No churn lemon and yogurt ice cream

I have a quick recipe that goes very well with the baklava I made a few months ago. I wanted to make a dessert and thought an ice cream would dress up the baklava nicely.

I'm not lucky enough to have an ice cream maker at home so looked for some no churn recipes. I found a simple Mary Berry one which just involved mixing the ingredients, freezing, blitzing and refreezing. The result was a slightly icey but still refreshing ice cream. Good for those without machines and if you're looking for something super simple and sweet. 

 

No churn lemon and yogurt ice cream

Makes 1 ice cream container

300ml full fat yoghurt,

300ml double cream, whisked to soft peaks

2 lemons, juice and zest

350g sugar

300ml milk

Whisk up the double cream and then take the rest of the ingredients and fold through thoroughly. 

Pour in to the container and place in the freezer, leaving it overnight to set. 

Remove from the freezer and the tub, cut in to chunks and blitz on full speed in a food processor. 

Spoon the mix back in to the container and refreeze for at least 4 hours before serving. Scoop and enjoy. 

Promised Persian lamb stew

Following on from the preserved lemon post, I have a beautiful recipe from BBC good food for a Persian lamb 'tagine.' Seeing as it's not cooked in a tagine pot I'm not sure if it can really be called that but it's delicious all the same. It has the magical preserved lemons along with dried fruit, pistachios, rose water and saffron. An exotic treat and something different to do with stewing lamb. You could even make the base and then stir through your leftover roast lamb. 

I cooked it for a surprisingly wet and dreary summer lunch and it hit the spot perfectly. I served it with some couscous cooked in veg stock on the side and a sprinkling of pistachios and coriander. 

Persian lamb stew

Serves 4-6 

1kg lamb neck or a mix of lean and normal casserole meat. 

2 onions, cut in thin wedges

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1level tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric 

1 pinch saffron 

2 cinnamon sticks

750ml water

2 preserved lemons, cut in thin wedges 

150g apricots, chopped roughly

125g dates (I actually used prunes as I prefer them) 

50g pistachio, chopped plus some for sprinkling

1-2 tsp rose water (to taste) 

15g cornflour 

Chopped coriander to serve 

Start by setting the oven to 180 degrees c and getting a cast iron or oven proof pan on the heat.Take the meat in small batches and brown off in a little oil, transferring on to a plate when nicely coloured. 

In the same pan with all the lamb juices fry off the onions for a few minutes then add the garlic and spices minus the saffron. Sauté for 2-3 mins until fragrant but not burnt.

Next add the water saffron, cinnamon, pistachios and lemons. 

Bring to the boil and then put in the oven for about an hour, covered with a lid or tinfoil. 

After an hour, take out and give a good stir, add the chopped dried fruit and return to the oven for a further 30 mins. Remove from the oven and place back on the hob. In a small bowl mix the cornflour with the rosewater and 1 or 2 tbsp water to make a runny paste. Pour in to the stew and boil until thickened slightly. It's now ready to serve with couscous or rice. 

N.B. Adding cornflour isn't traditional but makes the stew a little thicker and helps if you plan to freeze it as I did. I made it mid week, popped in the freezer and then took it out the day before the dinner party. Just put in a 170 degree oven for 40 mins to reheat, making sure it's piping hot.

Everlasting lemons and limes

The title of this post is a slight exaggeration however the recipe does give your life an extension on your lemons. They are preserved lemons, using salt, which are used mainly in middle eastern and North African countries. They have a mellow, deep and of course salty flavour that lends itself well to dishes like tagines. Along with the research on the lemons themselves, I've seen lots of recipes for pasta salads and other dishes that I'm looking forward to trying out. The only trouble with these little yellow gems is that you have to wait a month for them to preserve. 

I couldn't wait that long so ended up buying some to use in a recipe for Persian lamb tagine but I'm sure I'll get through them fast enough. I'll follow with the recipe for the lamb stew which is far more exotic than the one you'd get for tea after school. 

I also have given preserved limes a go as I thought they would be very good for Mexican food, especially cooked down in a nice hot beef chilli. I'm sure I will update you on their progress after a month goes by. 

