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It’s March, it’s a tiny bit sunny, and I’m celebrating with frozen cocktails. Woo hoo! Chris was making instant sorbet the other day (basically whizzed up frozen berries) for dessert, and I thought ‘I’m sure we could make something much more interesting with ice and that blender’. So the good intentions of the frozen fruit resulted in two or three glasses of prosecco-and-vodka-based frozen cocktails. All roads seem to lead to chocolate or cocktails at the moment....

Jump to:📋 What do we need? 🔪 How to make Pigs in a Blanket 🍽️ What to serve them with 📺 Watch how to make it 🍲 More fantastic side dishes Pigs in a Blanket Recipe 💬 Reviews If I didn’t make at least 8 of these little bacon-wrapped sausages PER PERSON on Christmas day, I’m pretty sure there’d be a riot in the Kitchen Sanctuary household.I usually arrange a few around the turkey - which are gone in 10 seconds....

Jump to:📋 What do we need? 🔪 How to make Pizza Fries 🍽️ More topping ideas for pizza fries 🍲 More chips/fries recipes! Pizza Fries 💬 Reviews One way to bribe your kids to do the washing up? Offer them pizza fries. I am not above using bribery to get the chores down every now and then.I made these as part of a batch of recipes recently, and we had family round for what we call blogger buffet....

It’s rhubarb season!! I love it when I start seeing those stalks of tangy juiciness arrive in the shops. These Rhubarb and Marzipan Muffins are sweet and fluffy and the perfect use for them. Some of my other favourites include: Rhubarb crumble (I learned recently from experience that you can’t par-cook the rhubarb in advance, top with the crumble mixture and expect to be able to cook it later. The result is pink mush....

I feel happy and sad about writing this today. Sad because the inspiration behind this dish comes from the loss of a talented young lady - taken far too early. Yet I also have warm and comforting feelings knowing that she brought happiness to the world and to her family and friends. Isabella ran the blog Coriander Queen - a place filled drool-worthy recipes and delicious photography of the kind of food I love to eat....

Jump to: 🔪 How to make Baked Bang Bang Chicken 🍽️ What to serve it with 📺 Watch how to make it 🍲 More fantastic Crispy Chicken recipes Bang Bang Chicken 💬 Reviews I’ve been going through a bit of a Bang Bang sauce obsession lately. First it was the Bang Bang Shrimp, now it’s the chicken, and I’ve got a cauliflower version coming out soon too! I love those crispy chicken bites, drizzled in plenty of sauce on top of a simple green salad for a sumptuous lunch or dinner....

What do you do when you have leftover egg whites after using the yolks to make custard for your sticky toffee pudding, or creamy lemon sauce for those fluffy ricotta pancakes? Add a few more simple ingredients to that whisked egg and you’ll end up with a jar full of amazing Italian almond biscuits. I was going to add ’that will last you for the next few days on the end there, but then I realised that we ate all of ours in less than 24 hours....

I know, it’s not like the marmite camp, where I’ve probably got half you on my side here. I think most people actually like peanut butter on toast. In fact, I did a bit of googling to understand the peanut butter split. Surprisingly there wasn’t much research on it…. However, I came across one paper involving a study of 157 people, which said 80% of them liked peanut butter. I think that sounds about right, so I’m going to believe that as scientific fact....

One hour from start-to-finish (and half of that’s in the oven) and you can be serving up a big meaty-cheesy dish of lasagne, with enough for second helpings. Because we all want second helpings when it comes to lasagne right? Serve it with a big salad (I LOVE sliced red onions, crisp lettuce and some crunchy sliced radishes in my side salad) and some buttery garlic bread. Ah. Dinner heaven....

I’ve been making this cocktail for years now (in fact I first published the recipe for this in 2017). It’s such a delightfully refreshing drink.Everything is perfectly balanced, so no flavour overpowers another. Serve it up on a hot summers day with a table full of crisps, nuts and nibbles. What could be better! 👩‍🍳PRO TIP You can buy sugar syrup in the supermarket, but it’s REALLY easy to make your own....

