Radicchio and rocket salad (Insalata di radicchio e rughetta) recipes

Ingredients:
* 1 handful rocket
* 1 small handful Parmesan cheese , grated
* ¼ radicchio , finely sliced
* 1 lug balsamic vinegar
* 3 lugs extra virgin olive oil
* a little sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* a little Parmesan
*

Ingredients:
Radicchio, like other bitter leaves such as Belgian endive, dandelions, cicoria and treviso, becomes extra special when its bitterness is balanced with other tastes – like the sweetness of balsamic vinegar, the saltiness of Parmesan, or the crunchy pepperiness of rocket. Sometimes in life you have one particular thing which, on its own, is nothing, yet mix it up in the right combination and somehow it becomes genius – it’s like this with recipes, and especially this one.

Get yourself a large bowl and, for each person, toss together a handful of rocket with a small handful of grated Parmesan cheese and a quarter of a radicchio, finely sliced. Dress this with a lug of balsamic vinegar, three times as much extra virgin olive oil, and a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix carefully, grate over a little extra Parmesan, and eat straight away. You can vary it by adding things like toasted pine nuts, roasted red onions or crispy bacon.

Best-ever fruit crumble recipes

Ingredients:
* For the crumble
* 225 g plain flour
* 90 g caster sugar
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
* 115 g unsalted butter
* For the filling
* 100 g sugar
* 100 ml water
* 4 nice ripe pears , peeled, cored and cut into chunks
* 5 pieces stem ginger in syrup , finely chopped
* 1 lime , juice and zest of, plus extra for serving
*

Ingredients:
You can't go wrong with an old-fashioned crumble. Everyone loves it, and it's lovely and easy!

Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar, salt and ginger.

Cut the cold butter into chunks and rub it into the flour mix with your hands until you get a mixture that looks a bit like fine breadcrumbs. This is the crumble topping.

To make the filling, boil the water and sugar together, then carefully drop in the pear chunks and simmer gently for a couple of minutes.

Add the chopped ginger and the lime zest and juice to the pan and stir. Spoon the mixture into one large ovenproof dish or four small ones.

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the fruit, piling it high in the middle of the dish and leaving space at the edge for the caramel to bubble up.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the pears are cooked and bubbling and the crumble is golden on top. Serve with custard or a dollop of crème fraîche with lime zest grated over, if you like.

Tip: This crumble will work well with apples instead, if you prefer.

Kate and Will's Wedding Pie recipes

Ingredients:
* For the filling
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 knob butter
* 3 sprigs fresh rosemary , leaves picked and chopped
* 3 sprigs fresh thyme , leaves picked
* 3 fresh bay leaves
* 3 medium red onions , peeled
* 1 kg quality shin of beef , ask the butcher to cut into 2.5cm dice and give you the bone
* sea salt
* ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons tomato purée
* 400 ml good local smooth stout
* 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
* 1.5 litres organic beef or chicken stock
* 140 g pearl barley
* 3 teaspoons English mustard
* 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce , to taste
* 100 g Cheddar cheese
* For the pastry
* 300 g plain flour
* 100 g Atora shredded suet
* 100 g butter
* sea salt
* 1 large free-range egg , beaten
*

Ingredients:
Put the olive oil, butter and herbs into a large casserole-type pan (roughly 24cm in diameter and 12cm deep) on a high heat. Roughly chop and add the onions, with the diced meat, the shin bone and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Mix well, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato purée, stout, flour and stock and stir until everything comes together to a simmer. Turn the heat down very low, pop the lid on and let it cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. When the hour is up, stir in the pearl barley. Put the lid back on and simmer for another hour, then remove the lid and simmer for a further 30 minutes, or until the meat shreds easily and the gravy is thick. Spoon away any oil from the top, then stir in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce and finely grate in the cheese. Season to taste. While the stew is ticking away, put the flour, suet and butter into a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Use your thumbs and forefingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles cornflake shapes. Lightly stir in 125ml of cold water, then use your hands to gently pat and push it together into a rough dough. Do not overwork it. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and put into the fridge until needed.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Discard the shin bone and ladle the hot meaty stew into the pie dish (24 x 30cm, and about 4cm deep, is about right). Use some of the beaten egg to eggwash the edges of the pie dish, then dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour and roll out the pastry about 1cm thick and a little bit bigger than your pie dish. Carefully place on top of the pie, then trim off any overhanging pastry. Pinch and squash the edges of the pastry to the dish. Eggwash the top, and cook the pie right at the bottom of the hot oven for around 45 to 50 minutes, or until your pastry is golden and gorgeous. Serve with steamed drained greens.

Crispy squid & prawns with homemade sweet chilli sauce recipes

Ingredients:
* vegetable oil , for deep frying
* 4 whole large squid , prepared, with tentacles
* 16 large prawn , shell off and butterflied (tail on)
* 2 limes
* 100 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1 lemon , cut into wedges
* For the sauce (makes 500ml)
* 20 fresh chillies , (different colours)
* 4 garlic cloves
* 1 cup caster sugar
* white wine vinegar
*

Ingredients:
Start by making the sweet chilli sauce: finely chop the chillies, keeping some seeds intact, then peel and finely chop the garlic.

Place the sugar and 1 cup of cold water in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the chillies, garlic, a good pinch of salt and a good splash of vinegar, then cook over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it coats the back of a spoon. For a smooth syrupy texture, whiz the sauce in a food processor if you like, or leave it finely chopped, then put to one side.

Place a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep saucepan over a medium–high heat (roughly 180ºC). Fill three-quarters full with vegetable oil and leave to heat up.

Meanwhile, wash and pat dry the squid. Slice the tubes horizontally into rings or slice and open them out, then halve lengthways and cut a crisscross pattern onto the surface. Place the squid onto a large plate, along with the prawns, making sure any black bits have been removed. Finely grate over the zest of the limes and squeeze over most of the juice, then toss to coat.

Place the flour and a good pinch of salt and pepper into a large bowl, then add the squid and prawns and toss to coat (you’ll need to do this in batches).

To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a piece of bread into the pan – if the bread floats to the surface, sizzles and turns golden, it’s about right. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the prawns and squid into the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the outside and cooked through (you’ll need to do this in batches). Transfer the cooked prawns and squid to a double-layer of kitchen paper, then repeat with the remaining seafood.

When the last batch of seafood is almost done, squeeze a little lime juice over the parsley sprigs, then dip into the flour and lower into the oil for a few seconds – be careful as it’ll spit.

Serve the crispy squid and prawns straight away, with crispy lime-spiked parsley, lemon wedges for squeezing over and the sweet chilli sauce on the side for dipping. Keep any leftover chilli sauce in sterilised bottles and store for up to 2 months in a cool dry place.

Bellini recipes

Ingredients:
* 4 whole white peaches
* 1 part sugar syrup
* 4 parts Martini & Rossi Prosecco
*

Ingredients:
1. Whip up your peach puree - just peel and blend the peaches, then strain it strain and refrigerate until cold

2. Mix 2 parts of peach puree with one part of sugar syrup

3. Add about 20ml of the peach puree mix to your Champagne flute, then gently pour Prosecco into the glass. You want to leave the peach puree undisturbed at the bottom of the glass at this stage

4. Just before serving, stir to mix the peach and Prosecco well

Perfect roast beef recipes

Ingredients:
* 1.5 kg quality topside of beef
* 2 medium onions
* 2 carrots
* 2 sticks celery
* 1 bulb garlic
* 1 small bunch fresh thyme, rosemary, bay or sage, or a mixture
* olive oil
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
*

Ingredients:
To prepare your beef:
Take your beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F/ gas 9. There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.

Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the meat. Place the beef on top of the vegetables.

To cook your beef:
Place the roasting tray in the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour for medium beef. If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier. For well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes.

If you’re doing roast potatoes and veggies, this is the time to crack on with them – get them into the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Baste the beef halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them burning.

When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel and put aside while you make your gravy, horseradish sauce and Yorkshire puddings.

Mexican street salad recipes

Ingredients:
* ½ small white cabbage
* ½ small red cabbage
* 1 small bunch radishes , (about 10) trimmed and finely sliced
* 2 carrots , peeled and finely sliced
* 1 large bunch fresh coriander , leaves and stalks finely chopped
* 2 large jalapeno chillies (or other green chilli) , to taste, finely sliced
* 1 red onion , peeled and finely sliced
* extra virgin olive oil
* 2-3 limes , juice of
* sea salt
*

Ingredients:
This simple little salad can be quite extraordinary, but you’ve got to season it with that Mexican spirit by being brave with the lime juice, salt and chilli, until it’s singing in your mouth. It does a great job of waking up the other things it’s served with – a few spoonfuls of this next to a grilled chicken breast or pork chop would be an absolute celebration.

Veg-wise, the onion, coriander and white cabbage are non-negotiable, as they form the base of this salad, but feel free to have a play with the other ingredients and use things like fennel or asparagus. Basically whatever’s in season and available should be a nice addition.

The easiest and quickest way to make this is to use a food processor with a slicer attachment or a mandolin. If you don’t have either of those, use a speed peeler, or simply grate everything finely.

Shred your white and red cabbage into two separate piles. Put just the white cabbage into a large bowl with the radishes, carrots and most of the coriander. Mix everything together really well, then kick up the flavours by adding almost all the chopped chilli, the sliced red onion and a good few lugs of extra virgin olive oil. Add most of the lime juice and a good pinch of salt, then toss together and have a taste. Just keep adjusting everything, adding more fragrance with the coriander, heat with the last of the chilli and acid with another squeeze of lime juice, until it’s just right for you.

