Potato Pie

Ingredients
375g Shortcrust Pastry
500g Potatoes (sliced)
1 Onion (sliced)
100g Gruyere Cheese (grated)
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Thyme
1 Egg (beaten)
Salt and Pepper
Flour (just for rolling your pastry on)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1x23cm Pie Tin (lined with baking parchment/paper)
1 Rolling Pin
1 Pastry Brush

The Good Bit

1. Split the pastry in half and roll 1 half out so it is large enough to fit in the pie tin, brush water around the top adges. Now layer the potato cheese and thyme into your pie then roll out the other half of pastry as the lid.
2. Lay this lid on top and press down firmly around the edges, then cut away any bits that are hanging over the side. Press your thumb around the edges to create a pattern (and also help seal the lid)
3. Score the lid with a fork then brush it with the egg, finally pierce a couple of holes in the top of the pie, and stick it in your oven for an hour-1 1/4 hours (it should be golden when it comes out and soft when skewered) Serve hot or cold with a salad.

Serves 4

Potato and Parsley Gnocchi

Ingredients
1 Kg Potatoes (scrubbed)
1 Egg (beaten)
4 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (chopped)
300g Plain Flour
Butter (for frying, optional)
Salt and Pepper
Parsley+Parmesan to serve

Equipment
1 Large Pan (1/2 filled with boiling salted water)
1 Potato Peeler
1 Potato Masher
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Slotted Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Cook Your potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they are soft, drain, rinse under cold water, peel and then mash them in another bowl
   
2. Stir in the egg, parsley and a good bit of seasoning, then add the flour, a tablespoon or so at a time (you may not need all that much flour, it depends on the variety of potato) until you have a dough that is not sticky.
3. Divide your dough into 4 equal balls then roll them into sausages about 2-3cm thick, you now want to cut the rolls into 2cm long chunks, then drop them into boiling water until they float.
4. (you have the option at this stage to fry the gnocchi in a little butter to give a realy golden look but it's not necessary) Serve with black pepper, parmesan shavings and chopped parsley

Serves 4

Crispy Potato Skins

Ingredients
4 Large Baking Potatoes
Olive Oil
100ml Creme Fraiche
1 Tablespoon Horseradish Sauce
2 Smoked and Peppered Mackerel Fillets
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 Oven Tray
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Mixing Bowl
2 Metal Spoons
1 Pastry Brush

The Good Bit

1. Preheat your oven too 200c 400f gas 6, scrub your potatoes and prick them, cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until tender then remove and cut each into 6 to 8 wedges.
   
2. In the meantime mix together the creme fraiche and horseradish and season with salt and pepper. Scoop out the centres of the wedges leaving about 1cm of potato before you hit skin, brush them with oil and stick back in your oven for 25 minutes until golden.
3. Whilst you are waiting for that to do, break your fish into strips, dollop sauce into each of the potato skins and top with little bits of fish.

Serves 4

Rosti and Bacon

Ingredients
500g Potatoes (leave the skins on but wash well)
6 Rashers Bacon (chopped)
45g Butter
Salt and Pepper
A Splash of Oil

Equipment
1 Large Pan (1/2 filled with boiling salted water)
1 Frying Pan
1 Chopping Board
1 SHARP Knife
1 Cheese Grater
1 Firm Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Cook your potatoes for 10 minutes then allow to cool, peel them and then grate them.
2. Now fry your bacon off in a splash of oil for 3-4 minutes then add 1/3 rd of the butter until it begins to bubble then add your potato. Season the mixture well and stir for 3 minutes, then press it down firmly with your spatula and cook for 9 minutes without stirring.
3. Next you want to place a plate over your frying pan allowing you to flip the rosti on to it, once on the plate, add the last knob of butter to the frying pan, bring to a bubble then slide your rosti back into the frying pan. Press down firmly again and cook for another 6 minutes. Serve (if you skewer your rosti, it should feel tender when cooked)

Serves 4

Courgette and Tomato Bake

Ingredients
4 Courgettes (sliced but not peeled)
4 Large Tomatoes (sliced)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
110g Mozzarella (sliced)
4 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan
Small Bunch Fresh Basil (roughly torn)
A Splash of Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Garlic Press
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Ovenproof Dish

The Good Bit

1. Start by frying the crushed garlic in a little oil then add your courgette in 1 single layer in the frying pan (you may have to do a few batches here, get them golden on each side)
2. Pre heat your oven too 190c 375f gas 5. When that is done, lay them in alternating layers in your ovenproof dish with the tomato and mozzarella, so you get something that looks like the slates on your roof. Then sprinkle over some salt and pepper, basil and the parmesan and bake for 30 minutes

Serves 4 as a starter 2 as a main

Chilli Polenta Chips

Ingredients

350g Instant Polenta

2 Teaspoons Chilli Powder

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

150ml Sour Cream

1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley (chopped or use chives, i love chives in sour cream)

