Category: Plates for Two

Pollo con Champiñones with Turned Young Potatoes

Hello foodies!!

It’s been a while! But I am back. A few personal things, commitments, life doing its thing… but also some news that have honestly made my weekend such an amazing one. One step closer in my career and I could not be happier. It just shows, work hard and it really does pay off. Even if you complain a little bit on the way, just keep going.

Anyway, as you might or might not remember, I love to talk. I mean, being one of six puts you in a position where you have to mark your territory. Because let’s be honest, in a family that big, how else are you going to stand out if not by talking at people and over people at the same time. That is not being rude, that is survival.

So today’s recipe. You might be wondering what is it?

There is one country, apart from Poland and England, that I have visited more than any other in this world. And it is of course… Spain!!

Yes, Spain. Beautiful sun, beaches, architecture, the kind of place where you forget what day it is and suddenly you are eating at 11pm and calling it normal. And of course Spanish omelette, which I am completely obsessed with. But we all know what a huge amount of eggs does to you… let’s just say it creates atmosphere. Am I allowed to say that here? Probably not. Did I say it anyway? Yes. We move.

So after this very necessary and absolutely not too long introduction, let’s talk about what I actually cooked.

A beautiful, aromatic, smoky, mushroomy and slightly zesty Spanish chicken.

Proper name
Pollo con Champiñones

Of course I changed it a bit, because I always do. I made it mine. I reduced the sauce because I like it thick, rich, something that actually sticks to the chicken instead of running away from it. I added fresh parsley because suddenly I am pretending to be professional. And as always, Plates for Two my dears.

But that was not enough.

Because if you are making a sauce like that, you need something to carry it properly. Something that will not disappoint you halfway through. So I made turned young potatoes, cooked slowly in chicken stock, butter, garlic and rosemary. Soft, full of flavour, slightly glossy and honestly… very dangerous because you will keep picking one more.

And since we are on the topic, Plates for Two… still catchy. Still love it. One day I will bring my bakery side into this. Cakes, breads, desserts. Does it still count? Listen… I could eat a whole cake myself, so yes, it absolutely does.

And if it doesn’t… I do not care.

I want it. You want it. We are getting it.

Yes, Ariana Grande was referenced. You are welcome.

Right. Enough talking. Let’s cook.

Pollo con Champiñones

Ingredients

Protein
Chicken thighs bone in skin on 2 pieces around 500 to 600g

Vegetables
Mushrooms 250g sliced
Onion 80g sliced
Garlic 2 cloves

Flavour base
Olive oil 15g
Smoked paprika 2g
Fresh thyme small handful or dried pinch
Salt
Black pepper

Liquids
Chicken stock 320ml
Lemon juice or white vinegar 1 teaspoon

Thickening
Cornflour 1 teaspoon
Cold water 1 tablespoon

Finish
Butter small knob
Fresh parsley

Method

Chicken
Season chicken well with salt and pepper
Heat oil in a pan on medium high heat for about 1 minute
Place chicken skin side down and leave it alone for 4 to 5 minutes
Do not touch it… I know you want to, but don’t
Turn and cook another 4 to 5 minutes until golden
Remove and set aside before you eat it “just to check”

Mushrooms
Add mushrooms to the same pan
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes
They will release water and look a bit depressing at first
Keep going, trust them, they will come back to life
Let liquid fully evaporate and then allow slight browning

Base flavour
Add onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft
Add garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute
At this point it should smell like you actually know what you are doing

Build sauce
Pour in chicken stock
Add lemon juice or vinegar
Add thyme and stir everything together
Give it a little taste but do not drink it like soup yet

Simmer
Return chicken to the pan
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat
Keep slightly uncovered so the sauce reduces
If it starts looking too watery, do not panic, just give it time

Thicken
Mix cornflour with cold water until smooth
Pour into the pan and stir
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens
Now it should actually cling to the chicken like it means it

Finish
Add butter and gently stir
Watch it turn glossy and rich
Finish with parsley and pretend you are on a cooking show

Turned Young Potatoes in Stock Butter Garlic and Rosemary

Ingredients

Young potatoes 350g
Chicken stock 200ml
Water 100ml
Butter 15g
Garlic 2 cloves lightly crushed
Rosemary 1 sprig
Salt

Method

Start
Place potatoes in a pan
Add stock and water until just covered
Take a moment… this already smells promising

Flavour
Add garlic and rosemary
Season lightly with salt
Try not to eat the garlic later thinking it is a potato

Cook
Bring to a gentle simmer
Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until tender
Check with a knife, not your fingers, unless you enjoy pain

Reduce
Increase heat slightly and let liquid reduce
This takes about 5 minutes
Most of the liquid should disappear and flavour stays behind

Finish
Add butter and gently move potatoes around
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy and slightly golden
This is where they become dangerous, one turns into five very quickly

The Ending

Now this is the part where you plate it up, sit down, and suddenly nobody is talking anymore. Which in my family is how you know the food is actually good… or maybe because everyone is hungry and slightly afraid they will have to share their food. Either way, silence means success.