When you’re happy, fold in the red cabbage right before serving so it doesn’t stain everything, and tuck in.

Mango cooler recipes

Ingredients:
* 2 large mangoes , as ripe as possible
* 150 ml semi-skimmed milk
* 1 lime , zest and juice of
* 1 handful ice cubes
* 1 handful fresh mint leaves , plus extra to serve
* honey , optional
*

Ingredients:
Remove the skin and cut the juicy flesh off the mangoes. Place the fruit in a blender or food processor, along with any juice left on the chopping board. Add the milk, lime juice and zest, ice and mint leaves and give it all a good whiz until smooth. Taste, and add a little honey if needed, then give it another quick whiz. Chill in the fridge before serving, then garnish with a few mint leaves.

Rainbow trout with horseradish yoghurt & balsamic beets recipes

Ingredients:
* 400 g new potatoes , large ones halved
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 4 x 100 g rainbow trout fillets , from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger, skin on and pin-boned
* olive oil
* a few sprigs fresh thyme
* 2 heaped tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
* 1 lemon
* 1 heaped teaspoon creamed horseradish , or to taste
* 4 jarred beetroots , quartered
* balsamic vinegar
* 2 handfuls watercress , washed and spun dry
* extra virgin olive oil
*

Ingredients:
Add the potatoes to a pan of salted boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Put a large frying pan on a medium heat. Season the trout on both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a good lug of olive oil to the pan and scatter in the thyme tips, followed by the trout, skin-side down (you may have to do this in 2 batches). Press down on the fish with a fish slice to help the skin crisp up. Cook for 4 minutes, jiggling the pan every now and then, and turning for the last 20 seconds or so to finish it off – you want to cook it about 90% of the way through on the skin side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix the yoghurt with the juice of ½ a lemon, the horseradish and a small pinch of salt. Have a taste to check it’s hot enough – it needs a good kick. Dress the beets with a good splash of balsamic and a small pinch of salt.

Drain the potatoes then toss them with a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Squash half onto each plate. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the hot pan of fish, then transfer 2 fillets to each plate. Top each portion with a good dollop of horseradish yoghurt, a spoonful of dressed beets and a little watercress, then drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Omega 3 and couscous recipes

Ingredients:
* 500 g red mullet or sardines , from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger, scaled, filleted and pinboned
* olive oil
* 2 red onions , peeled and finely chopped
* 1 bulb fennel , herby tops removed and reserved and bulb finely chopped
* 1 fresh red chilli , finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 bay leaf
* 300 g couscous
* 500 g mixed ripe tomatoes
* 2 anchovy fillets , chopped
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 2 lemons , zested and halved
* 8 tablespoons natural yoghurt
* 1 small handful fresh mint , torn
*

Ingredients:
Silly name, but what a great dish! Omega 3 refers to all the lovely goodness that you get from oily fish like red mullet, sardines and fresh anchovies, so do feel free to use any one of these, or a mixture of them. This is also great served with linguine pasta instead of couscous.

First of all, lay your fish out in one layer on your worktop to give you an idea of how much you are dealing with. Next get yourself a pan with a lid – ideally one that’s the right size for the fish to be spread out in one layer. This is so that it can all cook at the same time. Put your pan on the heat, add 4 or 5 tablespoons of olive oil, and slowly fry your onions, fennel, chilli, fennel seeds and bay leaf with the lid on until nice and softened. This should take about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile put your couscous in a bowl and just cover it with salted, boiling water. Put to one side to soak for about 5 minutes. When the onions are sweet and soft, add the tomatoes and anchovies, stir together and carefully season to taste. Shake the pan so that the onions and tomatoes cover the bottom of the pan evenly. Dress the couscous lightly with a little olive oil and the juice and zest of one of the lemons. Sprinkle the couscous over the top of the onions and tomatoes in one even layer. Then place the fish over the top of that and finish off with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the lid on top and simmer slowly on the hob for about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the yoghurt with salt, pepper and the remaining lemon juice and sprinkle over the reserved fennel tops and mint. Serve the pan of fish in the middle of the table with a bowl of yoghurt and let everyone help themselves. Lightly stir the fish up, check the seasoning and eat straight away.

Victoria sandwich recipes

Ingredients:
* 250 g unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
* 250 g golden caster sugar
* 4 large free-range eggs
* 250 g self-raising flour , sifted, plus extra for dusting
* ½ vanilla pod , split lengthways and seeds scraped out
* 1 lemon , zest of
* 1 tablespoon icing sugar , plus extra for dusting
* 100 ml double cream
* 4 tablespoons quality raspberry jam
* 100 g fresh raspberries
*

Ingredients:
Preheat your oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins, then lightly dust with flour.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy – you can do this by hand, or in a food processor. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure you beat each one in before adding the next. Sift in the flour and fold through along with the vanilla seeds. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins, using a spatula to spread it out to the edges. Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes, or until lightly golden and beautifully risen. To check if it’s done, poke a skewer or cocktail stick into the centre – if it comes out clean, it’s ready. Allow to cool slightly then carefully turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Finely grate the lemon zest into a bowl, add the icing sugar and cream and whip until it just starts to peak. Spread an even layer of jam over one of the cakes, followed by a layer of the lemon cream, then dot the raspberries over the top. Sandwich the second cake on top, dust with icing sugar, then serve.

Walnut and banana loaf recipes

Ingredients:
* 100 g shelled walnuts
* 500 g (about 5 or 6) ripe bananas , peeled
* 125 g unsalted butter , at room temperature
* 125 g dark brown sugar
* 2 large free-range eggs
* 200 g plain flour
* 2 level teaspoons baking powder
* 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
* 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
* a pinch of sea salt
* olive oil
* For the chocolate butter
*
* 100 g good-quality cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
* zest of 2 oranges
* 150 g unsalted butter , at room temperature
* 80 g icing sugar
*

Ingredients:
Not only is this one of the most scrumptious things to eat, it’s also a total pleasure to make. The amount of smiles and oohs and aahs you're going to get when you serve it make it simply the best. If you can, try and use slightly overripe bananas as they’ll give you a treacly, caramelly intensity that works so well. The chocolate butter is painfully enjoyable, but my nutritionist, Laura, has requested that I suggest just having a smidgen with a slice of the loaf, so I'm sure you'll all respect her wishes when tucking into this delight.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven to gently toast for around 5 minutes, or until they smell fantastic. Meanwhile, quickly mash up the bananas with a fork or potato masher, so you’ve got a mixture of smooth and chunky, and put them aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor, or by hand, until smooth and pale, and beat in the eggs one by one, scraping the sides as you go so everything gets mixed together, then spoon into a large bowl. Take the toasted walnuts out of the oven and put them on a chopping board. Quickly run a knife through them, leaving some halved and others fairly fine so you get a good range of textures. Add the mashed bananas and chopped up walnuts to the bowl of batter, then sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix everything together until you have a nice smooth batter.

Tear off a metre of greaseproof paper, scrunch it and wet under a tap. Drizzle a little olive oil over both sides and rub that in, then push the scrunched greaseproof into a 1-litre loaf tin, getting it right down into the corners (it’s ok if it’s a bit scruffy). Transfer the batter to the tin and cook on the middle shelf in the oven for an hour. After this time, test the loaf by poking a skewer into the middle. If the skewer comes out clean the loaf is cooked, if not put the tin back in the oven for another few minutes.

While the loaf bakes, make your chocolate butter. Bash the chocolate up, pop it in a heatproof bowl and melt it slowly over a pan of gently simmering hot water. Once melted, carefully take the bowl off the pan, stir in the orange zest and put to one side to let the chocolate cool down a little.

Cream the butter and icing sugar together, then beat in the cooled chocolate until blended. Once you’ve got a nice even mixture, transfer it to a little pot or a cute butter dish and sprinkle on a tiny pinch of sea salt from a height to give it a little salty kick. Either put in the fridge to set for a few hours, or serve right away smeared on a slice of warm banana loaf. Keep any leftover chocolate butter in a jar in the fridge for another day, and just take it out of the fridge to soften before serving.

Kenny Rankin's rosemary focaccia recipes

Ingredients:
* For the dough
* 650 g strong bread flour
* 300 g Italian 00 flour
* 500 g tepid water
* 15 g fresh yeast , or 7g sachet of dried yeast
* 15 g salt
* 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
* For the topping
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon water
* For the finish
* 1 small handful rosemary sprigs
* 1 pinch sea salt
*

Ingredients:
Kenny Rankin is Fifteen's Head Baker with over 20 years experience. He's responsible for providing the flagship restaurant in London with the best standard of Italian-style breads. Alongside his baking expertise, Kenny is responsible for training and mentoring the chef apprentices in the skill of artisan bakery.

"Fifteen is great because everything is cooked with integrity – you can always trace where the ingredients are from and that’s important to me. Also there's so much you can do with the apprentices, you can teach them the basics but there's also the Swiss and French style bakery that’s invaluable learning. Baking is such a dying art and is one of the oldest and most important skills we can teach the apprentices."

Here's Kenny's favourite recipe for rosemary focaccia, best made in a wood fired oven.

Combine the bread flour, 00 flour, water, yeast and salt in a mixing bowl and kneed gently until smooth. This should take approximately 5-10mins. Cover the mixing bowl with a tea towel and leave to rest, in a warm place, for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. This allows the bread to become lighter and softer in texture.

