Lemon Cheese Cake

You will Need

350 g full fat cream cheese
75 g sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
30 ml cold water
10 to 15 g gelatine (available in packets approx. that size)
150 ml double cream

Method

  1. Beat the cheese, sugar, lemon rind and juice in a bowl until smooth.
  2. Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the gelatine, stir and leave for 2-3 mins.
  3. Place the bowl in a pan of hot water and stir until dissolved. Beat into the cream cheese mix.
  4. Whip the double cream and fold in. Pour the mixture over the base and chill.
  5. Top with flake or chocolate curls.

Notes

  1. I use my standard cheesecake/banoffee base of 200g crushed digestives, mixed into a melted mix of 100g butter & 50g soft brown sugar but the recipe suggests you could also use chocolate digestives.
  2. It's from a freezer cookbook, so can be frozen.

Roast Chicken

You will Need

roasting tin  
1 chicken
butter
optional
ingredients		 fat - to baste
herbs
garlic
lemon

Method

The chicken needs to be unwrapped and patted down with a paper towel.  The inside cavities (one inside the bones, the other inside the neck) should be checked for packets of giblets (cooked plastic bags don’t taste great).

Place the chicken breast upwards in the roasting tin.

Chicken dries out quickly in the oven, so it is a good idea to stuff the main cavity as this helps keep it moist.  Stuffing can be put in either cavity.  If you don’t have stuffing you could use a lemon or two, cut into quarters so the flavour gets out (or even a couple of potatoes).  These would only go into the main cavity.  You can add a few sprigs of fresh herbs to the cavity for flavour if wanted. Thyme goes well with chicken.

Smear butter over the skin, particularly around the creases (e.g. where the legs and wings join the body).  For a garlicky flavour cut thin slivers from a garlic bulb and using a sharp knife slide them under the skin.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and cook for 40 minutes per kilo (and sometimes an additional 20 mins though not always necessary). Baste regularly with the juices from the bottom of the pan to keep the meat moist.

Roast Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

1 garlic bulb separated into cloves and skinned
2 lemons cut into small wedges
4 tbsp olive oil
3 large red peppers deseeded and cut into chunks
3 small red onions cut into wedges
4 large courgettes cut into wedges
200 g packet feta cheese crumbled into chunks
400 g can chickpeas drained
crusty bread to serve

Method

  1. Toss the whole cloves, peppers, onions and courgettes into the olive oil, and put into a roasting tray.
  2. Roast in the oven for an hour at 200℃.
  3. Add the feta, chickpeas and lemon wedges to the roasted veg and cook for 10-15 mins, to warm through in the oven.

Serve with crusty bread to soak up any juices.

Salmon and Herby Potato Coulibiacs

Coulibiac: A Russian style fish pie.

Ingredients (makes 2 pies)

600 g potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
100 ml double cream
100 ml crème fraiche
4 tbsp freshly chopped dill
4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
zest of one lemon
2 packs all-butter puff pastry
flour (for dusting)
650 g side of salmon, skinned and boned, cut crossways into 3 cm slices then in half to make fingers
1 egg, beaten

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180℃.
  2. Par boil the potato slices for 2-3 mins, drain and set aside in a large bowl.
  3. Gently fry the onion in the oil for 10 mins until golden. Allow to cool slightly.
  4. Stir in the cream, crème fraiche, herbs, zest and plenty of seasonings. Pour over the potatoes and mix gently.
  5. Roll out one of the packs of pastry, to about 35cm x 35cm. Lay on a large baking sheet.
  6. Pack a quarter of the potato mix down one side of the pastry, leaving a 5cm border.
  7. Arrange half the salmon on top, then cover with another quarter of the potato mix.
  8. Brush the pastry all round with beaten egg and fold over the pastry. Trim the edges and crimp with your fingers, or seal with a fork. Make or mark a decorative fish on the top.
  9. Do the same with the other pastry and remaining ingredients.
  10. Chill for 30 minutes then brush the pastries all over with beaten egg.
  11. Bake for 40 minutes.
Leave to rest for 10 mins if serving hot or can serve cold.