What a scarey fish! a little voice said and my neice looked on quite astonished I was buying some of this frightening fish. Well it may look scarey but it tastes delicious and it has been described as resembling a lobster meat, so maybe you should give it a go!

The flesh of this fish is really meaty and you’ll find if you cook for guests in general alot of them will really like it. Have a try using my summer recipe for you.

For my Midsummer Monkfish your going to need: 450g monkfish, 1 tblsp soya oil, 1/2 onion chopped, 100g mangetout topped and tailed, 50g broccoli florets, 1/2 red pepper thinly sliced, 100g baby sweetcorn, 2 tblsp dry sherry, 1 tblsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp cornflour.

Right are you ready here we go, skin the monkfish and cut away the flesh from the bone, better still smile nicely at your local fish monger and ask him to do this bit for you. Put the fillets on a plate cover with clingfilm and microwave for 6 minutes. Then cut your fillets into slices about 1cm thick. Put the oil, onion, mangetout, broccoli, pepper and corn in a large bowl. Mix well then microwave this for 4 minutes stirring halve way through. Now stir in the monk fish, sherry and soy sauce and microwave for 1 minute. Mix your cornflour to a smooth paste with a tablespoon of water and stir this into the fish dish and mix well. When blended microwave for 1 minute and serve immediately with some homemade crusty bread and a crisp dry white wine.

Are you still eating cod or have you been trying other sustainable fish? What fish have you tried and enjoyed, why not let us know? See my previous blog like Great simple fish pie recipe, or recommended simple fish supper, and blogs like Perfect omelettes for a great haddock cream omelette. There are many more fish recipes in my blogs do a search on fish to find one just for you and I even do fish dish recipes ideal when cooking for one, so top up on your omega 3.

One dish which always go down well at a get together party or barbecue are spare ribs. I have to say can’t say I adore them but there appears to be something about getting meshy, sticky and nibbles and small tasty meat fragments off the bones which alot of us love including my son Ed. He loves this quick recipe I developed when the boys get together.

For my Barbecued Spare Ribs your going to need: 1 1/2kg pork spare ribs cut up (talk to your butcher nicely as alot will prepare these for you if you ask nicely), 3 tblsp soy sauce, 2 tblsp branston spicy pickle sauce, 1 tblsp worcester sauce, 1 tblsp good tomato ketchup and 1 tblsp coarse cut marmalade.

For full on tasty ribs and you have the time allow your ribs to marinate overnight or for several hours if you can. Put all the marinade into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute then stir well and leave to go cold before adding the ribs to the marinade and mix well. Cover and refridgerate for several hours or overnight if possible stirring around a few times. Then cover your bowl with cling film and microwave for 10 minutes, baste well and turn over and microwave for a further 10 minutes or until the ribs are tender. Then they are ready to serve with jacket potatoes, spicy wedges, cous cous etc the choice is yours. You could if you want to cook them on your barbecue if you are eating alfresco too.

Whats your favourite marinate? tell us all about it and how you came about it. Alot of the times you may be missing a ingredient and replace it with another one when guests arrive uninvited so to speak. Its then when you need to note your variation as some times its better and you can go on to develop a great tasting version which is how I have developed alot of my recipes over the years. So invest in a little black book for the kitchen to fill with your creations and record results and comments.

See my previous blog summer fruity kebabs put the D in dessert, and my British barbecues perfect recipe for a delicious salmon dish if you love salmon. There are many more to look at do a search on barbecue’s to find all my al fresco recipes.

Cappucino one of my daughters favourites. Whenever we are out and about shopping she can’t resist the little tea shop in the village square, with its comfortable leather sofas and mock farmhouse setting, to enjoy a gigantic piece of the cake of the day and a large cup of cappucino. Its her little treat she loves it! Besides browsing through the handcrafted jewellry on display within.

I know with her love of cappucino I knew the perfect gift for her would be the La Cafetiere Mukka Express - silver edition. Why because its easy, simple and it does it all for you in one, no mess spread everywhere and then it serves a cappucino as you would get in the finest coffee house.