Whilst the dough is rising, prepare a baking tray by lightly oiling the base and sides using vegetable oil. Now’s a good time to make sure your wood fire oven is pre-lit and ready for your bread.

Transfer the dough to the baking tray. Spread out evenly using the palm of your hands and gently expel the gas from the dough (you’ll notice that the dough is airy). Drizzle some olive oil over the surface of the dough using your fingertips; 'dimple' the dough ensuring that you don’t press all the way through to the base. Cover with tea towel and leave to rest in a warm place for a further 20-40mins, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Place the baking tray in the wood fire oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden; this will vary depending on temperature so it's best to keep a close eye on the bread for your first attempt. Just prior to the bread coming out of the wood fire oven, mix together the topping of 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk lightly until it becomes an opaque emulsion. Once removed, brush the bread with the emulsion (I use a pastry brush), which makes the bread surface moist.

To finish, stud the bread with fresh sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve warm with a small bowl of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Amalfi lemon layer cake recipes

Ingredients:
*

Ingredients:

Mackerel plaki recipes

Ingredients:
* 8 small sustainably sourced whole mackerel , cleaned and gutted
* 2 carrots , peeled and thinly sliced
* 2 onions , peeled and sliced
* 4 ripe tomatoes , roughly chopped
* 3 fresh bay leaves
* 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley , finely chopped
* 150 ml dry white wine
* 1 lemon , Juice of, plus extra
*

Ingredients:
Recipe by Andy Harris

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Place the fish, carrot, onion, tomato, garlic and bay leaves in a baking dish. Season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper, then drizzle over the oil. Sprinkle over the parsley and add the wine, lemon juice and a little water.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the fish and veg are cooked and the sauce has thickened. Serve lukewarm or cold with an extra squeeze of lemon.

Creamy mushroom soup recipes

Ingredients:
* 600 g mixed mushrooms
* olive oil
* 1 onion , peeled and finely sliced
* 2 sticks celery , trimmed and finely sliced
* 3 cloves garlic , peeled and sliced
* a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley , leaves picked and chopped, stalks finely chopped
* a few sprigs of fresh thyme , leaves picked
* 1.5 litres organic chicken or vegetable stock
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 75 ml single cream
* 4-6 slices ciabatta bread
*

Ingredients:
Peel off any tough outer skins of the mushroom caps and throw them away, then slice the mushrooms finely. Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and pour in a splash of olive oil. Add the onion, celery, garlic, parsley stalks, thyme leaves and mushrooms, place a lid on top and sweat gently until softened.

Spoon 4 tablespoons of mushrooms out of the pan and put to one side. Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then whiz with a hand-held blender until smooth. Pour in the cream, bring just back to the boil, then turn off the heat.

Toast the slices of ciabatta in a hot griddle pan, then top with most of the reserved mushrooms and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon the soup into deep, individual bowls, garnish with the chopped parsley and remaining mushrooms, and serve with the ciabatta crostini.

Dressed green salad recipes

Ingredients:
* 4 large handfuls freshly picked lettuces
* jam jar dressing
*

Ingredients:
You'll need a selection of freshly picked lettuces such as round lettuce, oak leaf lettuce, lamb's lettuce, watercress, cos lettuce, little gem lettuce, chicory and radicchio (about 4 large handfuls). You'll also need a jam jar dressing of your choice.

To wash your salad leaves:
When you get your lettuces home, remove the roots and any not-so-nice outside leaves first, then click or tear off the rest of the leaves and give them a good old wash in cold water. Once they’re clean, give them a spin in a salad spinner or shake them dry in a tea towel.

To store your salad leaves:
If you line a salad crisper drawer in your refrigerator with a couple of clean kitchen towels and lay your leaves on top, covering them with another towel, they’ll keep there happily for 4 days. This way you can simply make up your own mixed salads, dressing the leaves with one of my jam jar dressings.

To dress your salad leaves:
Pour the dressing from a height and gently toss the leaves, using the tips of your fingers, until every single leaf is coated.

Mexican street salad recipes

Ingredients:
* ½ small white cabbage
* ½ small red cabbage
* 1 small bunch radishes , (about 10) trimmed and finely sliced
* 2 carrots , peeled and finely sliced
* 1 large bunch fresh coriander , leaves and stalks finely chopped
* 2 large jalapeno chillies (or other green chilli) , to taste, finely sliced
* 1 red onion , peeled and finely sliced
* extra virgin olive oil
* 2-3 limes , juice of
* sea salt
*

Ingredients:
This simple little salad can be quite extraordinary, but you’ve got to season it with that Mexican spirit by being brave with the lime juice, salt and chilli, until it’s singing in your mouth. It does a great job of waking up the other things it’s served with – a few spoonfuls of this next to a grilled chicken breast or pork chop would be an absolute celebration.

Veg-wise, the onion, coriander and white cabbage are non-negotiable, as they form the base of this salad, but feel free to have a play with the other ingredients and use things like fennel or asparagus. Basically whatever’s in season and available should be a nice addition.

The easiest and quickest way to make this is to use a food processor with a slicer attachment or a mandolin. If you don’t have either of those, use a speed peeler, or simply grate everything finely.

Shred your white and red cabbage into two separate piles. Put just the white cabbage into a large bowl with the radishes, carrots and most of the coriander. Mix everything together really well, then kick up the flavours by adding almost all the chopped chilli, the sliced red onion and a good few lugs of extra virgin olive oil. Add most of the lime juice and a good pinch of salt, then toss together and have a taste. Just keep adjusting everything, adding more fragrance with the coriander, heat with the last of the chilli and acid with another squeeze of lime juice, until it’s just right for you.

When you’re happy, fold in the red cabbage right before serving so it doesn’t stain everything, and tuck in.

Simple chopped salad recipes

Ingredients:
* 4 spring onions
* 1 cucumber
* a few sprigs of fresh basil
* 2 small ripe avocados
* 1 round lettuce
* 1 punnet of cress
* 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 lemon
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
*

Ingredients:
Chopped salads are incredibly simple to prepare. Anyone can make them – just make sure you use a good, sharp chef’s knife and your biggest chopping board – and watch your fingers!

1. It’s best to start chopping the harder, crunchier veg first – trim the ends off the spring onions and cucumber on a large chopping board, then roughly chop them.

2. Pick and roughly chop the basil leaves, discarding the stalks, and bring to the middle of the board along with the spring onions and cucumber and continue chopping and mixing everything together as you go.

3. Carefully cut all the way around each avocado lengthways, going as deep as the stones.

4. Hold each avocado in your hands and twist until you can pull the two halves apart.

5. Pull out and discard the stones from the centres – you can use a teaspoon to help you scoop it out, then scoop the flesh onto the board.

6. Use scissors to snip over the cress, then continue chopping everything together, bringing the ingredients back into the middle every now and then.

7. Once everything is chopped, you’ll have a big mound of salad on the board – make a well in the middle and add the extra virgin olive oil.

8. Cut the lemon in half.

9. Squeeze over the juice, using your fingers to catch any pips.

10. Add a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, and toss together so everything is nicely coated, then serve.

Anglo-French toastie recipes

Ingredients:
* 2 slices white bread , around 1cm thick
* unsalted butter
* 15 g Comte cheese
* 15 g Westcombe or artisan Cheddar cheese
* 2 slices higher-welfare roasted ham
* ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
* freshly ground black pepper
* sea salt
* 1 small eating apple
* 1 handful mixed salad leaves , such as frisse, watercress, rocket
*

Ingredients:
Lightly butter the slices of bread, then place buttered-side down on a chopping board. Slice and lay the cheeses over one piece of bread, top with the ham then place the second piece of bread on top, buttered-side up. Place into a preheated toastie maker, clamp the lid down and toast for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, add the vinegar and oil to a clean jam jar with a little pinch of salt and pepper, pop the lid on and shake to combine. Cut the apple into matchsticks, removing the core, then toss with the salad leaves and dressing. Serve the golden toastie with the fresh salad on the side, and tuck in.

Jemma's PB & J Cupcakes recipes

Ingredients:
* For the cupcakes
* 250 g self-raising flour
* 250 g caster sugar
* ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
* 270 g unsalted butter , softened
* 4 large free-range eggs
* 100 g peanut butter
* 2 tablespoons whole milk
* ¾ X 340 g jar of quality seedless raspberry jam
* For the peanut crumb
* 100 g peanut butter
* 100 g icing sugar
* For the buttercream icing
* 300 g unsalted butter , softened
* 120 g peanut butter
* 540 g icing sugar
* 4 tablespoons whole milk
*

Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/375°F/gas 5. Sift the dry cupcake ingredients and 1 pinch of fine sea salt into a large bowl, add the butter, eggs and peanut butter, then beat for 60 seconds with an electric mixer (I prefer the free-standing type). Pour in the milk and whisk for 20 seconds, or until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then give the mix a final blast for 30 seconds to make sure it’s all incorporated. Fill the paper cases two-thirds full with mixture, but don’t bother to smooth it out. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they spring back when touched. Leave to cool slightly, transferring to a wire cooling rack after 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the peanut crumb. Place the peanut butter in a food processor, sift in the icing sugar and whiz for 1 to 2 minutes to make small,delicious crumbs, then set aside.