Preserved lemons/limes 

You will need a sealable litre jar for each fruit. 

Depending on size 9 lemons and 11 limes. They should be tightly packed in. 

Plenty of coarse rock salt. 

Take each fruit, give them a good wash and cut a cross in the top, not quite going all the way through so all 4 wedges are still attached. 

Take a spoonful of salt and stuff it inside then push in to the jar. 

Repeat this process, pushing the fruit down each time to release as much juice as possible whilst sprinkling some more salt in each layer. Fill to the top and add some more salt and give it another squashing for good measure. Leave over night, the juice should come out and fill the jar to the top. If it hasn't then just boil a kettle and cover the fruit. 

Now all you have to do is remember to give the jar a shake upside down every day or so. Once given a month of this they are ready to use. 

Hipster's coffee

Whilst out and about on my travels (mostly reading Timeout) I've noticed a trend with something called 'cold brew coffee.' Immediately my interest was spiked as I'm rather partial to a cold glass of coffee. Upon reading more on the matter I've discovered it's a lot like using a French press and ground coffee but instead of using hot water, brewing for a few minutes, you use cold water and leave to steep for up to 24 hours. The result is apparently a much less acidic and bitter drink with light coffee flavours but still the same caffeine hit. After giving it a go I would agree with this statement. It definitely lacks the punch of an espresso based or hot brewed coffee but there is a subtly complexity that I enjoyed. It is also makes summer life amazingly easy when you have some cold coffee sitting in the fridge ready to mix with ice and milk for a refreshing hit. Having said that, you can also keep it at room temperature and mix with some boiling water for a hot drink too, just add more coffee grounds whilst brewing to produce a stronger base. 

I read some articles it can last up to a month in a sterelised jar in the fridge so even if you're not a regular drinker it's rather handy. If you like coffee give it a try. 

Cold brew coffee

Makes 6-8 cups of coffee 

80-100g course ground coffee (it has to be course to avoid a cloudy drink and residue after straining. I just blitzed some beans in a food processor and got them as fine as possible) 

1 litre of cold water.

Get a large container and pour boiling water inside to sterelise then empty. After this just chuck in the coffee and water, give a good mix and then leave in the fridge or room temperature for at least 16 hours or up to 24. Make sure you stir or mix the brew a few times during this period. 

Once brewed take a sieve lined with muslin and strain off. When it has fully drained, repeat this process 3-4 times to produce a clear, clean product.

It's now ready decant in to a sealable sterilised jar or bottle and enjoyed at your leisure (kilner jars are perfect for this.)

Chicken jointing and jerking.

When it comes to butchery and all things associated with it, I'm very much a novice. I know having the skills to joint meat and fillet fish can save you a lot of money but I've never had the chance to learn properly. I managed to pick up a reduced whole chicken and instead of doing a boring old roast I thought I would use the opportunity to try my hand at butchery. I found a few sites which gave helpful step by step instructions along with photos and thought I'd give it a go. 

I ended up with 6 pieces of meat on the bone, 2 breasts (and 2 chicken breasts too) and a carcass perfect for making soup/stock from. 

Thinking how much you would spend to get all this ready-cut compared to the price of a whole chicken, it really is worth having a go. Once cut it was a bit rough around the edges but when it's cooked you wouldn't notice. After all, practice really does make perfect. 

I could have easily done a number of different recipes with all the meat I got and will definitely make the effort to do so in future

However, I'd previously spotted a good recipe for jerk paste and wanted to use it with the meat on the bone. The recipe was plenty for that and the breasts too so I just marinaded them separately and popped them in the freezer for a rainy day. I served the jerk chicken with rice and peas (I won't put my own recipe in as once again my nemesis, rice, defeated me and I burnt it badly) and a sunny little tomato and sweet corn salsa (I will include this recipe, nothing to burn here.)

Jointed chicken

Makes 8-10 pieces

Start with your chicken on a board and a sharp knife. (I actually swapped out the Chinese cleaver for a smaller sharper knife as there is no real need to cut the bones.) Take off the band and spread apart the legs, taking hold of the first one start to cut between the main body and the leg. Once cut through to the bone you should be able to just snap it out of the socket, use a knife if you are struggling. Repeat this process and you will have your two legs. You can keep this whole or do as I did and cut the leg to the bone and then snap at the joint to give you 2 thighs and two drumsticks. Put to one side.

