Family life has fundamentally reshaped my approach to home cooking, shifting the focus toward hearty, straightforward meals. While my kitchen often serves as a hub for my children, weekend mornings are also the perfect time to host friends for brunch. The goal is simple: prepare one substantial, crowd-pleasing dish that can sit in the middle of the table, allowing everyone to help themselves without unnecessary complexity.
A classic way to start the day is with Menemen, a comforting Turkish dish of scrambled eggs, spices, and tomatoes. To prepare this for two, sauté one finely chopped onion and three crushed garlic cloves in three tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes. Add a teaspoon of cumin seeds, half a teaspoon of Aleppo chilli flakes, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and half a tablespoon of tomato paste, followed by 300 grams of halved cherry tomatoes and 60 milliliters of water. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes until the tomatoes break down. Finally, remove from the heat, gently swirl in four lightly beaten eggs mixed with half a teaspoon of salt until just set, then finish with a tablespoon of double cream and five grams of chopped coriander.
For a more substantial option, try a dish inspired by Trinidadian bhaji. This recipe serves four and requires three tablespoons of olive oil, one thinly sliced onion, two teaspoons of crushed cumin seeds, one Scotch bonnet pepper (or regular red chilli), and four crushed garlic cloves. Sauté the onion and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt for eight minutes before adding 400 grams of baby spinach and 400 milliliters of coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Create six wells in the mixture, crack an egg into each, season with salt and pepper, and cover, cooking for four to five minutes until the eggs are set. This dish can be prepared in advance up to the point of adding the eggs.
My buttermilk pancakes, a staple in my London delis, are a favorite for weekend mornings. This recipe makes about 22 pancakes. Whisk 350 milliliters of buttermilk (or a homemade substitute of 325 milliliters of whole milk curdled with 25 milliliters of lemon juice or vinegar), three eggs (two whole, one white), 70 grams of melted unsalted butter, and a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. In a separate bowl, combine 250 grams of plain flour, 40 grams of caster sugar, two teaspoons of baking powder, half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then fry spoonfuls of batter in an oiled pan for two to three minutes per batch. Serve with a syrup made by simmering 75 grams of date molasses, 75 grams of cubed unsalted butter, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and two tablespoons of water.
For a lighter, oven-baked option, try creamed tomatoes on toast, inspired by Simon Hopkinson. Preheat your oven to 220C (200C fan). In a 26-28cm baking dish, mix 300 grams of mascarpone, 50 milliliters of double cream, three garlic cloves (one crushed, two sliced), two teaspoons of cornflour, and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Arrange 600 grams of halved or quartered ripe tomatoes on top, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with a final drizzle of half a tablespoon of oil and fresh thyme.
Finally, for those who enjoy a homemade granola, combine 275 grams of jumbo rolled oats, 150 grams of blanched hazelnuts, 25 grams of sesame seeds, 50 grams of pumpkin seeds, 50 grams of sunflower seeds, and half a teaspoon of salt. Heat 110 milliliters of olive oil, 85 grams of demerara sugar, 85 milliliters of maple syrup, and three tablespoons of tahini in a pan until the sugar melts. Pour over the dry ingredients and bake at 160C (140C fan) for one hour and 10 minutes, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes until crisp. This yields about 800 grams of granola, perfect for storing in an airtight container. The report also notes that f amily life has had a bigger impact on how I cook at home than almost anything else. The report also notes that and potato wedges with different sauces, there’s a lot of pasta on the menu these days. The report also notes that and a great many pancakes – more than I would have ever predicted before I had kids. The report also notes that then reheated through the week, in the toaster or a dry pan on the stove, so breakfast is more or less solved until Friday, my weekend pancakes – which made their way into my book Simple Too – are supposed to be a batch-cooking exercise: lots made on Sunday. The report also notes that in practice, all 22 pancakes the recipe makes are gone by Sunday lunch – eaten by the boys, their friends, or whoever happens to be over for breakfast. The report also notes that even though that’s their indisputable assumption, but my kitchen on a weekend morning doesn’t only answer to my kids. The report also notes that and what I actually want, most weeks, is one big thing in the middle of the table – generously for everyone, i love having friends over for brunch.