Recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Turkey is famous for its pekmez, a molasses-like reduced pure fruit juice that’s widely available in Middle Eastern food stores. This recipe makes more pekmez spread than is needed here, so keep the excess in the fridge for spooning over yoghurt or ice-cream; it’ll last for up to two weeks. If you can’t find mulberry pekmez, use date syrup instead

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Gözleme is a Turkish staple – a popular street food of stuffed flatbread that’s usually filled with minced lamb or leafy vegetables and herbs. This lentil stuffing is untraditional, but it lends itself well to the buttery, flaky dough. To make this dish vegan, simply go for olive oil instead of butter and omit the feta

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This dish is inspired by the Turkish method of cooking vegetables gently in olive oil until they’re very soft. It’s usually served as part of a cold or warm meze spread, but to turn it into a more substantial meal, fill a pitta with some celeriac slices and feta, then sprinkle coriander seeds on top

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This festive treat of spiced and boozy sweetness will certainly brighten any Christmas cheeseboard or your morning toast. The jam will keep in the fridge for up to a month

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This brittle is a two-in-one gift: the brittle is delicious just as it is, or it can be blitzed to make a decadent praline paste to be smothered on toast or drizzled on ice-cream

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

These moreish cheese biscuits are good enough to eat on their own or with a bit of chutney smeared on top, and make for great gifts. Freeze the unbaked logs for up to a month;, then defrost and slice before baking

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Cooking rice in the oven can be a real “Ah-ha!” moment for anyone new to the approach. It’s the most foolproof way to the most perfectly cooked and fluffy of grains. If you want to get ahead, do the first 40 minutes of cooking a few hours ahead of time, leaving just the second bit (when the garlic, cumin, rice and boiling water are added) to do before you serve up

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

A one-pan warmer to serve with lots of crusty bread. Swap the cod for any other firm white fish such as hake, or for other seafood such as mussels or prawns

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

The humble black-eyed pea is combined with heat, smoke and warming aromatics, and cooked low and slow, to leave you with a meal that is both nutritious and hearty with a seriously flavourful broth

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This broth is very comforting and can be made up to a day ahead, if you want to, not least because it tastes even better the next day

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

A light and nourishing soup to warm your hands and soul. The cabbage and beansprouts can be swapped for whatever vegetables you have to hand - just keep the net weight about the same

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This is a great pasta dish for when you don’t have much in the pantry. Like cacio e pepe, it’s one of those dishes that feels so much more than the sum of its parts. Other nuts will also work well (walnuts or almonds are particularly good), if that’s all you have

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Charring is one of my favourite ways to cook cabbage because it caramelises the outsides while still retaining this versatile vegetable’s bite. Serve this as a snack or starter, or alongside some fluffy couscous for a full meal

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

A chunk of bread or some sticky rice to soak up the sauce is all you need to make a meal out of these fragrant prawns. If you prefer, swap the lime leaves for curry leaves or some basil

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This fondue-like mashed potato-and-cheese dish originates from the Midi-Pyrenees in France, and probably makes most sense after a long day outside in the mountains, but I’m sure a good stomp around the park will work just as well

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Spätzle is an egg-based dumpling from southern Germany. It can turn out a bit messy the first time you try to make them, but give yourself the challenge, and have everything ready and within reach before you start

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Khachapuri is a Georgian yeasted bread filled with cheese, egg and butter. It’s usually served for breakfast, but don’t restrict yourself – it’s welcome all day

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Slow-cooking carrots in this way really intensifies their flavour, and brings out their natural, earthy sweetness. Try to get carrots that are roughly the same size, ideally about about 16cm long and 3-4cm wide at the thickest end. Serve alongside roast or poached chicken or salmon

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This comforting one-pot meal is a south Indian dish traditionally made with rice and a mix of lentils. It has as many variations as its name has spellings (khichdi or kichri, to name just two). Here, the texture of the barley adds a nice bite. Feel free to swap the mung beans for any other lentil, such as puy, that retains its shape after cooking. To make the dish vegan, swap the ghee for olive oil

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Give the flavours time to mingle in this crowd-pleasing dish. The rice is the perfect canvas for the flavourful pork and its roasting juices. Radishes or another crunchy vegetable would make a good substitute for the carrots in the pickle

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This works as well for a weekend breakfast as it does for dessert. If you like, swap the apples for ripe pears and the cinnamon toast cereal for any similar cereal you have to hand

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This has all the delights of lasagne without all the prep time or the making of numerous portions. And you don’t have to worry about missing out on getting a nice, crisp-edged corner piece, either. To make this vegetarian, swap the sausage for firm tofu or mushrooms.

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This is one to set the table for on a weekend lunch. Poached chicken, crisp prosciutto, crunchy leaves and a creamy, cheesy dressing: it’s dinner for one, à la bistro, coming your way. Red-and-white checked tablecloth optional

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This is a twist on taho, a Filipino dessert made with silken tofu and tapioca pearls, which I’ve here combined with a set custard and a dark muscovado syrup reminiscent of leche flan, another Filipino favourite