This week is a proper crowd-pleaser — the easiest garlic and chilli spaghetti I make, taco night upgraded with slow-cooked short rib, my friend’s Turkish family recipe for the most incredible chicken wings, and a vegan chickpea and eggplant pilaf that’s just as satisfying as the classic it’s inspired by. And for dessert — a cinnamon pudding cake that sits somewhere beautifully between a cake and a pudding.
A week of big flavour, easy nights and one very good bake. Every recipe is linked below — let’s have a great one.
This Week’s Meal Plan
Meal 1: Cherry Tomato Garlic Spaghetti
Some of the best recipes are the ones with barely any ingredients, and this is exactly that. It’s the pasta I make when I want something quick, comforting and genuinely delicious without standing over the stove for hours — just garlic, chilli, fresh herbs, ripe cherry tomatoes and a generous glug of olive oil. The garlic and chilli gently infuse the oil, the tomatoes break down into a sweet, jammy sauce, and a big handful of parmesan ties it all together at the end. Simple doesn’t mean boring — this proves it every time.
👉 Get the Cherry Tomato Garlic Spaghetti recipe
Meal 2: Beef Short Rib Tacos
In my house, taco night is not up for debate — and my son is the reason why. He’s the taco expert of the family, and for him it has to be the hard shell: that crunch, the fillings tumbling out the sides, mess all over the plate. So when I had a pot of slow-cooked beef short ribs falling off the bone, I knew exactly where that beef was going. It’s the same slow-cooked beef from my short rib buns, so if you’ve made those before, you already know just how tender this gets.
👉 Get the Beef Short Rib Tacos recipe
Meal 3: Turkish Chicken Wings
These came from a friend’s kitchen, not mine. I picked up the recipe watching her family cook, and what struck me straight away was how the wings come out looking exactly like they’ve been barbecued — charred edges, deep colour, all of it — without ever going near a grill. The yoghurt in the marinade tenderises the chicken, while the tomato paste and paprika build that smoky, deep-red colour as it bakes. Best of all, you can prepare this well ahead — whisk the marinade, toss the wings through, and let them sit in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
👉 Get the Turkish Chicken Wings recipe
Meal 4: Chickpea and Eggplant Rice Pilaf
A vegan twist on the classic Arabian lamb rice — perfect for any gathering, whether it’s a fancy dinner party or a cosy family get-together. Tender eggplant, hearty chickpeas and fluffy basmati rice come together for a deeply satisfying texture, finished with crunchy nuts and warm spices for an extra layer of flavour. Gluten-free and completely irresistible.
👉 Get the Chickpea and Eggplant Rice Pilaf recipe
Dessert: Cinnamon Pudding Cake
This one doesn’t fit neatly into a box — and that’s exactly why I love it. Not a fluffy, light sponge, not a dense pudding, it sits somewhere beautifully in between, with a soft buttery crumb, a gooey caramelised cinnamon topping that sinks into the cake as it bakes, and a dusting of icing sugar that makes it look like something straight off a Lebanese dessert table. It comes together in one bowl with no electric mixer in sight — the kind of bake that feels deeply familiar, the sort of thing a grandmother would make without a recipe at all.
👉 Get the Cinnamon Pudding Cake recipe
A week of easy flavour, family favourites and one very good pudding cake.
I hope this makes your week in the kitchen feel a little easier — and a lot more delicious 🤍