So… did you like it? Did you love it? I do not know yet, but I want to know. Tell me everything.

Did you even make it? I really hope you did, because my dear friend… this one is worth it.

And if halfway through cooking you thought “this is too much effort”… but still finished it… welcome, you are one of us now.

Go on, plate it nicely, pretend you are hosting a dinner, even if it is just you standing in the kitchen eating straight from the pan.

No judgement here.

Always Plates for Two… even if one plate never makes it to the table

Plates for Two — real food, real stories, real cooking

June 29, 2026
Cheated Chicken Puttanesca Style Pasta for Two

Hello everyone!!

Last two days here in the UK were… well… HOT. And not just a little bit warm. The kind of heat where you open the window, stand there for a second, and question all your life decisions.

But funny enough, that kind of weather does something to me.

It doesn’t slow me down. It actually gives me energy.

The mood was set early in the morning. The sun was shining, slightly blinding at times, but also making me feel like summer has finally arrived.

And honestly… after the last few months we’ve had? Finally.

So naturally, I did what I always do.

I went into the kitchen.

Now usually, that starts the same way every time. Open the fridge. Look inside. Close it. Walk away. Come back five minutes later like something new is going to magically appear.

But today… there was a little twist.

The heat had already started working against me. Some of my vegetables, especially the tomatoes, were on their last leg. And I could almost hear them saying, “today is the day… or never.”

And you already know me…

I’m not letting anything go to waste.

Now quick side story, because I can’t help myself…

Recently I’ve been on a bit of a tomato journey. Testing different types, trying new varieties, figuring out which ones actually deserve a place in my kitchen.

My partner brought home these beautiful green tomatoes from a farm. Honestly, they looked incredible. Fresh, vibrant, like they should be packed with flavour.

And then I tasted them…

Nothing.

I was standing there thinking… really? That’s it?

Total disappointment.

But I’m not giving up.

Right now I’ve got five different types growing in my greenhouse and garden… and I am ready.

They just aren’t ready yet.

Anyway… back to today’s plate.

I had tomatoes that needed using, along with a few other ingredients sitting around, waiting.

And then that familiar feeling kicked in.

That little spark.

That moment where you don’t quite know what you’re going to cook… but you know something is about to happen.

So I stopped thinking too much.

And I played.

And that’s how this cheated Chicken Puttanesca style pasta was born.

And yes… I am calling it cheated on purpose, because I don’t want the puttanesca lovers coming for me

But this is exactly what cooking is for me.

A playground.

And my friends…

I play.

And as always…

This is for two people
No waste
Just flavour, balance, and something that feels good to eat

Ingredients for two

Pasta and base

200 g pasta of your choice
remember… make it yours my friends

300 g ripe tomatoes chopped
1 red pepper sliced
100 g green beans trimmed and cut

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
half a small red onion finely sliced

Flavour elements

30 g black olives sliced
2 tablespoons capers
2 anchovy fillets finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of chilli flakes
salt and black pepper

Chicken

2 chicken breasts around 300 g total
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and black pepper

Finish

small handful fresh parsley chopped
optional squeeze of lemon

Method

Start with the chicken

Slice your chicken into thinner pieces so it cooks evenly

Season well with salt and pepper

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat

Place the chicken in the pan and leave it alone for about 4 to 5 minutes

do not move it too much
this is how you get that golden colour

Turn and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes

what you are looking for
golden outside
juicy inside
firm but not dry

Remove and let it rest

Cook pasta and green beans

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil

Add pasta

After about 6 to 7 minutes

add green beans into the same pot

this keeps them fresh but slightly softened

Cook until pasta is ready

Before draining, save about 100 ml pasta water

Build your base

Heat olive oil in a pan

Add onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes

you want
soft
slightly shiny
no browning

Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds

Add anchovies

watch them melt into the oil
this gives depth, not fishiness

Tomatoes

Add chopped tomatoes

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes

you will see
they soften
release juices
start breaking down

Stir occasionally

You are building your base here

Add flavour and vegetables

Add
red pepper
olives
capers
oregano
chilli flakes

Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes

check the sauce
peppers should soften slightly
everything should come together

Taste

this is your moment
add salt
add chilli
balance it

Bring it all together

Add pasta and green beans into the sauce

Mix well

Add a splash of pasta water

this creates a silky, glossy finish

Slice your chicken

Place it on top or mix through

Plating

Divide between two plates

Top with fresh parsley

Optional squeeze of lemon

What you get

A rich tomato base
Salty depth from olives and capers
Freshness from green beans
Soft sweetness from peppers
Tender chicken on top

not traditional
not perfect
but yours

Closing

Oi!

