Ingredients 2 dried ancho or guajillo chillies 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp chipotle paste or 1 tsp smoked hot paprika (pimentón) 1 tsp ground cumin 700ml chicken stock 250g chopped tomatoes, from a can 200g large peeled raw prawns 300g halibut or other firm white fish fillets, cut into 2½ cm pieces 300g clams 500g small new potatoes, halved and boiled juice 2 limes To serve lime wedges 1 avocado, chopped handful coriander leaves 1 small red onion, finely diced corn tortillas, sliced and baked Method Toast the chillies in a hot dry frying pan for a few moments (they will puff up a bit), then remove. Deseed and stem chillies, and soak in boiling water for 15 mins. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season and cook for about 5 mins or until softened. Add the chipotle paste, reconstituted chillies, cumin, stock and tomatoes. Sauté for 5 mins, then purée until very fine in a blender. Pour back into the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins. When close to eating, add the prawns, fish fillets, clams and potatoes. Place a lid on top and cook for 5 mins over a medium-high heat. Add the lime juice and serve with lime wedges, avocado, coriander, red onion and tortilla chips for sprinkling over.
Ingredients 8 shop-bought meringue nests 600ml pot double cream 2-4 tbsp rosewater, or to taste (it varies in strength so taste as you go) 500g strawberries, hulled and quartered rose petals (from the garden, not the florist), to serve (optional) Method In a large bowl, break up the meringues into bite-size pieces. Whip the cream until it holds its shape, but take care not to over-beat, then whisk in the rose water. Just before serving, fold the crushed meringue and cream together. Stir through the strawberries, leaving a few to garnish. Alternatively, make layers of meringue mixture and strawberries in a tall glass bowl or in individual tall wine or dessert glasses. Finish with rose petals scattered on top, if you like.
Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped knob of fresh root ginger, grated 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped 1 tsp mild curry powder, plus extra 1kg carrots, trimmed and sliced 2 lemongrass stalks, bashed 2 strips orange zest 400g can coconut milk 700ml vegetable stock Method Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Tip in the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, then cook for 3-5 mins until soft. Stir in the curry powder, followed by the carrots, lemongrass and zest, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 mins more. Give the coconut milk can a shake, then pour most of it into the pan along with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 mins until the carrots are really soft. Remove the lemongrass and orange zest, then use a stick blender or food processor to whizz until smooth. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of reserved coconut milk and an extra sprinkling of curry powder, if you like.
A simple fish pie that’s quick to prepare, portion it into ramekins for quick toddler meals you can pull out of the freezer or cook in a big dish for the whole family1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and halved knob of butter splash of milk 25g butter 25g flour 4 spring onions, finely sliced 400ml milk 1 x pack fish pie mix (cod, salmon, smoked haddock etc, weight around 320g-400g depending on pack size) 1 tsp Dijon or English mustard ½ a 25g pack or a small bunch chives, finely snipped handful frozen sweetcorn handful frozen petits pois handful grated cheddar Method Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180 fan/ gas mark 6. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and pour over enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil and then simmer until tender. When cooked, drain thoroughly and mash with a splash of milk and some butter. Season with ground black pepper. Meanwhile, put the butter, flour and spring onions in another pan and heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring regularly. Cook for 1 -2 mins. Gradually whisk in the milk using a balloon whisk if you have one. Bring to the boil, stirring to avoid any lumps and sticking at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until thickened. Take off the heat and stir in the cheese (if using), fish, mustard, chives, sweetcorn and peas. Spoon into an ovenproof dish or 6- 8 ramekins. Spoon the potato on top and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Pop in the oven for 20 - 25 mins or until golden and bubbling at the edges. Alternatively, cover and freeze the pie or mini pies for another time.
Beat the heat, the island way. Get whisked away to a lush tropical island by a blend of strawberries, peaches, passion fruit-mango juice and orange sherbet. Are you being serenaded by birds of paradise? No, that’s a car horn; you’re daydreaming in the parking lot again.
