Spiced lamb and feta burgers

My Children all love burgers, but I am a true food snob on this subject and hate places like McDonalds and frozen burgers. If you are having burgers they either have to be from a good butcher or make them yourself. At least that way you will know what has gone in to them.

These were absolutely yummy and I will definitely be making them for Hubby's dotBBQ. Even the kids loved them, so much so that Stephen has taken the left overs to work for lunch today!

One thing that I will try adding to the recipe next time is a beaten egg, they were a bit crumbly and this made them a little hard to turn, on a BBQ this would be a nightmare. I will let you know how it goes.

Buon appetito.

Makes 4 burgers

400g lamb mince

100g feta, crumbled

1 small red onion, grated

1 tbsp harissa

small handful of chopped parsley (I am going to use mint next time as I think it will work so well with the flavours here, served with a Greek salad would be just perfect)

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Put the lamb mince into a bowl with the crumbled feta, grated red onion, harissa and parsley or mint, season well and combine all the ingredients together.

Now I am a little anal here and weighed out 125g of the mixture for each burger, just so they were all roughly the same size and would cook evenly, but hey you can just grab a handful and make them into patties, what ever suits your personality !!!!

Once you have your four burgers just grill or griddle them for 4 - 5 minutes on each side.

Serve in crusty buns with rocket & tzatziki and a lovely Greek salad or homemade chunky chips or roasted new potatoes in olive oil, sea salt & cumin seeds, again what ever takes your fancy.

Tip : Open freeze on a baking tray lined with baking paper, then pack in a freezerproof container or bags until needed. When you want to use them, just defrost overnight in the fridge and cook as above.

Pancakes

Childhood memories of food are always the best, I remember Jasmine (Nonna) always making these for me and the tradition followed on into our family. Every school holiday I seem to make pancake after pancake for the kids breakfast. I tend to get them to eat them outside or we set up a picnic tablecloth on the kitchen floor with all the toppings set in the middle.

Its a lovely time, the children all sit together, chatting, giggling and putting there individual tastes to their pancakes, I watch from the stove, loving knowing that they are all here safe under one roof and just happy in each others company.

Tastes vary from rolling the pancake up, to leaving them flat, to the simple & traditional lemon and sugar, to chocolate spread, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, maple syrup, ice cream, there have been so many combinations over the years, but its always messy.

Pancakes - This recipes will bring back some memories :)

125g (4oz) Flour

1.25ml (1/4 level teaspoon) salt

1 egg

300ml (1/2 pint) milk

English Butter for frying (mixed with a little sunflower or vegetable oil to stop it burning)

You may want to double the above measurements or even triple them, as you will well know it was never enough & I always ended up having to make loads. You all held the record at one stage in your life as to who could eat the most, maybe you should all get together & see who would win now.

Sift the flour & salt into a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the egg.

Beat with a wooden spoon (I found a small hand whisk always worked better for this part).

Gradually add in the milk until all incorporated & smooth.

Heat the butter in a frying pan, running it around to coat & drain off any excess into your jug that you have mixed your butter & oil in.

Pour or ladle in enough mixture to cover thinly the bottom of your pan.

Cook until the pancake begins to move easily in the pan, ease round the edge of the pancake with a palette knife & when ready turn it over. It will only take a few seconds to brown the second side.

Serve immediately with your chosen topping, mine was always fresh squeezed lemon, lots of sugar & the pancake always had to be flat. Some of you rolled, some left them flat, toppings varied over the years. I remember Simon & Edward Harradine covering them in Ice Cream & Rosie-jayne having a feast of a pancake in Skopelos, but I always remember we had a lot of fun & there was always sugar everywhere.

Meet the Fockers - Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

My poor little girl is rather over protected by her Brothers and Myself and this week she had the unenviable task of bringing home her new boyfriend for dinner.

Even though we know she has grown up into a beautiful young woman, in our eyes she will always be our little girl. All week James & Stephen teased her about what they were going to do and say to the poor boy and Rosie was worried sick.

Well I planned a huge meal, boeuf bourguignon, tartiflette and the chocolate raspberry pavlova, no pressure for me or him, NOT, but it was a lovely evening, he is a lovely young man, who managed to hold his own amongst our manic and loud Family and was liked by all.