Repeat this process and you will have your two legs that will need tidying up so remove the small joint at the end which is where the feet used to be. You can then keep this whole or do as I did and cut the leg to the bone and then snap at the joint to give you 2 thighs and two drumsticks. Put to one side.

Next you can run the knife down the middle of the body until you find the centre bone. Very gently run your knife down along the ribcage, trying to take all the meat (breast meat) off the bone, including the wing (as seen on the left of the photo.)

You can then remove the wings from the breast by cutting right to the edge of the joint, making sure not to leave any breast on the wing. You are now have enough meat and bones for at least 3 separate meals.

Jerk Marinade
makes enough for a whole chicken

1 small red onion
3 cloves of garlic
1-3 whole, scotch bonnets depending on your spice levels
1-2 red chillis, ditto
small handful of thyme, leaves picked
small handful of coriander
zest of two limes, reserve the juice and limes for cooking
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 nutmeg grated
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper

Chop the onion and chilies in to chunks and place with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or pestle and mortar if you're going old school and blitz to a paste. Put the meat in a freezer bag and pour over the paste. Leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. 

When ready to cook either place on a BBQ until cooked through and charred nicely or do as I did, place on a tray with the limes squeezed over and popped on too. Put in a 180 degrees oven for about an hour until the chicken starts to char. 

Put in a 180 degrees oven for about an hour until the chicken starts to char. You're then ready to serve.

Tomato and sweetcorn salsa

Take 2 ripe tomatoes and cut in the chunks, a handful of sweetcorn, chopped sweet red pepper and mix with some chopped coriander, juice of half a lime, pinch of sugar and salt and a sprinkle of Tabasco. Ready to serve straight away. 

Not quite tabbouleh.

Middle Eastern food has long been a favourite of mine ever since my teen years when my mum would treat me to Lebanese for lunch after going shopping in our local town. Even in my youthful naivety, the star of the mixed mezze plate was the fresh and zingy tabbouleh salad that accompanied it. If you've ever had proper tabbouleh then you'll know that it's mostly parsley with a tiny amount of bulgar wheat tomatoes and maybe some other ingredients mixed in with a lemony dressing. This is far from the salad we would have at home BBQ's which was made mostly for filling up tummies and therefore primarily made of bulgar wheat, cucumber and tomatoes. 

Now the heat has finally arrived and its the season for salads along with a little health kick, I thought it would be good to get creative with some lighter dishes. 

The plan was to have a Sunday roast chicken with a slight alteration. Still the tasty, crispy chicken but serve it with a butternut squash salad (recipe to follow) and a tabbouleh salad somewhere between the original and the bulky one of my childhood. The result was on point, light and refreshing whilst still being filling. Recommended for anyone looking for an accompaniment to a summer roast lunch to be enjoyed on a hot day. 

Bulky tabbouleh

Serves 4

1 handful of bulgar wheat, rinsed under a cold tap

1/2 red onion finely chopped

3 salad Tomatoes cut in to rough cubes or a handful of halved baby tomatoes 

1/3 of a cucumber, seeds removed and cut in to bitesized pieces

1 big handful of parsley, chopped

4 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped 

Juice of a lemon

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Boil a kettle, pour over the bulgar wheat then cover with cling film. Let that sit for 5-8 minutes until doubled in size and tender. Drain off and then run under the cold tap until cool. Leave this in the sieve so all the excess water drains off. 

Meanwhile prepare all the other ingredients in a bowl except the lemon and oil. Once ready, mix through the bulgar wheat, adding more chopped herbs if needs be. Then dress the salad, taste and serve. 

The unpronounceable cocktail

It's time for something a bit different and that comes in the form of a cocktail recipe instead of a standard food recipe. I've recently discovered a new cocktail favourite called a caipirinha which is a cachaca (like rum but made using pure sugar cane rather than the leftovers) based cocktail. The name is the only bad element to this drink as it's rather confusing to say, especially for someone who has trouble speaking coherently on the best of days. The best tip I've managed to find in the Internet is by saying k-eye-pir-een-hya and hope for the best. 

