BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SAGE & HOT HONEY ORZO

As you can probably tell by now I love cooking with butternut squash during autumn and this butternut squash orzo with hot honey and sage may just be my favourite recipe featuring it yet!!!

It also saw me cooking with the very "of the moment" hot honey (honey infused with chilli) for the first time and it definitely won't be the last time! 

As was and is the case with a drizzle of truffle oil to give a dish that extra va va voom, hot honey is that perfect mix of sweet and spicy that elevates this vegetable based dish into something quite outstanding.

There are few prep steps involved but trust me on this one, the restaurant worthy end result will make it worth the time and effort. 

Definitely in my top 5 home cooked dishes of the year and a must make to impress whoever is coming over for dinner.

SERVES 3-4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ kg Butternut Squash
• 2 White Onions
• 4 Tomatoes
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
• 40g Fresh Sage
• 400g Orzo
• 600 ml Vegetable Stock
• 60g Hot Honey
• 60g Parmesan
• ½ Lemon
• 40g Salted Butter
• Rapeseed Oil

METHOD

• Heat the oven to 200°C fan.
• Cut the squash in half from stem to tip. Scoop out the seeds and set to one side. 
• Keep the skin on the white onion and quarter it through the root. 
• Halve the tomatoes.
• Cut each half of the squash into 4-6 wedges and spread over a baking sheet, making sure there’s plenty of space between each piece. 
• Arrange the onion quarters, tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves in the gaps, cut-side down, then drizzle with a generous glug of rapeseed oil, turning the squash pieces so they’re glossy. 
• Sprinkle with the chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt. 
• Roast for 35-45 mins, until the squash are bronzing and blistering at the edges, turning the wedges over after around 25 mins.
• Meanwhile, spread the squash seeds over a small baking sheet, using two forks to separate the seeds from the flesh. 
• Don’t worry too much if some are attached or there are still clumps of flesh – it all tastes good. 
• Drizzle with a glug of rapeseed oil, and add a good sprinkle of salt. 
• Roast in the oven for 20-25 mins until golden, shuffling the tray once or twice. 
• When there’s 10 mins left, add the sage leaves to the tray, dragging them through the oil first.
• Cook the orzo in salted boiling water for 2 mins less than the packet time (so probably 8 mins), until the chalkiness is just gone, but the grains are not totally swollen. 
• Drain through a sieve and rinse under a cold running tap to cool them down. Mix with a fork to separate the grains then return to the saucepan.
• Once the squash pieces are tender and coloured at the edges, transfer half to a blender, along with the tomatoes, onion pieces, garlic and any juices on the tray (remove the skins from the onion and garlic as you do this). 
• Add the butter, a pinch of salt and ⅔ of the stock to the contents of the blender and blitz until it’s a silky smooth sauce.
• Add a drizzle of hot honey to the squash pieces, then return to the oven (turning it off at the same time).
• Pour the sauce into the orzo pan and set over a low-medium heat to warm through for 2-3 mins. 
• Grate in ⅔ of the Parmesan and squeeze in the lemon juice. 
• The orzo will swell and stiffen but you want something that flows like the loosest risotto, so add more stock if you need to, then check for seasoning before dividing between pasta bowls or plates.
• Top with the squash wedges, a grating of Parmesan, the roasted seeds and sage and a really generous drizzle of hot honey.

MUSHROOM GNOCCHI BAKE

  

I LOVE mushrooms and they work a treat in this comforting, super easy to make creamy and cheesy mushroom gnocchi bake!

The taleggio slices on top are a must, giving the bake a luxurious melted cheese topping which is the warming food we all need on a rainy autumn day!

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

• 150g Spinach
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 Lemon
• 4 tbsp Single Cream
• 100g Taleggio
• 2 tsp Chilli Flakes
• 25g Parsley
• 15g Thyme
• 200g Mushrooms
• 250g Chestnut Mushrooms
• 800g Gnocchi
• Olive Oil

