Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction

Canapés + cocktails

Quick-cook canapé crostini

Crispy, crunchy chicken strips with honey mustard dip

Pancetta & Parmesan puffs

Crunchy black pepper halloumi dip sticks with harissa hummus

Naughty, naughty nachos

Skinny dipping

Lemoncello jello shots

Watermelon jello shots

Strawberry & mint mojitos

Lovely limoncello

Starters, snacks + soups

Vegetarian mushroom & port ‘faux gras’ with tarragon & chestnuts

Pizza expressed three ways

Aussie sweetcorn breakfast fritters with avocado & rocket salad & sweet chilli jam

Simple salmon ceviche with tortilla chips

Gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham & maple syrup

Roasted new patatas & chorizo bravas with aïoli

Potato & leek vichyssoise with crispy bacon & chives

Thai chicken soup with coconut milk & ginger

Hot-and-sour king prawn soup

Red pepper, tomato & basil gazpacho with salt & pepper croutons

Broccoli & blue cheese soup with chive mascarpone & warm garlic bread

French onion & sage soup with big fat Gruyère & mustard croutons

Salads

Mango, feta & avocado salad with fresh lime juice

Wild Waldorf salad with toasted walnuts & Granny Smiths

Courgette ‘pappardelle’ with asparagus, avocado salad & rocket

Thai beef salad with roasted peanuts & chilli dressing

Prawn Caesar salad with olive oil croutons & pomegranates

Mackerel salad with horseradish crème fraîche

Nifty Niçoise salad with hot-smoked trout & sundried tomatoes

The Union cobb

Chicken + duck mains

Whole roast perky peri peri chicken

Really simple Sri Lankan chicken curry with coconut milk & cashew nut rice

Baked jerk chicken with pineapple salsa, coconut rice & beans

Sticky Asian BBQ chicken wings with sweetcorn rice & red cabbage slaw

My take on chicken tikka masala with fluffy basmati rice

Tandoori chicken wraps with cucumber raita & mango salsa

Scrumptious spicy chicken fajitas with guacamole, salsa & sour cream

Chicken cacciatore with harissa, bacon & rosemary

Chicken, apple & cider casserole with fennel seed roasted veg

Five-spice roasted duck breasts with cherry & Shiraz sauce & sesame noodles

Beef, lamb + pork mains

Good old-fashioned burger with rocket, red onions (plus all the trimmings) & garlicky potato wedges

Rich rump steak ‘sort-of-stew’ with port, porcini & herby dumplings

Rosemary roast cottage pie with a crispy rosti topping

Thai red beef curry with jasmine rice

The mighty moussaka

Maple and balsamic-glazed lamb chops with mint, toasted almonds & feta cous cous

Lozza’s lamb biryani

Slow-roast, fast-prep leg of lamb with Aussie Chardonnay, rosemary, sage & bay

Sweet & sour pork balls with crunchy peanut rice

Tasty tarragon pork steaks with creamy mustard mushroom sauce & spring onion champ

Pan-fried pork chops with a watercress, peach & Stilton salad & a lemon ginger dressing

Dad’s penne all’arrabbiata with crispy pancetta & basil

Fish + shellfish mains

Tapenade-crusted cod on a bed of crunchy ciabatta, tomato & basil

Blackened Cajun cod burgers with aïoli & paprika baked potato wedges

Buttered fish with roasted ginger butternut squash & pancetta petits pois

Moroccan pesto fish with caramelised onions & haricot beans served with minty pine nut cous cous

Pan-fried sea bass with basil & pine nut sweet veggie sauce & rosemary sautéed potatoes

Prawn linguine with chorizo & Cabernet tomato sauce

Tin foil Thai trout with red pepper noodles

Hot-smoked trout kedgeree with spring onions & basil

Seared tuna steaks with cannellini beans, feta & mint

Warm salmon & lentils with chorizo, asparagus & a balsamic dressing

Salmon saltimbocca with gremolata potatoes & crispy sage leaves

Filo salmon en croute with basil & curly kale pesto & pesto potatoes

Honey soy-glazed salmon with sesame & ginger noodles & stir-fried bok choy

Vegetarian mains

Goat’s cheese, toasted hazelnut & honey quesadillas with rocket salad

Butternut & sweet potato lasagne with sage, toasted pine nuts & nutmeg

Greek spinach, feta & pine nut pie with dill & crunchy filo

Spicy bean burgers with corn cous cous & coriander lime crème fraîche

Sweet potato tortilla with jalapeños & dill

Pan-fried mascarpone gnocchi with dreamy basil pesto

Cakes + puds

Little warm Bramley apple pies or ‘chaussons aux pommes’

Rum punch roast pears, figs & peaches with toasted hazelnuts & vanilla crème fraîche

Neat-and-tidy Eton mess with blackberries & stem ginger whipped cream

Homemade meringues

Chocolate mousse with raspberries

Strawberry & cream mini cakes with chocolate drizzle strawberries

Pear, almond & amaretto tart with stem ginger mascarpone cream

Doorstop vanilla cheesecake

Dulce & banana cake

Simply coffee, vanilla & walnut cake

Lemon & lime poppy seed drizzle cake

Let them eat cake, cake

Crouching tiger, hidden zebra cake

Bread + pastry

Aussie olive damper bread (soda bread’s antipodean cousin)

Crackle-top bread

Twister bread

Net bread (roti jala)

Puff pastry

Sweet rich brown sugar pastry

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Tasty treats

Little jammy tarts

Peanut butter squares

Vanilla hazelnut & brown sugar shortbread

Blueberry & oat muffins

Maple, pecan & cranberry granola

Port-preserved cherries with cinnamon & orange

White chocolate-dipped cherries

White chocolate lollipops with dried cranberries

Shameless shortcut cookies-and-cream lollipops

Homemade vanilla custard (crème anglaise)

Mango chutney

Salted caramel toffee sauce

Zesty apple sauce with cinnamon & ginger

Homemade vanilla extract

List of Recipes

Acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

Staring at the blank page with my deadline looming, no words seemed to be coming. A relaxed, unpressurised atmosphere is usually when a flurry of inspiration hits, but it wasn’t until I was on a plane ride back from sunny, siliconed Los Angeles with a glass of Californian Chardonnay on my tiny table that the words began to flow.

I thought back to my first book, Baking Made Easy, a self-explanatory title packed with recipes that, in my own words, covered ‘anything cooked in the oven’. The broad definition allowed me artistic licence to develop meals and dishes both sweet and savoury. Exotic tarts and traditional cakes featured alongside night-time nibbles and Parisian patisserie. With my next book and series, Home Cooking Made Easy, came food with a more homely note: comforting casseroles and lasagnes, beauteous breads and simple puddings and desserts.

It felt, for the meantime anyway, that I’d had a significant part of my cooking repertoire covered and that this time I wanted to try something a little bit different, something that would hopefully prove even more useful for the (sadly) ever-decreasing time in which we have to prepare and cook food. I don’t know how often I have come home from a day whizzing around like the Energizer Bunny on the rampage to a family awaiting some culinary delight. I also don’t know how many times I have hung my head in shame and uttered the words, ‘Oh. Yes. Dinner,’ and then made the short trip to the local supermarket to try to buy from the near-empty shelves and then cobble something together for dinner.

I am not at all embarrassed to say that on many occasions I have returned home to the waiting party laden with food that just needs a simple peeling back of the plastic and a slight turn of the oven dial, usually to 180°C. These ready-meals serve a purpose and I am thankful that they exist, but I wondered what if a book existed that was jam-packed full of dishes that were quick, simple, nutritious and above all super-tasty? I wrote this book for the many, many people out there who, like me and my family, face the same daily dilemma of ‘What on earth is for dinner?’

