Can’t believe this hot weather keeps going on and on . . . !  Who would have thought it?  Who would have thought England in the semi-finals?!

So, sorry to be a nag – but are you drinking enough?  It is very important to keep hydrated in this heat – but I understand water can be tooo boring – and alcohol can actually be even more dehydrating so all those beers and even Pimms?  I gave you a couple of drink recipes a few blogs ago (elderflower cordial and champagne) so here is a couple more – and how to quickly cut up a watermelon, the most thirst quenching of all fruit.

Lay the watermelon on a cutting board and trim both ends with a sharp knife.  Slice in half. Stand up the watermelon and slice down the middle to create two big halves.  Lay each half flesh side-down and cut in half again.  You’ll have a total of 4 long pieces.  Turn each quartered piece horizontal and slice into 1″ strips to create triangles. You can freeze the triangles and eat like an ice lolly or chop them up and add to drinks as ice cubes.

Try salting the watermelon before it serve it – it’s totally optional but believe it or not helps bring out the sweetness!

The Easiest Ginger Beer

Grate  about 14og of fresh ginger into a mortar.  Add a small handful of Demerara sugar and the zest of 3 lemons.  With the pestle, muddle the ginger, sugar and lemon zest together and mix really well,  Juice the lemons and mix with the ginger.  Pour into a large bottle of fizzy water, allow to sit for 10 – 20 minutes, shaking occasionally.  Strain and chill before serving.

. . . . . and Lemonade

Measure 150g of caster sugar into a pan.  Add 750 ml of water and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside to cool, then refrigerate.  When cold, stir in the juice of 6 lemons.  When ready to serve, top up with fizzy water.

We moved into our house 10 years ago this month and the following Valentine’s Day my husband bought me a fairly unusual gift – a gooseberry bush! We planted it in the garden together – and it has rewarded us ever since!  This weekend I picked 20lb of fruit from this one plant!  Covered in scratches from the sharp thorns (and watched by the hens who sat in its shade), they are all now either in my freezer, stewed and in the fridge to eat with yogurt or porridge (don’t knock it till you’ve tried!) for breakfast, some made into the two recipes below – and a few bagfuls to take to my friend today in exchange for blackcurrants.

Gooseberries are low in calories, fat and cholesterol FREE and rich in Vitamins A and C.  They can also be used in savoury dishes to make a sauce for mackerel and duck, cutting through their fattiness.

Gooseberry Shortcake (this will obviously make more than one portion but cut into slices and freeze and it will defrost beautifully whenever you want a taste of green sunshine!)

•  150g unsalted butter
•  75g caster sugar
•  150g self-raising flour
•  75g cornflour
•  250g fresh gooseberries
•  25g walnuts
•  25g demerara sugar

Put the oven on at 180oC. Line the a tin with baking parchment (or a butter wrapper as I do), leaving an overhang at each side to help removal of the shortcake. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornflour together and gradually add to the butter mixture. Knead until it comes together, then turn onto the worktop and knead for a further minute. Spread 2/3 of this mixture over the base of the tin, using your hands. Smooth over with the back of a spoon. Cover the dough with the gooseberries. Add the walnuts and demerara sugar to the remaining 1/3 of the mixture and knead well. Gently spread this over the gooseberries and smooth out. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out. Dust the shortcake with icing sugar.

Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice cream

• 950g (2lb 2oz) gooseberries, topped and tailed
• 6tbsp (90ml) elderflower cordial (you could use the one we made last week)
• finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 600ml (1pt) double cream

In a heavy-based saucepan, gently simmer the gooseberries in the elderflower cordial and lemon zest until very soft and pulpy. Remove from the heat, push the fruit through a sieve and leave to cool thoroughly. Lightly whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and fold through the gooseberry and elderflower purée. Pour into a large plastic container and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Serve with the shortcake for a total gooseberry experience!

The hot weather continues (and long may it do so!) so this week we went up to North Wales to our boat.  And before you all get the idea of g & t’s on the deck as the sun goes down – this is a fishing boat, not a gin palace!  I can get terribly sea sick so if I am on it the weather has to be perfect!  And this week, it was.  Wall to wall blue skies and the water like the proverbial mill pond.  There is a small cabin where I slept and we made up a bed for John on the deck (not a hardship as the temperature dipped rarely below 20oC and actually peaked 32oC!). We were up at 6.00am  and out on the water early, chasing mackerel – partly to eat and partly to use as bait for tope – a member of the shark family. We failed on the tope but did manage a few mackerel (there is nothing like the tug of the fish on the feathered line we use), anchored the boat in some shallows off a deserted beach and cooked them there and then. Swam in the sea and sunbathed.  We could have been on the Mediterranean – and without the hassle of airports.