METHOD

• Slice up your mushrooms. 
• Add a splash of olive oil to a frying pan. 
• Cook the mushrooms until browned and shrivelled.
• Add your crushed garlic, the thyme leaves, half your chilli flakes and half of your parsley chopped. 
• Add the zest from your lemon/s. Mix everything in. 
• Add single cream. 
• Allow it to bubble down and add your spinach. 
• Leave it to wilt.
• Add gnocchi to a bowl and cover with boiling water. 
• Leave for 5 minutes.
• Back to your sauce. 
• Once the spinach has wilted, add the juice from half of the lemon/s.
• Add a little of water from the gnocchi bowl to the sauce. 
• Mix together. 
• Drain the gnocchi and add to the sauce.
• Mix everything together. 
• Season well with salt and pepper. Add more gnocchi water if needed.
• Pour the gnocchi into an oven proof dish. 
• Top with slices of taleggio, sprinkle on the rest of the chilli flakes and place under the grill for 10 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
• Spoon out the gnocchi, top with the remaining chopped parsley and tuck in. 
• Enjoy

CHEESY BUTTERNUT SQUASH, LEEK & MUSHROOM GRATIN WITH BUTTER BEANS

On a cold and rainy day like today there really is nothing better than an oozy gratin, hot out the oven, for dinner.

This gratin also happens to be packed with tons of veg, as well as protein from the butter beans, with a little bit of cheese and cream added into the mix for a touch of indulgence to make even the most miserable day a little better.

SERVES 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Leeks
• 200g mushrooms
• 15g Sage
• 1 Butternut Squash
• 470g Drained Butter Beans
• 1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
• 300 ml Single Cream
• 150 g Extra Mature Cheddar 
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

METHOD

• Preheat your oven to 200°C.
• Wash and finely slice your leek an mushrooms, roughly chop the sage. 
• Place a saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. 
• Add the leeks, mushrooms and sage and sweat down for 5 mins until soft and golden.
• While the veg cooks, wash and slice your butternut squash into roughly half centimetre thick slices and set aside. 
• Grate the cheddar and also set aside.
• Drain your butter beans and add to the leeks along with the mustard and cream, mix well and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large oven dish, spread a layer of squash, followed by half of the butter bean mix and roughly a third of the grated cheddar.
• Repeat with a second layer of squash, butter beans and cheddar, then a final layer of squash and the remaining cheddar.
• Place into the oven for 40 mins until the squash is tender and the cheese is golden brown.
• Allow to rest for 5 mins before serving.

SAUCY MUSHROOM NOODLES IN STICKY SAUCE // SPICY SMASHED CUCUMBER

I am finally back on the new recipe train after a gruelling fashion month, which more often than not saw me reverting back to tried and tested recipes when the time to cook was sparse rather than even attempt to be creative or try something new!

To start off things here is a super quick, super easy recipe for saucy mushroom noodles in a sticky sauce with a side of spicy smashed cucumbers!

A word of caution - go easy on the chilli with the smashed cucumbers… I may have gone a little overboard and ended up having to down some milk to regain feeling in my tongue!

SAUCY MUSHROOM NOODLES IN STICKY SAUCE

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 400g oyster mushrooms (or your mushrooms of choice)
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 heaped tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
• 2 portions of ready-to-cook noodles (any type)

METHOD

• Tear or slice the oyster mushrooms into thin strips. 
• In a small bowl, whisk together the water, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and garlic, then set aside for later
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over medium-high heat.
• Add the mushrooms and spring onion whites, season very lightly with salt and stir fry for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked.
• Add the sauce made in step 1 and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened, then remove the pan from the heat.
• In a separate pot, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain.
• Return the saucy mushrooms to the stove over a medium-high heat. 
• Add the noodles and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until everything is nice and hot and the sauce nicely coats the noodles.
• Transfer to a platter and top with the spring onion greens, then serve and enjoy.

SPICY SMASHED CUCUMBER

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large cucumber
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chilli flakes or Chinese-style chilli oil
• 1 tsp sugar

METHOD

• Trim the ends of the cucumber. 
• Using the flat side of your knife or a rolling pin, gently smack the cucumbers until they split, then slice into small bite-sized chunks.
• Transfer to a sieve, sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat. 
• Leave to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to drain some of the cucumber water.
• Transfer the drained cucumber pieces to a medium mixing bowl. 
• Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine, then serve and enjoy.

SCAMORZA & COURGETTE LASAGNA

I absolutely love scamorza (a smoked cheese very similar to mozzarella) and had been wanting to try it as part of a main dish for a while. 