For the icing, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer for 5 to 6 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl, then add to the butter in two stages, beating well between each. Pour in the milk and beat for a further 3 to 5 minutes, or until well combined. Once the cupcakes are cool, poke a hole into the middle of each with a chopstick, twist to widen the hole, then use a piping bag to fill each one with a good squeeze of jam. Decorate with the icing, top with a blob of jam, if you like, and a sprinkling of peanut crumb to finish, then enjoy.

Tip Turning classic treats into cupcakes is one of my favourite things to do and this is the star of the show. Feel free to use smooth or crunchy peanut butter – whichever you prefer.

Grilled tuna with tomato spaghetti recipes

Ingredients:
* 1 clove of garlic
* 200 g cherry tomatoes
* 30 g black olives
* 30 g green olives
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* sea salt
* 30 g Parmesan cheese
* a small bunch of fresh basil
* olive oil
* 1 lemon
* 2 x 120 g tuna steaks (roughly 1.5cm thick)
* freshly ground black pepper
* 150 g dried spaghetti
* extra virgin olive oil
* ½ fresh red chilli
* 35 g rocket
*

Ingredients:
Peel and finely slice the garlic and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Stone the olives and tear into thirds or quarters. Next, add the fennel seeds to a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt and smash to a powder. Tip into a cup and put aside.

Finely grate the Parmesan. Pick the basil leaves and set aside. Roughly chop the stalks, then add to the pestle and mortar and smash to a paste with a pinch of salt. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a grating of lemon zest and the juice of half the lemon with the basil paste. Spoon it out onto a plate and place the tuna steaks on top. Turn the tuna over in the dressing, then leave them to marinate for about 20 minutes in the fridge.

Meanwhile, fill and boil the kettle. Put a deep pasta pan on a medium heat and fill with boiling water, add a good few pinches of salt and bring back to the boil. Drop the spaghetti into the water and cook according to packet instructions. Once cooked, scoop out half a mug of cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, put a medium saucepan over a medium heat, then add a splash of olive oil and the garlic. As soon as the garlic is golden, tip in the bashed-up fennel seeds and the cherry tomatoes. Season with a little pepper, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and sweet, then turn the heat off. Tip the drained pasta into the pan with the cherry tomatoes, stir together and season with a little salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, if needed. Cover with a lid.

Put a griddle pan on a medium heat. Tear the basil leaves into a bowl with the olives. Add the rocket, then dress the salad with a squeeze of juice from the remaining lemon half and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Finely chop and sprinkle over the chilli.

Season the tuna with a little salt, then place in the hot griddle pan and cook for 30 seconds on each side for rare, or for a bit longer if you prefer it more well done. Stir the grated Parmesan into the spaghetti, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Divide the spaghetti between your plates, lay a tuna steak next to each pile and top with a good pinch of the olive salad.

Root vegetable salad recipes

Ingredients:
* 3 carrots
* 3 raw beetroots (different colours if possible)
* 1 bunch of radishes
* 1 celery heart (with leaves)
* ½ a small radicchio , or 1 baby gem lettuce
* 1 fennel bulb
* 1 lemon
* ½ a bunch of fresh mint
* 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
*

Ingredients:
1. Wearing a pair of rubber gloves, use a Y-shaped peeler to carefully peel the carrots and beetroots over a chopping board, discarding the peelings.

2. Using the Y-shaped peeler again, shave the carrots and beetroots into nice thin wavy strips, then place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Carefully cut the tops and tails off the radishes, then finely slice and add to the bowl.

4. Trim and finely slice the celery, including any paler inner leaves, then add to the bowl.

5. Trim and finely slice the lettuce, discarding any tatty outer leaves and tough stalky bits, then add to the bowl.

6. Pick the leafy fennel tops and put to one side, then finely slice the fennel bulb and add to the bowl.

7. Cut the lemon in half.

8. Squeeze the juice into a small bowl or a jam jar, using your fingers to catch any pips.

9. Pick and finely chop the mint leaves, keeping the baby ones to one side, then add to the small bowl or jam jar, discarding the stalks.

10. Add the extra virgin olive oil and whisk together with a fork or put the lid securely on the jar and shake well.

11. Taste the dressing and season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, if you think it needs it, then pour over the root vegetables and taste again to check you’re happy.

12. Toss the vegetables in the dressing, then transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle over the fennel tops and reserved baby mint
leaves and dig in.

Tip: Using a Y-shaped peeler helps slice vegetables into long thin ribbons in no time at all.

Pear tart tatin recipes

Ingredients:
* 125 g caster sugar
* 40 g cold butter , chopped
* 1/2 tsp ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 3 large pears , peeled, cored and cut into wedges
* 375 g all-butter puff pastry
* Double cream , to serve
*

Ingredients:
Recipe by Jennifer McLagan
Some dishes need no introduction. Sweet pears, fragrant warming spices and crisp pastry. Heaven.

Preheat oven to 200C/gas 6. Put a 21cm-diameter frying pan with an ovenproof handle on a hob over a medium heat. Add the sugar and heat to a lovely caramel colour, stirring constantly. Add the butter, ginger and cinnamon and stir to combine.

Place the pears in the caramel and spoon over the mixture. Turn the heat down and cook for 5–10 minutes, until the pears are just tender and cooked but retain their shape. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Arrange the pears prettily in the pan.

Roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick and cut a disc slightly bigger than your pan (about 24cm). Place the pastry disc on top of the pears and caramel, then carefully tuck it snugly around the outside of the pears and down into the sides of the pan.

Bake the pie for 30–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up. Remove from the oven and leave for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, place a large plate over the top and carefully turn the tart onto the plate. Serve with cream.

Moorish crunch salad recipes

Ingredients:
* 300 g carrots , peeled
* 150 g radishes
* 2 crunchy eating apples
* 1 small handful raisins or sultanas
* 1 handful fresh parsley , roughly chopped
* 1 handful fresh mint , roughly chopped
* 4 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
* 8 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon tahini
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons sesame seeds , toasted in the oven
*

Ingredients:
First of all, finely slice your carrots into matchstick-sized batons. Finely slice your radishes – you can leave a little of the tops on if you like. Quarter your apples, remove the cores and finely slice. Add all these to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, apart from the sesame seeds. Toss together, carefully checking the seasoning, and serve with the sesame seeds sprinkled over the top. Eat straight away.

Try this: Turn it into a warm salad by adding some pan-seared chicken, prawns or scallops which have been dusted with a little paprika.

And this: Make it more of a snack by frying some halloumi cheese until golden with some chopped fresh chilli and crumbling this over the top.

Or this: Grill some pitta bread and serve stuffed with the Crunch Salad. Crumble in some feta cheese too. Lovely.

Quick steamed treacle pudding recipes

Ingredients:
* butter , for greasing
* 175 g plain flour , sifted
* 50 g soft dark brown sugar
* 75 g vegetable suet
* 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 1 free-range egg
* 1 tablespoon golden syrup , plus extra for the basin
* 1 small orange , finely grated zest and juice of
* ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
* 150 ml milk
* cream or custard , to serve
*

Ingredients:
Grease a 1 litre pudding basin well with butter. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour some extra golden syrup into the pudding basin (about 5 tablespoons) and pour the mixture in on top of it.

Cover the pudding with a pleated sheet of greaseproof paper and tie in place with string. Cook on the medium setting of your microwave (750W) for 12 minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes before turning out.

Serve with cream or custard.

Fruit & nut topping for Christmas cake recipes

Ingredients:
* 50 g apricot jam
* 250 g glacé or dried fruits , whole or cut into large strips
* pecans
* walnuts
* almonds
* pine nuts
*

Ingredients:
Recipe by Georgina Hayden

Place the apricot jam in a small pan with a splash of water and simmer on a low heat, then remove from heat and leave to cool a little. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the cake with jam and arrange your fruit on top, starting with the bigger pieces, dotting the smaller fruits and nuts in and around the gaps. Finish the cake by brushing everything with a final coat of the apricot glaze to give it a lovely gloss.

Spicy pangrattato risotto recipes

Ingredients:
* 1 lemon , zest of
* 3 dried bird's-eye chillies
* 4 cloves garlic , peeled
* 6 good-quality salted anchovy fillets in oil
* ½ large loaf ciabatta , stale if possible, cut into chunks
* olive oil
* 1 basic risotto recipe
* 700 ml organic vegetable or chicken stock , hot
* 50 g butter
* 1 small handful Parmesan cheese , freshly grated, plus a block for grating
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
*

Ingredients:
Whiz the lemon zest, dried chillies, garlic, anchovies and bread chunks in a food processor with a bit of oil from the anchovy tin until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Heat a large frying pan and add a splash of olive oil. Fry the breadcrumbs in the oil until darkened and crisp, then drain them on a piece of kitchen paper and allow to cool.

Make your basic risotto recipe. Place a large saucepan on a medium to high heat and pour in half the stock, followed by all your risotto base. Stirring all the time, gently bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Add the rest of the stock a ladleful at a time until the rice is cooked. You might not need all your stock. Be careful not to overcook the rice – check it throughout cooking to make sure it’s a pleasure to eat. It should hold its shape but be soft, creamy and oozy. And the overall texture should be slightly looser than you think you want it.

Turn off the heat, beat in your butter and Parmesan, check the seasoning and add a little salt and pepper if needed. Don’t be too generous with the salt because the pangrattato has salt in it too and you don’t want to overdo it!

Place a lid on the pan and leave the risotto to rest for a minute. You can now take the pan to the table so that everyone can help themselves, or divide the risotto between individual serving plates and sprinkle the pangrattato over the top. Place a block of Parmesan on the table with a grater and tuck in.