And the important part, he loved the food !!!

Boun appetito.

Serves 10 - 12

6 large free-range egg whites

300g caster sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sieved (I always use Green & Blacks)

1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)

50g dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the topping

500ml double cream

500g raspberries

2 - 3 tablespoons coarsely grated dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180c, fan 160c, gas 4 and line a tray with baking paper.

Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, then beat in the sugar, a large spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Add the cocoa, vinegar and chopped chocolate, then gently fold until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Mound onto a lined baking sheet in a fat circle about 25cm in diameter, smoothing the sides and top.

Place in the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 150c, fan 130c, gas 2 and cook for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

When the meringue is ready it should look crisp around the edges and sides, and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess.

Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, then let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely.

When you are ready to serve, lift on to a large, flat bottomed plate. This is the part I find tricky, I always break it and end up leaving it on the paper !!!!

Whisk the cream until thick but still soft (and you know me, I always have to add some icing sugar to sweeten it), pile in on top of the meringue, then scatter over the raspberries. Sprinkle over the grated chocolate to serve.

This is a lovely dessert, the crisp outside with chocolate gooey loveliness in the middle is out of this World and this will now be a firm favourite in our house, made for any excuse, the next one being Hubby's DotBBQ.

Don't feel tied to using just raspberries, any fruit you fancy will do and a nice winter alternative would be oranges.

Velvet Chocolate Torte

I am on a chocolate roll now (excuse the pun), this is one of my favourite recipes, again so easy to make, but never fails to impress. the velvet smooth torte against the crispy hobnob base and topping is a match made in heaven.

I have made this for so many dinner parties and it always gets so many compliments.

Buon appetito.

Serves 8 - 10 Ready in 15 minutes, plus chilling

12 Hobnob biscuits

50g butter, melted

2 egg whites

85g caster sugar

250g plain chocolate

284ml double cream

2 tablespoons brandy

sifted icing sugar to decorate

single cream to serve, if you wish

In a large strong plastic food bag (I actually very carefully do it in a mixing bowl with the end of my rolling pin or put Luca in the garden to do this for me), crush the biscuits to crumbs with a rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter until evenly mixed. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the crumbs, then press the rest over the base of a 20cm loose-based cake tin and smooth down with the back of a large metal spoon. Chill the base while you are making the filing.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk the egg whites and sugar for about 5 minutes until they form a stiff meringue-like mix that stands in soft peaks.

Break up the chocolate and melt in the microwave on medium for 3 - 4 minutes or in a small bowl set over the pan of simmering hot water used to make the meringue. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until its just holds its shape.

Fold the melted chocolate into the meringue, followed by the cream and brandy. Pour into the tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the reserved crumbs and chill for at least 4 hours, or better still overnight, so it is softly set.

Just before serving, remove the torte from the tin, slide onto a plate and dust lightly with the icing sugar and in my case some glitter. Using a warm knife, cut into wedges and serve with a little cream on the side if you wish.

Tip 1 : Stores in the fridge for 2 days and can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Tip 2 : To remove the torte from the tin, balance it on a 400g can, then gently pull the sides of the tin down.

There is one big problem with this blog, all of you that I have impressed over the years with my desserts now know just how simple they are, but hey now you know I can look forward to you all having a go and making them for me.

After Eight Mousse

I knew Hubby was the one for me when not long after I had met him I asked him to shut his eyes and open his mouth, he trusted me and I put a spoonful of After Eight Mousse in his mouth. He loved it and the rest is history !!!

I must admit there was far more to our relationship that him liking my mousse but it does help that we are both huge foodies, love to cook, love to eat and love anything foodie related.

So, I thought, as I have just added a chocolate section to the Blog that I should put this recipe on, its simple but delicious.

Boun appetito.

Serves 4 - Ready in 10 minutes

234g box of After Eight mints

3 tablespoons brandy (you can leave this out if you are making these for Children)

568ml extra thick double cream

Reserve eight of the After Eight mints. Put the rest in a small pan with the brandy and gently heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolates have melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Break up the reserved mints. Spoon the cream into a bowl and gently fold in the melted chocolate. Spoon into four serving glasses and decorate with the broken chocolates and a small sprig of mint.

