Summer Fruit Cheesecake Tart

This beautiful tart has shortcake as a base which works really well, you have the soft crunch of the biscuit with the creamy richness of the cheesecake filling and the sweet/sharp juicy fruit...yum!
This makes a delicious dessert and is surprisingly easy to make, the base doesn't even need rolling out...you can just press the dough into the tin with your hands.  You can top the tart with any fruit you like, it is particularly good with blueberries and raspberries.

Serves up to 12 people

Ingredients
For the Shortcake Base
50g Caster Sugar
100g Soft Butter
150g Plain Flour
1 tspn Vanilla Extract
For the Cheesecake Filling
200g Cream Cheese
200ml Double Cream
75g Icing Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
Fruit of your choice for the top

• Preheat the oven to 200C (fan) and thoroughly butter a 25cm flan dish/tin (ideally one with a loose bottom).
• To make the shortcake base, put the butter, vanilla extract and caster sugar in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon to make it soft and creamy.  Add the flour and mix until it starts to clump together.  Using your hands, squeeze it together to make a ball of dough.
• Put the ball of dough into the buttered tin and squash it with your hands to spread it out evenly across the bottom of the tin, into the edges and up the sides.  It doesn't matter if it is a bit bumpy, it is getting covered with filling and fruit later anyway.
• Put the tin into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until the shortcake is light, golden brown.  It will feel soft at this point but it will crisp up as it cools.  Leave it in the tin until totally cool before attempting to remove it.
• When the base is cold and feels firm carefully remove it from the tin and put it on the plate you want to serve it on.
• To make the filling, put the cream cheese into a bowl and soften by beating with a wooden spoon until creamy.  Pour the cream into another bowl and add the icing sugar.  With a sharp knife cut lengthways down the side of the vanilla pod and open it out.  Using the blade of the knife, scrape it down the inside of the pod, collecting all the tiny seeds, then put these into the cream.  Whisk the cream until softly whipped then tip it into the cream cheese and fold together to combine.
• Spoon (or pipe) the filling into the shortcake base and spread it out.  Top with the fruit of your choice and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours for the filling to set and the base to soften slightly before serving.

Pollack, Basil and Roasted Garlic Fishcakes

These fishcakes have a great combination of flavours that work really well together.  I normally make them in golf-ball size balls for children and adults alike but I have also made them in smaller canape size balls for drinks parties and served them with home made lemony mayonnaise for dipping...so good!
I always use frozen pollack for these as it is cheap and very convenient to have in the freezer.

Serves 4 (or more if canape size)

Ingredients

250g or 3 medium-sized Potatoes

Around 200g or 2-3 Pollack Fillets
Olive Oil

A head of Garlic

A tablespoon of soft butter

Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
Approx. 10 large Basil Leaves, finely shredded
Salt and Pepper
Plain Flour

1 Egg, beaten with a splash of milk

Fresh Breadcrumbs

• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan).  Rub the pollack fillets with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• To roast the garlic, just put the whole bulb onto a baking tray and into the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until it feels soft when squeezed.  While the garlic is roasting put the fish fillets in the oven to roast for about 10 minutes or until just cooked.  Take out of the oven and set aside.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes, boil until tender and drain.  Return to the pan, add the butter and mash.
• Now you need to add the flavour to the potato, starting with the garlic.  Take a small bowl and squeeze the cloves of garlic in, it will be soft and creamy.  I use about a half to three quarters of a bulb, it seems a lot but the potency of the garlic is greatly reduced by the roasting and it is wonderfully mellow.  Mash the garlic in the small bowl with a fork and add the the mashed potato with salt and pepper.
• Add the mayonnaise, the basil and a good squeeze of lemon juice to the potato then give it a good mix.  Finally flake in the fish (it's best to do this by hand so you can feel for any bones) and gently mix to combine.  Taste to check the seasoning and add more lemon juice, salt or pepper if you need to.  Set this mixture aside to cool, it is actually easier to form into balls when it is cold.
• When you are ready to make the fishcakes, get three bowls.  Tip some plain flour into one, some breadcrumbs into another and beat the egg with a splash of milk in the third.
• Take your fishcake mixture and form it into golf-ball sized balls.  Then, one at a time, dip each one into the flour (making sure it only gets a thin layer), then the egg, then the breadcrumbs.  Put them onto an oiled baking tray as they are done and, when ready to cook, brush or spray them with oil (to help them crisp up and brown) and put them in the oven (still at 175C) for 25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Mango Chutney Bread

This bread is incredibly moreish and goes really well with cheeses and cold meats....and particularly well dipped into curried parsnip soup!

