Syrups (honey included) are a great way of sweetening and flavouring cake. Their viscous nature and generally rich flavour enhances almost any sponge far more than most sugars. Their use is a fool-proof way to ensure a moist, dense and well-textured crumb, as well as a deep, almost burnished flavour, which is likely to satisfy even the most ardent sponge sniffers in your neighbourhood. Syrup, in my opinion, also does away with the need for overly sweetened layers of icing, which usually have the effect of drowning the natural flavour of your sponge in a little too much decadence. Any syrup you can think of will work well here (except perhaps corn syrup), particularly golden syrup or maple syrup.

You may have noticed that I’m rather keen on golden syrup, though it has been brought to my attention time and time again that many of you don’t really know what it is – I guess it doesn’t really exist on the other side of the pond. Golden syrup is technically pale treacle, produced by refining – inverting – sugar cane juice to produce a sugar. By far the largest producer of golden syrup in Britain, and probably the world, is Tate & Lyle, first founded in 1881 (though it was known simply as Lyle’s until 1921).

By the way, today is World Baking Day, so get baking and sharing – everyone appreciates a slice of cake or two (three). You know, this wouldn’t be a bad place to start – if I can make it, you certainly can!

Syrup Sponge Cake

Makes one 20 x 20cm tray cake

Ingredients:

• 125ml of syrup, golden or maple

• 30g caster sugar

• 110g butter

• 50g ground almonds

• 2 eggs

• 200g self-raising flour

Method:

1. Grease and line your cake tin, heating the oven to 170C. Melt together the syrup, sugar and butter over a low heat. Beat in the eggs and almonds before folding in the flour and pouring into the prepared tin.

2. Bake the cake for around 40 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out. Cut into squares and enjoy with a healthy dollop of ice cream.

Cost: Considering everything it offers, syrup is a very reasonably priced ingredient. However, readers in Britain are unlikely to use maple syrup as it can be a little more costly than golden syrup and is probably better saved for pancakes! Still, this cake should set you back around £1.80.

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Rice pudding is something of a British institution, served up in insipid and stodgy piles in school canteens up and down the land. Yet the inhabitants of these great isles by and large look upon the non-descript white mass that inhabited the pudding bowls of their formative years through some kind of ironic rose-tinted haze, as though nostalgia alone were enough to carry short grain rice into the upper echelons of the pudding hierarchy. Happily, this isn’t always the case and an increasing number of recipes are proving that rice pudding can be incredible – with this rendition I’d happily claim the proof is in the pudding!

One of the problems with an average rice pudding is that it is usually a little watery and flavourless. Semi-skimmed milk is not an option here – if you’re going to make rice pudding you need to go all out. Using a very rich milk will yield an extremely delicious and creamy pudding – it’s a worthy sacrifice. Golden syrup has a similar effect, helping to thicken the sauce and improve the flavour on a fundamental level with a slightly burnished sweetness, in some way making up for the lack of skin – more on that below!

There are two popular ways of preparing rice pudding; you can either boil it or bake it. Boiling your pudding rice will yield a sort of smooth rice porridge which will go down without any trouble whatsoever. The baked version requires a little more thought as it’ll be a bit thicker and have a delicious, brown skin that children have been fighting over for centuries (probably because for most of that time it’s been the only tasty part of a rice pudding). Baked rice pudding also takes a great deal of time (2 hours) – the recipe below is certainly suited to those of you in a hurry. How do you eat yours?

Golden Syrup Rice Pudding

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 70g pudding rice

• 568ml (1 pint) full cream milk

• 40g butter

• 2 tbsp golden syrup

• Whole nutmeg, grated

Method:

1. Place you rice, milk, butter and syrup in a saucepan, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve once thick, creamy and soft through with a little freshly grated nutmeg.

Cost: This entire dessert which would easily provide a reasonable portion for four should set you back a mere £1 – good ol’ frugal British traditions!