So simple, so quick, but lovely after dinner served with an espresso. There is no skill involved, anyone can make this, perfect boys to impress your girlfriends !!!

Godstone Mud Pie (Mississippi Mud Pie)

I haven't been very well the last few days and have spent today laying on the sofa watching the Foodie Channels, being inspired by Nigella and James Martin and getting some great ideas for Hubby's upcoming works BBQ.

I have also been very lucky today as Rosie has been home taking care of me, which has been very gratefully appreciated and we were talking about my blog and the recipes on it, when we realised that the Godstone Mud Pie was no where to be seen on the blog!!! Not good as this is one of our households favourite desserts.

So here it is, chocolate gooey heaven at its best.

Buon appetito

For the base:

300g Bourbon biscuits, crushed

75g butter, melted

For the filling:

85g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

85g butter

2 free range eggs

85g muscovado sugar

100ml double cream

For the fudge sauce:

150g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

150ml double cream, plus extra to serve

3 tablespoons golden syrup

175g icing sugar, seived

Preheat the oven to 180c, 365f, gas 4.

Mix the biscuits and melted butter together in a bowl. Press the mixture into the base and sides of a 9 inch springform tin. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

For the filling, melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water).

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl for 5 - 6 minutes, or until thick and creamy. Fold in the cream and melted chocolate mixture. Pour into the chilled springform tin and bake in the oven for 40 - 50 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, for the fudge sauce, heat all of the fudge sauce ingredients in a saucepan, stirring regularly, over a medium heat until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Spread the sauce over the cooled pie and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Soooooo easy to make, but so gorgeous and will always impress.

Burger with hummus and potato wedges for James

My "About Me" on this blog, says that I have five gorgeous children and this is true, five gorgeous biological children, but I also have another Son which I like to call my own and I would like to introduce you to him.

James is Stephen's best friend and a couple of years ago James came to stay for the night and left seven months later !!!!!

In that time we all fell in love with James and he became a huge part of our Family. When I needed him, when Stephen was in trouble or after Stephen's motorbike accident, James was always there to help me and support me. I know that I couldn't of got through somethings without him and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for that and for always being there when I needed him most.

James is one of the nicest, most hard working and funny guys I have ever had the pleasure to meet and I am proud to call him my Son.

Anyway, this week James has moved back in for a little while and the meal I cooked on his first night is below, welcome home Hun, we have missed you.

Buon appetito.

Serves 4

For the Burgers:

4 good-quality hamburger buns or rolls

500g lean beef mince

1 red onion, grated

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

250g cherry tomatoes, sliced

1/2 teaspoon sumac (I couldn't find this in Sainsburys but please see the link below)

1 small white onion, cut into thin wedges

15g shredded parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cut the buns horizontally in halves. Put the mince, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl and combine well with your hands. Form into four patties, making them slightly larger than the buns because they will shrink whilst being cooked.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat, add the burger patties and, because the patties tend to puff up, make a dip in the centre of each with the back of a spoon. Cook for 4 minutes each side, or until done to your liking. That's well done for me, still bloody for my Hubby.

Make the salad by tossing the cherry tomatoes, sumac, onion and parsley together with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice. While the burgers are cooking, toast the buns. Spread hummus on the toasted sides, then top with a patty, salad and the bun tops. Serve with potato wedges.

For the hummus:

(I must confess to buying the hummus ready-made on this occasion, but Hubby has made it in the past)

400g can chickpeas, drained

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons lemon juice

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Process the chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor with 3 tablespoons of water until the hummus is smooth. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

For the potato wedges:

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 garlic gloves, unpeeled and crushed with the side of a knife

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

500g potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, dried and cut into wedges

freshly ground black pepper

sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200c, 400f, gas 6. Put the oil, garlic, lime juice and Tabasco sauce in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the potatoes and pepper and stir until the potatoes are coated. Transfer to a baking dish, spreading the potatoes evenly over the dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until crispy. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve. These are so tasty, so much nicer than using a packet mix.

http://www.arabicafoodandspice.com/

Note : Sumac is an earthy spice with a distinctive citrus flavour. The local ladies who produce this call it “The Lemons from God”.