Zombie recipes

Ingredients:
* 2 parts Bacardi Carta Blanco
* 1 ⅓ parts Bacardi Oro
* 1 part Triple Sec Liqueur
* 2 parts Sweet and Sour Mix
* 2 parts Orange Juice
* 1 parts Grenadine (or Blue Curacao)
* 1 bunch Cherries
* 1 whole Orange , Sliced
* ice , cubed
*

Ingredients:
1. Put lots of ice and all of the ingredients except the grenadine/Blue Curaçao into a shaker. Remember you can make sugar syrup with equal parts water and sugar or simply buy it pre-made.

2. Shake for about 20 seconds to chill the liquid really well, then strain the mix into the glass over ice (you could fill your glass with ice and pour the mix straight in, or - to look flash - strain it over ice separately and then add to a glass containing fresh ice)

3. Pour a little of the grenadine/Blue Curaçao over the drink so it floats on top - gently does it!

Pukka yellow curry recipes

Ingredients:
* 2 onions
* 4 cloves of garlic
* 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
* 2 yellow peppers
* 1 cube chicken stock
* 1-2 fresh red chillies
* ½ a bunch of fresh coriander
* 1 teaspoon runny honey
* 1 level teaspoon ground tumeric
* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* 8 higher-welfare chicken drumsticks
* olive oil
* 1 x 400 g tin of chickpeas
* 1 teaspoon tomato purée
* 320 g basmati rice
* 1 lemon
* optional:
* fat-free natural yoghurt , to serve
*

Ingredients:
‘Pukka’ is an Indian word for the real deal or authenticity, hence the name of this dish. It’s not because I’m a cocky Essex boy, nor, as some not-so-nice journalists once said, because of my annoying ‘estuary accent’ (whatever that means). Anyway, this curry is delicious – the meat falls off the bone, it’s great value and it looks phenomenal.

Peel the onions, garlic and ginger and deseed the peppers. Put 1 onion, 1 pepper, the garlic and ginger into a food processor. Crumble in the stock cube and add the chilli (deseed it first, if you prefer a milder curry), the coriander stalks, honey and spices, then blitz to a paste.

Place a large casserole pan on a medium-high heat and fry the chicken drumsticks (pull the skin off first, if you prefer) with a splash of oil for 10 minutes, or until golden, turning occasionally with tongs. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving the pan on the heat. Roughly chop the remaining onion and pepper and add to the pan to cook for a few minutes, then tip in the paste and let it cook down for around 5 minutes. Pour in 500ml of boiling water. Drain the chickpeas and add along with the tomato purée and a pinch of salt and pepper, then stir well. Return the chicken to the pan, pop the lid on, reduce the heat and simmer gently for around 45 minutes, or until the sauce darkens and thickens.

With 15 minutes to go, put 1 mug (320g) of rice and 2 mugs of boiling water into a pan with a pinch of salt and simmer with the lid on for 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve the curry in the middle of the table with a few dollops of yoghurt (if using) and a scattering of coriander leaves, with lemon wedges for squeezing over and the fluffy rice on the side.

Sweet duck legs cooked with plums and star anise recipes

Ingredients:
* 4 fat duck legs
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 3 teaspoons five-spice
* 1 handful star anise
* ½ stick cinnamon
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1-2 fresh red chillies , deseeded and sliced
* 16 plums , halved and destoned
* 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar
*

Ingredients:
Place the duck legs in a sandwich bag with the soy sauce, five-spice, star anise, cinnamon stick and olive oil and let them marinate for a minimum of 2 hours. To really get the flavours going, you could keep this in your fridge to marinate for up to 2 days. Then get yourself a pan, casserole or high-sided roasting tray that snugly fits the duck legs. Place the chillies, plums and sugar in the bottom of the tray and then pour the marinade from the bag over the top. Mix it all up using your fingers, and place the duck legs on top.

Place the tray in a preheated oven at 170°C/325°F/gas 3 for 2 to 2½ hours until the meat falls away from the bone. Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick, then taste the sauce to see if it needs to be seasoned with a little more soy sauce. It’s now down to you how you would like to serve it. You could have it as a starter with some of the little Chinese pancakes that you can buy, or served simply with rice or noodles and the chunky, jammy plum sauce that the duck has cooked in.

Leftover turkey banh mi recipes

Ingredients:
* olive oil
* 190g leftover cooked turkey , preferably brown meat
* 1 lime
* 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
* 2 medium baguettes
* 1 clove of garlic
* 3 cm piece of fresh ginger
* sea salt
* extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons Hellmann's mayonnaise
* ½ a small bunch of fresh coriander
* 1 carrot
* ¼ of a white cabbage
* sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon low-salt soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
* 4 tablespoons leftover chicken liver pate
* optional:
* 1 fresh red chilli
*

Ingredients:
For this recipe, you will need 190g leftover cooked turkey, preferably brown meat

Preheat the oven to 130ºC/250ºF/gas ½. Add a splash of olive oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat. Roughly shred and add the turkey (if you’ve got the skin, add that too) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through. Grate in the lime zest and stir in the chilli sauce, then reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp and slightly caramelised.

Meanwhile, place the baguettes in the oven to warm through. Peel and add the garlic and most of the ginger to a pestle and mortar, then bash to a smooth paste with a pinch of salt and 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Muddle in the mayo and the juice from the lime, then pick in the coriander leaves and stir to combine. Set aside.

To make the pickle, peel the carrot, then coarsely grate and add to a large bowl along with the cucumber and cabbage. Peel, finely chop and add the remaining ginger, then sprinkle over a pinch of salt and scrunch together with your hands to get rid of any excess liquid. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, the soy and vinegar and toss well to combine.

Open out the warm baguettes, spread the chicken liver paté onto one side of each, then pile over the turkey and pickled veg. Finish with a dollop of lime-spiked mayo, then finely chop and scatter over the chilli (if using) along with the reserved coriander leaves. Press down slightly on the baguettes to close, then cut the banh mi into chunks and tuck in.

Gluten-free pasta dough recipes

Ingredients:
* 150 g gluten-free rice flour , plus extra for dusting
* 50 g potato starch
* 1 tablespoon corn flour
* 2 tablespoons xanthan gum
* ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
* 3 large free-range eggs
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
*

Ingredients:
Place the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a rough dough. Tip out onto a flour-dusted surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Cut the dough into four pieces, then carefully press a portion out flat with your fingertips and start to roll it out using a pasta machine. Start at the widest setting and roll the dough through it, lightly dusting with the rice flour if it sticks. Roll the pasta through the widest setting a second time, then click the machine down a setting and roll the dough through again.

Now, start clicking the settings down, rolling the pasta through each setting twice – gluten-free pasta isn’t as elastic as standard pasta, so make sure you avoid using the two narrowest settings, otherwise it may rip. Once you have a thin sheet of pasta (about 2mm thick), set aside on a flour-dusted surface and cover with a damp tea towel to avoid it drying out, then continue with the remaining dough.

Now’s the time to transform your dough into whichever variety of pasta you like. If you want to make tagliatelle, roll the pasta through the tagliatelle setting on your pasta machine, or use a sharp knife to slice the pasta sheets lengthways into long strips (roughly 7mm thick), placing on a flour-dusted tray as you go. To cook, place in a pan of boiling salted water for around 3 minutes, or until al dente, then serve how you like it.

Tapas feast: tortilla, glazed chorizo, manchego cheese, cured meats & honey, stuffed peppers, rolled anchovies recipes

Ingredients:
* For the tortilla
* 250 g baby new potatoes
* 1 small red onion
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 2 cloves garlic
* ½ small bunch fresh rosemary
* 8 free-range eggs
* 1 large handful prewashed rocket , to serve
* For the chorizo
* 250 g semi-cured whole iberico chorizo
* 2 cloves garlic
* 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon runny honey
* For the peppers
* 50 g Manchego cheese
* 1 loaf ciabatta
* 50 g blanched almonds
* 1 small bunch fresh thyme
* red wine vinegar
* 450 g jarred whole peppers
* For the Manchego
* 100 g Manchego cheese
* 100 g quality Spanish cured meats, such as pata negra
* runny honey , for drizzling
* instant or quality ground coffee
* 1 handful black olives
* 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or oregano , optional
* For the anchovies
* 50 g chilled marinated or dressed anchovies
* a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1 lemon
* 150 g cherry tomatoes
* smoked paprika , for dusting
* For the seasonings
* olive oil
* extra virgin olive oil
* sea salt
* black pepper
* To serve
* 1 bottle sparkling water , to serve
* 1 orange , to serve
* 1 bottle dry sherry , chilled, to serve
*

Ingredients:
TO START Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Put a medium ovenproof frying pan (approx. 26cm) on a high heat and a small frying pan on a low heat. Turn the grill on to full whack. Put the standard blade attachment into the food processor.

TORTILLA Chop the potatoes into 1cm chunks. Put them into the medium ovenproof frying pan with a lug of olive oil and toss. Halve, peel and roughly chop the red onion. Once the potatoes have a good colour, add the onions to the pan along with the fennel seeds and mix well. Now get on with other jobs but remember to keep tossing the potatoes occasionally.

CHORIZO Slice the chorizo into 2cm rounds. Put into the small frying pan with a splash of olive oil and toss occasionally until golden and crisp.

