Thanks to Matthew for this one.

This *needs* a food mixer. At the very least I can't imagine being able to give it enough working by hand. Oh, and a splash guard!

500g Extra strong bread flour
550g Warm water
15g dried yeast
10g salt

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix the liquid into the flour with a paddle  *not* the dough hook. Rough mix then let it rest 10 minutes.

Still with the beater go at it medium fast - 3 on a Kenwood - after 5 minutes it'll start coming together and at about 15 be looking like real dough. Add the salt, after which it will tighten more, and give it another 3-5 minutes.

Pour into an oiled container to rise -  tightly lidded, no idea why - and let it *triple* in volume.

When it's done that tip out onto a very well floured surface and fold into a nice shape - this is really weird, the dough feels like a balloon part filled with water. Dredge with more flour and leave to rise again. Time enough to heat the oven as hot as it goes. A pizza stone is recommended but I don't have one.

Try and get the dough off the counter, stretch it out and artfully chuck it in the furnace.

35-45 minutes later it should be done.

I'm warned that it doesn't always work.

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I’ve been wanting to make these ever since I spotted them in one of my bread books, but I’ve never been organised enough to do it - they’re remarkably simple, but you need to start them 32 hours in advance, according to the book.

3/4 cup of long grain rice (I used Basmati, as we had no long grain)
1/4 cup of red lentils
1 cup of warm water
some chopped coriander
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric

Combine the lentils and rice with the water; cover with clingfilm, and leave for 8 hours.

Then, blitz the contents of the bowl in a food processor, and return to the (rinsed out) bowl, recover with the clingfilm, and leave for 24 hours.

Then stir in some salt, ground black pepper and 1/2 tsp (ish) of turmeric. The recipe said to add fresh coriander; we didn’t have any, but I did lob in some grated fresh ginger. It claimed it would make 6 x 6″ dosas, but I made them a bit smaller for ease of scoffing - just heat up a heavy based frying pan, add some oil, and cook them like drop scones or whatever.

They were utterly delicious - we ate them with some leftover black-eyed peas in tomatoes that I cooked up at the weekend to accompany our (home made) chicken dansak. We shall be having them again!

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Cook a small sweet potato (kumara in NZ) by either chopping up and boiling in pan or baking in oven and scooping out soft insides. Mash and leave to cool. I make this recipe by sticking a sweet potato in oven when I'm cooking something else anyway, then use it for bread later/next day.

Dough Recipe:

1 cup tepid water (or cold water on a hot day).
1 tablespoon olive oil (or chilli infused olive oil).
1 teaspoon salt.
1 teaspoon honey (I use runny honey).
3 and 1/2 cups strong white bread flour.
1 teaspoon yeast (I use Edmonds active yeast).


Stick the ingredients in the breadmaker on dough cycle.
While dough is forming......

1 small chopped onion.
1 tablespoon olive oil (works with butter if you prefer the taste).
1 teaspoon of chilli powder/pimento.
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (smoked paprika nice alternative).
About 250g sweet potato...cooled and mashed.

Saute onion in the olive oil/butter, add the chilli powder, cayenne pepper etc and saute for couple of minutes longer. Then remove from heat and stir in the mashed sweet potato.

When dough cycle has finished, empty onto well floured surface and make sure you have some spare flour to hand for kneeding....keep hands well floured. Flatten out the dough, add the sweet potato mixture and kneed to incorporate the mixture....it will be quite wet and sticky so may need to sprinkle a bit of flour while doing this. Prepare a baking tin about 30cm by 23cm (or two smaller tins) by lining with one piece of baking paper with enough to fold over the top edge so it doesn't slip while you are adding the dough.....can use a clothes peg to hold the baking paper in place while doing this. Scoop dough up and place in the baking tin, press it into corners and flatten the surface evenly. Cover with a damp teatowel for half an hour or so (longer in cold weather). Cook at about 200 degrees for about 25 minutes, give or take a few minutes until it is golden coloured on top.

