Chocolate Orange Mini Meringues

These are delicious little desserts and can be made with bought meringues to save time.

Makes approx. 30 mini meringues

Ingredients

For the Meringues

3 large Egg Whites

175g Caster Sugar

For the Topping

200g Cream Cheese

Fine zest of an Orange

Juice of half an Orange

200g Double Cream

4 tablespoons Icing Sugar

100g Dark Chocolate

• Preheat the oven to 150C (fan) and line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof/baking paper.  If you want to make neat meringue circles draw them on the underside of the paper for you to use as a guide when piping.
• In a large, clean bowl whisk the egg whites until frothy then gradually add the sugar and continue to whisk until it is glossy and holds peaks.
• Pipe onto the lined tins in small circles, piping an extra layer around the outside to form mini nests.  When all piped, put the trays into the preheated oven then immediately reduce the temperature to 125C.  Bake for 30-35 minutes then turn off the oven and leave the meringues in to go completely cold.  Store the meringues in an airtight container until needed.
• To make the filling, mix the cream cheese with the orange zest and juice until smooth.  Whip the cream and the icing sugar in another bowl until thick but not stiff then fold this into the cream cheese mixture.
• To assemble these little lovelies, pipe or spoon the orange cream onto the meringues then trickle with melted dark chocolate (I pipe it over in a zigzag motion using a narrow piping nozzle) and leave for an hour to set.  Serve within two hours of making.

Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Crackers

A classic combination of flavours but the addition of a zingy, flavoured mayonnaise and an interesting cracker elevates this to an elegant canape.  You can use any thin cracker but the contrast of colours with these charcoal crackers looks particularly good.

Ingredients

Packet of sliced Smoked Salmon, cut into rough squares

Fresh Cucumber, sliced into small squares

Thin crackers of your choice

For the Dill and Mustard Mayonnaise

2-3 tablespoons of good bought Mayonnaise

Approx. 1 dessertspoon of chopped fresh Dill

1 teaspoon of Wholegrain Mustard

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

a squeeze of Lemon Juice

Black Pepper

• Put all the ingredients for the mayonnaise into a bowl and mix to combine.
• Spread about half a teaspoon of the dill and mustard mayonnaise onto each cracker.
• Top with a piece of smoked salmon then a few squares of cucumber and another small dollop of the mayonnaise.  Serve within an hour of assembling.

Salami and Manchego Skewers

This is a simple idea that is very effective and delicious!  I use a mild chilli jam from The Wiltshire Chilli Farm (www.justchillies.co.uk), it is soft-set so spreads easily...and is very addictive!  If you are not keen on heat you can use quince or redcurrant jelly instead.
A good mature cheddar is also great here if you can't get Manchego.

Ingredients

A packet of sliced Italian Salami

Manchego cheese, cut into small cubes

Fresh basil leaves, torn in half lenghways

Chilli Jam

• Spread each slice of salami with a little chilli jam then fold it into quarters.  Wrap the cheese cubes in a piece of basil then tuck into one of the gaps in the salami 'cones' and secure with a cocktail stick.  Repeat with all the salami slices.

Artichoke and Basil Dip

This dip is great served on melba toast strips (like in the photo) as a canape but also works well in a bowl surrounded by crunchy vegetable crudites and bread sticks to dip in.

I normally use tinned artichoke hearts in brine but it is also lovely made with deli-style artichokes in oil, you can then use the oil they come in rather than adding olive oil.

Ingredients

Approx. 250g Artichoke Hearts, roughly chopped

1 small clove of Garlic, roughly chopped

Bunch of Fresh Basil (approx. 10 large leaves)

2 tablespoons Cream Cheese

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

Juice of half a Lemon

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt and Black Pepper

• Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and whiz until creamy and almost smooth but with some texture.  Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed, according to your taste.
• If you don’t have a food processor just use a large knife to finely chop the artichokes on a board with the basil.  Then transfer to a bowl, add minced garlic and the remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine.

Moroccan-Inspired Roast Chicken and Couscous

A spicy, sweet, tangy dish which is a tasty, healthier alternative to a traditional roast.  Lots of ingredients but it is so worth it!
The full-flavoured spiced couscous is served with chunky pieces of juicy, harissa-scented roast chicken then topped with a rich tomato sauce made with the chicken juices.

Serves 4 generously

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken

2 teaspoons Harissa Paste

1 clove of Garlic, minced

Salt and Black Pepper

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Orange, cut into quarters

1 400g tin of Chopped Tomatoes

1 tablespoon Tomato Puree

For the Couscous

Olive Oil

1 Onion, finely chopped

half a teaspoon Cumin

half a teaspoon Cinnamon

half a teaspoon Turmeric

1 teaspoon Sweet Smoked Paprika (Pimenton)

3 cloves of Garlic, minced

Juice of an Orange

1 teaspoon Harissa

2 Red Peppers, skinned and sliced into strips *

a big handful of Sultanas

1 tablespoon Honey

200g Couscous

50g Pine Nuts

Fresh Lemon Juice

* I skin peppers by cutting them into quarters then putting them skin-side up under a hot grill until the skin is papery and black, the skin comes off easily once cooled.  If you don't want to be bothered, just leave the skin on or buy a jar of flame-grilled peppers!

