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.

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?

Fruit and Cheese together can make a fantastic mix, one favourite that sort of came together with my love of feta cheese and my man’s love for pears, (I bet I hear you say!)

Well, this warm salad is quick, simply and delicious and once made you will be making this over and over again as I do! Ideal for a light lunch, supper or even a starter for your dinner party.

I use small, sweet and versatile Rocha pears which have a russeted skin, and you can enjoy this variety when firm and crunchy, or soft and juicy, either way they are delicious.

For my ‘warm Feta Cheese and Pear salad’, you are going to need: 6 slices of pancetta, 2 tblsp honey, 4 tblsp olive oil, 2 tblsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 4 pears ( I like rocha), 850g watercress, 120g greek feta.

Preheat a frying pan and dry fry the slices of pancetta until crispy and golden. Transfer onto kitchen paper and allow to cool. Once cool slightly crumble into pieces and set aside. To make your dressing, mix together the honey, olive oil, vinegar and chilli flakes in a bowl. Core your pears & cut into wedges, add these to the dressing bowl and toss in the dressing. Reserving the dressing, transfer the pears to a hot griddle pan and cook for around 5 minutes, turning them occassionally until they are golden. In a salad bowl, toss the pears together with the watercress and crumbled pancetta, scatter with cubed feta and drizzle the remaining dressing before serving immediately with warm homemade crusty bread.

Tip - You can use cheese of your choice this is nice with a herb cheese or shilton even, try to your own taste as that is what true cooking is all about. I have added garlic croutons to this recipe and on other occassions I have added herbs and nuts such as walnuts too, which were all delicious as well.  So you can vary this recipe, so have a play and let me know what you come up with?

Check out my blog easy recipe for a Italian supper in minutes for a great frying pan and my previous blog regarding griddles too. Find some quick picnic recipes in my previous blog royal ascot food frollicks and lots more ideas within my blogs too.

I love fish and can’t resist trying new varieties too. Having recently been given trout from my friend who fishes regularly there is no better dish than fresh fish. I recently tried a new fish called river cobbler which is a alternative to cod, why not ask your fish monker and try a sustainable alternative fish. Tell him what type of texture and fish you usually like and I bet he will come up with some superb alternatives for you to try.

This evening supper is one of my personal favourites. Its so simple to cook but bursting not only with nutritional must haves for all of us, but full to the seams with flavour.

Why not try my Pan Fried Cod with cabbage and remember you can use a alternative fish.

You are going to need: 4 x 150g cod fillets, 1 small savoy cabbage, 4 slices of local streaky bacon cut into small pieces, a punnet of local oyster mushrooms (i’m lucky enough to have a local mushroom farm but check out the seasonal mushrooms depending when your cooking this dish, same with the cabbage), 80g butter, 1 tsp thyme, 50 ml olive oil and cracked black pepper and sea salt to season to taste.

Firstly quater, core and finely slice your cabbage and cook in boiling water until tender around 15 minutes ( you could also steam, see one of my previous blogs why people are going organic regarding steaming foods), then drain and cool under a running tap. Heat a non-stick frying pan and when hot add your olive oil and cook the cod fillets for 3 minutes on each side then remove and set aside. Wipe your pan clean and add 50g butter, when brown put in the chopped bacon and cook for around 2 minutes. Then add the cabbage and thyme and saute for a further 1 to 2 minutes to reheat. Add salt & pepper to you taste and set aside in a serving dish. Wipe your pan again and add the remaining butter and quickly cook your mushrooms which have been cut into strips and season.  For serving spoon a quarter of your cabbage into the centre of a warm plate, placing a cod fillet on top and mushrooms on top of the fish and serve with Wine of your choice. Simple, full of flavour and delicious!!!

Check out some of my previous blogs for fish advice and recipes like, savour the flavour of home cooked food on friday nights or finest fish supper or eat traditionally on good friday for a great fish pie recipe.

Have you tried Cod alternatives?, which fishes have you been recommended and enjoyed?