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An online friend of mine, Hester, made this for a friend's wedding, and it is reposted with her permission.

grated zest of a small lemon
6 oz butter
2-3 oz high-fruit content strawberry jam (I used Bonne Maman)
3-4 oz sugar (so that the jam and suar together come to 6 oz)
2 eggs
2 oz ground almonds
4 oz self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
juice of a small lemon
1 1/2 oz icing sugar
Creme de fraise des bois (strawberry liquor)

Pre-heat the oven to GM 5, about 180oc.

Thoroughly grease a cake tin (I either line the bottom with baking parchment, or grease it and then sprinkle with ground almonds).

In a saucepan, gently heat the butter, lemon zest, jam and sugar, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the sugar has turned to sludge; don't let it boil or burn. Take this off the heat, and let it cool down a bit.

Add the eggs, almonds, flour and baking powder, and mix; it will make a fairly runny batter. Pour this into the prepared cake tin, and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Meanwhile, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice, and add a couple of tablespoonfuls of the strawberry liqueur.

When the cake is cooked, poke holes all over it with a toothpick or skewer, and then gently spoon the strawberry mix all over the surface, allowing it to run down the holes. Turn the oven off, and put the cake back in for 20 minutes or so; this allows the wet bits to dry off so they're not soggy, and gets rid of the alcohol but keeps the strawberry flavour.

For the wedding, this was topped with cream cheese frosting (I didn't use very exact quantities for this, but by weight it's about two parts icing sugar to one part butter and one and a half parts cream cheese, beaten thoroughly until smooth; check how it tastes, and adjust with more sugar or more cream cheese or maybe a splash of lemon juice, to taste), and served with fresh berries and a fruit coulis, which was really lovely.

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1/2 cup Spanish olives with red pepper stuffing
1 1/2 teaspoons drained capers
1 teaspoon brandy
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

32 small cherry tomatoes
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Make the tapenade: in a food processor, pulse the olives until chopped fine. Add the capers, brandy, lemon zest and olive oil and pulse to blend.

With a sharp knife, slice the stem end (1/4-inch down) from each tomato and discard. The recipe suggested slicing a tiny bit off the bottom, too, but I didn't do that, fearing that the filling would fall out.

Using a coffee spoon or a quarter-teaspoon measuring spoon, remove and reserve the juice and seeds from each tomato half, leaving the outside shell intact. Spoon a generous heap of the tapenade into each shell and garnish with the parsley.

NB if you have any of the filling left, add it to the reserved seeds and juice, and eat the lot with a spoon. Utterly delicious - it would be a crime to throw it out.

700g organic potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, cut i
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika (or 1 teasp paprika and 1 teasp hot pimenton)
Pre-heat oven to 190C (gas mark 5).

Toss the potato wedges with the oil and paprika (or paprika and hot pimenton).  Lay wedges in a single layer in roasting tin and sprinkle with salt.  Roast for 30-40 minutes.

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1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 litre vegetable stock (or water)
100g sorrel, very finely shredded
100g baby spinach, very finely shredded
200g lettuce leaves, very finely shredded

(watercress is good to add, too)
160ml crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

hard-boiled eggs, sliced lengthwise
slices rye bread

Wash parsley, pat dry and tie it into a tight bunch with string, just below the leaves. Cut off the leafy part, reserving the tied stalks and the leaves.

Put the tied parsley stalks into a saucepan with the stock or water and bring to a boil.  

Add the parsley leaves, sorrel, spinach and lettuce, give it a stir, reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the parsley stalks, stir in the crème fraîche and adjust the seasoning.   If you like, you can use a stick blender to purée it a bit and make sure the cream is evenly distributed. 

I like to make this more substantial by adding a handful of defrosted frozen peas just before serving, and putting half a hard-boiled egg in each bowl.  Serve with toasted rye bread for dunking.

