Tomato and Cucumber salad

Before you know it, it will be tomato season.  We have some in our greenhouse! There’s nothing quite as fresh and tasty as a tomato and cucumber salad.  It’s especially good when served with a handful of toasted seeds (not shown in this picture) on top and a wine vinegar dressing.  Crunchy, fresh, sharp.

You will need:

Bubble and squeak

The thing about bubble and squeak is that even the worst cook can’t get it wrong.  That’s because, there’s no way to get it ‘right’.  It’s just luck!  Use whatever leftovers you have from a roast dinner.  Stick an egg on top and serve with some gravy if you have it left over.  Delicious!

Using leftovers:

Pasta with prawns and feta

Once upon a time I took this from a Jamie Oliver recipe leaflet that came in an Irish Sunday newspaper supplement.  I’m sure it’s not 100% correct now but this is the version we’ve ended up with over the years.

For 2 adults and a little one you will need:

Greek salad

Happy days – it’s sunny again!  Ever since a fantastic trip to Mykonos, we eat a lot of Greek salads.  It’s a brilliant lunch for all the family.  You can use a combination of any of the ingredients listed below.  Cucumber, tomato, feta and onion with an oil and vinegar dressing are a must  The rest are optional.

Lunch for 2 adults and a little one:

Lentil and Chorizo Soup

A deceptively easy and delicious soup. This freezes well so pop some in the freezer and take it out for a treat when you don’t feel like cooking!

For 4 servings you will need:

Pasta shells with and broccoli, pine nuts and chilli

Here’s another great pasta and broccoli dish.  A simple traditional Italian recipe that is light on your pocket but big on taste.

For 2 adults:

Pasta shells with ricotta and spinach

This is a useful veggie dish if you’re having a crowd around and need to prepare in advance.  You can keep this in the fridge once it’s prepared and do the final cooking step in the oven at your leisure.

For 2 adults and a little one you will need:

Chicken and Broccoli gratin

Here’s a nice easy one for a weeknight.  Use leftover chicken from your weekend roast dinner.

Feeds 2 adults and a little one:

Frozen grapes – a simple weekend treat

This is our big cheat recipe which we saw on a Jamie Oliver show once, stole and have served liberally since! It’s one of the easiest, cheekiest deserts going….  Get a big bunch of black (they need to be black, not red) grapes.  Put them in the freezer for a few hours before dinner.  Serve them straight from the freezer – it turns out just like a sorbet but with none of the effort. Great served with chocolate and red wine!

Another potato cake recipe

If you’re stuck for something for dinner, you might find a tin of tuna in the cupboard and some leftover potatoes.  You don’t need the spinach – it’s just a great way of sneaking in vegetables to the little ones!  This is another simple ‘cake’ recipe for little ones and adults alike.

for 8 ‘cakes’ you will need:

• 400 g cooked mashed potato
• 1 tin tuna
• 1 handful spinach finely shredded
• 2 spring onions finely sliced
• 1 knob butter
• 1 egg beaten
• Polenta to coat (optional)

Method

While the potatoes are still hot, add a large knob of butter and the spinach.  Stir thoroughly.  Then add the tuna and mash it up into the potato and spinach mixture.  Allow it to cool completely before seasoning with black pepper.

Make small patties / cakes (about the size of the palm of your hand) out of the mixture, dunk in the beaten egg and coat with polenta or breadcrumbs.   The cakes can be frozen at this stage.

From room temperature, bake the cakes which have been lightly brushed with oil and placed on a baking tray at 200 C for 20 minutes turning once during cooking.  Alternatively shallow fry in a little olive oil for a 3-4 minutes on each side until golden.

Enjoy!