Lamb Kofta Curry

Ingredients :

For the koftas

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• 3-4 long green chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 5cm (2in) piece root ginger, grated
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 400g minced lamb
• 30g fine fresh white breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tsp panch phoran seasoning
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 200ml (1/3pt) hot vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp coconut cream 

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add onions, chilli, garlic, ginger and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove half of the mix and reserve for later.

2. Add cumin, turmeric and ground coriander and fry for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

3. Put the mince into a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, egg and coriander and mix together. Once cooled, add the spiced onion mix, season well and mix together. Shape into 20 size balls and shallow fry on medium heat ( you can bake -  for 15 minutes, turning once).

3. Keep aside the fried meatball

4. Meanwhile, put the reserved onion mix back onto the stove in a medium saucepan. Add the panch phoran, fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, season and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the coconut cream and blend until smooth.

5. Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and bubble for another 10 minutes or until cooked through.

6. Scatter over some coriander leaves and serve with lime wedges.

No Bake Vanilla Cheesecake

Ingredients :

100g digestive biscuits crushed into fine crumbs

50g demerara sugar

50g melted butter

500g full-fat cream cheese

100g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

200ml double cream

Method :

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs and Demerara sugar. Add in the melted butter and mix well.

2. Put the biscuit mixture into a 20cm Cheesecake tin (Springform pan) lined with baking paper. Press the biscuit crumbs down firmly and evenly. Chill in the refrigerator until set.

3. Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract until well mixed.

4. Fold in the double cream, mixing well.

5. Spoon the cream mixture over the chilled biscuit base. Smooth the top of the cheesecake.

6. Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 1 hour until set.

7. To serve, remove from the cake tin and cut into slices.

Quick Caesar Salad

Ingredients :

4 piece cooked boneless chicken sliced ( Crispy chicken, Fried fresh or leftovers)

½ Cup or enough Mayonnaise

2 tbsp Lemon juice

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

50g grated Parmesan (optional)

1 garlic clove, crushed

Crushed Pepper (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

50g crouton or toasted bread pieces

1 large lettuce or 4 Little Gem, ripped into pieces

Tomatoes, Avocado ( Optional for garnish)

Method :

1. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, grated Parmesan and garlic, then season.

2. When ready to eat, add the chicken slices, croutons and lettuce.

3. Mix well and sprinkle with extra Parmesan.

4. Garnish with Tomatoes, Avocado if you like.

Creamy Fish Pie

Ingredients:

For the mashed potatoes

• 1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, peeled
• 50g/2oz butter
• 100g/3½ oz crème fraîche
• 3 tbsp warm milk
• pinch salt and white pepper

For the filling

• 500ml/1 pint milk
• 250g/9oz smoked haddock
• 200g/7oz cod loin
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves
• 2 leeks, washed and chopped
• 50g/2oz butter, plus 25g/1oz for dotting on top of the pie
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp flour
• salt and white pepper
• 100g/3½oz raw king prawns
• 50g/2oz frozen peas
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 lemon, zest only

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Cut the potatoes into 5cm/2in chunks and boil until soft. Drain and mash with the butter, crème fraîche and warm milk. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
3. Heat the milk in a large pan, add the smoked haddock and cod. Cut the onion in half, make an incision in one of the halves and insert the bay leaf. Push the cloves into the same onion half and place this into the pan with the milk and fish. Bring the milk up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 6-7 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining half onion and the leeks. Heat the butter with the olive oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the onion and the leeks for 4-5 minutes to soften, but not brown.
5. Remove the fish from the pan, and set aside to cool slightly. Keep the milk in the pan.
6. Add the flour to the leeks and stir well to combine. Fry for one minute, stirring frequently. Gradually spoon in the milk from poaching the fish, and stir it in well each time. Add all the milk in this way, and heat gently until the sauce has thickened.
7. Taste the sauce for seasoning, and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
8. Break the fish into chunks, being careful to feel for any bones and remove any skin, then fold the fish pieces into the sauce.
9. Add the raw prawns and frozen peas to the mixture.
10. Place an ovenproof pie dish onto a baking tray (this will catch any of the mix that bubbles over when cooking).
11. Spoon the fish mixture into the bottom of the ovenproof dish. Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley and grated lemon zest over the top.
12. Carefully top with the cooled mashed potato. Use a fork to spread the mash over the pie and create a rough texture on top. Dot the pie with the remaining half of the butter and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling.

English Fish Cake

Ingredients:

• 500gm of mashed potato
• 500gm of lightly-cooked fish - flaked, or cut into small pieces, and any bones carefully removed (Cod, Salmon or any firm fish)
• 2 big Egg yolk
• 4 tbsp chopped Parsley
• 1 small bunch of fresh chopped Chives
• 2 tsp Anchovy Essence
• 120gm  Butter
• Salt to taste
• Freshly-ground Black Pepper
• Plain Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• Butter for frying

Method:

1. Mix together the first six ingredients.
2. Melt the butter gently, then mix it into the fish mixture
3. Season to taste, bearing in mind that the Anchovy paste is already salty.
4. Form the mixture into cakes of equal size - tiny fish cakes with crispy bacon make an excellent brunch dish.
5. Dunk the cakes in the seasoned flour and cover them as thoroughly as possible.
6. Melt a little butter, over a medium heat, in a frying pan, and fry the cakes so that they're golden-brown on both sides.

Prawn Bisque

Ingredients:

•  450 gm Shell-on North Atlantic Prawns

•  450gr extra shells (optional)

•  2.3 litres Water

•  1 fresh Chili

•  1 medium clove of Garlic

•  90 gm Butter

•  1 peeled and diced big Carrot

•  1 chopped large Onion

•  1 bouquet garni

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs thyme

4 large sprigs parsley (including stalks)

10 cm (4 inch) piece celery stalked with leaves

two 10 cm (4 inch) pieces leek (green part)

Place the bay leaf, thyme, parsley and celery on one piece of green leek. Cover with the remaining piece of green leek. Tie securely with fine string, leaving a length of string attached so that the bouquet garni can be easily retrieved.

•  90 gm Rice

•  6 fresh Tomatoes, peeled (by dipping in boiling water), seeded and pulped

•  30 gm Tomato Puree

•  1 shot of Brandy (optional)

•  200ml Dry White Wine

•  Salt to taste

•  ½ teaspoon freshly-ground Black Pepper

•  100ml Double Cream

Method:

1. Shell the prawns, keeping the shells and setting the prawns aside in the fridge. Put the prawn shells, the water, chili and garlic - plus any shells you may have saved up in the deep freeze, in a non-corrosive (so not aluminium) pan and bring it to the boil. Reduce the cooking speed to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, skimming off any froth as it comes to the surface.

2. Drain the stock and discard the solids.

3. Melt the butter, over a gentle heat, in a stainless-steel pan big enough to hold all the ingredients.

4. Add the carrot and onion and soften them without browning.

5. Add the peeled prawns, the flambé them with the brandy (if using). Add the white wine, then when it starts to bubble, the stock.

6. Add all the remaining ingredients, apart from the cream. Cook for 20 minutes

7. Remove from the heat and take out the bouquet garni. Pass the soup through a strong sieve using the back of a wooden spoon, or process in a food processor in batches, don't overfill the bowl, as the soup might leak, and will be very hot.

8. Return the soup to the pan and check the seasoning.

9. The soup can be served now, with the last minute addition of a little cream.