• Preheat the oven to 190C.
• Sit the chicken in a roasting tin then, with a sharp knife, cut grooves into the chicken breasts and legs.  In a small bowl mix the harissa paste with the garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper.  Spoon this over the chicken and rub it all over, working it into the grooves and underneath.  Squeeze the quarters of orange into the cavity of the chicken then put them in too.
• Put the chicken into the oven for the time specified according to the weight on the packaging.  Baste it a couple of times during the cooking time.
• Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden brown, set aside.
• To prepare the base for the couscous, pour a generous glug of olive oil into a large frying pan and tip in the onions.  On a low-medium heat gently heat the onions until softly sizzling then add the spices, cook slowly for five minutes then add the garlic, orange juice and harissa.  After another few minutes cooking, add the peppers, sultanas and honey to the pan then cook on the lowest hob setting for 10-15 minutes until thick, gooey and aromatic.  The heat can then be turned off and the onion base set aside until you are ready to make the couscous.
• When the chicken is cooked take it out of the roasting tin and put it onto a plate, cover with foil and leave it to rest.  Put the roasting tin onto a low hob and tip in the tin of chopped tomatoes, add the tomato puree then cook on a low heat, stirring to get all the unctuous chicken bits off the bottom of the tin (you can add a teaspoon of harissa at this point if you want a spicy sauce).  Continue to bubble it slowly until thick and reduced, mashing up the pieces of tomato as you go.
• To finish the couscous, reheat the onion and pepper mixture until sizzling then tip in the couscous, stir thoroughly then pour in enough boiling water to cover the couscous with about a centimetre of water above it.  Turn the heat off, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
• After this time the couscous will have absorbed all the liquid, squeeze over half a lemon then fluff it gently with a fork (you can now transfer it to a serving dish if you prefer).  Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper if you need to.
• Take the meat off the chicken in big, chunky pieces and lay these over the couscous.  Spoon the thick tomato sauce over the top then sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve.
• The leftover chicken bones make a fantastically tasty stock!

Apple and Cranberry Cake

A wonderfully seasonal, delicately spiced cake kept moist with apples and plump cranberries.  It keeps for a good few days wrapped in greaseproof paper in a tin, if it lasts that long!

Ingredients

150g Dried Cranberries

100g Soft Butter

100g Caster Sugar

100g Light Brown Sugar

 2 x Apples (approx. 250g), peeled, cored and grated

2 Large Eggs
Juice of an Orange (about 50ml)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
Half a teaspoon Cinnamon
250g Plain Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
Half a teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
For the Icing Glaze
3 tablespoons Icing Sugar
A tablespoon or so of the juice of an orange
a sprinkle of cinnamon

• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan) and line a loaf tin with greaseproof/baking paper.
• Tip the cranberries into a bowl and cover with hot water from a recently boiled kettle, leave to soak while you make the rest of the cake.
• Whisk the butter and both sugars together until pale and fluffy then add the grated apple, eggs and orange juice, whisk slowly until combined.  It will look curdled at this point but don't worry.
• Tip all the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix thoroughly.  Drain the cranberries and fold through the mixture to incorporate.  
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to an hour, until a skewer comes out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool completely.  To make the icing mix the icing sugar with the juice and cinnamon until it is the consistency of single cream then trickle it over the cake and allow to set.
• This cake is better the day after it is made.

Chicken and Chorizo One-Pot Gnocchi

This is a great mid-week meal to have up your sleeve, quick to prepare and, most importantly, very tasty!  Chorizo works so well in this sort of recipe as it flavours everything around it with its piquant garlicky, smoky paprika juices.

I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they are so easy but if you can only get hold of boned thighs just use them.   

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g pack of boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs

1 Chorizo Sausage (approx. 200g)

1 Red Onion

1 400g tin of Chopped Tomatoes

2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

500g pack of Fresh Gnocchi (in the chiller with the fresh pasta)

Salt and Black Pepper

• Preheat the oven to 220C (fan).
• Thinly slice the red onion and put it into a shallow oven dish.
• Take the skin off the chorizo (this is not essential but it can sometimes be a little chewy so I always remove it) then slice it into chunky pieces, add these to the dish.
• Check the chicken thighs and trim off any skin or fat if you need to, cut them in half lengthways then pop these in with the onion and chorizo.
• Tip the chopped tomatoes in, add the garlic and a light seasoning of salt and pepper then toss it all together, nestling the chicken thigh pieces into the bottom of the dish.
• Put it into the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes.
• Take the dish out of the oven, pour in 200ml of boiling water then tip in the gnocchi, straight from the pack.  Mix together then put it back in the oven and time for another 20 minutes.
• After this time the chicken should be cooked and tender surrounded by thick, bubbling sauce and plump gnocchi.  
• Check the sauce for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper if you need to.
• Serve and enjoy!