 I normally prefer a citrus flavoured cocktail and gin is my spirit of choice so this is familiar but unusual at the same time. The only ingredients are lime, sugar, cachaca and ice. Easily made and definitely easily drank.

 

Caipirinha 

Serves 2

3 limes, quartered pith removed and then cut in half again. 

2-3 teaspoons of raw sugar (Demerara or caster is fine)

Crushed ice

2 5cl shots of cachaca 

A handy wooden muddler or mini rolling pin to smash up the limes

The super cheap bottle of cachaca I bought in duty free came with perfect pictured instructions so I'll just leave them here:

Healthy bruschetta

Since returning from holiday where fruit and ready made salads were plentiful, I've had something of a revelation on how good it all can be. Having a break from the usual stodgy and unhealthy diet has done wonders for the way I've felt and even my skin looks better. Obviously it's all made easier at this time of year when there are so many good fruits and vegetables in season, tasting as they should so hopefully this little health kick will last. Obviously I'll still enjoy the fattier things in life but trying to establish a healthier balance is a little goal at the moment. 

One little fruit that is particularly good at the moment is the humble tomato. Whether you buy them on the vine, as big salad tomatoes or in miniature they are ideal when the weather is hot and you're in need of something light and refreshing. 

I've even managed to get a bumper crop of baby tomatoes on our little balcony so I'm excited for them to ripen. Be prepared for tomato recipes galore! 

I've always kept tomatoes in the fridge thinking that it's best to keep them fresh for longer but I recently read it's best to keep them at room temperature where they can ripen further and won't lose their flavour. Their shelf life is certainly shorter but they will taste so good they won't last that long anyway. Here is a simple lunch or snack recipe to enjoy them once ripe and juicy. 

Low-fat bruschetta

Serves 2

1/2 red onion or shallot finely chopped

1/2 clove of garlic finely grated or crushed 

4 or 5 really ripe tomatoes depending on size, chopped in to rough cubes. 

A squeeze of lemon

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 

Plenty of salt and black pepper

A touch of sundried tomato paste (optional) 

Ryvitas 

Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl and taste, making sure you can taste the garlic and there is enough salt to bring out the flavour and juice of the tomatoes. You can serve this straight away or leave the mix in the fridge for an hour or more for it to marinade.

Spread the ryvita with the sundried tomato paste if using and then top with your bruschetta mix. Serve with some fresh basil over the top

Tip: For something more indulgent or a nice dinner party starter, replace the ryvita with some old ciabatta cut in to slices, rubbed with the cut side of a garlic clove, drizzled with olive oil and toasted on a griddle pan or under a grill. 

Thai red seafood curry

Carrying on with aquatic theme, I have a recipe involving some of the seafood shacked up in my freezer. Like many of the recipes I use, it's totally adaptable to other meats or vegetables so if all things fishy doesn't take your fancy, by all means swap it out for beef, chicken or even something like butternut squash. 

I was lucky enough to be treated with a trip to a wing yip supermarket (amazing Asian superstore) the other weekend. It was a compromise really as first on the list was IKEA but this was quickly ruled out by my other half. Instead he got to watch me marvel at every single shelf while trying not to cry with boredom, I know, he is a lucky guy. 

I already had the seafood and curry paste (cheating a little bit but they are so handy!) All I needed was some fresh herbs and vegetables, to stock up on some rice and get some tinned goods. Obviously I ended up with a little more than that but I don't think I did too badly in terms of pointless purchases.

I did find some coconut oil which is meant to be great to cook with. I used it in the curry and I have to say it did seem much less oily than usual. I also picked up some palm sugar and tamarind paste which is pretty essential in finishing Thai dishes but I've just been substituting with brown sugar and lime. They definitely made for a more authentic tasting dish and I'm very pleased that I invested in them. 

