Summer is finally here in this part of the world, with the temperature slowly but surely creeping up as the days pass by. Living where I do, not far outside London, our summers can get pretty uncomfortable and humid when the weather decides to take a turn for the warmer…

Summer and soup does seem to be a bit of an oxymoron. Think of soup, and your mind conjures up images of steaming hot bowls, thick and rich with earthy warming flavours - not exactly what you crave when the temperature is rising. Here in the UK, however, a summer’s day can be just as cold and dreary as a mild day in winter…

In my earlier blog post for the ultimate Quorn spaghetti bolognese I waxed lyrical about the wonders of a British spag bol, with its rich tomatoey sauce and generous sprinklings of Cheddar cheese . The next step in greatness in my opinion, however, is the lasagne which elevates the aforementioned recipe to even greater heights…

Summer is almost upon us here in the northern hemisphere, and the promise of lazy meals and BBQs outside is tantalisingly close. Here in the UK we’ve been given an extra bank holiday this year to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, so many of us will be kicking back and, weather permitting, enjoying some tasty food and drink outside with friends!

Oven chips are a good first foray into “cooking from scratch” if you’re not super confident in the kitchen. There are very few ingredients required, no fancy equipment, and they take about 45 minutes from start to finish (depending on how quickly your oven heats up!)…

We’re continuing the brassica theme today with a hearty cauliflower cheese. Cauliflowers are grown year round here in the UK, with May being the end of the winter season, and even though the weather is slowly warming up there are still a few lingering chilly days where something more warming and substantial is required at dinner time.

We’re right in peak asparagus season here in the UK - traditionally it runs from St. George’s Day (23rd April) until the summer solstice (around the 21st June), so there’s a very limited window of opportunity if you want to enjoy some of the country’s finest produce…

When I was at high school I was lucky enough to go on a school trip to Thailand as part of a school exchange programme. The competition was fierce, and to apply for a place involved writing essays and taking part in interviews to prove that you were a worthy “school ambassador”.

I’d like to think that nowadays I’m quite an adventurous eater; as long as there’s no meat in it (maybe no liquorice or coffee either) I’ll give it a try. As a child, however, I was very fussy. Eggs, cheese, tomatoes, even broccoli - seen as one of the more “child friendly” vegetables - I did not want to eat any of it.

I guess you could call spaghetti bolognese a family recipe for me. I have many memories of eating it as a child, both at my grandmother’s house where she’d use a sachet of Colman’s Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe Mix and stir in some baked beans for good measure…