Boozy Raspberries with Chocolate Sorbet

A very special Summer dessert, but don't wait for the sun to shine before you make it, you may have a long wait. You will love it whatever the weather. (Barbecue Summer, my eye)

For the chocolate sorbet.

150g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids

250g caster sugar

75g cocoa powder

500ml water

Break the chocolate into small pieces and add the cocoa powder.

Make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring it to the boil and simmer it for 15 minutes.

Whisk the hot syrup into the chocolate.

When it is melted and the mixture is smooth, leave it to cool.

Turn in an ice-cream machine, or, freeze in a container, making sure you stir it occasionally.

For the boozy raspberries.

350g raspberries, hulled and cleaned

3tbsp raspberry liqueur

Juice of 1 lemon

2tbsp icing sugar

Cook 250 g of the raspberries for 1 minute in a hot, dry frying pan.

Add the liqueur and flambe then add the icing sugar and lemon juice.

Blend the mixture and pass it through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Leave to cool.

To serve: Place 1 or 2 scoops of sorbet in a shallow bowl, drizzle with the raspberry sauce and scatter some of the remaining raspberries over.

For mint chocolate sorbet, blend 2tbsp of the sugar syrup with 8-10 fresh mint leaves before adding it to the mixture.

Fried Chicken Strips and Sweetcorn Pancakes with Lemon Mayonnaise

This is a great, quick and tasty midweek meal. Children will love it and its reasonably healthy, using olive oil and chicken breast.

Ingredients

For the pancakes

500g frozen sweetcorn kernels

40ml hot milk

25g plain flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5 egg whites

2tbsp olive oil

Cook the sweetcorn in boiling, salted water until tender, then drain.

Liquidise half the sweetcorn with the hot milk then pass the mixture through a sieve.

Mix with the flour and the remaining sweetcorn and season with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg whites until smooth and stiff and gently fold into the corn mixture.

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into a lightly oiled non-stick frying pan and fry on both sides until golden.

For the fried chicken

4 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

2tbsp plain flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2tbsp olive oil

Season the flour with salt and pepper and place it in a large polythene food bag, add the chicken and toss around until the chicken strips are coated with the flour and seasoning. Shake off any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the chicken strips fry for around 6 minutes, turning them frequently, until golden brown.

Lemon mayonnaise

Don't worry if you don't have time to make mayonnaise, use 1 small jar of good quality mayonnaise, mixed well with the juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon.

Serve with a crisp green salad.

Cheese Sables

These buttery cheese biscuits are excellent eaten on their own or, topped with a mild creamy cheese blended with finely chopped celery, walnuts and apple, they make a great party snack.

Ingredients

Makes 20 biscuits

150g plain flour

150g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

150g butter

1 egg yolk

Method

Mix the flour and cheese together in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until evenly mixed. Mix in the egg yolk to form a stiff dough.

Leave the dough to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/4ooF/ gas 6

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out to 1/4 in .

Using a 2 1/2 in cutter, cut out into rounds and place on a baking tray.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden and cool on a wire tray.

If not using straight away, store in an air tight container.

Vintage Recipe

(As it was written many moons ago)

This recipe is well worth trying, the result is a delicious jelly/jam that tastes great in sandwiches or on scones.

Apparently, years ago if you didn't own a jelly bag, a nylon stocking worked just as well. I suspect, nowadays, its easier to find a jelly bag.

Bramble Jelly

Choose ripe, but not over-ripe berries, pick over carefully, and bake slowly in the oven till soft.

Pour into the jelly bag a little at a time, as it runs best while hot; remove the refuse from one lot before putting in the next.

When all juice has been secured, add 1 lb sugar to each pint and boil till set.

Blackberry and Sultana Sponge

For afternoon tea, morning coffee or a pudding served with custard, you will love this moist tangy sponge cake. My personal favourite is to eat it warm, with a dollop of cold Creme Fraiche and served with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

170g self raising flour + 1tbsp

170g golden caster sugar

170g butter, softened

3 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

1tsp baking powder

170g fresh blackberries, washed

50g sultanas

Method

Preheat the oven to 185C/gas 6

Coat the blackberries and sultanas with 1 tbsp flour.

Put the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the blackberries and sultanas and spoon the mixture into an 8in cake tin lined with greaseproof paper.

Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and test with a metal skewer to make sure the mixture is baked.