Look out for mackerel in the market and your fishmonger – and make sure they still have bright eyes!

Oriental style citrus Mackerel

• 1 orange, juice only
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• pinch dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 mackerel fillet, cut in half
• 1/2 lime, juice only
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
• handful fresh rocket
• 1 orange, cut into wedges, to serve

Place the orange juice, soy sauce, chilli flakes and sesame seeds into a frying pan and simmer for 3 – 4 minutes.  Add the mackerel and cook for 2 minutes on each side.  Remove from the heat, squeeze in the lime juice and scatter with coriander.  Place the rocket leaves into a bowl, pour over the juices from the mackerel pan and stir.  To serve, pile the rocket salad onto a serving place, top with the fish and garnish with orange wedges.

 Smoked Mackerel Pate (this will make more than 1 serving but it will sit happily in your fridge for a couple of days – and you can also freeze it in individual pots)

• 400g smoked mackerel fillets
• 250g crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp freshly grated horseradish
• 1 tbsp creamed horseradish
•  Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• 2 pinches of smoked paprika
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
•  Freshly ground black pepper

Take the skin off the mackerel and break the flesh into flakes, discarding any bones. Mix the crème fraîche with the fresh and creamed horseradish and the lemon zest and juice. Carefully stir in the mackerel flakes, herbs and spices, then add pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and leave to chill in the fridge for 2 hours until firm. Serve with sourdough toast.

Are you enjoying this hot, sunny weather?  John and I have travelled extensively but have both decided that when the weather is wonderful there is nowhere more lovely than England!  The colours and smells are amazing as everything comes to life and smiles at the sun!

It’s very important, though, to remember to keep hydrated – and I don’t just mean the beer/lager you are drinking watching the football or the Pimms watching the tennis.  The elderflower is out now in full bloom but it won’t last too long in these heat so time to make 2 lovely drinks to put in the cupboard for you to taste the sunshine when it may not be here!

Try and pick your flowers in the morning as the aroma fades with the day

Elderflower Champagne

• 7 heads of elderflowers
• 560 grams of sugar
• 7 pints boiling water
• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Put the flowers into a big bucket and add sugar, water and lemons. Give it a good stir and add the vinegar when cold.  Bottle into clean plastic bottles  (glass ones have been known to explode – and you can help save the planet using up the plastic!).  Leave for a minimum of 2 weeks to go fizzy!  Serve with lots of ice and sliced lemon

Eldelower Cordial

• 1 kg Granulated Sugar
• 1 litre boiling water
• 50g citric acid (from a chemist) or juice of 2 large lemons
• zest of 2 large lemons
• 15 elderflower heads

Put the sugar and water in a bucket and stir to dissolve. Add the citric acid or lemon juice and zest. Add the flower heads to the sugar syrup and leave 1 -2 days, stirring regularly. Strain through some muslin into sterilised bottles and store in a cool place. To use, put a little in a glass and top with still or sparkling water.  You can even add it to your gin and tonic – and if cooking gooseberries add instead of water!

Home again after over 2000 miles driving through France and Spain, through sunshine, rain and thunderstorms and staying on campsites, trucker stops and one Michelin Star restaurant!  A great road trip with my lovely husband, John.

Actually, we were back about a week ago but the hot sun and lots of rain that we had whilst we were away meant all the vegetables I had planted before were completely swamped with weeds and I have had to dig everything out and completely replant – which took lots of time as you can imagine!

Anyway, back to the blog now – with lots of fresh ideas from the Mediterranean.  We ate a lot of fish and chicken, garlic, tomatoes, and salads so the theme for today is a little along those lines.

Chicken thighs with Garlic and Lemon (this will definitely keep the vampires away!)

• 1/2 pint chicken stock (cube will do)
• 8 – 10 garlic cloves (yes, really!)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 dessertspoon of olive oil
• 2 -3 chicken thighs
• 1 small lemon, peeled and pith removed and sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 75 ml of water or white wine
• salt and pepper

Put the stock in a pan and bring to the boil.  Add the garlic cloves, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.  Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and fry gently on all sides until golden.  Transfer to an ovenproof  dish.

Heat the oven to 190oC.  Strain the garlic stock and reserve.  Put the cooked garlics and sliced lemons into the dish with chicken.  Add the flour to the fat in the pan (from frying the chicken) and cook for a minute.  Gradually add the wine or leftover garlic stock (or a mixture), stirring all the time till thickened and smooth.  Pour over the chicken, cover and cook in the oven for 40 – 45 minutes, taking the cover off about 10 minutes before the end to brown.  Scatter over chopped parsley or basil and serve with new potatoes and a crisp salad.

Bon appetite!

Holiday time for John and I – but hoping to pick up some new recipes along the way!

See you soon!

