Tasty and quick to make, this open lasagna is full of flavor and can be made using almost any vegetables that you have left over. Try it and see.

Serves:  2
Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

6 lasagna sheets, either fresh or soaked in water if dried
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 button mushrooms
1 courgette, sliced into rounds
6 green olives
1 large beef tomato, sliced
½ red pepper, sliced
4 tbsp passata
2 garlic cloves, skinned and finely chopped
2 tsp freshly chopped oregano
Freshly ground salt and pepper

To serve:
1 tablespoon Parmesan shavings
A drizzle of olive oil

METHOD:

Heat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

Grease a small oven proof dish or small loaf tin.

Mix the onion, mushrooms, courgette, olives, tomato, pepper, passata, garlic, oregano and some freshly ground salt and pepper together.

Place 2 lasagna sheets at the bottom of the greased ovenproof dish to cover the base and spread a third of the vegetable mix over the top. Put another 2 sheets of lasagna on top and put another third of the vegetable mix on top, followed by the remaining 2 lasagna sheets, and finish with a layer of the remaining vegetable mix.

Cook for 25-30 minutes until piping hot.

 Divide into 2 and serve with the Parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil.

A tasty Brazilian inspired dish from the city of Bahia. It's a kind of shrimp curry, with a sauce made from onions, coconut milk, peanuts, cashews, and thickened with breadcrumbs. Other ingredients also include dried shrimp, which give it a much stronger flavor, and palm oil, which gives the dish its beautiful yellow/orange color, but we have made this simpler using frozen shrimp (you can use fresh).  A food processor also comes in handy to grind the nuts, rather than trying to chop them.

Serves:  4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

10 oz torn pieces of white bread
4 oz coconut milk
4 oz  roasted, salted peanuts
6 oz roasted, salted cashews
1 pint water or fish stock
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lime
1 pound of frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large onion, chopped
1 red chili pepper, roughly chopped with seeds removed
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons palm oil, or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Soak the bread pieces with the coconut milk for 10 minutes. Place them in the blender (with the coconut milk) and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Grind the peanuts and the cashews in a food processor until finely ground. Set aside.

Bring fish stock or water to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, and add the garlic and juice of one lime. Add the shrimp and boil until pink, about 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Reserve cooking liquid.

In the same food processor, add the onion, chili pepper, and garlic, and process until finely chopped.

Heat the palm oil (or vegetable oil) in a skillet, and sauté onion mixture for about 5 minutes, until soft and golden.

Add the ground nuts to the skillet and sauté a few minutes more, adding a little oil if necessary, until golden.

Add the bread crumb and coconut milk mixture and 1½ cups of the shrimp cooking liquid to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickens, about 5 minutes, adding more liquid if necessary.

Add shrimp to sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm, over rice.

More commonly known as ‘Coquilles St. Jacques’ this is a delicious starter or could be turned into a main course quite easily. Soft, melting scallops are the focal point of this tasty meal with a lovely creamy mashed potato. Try to get scallop shells from your fishmonger or supermarket, they make the dish look so attractive.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb shelled scallops
6 oz fish stock
¼ bottle of white wine
6 oz button mushrooms, cut into quarters
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp breadcrumbs, toasted
1 tbsp melted butter
12 oz mashed potatoes (made with cream and butter)

For the sauce
1 shallot, finely diced
1¼ oz butter
1 oz plain flour
2 oz double cream (or crème fraiche if you prefer)
Remaining fish stock

METHOD:

Make the mashed potato using plenty of cream and butter until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps. Add seasoning and set aside, covered, until ready to use, or place in a piping bag and place to one side ready for us. (The dish looks much more professional if you pipe the potatoes!)

If your fishmonger has not prepared the scallops (they usually do) discard the white muscle and remove the coral (the orange part) if you don’t like it. If the scallops are really large, cut each one in half, otherwise leave whole.

Heat the fish stock and wine and gently poach the scallops for about 1 minute, until they are just turning white. Put the scallops in a bowl and reserve the poaching liquid.

Cook the mushrooms with lemon juice and seasoning and a small amount of water, until cooked and no liquid remains (about 5 or 6 minutes). Add the mushrooms to the scallops.

Boil the left over stock for about 10 minutes until reduced to approx 8 oz. Meanwhile, soften the shallots in butter about 1-2 minutes.

