On Fuss Free Flavours I share ideas for achievable and affordable meals for busy people on a budget who don’t want to compromise on flavour.
The recipes are for people like me, who enjoy good food and often need to get a delicious, healthy dinner on the table fast at the end of the working day.
I like to provide straightforward step-by-step recipes that anyone can follow, which can be varied easily to take account of different diets and what’s in the store cupboard.
I’m English and live in London, I want to share many of the amazing British dishes we eat and love here in the UK. To make things easier for international cooks I am now taking a cups first approach! All new recipes will be made and tested cups first, and I’m testing and converting my old recipes. If you prefer to weigh ingredients, don’t worry – I’ll still be weighing everything too.
About Helen Best-Shaw | Work With Me | Get in Touch
The Fuss Free Flavour Mantras
I have two mantras which I follow for fuss free food & healthy eating.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
– Michael Pollan
Adhere to that and you cannot go too far wrong. I love great quality meat, fish and dairy, as well as cakes, puddings and other treats, but I prefer to eat and enjoy them in moderation.
“Eat a generous portion of (raw) vegetables with every meal whenever you can”
I try to eat at least one generous portion of fruit or vegetables (often raw) at every meal, and this keeps me feeling fit, healthy and ready to face the day. I believe that good nutrition is crucial to wellbeing – and good home economy too. ave one simple mantra for Fuss Free Food & Healthy Eating
The Fuss Free Flavours Approach
When cooking the Fuss Free approach works best for me; I do not have either a large, or grand kitchen!
I often write about the effort to glory ratio – dishes that are impressive, but when you know a few tricks are very easy to prepare.
Fuss free does not mean flavour free!
What you’ll find on Fuss Free Flavours
- Easy, delicious and affordable meals for people who have to budget for time as well as cost,
- Flexible recipes that are easy to adapt for seasonal availability and dietary requirements,
- Practical tips for avoiding food waste and making the most of leftovers
- Sweet treats (in moderation),
- Food that reflects British culinary traditions and produce, as well as flavours from around the world,
- Plenty of inspiration for quick and easy meals for two. Perfect for after work dinners,
- Simple, reliable recipes for relaxed entertaining (with the occasional challenge too!) and
- Recipes which are that little bit more special and perfect for some relaxed weekend cooking and dining.
- Plus lots of fuss-free drinks to accompany your fuss-free food.
How to Find Recipes
All of my recipes are categorised by course, cuisine and main ingredient.
So whether you ‘re looking for quick and easy dishes, desserts & puddings, recipes inspired by France or vegan recipes, you can use my menus at the top of every page to navigate around the site.
You can also search for what you’re looking for or even by ingredient using the search bar in the menu or by heading to my main recipe index.
More Fuss Free Content
As well as fuss free recipes, you’ll find extra bonus content, including:
About Me – Helen Best-Shaw
I’m Helen. I’m a freelance food writer and recipe developer based in West London, where I live with my partner; Edward, and Herbert the wire-haired sausage dog!
I started this blog in 2007 when I realized how many of the people around me lacked confidence in cooking, spending a fortune on disappointing ready-made food.
This got me thinking about definitions of cheap and value, bargains and promotions. I realised that food sold as ‘value’ often works out very expensive; yet you can eat so well on a small budget if only you have the confidence to cook. You can also have a home-made meal on the table in the time it takes to heat a ready meal in the oven.
That experience was the catalyst for starting this blog, Fuss Free Flavours. I wanted to share ideas for achievable and affordable meals for busy people on a budget who don’t want to compromise on flavour.
Food writing and recipe development has now become my career and I work on a commissioned freelance basis. I’ve grown and developed this blog to reflect some of my wider interests, with reviews and food travel as well as some lifestyle elements.
I am a regular contributor to The Lady and Reader’s Digest magazines and a member of the Guild of Food Writers.
Work With Me
If you are a brand or a PR agency with a client that would value my approach, I’d be delighted to discuss specific campaigns and projects with you. I’ve built up an extensive portfolio of freelance work and recipe development commissions (some recent recipe development work is here).
You can find more links to some of my freelance writing work here.
Get in Touch
You can find out more on my Work With Me page.
If you would like to get in touch to discuss opportunities, please send me an email.