Potato ball soup
You need: 4 med potatoes (about 2 lbs), 1 bunch spring onions (scallions),2 tbsps olive oil, a handful of frozen peas, a vegetable stock cube, 300 ml milk. A few sprigs fresh parsley.
If you have a potato baller, cut the peeled potatoes into balls and drop them into cold water. This stops them going brown. Then put them in a pan, cover with salted water and boil for about 10 minutes. (Cook the extra pieces in a separate pan and use them later for mashed potato).Add the frozen peas and continue cooking for another five mins till the potatoes are cooked - test with a fork to see they are done. Chop the spring onions into small pieces and saute in the olive oil for a minute. Put the stock cube into a small bowl and add some of the potato cooking liquid till it is melted. Then combine everything together in the large pan: the potatoes and peas, the spring onions, the stock and the rest of the cooking liquid. This will make a fairly clear soup.
To make the thicker version, add the milk and a few sprigs of parsley and buzz it all up in a liquidizer. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Variation: you can add other vegetables: my picture shows a bit of jerusalem artichoke. But carrots are good too.
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PREVIOUS RECIPES
Bread and butter pudding
3 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 litre whole milk. 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence, 6 1/2-in thick slices brioche, crusts removed and buttered on one side, handful of raisins or sultanas.
Butter a shallow two-quart baking dish. Gently beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar till thoroughly blended. Scald the milk and cream in a pan over high heat. Don’t boil. When you tip the pan and it makes a sizzling noise, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. STIR GENTLY, don’t beat, into the egg mixture until blended.
Leave it to stand for about half an hour. Preheat the oven to 375F/180C. Overlap the bread, butter side up in the baking dish, sprinkle over the raisins and pour the egg mixture over the bread. Make sure the raisins are immersed in the liquid otherwise they might burn. Set in a larger pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for about 35-40 minutes when the top will be golden brown and the inside just set. (Test after 30 minutes by inserting a knife. It should not come out too wet at the bottom).)
Serve warm (not cold, or hot) with some extra cream.
(This recipe comes from the writer Nora Ephron, from her book I Remember Nothing. I've changed it slightly: included raisins or sultanas and missed out adding more sugar on top and glazing it under a grill).
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Kumquat preserve
If you’re under 12 you need to get an adult to help you with the cutting and boiling. You might also do better to try the microwave method (see below).
You need:
4 oz/125g kumquats (about 8)
2 tsp sugar
Cut the kumquats in quarters and take out any pips you can see. Put in a small saucepan with the sugar and about 3-4 tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 5-10 mins until the kumquats are soft and the liquid has reduced to a syrup.
If you are in a hurry you can microwave the kumquats. Put them in a shallow dish with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes. They won’t be quite so soft and syrupy but they are still good.
Kumquat preserve is a great accompaniment to rich meats like duck or lamb. It goes specially well with cold turkey.
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Glazed aubergines
You’ll need: 2 aubergines (about 8oz/225g each), 2-3 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp tomato puree, 8 tbsp olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper.
Carefully cut the aubergines into slices with a sharp knife. Cover a tray with baking paper and sprinkle on half the olive oil. Dip each slice of aubergine in the oil and then turn it over. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the tray.
Crush the garlic and then stir it into the tomato puree with some salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp sugar. Add the rest of the oil. Paint most of this paste on to the aubergine (reserving a little for later).
Bake in a hot oven (200C/400F) for about 20 minutes. Turn over the slices, paint with the rest of the tomato mixture and cook again for a further ten minutes. Leave to cool and add a little more oil if you wish.
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The Alternative Sunday Roast
All you need is some red peppers, red onion and sweet potato. The quantities don’t really matter. It depends how hungry you are and what else you have to eat with this, but as a guide, for two people you’ll need 2 peppers, 1 onion and 1 sweet potato. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and white bits inside. Peel and slice the onion. Peel the potato and cut it into cubes.
