Green juice

I've been juicing and it's addictive. No, I'm not a health freak and no, I would never do one of those crazy juice-only diets but a glass of green juice to start the day really does make you feel better. Plus, it's a great way to get a good fruit and vegetable hit. And I got my juicer on ebay for only £25.

I've tried a lot of combinations but this is my favourite, and it doesn't mean spending a fortune on expensive out of season berries too.

Makes 1 large glass

Ingredients
2 big or 3 small apples (I use Jazz, Braeburn or Cox)
1 lime
3-4 large handfuls of spinach
1 large handful of parsley
About an inch of ginger

Method
Quarter the apples and roughly peel the lime (juicers don't like citrus peel). Feed all the ingredients through the tube in a juicer and enjoy!

Lovely Lemons

With our brief summery spell came a desire to conjure up something fragrant and zesty in the kitchen – lemons would do the trick. Lemon curd is a curious thing and ‘curd’ is a curious word, not pretty-sounding like marmalade or cordial and not doing justice to the punchy sweet-sharp flavour that it delivers. 

So, out came the trusty microplane and I set to zesting and juicing. Really ripe lemons are best for this, a lot of supermarket bought lemons are rock-hard with a greenish tinge, which won’t yield much juice or a flavoursome zest. I find lemons from greengrocers or markets are much better, alternatively buy your lemons in advance and let them soften up on the windowsill.

Lemon curd

Zest and juice of 2 large, unwaxed lemons 

100g sugar

50g butter

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1.  Place the lemon zest, juice, sugar and butter into a pan and heat gently until the butter has melted

2.  Combine the eggs and egg yolks with a fork and then stir into the lemon mixture. Whisk regularly 

with a balloon whisk as the curd cooks and thickens up to a custard-like consistency. It'll take around

10-15 mins to thicken and takes a little patience but don’t be tempted to turn the heat up otherwise

you’ll end up with a curdled mess. 

3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in a bowl or pop into sterilised jars if you're not going to use

it immediately. It'll keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. 

And here’s what I whipped up with my lemon curd…

Pavlova with homemade lemon curd and berries

The blues and yellows of the lemon curd and berries look beautiful against the crisp, white meringue nest. This is a great centre piece for a party and can be made in advance too, an all round crowd-pleaser.

Serves: 8-10

6 large egg whites

300 caster sugar

1 tsp corn flour

Pinch of salt

Blueberries, blackberries and mint to decorate

300ml double cream

Half a jar of homemade lemon curd (as above)

1. Preheat the oven to 120C. In a squeaky clean bowl (I wipe the cut side of half a lemon around the bowl to get rid of any grease) whisk the 6 egg whites and pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks, then add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time until you have a glossy, thick mixture. Whisk in the cornflour.

2    2. Spoon the mixture onto a lined baking tray or dish. I use a large white, flat, oven-proof gateau plate as then I don't have to transfer it from the baking tray and therefore avoid cracks! Smooth it into a rough circle (approx.20-25cm) piling it up around the edges and indenting in the centre. 

      3.  Bake for 2 hours 15mins and then switch the oven off and leave the Pavlova inside to cool completely before removing. If you bring it out whilst it’s still hot it’ll be more prone to cracking.

      4. Whisk the double cream until it just starts to thicken and pile it into the centre of the pavlova. Spoon over the lemon curd and swirl it through the cream. Top with blueberries, blackberries, chopped mint and lemon zest.

Lemon curd and poppy seed cupcakes

A friend’s birthday brought about another timely lemon curd fest. The spoonful of lemon curd within each cupcake gives a sweet-sharp hit plus a nice gooey middle against the fluffy sponge.

Makes: 12 cakes

125g soft butter

125g self-raising flour

125g caster sugar

2-3tbsp milk

2 large free-range eggs

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

12 tsp lemon curd

125g soft butter

250g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla paste

Poppy seeds for sprinkling

Lemon zest for decorating

     1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a bun tin with paper cases

     2. I use an electric hand whisk, but you can equally do this by hand with a bit of elbow grease! Whisk the eggs and butter together until they’re pale and fluffy, add the eggs gradually until combined.

