Scallops with Asparagus

Ingredients:

* 1 lb medium asparagus, trimmed, cut in 1-inch pieces, tips left whole
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 1 lb large sea scallops, trimmed if necessary
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
* 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high
heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté asparagus, stirring
occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer with a
slotted spoon to a plate, reserving skillet off heat (do not clean).

Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Add 1 tablespoon
oil to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not
smoking, then sauté the scallops, turning over once, until browned and
just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer scallops to
another plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Add wine and vinegar to skillet (mixture may spatter) and boil,
scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is reduced by half, about 1
minute. Add any accumulated scallop juices on plate and bring to a
simmer. Turn off heat and whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until
incorporated. Plate scallops and asparagus, spoon sauce over and serve
immediately.

Caramel Pears

4 comice pears
85g caster sugar
85g butter
1/4 pt double cream

Peal pears and cut in half. In a heavy pan allow sugar to melt over a low heat. Add butter then pears. Cook slowly until pears are soft but not breaking up. Remove pears and reduce the syrup a little. The add cream and bring to the boil then cook for 4 mins til it turns a caramel colour. Remove from heat and pour over pears. Serve with vanilla icecream.

Aguachile (prawns cooked in lemon juice)

This recipes is going viral among our friends. It is quite addictive... and very hot.

250 g of raw prawns
3 green chillies (chopped)
coriander (chopped)
red onion (6 thin slices)
4 lemon/limes

Skin the prawns and open them butterfly style (almost cut in half) and place in a shallow dish. Add all the ingredients to the prawns, mix, and then add the juice of all the limes/lemons. Let it rest for about a 5-10 minutes and then serve with tortilla chips (or better with tostadas) and avocado to top it off.

Molletes

Bread rolls x 2
Refried Beans
Cheese -grated or sliced
Fresh Salsa

Cut the bread in half and toast the back under the grill. Spread the beans on top of the bread, and then add a bit of cheese on top. Put on the grill and remove once the cheese is melted. Serve and add the salsa.

Mexican Salsa

3 Tomatoes
2 Green Chillies
1 garlic clove
small handful of Coriander
a bit of onion
salt.

In a pan (something, metallic, and easy to wash), put the tomatoes and the green chillies until they start to go black. Then turn them. When the tomatoes or are totally black, or completely cook, take them out.

In a mortar, add the onions and the garlic, and then grind them. Them add the chillies and tomatoes. Finally add a pinch of salt and the chopped coriander.

Salsa will last for about a week if kept in a tupperware the fridge. Cover the salsa so it won't get dry. Don't leave a metal spoon in the salsa for long since this will help it oxidise faster.

Mexican Ceviche

Ceviche is a typical Latin American dish that 'cooks' raw fish using citric juice. It is originally thought to be from Peru. This is a Mexican version which adds tomato, coriander and avocado. Serves 2.

2 fillets white fish
1/2 red onion
2 tomatoes
5 lemons
small bunch coriander
avocado
chili sauce
salt

tostadas to serve (if you can't get these then plain tortilla chips will do)

Cut the fish up into small pieces and put into a bowl. Finely slice the onions, chop the tomatoes and coriander and add to the fish. Add lemon juice until all the fish mixture is covered and season with salt. Leave for aprox 24 hours, stiring occasionally.

Serve on top of a tostada, with avocado and chili sauce and salt to taste.

BBQ'd Onions

These delicious BBQ'd Onions are now a regular! Serves 6

3 onions
salt
pepper
butter/olive oil
foil

Peal the onions and make a cross shaped deep cut in one end. Place in a piece of foil large enough to wrap around the onion easily. Season with salt and pepper onto the cross, and drizzle with generous olive oil/butter. Wrap up the onions nice and tight and throw into the BBQ coals (you can do this early on - no need to wait til the coals are white). You will hear the oil hiss as the onions cook. Turn them around periodically so they cook on all sides. Onions should be ready when they stop hissing - this should be around the time when your other food is ready too! Open up the foil and check the onion is soft in the middle and dark around the edges- if not return to the coals for a while longer. Serve directly from the foil. Delicious!