Ingredients 85g diced butter 350g self-raising flour ¼ tsp salt 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 4 tbsp caster sugar 200ml milk, warmed to room temperature, plus a splash extra crushed sugar cubes, to decorate Method Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz butter into flour. Tip into a bowl and stir in salt with bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Using a cutlery knife, quickly stir in milk – don’t over-mix. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and turn over a couple of times to very gently bring together with your hands. Gently pat to about 1in thick, then stamp out rounds with a floured cutter. Pat together trimmings to stamp out more. Brush the tops with a splash more milk, then scatter with crushed sugar cubes. Bake on a baking sheet for 10-12 mins until risen and golden.
Ingredients 1 tbsp oil 1 large onion 1 red pepper 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild) 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 500g lean minced beef 1 beef stock cube 400g can chopped tomatoes ½ tsp dried marjoram 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp tomato purée 410g can red kidney beans plain boiled long grain rice, to serve soured cream, to serve Method Prepare your vegetables. Chop 1 large onion into small dice, about 5mm square. The easiest way to do this is to cut the onion in half from root to tip, peel it and slice each half into thick matchsticks lengthways, not quite cutting all the way to the root end so they are still held together. Slice across the matchsticks into neat dice. Cut 1 red pepper in half lengthways, remove stalk and wash the seeds away, then chop. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves. Start cooking. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot (a little longer for an electric hob). Add the onions and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, squidgy and slightly translucent. Tip in the garlic, red pepper, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder or 1 level tbsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Brown the 500g lean minced beef. Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with your spoon or spatula. The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew. Making the sauce. Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Open 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g can) and add these as well. Tip in ½ tsp dried marjoram and 1 tsp sugar, if using (see tip at the bottom), and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt in about 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir the sauce well. Simmer it gently. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or isn’t drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy. Bring on the beans. Drain and rinse 1 can of red kidney beans (410g can) in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and relax. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle and the meat. Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.
So that’s where all our cheese went. Pretzels love to eat cheese. They eat all they can find until it fills their pretzel bodies. We made the mistake of keeping them next to each other and now we have a ton of these tasty pretzels perfect for on-the-go kids. Lucky you.
Ingredients 1 tsp garlic salt 2 tbsp smoked paprika good pinch of sugar 500g salmon fillets 200ml fat-free yogurt 1 tbsp chipotle paste or hot chilli sauce juice 1 lime To serve 8 small soft flour tortillas, warmed ¼ small green cabbage, finely shredded small bunch coriander, picked into sprigs few pickled jalapeno chillies, sliced lime wedges, to serve hot chilli sauce to serve, (optional) > Method Rub the garlic salt, paprika, sugar and some seasoning into the flesh of the salmon fillet. Heat grill to high. Mix the yogurt, chipotle paste or hot sauce and lime juice together in a bowl with some seasoning, and set aside. Place the salmon on a baking tray lined with foil and grill, skin-side down, for 7-8 mins until cooked through. Remove from the grill and carefully peel off and discard the skin. Flake the salmon into large chunks and serve with the warmed tortillas, chipotle yogurt, shredded cabbage, coriander, jalapeños and lime wedges. Add a shake of hot sauce, if you like it spicy.
A simple fish pie that’s quick to prepare, portion it into ramekins for quick toddler meals you can pull out of the freezer or cook in a big dish for the whole family1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and halved knob of butter splash of milk 25g butter 25g flour 4 spring onions, finely sliced 400ml milk 1 x pack fish pie mix (cod, salmon, smoked haddock etc, weight around 320g-400g depending on pack size) 1 tsp Dijon or English mustard ½ a 25g pack or a small bunch chives, finely snipped handful frozen sweetcorn handful frozen petits pois handful grated cheddar Method Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180 fan/ gas mark 6. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and pour over enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil and then simmer until tender. When cooked, drain thoroughly and mash with a splash of milk and some butter. Season with ground black pepper. Meanwhile, put the butter, flour and spring onions in another pan and heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring regularly. Cook for 1 -2 mins. Gradually whisk in the milk using a balloon whisk if you have one. Bring to the boil, stirring to avoid any lumps and sticking at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until thickened. Take off the heat and stir in the cheese (if using), fish, mustard, chives, sweetcorn and peas. Spoon into an ovenproof dish or 6- 8 ramekins. Spoon the potato on top and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Pop in the oven for 20 - 25 mins or until golden and bubbling at the edges. Alternatively, cover and freeze the pie or mini pies for another time.