1 1/2 Litres of Boiling Water

Salt and Pepper

Equipment

1x2 Inch deep Baking Tray

1 Large Pan

1 Wooden Spoon

1 Mixing Bowl

1 Metal Spoon

Paper Towel/Kitchen Paper

The Good Bit

1. Bring your water to the boil then add in 2 teaspoons of salt, pour in your polenta in a steady stream stiring all the time, reduce the heat and keep stirring, after 5 minutes or so you should be able to stand your spoon in the mixture.
2. Once at this point, remove from the heat, stir in your chilli and a good seasoning of salt and pepper and then pour into your baking tray until you have a thickness of about 4 cm, now you want to allow this to cool.
3. Whilst you are waiting mix together your sour cream and parsely and place in the fridge, Now you want to cut your polenta into chip size pieces and fry them in a little oil on each side until crispy and golden (3-4 Minutes), then drain on kitchen paper and serve.

Serevs 4

Capri Salad

Ingredients

2 Beef Tomatoes

125g Mozzarella Cheese

12 Black Olives (pitted and sliced)

8 Basil Leaves

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Equipment

1 SHARP Knife

1 Chopping Board

1 Grill Pan

The Good Bit

1. start by cuting each tomato into 6 slices, then do the same as best you can with the mozzarella, now you want to start with a base of tomato, a slice of mozzarella and a few slices of olive and 1 basil leaf, repeat this layer twice and stack on top of each other, when you are done you should have 4 stacks, with 3 layers of tomato, cheese and olives to each stack (hiding the olives under the cheese on the top layer, you'll also have no basil for this layer).
2. Grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese just begins to melt, drizzle over a drop of oil, and a drop of balsamic vinegar then season with salt and pepper and serve

Serves 4

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

Yellow Pepper Salad

Ingredients
4 Rashers of Bacon/A Handful of Lardons (cooked and chopped into chunks)
2 Yellow peppers (de seeded and sliced)
8 Radishes (trimmed and cut into wedges)
1 Stick Celery (thinly chopped)
3 Plum Tomatoes (cut into wedges)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Thyme (1/3 tablespoon if using dried)
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Serving Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Leaving the bacon to one side, place all your ingredients into your serving bowl and mix well, then season with salt and pepper before finally sprinkling on the bacon/lardons.
   
2. Serve

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

Walnut, Celery, Chicory and Apple Salad (a new take on the classic waldorf salad)

Ingredients
2 Heads of Chicory (cut off the bases)
4 Celery Stalks
2 Apples (cored and sliced)
1 Lemon (juiced)
Handful of Toasted Walnut Halves (chopped, you may have to toast these yourself, to do that just fry them in a pan without oil for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until they start to colour)
3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Natural Yogurt
1/2 Teaspoon Celery Salt
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
2 Mixing Bowls (medium size will do or 1 large and 1 small)
1 Wooden Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, salt and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in your smaller bowl and season with salt and pepper and set aside, now scatter the chicory leaves over your 4 serving plates.
2. Chop the celery up along with its leaves and place in the larger bowl, throw in the apple slices, the remaining lemon juice and half of the chopped nuts, mix very well (you need to coat the apple in the lemon juice to stop it from turning brown)
3. Divide this mixture out on top of your leaves and sprinkle over the remaining nuts, serve the sauce at the side in a separate dipping bowl or drizzle over the top.

Serves 4

Lemon Pepper Tuna with Courgette Ribbons

Ingredients
4 Courgettes (thinly sliced length ways)
1 Lemon (zested)
1 Red Chilli (de seeded and sliced)
1 Teaspoon Black peppercorns (crushed)
2x100g Tuna Steaks
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Griddle Pan
1 lemon Zester
1 Pastry Brush

The Good Bit

1. Toss the courgette in a little oil, season with salt and pepper and griddle for a couple of minutes. Mix the lemon zest with the chilli and pepper, brush the tuna with oil and press in the pepper mix, season with salt and salt and griddle for 2 minutes each side.
2. Finally cut the lemon into wedges and griddle along side your tuna. Serve the tuna on your bed of courgette ribbons with the lemon wedges on the side or on the top.

Serves 4

Potato Salad

Ingredients
750g Potatoes
4 Spring Onions (finely chopped)
6 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Single Cream
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (chopped to garnish)
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 Serving Bowl
1 Small Mixing Bowl
1 Large Pan
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board

The Good Bit

1. Cook the potatoes in their skins for about 15 minutes until they are tender, drain them, run them under cold water and leave to cool fully.
2. Slice your potatoes and then place them in a bowl with your spring onions, season and stir well. In your other bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the mustard and cream, spoon over the potatoes and then mix gently, finally sprinkle with the chives.