The Mukka Express, by Bialetti, is the first stove top cappuccino maker of it`s kind. The Lucida is a stylish all silver design that will look good in any kitchen. The new Mukka Express is the first, fully patented ‘Stove-Top Cappuccino’ maker. It combines the traditional stove-top style of coffee maker with a large size pot for holding the milk. Place the water in the bottom section, coffee in the middle and fill the top section to the maker with milk. Then place on the stove-top and as the water boils to make the coffee, the resulting steam is passed through the milk to froth it. Ideal for 2 mugs of cappuccino or caf latte.

Find some great recipes in my previous blog taking the biscuit, or even classic recipe for victoria samdwich blog, oh and not forgetting the blog on quick homemade teatime treats.

Whats your favourite tea, coffee or are your a expresso person? Whats your favourite side with your coffee or tea, is it a cake or biscuit and do you know the difference?

One gadget which I keep hearing about more and more and seeing more of in friends kitchens is the Food Mincer. One such item sat proudly on my grandmothers kitchen table always; it was used for allsorts including grinding coffee beans for morning coffee.

It seems this gadget is enjoying a comeback and a return to our kitchens, as we cook more and more homemade. This can be for many reasons, whether your looking to take control of your nutrition and watch what you eat avoiding additives, allergens and colourants etc, or you could be looking at ways of saving money by cooking and preparing foods yourself but using the highest quality ingredients.

By this you could use a mincer for example to, mince a cut of beef from your local butcher in order to make burgers, whether for the kids so you know what ingredients are in them or for that homemade appeal for a barbecue with friends.

Another great use for these is I make christmas cakes, mincemeat and christmas puddings, (yes I know its that dreaded word none of us wish to discuss), but I make these for relatives and the elderly do appreciate their fruit minced slightly, as do children.

This kitchen craft cast iron mincer for example looks fantastic and being cast iron will last you through all of your kitchen recipes. This Kitchen Craft cast iron mincer from John Lewis has three different sized mincing discs and even a sausage making attachment. This mincer is easy to set-up and securly clamps to the worktop which is less than 1¼” thick with a plastic guard supplied to protect the worktop surface too.

So why not join in the trend today, and try making your own burgers and sausages for example. Its easy, try different meats with added vegetables like tomato, onion and leek for example, or even apple and add you favourite spices and herbs to create your own brand of sausage. Imagion your next barbecue when you annouce the chefs special!!

See my blog its just minced beef, and man sized burger to satisfy and lots more recipes for all occassions and meals in many more of my blogs.

Well did you try my fantastic Red Mullet? I have some very fond memories of great Red Mullet Dishes over the years, as many of my friends and family know this is one of my favourites.

I first tried Red Mullet while enjoying a Jazz River Cruise down the River Thames in London. It was a special anniversary and boy what a night! All dressed up to kill, as we say; in my long black dress, jewels & high heels. Everything that night was perfect, the food was excellent, as was the Entertainment & the Company, well as delicious as the rest of the evening! Have you a favourite dish connected with a great memory? Tell us all about it, go on!

Right, I promised you a lovely scrummy dessert, you can make in quick time for one, well here it is, my Mango & Orange Oatey Crunch. Quick, easy and your could try it using different fruits of your choice too, so don’t be afraid to experiment, that’s where all the very best recipes come from.

You will need: 1/2 ripe mango peeled, 1/2 orange peeled, 2 tblsp rolled oats, 1/2 tblsp demarara sugar, 1 tblsp plain flour, pinch of ground cinnamon, pinch of ground or fresh grated nutmeg and a small knob of butter.

Cut your mango flesh into dice and segment your orange (discarding the pith and pips), and put into a large microwaveable ramekin. Mix your oats with the sugar, flour and spices then rub in the butter and spinkle on top of the fruit to make a crunchy fruity crumble. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until thoroughly heated and serve with homemade icecream or custard of your choice. A hot, scrumptious healthy pud! Hmmmm!

