Sometimes you have to cook in a hurry for guest who arrives on the spare of the minute so to speak. This has to be said is typical of my friends and family, but thats how we like it. If we find ourselves in the neighbourhood or just feel like catching up with each other, we will drop in. Its nice I always feel that they feel they can do this and thats were preparing extra in the freezer and store cupboard ingredients come in to their own.

One favourite dish to make under these circumstances is one of my favourite quick recipes, so versatile it can be made with cupboard ingredients if it needs to be. Thats Salmon, parma and porcini mushroom pasta delicious!

You will need: 15g Dried porcini mushrooms (keep these in your cupboard essentials), 450g fresh salmon (or you could used a can of red salmon 418g so again keep one in your cupboard), 300g tortigiloni pasta ( your cupboard essentials should contain a selection of different pastas), 8 slices of parma ham, 100g creme fraiche, 200f ricotta cheese, few sprig of parsley and sea salt and black pepper to season.

 Its important to keep a range of cooking essentials in your kitchen cupboards and refridgerator and the above it something I always have. To make this delicious pasta dish you first put the dried porcini mushrooms into a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover then, leave these to soak foa at least an hour. Cook your salmon if using fresh by either griddling or in a microwave for about 3 minutes before flaking depending on the size of fish you have. If you using a tim just open drain and flake. In both cases reserve 2 tbsps of liquid from the cooking or can, or you could use your own fish stock too the choice is yours. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions (you can see my previous blog regarding making your own pasta). Heat a frying pan add the slices of parma ham and cook until crispy then lift them out and lie them on kitchen towelling. Drain the pasta and return to the pan with the reserved salmon liquid, the drained porcini mushrooms, then spoon in the creme fraiche, ricotta and heat through for a few minutes stirring gently. Snip in some parsley then add the salmon chunks heating gently for 2 minutes, before seasoning to taste. Divide your pasta between 4 warmed plates and arrange 2 slices of the parma ham on each. Such a hearty filling warming dish which everyone loves.

For another great pasta recipe try my peppered beef and mushroom tagliatelle as in my previous blog easy recipe for a italian supper or a great sporting pasta dish in my blog food for sport.

Have you got a favourite pasta dish why not tell us all about it?

Soups are something which is great for using left overs up including stocks made earlier in the weeks cooking for example. Once you start to expeiment making your own soups you will never return to tinned or brought soups again the taste is delicious and you can add your own twists on common soup recipes.

Also soups start to be ideal as we look for something a little warmer may be for lunch time at work. The beauty of homemade soup is you know exatcly what ingredients have gone into making it. So no added preservatives, colourants etc and with a few handy pots you can simply freeze you soup portions for later use which can be reheaten in the microwave for convenience.

Try to use foods which are in season as I had a abundance of tomatoes from the poly tunnel and also looking for some great vitamin C to boost our imune systems as viruses and bugs start there annual desent onto us I couldn’t think of a better soup than Tomato or which you can make different versions to suit your tastes.

So for a great Tomato Soup you are going to need: 25g butter, 1 medium chopped onion, 1 small chopped potato, 600g fresh tomatoes quartered, 1 garlic clove crushed, 1 bay leaf, 2 tbls tomato puree, 450ml vegetable or chicken stock, 450ml milk and salt and pepper to taste plys parsley to garnish.

Fry the onion in the melted butter until soft then add the potato, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, tomato puree and stock before bringing to the boil and shimmering gently for 20 to 25 minutes until the potato is soft. Remove your bay leaf, add the milk and liquidise the soup using a hand blender (or you could press through a sieve if you do not have a blender). Return your soup to the saucepan and reheat before seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper then garnish with parsley and serve.

As I have taught you all before try different variations on this recipe by for instance adding grated rind and juice of a orange or add 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp parsley and 1 tsp worcester sauce with some crispy diced pancetta and small congigli pasta for a Italian take on Tomato soup.

Check out my previous blog Your dessert island kitchen blender, or another great soup recipe in my previous blog fasta pasta and my previous blog microwave magic in stock for a great quick way to make homemade stock great to use in soups, casseroles and sauces.

Blenders are great kitchen gadgets which aid the cook tremendously, take a look at the selection available of hand blenders. One I like and have used is the Breville VHB014 Stainless Steel Hand Blender Set 

The Breville VHB014 Stainless Steel Hand Blender Set has everything you need in one, a hand blender, electric whisk and chopper. A great addition to any kitchen.

• Powerful 400 watt motor for professional results
• 2 Speeds
• Brushed stainless steel body & leg
• 700ml beaker
• Ergonomic handle

Why not tell us about the product you use to blend with in your recipes?

Recently with my son moving away from home I was well arming him with some classic cookery recipes for him to cook for himself. With students out and about all hours and also on a tight budget, alot of his cookery lessons where based on nutritious, fast and easy recipes to cook on a budget.

One recipe which Ed loves and is finding easy to cook, as he put it in the oven and leaves it to cook while he gets himself a shower and returns to a tasty dish of baked courgette and tuna risotto.

