Ingredients

1 large salmon fillet

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 shallot finely chopped

2 potatoes

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp flour

1 beaten egg

1 cup of breadcrumbs

Squeeze of lemon juice

A little olive oil or butter for frying

Pickled Cucumber

1/2 Cucumber very thinly sliced

2 tbsp white sugar

1/4 pint white wine vinegar

Method

Boil the potatoes in their skins until cooked, set aside to cool and then peel them and mash. Poach the salmon either in the microwave for two minutes with a little salt and pepper and some lemon juice or in a pan with some water and lemon until cooked. When it has cooled slightly take it out of the poaching liquid and mix it with the mashed potato, chopped shallot, dill, mustard and mayonnaise and give it a good seasoning. Now mould the mixture with your hands into cake shapes, dip each cake into seasoned flour still, then into the beaten egg and finely the breadcrumbs. Place the cakes onto a plate and chill for about 30-40 minutes until firmed up. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the fish cakes for about 2-3 minutes on each side until heated through and deliciously crispy on each side.

For the pickled cucumber, finely slice the cucumber ideally on a Mandolin if you have one, mix the sugar and vinegar together in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved, put the cucumber slices in and mix, leave to pickle for at least an hour. These keep really well in the fridge for days.

Serve with the pickled cucumber and some mayonnaise on the side.

single cooks

Ingredients
150g/5½oz Oreo cookies
75g/2½oz butter, plus extra for greasing
900g/2lb full-fat cream cheese
200g/7oz caster sugar
200ml/7fl oz soured cream
3 tbsp plain flour
3 free-range eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Crunchie bars smashed into crumbs with rolling pin

Chocolate ganache
4oz dark chocolate
4ml cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm/9in springform cake tin.
Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin to fine crumbs.
Melt the butter and add the biscuit crumbs, stir to combine. Place in the base of the cake tin and spread in an even layer, then flatten (use your fingers or a the back of a spoon).
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven to 160C/315F/Gas 2.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth then add the sour cream and flour and beat again.
Gradually add the eggs and vanilla extract beating well between each addition. (Beat in the eggs rather than whisk as you don’t want to incorporate too much air as this will affect the smooth surface of the cheesecake).

Pour half the cream cheese mix on to the biscuit base and then sprinkle with the crunchie bar crumbs and then pour the remaining mixture on top then bake in the oven for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should be just set with a slight wobble and should still be cream on top with just a slight golden hint around the edges.
Once the cheesecake is cooked, turn off the oven and prop open the door so that it is slightly ajar and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven – this prevents the top from cracking. Once the oven is cool you can remove the cheesecake to cool completely before removing from the tin
Once completely cooled, ideally in the fridge for a few hours, make the ganache by melting the chocolate with the pouring cream and mix until liquid. Place in the fridge to set. Once tick and cooled, spread over the cold cheesecake and make a ripple design with the fork.
Leave to set again in the fridge for an hour and then serve. Delish!

I have used slightly bigger quantities because it is easier to make a bit more and keeps for about ten days covered in the fridge, even if it is a little dry, I mix in some olive oil to thin it out and it is delicious again. Apart from using pasta, it is delicious drizzled over roasted chicken and fish and also is yummy in sandwiches, in mayonnaise and on bruschetta.

Ingredients

2 cups of basil leaves

1 large clove of garlic

¼ pint of olive oil

½ Cup of Walnuts

1 Lemon

½ cup of grated parmesan

100g Spaghetti

Method

In a bowl place the basil leaves, garlic clove, parmesan and walnuts, peel the rind of the lemon and add with half of the lemon juiced. Using a hand blender slowly drizzle the olive oil until blended well with all the other ingredients and the mixture should resemble a thick paste. Don’t blend it too much, you want to retain some nice texture in the sauce.

Cook the spaghetti as normal and serve mixed in with the pesto sauce. Delicious!

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So who could write a recipe Substack without including the ubiquitous pasta, I know it gets a bad name for being the lazy dish to cook but it is still the ultimate fast food and with a little thought can make a really tasty and nutritious meal. The other thing to say is that it is perfect for one and really lends itself to cooking in small quantities more than other dishes. There are some really simple and quick sauces and of course the slower cooking more complex sauces like a really good ragu Bolognese. Don’t shy away from these braised sauces because it can be really satisfying to cook a big trough of the stuff, freeze it in portions and then have a really satisfying meal in no time, it freezes beautifully and is particularly nice in winter when you want something comforting. The key thing to cooking pasta is to have a large saucepan with plenty of boiling water and lots of salt, pasta does not like to be squashed and stressed. I can remember with disdain my student says of seeing flatmates boiling pasta in tiny saucepans the size of cups and eating some congealed starchy mess graced with a pouring of Dolmio! The Italians of course like it “al dente” - I tend to like it a little more cooked but its up to you how you like it. One tip I learnt from the Italians is to keep a little of the cooking water back when you drain the pasta as this helps the sauce to coat the pasta better.