Heat the oven to 190C/380F (preferably using top heat which browns food better). Spread a sheet of baking paper over an ovenproof dish or tin. Pour in a few tablespoons of olive oil and arrange the vegetables in a single layer, turning them over to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about half an hour.
Lift the peppers on to a serving dish and fill with the sweet potato cubes. Scatter over some of the roasted red onion.
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Chocolate puddings
First make a chocolate sponge cake. For this you need an electric mixer. Then: 4 large eggs, 100g/4 oz sugar, 75g/3 oz self raising flour, 4 tbsp cocoa powder.
For the filling: use either custard or whipped cream.
For the topping: 100g/ 4oz (1/2 large bar) plain dark chocolate, 1 tbsp golden syrup, 1 tsp oil.
Turn the oven to 190C/380F. Heat the bowl and whisk of the mixer with some hot water while you assemble the ingredients. Then pour away the water and dry the bowl very well. Whisk the eggs until they start to get foamy. Pour in the sugar and keep whisking until they are pale and thick. This will take at least five minutes (or much longer if you are doing it by hand). Then put the flour and cocoa through a sieve and gradually fold this sifted mixture into the eggs and sugar. Keep lifting and folding till there are no lumps or bits of dry flour. Don’t spend too long on this or you will lose the air that has been whisked into the eggs to make them light.
Pour the mixture into a tin lined with baking paper. (I used one 32 x 23cm or 12.5” x 9”). If you use a larger one the cake will cook quicker as it will be more shallow. Bake for about 15 minutes. Put a cocktail stick or a strand of spaghetti in the middle and if it comes out dry the cake is cooked.
When it has cooled, cut the cake into squares. If it is shallow spread the cream on one square and put another on top. If it is deeper, cut it in half across and put the cream inside.
Put the topping ingredients into a jug. Cook on full power in the microwave for a couple of minutes until the chocolate is melted. Stir well and then add a few tablespoons of boiling water if it seems too thick. Mix very well and pour the hot chocolate sauce over the cool cake. (You can make this sauce in advance and reheat it, just before serving).
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Noodle pudding
You need: a large glass bowl, a fork and a spoon. 1 egg, 2 dsp vanilla sugar *, 7 fl oz/200ml milk, 12oz/ 350g cooked flat pasta or vermicelli, 2 dsp raisins.
First a couple of notes: the weight of cooked pasta is about 4 or 5 uncooked rolled ‘nests’ of tagliatelle. Vanilla sugar is made by splitting a vanilla pod and leaving it in a jar of ordinary sugar. The sugar will have a delicious taste and can be used for any baking.
Put the egg and the sugar in the bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the milk and then mix in the cooked pasta and raisins. Set the microwave to medium power and cook the noodles for about 5 minutes - stopping two or three times to stir. This is important - the egg and milk will make a custard and if it cooks for too long it will curdle or get hard. The noodle pudding is cooked when the milk is no longer thin and the custard coats the strands of pasta. You can add a little more milk if it looks too thick. It tastes good warm or cold.
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Spicy Beef Ramen
This recipe comes from Bill Grainger in the Waitrose magazine. It’s light and fresh, yet very filling.
You need:
300g/10oz rump or rib steak, 2 cloves garlic, 2.5cm/1in piece of peeled ginger root, 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 red chilli, 1 litre/ 4 cups beef stock, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 125g/5oz medium egg noodles, 4-5 leaves savoy cabbage, 4 salad onions.
Grate the ginger and the garlic and rub half this mixture with the oil, into both sides of the steak. Leave it on a plate, covered, for at least 10 minutes (or in the fridg for hours if you like). Put the rest of the ginger and garlic in a pan with the beef stock. Cut the chilli open and remove the seeds. Slice it very thinly. Roll up the cabbage leaves and slice them thinly too. Cut the spring onions into thin diagonal slices. Now you are ready to start the cooking.
Bring the beef stock to the boil, then add the chilli and soy sauce. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the noodles and the cabbage. Cover with a lid and leave for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile heat a griddle pan. Wipe the marinade off the steak and grill it for about 2 minutes each side. (If you have a grill that closes with a lid, the meat doesn’t need to be turned. Since it cooks the top and bottom it will need only 2-3 minutes in total.) If you use the Thermapen you can choose the temperature so the meat will be rare, medium or well done.
