Meghan Markle’s 5 best recipes from Neflix’s With Love Meghan – and how to make them

Meghan Markle has whisked her audience away to a world of culinary delights with her special, With Love, Megan. In this docu-series, the Duchess of Sussex offers invaluable insights regarding hosting and cooking, all while demonstrating that fine dining is about more than just flavours; it’s about the people we share our meals with.Meghan dazzles her celebrity pals, including Roy Choi, Mindy Kaling, Alice Waters, and Delfina Figueras, with dishes ranging from a refreshingly simple garden salad to a tantalising honey and lemon cake.

Shot within the grandeur of a luxurious $8million mansion located a mere stone’s throw from her Montecito residence, the series captures the essence of her lifestyle brand. True to her love for homely touches, Meghan revealed her brand last year, cheekily launching with jams.

She confided in her followers: “Of course there will be fruit preserves – I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam. But there’s so many more products that I just love that I use in my home and now it’s time to share it with you, so I can’t wait for you to see it.”

For those keen on sampling some of Meghan’s favourite treats at home, here’s the scoop on creating her mouthwatering Honey Lemon Cake, complete with a that boasts ingredients for the cakes, an indulgent lemon honey syrup, and a rich buttercream frosting to top off this regal confection.

Honey and Lemon Cake 

Ingredients

For the cakes:

Pan spray

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

Zest of 2 lemons

3/4 cups olive oil

3 tablespoons honey

For the lemon honey syrup:

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup water

Zest of 1 lemon

For the buttercream frosting:

3 cups unsalted butter, softened

5 cups icing sugar

Pinch of salt

For decoration:

1-2 cups raspberry preserves

Fresh raspberries

Lemon verbena or small basil leaves

Here’s how to make the cakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lightly coat your cake pans with pan spray or butter and line them with baking paper.

3. Sift the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

4. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, oil, and lemon zest together.

5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, then stir in the honey. Mix gently until just combined.

6. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

9. Once cooled, use a bread knife to carefully slice off the mounded tops of each cake.

This makes three 8-inch cake rounds.

To make the lemon honey syrup:

1. Simmer all the ingredients in a small saucepan.

2. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

3. Just before assembling the cake, brush each layer with this syrup.

For the buttercream frosting:

1. Blend all the ingredients together until they’re light and fluffy.

You can use a hand blender or a stand mixer.

To assemble the cake:

1. Brush each cake evenly with the lemon honey syrup using a pastry brush.

2. Place the first cake on the platter you’ll be serving it on.

3. Transfer your buttercream to a zip-top bag and cut a small hole in one bottom corner.

Do the same with the raspberry preserves.

4. Begin by piping a line of buttercream frosting around the edge of the cake.

5. Starting from the centre, pipe a spiral of buttercream, leaving sections of the cake unfrosted between each part of the spiral.

6. From the centre, pipe a spiral of raspberry preserves into the gaps left by the buttercream. Ensure all open spaces are filled so that the top of the cake is completely covered.

7. Once this is done, place the second cake on top of the first and repeat the process before adding your final decorations.

Ladybird Crostini

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes

Black olives

Fresh mozzarella

Baguette crostini

Fresh basil

Balsamic vinegar reduction

Preparation:

1. Halve your cherry tomatoes lengthwise to form the body.

2. Optional: Cut a small 1/4-inch slice to create a tail/wings.

3. Halve the black olives lengthwise and then crosswise to form the head.

4. Slice the fresh mozzarella and use a ring cutter to punch out rounds.

Assembly:

1. Place the mozzarella round onto the crostino.

2. Top with a single leaf of basil.

3. Position the halved cherry tomato, cut side down, onto the basil.

4. Add a quarter olive at the top of the tomato to form the ladybird head.

5. Use a toothpick dipped in balsamic vinegar reduction to dot the cherry tomato, creating the ladybird’s spots.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

12 ounces paccheri or fusilli pasta

Kosher salt

1 cup English peas, shelled

1 bunch Swiss chard (about 5 cups loosely packed leaves), chopped

Optional: 1/2 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed, chopped

3/4 cup snap peas, sliced

Optional: 1/2 zucchini, chopped

1 cup feta cheese, plus more for garnishing

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnishing

1 tablespoon fresh dill, plus more for garnishing

For the vinaigrette:

1 shallot, sliced

2 garlic cloves, grated

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes

1/3 cup olive oil Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Create a bowl of ice-cold water and ice cubes to shock your vegetables to stop the cooking process.

2. Bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil and season with ¼ cup salt. Blanch peas for 30 seconds and move to ice water to shock.

3. Blanch Swiss chard leaves for 45 seconds to a minute, until tender and move to ice water to shock.

4. Add enough salt to the water so it “tastes of the sea” and boil the fusilli until fully cooked according to package instructions.

5. Drain the pasta and set aside to cool.

6. Dry peas and Swiss chard on a towel until ready to use.

7. Chop chard into bite-sized pieces.

8. To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot with the dried chilli flakes in a large bowl.

9. Add cooked and cooled pasta. Toss to combine, add chard, peas, snap peas, feta, and herbs. Toss and season to taste.

Garden Salad

Ingredients:

Mixed lettuce like Little Gem or Red Gem

Optional: chive blossoms

Optional: bachelor’s button petals

For the vinaigrette:

1 to 2 cloves garlic, cut into thirds

Pinch of kosher salt

Sherry vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Juice of ½ lemon

Method:

1. Begin by washing the lettuce thoroughly. To dry it, spread out the leaves in a single layer on a kitchen towel. Repeat this process until all the leaves have been laid out, placing a kitchen towel over each layer. Roll up the towels gently from one end to the other to help dry the leaves. Any unused leaves can be stored in the refrigerator in this manner.

2. While the lettuce is drying, prepare the vinaigrette. Start by grinding together the garlic and a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle (or your preferred grinding tool).

3. Add a few teaspoons of sherry vinegar directly into the mortar and pestle and grind a bit more. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to macerate. Then, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil and half the amount of sherry vinegar into the mortar.

4. Season the mixture with salt to taste and stir.

5. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, mix again, and taste.

Adjust the balance as needed: add more oil if it’s too acidic, more vinegar for extra bite, or more salt for better seasoning.

6. Place your desired amount of dried lettuce into a serving bowl.

7. Drizzle a small amount of the dressing over the greens and toss everything together using clean hands.

8. If you wish, garnish with chive blossoms and bachelor’s button petals.

Roy Choi’s Kimchi recipe from With Love, Meghan

Ingredients:

1 cup gochugaru

1 cup peeled onion

1/2 cup water

15 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 cup peeled and chopped ginger

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until you get a smooth puree.

2. You can toss this paste with your favourite fruit or vegetable to create a quick kimchi or use it as a dip for a crudité platter or fruit board.

With Love, Meghan is on