Berry tiramisu

20 sponge fingers

300ml double cream

250g mascarpone cheese

200g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons Chambord (raspberry liqueur)

200g strawberry jam 

200g sliced strawberries

200g blackberries (or raspberries/mixed berries)

1. Grease a 9x9 baking dish very lightly with butter
2. Place half of the fingers on the bottom of the side by side (2 rows of 5)
3. In a bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form
4. Add the mascarpone, 100g sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons Chambord. Whisk until fully combined and smooth.
5. In a separate small bowl, stir together the jam and the remaining 3 tablespoons Chambord.
6. In yet another bowl, mix together all of the fruit with 100g sugar. Stir to coat all the fruit and allowing some juices to form
7. Start by smoothing half of the cream mixture over the fingers. Use a spatula to smooth out the layer. Top with half of the jam mixture and use a fork to incorporate the jam into the cream then top with half of the fruit.
8. Repeat the layers, starting with fingers, cream, jam, then fruit.
9. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
10. Serve cold

* I used boudoir biscuits, which were quite firm, but you could use a softer biscuit if you want a spongier dessert. 

Lemon Drizzle Cake

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• finely grated zest 1 lemon 🍋 
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• 225g self-raising flour

For the drizzle topping

• juice 1½ lemons
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• 85g caster sugar

1. 1)Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.
2. 2)Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and caster sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. 
   

   
   

   

   
   

Spiced Cod with rice and spinach

1 vegetable stock cube

120g easy-cook long grain rice

2 cod fillets

1tbsp mango chutney

¼t sp cumin seeds

2 pinches dried chilli flakes

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 leek finely chopped 

1 clove garlic

1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks

50g frozen peas

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp medium curry powder

finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

Handful of spinach leaves

1) fill a pan of water, crumble in a stock cube and bring to the boil. Stir in the rice and return to the boil

2) Cook for 10 minutes, or according to pack instructions, until tender.

3) Place the cod on a foil-lined baking tray and spread each fillet with mango chutney. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds, chilli flakes and plenty of pepper. Wrap in the foil and cook in the oven at 180 a medium-hot for 15 minutes, until cooked through

4) Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onions, leek, garlic and peppers for 8-10 minutes. 5) Add the peas, turmeric, curry powder and lemon zest and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

6) Drain the rice and then tip it into the pan with the vegetables. Scatter over the spinach and toss together 

7) Over a low heat until the spinach wilts. Divide the rice between four plates and top each with a fish fillet. 

Sausage & Sweet Potato pie

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet potato 
1 onion chopped finely 
2 leeks sliced thinly 
Handful of mushrooms sliced
4 sausages 
1/2 pint of chicken stock
Handful of spinach 
Handful of grated cheese

1.  Peel and slice the sweet potatoes and place in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until soft. Mash until smooth. 

2. Melt the oil in a pan. Add the leek, onion, carrot and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. 

3. While the potato is cooking, gently remove the sausages from their skins and sliced into chunks approx and inch wide and fry in the pan until starting to brown. Pour over the chicken stock bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the spinach and leave for a few minutes until it has wilted. 

4. Pour the sausage mixture into a casserole dish. Top with the potato covering all of the filling. Place the cheese on top and pop under a hot grill for 3-4 minutes until the sweet potato is starting to brown and the cheese has melted.

Creamy chicken curry

Serves 2 big portions

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped finely 
2 cloves garlic chopped finely 
1 tsp chopped ginger 
2 cooked chicken legs, meat removed and cubed
1 tin 400ml coconut milk
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp tomato purée 
1/2 red pepper chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped 
3 mushrooms sliced 

1) heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 3-5 mins until softened, stirring regularly to make sure it doesn't catch and burn
2) stir in the curry powder and add the chicken, mix well so the chicken is covered in the powder
3) add the coconut milk, and tomato purée and stir well. Crumble in the stock cube and then add he peppers and mushroom. 
4) bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer for 15-20 mins until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Serve!

Vegetable lasagne

Serves 6

For the tomato sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped finely
1 clove of garlic crushed
2 large carrots chopped into chunks
1 large courgette sliced into small chunks
2 handfuls of broccoli florets
400ml tin chopped tomatoes
500ml jar passata
1 tsp chilli salt
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs

For the white sauce

70g butter
70g plain flour
1 litre milk
1 tsp nutmegs
Salt and pepper
50 g Parmesan cheese

Lasagne sheets
10 cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1) to make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion and garlic until starting to soften, sprinkle with the salt. Add the carrot stir well and fry for another 5 mins stirring regularly so the mixture doesn't catch. Add the chopped tomatoes and passata, stir well and bring to the boil. Add the courgette, broccoli and mixed herbs and turn down to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. 
2) to make the white sauce, melt the butter very gently and add the flour stirring quickly and constantly to form a paste. Cook gently for 2 mins then slowly add the milk a small amount at a time and whisk with balloon whisk, making sure no lumps form. 
3) bring to the boil then simmer until the sauce has thickened, add more milk if needed. Stir in the nutmeg and cheese, stir until melted and season with salt and pepper. 
4) to layer the lasagne, pop the lasagne sheets at the bottom of an ovenproof dish and cover with half of the tomato sauce. Scatter over half of the cherry tomatoes then cover with half of the white sauce. 
5)add another layer of lasagne, tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes and then the remaining white sauce. 
6)grate over more Parmesan if desired and slices of tomato. Sprinkle with mixed herbs. 
7) cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 mins until the top is brown and the lasagne is bubbling.  

Spicy potato soup

A knob of salted butter
1 large onion finely sliced
2 large potatoes peeled and cubed
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 red chilli chopped finely
500 ml hot vegetable stock
1 tsp curry powder

1)On a low heat, melt the butter in a large pan.  Add the onion and garlic and fry until softened. Add the chilli, stir in and cook for another couple of minutes.
2)Add the potatoes and stir into the oniony mixture. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t burn.
3)Add the hot stock and bring to the boil then pop in a lid and turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 15 mins until the potatoes have softened. Add the curry powder and stir well.
4) remove from the heat and put in a blender and blend until smooth.
5)When ready to serve, return to the pan and warm through gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.