     3. Fold through the flour and poppy seeds before adding 2-3tbsp of milk depending on consistency. You want the mixture to drop off the spoon fairly easily but not be too runny.

     4. Spoon the mixture into the cases and pop a teaspoon of lemon curd in the centre of each.

     5. Bake in the oven for approx. minutes until golden and cooked through, then remove and transfer to a wire rack until cool.

     6. To make the icing whisk the butter, icing sugar and vanilla together and spoon into a piping bag. Pipe a swirl of icing on top of each cooled cake and sprinkle each with poppy seeds and a little grated lemon zest. 

Trevor the trout

So I have been dreadful at blogging of late, London life seems to have rushed past me in a flurry of work, cooking and moving house (5 times in 7 months).

The long Jubilee weekend was definitely one of culinary note. I’ve seen more union jack based baked goods than you could shake a stick at and poached 10 whole chickens and hulled hundreds of strawberries destined for an enormous bank holiday buffet for 70 people.

I was given a trout by the family I cooked for over the Jubilee weekend, freshly caught from their river and lovingly bundled up in a cool bag ready for the train trip back to London.I was very excited to cook him (although a little sad), fresh fish just tastes a million times better.

Here’s the how I cooked him, he tasted delish:

Lay a large sheet of foil/baking parchment on a suitably sized baking tray. Thinly slice a bulb of fennel, one onion and a large handful of chestnut mushrooms and scatter them on the foil/baking parchment. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables and stuff with lemon slices and a large handful of roughly chopped fresh tarragon. Top with lemon slices, a good glug of olive oil and a few splashes of dry white wine before parcelling the whole lot up. 

Pop in the oven for around 25minutes (depending on the size of your fish, mine was around 700g) at 190C. It is cooked when the flesh is just firm to the touch and the flesh is just turned from translucent to a pale pink.

Serve with rainbow chard wilted in butter and garlic and seasonal jersey royals with sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Yum.

Orient Express

I have become increasingly interested (or perhaps just totally obsessed) with asian inspired food of late. Not a week goes by without a stir fry or curry. I have decided that my penchant for all things oriental is for various reasons-

-an asian inspired dish is really quick and easy to make, a one pan wonder if you will

-Homemade Asian food impresses

-It’s everywhere from Jamie O’s 30minute meals to Bill Granger’s new book ‘Bill’s Everyday Asian’

-When you’re feeling in need of a bit of a healthy boost what better than a spicy stirfry with loads of chopped vegetables- the more the better and you can just bung in anything you have lurking in the depths of the fridge

Once you have a few staples in the cupboard/fridge it is so simple to turn a bit of meat and some vegetables into an everyday asian feast. Now I have built up my asian essentials I often freestyle with varying amounts of each flavour, these experimental dishes are often the best way to stumble upon a fab new recipe.

My asian essential recommendations would be: soy sauce (I like Tamari), sesame oil, lime juice (fresh or bottled), chilli (red- dried and fresh), root ginger (and lots of it, this keeps for ages in the fridge and is also amazingly warming and a great cold deterrent grated into a mug of hot water with a squeeze of lemon), palm sugar, honey, peanut butter, tamarind paste and coconut milk.

The best thing is ALL of these ingredients keep well so although the initial stock up may seem pricey- they really will last and see you through countless meals, plus you’ll only ever use little bits in most dishes. The only extra thing that really is worth buying fresh is coriander, you can buy a plant and keep it on your window sill for a constant supply of fresh leaves.

My new favourite stirfry recipe is one that I cooked last week for my Dad and I, it was after we’d spent a while bottling last years sloe gin and making up this years and needed something quick and tasty.

