Georgina Hayden

Georgina Hayden shares a quick takeaway-inspired dish of pan-fried chicken with Chinese five-spice, a sticky plum, ginger and soy sauce, spring onions, cucumber and Chinese-style pancakes. The recipe serves four, takes 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook, and can alternatively be served with jasmine rice.

Georgina Hayden shares a quick summer salad combining grilled peaches, halloumi, rocket, mint, honey, dukkah and green chilli. The peaches are grilled until charred, their juices are turned into a mustard-and-lemon dressing, and the halloumi is grilled separately before being layered over the salad. The dish takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook, serving four people.

Georgina Hayden adapts the Greek classic prawn saganaki into a filling panzanella-style salad. The recipe combines tomatoes, spinach, pickled shallots and stale ciabatta with paprika- and garlic-seasoned king prawns, then finishes the dish with feta and oregano. It serves four, takes 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.

A chef explores eastern Crete, highlighting its strong culinary traditions, family-run tavernas, bakeries and olive oil producers. Stops include Agios Nikolaos, Mochlos and Kroustas, with dishes ranging from dakos and lamb to grilled squid and traditional desserts. Encounters with local artisans and cooks, including classes at Nektaria’s Kitchen and tastings at Mourello, underscore the area’s deep food heritage. Scenic villages, historic landscapes and warm hospitality shape a trip that leaves a lasting desire to return.

A quick weeknight orzotto incorporates the flavours of caponata, featuring aubergines, onions, garlic, chilli, orzo and passata simmered together before being finished with toasted pine nuts, capers and herbs. The recipe stems from the author’s fond memory of discovering caponata at the Globe theatre in London.

Pre-workout meals should be easy to digest and centered on slow-release carbohydrates, while protein is particularly useful afterward for muscle recovery; a balanced combination of both is also appropriate. Recommended options include porridge, savory egg and pastry dishes, ful medames, scrambled tofu and fruit-based smoothies, alongside staying hydrated. The column also recommends Joanne Harris’s novel Vianne, Fortnum & Mason’s Biscuitorium and the Greek-Cypriot restaurant Zylia in a roundup of the writer’s food interests.

Georgina Hayden shares a quick salad recipe featuring rice roasted with gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce and honey until crisp and charred. The rice is combined with avocado, spring onions, lime, garlic, coriander and mint for a crunchy, spicy and tangy dish that serves four and can also be prepared in an air fryer.

Georgina Hayden shares a quick chicken souvlaki salad designed for two, combining pan-charred, oregano- and paprika-marinated chicken with toasted pitta, cucumber, red onion, lettuce, olives, mint and a garlicky Greek-yoghurt dressing. The dish can also be cooked on a barbecue and is intended as a simple sharing plate with classic Greek street-food flavors.

Georgina Hayden argues that enjoyable festival food does not require attending a festival and recommends recreating favourites at home. Her suggestions include Goan fish curry, child-friendly and spicy momos, spiced chai, cheese toasties, kebabs and souvlaki. She also highlights food stalls and picnic hampers for festivalgoers, alongside restaurant and retailer meal kits for easy home dining.

Georgina Hayden shares a speedy weeknight recipe pairing panko-coated fried chicken with a green bean, cabbage and cherry tomato salad dressed with white miso, maple syrup, sesame oil, soy sauce and lime. The chicken is flattened, breaded and fried until golden, while the vegetables are blanched and tossed in the dressing; the dish serves four and takes 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.

Georgina Hayden provides a quick spanakopita-inspired orzo recipe for four, combining spinach, spring onions, garlic, vegetable stock, lemon, pecorino, herbs and feta. The orzo is cooked until creamy and finished with herbs, feta and olive oil, creating a light Greek-inspired midweek meal.

