Moroccan Style Turkey, Plum and Pepper Stew

I love making little Moroccan inspired dishes. That unusual combination of fruit, spice, meat and vegetable makes a dull day brighter. With a few store cupboard essentials that concoct to form this most elegant of North African cuisines, it is possible to transform the most bland ingredients into a thing of beauty. I always call them tagines but of course they aren't. A tagine is the clay pot that that the North Africans use to slow cook their vegetables or meat to achieve melting soft food. I take out the trusty old Pyrex and achieve similar results.

As well as being packed full of flavour, you can experiment with any ingredient that you desire. Another bonus is that tagines are incredibly healthy. Slow braised roots such as the up and coming turnips, swedes, carrots and parsnips soak up the sensual spices to perfection. Mixed pulses and beef are a match made in heaven. A good chunky white fish and fennel are dreamy. I decided to go for peppers, new season plums and chick peas combined with lean turkey.

Moroccan Style Turkey, Plum and Pepper Stew
Feeds 4

500g turkey breast, sliced
3 mixed peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 onion, sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tin of chickpeas
1 tin of tomatoes, or 400g fresh tomatoes cubed
6 plums, stoned and quartered
A handful of dried apricots, diced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
A pinch of cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
A handful of toasted sliced almonds
Fresh coriander and mint, chopped

1 - In a flameproof casserole dish, heat up the oil then add the onion, peppers and fennel. Cook until slightly coloured and soft.
2 - Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3 - Add the turkey and plums and coat in the spices, cooking and stirring for 1 minute.
4 - Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, honey and dried apricots. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes until reduced. Keep checking to ensure it is not catching.
5 - Taste for seasoning. Serve with cous cous, flatbreads and a good scattering of toasted sliced almonds, freshly chopped coriander and mint.

Courgette, Bramley and Cheddar Soup

Summer and soup are not two words that are usually spoken in the same sentence. Even in this summer of discontent here in the U.K. I would assume that you, like me, have not been taking to the soup like you would in the winter months. People associate soup as the perfect food to fill and warm after a long winter day in the freezing cold. Therefore, we all tend to turn to lighter dishes in the summer, moving from soups to smoothies and casseroles to salads.

Of course there are many fabulous soups that utilise the glut of summer ingredients around. I'm thinking of a flavour and health packed minestrone. Or a garlic hot gazpacho. Perhaps a chilled almond soup. Thinking about it, there are soups-a-plenty to be guzzled during the hotter months.

Soups are a perfect platform for experimenting with ingredients and flavours. As long as you don't go too weird, even the ugliest of soups that have been 'thrown' together can usually be saved with a quick blitz in the blender. I'm always thinking of new soup ideas when the list of available seasonal ingredients becomes available. And yesterday was no exception.

With a glut of courgettes freshly plucked from my father-in-law's allotment, and a few new Bramley apples from the greengrocer, I had a combination in my mind that would either be an embarrassing disaster or a summer success story. Thankfully it was the latter. Even with an intruding sharp Bramley in there, balancing out that sharpness with a strong salty Cheddar and a punch of fresh mint works perfectly. Each flavour needs to be balanced so that you taste each ingredient rather than one overpowering. Serve it hot or cold. It needs to be fresh, subtle and gentle, a bit like a British summer. And this makes for a very good summer soup. Now we just need the sun...

Courgette, Bramley and Cheddar Soup

4-5 small courgettes or 2 large, halved and sliced
5 Bramley apples, peeled and cubed
2 sticks of celery, sliced
1 clove of garlic
A large handful of fresh mint, chopped
500ml vegetable stock or water
250g Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
Salt and pepper

1 - In a large pan, heat the oil then add the courgettes, apples, celery and garlic. Gently cook, stirring regularly until some of the water evaporates and the vegetables and fruit collapse. Add the fresh mint.
2 - Add the stock or water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3 - Pour the soup into a blender along with the cheese. Blitz thoroughly until smooth. It should be the palest of greens.
4 - Pour back into the pan and taste for seasoning. You may want to add more cheese, but go gentle on the salt. Serve in bowls with an optional swirl of yoghurt and a sprinkle of freshly chopped mint. This soup can be served chilled, it works perfectly with either.

Greek Beef Stifado

Stifado is one of those classic dishes that every country should cherish with great pride. There must be a hundred different recipes for it, and each is probably fiercely defended in each region. Beautifully rich with red wine, sweetly scented with cinnamon and bay, it is a long braised stew that can contain any meat that will withstand a long cooking time. So certain cuts of lamb and beef are perfect. My version contains cheap stewing beef, but rabbit is actually the traditional meat.

