Chicken in a pot with lemon and orzo

November 3, 2025November 3, 2025 Belinda

This is a fabulous, easy, one-pot meal from Nigella Lawson. Healthy comfort food at it’s best.

Serves: 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter
1 (approx. 3½lb or bigger) chicken (preferably free-range and organic)
Zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons
6-7 cups chicken stock
3 fat cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
2 medium to large carrots (1lb)
2 medium to large leeks (1lb)
2 tsp kosher salt
Ground pepper
½ teaspoon chile flakes
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1¾ cups orzo pasta
1 bunch Italian parsley to give 6 tablespoons finely chopped leaves, plus more to serve
Some fresh tarragon, chopped for sprinkling over at the end

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F.
Untruss the chicken, if it comes trussed, and remove all the string.
Prepare the vegetables: peel and cut the carrots into batons; cut the trimmed leeks into smallish rounds, approx ¾-1 inch.

Heat the oil/butter in a large heavy-based casserole/ Dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid.
I use an enamelled cast iron oval casserole 12 long, in which the chicken fits neatly, leaving just a small space all around it to fit the vegetables later.
Place the chicken in the hot oil/butter breast side down to color the skin; I do this over high heat for about 3 minutes, until the skin is richly golden. Then turn the chicken the right way up.

Turn down the heat, or take the pan off the heat completely, and aiming for the space around the chicken, add the lemon zest, garlic (obviously some can end up on the chicken itself) and give it a quick stir into the oil/butter as best you can.

Scatter in the prepared vegetables around the chicken, followed by the salt, chile flakes (if using) and dried tarragon.

Measure 6¼ cups of chicken stock into a measuring jug.
Pour 5 cups of the chicken stock into the chicken pot at first, and then, gradually, pour in the remaining stock until the liquid comes up about two thirds of the leg of the chicken, leaving the golden breast clearly untouched by a small margin. Now add the lemon juice.

Turn up the heat and bring the pot to a boil, leaving it uncovered. Poke the vegetables down with a fork if they bob up too much.
Once boiling clamp on the lid and put into the preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Take the pot out of the oven and stir in the orzo, around the edges of the chicken, and then put the lid on again, and put the casserole back in the oven for another 15 minutes, by which time the orzo should be soft and swollen.

Take out of the oven and remove the lid, then let it stand for 15 minutes, giving the orzo a bit of a stir to loosen any that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. The orzo will continue to soak up some of the broth as it stands.

Stir in 4 tablespoons of the freshly chopped parsley/tarragon, and then sprinkle over the remaining 2 tablespoons, and put more on the table to serve alongside. You could add the parsley once you’ve shredded the chicken, but it looks so wonderful in its pot, I love to bring to the table whole.

To serve, put a small dish by the casserole, then strip off the meat from the chicken, removing the skin and bones to the dish.
I find it easiest to do this while the chicken’s still in the pot, but it you prefer you can try and remove it to a carving board; go carefully as it’s likely to fall to pieces a bit as you do so.
Stir the meat and orzo again before serving, adding more parsley as you do so, or let grateful eaters add their own as they wish.
You may also want to offer parmesan to grate over.

Whipped Boursin with Cranberry Pepper Jelly Sauce

November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 Belinda

Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to make this delicious appetizer. This 15 minute cranberry sauce combined with pepper jelly, gives you this really fabulous festive flavor, and is perfect for any holiday hosting or parties. If you don’t want to make or don’t have cranberry sauce on hand, simply spread on pepper jelly and it’s still so good! Recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:
2 x Boursin Garlic + Herb Boursin rounds, room temp
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1 tablespoon half + half
1/2 cup Cranberry sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup pepper jelly
Green onions (or chives!) to garnish
Crackers for serving

Place Boursin, cream cheese and half + half in a food processor (or could use handheld mixer in a bowl), and pulse until smooth. Spoon into your serving bowl, and using either the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out.
Mix cranberry sauce with pepper jelly, then spoon over the top of the whipped Boursin.
Sprinkle chopped green onions or chives and enjoy!