Parmesan-crusted blue-eye and braised potatoes with peas

As you know it was Hubby's birthday and I cooked him that mammoth birthday cake and afterwards I still had his birthday dinner to cook. I was going to do one of his favourite dishes which would include steak of some sort but decided that it would be better doing a lighter meal so that we had lots of room for the cake.

So sticking to my plan of cooking from Bill's Food this week I decided to treat him to some Monk Fish and cooked the above dinner.

As with the previous Bill Granger recipe on my blog it was nice and simple, light and extremely yummy, another perfect summer dish.

Looking forward to cooking another one tonight.

Buon appetito

Serves 4

75g fresh breadcrumbs

45g finely grated Parmesan

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

125g plain flour

4 blue-eye or other firm white fish fillets (I used Monk Fish, but I am also going to try it with Sword Fish as I love it)

1 tablespoon olive oil

25g butter

Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly together. Place the flour and some salt and pepper in a bowl. When you have the three bowls lined up dip a fish fillet in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Continue until all the fish is coated.

This can be done in advance, cover and keep in the fridge up to 2 hours before cooking.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the fish and cook gently for about 2 minutes on each side, turning once, until lightly golden. Times may vary depending on the thickness of your fish.

8 potatoes, peeled and steamed until tender (Bill recommends "Kipfler"), I used new potatoes that I had in the fridge !

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 white onion, finely sliced into rings

155g green peas

250ml chicken stock

15g butter

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Slice the potatoes into discs. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion until soft, but not brown . Add the peas and toss well. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

This is such a yummy dish I will be cooking this with lots of other dishes, we all really loved it.

Fabulously simple chocolate fudge cake

As you know from my previous post it was my Hubby's Birthday and our 5 year anniversary, also you will probably also of gathered by reading my blog that I don't like to do things by half and Birthdays for my loved one's are no exception.

I decided to take the day off from work and cook Hubby a three tier chocolate cake, seemed a great idea at the time, but I think I rather underestimated just how long it would take and just how hot it is in July. Decorating a chocolate cake in that heat it not an easy task !!!!

But hey, I love him & I battled on and the picture above is the finished result. The funny thing is the damn thing took an hour for every year we had been together, 5 hours of mixing, baking, washing up & decorating, but it was all worth it and it tasted amazing.

The one thing that I didn't leave the chance was the recipe, I have been using this recipe for 5 years now (seems to be an eery pattern here!!!) and just glammed it up a bit to turn it into Hubby's cake.

Now I promise the recipe below is VERY simple, it was just me that made it hard work, but you do get a perfect moist cake every time.

Buon appetito.

Serves 10 - Keeps up to 3 days in an airtight container & I think it actually improves the next day.

100g spreadable butter, plus extra for greasing

250ml milk

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

100g plain chocolate, melted

15g cocoa powder, sifted (I always use Green & Blacks)

300g self-raising flour, sifted

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted

225g golden caster sugar

2 eggs

For the icing

225g plain chocolate, broken up

100g butter

142ml carton double cream

Preheat the oven to 190c, fan 160c, gas 4.

Grease a 20cm round, deep cake tin and line with baking paper.

Mix the milk and vinegar together.

Place all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl (thank god for my Artisan). Pour in the milk mixture and beat with an electric mixer or hand whisk until smooth. I tend to beat the ingredients in the bowl together for a couple of seconds first and then dribble in the milk mixture slowly, but its up to you, both ways work equally as well. Once smooth spread into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour, until firm in the centre.

Cool for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile for the icing, melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave for 3 minutes on medium, stirring halfway through. Alternatively (and this is the way I prefer to do it), melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Stir until smooth then beat in the cream. Cool slightly.

Halve the cake through the middle.

Spread a quarter of the icing on 1 half and sandwich together. Spread the rest over the top and sides.

You can leave the cake to set as it is or decorate to your choice. Fresh flowers, chocolate strands or curls, will all make this already fab cake something out of the ordinary.

Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary to my Gorgeous Husband

It's my Hubby's Birthday today and also our Anniversary, we have been together for five years and it just keeps getting better. I am writing this blog in-between a mammoth cake baking session, as I rather stupidly set myself the task of baking him a three tier chocolate cake !!! Why I hear you ask, maybe I just love setting myself up for a disaster, but hey you never know it may all work out for the best. Pictures and recipe will be posted if all goes to plan.

Anyway before I crack on, also have a gorgeous birthday dinner to cook, I would like to post a poem for my Hubby which I thought would be great for the blog.

Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary Honey, thank you for loving me.

The time will come

when with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here, Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, who you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Coconut Sauce

I have been looking for something a little more seasonal for the blog and to cook for my adoring family and inspiration came in the direction of Bill Granger appearing on Saturday Kitchen the other weekend, it was like a message from the Foodie Gods. So out came Bills Food and a few recipes were chosen for the following week.

First to be cooked was grilled chicken with spicy coconut sauce, it went down a treat and everyone loved it. Its very Thai and light, creamy coconut, just right for a warm summers evening when you want something delicious but quick and uncomplicated to cook. Thanks Bill.

Buon appetito, or as Bill would say, "Good Day Cobber".

Serves 4

4 chicken breast fillets, skin on (I did cook them without, just takes a bit longer to brown)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

310ml coconut milk

75g laksa paste (I managed to find this easily in Sainsburys)

400g fresh egg noodles (I used dried, tasted amazing, just follow the packet instructions for cooking times)

200g snow peas/mangetout, blanched & finely sliced diagonally

lime cheeks (bless thats what Bill calls them) to serve.

Preheat the oven to 220c, 425f, gas 7.

Put the chicken, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Heat an ovenproof frying pan (large enough to hold the chicken fillets in one layer) over a high heat. Place the chicken with the skin side down in the pan and sear for about 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Turn the chicken over and cook for another minute to seal it. Put the pan in the oven and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, until the chicken feels firm to the touch. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes, then cut each fillet on the diagonal into three pieces.

Meanwhile, stir the coconut milk and laksa paste in a small saucepan over a medium heat until combined. Cook for 5 minutes, or until reduced slightly.

While the chicken and sauce are cooking, cook the noodles in boiling, salted water for 1 minute, or if using dried as per the packet instructions. Drain and divide among four shallow bowls. Top with finely sliced snow peas and sliced chicken. Pour the sauce over. Serve with the lime cheeks.

This is a great store-cupboard meal when you find yourself with chicken and don't know what to do with it, as apart from the snow peas which lets face it are there just to look pretty, you could keep all the other ingredients as back up.

To canape or not to canape, this is the question ?

Well its a very good question "to canape or not to canape" ? Does any one anymore bother with canapes when they have people round for drinks or for dinner. Is it an old fashion thing to do and can people really be bothered anymore, well I'm not sure, but I suppose many people still do, but now most people seem to cheat and go for the easy option of ready made tapas or antipasti which is so readily available in the supermarkets and deli's. Any why not its delicious and hip.

I must confess to now being of the tapas/antipasti tribe, to be honest its more to do with that I can eat tapas or antipasti at anytime of the day and for any reason, just because I love it and it's one of my favourite things in the world to eat, but I have in the past (well to be honest over five years ago, as I know I have not made these since Hubby and I have been together) have been known to make my own canapes and they were delicious.

So for those of you that still canape or just feel the urge to give it a whirl, here is my recipe for goats cheese & caramelised onion croustades, which I would like to dedicate to my friend Graham, who advised me that he hated goats cheese after nearly polishing a whole plate of these off.

Buon appetito

Makes 24

24 Rahms mini croustades (easily available at Sainsburys/Waitrose)

2 tablespoons caramelised red onion chutney (Marks & Spencer do a yummy one, so yummy I can eat it off the spoon, but maybe thats just me !!!!)

60g firm/mild goats cheese (Crottin de chevre is perfect for this recipe)

1 medium egg and 1 medium egg yolk

3 tablespoons double cream

5g fresh chives, finely chopped

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350f, 180c, gas 4

Place the croustades on to a large baking tray and divide the 2 tablespoons of chutney evenly between each of them. Then cut the goats cheese into 24 cubes and place a piece of cheese on top of the chutney.

