Cheat's Jambalaya

A colourful, spicy rice dish.

Cheat's Jambalaya
serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
350g long grain rice
400g can chopped tomatoes with chillies and peppers
175g chorizo, diced
300g canned sweetcorn, drained

Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the onion and celery for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir well, making sure the grains are coated in oil. Add the tomatoes, chorizo and 500ml hot water. Season, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the rice tender. Add the sweetcorn and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.

Other rice dishes:
Savoury rice
Chilli fried rice
Spicy nut pilaf

Special mushrooms on toast

If picking your own wild mushrooms, never, eat anything you don't recognise. This recipe is ideal for a special lunchtime treat, drink any remaining white wine!

Special mushrooms on toast
serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
50g smoked pancetta, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
25g unsalted butter
200g mixed wild mushrooms such as chanterelles,ceps,morels, halve if large
3 tbsp dry white wine
3 tbsp chopped parsley
4 slices sourdough bread
salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the pancetta until golden. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add a small knob of butter and once melted add the mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the wine allowing it to bubble until almost evaporated. Season and stir in the parsley.

Toast the bread under a grill, butter and top with the mushroom mixture.

Simple Satay Sauce

This satay sauce goes well with grilled chicken or pork served on skewers, or as accompaniment to grilled king prawns with wedges of fresh limes.

Simple Satay Sauce
serves 4

75g crunchy peanut butter
125ml vegetable stock
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp lemon juice

Put the peanut butter and stock into a small pan and stir over a low heat until the peanut butter melts.

Add the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and lemon juice. Simmer for 1 minute until smooth and thick.

Brioche with banana, chocolate and golden syrup topping

Very indulgent and full of calories!

Brioche with banana, chocolate and golden syrup topping
serves 4

25g butter
4 slices brioche loaf
4 large bananas, sliced
25g roasted, chopped hazelnuts
golden syrup, to drizzle
dark chocolate, sauce to drizzle

Heat a griddle pan. Lightly butter the brioche on both sides and griddle for 30 seconds on each side. Lay each slice on a plate and top with bananas. Scatter over the hazelnuts and then drizzle the syrup and chocolate sauce liberally over the top.

Roast butternut squash with sesame seeds

This makes a perfect accompaniment to roast chicken

Roast butternut squash with sesame seeds
serves 4

1 large butternut squash
3 tbsp sunflower oil
3 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp coarse grain mustard
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Peel and cut the squash into 4cm pieces and discard the seeds. Put in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 4 minutes until just tender on the outside but still quite firm inside. Drain and pat dry. Put the sunflower oil in a roasting tin and heat in the oven for 5 minutes (200c/gas 6). Add the squash to the oil and stir to coat. Roast for 35 minutes until tender.

Drain off excess oil. Mix together the honey, orange juice, mustard and sesame seeds and drizzle over the squash. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

More butternut squash recipes:
Butternut squash risotto
Roasted butternut squash soup

Tenderstem Tempura

Light and crispy bites, ideal for dipping into sauces.

Tenderstem Tempura
serves 4

400g tenderstem broccoli
1 large egg yolk
225ml iced water
110g plain flour, sifted
sunflower oil for deep-frying
soy sauce or chilli dipping sauce to serve

Blanch the broccoli for 30 seconds, plunge into cold water, then drain well on kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170c.

Beat the egg yolk and ice-cold water with a fork. Add the flour and roughly mix together. Coat a few pieces of the broccoli with the batter and deep-fry for 3 minutes. Drain on kitched paper and keep warm while cooking the rest in batches. Serve with dipping sauce.

Fluffy pesto-topped potatoes

Fluffy pesto-topped potatoes
serves 4

4 large baking potatoes
6 tbsp pesto
100g hard goats cheese, grated
1 large egg, separated

Scrub the potatoes and prick with a fork. Bake for 1 hour at 200c/gas 6. Use a clean tea towel to hold the hot potatoes while you cut each in half.

Use a teaspoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash. Beat in the pesto and goats cheese. Season and then beat in the egg yolk.

In a clean grease-free bowl, whisk the egg white until it forms soft peaks then fold into the mashed potato mixture. Pile the potato back into the hollowed-out skins and return to the warm oven for 20 minutes. Serve piping hot.

More pesto recipes:
Tagliatelle with walnut pesto
Fettucine with watercress pesto

Mayonnaise

Make your own creamy mayonnaise and then use it as a base for a variety of sauces.

Basic Mayonnaise
serves 8

300ml sunflower oil or olive oil
2 large egg yollks
1 tsp English mustard powder
1 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar

Pour the oil into a jug. Put the egg yolks in a small bowl with the mustard powder and a pinch of salt. Whisk well until blended.

Add half the oil drop by drop to the egg mixture, whisking well after each addition.

Beat in a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar, then dribble in oil whisking constantly. Continue to alternate with a little lemon juice or vinegar.

When all the oil has been incorporated, season. Add more lemon juice or vinegar if necessary. Cover and chill. Will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge.


Garlic Mayo
serves 8

1 quantity basic mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, peeled

Mash thoroughly the garlic cloves along with a pinch of salt, into a paste. Whisk through mayonnaise until well incorporated.

Passion fruit fool

Passion fruit fool
serves 2

142ml double cream
50g icing sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
4 ripe passion fruit
1 tbsp Cointreau
zest of 1 orange

Whip the cream until forms soft peaks, then gently whisk in the icing suagr and orange juice.

Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Loosely fold half of them into the cream. Cover.

Mix half the remaining pulp and seeds with the Cointreau and divide between 2 glasses. Put both the cream and the glasses in the fridge and chill for at least 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, spoon the cream on to the pulp in the glasses and drizzle the rest of the fruit pulp on top. Decorate with strips of orange zest.