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Shaped like a grain of rice but with the textural qualities of pasta, it’s easy to see why orzo is such a versatile ingredient. Indeed, whether in a casserole, salad or “risotto”, orzo performs admirably, adding a touch of lightness and a smooth texture to every dish. One of its finest qualities, however, is just how quickly it can be prepared. From start to finish this fresh herb salad should only take you 10 minutes to prepare, making it a great choice for anyone who’s in something of a rush.

The grain shape of orzo makes it particularly effective in sauce based dishes, or those with a dressing. It tends to be the case that the larger the surface area of pasta, the better it “holds” sauce between each piece. For instance, this salad contains plenty of olive oil mixed with a twist of lemon juice and the orzo does a great job of suspending that vinaigrette and preventing it from falling uselessly to the bottom of the salad bowl. However, if you’re finding it a little tricky to find orzo – it can be – macaroni or fusilli would be a great way of getting around that.

As you can see from the ingredients list below this is a very simple salad – I enjoy simplicity. However, the great thing about food is that everyone has a different opinion on how things ought to be done. Try toasting a few roughly chopped pine nuts and scattering them into the salad bowl with a smidge of parmesan for a slightly richer, more complex flavour. Whichever way you choose to serve this salad, a good quality olive oil and plenty of punchy herbs will ensure it’s a delicious experience for all.

Local connection: Eat Drink Bristol Fashion, a superb little food festival will be running in Queen’s Square, Bristol from 13th – 27th May. Featuring some of the region’s top chefs, the pop up restaurant, cafe and music venue aims to showcase the best culinary experiences Bristol has to offer. Tickets seems to be selling out pretty quickly, so if you want to get in on the action now’s the time to get the ball rolling (the organic Sunday carvery courtesy of the Pony & Trap seems to be a particularly good deal with prices starting from £10). However, if you’re feeling obnoxiously lucky head over to the event’s Facebook page before May 17th to enter for free tickets to the event.

Orzo and Fresh Herb Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 200g orzo pasta

• 4-5 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil

• A twist of lemon juice

• 5-6 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs – basil, mint, coriander, parsley or chives

• 10-12 cherry tomatoes quartered

• ½ tsp salt

• A little black pepper

Method:

1. Bring your orzo to the boil in a pan of salted water. Add your finely chopped herbs, oil, salt and pepper to a large salad bowl and mix thoroughly.

2. Once the orzo is tender drain it and rinse it with cold water until cool – this will have the added effect of removing excess starch. Add the pasta and tomatoes to the herbs, mix thoroughly and serve.

Cost: Good quality olive oil is expensive, there’s no getting around that. However, a great idea is to have an olive pomace oil blend on hand for frying and baking – keep the extra virgin for drizzling. Indeed, a bottle of good olive oil can last a long time if used sensibly. Indeed, this salad should set you back no more than around £1!

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As far as root vegetables go, celeriac performs rather admirably as a base ingredient for soup – its creamy texture makes for a very satisfying spoonful, while its strong flavour pairs favourably with all manner of foods. The robust flavourings of Thai cuisine, in particular, combine remarkably well with this enlarged hypocotyl (celeriac isn’t actually a root, though it does have them) – hence this particular recipe.

It has to be said that creamy soups are by far my favourite – give me something smooth and silken to eat and you’re likely to have one happy Welshman on your rather unfortunate hands – providing your offering is also delicious. In my previous recipe for celeriac soup – which I’m pleased to say had proved very popular – I added a little single cream. However, I found that with this rendition a pint or so of whole milk sufficed, lowering the fat content and perhaps even improving the texture – a large amount of whole milk is probably more effective than a small amount of single cream. You may consider milk to be a rather interesting ingredient for soup, but go with me on this one – it works very well indeed.

If you’re looking to enjoy the unadulterated flavour of celeriac, or something a little less spicy please see my previous recipe for celeriac soup.