Next beat the egg, egg yolk and cream together in a jug, season a little with salt (the cheese may be a little salty, so go carefully) and some freshly ground black pepper.

Carefully pour some mixture into each croustade, leaving a little space at the top of each, which will ensure the top edge of the croustade stays crispy when baked and they don't over flow.

Bake the croustades for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving (molten caramelised onion stuck to the roof of your guests mouth is never good), sprinkle with the finely chopped chives and serve.

These are so quick & simple to make and your guests will be impressed that you took the time to make them yourself.

Spun Sugar

Now I am a little worried that the last recipe required spun sugar and the instructions were a little flaky, so here is a little more help if you would like a go (or get your other half having a go) at spinning sugar.

Its a great way to decorate cakes & desserts and always impresses, but please remember to do it outside or put lots of newspaper down if you are doing it indoors, it does go everywhere & is extremely hot, so watch out for small children and pets. The first time Hubby tried this, with the assistance of Stephen they ended up covered in it, now though I must admit that Hubby is nearly as good as his look alike Mr Martin !!!

Use plain white refined sugar and remember that anything you use will need to be put in hot boiling water as soon as you have finished with it as it sets rock solid and is very hard to remove.

Place the sugar in a very clean, non-stick pan and place on the heat. Do not stir. When the sugar starts to turn into a caramel, tilt the pan to mix the sugar as it starts to turn so it blends together. When all the sugar is at a caramel colour and has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and place the base of the pan in a cold water to cool. (too hot and nothing will happen; to cold and the sugar will snap) Don't allow any water in the pan. As the sugar cools, it will become thicker and resemble golden syrup. If it thickens to much, gently reheat.

Spirals - take a tablespoon of sugar and quickly twirl the sugar trail around a cook's steel or wooden spoon handle. Snap off the tail of the sugar and carefully slide the spiral off, place on a baking tray to set.

Spun sugar - take a tablespoon of the sugar and spin it very quickly backwards and forwards over a cooks steel or a rolling pin. Quickly lift the sugar up and scoop into a bundle. Again place on a baking tray to set.

Basket - grease a small glass bowl or ladle with olive oil (don't use vegetable oil as it is to thin). Take a tablespoon of sugar and criss-cross the mould with the sugar trail. Leave the sugar to set on the mould. When set carefully lift the basket off and fill with your chosen dessert, such as ice cream or sorbet.

Have fun!

Quick Strawberry & Vanilla Gateau

This weekend has not gone to plan, like many best laid plans, life has come along and thrown a spanner in the works.

Friday night Ben and I rushed off to Sainsburys to buy the ingredients needed for the above gateau, this was to be made in preparation for a BBQ at my Boss's on Saturday night, an event that we were all really looking forward too and one that on Friday night, late into the evening and three bottles of wine later was much discussed by the three of us.

Early hours of Saturday morning we staggered to bed, turned my phone off and went to sleep. At around 10am on turning my phone back on I receive three rather alarming texts from David informing me that he had been rushed to hospital with stomach pains. Now if you knew my Boss, you too would take this with a pinch of salt, especially as one was worded "I'll do anything to get out of cooking". I must admit I thought it was one of his practical jokes. On ringing the office to see if he had turned up, I was advised that no one had seen him, we promptly rang the hospital to have the news confirmed. David was about to have his appendix removed !!!

So I dedicate this recipe to David's appendix and to David, hope you have a speedy recovery Boss and Ben & I send you all our love.

Serves 6 - 8

1 large ready-made flan case

750ml double cream

100g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod, seeds only

1 shot of Drambuie (this is what James Martin suggests, I always use Marsala)

200ml ready-made custard

1 punnet of small stawberries

1 1/2 punnets of large strawberries (again this is what Mr Martin suggests, I usually need far less)

1 punnet of mixed berries of your choice

50g icing sugar

fresh mint sprigs

Using a 20 - 25cm stainless steel ring, cut out the centre of the flan with a sharp knife, slice the disc in half through the middle so that you end up with two thin discs. This is fairly tricky and you do require a little patience or as in my case as I lack this quality get my lovely Hubby to do this for me.