The list of ingredients may seem long, but it takes no time to put together. The hardest bit is waiting for it to cook as the house will be full of tempting aromas making every stomach rumble with anticipation. Eat it with crusty bread and mashed potato to soak up the sensual juices, or perhaps some simple roasted vegetables and a green salad. It will fill the family and still cost less than a tenner.

Greek Beef Stifado 
Feeds four

500g stewing beef, cut into chunks
Plain flour
Olive oil
1 onion, sliced
20-30 shallots, peeled and left whole
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
6 tomatoes, roughly chopped, or one tin of chopped tomatoes
200ml beef stock
500ml red wine
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 cinnamon sticks or a good pinch of cinnamon
A pinch of dried chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
1 pack of feta cheese
A handful of walnuts
Fresh mint, chopped

1 - Pre-heat your oven to 140C/Fan 120C/GM2. In a bowl, coat the cubes of meat in seasoned flour. Pour enough olive oil into a heavy based casserole dish to cover the bottom and heat up. Add the meat in batches and cook quickly to get a good golden brown crust all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and put aside. Do not be alarmed by the ever blackening crust forming on the bottom; once de-glazed this is essential for the flavour.
2 - Add the sliced onions and shallots and quickly brown. Add the garlic, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, chilli and oregano and cook for one minute. Return the meat to the pan along with any juices, then pour in the red wine and bring to the boil. Scrape away on the bottom with a wooden spatula to remove the flavoursome crust.
3 - Add the tomatoes, stock and vinegar. Bring to the boil, place the lid on and cook on the middle shelf of your oven for 3 hours, stirring halfway through the cooking time. If you feel that the sauce is too loose, remove the lid for half an hour to help thicken.
4 - Add the walnuts just before serving, then either crumble over the feta cheese or mix in. Either way, the salty hit from this delicious sour cheese should mean you don't need to add more salt. Sprinkle over the mint and serve in generous bowls.

Shrikhand

Indian desserts are a thing that I have had great problems with over the years. As much as I adore all things Indian and savoury, I have always struggled to stomach their sugary offerings. To me, they always seemed to be that - too sugary. Either a pastry or a batter steeped in a sugar syrup, or those sugary and nut multi-coloured squares that look ever so pretty but taste ever so sickly. Always looking good, but rarely tasting as good as they look.

Of course this is my opinion. And I am of the nature that opinions are there to be changed. As the years have gone by and I have opened my mind up to the myriad of foodstuffs out there, my dislike of Indian desserts has become one of irritation to me. How can somebody love one side of a country's cuisine so much and not like the other? I always knew that it was a matter of just being shown a few alternative Indian desserts from their vast country to change my opinion. And last week that very thing happened.

I was introduced to a dessert called Shrikhand which is a dessert like no other. It is simply a strained yoghurt flavoured with cardamon and saffron, sweetened with a little honey and covered in fruit and nuts. Incredibly simple, it tastes exotic and cools the palate after a spicy main course. It is also light on the stomach, which is always a blessing after a starchy main. This is one of those desserts that you will always remember, and if you leave out the yoghurt straining, you will be able to whip up a very impressive dessert with minimum effort. My opinion has of course been changed. Indian desserts - I love them!

Shrikhand
Feeds 2

1 large tub of natural yoghurt
5-6 tbsp honey
1 large pinch of saffron, steeped in a little milk
15 green cardamon pods, seeds removed, pan roasted then ground
A handful of pistachios
A handful of sliced almonds
1 pomegranate, seeds removed

1 - If you want to make yoghurt 'cheese', line a sieve with kitchen roll and place over a large bowl. Pour in the yoghurt and place in the fridge overnight to remove all of the water. This is optional - it will make for a thicker, creamier and more sumptuous dessert.
2 - In a large bowl, beat together the yoghurt and honey. Then beat in the saffron and ground cardamon.
3 - Place piles into bowls. Scatter over the nuts and seeds.

Orange Cake

A truly sensational technique for making a great cake is to add a whole fruit. I don't mean skinning and chopping up a fruit, I mean boiling a whole one, skin and all, and then blitzing into a zesty purée. So, take an orange and boil it whole. Cut it in half, take out the seeds and whizz up in a blender. Fold that into a cake, and you are hit with amazing orange flavour in every bite. It also makes for a very moist cake that will stay moist and improve with a day of resting.

Experiment with limes and lemons. Even try a grapefruit. And perhaps use ground pistachios or hazelnuts instead of almonds. 