Rhubarb and Orange Fool
Vanilla Blackberry Fool

Vegetable kebabs

Vegetable kebabs with fresh rosemary are a good vegetarian alternative to meat.

Vegetable Kebabs
serves 4

few sprigs chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 small red onions, cut into pieces
2 courgettes, thickly sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Put 2 tbsp of olive oil in a shallow dish with the rosemary, garlic and season to taste. Add the vegetables, stir and leave for 15 minutes. Meanwhile soak 12 bamboo skewers in water.

Preheat the grill. Thread the marinated vegetables in turn onto the skewers.

Grill for 10 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with herb oil.

Simple summer cheesecake

Simple Summer Cheesecake
serves 6

200g milk chocolate digestive biscuits, crushed
100g butter
200g white chocolate
400g soft cheese
2 tbsp lime juice
250g fresh raspberries

Line the base of a 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper. Put the crushed buscuits in a bowl. Melt the butter and stir into the buscuits. Press into the base of the tin. Chill whilst making the filling.

Break 175g of the chocolate into pieces and put in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Beat in the cheese and lime juice.

Fold in half of the raspberries and spread over the base. Chill for at least 2 hours. To serve, remove from tin and top with remaining raspberries and shavings from the remaining chocolate.


More cheesecake recipes:
Baked ginger cheesecake
Rhubarb cheesecake
Vanilla cheesecake with nutty brulee
White chocolate cheesecake with blueberry sauce

Fruity Meringue

This recipe is for a very easy meringue dessert

Fruity Meringue
serves 4

3 cooking apples, cored and sliced
grated rind and juice 1/2 orange
75g caster sugar
1 mango, stoned, peeled and chopped
2 large eggs, separated
25g butter
15g flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 180c/gas4. Cook the apples in a saucepan with the orange juice and rind and 1 tbsp water for 8 minutes.

Stir in 25g of the sugar and mango flesh. Add the egg yolks and butter. Pour into an ovenproof pie dish and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until stiff, whisk in half the remaining sugar, then fold in the last of the sugar. Pile the meringue on top of the fruit, sprinkle with almonds and bake for 10 minutes until golden.

Alternatively:
Rhubarb meringue pie
Chocolate and hazelnut meringue

Herb-fried chicken with roast garlic

These chicken thighs are great if you have a lot of people to serve.

Herb-fried chicken with roast garlic
serves 8

2 tbsp olive oil
3kg chicken thighs
50g butter
1 large head of garlic, separated into cloves
350ml white wine
bay leaves and thyme sprigs

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken thighs, skin-side down, for 10 mins over a high heat until the skin is golden and crisp. Carefully drain off the oil.

Melt the butter, add the garlic and fry with the chicken, skin-side up for 5 minutes. Season well, then pour in the white wine. Bring to the boil for 10 mins until the wine has reduced. Scatter with herbs and serve immediately.


Other chicken finger-food ideas:
Maryland drumsticks
Cajun spiced chicken

Easy cheese souffle

Easy cheese souffle
serves 4

50g butter, plus extra for greasing
25g parmesan, freshly grated
40g plain flour
300ml hot milk
4 large barn eggs, separated
75g gruyere, grated

Preheat the oven to 200c/gas 6. Grease a 2 pint souffle dish then sprinkle the inside evenly with 1 tbsp of the parmesan. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the hot milk to make a smooth sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Beat the egg yolks, gruyere and all but 1 tbsp of the parmesan into the sauce and season. Whisk egg whites until stiff and gently fold in.

Turn the souffle mixture into the dish, place it in a baking sheet and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden.

Cinnamon and apple stacks

This recipe is a quick and easy variation of apple pie.

Cinnamon and apple stacks
serves 4

6 large sheets filo pastry
25g butter, melted
750-800g canned apple filling
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
icing sugar for dusting
double cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180c/gas 4. Using a 9cm cutter, cut out 48 circles of pastry. Its easier if you lay all the sheets on top of each other, cut 8 circles and separate them out. Arrange on 2 baking sheets and brush lightly with butter. Bake in batches for 1-2 mins until golden and crisp.

Gently heat the apple filling, spices and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the apples hot.

Put 3 sheets of filo circles on each serving plate; spoon over some apple filling. Continue stacking twice more, finishing with a layer of filo. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

Other hot apple recipes:
Apple crumble
Apples in chilli syrup
Blueberry and apple cobbler

Cheesy leek and potato bake

Serve this comfort food as a side to some meat, or just eat it on its own!

Cheesy Leek and Potato Bake
serves 4

900g maris piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
50g butter
3 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm slices
200g mature cheddar, grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 220c/gas 7. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Meanwhile melt half the butter in a pan and gently cook the leeks until for about 10 minutes.

Drain and mash the potatoes with the remaining butter, the egg and three quarters of the cheese. Season and add the leeks. Transfer to a large ovenproof dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 10 minutes until the top is golden.

Chocolate pots with whipped cream

Chocolate pots with whipped cream
serves 8

200g good quality dark chocolate, broken onto pieces
40g butter
3 large eggs, separated
142ml double cream, lightly whipped
cocoa powder to decorate

Gently melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a pan of hot water, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until fluffy and softly peaking.

Stir the yolks into the chocolate mixtue and mix well. Fold in the egg whites. Whisk again until thick and glossy, then pour into serving glasses and top with a spoonful of cream. Chill for 1 hour and serve with a light dusting of cocoa powder.

For more chocolate dessert recipes:
Chocolate orange tart
Chocolate torte
Frozen chocolate mousse