So that’s where all our cheese went. Pretzels love to eat cheese. They eat all they can find until it fills their pretzel bodies. We made the mistake of keeping them next to each other and now we have a ton of these tasty pretzels perfect for on-the-go kids. Lucky you.
Ingredients 50g soft dried apricots 100g soft dried dates 50g dried cherries 2 tsp coconut oil 1 tbsp toasted sesame seed Method Whizz apricots with dates and cherries in a food processor until very finely chopped. Tip into a bowl and use your hands to work in coconut oil. Shape the mix into walnut-sized balls, then roll in sesame seeds. Store in an airtight container until you need a quick energy fix.
Beat the heat, the island way. Get whisked away to a lush tropical island by a blend of strawberries, peaches, passion fruit-mango juice and orange sherbet. Are you being serenaded by birds of paradise? No, that’s a car horn; you’re daydreaming in the parking lot again.
Ingredients 85g diced butter 350g self-raising flour ¼ tsp salt 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 4 tbsp caster sugar 200ml milk, warmed to room temperature, plus a splash extra crushed sugar cubes, to decorate Method Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz butter into flour. Tip into a bowl and stir in salt with bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Using a cutlery knife, quickly stir in milk – don’t over-mix. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and turn over a couple of times to very gently bring together with your hands. Gently pat to about 1in thick, then stamp out rounds with a floured cutter. Pat together trimmings to stamp out more. Brush the tops with a splash more milk, then scatter with crushed sugar cubes. Bake on a baking sheet for 10-12 mins until risen and golden.
Ingredients 400g strawberries, hulled 4 tbsp caster sugar 4 tbsp rosé wine 170ml tub double cream 4 strawberry leaves, to decorate Method Halve the strawberries and put them in a bowl with the sugar and wine. Mix well, then set aside at room temperature for about 40 mins – this will make the strawberries really juicy. Use a slotted spoon to put the fruit into 4 large wine glasses, then pour the cream into the juices left in the bowl. Whip the cream and juice until it holds its shape, then spoon on top of the fruit. Decorate with a strawberry leaf if you like. Don’t make these too far ahead as chilling spoils the flavour. Keep in a cool place for up to 1 hr until ready to serve.
Ingredients 85g diced butter 350g self-raising flour ¼ tsp salt 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 4 tbsp caster sugar 200ml milk, warmed to room temperature, plus a splash extra crushed sugar cubes, to decorate Method Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz butter into flour. Tip into a bowl and stir in salt with bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Using a cutlery knife, quickly stir in milk – don’t over-mix. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and turn over a couple of times to very gently bring together with your hands. Gently pat to about 1in thick, then stamp out rounds with a floured cutter. Pat together trimmings to stamp out more. Brush the tops with a splash more milk, then scatter with crushed sugar cubes. Bake on a baking sheet for 10-12 mins until risen and golden.
Ingredients ¼ cucumber, halved and sliced ¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded 2 spring onions, sliced handful mint leaves, torn 4 plain small naan bread 140g pack cooked chicken tikka pieces natural yogurt to serve Method Toss all the salad vegetables together. Heat the naan breads in the microwave on Medium for 1 min until puffed up. Remove the breads. Tip the tikka pieces into a bowl and give them a quick blast in the microwave to heat through. Split the breads in half and stuff with th
Ingredients 8 shop-bought meringue nests 600ml pot double cream 2-4 tbsp rosewater, or to taste (it varies in strength so taste as you go) 500g strawberries, hulled and quartered rose petals (from the garden, not the florist), to serve (optional) Method In a large bowl, break up the meringues into bite-size pieces. Whip the cream until it holds its shape, but take care not to over-beat, then whisk in the rose water. Just before serving, fold the crushed meringue and cream together. Stir through the strawberries, leaving a few to garnish. Alternatively, make layers of meringue mixture and strawberries in a tall glass bowl or in individual tall wine or dessert glasses. Finish with rose petals scattered on top, if you like.
