An easy bright salad that can be made a day or so ahead of time before dressing to serve.

This recipe brings together two contrasting components to create a bright summer dish. A simple yogurt sauce is dressed up with herbs and zest, then topped with cucumbers that have marinated in a spicy oil. Coriander, cumin and red-pepper flakes bloom in a neutral oil, and the cucumbers take on the flavors as they sit.

For the yogurt, a variety of garden fresh herbs work well, but dill and mint are crucial. Both the yogurt and the cucumbers can be prepared up to a day in advance and kept refrigerated until serving.

When you’re ready, spread the yogurt sauce in a wide bowl or plate. Spoon the cucumbers on top evenly so each each bite gets a little yogurt and a little cucumber: One will temper the spiciness of the other. Save a handful of the herbs for a fresh garnish.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds Persian cucumbers (about 8), ends trimmed and quartered lengthwise into spears, then crosswise into 2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil or other neutral oil, such as canola, safflower, sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup mint leaves, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup dill, chopped
• ¼ cup parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
•  Black pepper
• ¼ cup pine nuts (optional)

Preparation

1. Toss the cucumber pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and set in a colander in the sink to drain.
2. In a small pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the coriander and cumin, and toast until fragrant, stirring to avoid scorching, about 1 minute. Remove oil from heat, add red-pepper flakes and allow to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the salted cucumber pieces with the scallions, spiced oil and apple cider vinegar. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or overnight while you prepare the yogurt.
4. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, half of the herbs (mint, dill and parsley), zest and juice of the lemon and the olive oil. Stir to incorporate, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the yogurt mixture on a plate or the bottom of a shallow bowl. Using a slotted spoon to drain the cucumbers and scallions of excess liquid, evenly place the cucumbers and scallions on top of the yogurt. Finish with the remaining chopped herbs and pine nuts (if using), and serve immediately.

An easy cake to make, but with a sweet sour glaze.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

• ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the baking dish
• 12 to 14 fresh ripe figs
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups/300 grams granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 cups/225 grams blanched almond flour
• 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, chilled
• 1 cup/240 milliliters full-fat plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

FOR THE TAMARIND GLAZE:

• 1 cup/125 grams confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste (not concentrate)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little butter.
2. Trim and discard the stalks from the figs. Slice the figs in half lengthwise, and place them in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pepper and 2 tablespoons sugar over the figs, and toss to coat well.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove any clumps and return to the large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and yogurt until smooth and combined. (It will be very thick.) Whisk in the almond extract.
4. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the whisked liquid ingredients. Using an outward-to-inward circular motion, fold with a spatula until the mixtures are completely combined, and no visible flecks of dry ingredients remain. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Top the cake with the sliced figs with the cut sides facing up.
5. Bake cake until the surface is golden brown and the figs release their juices and turn slightly caramelized, about 1 hour, rotating halfway through baking. If it’s browning too quickly, loosely tent the cake with foil. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the baked cake and let cool for 15 minutes.
6. As the cake cools, prepare the tamarind glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, tamarind paste and oil until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, it can be thinned by adding a teaspoon or two of water.
7. Once the cake has cooled for 15 minutes, pour the glaze over, and serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers and eat within 3 days.

American buckles are softer and more fruit-filled than a coffeecake, but with a higher percentage of buttery batter than a cobbler. Buckles are harder to describe than they are to make.

This one is tender, moist and filled with sweet summer berries. But feel free to substitute any other juicy fruit that you like: peaches, nectarines, figs, plums or pineapple. If your fruit is very sweet (figs, pineapple), reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons, while tart fruit (plums or tart blackberries) may need an extra tablespoon. Buckles are best eaten on the same day they are baked. But since they come together so quickly, you don’t have to plan ahead.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup/114 grams (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
• ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar, more for sprinkling
• ¼ cup/55 grams light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon/5 grams finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon/5 milliliters vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups/156 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ½ cups summer berries (a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or use any one kind)
•  Cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
•  Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add lemon zest and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg and baking powder, and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Gently fold berries into the batter, then spread batter in pan and sprinkle lightly with more granulated sugar. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until top is golden and cake is cooked through.
5. Allow cake to cool, then sprinkle with cinnamon, if using, and confectioners’ sugar.

