What I've been cooking #11: Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman

I am sure I have mentioned this before but I am obsessed with anything Alison Roman cooks. I am constantly watching her videos on youtube, follow along with her stories and always looking for any excuse to cook one of her recipes myself. I just adore all the flavours she puts together. She just knows what works. Nothing Fancy is her newest cookbook concentrating on entertaining friends and family but without any of the stress which can come with it. The book is about 'having people over' rather than entertaining. The recipes can easily be halved but I usually cook them as they're written then enjoy leftovers for a few days. I really couldn't recommend this book more and it is one I refer to at least once a week since I have had it. It is a beauty of a book!

Lemony turmeric tea cake
I have made this twice now and it is still one of my favourite lemon cake recipes. The trick is to really slice the lemons thin before you put them on top of the batter as they are prone to sinking. It gives you a bit of a sour shock when you bite into the cake and come across a sunken lemon. The numeric colours this a vibrant shade of yellow which makes a great talking point when you cut into it.   The sponge is so soft and light thanks to using yogurt in a cake,

Tiny, salty, chocolatey cookies
These didn't turn out very tiny in the end! But they were delicious. They had a brownie texture rather than a traditional cookie one. They come out of the oven extremely soft and are still quite delicate by the time they harden up. I think this is why Alison suggests to make them as small as you can. You need smaller balls than you think as they are prone to spreading!

Overnight Focaccia
This was not as quick as I first imaged it would be, it has a lot of proving time! But it was absolutely worth the extra effort as it was delicious. Next time I would add more red onion and maybe some rosemary. It's a great recipe to make on a Friday night to enjoy over the weekend. You can have it dipped in a pasta sauce, as a sandwich or used to dunk into a soup.

Sticky roasted carrots with citrus and tahini
I love a honey roasted carrot and this is basically a step up from them with maple syrup being used instead of honey. I loved the use of tahini although my boyfriend did find it a bit overpowering. Alison really knows when to add citrus to a dish to give it an almighty kick. This will be great served with some grilled fish or as part of a Sunday roast.

Slightly sticky walnuts with sesame and sumac
I made these for our New Year Eve's gathering and they went down a treat! The walnuts were so incredibly moreish and I loved the sweetness of the maple syrup with the slightly tart flavour of the sumac. I would definitely make these again when I host a dinner party. They'll be great to shove on the table for guests to nibble as you're finishing up in the kitchen with dinner.

Labne with sizzled spring onion and chilli
I made this to take round a friends evening when she invited a couple of us round for a catch up. It was really simple to do and very refreshing. I couldn't get the oil to go a bright orange like the book. But I read in reviews that not many people could so I don't feel as bad now! I would definitely make this again if I had some friends over. It makes a nice change from hummus.

Slow roasted oregano chicken with buttered tomatoes
Ever since I first picked up this book I had been dying to try the cover image. Hannah gave me the push to finally cook it! This was great. The chicken was really juicy and I loved the buttery tomatoes. It isn't my all-time favourite roast chicken recipe but I would definitely recommend trying it out.

Spicy pork meatballs in brothy tomatoes and toasted fennel
I didn't get a picture of this as it was pretty dark by the time this was finished. But I have to recommend you make this! We ate it with huge hunks of bread and it was one of our favourite dishes from the book. It was the ideal dish for a dark, winter's night and I imagine it will work just as well in the warmer months. It felt very indulgent yet not too heavy.