Ingredients

400g Strong White Bread

1 tspn Salt

250ml Warm Water

50ml Natural Yoghurt

1 tspn Sugar

1 (7g) Sachet of Fast Action Yeast

1 tbsp Olive Oil

4 tbsp Mango Chutney (I use Sharwood's)

• Tip the flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt.
• In a measuring jug, measure the water then add the natural yoghurt and stir.  Add the sugar, yeast and oil and stir again.
• Pour the liquid into the flour mixing with a fork until it comes together in a dough.  Using one hand, start to knead it in the bowl to collect up all the flour then tip it out onto your work surface.  
• Begin to knead the dough by stretching it out and folding it back in repeatedly.  It will be sticky at first, it helps to oil your hands and lightly oil the work surface, the more you work it the less sticky it will become.  Another tip is, after about 5 minutes of messy kneading,  scrape the dough off your hands, wash then oil them and tackle the kneading again.  After about 10 minutes of kneading the dough should be easier to handle and spring back when poked.
• Put the dough back into the bowl (lightly oiled) and cover with cling film.  Leave to rise for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size, the warmer it is the quicker the rise will be.
• When the dough is risen and puffed, get it out of the bowl and back onto the work surface.  Knead it around for a few minutes to knock out the air and stretch it out to flatten.
• Mix the mango chutney with a tablespoon of water to thin it a bit then spoon onto the flattened dough.  Roll the dough up the best you can to encase the chutney and shape it round into a sort-of horseshoe and squidge the two ends together.  Put this onto an oiled baking tray and cover loosely with cling film, leave to rise again for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 210C (fan) and when the dough is risen again,  bake it for 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped underneath.
• Carefully remove it from the baking tray and leave it to cool on a rack or, if you want more of a crusty finish, leave it to cool directly on the oven shelf (oven turned off) with the door open.   

Quick Prawn and Crab Coconut Curry

This is so quick, easy and delicious, perfect for a weekday meal.  It's particularly good because it can be made with cupboard and freezer ingredients.

I normally make this with tinned white crab meat which is great, however if you have the opportunity to get local fresh crab it is even better.  This is great served over basmati rice but also works with fat udon noodles.

Serves 2-3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children

Ingredients
Small glug of Sunflower Oil

5-6 Spring Onions, chopped finely

3 Garlic cloves, minced

2 tspn Curry Powder (mild)
 400ml tin of Coconut Milk

Juice from Half a Large Lime or 1 Small one

150g Fresh Spinach (about half a bag)

Approx. 150g Cooked Prawns (fresh or frozen)

Approx. 150g Cooked White Crab Meat (tinned or fresh)

1-2 tbsp Cream (optional)
1 tspn Light Brown Sugar (optional)
Salt and Pepper
a handful of Fresh Chives, Basil or Coriander, chopped

• Put a small amount of oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and tip in the chopped spring onions.  Sizzle for a few minutes then add the minced garlic and the curry powder.  Cook for 3-4 minutes more then pour in the coconut milk.
• Turn the heat on high and bubble for 4-5 minutes to reduce the liquid.  When it has reduced by about half turn down the heat, squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.  
• Taste to check the seasoning, you can then add the sugar and cream if you want to...the sugar balances the acidity of the lime and the cream adds a touch of richness.
• When you are happy with the sauce, tip in all of the spinach and stir carefully until wilted.  Then add the prawns, crab meat and fresh herbs and gently stir over the medium heat for a couple of minutes to heat through.
• Serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Chocolate Orange Cake with Tangy Lemon Frosting

This recipe makes a beautifully moist orange cake which is fantastic with the rich chocolate and the tangy lemon frosting. 
This cake is also fabulous if you use the dark chocolate to completely cover the cake and use the cream cheese frosting as a filling.

The bunnies are optional!