The key of all Asian cooking is achieving balance with hot, sour, sweet and salty and it's the secret to its addictive taste. Obviously I'm nowhere near an expert on Asian cuisine but I know what I like and I'm ok with playing around with it and getting it wrong once in a while. Confidence is key and worse comes to worse you can always just have beans on toast if it all goes tits up. So give it a try and remember to taste, then season and  then taste again. 

Thai red curry

Serves 4 

1 shallot or onion, finely chopped

50g red curry paste (add more or less depending on your spice levels)

1 aubergine, cut in to cubes

1 tin of coconut milk

2 kaffir lime leaves (this really makes a difference!)

2 tbsp tamarind paste or to taste

1 small piece of palm sugar,chopped or some brown sugar to taste 

1 small tin bamboo shoots

1 handful of sugar snap peas and/or baby sweet corn

Half a red pepper chopped

1 handful of mixed seafood/prawns/meat of choice

Fish sauce to taste

Roughly chopped coriander, Thai basil and some bean sprouts to finish. 

Start by frying off the shallot in the coconut oil or vegetable oil for a minute or so until translucent then add in the aubergine. Fry for a little while, the aubergine will soak up some of the oil but this is ok. Next add the paste and fry that off for a few minutes then you can add in the coconut milk and kaffir leaves. 

Now add the tamarind, bamboo shoots and sugar then leave the curry to cook down for 5-10 minutes allowing the flavours to develop. If using meat then add in now to give it time to cook through. 

The last stages are to add in your vegetables in the order of their cooking time though they should be nice and crunchy. Lastly the seafood goes in, if using, making sure not to over cook. Serve with some jasmine rice, the herbs and bean sprouts sprinkled over top. 

Top tip: large supermarkets should sell kaffir lime leaves and they keep beautifully in the freezer ready to go straight in to Asian curries and stir fries. They add that extra something! 

 

Stupidly simple scallop starter

When it comes to hosting dinner at your house, I'm a firm believer in keeping it simple so you can actually spend most of the time with your guests rather than holed up in the kitchen. That and when you start cooking have a glass of wine or g&t at hand. There is nothing worse than hearing everyone having all the fun while you are slaving away in the kitchen, trust me! Dishes that you can prepare in advance and then just assemble when you're ready will become your trusty friends, especially if they have hardly any components to them. This dish in particular only has two things to cook and one of them you can get ready beforehand. The latter is a rather fancy sounding vegetable puree but really it's super easy to make. The veg in question is celeriac ('the ugly veg') which really is extremely underrated. It goes very well with pork as well as scallops and the truffle oil I used to finish this dish. I'll put some variations at the bottom with the recipe in case truffle oil is too expensive for your budget or you don't like the humble celeriac. Essentially this is something to play around with, is simple but still gives the wow factor. 

Pan fried scallops with celeriac puree and truffle oil. 

Serves 4 

1 small celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped in to cubes

Milk

A dash of cream 

A knob of butter

Salt and pepper

12 large scallops, with or without the roe

Truffle oil

A green herb to garnish such as lemon thyme, chives, parsley or thyme. 

First place your celeriac in a pan and pour over the milk until it's covered. Add some salt and put on a medium heat being careful as the milk will burn quickly. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat. Simmer until very tender. Once cooked, drain off the milk but keep it and pop the celeriac in to a blender. Add a little of the milk and blitz, adding more if you need it. It shouldn't be runny at all (no soup here!) but should be smooth and thick. Add in a tiny bit of cream, butter and adjust the seasoning. Leave in a container until ready to serve. 

Take a large frying pan and get it smoking hot. Add in some oil and a bit of butter then quickly add your scallops. Don't worry about burning them, you want a nice golden brown colour on them to get some extra flavour. After about 2-3 minutes flip them over and give them another 2 minutes. Take off the heat and warm through the puree if it's cooled down completely but if it's still warm go ahead! 

Put a dollop of puree on the plate, feel free to make it fancy if you want, then place the scallops round and drizzle with a little truffle oil. Garnish with the herbs and serve. 

Variations with scallops:

Celeriac and apple - same recipe but add some peeled and sliced apple with the scallops. 

Celeriac/cauliflower with bacon lardons - same but cook some lardons first, take out the pan and then cook the scallops in the bacon fat. 