Thai Celeriac Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 celeriac, cubed

• 2 small potatoes, cubed

• 2 onions, finely sliced

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, finely chopped

• 1-2 chillies, with seeds

• A handful of fresh coriander/basil

• 1 stick of lemongrass, finely sliced

• The juice of a lime

• 1 pint of whole milk

• A little water

• Salt and pepper

• Olive oil

• Oil of your choice as a drizzle

Method:

1. Begin by frying the onions followed by the potatoes and celeriac in a generous drizzle of olive oil – cook until starting to brown. Meanwhile pop the garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander/basil, lemongrass and lime juice in a food processor and whizz until you have a paste.

2. Stir the paste into the browned vegetables, cook for a few minutes before adding the milk – top up with water if necessary. Simmer until the vegetables have softened through before blending into a smooth soup. Season to taste and drizzle with an oil of your choice before indulging.

Cost: If you do a little shopping around every ingredient on the above recipe can be purchased at a very reasonable price. Indeed, this soup – which should be enough for six – should set you back no more than around £2.30 – wonderful!

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Udon are a type of thick white Japanese noodle, made of wheat flour and most commonly used in soup – kake udon – though they have many other applications besides. Yaki udon simply means ‘fried udon’ and it can be made according to many different recipes – no two recipes for yaki udon that I’ve seen have been the same. This fact makes it a perfect candidate for culinary exploration and experimentation. However, in this case I thought it best to go for a simple seasoning of soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil as it has yet to fail in the flavour department.

When using udon noodles always buy them fresh; all of the dried packets of udon I’ve seen are flat and boring – not at all what an udon noodle ought to be like. Most packets of fresh udon that I’ve come across purport to be ‘straight-to-wok’ – don’t listen to it! It’s always best to soak your udon in boiling water before use as it makes for a lighter, fresher meal. Every noodle in a stir fry needs to be autonomous, particularly when it comes to the thicker varieties – it can be very off-putting to be served a bowl of noodles which are clinging to one another as if holding on to their very lives.

Prawns make a great addition to yaki udon as they both possess a certain delicacy of touch and flavour. You may think that prawns are a little expensive to be featured on a so-called ‘frugal’ blog – not so! Shop around and it is a scientific certainty that you’ll stumble across a cheap source sooner rather than later. Besides, each bowl of noodles only requires 5-6 prawns – any more than that and it’s likely that someone’s being a little greedy!

How ever you wish to enjoy your yaki udon, give my basic seasoning a go – it won’t disappoint, I promise!

Yaki Udon

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 200g fresh udon noodles

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

• 1 fresh chilli, finely sliced

• 4-5 florets of purple sprouting broccoli, stalks and all

• 10-12 prawns (shrimp)

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp fish sauce

Method:

1. Prepare all of your ingredients, separating the broccoli stalks from the flowers – slicing the stalks into small pieces. Pop the noodles in a bowl of boiling hot water to separate.

2. Add the oil to a very hot wok, add the garlic and chilli, followed by the broccoli stalks and prawns, cook for a minute. Add the broccoli flowers and noodles, followed by the fish sauce and soy sauce. Cook and toss for a further 2 minutes, ensuring everything is coated with the sauce.

Cost: Purple sprouting broccoli always seems to be rather expensive, but if you use the stalks it’s easy to get 5-6 meals out of every bunch. As mentioned above, prawns can be found for a very reasonable price if you search around. Indeed, this may seem like a rather luxurious dish – and it is – but can be made for very little money – £1.60 for two portions!

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Saag Aloo is a North Indian dish usually made using spinach and potato, though ‘saag’ is a term also used to describe other greens, such as mustard leaves. There are many ‘saag’ based dishes across India, with many types of greens featuring heavily in Odisha and Punjabi cuisine (though not exclusively). ‘Aloo’ – potatoes – also feature heavily in food not only across India, but the world and indeed, my kitchen. They complete and add a little substance to what is a pleasantly descriptive name for a delicious and nutritious dish.

