Potato Salad

Refreshing salad to serve as a side dish with meat or pastries. Enjoy as part of a buffet or afternoon tea.

Spring onion chopped
New potatoes diced
Mayonaisse

Boil the potato and mix with the spring onion chopped and mayonaisse. For a truly versatile dish add seasonings of choice or vary the onion variety you want to use. Try petit pois, adding a little wholegrain mustard or using red onion.

Chickpea and Potato Curry

A basic curry with a versatile finish, serve with naan bread or rice or both even!

1 can coconut milk
1 can chickpea drained
1 potato diced
black peppercorn ground 1 tblsp
ground coriander
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1 tblsp turmeric
pinch garam masala

Make a paste out of the ground coriander, black peppercorn, garlic cloves and shallot. Fry gently over a medium heat in a frying pan with ghee. Add the coconut milk and diced potato and chickpea. If you like you can par boil the potato beforehand so it cooks quicker. Add the garam masala and turmeric and cook for about twenty five minutes. Serve with rice. And enjoy.

French Onion Soup

Another soup - you may get bored of them but doubtful. I'm not quite certain where the french element comes in but this is a beautiful little number to serve - statuesque and classy. Enjoy with the garnish or as it stands

4 large spanish onions
1 1/2 pints vegetable stock
garlic clove
cheddar cheese
dash of brandy
wholegrain mustard 1 tblsp
brown sugar 3 tblsps

In a large pan with a little oil fry three of the onions diced until transparent, along with the garlic clove. Add the vegetable stock,brandy, brown sugar and mustard and allow to boil then simmer for half an hour. With the fourth onion, skin and top it, taking out the middle to make a hollow, mix the grated cheddar cheese with the hollowed out onion and roast in a roasting dish for fifteen minutes in the oven at gas mark 6. Serve the soup with the roasted onion and cheese floating in the middle.

Basic Menu Planning

Hosting a dinner party can be a tricksy thing to do. What shall I serve? When? And how? are all questions which crop up before you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Firstly, what type of dinner party are you going for?

• An informal buffet
• A afternoon tea
• A sit down dinner

Lets look at each in turn -

An informal buffet is the easiest to arrange. Make sure you have a large enough table to host it on. Start with plates at one end so the guests can go around the table picking up things to nibble. Food should be petite, warm or cold, and balance nicely. Try theming the meal such as indian, or italian or go for an occasion such christmas or birthday. We'll look at these in a minute. Here's some suggestions for food:

• Chicken Skewers and satay peanut sauce
• Cheese board with crackers - such as danish blue, wensleydale, creamy brie, camembert
• Waldorf salad
• Pear and parma ham crostini
• Beef Skewers and sweet chilli dipping sauce
• Hummus with potato skins
• Cajun dip
• Onion bhajis
• Vegetable pakoras
• Stuffed vine leaves
• Black olive and red wine pate
• Garlic and basil marinaded olives
• Couscous and chickpea salad
• Roast pepper couscous
• Caramel prawns
• Salad nicoise
• Paprika eggs

An afternoon tea is simple to serve for a few friends gathered together. Serve everything at once and delve in. Try hand cut sandwiches of various flavours cut into triangles with the crust cut off for true afternoon tea style. Serve scones with jams and clotted cream. A side salad either a waldorf or a nicoise is nice with some pickles and chutneys. Little biscuits or cheese and crackers and a decent slice of cake of some kind - traditionally coffee or chocolate. Don't forget the teapot and tea! Choose a afternoon tea or earl grey or traditional english.

A sit down dinner with starter, main course and dessert is the hardest to accomodate but think of what you are trying to accomplish - is it an occasion such as christmas or a birthday? or do you enjoy a particular cuisine? Here are some meal suggestions:

• Starter: French Onion Soup Main: Coq au vin Dessert: Poached pears
• Starter: Onion Bhajis and vegetable samosas Main: Aloo Gobi Dessert: Kulfi
• Starer: Pear and parma Ham crostini Main: Vegetable lasgana Dessert: Profitoroles

These are just a few suggestions but have fun deciding what to nibble and don't panic! Have fun decorating the place settings too and table decorations. Have a generous selection of drinks to hand as well, alcoholic and non alcoholic. Try your hand at a few cocktails if you like!