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Simple summer food - cheap, quick, nutritious; serves 2-4, depending on how many beans you have and, indeed, how greedy you are.

If you don't have fresh herbs, use dried oregano or mixed herbs.  If you don't have fresh garlic, use dried or garlic salt.  It will work fine without the parmesan, but you don't have to be purist - you can sprinkle any cheese on it (I confess to a sneaky liking for Red Leicester on spag bol, but that's probably Just Wrong).

a generous handful of runner beans
olive oil
a tin of tomatoes
a bunch of parsley
1 onion
some garlic
salt and pepper

grated parmesan to sprinkle on before serviing

pasta of choice

Top and tail the beans, cut them into chunks of about - oh - 3cm, I guess, and simmer them for about six minutes.  Set aside.

Roughly chop the onion and garlic, and sauté them in some olive oil till soft, then add the tomatoes (or a carton of passata.  Season to taste

Cook for about 12-15 minutes, not forgetting to cook the pasta too.

Chop the parsley and add it at the end - use some dried herbs if you have no parsley. Anything would do.

We topped it with grated parmesan.

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4 Potatoes
4 Kumara
Powder Cumin
Yellow Mustard Seeds.

Method:

Peel and cut potato & sweet potato in wedges (for a easier way, use a NicerDicer).  Rinse wedges.

Lightly oil a cooking tray. Place in wedges. Sprinkle with cumin & mustard seeds.

Place in oven at 200 degrees celcius untill soft cooked.

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serves 4; prep time 20 mins plus chilling

can also be used for sandwich filling.

397g / 14oz red or pink salmon, canned in brine, drained
113g / 4oz smoked mackerel fillet
113g / 4oz quark skimmed milk soft cheese
juice of 1 small lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
57g / 2oz smoked salmon
2 TBS freshly chopped parsley

1. flake the salmon away from the skin and bones and put in a mixing bowl. Skin and flake the mackerel and add to the salmon

2. mix the soft cheese and the lemon juice into the fish, taste and seasona s necessary.

3. shred or finely chop the smoked salmon and mix into the pate. You can put it in a blender for a smoother pate.

4. cover and chill for 30 minutes then serve sprinkled with parsely and with lemon wedges to sprinkle and some salad or raw veggies.

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serves four:  prep time 15 mins

1 large beefsteak tomato
4 spring onions
1 small ripe avocado
2 TBS lemon juice
113g / 4oz quark skimmed milk soft cheese
2 TBS freshly chopped coriander
salt & freshly ground pepper
a few drops of abasco sauce

1. finely chop the tomato (don't use the stalk). Place in a bowl and finely chop the spring onions - white and green parts - and add to the tomato.

2. mash the avocado with the lemon juice and mix with the cheese.

3. add the two mixtures together and add coriander, salt, pepper and tabasco

Serve with crisp dipping veggies such as peppers, celery, carrots, cucumber.

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1 x teacup of red lentils (washed)
1 x teacup of yellow split peas (washed)
1 x leek, sliced
3-4 x medium sized carrots, diced
1 x handful of small potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 x small gammon piece or pack of smoked bacon (rolled and tied)
1 x small bunch of curly parsley, finely chopped
Season, to taste

Place gammon or bacon into a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat to a rolling simmer and add the lentils and the split peas.  When these have softened add the leek, carrots, potatoes and parsley.  Season according to your own taste.  Simmer for 30-40 mins.  When ready you can either chop up the gammon/bacon and pop back into the soup or take it out altogether and use as you please.

I always have this with a thickly sliced piece of buttered bread.

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1 x long baguette, sliced
250g of sausage meat
250g of mature cheddar, grated
Seasoning to taste

Mix the sausage meat, cheese and seasoning together.  Toast the baguette slices and then spread the sausage mixture onton each slice.  Pop in an oven at 200 for about 5-10mins or until the topping is bubbling a bit.

