Batch-cook a load of rice, cool it, then whip up this comforting shellfish fried rice

This gently seasoned rice has become such a comfort blanket that I now make it at least once a week at home. That’s quite surprising, really, given that I’m guilty of drowning most of my food in chilli crisp oil, but this rice is so delicate yet flavourful that it’s just the gentle hug I need. The key is to cook the aromatics slowly and quietly in the oil, to soften and infuse, but not colour too quickly. Cook the jasmine rice in advance, if you like – it fries better once it has been cooked and cooled. Alternatively, packs of pre-cooked microwave rice work brilliantly.

The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable seafood. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US

From batch-cooked dal and chicken barley to sticky toffee pudding, these are the cosy dishes that make October evenings at home feel special

• Sign up here for our weekly food newsletter, Feast

After a summer spent travelling here, there and everywhere, I am welcoming more time at home and bingeable telly with open arms. And, like a lot of the nation, I am obsessed with this season’s Celebrity Traitors. It is my achilles heel; so much so that, earlier this year, I politely declined an invite to a hot industry party because it clashed with the final, and there is no amount of free champagne or hobnobbing that would’ve got me off my sofa. The beauty of such shows is that they are on early enough to make an evening of it. Strictly has become our Saturday night family ritual, while my eldest will usually join us for Tuesday nights watching Bake Off. There are bowls of food, eaten by the spoonful, mugs of tea and endless biscuits. It’s a small, cosy ritual that makes the passing of summer feel a little less bleak.

For ease, I try to live by the rule of one meal for everyone. On nights when we eat on the sofa, I like to make something in advance that the girls can eat after school and that we can return to later on. Nigella Lawson’s chicken barley, for instance, is a firm favourite and, importantly, if a little less glamorously, it reheats well. The same goes for Laura Goodman’s mac’n’cheese, a surefire hit and a fixture in our house.

A great way to pack in your vegetables, while adding pops of colour to your rotation of meals

I am still making large, nourishing and vibrant salads, with gado gado being one of my favourites. It is a well-loved Indonesian salad, and something I devoured almost daily when we travelled around the islands many moons ago. It is also an excellent way of eating an abundance of veg, and can be made to suit your taste. If I was going all out, I’d add tofu or tempeh, some prawn crackers and beansprouts, but feel free to make the bowl as you wish, with whatever you have to hand – have a play.

A seasonal special featuring both summer vibes and autumn comfort

While I dig my head in the sand at September’s arrival and the back-to-school dread, I’m trying to hold on to summer flavours for as long as possible. And this salad does just that: it’s summer and autumn, vibrant and comforting, all at the same time. It can also be served a multitude of ways: still warm, at room temperature with the feta added at the last minute, or even as leftovers (it’s great for lunchboxes, say).

A fun and easily customisable snack, to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike

Corn is a late-summer staple in our house, but its arrival often leaves me feeling a little blue (end of summer and all that). So, instead, I like to entertain more and make the most of the warm, light evenings. These nachos are a great snack for adults and kids alike (just adjust the chilli for younger palates), and a solid base that can be tweaked any which way. Have some lovely ripe tomatoes to hand? Chop them up and throw them in, too. Avocados at their peak? A side of guacamole would be a dream. Got a well-stocked spice cupboard? Add a little sweet smoked paprika and even some crushed coriander seeds to the fried beans. Make it to your liking and pantry, and enjoy with friends, ideally in the evening sun.

​A​ family holiday shaped by salt air, seagulls and unpredictable weather proves that the seaside serves a kind of joy no restaurant can engineer

Sign up here for our weekly food newsletter, Feast

There are few things more powerful than the smell of salt, vinegar and hot oil carried on a sea breeze. Or sugar-coated doughnuts, still warm in a grease-stained paper bag. Such distinctly British perfumes are the smell of my summer, because my family and I are road-tripping through the UK and Ireland. We are embracing as much of coastline as we can, while battling seagulls and unpredictable weather along the way. And, unlike the carefully curated dining experiences we seek on holidays abroad, seaside food has always been wonderfully simple. It is rarely elegant, but it is pure comfort and nostalgia.

First up, fish and chips, in my opinion, they remain the undisputed king of Britain’s coastal cuisine. Every seaside town insists that theirs is the best (so far, the finest I’ve tried were in Yorkshire, but I am prepared for that to change on this holiday). If you are at home this summer, or not near a British seaside, you can, of course, have a go at making your own. Tim Hughes’s and Felicity Cloake’s recipes are as authentic as they come, along with a crisp beer batter for firm white fish. For a slight twist, Yotam Ottolenghi’s fish and spiced sweet potato chips is an excellent, inspired dish. Either way, all options deliver.

