Ingredients

2 Slices of good sourdough bread

2 tbsp of good mayo (I love Ballymaloe)

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 pack of thinly sliced American-style bacon

Handful of fresh spinach

1 handful of sweet cherry tomatoes

Method

Get your frying pan really hot with a drop of olive oil in teh oan, when hot, add your bacon slices and cook on high until they are really crispy all over and a lovely burnished shade. Take off and drain on kitchen paper. Pop your bread on to toast; now add the tomatoes straight into the pan with the lovely bacon juices and fry off for 3-4 mins until softened and starting to brown.

To make your sandwich, spread each slice of toast generously with the mayo and spread the mustard over, place the spinach leaves down one side and the tomato and bacon on the other side, put the slices together and enjoy!

Ingredients

100g Linguini

6 Gambas in their shells

1 large clove of garlic crushed

8 cherry tomatoes halved

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

4 anchovies chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

dash of white wine

Prawn Stock

Prawn shells

1/2 pint of water

2 tbsp Olive Oil

75mls white wine

1tbsp tomato puree

Method

Start by making the prawn stock, peel the shells of the raw prawn and put the prawn meat into a separate bowl. Heat the olive oil and add the shells and fry off for a few mins then add the tomato puree and cook off for a few mins. Then add the white wine and reduce to burn off the alcohol before adding the prawn shells. Reduce for about 8-10 minutes on high so its boiling and reducing. Strain out the prawn shells and set aside

Put your Linguini on to cook in plenty of boiling salted water. In a pan heat the olive oil before adding your garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes. Cook off for 1-2 minutes then add the tomatoes halved and cook off until they are softened and starting to get a little colour, now add the strained prawn stock and reduce for 6-8 minutes until half the volume and its starting to come together like a sauce. Now strain your pasta which should be al dente and add straight into the pan with the sauce, holding back half a ladle of pasta cooking water, toss the pasta and sauce together for a minute and heat until well mixed and the sauce is emulsified and sticking to the pasta. Serve in a bowl with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or basil and a nice drizzle of olive oil.

PS If you are cheeky like me a little sprinkle of grated parmesan also is delicious, don’t tell the Italians - they will be horrified!!

Ingredients

• 100g firm white fish – cod, hake or haddock, cut into small chunks

• 80g salmon, cut into small chunks

• 70g raw peeled prawns – roughly 6–8 medium prawns

• 250g seafood in total

Creamy sauce

• 15g butter

• 15g plain flour

• 150ml milk

• 50ml double cream

• 1 tbsp dry white wine

• 1 small shallot, very finely chopped

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• Small squeeze of lemon juice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Gratin topping

• 25g fresh breadcrumbs

• 20g finely grated Gruyere

• 10g butter, melted

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

• A little lemon zest

Method

Gently soften the shallot in a little of the butter, add the wine and allow it to reduce. Make your white sauce with the remaining butter, flour and milk, then stir in the cream, Dijon, parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Season well.

Divide the raw white fish, salmon and prawns between the two shells, spoon over enough sauce to generously coat everything, then scatter over your breadcrumb-Parmesan topping. I’m deliberately keeping everything raw so as not to overcook it and when cooked everything will be tender and delicious and fish needs so little cooking!

Bake at around 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / 425°F / Gas 7 for approximately 10–12 minutes, until bubbling and beautifully golden on top. If necessary, give them another minute or two under the grill for colour. Serve one each as a starter or two if for one as a main course with a nice side salad and some crusty bread!

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (you can freeze or keep the other to cook the next day)

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 jar of green pesto sauce

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Some Dijon mustard for spreading on the chicken breasts

½ cup of parmesan cheese, finely grated

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

½ cup of cream

Method

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375°F (190 °C). Take the chicken breasts and spread with the Dijon mustard just to thinly cover each breast; this basically acts like a glue for the breadcrumbs to stick, but also gives a lovely flavour. Now,w in a mixing bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a greased baking tray and spoon the breadcrumb mixture over each chicken breast, covering the breast generously and all over so there are no gaps of chicken. Now place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25-30 mins until the chicken is fully cooked through. Keep warm.

For the sauce, mix the jar of pesto with the vinegar and cream and heat gently until combined and gently simmerin;, check the seasoning. To serve, slice the chicken into three slices and display on the plate; pour over the basil sauce. Serve with new potatoes or rice.