Mexican Chipotle Tuna

This is a lovely easy, tasty recipe. This is my version of Marlin al Chipotle - using tuna.

1 onion

2 garlic cloves
1 tin green olives
2 tomatoes
2 tins tuna
2 tsp chipotle chile sauce
1 tin tomatoes
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ketchup
coriander
tostadas or crusty bread

Chipotle



Tostadas




Chop the onion, garlic and fry in olive oil until soft. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes and roughly chopped olives, fry for a few minutes then add the tuna, chipotle sauce and tin of tomatoes. Mix well add tomato paste and ketchup. Cook on medium heat for 20-30 mins. The mixture should be juicy but not too liquid. Add coriander. Serve with tostadas (mexican toasted tortillas) or crusty white bread.

Slow Cooked Potatoes with Thyme & Tallegio

500g waxy potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
1/2 onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp thyme
120g cheese such as talegio or fontina (thinly sliced)

Slice the potatoes thinly (like pound coins). Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for 5 mins. Add the potatoes, thyme and season. Cover and put on a low heat for 25 minus turning once. Once cooked, place sliced cheese over the potatoes and return lid until it melts. Serve with green salad.

Chargrilled Fennel with Tomato and Anchovy Dressing

This recipe is sooooooooooooo good. It's based on a recipe by Sophie Grigson, the daughter of Jane Grigson, a guru of the vegetable world.

2 bulbs fennel
olive oil

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 anchovy fillets (chopped)
2 large ripe tomatoes
balamic vinegar
pepper

Chop the fennel into long wedges. Toss in olive oil and cook on a griddle pan or BBQ until slightly back and soft. Place into a serving dish. In the meantime, finely chop the garlic and anchovies and add to olive oil in a small frying pan. Fry for a few minutes mashing them down a bit to dissolve them in the oil. Finely chop the tomatoes and add to the fennel. Cover with the oil and season pepper and generous amounts of balsamic vinegar. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Salmon with a crunchy topping

This is really simple and tasty. Serve with new potatoes, spinach, green beans or courgettes like the ones in the photo. These are fried in olive oil with rosemary, one of Luis's favourites. Serves 2.

Salmon fillets x 2
1oz breadcrumbs
1tsp wholegrain mustard
2 chopped spring onions/bunch of chives
salt
pepper
cajun spice mix

Make sure you buy fillets that are large and flat, not the slices that are thick and narrow, otherwise the fish won't cook through. Place the fillets on a baking tray. Preheat oven at 180 degrees. Mix together all the other ingredients in a bowl. Lay on top of the fillets. Bake for 20 minutes. Easy as pie.

Salt-baked Seabass

This is the best fish recipe ever.... The salt forms a crust and keeps the fish really moist and tasty.

whole seabass (gutted and scaled)
2kg of rocksalt
olive oil
thyme/rosemary

Brush the fish with olive oil. Cover a large baking tray with salt. Place the fish on the salt, place rosemary on top and cover it with more salt until you can't see the fish anymore. Bake the oven for 20-25 mins at 200 degrees C. Carefully remove the salt and the skin. Serve whole, with lemon and olive oil, with salad or green beans and new potatoes.

Feta-Stuffed Peppers

This is really easy and tasty. Serves 4.

4 peppers (any colours are fine)
1/2 pack feta cheese
50g sweetcorn
1 onion
3 tomatoes
herbs (chives, parsley, coriander)
50g grated cheddar

Cut the peppers lengthways in half and remove the stalk and seeds. Place on a baking tray upside down and grill until it starts to go black and soft. Place the peppers facing up in an oven dish. Chop the onions and fry for about 5 mins. When ready place into a mixing bowl. Chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl. Chop the feta into small cubes and add. If your sweetcorn is frozen, cook for about 2 mins before adding to mixture. Season and add herbs. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and cover with melted cheese. Grill until the cheese melts and goes brown. Serve with rice or crusty bread.

Grilled Scallops with Garlic Herb Butter

This is easy to make and oh so tasty. This serves 2 as a starter.

