Serves 4

Serving Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

250gm/9oz plain flour

600ml/1 pint milk

4 eggs (beaten)

300ml/10 fl oz soda water

125ml/4 fl oz olive oil

Beat the eggs, milk and 25ml/1 fl oz olive oil together. Sieve in the flour and whisk until you form a thick batter. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Before you make your pancakes, whisk in the soda water until you form a smooth batter. Allow to rest for a few minutes.

Pour approximately ¼ cup portions onto a sizzling pan, greased with olive oil.

Cook until the edges begin to dry and they are golden brown on the bottom, then flip and continue cooking until that side is golden brown, as well.

TIP: If your flipping technique isn’t up to scratch, have a fish slice to hand. Serve hot and smothered in real butter and syrup for all the family to enjoy.

You can also serve your pancakes with fresh fruit, jam, honey, maple syrup or peanut butter.

Serves 2

Serving Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 slices of bacon

150gm/5oz cubed feta cheese

110gm/4oz sage and onion stuffing

285gm/10oz crisp Italian lettuce leaves

110gm/4oz spinach leaves

175ml/6fl oz olive oil

50ml/2 fl oz white wine vinegar

¼ garlic clove

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

A squeeze of lemon juice

100gm/4oz toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons of olive oil for baking

Wash the chicken breasts and pat dry. Lay flat on the counter and run a sharp knife, 2/3 of the way horizontally across the length of the breast. Open the breast up and rub with a little olive oil.

Press the stuffing in the middle, into a sausage shape. Close the breast over, brush with olive oil and wrap each breast in the bacon. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray.

Place in a preheated oven at 180^oC/350^oF and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. As the chicken is baking, rinse the lettuce leaves and gently dry.

Toast the pine nuts in the oven, by placing on a baking tray and roasting for 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn the nuts.

Blend together the white wine vinegar, ¼ garlic clove, mustard, 175ml/6fl oz olive oil and the squeeze of lemon, until a smooth dressing is formed.

In a large bowl, mix together the lettuce leaves, cubed feta and the dressing. Serve into small salad bowls. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and carefully cut into slices.

Layer onto the bed of salad and serve drizzled with a little dressing. Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and enjoy our wonderful warm chicken salad.

Serves 2

Serving time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

200gm/7oz sirloin beef

400gm/14oz crisp lettuce leaves

20 black olives

2 eggs

75ml/3fl oz olive oil

50ml/2 fl oz peanut oil

50ml/2 fl oz white wine vinegar

¼ garlic clove

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons of olive oil for cooking

Wash the beef and finely dice into long strips. Sauté the beef on a moderate heat, using the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

While the beef is cooking, bring the 2 eggs to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, until well done. Once the eggs are cooked through, allow to cool under running cold water.

In a blender, add the honey, peanut oil, white wine vinegar, ¼ garlic clove, wholegrain mustard and 75ml/3fl oz of olive oil. Process the vinaigrette until an even consistency begins to form.

Cut the olives in half. In a large bowl, mix together the olives, vinaigrette and the washed lettuce leaves.

Serve into small salad bowls, with the sautéed beef strips layered on top. Garnish with the eggs cut into quarters and arranged around the edge of the bowl, with a little vinaigrette drizzled on top.

Serves 6

Serving Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 onion

5 sticks of celery

1000gm/35oz chopped tomatoes

1 large cooking apple

350ml/12fl oz vegetable stock

125ml/4 fl oz olive oil

125ml/4 fl oz crème fraiche

25gm/1oz chopped parsley

Chop and wash all the vegetables. In a large pot on a low heat, sauté the onion, apple and celery in a little olive oil for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and using a hand blender, purée the soup until smooth and even throughout. If you don’t have a hand blender, use a processor and blend in batches.

Season to taste and check the constituency. If the soup is too thick, mix in a little more water. Garnish with a swirl of crème fraiche and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Serves 8

Serving Time: 1 ½ hour

Ingredients:

250gm/9oz self rising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

10ml/ ¼ fl oz white wine

25ml/1 fl oz olive oil

15ml/ ½ fl oz sun dried tomato puree

25gm/1oz sun dried tomatoes

50gm/2oz pitted black olives

150gm/5oz cheddar cheese

A few fresh basil leaves

A few fresh leaves coriander

A few fresh leaves of flat leaf parsley

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and the eggs. Add the olive oil, tomatoes puree and wine, before mixing to form a moist dough.

Chop all the herbs and mix into the dough with the diced sun dried tomatoes, chopped olives and a little seasoning.

Place the dough in an oiled and lined 450gm/1lb loaf tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 200^oC/400^oF for 30 minutes.

Reduce the heat and bake for a further 20 minutes at 170^oC/325^oF, until cooked through and it sounds hollow when you tap it underneath. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy fresh.

