Salmon and Pea Penne

You can make this creamy salmon and pea dish in the time it takes to cook the pasta, and all the ingredients are easy to find. This recipe will serve 2 people, possibly with a bit leftover for seconds. You can add some chopped parsley or chives at the end if you have them to hand.

Ingredients:

• 200g penne pasta
• 2 salmon fillets
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• 250g frozen peas
• 250g quark
• Juice and zest of a lemon
• Plenty of fresh black pepper
• Salt

Method:

• Begin by putting the pasta on to cook in lots of boiling, salted water.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the frozen peas in the microwave by adding a little water to a bowl and covering with cling film. Heat on high for 4 minutes then set aside.
• Steam the salmon by adding a couple of teaspoons of water to a bowl or plate then cover the salmon with clingfilm. Cook for 4 minutes then when cool enough to handle, remove the skin and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the quark, spring onion, lemon zest* and lemon juice. Mix well and season with lots of black pepper and a big pinch of salt.
• Flake the salmon slightly then add to the quark mixture along with the peas.
• Once the pasta is cooked, transfer directly to the mixture with a slotted spoon (don’t drain).
• Mix well but gently until everything is combined.
• Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.
• Eat!

*if you don’t own a zester, you can use a speed peeler to take off the zest of the lemon. Just be gentle so you don’t get any of the white pith and chop as finely as you can before adding to the dish.

Rose Harissa

I love huge, bold flavours that grab you by every sense and leave a lasting memory on your palate. Just the thought of this harissa is enough to make my mouth water. I promise you it will make pretty much any meal a whole lot more interesting; these flavours are best friends with grilled meat and are perfect for a BBQ.

I made this harissa as part of a middle eastern style BBQ with Tzatziki and some beautiful prawns which were marinaded in sumac, lemon, garlic and coriander. The prawn recipe is courtesy of Sabrina Ghayour. Her book, Persiana is the most beautiful recipe book I own and is my go to place for inspiration.

Ingredients:

• 4 fresh red chillis
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried rose petals
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• Salt

Method:

• Place the rose petals in a small bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of warm water to soak.
• Put a dry frying pan on a medium heat and add all the seeds.
• Toast them for a minute or two – give them a couple of shakes and don’t walk away while they’re toasting! You’ll know they are done when your kitchen starts to smell gorgeous.
• Tip the seeds in to a pestle and mortar and bash to a fine powder.
• Chop the stalks off the top of chillis but leave the seeds in.
• Put the everything (including the soaking water) in a food processor and blend to a paste. If you prefer, you can bash everything up in your pestle and mortar until you have the consistency you want. You can add a bit more tomato puree to make it thicker, or a few drops of water to loosen.
• Taste and add some salt if you think it needs it but go easy as the flavours will mature further over a few days or even hours.

The harissa is perfect to eat straight away but it’s even better the day after. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge and it will keep for a couple of weeks.

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

This is the dish I cooked for previous MasterChef contestants and arguably the one that won me a spot in the quarter finals. Since the show went out I’ve been inundated with requests for the recipe so I’ve written it up below.  If anyone would like a printable step by step guide which includes timings and lots of detail just get in touch via the site and I will whizz one over to you! I’m a very methodical person (except when I’m in the MasterChef kitchen apparently) so I made myself detailed guides to help me stay on track with timings. If you’re making this at home, it’s probably not necessary unless your co-eaters intend to time you to exactly 60 minutes!