This courgette lasagna with a homemade béchamel sauce seemed the perfect opportunity to finally make that happen and the end result was a rather delicious, unusual, vegetarian friendly lasagna that I will most certainly make again!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium courgettes, roughly chopped into chunky pieces (580g)
• squeeze lemon juice
• 11 lasagna sheets 
• 200g scamorza, torn
• 60g parmesan, grated
• salt + pepper

BECHAMEL SAUCE

• 80 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 80 g (2/3 cup) all purpose flour
• 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) whole milk
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 200C degrees + prep a 9inch baking tray.
• Set a large frying pan to a medium to high heat + add half the courgettes with 1 tbsp olive oil. 
• Season with salt + pepper. Fry for 5-6min or until golden on all sides + cooked. 
• Do the same with the 2nd batch. 
• Squeeze lemon juice over fried courgettes.
• To make the béchamel In heavy bottom saucepan melt the butter over low heat. 
• Sprinkle the flour on top; mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make a light roux. 
• It will look like thick paste. 
• Do not burn.
• Take the pan off the heat. 
• Add 1/2 cup milk and whisk thoroughly to break up the lumps. 
• Keep whisking until the mixture looks creamy. 
• Slowly add the rest of the milk, whisking continuously as you pour. 
• Return the pan to the heat. 
• Adjust to medium-low. 
• Cook the sauce, whisking often, until it has thickened to the consistency of runny sour cream (it will thicken more as it cools). 
• This should take about 12 minutes or more depending on the size of your pan. 
• Season with salt to taste.
• When ready, the sauce should coat the back of a wooden spoon
• Now time to assemble!
• Add a few spoons of the béchamel to the tray to create a thin layer. 
• Then a layer of lasagna sheets followed by more béchamel sauce.
• Top with half the courgettes scattered on top and the scamorza + parmesan and then repeat again! 
• Finish with a layer of pasta on top, more of the béchamel sauce, some more scamorza and salt + pepper. 
• Place in the oven for 35mins or util the pasta is cooked. 
• Leave to sit for 5-10mins before serving!

SPAGHETTI ALLA NERANO

I have been trying to perfect my pasta with courgettes for years now and have made a ton of recipes along the way - this Stanley Tucci approved Spaghetti Alla Nerano may just be my favourite yet!

It takes a little time to prep (you can't rush deep frying the courgette in batches until golden brown) but the effort is more than worth it.

The ingredients may seem simple on paper but the end result shines in terms of flavours and truly makes the courgettes the deserving star of this dish.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg Courgette
• 300ml Olive Oil
• 25g Basil
• 400g Spaghetti
• 50g Butter
• 100g Parmesan
• 100g Pecorino

METHOD

• Finely slice the courgettes into rounds about 3mm thick 
• Heat the olive oil in a high-sided pan to 170°C. 
• You can test this by throwing in a round of courgette – it should sizzle immediately.
• Fry all of the courgettes in batches until it’s deep golden brown, placing the fried courgettes onto a large paper towel-lined baking tray as you go. 
• Once they're all fried, transfer to a bowl, toss with a tsp of salt and place into the fridge. 
• Place a large frying pan over a low heat and add the courgette, a quarter of the butter and 2 tbsp of water. Warm gently, stirring occasionally.
• Put the spaghetti on to boil in lightly-salted water. 
• Once the pasta is still nice and al dente, transfer to the pan with the courgettes along with 100ml of the cooking water. Tear in the basil leaves, add the remaining butter and stir vigorously.
• Add most of the cheese (save 2 tbsp for garnish) then continue stirring to make a creamy, glossy sauce that coats the pasta.
• Plate up and top with the cheese.

TOMATO TARTE TATIN WITH ROCKET & LEMON MASCARPONE

I love going to a restaurant and leaving so inspired by what was on the menu that I simply have to recreate it at home, and that was very much the case after my visit to the wonderful Limmat in Marseille.

Every single small plate we sampled left me in awe, and I was particularly keen to make my own version of their the in-season tomato tarte tatin with lemon mascarpone, which we had as the grand finale of our mains, encapsulating the taste of summer in a wonderful slice of this French upside down tart.

I had also never made a tarte tatin, so I was obviously also up for the challenge! After some online investigating I found a great recipe from one of the food writers I truly admire, Anna Jones, which I tweaked and added to ever so slightly with the addition of lemon mascarpone, to get as close to Lammat’s version as possible and I think I very much succeeded with the final result.