Thanks to the brilliant medium of Twitter, countless readers have told me that the important thing for the evening meal is that it is easy and quick to cook, using ingredients that don’t require a space shuttle flight to the outer reaches of the solar system to source. The main ingredients people seem to favour are chicken (breasts, not so much the thigh or the leg), lamb chops, pork chops, minced beef or lamb, and fish. So I’ve included an enormous range of dishes featuring these, along with other tasty fare such as duck and vegetarian grub. I don’t know if it is the Brit in me, but with my meal I like to eat some kind of a veg and/or a carb, but not any ordinary side dish – something a bit different that will leave (even with the quickest of meals) a lasting sensory memory on my tongue and in my mind.

Dishes such as the Italian Cacciatore get a gentle lift with the help of the mildly spiced harissa, a red chilli paste from North Africa. A simple Salmon en Croute is transformed by the use of papery filo in which to envelop it, and the accompanying potatoes are gently crushed with a pesto made from basil and curly kale. A Lamb Biryani, cooked in one pot and ready to eat in 25 minutes, is delicately spiced with the very-easy-to-find garam masala, cumin and chilli powder.

My current favourite are Lemoncello Jello Shots — lemon wedges scraped clean of their flesh and filled with a citrusy alcoholic (or not, if you so choose) jelly — that are so simple to make and yet so attention-getting when served, and of course super-yumbelicious to eat.

The goal of this book was to create something people would revisit time and time again. A cookbook that would be on that kitchen counter several times a week, for busy people who love good food and want to make something quick and easy, with tasty and accessible ingredients, to impress family and friends. And I wanted to provide an entire meal: main dish and side. So often when you know what you want to cook, it is challenging to figure out what to have with it. With this book, I have served up dishes with an accompaniment or two, making mealtimes much easier to plan. I also tried to make it as simple as possible so that everything is served up together, with a time plan for each recipe so you can sail through the instructions and end up with a delicious dish in super-fast time. I have put my heart and soul into this book and hope it helps you to serve up fast, fresh and delicious meals every day.

Lorraine

A few handy tips on the recipes

+ All preparation and cooking times are an estimate so check and taste things as they cook.

+ Always wash rice thoroughly before use.

+ I find it best to have all the ingredients and equipment out ready before you start cooking, so everything is easy to get when you need it.

+ These recipes have all been tested a minimum of four times, and they have been written so that everything is ready at the same time. So if you follow the method to the letter you will have quick and tasty meals ready in flash.

+ Some recipes have a start to finish time so you know roughly how long it will take from the moment you start cooking to when you finish.

+ Other recipes are split between preparation time and cooking/baking time. So the prep time is the hands on time and the rest of the time whilst the dish is in the oven is free time!

+ Some recipes are super-fast and others have an element to them which is faster than the usual way of prepping or cooking the dish.

+ The equipment list is not exhaustive but a guide to the main pieces of kitchen equipment you will need to prepare the dish. Everyday smaller utensils required are not included in the list.

+ If you have any cooking questions, please do Tweet me @lorrainepascale. I receive lots of Tweets and cannot guarantee to answer to every one, but I will do my best!

Canapés + cocktails

‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.’ Plato

I would love to profess that friends drop by unexpectedly, so I have to rustle something up quickly for an impromptu feast, but the reality is that never really happens. What does tend to happen is that, in true Lorraine Pascale style, I am always rushing around, slightly disorganised and with the clock ticking away, having known for weeks that some people are coming round and always leaving it to the very last minute to get everything together! These simple canapés (and of course cocktails) are the perfect solution to this modern-day madness of rush, rush, rush. So easy to prepare and super-tasty too, with that ever-important ‘wow’ factor on the plate.

Canapés + cocktails

Quick-cook canapé crostini

Crispy, crunchy chicken strips with honey mustard dip

Pancetta & Parmesan puffs

Crunchy black pepper halloumi dip sticks with harissa hummus

Naughty, naughty nachos

Skinny dipping

Lemoncello jello shots

Watermelon jello shots

Strawberry & mint mojitos

Lovely limoncello

Quick-cook canapé crostini

These really easy canapés have saved the day, not only when (in the very rare event) people drop by my house unannounced, but also when I fancy a quick snack of an evening. It is great to get creative with these: see what is in your cupboard and fridge, throw some ingredients together and experiment! I have used the oven to crisp up the crostini, but they can be put in the toaster or under the grill to get the same effect. If you crisp them up first, they won’t need as much time to cook.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Makes: 24

Equipment: Large baking sheet, 3 small bowls

Crostini bases

1 French baguette

Extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

Tomato, basil & mint

2 large ripe tomatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Small handful of fresh basil and mint leaves

Pinch of sugar (optional)

White bean, prosciutto & rocket

100g tinned cannellini beans

2 slices of prosciutto

Small handful of wild rocket

Goat’s cheese, figs & mint with balsamic drizzle

100g soft goat’s cheese

2 fresh figs

Small handful of small fresh mint leaves

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

1 squidge of honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Preheat the oven to 190°C, (fan 170°C), 375°F, Gas Mark 5.

+ Trim the ends off the baguette and cut it into 24 diagonal slices, about 2cm thick. Place on a large baking sheet, drizzle with oil and bake for 7–8 minutes.

+ In the meantime, prepare the toppings.

+ For the tomato one, roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a small bowl. Drizzle a little oil over, rip up the basil and mint leaves and add them along with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Toss everything together.

+ Then, for the white bean topping, put the cannellini beans in a small bowl, add a good drizzle of oil, season with salt and pepper and then mash roughly with a fork. Cut the slices of prosciutto in half.

+ Finally, for the goat’s cheese crostini, mash the goat’s cheese with a fork in a small bowl and season, then cut the figs into eighths.

+ Remove the crostini from the oven. They should be just crisp. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the cut edge all over their tops.

+ Now, to assemble, simply spoon the tomato mixture onto eight of the crostini. Arrange the rocket on eight more, dollop the crushed beans on top, then lightly scrunch up the prosciutto and arrange on top of each one. Finally, spread the goat’s cheese over the remaining eight crostini, arrange a couple of pieces of fig on top of each, scatter the mint leaves over and drizzle with a little balsamic and honey.

+ Arrange the crostini on a large serving platter or cake stand and serve.

Crispy, crunchy chicken strips with honey mustard dip

Being a tactile person at heart, eating food with my fingers is pure luxury for me. I have a favourite surf-and-turf restaurant I frequent with the family and I regularly order their crispy chicken tenders for a starter. The piquant honey mustard dip has me getting right on in there with a spoon and eating up every last morsel.

Time from start to finish: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Baking tray, 2 wide, shallow bowls, small bowl

Vegetable oil (or spray oil)

2 medium eggs

100g dried natural breadcrumbs (or polenta)

1 tsp English mustard powder

2 stalks of fresh flat leaf parsley or thyme (optional)

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Honey mustard dip

100ml mayonnaise

3 tbsp wholegrain mustard

2 squidges of honey

2 limes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease a baking tray with oil and set aside. I like to do this quickly with a spray oil.

+ Crack the eggs into a wide, shallow bowl and beat lightly to bring together. Tip the breadcrumbs (or polenta) and mustard powder into another wide, shallow bowl. Pick the leaves from the parsley or thyme then finely chop them before tossing through the breadcrumbs with some salt and pepper.

+ Cut each chicken breast lengthways into three strips. Dip each piece into the egg, shaking off the excess, and then into the breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Arrange on the baking tray as you go. I tend to get in a sticky mess with this as the egg on my hands becomes coated with breadcrumbs, but the end result is so worth it.

+ Bake in the oven for around 12 minutes, turning each piece of chicken over halfway through.

