This took a little bit longer than I anticipated to prep, but it was completely worth it for such amazing flavour. I loved using minced mushroom instead of processed fake beef mince (or beef!) in combination with kidney beans and black beans and many other flavour-enhancing ingredients such as soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and chocolate. This also reheated very well for lunch in the microwave, tasting even better over the next couple of days.

I thought I would miss the tahini in this but I didn't at all. I used sweet smoked paprika and cumin and left out the cayenne pepper as I don't like things very spicy and it was delicious.

I made this to take to a barbecue because a barbecue just isn't a barbecue without potato salad, IMO. This was delicious! Mayonnaise was not missed at all as the dressing had so much flavour. I will definitely keep this recipe in reserve for future use.

I have to admit straight up here, I ended up not making 'fishcakes' out of this as the mix didn't bind enough for me to be able to form any semblance of patties without it falling apart. HOWEVER, I am still giving the recipe four stars as when I mixed it with vegan mayonnaise (using the recipe from Forks Over Knives - see separate review), it made the perfect chickpea tuna! I actually found it hard to stop eating and it was perfect for lunch on a bagel. I only used one nori sheet instead of the four the recipe specified, mainly because my hands were getting tired from snipping it, but in my opinion, one sheet was enough. Really delicious!

If you are missing certain savoury Chinese dishes on a vegan diet, this is a good dish to try. It is quick and easy and has that delicious umami flavour from the hoi sin sauce. Neither my husband or I are huge fans of aubergine, normally finding it a bit mushy, but we both really liked this.

Another good, quick week-night dinner using the Chinese brown sauce from page 35. As long as all of your veggies are prepped before you start, this is a very quick dish to make.

This sauce is used throughout the book in several recipes and I'm sure I will make it many times in the future. It adds a sweet but also savoury flavour to dishes that is similar to hoisin sauce or sweet chilli sauce. I really liked it.

This is a perfectly serviceable vegetable stew for an easy mid-week meal, though it didn't knock my socks off. I did find the use of soy milk, arrowroot and coconut extract to be a clever, low-fat alternative to a light coconut milk, though I do think it would have still tasted nicer with the latter instead. I made this using carrots, snow peas, edamame beans and water chestnuts. I think if I try it again I might use cauliflower, green beans and maybe some cooked new potatoes for a bit more heartiness.

Very good, healthy vegan pasta recipe. This involves some chopping up to prep but then is one of those recipes you can leave simmering on the hob for an hour while you do other things. This yielded quite a lot and reheated well for lunch over the next couple of days.

Surprisingly lovely curry that is fairly quick to make. At first I thought it might be a bit bland, but the flavours were good and tasted even better the next day when reheated for lunch. Definitely one to add to the roster.

A very good, hearty curry for those cold winter nights. It could possibly do with some more herbs or onions added in, but still satisfying without. That said, I may make it with reduced-fat coconut milk next time to keep the calories down.

These burgers were tastier than I expected them to be and I was very pleased considering they are pretty healthy. I thought they might be a bit too wet with the grated courgettes and onions in them, but they were solid enough. I'm glad the recipe specified cooking them in a frying pan though as I think they would have fallen apart on a griddle pan, which is how I usually cook burgers.

Excellent quick and easy dish which is comforting and healthy and perfect for a simple weeknight meal for two. I turned the chicken thighs over halfway through the initial 10 minute poaching time as it didn't look as if they would cook the whole way through otherwise. I also left out the butter to cut down on the calories and the dish tasted fine.

This was a resounding success. The combination of flavours (the sauce is incredible) and textures was perfect and I would be very happy if a dish I ordered in a Chinese restaurant tasted as good as that. This also reheated very well for lunch the next day. I will definitely be making this again.

I never thought I would say this about a Nigella baking recipe, but I was so disappointed with these brownies. The idea of a Nutella brownie sounded amazing, and what was even more amazing that the only ingredients were Nutella and eggs (and a bit of sea salt). I followed the instructions and weight measurements exactly, but these ended up tasting mostly just of chewy eggs.

I'll admit straight away that although I like it, I am not generally the biggest fan of macaroni and cheese as I generally find it to be too heavy. That said, I was intrigued enough to give this recipe a try for the interesting combination of sweet potatoes and feta cheese in the mix. Although this, like other mac and cheeses, was rather heavy and a big laggy, the contrast of the sharp feta to the sweet potatoes was very good and there was an overall more creaminess to the texture which I liked. I think it could have used a bit more English mustard or paprika (or a bit more of both) as it still felt a little lacking in taste, but still was quite enjoyable. It also made for a hefty amount of leftovers for lunch the next couple of days and was quite good eaten cold.

After doing Nigella's version of this from Kitchen for the last few years, I stumbled across this recipe and decided to give it a go as it seemed ever-so-slightly more straightforward. This was quick and easy and came out very well, with lots of flavour, and dare I say it, but I think I may prefer Lorraine's version to Nigella's. The chopped spring onions and sesame seeds (which I didn't bother to toast) added a subtle crunch to the texture and the sauce thickened nicely. My only complaint is that this dish is quite sugary, but then I suppose that's what makes it taste so good!