Curried scallops with califlower - make a califlower puree in the same way as above and dust some curry powder on the scallops before cooking. 

Califlower with chorizo - same as above with the bacon. 

'Poor' man's pasta

This is the ultimate easy pasta dish that packs a punch but not in your pocket. It's one of my favourites that I will always go back to because 9/10 times I'll have all the ingredients sitting in my fridge and cupboards. It is also a good recipe to use up bits of meat/seafood sitting around in the fridge or you can dress it up in to something a bit special. The main three ingredients are lemon, garlic and chilli but this time I added in prawns to make it more of an event. It will go nicely with bacon, chicken, mixed seafood or even some broken up sausages with the skins removed. Ready in about 15 minutes what's not to love? 

Garlic, chilli and lemon pasta

Serves 2

3-4 minced or crushed garlic (this is important so the flavour gets all over the pasta

1-2 fresh chillies with seeds (or without depending on tolerance to spice)(you can also use dried flaked chilli instead of fresh but don't go crazy as that stuff can be very spicy)

1 whole lemon, zest and juice

A healthy glug of olive oil (this is the base of your sauce so be generous) 

15-18 uncooked prawns or a meat/fish of your choosing (optional) 

Spaghetti for two people

1 small handful of chopped parsley

Start by getting the pasta cooking, boil some water and add plenty of salt, don't worry about using too much it will drain off. Add your pasta and then get a large frying pan on the heat.

Begin with a medium heat and add the oil, garlic, chilli and zest of the lemon saving the juice for later. Turn down the heat so you don't burn the garlic and slowly cook down. Keep stirring and if the garlic starts to catch then lower the heat. 

When the pasta is nearly cooked add your prawns and turn the heat up a little so they start to cook and go pink. Add a little salt and black pepper to taste. 

Drain the pasta but make sure you save some of the water it was cooked in. When you can see the prawns are cooked through then add the parsley and pasta to the frying pan with some of that cooking water. Keep stirring through until all the pasta is coated and the water and oil have thickened in to a sauce (the starch from the pasta will have done this for you and this is the secret to this dish.) Serve with a simple green salad. 

Mackerel fillets with beetroot and horseradish.

It's coming up to my last week at my current workplace and I've managed to buy some fish and seafood from them at a very reasonable price, ready to stock up my best friend, the freezer. So expect a theme to my blog posts over the coming months as I try my hand at all things oceanic. Don't panic, I'm sure there will be something for those that aren't friends with fish. 

I thought I'd start with mackerel fillets as I'm attempting something like a health kick and have started attending a gym(!) It was designed to be ideal for a post workout meal, an oily fish packed with omega three, fresh veg and some light carbs too. I know very little as to what makes a good meal after the gym but this is what I imagine it would be and that's good enough for me. 

The unsung hero on this plate for me is the lowly beetroot. It's an absolute favourite of mine, especially with a salad! I always try to buy the ready boiled vacuum packed packets in the salad section as they last for yonks. Have it cold on the side of a plate, blitz up with vegetable stock for a soup or roasted. It's a much more interesting alternative to carrots. It also pairs very well with horseradish, as does our friend the mackerel. Who said three is a crowd? 

Mackerel fillets with beetroot and horseradish sauce. 

Serves 2

4 mackerel fillets (2 whole fish)

1 large handful of new potatoes

2 whole boiled beetroot cut in to cubes

5 or 6 asparagus spears cut in to smaller pieces

Hot horseradish or even better fresh root.

Start by getting the new potatoes on the boil or whatever type of potatoes you prefer. 

Then take the fish fillets and put them skin side up, take a sharp knife and make  3 or 4 slits in the skin being careful not to go all the way through. I didn't get a photo of this as I didn't remember until I'd already put one lot in the pan but you can kind of see in the final shot. 

Get a frying pan very hot and then add a little oil. Place the fillets in skin side down and hold for a few seconds to stop them from curling, the slits will help this too. Let them sizzle away, the skin acting as a nice little barrier for the fish. They should be cooked in about 6-8 minutes depending on thickness. 

Next just cube up the beetroot and put to one side then cut the asparagus for quick cooking. About 2 minutes before the potatoes are done add in your asparagus. 