Not only is saag aloo popular in Punjabi cuisine, it has worked its way most impressively into the gastronomic consciousness of the West. Indeed, there are few Indian restaurants in my neck of the woods that fail to feature this green delight. Though usually considered a side dish, the nutritional value of both spinach and potatoes also, in my opinion, makes this dish a perfectly suitable main. Served alongside rice and chapatis, saag aloo really holds its own in a region of the globe where the chicken curry reigns supreme.

There aren’t any particularly hard or fast rules when it comes to flavouring a saag aloo, though I prefer to opt for simplicity and fragrance. A little turmeric, a scattering of black onion seeds and a sprinkling of garam masala is more than enough to really make your greens leap from the confines of their plate – not to forget the chilli and garlic, of course. If you don’t feel like following my immediate suggestions, cumin and cardamom are also popular spices used in this curry and would certainly go down a treat. Enjoy!

Saag Aloo

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 160g fresh spinach

• 300g new potatoes, 1 inch chunks

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed

• 1-2 chillies, finely sliced

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp black onion seeds

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 7-8 cherry tomatoes, halved

• Water

• Oil

• Salt

Method:

1. Toast your spices in a large pan, drizzle in some oil and begin to cook the onions. Once the onions are translucent add the garlic, chillies, tomatoes and potatoes. After a few minutes add a splash of water (around 50-60ml), pop the lid on and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

2. Blanch the spinach until wilted in a pan of hot water. Transfer to a food processor and blend until almost like a paste. Once the potatoes are cooked stir in the spinach, add a little more water if necessary, season and serve with chapatis or rice.

Cost: Spinach and potatoes – the latter especially – are very reasonably priced ingredients. You get a lot of nutrition for your money with this dish and there’s no meat in sight. Indeed, the entire curry for two should set you back only £1.80.

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When I was growing up the word ‘potato’ came across as a call to action; fry, chip or mash – we must do something! New potatoes aren’t, and never will be, in vogue with five year olds, but as we get older, a little wiser and a great deal fatter, their brilliance reveals itself. When boiled until just the right moment the new potato, whatever the variety chosen, possesses a pleasantly substantial texture and subtle, somewhat nutty flavour that lends itself perfectly and inimitably to the creation of “salads”.

Of the varieties I have consumed, the Jersey Royal is by far my favourite new potato. With the same Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) as champagne or Cornish pasties, the Jersey Royal is grown only on Jersey, a British territory off the north cost of France. They have been cultivated on the island for over 130 years using seaweed (Vraic) harvested from the beaches of Jersey as a natural fertiliser. Happily, peak Jersey Royal season – May – will soon be upon us, so you can expect one or two more new potato treats in the coming weeks.

Truly fantastic produce is always best served alongside ingredients that share some of its characteristics or origins. New potatoes and samphire may not, on the surface, seem like they are cut from the same cloth, but when you consider the Jersey Royal you can see that they both in some way benefit from the sea. Marsh samphire, or glasswort, is a wonderful, salty ingredient which grows in many places, primarily along the coasts of Europe. If you live in a coastal location you’re likely not too far from a bush or two of samphire, which makes it easily forageable (and therefore frugal). In truth, the characteristics of samphire may be rather different from those of new potatoes, but they marry together very well indeed, with the former adding a touch of salty freshness to the earthiness of the latter.

It’s likely that many of you will struggle to get your gastronomic digits on Jersey Royals. Of course, this doesn’t really matter as any new potato will work well. Simply choose your favourite and away you go – it’s difficult to go wrong with this wonderful potato salad. There is, of course, no mayonnaise in sight.

Samphire and New Potato Salad

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 400g new potatoes, halved

• Two handfuls of samphire

• 1 rasher of smoked bacon, finely sliced (optional)

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Method:

1. Pop your halved potatoes in a small pan, top up with water and boil with the lid on until tender, but not falling apart. Once cooked through, run briefly under a col tap and set aside.