Ingredients

250g Caster Sugar

150g Soft Butter (spreadable is fine)

3 Large Eggs

250g Self-Raising Flour

Zest of 1 Orange (grated or microplaned)

Juice of 1 Orange (approx. 50ml)

125ml Natural Yoghurt

For the Dark Chocolate Filling and Drizzle

200g Dark Chocolate, about 70% cocoa solids

50g Butter

3 tbsp Golden Syrup

For the Lemon Frosting

Zest of 1 Lemon (about a teaspoon)
200g Cream Cheese

 60ml Natural Yoghurt
350g Icing Sugar

a squeeze of Lemon Juice

• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan) and thoroughly butter and line two sandwich cake tins (20cm diameter).
• Tip the caster sugar and the butter into a large bowl (or mixer) and whisk until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, then the self-raising flour.  Still whisking, add the orange zest, orange juice and the yoghurt until combined, pale and mousse-like.
• Spoon the mixture evenly between the two tins, smooth out and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Take the cakes out of the oven and put aside to cool in the tins for about 15 minutes.  When they are cool enough to handle, carefully remove from the tins and transfer onto a board.  When completely cool slice each cake in half horizontally so you have four round slices.  Put one of the rounds cut side up on the plate you want to serve the cake on.
• To make the chocolate filling, put all the ingredients together in a bowl and melt in the microwave (in 20 second bursts) or set over a pan of simmering water.  When melted and smooth, spoon 2-3 tablespoons over the bottom cake layer and spread out evenly to the edges.  Do the same with the next two layers, making sure you leave some chocolate to drizzle at the end, then top with the last one (cut side down).  Run a knife around the edge of the cake to remove any chocolate that may have escaped.
• To make the lemon frosting, put the cream cheese into a bowl with the yoghurt and the lemon zest.  Whisk until smooth then add the squeeze of lemon juice and gradually add the icing sugar until thick and creamy.
• Spoon it thickly onto the cake and smooth over the top and down the sides with a knife until the cake is totally covered.  Drizzle haphazardly with the remaining chocolate and put in the fridge for one hour to set the frosting.  Don't leave it in the fridge though as the cake and the chocolate will go a little hard, it needs to be taken out of the fridge at least an hour before serving. 

Thai-Style Stir-Fry with Prawns and Rice Noodles

This sauce also works with chicken or pork and can, of course, be made with a ready-prepared bag of stir-fry veg!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

300g Raw King Prawns, deveined

2 Pak Choi, shredded

2 Carrots, sliced thinly

3 Spring Onions, sliced thinly

Quarter of a Cabbage, sliced thinly

1 Red, Yellow or Orange Pepper, sliced thinly

150g Dry Rice Vermicelli Noodles (or a packet of ready-cooked ones)

A glug of Sunflower Oil for stir-frying

A handful of Basil Leaves 

For the Sauce

2 tspn Thai Green Curry Paste (shop bought)

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 tbsp Lime Juice (about half a lime)

1 heaped tspn Light Brown Sugar

1 tspn Soy Sauce

3 tbsp Natural Yoghurt

2 tbsp Sunflower Oil

1 tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter

• Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together until smooth.  Set aside until needed.
• If you are using dried rice noodles, cook them according to the packet (they tend to just need soaking in boiling water for 4 mins).  Drain and toss in a little oil to stop them from sticking together.
• Heat a wok or large frying pan on a high heat and pour in a glug of oil.  When it's hot tip in all the veg and stir-fry on high for up to 5 minutes until they are just starting to soften.  At this point throw in the prawns and continue to stir-fry until they are just turning pink, then add the noodles and the sauce and toss everything to combine together over the heat.  When it's all piping hot and combined, sprinkle over the torn basil leaves and serve immediately.

Mussels in Cider, Garlic and Cream

It is getting to the end of the season for mussels (only months with an 'r' remember!) so I feel to need to indulge one last time before waiting for the Autumn.  This is my favourite way to cook them, simple but with a slight richness from the cream.
I always clean mussels by tipping them into the sink and going over them one by one under a running tap, pulling off the 'beards' and scraping off any barnacles....a bit time consuming but so worth it!

Ingredients

1 kg Bag of Live Mussels (cleaned and de-bearded)

1 Wine Glass (about 200ml) of Dry Cider

2 Shallots (finely chopped)

2 Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped or minced)

25g Butter

150ml Whipping Cream
A handful of Fresh Chives (or Parsley)

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the chopped shallots and garlic.  When they have gone soft and translucent pour in the cider and bring to the boil.
• Tip the mussels into the bubbling cider and put the lid on, leave to cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
• Check after 5 minutes, if the majority of the mussels have opened then they are done.  Remove the mussels from the pan with a slotted spoon into a large bowl, discarding any that haven't opened.  Turning the heat on high, reduce the juices in the pan by about half then add the cream and the herbs.  Bring back to the boil then tip the mussels back into the pan.
• Keeping it bubbling and hot, stir the mussels around in the pan so they get coated with all the creamy juices then tip into a large bowl or serve straight from the pan.
• I think these are best served with some good bread to dip in the sauce or maybe go Belgian-style with some thin fries...yum.