Gooseberry Chilli Relish

Gooseberries are not just for desserts and puddings.

This spicy relish is great with cheese dishes.

Ingredients:
500g gooseberries
150g caster sugar
60ml red-wine vinegar
15ml freshly grated ginger
2 red chillies, very thinly sliced
salt

Method:
Put half the gooseberries, the sugar, vinegar ginger and chillies in a medium pan, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil, simmering for 25-35 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Break up the fruit with a hand blender.
Add the remaining gooseberries and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and cool before serving, or if bottling, pour immediately into prepared sterilised bottles.

Leek Cucumber and Lettuce Chilled Summer Soup

This pretty, green and light chilled soup makes a great start to a summer meal.

Ingredients:

50g unsalted butter

2 leeks (white only) sliced

1 large floury potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

2 cucumbers, peeled and cubed

2 little gem lettuces, shredded

50ml double cream

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Chopped chives to garnish

Method:

Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the leeks until soft.

Add the potato and stack, bring to the boil and simmer until the potato is almost cooked.

Add the cucumber and lettuce and simmer for 4 minutes.

Remove the potato with a slotted spoon and rub it through a sieve into a bowl.

Strain the veg, reserving the liquid, then puree in a blender along with a little stock until smooth.

Tip everything back into the pan and stir in the cream.

Season to taste and chill for a couple of hours.

Serve sprinkled with chopped chives.

Pureed Brussels Sprouts in Nutmeg Cream

I'm not crazy about Brussels Sprouts, but my hubby is.

Hence, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them.

This looks a very interesting way to serve them, great for the christmas dinner.

Ingredients:
500g Brussels sprouts
75ml creme fraiche
Freshly ground nutmeg
125g roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped

Method:
Cook the sprouts in boiling water for 5 minutes. They should still be quite firm.
Drain them, then put them in a food processor with the creme fraiche and nutmeg.
Pulse-blitz them to a coarse mash.
Add the chestnuts to the puree, leaving a small amount to sprinkle on the top before serving.
Heat in a heavy pan for a couple of minutes before serving sprinkled with reserved nuts.

Cheese and Mint Balls

These make a great snack or finger-food party dish.

Serve on their own, with salad or a dip.

Ingredients:
50g breadcrumbs
150g feta cheese, crumbled
50ml fresh mint, chopped
2 egg whites
salt and pepper to season

Method:
Mix together the breadcrumbs, feta and mint.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff anf fold in the cheese mixture and season.
Divide the mixture into 12 and, using wet hands, roll the portions into balls.
Put in the fridge for and hour to firm.
Heat enough vegetable oil inot a pan to just cover the balls and deep fry them for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
Drain on absorbent kitchen paper and serve warm.

Pea and Gorgonzola Risotto

Risotto can be so delicious, especially when combined

with the sweet flavour of early-season peas from the garden.

Vary the flavour of this dish by adding asparagus or baby broad beans.

Instead of Gorgonzola,

use a grated strong Cheddar cheese or a crumbly Stilton or other flavoursome English cheese.

Ingredients:
225g shelled garden peas
30ml olive oil
50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
350g Arborio rice
150ml dry white wine
1 litre vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season
50g Gorgonzola cheese,crumbled or cut into small cubes
30ml chopped fresh parsley

To Garnish:
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese shavings

Method:
Blanch the peas for a minute or two in boiling water, drain through a colander and rinse with cold water.
Heat the vegetable stock in a large saucepan and keep it simmering.
Heat the oil with about a 1/4 of the butter in a large pan, add the onions and fry gently till translucent.
Add the rice to the cooked onion and stir gently till the rice grains are thoroughly coated in the oil and butter.
Turn up the heat a little and pour in the wine, Stirring through the rice till it has been taken up.
Gradually add the stock, a ladle full at a time, stirring constantly, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more.
This will take about 17-20 minutes.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Remove from the heat and stir in the peas, Gorgonzola cheese and remaining butter.
Rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan shavings.

Spinach and Stilton Pasties

These pies make a lovely lunch or light supper snack.

These are delicious served warm with a salad or cold in a packed lunch.

Ingredients:
Onion flavoured pastry:
2 shallots, finely chopped
200g flour
75g vegetable fat
50g butter
1 egg

Filling:
300g spinach, washed and chopped
25g butter
100g Stilton cheese, chopped in small dice

Topping:
Milk or beaten egg to seal and brush on top.
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top.