2. Crisp your bacon up in a pan with a drizzle of very hot oil, tip out onto kitchen paper. Mix together the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Transfer everything to a salad bowl, add the samphire and mix thoroughly before serving.

Cost: Though a little more expensive than regular spuds, new potatoes and a relatively cheap vegetable at around £1 per kilo. Samphire is also fairly inexpensive, particularly if foraged. As such, this wonderful “salad” should set you back no more than £1.50.

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As the weather warms up (finally) it’s nice to indulge a little in refreshing flavours. My last recipe, Springtime Minestrone – which came almost a week ago (sorry) – explored spring in vegetable form, using fennel, peas and spring onions. Instead, this cake – a classic lemon drizzle – seeks to refresh your palette on a much tangier, more indulgent note. It may not be quintessentially spring-like, but it does evoke similar culinary ideas and images of tea-time treats.

Everyone, I expect, has their own lemon drizzle cake recipe – it’s likely very simple, but devastatingly effective. Of course, this example also demonstrates those traits, but with one essential difference – ground almonds. I often find that cakes made exclusively from flour have a tendency to be light, but a little dry, particularly after a day or two. A great way to solve this problem is to replace a little of the flour with a spoonful or three of ground almonds. In doing so, your cake will retain its vital moisture and be given a little more flavour, making each bite that little more complex and enjoyable.

Lemon drizzle cake comes in many forms; some enjoy a loaf cake, others a sandwich cake. Indeed, don’t worry about altering the cooking process of this cake to satisfy your desires – food is a personal entity. If using a loaf tin it’s a great idea to ice the cake while it remains in the confines of its vessel, thereby coating the top with a layer of hard sugar – delicious. If using a sandwich tin, consider whipping up a little lemon-flavoured buttercream, filling the middle and coating the top with a small amount. However you decide to enjoy this cake, you’ll find that it is flavoursome and versatile.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Makes one 20cm cake

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs

• Butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour in equal measure – weigh the eggs in order to get exact amounts

• The zest of 2 lemons

• 3 tbsp ground almonds

• The juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp caster sugar

• 2 tbsp icing sugar

• A little water

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C, grease and line a 20cm springform tin. Cream together the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs one by one. Weigh the flour, remove two tbsp replacing them with the ground almonds. Tip in the flour, almonds and lemon zest and fold in gently until fully incorporated. Pour into the tin and bake for 50-55 minutes.

2. When golden brown and cooked through remove the cake from the oven, set aside to cool. After 10 minutes beat together 2 tbsp of caster sugar and the juice of one lemon. Make holes in the top of the cake with a fork and pour the syrup in.

3. Once the cake is fully cooled whip up some white icing using icing sugar and a little water and drizzle over in a lattice. Serve immediately, though it’ll keep for a few days in an air tight container.

Cost: The cost of simple cakes like this never amounts to very much. Ground almonds are more expensive than flour, but they still make a worthy addition for the attributes and improvements they bring. In all this cake should set one back no more than around £4.20.

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Minestrone is perhaps the greatest way of bringing together the best of seasonal produce in one dish. My last recipe for this ‘big soup’, Autumnal Minestrone, unified leeks, beans and carrots in a delicious broth, which proved to be pleasantly warming and hearty. This springtime rendition lightens things up a little with fennel, peas and spring onions, evoking the time of year in both colour and flavour.

As noted in my previous minestrone recipe, you needn’t loyally follow the ingredients listed below. For instance, asparagus and cauliflower are both coming into season in Britain and small slices/florets of each would combine perfectly with the essence of the dish. If you intend to add asparagus to the mix, try to stay British (if in Britain), as you’re likely to purchase a crisper shoot. Indeed, there’s some exceptional Wye Valley asparagus in most green grocers at the moment (In Bristol, at least).