You will need: 2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil, 200g arborio rice, chicken stock (homemade or cubes), 400g chopped tomatoes, 1 onion finelt chopped, 1 chopped chilli (to add a kick if you like this or obmit this out), 2 x 185g tinned tuna ( you can use fresh which has been steamed or griddled), 3 finely sliced courgettes and basil leaves and grated parmesan to serve but optional. (Ed has also been know to add peas to this recipe too for another option)

Heat your oven to 200 C/ fan 180 C/ gas 6 and heat a large flameproof casserole dish with a lid over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and chilli (if you want a kick) with some sea salt and stir for around 5 minutes until the onions are soft, then add your rice and stir again for another minute. Make up 375ml stock and add to your rice with the chopped tomatoes and bring this to shimmering point. Stir in the tuna and courgettes and season with fresh black pepper. Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes until the rice is cooked. To serve scatter basil leaves and sprinkle parmesan over the finished dish and serve with crusty bread.

Don’t forget this will serve 4 so if your appetite is big as is Ed’s plate up half and place in the refridgerator for tomorow or freeze for another day.

Whats your favourite quick recipe? Have you taught certain recipes to your children who are now students cooking away from home, then let us know how they are getting on and what recipes they like!

See my previous blog It may be compact but its easy to use and cheap to run for a great gadget for students to cook with away from home, and Starting from scratch essentials for the kitchen blog or search for my easy recipes like this easy recipe for a italian supper.

I know we have all been talking about the British weather as we do and how odd the weather has been again this summer, but a change is in the air and there appears to be a bumper crop of blackberries on the hedgerow which started to change early this year due to the extremes hot & wet days we have been having.

Looking for a quick dessert to finish off our scrummy barbecue by the sea I couldn’t think of a better dessert than my Creamy Blackberry Fool, (you cab use other fruits if you have a favourite you want to substitute the blackberries for).

Stock up on your blackberries when they are at their peak and freeze them for use throughout the year as they will keep in the freezer for 6 months and make a wonderful fruit crumble or sauce to accompany meats etc.

For my Creamy blackberry fool your going to need: 450g blackberries, grated rind and juice of a lime, 284ml pot of double cream, 100g caster sugar and 300ml pot of greek style yogurt (or your homemade see my previous blog yogurt recipes depend on milk used   )

Start by palcing your cleaned blackberries in a bowl reserving a few for decoration. Sprinkle over the lime rind juice and sugar and leave to stand for at least 5 minutes for the sugar to dissolve and turn syrupy. Then using a wooden spoon roughtly crish your blackberries (again if you prefer a smoother consistency blend slightly). Put the cream in a chilled bowl again reserving a little for decoration and whip the cream into soft peaks then using a spatula stir in the greek yogurt and mix well. (Note that greek yogurt has the highest fat content so gives a creamier flavour however you can use creme fraiche or fromage frais as alternatives if you wish).

Now alternate layer the blackberries and the cream and yogurt mix into parfait glasses or tall glasses and top with reserved cream and fruit. You can also for another variation add a layer of crumbled chocolate muffins or cookies, add a little alcohol for a special dessert and top with drizzle caramel.

Whats your quick and easy seasonal dessert?? have you a variation on my fool dessert to share with us, then send it in. Our barbecue went great although a little chilly but the guests never noticed as the food kept on coming along with the wine. Tell me about your summer barbecues and parties.

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.

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! 

Sweet juicy melons are the taste of summer. With plenty of varieties to choose from, melon can make a healthy treat that can be enjoyed as a instant low calorie snack or dessert. Whether you prefer the fresh flavour of a watermelon or the fragrant flesh of the canteloupe.

Melons are a refreshing way to help all of us to eat our five portions of fruit and vegetables per day as recommended for a healthy diet.

So pick your favourite Melon from super-sweet charentais, crisp watermelon, juicy canteloupe, galia or honeydew varieties.

A very simple appertiser and something to take on a picnic with you is Proscuitto (Italian dry cured ham) wrapped in melon balls. Really easy to make by making balls of honeydew melon with a melon baller and wrap these in prosciutto and fresh mint to make a great snack/ appertiser which is simple to make, low in cost, delicious and uses few ingredients. 

The melon baller is a simple kitchen gadget that you can use for a variety of fruits and you can also use your melon balls for desserts decorating trifles, cakes, adding to salads and don’t forget you can add them to your cocktails too. 

Find more dessert ideas in my blog berried treasure at pick your own farms and a mouthful of heaven with many more great recipe ideas for you in all of my blogs to try.

Did you know that apparently over 78% of our barbecues are unplanned? (See my previous blog Great hot BBQ’s). You never know when the sun will be shining and company will turn up unannouced so stock up on some of the classic barbecue essentials and try out one of my favourite barbecue fish recipes.

You can always try barbecuing different fish for this recipe too like haddock or coley. This recipe is perfect for that camping holiday or if you our with your barbecue at the park or even if your really lucky down on the beach!

For my Salmon with Pesto and summer vegetables which take next to nothing to prepare and only about 15 to 20 minutes tops to cook you simply:

Light and preheat your barbecue to start with. Then tear 4 large pieces of foil. Slice up 2 courgettes (see my previous blog minnie marrow season is here ) and wash 150g of mange tout and divide these between you 4 pieces of foil. Take 4 salmon fillets and one on top of the vegetables in each of the 4 pieces of foil. Spread a generous 1 tblsp of pesto over the top of each piece of salmon. Finally squeeze some lemon juice over the fish and loosely wrap the fish in the foil and place on the barbecue to cook for approximately 15 minutes until the salmon is cooked. I serve mine with some freshly dug up baby new potatoes with a knob of butter and chopped fresh parsley.

Tell me about your families favourite barbecue fish dish? What types of fish have you tried and enjoyed?

Homemade fish cakes are another great favourite see my blog Spring in homemade fishcakes, many more fish recipes in my pervious blogs for you to try, taste and enjoy!

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.