https://casual-chef.com/ Ten recipes worth repeating, written out by hand. Short ingredient lists, honest method, and a note on why each one works. en Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:06:00 +0000 https://casual-chef.com/tomato-mozzarella-sandwich/ https://casual-chef.com/tomato-mozzarella-sandwich/ Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:02:29 +0000 Recipes The trick is roasting the tomatoes instead of slicing them raw — twenty minutes in a hot oven turns them sweet and concentrated, and stops the bread going soggy underneath. https://casual-chef.com/peanut-butter-banana-toast/ https://casual-chef.com/peanut-butter-banana-toast/ Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:00:51 +0000 Recipes Barely a recipe and all the better for it. The only decisions that matter are toasting the bread properly and salting the peanut butter if it came unsalted. https://casual-chef.com/mini-cheese-quesadillas/ https://casual-chef.com/mini-cheese-quesadillas/ Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:59:06 +0000 Recipes A dry pan, not an oiled one — the tortilla toasts rather than fries, which is the difference between crisp and greasy. Cheese goes on one half only so nothing escapes. https://casual-chef.com/creamy-cucumber-yogurt-salad/ https://casual-chef.com/creamy-cucumber-yogurt-salad/ Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:56:44 +0000 Recipes Salt the cucumber first and pour off what comes out — otherwise the water it holds thins the dressing on the plate while you are still carrying it to the table. https://casual-chef.com/egg-fried-rice-quick-version/ https://casual-chef.com/egg-fried-rice-quick-version/ Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:55:09 +0000 Recipes It only works with cold rice. Rice straight from the pot steams instead of frying, and you get a soft clump rather than separate grains with a little colour on them. https://casual-chef.com/2-ingredient-banana-pancakes/ https://casual-chef.com/2-ingredient-banana-pancakes/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:40:04 +0000 Recipes There is no flour and therefore no gluten holding these together, which is why they must be small and must be left to set before you touch them. Patience is the whole technique. https://casual-chef.com/tuna-melt-sandwich/ https://casual-chef.com/tuna-melt-sandwich/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:36:54 +0000 Recipes Drain the tin properly and dress the fish more lightly than feels right — the cheese is about to add its own fat, and an over-mayonnaised filling slides straight out of the sandwich. https://casual-chef.com/chickpea-salad/ https://casual-chef.com/chickpea-salad/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:34:33 +0000 Recipes Roast the chickpeas alongside the cauliflower rather than tipping them in from the tin. Twenty minutes of dry heat gives them a skin that survives being dressed. https://casual-chef.com/crispy-roasted-potatoes/ https://casual-chef.com/crispy-roasted-potatoes/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:31:49 +0000 Recipes Parboil, drain, then shake the pan hard enough to rough the surfaces up. Those torn edges are the entire point — a smooth potato has nothing for the fat to crisp. https://casual-chef.com/cheesy-scrambled-egg-toast/ https://casual-chef.com/cheesy-scrambled-egg-toast/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:28:30 +0000 Recipes Low heat and a spatula that keeps moving. The cheese goes in once the pan is off the flame, so it melts into the eggs instead of squeaking out its fat in the pan.