Stir the flour into the shallots until combined and beginning to foam a little, then add the stock and whisk, gently bringing to the boil. The sauce should be thickened but still a little runny. Add the cream or crème fraiche and simmer to slightly thicken again. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when ready.

Heat oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6. Stir the scallops and mushroom mixture into the sauce and spoon into the scallop shells.

Pipe the potatoes in a pattern around the scallops (and slightly over), top with breadcrumbs and a little melted butter on each. Place on a baking tray and bake until browned and bubbling, approximately 15 minutes, but do not allow to burn.

Serve with a green salad or a little broccoli if using for a main meal.

Panzanella is one of our favorite salads for the summer months, but this is equally nice in the cold weather. Try to find as many different types of tomato as you can – baby, large, red, green and yellow – it makes the salad so much more attractive.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: No cook

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz stale bread, such as ciabatta or French stick, torn into medium sized pieces
3 lbs mixed tomatoes, all sizes and colors (chop the large ones, halve the smaller ones)
8 oz roasted red peppers (roast your own in the oven, or used readymade in jars)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large red onion, finely chopped
Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 or 5 stalks of basil, finely shopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard

METHOD:

Whisk together the dressing ingredients, season a little and place in the fridge until the salad is made.

In a large bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients. Add the dressing and mix thoroughly. Season to taste.

Leave in the fridge for at least an hour so that all the ingredients have soaked up the dressing.

Serve with grilled steak, roast or barbecued chicken, any dish you want.

A very tasty starter for a dinner party, or for a light lunch. Serve with a little extra crusty bread or baguette and a delicious dressing.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes for croutons

INGREDIENTS:

4 small pears, peeled, cored and sliced
4 oz Roquefort cheese, crumbled, not too finely
2 red chicory heads, split into leaves
1 slice of bread, cut into small squares
1 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil

For the dressing
4 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together.

Portion the chicory on to 4 plates. Arrange the pear slices on the top.

Crumble over the Roquefort cheese.

In a frying pan, gently fry off the croutons of bread until lightly brown.

Drop the croutons over the chicory, pears and Roquefort and spoon over the dressing.

Delicious creamy eggs and earthy spinach make this a tasty breakfast.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8­-12 minutes, as you like them cooked

INGREDIENTS:

1½  tbsp olive oil
5 oz baby spinach, picked and washed
Sea salt and fresh coarse ground black pepper
½ oz unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
5 oz pouring cream
8 free range eggs

METHOD:

Lightly brush the insides of 4 ramekin dishes (5 oz approx) with melted butter. Heat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Place the oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the spinach until just wilted. Drain and squeeze out excess moisture.

Place a little seasoning in each of the ramekins, some of the nutmeg and top with spinach. Season again.

Place the ramekins in a roasting tin and fill the tin with water until the level of the water reaches half way up the ramekins.

Pour in approx 2 tbsp of the cream into each ramekin. Crack 2 eggs into each of the four ramekins, season again.

Place in the oven and cook for the required time. If the eggs are still runny, just leave to sit for a few minutes, as they will continue to cook.

A little like jelly and fruit, but with a sophisticated twist, will certainly impress your guests if served at a summer lunch or dinner party. Light and refreshing, use some sparkling rose wine for the liquid if all your guests enjoy a touch of alcohol! You will need a 2 lb loaf tin for this recipe, or a similar rectangular container.

Serves: 6-8
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 4-5 hours

INGREDIENTS:

13 oz sparkling rose wine (or plain water if necessary mixed with a little orange juice)
4 gelatin leaves
2 oz caster sugar
2 drops rose water (note essential, but gives a delicious flavor)
1¼ lb mixed berries – strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, hulled where necessary
1½ tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
Sprig of mint leaves for decoration
A few small shop bought meringues, for crumbling

METHOD:

Soak the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 5-6 minutes.

Put the wine and 5 oz water into a saucepan with the sugar and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rose water to taste. Rose water can be powerful, so add a little at a time.

Remove the gelatin leaves, squeeze out the moisture and add to the saucepan to dissolve. Leave to cool.

Line the loaf tin with cling film (makes it easier to remove the terrine) and fill the bottom and sides with the prepared fruit and mint leaves. (If the strawberries are large, cut into pieces).