This is a simple, straightforward recipe for roasting a pork shoulder, which was exactly what I was looking for as up until yesterday I had never done so before. The pork itself turned out beautifully and was soft and tender and the gravy to go with it was easy and delicious. However, it did feel as if some instructions were partially missing. Maybe my pork wasn't fatty enough to have much in the way of juices once it had cooked for a couple of hours (I did a 1.6kg joint for 4 1/2 hours total at 140 deg fan), but I took it upon myself to drizzle some olive oil over the vegetables halfway through as without it they were looking very dry. I'm glad I did so as the potatoes especially came out very well, with nice, crunchy brown edges. However, with the timings given by Lorraine, my carrots were still hard in the middle. Also, sprigs of fresh thyme are shown in the recipe photograph, but there is no mention of it in the recipe itself, unless it is just there as a garnish. In any case, I'm glad I tried this recipe, but I will use it as a starting point to use more interesting versions in the future.

I've been trying to find ways to roast chicken without the skin on and still have flavour, and I'm very glad I stumbled across this recipe. I only marinated the chicken for ten minutes in the fridge while my oven pre-heated, but this had plenty of flavour once ready. I made my oven slightly hotter than suggested so the potatoes would be cooked in time, but they still could have used a bit longer so next time I may rest the chicken on it's own while leaving the potatoes to crisp up a bit longer. Overall, though, I was very pleased with this dish.

This is a nice and simple but tasty dish that is perfect for a mid-week meal and for using up some prawns I had languishing in the freezer. The rocket dressed with lemon added a fresh zing to the pasta.

A very nice, simple chicken stew. This tasted good, though as it was ever-so-slightly bland, I may use hot smoked paprika next time, or just plain paprika instead of the sweet-smoked variety I used this first time. This reheated very well for lunch.

I used this more as an inspiration than as an actual recipe as I already had a tin of Cajun seasoning lying around, which I used instead of the prescribed recipe. I pretty much make my potato wedges the same way anyway most of the time so the only thing I really did word for word from this recipe was the chive dip which is just two ingredients - low fat yogurt and chives! Still, it made for an easy, healthy weeknight meal which my partner and I both enjoyed.

I made this last night in an attempt to get back on track with eating healthily after the indulgences of the holidays. The beef was not as tender as I was hoping for it to be, but the sauce had a lovely flavour. It was a bit on the spicy side, but a dollop of sour cream (as suggested by the authors) helped cooled things down a bit and it all went very well with rice.

I made this for a between Thanksgiving and Christmas family gathering and it was very well received. I did use tinned pumpkin purée, and the resulting flavour was a good mix of both the pumpkin and cream cheese. It is definitely different than your typical cheesecake, but worth trying.

This was a simple, easy to prepare dessert to bring to a friends' house over the holidays and it went down a treat. The flavours combined beautifully and the end result was a wonderful combination of textures - soft and fluffy cake with a slightly crispy top.

This was hearty and delicious and is good for an autumn/winter night. I like that this is healthy and also reheated well for lunch the next day. I used korma curry paste but you could probably use whatever type you prefer.

ETA 06/01/2015: I've upgraded this to 5 stars as I've made this many times since and always enjoy it as a dish to look forward to both for dinner and then for lunch the next day at work.

This dish was simple and flavourful and went well with rice as suggested. I felt that the sauce was still slightly too thin even after adding cornflour, but perhaps I didn't stir it for long enough. The leftovers re-heated well for lunch the next couple of days.

This is a very good, warming, hearty dish for a cold evening. I used fresh thyme and dried rosemary and there was lots of flavour. It smelled great while it was cooking in the oven and my potatoes didn't come out as crisp as in the photo, but that's because the smell was making me too hungry to wait any longer!

I was a bit unsure while I was making this how well it would turn out as I used a bit too much flour and the sauce seemed rather thin when poured over the chicken, but I needn't have worried. The end result was a rich, flavourful dish with juicy pieces of chicken which really did taste like a dish one might get from a Chinese takeaway, only a lot healthier. I may substitute different stir-fry vegetables next time, though the snow peas worked well, but I definitely will make this again.

Not so much a recipe, but a method of just combining mashed potatoes with crème fraîche for a creamy, fairly light mash. Worked well with the Sausages and rich onion gravy recipe on p. 43.

An easy, tasty way to serve broccoli. The soy sauce and oyster sauce might make it more appealing to those who are not overly fond of broccoli, though I did find the proportions slightly overpowering and made it the dish a bit too salty for my tastes.

This is a perfect recipe for when you don't have a lot of time on your hands but you need a dinner that is warm and soothing and easy to make. Similar to the flavours of a quick linguine recipe from Nigella Bites, this is easy to eat comfort food using orzo pasta instead of risotto rice.

This was an excellent, easy recipe for an Easter main course and side. Following the timing guidelines suggested by Nigella, the lamb was tender, juicy and pink and full of flavour. The potatoes were also delicious and easy to prepare alongside the lamb. I had never roasted a whole leg of lamb before and this was the perfect recipe to start with.