Orange Cake

1 orange, boiled for 45 minutes, seeded and blitzed to a purée
3 eggs
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
75g ground almonds
175g butter
100g sugar
Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

1 - Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees C, GM4.
2 - Butter and line a baking tin with a removable base.
3 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. This is important as it will lighten the cake.
4 - Add the eggs one by one, beating all of the time.
5 - Sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour in the ground almonds and orange purée and fold in thoroughly.
6 - Pour into the baking tin and bake on the middle shelf for 30-40 minutes until golden and an inserted knitting needle, or something similar, comes out clean.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Orzo means 'barley' in Italian, and these tiny 'barley' shaped pasta shapes combine perfectly in a summer salad. Tossed together with caramelised vegetables and a sharp lemon dressing, it's brilliant with roast chicken and stuffed herb tomatoes. It looked amazing and tasted even better, one of those dishes that you will always keep up your sleeve in the knowledge that it will impress. It is also a dish that will improve with a few hours rest to allow the flavours to develop, and perfect for cold leftover roasts. 

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

1 aubergine, diced
1 red and yellow pepper, diced
1 red onion, sliced into chunks
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250g Orzo pasta
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil

For the dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1 - Pre-heat the oven to GM6, 200 degrees C.
2 - In a baking tray, toss together the vegetables, garlic, seasoning and olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes turning once, until evenly caramelised all over.
3 - While the vegetables are roasting, boil the pasta for 10-12 minutes. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Add the roasted vegetables and any roasting juices.
4 - Make the dressing by combining the ingredients, then toss all of the vegetables and pasta with the dressing and fresh basil leaves.
5 - Serve this as it is at room temperature, or experiment and add toasted nuts, shaving of cheese, flaked smoked fish, crumbled feta, spring onions, anything you like.

Marrow and Mustard Soufflé

Last year, an ex-work colleague of mine asked me if I liked courgettes. Daft question; of course I do, I will eat anything. The next day, the promised courgettes arrived in style. Two of the biggest marrows I had ever seen in my life were sat in my seat.

And so the story goes that he was looking after his father's allotment whilst he was on holiday and had been watering the courgettes. Coming into the allotment one day, he was met by two incredibly large and overgrown courgettes. It seemed that one day they were courgettes, the next, marrows. And thinking that nobody in their right mind would eat such items, he asked if I wanted them and of course I obliged.

Marrows are much maligned vegetables. Lacking in flavour, fibrous at times and full of seeds and water, they are more than often subjected to a good pickle as they are an unoffensive and cheap filler. I have to admit that with the majority of these monsters I spent half of the night stood over a large pickling pan and subsequently filled a thousand jam jars. I'm still eating the stuff to this day, and mighty fine pickle it is.

But I think that the marrow deserves more respect than that. Okay, it does need the flavour lifted, but as far as I am concerned, once lifted it tastes magnificent. I set off to make something that would not only treat it with great respect, but also take it into another league. A soufflé was on the cards. Not something I make very often, the soufflé and the marrow make a lovely little match. I use good strong Cheddar and English Mustard to embellish the flavour, and the result is a dreamy dish that makes for an impressive starter to any meal.

So start to treat your marrow with a little respect and pack one into these floaty little numbers. No longer should the overgrown courgette be laughed at by children, sat limp and unused in the fridge or looked at in puzzlement and then walked past by adults in supermarkets. Take it to another level and spend a little time making my Marrow and Mustard Soufflés.

Marrow and Mustard Soufflé
Fills 5-6 ramekins

2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 shallot, diced finely
1 clove garlic, diced finely
1 smallish marrow, cubed
1 heaped teaspoon of English mustard powder
250ml milk
50g butter
50g plain flour
4 eggs separated
50g strong cheddar, grated
freshly ground black pepper

1 - Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Butter 5 or 6 ramekins
2 - Heat the oil the garlic and shallot. Fry for 1 minute then add the marrow. Cook very slowly, try not to colour but it won’t harm until the marrow has collapsed and lost a lot of it’s water. Mix all together so it is one big mush (technical cheffy term) and put aside.
3 - Make a béchamel sauce. In a pan, melt the butter and mix in the flour, stirring all of the time. Then add the milk bit by bit, always stirring until you have a thick béchamel.
5 - Allow to bubble for just 1 minute (this ensures the flour is cooked through) then remove from the heat.
6 - Add the bechamel to the marrow mixture. Then stir in the egg yolks, cheese, mustard powder a good grinding of black pepper. Mix well to gloopy glory.
7 - Whisk the egg whites until you can hold the bowl over your head, then using a large metal spoon, fold 1 spoon’s worth quickly into the mixture. Then gently fold in the remainder. Divide between the ramekins so that they are full to the brim. Tidy up the edges with some kitchen roll.
9 - Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Eat immediately with crusty bread or toast. Beautiful!