Serves 2

Ingredients

175g Spaghetti

1 Large courgette very thinly sliced

1 clove of garlic

80g of Chorizo finley chopped into shards

1 ladle of pasta water

2 tbsp of toasted pine nuts

1 tbsp thick Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

Freshly grated parmesan

Handful of fresh basil

Method

Put the Spaghetti on to cook in a large pan of boiling salted water. Start by finely slicing the courgette, then cut it down the middle longways and slice into half-moon shapes, ideally using a mandolin so they're very thin. Chop the chorizo into thin shards, and chop one clove of garlic. In a large pan, heat your olive oil, add the chorizo and stir around until it starts to crisp up and release the lovely paprika oil.

Add in the thinly sliced courgettes and stir over a medium heat until it softens into the chorizo mix; add the chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 mins. Now add the cooked spaghetti to the courgette mix and add a ladle of the pasta water; reduce for 2-3 mins and simmer until the mixture starts to emulsify into a sauce. Take the pan off the heat and add the Greek yoghurt before adding the chopped basil and mix well.

Divide the pasta between two bowls, sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and parmesan and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 375g ready-rolled light puff pastry

• 250g (8oz) ricotta cheese

• 50g parmesan cheese, grated

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 3 courgettes, cut into thin rounds

• 2 tbsp pine nuts

• handful of fresh mint, chopped

• 2 tbsp grated parmesan extra

Method

1. Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and leave to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C and line a large baking tray with a piece of nonstick baking paper.

2. Unroll the pastry onto the baking tray. Score a 1cm (1⁄2in) border around the edge of the pastry with a sharp knife.

3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, the grated parmesan and the egg. Add the chopped mint and season well. Spread the mixture over the pastry, avoiding the border.

4. Top the tart with the thin courgette slices and scatter over the extra cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and return the tart to the oven for 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Ingredients

1 oz butter

1oz Flour

1/2 pint of milk

2 tbsp tomato puree

4 eggs separated

Salt and pepper

Filling

2 medium courgettes grated

1 oz of butter

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp sour cream

1 small onion chopped

2 tbsp of chopped dill

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6.

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. In a saucepan melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux, cook it for a minute until it goes a sandy colour. Add the milk slowly to make a bechamel sauce, season well with salt and pepper and leave to cool slightly. Then stir in the tomato puree and mix well, leave to cool. Meanwhile separate the eggs, mix the four egg yolks into the cooled bechamel mix and set aside. Beat the four egg whites in a large bowl until firm peaks form, fold these into the tomato sauce mix very gently so as not to loose the air in the mix. Spread the tomato roulade mixture on the prepared baking tray and spread out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 mins until its puffed up nicely and is lightly browned, there may be a few cracks in the roulade as it rises which is fine. Leave to cool.

For the filling, melt the chopped onion in a large pan, soften for 2-3 mins before adding the courgettes, cook down on a medium heat until softened and then add the mustard and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Add the sour cream and simmer gently for about 7-8 mins until it has reduced and thickened a bit and there is no water left from the courgettes, add the chopped dill. Leave the mixture to cool.

Once totally cold, lift the cooled roulade onto a sheet of baking paper, flip it over so the cooked side is facing down, very gently peel off the baking parchment. Spread the cold courgette mixture onto the roulade and spread evenly, then gently roll up the roulade like a Swiss roll and place on a long narrow plate. Put it into the fridge to firm up for a few hours and enjoy.

This freezes really well so just wrap in foil and put it in the freezer or you can wrap in individual portions.

Ingredients

600g minced lamb

2 medium-sized aubergines

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped small

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 cup of fresh mint, chopped

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 rounded tablespoons tomato purée

1 large glass of red wine

salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the topping:

9 oz (250 g) ricotta

10 fl oz (275 ml) whole milk

1 oz (25 g) plain flour

1 oz (25 g) butter

¼ whole nutmeg, grated

1 bay leaf

1 large egg

2 level tbsp grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

salt and freshly milled black pepper

Method

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

Slice the aubergines into approximately 4cm chunks and spread them out in a single layer on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season lightly, and toss until evenly coated. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the aubergines are tender and lightly browned around the edges.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for around 5 minutes, until softened. Increase the heat, add the minced lamb and cook for a few minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until nicely browned.

In a small bowl, combine the chopped mint, parsley, cinnamon, tomato purée and red wine. Pour the mixture into the pan with the lamb, season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it catching on the bottom of the pan.

