New Potato and Cherry Tomato Bake

Ingredients

Serves 4

900g/2lb baby New Potatoes, washed and cut in half if too large
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
250g/8oz Cherry Tomatoes
1 Red Onion, peeled and sliced
2 tbs Olive Oil
25g/1oz Pine Nuts
100g/4oz Feta Cheese, crumbled

Method

Pre- heat the oven to Gas 4/200C.
Place the potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, onion, oil and pine nuts in a large baking tin and shake the tin well to coat the contents with the oil.
Bake for 25 minutes turning once during cooking.
Stir in the feta and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Season to taste and serve.

Crispy Bacon and Avocado Salad with Hot Tomato Dressing

Serves 4 as a light starter

Ingredients

4 tbs Oil

100g/4oz Streaky Bacon, chopped into small pieces

2 large Tomatoes, quartered seeds removed and cut into slivers

small bunch Basil leaves, roughly chopped

juice 1 Lemon

small bag mixed Salad leaves e.g. rocket, watercress, spinach

1 large ripe Avocado, peeled and sliced

Method

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon until browned and crisp.

Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add more oil to the pan then add the tomato strips, basil and lemon juice.

Season well with pepper, gently heat through for about 1 minute.

Arrange the salad leaves between four serving plates.

Place the avocado slices on top then the crispy bacon.

Spoon over the hot dressing, drizzle over a little more oil if you wish and serve at once with some crusty bread.

This salad has masses of delicious flavours but as soon as you have spooned over the hot dressing do serve it, as the salad will wilt.

Spiced Hot Chick Pea Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbs Oil
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
2 teasp Ground Turmeric
1 tbs Cumin Seeds
450g/1lb Tomatoes roughly chopped
2 x 430g can Chick Peas, drained
1 tbs Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
to garnish: fresh Coriander Leaves

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan and lightly fry the onion until golden.
Add the turmeric and cumin seeds and cook for a further 1-2 minutes before adding the other ingredients except the coriander leaves.
Continue cooking for about 2 minutes until heated through.
Check the seasoning and serve garnished with coriander leaves

Lemon Grass Cordial

Ingredients
3 Lemon Grass Shoots
5cms Root Ginger, sliced and peeled
450g Sugar
Juice of 3 large Lemons
600mls Water

Method
Chop lemon grass and bruise base with rolling pin.
Put it in a pan with ginger, sugar and water.
Stir well till all sugar is dissolved.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Add lemon juice, stir well.
Strain and put into plastic bottles.
Can be frozen.

Coconut, Lentil and Tomato Dahl

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp Oil
1 large Onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Carrot, diced
2 tsps Cumin Seeds
2 tsps Mustard Seeds
2.5 cm/1 inch piece fresh Root Ginger, grated
2 tsps ground Turmeric
1 tsp mild Chilli Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
225g/8oz split Red Lentils
400ml/14 fl oz boiling Vegetable Stock
14fl oz can Coconut Milk
5 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Juice 2 Limes
4 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander
25g/1oz Flaked Almonds

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.

Add the garlic, carrot, cumin, mustard seeds and ginger and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the seeds begin to pop and the aromas start to be released.

Now add the turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala to the pan and cook for a further minute.

Tip the mixture into a slow cooker or saucepan; add the lentils, stock, coconut milk and tomatoes.
Stir well and cover the pot with the lid.
Cook for 2 hours or until the lentils are soft, stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Stir in the lime juice and 3 tablespoons fresh coriander.
Check the seasoning and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining tbs of coriander on the top.

Serve with naan bread.

Fish Chowder

Ingredients 2 tbsp oil 1 large potato peeled and cut into chunks 1 onion, peeled and sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato puree ½ tsp dried thyme Dash Worcestershire sauce 410g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed Freshly ground black pepper 500g/1lb 2oz white fish, cut into big chunks Fresh parsley chopped to garnish, optional Method Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the potatoes until they start to go brown. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until the onion browns. Stir in the tomatoes, puree, thyme and Worcestershire sauce and allow to bubble gently for about 10 minutes to make a sauce. Stir in the beans and a grinding of black pepper. Place the fish chunks on the top stirring them gently it into the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked. Sprinkle with parsley if using before serving.

Christmas Tart

Serves 8
Ingredients
For the orange pastry
450g/1lb plain flour
225g/8oz butter
50g/2oz solid vegetable oil or lard
l large orange, Juice and grated rind
For the filling
1 jar luxury mincemeat
small can pineapple, drained
300ml/ ½ pt double cream, whipped
toasted almonds to decorate
Method
Place the flour in a large mixing bowl, rub in the butter and vegetable oil or lard until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the grated orange rind and the juice, you may find you need more juice to mix, then gently knead until the mixture forms a ball.
Wrap in Clingfilm and chill for about 30 minutes.
Cut off a piece of the pastry and roll out to line an 8 inch flan tin.
Rest the pastry again for about 20 minutes, whilst pre-heating the oven to 220C/Gas 7, then place the tin on a baking sheet and bake the pastry case blind for about 15 minutes.
Fill with the mincemeat and arrange the pineapple on top, return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until cooked.
Remove from the oven and cool thoroughly.
Whip the cream, spread over the tart and sprinkle with the toasted almonds before serving.