A quick, takeaway-style chicken dish full of spice and flavour, with a homemade plum sauce, to serve with pancakes or rice

I have a real aversion to the term “fakeaway”. I don’t know why. But as much as I resist the terminology, I guess it’s exactly what this dish is – it’s 100% based on and inspired by a Chinese takeaway classic: crispy duck pancakes. A real people pleaser, and something my girls adore. Making this with pan-fried chicken takes next to no time and is the perfect after-school/work quick dinner. And for a different ending, I sometimes serve the chicken and plum sauce over jasmine rice instead. With the same accompaniments, of course.

Sweetness and spice abound in this refreshing summer salad

When the weather is glorious, I have very little desire to do any “proper cooking”. Turning the grill on for about 15 minutes is the maximum amount of heat I want to subject my home to, which is why, in the summer months, I eat this sort of salad on repeat: stone fruit with golden slices of halloumi is my favourite pairing. Add a little freshness with some sweetness and spice, and it is a glorious thing. You could even spoon it on to slices of toasted ciabatta for an open sandwich or elegant crostini.

The island has a culinary tradition as old as its ancient olive trees. Our writer savours its family-run tavernas, village bakeries and local produce

As someone with Cypriot roots and distant Greek heritage, I’m often asked the question: which is the best island? People lean in, expecting a secret – some tiny, untouched haven, known only to locals. My answer is always the same: Crete. With its fiercely proud identity, warm communities and exceptional food, it feels both deeply Greek and entirely itself.

For our anniversary weekend, my husband and I head to Lassithi, in the island’s far eastern corner. As a chef and food writer, I’m drawn to the area’s reputation for exceptional produce: Sitia extra virgin olive oil, creamy xigalo cheese, mountain honey and an abundance of excellent tavernas.

This summery dish takes the spicy seafood and cheese of a meze favourite and works them into a filling, tomato-rich salad

If you have spent any time in Greece, chances are you’ll have tried prawn saganaki. It’s a much-loved dish, especially across the islands in summer. Featuring juicy king prawns that are pan-roasted with tomato and a little chilli, then finished with feta, it’s something of an anomaly where the marriage of seafood and cheese are undisputed. I adore these as part of a meze, with fresh bread to mop up the sweet, spicy and feta-laced juices. However, here I’ve taken the key flavours of prawn saganaki and turned them into something a little more robust: a panzanella-style salad.

There are few things quite like a freshly stewing pan of caponata – here, I’ve made the glossy, sweet aubergines the star of a handy weeknight orzotto

I have a core caponata memory, and it doesn’t take place in Italy. It was during my first visit to the Globe theatre in London, which all felt very magical: Shakespeare, an open-air theatre, plus an open-air foyer with a huge, paella-style pan of freshly stewing caponata. I instantly regretted going for a substandard meal beforehand, because in this pan were the glossiest, sweetest-smelling aubergines (with a hint of sour), finished with celery, pine nuts and all the gubbins – I still regret not pushing through the fullness barrier and ordering a portion. Since then, I’ve eaten wonderful caponata and it remains one of my favourite Italian dishes. Here, I’ve incorporated the essence of it into a weeknight orzotto.

From flavoured porridge to omelette pancakes, these meals provide slow-release energy without weighing you down

• Sign up here for our weekly food newsletter, Feast

While I adore almost everything about June, there is a brief window, round about now, where I get flashbacks to my childhood PE lessons. That’s right, folks: it is sports day season. And while I love cheering on my own kids (and trying to calm my inner Julia from Motherland), as a kid I hated it with a passion. I was not remotely sporty, but I have tried to quieten those hangups and encourage my girls as best I can. And the one thing I can do, confidently, is give them a nutritious breakfast.

Which leads me on to one of the big food topics on everyone’s lips, whatever your age: what are we eating before we work out? If social media is anything to go by (and it really shouldn’t be, or with caution at least), we should all max out on protein. But what’s the workout rule of thumb: carbs before and protein after? And what is high-energy food anyway?

This yoghurty-crunchy sharing dish brings classic street food vibes with no need to fire up the barbecue

While souvlaki and other Greek meat grills are staples in our house, their appearance definitely increases in the warmer months. And if I’m going to the effort of lighting the barbecue, I will always cook more meat than I need, so I can enjoy it on subsequent days. As a result, I have a new appreciation for turning this much-loved street food into more of a sharing plate. You can, of course, barbecue the chicken, if that is how your day is going, but this is just as delicious made in a pan, quickly and simply, with all that charred flavour. Throw in a little sunshine and a glass of cold wine, and you’ll find yourself instantly transported to a waterside taverna, paper tablecloth and all.