PEPPERS Trim off the rind from the Manchego, then crumble into the food processor with a handful of torn up ciabatta, 50g of blanched almonds, the leaves from the bunch of thyme, a good pinch of salt & pepper and a swig of red wine vinegar. Whiz up until fine, then stuff inside the peppers – no need to pack it in. Once full, put them into a baking dish. Scatter any remaining breadcrumbs over the peppers. Top with the remaining thyme sprigs, drizzle with olive oil, then put on the middle shelf, under the grill, for 8 minutes. Rip the remaining ciabatta in half and take to the table.

MANCHEGO Lay the slices of cured meat on a board alongside the large wedge of Manchego. Drizzle a little honey over the cheese, then sprinkle over a pinch of ground coffee. Scatter a handful of black olives and a few leaves of thyme or oregano (if using) over the meat. Drizzle with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle lightly with pepper and take to the table.

CHORIZO Lightly bash 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic with the heel of your hand or the bottom of a saucepan and add to the pan.

TORTILLA The potatoes should be lovely and golden by now, so turn the heat down to low. Crush 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the pan. Pick most of the rosemary leaves into the pan and stir. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

CHORIZO Carefully drain away most of the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon of it behind. Add the red wine vinegar and runny honey and leave to reduce down to a really sticky glaze. Keep an eye on it, giving the pan a shake every so often so it doesn’t catch.

TORTILLA Taste the potato mixture for seasoning, then crack the eggs directly into the pan and gently stir with a wooden spoon to create a marbled effect. Turn the heat up to medium. Once the eggs start to set around the sides, scatter the rest of the rosemary leaves on top and put under the grill on the top shelf for 3 to 5 minutes, or until set, golden and fluffy.

ANCHOVIES Put the anchovies into a nice serving bowl. Finely chop a few sprigs of parsley and sprinkle over. Finely grate over the zest of ½ the lemon, then drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil. Halve the cherry tomatoes and pile them next to the anchovies with a bunch of cocktail sticks.
The idea is to get everyone to make their own skewers. Add a pinch of paprika and take to the table.

TO SERVE Take the tortilla and stuffed peppers to the table. Pop a large handful of rocket next to the tortilla. Take the pan of sticky chorizo to the table. Serve with a jug of iced sparkling water filled with orange slices, and a chilled bottle of dry sherry.

Grilled tuna with tomato spaghetti recipes

Ingredients:
* 1 clove of garlic
* 200 g cherry tomatoes
* 30 g black olives
* 30 g green olives
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* sea salt
* 30 g Parmesan cheese
* a small bunch of fresh basil
* olive oil
* 1 lemon
* 2 x 120 g tuna steaks (roughly 1.5cm thick)
* freshly ground black pepper
* 150 g dried spaghetti
* extra virgin olive oil
* ½ fresh red chilli
* 35 g rocket
*

Ingredients:
Peel and finely slice the garlic and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Stone the olives and tear into thirds or quarters. Next, add the fennel seeds to a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt and smash to a powder. Tip into a cup and put aside.

Finely grate the Parmesan. Pick the basil leaves and set aside. Roughly chop the stalks, then add to the pestle and mortar and smash to a paste with a pinch of salt. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a grating of lemon zest and the juice of half the lemon with the basil paste. Spoon it out onto a plate and place the tuna steaks on top. Turn the tuna over in the dressing, then leave them to marinate for about 20 minutes in the fridge.

Meanwhile, fill and boil the kettle. Put a deep pasta pan on a medium heat and fill with boiling water, add a good few pinches of salt and bring back to the boil. Drop the spaghetti into the water and cook according to packet instructions. Once cooked, scoop out half a mug of cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, put a medium saucepan over a medium heat, then add a splash of olive oil and the garlic. As soon as the garlic is golden, tip in the bashed-up fennel seeds and the cherry tomatoes. Season with a little pepper, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and sweet, then turn the heat off. Tip the drained pasta into the pan with the cherry tomatoes, stir together and season with a little salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, if needed. Cover with a lid.

Put a griddle pan on a medium heat. Tear the basil leaves into a bowl with the olives. Add the rocket, then dress the salad with a squeeze of juice from the remaining lemon half and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Finely chop and sprinkle over the chilli.

Season the tuna with a little salt, then place in the hot griddle pan and cook for 30 seconds on each side for rare, or for a bit longer if you prefer it more well done. Stir the grated Parmesan into the spaghetti, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Divide the spaghetti between your plates, lay a tuna steak next to each pile and top with a good pinch of the olive salad.

Blackberry and apple pie recipes

Ingredients:
* 1 old-fashioned sweet shortcrust pastry recipe
* 50 g butter , plus extra for greasing
* 100 g golden caster sugar , plus extra for sprinkling
* 2 large Bramley apples , cored, peeled and each cut into 16 wedges
* 4 Cox apples , cored, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
* 1 heaped tablespoon chopped stem ginger in syrup
* 150 g blackberries
* 1 large free-range egg , beaten
* ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
*

Ingredients:
This is the best apple pie in the world. You can’t go wrong with Bramley cooking apples, delicious blackberries and stem ginger. The cooking time can depend on how freshly picked the apples are, so the best thing is to cook them until they’re softened first. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but blackberries in shops never seem to taste of anything these days unless they’ve just been picked from a local grower – so do try to get fresh ones if you can, or pick your own straight from the bush!

First, make your pastry dough, wrap it in cling film and rest it in the fridge for at least half an hour. Then preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put the butter and sugar into a saucepan and, when the butter has melted, add the apples, stem ginger and a tablespoon of the ginger syrup. Slowly cook for 15 minutes with a lid on, then add the blackberries, stir and cook for 5 more minutes with the lid off.

Meanwhile, remove your pastry from the fridge. Dust your work surface with flour, cut the pastry in half and, using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces out until it’s just under 1cm thick. (Rolling the dough between two layers of greaseproof paper will also stop it sticking to your rolling pin.) Butter a shallow 26cm pie dish and line with the pastry, trimming off any excess round the edges using a sharp knife.

Tip the cooled apples and blackberries into a sieve, reserving all the juices, then put the fruit into the lined pie dish so you have a mound in the middle. Spoon over half the reserved juices. Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Roll out the second piece of pastry, just as you did the first, and lay it over the top of the pie. Trim the edges as before and crimp them together with your fingers. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg, sprinkle generously with sugar and the cinnamon, and make a couple of slashes in the top of the pastry.

Place the pie on a baking tray and then put it directly on the bottom of the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. To serve, slice the pie into portions and serve with a generous dollop of custard.

Box grater fruit salad recipes

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
* ½ a small jar of runny honey , (170g)
* 1 pear
* 1 apple
* 6 strawberries
* 1 nectarine
* 1 banana
* 1 orange
* 2 sprigs of fresh mint
* natural yoghurt , (optional)
* Equipment list
* small frying pan , (20cm)
* measuring spoons
* small microwave-safe bowl
* microwave
* chopping board
* knife
* teaspoon
* box grater
* plate
* serving bowls
*

Ingredients:
This delicious breakfast is super simple, but it’s beautiful, tasty, and the action of bruising and grating brings out all the natural sugars in the fruit, creating a wonderful juicy dressing.

1. Place a small frying pan on a medium heat and add the sesame seeds.

2. Toast for a couple of minutes, or until golden, gently jiggling the pan for even cooking.

3. Carefully tip the seeds into a small microwave safe bowl.

4. Mix in the honey.

5. Warm the mixture through in the microwave (800W) for 20 seconds, then carefully place to one side.

6. Pull the stalks off the pear and apple and hull the strawberries.

7. On a chopping board, use a knife to carefully cut all the way around the nectarine in a circle.

8. Hold the nectarine in your hands and twist until you can pull the two halves apart.

9. Pull out and discard the stone from the centre – you can use a teaspoon to help you scoop it out.

10. Peel the banana.

11. Place a box grater on a plate, then on the coarse side, carefully grate all of the fruit, piece by piece, in long strokes.

12. Carefully lift off the grater, leaving a lovely pile of grated fruit on the plate.

13. Carefully cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice over the fruit, using your hand to catch any pips.

14. Drizzle the fruit with 2 tablespoons of the sesame honey (keep the rest for another day).

15. Pick and roughly chop the mint leaves, discarding the stalks, then sprinkle over the fruit.

16. Divide between bowls and serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt, if you like.

Gluten-free blondies recipes

Ingredients:
* 150 g gluten-free flour
* 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
* 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
* 200 g soya yogurt
* 1/2 vanilla pod , split lengthways and seeds scraped
* 2 tbsp honey
* 250 g light brown sugar
* 200 g vegan 70%-cocoa chocolate , roughly chopped
*

Ingredients:
Recipe by Anna Jones

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and line a 23cm square brownie tin with baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and sea salt into a bowl.

Combine the soya yoghurt, vanilla seeds and honey in a large bowl. Add the light brown sugar and mix until well combined.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in the chopped dark chocolate.

Pour the batter into the prepared brownie pan and evenly spread over the pan with a spoon or spatula. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes, until the top of the blondie is firm and brown. Remove from the oven and let the blondie cool completely in the pan. Cut into 12 pieces and serve.