If you need a quick, homemade cranberry sauce:
Bring 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of orange juice and 1 cup of granulated sugar to a boil.
Pour in 4 cups of rinsed cranberries, and let boil until they start popping.
Lower heat to a simmer and let cook for 10-12 minutes.
Take off the heat and let cool.
Pro tip: pour immediately into another container or bowl to cool faster. I place in the fridge for a few hours and the sauce thickens up.

Accompaniments · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Egg based · Fish · Sauces

Asian-inspired labneh Dijonnaise

November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 Belinda

This is a super mayonnaise to have with cold (or hot) salmon and everyone will ask “What’s in that mayo?”

1/2 cup labneh
3 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (Must be Kewpie as it’s made from only egg yolks and tastes far superior to ordinary (more watery) mayo))
3 tbsp good Dijon mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
Kosher, salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together the labneh, mayonnaise, Dijon, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and honey until smooth and creamy.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, garnish with your choice of herbs and serve

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 Belinda

Buttery, zesty, and speckled with sweet-tart cranberries
Perfect for the holidays, or anytime you need a cozy citrusy treat,

Makes 24 cookies
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange zest (from 1 large orange)
1 tbsp orange juice
½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries, finely chopped
A pinch of salt

(Optional glaze)
½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
1–2 tsp orange juice

Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice.
Add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Stir in chopped cranberries.
Shape dough into a log (about 5 cm thick), wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour (helps with clean slicing).
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice dough into 1 cm thick rounds and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until edges just start to turn golden.
Cool on a rack. (Optional: drizzle with orange glaze once cooled.)

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related · Vegetarian pasta

Winter squash and spinach pasta bake

November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 Belinda

Throw everything raw (including the pasta) into the bowl and cook! Recipe from “Smitten Kitchen”

“This is not a usual pasta bake. We do not boil the noodles. We do not make or buy a sauce. We do not roast the winter squash or even sauté the greens. We throw every single ingredient raw into a big bowl for mixing and pour that into a parchment-slung springform (or equivalently-sized pan) pan and bake it for 90 minutes. That’s the rub; it takes a long time to cook. But this time is entirely hands-off, save removing the foil midway. You won’t be scrubbing pots, as the sum of your dishes to wash will be a cutting board, knife, whisk, grater, and a bowl.
What emerges from the oven is savory Fall decadence. The proportions are upended — depending on your perspective, this has either half the pasta or twice the vegetables of most pasta bakes of this size. The squash softened, the spinach perfectly cooked, the noodles tender in the center and burnished to a snatch-able crisp on top, and the fragrance of garlic and toasted cheese is everywhere I want to be.”

Serves 8. Takes 2 hours to bake and rest

1 large egg
1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
1 cup (100 grams) finely grated parmesan, divided
1 cup (85 grams) coarsely grated fontina cheese
1 1/4 cups (300 grams) water
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided
1 tbsp (8.4 grams) kosher salt (I use Diamond; use less of other brands)
Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 oz (140 grams) baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp thinly-sliced sage leaves or 1 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (optional)
1 1/4lb (560-grams) butternut or another sturdy winter squash, peeled, seeded, sliced thin or 1 pound (455 grams) in prepared chunks, sliced thin
8 oz (225 grams) dried pasta (see Note), broken into pieces if large/long

Heat oven to 350°F (176°C).
Line a 9-inch springform with 3-inch sides with a sling of parchment paper, pressing it across the bottom and creasing the sides to get it to fit as best as possible. If the sides aren’t well covered, repeat with a second piece of parchment in the other direction.

Whisk egg and ricotta in a large bowl. Stir in half of the parmesan, fontina, water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, lots of freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir in squash, spinach, and sage or thyme, if using. Add dried noodles and stir until everything is coated.