Yes, this sort of recipe takes a bit of time and patience (though the actual cooking involved is quite straightforward),  but this stunning tart is a real showstopper, a summer show piece for any dinner party or BBQ that I want to make at least a couple times again before summer draws to a close, keeping a little bit of the Marseille spirit with me in London!

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg of good ripe tomatoes (I use a mixture of different coloured ones, both big and cherry)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 3 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp brown sugar or honey
• Butter, for greasing
• A 200g pack of all-butter puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 200g mascarpone 
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested 
• 200g rocket

METHOD

• Halve the tomatoes and put them cut-side up on a baking tray with a little salt, pepper and olive oil. 
• Bake them in a low oven at 100C/210F for 3-4 hours to slowly roast and sweeten. 
• You may need to take some of the smaller tomatoes out a bit earlier, so keep an eye on them. Once cooked, allow to cool a little.
• Next make the caramelised onions. 
• Heat a little olive oil on a medium heat and add the sliced onions. 
• Cook for 10 minutes to sweeten and soften before adding the vinegar, sugar or honey and the leaves from a few sprigs of the oregano (saving the rest for later) and a good pinch of salt and pepper. 
• Cook for 30-40 minutes until really soft and sticky.
• Butter a cast-iron or heavy frying pan about 24cm in diameter and lay the tomatoes cut-side down in a kind of mosaic, fitting them all together. 
• Once they are all squeezed in, scatter the onion over the top.
• Roll out the pastry until it’s about 1cm thick and cut out a circle just bigger than your pan. 
• Lay it over the onion mixture and tuck in the sides. 
• You can stop here and put the tart into the fridge if you like.
• Once you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. 
• Brush the pastry with a little beaten egg and put it into the oven for 25‑30 minutes until golden all over and bubbling around the edges.
• While the tart is cooking mix the lemon zest and juice into the mascarpone and whip with a spoon until well combined.
• Put the lemon mascarpone in the fridge until the tart is ready to serve.
• Once the tart is golden and bubbling, take it out of the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edge and carefully turning out on to a plate. 
• Serve the tart with the lemon mascarpone and rocket.

A TRIO OF AL FRESCO SALADS

FINALLY summer seems to have arrived in the UK which means it is the perfect kind of weather for a grazing style dinner - veg packed, serve at room temperatures dishes you can prep in advance and bring along to any sort of bbq, picnic or simply enjoy al fresco at home!

Below three of my summer favourites - hope you get to make one or all of them whilst summer is summering!!

WASABI POTATO SALAD WITH ROCKET & RADISHES 

INGREDIENTS

• 750g baby new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 150 radishes, thinly sliced
• 100g rocket 
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

FOR THE DRESSING

• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoon wasabi paste
• Juice of 1 lime 
• 2 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and boil the potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender. 
• Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. 
• Whisk together all the ingredients and season to taste. 
• Fold the potatoes, radishes and rocket together with the dressing. 
• Serve the salad with a wedge of lime.

ROASTED AUBERGINE WITH SAFFRON YOGURT

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium aubergines, cut into 2cm-thick round slices or long wedges
• olive oil, for brushing
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1 handful of pomegranate seeds
• 20 basil leaves
• Salt & pepper

SAFFRON YOGURT

• 1 small pinch of saffron strands
• 3 tbsp hot water
• 180g greek yoghurt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2½ tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil

METHOD

• For the saffron yoghurt, infuse the saffron in the hot water in a small bowl for 5 minutes.
• Pour the infusion into a bowl containing the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and some salt. 
• Whisk well to get a smooth, golden sauce. 
• Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary, then chill. This sauce will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/Gas Mark 9. 
• Place the aubergine slices on a roasting tray, brush with plenty of olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
• Roast for 20-35 minutes, until the slices take on a beautiful light brown colour. 
• Let them cool down. 
• To serve, arrange the aubergine slices on a large plate, slightly overlapping. 
• Drizzle the saffron yoghurt over them, sprinkle with the pine nuts and pomegranate seeds and lay the basil on top.