For two people:

1 chicken breast, chopped dipped in a little beaten egg then tossed in plain flour

2 shallots, chopped

100g mushrooms, chopped

1-2 pak choi, quartered

Juice 1 lime

1 red chilli chopped

2tsps (or a couple of squeezes) of runny honey

3 tblsp soy sauce

1tblsp sesame oil

A large thumb of peeled & grated ginger (I use LOTS of ginger to give a really good depth of flavour)

chick/veg stock to loosen (probably around 5-6tblsp but add it until you reach your desired consistency)

200g cooked egg noodles

A small bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

-Drizzle a little sunflower/groundnut oil into a wok and place over a medium heat

-Add the shallots and cook gently for around five minutes, until soft

-Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the lime juice, chili, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger

-Add the chicken pieces to the wok and brown briefly before pouring in the soy mixture from the previous step

-Add the mushrooms, and pak choi to the wok and mix everything together well

-Pour in a little stock, bit by bit, until you have a good sauce

-Cook over a medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the pak choi is tender

-Add the cooked noodles to the pan and mix everything together well before sprinkling with the coriander and serving. 

I have become increasingly interested (or perhaps just totally obsessed) with asian inspired food of late. Not a week goes by without a stir fry or curry. I have decided that my penchant for all things oriental is for various reasons- an asian inspired dish is often really quick and easy to make, a one pan wonder if you will Homemade Asian food impresses It’s everywhere from Jamie O’s 30minute meals to Bill Granger’s new book ‘Bill’s Everyday Asian’ When you’re feeling in need of a bit of a healthy boost what better than a spicy stirfry with loads of chopped vegetables- the more the better and you can just bung in anything you have lurking in the depths of the fridge Once you have a few staples in the cupboard/fridge it is so simple to turn a bit of meat and some vegetables into an everyday asian feast. Now I have built up my asian essentials I often freestyle with varying amounts of each flavour, these experimental dishes are often the best way to stumble upon a fab new recipe. My asian essential recommendations would be: soy sauce (I like Tamari), sesame oil, lime juice (fresh or bottled), chilli (red- dried and fresh), root ginger (and lots of it, this keeps for ages in the fridge and is also amazingly warming and a great cold deterrent grated into a mug of hot water with a squeeze of lemon), palm sugar, honey, peanut butter, tamarind paste and coconut milk. The best thing is ALL of these ingredients keep well so although the initial stock up may seem pricey- they really will last and see you through countless meals, plus you’ll only ever use little bits in most dishes. The only extra thing that really is worth buying fresh is coriander, you can buy a plant and keep it on your window sill for a constant supply of fresh leaves. My new favourite stirfry recipe is one that I cooked last week for my Dad and I, it was after we’d spent a while bottling last years sloe gin and making up this years and needed something quick and tasty. For two people: 1 chicken breast, chopped dipped in a little beaten egg then tossed in plain flour 2 shallots, chopped 100g mushrooms, chopped 1-2 pak choi, quartered Juice 1 lime 1 red chilli chopped 2tsps (or a couple of squeezes) of runny honey 3 tblsp soy sauce 1tblsp sesame oil A large thumb of peeled & grated ginger (I use LOTS of ginger to give a really good depth of flavour) chick/veg stock to loosen (probably around 5-6tblsp but add it until you reach your desired consistency) 200g cooked egg noodles A small bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped -Drizzle a little sunflower/groundnut oil into a wok and place over a medium heat -Add the shallots and cook gently for around five minutes, until soft -Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the lime juice, chili, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger -Add the chicken pieces to the wok and brown briefly before pouring in the soy mixture from the previous step -Add the mushrooms, and pak choi to the wok and mix everything together well -Pour in a little stock, bit by bit, until you have a good sauce -Cook over a medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the pak choi is tender -Add the cooked noodles to the pan and mix everything together well before sprinkling with the coriander and serving.

