Spinach Salad

Ingredients

100g Spinach

75g Radicchio Leaves (salad leaves will do)

50g Mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)

50g Parma Ham (torn)

100g Cooked Chicken (torn)

1 Orange (all the juice and half the zest)

1 Tablespoon Natural Yoghurt

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Equipment

1 SHARP Knife

1 Chopping Board

1 Screwtop Jam Jar

1 Serving Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Start by chucking all your leaves into the serving bowl and mixing well, then add in the chicken, mushrooms and ham and mix again.
2. Now, in your jar place the oil, yogurt, orange juice and zest, screw the lid on and shake well, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour your dressing over the salad and mix well before serving.

Serves 4

Mushroom Salad

Ingredients
150g White Button Mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
4 Tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
5 Anchovy Fillets (drained and chopped)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Marjoram (chopped)
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Mixing Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Mix the oil and lemon juice in your bowl. Drop in the sliced mushrooms and mix well until the mushrooms are coated (they'll go brown if not coated well enough and that looks ugly)
2. Stir in the anchovies then season with pepper only and then add the marjoram, stir and leave for 5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and serve (if you season with salt to early it extracts the water from the mushrooms and turns them brown, which again is a look you don't really want)

Serves 4

Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients
175ml Milk
30g Butter
60g Button Mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
1 Tablespoon Plain Flour (level)
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Sauce Pan
1 Wooden Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan gently then cook the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, next add the flour and cook for a further minute, stirring all the time.
2. Now gradually add the milk and bring to the boil (if you've been cooking meat or vegetables, any juice/stock you have left in any pans is a lovely addition) Keep on stirring until the sauce thickens, season and serve.
   

Mushrooms in Red Wine

Ingredients
1 Onion (thinly chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
375g Button Mushrooms (cleaned and bottom of stalks cut off)
125g Smoked Ham (cooked, cut into strips)
1 Teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs
150ml Red Wine
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Baguette to Serve

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Garlic Press
4 Ramekin Dishes
1 Sauce Pan

The Good Bit

1. Heat a splash of oil in the sauce pan and cook the garlic and onion until it goes soft but don't colour it, about 3 minutes, add in the herbs, ham, mushrooms and red wine, season to taste the bring to the boil then turn off the heat and leave for 30 minutes.
2. With about 10 minutes to go, pre heat your oven to 220c 425f gas 7, Divide the mixture between the four ramekin dishes and place in the oven for 15 minutes, serve with the French bread. (This too can be pre prepared in the morning or day before and just given that final blast in the oven on that special day)
   

Serves 4

Basted Lamb and Ginger Rice

Ingredients
4x100g Lamb Steaks (boneless)
200g Long Grain Rice
100g Button Mushrooms (sliced)
450ml Vegetable Stock (hot)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1 Teaspoon Each Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Ground Cumin, Dried Rosemary
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Fresh Coriander (chopped)
1 Inch Fresh Ginger (finely chopped)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cucumber (cut into strips to garnish)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Garlic Press
1 Frying Pan
1 Pastry Brush
1 Spatula
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Zester/Juicer

The Good Bit

1. In the mixing bowl, mix together the cumin, crushed garlic, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of oil then set aside.
   
2. Now add a splash of oil to the frying pan and cook the onion, chopped garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes until soft and golden, then add in the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring all the time, next you want to add the mushrooms, stock and turmeric, stir well, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Whilst that is cooking, heat your grill to high, brush the lamb with the soy sauce mix and cook for 4 minutes, turn over and brush again cooking for another 4 minutes. When the rice is done, stir in the coriander and season to taste.
4. Serve strips of lamb on a bed of rice and sprinkle over the strips of cucumber.
   

Serves 4

Oysters in a Cream Sauce

Ingredients
12 Oysters (opened, rinsed, liquor strained and reserved)
White Wine
2 Tablespoons Butter (unsalted if possible)
2 Spring Onions (chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 Egg (yolk only)
50ml Double Cream
25g Button Mushrooms (finely chopped)
75g Prawns (peeled and cooked, finely chopped)
15g Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Fine Fresh Breadcrumbs
Tabasco Sauce
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Oven Proof Dish
Tin Foil
Blender
1 Pot Washing Brush
1 Saucepan
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Small Mixing Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Start by topping up the reserved liquor with white wine, make up 250ml and set aside, then with the brush scrub the inside of the deeper shells and then place an oyster in each. Now arrange the shells on crumpled tin foil in the oven proof dish, Pre heat your oven to 200c 400f gas mark 6.
   
2. OK now melt the butter in the saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until soft but not coloured then stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute stirring all the time, now pour in the liquor, keep stirring whilst doing this and bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, keep stirring, season and add Tabasco if wanted.
3. In the small mixing bowl, mix the cream with the egg yolk and add 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce then pour this back into the hot sauce and continue to stir until you have a thick sauce, now remove from the heat and add the mushrooms and prawns then spoon over the oysters.
4. Finally mix the breadcrumbs (these should be done in the blender to make them really fine) with the parmesan, sprinkle over the oysters and then whack the dish in the oven, cook for 15-20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and the edges of the oysters begin to curl.
   

Serves 4

Cod with Spicy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients
4 Cod Fillets (de skinned)
1 Lemon (juiced)
1 Onion (thinly chopped)
1 Bay Leaf
4 Black Peppercorns
175ml Natural Yoghurt
125g Button Mushrooms
1 /2 Teaspoon Ginger
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander
Oil
Haricots Verts (to serve)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Mixing Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your grill to medium. Place the fish on a plate and drizzle over the lemon juice and then par cook the fish under the grill for 5 minutes each side.
2. Splash some oil in the frying pan then add the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns, cook for 3 minutes then lower the heat and add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
3. In the mixing bowl, mix together the yoghurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, chilli and salt then pour this spice mix over the onions and continue to fry for 3 minutes.
4. Finally add the cod and cook for another 2 minutes serve garnished with coriander leaves (I suggest haricot verts to go with this)
   

Serves 4

Spiced Scallops

Ingredients
12 Large Scallops (with coral attached) or 350g Scallops (without coral) (coral is the orange bit)
5 Spring Onions (chopped into inch long chunks)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1inch Fresh Ginger (grated)
250g Mangetout (topped and tailed)
125g Button Mushrooms (quartered)
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sherry
1 Tablespoon Honey (clear stuff not set honey)
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds (dry fry in a frying pan for 1 minute before use)
1/4 Teaspoon All Spice (or Chinese 5 spice powder)
A Good Splash of Oil

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Wok
1 Spatula
1 Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Prepare the scallops first (remove any black/grey bits and discard, then remove the coral and finally slice the white meat into 3-4 pieces)
2. Now fry off the spring onions in a splash of oil in a very hot wok, add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 1 minute before adding the mangetout, cook for a further 2 minutes, now pour this mixture into the bowl.
3. In another good splash of oil add the scallops and corals and stir fry for 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms and cooking for another minute, then add the sherry, soy sauce honey and spice mixture and mix well before adding the vegetable mixture back into the pan.
4. Season with salt and pepper, make sure the dish is pipping hot throughout then serve and sprinkle over some of the toasted sesame seeds.
   

Serves 4