Serves 2

Serving Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

200gm/7oz tofu cubes

1 onion

4 vine ripe tomatoes

100ml/3 ½ fl oz olive oil

1 garlic clove

A squeeze of lemon juice

285gm/10oz mature cheese

250gm/9oz crisp lettuce leaves

12 piped black olives

75ml/3 fl oz sweet chilli sauce

75ml/3 fl oz mayo

2 tortilla wraps

Quarter the tomatoes and remove the soft insides. Finely dice the skins and add to a bowl with finely diced garlic and half a diced onion.

Add a squeeze of lemon, 75ml/3 fl oz olive oil, a pinch of paprika and seasoning. Allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour, for the flavour to release.

Cube the tofu, layer along the middle of the wrap and cover in the salsa and crisp lettuce leaves. Sprinkle in the pitted black olives and fold the wrap over to form a closed pouch.

Mix the sweet chilli sauce with the mayo to form a sweet chilli dip. Serve with the wrap cut in half and a garnish of crisp salad leaves.

Serves 8

Serving Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

300gm/11oz shortcake pastry

200gm/7oz toasted pecans

200gm7oz muscovado sugar

225ml/8 fl oz maple syrup

50gm/2oz unsalted butter

3 eggs

Pinch of salt

10ml/ ¼ fl oz vanilla essence

Preheat an oven to 180^oC/350^oF. Toast half the pecans in a little olive oil, butter and sugar for 10 minutes in a pot to caramelise. Remove and cool.

Roll out the shortcake pastry and use to line a loose-bottom flan tin. Cover the pastry in grease proof paper and baking beans and cook blind for 20 minutes.

Remove the beans and grease proof paper and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, to lightly colour the pastry.

While the pastry is cooking, prepare the filling. Melt and cool the butter. Once cooled, whisk together with the eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla and maple syrup until smooth.

Once the base is ready, sprinkle over the un-toasted pecans and pour over the filling. Place in the oven, heated to 170^oC/325^oF and bake for 1 hour, until the tart sets.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the caramelized pecans. Enjoy served with a dollop of fresh cream or peanut butter ice cream in the summer.

Serves 2

Serving time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

300gm/11oz kidney beans

200gm/7oz chickpeas

200gm/7oz butterbeans

1 red and 1 yellow pepper

A small bunch of chives

100ml/3½ fl oz extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove

1/2 lemon

Before preparing your dish, wash all three of your beans well and then soak separately overnight. Once soaked, drain and rinse well, before boiling in fresh water for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

As the beans will have different cooking times, it is best to boil them in separate pots. Once soft take them off the boil and drain, before allowing them to cool.

Finely chop the peppers and the chives and set aside. Crush the garlic to a paste.

Prepare your dressing by mixing together the Dijon mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until a nice consistency is formed. Add the juice of the lemon with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl mix together the beans, chives and peppers. Now add the dressing and enjoy a fresh, healthy dish.

Serves 2

Serving Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 slices bacon

175gm/6oz button mushrooms

1 onion

1 clove garlic

250ml/8 fl oz white wine

200ml/7 fl oz cooking cream

6 sun dried tomatoes

A few fresh basil leaves

75ml/3 fl oz olive oil

110gm/4 oz parmesan cheese

2 slices garlic bread

Sauté the finely diced onion in a little olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft. Pour in the wine and simmer off 1/3 of the liquid, to evaporate the alcohol.

TIP: Alcohol evaporates at 80^OC/176^OF, well below waters evaporating point, so as the liquid simmers down, the alcohol will evaporate first.

As the sauce is simmering, dice the chicken and fry in a little oil until cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside and fry the bacon.

For a healthier option, you can prebake the breasts and bacon, before dicing and adding to the sauce.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and the tagliatelle and cook until soft through. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and stir in a little olive oil, to prevent from sticking together.

To finish the sauce, add the diced sun dried tomatoes, seasoning, and slowly stir in the cream. As the sauce thickens, add the chicken and bacon and allow to simmer for a minute.

Serve the tagliatelle in a pasta bowl, with the rich sauce poured over the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan and a few chopped basil leaves. Serve with a side of toasted garlic bread.

Serves 4

Serving Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 Portobello mushrooms

175gm/6oz sun dried tomatoes

150gm/5oz smoked cheese

100ml/3 ½ fl oz olive oil

275gm/10oz mixed leaf lettuce

75ml/3fl oz balsamic vinegar

Wash the Portobello mushrooms and carefully remove the stocks. Brush the mushrooms in a little olive oil and bake for 5 minutes in a preheated oven at 180^oC/350^oF.

Remove the mushrooms and fill with the chopped sun dries tomatoes. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cover the mushrooms in slices of the smoked cheese. Return to the oven and bake until all the cheese has melted and the mushrooms are heated through.

Serve with a mixed leaf lettuce and garnish the plate with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Enjoy as a gourmet starter or serve with roasted vegetables and baby potatoes as a delicious meal.