Dad's Cuisine

Looking for ways to hide vegetables in a meal? Pine nuts, mint and cherry tomatoes combine in this courgette and goat's cheese tart that will have even the fussiest of diners asking for more. For as long as I've been encouraging Dad to cook healthy, tasty meals , getting him to eat vegetables has continued to be an ongoing battle. It's a battle that has been raging for most of his life.  I can clearly recall how the battle lines were drawn at the beginning of every meal at home. Mum, serving the food, would send over some friendly fire, nonchalantly adding some vegetables to Dad's plate by strategically concealing them behind a large potato. But Dad, eyeing the servings with gimlet eyes, would respond to the perceived unfriendly fire by protesting loudly that there were far too many vegetables on his plate ("That's enough!" he'd cry urgently, seeing a handful of peas dwarfed by a generous helping of beef and potatoes.) Eyes narrowed, he would proceed t...

No matter how much your family claims to hate cauliflower and broccoli, they'll be eating great florets of the stuff with this easy recipe for cauliflower and broccoli cheese Cauliflower cheese Cauliflower cheese - also known as cauliflower gratin - is possibly the most comforting dish known to mankind. I exaggerate, perhaps. But there's something so homely and reassuring about cauliflower cheese. It's a wonderful winter warmer, is great a side dish to a roast dinner and is a tasty choice for a quick lunch.  I don't know many (any)  people who would stand up and  claim cauliflower as their favourite vegetable. Yet, as the main ingredient in this dish, it's a winner. I've combined it here with broccoli because you can never have too much leafy veg, and I think the splash of green is appealing and breaks up the visual b landness of an otherwise monochrome dish. Cauliflower and broccoli cheese   And as they say, the secret is in the sauce. This easy recipe for c...

Cheese and asparagus pastry pockets Spring is in the air. Celebrate the changing of the seasons with these cheese and asparagus pastry pockets. Cheese and asparagus pastry pockets April heralds the beginning of asparagus season, which is one of my favourite vegetables. I usually just roast them in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper, but lately I've had to get a bit more creative in the kitchen. Like most of you, I've been staying indoors over the past few weeks, keeping myself and my family as safe as I can. It means I can't see Dad, which is difficult for all of us, but we're keeping in touch every day and I send him some home-cooked meals a couple of times a week, much to his delight.  Spending all this time with my husband and kids (while working remotely full time and homeschooling two very energetic boys) has, beyond all expectations, been a real treat. But having to prepare three meals a day for four hungry mouths means that I hav...