This was all very easy to make and tasted delicious. I'd never had bread pudding before but I still had a panettone received at Xmas that was waiting to be used. The texture was a bit mushier than I expected, but that may be because I let the prepared pudding sit for a bit longer than recommended in the recipe. Still, with the amaretto sauce it tasted delicious!

I liked this very much as a simple, fresh-tasting midweek meal. I substituted ready for wok noodles which helped cut down the time. The noodles had a lovely tangy taste with a bit of crunch from the veg and the marinated salmon was delicious. I may leave off the sesame seeds next time as they burned a bit while frying.

This is a must make for any fans of the chocolate and peanut butter combination. Easy and makes a wonderful, rich and impressive dessert for a big gathering.

This was just okay. I was looking to find a way to use up a box of cornflakes I recently bought for another recipe and the idea of using them crushed as breadcrumbs intrigued me. The chicken fingers came out not as crispy as I was hoping for, though still juicy. I think next time I'll stick to the usual coating of dried breadcrumbs.

I've never made my own coleslaw before and I made this today to take for a picnic and it's very good! Nice, fresh flavours with a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup. I've never had nuts in coleslaw before either and it adds a nice extra texture. The measurements given make plenty.

I'll admit that I'm lazy and usually make a quick spag bol using sauce from a jar and it's usually ready in about 20 minutes. I thought I'd try this as I'm trying to be healthier. If I do it again I'd do it on a weekend and not midweek as there was quite a bit of prep to do and as I am just cooking for two it seemed a bit of a faff. I tasted the sauce as I was going along and as it was a bit bland I added balsamic vinegar and tomato purée, which helped and didn't add any points. I'm not sure if it was really worth making this recipe over using a "light" jarred Bolognese sauce, but it was edible and filling and tasted okay with the aforementioned adjustments.

This doesn't have the buttery deliciousness of chicken Kiev, but it does have flavour thanks to the parsley and garlic mixed in with the breadcrumbs and the garlic and herb cheese stuffed into the chicken. Quick and easy to make, so a decent midweek meal.

This recipe appears on page 12 in the insert "40 low-fat recipes."

This was easy enough to put together, and nice enough, but a bit bland and not very special. A good way to use up some spare potatoes and parsnips though.

This was a pleasant enough dish to serve on a cold wintry Sunday. I didn't have any lingonberry preserves, as suggested, to go with it, and I thought it was a tad bland. The vodka added at the last minute made the sauce a bit too strong, but the sauce was nice and thick and overall a filling, hearty meal.

This is a terrific main dish to make for a dinner party. After some initial, easy prep, the lamb shanks and some other bits are left to stew in the oven in a wine and balsamic vinegar-flavoured sauce for three hours (with the chorizo and veg added after two hours). This was flavourful and went well with mashed potatoes. Lorraine gives instructions on how to reduce down the sauce for a thicker gravy but I didn't find that necessary.

Incredibly easy, this was a great main dish to make on Christmas Eve. It felt rather strange pouring a whole bottle of coca cola into the pot to boil the ham in, but the result was delicious, especially after the ten minutes finished off in the oven with the treacle, English mustard powder and demerara sugar glaze. Very tasty indeed.

This was adapted from Bill Granger's new "Everyday Asian," book and was simply delicious. I was looking for a way to use up some hoisin sauce and this recipe made a quick marinade and after just 15 minutes in the fridge and then 35 minutes in the oven, the chicken was juicy and with a flavourful, slightly crispy skin. I did not make the accompanying salad, but it does look like it would go very well with the chicken. I wasn't sure about buying this new book, but now I'm tempted.

This was very quick and easy to prepare within ten minutes, but I did find it overall a bit bland. It's a good store-cupboard recipe to have up your sleeve, though, so I think if I try it again I may add a squeeze of lemon juice and zest.

Good, easy comfort food for a cold winter night. The chorizo gave this good flavour and the mozzarella added at the end gave it a comforting richness of texture.

Having recently rediscovered this cocktail, one of my favourite drinks back in college, I wanted to recreate it at home as Amaretto is a liqueur I almost always have in the house. All this consists of is amaretto and lemon juice. I have to admit, I didn't exactly follow Nigella's measurements exactly and came up with a drink that was probably too strong on the sour and even stronger on the amaretto, but I liked the sharp contrast of sweet and sour and will be making this again. Now I need to find some maraschino cherries to complete the recipe properly.

A nice, simple stir-fry recipe that I made as I was craving something a bit lighter and healthier than I've been eating lately. The carrots gave this bulk and crunch and the honey and lime juice gave it good flavour. That said, I didn't bother to toast the sesame seeds and added a drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil and soy sauce at the end.

This wasn't so great. It tasted nice enough, but it was kind of a pain in the neck to eat. I thought it was pretty clever breaking up the spaghetti so it could be cooked in and at the same time as the sauce, but as my husband and I discovered, when spaghetti is shorter it's not as easy to get on one's utensils! I couldn't find a nice frozen mixed seafood pack, so I just substituted cooked prawns which I added at the last minute. Like I said, this tasted good, but this isn't a dish I think I'll make again.