Pour into prepared pan and press gently so everything is in as even of a layer as possible. Sprinkle with second half of parmesan. Gently fold any parchment that extends over the rim of the pan into the center and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake on a sheet (for extra security against drips) for 1 hour, then remove foil, reopen the parchment folded over the top, and drizzle the dish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Pasta will be baked through and the top will be crisp. If it doesn’t have as much color as you’d like on top, you can finish it under the broiler for a minute or two.

Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes before removing the springform ring, sliding the pasta bake by its parchment onto a serving plate, and cut it into wedges.

Do ahead: This keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week. Rewarm uncovered in a 350-degree oven. I haven’t frozen it, but would expect it to freeze well, tightly wrapped.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Maple Date Molasses Cake

October 31, 2025October 31, 2025 Belinda

1 cup pitted Medjool dates, chopped
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup molasses

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Prepare the dates: In a bowl, combine the chopped dates with boiling water. Let them sit for about 10-15 minutes to soften, then drain and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
Add wet ingredients: Mix in the maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Combine dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mix the batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the softened dates and molasses until evenly distributed.
Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve: Once cooled, slice the cake and serve it on a simple white plate. Drizzle with additional maple syrup if desired, and enjoy the moist, dense texture and rich flavors.

Cooking Tips:
– For added texture, consider folding in some chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans.
– This cake pairs wonderfully with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful dessert.
– Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for longer freshness.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Baking · Holiday Food

Caramelized Onion & Brie Tartlets with Thyme

October 31, 2025October 31, 2025 Belinda

Super easy for the upcoming Holidays

Makes 12 tartlets

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions, sugar, and salt. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Roll out puff pastry and cut into 12 equal squares. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Top each pastry square with a spoonful of caramelized onions and a slice of Brie. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

Brush the edges of each pastry square with beaten egg.

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden and the cheese is melted.

Serve warm as an appetizer or snack.

Appetizer Vegetarian

Gingery beetroot with peanut dressing, black sesame and chives

October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 Belinda

A beautiful Ottolenghi recipe

Serves 4 as a side

This dish, in which the earthy, sweet beetroot pairs very well with the salty peanut dressing, is all about the drama in flavour and appearance. If you want to get ahead, roast and marinate the beetroot the day before.

1kg (2.2lbs) small whole beetroot (about 10), topped
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
½ tsp maple syrup
20g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
10g chives, cut into 3cm lengths
1 tsp black sesame seeds, toasted
FOR THE PEANUT DRESSING
60g smooth peanut butter
1 tsp maple syrup
1½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice

Heat the oven to 475F.
Lay the beetroot on a large sheet of kitchen foil, drizzle over a tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with a half-teaspoon of salt, and wrap tightly, so the beets are completely covered.
Transfer to an oven tray and bake for an hour and a half, until a knife goes through the beetroots easily, then remove the foil and leave until cool enough to handle. Once cooled, peel with a small knife.

While the beetroot is roasting, make the marinade. In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, maple syrup and ginger with a third of a teaspoon of salt and set aside.
Cut each peeled beetroot into six wedges, toss in the marinade and set aside for half an hour.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Put the peanut butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, lime juice and two tablespoons of water in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

Arrange the beetroot and any remaining marinade on a lipped platter, spoon over half the dressing and the remaining tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with the chives and sesame seeds and serve at room temperature with the rest of the peanut dressing on the side.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Holiday Food

Easy Boursin fig dip

October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 Belinda

This is almost too good and easy to be true!

2 Boxes of Boursin® Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese at room temp so it’s spreadable
1 Jar of Fig Jam
A Drizzle of Hot Honey (Hot in spice, not heat)
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped roasted pistachios

Spread a generous layer of Boursin cheese onto a serving dish.
Spoon the fig jam over the top for a touch of sweetness.
Sprinkle the chopped pistachios for a perfect crunch and pop of color.
Drizzle with hot honey to add a spicy kick.
Serve with crackers, crostini, or fresh veggies and watch it all disappear!