This week is a real mix of comfort and a little bit of fun — crispy fried eggplant with a zesty herb dressing, a humble one-pot spinach and rice casserole, my son’s kitchen invention that’s now our favourite fried chicken, and a homemade Big Mac that actually tastes like the one from childhood. And for dessert — pistachio kataifi stuffed dates, simple enough for a weeknight and pretty enough to gift.
A week of crunch, comfort and a little nostalgia. Every recipe is linked below — let’s have a great one.
This Week’s Meal Plan
Meal 1: Fried Eggplant with Herb Dressing
There’s something so satisfying about a plate of golden, crispy fried eggplant, and this version takes it a step further with a garlicky lemon and herb dressing spooned generously over the top. It’s one of those simple dishes that always disappears first at the table — a little bit of chilli, a lot of fresh lemon, and eggplant fried until the edges turn deep golden brown. Salting the eggplant before frying makes all the difference — it draws out the excess moisture so it fries up crisp rather than soggy, and takes away any bitterness too.
👉 Get the Fried Eggplant with Herb Dressing recipe
Meal 2: Casserole of Spinach and Rice
A delicious one-pot Middle Eastern dish that’s healthy and hearty, making the perfect midweek dinner. It requires only simple, inexpensive ingredients, and it’s exactly the kind of stew that earns its place in your regular rotation. Packed with flavour, and honestly some of the most delicious leftovers you can have sitting in the fridge.
👉 Get the Casserole of Spinach and Rice recipe
Meal 3: Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
My son is forever trying new things in the kitchen, and this is one of his best experiments yet. It started as a bit of mucking around on a weeknight and turned into a recipe I now make on repeat — double-dipped, properly seasoned, and crunchy in a way that holds up long after it comes out of the pan. As a blogger I watch a lot of recipes go viral online, and the ice water trick between coats was one of them — I tried it, but honestly it didn’t add anything worth the extra step.
👉 Get the Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe
Meal 4: Big Mac Copycat Burgers
Growing up, a Big Mac was a proper treat — I still remember the excitement of getting handed that box, the smell of it, the way my siblings and I would fight over who got the extra pickle. The older I’ve gotten though, the more I’ve noticed how far the quality has slipped. So I did what I always do and made my own version at home — better beef, real cheese, and a sauce that nails it every single time.
👉 Get the Big Mac Copycat Burgers recipe
Dessert: Pistachio Kataifi Stuffed Dates
A simple, no-bake sweet with a little theatre. Kataifi toasted until golden, stirred through pistachio spread, then packed into soft Medjool dates and finished with a drizzle — elegant enough for a platter, easy enough for a weeknight treat. My original go-to has always been nut-stuffed dates, so think of these as another option for the table: keep a batch of nut-filled dates for tradition, and add a tray of these for something a little different.
👉 Get the Pistachio Kataifi Stuffed Dates recipe
A week of crunch, comfort and one very pretty little date.
I hope this makes your week in the kitchen feel a little easier — and a lot more delicious 🤍