+ Meanwhile, to make the dip, put the mayonnaise into a small bowl with the wholegrain mustard and honey and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

+ Cut the limes into quarters and add the juice of one piece to the dip, squeeze by squeeze, tasting as you go until you are happy. The lime lifts the dip’s flavours a little and gives a nice balance. Spoon the dip into a small serving bowl and place in the centre of a large plate.

+ Remove the chicken from the oven. When cooked, it should be piping hot in the centre and crispy and golden brown on the outside.

+ Arrange the chicken around the dip on the plate and serve with the remaining lime wedges.

Pancetta & Parmesan puffs

I know, I have done it again. Pancetta. It’s that porky, tasty yumminess that I love so very much. Now these cheesy little numbers are made from choux pastry, which for me is the easiest pastry on the block. A positive word of warning: these are incredibly moreish. A just-cooked bowl of them will disappear in literally minutes.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Time baking in the oven: 25 minutes

Makes: about 25

Equipment: 2 baking sheets, small frying pan, medium pan, grater, 2 medium bowls, disposable piping bag (optional)

50g butter

125ml milk

50g pancetta cubes

Oil

25g Parmesan cheese

75g plain flour

1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

+ Preheat the oven to 170°C, (fan 150°C), 325°F, Gas Mark 3. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside.

+ Put a small frying pan on a medium heat for the pancetta.

+ Put the butter and milk in a medium pan over a low heat and leave the butter to melt.

+ Meanwhile, place the pancetta into the frying pan with a drizzle of oil and cook for about 4 minutes, turning every so often.

+ Once the butter has melted into the milk, whack up the heat and bring to the boil.

+ Meanwhile, finely grate the Parmesan and tip it into a medium bowl. Stir in the flour, chilli powder, if you like, and a pinch of salt.

+ As soon as the buttery milk boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour mixture to it. Beat it really hard with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan. Then tip it into a medium bowl, spread it out all around the inside and leave it for a few minutes until cool to the touch.

+ Once the pancetta is crisp and golden, remove from the heat and tip onto kitchen paper to drain off excess fat and set aside.

+ Once the flour mix has cooled down a little, add the eggs, one at a time, beating hard between each addition. When the egg first goes in, the mixture will look a little less than pleasant, as if it won’t mix in, but keep beating it really hard and it will come good. Then stir in the pancetta.

+ Now, here you can either spoon blobs of the choux pastry onto the baking sheets or (my favourite method with my piping bag obsession) pipe the blobs using a disposable piping bag cut to give a 1.5cm opening. Either way, make them about 2–3cm in diameter and space them a little bit apart. This makes about 25. Use a finger slightly moistened with water to push down any end bits that may be sticking up (so they don’t burn in the oven), then bake for 25 minutes.

+ The puffs should be crisp and golden on top when cooked. These are really best served piping hot when they are still slightly moist as they are cut open.

Crunchy black pepper halloumi dip sticks with harissa hummus

Before I tested this recipe I had not had the privilege of cooking halloumi. I’d eaten it many times, but never felt the urge to give it a go at home. Halloumi is an eccentric-textured-and-tasting cheese which is very salty on the palate. It prefers, unlike its cheesy counterparts, to be pan-fried and grilled as it holds itself together very well once cooked.

Time from start to finish: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Colander, blender or food processor, large frying pan, plate

Hummus

400g tin of chickpeas

1 garlic clove

100g half- or full-fat crème fraîche

1–4 tbsp harissa paste (easy to find at the supermarket)

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Halloumi

Sunflower oil

50g plain flour

2 × 250g blocks of halloumi cheese

1 lime

Small handful of fresh coriander

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ First, make the hummus. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, peel the garlic and add both to a blender or food processor. Add the crème fraîche and enough harissa paste to taste (depending on how hot you like it). Blitz until smooth, season to taste with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of oil if you think it needs it. Then spoon it into a serving bowl and set aside.

+ Next, prepare the halloumi. Put three big glugs of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Put the flour on a plate, season with a little pepper and set aside. Cut the halloumi into thick sticks. I cut each block into quarters lengthways and then lay each piece on its side and cut it in half again to give eight big chunky chips. Toss them in the flour so they are well covered, then gently lower them into the hot oil and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning regularly with tongs, until golden brown all over.

+ Remove the halloumi from the pan and drain on kitchen paper for a minute. Then arrange on a large serving plate and squeeze the lime juice over. Sit the dip bowl on the plate beside the halloumi, pick and scatter the coriander leaves on top and serve. Halloumi really comes to life with these flavours.

Naughty, naughty nachos

Lots of cheese, chips and cream. Just what I feel I need on those days when I want that extra bit of comfort on a plate. There are a few parts to this recipe, but it is really, really quick and I find myself gravitating to make this at the weekend, as it is a great sharing dish. It is on the side of naughty, but really tasty. Everything in balance is my mantra. I found the jars of jalapeños in the supermarket, but if you can’t get them, just use two regular green or red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced.

Time from start to finish: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

Equipment: Colander, 2 small bowls, 25.5cm-square baking dish at least 6cm deep

Salsa

200g jar red or green jalapeños

200g cherry tomatoes

1 red onion (or 1 bunch of spring onions)

Small handful of fresh coriander

Nachos

200g Cheddar cheese

400g tin of kidney beans

200g bag of tortilla chips

200g sour cream

Guacamole

3 perfectly ripe avocados

A few drops of Tabasco sauce (optional)

½ lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6.

+ Firstly, prepare the salsa. Drain the jalapeños, quarter the cherry tomatoes and toss both into a small bowl. Peel and finely chop the red onion (or finely slice the spring onions, if using), reserve a small handful and add the remainder to the bowl. Rip the leaves from the coriander stalks, roughly chop them, then toss everything together and season to taste.

+ Finely grate the cheese and drain and rinse the beans.

+ Now to assemble the nachos. Scatter a third of the tortilla chips in the bottom of the baking dish and scatter over a third of the cheese and then all of the beans. Then follow with a third more tortillas, a third more cheese and some of the salsa. Finish with the remaining tortillas and cheese. This is actually a total freeform dish; my only thing is I love cheese on the top.

+ Now pop it into the oven to bake for 10 minutes while you make the guacamole.

+ Halve the avocados, discard the stones and use a spoon to scoop the flesh out into a small bowl. Lightly mash with a fork and then stir the reserved chopped onion through with a few drops of Tabasco, if you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper and squeeze in the lime juice.

+ Spoon the sour cream, remaining tomato salsa and guacamole into small serving bowls. Remove the now-cooked nachos from the oven. The cheese should be bubbling and the tortillas just catching colour. Serve in the centre of the table with the accompaniments for everyone to dig in and help themselves.

Skinny dipping

Three tasty, no-cook skinny dip numbers; great to eat with potato-skin crisps, tortilla chips or crudités such as carrots, radishes and celery. You can make them all or just one or two. They can all be made ahead of time for stress-free snacking!

Time from start to finish (for all three): 15 minutes (about 5 minutes each)

Equipment: 2 medium bowls, scissors, colander, blender

Tuna & crème fraîche dip with black pepper

Makes: about 225g

185g or 200g tin of tuna in spring water

75g half- or full-fat crème fraîche

A few fresh chives

¼ lime (or lemon)

Teeny squidge of honey (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hummus with cumin & paprika

Makes: about 350g

400g tin of chickpeas

100g half- or full-fat crème fraîche

2 tsp cumin powder

Extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

¼ lime (or lemon)

A good pinch of paprika

A few fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Avocado, chilli & chive dip

Makes: about 275g

2 ripe avocados

1 small red chilli

A few fresh chives

1 lime (or lemon)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tuna & créme fraîche dip with black pepper

+ Drain the tuna well, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. Place in a medium bowl, add the crème fraîche and then snip in the chives using scissors. Mix together well and season to taste with salt, pepper and a good squeeze of lime (or lemon) juice. Add a little honey to sweeten, if liked, also. Spoon into a serving bowl to serve.