Lift the noodles and cabbage into bowls and pour over the broth. Slice the steak and lay it on top. Finish with the spring onions and another tablespoon of soy sauce.
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Crunchy almond biscuits
Who doesn’t enjoy pressing, rolling, cutting out? There’s nothing that can go wrong - but do follow the How-to carefully because quantities and timings are important with cakes and biscuits (unlike with soups or casseroles where you can add more or less of what you like).
You need: a baking sheet, non-stick baking paper, a rolling pin, a palette knife and possibly a wire tray.
175g/6oz butter
225g/8oz self raising flour
120g/4oz sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, separated
2 tbsp cold water
50g/2oz flaked almonds
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and cover a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers, or in a mixing machine. It should look like breadcrumbs, with no big lumps. Put aside a few tbsp sugar and mix the rest with the cinnamon and flour. Add the cold water to the egg yolk and stir this into the flour, mixing till you have a firm dough. (If it is too soft put it in the fridge for about half an hour).
Sprinkle a little flour on the worktop and then roll out the dough. It’s a good idea to cover it with clingfilm first so that the rolling pin won’t stick. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds, cover again with the film and roll it out again till it is about 5mm/1/4in thick. Cut out rounds with either a special cutter or a small glass, and with a palette knife slide the biscuits off on to the baking tray. You can reform the dough and cut more rounds to use it all up. Whisk the white of egg lightly, brush it over the biscuits and sprinkle over the remaining sugar, and a few more almonds if you like.
Bake in the centre of the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until they are golden brown. They will seem quite soft when they come out of the oven, but harden as they cool. Lift them off the paper carefully and if you have a wire rack leave them there to cool. Store them in an airtight tin - or if you want to keep them for more than a few days, freeze them. They take almost no time to defrost and can be eaten minutes after you take them out of the freezer - in the time it takes to make a cup of tea.
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Shepherd’s pie
This is made in two stages: first the filling and then the mashed potato topping.
It’s not difficult, but it takes several hours and you need to be patient. (The vegetarian version - see below - is much quicker).
For the meat filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
225g/8oz lean beef, minced
1/2 pt/ 10 fl oz beef stock or 1 beef stock cube dissolved in water
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
salt. pepper
In a frying pan heat the olive oil and fry the onion over medium heat till it starts to brown. Then move it to a plate. Put the minced beef in the pan and fry it over a fairly high heat, turning it all the time to brown it all over. (If you are using a non-stick pan you won’t need any more oil, as the meat has enough fat which will be released as it cooks). Leave it cooking for at least 10 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick to the pan. You want it to be broken up and the longer you cook it at this stage the tastier it will be. Then make up the beef stock and pour it over, with the tomato puree and seasonings. Continue cooking the meat mixture for at least two hours, over low heat.
To make the pie:
225g/8oz potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Cook the potatoes in salted water for about 8 minutes or until they are just tender (don’t overcook or they will be soggy.) Drain them well and then mash till there are no lumps. Add the olive oil gradually (you may not need quite all of it) and taste for seasoning.
Assembling and finishing the pie:
Put the cooked meat mixture in the bottom of a greased dish. Then spoon over the mashed potato and mark it with a fork. Or if you have a piping bag you can pipe the potato over the top which looks pretty.
Heat the pie in a hot oven (about 190C/375F) until the top begins to brown - this will take about 10 minutes. But you can prepare the whole thing in advance and heat it later, in which case it will take longer to heat the centre and will take about 30 minutes.
Variation:
If you are making the little ones and want to eat them in your fingers, use a muffin tin and put a small round of toast in the bottom of each indentation before you spoon a little of the meat mixture into each one. Then top with the mashed potato as above.
