Food and Drink
Tuck in to our favourite food and drink recipes, read our latest restaurant reviews and find out about the great local produce that's available right on your doorstep.
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RECIPE: Chocolate Mug Cake
Fancy something sweet to eat now the Christmas supply is long gone? There’s no need to wait until your next essential shopping trip, you can make this quick and easy Chocolate Mug Cake with ingredients likely to be in your cupboard already.
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Grilled Chicken Buddha Bowl
One mouthwatering meal which is guaranteed to give you your five a day is a Buddha Bowl. You can make these with anything you like really — the more colourful the better! But here we're making a healthy and flavoursome grilled chicken and rice Buddha Bowl, packed with fruits and vegetables.
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RECIPES: Herbs for Health
Herbs are a great natural way to help beat stress, boost the immune system and get your skin glowing as local herbalist Sarah Hillyer explains.
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RECIPE: Chinese Steamed Buns or Bao Buns
Chinese Steamed Buns or Bao Buns take party food to a new level this New Year. And they’re surprisingly easy to make from scratch.
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Recipe: Leftover Christmas Pie
Don't throw out the leftovers from your Christmas dinner — use them to create this delicious pie.
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Christmas Gingerbread House
Create your own winter wonderland with this gingerbread house recipe. It makes plenty of dough for a medium sized house and lots of trees. You can keep the decorations elegant and simple or go rather over the top if you wish, like I did! Whatever you do, it’s lots of fun for the whole family to get involved with over Christmas.
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Make Your Own Mulled Wine
Nothing beats a warm mug of Mulled Wine on a cold winter’s day. And enjoying your own home-made batch is even better!
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Homemade Chocolate Truffles
Chocolate truffles make the perfect homemade gift to give at Christmas, or to enjoy yourself while snuggled up in front of a festive film.
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Cheese And Wine: A Perfect Match
This is the ideal time of year to really get stuck into the festive cheese boards, paired with just the right wine of course. Peter d’Aguilar gives us a quick lesson
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Gluten Free Carrot Cake
This gluten free carrot cake recipe by Jane Freeman uses honey in both the cake mix and cream cheese topping. Why not choose locally produced honey as it supports the local producers and reduces food miles
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Spiced Christmas Chutney
We've gotten pretty good at baking and making over the past year, so we're keeping the momentum going with another festive home recipe.
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A Recipe for a Traditional Christmas Cake
With much more time spent at home in the lead up to Christmas this year, why not revisit an old festive tradition — and bake a Christmas cake to share with the family on the big day. Nothing beats it!
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Bonfire Brookie
Regardless of whether bonfire night goes off with a bang as usual this year, you can still celebrate November 5th with some snap, crackle and pop — with this seasonal recipe from 15-year-old trainee pâtissier chef, Imogen Palmer.
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Recipe: Pumpkin Soup
What better to eat in October than pumpkin soup? Seasonal and delicious, this bright and cheerful vegetable is at its best from October to December. You can have this soup either as an everyday supper, or to jazz it up for Halloween, it’s fun to serve it out of a pumpkin!
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Recipe: Toffee Apples
No Halloween or Bonfire Night party would be complete without some traditional toffee apples. To create these classic sticky and sweet treats, just follow this simple recipe. If you happen to have ‘little helpers’, be careful of the hot sugar, and don’t forget to have a bowl of soapy water nearby!
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RECIPE: Spiced Pumpkin Loaf
Don't throw away the flesh from your pumpkin...use it to make something delicious instead. This recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Loaf is one of our absolute favourites, and is made year-in year-out by editor, Amy.
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Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Pastry
Approximately 13 million pumpkins are used in the UK for Halloween. Unfortunately most of these are only used for carving and then the flesh is discarded. What a waste!
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Pizza Pinwheels
Serve up delicious Pizza Pinwheels at home this Firework Night, to remember remember the 5th of November in your own way. We may not be out at our favourite firework displays as usual, but we can certainly put on a spread to enjoy with the family, starting with these delicious bitesize treats. Makes 16 pinwheels Takes 25 mins to cook and prepare
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Recipe: French Style Beef Casserole
As the darker nights draw in, comfort food is the perfect solution. Here's our recipe for a mouth-watering French style casserole.