Pasta with salmon really is a match made in heaven isn’t it. I love a good pasta recipe, but cooking it with cream and cheese can make the dish feel quite heavy. This version is a made a little lighter with the addition of spiralized courgette (zucchini), little chunks of sugar snap peas and a good sprinkling of lemon zest. Pan frying the salmon Have you jumped on the spiralizer wagon yet?...

I think it’s time to get the salads out again after all that holiday indulgence! Yes, I’ve put on a couple (ok 5) pounds over the past couple of weeks with trips out with the kids and lots of yummy food in Italy. This salad is one of the meals that I know will get me back on track again. The honey-dijon dressing is the perfect mix of sweet & savoury with a tiny bit of heat that makes every mouthful so moreish....

Why oh why oh why did I buy a NINE-PACK of Snickers in preparation for making these mini cheesecakes? These cheesecakes need ONE Snickers bar - for all of them. I know I like to be prepared, but I’m going to have to own up and tell you that I was kidding myself. I knew I didn’t need nine Snickers bars. I just wanted the leftovers. All eight of them....

What ingredients could possibly give sweet and sour chicken that tangy, sweet and well, sour flavour? Actually quick a bizarre combination: Ketchup - and plenty of it - for a tanginess and colour. I don’t eat a lot of ketchup, but it’s a must for this dish.Malt vinegar - it’s the best type of vinegar I’ve found for getting the ‘right’ touch of sourness.Brown sugar - for rounded sweetness, and to counteract any bitterness in the vinegar....

Who doesn’t love some sweet chilli sauce with their chicken wings, as a dip for prawn toast or samosas or even as an added bonus to breakfast eggs and avocado!Sweet and spicy at the same time, the blend of ginger, garlic, chillies and red pepper is just so perfect. It takes about 20 minutes prep, and then you can leave it to bubble away (with the occasional stir) until it’s lovely and sticky....

A vegan recipe? on Nicky’s blog? I know! Most of my savoury recipes are usually meat-centred. I am trying to incorporate more vegetarian food into our diet and the blog (check out this yummy garlic bread spaghetti or this nutty noodle salad), but I thought it was impossible to create something we’d all enjoy that didn’t contain lots of cream or cheese. Until I made these! Potato skins, stuffed with velvety sweet potato and a mixture of crunchy, spicy zingyness....

Jump to:📋 What do we need? 🥩 Best beef cut for ragu 🍷 Which wine for Ragu? 🔪 How to make this Ragu recipe 📺 Watch how to make it 🍽️ What to serve it with 🍲 More fantastic Italian-inspired recipes Big Batch Beef Ragu with Pasta 💬 Reviews I think my favourite part of this beef ragu is the leftovers. When I open the freezer and see it in there, it’s like finding money in a jacket you forgot about....

Make sure you save yourself some of the caramelised pieces from the outside - they’re the best bits. Then maybe add a spoonful of sweet chilli jam on the side for an extra kick. This is one of those meals I like to cook on a cooler summer evening served with a crunchy salad and some french bread, or during the winter with a bowl of steaming hot boiled rice....

I do so enjoy a good sauce drizzle shot.I’d like to say that I spooned this sauce on, took the shot and moved on.But no.This took about 25 shots to get the one I wanted. I may photograph many many recipes, but I’m still learning every time, and I still take more bad photos than good photos.One day I’ll make a recipe, take 5 perfect shots and be done. Nah....

I promised you cranberry and orange scones, and here they are. Bursting with juicy cranberries, and smothered in clotted cream and jam! Thank you guys for all your lovely messages and emails about my poorly hand. I admit to feeling a little grumpy, and reading through them put a big smile on my face. You’re the best xxx It looks like I’m going to be bandaged up for at least another 2 weeks, so I’ll keep my chatter (or 1-and-a-half-handed-typing) to a minimum....