A vegetarian idea:
You can do without the meat altogether. Instead of minced beef use 500g/1lb mushrooms and fry them in oil with the onion. Instead of beef stock, add a few tablespoons of soy sauce and use this filling before you add the mashed potato topping.
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Creamy Mushroom Soup
It’s not hard to make this velvety soup, but you need some help: if you’re a child, have an adult around to help with chopping and frying. If you are an adult, the help you need is a frying pan and a blender, and perhaps a swig from a bottle of sherry.
Here’s the How-to:
Get together olive oil, 450g/1lb mushrooms, 25g/1oz butter, 25/1oz plain flour, 150ml/5 fl oz vegetable stock and 350ml/12 fl oz milk.
First wipe the mushrooms and chop them into small pieces. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and then fry the mushrooms till they begin to brown. Add some salt and pepper. Tip them out on to a plate. Put the butter into the pan, stir in the flour till it makes a paste (only a minute) and then pour in the stock. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to get thick, then add the milk and the mushrooms. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
If you have a stick blender you can do the next step in the pan (otherwise pour it into the bowl of a liquidizer). Blend the mushroom mixture till it’s smooth. If it seems too thick, add more milk or some cream. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if it needs it. Reheat the soup over a low heat (or in the microwave).
Pour the hot soup into bowls and for an extra touch, add another swirl of cream and a spoonful of sherry.
Variations:
To make mushroom sauce, simply reduce the amount of stock and milk and leave it thick. It tastes good with fish or even piled on to toast.
You can use any light stock, it doesn’t have to be vegetable.
If you don't want to use dairy products, use soy milk instead of regular milk and garnish the soup (as in the picture) with extra chopped fried mushrooms instead of cream.
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Strawberry and Apple Tart
This recipe is not complicated, but it is made in stages. If you are under 13, you might need help from an adult (using the oven and microwave and cutting the fruit.) If you're an adult, you can get help from a child to eat it when it's finished!
To make this tart you need four layers: first some short crust pastry (about 225g/8oz). Then for the filling, 2 large cooking apples and a few tablespoons of sugar. To go on top you can choose any ripe fruit: I used strawberries and a few apricots. Finally to make the fruit shiny (and to make it keep better) you top it all with a glaze made from 2 tablespoons of redcurrant jelly.
Now here’s what you do: roll out the pastry and press it into a flan tin or pyrex dish. Press a sheet of foil over the base and up the edge (this is to stop the pastry shrinking or falling in at the sides). Bake in a hot oven (200C/400F) for about 10 - 15 minutes. Carefully take off the foil and continue cooking for another 5 - 8 minutes (this makes it crisp).
Leave the flan case to cool. To make the filling, peel and core the cooking apples and cut them into small pieces. Cook them, with the sugar, in the microwave for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft enough to mash with a fork.
Leave the apple mixture to cool and then spoon it into the flan case. Now, cover the stewed apple filling with halved strawberries, whole raspberries or sliced peaches.
The last part of the recipe involves painting! Melt a few tablespoons of redcurrant jelly in the microwave (about 1 minute) and when it is soft, brush it over the fruit. If you don’t have the jelly you can use any red jam and strain it so there are no lumps.
Now serve the tart and wait for the compliments. (It actually keeps for hours as the glaze protects the berries).
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Sticky Chicken Wings
You need:
12 chicken wings (3-4 for each person)
2 tsp each of oil, soy sauce, dark brown sugar and lemon juice
4 tsp tomato puree (paste)
1 tsp paprika
(no salt because the soy sauce is salty)
Then find a baking tin and cover the bottom with a sheet of baking parchment.
If you’re under 12, get someone to help you because you need to use a sharp knife. Make slits on both sides of the chicken wings with the knife. In a bowl mix the next 6 ingredients. Then paint the mixture on to the wings, making sure some goes inside the slits. You can do this with a pastry brush, or just use a spoon if you don’t have one.
Arrange the wings on the baking paper and roast at the top of the oven at 200C/400F for 20 minutes. Take care when you take out the tin. Turn the chicken wings over using a spoon and fork and put them back for another 10 minutes. You may find there is a little liquid at the bottom of the tin. Pour it into a small bowl, but don’t throw it away. You can spoon it over the wings when they are cooked.
