Ask Katie Recipes for Everyday Home Cooking

South African Malva Puddings with Cream Sauce

South African Malva Puddings with Cream Sauce are a classic dessert that balances simplicity and comfort. The batter comes together with apricot jam, vanilla bean paste, and brown cane sugar before being baked into individual puddings with a soft, tender crumb. While still warm, they are soaked with a vanilla cream sauce that slowly absorbs into the sponge, creating the rich texture that makes malva pudding so distinctive. Served with whipped cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream, they are equally at home at a family dinner, Sunday lunch, or festive gathering.

Good food, properly thought through.

No rambling backstory, no vague measurements, and no recipes that fall apart the second you try to cook them. Everything here is tested, costed, and written for real kitchens, not content calendars. You’ll find clear methods, sensible ingredients, and dishes that earn their place at the table more than once.

Summer RECIPES

Fresh heirloom tomato and arugula salad with Parmesan shavings and homemade chive garlic croutons on a white serving platter.

Heirloom Tomato and Parmesan Arugula Salad

A simple summer salad built around ripe heirloom tomatoes, peppery arugula, Parmesan, and homemade chive garlic croutons, all brought together with a bright lemon dressing.

Cape Malay chicken curry with tender chicken and potatoes in a fragrant spiced sauce, served with white rice and warm zucchini sambal.

Cape Malay Chicken Curry with Warm Zucchini Sambal

Tender chicken and potatoes simmer in a fragrant Cape Malay curry sauce, paired with a warm zucchini sambal that adds brightness, texture, and just enough heat.

A serving of Italian Summer Vegetable Gratin with roasted zucchini, eggplant, kalamata olives, crisp lemon-almond pangrattato, and homemade garlic bread.

Italian Summer Vegetable Gratin with Garlic Bread

Roasted zucchini, eggplant, shallots, olives, and white wine are topped with a crisp lemon-almond pangrattato and served with homemade garlic bread for an elegant Italian-inspired summer meal.

vegetarian RECIPES

Hearty minestrone soup with white beans, pasta, spinach, tomatoes, carrots and celery in a rich vegetable broth, served in a white bowl.

Minestrone Soup with Orecchiette and Parmesan

A proper minestrone packed with vegetables, cannellini beans, orecchiette, and Parmesan, for a soup that’s vibrant, yet hearty enough for dinner.

Chickpea and bean gumbo with a thick, richly spiced broth, garnished with chives and served alongside fluffy white rice.

Vegetarian Chickpea and Bean Gumbo with Okra

Vegetarian gumbo built on a dark roux with okra, beans, Cajun spice, and a subtle miso finish for depth and balance.

Autumn Market Ragù served over spaghetti with roasted tomatoes, fresh herbs and a crisp toasted breadcrumb topping.

Decadent Autumn Mushroom Market Vegetarian Ragu

Autumn Market Ragù combines a classic soffritto with mushrooms, tomatoes, red wine, and white miso for a deeply savoury pasta sauce.

WINTER RECIPES

Ask Katie recipe for creamy Tuscan chicken orzo served in a grey bowl with chicken, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan and creamy orzo pasta.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Orzo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is the kind of supper that earns repeat requests. Golden chicken cutlets are nestled into creamy Parmesan orzo with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, basil, and lemon for a comforting, satisfying meal.

A plate of House Kale Salad with chopped kale, carrots, celery, Parmesan, and toasted breadcrumbs tossed in a savoury Dijon dressing.

House Kale Salad with Parmesan Dijon Dressing

Chopped kale, carrot, celery, and spring onions are tossed in a savoury Parmesan and anchovy dressing, then finished with golden breadcrumbs for a salad that feels far more substantial than its ingredients suggest.

Signature Bolognese with hearty beef ragù and spaghetti, showcasing a rich, slow-cooked sauce served family-style on a white platter.

Signature Bolognese with Beef and Wine

Signature Bolognese builds deep savoury flavour from slow-cooked beef, red wine, thyme, anchovy, and tomato paste, finished with plenty of Parmesan.

OMNIVORE RECIPES

Roasted za'atar lamb and golden cauliflower drizzled with creamy yogurt sauce and scattered with fresh herbs.

Za’atar Lamb and Aleppo Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted za’atar lamb with caramelised cauliflower, cumin, Aleppo pepper, and yogurt sauce, a simple, well-balanced traybake for an easy, flavour-forward dinner.

Silken Cauliflower Fusilli with Chorizo and Capers

Silken Cauliflower Fusilli with Chorizo and Capers combines a velvety cauliflower sauce with roasted cauliflower, savoury chorizo, whole capers, Parmesan, and crisp breadcrumbs for a vegetable-forward pasta packed with flavour and texture.

Classic Swedish meatballs served with creamy gravy, buttery mashed potatoes, quick pickled cucumber salad, and tart berry preserves on a blue stoneware plate.

Classic Swedish Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes

Classic Swedish meatballs with creamy gravy, buttery mashed potatoes, and quick pickled cucumber make cold-weather comfort feel unexpectedly elegant.

STAPLE RECIPES

Red rice with tomatoes and spices, garnished with sliced spring onions and served in a white bowl.

Quick Vegetarian Mexican-Style Red Rice

Red rice with tomato, garlic, lime, and cilantro, cooked until fluffy and deeply savoury with just enough brightness to keep things lively.

Creamy chicken liver parfait served with crisp crostini and fruit preserve on a slate serving board.

Creamy Chicken Liver Parfait with Butter Crust

Chicken liver parfait blended with pancetta, cream, butter, and brandy becomes impossibly smooth, rich, and dangerously easy to spread onto warm toast.

Homemade tomato chutney with tender tomatoes and warming spices, served in a white ramekin alongside crackers.

Tomato Chutney with Chilli and Warm Spices

Rich tomato chutney with warm spice, gentle heat, and a glossy finish that quietly improves sandwiches, cheese boards, and roast dinners alike.