Tofu one pot dishes make surprisingly comforting suppers, for when you don’t want a big lockdown extravaganza

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (14-ounce) block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola, plus more as needed
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• ¾ pound snap peas, trimmed
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (light or full-fat)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons molasses, dark brown sugar or honey
• ½ cup toasted cashews
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• ¼ cup mint leaves, torn if large
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
•  Rice or any steamed grain, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Slice the tofu in half horizontally, and leave on paper towels to dry any excess liquid.
2. In a medium skillet or cast-iron pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Season both sides of the tofu with salt and black pepper, place in the pan and sear without moving until tofu is browned and golden on both sides, turning once halfway through, about 8 minutes total. Move the tofu to a plate.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, and add the snap peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until blistered and just tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and move to a bowl.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk, soy sauce and molasses. Simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce reduces and its color deepens to a dark brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. It should coat a spoon without running right off. Stir in the cashews, break the tofu into 1-inch pieces and toss in the pan to coat with sauce. Remove from heat, and taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
5. Toss the snap peas with the rice vinegar, scallions, mint and red-pepper flakes, if using. Divide among plates, along with the tofu and cashews. Serve with rice or any steamed grain.

Sfouf is a Middle Eastern semolina turmeric cake, made with simple cupboard ingredients, no eggs and no butter. It’s vegan-friendly, light and tasty.

• 1 1/2 cup coarse semolina or fine, or mixture of both
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup canola oil or other neutral oil
• 1 cups milk
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons tahini to grease the pan can be replaced with oil
• Handful of pine nuts or almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF and grease a 9″ baking pan with the tahini sesame oil or other oil.
2. Mix the dry ingredients (semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder) together in a large bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients (canola oil, milk and cane sugar) in another small bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved in the mixture.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients until batter is smooth and bright yellow. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the pine nuts all over.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the pine nuts are golden.
6. Cool on a wire rack and cut into 16 squares or diamond shapes.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 7 days at room temperature or about 10 days in the fridge.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

• For tahini, you can substitute oil or butter
• For the coarse semolina, you can also use fine semolina, but don’t use flour instead of semolina because it will not yield the right results
• For the pine nuts, you can use almonds. Silvered almonds work well and make sure they are raw since they will be getting roasted in the oven.

Lockdown at home is dull. Cooking becomes an activity that entertains as well as provides, but rather than mains, the side dishes can be the more exciting part to eat, especially when as simple to make as this salad.

A busy Indonesian salad with a sweet ginger dressing highlights the crunchy sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots and ties this cool, crunchy side dish together.

ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons crushed fresh ginger root
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons salt
1 yellow onion, cut in chunks
5 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1 cup peeled and finely shredded carrot
2 cups julienne sliced cucumber

directions

Combine the water, vinegar, ginger, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine. 

Place the onion, cabbage, carrot, and cucumber in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing mixture over then toss well to combine. 

Place the salad in the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Toss again before serving. 

Salad can be chilled for up to 8 hours before serving.

Black biscuits will either sound wonderful or dreadful – if nothing else, try them for Halloween or use normal tahini from the store cupboard

• YIELD2 dozen cookies
• TIME1 hour, plus overnight chilling

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups/385 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
•  Cooking spray
• 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 cup/125 grams unsifted icing sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature, plus 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup plain tahini & 3 tablespoons black tahini
• ¼ cup/50 grams coarse black sanding sugar (optional)

PREPARATION

1. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine 3 cups flour, the salt and baking powder; set aside. Coat a small loaf pan with cooking spray, then line with plastic wrap, tucking it into the corners and leaving plenty of overhang. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add the large egg and the vanilla; beat on medium-high until combined, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
3. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until combined; then increase speed to medium and beat until dough starts to clump together, scraping bowl as needed.
4. Remove dough from bowl, knead lightly and form into a fat log. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut into two pieces, one about 1/3 of the dough, and the other 2/3 of the dough. Return the larger piece to the bowl, add the plain tahini, and beat on medium speed until fully combined. Remove from bowl and set aside. Add the smaller piece and the black tahini to the bowl and beat on medium speed until fully combined.
5. On a generously floured surface, using a bench scraper or a knife, cut the white dough in half. Pat half the white dough into a 5-inch square. Cut the black dough in half, then pat half the black dough on top of the flattened white dough to match dimensions. Repeat with remaining white dough, then black dough, so you have four alternating layers of white dough and black dough. Cut in half crosswise, and gently knead and roll one piece to marble the two colors together. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Stack both pieces of dough together (they should be fairly soft at this point, so be gentle), and briefly knead the pieces together to form one dough.
6. Press dough into prepared pan, and fold the plastic wrap over the top to seal. Gently press down to even out the surface as much as possible. Chill until firm, preferably overnight, or at least a few hours and up to 3 days ahead, or freeze up to 3 months.
7. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon water to thin it out. Spread the sanding sugar out on a small baking sheet. Remove the block of dough from the loaf pan and unwrap it. Trim the slanted sides and the top if you want them really square. Very lightly brush the outside of the block with the egg white mixture. Press the block firmly to coat all sides (except the ends) with the sugar, sprinkling and pressing it on to cover any bare spots.
8. Cut the block into barely 1/4-inch-thick slices, and lay them out 1 inch apart on two parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
9. Bake until cookies are golden underneath, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Since we’re stuck at home, baking seems a good option and the only things worth baking are things to cheer us up.

