Simple Guacamole (serves 2-3)

Mexican food often gets a bad reputation for being stodgy, but with its fresh flavour of lime and chilli this cuisine provides some great ideas of fresh and healthy summer eating. This simple guacamole is a great way to add an extra zing to your meals.

Ingredients

·         1 avocado

·         1 large or 2 small tomatoes

·         1 lime

Method

1.       Remove the avocado flesh by splitting it into 2 pieces and removing the stone, then scoop out the green insides. Chop the avocado into a fine dice, and add to a bowl.

2.       Finely chop the tomato and add to the avocado.

3.       Juice the lime and add this to the vegetables, making sure that they are all coated in the juice; the acidity of the lime will ensure that the vibrant green of the avocado is preserved.

4.       This can then be served alongside a Mexican fajita feast, as an addition to a barbeque or simply piled onto a slice of toast.

Rosie’s Rye Bread (6 rolls or 1 loaf)

Rosie’s Rye Bread (6 rolls or 1 loaf)

Scandinavian chic seems to have taken over Britain, with an influx in festive knitwear, Swedish detectives and delicious baked treats. So why not take a cultural culinary journey, and indulge in delicious loaf (knitwear optional).

Ingredients

·         240g Wholemeal Flour

·         120g Rye Flour

·         120g White Flour

·         600ml Warm Water

·         2 packets (14g) Dried Yeast

·         2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar

·         Salt (to taste)

Method

1.       Start by preparing your yeast. Pour 300ml of the warm water into a jug and mix in the yeast and sugar, leave to one side for 5 minutes.

2.       Meanwhile weight out the flours and place in a large mixing bowl along with a good pinch of salt (feel free to add a little more or less).

3.       When your yeast has begun to bubble and dissolve pour it into the flour and mix in with your hand. Then gradually add in the rest of the water until you have a soft dough. You may not need all the water, or you may require more, this will all depend on the batch of flour.

4.       Now it’s time for the fun part, kneading! Tip out your dough into a clean surface, hold onto one end of the dough and use your other hand to stretch it out before bringing the dough back into a ball. Repeat this process for a further 5 minutes, until you have a smooth elastic consistency.

5.       When you have reached this stage you must play the waiting game, put the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a bag. Leave the bread in a warm place, such as an airing cupboard or in a summer sunbeam, until it has doubled in size. This normally takes about 1 hour, but if you get caught up in other exciting activities the bread will be happy to sit for up to 4 hours.

6.       Now that your bread has doubled in size you must knock it back, which basically means removing the air from the dough. Simply turn your bread out of the bowl and give it a good pummelling.

7.       The bread can then to shaped into your chosen shape, this recipe will make 6 rolls or 1 large bloomer. When you have finished shaping the dough place the rolls, or loaf, on a greased baking sheet and leave for 30 minutes to have it’s second prove.

8.       Preheat the oven to 200 C and put in your proved bread. The rolls will need approx 10 minutes and the loaf 30 minutes. You will know that the bread is ready when it has tuned golden and sounds hollow when tapped, you will also be made aware of the breads readiness when the house is filled with the glorious aroma of malted rye.

Finally the wait is over and your bread is ready to eat so sit back,

Spinach Frittata (2)

Easter is nearly upon as and, as this is a festival frequently associated with eggs, I felt it only appropriate to incorporate our oval friends into this month’s recipe. This frittata is perfect for a warming, yet fresh, lunchtime treat. Accompany it with the spinach salad, below, to get the full benefit of this punchy spring green; after all spinach worked wonders for Popeye!

Ingredients

Frittata

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         4 free range eggs, beaten

·         250g cooked new potatoes, sliced into 1cm rounds

·         150g spinach, steamed and drained

·         Salt and pepper

Salad

·         100g spinach

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 tablespoon lemon juice

·         Salt and pepper

Method

1.       Add the olive oil to a frying pan, and place on a medium heat.

2.       Season the beaten eggs with salt and pepper. Add the beaten eggs to the pan, and then scatter the potatoes and spinach evenly over the mixture.

3.       Place a lid on the pan and reduce to a low heat.

4.       Continue to cook for 5 -10 minutes, until the Frittata mixture is cooked through.

5.       Meanwhile prepare the salad by mixing the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, then dressing the spinach leaves with this dressing.

6.       Serve wedges of the frittata alongside a handful of salad.

This recipe would also work well with other seasonal greens such as watercress, sorrel or spring cabbage.

Mothers Day

Mothering Sunday is nearly here, a day for us to celebrate all our mums do for us. Mother’s day is celebrated around the world, with many countries celebrating on different days throughout the year. In Britain this day always falls on the fourth Sunday of lent, with the day having its roots in the Christian church; on this day people would often visit their mother church, which has evolved over time to become a day for our own mothers.

Whether you are celebrating on 10^th March or holding your own countries annual maternal celebrations later in the year, be sure to shower your mum with all the love she deserves. I always find that you can’t go wrong with a Sunday dinner; this always seems particularly apt as the day always falls on a Sunday. However, if you happen to be blessed with a sunny Sunday why not indulge your mum in a spot of afternoon tea; who wouldn’t be delighted with a tower of triangular sandwiches, delicate pastries and cream topped scones?

