A dish I was tasked with making when I was working in my first restaurant job at The Dorchester Hotel. Needless to say, the skill of making gnocchi has stayed with me and they often feature on the menus I write. The key is to not overwork the potatoes when mashing: you need it to be dry and floury to give you the best chance of success. Don’t be disheartened even if you fail: there is a lesson in that.
Don’t burn the sage: burn the butter, add the sage and the aromas will create a wonderful sense of calm in your home.
Cold tofu with soy sauce is a staple. For me, it’s what I imagine cottage cheese and peaches, or yogurt and fruit, is for some other people, something that you can make real quick on the go as a snack, but in a savory rather than sweet sort of way. It also can be an appetizer or part of a spread of banchan and other side dishes to round out a meal of steamed pork belly or grilled meats or vegetables. Plus it’s a great blank slate for other toppings. Try it, say, with some chopped kimchi right on top.
Juicy chicken skewers—marinated in aromatic spices and coconut milk, then grilled for a smoky char—are a street-food favorite you can enjoy in your own backyard. Served with velvety peanut sauce, each bite blends sweet and salty flavors with a hint of heat. For vegetarians, double the mushrooms and skewer them separately.
This colorful salad is a feast for the eyes. Full of veggie goodness, the sweetness and spice are beautifully balanced with the fresh dressing that has a slight kick to round things out.
These skillet tortillas use store-bought enchilada sauce for simmering, which makes them an especially convenient option for last-minute savory breakfasts or brunches. You can transform the meal repeatedly by experimenting with different toppings, be they creamy, melty, crispy, or crumbly. I give a few of my favorite options in the ingredient list, but don’t be afraid to add your own finishing touches! Note that the recipe calls for white corn tortillas, rather than yellow; white tortillas tend to be thinner and more pliable, which makes them especially good for soaking up the sauce.
When you’re in a time pinch, this pizza is possibly the best way to use puff pastry. Just add cheese. Add tomatoes. More cheese. Olive oil. Herbs. Bake until golden and puffed and cheesy and it smells like you’ve lit a pizza margherita candle in your kitchen. You win at dinner.
This dish is the ultimate mash-up between two gold-standard sal- ads: the classic steakhouse wedge (think iceberg lettuce and way too much creamy dressing) and the feta-flecked, veggie-stuffed chopped salad I grew up eating. I definitely surprised myself a lit- tle bit when I reached for iceberg lettuce as the base, but once I loaded it up with cherry tomatoes and cukes, fresh mint, and garlicky bread crumbs that work their way into every crevice and cranny, I realized it was the only choice. But the real star is the rich, creamy feta and yogurt dressing. I highly recommend serving some on the side for extra dunking, in addition to keeping a batch in your fridge for an impromptu salad or dip moment.
Gyulshah Mintash is our assistant manager at the Brent Cross branch of LEON, and this is their deliciously nutty tahini cake.
Triple onion power here, with caramelized onions, spring onions and onion powder for maximum flavour. Get your favourite crunchy crisps out and enjoy.
If you ask me what my last supper would include, this dish would absolutely make the list. It features a combination of some of my favorite ingredients: lemon, Parmesan, garlic, and butter. I’ve been making this dish for weeknight dinners for over 20 years, especially on Mondays as it’s a good way to use up any sesame bagels or baguettes left over from the weekend.