simple tuna puttanesca spaghetti.

An easy midweek meal combining my love of seafood, pasta and olives. The classic puttanesca. With wholemeal spaghetti, a tomato based sauce and a hint of chilli, this slightly salty pasta dish can be speedily made up of food cupboard essentials. It's not exactly the most authentic puttanesca recipe either, but it's my interpretation. Perfect for those days where you fancy a bit of comfort food but "you've got nothing in".

baked spinach arancini stuffed with mozzarella cheese.

Arancini; a resourceful (and delicious) way to use up leftover risotto. There isn't often leftover risotto in my house, so in this case I deliberately made too much and used a lot of will power to save it until the next day. Plus, you only need two extra ingredients to make them - flour and cheese. This simple baked arancini recipe is made from a simple spinach, onion and white wine risotto, before being stuffed by mini mozzarella balls and cooked until golden. My theory is, if they aren't deep fried then you're allowed to have more cheese...

slow cooker peanut butter pulled pork.

A super simple slow cooker recipe embracing the rich flavours of peanut butter with tender pulled pork. Perfect alongside a superfood salad, with your favourite flatbreads or on top of nachos with all the guacamole, sour cream and salsa. It's a really easy recipe to slow cook during the day, ready to tuck into later on, as well as great for being made ahead for a delicious feast or comforting midweek meal. I served mine with flatbreads, tomato and beetroot salad, peanut sauce and mint yoghurt. But the rest, is up to you.

sea salt and dark chocolate cookies.

Milk and cookies; the perfect combination. Just like tea and toast, cheese and wine and jam and scones, this American tradition goes together like peas and carrots. One of the latest foodie trends though is mixing sweet and savoury in baking. Like salted caramel, sea salt with chocolate can add a little extra flavour and texture to sugary bakes.

Inspired by America's famous Sweet Corner Bakeshop and their sea salt chocolate chip cookies, I've created my own recipe featuring a duo of sea salt and dark chocolate. Warmed up and slurped down with a glass of milk? Perfection!

cheesy pumpkin pasta bake.

A comforting recipe that encompasses three of my favourite things; Autumn, pasta and cheese. This super simple seasonal dish only requires a few ingredients, and can be made with butternut squash once the pumpkin season is over. Perfect to make or bake ahead and eat over a few days, simply warming up for a welcoming midweek meal. Heavenly, autumnal and just a tiny bit indulgent as it actually features low fat Quark. Plus, whats wrong with a little extra cheese when you're getting your five a day, right? Balance.

my ultimate comfort bolognese.

A comforting Italian inspired bolognese recipe, ideal to batch cook for an easy midweek meal. Combining pork and beef mince, this hearty recipe goes towards your five a day with sweet, softened red peppers and slightly salty black olives. Serve up with your favourite pasta and a good grating of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Though for me it has to be spaghetti. Classic.

pumpkin spiced baked doughnuts.

HELLO AUTUMN! Anyone else as excited as me? Shame about the lack of Summer and that. But now it's October I'm truly embracing being an Autumn baby and getting involved with ALL of the Autumn leaves, cosy accessories and obviously a million PSLs. (Pumpkin spiced lattes, by the way). Over on my Instagram I couldn't resist a Boomerang throwing up some leaves and sharing my newest scented candle. So are you surprised I've been baking pumpkin spiced everything too? First in line are these heavenly pumpkin spiced baked doughnuts. Think cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg with a topping of maple sweetened pecans and syrup. But I can't promise I'm stopping here...

quick and easy homemade pastrami.

With lots of Autumnal and Thanksgiving inspiration making me drool over on Instagram, I thought it was about time I shared this homemade pastrami recipe with you. Of course, usually a labour of love, pastrami recipes often take hours, even days to create. The brine, curing process and smoking can be a lengthy process with delicious results. On this occasion I thought I'd try out a simple, speedy recipe. It will still take an afternoon, but means you can be indulging in that homemade pastrami sandwich with all the trimmings on the very same day. What do you think?

a very simple fragrant king prawn curry.

Aren't super simple recipes just the best? Especially when the results taste like you've been toiling away in the kitchen forever. Yes, I do love to spend hours on my macarons carefully sieving ingredients and piping like a perfectionist. And somehow I don't mind spending hours making homemade pasta, or labouring over sushi rolls. But sometimes, it's just marvellous to have those midweek meals you can whip in moments.