For another great quick dessert to delight check out my previous blog berried treasure and pick your own or if you like yogurts why not make your own see my previous blog yogurts recipes depends on milk used, loads of great homemade desserts and icecreams etc in my blogs so take alook. Let me know if there is something you would like me to cover or you need help with?

Its very easy to get into the habit of saying to yourself, ‘its just for me!’, when you cooking just for yourself. However I believe that eating a home cooked meal should be a pleasure even if alone and something to look forward to at the end of a busy day, and well let me tell you my days are definitely busy!

I do however have some tips: try to plan a menu to make sure you get a balanced diet to include fresh fruit and vegetables goes without saying really. Buy your food little and often to ensure freshness and avoid bargain offers of family sized packs unless of cause you can freeze it. You can however cook a recipe for 4 and then plate this and freeze for you to use when your tied or need something in a hurry.

Now check out my previous blogs on microwave as cooking for one its cheaper and more convenient, more energy efficient and less time consuming so make sure you consider this means of cooking. Look at my blog Microwave magic,  microwave combo this is a fantastic peice of kitchen equipment.

One of my favourite recipe for cooking just for me is Red mullet wrapped in parma ham, I love red mullet.

You will need: 225g approx of red mullet, 1 slice of onion, 1 slice of lemon, 1 bay leaf, few sprigs of thyme, sea salt and ground black pepper for seasoning, 2 tablsp olive oil, 25g thinly sliced parma ham and 1 tblsp dry white wine. (Sorry I love my Italian, don’t you great wine, food and lots more, delicious!)

Clean the mullet and rinse under a cold tap, scrapping with a knive to remove the scales, before triming the tail and fins then pat dry with kitchen towel. Of course your fish monger can do this and prepare it for you if you ask nicely. Fill the cavity with the slices of onion and lemon and a few sprigs of the thyme and seaon lightly. Then brush the fish with the oil and wrap in the ham. Place onto a microwaveable plate and pour over the wine and add some more thyme to flavour to your taste. Now cover and microwave for 6-7 minutes until the fish is cooked and serve with fresh seasonal vegetables or a crisp salad. One more thing make sure you set the table and sit and eat as you would with guests, relax put on that light music and grab yourself a great glass of wine to enjoy your beautifully cooked meal with. Enjoy!

Check out my mango and orange oaty crunch for a great quick dessert to go with this in my next blog.

It was lovely to hear from Heather whose been collecting my recipes and making a booklet with her favourite recipes, having found her passion for home cooking again, well done Heather enjoy your cooking & eating your creations too of course! 

There are some things I do not like one of them is Mayonaise. However, I still make it from fresh following my families recipes to the ‘T’, so to speak as this must be one of very few I wouldn’t taste to check as I make or season.

My children , family and friends love this mayonaise I make for our garden parties and get togethers but its one I can’t speak for myself as I would prefer a chutney, relish or salsa with mine.

For a mouthwatering creamy Mayonaise, my Emma’s words not mine try my Garlic Mayonaise:

If you like garlic and use it alot in your cooking check out my previous blog great handy kitchen gadget and if you into whicking and blending and love ice cream read my blog dark,delicious chocolate… for a great recipe and many more.

You will need:2 large egg yolks, pinch of dried mustard, 300ml mild olive oil, 1-2tblsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar, 2-4 garlic cloves & sea salt and ground black pepper to season.

Place the yolks in a bowl with the mustard and a pinch of salt and whisk, (make sure you eggs are at room temperature). Gradually whisk in the oil one drop at a time and when almost half of the oil is fully incorporated start to add the rest of the oil in a stream whisking continually with the otherhand. As the mayonaise starts to thicken thin it down with a few drops of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. When the mayonaise reached soft butter consistency stop adding oil then season to taste and add more lemon juice or white wine vinegar as required to your taste. Crush your garlic with the blade of a knife and stir into the mayonaise. For a milder flavour you can blanch the garlic then puree the cloves before beating into the myaonaise. You can also use roasted garlic puree or pureed smoked garlic to create different flavours so experiment even beat in 15g of fresh herbs of your choice like tarragon for example.