Butter
Chives
Parsley
1 x garlic clove
4 scallops and roe

Arrange the scallops on a tray. Finely chop the garlic and herbs and mix into the softened butter. Cover the scallops with the butter and grill for about 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Pescado a la Veracruzana

This is a recipe from Veracruz in Mexico. It is not what you might expect from Mexican food however, no chilli here - it has quite a mediterranean flavour.

olive oil
4 clove garlic
1 small onion
1kg tomatoes
1 red pepper
1/4 cup capers
12 olives
6 filets of white fish
salt, pepper to taste

Make a cut into the tomatoes skins and plunge them into boiling water to loosen the skins. Reemove skins and chop finely. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chopped tomatoes, season and cook for 5 mins. Chop the pepper and add to tomatoes. Cook for a further 8 minutes. Add capers and olives. Place filets in an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce. Place in an oven at 190 degrees C for about 30 minutes until fish is cooked. Serve with white rice or crusty bread.

Stuffed Mussels

This looks pretty - but is a lot of work! It is bascially steamed mussels with herb and garlic butter covered with breadcrumbs. Let me know if you want the full recipe.

Wild mushroom Sauce

This makes an easy, tasty sauce for pasta.

olive oil
1 red onion
selection of interesting mushrooms
1 small pot cream

Finely chop the onion and slice the mushrooms. Fry the onions. When they go soft add the mushrooms and fry until golden and soft. Add the cream, season and heat through. Serve with pasta such as linguine.

Tamarind Prawns with Stir Fried Brocolli

Tasty and tangy!

1 pack raw prawns
1 chilli
1 inch piece ginger
1 clove garlic
3 tsp tamarind paste
4 spring onions
1 brocolli
oil
soy sauce

Finely chop the chilli, ginger and garlic. Place in a bowl, add the tarmind paste and the raw prawns and mix well. Leave to marinate for at least 30 mins. Finely chop the spring onions and chop brocolli in bite-size pieces. Fry the spring onions for a few minutes on a high heat. Add the brocolli and a tablespoonful of water and place the lid on the wok. Once the prawns are ready, fry them in a seperate pan until pink and golden. Add the remaining marinade to the brocolli. When the brocolli is nearly ready, add the prawns and stir fry for a few minutes. Serve with rice noodles. Add soy sauce to taste.

Aztec Soup

This is a strange looking but very tasty soup. The original version also contains fried tortillas but it doesn't work very well with the ones you can get in the UK. You should be able to be able to get Pasilla chillis from large supermarkets or specialist shops. The chillis give the soup an excellent flavour and are not very spicy and do not need to be eaten.

1 litre stock
4 tomatoes
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp coriander/parsley
sunflower oil

To serve:
cream (to taste)
cheese (to taste)
2 ripe avocados
2 dried pasilla chillis

Make a few cuts on the skin with a sharp knife then plunge the tomatoes whole into boiling water. After a few minutes their skins should start to become loose. Drain the tomatoes, remove the skin and chop finely. Cut the chilis into large pieces and rehydrate in warm water - I find they are easier to cut with scissors than with a knife. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in the oil until they start to go brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add the stock, herbs and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins. Then liquidize the soup - it should be quite thin. Once the soup has been liquidized, return it to the pan and add the chopped and soaked chillis along with any liquid. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the cheese and avocado into small cubes and place into bowls. Pour the soup into the bowls and top with a small amount of cream.

Prawns Thermador

This recipe is based on the famous lobster dish. Serve with lots of crusty white bread or mash potato to soak up the juices. Serves 2.

100g large raw prawns
1 large pack spinach
150ml cream
50g gruyere/cheddar
1 tsp mustard
salt/pepper
nutmeg
butter

Remove the head and shell of the prawns. Cook the prawns in simmering water until they are pink. Heat the cream with most of the grated cheese, mustard and salt. Once the cream is hot add the prawns. Meanwhile wilt the spinach and them cut it up and add some butter, nutmeg and seasoning. Place spinach at the bottom of an oven dish, cover with prawn/cream mixture and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Grill until the cheese is melted and slightly brown.

Spanakopita

I'm on a bit of a pie role at the moment... but I couldn't leave this one out! This is my version of Spanakopita, a greek spinach and feta pie. If you don't have any feta you could also use another white cheese such as ricotta, although it will have a different texture and taste. This pie is a bit dry on its own so goes well with a chunky red pepper and tomato sauce. Also, don't try reheating it in the microwave and the pastry goes all soggy. I find a metal pie dish gets better results with the pastry but you can use ceramic one too. This pie will feed about 4-5 people.