You may have already heard of the Very Lazy range; I've certainly been a long time fan of the chopped red chillies (perfect with pasta or avocado toast). Not being a fan of extreme spice and only cooking for small numbers means fresh chillies can be wasted. Plus, you can avoid those post-chopping-chillies eyes.

And so, the Very Lazy team sent me some of their latest products to try out. Of course, I wanted to make the easiest (and yet still Instagram-able) recipe which showcases their flavoursome range. This very quick and simple fragrant king prawn curry is ready in around fifteen minutes, yep fifteen! 

Because sometimes, it's rather lovely to be lazy.

slow cooked coca cola beef brisket burgers.

Is Summer finally here? Whether you're dusting off the BBQ, love to dine al fresco or are planning a garden party. this slow cooked pulled beef brisket is a must-try in your burger. I know the whole fizzy drinks with slow cooked meat recipes has been done a few times now - think everything from Dr Pepper to Ginger Beer - but I thought I'd give my own recipe a whirl! The sweet and stickiness from the classic Coca Cola (no diet here!) adds to the kick of chilli and smoked paprika. Enjoy the super easy six hour slow cooked beef brisket between a soft brioche bun with your favourite condiments!

white chocolate & pecan cookies.

There's nothing quite like freshly baked cookies, all chewy, warm and ever so slightly crunchy. These white chocolate and pecan cookies are no different. Taking on sugary candied pecans, creamy white chocolate and a hit of sea salt on a classic cookie recipe base, these are a real winner for anyone with a sweet tooth. And they don't take long to make either...

prosciutto wrapped burrata with a chargrilled asparagus, courgette and grana padano salad.

A deliciously light salad which embraces the beautifully cured taste of Prosciutto di San Daniele and delicate shavings of Grana Padano cheese. The recipe calls for creamy burrata wrapped in thinly sliced prosciutto, on a bed of charred asparagus spears and ribbons of courgette. Finish with lashings of salty Grana Padano, fresh basil and a twist of cracked black pepper.

Balancing fresh and nutritious vegetables with indulgent ingredients, this dish would be perfect as a simple starter or al fresco lunch. This colourful combination would be stunning paired with a cold glass of light bodied Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

homemade red leicester bread.

It's pretty good being a foodie in Midlands. From countryside farm shops to the vibrant cities, there are so many amazing flavours to whet your appetite. Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire is the home of the pork pie, you can find Colston Bassett Stilton in Nottinghamshire and Bakewell tarts in Derbyshire's Peak District. From beers in Burton-on-Trent to baltis in Birmingham, there's a lot to be said about the food and drink around these parts. So when Haven asked me to share a local delicacy, I was spoilt for choice.

In the end I went with classic Red Leicester; the infamous orange cheese which dates back to the 17th Century. It's found in supermarkets far and wide, but to get the proper hard, crumbly but creamy Red Leicester it needs to be traditional Sparkenhoe. To celebrate this fantastic Leicestershire cheese, I've created a Red Leicester bread - perfect accompanied with some local homemade chutney!

thai peanut potato and spinach curry.

An indulgent vegan curry featuring the unique Rooster potatoes from Albert Bartlett. Their signature potato has unmistakable deep red skin and a texture that makes them perfect for mashing, boiling, baking and roasting. To celebrate this fantastic potato, I've teamed up with Albert Bartlett to create this Thai inspired curry with hints of peanut, chilli, lime and coriander. The potatoes are the star of the show, with added nutrients from the finely chopped spinach throughout.

tuna and king prawn spaghetti with artichoke and black olives.

A medley of tuna steak and king prawns in a garlicky, lemon dressing made with good quality olive oil. Lovers of salty dishes will enjoy the addition of black olives and sautéed artichoke hearts, which are tossed through angel hair spaghetti. Obviously any pasta will do, this is a good store cupboard recipe which you can add any fish or seafood on top. I love buying tuna steaks in bulk and freezing for a later date - the ideal way to indulge on a budget. Finish with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes for an extra kick, which I think goes perfectly with lemon and garlic.

halloumi, mushroom and pesto stack.

No plates, bowls, slates or platters today. And not a chop stick in sight either. In fact, today's recipe can balance on the average spoon. Teaming up with Heinz for the launch of their new Seriously Good Mayonnaise, I was challenged to create a seriously good spoonful. This moreish mouthful l is made up of grilled mushrooms and crispy halloumi before being topped with pesto and chilli infused mayo. A bitesize vegetarian treat that would perfect for party canapés.