Ingredients:

Pork:

• 350g pork tenderloin  (outdoor reared is best if you can)
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
• 250ml crème fraiche
• 50ml whiskey
• Salt
• Olive oil for frying
• Black pepper
• Tablespoon dried sage
• Tablespoon dried parsley
• 25g parmesan

Vegetables:

• Chanteney carrots (allow a few per person)
• Teaspoon of sugar
• 60g butter
• 3 baby leeks
• 3 baby parsnips
• 1 tablespoon celery seeds

Apple sauce:

• 1 granny smith apple
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon honey

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
• Scrape the skin off the carrots using a sharp knife and wash the parsnips.
• Half the parsnips lengthways and toss in oil, salt, black pepper and celery seeds. Tip on to a roasting tray and put them in the oven, they’ll take about 30 minutes.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, herbs and parmesan in a small bowl and mix well. Use a pastry brush to coat the meat all over then set aside.
• Peel and chop the apple in to 2cm chunks then heat in a small pan with the juice of half a lemon. Once the mixture is soft and the apples are cooked, pass through a fine sieve and set aside.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and fry the pork on all sides until well browned, then transfer to a roasting tin and cook for 12-15 minutes. Don’t wash the pan; you’ll need it for your sauce!
• Once the cooking time has finished, transfer the meat to a board and cover loosely with foil to rest. A general rule is to rest the meat for the same length of time you’ve cooked it for.
• Place the carrots in medium saucepan then add enough water to just cover them. Add a big pinch of salt, a big pinch of sugar and 30g of butter. Turn the heat up and cook for around 15 minutes until the carrots are cooked through.
• Slice the leeks lengthways and give them a really good rinse under cold water. Slice them up and add a big knob of butter to a frying pan, leave the heat low and sauté until soft.
• Take the pan you cooked your pork in and put on a high heat. When hot, add the whiskey and a knob of butter.
• Once you can see the liquid has reduced slightly add the rest of the Dijon and the wholegrain mustard to the pan and give it a stir.
• Add the crème fraiche, turn down the heat and allow to bubble. Taste and season if necessary (add more mustard if you like).
• Slice the pork thickly and arrange on the plate with the vegetables.
• Give each plate a couple of teaspoons of apple sauce then pour plenty of mustard sauce over the whole dish.

Cabbage Rolls

This is simple, nutritious and great value. It’s also a welcome side step from the usual mince recipes like chilli or cottage pie. You can use pork or beef mince and adapt the sauce with flavours of your own like garlic or fresh green herbs. Here’s the recipe I like!

Ingredients:

• 1 savoy cabbage
• 500g beef or pork mince
• 1 mug of basmati rice
• Half a teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 x 500g cartons or jars of passata
• 1 medium red chilli

Method:

For the rolls:

• In a large saucepan, pour out a mug of rice and add two mugs of boiling water. Put a lid on and turn up the heat for a minute, then turn the heat down simmer for 5 minutes. Now take the pan off the heat, leaving the lid on and don’t touch it! The rice will continue to steam and should separate out nicely! (If you’re short on time or not confident about doing that, you can use 3 of the pre-cooked packets of basmati instead.)
• Prepare the cabbage by gently pull away the leaves, keeping them as intact as possible! I find it easiest to make incisions at the base of the cabbage using a sharp knife – this helps the leaves come away whole.
• Boil a big pan of salted water and drop in the cabbage leaves a few at a time. Cook for 2 minutes then remove from the pan and set aside on to a plate.
• Once the rice has cooked and cooled, combine with the mince, nutmeg and a big pinch of salt and black pepper. You can also add other flavours here if you want to; try finely chopped onions, peppers or even chopped nuts.
• Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture in to the centre of each cabbage leaf and wrap it around the filling. It doesn’t have to be neat but it does have to wrap all the way round so take some filling out if you need to.

Steam the rolls for 15 minutes. They are now cooked and can be eaten plain, but I like to accompany with a smooth, spicy sauce.

For the sauce:

• To make the sauce, simply add touch of olive oil and a chopped a chilli (seeds in or out) to a frying pan and fry gently for a few minutes.
• Add the passata and season well with salt, black pepper. Add a pinch of sugar and and a teaspoon of white wine vinegar then simmer for at least 10 minutes.