These are ideal as party food or as a yummy snack.

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4 rashers of bacon
half a pack of dried spaghetti
pack of cheese sauce mix ..or make your own
4 small tomatoes
3 large mushrooms
some grated cheese about 2oz

1, Slice bacon and mushrooms and cut tomatoes into quarters and half again lightly fry all together

2 .Boil the spaghetti until aldente drain

3. Add bacon tomato and mushroom mix to spaggeti and top with cheese sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese

Cover then pop in the oven about gas mark 5 for 20 mins quick simple and a few veg in there too!

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makes 2 x 2lb loaves

300ml milk
1/2tsp saffron strands
400g unbleached strong white bread flour
25g fresh yeast
50g ground almonds
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
50g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
75g softened butter (I just hurled it in the microwave for 30 seconds)
100g mixed fruit (whatever you have - I just used sultanas)

Lightly grease 2 x 2lb loaf tins. I tend to use that spray on sunflower oil for greasing - much easier.

Place the saffron in a small bowl, heat half the milk until almost boiling, then pour it over the saffron to infuse for 30 minutes.

Heat the other half of the milk till luke warm.  In a bowl, place 50g of the flour, and the yeast, and pour the warm milk on the top.  Leave for 15 minutes or so.

In a bowl, mix the remainder of the flour, ground almonds, spices, sugar and salt, and make a well in the centre.  Add the saffron infusion, yeast mixture and softened butter to the centre of the flour mix and mix to a very soft dough.  I use a food mixer with a dough hook for this, but if you have strong arms, feel free to knead by hand for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for a couple of hours, until doubled in bulk.  Turn it out again and knocked it back, and add in the fruit. Divide into two, shape into vaguely loaf shaped artefaces, and place in the prepared loaf tins; cover them with oiled clingfilm.

I left mine overnight at this stage, and they were fine, but leave till doubled in size anyway.

Cook for 10 minutes at gas 7, then 15-20 at gas 5.  While they're cooking, heat 2 tbsps milk with 50g caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved.  

When the loaves are cooked, brush the milk/sugar mix on the top to glaze, then leave in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

We were greedy and ate ours almost straight out of the tin - it was gorgeous.  I'll be making this again.

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Ingredients:

• 4 lamb shanks
• 2 medium sized onions, roughly chopped
• 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2-3 bay leaves
• A glass of decent red wine
• 500ml vegetable stock

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees C.

Heat some oil in a decent sized casserole dish (large enough to hold 4 lamb shanks) and then add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. The idea here is to lightly caramelise the vegetables. At the same time take a large frying pan and sear/brown the lamb shanks. Add the shanks to the casserole dish and deglase the frying pan with the red wine. Simmer down the glaze to about 50%. Add this and the herbs to the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Finally add the stock- The stock should at least half cover the shanks, if it doesn't just add a little extra water. Cover with lid and put into the oven for at least 3 hours.

The shanks are ready when the meat starts to fall from the bone- Tasting is also a good check, they should be soft and succulent.

Pour the gravy out of the casserole dish into a saucepan and simmer on a low heat to thicken it up. In the meantime let the shanks rest still in the covered casserole dish for about half an hour. At this point the gravy should have reduced into an intensely flavoured jus- Spoon this over the shanks as you are serving them.

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Serves 4, prep 15 mins, cook 40 mins

100g unsmoked bacon, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp chopped thyme leaves
450g corn kernels (about 5 cobs)
2 large potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes
1 bay leaf
300ml chicken stock
150ml milk
3 TBS single cream
pinch cayenne

chopped chives, to serve

1. Fry the bacon until the fat runs our and it is crisp. Remove, drain and kitchen towel and put aside.

2. Add the onion, celery, garlic, thyme, sald and pepper to the fat and cook over a medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the corn, potatoes, bayleaf and stock.

3. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes untilt he potatoes are very tender. Remove the bay leaf, add the milka dn cream and heat through.

