate the marquise.
  • If you don’t have a square terrine, a traditional loaf tin will do fine.
67 High Street, Margate. CT9 1JN

Situated in the old town, and a short walk from the sea front and central car park, The Olimpia is delightful family business. Quick, efficient and friendly service you will find a great choice of toasted paninis and traditional Greek, bread and sweet bakes. Rated 4.8 on Trip Advisor.

Square Cake Tin £12 from Dunelm

🥘  Carole’s cabbage and bacon soup…

🥘  1 pan |  🍽 Serves 4 | ⏱ 25 mins
🛒 10 ingredients | £1.00pp ❆

Cabbage soup is ideal if you’re trying to lose some weight. However, some of us find it too bland, so we have added some chopped lardons to make it more flavoursome.

To keep it vegetarian, omit the lardons and add some garlic and ginger or more vegetables.

Quick and easy, this stores well in the fridge for a few days and freezes well.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 a red pepper, chopped
  • 1 large potato, chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1 pack lardons
  • 1/2 savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 low salt chicken stock cube made up to 1 litre
  • 1 handful chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp single cream or crème fraîche

Step by step:

  1. Sauté the chopped onion, pepper, potato and lardons in a pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil until starting to turn brown (5mins). Reserve a few lardons to dress the soup
  2. Sprinkle over the flour and stir in the stock
  3. Bring to the boil and simmer until vegetables are cooked (10 mins)
  4. Add the cream (or crème fraîche) and cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste
  5. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley, some reserved lardons and a swirl of olive oil

Nutritional information: kcal 336 ~ fat 15g ~ saturates 4g ~ carbs 32g ~ sugars 7g ~ fibre 5g ~ protein 21g ~ salt 2.61g

Tips:

Remember to reserve some lardons for serving. Substitute lardons for streaky bacon or guanciale if you prefer.

Chilli flakes or sliced fresh chillies will add extra flavour

To Sauté

Sautéing is to cook ingredients quickly in a pan using just a small amount of oil. Moving the ingredients regularly and keeping them in one layer produces best results.

The French word sauté means to jump or bounce and describes the cooking technique to keep the food moving in the pan.

🥘 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.