Strawberries in rosé wine 01

Ingredients 400g small ripe strawberries about half a bottle of rosé wine 4 4 tbsp cassis 4 sprigs mint icing sugar, for dusting crisp buttery biscuits, to serve Method Halve any strawberries that are larger than a mouthful. Divide between 4 wine glasses and pour over the wine and cassis. Tuck a mint sprig into each glass. Leave to soak for up to 1 hr, then dust each with icing sugar and serve with crisp biscuits.

Smoked salmon with beetroot & vodka crème fraîche

Ingredients 200ml tub crème fraîche 3 tsp vodka 2 tsp hot horseradish sauce 6 slices smoked salmon 250g pack small, cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), thinly sliced, then shredded salmon caviar (optional) few small, torn dill sprigs
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Method Beat the crème fraîche with the vodka and a little seasoning until it holds its shape, then stir in the horseradish. Chill in the fridge. Lay the slices of salmon over plates, then top with the beetroot and a spoonful of the crème fraîche. Top with the salmon caviar, if using, then scatter with the dill. Grind over some black pepper and serve.

Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel 15

So that’s where all our cheese went. Pretzels love to eat cheese. They eat all they can find until it fills their pretzel bodies. We made the mistake of keeping them next to each other and now we have a ton of these tasty pretzels perfect for on-the-go kids. Lucky you.

Chinese-style braised beef one-pot 2

Ingredients 3-4 tbsp olive oil 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced good thumb-size piece fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded 1 bunch spring onions, sliced 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced 1½ kg braising beef, cut into large pieces (we used ox cheek) 2 tbsp plain flour, well seasoned 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder 2 star anise (optional) 2 tsp light muscovado sugar (or use whatever you've got) 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, plus more to serve 500ml beef stock (we used Knorr Touch of Taste) steamed bok choi and steamed basmati rice, to serve Method Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, shallow casserole. Fry the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Tip onto a plate. Toss the beef in the flour, add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan, then brown the meat in batches, adding the final tbsp oil if you need to. It should take about 5 mins to brown each batch properly. Add the five-spice and star anise (if using) to the pan, tip in the gingery mix, then fry for 1 min until the spices are fragrant. Add the sugar, then the beef and stir until combined. Keep the heat high, then splash in the wine or sherry, scraping up any meaty bits. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Pour in the soy and stock (it won’t cover the meat completely), bring to a simmer, then tightly cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 1½-2 hrs, stirring the meat halfway through. The meat should be very soft, and any sinewy bits should have melted away. Season with more soy. This can now be chilled and frozen for up to 1 month. Nestle the cooked bok choi into the pan, then bring to the table with the basmati rice straight away and tuck in.

Salt & pepper squid 3

Ingredients 400g large squid, or smaller ones totalling the same weight (the tentacles can be cooked alongside, if you want) 2-3 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder little sesame oil, to serve few coriander sprigs, to serve sweet chilli sauce, to serve Method Ask the fishmonger to clean the squid; little ones often come ready-cleaned. Using kitchen scissors, cut open the body and open out. Wash well, then pat dry. If you have a large squid, cut the body into four portions, roughly square. Small squid can just be opened up. Using the tip of a very sharp knife, score the top in a neat criss-cross. Brush with oil and set aside while you heat the barbecue or griddle until ready to cook. Mix together 2 tsp sea salt, Chinese five-spice and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle on both sides of the squid just before cooking, according to taste. You may not need it all. Heat the griddle pan to hot and cook about 1 min each side, until it starts to curl. Remove with tongs to a serving plate and drizzle with a little sesame oil. To serve, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with small bowls of sweet chilli sauce to dip into.

Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel 14

So that’s where all our cheese went. Pretzels love to eat cheese. They eat all they can find until it fills their pretzel bodies. We made the mistake of keeping them next to each other and now we have a ton of these tasty pretzels perfect for on-the-go kids. Lucky you.

Bakewell cheesecake 4

Ingredients 200g/7oz almond biscuits 100g toasted flaked almonds ½ tsp almond extract 100g butter, melted 3 x 300g packs full-fat soft cheese 250g caster sugar 4 tbsp plain flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 large eggs 200ml tub soured cream just over half a 300g jar cherry jam icing sugar and cream, to serve Method Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin with baking parchment. Bash the biscuits and 75g of the flaked almonds to crumbs – try double-bagging in food bags and crushing with a rolling pin. Mix with the almond extract and melted butter, then press into the base of the prepared tin and bake for 10 mins. Set aside to cool while you make the filling. In your largest bowl, whisk the cheese with an electric whisk until creamy. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour, then the vanilla, the eggs, one at a time, and finally the soured cream. Dollop spoonfuls of mixture into the tin, dotting in tbsps of jam as you go. Smooth the top as gently as you can. Carefully place tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 mins. Scatter with remaining almonds. Decrease oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼ and bake for a further 35 mins. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed and leave cheesecake to cool for 1 hr. Open oven door and leave it ajar for another hour (you can use your oven gloves to wedge it open). Cool for a third hour at room temp, then cover and chill overnight. Remove from the tin and carefully peel off the parchment. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.