Hummus with cumin & paprika

+ Drain the chickpeas, rinse well and then tip them into a blender (I find a stick blender brilliant). Add the crème fraîche, cumin and a drizzle of oil, then peel and add the garlic clove. Season well with salt and pepper and blitz until fairly smooth. Check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary, add a squeeze of lime (or lemon) juice and then blitz again briefly. Spoon into a serving bowl, sprinkle the paprika on top, rip over some coriander or parsley leaves and serve.

Avacado, chilli & chive dip

+ Cut the avocados in half, discard the stones and then scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl. Deseed and finely slice the chilli and add. Then, using scissors, snip in the chives. Mash everything up until fairly smooth, season to taste with a good amount of salt and pepper and squeeze in the lime (or lemon) juice. Spoon into a serving bowl to serve.

Lemoncello jello shots

Remove these sassy sunshine slices from the freezer or fridge an hour or so before you want to use them so they soften slightly before eating. Of course, these can be made for the kiddies, but for adults I like to add 150ml of lovely, luscious limoncello to 350ml of water. No need to heat it; just dissolve the jelly in boiling water, add the gelatine leaves, then finish with the limoncello and sugar.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Setting time: 30 minutes in the freezer (or 1 hour in the fridge)

Makes: 20–28 (depending on the size of lemons used)

Equipment: Kettle, small wide bowl, large tray or 12-hole muffin tin, heatproof measuring jug

Seven 6.5 × 11.5cm or eight 7.5 × 11cm leaves of gelatine

7 medium or 5 big lemons

135g pack of lemon jelly

400ml hot water

Couple of small drops of lemon essence (optional)

1 tbsp caster sugar

+ Put the kettle on to boil. Then put the gelatine leaves into a small wide bowl, cover them with cold water and set aside to soften.

+ Cut the lemons in half lengthways and, using a spoon, scoop out the juicy flesh. It takes a bit of wiggling and getting squirted by the juice, but you will get there! The trick is not to break through the skin. (You don’t need the flesh here, but afterwards I like to squeeze the juice out and freeze it in an ice-cube tray for handy lemon juice needs at other times.)

+ Set each lemon shell half, cut side up, on a large tray or put each one in the hole of a 12-hole muffin tin. If you have 14 shells, then nestle the remaining two on top in between the others and they should sit still.

+ Next, break up the lemon jelly a bit and put it into a heatproof measuring jug, then pour over enough hot water to reach 400ml in the jug.

+ Pick up the gelatine leaves – they will feel all soft. Gently squeeze out as much liquid as you can from them, discard the bowl of water and then put the soft gelatine leaves into the jelly and hot water. Stir constantly until it dissolves. Then stir in the lemon essence (sometimes the lemon jelly just is not lemony enough) and sugar until dissolved.

+ Use the jelly to fill each lemon shell right up to the very top so it is almost overflowing. Let them cool down for about 5 minutes and then whack them in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up (but not much longer or they will freeze!). They will set in the fridge also, but allow double the time.

+ Once they are firm, remove them from the freezer (or fridge). Then, using a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut them in half, straight down, lengthways, and there you have it!

Watermelon jello shots

If you were a sporty type at school, you may remember those little orange slices that were given out at half-time during matches. A momentary respite from jumping and leaping in the air on a cold windy netball court in the depths of winter seems to be a vivid memory from my early teenage years. Naturally, giving you a recipe for orange slices may have proven uninspiring so, with a bit of cooking magic, I would like to introduce you to my watermelon jello shots … A happy walk down memory lane with a very modern twist. For an alcoholic version, replace 150ml of the water with some vodka.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Setting time: 25 minutes in the freezer, plus 15 minutes if using passion fruit seeds

Makes: 56–64 (depending on the size of limes used)

Equipment: Kettle, small wide bowl, large tray or 2–3 × 12-hole muffin tins, heatproof measuring jug

Seven 6.5 × 11.5cm or eight 7.5 × 11cm leaves of gelatine

16 small or 14 medium limes

135g pack of strawberry jelly

400ml hot water

1 tbsp caster sugar (optional)

1 large or 2 small passion fruit (optional)

+ Put the kettle on to boil. Then put the gelatine leaves into a small wide bowl, cover them with cold water and set aside to soften.

+ Cut the limes in half lengthways, rather than around their middles and, using a spoon, scoop out the juicy flesh. It takes a bit of wiggling and getting squirted by the juice, but you will get there! The trick is not to break through the lime skin. (You don’t need the flesh for this recipe, but afterwards I like to squeeze the juice out and freeze it in an ice-cube tray for handy lime juice needs at other times.)

+ Set each half, cut side up, on a large tray, or put each one in the hole of a 12-hole muffin tin. They fit perfectly and don’t move around too much that way. You will need two or three 12-hole muffin tins, but if you don’t have enough, you can nestle the excess lime shells on top in between the others and they should sit still.

+ Next, break up the strawberry jelly a bit and put it into a heatproof measuring jug and then pour enough hot water over the jelly to reach 400ml in the jug.

+ Pick up the gelatine leaves – they will feel all soft. Gently squeeze out as much liquid as you can from them, discard the bowl of water and then put the soft gelatine leaves into the jelly and hot water. Leave to stand for a few minutes until everything begins to melt, then stir a little until everything is completely dissolved. Next, stir in the sugar, if using, until dissolved also.

+ Use the jelly to fill each lime shell right up to the very top so it is almost overflowing. Let them cool down for about 5 minutes and then whack them in the freezer for about 25 minutes to firm up (but not much longer or they will freeze!). They will set in the fridge also, but allow double the time.

+ Meanwhile, prepare the passion fruit by cutting it (or them) in half and scooping out the seeds onto kitchen paper. Dab the seeds dry with the paper and set them aside.

+ Halfway through the setting time (once the jellies are just beginning to firm up), remove them and carefully arrange the passion fruit seeds on top. Arrange about six seeds on each one, keeping them away from the middle as you will be cutting them in half later, and lightly press each one down a little so it will set into the jelly. Then return to the freezer until completely firm.

+ Once they are firm, remove them from the freezer. Then, using a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut them in half, straight down (again, lengthways), and there you have it!

Strawberry & mint mojitos

Ahh, mojitos. My Achilles heel, for sure. Whether they be alcoholic or virgin, I love these sugary South American drinks. Strawberries can be substituted with other fruit, such as blackberries or raspberries, and the rum replaced with extra soda water or lemonade for a non-alcoholic version.

Time from start to finish: 15 minutes

Makes: 4

Equipment: Four 350ml glasses, rolling pin, straws or cocktail stirrers

3 limes

8 tbsp demerara sugar

12 strawberries

400g crushed ice

Small handful of fresh mint

250ml white rum

250ml soda water or lemonade (or even Pimm’s)

+ Cut the limes into quarters lengthways and put three pieces in the bottom of each of four 350ml serving glasses. Make sure the glasses are wide enough to fit the end of a rolling pin in. (You’ll see why.)

+ Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar to each one. Then, using the end of a rolling pin, squash everything together to squeeze the lime juice out and mix with the sugar.

+ Hull the strawberries (cut out the green bit with the point of a sharp knife) and add three to each glass. Then very gently crush them a bit too.

+ Fill the glasses almost to the top with the crushed ice. Pick and reserve four nice mint sprigs from the bunch and then rip the remaining leaves off the stalks and scatter them onto the ice. Divide the rum evenly between the glasses and then top with the soda water or lemonade.

+ Mix everything together with a spoon, then add a sprig of mint to each glass and serve at once with a straw or cocktail stirrer popped in.