For a great hand whisk which you will use over and over again and takes effort out of hand whisking is this great balloon whisk from  the Jamie Oliver range. You will always need one of these in the kitchen utensil draw to make your recipe collections as sometime blending machines and food processors are not the best way to get a great end result.

What variety of mayonaise is your favourite? got a recipe you want to share of kitchen tip tell me about it I read and respond to all your comments!

Year on year even though I plant simular vegetables in my vegetables plot, the crops differ. Alot of this is down to the typical British Summer Time, if you can call it that. It seems each year earlier and earlier the leaves start falling and differing fruits or vegetables are affected by the monsoon rains we experience with high humidity, followed by damp cold days and then scortching hot days. In these extremes its not only us that suffer.

This week my friend Allyson was only telling me how all her apples had fallen in her orchard so we were busy collecting apples to try to save the fruit. Again Blackberries have been turning earlier and earlier on the hedgerows. This year my potato crop had to be harvested early due to the heavy rain destroying the tops supplying nutrients to the root vegetables below ground and my poor outdoor tomatoes. Well these were terrible this year and again fruit fell and the plant suffered in the weather. However I had a fantastic crop of large cauliflowers!

Anyway with bags of apples in hand we set about baking and preserving. One of our favourite is our homemade Apple & Tomato Chutney.

You will need: 1.3kg apples, 1.3kg tomatoes, 2 large onions, 2 garlic cloves, 250g pitted dates, 2 red bell peppers, 3 dried red chillies, 1 tblsp black peppercorns, 4 cardamon pods, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp sea salt, 600ml distilled malt vinegar & 1kg sugar

First peel and chop your apples, tomatoes, onions & garlic. Quarter the dates and core and seed the peppers before cutting into chunky pieces. Put all but the peppers into a preserving pan. Slit the chillies, put the peppercorns & remaining spices into a mortar and roughly crush with a pestle then add the chillies, spices & salt to the pan. Pour in the vinegar and sugar and simmer for around 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the red peppers and cook for a further 30 minutes stirring as the chutney becomes thicker. Spoon the chutney into warm, dry sterilised jars. Seal each with a waxed circle and cover with a tightly fitting cellofane top and leave to cool before labelling and storing away in a cool dry place ready to be used.

If you like making homemade jams and chutneys you should check out my previous blogs filled with great tasty easy to make recipes and for more fun why not see the great storage jars I used in my blog how berry nice to meet you for some great ideas. Also perfect raspberry jam for your toast and cakes, homemade tastes so much better!

Blueberries are sold fresh or processed as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, purée, juice, or dried or infused berries which in turn may be used in a variety of consumer goods such as jellies, jams, pies, muffins, snack foods, and cereals. With notably high levels of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber. You will also hear the blueberry being called a so called superfood because of its nutritional value. Blueberry production in North America typically starts in mid-May (in Florida) and ends in September.

Why not try this family seasonal favourite of our, a superb blueberry frangipane flan made with a tangy lemon pastry case filled with nutty sweet slmond filling filled with ripe delicious blueberries.

You will need: 2 tbsp coffee, 3 tbsp milk, 50g butter, 50g caster sugar, 1 egg, 115g ground almonds, 15ml plain shifted flour, 225g blueberries, 2 tblsp jam, 15ml brandy and creme fraiche. For your pastry - 175g plain flour, 115g butter, 25g sugar, finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp chilled water.

First preheat your oven to 190 c/375 f/ gas 5. to make your pastry sift your flour into a bowl and rub in the butter, then stir in the sugar and lemon rind than add the water and mix to a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the refridgerator for at least 20 minutes. Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface and use this to line a 23cm flan tin. Line the pastry with greasedproof paper and baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes. (Check out my previous blogs on baking blind pastry cases and freezing for your convenience).