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Home-made Sloe Gin
October is the perfect month to start picking sloe berries and to get a delicious batch of Sloe Gin underway for Christmas.
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Crispy Duck Pancakes with Hoisin Sauce
This warming dish is perfect for autumn nights at home. And it's much easier to make than you might think. Serve with rice and salad, or enjoy on their own.
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Recipe: Baked Pears with Honey
Here's a dessert recipe to enjoy; sticky, scrumptious and ever so slightly healthy... perfect for a sunny Autumn day.
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Recipe: Wrapped and Stuffed Tenderloin of Pork
As the autumn season approaches, enjoy this hearty choice for a family meal.
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RECIPE: Bacon and Pecan Popcorn
As autumn draws closer, you might find yourself snuggled up at home with a film more often. And no good movie night can ever be complete without a big bowl of popcorn to tuck in to. Try this mouth-watering recipe for Bacon and Pecan Popcorn, for something a little different.
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RECIPE: Home-baked Croissants
Nothing beats enjoying home-baked croissants, fresh from the oven! And now you can enjoy a plentiful supply from home, with these kitchen cupboard staples.
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Summer recipe: Family Paella
With summer in full swing, why not enjoy a family paella in the sun?
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Summer recipes: Gin and Tonic Sorbet
With summer in full swing, Gillian Reay-Young shares this recipe for Gin and Tonic Sorbet to enjoy in the sun.
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Recipe: Chewy Chocolate chip Cookies
Now the kids are off on the school summer holidays, you might be looking for things to do to keep them entertained. This easy and delicious recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies is the perfect activity for all ages — and will fill their tummies all afternoon!
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'Let's Buy Local' and support Isle of Wight businesses
Have you ever tried asparagus just after it’s picked? Or milkshake made with milk that's fresh from the cow? No? Then it's time to give it a try!
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Recipe: Scallops and prawns with cream and brandy
With lockdown affecting many family holidays this summer, you can still bring a taste of the Mediterranean sun to the Island. Gillian Reay-Young recommends having a go at this Spanish classic.
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Recipe: Spanish Tortilla
With lockdown affecting many family holidays this summer, you can still bring a taste of the Mediterranean sun to the Island. Gillian Reay-Young recommends having a go at this Spanish classic.
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Recipe: Auntie Di's No-Bake Cheesecake
This is an amazingly easy cheesecake recipe that does not require patience and lots of spare time. This is quick, simple and fresh and, best of all, irresistibly scrumptious!
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Pumpkin and Potato Soup Recipe
Warm up this winter with a steaming bowl of this hearty homemade soup.
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Recipe: Spicy Barbecue Sizzlers
Some like it hot, so sizzle your ribs and chicken with these BBQ sauces. I hope you find these recipes melt-in-your-mouth incredible!
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Recipe: Gin and Tonic Cake
This cake is moist and zingy with an added kick, thanks to the classic flavours of a G&T. It makes the perfect birthday cake for the gin and tonic lover in your life.
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RECIPE: Lemon Fairy Cakes
These pretty cupcakes have a delicate lemon flavoured sponge with strawberry buttercream icing. They’re ideal for the kids to enjoy at home while the lockdown continues!
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Bubble and Squeak Recipe: Quarantine cooking
If, like us, you’re trying to use up as many leftovers as possible, you’ll love this recipe for Bubble and Squeak, using leftover veg from your Sunday roast. Serve it with eggs and bacon for breakfast the following morning, or freeze for use at a later date.
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Beef and Guinness Pie Recipe
Treat the man of the house to a hearty Father’s Day beef pie, made with his favourite stout or red wine. We recommend Guinness for a full-bodied flavour
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Homemade Simit Bread
If you’re finding it hard to get hold of your usual loaf, you’ll be pleased to try out this month’s home baking recipe.
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Get Baking: Apple Rose Tart Recipe
Got some apples? Feeling creative? Impress your nearest and dearest while expressing your artistic side, writes Jo Grey.