Lovely limoncello

To prepare the containers for this luscious lemon drink, sterilise a 1-litre glass bottle with a stopper or a Kilner jar in the dishwasher on the hottest wash, or carefully put them in just-boiled water (off the heat) for a couple of minutes and dry with a clean tea towel.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Infusing time: from 1 day to 3 months

Makes: 1 litre

Equipment: Medium pan, zester, 1-litre glass bottle with a stopper or a Kilner jar (sterilised), fine sieve

300g granulated sugar

200ml cold water

8 lemons

600ml vodka

+ Put the sugar in a medium pan over a low to medium heat with the water. Cook for a few minutes, giving it a stir from time to time, until the sugar has melted. Then turn up the heat, bring to the boil and leave to bubble away for 2 minutes.

+ Meanwhile, give the lemons a wash in hot soapy water to get rid of the shiny, waxy coating and then rinse and dry them well. Finely grate the zest, avoiding the white pith, and set aside.

+ Remove the syrup from the heat, carefully add the vodka and stir in the lemon zest.

+ Pour into the sterilised bottle or jar and leave to infuse for at least 1 day, but up to 3 months. The flavour will develop further the longer you leave it.

+ Once ready, strain the liquid through a fine sieve to remove the zest. Serve freezer cold.

Starters, snacks + soups

‘Believe deep down in your heart that you are destined to do great things.’

Joe Paterno

My first experience of soup was the rich, red tomato variety, poured straight from a can, but as I learned more about food, I began to see that there was so much more to soup than that. My idea of a soup is something jam-packed full of taste and texture, with layers and layers of flavour, which can be achieved in a reasonable time span for maximum impact. I love to make large batches of soup and pour some into a flask for part of my laptop lunch. Of course, other light bites such as Aussie Sweetcorn Breakfast Fritters are a must when a small meal is desired or as a precursor to a larger one. I wasn’t sure where on earth to put my Pizza Expressed Three Ways, and so placed it in this chapter for a pleasing light bite.

Starters, snacks + soups

Vegetarian mushroom & port ‘faux gras’ with tarragon & chestnuts

Pizza expressed three ways

Aussie sweetcorn breakfast fritters with avocado & rocket salad & sweet chilli jam

Simple salmon ceviche with tortilla chips

Gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham & maple syrup

Roasted new patatas & chorizo bravas with aïoli

Potato & leek vichyssoise with crispy bacon & chives

Thai chicken soup with coconut milk & ginger

Hot-and-sour king prawn soup

Red pepper, tomato & basil gazpacho with salt & pepper croutons

Broccoli & blue cheese soup with chive mascarpone & warm garlic bread

French onion & sage soup with big fat Gruyère & mustard croutons

Vegetarian mushroom & port ‘faux gras’ with tarragon & chestnuts

Great for presents, these will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. I have been known to give these little bad boys away as part of a hamper at Christmas and they are good to have on hand, year round, as a really tasty snack.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes (+ ideally 6 hours in the fridge)

Serves: 4

Equipment: Medium frying pan, food processor, 4 × 175ml ramekins

Oil

25g butter

2 shallots

3 garlic cloves

500g chestnut mushrooms

4 tbsp port (optional)

2 sprigs of fresh tarragon

100g cooked chestnuts (available vac packed or tinned from the supermarket)

300g cream cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Your favourite bread, crackers or breadsticks, to serve

+ Put a drizzle of oil and the butter in a medium frying pan over a low heat.

+ Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic and add to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring now and again, until soft and slightly golden.

+ Finely slice the mushrooms. Add them to the pan along with the port, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat to medium and cook for 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and all their liquid has evaporated.

+ Meanwhile, pick the leaves from one sprig of tarragon, divide the other sprig into four smaller pieces and then roughly chop the chestnuts.

+ Tip the cooked mushroom mixture into a food processor with the chestnuts, individual leaves of tarragon and the cream cheese. Blitz for a few minutes until really smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Have a taste of it and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

+ Divide between the ramekins, smooth their tops and place a tarragon sprig on top of each to decorate. Arrange them on a small tray or plate, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can also serve these straight away, but their texture will be much softer and flavour not so intense. Serve with your favourite bread, crackers or breadsticks.

Pizza expressed three ways

You can either make the dough from scratch for this pizza, which takes no time at all, or for an even speedier method, buy soft tortillas and use these as a base for the pizza instead of making your own.

Time from start to finish: 40 minutes (for all three pizza toppings)

or

Dough: 15 minutes prep

Toppings: 5 minutes per pizza

Time baking in the oven: 8–10 minutes

Makes: 3 thin 14 × 40cm pizza bases

Equipment: Large bowl, freestanding electric mixer fitted with the dough hook (optional), rolling pin, 3 baking sheets, clean tea towel (or cling film), scissors, blender, peeler

Pizza dough

300g strong bread flour, plus a little

extra for dusting

1 × 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast

1½ tsp salt

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling

175ml warm tap water (not too hot)

+ Preheat the oven to 240°C, (fan 220°C), 475°F, Gas Mark 9.

+ Put the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and the water. Then mix it all together with a wooden spoon to form a soft, slightly sticky ball.

+ At this stage I like to get my hands into the bowl and squidge everything together. Then throw a little flour on the work surface and knead the dough for 8 minutes by hand (or 4 minutes in a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a dough hook).

+ Divide the dough into three equal(ish) pieces and then use a rolling pin to roll each one out into roughly a 14 × 40cm rectangle. It will be really nice and thin. Put each rectangle on an oiled baking sheet and cover with a clean tea towel or some oiled cling film so they do not dry out while you prepare the toppings. There are three delicious toppings on the next page – each recipe provides enough to top one pizza base. You can make one pizza using the topping you like or make three to try each of them!

Harissa, chilli & sausage pizza with fennel seed & rocket

2 spring onions

1 red chilli (optional)

2 fat sausages

2 tbsp harissa paste (found in most supermarkets)

2 tsp fennel seed

A handful of wild rocket

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Harissa, chilli & sausage pizza with fennel seed & rocket

+ Trim and finely slice the spring onions (both the green and the white bits), then halve, deseed and finely slice the red chilli, if using, and set aside.

+ Snip the skin off the sausages and then peel it off or squeeze the sausage meat out. Break the sausage meat into small pieces.

+ Spread the harissa paste all over the pizza base. I like to leave a 1cm border, for aesthetic purposes only! Scatter over the onions, chilli, sausage meat and fennel seed and season with a little salt and pepper.

Goat’s cheese & sweet pepper pizza with chorizo

50ml passata

50g mild or hot Peppadew peppers (jars are available from most supermarkets, near the capers and vinegars!)

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 garlic clove

75g goat’s cheese

10 chorizo slices

Small handful of fresh basil leaves

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Goat’s cheese & sweet pepper pizza with chorizo

+ Put the passata and Peppadew peppers in a blender. Run your fingers down the length of the thyme sprigs to release their leaves, peel the garlic and add both to the blender. Blitz until smooth and then spread over the pizza base, leaving a 1cm border.

+ Break the goat’s cheese into small pieces and scatter over the pizza base along with the chorizo slices. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Feta, hummus & courgette pizza with balsamic drizzle & mint

100g hummus

100g feta cheese

½ small courgette

6 cherry tomatoes

Drizzle of balsamic glaze (found in the supermarket)

Extra virgin olive oil

Small handful of fresh mint leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Feta, hummus & courgette pizza with balsamic drizzle & mint

+ Spread the hummus over the base of the pizza and crumble the feta on top. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the courgette into long, thin strips. Keep going until all is used up and arrange these also. Halve the tomatoes, scatter them over and season with salt and pepper.