Remove the aubergines from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

To make the topping, place the milk, flour, butter, nutmeg and bay leaf in a saucepan. Whisk continuously over a medium heat until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer and thickens to a smooth, glossy consistency. Reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf, season to taste, then leave the sauce to cool slightly before whisking in the ricotta and egg until smooth.

Place the roasted aubergines at the base of an oiled oven dish and spoon over the lamb mixture, spreading it evenly. Pour the ricotta topping evenly over the surface and finish with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

Bake for 50 minutes, until the topping is golden and bubbling. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving with a crisp Greek salad.

Ingredients

1 Steak

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

½ red pepper cut into strips

¼ cucumber, cut into strips

Some chopped salad leaves

125g fine egg noodles

Dressing

4 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. honey

2 tsp peanut butter

2 tbsp Fish Sauce

½ red chili deseeded and finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

Juice of a Lime

Handful of coriander with stalks

1 knob of fresh ginger

1tbsp of toasted sesame oil

Some coriander leaves to serve

Method

Cook the noodles according to instructions; once cooked, drain and refresh with cold water; set aside. To make the dressing, blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor until well combined; then taste and adjust the seasoning. Prepare all your raw vegetables and set aside. Get your frying pan hot with a tablespoon of oil in the pan and sear the steak for 2-3 mins and then cover with foil and rest for ten minutes. Once rested, slice the steak as thinly as you can with a sharp knife.

On a large plate, put the chopped salad leaves, and place a bundle of cooked egg noodles on top. Scatter the pepper, onion and cucumber on top of the noodles in a freestyle way.

Now do the same with the beef slices, finely pour over the dressing generously and serve immediately, sprinkled with some fresh coriander.

Ingredients

Dressing

4 tbsp low-fat yoghurt

1tsp Dijon Mustard

4 Anchovies

1tbsp Mayonaise

2tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg yolk

Salad

2 cups of cooked chicken

1/2 Avocado cubed

1 cup of grapes/halved and deseeded

1 apple cubed

1/2 cup of walnuts or other nuts

Fresh mint or other herb

1 stick of celery, sliced (Optional)

Cos Lettuce to serve

Method

Blitz all the ingredients for the dressing and pour into a jug. In a large bowl, mix the cooked chicken and all the other salad ingredients. Put some cos lettuce leaves on a plate and spoon over the delicious salad, sprinkle with your favourite herb and serve.

This dish was inspired by a holiday in Barbados. We ate a similar dish, which was Mahi Mahi topped with a creamy crab coating; it was truly delicious. As this is baked in the oven, it makes sense to use a firm fish like turbot or halibut or salmon, as I have used, which is also a bit cheaper! It’s also yummy served on top of my mint puree and some potato salad, which is really summery! Use the leftover crab in a sandwich the next day!

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5, 375 F 190 C.

Ingredients

1 portion of fresh salmon

2 tbsp. fresh crab

1 tbsp. of mayonnaise

1 tbsp. fresh coriander chopped

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. fresh breadcrumbs (ideally kept in your freezer)

Pea and Mint Puree

Bag of frozen peas

1 handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

1/4 cup of cream

salt and pepper

Method

Mix the crab, breadcrumbs, mayo, chopped coriander and mustard together in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the crab mixture over the salmon and press down firmly so it forms a blanket on top of the fish. Now chill in the fridge for 15 mins to firm up before cooking.

In the meantime, make the pea puree by boiling your frozen peas for 2-3 minutes, straining, and leaving to cool. Then, in a blender, mix with the fresh mint, cream and a good seasoning until a lovely thick mixture. This will make more than you need, but it will keep in the fridge happily for a number of days.

Ingredients

1 pound of fresh mussels

¼ pint of reduced-fat coconut milk

1 large clove of garlic

1 tbsp of sugar

1 knob of fresh ginger

1 red chilli, deseeded

1 cup of fresh coriander

1 stick of lemongrass

A little oil

Skinny French fries to serve

Method

On a chopping board, finely chop the chilli, garlic, lemongrass and ginger. Heat some oil in a large saucepan, add these chopped ingredients and stir around in the oil for a few minutes, pour in the cleaned mussels and stir around to coat the mussels, lower the heat and add the coconut milk. Put a top on the saucepan and steam the mussels for about 5 minutes until all the mussels are cooked and have opened. Now, with a slotted spoon, take the mussels out of the pan and reduce the sauce a little, check the seasoning and add the spoon of sugar. When the sauce has thickened a little, add the mussels back in and then add the fresh chopped coriander; stir the mussels around to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately with some nice thin crispy chips or crusty bread to mop up the juices.