Ingredients

4oz of cooked chicken or 1 large chicken breast (free range)

½ pint of good quality chicken stock

¼ cup of cream

1 oz butter

1oz flour

2 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves

A handful of wild garlic if in season

1tsp of Truffle Oil (if you have it!)

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 oz sliced mushrooms

Filo Pastry

Extra melted butter for the filo pastry

Method

In a frying pan, heat some oil, add the mushrooms and fry gently until beginning to brown, add your raw chicken sliced or cooked chicken and stir around until well coated and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. In another pan, heat your butter, when it is melted add the flour and blend to a roux, add the stock and with a whisk beat over the heat until smooth, add the mustard, thyme leaves and cream, check the seasoning and reduce until thickened.

Add the chicken and mushroom mixture into the sauce and mix well. Place this mixture in a well-oiled pie dish, top with the filo pastry which you have layered with brushed melted butter between each layer pinch around the edges and trim back the excess pastry before baking. Brush over a final layer of melted butter over the top of the pie. Cook in a hot oven for about 30 minutes until pie is cooked through and golden. Serve with a tomato salad or some crusty bread.

Ingredients

8-10 chicken thighs skinned

½ lemon sliced thinly

1 red onion sliced in half and thinly sliced

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp turmeric powder

¼ pint of chicken stock

3 tbsp of honey

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 handfuls of fresh mint leaves

3 large garlic cloves thinly sliced

Couscous to serve

Method

Oven 160 C. In a large oven proof dish, place the sliced onion, sprinkle the sliced garlic over it and then the thinly sliced lemon. In a bowl mix the skinned chicken thighs,

the spices, fresh mint torn roughly, honey and balsamic vinegar. Mix well, you may use your hands here as it is easier to massage the chicken with all the lovely flavour. Now place the chicken on top of the onions and lemon and pour over the chicken stock. Put the chicken in the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes, you can check it during the cooking and baste with some of the juices.

Take the chicken out, serve with couscous and sprinkle with some freshly chopped mint.

**Multi Meals

Moroccan couscous salad

Take the chicken cold for lunch the next day mixed with some cold couscous and a little freshly chopped mint, some sliced red onion and a few green olives. . The juice acts as a dressing.

Moroccan chicken wrap

Yummy to take for lunch. Take a flour tortilla, spoon some of the cold Moroccan chicken, sprinkle with some fresh cucumber grated, some sliced red onion and some slices iceberg lettuce. Mix some natural yogurt with a little turmeric and spoon over the mix, fold over the wrap and enjoy.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (you can freeze or keep the other to cook 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 in a mixing bowl mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a greased basking 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 chicken is full cooked the through. Keep warm.

For the sauce mix the jar of pesto with the vinegar and cream and heat gently until combined and gently simmering, 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.

Ingredients

1-2 Sweet potatoes (depending on your hunger)

2 chicken breasts sliced thinly

1 large clove of garlic

1 stick of lemongrass chopped

1 thimble size if fresh ginger

5 chopped spring onions

1 tsps. sugar

1 tbsp. peanut butter (optional)

A handful of fresh coriander with stalks kept on

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 lime squeezed

2 tbsp soy sauce

A few cardamom pods squashed

1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds

1 large green chilli de-seeded (if you don’t want it hot)

1 small can of coconut milk (reduced fat if you can fine it)

Extra fresh coriander to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 375 F 190 C. Scrub the sweet potatoes but be careful not to scrub off too much of the skin, prick all over the potatoes with a fork and place on an oven rack to bake for about 50 - 60 mins until soft and oozing. I usually put a tray underneath sweet potatoes when they are roasting as I find the can spurt out of their skins sometimes when nearly cooked.

