Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
Eggs! They're not a food, they belong in no group! They're just farts clothed in substance!
Sweet potatoes are ideal for lazy days: just bake, then mash and mix with yogurt, butter or olive oil.
Radishes grow just about anywhere. People think, 'Oh it's just a radish.' But radishes are delicious, and people don't think of cooking them.
Though not a true cereal but a fruit, buckwheat seeds resemble cereal grains and are often used in a similar way to rice, barley, bulgar or quinoa, usually as a side dish.
I am a huge fan of quinoa, not only for its health benefits but because it tastes the best out of all the grains.
I put Tabasco sauce over everything. Or I put it on pretty much anything that wouldn't taste gross - I mean, I wouldn't put it on salad, but I like it on fried chicken, nachos... a lot of stuff.
I'm really enamored of the potato in all its guises.
Chana dal are skinless dried split chickpeas used in Indian cooking. They have a great texture and delicate flavour.
There's almost nothing you can't do with a cashew. Not only does it lend its nutty sweetness to savory dishes, it also gives desserts a deep richness.
If the British Isles had an official vegetable, it would have to be the potato.
People don't know how good cauliflower is, because they always have this image of cauliflower cheese - awful, sticky, creamy and rich.
Avocados are not just for guacamole! You can just about add it to anything for a little more flavor!
Swiss chard is undervalued in Britain. It's a great substitute for spinach and keeps its shape well.
Urfa chillies are a Turkish variety that are mild on heat but big on aroma. They're sweet, smoky, a lovely dark red, and go with just about anything.
Beans are a real go-to for me.
Brussels sprouts are really quite versatile.
I love quinoa. It's great, it cooks like rice and is better than caviar.
Hummus has been my saviour. I've used it in every form: on sandwiches, rotis, with veggies and meat.
Like all rice, black rice is great at absorbing flavours, but it's just as happy to act as a satiny bed for a poached egg, say, if you want to keep things simple.
It's amazing how meaty cauliflower can be.
Forget mung beans' reputation as healthy yet bland - used right, they soak up loads of flavour.
Coconut is one of those love-hate ingredients.
Yogurt sauce, as you may have noticed by now, is a regular presence in my recipes - that's because it has the ability to round up so many flavours and textures like no other component does.
Polenta is one of those ingredients that in many homes spends its days at the back of the kitchen cupboard, on the 'no one knows quite what to do with it' shelf.
