5 recipe books I love: suitable for the complete beginner!

Hey!

I am a serial cook book purchaser. There i said it.

I love cooking, i love eating and i especially love a new cookbook with its beautiful glossy pages and inky smell. But despite owning a ridiculous amount of books just for one household i repeatedly go for the same few. Maybe its the familiarity with them or maybe its because they’ve never let me down.

But here are my top 5 favourite books (& resources):

1. Jamie’s 5 ingredients.

I think I’ve used this book inside out and outside in. Every recipe I’ve tried has been easy to swap out ingredients depending on what I have and make it veggie friendly.

You really can’t get recipes simpler than just 5 ingredients and most recipes can be cooked and on the table within 30 mins! Winner winner!

My top 3 recipes are:

. Sticky Mango Prawns: I’ve tried this using all veggies, chicken, salmon and quorn pieces and although I can’t vouch for the chicken my husband did say it was delicious!

. Comforting Sausage Bake: throw it in a dish and throw it in the oven. Please tell me whats easier than that?!

. Aubergine Penne Arrabbiata: Don’t like aubergine? Swap it out for cubed halloumi!

2. The BBC Good Food Website

Technically, not a book. But still (in my opinion) one of the greatest recipe databases on the internet. Sure, there are thousands of brilliant blogs out there, but I just repeatedly go back to Good Food.

It’s super easy to search and you can select which difficulty level you want and most of the recipes have handy tips at the bottom!

My top 3 recipes are:

. Lamb & Mango Curry: an absolute crowd pleaser. Although it takes a little more effort the sauce can last us 3 or 4 meals and we can swap out the ingredients to make it feel like we aren’t eating the same thing over and over again.

. Mexican Veggie Hash: I actually stumbled across this while looking for a hash brown recipe and feeling a little deflated and dam hungry I tried this. Its super easy and breakfast is legit my favourite meal of the day.

. Classic Scones: I live in Cornwall and its Jam first. (Always). And I would happily eat a cream tea everyday

3. Hairy Dieters Go Veggie

I don’t actually own many vegetarian only cook books. Mostly because my husband isn’t a veggie and I find its super easy to adapt meat recipes. But this one is a cracker.

Like all of the Hairy Dieters series the recipes are easy to follow, don’t take a million ingredients (minus the veggie chilli but I promise you its good) and from start to finish its pretty quick.

Also – like the BBC Good Food Website the recipes all come with a calorie count – if that’s your bag.

My top 3 recipes are:

. Proper Chilli: my go to veggie chilli. I’ve cooked this recipe A LOT over the past few years and it still remains a family favourite

. Mediterranean Biker Brunch: I often have this when Mr M is working away because it’s a cook in one pan job that I can adapt to my taste (no fennel thank you 😊), instead swap it for aubergine, courgette, squash or whatever you have!

. Falafel: a favourite for lunches, dinner or even a snack. Completely SW friendly too!

4. Recipes from an Indian Kitchen by Sunil Vikayakar

I’ve owned this book for around 9 years and boy oh boy is it a good one. Indian food is my most favourite food on this entire planet and not only are the recipes great – the food styling is great too. Sadly, I don’t think you can purchase this one anymore. However Tasty by Tony Singh is just as beautiful and the foods just as good!

5. Joe’s 30 Minute Meals by Joe Wicks

So, most of my recipe books lean towards the healthy side. I’ve been part of my local Slimming World group for the past 4 years and successfully stayed around my target weight. But I haven’t ever been into Joe Wicks work outs, meal plans or Instagram meals.

I was bought this as a gift a few years but and honestly, didn’t open it for a good while. However, its ace! The recipes are super super easy, really healthy and every one so far I’ve managed to do within the 30 minutes – so that’s winner winner chicken dinner all round yeah?

My top 3 must try’s are;

1. Goats Cheese & chorizo Morning muffins: ace for on the go and ingredients are easily swapped out depending on what you have in and what you like
2. Aubergine Korma with Spiced Monkfish: no words just literally one of the quickest and tastiest currys. The left overs heat up well and well – its curry what is there not to love!
3. Tandoori Cod Burgers: My oh My. Just go and try it. literally, go now – do it!

That is just 5 of my favourite recipe resources – i’d love to hear what are yours?

They make great gifts too, even just for yourself!

Thanking you

Hannah