To serve:

 

You can serve this any way you like, but I usually pour half the sauce out in to a roasting dish then put the rolls on top of the sauce. Pour over the rest, cover and bake for 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour the sauce out on to a big platter then put the rolls on top; the colour contrast is fantastic. Either way, they’re just so simple and satisfying! I served some garlicky green beans on the side for crunch and extra flavour.

Stuffed Jalapenos!

Sure you can buy a version of these from the supermarket and stick them in the oven, but seriously, these are SO much better, cheaper and you’ll know exactly what’s in them. This recipe makes 18, which would be just enough for me on my own – they’re really that good.

Ingredients:

• 9 fresh jalapeno peppers
• 2 big tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan (about 25g)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 slice of dry bread (I always save the crusts of a loaf for stuff like this) or 4 heaped tablespoons of shop bought breadcrumbs
• Salt and fresh black pepper

Method:

• Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees or gas mark 6.
• Half the peppers lengthways and scrape out the seeds and white pith. Leave the stems on (for decoration and eating apparatus).
• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with the paprika, salt and pepper. It should loosen up quickly to make it easier to spoon.
• Blitz the bread and parmesan in the food processor, or just mix the shop bought breadcrumbs together with grated parmesan if you’re cheating.
• Using a teaspoon, push the cream cheese mixture in to the hollow of the peppers until you’ve filled them all generously.
• Tip the breadcrumbs out on to a plate then one by one, push the peppers (cheese side down) in to the breadcrumbs.
• Place the peppers on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
• Leave to cool for about 5 minutes before serving unless you want third degree burns of the mouth.

Serve as part of a platter or just for a snack. beware that the heat of the peppers can be unpredictable so grab some water or beer to put the fire out if necessary.

Ginger Brandy Snaps with Passion Fruit and Mango

I love making and eating brandy snaps, especially when they’re filled with cream and fruit. You can use whatever fruit you like for your filling but if you’re using something slightly tart (like berries), you might want to sweeten the cream with a bit of icing sugar.

Ingredients:

• 3 passion fruits
• 1 very ripe mango
• 55g golden syrup
• 55g unsalted butter
• 55g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Method:

Biscuits:

• The easiest way to get all your ingredients measured out correctly is to use electronic scales with a zero function. I tend to measure them out directly in to the pan to save mess. Put the pan on the scales and put the weight back to zero, then add the butter, sugar and golden syrup in the same way. Melt on a low heat.
• Weigh out the flour and add the ground ginger. Mix well then grab a sieve!
• Once the wet ingredients have melted down and the sugar has melted, sieve the flour mix directly in to the pan. Give it a really good mix then leave to cool down. The mix is now ready to use whenever you need it, and will keep in the fridge for a couple of days if covered.
• To cook the brandy snaps, preheat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.
• Grease a baking tray a drop a teaspoon of the mixture on the tray, making sure to leave as much room as possible between them.
• Cook in the oven for 6-8 minutes until they’ve spread out and turned golden brown.
• Once out of the oven, leave for a minute for the biscuits to firm up, then wrap around the handle of a wooden spoon or anything you like! Sometimes I drape them over an unturned glass which creates a basket, or they can be left to cool flat. They will cool in seconds and are then ready to fill, pipe or crush over cream or ice cream. If you don’t manage to shape them as quickly as you need to, you can warm them through in the oven which will allow you to shape them a second or third time.

Filling and sauce:

• Whip the cream by hand or using an electric whisk, then cut the passion fruits in half and scoop out all the flesh in to the cream.
• Blend the flesh of a mango with 2 teaspoons of icing sugar. Make sure it is very smooth before pouring in out in to a bowl or jug.

Eat in any combination, shape or way you like!

 

Scallops with Fennel Puree, Sweet Potato and Charred Spring Onions

Ok, so it’s not exactly a midweek tea, but it is very easy and looks fancy. Allowing 3 scallops per person will make a perfect starter or very light supper with drinks and pudding.