As anyone who has been following this blog knows, I started it to encourage people back in the kitchen when they find themselves having to cook for one, for whatever reason. It’s particularly difficult if they have been used to preparing meals for many and I really hope that over the last few months, you will have found these recipes to inspire you!  However – come the summer and the infrequent sunny days we can have, even I want to be out in it and not inside!  So, today, we are going to look at pancakes – which can be made in advance, frozen between sheets of greaseproof paper so you can just take out as you fancy, and can be savoury or sweet. And there will always be some sitting there if you have a friend come round or you have been out all day and want something quick – you can even freeze the following 2 recipes as they are!

Basic Pancake Recipe

• 110g plain flour                   pinch of salt                   2 large eggs
• 200 mls milk mixed the 75ml water                         50g butter

Sieve the flour into a bowl with the salt.  Beat the eggs into the milk and then into the flour.  Take a small frying pan and melt half of the butter, then tip into the pancake mix and beat altogether.  Pour enough mix into the bottom of the pan to cover and cook for a few minutes before flipping over and repeat. Empty on to a plate, stacking as you go.  Use a little of the remaining butter each time to grease the pan when making the rest of the pancakes.

Chicken and Bacon Pancakes

• 1 tablespoon olive or rapeseed oil
• 1 chicken breast
• 100g smoked bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 100g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp flour
• 200ml milk
• handful parsley, chopped
• 1 beaten egg
• Handful of breadcrumbs

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Cook the chicken breast for 5-8 mins each side until golden brown and cooked through, then transfer to a plate. Tip the bacon into the pan and sizzle for a few mins until crispy, then tip out onto the plate with the chicken. If the pan looks dry, add the remaining oil, then the onion. Cook for 5 mins until softened and translucent, then stir in the mushrooms and some seasoning. Cook for 5-10 mins until the mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid in the pan has cooked. Stir in the flour, mixing it into the mushrooms to make a chunky paste, then pour in the milk, a little at a time, whisking continuously until you have a smooth sauce. Bubble for 2-3 mins until thick. Chop the chicken into small chunks and add back to the pan along with the bacon and any juices from the plate. Check the seasoning, stir in the parsley, then leave to cool and chill until you’re ready to fill the pancakes. Heat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Take one pancake and brush a circle of beaten egg around the edge. Pile a quarter of the chicken mixture into the centre of the pancake (the sauce should have thickened while chilling), then fold the pancake over and press the edges together to make a pasty shape. Transfer to a baking tray and continue assembling however many pancakes you want. Brush the top of each one with more egg and scatter over the breadcrumbs, then bake for 20-25 mins. Leave to cool for 5 mins before serving.

Everyone has a favourite sweet pancake (mine is nutella chocolate spread and crème fraiche!) from simple lemon and sugar, to syrup to stewed fruit so below is just another option you might like to try.  Make the whole amount and either freeze what you don’t use or have it as part of breakfast with yogurt and/or cereal.

Apple Compote

Knob of butter              4 – 5 apples, peeled and sliced                1 cinnamon stick                    3 cloves                           1 star anise                                                 1/2 teasp ginger                       a drizzle of maple syrup (optional)

Melt the butter in a pan, add the apples, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and a good splash of water.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, then drain any excess liquid (put it in a glass and drink later!) .  Fill as many pancakes as you want  with a spoonful of the compote and a drizzle of maple syrup.

What a lovely weekend we have had full of sunshine!  Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did (apart from a fox hit who took 2 of my hens whilst they were dust bathing).

And now appears the quintessential vegetable of England – Jersey Royals Potatoes.  They have been grown on the island for 140 years and today there are approximately 20 island farmers who grow them (and often no other crops) on approximately 7,300 acres.  They are one of the few remaining seasonal foods and can only be grown on Jersey to have the name – so lets make the most of them!

Watercress Soup with Jersey Royals

• 25g butter
• 1 large banana shallots, roughly chopped
• 50g Jersey Royal potatoes, washed, scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 225ml chicken stock (vegetarians can substitute vegetable stock)
• 110g watercress, roughly chopped
• 75 ml double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg

 For the Jersey Royals

• 200 g Jersey Royal potatoes, washed
• 50 g butter
• 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
• 60 mls double cream
• ½ lemon, juice only
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• watercress, to garnish

For the soup, heat a pan until hot, then add the butter and shallots and fry for 2-3 minutes over a low heat until softened, but not browned. Add the potatoes and stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 8-9 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender. Add the watercress and continue to simmer for two minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool for 2-3 minutes. Pour the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and add the cream. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and grate in a pinch of nutmeg.

For the Jersey Royals, place the potatoes into a pan over a medium heat and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then cook for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes, then return to the pan. Add the butter and chives and roughly crush the potatoes with the back of a fork. Meanwhile, pour the cream into a bowl and add the lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.