After 30 minutes cooking time they will be ready. They should be slightly charred looking (this comes from the sugar which has turned to caramel). Serve them with jacket potatoes or with rice.
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Roasted potato skins
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment (non-stick paper). With a knife, not a potato peeler, cut the peels off 3 large potatoes, taking care not to make them too thin. Put the whole potatoes in water and use them another time for boiling or chips.
In a covered dish microwave the skins for 3 minutes on full power. Arrange them on the paper - but take care because they will be hot. Sprinkle over some sea salt crystals if you have them, or ordinary salt if you don’t. Roast at the top of a hot oven (200C, 400F) for about 10 minutes. Turn them over and cook the other sides for another 5 minutes.
Serve with a cool dip of yogurt, creme fraiche or sour cream. If you like you can add flavour like chilli or chives.
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Summer corn and pea soup
For four people you need 2 corn cobs, 4 big carrots, 4 tbsp fresh or frozen peas and some fresh mint leaves. You also need a little vegetable stock.
(I make vegetable stock by boiling carrots, french beans or sugar peas in salted water and saving the water. Every time I cook more beans etc. I reuse this frozen stock until it has more flavour. Alternatively, you can just use some vegetable stock made from a cube.)
With a sharp knife cut the kernels off the corn - reserve them for later. Peel the carrots and cut into thick slices. Then put them in a saucepan with what’s left of the corn cobs. Cover with water, bring to the boil, add a little salt and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the vegetables and put them on a plate. Put the corn and peas and a large sprig of mint into the broth and cook for about 4 minutes. Taste the soup and if it seems to lack flavour add some vegetable stock (see my note above).
To serve: remove the wilted mint, pour the soup into small bowls and decorate with some fresh leaves. To make the carrot ‘leaves’ you need a cutter - or if you are artistic you can cut out any shapes you like from the carrot that was cooked in the soup.
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Frying in cold oil?
Ask any chef how to make French fries (or chips in the UK) and they will say they need to be fried twice: first at medium heat, then in hotter oil. Now comes a totally different view: you can fry the potatoes starting with stone cold oil.
How can this work? It has to do with cooking the inside of the chips slowly and then browning and crisping the outside. But whatever the reason, the result is terrific. No more hot oil bubbling over the sides of the pan; no more messy hobs. This is what you do:
For two people:
1. Peel two large potatoes, cut into chips and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Put them in a deep saucepan (about 7" or 18cm diameter) and cover with cold oil.
3. Turn the heat to medium/high and cook for about 15 minutes. Raise the heat for another few minutes when they will be crisp and brown. Lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon.
4. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt and enjoy.
This can be done by a child, with help. It’s far less risky than putting food into sizzling oil, but if you’re under 12 or so, you should ask an adult to be there while you are using a sharp knife for cutting the potoatoes and to help when you are lifting out the cooked chips.
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Asparagus
Asparagus is one of many vegetables that are better cooked in the microwave. Because you use so little water they take very little time and the taste and vitamins don’t disappear in cooking liquid.
For two people take a bunch of asparagus (about 20 spears). Cut off the woody base. The next step is optional. You can shave off the outer part of the stems with a vegetable peeler. Wash the asparagus and lay them out in a shallow dish. Sprinkle over about 3 tablespoons of salted water and cover with a lid or clingfilm.
Microwave on full power for about 6 minutes. Take care when you lift off the lid - steam can burn you. Test the thick ends (not the heads) with a knife to see if they are tender, then leave to stand for a few minutes. Serve hot or cold with plenty of melted butter or olive oil.
To make vegetarian pasta, simply cook some tagliatelle or other pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Drain and serve with a generous amount of buttered asparagus and shower with grated parmesan. Or serve a wedge of nutty Emmenthal cheese on the side.