ROAST SWEET POTATOES WITH PICKLED ONIONS, CORIANDER & GOATS CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 limes, 2 finely zested, the third shaved into 4-5 wide strips of skin (avoiding the white pith)
• 3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
• ½ small red onion, peeled and cut into 3mm-thick slices
• 2½ tsp caster sugar
• salt and black pepper
• 5-6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 5cm x 3cm chunks
• 90ml olive oil
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• 20g coriander leaves
• 80g soft mild rindless goat's cheese, broken into rough 2cm pieces
• 40g roasted salted almonds, coarsely chopped

METHOD

• Put the strips of lime skin in a medium bowl with the vinegar, onion, half a teaspoon of sugar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. 
• Massage the onions for a minute, until the liquid turns pink, then leave to pickle for at least two hours: the longer you leave them, the brighter and pinker they become.
• Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. 
• In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with three tablespoons of oil, the allspice, the remaining two teaspoons of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. 
• Transfer to a large, 40cm x 30cm oven tray lined with baking paper, and make sure the sweet potato chunks are spaced apart. 
• Roast for 20 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown, then toss in any oil left on the tray and leave to cool.
• While the sweet potatoes are cooking, blitz the coriander, grated lime zest, the remaining three tablespoons of oil and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt to a smooth, bright green salsa. 
• Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, arrange them on a platter and dot evenly with the pieces of cheese. 
• Drain the pickled onions, discarding the lime peel, and scatter on top. 
• Finish with a drizzle of salsa and a sprinkle of almonds.

BAKED GNOCCHI WITH VODKA SAUCE

 I am a little bit obsessed with vodka as surprisingly flavour enhancing addition to a creamy tomato sauce and simply had to try it in a gnocchi dish and these baked gnocchi did not disappoint!!!

This is a super easy to make, one pan, vegetarian friendly main that will impress your friends and family with minimal stress in the kitchen.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

VODKA SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large white onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, grated, minced, or very thinly sliced
• 200g tomato puree
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 cup double cream
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 

GNOCCHI 

• 2x500g packs of gnocchi 
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese balls
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh basil

METHOD

• Heat butter in a large oven-safe pan over medium low heat. 
• Add the onions and fry until they are super soft and translucent, try not to get them too brown.
• Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add tomato puree; sauté for 1-2 minutes. 
• Add vodka; sauté for 1-2 minutes. 
• Add cream, water, salt and spices.
• Bring to a low simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and tastes delicious. 
• Remove from heat and set aside.Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. 
• Once cooked add them to the sauce in the pan, and stir gently to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius. 
• Arrange mozzarella balls over the top. 
• Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. 
• Bake for 8-10 minutes until very browned and slightly crisped on top. 
• Sprinkle with basil leaves AND ENJOY!

ONE PAN COCONUT & LEMON ORZO WITH SWEET CHILLI SALMON

This coconut and lemon orzo with sweet chilli salmon is yet another super easy but super delicious orzo recipe which is packed full of veg (kale and peas), healthy fats from the salmon and plenty of zingy and summery flavours!

It's a one pan dish that will impress any dinner guests and having made this a couple of times now I can confirm this is a new pasta favourite, firmly added to the recipe repertoire.

SERVES 2 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 salmon fillets, skin on 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 2 table spoons sweet chill sauce
• 400g orzo
• 150g shredded kale
• 200g frozen peas
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
• 1 tin full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tbsp butter, dairy or plant-based
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• Fresh parsley, chopped to sprinkle on top

METHOD

• Heat a large, deep frying pan on medium heat then add in the olive oil.
• Sear the salmon for about 2-3 minutes per side, until browned. 
• The fish doesn’t need to be fully cooked through since it will continue cooking in the orzo. 
• Remove the salmon from the pan and soak up any excess oil using a paper towel.
• Top the salmon fillets with the sweet chilli sauce.
• Add the butter into the pan. 
• Once melted, add in the diced shallots and garlic. 
• Toss together for 2 minutes on medium heat.
• Add in the orzo, salt, pepper, chili flakes and lemon zest then toss together.
• Pour in the broth, coconut milk, peas and kale. 
• Cover the pan and bring to a boil. 
• Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer on low for about 10-12 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. 
• Pour in the lemon juice and stir together. 
• Add the salmon fillets into the orzo and cover the pan. 
• Finish cooking for about 5-6 more minutes on medium/low.
• Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice before serving and enjoy!

TWO KINDS OF SUMMER TOASTS

It looks like summer is finally here and when it's hot and the sun is out the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen slaving over intricate recipes.

I found myself in this conundrum last Saturday but still fancied something delicious and seasonal for dinner so I decided to pimp a good loaf of sourdough with some rather fancy toppings!