Anna del Conte in discussion with Silvana de Soissons

I recently went to an incredibly interesting talk with the culinary genius Anna del Conte, an Italian born food writer who has just released her latest book ‘Cooking with Coco’, a dedication to cooking with her 12-year-old granddaughter. Being a fan of Anna’s writing and having recently read ‘Risotto with Nettles’- her memoir with food, I was thrilled to meet her and her interviewer Silvana de Soissons, a fellow Italian and founder of The Foodie Bugle magazine. Anna spoke candidly to Silvana about her Italian roots, her upbringing, her move to the UK, and the inevitable difference in each cuisine. Her good friend Nigella Lawson often champions Anna del Conte; they both share an Italian link and the obvious love of good food, coincidently this is how I initially heard of Anna.

Italian food has become highly popular the world over. Anna puts this down to the ease of availability of ingredients- who hasn’t got a tin of tomatoes and some pasta in their cupboard- different to the exhaustive list of ingredients that a lot of other recipes require. Italian food is totally rooted in tradition, the champion dishes are the classics such as Bolognese. Recipes are passed down through the family and imbedded deep within the culture as opposed to the fads and fashion that food has often become linked with in Britain.

Anna del Conte was born into a Milanese family where the family cook Maria nurtured her initial interest in food. With the absence of entertainment for children she would rush off to the kitchen when she got home from school and help. Her mother was also a good cook, and her signature dishes were often requested at dinner parties. Anna came to England in 1949, a time when olive oil was only available in chemists, rationing was still prevalent and nobody had a clue what fennel or an aubergine was. Meat and butter were rationed, but this did not include horsemeat, which Anna would cook and serve to unsuspecting friends.

Although her dedication to her Italian roots is steadfast, she also has a love of a good shepherd’s pie or a sticky toffee pudding, dishes she has adopted into her repertoire.  Her food heroes include Margaret Costa, Jane Grigson, Katie Stewart and Elizabeth David.

Author to many a cookbook, Anna’s latest offering, ‘Cooking with Coco’ is a family cook book aimed at encouraging a child’s interest in food from a young age and based on her granddaughters interest in helping in the kitchen from a young age. The book is set out in chapters ordered by age group- relevant to what capability you can expect. It is bursting with bright, colourful photographs of food and family and regardless of who you want to share the culinary experience or just embark on a solo kitchen mission; the recipes are inspiring, delicious and suitable for anyone. 

Cooking with Coco is available on Amazon.co.uk

The Great British Bake Off

My new favourite program on the telly is the second series of The Great British Bake Off. I suppose it is a talent contest of sorts, far better than any of the usual music varieties. Judged by the infamous Mary Berry (who has written over 60 cookery books!) and Paul Hollywood and hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, the series is now onto episode three and the challenge of bread-baking. 

We've so far watched the 12 contestants bake their way through a cake round, that saw many a flavoured cupcake, coffee and walnut Batternberg, and a celebration cake round with a rather disastrous outcome for one of the baker's creations. The second round was all about tarts, with quiches galore and a technical bake of Mary Berry's very own tarte au cirtron. The most recent round was a rather grueling bread challenge with a particularly tricky focaccia. 

Being a great fan of Mary Berry's I was rather pleased when my mum bought me the Great British Bake Off book as a present last week. It's bursting with baking delights, my first accomplishment of which was a recipe for Earl Grey cupcakes. Being a true early grey drinker these immediately caught my eye- here's the recipe:
For the cakes:
200ml semi-skimmed milk
2 Early Grey teabags (I used 4 to make the earl grey taste a little more prominent)
115g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder


For the icing:
75g unsalted butter, softened
grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons
350g icing sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Heat the milk in a pan until hot
- Add the tea bags and leave to infuse for a couple of minutes then remove
- Measure 150ml of milk and leave to cool 
- In a bowl combine the butter with the sugar and then add the eggs one at a time
- Add a third of the flour followed by a third of the infused milk and repeat until all used
- Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes
- Cool on a wire rack
- To make the icing whizz the ingredients in the food processor until smooth, I tend to whizz the icing sugar on its own first to remove the lumps without having to sieve
- Pipe or spread the icing onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with lemon zest

Tune into The Great British Bake Off on BBC 2 on Tuesday.