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Beetroot
Cooking beetroot (beets) in the microwave is so easy. You need 3 or 4 uncooked beetroot. Cut off the leaves and stalks. Clean the beetroot well with a brush or use a piece of cloth to remove any dirt. Cut them in half and put them in a shallow bowl with about six tablespoons of water. Cover the dish (you can use clingfilm or a plate) and cook in the microwave on full power for about 10 minutes. They are done when a knife goes in easily. Take care when you lift off the cover. Steam is very hot. When the beetroot are cool, peel off the skins.
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Yemma
When I was a child I watched my mother and aunt making this incredibly delicious sweet spread. They made a few jars and that needed 24 egg yolks and a pound of sugar. It didn’t last long because we used to spread it on buttered matzah (unleavened bread) for breakfast, or tea, every day during the week of Passover. Don’t worry that it’s bad for you, you’re not going to eat it all at once - but I must warn you, it’s very moreish. This amount makes a smaller quantity which you could also use as a filling for sponge cake.
A word of warning: sugar syrup is very hot. You must take care (or if you are a child, get an adult to help you.)
1 vanilla pod
125g/4oz caster sugar
75ml/2.5 fl oz water
6 egg yolks
Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and split it open. Put it in a small pan with the sugar and water and bring to the boil, over low heat, stirring once or twice until the sugar has melted. Then turn up the heat, don’t stir any more and boil till it looks syrupy. It should reach what is called the ‘thread’ stage, which means that if you pour a little on to a plate it should form a thread when you lift up the spoon. Put the egg yolks into the top part of a double boiler (or into a bowl standing over a pan of simmering water). Strain the sugar syrup into the yolks and stir over heat until the mixture thickens. This will take five to ten minutes. Keep stirring and don’t go away. When it coats the back of the spoon and doesn’t simply run off it is ready. Pour the jemma into a clean jar and leave to cool.
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Baked Apple
Cooking a baked apple in the oven takes at least 30 minutes, so you’d hardly want to bother for one person.
Doing it in the microwave is brilliant - quick, easy and very tasty. Just remove the core from the apple using either a special gadget or a sharp knife. (Get help with this if you’re under 12). Mark a line round the circumference of the apple with the knife (this is to stop it bursting). Then fill the hole with dark brown sugar; the best is muscovado which has a treacly flavour, but demarara or molasses sugar will also do. Press it down and add another teaspoon of the sugar to put on top. Put the apple in a small bowl or container (not metal) add a few tablespoons of water and cook on full power for about 4 minutes. That’s it: the apple will be soft and fluffy inside and the sugar will have made a yummy sauce. Take care when you get it out of the microwave and leave it to cool a bit before you eat it. It’s good with cream, custard or ice cream.
To cook more apples, you need to adjust the time - about 5 minutes for each one.
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Artichokes
To cook an artichoke in the microwave - first cut off the pointed tips and open it out. Wash it well under running water and turn it over to let the water drip out. Put the artichoke into a small container; sprinkle over about 3 tbsps salted water, cover with a lid or some clingfilm and put it in the microwave.
Microwave ovens vary (and so does the size of the vegetable). You need to cook one on full power for about 5-6 minutes. You can test if it’s cooked like this: take it out carefully (it will be hot) and poke the end with a sharp knife. If it is soft it’s done.
Take it out and cut it in half. Remove the hairy bit from the centre and serve with hot melted butter. Or leave it to cool and spoon in some mayonnaise or a mustardy vinaigrette.
Enjoy.
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If you're young and have been following the 'How-to' in Lookit Cookit, here's a chance to read a recipe from someone else. Just follow carefully and it will come out like the picture.
Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse -
(from Tony Maws’ restaurant Craigie on Main)
To make about 10 small pots or enough to serve 6:
212g/7.5oz plain dark chocolate
6 eggs (separated - use the yolks first)
70g/2.4 oz sugar
2.6 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp brandy
pinch salt
6 egg whites
2 tbsp sugar
Cut the chocolate into pieces and put them in a small bowl. Melt in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until the chocolate is soft enough to stir smoothly. Mix the yolks with the first quantity of sugar (above) and whisk until the mixture is thick, pale and a lemony yellow colour.