Whatever form your minestrone takes, make sure to keep it season as it’s the whole point of the exercise. Besides, being fully aware of seasonal produce can really help keep food expenditure down as supply of certain ingredients increases during defined times of the year. An added benefit of shopping with seasonality in mind is that your vegetables and fruit and likely to be at their best. For instance, in the summer strawberries will be at their sweetest and most vibrant and in spring asparagus at its crispest.

n.b. I hope you like my new green bowls! (£2.99 each, down from £15)

Springtime Minestrone

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• 1 stick of celery, finely sliced

• 1 bulb of fennel, roughly chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed

• 1 tomato, squished

• 50g of bacon or pancetta, finely chopped

• 1-1.5 litres chicken stock

• 2 bay leaves

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

• 100g dried spaghetti, broken up

• 30g butter

• 80g garden peas

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Method:

1. Begin by frying your onion, celery, fennel and garlic in a good slosh of olive oil. Once soft add the bacon/pancetta and allow to colour a little. Add the tomato and 1 litre of the stock, bay leaves, thyme and butter. Leave to simmer for half an hour with the lid on.

2. Remove the thyme twigs, add the spaghetti and cook until soft. Tip in the peas, boil for a further 5 minutes, top up with more stock if necessary, season and serve topped with spring onions.

Cost: As a hearty, seasonal soup, this minestrone performs in every category of frugal feeding. Indeed, the entire pot, plenty for four, should set you back no more than around £3.20 – a truly cost-effective treat!

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Calls for “a Chinese”, in the western Hemisphere at least, are more often than not accompanied by the demand for spring rolls. In Britain the most frequently heard exclamation on the arrival of a chow mein (other dishes are available) is “we simply must have spring rolls, darling”, or something to that general effect. Indeed, upon seeing these wraps in the background of my previous recipe, noodle broth, a general clamour for the recipe ensued – well, folks, here it is.

Delicious though they are, the problem with spring rolls in this country is that they are always deep fried. Perhaps this is because, on the supermarket shelf, a fresh spring roll wouldn’t keep quite as well as its crispy counterpart. Whatever the reason, it is something of a shame that the healthier spring roll has become so elusive. Still, dried rice wrappers aren’t too difficult to come by. If you are struggling, I suggest looking in health food shops or that rather intimidating Asian “supermarket” you’ve always been too scared to sample.

Please, don’t be put off by the idea of having to wrap your own rolls – it is extremely easy. Granted, you’ll need a little time as it’s easiest to wrap them one by one, but after you’ve done your first you’ll have picked up the knack. As with most wraps, spring rolls are very versatile – fill them with whatever you please, within reason. Duck is an effective meat filling, particularly when served alongside a delicious plum dip. Whatever you fill yours with, follow the method below and you’ll not go far wrong – I’ll make sure to explore different combinations in the future.

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Makes 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6-8 spring roll wrappers

• 40g rice noodles

• 3 leaves of pak choi, finely sliced

• 1 carrot, matchsticked

• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed

• Two handfuls of beansprouts

• A handful of sweet basil, torn

• A few dashes of dark soy sauce

• Sesame oil

Method:

1. Prepare your filling. Put the noodles in hot water and boil until soft. Meanwhile, heat a little sesame oil in a frying pan or wok and add the garlic and carrot. Once cooked tip in the noodles, beansprouts and pak choi. Toss once or twice, pop the lid on and turn right down.

2. One at a time, soak your wrappers in warm water until malleable, transfer to a clean surface and add 2 tbsp of the noodle mixture, a little basil and a dash of soy sauce, to the centre of each.

3. To wrap, bring two opposing sides of the wrap together until 2cm apart at the middle. Fold one remaining side over the mixture and roll until cylindrical. The wrap should adhere to itself. Serve alongside a delicious noodle broth.

Cost: Rice wrappers can be a little pricey, though the packet I bought contained six more than it should have! In any case, 12 wrappers should set you back around £1.30. Once filled, a portion of six should cost no more than around £1.40.

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