Vienesse Fingers

You may have noticed an eclectic note to the recipes round here, and this one is no exception. Nestled amongst the main dishes this is a delightful afternoon tea biscuit, quick and easy nothing - - I repeat - nothing should go wrong with this little number.

Biscuits are a beautiful food to serve on a tray with tea in dainty china cups and these fit the quota of vegan and vegetarian and carnivore nicely.

8oz butter or margarine
vanilla essence a few drops
2oz icing sugar
8oz plain flour
dark chocolate melted

In a bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (the colour should change to a slightly lighter one), add the vanilla essence and then sift in the flour. Mix to form a soft doughy paste. Using a icing bag (or two spoons) pipe (or place mounds) onto greased baking sheets. Bake in the oven at 180F for twenty five minutes until slightly browned at edges. Meanwhile, in a bowl over simmering water, melt the dark chocolate, when melted dip the cooked biscuits into the chocolate and leave to set. Serve with afternoon tea or earl grey.

Tomato and Basil Soup

This is a simple soup that tastes delicious. The semi sweet tomato marries the basil well producing a balanced tangy temptation for a starter or main course.

12 large vine ripened tomatoes
dash of sun dried tomato paste
basil leaves shredded
onion
150ml single cream
garlic clove
black pepper
1 pint vegetable stock

In a pan fry the onion until transparent, add the chopped tomatoes and garlic, basil leaves and paste continue to cook until tender and reducing. Add the vegetable stock and continue to cook until boiling, allow to simmer. Process in a blender then add the single cream to make a cream of tomato soup. enjoy!

Hearty Haricot Soup

This is a winter warmer of a soup and cooks in half a hour, try it with cheesy bread in front of a stove.

1 can haricot beans
1 pint vegetable stock
onion diced
garlic clove chopped
single cream 150ml
50ml tomato puree

In a pan fry the onion and garlic clove until transparent, add the haricot beans and tomato puree and continue to cook for four minutes. Add the stock and allow to boil. Process with a blender. Finally add the single cream and heat through. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Caramel Prawns with boiled rice

Wickedly delicious and deceptively easy to cook, all you need is a little patience.

50g Castor sugar
2 tblsps runny honey
lemon infused oil
jumbo prawns
half a deseeded red chilli
garlic clove chopped

In a frying pan, put the lemon infused oil, castor sugar, runny honey, chilli and garlic clove. Cook until the contents caramelises. When this happens (usually after fifteen minutes) add the prawns and cook for a further five minutes. Serve with the foolproof rice. And enjoy.

The delightful thing about the sauce is you can add it to any meat or fish you wish.

Scrambled Tofu

A fry up vegan style serve as a breakfast, lunch or tea.

Tofu diced
Red pepper diced
Turmeric
Onion sliced
Mushrooms chopped
Deseeded red chilli
Garlic clove chopped
Cardoman pods 6
Tomato diced

In a frying pan heat some vegetable oil until hot, fry the chilli, garlic and onion until soft. Add the red pepper and mushrooms continue to cook,add the diced tofu, tomato, cardoman pods and turmeric to finish. Serve on toast.

Garlic Mushrooms on toast

What a great breakfast starter! Easy and quick and delicious to boot!

8oz chopped mushrooms
1 garlic clove chopped
salt
pepper
toast

In a pan fry the garlic clove in hot vegetable oil, add the chopped mushrooms and continue to fry until cooked through, toast the bread then add the cooked mushrooms on the top season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scrambled Eggs

Now this is a childhood favourite, I even managed to get it in my hair when I was a tot I loved it that much. Try it with toast soldiers or topped with smoked salmon.

2 eggs
milk
single cream
cracked black pepper
salt

In a bowl whisk together the eggs and milk and single cream until light and frothy, add the cracked black pepper and salt to taste. Then, in a pan heat the mixture with a little oil whisking all the time until it starts to solidify, keep mixing for about five minutes then serve as required. Short and sweet.