Gently fold the warm chocolate into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Stir in the brandy, the olive oil and a pinch of salt.
In a clean bowl, whisk the whites until they are frothy and then whisk in the rest of the sugar. Keep whisking until they form peaks. Fold a few tablespoons of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate, then gradually add the rest, folding carefully until there are no white lumps. Be careful not to beat too hard or you will lose the air that has been whisked into the whites.
Pour the mixture into glasses and allow the mousse to set for at least 4 hours before serving.
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A melon basket
You need a small, sharp, pointed knife. Take care and if you're under 12 make sure there is an adult with you.
First cut across the top in two horizontal lines. (You can just see this in the picture). This is to make the handle of the basket. Then cut in a half circular motion on each side of the handle, making sure you don't cut through it. (I’ve lifted the back section off and turned it round to show the pattern).
Both sections can be lifted off and you will be left with the centre ‘handle’. Cut away the flesh close to the skin from these two pieces. Then with a melon baller, cut the inside of the melon into balls. (If you don't have one, you can just scoop out the melon with a small spoon.)
Put the balls back inside the melon and replace the top pieces before you bring it to the table. Then....
Here it is - the finished basket. A bit of fun.
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Very tangy lemon bars
For the crust
7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (about 1/2 US cup)
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (4.5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour (plain)
For the topping
7 oz (about 1 cup) sugar
3 tbsp plain flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, preferably from an unwaxed lemon
1/2 cup strained fresh juice
Line the base and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with baking paper or foil. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
To make the crust: mix the melted butter with the sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated. Press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25 mins or until the crust is fully baked, well browned at the edges, and golden brown in the center.
To make the topping: While the crust is baking, stir together the sugar and flour in a large bowl until well mixed. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.
When the crust is ready, turn the oven down to 300F/150C. Slide out the pan and pour the filling on to the hot crust. Bake for 20 minutes longer or until the topping barely jiggles in the center when the pan is tapped. Set on a rack to cool completely in the pan. Lift up the foil or paper liner and transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut it into bars with a sharp knife.
(This recipe comes from Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy - Melt in your mouth cookies by Alice Medrich)
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Chocolate drizzles
To make these stunning chocolate decorations all you need is a microwave, a bowl, a sheet of foil and some chocolate.
Here’s the How-to:
In a bowl, melt 8-10 squares of milk or dark chocolate in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on full power (depending on how many pieces you put in.) Even if it still looks as if the chunks aren’t quite melted they may be ready. Just take out the bowl and stir - if it is soft enough the chocolate will be quite smooth.
Then, get a sheet of foil, put it on a plate and with a teaspoon drizzle a little of the melted chocolate into shapes. Hold the spoon at least six inches from the foil and twirl it round to make circles or squares, letting the melted chocolate drop in a pattern. (It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t look so professional - you get better with practice.)
Put the plate in the freezer and after about half an hour, you can peel them off, pressing them up from underneath the foil. (Some of them may break, but don’t worry - you only need a few perfect ones).
If you leave the sheet out the chocolate will start to soften in the heat of the room, so peel the drizzles off quickly and store them in the fridge, or in a box in the freezer.
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Tea Bread
This is called Tea Bread because it’s made with tea, and you eat in for tea. It’s an old Irish recipe which called for soaking dried fruit in tea overnight. Now when you want to make something, you don’t want to start yesterday! So here’s what you need, first:
A mixing bowl, a strainer, a big spoon and a loaf tin (1lb/450g) lined with baking paper.
1/4pt/150ml tea (you can use 2 ordinary teabags, but Earl Grey is a bit nicer)
8oz/225g dried mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins, etc.)
3oz/75g sugar
8oz/225g self raising flour
1 egg *
Strain the tea into a large bowl. Put in the dried fruit and microwave it for about 2 minutes. The fruit will plump up. Now leave it to stand till it cools down and absorbs most of the tea.