Well the sun has been shining again, and looking at the group of friends in my back garden this evening a little too much sun has been had from all the red sunburn patches I can see. ‘Oh that is definitely going to hurt later!’.

I have prepared some tasty delights which will suit all of my guests, as some are vegetarian. The bbq has been on for hours now and sizzling away on top now are some homemade lamb & mint burgers I have made. The jacket pototoes which were wrapped in foil in the coals have come out now and are keeping warm while my mexican delight is finishing in the oven.

While the weathers hot and the wine is flowing, my friends love their spicy flavours to come across in their food. With a large salad freshly prepared I have some homebaked baps, which I have to say are a little on the large side. But I am not going to hear the fella’s complaining and has it happens they have turned out to be the perfect size for my homemade lamb & mint burgers. In these baps I have chopped cucumber, sweet baby plum tomatoes, watercress and cubed feta, on top of which I shall place the lamb & mint burgers which I am serving with a mint & yogurt dip I made earlier.

And for my dear veggy friends mexican potatoes, with a crop of new potatoes fresh out of my garden. I have taken these around a pound in weight and sliced them, added around 5 floz of homemade chicken stock, 1 tin 14oz of kidney beans, 1 tsp of marjoram, 1 - 7oz tin of red pimientos (these make the dish), 1/2 - 1lb of rich smoked bacon from my local butcher & parsley to garnish. Place all this in a casserole dish & cover place in the oven at gas 3/ 160 c / 325 f for about an hour and this is delicious served with salad and a chunk of homemade bread.  (For your homemade bread try my blog loafing around in the morning, about bread machines with recipes for making your own bread as this will go down a storm at your bbq’s)

Although the tequilla should be served after you have eatten, but someone forgot to tell Aidy that one!!

Check out  my previous blog bar-b-q funtime for a great bbq with every practical part to make bbq safe and easy, so if your looking for a bbq to add to your household cooking appliances make sure you read this first, as everyone voted this BBQ a Winner!!. With fathers day just around the corner why not check out my apron blog for a great idea for that special man in your life.  Another blog you may want to visit from a while ago is my man size burger blog your fella will love you for it!

Why not send in your bbq ideas and what your friends and family enjoy at your bbq’s??

 Asparagus will soon be disappearing from our shelves (well the British Variety will anyway!) The asparagus season goes from April to mid June, but you can still enjoy this marvellous vegetable, if your quick.

When choosing your asparagus make sure you go for the firm asparagus with good colour, not wilted tops etc. You can simply cut off the woody ends and scrap this end with a knive, before you simply saute in a little butter and black pepper, delicious or why not try my Asparagus & Mushroom Fusilli, again simple to make and one of my sons favourites, so it has to be easy to prepare and cook!

You will need 300g Fusilli Pasta ( or use your homemade pasta as shown in my blog homemade pasta ), 25g Butter, 2 cm piece root ginger - grated, 125g mushrooms -sliced, 2 100g bunches of asparagus, 250ml tub half fat creme fraiche, 1 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley & salt and pepper to season.

First you will need to cook your pasta in a large pan of boiling slated water for about 10 minutes, (less time if fresh), while this is cooking melt your butter in a large pan and fry the ginger. mushrooms and asparagus (which you have prepared and cut on the diagonal into pieces) for about 5 minutes until cooked. Now add the creme fraiche, parsley and then seasoning to your taste. Drain your now cooked pasta

I found this great gadget for making draining pasta easy after I watched my mother in despair try to drain pasta using a saucpan lid only to feed the sink with some of this delicious homemade pasta as it slipped her clutches so to avoid this try using this great pasta spaghetti vegetable boiler colander drainer basket it  is made of  wireware, this stainless steel spaghetti, pasta vegetable basket is ideal for boiling and easily draining pasta or vegetables, for either domestic or commercial use.

Now mix into your sauce before serving immediately with either a salad or crusty homemade bread and a glass of cool white wine.

Also check out my other blog Tantalising spanish sunshine for another great alfresco asparagus recipe for you to enjoy in the sunshine with friends and family.