So my readers!

Do you feel like you have cheated?

Well… I don’t mean that literally

But I hope you do

Because it’s not the puttanesca…

It’s your cheated one

When I was writing this today, I had a little reflection

Isn’t it beautiful that there are so many of us?

So many ideas

So many ways of cooking

So many possibilities

Which means… the food creations are endless, my friends

And I truly hope

that maybe… just maybe

a few of you

will like my creations

Till the next one, dear reader

Plates for Two — real food, real stories, real cooking

June 22, 2026
Pork Roulade, Buttered Potatoes & The Lady of the Night

Good evening, lovely readers

Today marks another step in my journey as a food blogger, and I’ve got to say… I’m excited. Excited to share my knowledge, my taste, my food with you, but also my stories. Because let’s be honest, there’s always a story behind any good food.

Before I get into it properly, I should probably warn you. Well, actually, you should know this by now. I like to talk… a lot So buckle up.

As I was saying, today’s food was inspired… well… by the fact that I was waiting for my partner to get ready to go paddle boarding, and the bugger was taking ages!! So I did what I always do, I wandered into the kitchen.

At first, I thought I’d clean, or rather tidy up. But here’s the twist, it was already clean. I know. Shocking, right?! So naturally, I did my usual thing… let’s see what’s in the fridge.

I opened the fridge, I looked, and I looked, and I looked some more. And while I was doing that, I reached over to the cupboard next to it and grabbed one of those Lion protein bars. Don’t ask why, it’s part of the process haha.

And then… BOOM.

The side dish came to me.

White cabbage.

She had to be the lady of the night

In my head, I paired it instantly with onion and grated carrot. Lightly fried in butter, not too much, we’re classy here, then slowly cooked, finished with a drizzle of lemon and, of course, a good handful of dill.

And just like that, the lady of the night turned into this beautiful, soft, slightly caramelised, gently cooked cabbage dish… honestly, a proper star.

So then I sat down and thought… what else do I have in the house?

And suddenly, I remembered this cooking video from years back, about perfectly trimmed potatoes coated in a glossy reduced sauce with butter, garlic, and rosemary.

Yes. That was it.

That would be the second element of my dinner.

So there I was, already peeling the potatoes, thinking I’m not wasting time here.

And then… BEEEEEEF!

It hit me.

Thinly beaten beef roulade… but then I stopped.

Hold on.

I’m on a journey here. A journey of exploring.

I’ve never really been a fan of pork…

But things are changing. I’m tasting, trying, experimenting.

So I thought, why not?

Let’s use pork medallions instead.

And that’s exactly what I did.

And that, my friends, is the story behind this beautiful plate.

Pork roulade, glossy potatoes, and the undeniable lady of the night.

White Cabbage with Dill and Lemon

Ingredients

300 g white cabbage finely sliced
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 large carrot grated
10 to 15 g butter
1 to 2 tablespoons water or vegetable stock
Fresh dill
Salt and black pepper
Optional vinegar or lemon

Method

Start with a pan on medium low heat and melt the butter
Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft

Add cabbage and carrot with a splash of water
Cover and cook gently

Keep the heat low and cook slowly until soft and slightly sweet
Add more water if needed

Finish with dill and lemon or vinegar
Taste and adjust seasoning

Butter Glazed Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

Ingredients

New potatoes
300 ml vegetable stock
300 ml water
25 to 30 g butter
2 garlic cloves
Rosemary
Salt and pepper

Method

Place potatoes in a pan with stock and water
Bring to a gentle simmer

Add garlic and rosemary and cook until tender

Reduce the liquid until concentrated

Add butter gradually and swirl the pan to create a glossy sauce

Taste and adjust seasoning

Pork Roulade in Tomato Herb Sauce

Ingredients

Pork loin thinly sliced
Mustard
Red pepper
Onion
Salt and pepper

Oil for searing

Water
Tomato purée
Herb mix

Method

Season pork and spread mustard
Add pepper and onion and roll tightly

Sear until golden

Add water, tomato purée, herbs, salt and pepper

Cover and cook slowly until tender

Finish uncovered if needed to thicken

Bringing it all together

You now have:

Soft, delicate cabbage
Glossy, buttery potatoes
Tender pork roulade

Everything balanced, everything with a purpose

Oi!

I hope you cooked it. I hope you tasted it. And most importantly, I hope your two plates were filled with the lady of the night, accompanied by THE roulade, and those soft, gentle, yet elegant potatoes.

I also truly hope you made it yours.

Maybe you added something. Maybe you changed it slightly. Maybe it turned out exactly how you wanted it to.

And if you did…

Let me know.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what cooking is about…
making something that feels right to you.

Plates for Two — real food, real stories, and a bit of chaos in the kitchen.

June 20, 2026