 To serve, place a large spoonful of the crushed potatoes into the centre of each of four shallow soup bowls. Ladle the soup around the crushed potatoes, leaving islands of potato visible. Top each pile of crushed potatoes with a spoonful of soured cream and a few sprigs of watercress.

Coconut Potato Bowl with Lime and Ginger

• 100g (or as much as you like) Jersey Royal potatoes, roughly chopped
•  75g cauliflower florets
•  1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
•  Sea salt and pepper
•  50g (or as much as you like) asparagus
•  ½ tsp olive oil
•  6 cherry tomatoes, halved
•  1 spring onion, sliced
•  500g superfood salad
•  15g coconut flakes, toasted , to garnish

For the dressing;    1 tbsp olive oil      finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lime                          1 cm grated ginger

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Place the potatoes and cauliflower florets in a roasting tray, drizzle over the coconut oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. In the meantime, prepare everything else; brush the asparagus with ½ tsp olive oil, heat a griddle pan until hot and cook the stems until charred and tender. Set aside. For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil and lime juice, then stir in the zest and ginger and season with some salt and pepper. To assemble, arrange the potatoes and cauliflower to one side and place the other ingredients round the bowl (or how you prefer), drizzle with the dressing and scatter over the coconut flakes, or serve on the side.

Bank Holiday Saturday and the sun is shining!  Looks like being a wonderful weekend – so you don’t want to be spending too long in the kitchen!  The main fish dish should take you about 5 minutes to assemble, 15 minutes to cook – and  pudding is the easiest ice cream recipe you will ever find, with no need for an ice cream maker!

My lovely niece, Nicola, who lives in Glasgow, sent John some bottles of chilli sauce to add to his collection.  He thinks its one of the best and I’ve been wondering how to use it in a recipe – and here it is!  For those of you can’t find it , I have given an alternative – or you could just use your favourite.

Baked Cod Loin with sizzling spinach, ginger and chilli

• 1 piece of cod loin
• 1 tablespoon rice wine   )
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce   )  or a smear of Glasgow Death/alternative chilli sauce
• 1 garlic clove, crushed    )
• 150g spinach leaves
• 2 salad onions
• 5 grams fresh root ginger  ) don’t forget the frozen ones you can buy to save waste
• 1/2 red chilli                          )
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Preheat the oven to 200oC.  Place a large sheet of foil on a baking tray and sit the cod on top.  Drizzle over the rice wine, soy sauce and crushed garlic – or smear, to taste, with chilli sauce.  Massage into the fish and tightly seal the foil parcel.  Bake for 12 minutes. Cook the spinach till just wilted and drain,  Cut the salad onion, ginger and chilli  into thin slivers.  Arrange the spinach on a serving plate top with the cod and any cooking juices.  Pile onto the fish the chilli, ginger and onion.  Heat the oil until smoking and pour over it all so it sizzles! Serve with stir fried vegetable and bean sprouts.

Lemon Ice Cream

• 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
• 200g Castor sugar
• 250 ml milk (semi or whole)
• 250 ml double cream

Combine zest and sugar in a bowl. Put in milk (not heated) and stir till dissolved. Stir in juice. Whip cream till stiff. Fold into the lemon mixture. Line a loaf tin with cling film. Pour mixture in and cover. Freeze.  Tip out and slice to serve.

Bon Appetit!

• 1 large courgette, coarsely grated
• 1 large carrot. coarsely grated
• fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, chopped
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3 dessertspoons plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 an egg (yes, I know that’s seems difficult but beat a whole egg and just use enough to mix – and use the rest in the following recipe or keep covered in the fridge to add to scrambled eggs!)

Put the grated courgette and carrot into a colander with a little salt and leave to drain for about 15 minutes.  Tip on to a dry tea towel, wrap and wring out all the water.  Put into a large bowl and add the dry ingredients, mix well and add enough egg to mix.  Put a little oil in a frying pan and using floured hands, shape into about 6 patties and fry until crisp and browned on both sides.  Use on their own as a side vegetable or to scoop into a dip of your choice.

Courgette Frittata

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 75 grams (or so!)sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 small onion
• 100g courgettes, thinly sliced
• 100g fresh spinach
• 2 eggs
• grated parmesan to taste
• some torn basil leaves
• 50 grams mozzarella

Heat the oil in a frying pan.  Add mushrooms, onion and courgettes and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.  Add spinach and cook till wilted.  Lightly beat the eggs and the parmesan and basil and season.  Pour into the pan and stir to distribute evenly.  Tear the mozzarella into pieces and put on top.  Cook over a low heat until the base is set but still a film of liquid on the top. Heat the grill and put frittata under it until the top is golden and the egg is set.  Add extra parmesan (if liked) and serve!