4. Spoon a third of the soup into a blender and allow to cool slightly. Puree until smooth then return it ot the rest of the soup inteh pot. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.

5. Heat through then ladle into bowls and scatter with the reserved bacon and the chives.

Nutritional info per serving (quarter of the above): 288 kcals; 13g protein; 41g carb; 9g fat; (4g unsaturated fat); 4g fibre; 1.33g salt

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serves 4. Ready in 30 minutes.

pinch of saffron threads

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

mint, chopped to make 2 TBS

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

olive oil

1 lemon, juiced and the skin cut into chunks

4 chicken breasts (with skin on)

250g couscous

150g peas, fresh or frozen

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Put the saffron, chilli, mint, garlic, 3 TBS oil, half the lemon juice, the lemon skin pieces with the chicken into a plastic bag or a bowl and leave until ready to cook.

2. Heat the grill tomedium high. Put the chicken, skin side up, on a roasting tray with the marinade. Sprinkle salt over the skin and grill until the skin is crisp and golden - about 7-10 minutes.

3. Turn over and cook for a further 5-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

4. Meanwhile, put the couscous into a bowl, pour over 400ml boiling water, cover and leave until all the water has been absorbed.

5. Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drainand mix into the couscous aong with the tomato, thre rest of the lemonjuice and lots of seasoning. Serve with the chicken, lemon chunks and any juices.

Nutritional info per serving (quarter of the above): 425 kcals; 38.4g protein; 39.9g carbs; 13.4g fat (2.7g saturated fat) 2.7g finre; 1.07g salt

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serves 4, ready in 25 minutes

450g rump steak
3 TBS thai red curry paste
200g light coconut milk
juice of half a lime
3 TBS soy sauce

rice and vegetables to serve.

1. Line a grill pan with foil and put the grill on to heat to medium-hot. Cut the steak into long, thin strips.

2. Mix the curry paste with the lime juice, soy sauce and coconut milk. Add the beef and toss well to coat.

3. Thread the beef onto skewers, bunching it up into a 'S' shape. Brush liberally with the coconut mixture.

4. Cook under a medium-hot grill for 15 minutes, turning and brushing with the marinade a couple of times during the cooking.

5. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, place the remainng marinade intoa saucepan and simmer until very hot and slightly reduced / thickened.

6. Serve immediately with rice and veg.

Nutirion per serve (quarter of the above, doesn't include rice & veg): 220 kcals; 4g carbs; 12g fat (6g saturated fat),

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Serves 4.

2 golden kumara (sweet potato)
12 mushrooms
2 courgettes
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
2 capsicums (different colours if possible)
1 carrot
beans, mange tout or other green vegetable that can be roasted
a handful of toasted pinenuts
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp chopped fresh herbs (such as rosemary or basil)
a smoked chicken (or ordinary)
1 TBS honey mustard dressing
salt & pepper

olive oil to spray

1. preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Chop all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, into bite sized chunks and place in a large bowl.

3. Add the soy sauce, herbs, pinenuts, salt & pepper. Toss until the vegetables are coated in seasoning.

4. Line a large oven tray with baking paper and evenly layer the vegetable mix on the tray. Place the cherry tomatoes between the vegetables.

5. Give it all a very quick spray with olive oil.

6. Bake the vegetables for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through, turning once. The cooking time will vary depending on vegetables used and size of the chunks. When cooked, remove fromt he oven and leve to cool.

7. Remove the skin from the chicken and shred into a large bowl. Add the vegetables and dressing and toss until nicely mixed.

8. Serve with a garnish of sliced spring onions or a spinkling of sesame seeds.

Nutrition per serving (quarter of the above):

420 calories; 46.2g protein; 15.6g fat (3.6g saturated); 24.5g carbs (of which 9.3g sugars); 5g fibre; 320mg sodium; 70mg calcium; 3.7mg iron.

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