Panzanella (Tuscan tomato & bread salad) recipes

Ingredients:
* 200 g stale ciabatta loaf
* 600 g ripe mixed tomatoes, , roughly chopped
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 1 handful small capers , drained
* 1 small red onion , peeled and very finely sliced
* 280 g jarred red peppers , drained and roughly chopped
* 8 anchovy fillets in oil , drained and finely sliced (optional)
* red wine vinegar
* extra virgin olive oil
* a bunch of fresh basil
*

Ingredients:
Tear the ciabatta into rough 3cm pieces and place on a tray. Leave aside in a warm place for around 30 minutes – this helps to dry it out.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Rinse the capers, squeezing out any excess liquid and add to the bowl, along with the onion, peppers, ciabatta and anchovies, if using. Toss the mixture together with your hands, then stir in 2 tablespoons of vinegar and about 3 times as much extra virgin olive oil. Taste and add a little more salt, pepper, vinegar or oil, if needed.

Tear in the basil leaves, stir together and serve. Delicious with barbecued meats or roast chicken.

Peach cobbler recipes

Ingredients:
* 8 ripe peaches , halved, stoned and cut into wedges
* 1 vanilla pod , halved lengthways and seeds scraped out
* zest of 1 lime
* 40 g soft brown sugar
* zest and juice of 1 orange
* 2.5 cm fresh ginger , peeled and finely grated
* For the cobbler topping:
* 40 g pine nuts
* 100 g self-raising flour
* 50 g caster sugar
* sea salt
* 100 g unsalted butter , chilled
* icing sugar , to serve (optional)
* good-quality vanilla ice cream , to serve
*

Ingredients:
Even though this recipe is dead easy, the results are so delicious it’s worthy of any occasion. The combination of hot juicy peaches in their own gorgeous syrup with soft yet crisp little scone-like dumplings is just amazing. You can assemble this, bake it ahead of time, then bring it back to life when you’re ready to serve it by adding a splash of water and warming it up in the oven. Best served hot, with a few spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream melting over the top.

Preheat your oven to full whack. In an earthenware cooking dish (approx. 25cm in diameter), toss your peaches gently with the vanilla seeds, lime zest, brown sugar, orange zest and juice and grated ginger. Put the dish into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the peaches have softened slightly – the time it takes will depend on their ripeness.

Meanwhile, mix your cobbler topping. If you’re using a food processor, whiz up your pine nuts, then tip in your flour, sugar and salt. Cut your butter up into cubes, add to the processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Tip this mixture into a bowl. If working by hand, pop your pine nuts into a sandwich bag and bash them up with a rolling pin. Tip them into a bowl with the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt, then use a box grater to grate in your chilled butter. Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the mix until it starts to resemble fine breadcrumbs. At this point add 2 tablespoons of water to bring everything together, and when you have a firm dough put it to one side.

Remove your dish of peaches from the oven and pour in half a glass of water. Gently mix in and scrape around the edges to make sure nothing is catching, then use a tablespoon to dollop 6 big spoonfuls of dough on top of the peaches. Return the dish to the oven for around 20 minutes. When it’s bubbling, golden on top and nearly perfect, get your ice cream out of
the freezer.

Make sure your gang are ready at the table and ready to eat. Dust your cobbler with icing sugar, if using, then spoon a few scoops of ice cream on top and give it a minute to let the ice cream marble into the beautiful peach syrup. Take it to the table and don’t expect much to come back!

Lemon butter biscuits recipes

Ingredients:
* 125 g butter , at room temperature
* 100 g caster sugar
* 1 free-range egg
* 200 g plain flour
* 2 lemons , zest of
* ¼ teaspoon baking powder
* 1 pinch sea salt
* plain flour , for dusting
* 3 tablespoons demerara sugar
*

Ingredients:
These biscuits are dead easy to make and perfect for a simple gift. If you fancy jazzing them up for Christmas, try using an orange in place of the lemons and add a pinch of cinnamon to your demerara – lovely and festive!

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the egg until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt and mix until you have a ball of dough. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours, or until firm.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until ½cm thick. Cut out shapes and place on a greaseproofed tray. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

DIY party combos - Greek style recipes

Ingredients:
* courgettes
* feta cheese
* green olives
* fresh mint leaves
* fresh red chilli
*

Ingredients:
This forkful has a Greek vibe to it that really works. Use a speed peeler to peel a courgette into ribbons. If you can get different colours of courgettes then having those colours together on the fork is a really nice touch. Take two ribbons in your hand and add a small chunk of feta cheese, a destoned green olive, a mint leaf and a tiny sprinkle of finely chopped fresh red chilli. Wrap everything up in the courgette ribbons then stab with a fork.

Also try:
Fig, mozzarella and Parma ham
Smoked salmon with horseradish and beetroot
Bresaola with mustard and coleslaw
Prawns and Marie Rose sauce

Lincolnshire Poacher pie recipes

Ingredients:
* For the pastry:
* 500 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
* 250 g cold unsalted butter , cubed
* sea salt
* white pepper
* 1 large free-range egg , beaten
* For the filling:
* olive oil
* a bunch of fresh thyme
* 1 whole nutmeg , for grating
* 1 lemon
* 1.5 kg courgettes, a mixture of yellow and green if you can get them , finely sliced
* sea salt
* freshly ground pepper
* 300 g Lincolnshire Poacher cheese
* a small bunch of fresh mint , leaves picked
* 250 g rock salt
* 24 shallots
* a few sprigs of fresh thyme
*

Ingredients:
You won’t believe how tasty the courgettes get with this method of cooking – it really does take them to another level. You’ve got to find some Lincolnshire Poacher, it’s an amazing cheese made by the very talented Jones brothers, Simon and Tim (see www.lincolnshirepoachercheese.com). The pastry is rich and amazing, so embrace the fact that it’s really crumbly and will definitely break as you’re making it. I’m serving this with a lemony salad and sweet salt-baked shallots, which will get caramelized and gorgeous and pick up the seasoning from the bed of salt. This method is also a great one for beetroots, so if you like this, try that.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Blitz the flour and butter in a food processor with a pinch of salt and a few good pinches of pepper until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Tip on to a work surface, make a well in the centre and add 100ml of cold water. Gently mix until it starts to come together, then – most importantly for a short, crumbly pastry – have the confidence to only just press, pat and almost hug it together to form a rough scruffy ball. Please don’t be tempted to knead the dough or it won’t be short and crumbly. Pop it into a floured bowl, cover with clingfilm and put into the fridge to chill while you make the filling.

Put a drizzle of olive oil into a large pan on a medium heat and pick in the leaves from half the bunch of thyme. Add a few gratings of nutmeg, the zest of half the lemon, the sliced courgettes and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook gently (the courgettes will cook down and become easier to handle), stirring occasionally, for around 25 minutes. Then turn the heat down to low and cook for another 20 minutes, so the courgette mixture becomes dense and the flavours really intensify and sweeten. Allow to cool a little, finely chop and crumble in the cheese, then chop and add the mint leaves. Set aside.

Halve the pastry and roll each half into a circle just under 1cm thick and slightly larger than the pie dish you’ve chosen (roughly 23cm diameter x 4cm deep). Don’t worry if the pastry breaks up – that’s normal. Just patch it. Roll one of the circles around the rolling pin and carefully unroll it over the pie dish. Gently press the pastry into the corners and sides of the dish, then spoon and spread all your courgette mixture into the dish. Carefully unroll the pastry lid over the top, then flour your thumb and forefinger and gently pinch and crimp the edges together. Trim off any excess pastry and brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg.

Now simply throw the rock salt into a roasting tray with the shallots, still with their skins on, and a few thyme tips. Put the pie right at the bottom of the oven, with the tray of shallots above. Cook for 1 hour, or until the pie is golden, then allow to cool and serve with those soft roasted shallots.

PS: All the leftover salt from baking the shallots can be bashed up and reused.

Refried lentils with eggs & salsa recipes

Ingredients:
* olive oil
* 2 onions
* ½ bunch of coriander
* 1 jalapeño chilli
* ½ teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
* 300 g brown lentils
* 2 red peppers
* 1 dried chipotle chilli
* 2 cloves of garlic
* ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
* 300 g ripe vine tomatoes
* 1 splash of red wine vinegar
* 4 large free-range eggs
* 2 avocados
* 2 limes
*

Ingredients:
Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic, pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks, finely chop the jalapeño, and roughly chop the tomatoes.

Place a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat and pour in a lug of oil. Add the onions, coriander stalks and jalapeño and sauté for 10 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Stir in the coriander seeds, fry for a couple more minutes, then add the lentils.

Stir in 800ml boiling water and bring back to the boil. Season well, reduce the heat, pop on the lid and simmer for 40 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and beginning to break down.

Blacken the peppers by either placing them directly on a gas flame, or griddling them in a griddle pan, turning regularly until blackened all over. Pop them in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and let stand.

After about 5 minutes the peppers should be ready, so flake away the blistered skin and remove the stalk and seeds. Slice the flesh into thin strips and leave to one side.

Place the chipotle chilli in a small bowl and pour in just enough boiling water to cover. After a few minutes, it should have softened; carefully remove from the bowl and finely chop.

Place a medium-sized pan over a medium heat and pour in a lug of olive oil. Add the garlic and all the chillies and fry for 1 minute, then add the peppers and paprika. Fry for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes.

Season well and gradually bring everything to a simmer. Leave to bubble away gently for 10 minutes, until you have a thick and rich tomato sauce. Add a splash of red wine vinegar and set aside. Chop the coriander leaves, then stir through.

When your lentils are cooked, roughly purée with a stick blender, then pop back over a medium heat with a lug of oil. Fry for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, so you end up with crispy fried lentils.

Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of oil. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, and cook to your liking. Slice the avocados and dress with the juice of 1 lime. Cut the remaining lime into quarters.