Method:
Make the onion flavoured pastry:
Rub the fat and butter into the flour until it forms fine bread crumbs.
Stir in the chopped shallots, add the egg and mix well.
Knead gently to form a dough.
Cover in clingfilm and put in the fridge for about half an hour.
For the filling:
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and add the chopped spinach.
Cover and allow to wilt for 4-5 minutes.
Strain the spinach and squeeze out excess moisture. Leave aside.

Preheat the oven to 190C.
Roll out the pastry on a floured board to about 12 inches square.
Neatly trim the edges and then cut the pastry into four.
Spoon a quarter of the spinach on to half of each piece of pastry across one corner.
Top with a layer of Stilton cheese.
Use a pastry brush to dampen the edges of the pastry with a little milk or beaten egg.
Carefully fold the pastry over the filling, pressing down the edges to seal.
Prick with a fork and brush with milk or beaten egg.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and cook for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Sweet Spring Cabbage Cannelloni

These spring cabbage cannelloni are great as a vegetarian supper.

The best cabbages to use for this are sugar loaf or Chinese cabbage.

This recipe can also be made with broccoli, baby spinach or Swiss chard.

The cheese you use does not have to be Cheddar;

as long as it is a flavoursome cheese that can be crumbled or grated, that is fine.

Ingredients:
4 dried lasagne sheets
500g spring cabbage, cleaned and sliced.
50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
30ml runny honey
5ml dried oregano
125ml double cream
50g strong Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:
Cook the lasagne sheets in a large pan of boiling water for about 7 minutes.
Drain, rinse in hot water and lay out on a board ready for filling.
Melt the butter in a wok on a medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic, cooking gently until the onion is translucent and tender.
Add the cabbage, tomatoes and seasoning and stir-fry for a few minutes to cook the cabbage.
Add the honey and oregano and stir-fry for a further minute or two.
Remove from the heat and divide into 4 portions.
Put a portion of mixture across the short end of each of the four lasagne sheets.
Carefully roll up each sheet and place in an oven proof dish with the join side down.
Pour on the cream evenly over all four rolls and scatter the grated cheese over the top.
Place under the grill until brown and bubbling.
Serve immediately.

Alan's Asparagus Sticks

My brother-in-law gave me this idea for asparagus.
I thought it would make a great al fresco snack for the wonderful summer weather we are having lately. Serve with aioli, mayonnaise or a dip made with cream cheese or mascarponi.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus
4-6 sheets of filo pastry
Melted butter
poppy seeds or sesame seeds to sprinkle.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Clean the asparagus, trim the ends and peel the lower shaft with a vegetable peeler to remove any woody skin.
Cut the filo pastry into squares slightly shorter than the asparagus.
Brush the pastry with melted butter and roll each asparagus spear in a square of pastry.
Place these rolled up asparagus tubes on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
Bake for 10-25 minutes until golden brown.
Take out of the oven and cool on a wire wrack before serving.

Mother-in-Law's Wholewheat Fruit Muffins

This is a recipe I snagged from my Mother-in-Law.

These muffins were so delicious, I had to add it here for you all to try.

The fruit cake mix could be replaced with dates, dried apricots or even chopped apple.

Ingredients:
250ml fruit cake mix - raisins, sultanas etc
5ml bicarbonate of soda
250ml boiling water
200ml brown sugar
30ml vegetable oil
500ml wholewheat flour
5ml baking powder
2.5ml cinnamon
2.5ml mixed spice
5ml vanilla
5ml salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 220C.
Mix together the fruit, bicarbonate of soda and boiling water and leave to cool.
Mix the brown sugar and oil. Combine this with the fruit mixture until the sugar dissolves.
Add the flour, baking powder, spices and salt and blend well.
Spoon into a 12 hole muffin pan and bake for about 20-22 minutes or until risen and cooked through.

Courgette Salad with Capers Feta and Mint

Ingredients:
1 Medium sized Courgette - about 300g
45ml olive oil
30ml balsamic vinegar
15ml clear honey
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
3 shallots, peeled, halved and sliced
30ml capers,drained
15 mint leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
80g feta cheese, cubed

Method:
Top and tail the courgette and shred into ribbons using a potato peeler.
Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, honey and garlic.
Toss the courgette in the dressing and leave it to marinade far half an hour.
Mix in the shallots, capers and mint, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with Feta.