When everything is ready, drain the veg, flip your fillets over to skin side up, take off the heat and serve with horseradish sauce mixed with a little light mayo (or double cream/creme fraiche if you're being naughty.)

Egg and soldiers with a twist.

Excuse the absence of my usual Monday blog post, general life and lack of back dated written entries has got the better of me. The post I've been working on has been slightly lengthier than I intended, mostly down to the amount of photos taken and needed for it. For now, here is more of a serving suggestion than a recipe but tasty nonetheless. 

I managed to aquire some duck eggs and wanted to do something other than make sexy scrambled eggs with them. 

Dippy eggs came to mind but I wanted to keep it carb free so I thought to use fresh asparagus instead. To jazz it up a bit, I wrapped the asparagus with prosciutto, turning it in to a delicious meaty soldier. Served with a peppery rocket salad it was a lovely light dinner, perfect for a warm (ha!) summers evening. 

Boiled duck eggs and asparagus soldiers. 

Serves 2 

4 duck eggs

10-14 sticks of asparagus

4-6 slices of prosciutto/Parma ham 

Handfuls of rocket dressed in olive oil

Take two pans of water, fill with water and bring to the boil. In the first, carefully drop the eggs in to the water once bubbling. Keep your eggs at room temperature and use a slotted spoon to prevent the eggs cracking, they are more fragile than regular hens eggs. Start a timer for 6 minutes (mine managed to freeze so the eggs were a little over but this should be perfectly dippy with the average duck egg.) 

Next cut the woody ends off the asparagus or simply bend it at the end and it will break off naturally. This way you know you're just getting rid of the stringy bit. Pop in the other pan of boiling water with some salt and boil until the bottoms are slightly soft when you pinch it. Don't over cook or it will be impossible to dip and you'll lose all the flavour! 

Once cooked, drain off and when it's ok to handle, wrap with the prosciutto/Parma ham. Drain off the eggs and serve in egg holders with the tops cut off. 

N.B. A nice but naughty variation would be to use streaky bacon in place of the prosciutto. Simply parboil the asparagus instead of fully cooking. Cool, wrap with the bacon and then either grill, griddle or BBQ until brown and crispy. 

Mexican Steak and bean wraps with homemade guacamole.

You may have noticed that although I love food made from scratch, I'm not shy of using a few shortcuts here and there. As with any sane person, time is precious to me. If there is a chance of saving some without compromising the final product, I'm in! This time it came in the form of a tin of mixed beans from tesco. I was looking at the shelf for some mixed beans in water but saw 'Tesco taco mix beans and Mexican sauce.' Hello shortcut. 

I made a simple stew by adding some fresh ingredients to the beans and served it inside the homemade tortillas with cheese, steak strips and guacamole on the side. A little naughty but all those vegetables make up for it, right?

Mexican bean stew with steak

Serves 2 with leftovers

1 courgette or 3 super cute baby courgettes, sliced

1 tin taco mixed beans

1 small tin sweet corn

Half a red pepper, chopped

Half or a whole chilli finely chopped (to taste)

3 or 4 spring onions, sliced

2 thin cut steaks

Firstly take the courgette and fry off in a pan until slightly browned. Next add in the beans, corn, peppers, and chilli. Allow to cool down slightly, add in some water if it gets too dry. 

Leave the beans on a low heat and get a pan really hot. I used the pan I had been cooking the tortillas in so it was already nicely hot, nearly smoking. Add in a small amount of oil and butter, let it froth and then pop in your steaks. The thin cut steaks really only need about 3 minutes cooking if you want them pink. Start with 2 minutes on one side, leave it to cook quickly and then turn it. Take it off the heat and leave to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing in to strips. 

Lastly add in the spring onions to the bean mix and serve. 

Fresh guacamole

Makes 4 portions depending on size of avocados

Take half a chilli and finely chop, along with a handful of chopped coriander and mix together. Add in 3 small ripe tomatoes that have cut in to cubes. Halve the avocados and peel, then chop roughly. Add in to the other ingredients and mash with a fork. Last add lime juice and salt to taste, mix through and it's ready to eat.