Round loaves of soda bread were traditionally baked on a hot griddle over a open fire, so they had a lovely crisp crust. This bread is great for anyone who cannot eat yeast for whatever reason. The bread is moist, close textured and delicious!

To make your soda bread your going to need: 450g Wholemeal plain flour (see my previous blog on flours to get the low down on different types and there uses), 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 125g Plain white flour, 1 tsp salt, 50g rolled oats and 450ml buttermilk.

Put the flours, oats, bicarbonate of soda & salt in a large bowl & mix together. Add enough buttermilk to mix to a soft dough. Knead very lightly, then shape into a large round & place on a greased baking sheet, then cut a deep cross in the top. Bake in the oven at 230 c/ 450 f/ gas 8 for 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 200 c/ 400 f/ gas 6 and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Then enjoy your loaf and eat while warm.

These great silicone all purpose baking sheets are brilliant for all your baking needs, I personally love the silicone range of bakeware and everyone who trys them has got rid of the cupboards of tin bakeware we all use to keep. They are easy clean and never get hot and whats more they store better in your cupboards too with alot of the cake tins etc actually folding completely flat.

Have you every made soda bread? Do you bake any bread yourself or use a bread maker? Read my previous blog on bread makers with recipes for you to use.

Here is one for you, sit back and add up how many yogurts you eat?

If you have a busy family household, the chances are more than 1 or 2 of you eat yogurt daily, and if you make pack lunches the chances are even higher. No matter how many times you check out the special offer sections at the supermarkets, do you like many others, sigh at the propect of a tasteless, thin or just another strawberry flavoured yogurt because its on special offer?

Well why not make your own? Its more economical, its fun and the kids, including teenagers will love it, and more will get eatten as they are making the flavours they want to eat, and best of all you know exactly whats in it so your keeping you and everyone else healthly and additive free.

Now the finished yogurts consistency is down to the milk used, so rich , creamy Channel Island milk or even condensed milk will give you a thick, creamy consistency, where as semi-skimmed milk gives a less creamy yogurt but obviously gives you fewer calories if your watching your diet. You can also use goats, ewes or even soya milks so its great for people who have food intolerances to have a go at making their own yogurts.

For your yogurts you are going to need: 600ml pasteurised or UHT milk of your choice, 15ml live natural yogurt (which has been beaten) & 30ml skimmed milk powder (this is optional but will give a thicker consistency if you like a thick yogurt).

Bring the milk & skimmed milk powder to the boil in a large saucepan, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Rinse a wide necked vacuum flask with boiling water (you can use a container with a lid if you do not have a flask). When the milk is 43 c blend in the natural live yogurt and pour into your warmed vaccum flask (or container). Leave this in a warm place for 6 - 8 hours, undisturbed, until just set. As soon as it is set transfer this to the fridge to chill then once set the yogurt is best used within 4 days (if it lasts that long). But remember to save some of the yogurt in readiness to make your next batch.

You can add flavours to your yogurt like blended fruits, honey, cinnamon, ginger, raisins & oat flakes, add these as you transfer to the fridge.

What is your favourite flavour? Mine would have to be blueberries I love the tartness and add in some sweet cranberries too for some great health superfoods and live yogurt to feed a healthy gut for breakfast and keep you with a spring in your step!

If you feel that a dish needs a side salad but you do not have any salad leaves to hand, then green vegetables like beans, courgettes and peas can make a great substitute. Just cook the choosen vegetables briefly so they remain crunchy and refresh them under cold running water, then serve with mayonnaise or salad dressing with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

You could also make a salad from raw root vegetables like carrots, turnips and white & red cabbages shredded finely and tossed in a flavoured dressing.

As in my previous blog a great gadget to use for these types of things if you do not have a food processor with the necessary blades is a Julienne Vegetable slicer like this one!

Alternatively if you have only a few salad leaves why not shred them and add to other store cupboard ingredients like crumbled cheese, chopped egg or even canned beans.

Do you have a favourite salad recipe or ingredient? Perhaps you have a tip for our avid readers too then don’t be shy join the rest of us foodies and send me your comments!