From time to time I get a real craving for something sweet after dinner. I could go and raid the biscuit tin; I have bourbons in there presently and they would go down a treat. But actually, I want something a little healthier and that’s where these mint, orange and raspberry ice lollies come in. They take moments to make and I can grab one from the freezer to cool down in this lovely summery weather we’re having and at the same time satisfy my sweet tooth. I have been growing some mint in the garden beautifully named ‘chocolate mint’ so I used some of that, you can use whatever mint you can get your hands on.
Sticky Chilli Chicken with Avocado Rice Salad
I have to admit that I turn to a chicken dinner in some form or other most weeks. Especially as the evenings get lighter and warmer as it’s an easy meal to pull together and so flexible on the ingredients used too. My latest offering, this sticky chilli chicken with avocado rice salad, is full of colour and vibrant flavour and ready in 30 minutes. Trust me on the grapefruit. If you don’t fancy using chicken in this then I think tofu, halloumi or aubergine would be great alternatives.
Saint Clements Breakfast Juice
Eating an orange as it comes is something I do not enjoy. Peeling it and eating it makes such a mess and there’s pith everywhere; slicing it into segments and chewing the orange flesh from the skin isn’t particularly pleasant either. However, slicing it and adding to desserts or using the juice is something that I think it worth the time. Nothing beats properly fresh orange juice. A nice glass of Saint Clements breakfast juice was on the cards with my latest delivery of oranges; a fantastically zingy way to start the day.
Chocolate, Thyme and Lemon Shortbread
Adding herbs to bakes and drinks is something I really like to do. I like the botanical flavour that herbs can bring to various dishes and I think woody herbs really suit being paired with chocolate. These chocolate, thyme and lemon shortbread biscuits are a delicious combination of flavours if I do say so myself and if you’re unsure about adding herbs to a biscuit you’ll just have to give it a try!
Ingredients
You will need (for 12 squares):
- 180g plain flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 50g caster sugar
- 150g softened butter
- 50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1tsp dried thyme
- Zest 1 lemon
Method
Preheat your oven to 160C and line a baking dish; I used a square one for this batch but round or circular dishes work just as well.
Blood Orange Posset
Slicing open a blood orange has an air of anticipation about it. Will it be intense purple almost throughout, have a few red stripes or actually be mostly orange? Whichever colour you end up with they all have the same fantastic flavour. I love cooking with blood oranges; adding a splash to a cocktail or baking them into something delicious. This recipe for blood orange posset was something I had never tried before and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. Just three ingredients are needed for a pudding that tastes so much more than the sum of its parts.
Beetroot, Horseradish and Salmon Sandwiches
Just look at those Chioggia beetroot. Aren’t they beautiful? Not only do these beetroot, also known as candy beetroot, look brilliant their vibrant stripes can’t fail to cheer you up even on the gloomiest of days. These beetroot, horseradish and salmon sandwiches came about because I love the combination of earthy, sweet beetroot and fiery horseradish with smoked foods. That, and I fancied something for lunch that wasn’t just toast! Another great thing about this variety of beetroot is that you don’t need to clean the entire kitchen after peeling them; they have hardly any of the staining power of their deep purple cousin.
Upside Down Lime Cake
Citrus in January is obligatory as far as I’m concerned. Whether its limes, lemons, grapefruits, blood oranges or, if you’re lucky, bergamot lemons there’s always got to be something citrussy in the kitchen. That sharp hit of acidic, fresh taste is just what I need on these cold, grey days and if that lifting flavour can be added to a cake then it’s all the better. This Upside Down Lime Cake was born out of necessity; my need to be greedy and a need to use up all the limes I had in my fruit bowl.
Mince Pie Fruit Loaf
I love a mince pie, but they have to be just right. I want the pastry to mince filling ratio to be almost 50:50; too much filling and you can forget it. Preferably my mince pies will be warm and covered in (clotted, ideally) cream. However, I can’t possibly eat that every single day and I still need my mince pie fix. This is how my Mince Pie Fruit Loaf came about; designed to have all the fruity spiciness from a mince pie but without the pastry and cream. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of butter for spreading!
Chipotle and Bean Soup
I really struggle to know what to have for lunch sometimes. Usually I am scrambling round in the cupboards trying to find some sort of suitable sandwich filling but I do get terribly bored of sandwiches. If I’m lucky I’ll have some keptovers to warm up and I do pay a visit to a local independent café from time to time too. Well enough is enough. I have decided to batch cook and freeze a range of healthy, filling, vegan soups; one of which is this Chipotle and Bean Soup. So that I can grab whichever soup I fancy and not have to think about what’s on the meal plan for dinner I am making them vegan, stuffed full of veg and flavour packed. I hate to have the same thing for lunch and dinner you see!
No Alcohol Pomegranate Mojito
When it comes to adult soft drinks there are some good options but I don’t like any that are overly sickly and sweet. Fruit juices can be good but they are a little dull; I’m after something which is a bit snazzy. A drink where there has been a little effort put in. My no alcohol pomegranate mojito is so easy to make and packed full of flavour, the pinks and greens are so lovely together and using tonic rather than lemonade gives this mojito a nice bitterness. I made these recently for two guests that came round as I knew both of them wouldn’t be drinking and they went down a treat. You can’t go wrong with mint and lime together as far as I’m concerned.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 15
- Next Page »