Meanwhile, make the curry. Make the curry, make a curry paste by blending garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilli, fish sauce, coriander, spring onions. It can still be a rough paste as it needs some texture. In a large pan, heat the oil and when hot add the curry paste, reduce the heat and cook for a few minutes, add the coriander sides and mix some more, now add the coconut milk and simmer, add the soy sauce, sugar and peanut butter and cardamom and simmer some more. Now add the chicken and cook for about 15 minutes on a low heat until cooked through. Take the chicken out of the pan and reduce the curry sauce, check the seasoning and add the lime juice. Let it thicken slightly before adding the chicken back to the pan.

Serve the curry on top of the slit sweet potatoes, garnish with chopped fresh coriander and enjoy.

Ingredients

2 pork steaks/chops

2 granny smith apples peeled and sliced

1 tbsp brown sugar

½ pint of cider

½ cup of cream

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 oz butter

Method

First prepare the apples, slice them and put them in a bowl with a few drops of water and the sugar, if you have a microwave cook on high for about 3 minutes until the apples are cooked and softened. If you don’t. use a saucepan with the sugar and a few tblps of water and cook on a low heat until soften and mixed through.

Now season the pork, heat a saucepan with the butter and when foaming add the pork, cook for about three minutes on each side and cooked through, set aside and keep warm. In the same pan, pour the cider in and deglaze, let it reduce for a moment and then ad the apples, reduce a bit more, add the cream and the thyme leaves, reduce for a few minutes and season. Put the pork back into the sauce to warm through, serve immediately with some boiled new potatoes.

Ingredients

1 fillet steak

2oz of mushrooms sliced (Button or chestnut ideally)

1 glass of red wine

1 shallot finely chopped

Half a cup of fresh thyme

½ cup of cream

Method

In a frying pan heat the oil until very hot, season your steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak on the pan and cook to your liking, about 3 minutes each side for medium, 2 for rare and 4 for well done.

Take the steak out to rest on a plate, in the same pan add the shallot and sliced mushroom and stir around for a few moments until softened and starting to brown. Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze and using a wooden spoon, stir to pick up the sticky piece pieces that will have stuck to the pan, this is what makes the sauce delicious.

Now add the thyme leaves and the cream and season well, taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary, reduce and simmer for about 2 minutes, add the steak back into the pan and coat with the sauce just to warm through for a minute. Serve immediately with some chips or mashed potato.

Ingredients

½ pound of lamb mince

1 small onion finely chopped

1 clove of garlic minced

A good handful of fresh mint leaved finely chopped

1 egg beaten

½ cup of breadcrumbs

1 tsp cumin powder

1 oz of plain flour

To serve

1 or 2 pitta breads toasted

Humous

Tzatziki or Greek yogurt

Thinly sliced tomato

Thinly sliced red onion

Method

In a large bowl combine the mince with all the ingredients and mix well, I would advise using your hands at this pint as it is much easier to combine this way. Once well combined, shape the mince into small sausage shaped koftas, dip each one in the flour to coat and place on a floured tray. Chill them all in a fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up before cooking. If you have a barbecue these would be delicious cooked on it otherwise use a non stick frying pan or griddle. Cook the koftas on all sides until well browned and cooked through. Let them sit for a few moments on the plat to rest. Take your pittas and fill with the red onion and tomato, put the koftas in the pitta and spoon over the hummus and then the tzatzik

i or yogurt and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small chicken breasts

Small tin of reduced fat coconut milk

1 thimble size of fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic

1 handful of fresh coriander

1 small green chilli de-seeded

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp cumin powder

1 stalk of lemongrass

½ lime squeezed

1 tbsp of toasted desiccated coconut to serve (optional)

125 g fine thread egg noodles (cooked and refreshed with cold water)

Method

Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips and set aside, mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl with a hand blender until smooth. Heat the wok with some oil until very hot, put the chicken in and toss around until beginning to colour, add the marinade mixture and toss the chicken for 5 minutes until you are sure the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickened slightly. Then add the cold cooked noodles and toss around with the chicken and sauce until heated through. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of the toasted coconut.

1 piece of fillet steak

1 clove of garlic

handful of coriander stalks

1 knob of ginger

3 tblsp soy sauce

1 tablsp honey

1 red chilli de-de-seeded)

2 tblsp shaosing wine

handful of a green vegetable cut small (broccoli, mange tout, asparagus

handful of fresh coriander leaves to serve

1 tablsp sesame oil

Method

Slice the beef fillet into thin strips and set aside. In a bowl mix all ingredients except the coriander leaves and the green vegetable, mix the sauce with a hand blender until smooth. Blanch the green vegetable for two minutes in boiling water, refresh and drain or microwave for 1 ½ minutes in high and leave to stand.