1 pack filo pastry
large bag spinach
1/2 pack feta cheese
2 tbsp cream (optional)
1 egg
1 onion (chopped)
salt/pepper
nutmeg
butter

Fry the onion and cool. Cut the feta into cubes and mix with the onions, beaten eggs and seasoning. You can also add the cream here if you like. Wilt the spinach and make sure it is drained of excess water. Cut up the spinach and mix it into the feta and egg mixture. Brush the pie dish with butter and line with two layers of filo pastry making sure the sheets overlap the edge of the dish. Pour in the filling and bring the flaps that overhang the dish back over to cover the filling. Use another sheet or so of pastry to cover the pie completely. You can crunch up the final sheets of pastry to make it make an uneven texture, this will make it more crunchy when cooked. Brush the pie with melted butter and bake at 200 degrees C for about 30-45 mins until the pastry is cooked and golden.

Easy Apple Tart

As the name suggests, this is a sweet version of the pie above, and equally as tasty.

3 large apples
1 pack puff pastry
10g butter (melted)
sugar
cinnamon
egg or milk

Peel the apples and remove the core.  Cut in half and then into thin slices like you see in a 'tarte au pomme'.  Arrange the slices of apples overlapping in lines leaving a margin around the edge.  Sprinkle with caster sugar, cinnamon and drizzle with melted butter. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg or milk. Bake in the oven until the pastry is cooked and golden around the edges (see packet for details).

Easy Tomato Tart

6 large ripe tomatoes
1 pack puff pastry
olive oil
oregano
salt/pepper
milk or egg

Slice the ripe tomatoes and lay them overlapping in vertical lines on a large piece of rolled out puff pastry, leaving an inch border around the edge. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg or milk. Bake in the oven until the pastry is cooked and golden around the edges (see packet for details).

Pie Ideas

Ever find yourself with some left over pastry and wonder what you could put in it, on it, or under it to make it into a pie? Here are a few ideas that could be done with puff, shortcrust or filo pastry:

• broccoli and Stilton
  
• roasted squash and feta
• tomato and pesto
• caramelised onion and talegio
  
• caramelised red onion and goats cheese
• fried leek with Camembert
  

Spicy Rice

This is a side dish just known in my family as 'spicy rice', it makes an excellent alternative to white rice and can be combined with many dishes.

16 floz basmati rice
1 pt vegetable stock
1/2 onion (very finely chopped)
1 clove garlic
1 red chili (finely chopped)
1 tbsp garam masala
salt
fresh coriander (chopped)

Wash and soak the rice for at least 20 mins, then drain for half and hour. Heat the oil and fry the onions until they start to go brown. Add garlic, chili, salt and rice and stir so the rice is coated evenly. Add the stock and garam masala and bring to the boil. Once it boils, turn down the heat and simmer gently until all the water is absorped. This should take about 20 mins. Use a fork to separate the grains before serving with the fresh coriander.

Homemade Veggie Burgers

This is a variation on a recipe from Ainsley's BBQ bible - don't worry, you don't need to BBQ them. I tend to cook a whole pack of chickpeas in the pressure cooker and make a lot burgers at once, and freeze them, but you can use tinned chickpeas instead for a smaller batch. I also like to serve them in cheesy baps and serve with salsa chipotle a mexican chili sauce.

1 onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
2 courgettes (finely diced)
3 carrots (grated)
14oz cooked chickpeas
3oz breadcrumbs
2 tsp curry paste or a combination of ground turmeric, cumin and coriander.
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 egg yolk
handfull of fresh parsley/coriander (chopped)
salt/pepper

To serve:
mayonaise
ketchup
lettuce
sliced tomato
red onion
cheesy baps or ciabatta x 4
salsa chipotle (optional)

Fry onion and garlic until soft. Add the carrot and courgettes and fry for another 5 mins. Leave to cool. Blend the chickpeas with the remaining ingredients. Mix in the vegetables and season. Shape into 4 burgers, cover and chill for an hour or so. Brush with oil and grill on both sides until golden. Meanwhile split the baps and toast them on both sides. Assemble the burgers and begin the feast.