Whip the double cream with 25g of the caster sugar, the vanilla seeds and a shot of booze of your choice, in my case Marsala, to a thick peak consistency. Fold in the custard, then chill in the fridge.

Set aside 10 whole, small strawberries for the garnish. Cut the green top from all the remaining strawberries and cut them in half lengthways.

Ok if you happen to have James Martins book Desserts, you will at this point realise that he has made a huge cock up as at no point does he mention what one does with the sponges that you cut in half earlier. Lucky for me I have actually seen him make this on his show Sweet Baby James and also it is fairly self explanatory, you take one of the sponges and place it at the bottom of the ring.

Then line the ring with the largest strawberry halves, cut side against the ring. You won't need all of the strawberries so save the remainder for the topping. Place the whipped cream in the ring and gently spread to the edges. Add the rest of the strawberries and smooth the top. Now again I am not sure that I agree with Mr Martin here (Sorry James & yes I know you look very like my Husband) but it doesn't seem to work that well. So either you can follow the recipe or cut the strawberries smaller or even chop them up smaller and add them to the cream mix, trial and error really, see what works best for you.

Now at this point Mr Martin tells you to lift the cake to a plate and remove the ring and if you had been following his recipe you would now have a big mess all over your kitchen. I advise that you build it on the plate you wish to serve it on right from the start.

Then, again Mr Martin misses this bit of the instructions, but you now place the last piece of sponge on top of your cake and I highly recommend placing it in the fridge to set.

Once set you can decorate it how you wish, I have made this gateau three times now and have decorated it differently each time. Again my wonderful Hubby has a helping hand as like his look a like he also loves to spin sugar, so very often this will be served with some of his handy work.

Please note if allowing your Hubby or significant other to do this, I advised sending them outside at this point as men tend to be rather messy creatures and given hot sugar syrup is a recipe for disaster !!! You have been warned.

Anyway, place the remaining caster sugar into a very clean pan and heat gently until it caramelizes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, James again does not tell you what to do with the pan of molten sugar but it is to be spun to decorate the top of the cake, its messy & tricky & can be missed out as there are so many other ways you can decorate this cake, but if you fancy a go, here are the instructions.

To spin the sugar, take a whisk with the bottom snipped off with pliers, so that you have a whisk that is simply a handle with spikes. Alternatively you can take two forks placed back to back and hold tightly. Dip the whisk into the syrup and flick the whisk back and forth over a broom handle or rolling pin to create long hair like strands. Next gather up the strands of spun sugar and create your shape by simply moulding the strands in your hands.

Next dredge the top of your cake thickly with a coating of icing and take a metal skewer that has been heated until red hot and score the top of the gateau in lines (again best done outside if possible as we set the fire alarm off when we did this), to create a diamond pattern. Dress the top with the remaining strawberries and the berries and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.

Mediterranean Chicken

Sometimes when you have just got in from work or just had a busy day you want something yummy but can't be bothered to cook and don't want to wait for ages, this dish suits the bill. Ok a bit fiddly, have to take things in and out of the pan, but it only takes a few minutes and with the Chorizo in there its well worth it.

I use "El Artesano Judion Butter Beans" for this dish, they are a bit pricey compared with their tinned counterparts, but so worth it.

Simon this would be a perfect dish for you before football.

Buon appetito.

Serves 4 - Ready in 25 minutes

150g chorizo, roughly diced

1 onion, sliced

4 skinless chicken breasts, roughly diced

1 tbsp tomato purée

400g can chopped tomatoes

200ml hot chicken stock

Leaves from a few rosemary sprigs, plus extra to serve

75g pitted black olives (Yep, you guessed it, I leave these out)

400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed

300g penne

Heat a large, deep frying pan over a high heat, add the chorizo. Cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and the oil has begun to run. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion and chicken to the pan. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato, stock and rosemary, bring to the boil then simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Stir in the olives, butter beans and cooked chorizo. Simmer for a further 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced a little. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions or until al dente. Drain. Divide among 4 warmed bowls and top with the chicken sauce.