Fresh Pear Compote with Apricots and Prunes

This rich, spiced fruit compote is suitable for breakfast as well as a winter dessert. If preferred, use red wine instead of the grape juice for an alcoholic version. The fininshed cooking liquid should be rich and syrupy. It can be reduced further if you wish - remove the pears after cooking, then boil the liquid until it is sufficiently reduced, before continuing the recipe.

Fresh Pear Compote with Apricots and Prunes
serves 6

300ml red grape juice
100ml water
75g sugar or to taste
2 pears
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
12 peppercorns
1 sprig thyme
125g dried apricots
125g prunes

Put the grape juice, water and sugar in a deep saucepan. Peel the pears and cut them into eighths. Place immediately into the liquid and add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and thyme. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45-60 mins until the pears are tender.

Add the apricots and prunes and then leave to soak overnight. When cold adjust the sweetening to taste and serve with natural yogurt.


Or try Poached Pears in a Red Wine Syrup

Smoked Salmon Kedgeree

This delicious simplified classic replaces traditional smoked haddock with smoked salmon so you dont have to poach the fish.

Smoked Salmon Kedgeree
serves 4

25g butter
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp medium curry powder
250g basmati rice
300ml fish stock
1 tbsp double cream
200g sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 hardboiled eggs, shelled and quartered
lemon wedges to serve

Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir until grains are coated. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and lower the heat. Cook for 12 minutes, remove from the heat and leave covered to steam for 5 minutes.

Fluff up the rice with a fork and mix in the cream. Gently fold in the salmon, lemon juice and parsley. Cover for a further 2 minutes, so the salmon can cook in the heat of the rice, then gently fold in the boild eggs. Serve with the lemon wedges.


For a traditional kedgeree try this recipe
Kedgeree

Avocado and bacon wraps

To enjoy these at their best, eat straight from the grill.

Avocado and Bacon Wraps
serves 4

6 streaky bacon rashers
1 large avocado
juice of 1 lime
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 soft flour tortillas
freshly ground black pepper
mixed salad to serve

Grill the bacon until crispy. Meanwhile peel and stone the avocado and dice the flesh. Put in a bowl along with the lime juice and spring onions.

Lay the tortillas out and scatter with a mixture of cheese and avocado. Cut each bacon rasher in half and place three pieces in each tortilla. Season with pepper then roll up.

Wrap each totilla in a double layer of foil, then grill for 3 minutes each side until the cheese melts. Remove foil, cut each in half and serve with salad.

Chunky French Onion Soup

This recipe is for a chunky French onion soup for one, with gooey, cheesy croutons .

Chunky French Onion Soup for 1
serves 1

knob of butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1tsp plain flour
splash white wine
300ml vegetable stock
pinch dried thyme
2-3 slices french stick
25g mature cheddar

Heat the butter in a pan gently cook the onion and garlic for about 15 minutes until soft and golden brown. Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute.

Add the wine and stock, and then the dried thyme. Season and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Meanwhile toast the bread on one side, then top the untoasted side with the cheese. Grill until the cheese is bubbling. Pour the soup into a bowl and top with the cheesy toasts.


More onion soup recipes:
French onion soup with gruyere toasts
Onion soup