Place in the fridge for 5 hours or overnight to set. When ready to serve, get your plate ready, turn the terrine upside down onto the plate. It will come out easily. Remove the cling film.

To serve, dip a knife into warm water and cut each slice. Crumble meringue onto each plate, or serve the meringue separately in a pretty bowl. Delicious with ice cream or double cream.

An absolutely delicious upside down tart (the way it is cooked!) with rich and deep flavored tomatoes and a hint of thyme. The sweet tomatoes are a total joy – you can even use tomatoes that are going soft and not suitable for a salad. Try to use multi colored tomatoes – red, green and yellow. It makes the tart so attractive and an impressive supper dish or starter for guests.

Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1lb 12oz medium and small mixed colored tomatoes, halved
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic, your preference
Several stalks of thyme, leave removed but a couple left whole
1 lb all butter puff pastry from supermarket
A couple of splashes of extra virgin olive oil
1 oz butter
1 egg, beaten
A little plain flour for dusting

METHOD:

Heat oven to 400°F/ 220°C/Gas Mark 7.

In a large frying pan or pot, melt the butter and olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinegar and add the sugar. Do not burn or boil.

Add the onions to caramelize and soften. Add the tomatoes. Stir frequently to soften and mix together, but do not break down the tomatoes. Add the individual thyme leaves and stir.

Take a 7 inch tart tin and lightly grease. Pour in the tomato mix.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to fit the tin – you will have more pastry than you need, so don’t worry. Cut out a circle that fits over the tin and tucks down the sides of the tomato mix. Use a fork to prick holes in the pastry to let the steam escape. Glaze with the beaten egg, it will help keep the pastry crisp.

Place the tart tin on a flat baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes. Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes and then run a knife around the edge to release the pastry from the sides of the tin.

Place a suitable plate over the top of the pastry and flip the tart over. It should be easily removed from the tin.

Scatter remaining herbs over the tart and serve with a mixed salad – you could try adding some cubes of blue cheese to the salad for a filling meal.

So easy to make, and an impressive dish as a starter or part of a buffet. Lovely sweet cherry tomatoes are the key to this dish – alternatively, you can use tomato slices. A good strong parmesan is a great compliment to this recipe.

Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 oz fresh thyme, leaves only
9 oz puff pastry
20 baby or cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbsp sundried tomato pesto
1 oz fresh parsley, roughly chopped
5 oz fresh parmesan, flaked
1 egg, beaten (for glazing)

METHOD:

Heat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas mark 4.

Roll out the pastry to approximately ¼ in. thick into a rectangular shape. Approximately 1 in. from the edge, score the pastry around the rim – do not cut completely through the pastry.

Lightly glaze with beaten egg and place on a non-stick flat baking tray.

Bake in the oven until just firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool a little, then spread the sundried tomato paste across the base (not the rim).

Spread the tomato halves evenly over the base and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Scatter over the parmesan and place back into the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and the parmesan has melted into the mix.

Remove from the oven, scatter over the parsley and serve with extra salad.

You can use any firm white fish for this recipe such as haddock, cod, or similar fillets that are quite chunky and 1-1½ inches). The thicker the fillet, it will obviously take longer to cook, but this dish can still be ready in 20-25 minutes. The lovely crispy crumb coating is a delightful match to the soft and moist fish hidden below. Great combination of textures.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness of fish)

INGREDIENTS:

4 haddock, cod or other firm white fish fillet, approx 5 oz
1 tbsp olive oil
3 oz fresh white or brown breadcrumbs
3 oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
½ tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Small sprig of cherry tomatoes, on the vine (about 5 or 6 tomatoes)
Seasoning to taste

METHOD:

Heat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7.

Lightly spray a shallow baking dish with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and place the fish on top.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley with a little seasoning to taste.

Press the crumb coating on top of the fish fillet. Place the tomatoes next to the fish and drizzle with the remaining oil.

Bake for 10 minutes until the crust is golden and the fish is cooked through. Test the center of the fish, and if it is not cooked, cover the dish with foil and return to the oven for a further 4-5 minutes. The foil is used to prevent any burning.

Serve with the tomatoes, tender stem broccoli, crushed minty peas or green beans, and a few baby potatoes for a filling meal.