Serve the refried lentils with a dollop of the red pepper salsa, dressed avocado and topped with a fried egg and a wedge of lime.

Crispy-skinned mackerel with Asian-inspired dressing recipes

Ingredients:
* 1 mug basmati rice
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 4 x 170 g mackerel , from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger, skin on, butterflied and pin-boned
* 1 lemon
* 1 spring onion , trimmed and finely sliced
* 2 sprigs of fresh coriander , leaves picked and chopped
* 2 sprigs of fresh mint , leaves picked
* 1 fresh red chilli , finely sliced, optional
* For the sauce
* 1 clove garlic , peeled
* 1 cm piece fresh ginger
* 1 spring onion , trimmed
* 1 fresh red chilli
* 2 limes
* 2 sprigs of coriander , leaves picked
* 4 tablespoons sesame oil
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons runny honey
* extra virgin olive oil
*

Ingredients:
Mackerel is part of the same family as tuna. We’ve come to depend so heavily on tuna that it’s now under a huge amount of pressure – this really is the time to turn to mackerel as an alternative.

It’s widely available in our waters and way down the food chain so we need to be buying and selling more of it, and learning how to cook and enjoy it. I like to treat mackerel more like a steak, and give it flavour and attitude to make it sing. It is so delicious, incredibly versatile and extremely good for you.

Put a griddle pan on a high heat to get really hot. Add the rice to a pan with 2 mugs of boiling water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil on a high heat then turn the heat down to low, cover and leave for 7 to 8 minutes.

Once the griddle is screaming hot, add the mackerel skin-side down (you may need to do this in batches). Use a fish slice to press the fish onto the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and finely grate over the zest of a lemon. Reduce to a medium-high heat and cook for about 8 minutes in total.

Meanwhile, make your sauce. Use a fine grater to carefully grate the garlic, ginger, spring onion and chilli into a small bowl. Grate in the lime zest and mix, you should have a lovely slurry. Tear in the coriander leaves, add the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and squeeze in the juice of the limes. Finish with a good lug of extra virgin olive oil then have a taste – you want to have a balance between sweet, sour, heat and fragrance.

Check the mackerel, they should be lovely and dark on the skin side so carefully flip them over to finish cooking for a final few seconds. Check your rice; all of the water should have been absorbed. Divide the rice between your plates, top each portion with a piece of mackerel then drizzle over some of that gorgeous sauce. Scatter over the spring onion, mint, coriander and chilli, if using.

Sizzling lamb chops scottadito recipes

Ingredients:
* 8 carrots
* 3 small red onions
* 3 small white onions
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* olive oil
* 1 dried red chilli , crumbled
* 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
* 1 teaspoon dried flowering oregano
* 8 fresh bay leaves
* 6 long lamb chops , untrimmed
* 250g bulgar wheat
* 1 tablespoon runny honey
* white wine vinegar
* 1 orange
* a handful of pistachio nuts
* 1 lemon
* extra virgin olive oil
* 3 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
* 50 g feta cheese
* a small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley , leaves picked
*

Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Light the barbecue, preparing a hot and cool side. Trim and halve the carrots lengthways, then peel and halve the onions. Place into a snug-fitting roasting tray and toss with a good pinch of salt and pepper and a lug of olive oil. Tightly cover with tin foil, then place in the hot oven and cook for around 30 minutes, or until cooked through but not golden.

Meanwhile, prepare the lamb rub. In a pestle and mortar, grind the dried chilli, coriander seeds, oregano (you can use normal oregano if you can't find the flowering kind), four bay leaves and a good pinch of salt and pepper to a fine powder. Rub all over the lamb chops and put to one side.

Cook the bulgar wheat according to packet instructions. Once the veg has cooked through, remove and discard the foil, then add the remaining bay, runny honey, a good lug of white wine vinegar, the juice of half an orange and pistachio nuts. Return to the oven and roast for a further 30 minutes, or until golden and sticky.

Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil over the chops and place on the barbecue, positioning them so the meaty part of the chop is on the cool side and the thinner bone on the hotter side. Grill for around 15 minutes, or until cooked through and gnarly, turning regularly (be careful as the fat may spit).

Drain and leave the bulgar to cool, then finely grate over the zest from the lemon and squeeze the juice of half on top. Add a good lug of extra virgin olive oil, season well and mix together. Spoon the bulgar onto a serving platter, layer over half the roasted carrots and onions and place the sizzling lamb chops on top. Add the remaining veg, golden pistachios and any lovely juices from the tray, then serve with dollops of yoghurt, crumbled feta and finely chopped parsley leaves – delicious!

Quick crispy chicken with tomatoes & asparagus recipes

Ingredients:
* 2 x 120 g free-range, skinless chicken breasts
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 1 bunch of asparagus
* olive oil
* 4 rashers of higher-welfare pancetta
* 250 g cherry tomatoes , halved
* 5 black olives , destoned
* a couple of sprigs of fresh basil , leaves picked
* a small knob of butter
* a splash of white wine
*

Ingredients:
This is a really quick and simple meal that’s perfect for a midweek supper. I’ve used olives to add a bit of saltiness and extra flavour, but feel free to throw in whatever you’ve got in the cupboard that’ll do the same job – anchovies or sun-dried tomatoes would work well.

Place a large pan on a high heat. Lay your chicken breasts on a board and cut three incisions into each one like fingers, going all the way through the breast but leaving about 1cm joined at the top. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Snap the woody ends off of the asparagus spears. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan, followed by the chicken, pancetta and asparagus. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken and asparagus are cooked through, turning halfway. Lift the pancetta on top of the chicken once golden and crispy.

Move the chicken, bacon or pancetta and asparagus to one side of the pan then throw in the tomatoes, olives, basil leaves and butter. Reduce to a low heat and add a splash of wine to help make a sauce. Leave to bubble away and thicken for a couple of minutes.

Use tongs to divide the chicken, bacon or pancetta, asparagus and most of the tomatoes between your plates. Squash the remaining tomatoes, mixing them with the lovely juices in the pan, then drizzle over the chicken before serving.

Summer tomato and horseradish salad recipes

Ingredients:
* 4 large handfuls mixed tomatoes
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* extra virgin olive oil
* good-quality red wine vinegar
* ½ clove garlic , grated
* 2 teaspoons fresh horseradish , grated, or jarred hot horseradish
* 1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley , finely sliced
*

Ingredients:
Cut the bigger tomatoes into slices about 1cm/½ inch thick. You can halve the cherry tomatoes or leave them whole. Then sprinkle them all with a good dusting of sea salt. Put them in a colander and leave them for 30 minutes. What's going to happen here is that the salt will draw the excess moisture out of the tomatoes, intensifying their flavour. Don't worry about the salad being too salty, as a lot of the salt drips away.

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and dress with enough extra virgin olive oil to loosen (approximately 6 tablespoons), and 1–2 tablespoons of vinegar, but do add these to your own taste. Toss around and check for seasoning – you may or may not need salt but will certainly need pepper. Add the garlic. Now start to add the horseradish. Stir in a couple of teaspoons to begin with, toss around and taste. If you like it a bit hotter, add a bit more horseradish. All I do now is get some finely sliced flat-leaf parsley (stalks and leaves) and mix this into the tomatoes. Toss everything together and serve as a wonderful salad, making sure you mop up all the juices with some nice squashy bread.

This salad is fantastic with roast beef, goat's cheese or jacket potatoes. And to be honest, even if you put these tomatoes in a roasting tray and roasted them with some sausages scattered around them it would be nice.

Party squid & harissa mayo recipes

Ingredients:
* sea salt
* freshly ground white pepper
* 3 lemons
* 3 sprigs of flowering oregano
* 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
* 300 g plain flour
* 12 whole medium squid , prepared, with tentacles
* vegetable oil , for deep-frying
* a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
* For the harissa mayo:
* 1 clove of garlic
* 3 heaped tablespoons Hellmann's Mayonnaise
* 4 teaspoons harissa paste
* 1½ teaspoons rose water
*

Ingredients:
To make the harissa mayo, peel and bash the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a little salt, then muddle in the mayo. Add 2 teaspoons of harissa, followed by the zest and juice from ½ a lemon, then mix well, taste and add a little more lemon juice, if needed. Transfer to a bowl, drizzle over the rosewater and ripple through the remaining harissa. Set aside.

Scrunch the oregano flowers into a liquidiser and discard the stalks, then add the fennel and a teaspoon each of salt and white pepper. Blitz to a fine powder, then place into a large bowl with the flour and stir to combine.

Wash and pat dry the squid, then slice and open out the tubes like a book. Cut a criss-cross pattern onto the surface, then add to the flour along with the tentacles and toss well to coat.

Place a large, deep saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fill three-quarters full with vegetable oil and allow to heat up. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a piece of bread into the pan – if the bread floats to the surface, sizzles and turns golden, it's about right. Shake off any excess flour from the squid, then use a slotted spoon to carefully lower into the hot oil (you’ll need to do this in batches). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden, crisp and cooked through. Transfer to a double layer of kitchen paper to drain, then repeat with the remaining squid.

Rinse the parsley sprigs under cold running water, shake off any excess water, then pick the leaves into the flour. Toss to coat, then lower into the hot oil for a few seconds, or until crisp. Transfer to kitchen paper, then slice 1 lemon horizontally into thin discs, dip into the flour and place in the hot oil for around 1 minute, or until crisp.

Scatter the crispy parsley and lemon slices over the squid, then serve with extra lemon wedges for squeezing over and harissa mayo for dunking.