Chilli sin/con Carne

The definitive great, serve with jacket potatoes and cheese, or rice, or in a pitta bread or even go crazy and have it on its own. Delicious anytime and can even be vegan!

8oz mushrooms
8oz tvp or mince
green pepper
red pepper
cayenne
red deseeded chilli
green deseeded chilli
paprika
2 cans chopped tomatoes
onion
garlic
olive oil

In a pan fry the sliced onion and garlic until transparent. Add the chopped mushrooms and sliced peppers and the deseeded chillis, cook for ten minutes until tender, add the tvp and chopped tomatoes and continue to cook until bubbling. Finally add in the cayenne and paprika to taste and voila simple versatile chilli.

Pizza Dough Part Deux

Now you have the dough you need to add the toppings. Heres some quick suggestions for some slavering tastes:

• How about shredded chicken with peppers, olives and capers and mozzarella?
• Or maybe red onion, peppers, garlic, mushrooms, olives, capers, chilli?
• Try barbeque sauce with shredded beef and peppers, garlic and mushrooms for a truly texan flavour
• Simple tomato with four cheese: cheddar, edam, mozzarella and mature cheddar

Think of pizza as a plate and put on it what you want really!

Salmon fishcakes with Poached Egg

A quick meal to give to the kids and much nicer than the shop bought stuff. Can also be frozen so you need never go hungry again!

4oz salmon fillet
a large potato
parsley sprig
salt
egg
flour
dill sprig

In a pan of water boil the salmon until cooked through, break up into bits and add the chopped dill, parsley and salt. Boil the potato until tender and mash with a fork add the salmon to the mix. Using floured hands get a handful of this mixture and form into patties. Fry lightly until golden brown on each side.

In another pan of boiling water (or the same one as used for the salmon - save on washing up) break into the water swirling it, add a pinch of vinegar, until the white has firmed up. This will only take a few moments. Depending on the way you like the egg leave for
4 minutes soft or 6 minutes hard. Lift out with a slotted spoon and serve on the top of the salmon fishcake.

mmm

Foolproof Rice

This is a dream of a recipe for foolproof rice. Never again will you enjoy underdone or overcooked rice. Try it.

Rice
Boiled Water

Place the rice in a sieve and run cold water over it until running clear. Place in a pan with the boiled water only a cm above it (must be a cm or it won't work and do not be tempted to add more). Cover and allow to boil for fifteen minutes exactly.

Voila! Perfect rice by absorption.

Lemon Lentil Dhal

Interestingly, or not, this is a recipe for lentil dhal (which is absolutely fabulous and a doodle to make) - dhal translates as lentil so in effect this is a recipe for lentil lentil. It such a easy recipe if followed correctly and the presentation of it if served with the foolproof rice (next post) and poppodums or chapatis is just right for a quick indian meal.

Onion (diced)
Cinnamon stick (broken)
Red lentils (as much as you want depending on the number of mouths to feed. About 8oz will feed three)
Vegetable stock (about three quarters of a pint)
Vegetable ghee (or oil if unable to get)
Half a Lemon

In a large pan fry the onions in the ghee until richly dark brown, add the broken cinnamon stick and the lentils and stock. Boil, then allow to simmer until the lentils have thickened. Add the lemon and let simmer until ready to serve.

Enjoy with a Tarka which is crispily fried onion on the top.

Scones

8oz self raising flour
4oz butter
a little milk to mix
tsp bicarb of soda

Simple to make, delicious with clotted cream, jam and a little butter. In a clean mixing bowl sift flour with butter and get your hands in a crumble to breadcrumbs, if you want to add a flavouring such as cherries add now (suggestion: 2 oz castor sugar, glace cherries. savoury: pinch of salt and 2 oz cheddar cheese) along with the bicarb of soda. Mix with the milk to form a firm- ish dough. On a flat surface roll out with a rolling pin to about 1 and a half inchs thick, use a circular cutter (or a glass or a cup) to cut out scones. Place on a greased baking sheet and in a preheated oven (175f) for twenty five minutes until scones are lightly browned on the top and firm to the touch.