I couldn’t have a pasta section without including our family’s favourite recipe. We ate this every Saturday night for as long as I can remember, usually in front of Jim’ll Fix on BBC 1 or the Generation Game when we were very young! It is the most flavoursome and delicious Bolognese sauce I have ever had, as she uses a lot of tomatoes and a generous glug of red wine. I have used normal quantities for the full recipe, as you can freeze it in individual portions or use portions to make your own individual Lasagna. So you can freeze individual portions in little freezer bags, and dinner is nearly ready once you boil some pasta; it freezes really well. I also add milk for the last 20 minutes of cooking as this really enriches it and tenderises the meat!

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds of round steak mince

3 tins of chopped tomatoes

3 small tins of tomato puree

3 cloves of garlic

2 finely chopped onions

2 large glasses of good red wine

1/4 pint of milk

A little oil

2 tsp sugar

Method

Firstly, heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid. When it is spitting, add the onions and garlic and lower the heat slightly; cook for a few moments until softened. Now add the mince and cook until well broken up and browned all over; reduce the heat again and add the tomatoes, puree and red wine. Mix it well, bring to the boil and season well with salt and pepper, add the sugar, as this helps to bring out the tomato flavour. At this stage, clamp the lid on top and put it in the oven for about 45 mins. Take it out at this stage and give it a good stir, add in the milk and stir again, and place back in the oven for another 40 mins. Keep an eye on it and stir throughout the cooking. What you want is a really well-reduced sauce that is jammy and thick in texture. Serve with pasta or freeze in portions! Enjoy.

A perennial pasta favourite with most people, a little naughty with egg yolks, cheese and cream, but hey, everything in moderation as they say including moderation! I am not sure people realise how incredibly easy this is to make from scratch so there is really no excuse to use any packet. As always, do try and use the best quality pancetta or bacon and always free range or organic eggs as fresh as possible.

Ingredients

2 egg yolks

½ cup of cream (light if you can)

2 oz of chopped pancetta or chopped streaky rashers

½ cup of finely grated parmesan or a very mature cheddar

100g Spaghetti

Lots of black pepper

Method

In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and grated parmesan and set aside. Put your spaghetti on to cook. In a nonstick frying pan, heat the pancetta with no oil on a high heat until it is really crispy; at this stage add the cream and reduce for a few minutes. Give it a good grinding of black pepper and set aside. Once the pasta is cooked, drain, leaving 2 tbsp of pasta water back and add to the saucepan (off the heat now) with cream and bacon, then add the egg yolks and cheese straight onto the hot pasta as well and mix well. Add a really good grind of black pepper. It will be really saucy, and the heat will have the egg yolks cooked. Serve in a bowl immediately.

This is a really nice tasty way to cook chicken thighs, which are cheap and easy to find. I am a big fan of using chicken thighs over breasts, especially in slow- or oven-cooked dishes. They keep their moisture much better than breasts and don’t dry out as much; they also have a really good chicken flavour.

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs skinned

1 oz of flour

2 lemons, zest and squeezed

6 cloves of garlic with skins left on

2 tbsp of honey

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 handful of fresh basil

Oil for frying

Method

Heat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375 F 190 C. Dip the chicken thighs in the flour until completely coated. Heat some oil in a pan until hot, add the chicken and seal gently on each side just to get a bit of colour, they will cook in the oven properly, so this is just to brown them.. Set them aside; in a bowl mix the lemon juice, zest, soy sauce and honey until combined, pour this back into the same pan that you fried the chicken in; this will deglaze the pan and help to lift the meaty bits that have stuck to the pan. Simmer this sauce gently for a few minutes and then add the chicken back into the pan with the garlic cloves in their skins, season generously with salt and pepper and place the chicken in an ovenproof dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the chicken is browned and sticky. 10 minutes before the end of cooking ass the torn basil leaves and mix into the chicken. Serve the chicken with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread for mopping up.

Ingredients
4 cups of Organic Porridge Oats
1 Cup desiccated coconut
1tbsp Ground Cinnamon
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 cups of flaked almonds
1 cup chopped walnuts
2tbsp coconut oil, melted

Melt the coconut oil until liquid in the microwave or in a pan; melt the honey down the same way so it is liquid, and you can stir easily into the mix. In a large bowl, mix all the granola ingredients together until well combined. Spread on a baking tray with some greaseproof paper on the base and bake for 15 mins in a hot oven, 190 fan oven, but keep an eye on it as it browns quickly. Halfway through, turn the granola over on the tray so it gets evenly golden brown.

