Meatballs

Ingredients:

for the meatballs:

250g minced pork
250g minced beef
1 egg
2 tbspns freshly grated parmesan
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbspns semolina or breadcrumbs
good grind black pepper
1 tspn salt
Just put everything in a large bowl, and then, using your hands, mix to combine, before shaping into small balls. Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates that you have lined with clingfilm, and put in the fridge as you finish them.

for the Tomato sauce:

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tspn dried oregano
1 tbspn butter
1 tbspn olive oil (not extra virgin)
700g bottle tomato passata
pinch sugar
salt and pepper
100ml full fat milk
Put the onion, garlic and oregano into the process and blitz to a pulp. Heat the butter and oil in a deep wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over a low-medium for about 10 minutes. Don't let the mixture catch, just let it become soft. Add the bottle of passata and then fill the empty bottle half full with cold water. Add this to the pan with the pinch of sugar, some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes. The tomato sauce will appear thin at this stage, but don't worry as it will thicken a little later. Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don't stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown as you don't want to break them up. Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it. At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper.

Cod Fish Cakes with Crunchy Lime Drenched Salad

Fish Cakes
120g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
4-4tbsp milk
400g cod
1 small red onion finely chopped
2 2bsp chopped parsley
Olive oil for frying.
Put the flour and salt into a bowl, and beat in the egg and milk to make a batter. Stir the cod into the batter with the onion, parsley and a grinding of black pepper. In a large non-stick frying pan shallow fry spoonfulls of the mixture in the oilve oil, until golden brown.

Crunchy Lime Drenched Salad
Juice of 1 lime
1/2tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2tsp black pepper
1/2tsp salt
1/2 cucumber diced
1/2 red onion diced
3 tomatos diced
2-3 sprigs of mint chopped
pinch of sugar
small handful of chopped coriander
In a large serving bowl combine the lime juice, cumin, chilli, pepper, and salt. add the cucumber, onion and tomatoes, toss together and set aside to marinate for 15 mins. Stir in the mint, sugar and coriander and serve.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients
4 lemons, rind and juice
4 eggs
110g/4oz butter
450g/1lb sugar








Method
1. Grate rind of lemons and squeeze out juice. Put sugar, rind and juice, butter and beaten eggs into a large basin on top of a pan of simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until thick and curd coats the back of the spoon. Pour into warm sterile jars, cover, seal and label. Refrigerate.

Indian Feast

Chicken tikka masala
2tbsp vegetable oil
1 large glove garlic chopped
a red chilli deseeded and chopped
2tsp ground cumin
2tsp ground paprika
1/2tsp salt
black pepper
400g chopped tomatoes
300ml double cream
8 pieces of cooked tandoori chicken
Heat the oil, add the garlic, chilli and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
Add the tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and leave to simmer until the chicken is heated through.

Onion bhaji
150g gram flour
1tsp salt
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp bicarb
1/2tsp chilli powder
2tsp lemon juice
2tbsp vegetable oil
8tbsp water
2 onions thinly sliced
2tsp thinly coriander seeds
Sift the flour, salt, cumin, turmeric, bicarb and chilli powder into a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and oil, gradually stir in water until a batter forms, consistancy of single cream.

Heat oil in a deep fat fryer until it reaches 180c. Drop in spoonfulls of the onion mixture and fry for 2 minutes, flip over and continue to fry for a further 2 minutes.

Drain on kitchen paper. Serve with wedges of lemon.

Chilli & Onion Chutney
1 green chilli chopped
1 red chilli chopped
1tbsp white wine vinegar
2 onions finely chopped
2tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp sugar
3tbsp fresh mint

Put the chillies in a small bowl with the vinegar, stir and then drain. Add the chillies to the choped onion, lemon juice, sugar and herbs.
Leave to stand at room temperature or cover and chill for 15 mins.

American Pancakes

9oz plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

250ml milk

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

2oz unsalted butter, melted

Beat the eggs into the milk and add the melted butter.

Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the milk.

Using a wooden spoon beat the mixture quickly to make a batter. Heat a heavy based frying pan. Grease with butter and pour in the batter to make rounds approximately 8cm/3¾ inch diameter.

Cook until bubbles start to appear on the surface, this will take approximately 1 minute. Flip the pancake over and cook the other side.

Continue until you have used up all the batter. Serve the pancakes and pour over the maple syrup.

This has got to be my favorite breakfast.

Seasonal Foods

FOODS IN SEASON NOW
VEGETABLES
artichoke aubergine beetroot broad beans broccoli carrots courgettes cucumber fennel french beans garlic kohlrabi mangetout onions peas potatoes radishes rocket runner beans sorrel watercress
FRUIT & NUTS
apricots blackberries blueberries greengages kiwi fruit loganberries melons nectarines peaches raspberries redcurrants tomatoes
MEAT
lamb rabbit wood pigeon
FISH & SEAFOOD
cod crab dover sole grey mullet haddock halibut herring john dory lemon sole lobster mackerel monkfish plaice salmon sardines scallops sea bass