Serves 6

Rabbit in Cider (rabbit is traditional at easter)

Ingredients
900g Rabbit Joints (or 1 medium rabbit jointed)
25g Butter
2 Onions (chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
225g Bacon (cut into chunks)
225g Mushrooms (sliced, you can grill them first for extra flavour but that is optional)
1 Tablespoon Plain Flour
275ml Cider (dry not sweet)
275ml Stock (vegetable or chicken)
1 Sprig Thyme
6 Juniper Berries (optional but add a nice tanginess)
A Splash of Oil
Salt and Pepper for Seasoning

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Garlic Press
1 Large Casserole

The Good Bit

1. Start by heating the butter and oil in a flameproof casserole and frying the rabbit joints quickly to brown them all over. Now remove them to one side and fry the onions, garlic and bacon for about 10 minutes.
   
2. Next sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook for a minute before gradually stirring in the cider and the stock, at this stage add the rabbit joints, together with the thyme and crushed juniper berries and bring to simmering point.
3. Then add the sliced mushrooms and a seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper. Cover and simmer the rabbit very gently for about an hour, or until it's tender.

Serves 4

Tomato and Coriander Salad

Ingredients
1 Kg Mixed Tomatoes (get some yellow and cherry too if you can)
2 Teaspoons Lime Zest
1/2 Small Red Onion (thinly diced)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Coriander (roughly torn)
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1/2 Tablespoon Clear Honey
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds (toasted) (optional)

Equipment
1 Balloon Whisk
1 Garlic Press
1 Sharp Knife
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Serving Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Whisk together the coriander, garlic, lime juice, honey, cayenne and the salt and pepper, then whisk in the oil and set aside.
2. Now quarter all your tomatoes and place in a serving bowl, sprinkle over the lime zest, onion and if you are using the toasted sesame seeds. Now whisk the dressing ingredients again and drizzle over the salad, cover the salad and set aside for 30 minutes (i like to put it in the fridge as a cold salad is awesome on a hot day)

Serves 4

Saffron Bows

Ingredients
300g Pasta Bows
150ml Double Cream
25g Butter
75g Parmesan (grated)
1/2 Teaspoon Saffron Threads
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 Large Pan (2/3rds full with boiling salted water)
1 Sauce Pan

The Good Bit

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions (usually around 10 minutes), in the meantime, heat the butter in the saucepan, add the cream and saffron and bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Drain your pasta and serve, season your sauce, stir well and pour over the pasta, now sprinkle over a little parmesan.

Serves 4

Pasta Shapes with Pepperoni, Onion and Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients
3 Large Onions (thinly sliced)
250g Pepperoni (sliced)
375g Pasta Shapes
300ml Vegetable Stock
4 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 Large Pan (2/3rds full with boiling salted water)
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Frying Pan

The Good Bit

1. Start by chopping your onions and gently frying them in a splash of oil for about 40 minutes until they are very soft and just beginning to colour.
2. OK now cook your pasta according to the packet instructions, usually about 10 minutes but that does depend on the shape! I always try a piece to see if it needs longer, do your best not to over do the pasta.
3. Now whilst the pasta is cooking, chuck the pepperoni in with the onions and turn up the heat a little, cook for about a minute, now pour in your stock and add the parsley and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
4. Drain your pasta and return it to the pan, toss in the pour and give a good stir to make sure it is well mixed, serve.

Serves 4

Gnocchi and Pesto

Ingredients
1 Portion Pesto (made in september 2008 or in sauces)
500g Potatoes
175g Plain Flour
1 Egg (beaten)
Pinch of Grated Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
Butter
Parmesan (grated)

Equipment
1 Pan (2/3rds full with boiling salted water)
1 Colander
1 Potato Masher
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Serving Bowl (lightly buttered)

The Good Bit

1. Make your pesto first then get the potatoes on the boil for 10-15 minutes until they are soft enough to mash.
2. Drain the potatoes and the leave the pan on the heat a little longer to get rid of as much moisture as you can, mash them as well as you can so there are no lumps then beat in the flour and egg and season with nutmeg and salt and pepper.
3. Mix until you have a good dough, then with floured hands turn the dough out onto a floured surface and start to make little sausages about the the size of your thumb upto the first joint.
4. Add a couple of gnocchi to the water at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes until they float then remove them with a slotted spoon and and drain. Place all your gnocchi in a buttered serving bowl and dot a little butter on to them, sprinkle over the parmesan and then top with the pesto.

Serves 4

Pasta 'n' Pesto

Ingredients
1 Amount of pesto (as described in September 2008 or stocks and sauces)
500g Tagliatelle
50g Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 Large Pan

The Good Bit

1. Make up the pesto, and cook your pasta for about 10 minutes (follow packet instructions) now drain the pasta, toss in the pesto, season and serve sprinkled with grated parmesan.

Serves 4

Tomato Salsa

Ingredients
6 Tomatoes (skinned, seeded and diced)
1 Handful Fresh Basil (shredded finely, no stalks)
25g Black Olives (thinly sliced)
3 Shallots (thinly sliced)
2 Cloves Garlic (very finely sliced)
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Mixing Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Mix together all your ingredients and serve immediately.