Ingredients 225g unsalted butter, softened 100g caster sugar 175g dark muscovado sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs, beaten 300g plain flour 50g cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 1½ tsp cayenne pepper (less or more to taste) 100g bar dark chilli chocolate, roughly chopped 100g bar white chocolate, roughly chopped 100g bar dark chocolate, roughly chopped vanilla ice cream Method Beat the butter and sugars together, then gradually mix in the vanilla and eggs. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, a pinch of salt, baking powder and cayenne pepper, then mix these into the butter and fold in all the chocolate. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place walnut-sized spoonfuls of the mixture on baking sheets lined with baking parchment, leaving enough space between so they don’t melt together. Bake in batches, for 10-12 mins, depending on how gooey you like your cookies. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 1 min before removing to a plate to cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients 100g bag salted microwave popcorn ¼ tsp chilli powder ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tbsp agave syrup Method Cook the microwave popcorn according to the packet instructions. Tip into a large bowl. Sprinkle over the spices, then pour over the agave syrup. Stir and serve warm or pour into a bag and take to work as an afternoon snack.
Ingredients 50g soft dried apricots 100g soft dried dates 50g dried cherries 2 tsp coconut oil 1 tbsp toasted sesame seed Method Whizz apricots with dates and cherries in a food processor until very finely chopped. Tip into a bowl and use your hands to work in coconut oil. Shape the mix into walnut-sized balls, then roll in sesame seeds. Store in an airtight container until you need a quick energy fix.
Method Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Tip in the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, then cook for 3-5 mins until soft. Stir in the curry powder, followed by the carrots, lemongrass and zest, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 mins more. Give the coconut milk can a shake, then pour most of it into the pan along with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 mins until the carrots are really soft. Remove the lemongrass and orange zest, then use a stick blender or food processor to whizz until smooth. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of reserved coconut milk and an extra sprinkling of curry powder, if you like.
Ingredients ¼ cucumber, halved and sliced ¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded 2 spring onions, sliced handful mint leaves, torn 4 plain small naan bread 140g pack cooked chicken tikka pieces natural yogurt to serve Method Toss all the salad vegetables together. Heat the naan breads in the microwave on Medium for 1 min until puffed up. Remove the breads. Tip the tikka pieces into a bowl and give them a quick blast in the microwave to heat through. Split the breads in half and stuff with th
Ingredients 175g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 225g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 200g caster sugar 3 medium eggs, separated 65g plain flour 50g chopped pecan nuts Method Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 20-25cm cake tin and line with greaseproof paper. Place 175g/6oz of the chocolate, plus the butter and sugar in a heavy-based pan and heat gently until melted, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool. Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, then add the flour, nuts and the remaining chocolate. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gently, but thoroughly, fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 35-40 mins until crusty on top. Leave to cool, then run a knife around the sides and remove from the tin. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with custard or ice cream or cold with cream.
Beat the heat, the island way. Get whisked away to a lush tropical island by a blend of strawberries, peaches, passion fruit-mango juice and orange sherbet. Are you being serenaded by birds of paradise? No, that’s a car horn; you’re daydreaming in the parking lot again.
Ingredients 85g diced butter 350g self-raising flour ¼ tsp salt 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 4 tbsp caster sugar 200ml milk, warmed to room temperature, plus a splash extra crushed sugar cubes, to decorate Method Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz butter into flour. Tip into a bowl and stir in salt with bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Using a cutlery knife, quickly stir in milk – don’t over-mix. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and turn over a couple of times to very gently bring together with your hands. Gently pat to about 1in thick, then stamp out rounds with a floured cutter. Pat together trimmings to stamp out more. Brush the tops with a splash more milk, then scatter with crushed sugar cubes. Bake on a baking sheet for 10-12 mins until risen and golden.