Add the sugar and the flour, mixing well. Then to make the mixture slightly softer, beat in an egg*. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and cook for about 40 minutes at 180C/375F. To test if it’s done, poke a strand of raw spaghetti into the middle. If it comes out dry the loaf is cooked. Leave it to cool then slice it thickly and spread with butter.
Who says baking is difficult?
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* Some people are allergic to eggs. You can leave out the egg and use 3 tbsp melted butter instead.
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Roasted vegetables with bulghur
You need a baking tray, some baking paper to line it with (to stop things sticking) and whatever vegetables you like (but not peas!).
Cut 2 red peppers and 2 yellow peppers in half and take out the seeds. Peel a large red onion and cut it into thin slices, keeping them in ‘rounds’. Then you can choose from mushrooms, sprouts, courgettes (zucchini) or aubergines. Cut sprouts in half and slice any of the others. Now put a few tablespoons of olive oil on the paper, arrange the vegetables over the top, sprinkle on a bit more oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven 190C/380F for about 20 minutes. Turn the vegetables over to brown the other sides and carry on cooking for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile take 1 cup of bulghur. Heat a pan with a little oil and when it’s hot, put in the bulghur. Stir it around, then add 2 cups of boiling water (or vegetable or chicken stock). Shake in some salt and pepper (not too much if the stock is salty) bring it to the boil, then cover and turn off the heat. After about 10 minutes, the bulghur will have absorbed the stock and will be moist and tender.
If you want to add beetroot, wash 2 - 3 beets, cut off the root part and microwave with very little water for about 10 minutes. When they are just soft (when poked with a knife), leave to cool and then peel off the skin.
To put the dish together - it’ll serve 2 - 4 depending on how hungry you are - arrange the bulghur in the middle with the vegetables on the side. The picture also includes some salad leaves, roasted cashew nuts and a bit of shaved parmesan cheese.
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Chicken in Marsala sauce
Chill two chicken breasts in the freezer for about an hour, then slice them thinly. They are less slippery and easy to cut when firm and cold
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Put about three tablespoons of flour on a plate, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and dip each strip in, making sure it’s all covered.
Fry some sliced mushrooms in oil in a pan till they are brown. Move them on to a plate; add a little more oil and fry the chicken strips for a few minutes on each side till they are brown. Pour on a cupful of marsala (dark, sweet, Italian wine). This will create a bubbling sauce. Put the mushrooms back into the pan, turn down the heat and cook for another few minutes. Serve with rice or noodles.
If you don’t have marsala, you can use sherry. If you prefer it less sweet, use dry white wine.
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Rice Pudding - easy as pie
Any child can make this - the only tricky part is putting it in and taking it out of the oven. Here’s what you do, or the How-to:
You need: a shallow pudding dish about 12” (30cm) long. Turn the oven on to 150C/300F.
Open a pack of butter and rub a little round the dish. Put in 130g/4.5 oz pudding rice (which is different from long grain rice - it’s rounder). Then add 55g/2oz sugar and pour over 1.1 litres/2 pints milk. Mix it all together, cover the dish with some foil and put it in the oven for about an hour and a half.
Take it out carefully (or get help). The rice should be creamy and soft. If you cook it for another half an hour all the milk will disappear.
Things you can add: if you have a vanilla pod, cut it in half, scrape out the seeds and put it in with the milk at the beginning. This gives it an extra nice flavour. If you like it very creamy, you can add some cream at the end. You can eat the pudding warm or cold. This amount will serve about 4 people.
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Twenty minute soup
This is a very simple dish that a child could make. All you need is two of everything. (But take care, or get help with the frying and boiling water).
2 sticks celery, 2 spring onions, 2 carrots, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 beef stock cubes, 2 tsp tomato puree, 2 cups of water and 2 tbsp rice.
Chop up the vegetables. Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the vegetables for a couple of minutes. Add the crumbled stock cubes, 2 cups of boiling water and the tomato puree. Sprinkle in the rice, add 2 more cups of water and leave to cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes. That’s it. Done.