Something Special for Sunday

Thai Fish Soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

Zest of 1 and juice of 2 limes

2in piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped

2 sea bass fillets. cut into 2in pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled

4oz monkfish, cut into cubes

1 stem lemon grass, peeled and chopped

4 scallops

1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

8 large raw prawns

1 whole chilli, strength according to taste

12-14 mussels, cleaned

25g fresh coriander

6 lime leaves or zest of 1 large lime

400ml tinned coconut milk

Method

Place the ginger, lemon grass, garlic, fish sauce, chilli, coriander stems and lime leaves or zest into a food processor, add 4 tbsp coconut milk and blend to a paste.

Put the mussels into a large pan with 2 tbsp water. Cover and steam over a high heat for a few minutes until the mussels open, discard any that don't.

Add the rest of the fish and shellfish and steam for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk and the juice of 1 lime. Bring to a gentle boil.

Chop the coriander leaves and add to the soup.

Ladle into bowls and add the remaining lime juice and the zest.

Easy Chinese Wontons

These tasty Chinese snacks are great picnic food with a sweet chilli dip, or an accompaniment to a simple stir fry. Brush them with oil and bake them until golden or try poaching them for 20 minutes in a light chicken soup and serve them on top of the soup.

Ingredients

400g raw prawns

100g minced pork

2 tins water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1tsp grated fresh ginger

Handful Coriander leaves

1tbsp low salt soy sauce

2tsp dry sherry

18 x 9cm square wonton wrappers

1 egg lightly beaten

Method

Process all the filling ingredients to form a paste.

Place rounded teaspoons of mixture in the centre of wonton wrappers and brush the edges with egg.

Bring the corners together in the centre of the wonton to form a parcel and press to seal the wrappers.

Wontons can be made 3 hours in advance and refrigerated until use.

Honey and Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

55g dark brown sugar

225g self raising flour

1tsp ground cinnamon

150ml clear honey

115g butter, softened

6 eggs ,separated

Pinch of salt

1tsp mixed spice

100g walnuts, chopped

50g poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/ gas 5

Method

Cream the butter and sugar. gradually beat in the egg yolks and add the honey. Sift the flour, salt and spices together and add to the mixture, a little at a time. Fold in the walnuts and half the poppy seeds. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the mixture. Sprinkle poppy seeds over the top

Spoon into an 8in cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.

When cool store in an air tight container.

Pork, Apple and Sage Patties

This recipe is great for a quick mid-week meal and can be eaten with mashed or boiled potatoes, or pasta.

Ingredients

500g minced pork

1 slice of seeded brown bread, made into crumbs

1 large onion, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 eating apples, peeled, cored and finely diced

12 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

olive oil

250ml chicken stock

1 egg, beaten

Method

Place the minced pork, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, breadcrumbs, apples and Sage in a large bowl and mix to combine. add the egg and bind the mixture together. Form into balls using 1 tbsp of mixture per ball. Slightly flatten each ball to form a patty and coat each patty with flour, this will help thicken the sauce.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the pork patties for 10-12 minutes, turning them frequently.

Add the stock and tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Serve with mashed potatoes and fine green beans or Fusilli pasta.

Tomato, Chorizo, Goats Cheese and Red Pepper Tart

4 large plum tomatoes

olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

375g puff pastry

100g Chorizo, thinly sliced

16 thin slices goats cheese

3-4 stalks fresh Rosemary

Preheat the oven to 200C/ gas 7

Heat 3tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the red pepper, onion, Rosemary and garlic for 20 minutes. Remove the Rosemary stalks, season, and cool the mixture.

Roll the pastry and cut into 8 rectangles.

Place the pastry on an oiled baking tray and score the border edges 1cm with a sharp knife. Brush with olive oil and spoon on the mixture, keeping within the border. Lay 1 slice of goats cheese on each tart, then a layer of Chorizo followed by the tomatoes and finally another slice of goats cheese.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the topping is bubbling.

Eat warm with salad.

Can be eaten cold with a picnic or packed lunch.

Vintage Recipe

As it was written in 1923

Sloe Gin

1lb Sloes

1 1/2pt Gin

3oz sugar

Prick each fruit with a silver fork. Pack in a wide mouthed jar, not quite full; shake in the sugar and fill up with Gin. Cork tightly and invert the bottle occasionally. Fit for use in three months.