+ When you have topped the pizzas, bake each one in the oven for 8–10 minutes or until crispy and the sausage on the harissa, chilli & sausage pizza is cooked. Once cooked, scatter the rocket over. Scatter the basil leaves over the cooked goat’s cheese pizza and drizzle with a little oil. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the feta pizza with a good drizzle of olive oil, then scatter over the mint leaves. Serve the pizzas immediately.

Aussie sweetcorn breakfast fritters with avocado & rocket salad & sweet chilli jam

Peppadew peppers, which are used in this dish, are generally found in a jar near the capers in the supermarket. However, if you can’t find them, just use 100g of cherry tomatoes in their place (in addition to the cherry tomatoes already in the recipe), along with a bit of Tabasco.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Equipment: Colander, blender or food processor, medium pan, large frying pan, medium bowl or jug

Chilli jam

375g jar of mild or hot Peppadew peppers

125g cherry tomatoes

½ bag of fresh basil

6 tbsp caster sugar

Fritters

Sunflower oil

50g self-raising flour

50ml whole milk

1 egg

425g tin of sweetcorn

50g half- or full-fat crème fraîche, to serve

Avocado & rocket salad

1 ripe avocado

½ bag of rocket

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ First, prepare the chilli jam. Drain the Peppadew peppers well and put them in a blender or food processor with the cherry tomatoes. Rip the leaves from the basil stalks, add them too and blitz until smooth. Then tip into a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the caster sugar and bring to the boil.

+ Meanwhile, start on the fritters. Put a big drizzle of oil into a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Put the flour, milk and egg in a medium bowl or jug with a big pinch of salt and some pepper. Beat the mixture hard with a wooden spoon to get rid of any lumps. Drain the sweetcorn well, stir into the batter and set aside for a moment.

+ Once the chilli jam is boiling, turn down the heat and leave it to simmer away for 8 minutes, stirring it from time to time so that it does not catch on the bottom.

+ Once the oil in the frying pan is nice and hot, put four dollops of the fritter mix into the pan. Each one should be about 10cm in diameter and this uses all of the mixture up. Cook for about 3 minutes.

+ Meanwhile, cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. The easiest way to get the stone out is to put the blade of a sharp knife into the stone as if you were going to cut it in half. Then twist the knife a bit and the stone should just pop out. Peel off the skin and slice the flesh into long, thin strips. Arrange to one side of two serving plates and set aside for a moment.

+ The underside of the fritters should now be crisp and golden brown, so flip them over and leave to cook for another 3 minutes.

+ Pile the rocket into the centre of each plate, drizzle with a little oil and balsamic vinegar. Once the fritters are crisp and golden on the bottom, remove them from the heat and arrange two of them on each plate opposite the avocado. Dollop the crème fraîche beside them. Remove the now-reduced chilli jam from the heat and spoon a little onto each plate. Give a little twist of black pepper over everything and serve.

+ Any remaining chilli jam can be stored in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to one month. See the limoncello recipe for how to sterilise jars. It is also delicious served with meats and cheeses.

Simple salmon ceviche with tortilla chips

Use the freshest, freshest fish that you can find for this dish. Even go to the fishmonger if you have one near you and ask him for his finest catch. This is a wonderfully summery South American-style dish with lots of tang and spice. Sea bass, tuna, salmon, even scallops, can all be used here. You can either just buy a big bag of tortilla chips or, if you fancy making your own, they are very, very easy and I have included the recipe below.

Time from start to finish: 30 minutes if making your own tortilla chips (you actually only save 2–3 minutes if using shop-bought!)

Serves: 4

Equipment: 1–2 large baking sheets

Ceviche

3 × 125g (approx) really fresh, skinless, sustainably caught salmon fillets

3 spring onions

2cm piece of fresh ginger

1–2 red chillies (depending on how hot you like them)

1 avocado

1 squidge of honey (optional: a bit of sweetness for those with a sweet tooth!)

1 lime

½ orange

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Small handful of fresh mint leaves

Tortillas

4 corn or wheat tortillas, if making homemade tortilla chips

or

200g bag of tortilla crisps, if not Vegetable oil or oil spray (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ If home baking your own tortilla chips, then preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6.

+ Pull any bones from the salmon fillets and, using a sharp knife, remove any brown flesh from underneath. Cut them up as thinly as possible (no thicker than about 5mm) as if you were cutting a loaf of bread into slices. Arrange them in a single layer on a large serving platter.

+ Trim and finely slice the spring onion (both the green and the white bits), peel the ginger and chop it into thin sticks and then halve and finely slice the chillies, discarding the seeds. Scatter all three ingredients over the salmon.

+ Halve the avocado, discard the stone and carefully peel the skin off. Then turn each half cut side down and slice them really thinly lengthways. Arrange them over the salmon and drizzle the honey over, if using.

+ Squeeze the lime and orange juice over, making sure you cover all of the fish. Drizzle with some oil, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and then leave in the fridge to ‘cook’ for about 10 minutes.

+ If you are making tortilla chips, put the tortillas in a pile and cut them into 12 wedges as if you were cutting a cake. Lay them in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets. Drizzle or spray with some oil, if using (not essential but makes them a little tastier), and season with salt and pepper.

+ Put the tortillas in the oven for 5 minutes. I have a habit of not remembering they are in, though, and so I really have to keep an eye on them!

+ When the tortillas are crisp and golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minute before piling into a serving bowl. Or, if using shop-bought tortilla chips, simply empty them into the serving bowl.

+ When the ceviche is just turning a bit white at the edges, it is ready, so remove it from the fridge. Rip up the mint leaves, scatter them over and serve with the tortilla chips.

Gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham & maple syrup

Major brownie points are awarded to anyone who goes the extra mile on Sunday and rustles up this breakfast dish. If you prefer to have the pancakes plain, then just omit the cinnamon, ground ginger, lemon zest, vanilla and sugar; this plain mix can also be used for your Yorkshire puddings.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Large bowl, zester, large frying pan, 2 baking trays

225g self-raising flour

3 tbsp soft light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of salt

½ lemon

½ vanilla pod (or a couple of drops of vanilla extract) (optional)

300ml semi-skimmed milk

1 medium egg

Sunflower oil

12 slices of Parma ham (or bacon)

To serve

100ml maple syrup

100g sour cream or half- or full-fat crème fraîche

+ Preheat the oven to 110°C, (fan 90°C), 225°F, Gas Mark ½. This is to keep the pancakes warm, as they are cooked in batches.

+ Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a large bowl, give them a quick mix and make a well in the centre. Finely grate the lemon zest in. Split the vanilla pod open, scrape the seeds out and add them too (or vanilla extract, if using). Then gradually pour the milk in bit by bit, stirring all the time to give a smooth mixture. Beat the egg in well and set aside.

+ Put a drizzle of oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and cook the Parma ham (or bacon) for 2–3 minutes on each side until nice and crisp. Then remove with tongs and drain on kitchen paper. Tip onto a baking tray and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

+ Leave the pan on the heat, but reduce it to low and add a little bit more oil if need be. Then spoon in four dollops of the pancake mix (to spread to about 10cm wide). Leave to cook for 1–2 minutes until golden, then flip them over and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Slide them onto a baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Then repeat with the remaining mix to give 12 in total.

+ Once you have made all of the pancakes, divide them between four plates. I like to pile the Parma ham high on them, drizzle with the maple syrup and serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.

Roasted new patatas & chorizo bravas with aïoli

I went to a restaurant with my dad where we feasted on spicy patatas bravas, jamón ibérico that melted on the tongue like a fine butter and garlic prawns served simply with lime and fresh herbs. My dad (the Spanish teacher) was talking to the waiter who thought his Spanish was so good he was actually from Spain. Well, I just sat there beaming with pride. This is a recipe to remind me of that fantastic Friday lunch. There are many ways to make patatas bravas, and chorizo is not usually thrown in, but being a chorizo addict, totally entranced by its robust flavours, I just had to add some.