Take out, cool and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!! Let me know what you think!! 😊

This is another of those dishes I whipped up one evening when there wasn’t much in the house. Chorizo, as I said earlier is one of those brilliant store cupboard ingredients that adds spice and flavour to everything. When you heat it, the delicious smoked paprika oil comes out and coats the pasta beautifully. For texture I added toasted breadcrumbs and pine nuts.

Ingredients

2 oz of Spanish chorizo, roughly chopped

½ cup of breadcrumbs

1 small clove of garlic, thinly sliced

A little olive oil

2 tbsp pine nuts

½ cup of fresh basil, torn

A little parmesan for serving

Method

Put the spaghetti on to cook as normal. In a frying pan, heat a little oil and add the sliced garlic; stir for a few minutes on a medium heat. Now add the chorizo and heat until it starts to crisp up and release oil. In a separate pan, heat some oil until hot and add the breadcrumbs; stir around until the crumbs begin to brown and go crispy. Add the pine nuts and stir again until they go golden. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain and pour the spaghetti into the pan with the chorizo and garlic. Add a small bit more olive oil if it is too dry, then add the breadcrumbs and pine nuts and the fresh basil, toss it well to combine. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan on top.

This is soo simple it hardly needs a recipe, but it’s another classic that my sister and I used to knock up when mum and dad were out, and there was no food in the house! It relies on store cupboard ingredients and is really really tasty.

Ingredients

2 oz butter

2fl oz single cream (light if you can)

½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

Black pepper

Spaghetti

Method

In a saucepan melt the butter and cream together on a low heat until emulsified and combined, add the parmesan and a good grinding of black pepper and heat until the cheese is melted, do not allow it to boil or it will separate. Once the pasta is cooked add it to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with some extra parmesan on top and more black pepper if you like.

Tip: If you have some leftover vegetables like asparagus or peas, these can be cooked and added to the pasta at the end. If the asparagus is raw, put it in to cook with the pasta about 2 mins before the end of the cooking.

This is an old favourite that I have been cooking since I was a teenager. I found it once in an Italian cookbook, and it has been cooked ever since. It is again an ideal pasta for one, particularly as you can buy the very small tins of tuna now, which should suffice nicely for this, though the regular size will probably work better! I like to use tagliatelle for this recipe as the sauce sticks well to this type of pasta.

Ingredients

1 tin of tuna in oil

1 cup of mushrooms (ideally chestnut ones with a bit of flavour)

1 tbsp tomato puree

Knob of butter

½ cup of single cream

1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley to serve

Spaghetti

A little parmesan to serve

Method

In a saucepan, melt the butter and, when foaming, add the onion, toss until softened slightly and then add the mushrooms and then the tuna. Mix on a medium heat for a few minutes, then season. Add the cream and reduce a little, then add the tomato puree and cook down for a few more minutes until all well combined and reduced and thickened a little. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the saucepan with the sauce, add the parsley, toss through and serve with a little parmesan if you like.

This is one of those sauces I discovered by accident whilst experimenting one evening. I am a big fan of aubergines; they are surprisingly versatile, but I think some people are scared of cooking them or tend to think they are tough and rubbery. There is a technique called “degorger” in French, which is when you salt the aubergines to release their bitter juices; the same is often done with courgettes. Again, I do not feel this is wholly necessary, as if you roast them in the oven, they become soft and melt in the mouth. Aubergines are like sponges with oil, so I find this way of roasting them doesn’t use up quite as much.

Ingredients

1 aubergine

A little olive oil

½ cup white wine

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste

1 handful of fresh basil, torn

Spaghetti

Method

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5, 375 F 190 C. Place the aubergine whole as it is straight onto a baking rack. Let it roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until it starts to shrivel up like a prune. Take the aubergine out and rest to cool on a plate. Once cool, slice in half and scoop out the lovely soft flesh. In a saucepan, heat some olive oil and add the garlic and aubergine mixture; stir around for a few moments and season with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and the tomato paste and reduce for a few moments, then add the basil. Take it off the heat to cool slightly, then blend with a hand blender until smooth but still with a bit of texture. Transfer back to the pan to warm through and serve with the cooked spaghetti.

Put the leftover sauce into a freezer bag once cooled and you’re ready for next time!