Macaroni Cheese

This is no ordinary macaroni cheese. Forget lumpy white sauce... This recipe is one my mum had, I don't know where she got it from, but it's definitely worth passing on. Serves 2.

200g macaroni
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
squirt of tomato paste
thyme (dried or fresh)
100g Gruyère cheese (grated)
1 egg yolk
butter or olive oil
salt/pepper

Cook the macaroni according to the packet. Meanwhile, fry the onion and garlic with the thyme for about 5 mins until soft. Towards the end of the frying add the tomato paste and stir in. Once the pasta is cooked, add to the onions with the grated cheese and egg yolk and stir quickly. This allows the cheese to melt. Season to taste. Serve with a green salad.

Bubonic Birthday Carrot Cake

This is a carrot cake with a story to tell.... Luis made me this cake for my birthday.

After an exasperating afternoon, in which he went four times to the shops to get ingredients, Luis accidentally mistook the black food colouring for vanilla essence, and hence the bubonic carrot cake was born. This is a really good recipe if you like dense cakes like me. In fact, despite it being a rather unappetising colour, the cake went down very well at the party.

The recipe is adapted from the CakeBaker website, the only difference being Luis used butter instead of oil because he didn't think it looked very nice, and of course the food colouring.

Bakewell Tart

Pastry:
250g plain flour
150g butter
2 pinches salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g icing sugar
30g ground almond
1 egg
200g chickpeas/beans (for baking only)

Filling:
1 jar cherry jam
3 eggs
115g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp brandy
115g ground almonds
some flaked almonds for decoration

Make the pastry by rubbing in the butter to the flour. Add vanilla, icing sugar and ground almonds. Add egg and mix well to form a soft dough. Do not overwork. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cut out a circle of greaseproof paper sightly larger than the 20cm tart case with a removable base you are going to use. Roll out the pastry and line the tart case. If it is not non-stick then you will need to line or butter it. Cover the pastry with the paper and cover with raw chickpeas or beans to weigh down the pastry. Preheat the over to 180 degrees C and bake the pastry for 20 mins. The remove the paper and the beans and continue to bake for 7 mins longer. The pastry will be golden. Let the pastry cool.

Prepare the filling by beating the sugar and the eggs together. Melt the butter and add to the egg mixture. Mix well and stir in the vanilla and brandy. Fold in the almonds. Spread the jam evenly over the pastry case. I recommend the St Dalfour cherry jam as it has no added sugar and whole cherries. Pour the filling on top. Sprinkle with flaked almond and bake for about 30 mins at 180 degrees C in the centre of the oven.

Cajun Salmon with Asparagus Couscous

2 salmon fillets
1 cup vegetable/fish stock
1 cup couscous
1 bunch asparagus
juice of 1 lemon
cajun spice mix
garlic (chopped)
olive oil

Serves 2. Boil 1 cup stock in a saucepan then turn off the heat. Add the couscous leave for a few minutes with the saucepan lid on. Separate the couscous grains with a fork. In the meantime, cut the asparagus into about 4 pieces and steam until tender. Cover the salmon fillets in cajun spices and grill on both sides until cooked through. Mix the chopped garlic with lemon juice and olive oil, add to the couscous with the cooked asparagus and serve with the salmon fillet.

NB: you could also put other vegetables such as red pepper or leeks instead of asparagus.

Linguine with Smoked Salmon and Leeks

1 medium onion
1 leek
1 clove of garlic
1 glass white wine
100g smoked salmon (trimmings work well)
1 small pot single cream

200g pasta (serves 2)

Finely chop garlic and onions and fry in olive oil for about 5 mins. Add leek and fry until soft. Then add the wine and simmer until most of the wine has evapourated. Add the salmon (cut into pieces if not using trimmings) and cook until it goes light pink, then add the cream and heat through to reduce slightly. Season to taste.

Meanwhile cook the pasta. Linguine works well, but any pasta is fine really.

Serve with generous amounts of grated parmasan. Enjoy.