Time from start to finish: 25 minutes

Serves: 2

Equipment: Large roasting tin, medium pan

500g baby or new potatoes

Olive oil

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1–2 tsp smoked paprika

1–2 tsp caster sugar

150ml aïoli (shop-bought, or if you fancy making your own)

150g chorizo ring

A small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Preheat the oven to 220°C, (fan 200°C), 425°F, Gas Mark 7.

+ Put the potatoes into a large roasting tin. If using new potatoes (not ‘baby’), halve or quarter them first. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a good amount of oil. Roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes.

+ Pour the tomatoes into a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the vinegar, paprika and sugar to taste, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then bubble away for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

+ Meanwhile, make your aïoli and set aside or skip to the next step if using shop-bought.

+ Peel and chop the chorizo into chunky pieces and set aside.

+ Give the sauce a stir and check on the potatoes, tossing them about a bit. Add the chorizo to the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

+ The potatoes are cooked when crisp and golden outside and tender inside when pierced with a knife. Remove them from the oven and tip onto a serving platter for sharing. Take the now-reduced tomato sauce off the heat and add some salt and pepper if need be. Then pour it over the potatoes and top with the aïoli and tear over the parsley leaves. Sometimes in Spain this is served with cocktail sticks. Wonderful!

Potato & leek vichyssoise with crispy bacon & chives

It has been said that this soup comes from Vichy in France, but rumour has it that the chef who created it had some Vichy roots and the link is no more than that. It is supposed to be served cold, but personally I am not one for cold potato soup. So I turned up the heat and added one of my favourite ingredients, bacon, which has been crisped up to within a very inch of its life, adding some welcome crunch and saltiness, along with a drizzle of cream and a few snips of chives.

Time from start to finish: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Large pan, small frying pan, stick or standard blender, scissors

50g butter

2 large leeks

2 large floury potatoes

100ml white wine

1 litre good-quality chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)

75g oak-smoked bacon lardons or cubed pancetta

A little double cream (optional)

Small handful of fresh chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Put a large pan on a low heat with the butter. While it is heating up, trim the leeks, remove any tough outer leaves, split them in half lengthways and wash really well before finely slicing. Add to the pan and cook gently for about 10 minutes until really soft, stirring from time to time.

+ Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Add to the leeks (once they are cooked) along with the wine. Allow the wine to bubble down for 2–3 minutes before adding the stock and some salt and pepper. Then turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Let the soup bubble away for 10–15 minutes until the potato is nice and tender.

+ While the soup is cooking, place a small frying pan on a high heat. Once hot, add the bacon (or pancetta) lardons and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until crisp and golden. Spoon onto kitchen paper to drain, and set aside.

+ Using a stick blender, carefully blitz the now-cooked soup until really smooth. A jug blender does the trick also; just be careful to blend in a couple of batches.

+ Taste the soup, adding more salt and pepper if you think it needs it (but allowing for the saltiness of the bacon) and then ladle into four serving bowls. Swirl a little cream on top of each, if using, snip the chives over and finally scatter with the cooked lardons to serve.

Thai chicken soup with coconut milk & ginger

A smoother-than-velvet Thai-style soup with an orchestra of flavours going on inside. If you can get your hands on fresh kaffir lime leaves that would be great; the dried ones can be found in the herbs and spices section in the supermarket, or use frozen.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Large pan or wok

Vegetable oil

1 lemongrass stalk

2 garlic cloves

5cm piece of fresh ginger

Large handful of fresh coriander

3 kaffir lime leaves (fresh, frozen or dried)

2 × 400ml tins of coconut milk

300ml good-quality chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)

1 red chilli

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 bunch of spring onions

2 limes

2–3 tbsp fish sauce

1–2 tsp caster sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan or wok on a medium heat.

+ Trim the lemongrass stalk and discard any tough outer leaves before finely chopping the white bit (discard the green bit as it can be quite bitter). Peel and finely chop the garlic and then peel the ginger and cut it into thin slivers. Chop the stalks off the coriander (in one go) and then finely slice them (keeping the coriander leaves aside for later).

+ Carefully toss them all in the hot oil with the kaffir lime leaves and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, being careful that nothing catches and burns.

+ Next add the coconut milk and stock and leave to come to the boil.

+ Meanwhile, halve the chilli lengthways and then finely slice it, leaving the seeds in if you like it quite fiery. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add both ingredients to the now-boiled soup. Reduce the heat a little and leave it to bubble away for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

+ Finely slice the spring onions (both the green and the white bits), juice the limes and roughly chop half of the reserved coriander leaves. Add these once the chicken is cooked and then leave to simmer for a final minute. Finally, add enough fish sauce and sugar to taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

+ Ladle into four serving bowls, scatter the remaining coriander leaves over and serve.

Hot-and-sour king prawn soup

A light, lucid soup with fragrant Asian flavours and succulent blushing prawns. Definitely one for a packed lunch.

Time from start to finish: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Equipment: Medium pan with lid

500ml good-quality fish or chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)

1–2 red chillies (depending on how hot you like them)

1 lemongrass stalk

Small handful of fresh coriander

2 kaffir lime leaves (fresh, frozen or dried)

3 tbsp fish sauce

12 sustainably caught raw king prawns, shell off

2 limes

1–2 tsp caster sugar

+ Pour the stock into a medium pan on a high heat and cover with the lid (so it heats up more quickly).

+ Meanwhile, slice, deseed and finely chop the chillies, finely slice the lemongrass (the white bit only) and coriander stalks (reserving the leaves).

+ Once the stock has come to the boil, add them to the pan along with the kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce and cover again with the lid. Turn the heat down a little and leave to simmer for 4–5 minutes.

+ Add the prawns and continue to simmer for another minute or so until the prawns turn pink.

+ Then finish with the coriander leaves, juice of the limes and sugar to taste.

+ Ladle into two serving bowls and serve.

Red pepper, tomato & basil gazpacho with salt & pepper croutons

Every summer I book myself and the family on Britain’s favourite orange airline and head south to Spain. Circling high above Barcelona’s La Rambla, which leads down to the sparkling sapphire blue surf, I know that very soon I will be among the bustling throng of beautiful bronzed bodies, sipping on a bubbling cava, dipping hunks of just-cooked bread in hot sizzling oil full of garlicky prawns and diving my spoon into a perfect bowl of that intensely flavoured, cooling Spanish soup.

Time from start to finish: 15 minutes

Chilling time: 30 minutes in the freezer (or 1 hour in the fridge)

Serves: 4–6

Equipment: Blender or food processor, large jug, baking tray

Gazpacho

1kg ripe vine-ripened tomatoes

2 red peppers

1 garlic clove

½ bag of fresh basil

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 tsp sherry vinegar

A few shakes of Tabasco sauce

Pinch of sugar

5cm piece of cucumber

Handful of ice cubes

Croutons

1 ciabatta roll (about 90g)

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6.

+ Roughly chop the tomatoes, halve and deseed the peppers, snapping them into a few pieces, and peel the garlic. Pick the leaves from the basil stalks, reserve a small handful for garnish and put the rest in a blender or food processor with the tomatoes, peppers and garlic. Then add the oil, sherry vinegar, Tabasco, sugar and some salt and pepper and blitz until as smooth as possible.

+ Taste, adding a little more Tabasco or seasoning if you think it needs it. Pour into a large jug, cover with cling film and put in the freezer for 30 minutes (or the fridge for 1 hour) to cool right down.

+ Cut the ciabatta up into bite-sized cubes, scatter them on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 6 minutes.

+ Meanwhile, cut the cucumber into little cubes and set these aside.