Georgina Hayden presents three recipes for a Mediterranean-style gathering: Tunisian lablabi, a chickpea soup-stew served with customizable toppings; a simplified one-pan moussaka made with aubergine, minced meat and potatoes; and a basil-flavoured chocolate viennetta inspired by her cookbook MEDesque. The dishes are designed for sharing, with the lablabi offering flexible accompaniments and the moussaka providing a quicker weeknight alternative to the traditional version.

The arrival of spring inspires a shift toward bright Mediterranean flavours, with Claudia Roden’s recipes, lighter pasta dishes, outdoor cooking and Greek and North African specialities featuring prominently. The writer is preparing to use a wood-fired oven and barbecue for dishes such as kleftiko, souvlaki and adana kebabs, while gelato, sorbet and semifreddo provide seasonal desserts. Food highlights include Isle of Wight tomatoes, gelato from Nonna’s and Baboo, and Melissa Thompson’s new barbecue cookbook Fired Up.

Georgina Hayden presents a Spanish-inspired smoky prawn, new potato and spinach stew designed as an effortless but impressive weeknight meal. The dish combines potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, smoked paprika, chilli, fish stock and spinach, with prawns grilled on top and served with lemon-garlic mayonnaise, parsley, salad and crusty bread. The potato base can be prepared in advance, with the spinach and prawns added just before serving; the recipe takes 5 minutes to prepare, 35 minutes to cook and serves four.

Georgina Hayden offers a quick gochujang butter salmon recipe that combines soy sauce, gochujang, garlic, ginger and butter for a spicy, rich dressing. The salmon is roasted with bean sprouts and served over sticky rice, topped with peanuts and coriander; the dish takes 10 minutes to prepare, 25 minutes to cook and serves four.

Spring produce such as asparagus, forced rhubarb, Jersey Royals, wild garlic, peas and crab is celebrated through a selection of bright, fresh recipes, including fritters, crab cakes, tarts, orzotto and seafood dishes. The piece also highlights the writer’s personal spring kitchen refresh, including citrus decorations, tomato-themed accessories and hand-painted linens from Bertioli by Thyme, while promoting the forthcoming Guardian Food Quarterly and the book MEDesque.

Georgina Hayden presents five crab recipes suited to spring, ranging from spicy crab cake banh mi and lemon-pepper crab carbonara to Japanese tenshinhan, a hot cheesy crab dip, and a crab-and-asparagus glass-noodle stir-fry. The recipes emphasize crab’s delicate flavor while pairing it with fresh vegetables, noodles, pasta, rice and bold seasonings.

Georgina Hayden presents a quick roasted cauliflower, lentil and chorizo salad or side dish. Cauliflower, spices, lentils, chorizo and vinegar are roasted at high heat, with almonds added for texture and spring onions and parsley providing freshness. The recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook, serving two as a main course or four as a side.

Georgina Hayden shares a vegetarian taco recipe featuring Cajun-roasted butternut squash, halloumi and pumpkin seeds, topped with an avocado, red onion, lime, chilli and coriander salsa. The meal serves four, takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook, with optional soured cream and suggested variations including honey or charred tortillas.

Georgina Hayden celebrates the overlap of Pancake Day and Orthodox Maslenitsa, or cheesefare week, as an opportunity to use up meat, dairy and other animal products before Lent. She recommends indulgent, family-friendly recipes including halloumi scones, a taleggio galette, pimento cheese crisps, yoghurt-dressed pasta, a grapefruit yoghurt loaf cake and frozen yoghurt. The column also highlights a rainbow jelly made with Aeroplane jelly, Sunfly sunflower seed butters as an allergy-friendly staple, and Gennaro Contaldo’s forthcoming cookbook, Gennaro’s Hidden Italy.

Georgina Hayden presents a versatile one-pan chicken fricassée made with mustard, garlic, white wine, stock, cream and purple sprouting broccoli. The dish takes about 35 minutes in total, serves four, and can be adapted with seasonal vegetables and served with mashed potato, rice, boiled potatoes or bread.