Heat the wok with some sesame oil until very hot, add the beef and stir quickly using chop sticks for a minute, add the green vegetable and stir again. Now add the sauce and cook very quickly stirring all the time for a further 2 minutes until the sauce has reduced a little. Serve immediately with some plain basmati rice and sprinkled with fresh coriander

.

I try not to eat read meat too much but I am a bit of a carnivore at heart so I do like to have it a few times a week. Meat is an easy option for one as it is very easy now to buy packets with just one piece of fillet or sirloin steak as well as packs of pork chops and the ubiqtuous chicken breasts. These dishes are super fast to cook and are tasty and nutritious. Mince is always a winner as you can again but a small amount or buy bigger quantities and freeze it as Bolognese, burgers, koftas, Sheppard’s pie etc. I have also included a few duck recipes as you can roast a whole one and have three to four extra dinners or you can have buy one or two duck breasts and have a delicious dinner for one. Duck also makes the most delicious stock, really rich and flavoursome.

Recipes are next!

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 green pepper, seeds removed, chopped

1 small red onion or 6 spring onions, chopped

½ cucumber, peeled

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 small handful fresh basil leaves

50ml/2fl oz extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

1 day-old baguette, thinly sliced

olive oil

pinch paprika

4 ice cubes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 spring onions or ½ red onion, finely chopped

½ red pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped

½ yellow pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped

fresh basil leaves

For the soup, place all of the vegetables, garlic and basil for into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove most of the pulp and skin, which you should then discard.

Lightly rinse the bowl of the food processor to remove any pulp and skin, then pour the sieved soup back into the food processor. Blend again, while slowly pouring in the extra virgin olive oil through the feeder, followed by the sherry vinegar, until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer the soup to a container and chill, covered, in the fridge until ready to serve.

For the garnish, preheat the grill to high.

Place the slices of baguette onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season the baguette slices with paprika and salt, then toast under the grill for 1-2 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over.

To serve, place an ice cube into your serving bowl and ladle over the soup. Float the crisp baguette slices over the soup, scatter over the finely chopped spring onions and peppers and garnish with a few basil leaves.

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes

1 pint of chicken stock

1 cup of milk

2 large leeks, finely sliced

½ cup of cream

1 oz of butter

Chopped flat leaf parsley or sorrel to serve

Method

In a large saucepan, soften the onion for a few minutes, add the finely sliced leek and toss for a few minutes, now add the diced potato and season all with salt and pepper. Pour in the stock and reduce heat; simmer for twenty minutes until potato is fully cooked and softened. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or use a hand blender and blend until smooth. Transfer back to the saucepan, add the milk and cream, and simmer gently again, then check the seasoning. Serve either hot in Winter with some nice crusty bread or chilled in the Summertime with a few ice cubes.

The Shortlist

Olive oil

Soy sauce

Garlic

Balsamic Vinegar

Dried pasta

Basmati rice

Coconut milk

Parmesan

Curry powder

Cumin

Smoked paprika

Chorizo

Free-range eggs

Tins of chopped tomatoes

Chilli

Breadcrumbs (keep in the freezer)

Fantastic for the freezer

Just a few suggestions to keep in the freezer for those last-minute meals or unexpected guests!

Chicken – breasts, thighs and other parts

Mince – lamb, beef and pork

Bread

Breadcrumbs

Stocks

Soups

Raw Prawns

Small bags of leftover wine to use in Bolognese and other dishes where a small amount of wine is required

Pastry

Homemade pasta dough

Cakes

Ice cream

Tiramisu

Sauces

Peas

The Tools

I am not a huge fan of having multiple gadgets in the kitchen; they are not necessary and are very costly. What you need are a few essential tools which will cover most needs in the kitchen. It goes without saying that a good set of knives is indispensable and is a must for any decent cook. These vary hugely in terms of price and quality so do your research and shop around to get the best ones; really good ones should last a lifetime. The other vital gadget that I find indispensable is a hand blender; they are very cheap to buy and can be used for multiple tasks, blending soups, making pesto, smoothing sauces etc. The other very handy gadget, although not essential, is a food processor for making cakes, biscuits, fresh pasta and chopping onions and garlic when you are feeling really lazy. In terms of pots and pans, a large saucepan for boiling pasta is essential; pasta doesn’t like to be squashed and of course a non-stick frying pan and a wok for all those essential stir-fries.