+ Remove the croutons from the oven once they are crisp and golden and set aside until ready to serve.

+ When ready to serve, divide the soup between the serving bowls. Sprinkle the cucumber over, pop a few ice cubes in each one, scatter the croutons and reserved basil on top and drizzle with a little oil.

Broccoli & blue cheese soup with chive mascarpone & warm garlic bread

Roquefort is the cheese to go for if you like this super-strong, or you can keep it British with some good old Stilton. Either way, I really like the combination of a blue cheese with some broccoli – definitely one of my top 10 favourite flavour combos. A lovely filling winter soup.

Time from start to finish: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Equipment: Large pan with lid, 2 small bowls, baking tray, blender

Soup

Vegetable oil

1 large leek

1 large potato

900ml good-quality chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)

1 whole head of broccoli

150g strong blue cheese, such as

Stilton or Roquefort

Accompaniments

3 garlic cloves

Small handful of fresh chives

50g softened butter

1 French baguette

6 tbsp mascarpone

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Put a drizzle of oil into a large pan over a medium heat and while this heats up, top and tail the leek, discarding most of the dark green bit. Then slit it lengthways, discard the hard outer leaves and wash under the cold tap. Finely slice and add to the pan, then give them a stir and leave to cook for about 10 minutes.

+ Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter. Peel and finely chop the garlic and finely chop the chives. Put all of the garlic and half of the chives into a small bowl with the softened butter and some salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.

+ Returning to the soup, peel and chop the potato into 1cm cubes and add to the softened leeks, along with the chicken stock. Turn up the heat and put the lid on to help bring it up to the boil quickly.

+ Once this is boiling remove the lid, reduce the heat a little and leave to simmer away for 10 minutes or so.

+ Preheat the oven to 180°C, (fan 160°C), 350°F, Gas Mark 4 for the garlic bread.

+ Roughly chop the broccoli (including the stalk) and add to the soup for the last 5 minutes or so.

+ Now, divide the baguette into three even-sized pieces and split each one in half as if you were making a sandwich. Pop the bread, cut side up, on a baking tray and put in the oven for 5 minutes. (I have to really keep an eye on it as I sometimes don’t remember that it is in there!)

+ Meanwhile, put the remaining chives in a small bowl with the mascarpone. Season with salt and pepper and stir together once (otherwise it might go grainy), then set aside.

+ Remove the toasted bread from the oven, slather the cut sides with the garlic butter and return it to the oven for a further 4–5 minutes.

+ Once the soup is ready, check the potatoes and broccoli are cooked through and remove from the heat. Carefully blend the soup until smooth. Crumble in the blue cheese, give the soup another quick blitz and then season to taste.

+ Divide the soup between six serving bowls. Add a dollop of the chive mascarpone to each. Remove the garlic bread from the oven and serve a piece with each one.

French onion & sage soup with big fat Gruyère & mustard croutons

I really do love a good bowl of French onion soup. Of course the best soups are made with the very best stock: a rich, thick beef stock that has been cooked for hours, so deep in flavour I could do a little dance. This is best made with a fresh stock from the butcher, but a supermarket one (not from concentrate) will do just fine too. I sometimes stick the cooked soup in a flask to have when I am on the go. A lovely luscious lunchtime treat.

Time from start to finish: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Large pan with lid, food processor fitted with the slicing blade attachment (optional), baking sheet, grater

Vegetable oil

Knob of butter

4 big onions

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves

Small handful of fresh sage leaves

1 tbsp plain flour

1 litre good-quality beef stock

Small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley

Croutons

1 demi-baguette

75g Gruyère cheese (or Parmesan works well too)

Big pinch of English mustard powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Place a large pan on a medium heat with a drizzle of oil and the butter. Peel and very finely slice the onions. This is a bit of a task, but using a food processor fitted with the slicing blade attachment should make things a bit easier.

+ Add the onions to the pan with the bay leaf, pop the lid on and leave to cook for about 25 minutes until soft. Give them a good stir every now and then so they don’t burn. If they look like they are catching at any time, just add a little more oil.

+ Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic, then finely chop the sage leaves and set both aside.

+ Preheat the oven to 150°C, (fan 130°C), 300°F, Gas Mark 2. Trim the baguette ends, cut it into eight thick slices (about 2.5cm thick) and lay them out on a baking sheet.

+ Next, roughly grate the Gruyère cheese (or Parmesan), sprinkle the mustard powder over, if using, and toss it all about to mix together. Then spread it evenly over the tops of the bread slices.

+ Check on the onions, giving them a good stir every now and then.

+ Once the onions are a few minutes off being ready, place the croutons into the oven to bake for about 4–5 minutes. You could also grill them for about 5 minutes if you prefer.

+ Once the onions are lovely and soft, add the garlic, sage and flour, giving them a good stir in. Pour in the beef stock, put the lid back on, increase the heat and bring the soup up to the boil. Then leave it to bubble away for 2–3 minutes before removing it from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

+ Remove the crisp, melted-cheese-topped croutons from the oven. Pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves.

+ Divide the soup between four wide serving bowls and serve with the croutons either sitting right on top of the soup or to the side of the bowl. Scatter the parsley over and serve.

Salads

‘I am easily satisfied with the very best.’

Winston Churchill

I remember when a salad used to be a not-so-pretty-looking piece of iceberg lettuce, a few slivers of cucumber with a plump, round tomato quartered and scattered on top. Oh, how things have moved on! There is an incredible array of salad leaves, veg and even fruit now available since those heady days of big Afros and flared trousers, and in order to counterbalance my penchant for all things sweet, I tend to whip up a fast and fresh salad several times a week.

Salads

Mango, feta & avocado salad with fresh lime juice

Wild Waldorf salad with toasted walnuts & Granny Smiths

Courgette ‘pappardelle’ with asparagus, avocado salad & rocket

Thai beef salad with roasted peanuts & chilli dressing

Prawn Caesar salad with olive oil croutons & pomegranates

Mackerel salad with horseradish crème fraîche

Nifty Niçoise salad with hot-smoked trout & sundried tomatoes

The Union cobb

Mango, feta & avocado salad with fresh lime juice

Mangoes are not the cheapest things to buy, and nor is their comrade the avocado pear. But once in a while, a tasty tropical treat for me is a necessity. In one of the many places that I love, Sri Lanka, the avocados grow in abundance. Early in the morning, I would wake up, grab my friend and stand ready under the avo tree. After a gentle shake, dozens of these emerald green fruits would come tumbling to the ground. Sitting in my kitchen back in London with the holiday blues, I devised this recipe as a way of transporting me back to the exotic, calming world that is Sri Lanka’s southern coast. I found the pea shoots in the supermarket near me – they are little baby leaves, very cute and tasty. If you can’t find them, wild rocket is fine to use instead.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Large serving platter

2 × 250g packs of ready-prepared mango cubes (or 2 large ripe mangoes)

200g feta cheese

4 radishes

1 ripe avocado

Small handful of fresh basil

1 bag of pea shoots (or wild rocket)

A drizzle of a really good extra virgin olive oil

1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Tip the mango onto a large serving platter. (I do love some prepared mango, at times!) Or if using whole mangoes, slice the two cheeks off either side of the stone. Cut them in half and then run the knife through the flesh close to the skin to peel it, as you would with a melon. Dice the flesh into bite-sized pieces and scatter onto the big serving platter. I like to go back and slice off the remaining skinny bits of mango and do the same thing with them so as not to waste any.

+ Crumble the feta cheese over. Top and tail the radishes and then slice them as fine as you can get them before scattering them over also.

+ Cut the avocado in half and discard the stone. I put the blade of a knife into it and then give it a twist – the stone usually comes out beautifully. Then carefully peel away the skin and slice or dice up the avocado and add to the salad.

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