Ingredients:

• 6 scallops
• 4 spring onions, washed and trimmed
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 sweet potato
• Bag of pea shoots or mild salad leaves of your choice
• Handful flat leaf parsley
• 1 medium red chilli
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method:

• Chop the fennel in to 8 pieces and boil in salted water until tender (usually about 10 minutes).
• Drain the fennel very well and transfer to a food processor. Blend until very smooth then taste and add more salt or a squeeze of lemon if required.
• Transfer the puree to a bowl and cover until you’re ready to eat.
• Peel and dice the sweet potato in to 1cm cubes, then add to a frying pan with butter, salt and black pepper. Fry gently to caramelise the outside slightly but be careful not to burn it. They will take about 10 minutes and will need to be tossed about every couple of minutes to ensure even cooking.
• Heat up your griddle pan until very hot then lay the spring onion in the pan, pressing down slightly to create the lovely markings and create even more taste! These will also take about 10 minutes to become soft.
• Now make the dressing by finely chopping the herbs and chilli, then adding the juice of a lemon and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust to your own liking!
• Fill a big bowl with cold water and drop the pea shoots in, pushing them gently down with your hands.
• Heat a frying pan and add a drizzle of olive oil, then sprinkle a touch of chilli powder on to both sides of the scallops. Add a pinch of salt too.
• Fry the scallops in the pan for a minute on each side, then turn off the heat. Leave for another minute in the pan while you plate up. Take your time and make it look beautiful!
• Gently lift the pea shoots out of the water with your hands, then lay on to some kitchen paper.
• Spoon the puree in the middle of the plate, then add the sweet potato round the edges along with some pea shoots or any salad leaves you like. The dressing goes on next, then finally the scallops and spring onions.

Enjoy!

 

 

Tomato and Feta Salad with Herby Dressing

I tend to make variations of this salad all the time, but I thought this particular one was blog worthy! There is a great range of vinegars in the supermarket these days, and because they’re inexpensive, you can have a whole variety in your cupboards without spending very much. Sherry vinegar is lovely in place of white wine vinegar in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Large handful of cherry or baby plum tomatoes
• Half a block of feta
• Half a red onion, very thinly sliced
• 4 or 5 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 3/4 shallots
• Small handful of fresh mint
• Small handful of flat leaf parsley
• Tablespoon of capers
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• To make the dressing, combine the oil and vinegar with the mustard and a couple of twists of black pepper then set aside.
• Peel and finely chop the shallots – it’s worth taking your time to do this properly 🙂
• Chop the herbs together and add to the dressing along with the shallots and capers. Combine well and taste to check the seasoning.
• Half the fresh tomatoes and place in the serving bowl with the sundried tomatoes and red onion. Crumble in the feta using your fingers to get a range of sizes which makes for a lovely texture.
• Dress the salad with your lovely herby dressing.
• Enjoy with pretty much anything (especially wine).

Try your own combination or experiment with green herbs to find your perfect version.

Double Cheese and Pancetta Skins

I couldn’t possibly write this recipe out without giving a special shout out to our gorgeous friend, Katie who has a special fondness for all our recipes – especially this one. Sophie made these for New Year in 2010 and she still talks about them regularly – small pleasures eh Kate? Our late Dad also used to make these for us when we were kids, filled with corned beef, onion and tomato puree, so eating it always brings back memories for us.

These quantities make 12 skins so you could double up for a buffet or make triple if Kate’s coming for tea.

Ingredients:

• 6 large white potatoes
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 100g soft goat’s cheese
• 100g cheddar, grated
• 130g pancetta cubes
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• Knob of butter
• Large pinch of salt
• Few twists of freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Pre-heat your oven to about 180 degrees or gas mark 5 and bake the potatoes for about an hour.
• While the potatoes are cooking, fry the pancetta cubes in a dry pan until starting to crisp up, then add the onions, softening for about ten minutes. Once the onions are soft, simply take the pan off the heat and allow to cool while the potatoes finish cooking.
• After an hour, remove the potatoes from the oven, but don’t turn off the oven just yet.
• Slice the potatoes in half horizontally to get the maximum surface area, then allow to cool down until you can pick them up without burning your hands.
• Scoop out the flesh in to a big bowl, and put the skins on to a baking and back in to the oven to crisp up.
• While the skins are crisping up, combine the rest of the ingredients with the potato flesh and stir a couple of times. I like to leave it a little bit ‘unmixed’ for good bites of texture from the pancetta and creaminess from the goat’s cheese.
• Take the skins out of the oven and put the grill on.
• Now pile the filling back in to the potato skins and press down slightly with the back of a fork to close up any gaps. If you love cheese, you can go triple and grate some extra cheddar for the top of each skin.

• Brown under the grill for about ten minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

As this was a midweek tea, I served with a big crunchy salad with whole grain mustard dressing.

Some other combinations we’ve tried and loved:

• Spring onion, mozzarella and smoked bacon
• Chilli con carne and cheese, topped with sour cream
• Roger’s favourite – corned beef, onion and tomato puree
• Mushroom and parsley with blue cheese
• Chopped chicken with green or red pesto

If you’re making ahead of time for a party, you can do everything except grilling the day before you’re due to eat.

 

 

Spiced Pork with Aubergine Puree and Sundried Tomato Salsa

I called this a ‘posh tea’ when I made it, but I think that’s really only because of the sweep of puree I put across the plate before serving. The aubergine puree is best if you can prepare the aubergine the night before, but it will still taste great if you can’t.

I think this recipe looks really impressive and because only the pork needs cooking just before serving, you could make in advance for a date or dinner party. If you’re just a bit strange like me, or you need a treat, you can make it for your tea on a Monday night.

Ingredients:

• 4 pork loin chops (2 per person)
• 1 aubergine
• 100g sundried tomatoes
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tablespoon each of hot chilli powder, ground coriander and smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons tahini paste
• Small handful of flat leaf parsley
• Small handful of coriander
• Juice of a lemon
• Olive oil for frying

Method:

• Start by pre-heating the oven to 180 degrees (Gas Mark 5).
• Turn on the biggest gas ring on your cooker (or heat the grill if you don’t have a gas hob), and place the aubergine directly on to the flame. Use tongs to keep turning the aubergine until all side have been charred. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Once soft, slice the aubergine length ways and when it’s cool enough to handle, scrape out the flesh in to a sieve, cover and leave suspended over a bowl overnight if possible. If you’re making everything on the same day, just leave it as long as you can. Draining the aubergine flesh in this way will intensify the flavour.
• Mix together the spices for the pork and pat the mixture on to the meat. Allow to come up to room temperature before cooking.
• Blend the aubergine with the tahini, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, half the lemon juice and the parsley. Taste then season with salt if needed. I love a smooth texture but you can leave it a little rougher if you prefer. Cover and store in the fridge.

• For the salsa, blend the sundried tomatoes, anchovy fillets, chilli, capers, the other half of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and coriander. Taste and adjust any of the flavours to your own tastes.

 

• When you’re ready to eat, pour some olive oil over the pork chops and rub in with your hands, heat a frying pan up to a medium heat (don’t let the pan smoke) then add the meat to the pan. Pork benefits from a lower cooking temperature than chicken or steak, so don’t be tempted to crank up the heat!
• Cook for 4 minutes then flip over and cook for a further 4 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the pork and leave on a chopping board or plate to rest for at least 10 minutes.

• While you’re waiting for the pork to rest, take the aubergine puree out of the fridge and heat it for a couple of minutes in the microwave (I had it cold but either works well). Stir the sundried tomato salsa and double check the balance now the flavours have had chance to sit.
• Put a big spoonful of puree on the plate and use the back of your spoon to push it across the plate, creating a swipe.
• Slice the pork in to strips and place in a stack at one end of your swipe.
• Top the pork with a generous spoonful of the salsa.
• Tuck in!