Remove from the oven and make your filling by putting the coffee in a bowl, bring the milk to the boil then pour over the coffee and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Then cream the butter and sugar until pale with a hand mixer or wooden spoon, then beat in the egg and add the almonds and flour. Strain in the coffee flavoured milk and fold in. Spoon the coffee mixture into the pastry case and spread out evenly. Scatter the blueberries over the top and push them down in to the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes until firm, cover with foil to prevent burning on the top after about 20 minutes of baking. Remove your tart and allow to cool slightly, meanwhile heat your jam and brandy in a saucepan until melted and brush over your flan. Remove from the tin and serve warm with creme fraiche. Delightful!!

If you enjoy baking make sure you try the great strawberry muffin recipe in my previous blog real family favourite muffin and why not make baking easy with my previous blog silicone bakeware makes baking oh so easy.

Have you got a summer favourite dessert? why not tell us about it and what makes it your favourite, this is definitly one of mine the flavours together with the delicate almond filling and tangy pastry make this a dessert you come back for another peice of!

Sometimes its the simple things in life that give so much pleasure!

How many times have we heard this. I hear it alot and on many occassions this can be applied to many things in life including cooking. Sometimes its not that A La Carte meal, fancy restaurant, or expensive gastro pub which satisfies. Recently while visiting my son on the coast we were looking for something tasty, and simple after having a disasterous meal in a gastro establishment and we found it. A superb public house offering nothing but local catch of the day cooked to perfection and we ere not disappointed. The fish was cooked perfectly and it was served simply with fresh seasonal buttered vegetables, washed down with superb white wine and we had a perfect memorable meal we both thoroughly enjoyed.

With this in mind I have just set about making a simple meal with flavour, colour and of course health benefits too enjoying griddled local chicken with tomato salsa a great summer meal.

For this recipe you are going to need: 4 boneless local chicken breast fillets (about 175g each), 30ml fresh lemon juice, 30ml olive oil, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tbsp black pepper coarse and for the salso you will need, 1 green chilli, 450g plum tomatoes chopped, 3 spring onions chopped, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 tbsp fresh coriander, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 3 tbsp olive oil.

Firstly with a meat mallet pound the chicken between 2 sheets of clear wrap until thin, in a shallow dish combine the lemon juice, oil, cumin, oregano, pepper and add the chicken coating both sides then cover and leave to marinade. (Leave this for at least 2 hours or best left overnight in a refridgerator. For the salsa char the chilli skin over a gas flame or under the grill and leave to cool for about 5 minutes then carefully rub off the charred skin. (Make sure you wash your hands carefully and fully afterwards) Also for a less intense heat you can discard the seeds.

Did you know that the hottest part of the chilli is the white membrane that connects the seeds to the pod and by charring the chilli this releases the natural sweetness and the heat is moderated?

Chop the chilli up finely and place in a bowl, then add the chopped tomatoes (I added my own tomatoes fresh from the garden). Also add the chopped spring onions, chopped fresh parsley and chopped fresh coriander, lemon juice, olive oil and then mix well and set aside ready for serving.

Remove your chicken from the bag after marinading and heat up a ridged griddle pan or plate. Add the chicken fillets and cook on one side until browned for about 3 minutes then turn over and cook the other side for a further 4 minutes. Serve with your fresh tomato chilli salsa.

For other griddle recipes and griddle information check out my previous blog perfect lamb pittas or if you like chicken check out my sesame chicken noodles recipe my sons favourite in my previous blog Bring back time to eat together.

Meat mallets are a cooks tool for tenderising meat and flattening meats. Usually made from wood or metal with one side flat and other has bumps. Have a look at the selection here meat mallets, I have a stainless steel one and you can’t beat the price on this great stainless steel meat mallet with a 25 year guarantee.

Have you a great marinade recipe you could share with us all?