Nibbles #48
Essential barbecue tips, how to keep cut basil alive, and two excellent spaghetti recipes.
Welcome to Nibbles where once a month I share everything brilliant I’ve been reading on the web as well as some general updates from my kitchen, my vegetable garden during the growing season, the books I’ve been reading, and other miscellaneous ‘you really need to know about’ updates.
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Ed Smith has some fantastic chicken barbecue tips ready for the season which I genuinely believe make essential reading:
I feel the same way about his side dish advice:
Fresh basil goes bad really quickly if you buy a pack not a pot. Suzy has some tips to prevent that.
Emily explores what we feed our pets. Honestly, I’m pretty chilled with the choices we’ve made for Camilla, even if she’s still angry her favourite has been discontinued (and I bet she thinks we’re just choosing not to give it to her anymore in true cat fashion!)
There have been five new recipes up on my website this month, all suitable to run the gauntlet of recent weather which has spanned from freezing to official heatwave. A friend and former colleague described me as doing ‘gods work’ for adapting the House of Commons’ cult cafeteria jerk chicken recipe to serve two at home (in case you’ve ever wondered what our politicians and their staff eat / what fuelled me through my early twenties), and sticking to the spiced and saucy theme, I’m also rather happy with my brand new Indian-style recipe for a Simple Egg Curry. And if a pantry meal is more your thing, you need to make my 20-minute Caper Spaghetti with Lemon, Chilli and Garlic for dinner tonight.
On the side dish front, I’ve made some classic Lyonnaise Potatoes, as well as a British version of a genius American recipe that is perfect for summer barbecues: Pasta Slaw (yes, coleslaw… with macaroni pasta shapes in!)
Over on meal prep website Project Meal Plan I’ve created some lovely little Spring Vegetable Mini Crustless Quiches, and a recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas.
Also, not my recipe but 110% in need of a mention, I made Sophie Wyburd’s Anchovy, Tomato and Rosemary Spaghetti earlier this month and it was fantastic, I would not change a thing. Killer pantry recipe this, which will totally rethink your views on pantry spaghetti.
Lovely round up - thanks for the mention. That jerk chicken looks 🤌🏻
That jerk chicken recipe? Probably going to be cooked for every fresh group of friends that comes to eat till it's cold again. What a generous share!