Minimal cooking and chopping was involved but the end result was pretty stunning, beautiful on the plate and just about the perfect, easy summer supper!! Even better with in season tomatoes!

TOMATO & MAYO TOAST WITH CHIVES AND SESAME SEEDS

MAKES 2 TOASTS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated (I used smoked garlic which was a revelation)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Salt
• ½ lemon
• 2 slices of thick sourdough bread, toasted
• 3 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
• Flaky sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Aleppo-style pepper (for serving)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

METHOD

• Mix garlic and mayonnaise in a small bowl. 
• Squeeze about 1 tsp. juice from lemon half into bowl; season with salt. 
• Hang on to lemon.
• Spread a generous layer of seasoned mayonnaise over toast; shingle a few tomato slices on top. 
• Sprinkle with chives, sesame seeds, sea salt, black pepper, Aleppo-style pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

CHILLI CRAB SOURDOUGH TOAST WITH SAMPHIRE

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted and buttered
• 200g white crabmeat. 
• 2 tablespoon of full fat mayonnaise
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 fresh lemon
• Sea salt
• Parsley, chopped
• 150g samphire
• A knob of butter

METHOD

• Pan fry the samphire in the knob of butter until softened
• Mix the crab with mayo, squeezed half lemon, chilli and salt.
• Pile it onto the toast and sprinkle the parsley and samphire over.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

I am no big baker or dessert maker but when there is a special occasion (like a colleague turning 50) I will make an exception and MY GOD was this white chocolate cheesecake worth the effort!

Possibly the best cheesecake I have EVER had and actually surprisingly easy to make plus it feeds enough for a dinner party or an office birthday.

Highly recommended!

INGREDIENTS
(Makes enough for 8 people)

• 100g crème fraiche
• 275g Philadelphia cream cheese
• 500ml double cream
• 260g white chocolate buttons
• 250g McVities digestive biscuits
• 150g unsalted butter
• White chocolate bar, grated into large curls
• Packet of white chocolate lenders

METHOD​​​

• In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheeses together until soft. 
• In a second mixing bowl, semi whip the double cream and then melt the chocolate over a bain-marie until blood temperature (37*). 
• Fold the chocolate into the cream cheese mix, and then fold in the semi whipped cream.
• Melt the unsalted butter in a pan. crush the biscuits by bashing them in a bag with a rolling pin, being careful to keep the pieces of biscuit reasonable large and then stir them into the butter until coated all over.
• Assemble the cheesecake by spreading the biscuit base into the bottom of a serving dish, then add the cheesecake mix topped with white chocolate shavings and the lindor balls.
• Leave to set in the fridge overnight.

PRAWN, BUTTER BEAN & FETA TOMATOEY STEW WITH DILL AND HARISSA

Summer may have all but gone but this amazing prawn, butter bean and feta stew (which is a bit of a cuisine mashup  - a bit greek, a bit Middle Eastern, a whole lot of AMAZING), may just be my dish of the summer and in fact of 2024 so far!!!

It's packed full of flavours that you wouldn't expect to work together but make it a real showstopper of a supper - the bright summery and punchy flavours we all need when nearly June is giving more mid March!

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 fat garlic cloves, grated
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 tsp rose harissa paste, or regular harissa
• 1 jar butter beans with their liquid, you’ll seriously notice the difference using jarred beans
• A few large handfuls of spinach 
• 300g raw king prawns
• 200g feta cheese
• Small bunch fresh dill
• Lemon wedges, to serve
• Crusty bread, to serve (optional)

METHOD

• Preheat the grill to a medium heat.
• In an ovenproof pan, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion for 7-8 minutes until softened. 
• Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. 
• Pour in the chopped tomatoes, fill the can 1/3 the way with water and throw that in too, and add the paprika, harissa, chilli flakes and sugar with a good pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. 
• Bubble for a few minutes before adding the beans with their liquid, plus the spinach, if using - if you’re using tinned beans, drain them, and you may need to add more salt here. 
• Let everything bubble away for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Stir the prawns into the sauce and crumble over the feta, keeping some pieces quite big and chunky. 
• Pop until the grill for about 3-4 minutes or until the prawns turn pink and cheese golden - check after about 2 mins as you don’t want chewy prawns!
• Remove from the grill. 
• Scatter over the fresh dill and finish with a few squeezes of lemon. 
• Dunk with crusty bread.