--- Watch Ainsley's Mediterranean Cookbook, 8.30pm Sundays on SBS Food or stream it on ---
It's hard not to feel happy when you watch Ainsley Harriott eating and cooking - and the huge grins and belly laughs that come along with it!
His new show, Ainsley's Mediterranean Cookbook, has even MORE dancing and singing and laughing than usual. We asked him what is it about meeting and eating that makes him so happy.
"Well, meeting and eating are two of my three favourite activities! And I’m so pleased that the team that makes the show with me is able to bring that across to everyone watching. In case you’re wondering, by the way, my third favourite activity is, of course, watching Arsenal!"
Here are nine of our favourite feel-good recipes from one of SBS Food's most-loved TV hosts. Sing and dance while you cook, and channel some of Harriott's infectious love of life!
Get your tastebuds doing a happy dance with this Jamaican classic. Ainsley Harriott says it's one of his all-time faves for a barbecue, and the leftovers are great for sandwiches and salads.
Ainsley’s ultimate jerk chicken Source: Ainsley's Caribbean Kitchen / Dan Jones
Like puppies and kittens, small things have special appeal. And so it is with this 'small thing' of the pancake world: , a recipe from . Drop scones, also known to many Aussie households as pikelets, are petit pancakes. Serve with the ripple cream in the recipe, with your favourite jam and cream, or with butter and golden syrup. They'll bring a sticky smile to your face either way!
Ainsley with drop scones Source: Ainsley's Market Menu
The very world lollipop conjures childhood glee for many of us! In from , he's having some fun with the recipe name - these are really beef skewers. The marinated beef is delicious when grilled, so you get double the joy here: a smile at the name, and a smile when you eat!
Sesame soy beef lollipops Source: Ainsley's Market Menu
All of your favourite things
Take a little tour on a platter: make like Ainsley does in Corsica, in the second episode of Ainsley's Mediterranean Cookbook, and bring together lots of delicious things. His version includes cheese, sliced meats, grapes and honeyed figs, which he makes with a local honey, but you could add anything you like, and make it any size you like - a platter to share or a platter for one. How about adding or his , alongside your favourite cheeses and deli items?
Source: Ainsley's Mediterranean Cookbook
If you love cheese, then there's a strong chance the squeaky, salty glory of haloumi makes you happy, so this easy, tasty one-tray bake with slabs of golden haloumi is for you. Along with all the recipes from the show, the Ainsley's Mediterranean Cookbook book has a swathe of other tempting recipes from around the Med, including this one, which he's shared with us. "While I was in Corsica, I tried many delicious vegetarian dishes that were simply prepared yet full of flavour from fresh herbs and garlic. ...This dish is easy to prepare for a mid-week dinner – just toss it all together in the one dish!"
Marjoram-roasted vegetable, lentil and halloumi bake Source: Ebury Press / Dan Jones
Some Ainsley Harriott recipes make you want to dance, some make your tastebuds sing, while this one falls into the 'so easy to make' comfort food category. This makes us happy because it's quick and easy, uses just one pot (less washing up!) and is full of hearty flavours. "I’m using a ready-made harissa paste to add a depth of flavour and a smoky chilli kick. Rose harissa gives a special sweetness and aroma, but you can use ordinary harissa if you prefer and you can add more or less depending on how spicy you like it," he says of this recipe - another one from his fab new Mediterranean cookbook.
One-pot rose harissa chicken and apricot pilaf Source: Ebury Press / Dan Jones
Sometimes you just want easy comfort food and for many of us, cheese on toast ticks all the boxes. This version adds another layer of yum for mushroom lovers.
Mushrooms and cheese on sourdough. Source: Ainsley's Market Menu
There's so much to love about a smooth Spanish custard with a hint of citrus and spice, topped with a hardened caramel! Grab your spoon and crack in. "A traditional Catalana is not as rich as a crème brûlée and the Spanish use cinnamon rather than vanilla to flavour the custard. Originally from Catalonia, the dessert is popular throughout Spain and I definitely enjoyed a couple while in Seville and Granada," says Harriott.
Crema Catalana Source: Ebury Press / Dan Jones
This recipe is one that Ainsley whips up in his stunning outdoor kitchen overlooking the city of Amman in Jordan, near the end of his wanderings in Ainsley's Mediterranean Cookbook. Cook it and channel that happy grin when you squeeze some lemon over before digging into the zesty lamb and fresh herby salad!
Halloumi bake, harissa chicken and crema Catalana recipes extracted from Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook, by Ainsley Harriott (Ebury Press). Photography by Dan Jones.
Chargrilled sumac lamb cutlets with a herby tabbouleh Source: Cooking up chargrilled sumac lamb cutlets with a herby tabbouleh in Jordan (Ainsley's Mediterranean Cookbook)
More happy food from Ainsley Harriott
Spiced mango and rosewater lassi
