A new take on Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking

Brownie

Linda McCartney’s book “Home Cooking” was the very first cookbook I ever bought ‒ back in 1992. Twenty-seven years later, I have re-discovered this book in my bookshelf. But while most of the recipes are still great today, the pictures in the book and the layout do not do them justice any more. So I decided to cook and photograph as many recipes as possible from this book, and to include gluten-free and vegan versions wherever possible. Read more about my idea to start cooking Linda’s recipes. Have fun browsing Linda’s recipes below, search by tag or have a look at some of my own recipes. You can also browse my photos.

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Favourites Linda's recipes

Burgers Bourguignonne

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 89

A lovely stew with a lot of flavour! It is a typical “meat dish” that is almost like a goulash and will please meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.

A “beef bourguignon” is a French beef stew with carrots and mushrooms, braised in red wine- this is a great vegetarian variation (I just wonder if it is misspelled with the additional “ne” at the end…).
I find it is important to use a good quality red wine for this recipe and to take the time to simmer the stew for 40 minutes to develop the flavours. If you would like to have a more goulash-like dish, try adding some cubed red or green peppers (which I did as there was one left that needed using up).
Using TVP chunks gives a more meat-like feeling to this dish and the consistency of the TVP complements the sauce very well.

Gluten-Free: Just replace the flour with gluten-free flour, e.g. corn flour.

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Ceasar Salad

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 72

A classic Ceasar Salad with an egg and parmesan dressing.

This recipe gives some suggestions for variations, such as adding tomatoes or capers to the lettuce. The dressing has a lovely cheesy flavour even though it only includes 2 tbsp. of parmesan.
If you want to avoid uncooked egg in the dressing, try boiling the egg to a very soft consistency before adding it to the dressing.
Alternatively, hard-boil and chop the egg and add to the salad ingredients.

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Parsley, Celery and Green Pea Soup

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 57

A soup made from dried split green peas, onion, celery and carrots. It is a lovely soup for a cold winter day and is easy to make (it takes long to simmer but will not give you any work during this time).

I thought that this soup was a little too plain; adding 3 tsp. of mild mustard to the soup shortly before serving rounds off the taste really well and gives an intersting flavour.

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Vinaigrette Dressing

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 150

This is a good base for a dressing that can be varied well. Personally, I like dressings to be quite sour and not too oily. So I would reduce the amount of oil to 2 tbsp of olive oil and omit the vegetable oil. Working with a blender improves the quality of the dressing as the oil and vinegar are worked together very well to have (and retain!) a creamy consistency. Here I would recommend adding some water to the mix before blending.

My favourite variation from Linda’s book is adding some curry powder for an unexpected and intersting taste variation.
I also like adding some (plant-based) yoghurt, agave syrup and mustard to the dressing.

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Shortcrust Pastry

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 149

A recipe for a simple shortcrust pastry with butter.

This is a recipe I will need to work on to make it gluten-free. My first attempt with gluten-free flour (from Dove´s Farm) and 2 tbsp of potato fiber was too soft. It was difficult to transfer the pastry to the pie dish after rolling out. The greaseproof paper used during blind-baking would not come off but stuck to the pastry and removed half of it from the pie dish.
When still hot, the pastry crumbled and it was impossible to remove a slice of quiche without breaking the crust. This improved when the quiche had cooled.
Next time, I will try using less starchy flour and experiment with oat flour or corn flour. After all, a good shortcrust pastry recipe should not be missing in any kitchen!

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Favourites Linda's recipes

Quiche

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 117

A perfect quiche with cheese and onion.

This quiche is one of the big surprises hidden in the book. The consistency is just so fluffy and light that it is almost like a souflée. It is very rich and satisfying and the cheese and onion is a great combination. Perfect with a salad!
I think it is best to let it cool to room temperature before serving so it can set a little. Straight from the oven, it is too soft to take out of the pie dish. Leftovers (if there are any!) are a perfect lunch the next day.

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Corn Fritters

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 96

This is a classic recipe for Corn Fritters with corn, milk, flour and egg. My family loved the crisp, golden fritters while I found the amound of oil needed for frying a little off-putting. Had to admit they taste great, though.
These Corn Fritters need to be served immediately and are great with a green salad.

Gluten-Free: I substituted the flour for gluten-free flour (from Dove´s Farm), which worked great.

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Refried Bean Dip

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 67

This is a delicious and quick dip combining the flavours of refried beans with chillies and cheese. Great served as part of a Mexican feast with tortilla chips and a big salad. A fruity Margarita would also go well with it…

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Banana Cake

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 153

A great recipe for a not too sweet Banana Cake (you could call it “Banana Bread” instead) that keeps well for two to three days.

Vegan and Gluten-Free: I substituted the eggs for 100g pureed silken tofu and the sour cream for 6 tbsp. plant-based yoghurt. Using gluten-free flour and 3tsp. potato fiber and 1 tsp. psyllium husk helped the cake retain some of its moisture.

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Beetroot and Onion Salad

From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p.70

A fresh and interesting salad, combining beetroot with spring onions and dill in a sour cream and mustard dressing.

Variations: I thought that 3-4 bunches of spring onions must either be an error in the book or a salad for onion lovers… I decided to go for 3-4 spring onions instead and replaced the sour cream with plant-based yoghurt. I also added 1tbsp. of vinegar to the dressing.
I would recommend grating the beetroot into thin strips.