For those of you who feel daunted by the idea of orchestrating a roast dinner on your day off, or mastering the art of French patisserie into the late hours of Saturday, why not have a go at a simple sponge cake. I know that a cake always goes down well with my mum, so get out your cakes tins and have a go; don’t worry if you aren’t a perfect baker mums love a little rustic charm, remember her joy at those macaroni adorned Christmas ornaments?

So here you go a simple sponge J

Ingredients

·         225g margarine

·         225g sugar

·         225g self raising flour

·         4 eggs, beaten

·         Mums favourite jam

Method

1.       Grease and line 2 20cm cake tins, and preheat the oven to 170°C.

2.       Add the margarine and sugar to a large bowl and mix together, until you have a light and creamy mixture.

3.       Gradually incorporate the eggs into the mixture, it will look a tad messy at this stage but fear not.

4.       Sift in the flour, and then fold into the cake mixture. Be careful not to over-mix, just keep folding until you have a smooth batter.

5.       Pour half of the mixture into each of the cake tins. Then bake the cakes for around 25 minutes, until golden and bouncy to the touch.

6.       Remove to cakes from the oven and leave to cool before decorating.

7.       When the cakes have cooled sandwich them together with a generous helping of your mums favourite jam, and finish with a flourish of sifted icing sugar. (The icing sugar also works to disguise any less than perfect cakes.)

To further indulge your mum you can sandwich the cakes together with jam and whipped cream, the choice is yours…

Beetroot Soup (2-3)

On a cold day there is nothing nicer than a warming bowl of soup. Though in the fast moving working day it can be hard to find the time to sit down with an enjoy such a treat, with soup lovers having to resort to the dreaded cuppa soup. In order to free you all from the trauma of this synthetic drink I have concocted a quick and simple soup that can be made in advance. So whenever you feel the need for soup simply warm up a mug of this purple broth in the microwave and enjoy its earthy goodness.

Ingredients

·         1 Small Red Onion

·         1 Teaspoon Olive oil

·         200g Red Cabbage

·         200g Raw Beetroot

·         Salt and Pepper

Method

1.       Start by finely chopping the onion, then fry in the olive oil until golden.

2.       Shred the cabbage before peeling and chopping the beetroot. Add the beetroot and cabbage to the pan, and cover the water.

3.       Bring the soup to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

4.       Blend the soup, in the food processor, until smooth. (You can add in more water dependant on the thickness you enjoy)

5.       Season the soup to taste and divide into portions.

6.       When you feel in the need for a healing mug of soup simply heat up in the microwave and enjoy, to further enhance the Scandinavian flavours of this soup finish with a scattering of dill and a slice of rye bread.

This soup freezes well, so make up a batch at the weekend to keep you stocked up through the week.

Valentine's Butterfly Buns

Whether you are dining out or celebrating alone, everyone deserves a treat on Valentine’s Day. These festive buns are the perfect way to let some know they’re loved; why not make up a batch and hand them out to your friends, spreading love and happiness on this special day.

Ingredients

Buns

·         100g margarine

·         100g caster sugar

·         100g self raising flour

·         2 free range eggs, beaten

Decoration

·         30g margarine

·         60g icing sugar

·         Raspberry jam

·         Heart shaped sweets/sprinkles

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 180°C, and line a tray with 12 bun cases.

2.       Place the margarine and sugar in a large bowl and whip together, until the mixture is light and creamy.

3.       Sift in the flour, and add in the beaten eggs, before gently folding them into the bun mixture.

4.       Spoon the mixture evenly between the 12 bun cases, then bake for 20 minutes until golden.

5.       Leave the buns to cool, while you mix up the icing.

6.       Add the margarine to a bowl, then sift in the icing sugar and mix to a smooth paste.

7.       When they have cool use a sharp knife to gently cup a disk from the top of each bun, keeping hold of the bun tops for later.

8.       Fill the buns with a teaspoon of jam and icing. The take your bun top and cut it in half, before places the pieces back on top of the bun to form a beautiful butterfly.

9.       When all of your butterflies have been adorned with their wings, simply scatter then with heart shaped sweets or festive pink sprinkles.

10.   These will stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container, though I doubt they will last beyond the end of the day!!

February

As we draw into yet another dark and cold winter month it is easy to feel despondent. With the warm glow of spring seeming far away, and the bounteous harvest of summer further still, cooks can’t help but feel lost at what to whip up for supper.

But in fact this is a time to realise the wonders that lie in the larder, utilising dried beans and grains to create comforting dishes. With Shrove Tuesday on the horizon what could be better than a stack of steaming pancakes generously drizzled with syrup, the perfect comfort food for a cold February evening.

Pancakes were traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, to use up the luxuries in the pantry before 40 days of restrained eating began. Pancakes were a good way of using up lavish ingredients such as milk, eggs and sugar before Christians would begin their fasting, which often meant that no meat, eggs or dairy would be consumed during this period.

So with this in mind why not indulge while you can, filling your pancakes with a multitude of extravagant fillings.  For those wanting a savoury treat why not try filling you pancakes with fried seasonal greens and covering with a blanket of cheese sauce, before burnishing the top under the grill. Or for those of you, like me, who have more of sweet tooth why not dip into the preserves; jam is perfect to spread on warm pancakes with a scoop of ice cream.

However you like to serve your pancakes one thing is for sure, you can never have too many- so stack them up high and enjoy the festivities before the restraint of lent begins.