In this exclusive extract from her new book, Dinner, our star food writer reveals what she really cooks at home, from family meals to feeding a crowd

Picnic-able noodles, radishes, sugar snaps and red cabbage dressed in a sweet, spicy and gently sour chilli sauce

Nutty, tasty, chewy comfort food … just spoon it in

This flavourful pasta dish is a perfect example that sometimes simple is best

You may well be smitten with these slices topped with chocolate and a squidgy tahini and date caramel

An almost endlessly adaptable and substantial summer salad of bulgur and beans in a pesto dressing

A typically colourful Mediterranean feast – serve on your best platter

The queen of all sandwiches, featuring protein, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and mayo all packed into a baguette to thrill your tastebuds

Fast, furious and fresh, Sri Lankan-style vegetable curries take mere minutes to cook

Chopped salad offers a festival of textures and flavours all in the one mouthful

When those sunny days arrive, this caramelised aubergine and pasta bowl ticks all the boxes for spending less time in the kitchen

These sweet-sour lentils are beautifully offset by a whipped lemon tahini that just might become your favourite condiment

This vibrant green pasta, inspired by a friend, is creamy, savoury and has a deliciously tangy edge

Trini-style soft pillows of fried bread sandwiching spiced chickpeas and served with a punchy cucumber chutney

Take your nacho game to the next level by topping them with a layer each of refried beans, vegan creme fraiche, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, olives and jalapeños

Walnuts get a starring role in this pasta dish with a (sort of) bread sauce

Meaty jackfruit takes the place of fish in this fresh and fragrant Thai-style curry with vermicelli noodles

A comforting mishmash of east and west: shortgrain rice and peas from Italy, cooked in a miso and ginger broth, and topped with a minty dressing

Unlike the other giants of teatime cakes, this delicious Jamaican ginger cake is rarely made at home or vegan, so I’m tackling two birds with one stone

The classic spicy Levantine sandwich is made meat-free with hearty baked mushrooms