For the dough:

• ¼ ounce instant dry yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• ½ cup scalded milk
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 3 ½ to 4 cups flour

For the filling:

• ½ cup melted unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

For the glaze:

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• ¼ cup softened, salted butter
• 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1) In a small bowl, dissolve dry yeast in warm water and set aside. With a stand mixer (using dough hook), mix milk, sugar, butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add the yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough pulls away from the edge of the bowl and is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for an hour or two until doubled in size.

2) Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Roll the dough out on a floured surface into an even rectangle. Spread softened butter on dough. Mix both sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over buttered dough. Starting at the bottom (on the long side of the rectangle), roll dough and pinch ends together to seal. Slice the roll into 2-inch pieces with a serrated knife.

3) Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Place the rolls close together in the pan and place in refrigerator overnight. (If you’re in a hurry, you can skip the fridge: Cover and allow to rise again for another hour until they double in size.)

4) Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake rolls for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned. While the rolls are baking, make the glaze by creaming the butter and cheese with a mixer until smooth. Whip in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired glaze consistency. Drizzle the glaze over rolls while they’re still warm to make them extra gooey.

When asked what kind of cake my daughter might fancy, the reply was none, but an apple pie would hit the spot nicely. Digging through the many recipes, this one was the most intensely apple-y.

It’s also just a touch Christmassy thanks to the inclusion of cloves in the filling. Added with lemon and cinnamon, the spices might be too much for some – adjust to suit your taste along with the sugar.

One of the main reasons for an intense flavour is using the cores and peel to make a kind of apple stock. It may sound like a bit of a faff, but given you have to peel and core them anyway, it’s only a matter of sticking the results in a pan of water and leaving them to bubble for 15 minutes, and the results are truly remarkable.

The perfect apple pie

(Serves 6-8)
4 bramley apples
2 tbsp butter, plus extra to grease
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
125-150g light muscovado sugar, depending on taste
3 cox’s apples
Nutmeg
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp demerara or granulated sugar
1 egg white, beaten
For the pastry
350g spelt or plain flour, plus extra to dust
190g cold butter, grated
1 egg plus 1 yolk, beaten
1 lemon

Peel and core the bramleys, reserving both. Cut the flesh into chunks. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and add the cinnamon stick and cloves. Fry for a couple of minutes, until aromatic, then add the chunks of apple, plus 100g of the sugar. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and fairly dry.

Meanwhile, put the cores and peel in a small pan and just cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow both this and the compote to cool, then remove the cinnamon stick and cloves from the compote (if you can find them).

To make the pastry, put the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the grated butter and a generous pinch of salt. Rub in the butter to the consistency of fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the egg and the finely grated zest of the lemon until you have a dough (or you could use a food processor). Wrap well and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and core the cox’s and cut them into chunks. Stir these into the stewed bramleys along with the juice of half a lemon, 50ml of the apple stock, a grating of nutmeg and the remaining muscovado (start with 125g sugar, and add more if you think it is too sharp).

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a large pie dish with butter, and roll out two-thirds of the pastry to about 5mm thick. Use to line the dish. Sprinkle the base with one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of sugar. Top with the apple mixture and dot the top with small pieces of the remaining butter.

Roll out the remaining pastry to 5mm thick. Brush the rim of the pastry base with egg white, and then top with this lid, pressing down to seal. Trim the edges (use these trimmings to decorate if you wish), and cut a small hole in the middle. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden, then allow to cool a little before serving.