New Season Asparagus & Soft Boiled Eggs

I adore asparagus and love it when it comes in season at the beginning of the summer.

I like asparagus to be kept simple, either dressed with a simple French dressing, or even just melted butter and a good grinding of pepper.  Tonight, however, I fancied having asparagus with eggs.

Now I must admit I am not the best at making poached eggs, so I decided to softly boil some eggs instead.

Here’s what you need:-

1 bunch of asparagus ends trimmed if necessary

3 large organic, free range Columbian Black Tailed eggs

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.

Add the eggs for 2 minutes

Drop in the asparagus and cook all together for a further 4 minutes

Remove the boiled eggs from the water and take off the shells

Drain the asparagus

Now assemble it on the plate:-

Asparagus first

Drizzle over your best extra virgin olive oil

Season with Malden sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

Halve the eggs, which should have beautiful, soft, unctuous, sunshine yellow yolks and arrange over the glossy asparagus spears.

Serve immediately with lashings of love … xoxo …

Tricolore Salad

The salad received its name as it incorporates the same colours as the Italian flag, green, white and red.

This fresh tasty salad only takes a minute to prepare.  It shows off true Mediterranean beauty in it’s quality, freshness, and simplicity.  It is perfect for a lunch, or a light supper, or as part of a Mediterranean spread or meze, or even a dinner party starter.

We have all had tricolore salads that sometimes look the part, but definitely don’t taste the part.  It is very important to only use the freshest, best quality ingredients in this salad.  Smell the tomatoes individually and the basil leaves, they should smell juicy, pungent and delicious.

It is also important that you serve the tomatoes at room temperature, not straight out of the fridge.  Many organic tomato growers say that we shouldn’t even store tomatoes in the fridge at all.

Here’s what you need:

4 large firm juicy tomatoes

250g Mozzarella di Buffalo

1 bunch of fresh basil

Slice the tomatoes and lay on a plate, then add the sliced mozzarella, then the basil leaves.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and a few twists of black pepper.

Serve with warm crusty bread, perhaps some Parma or Iberico ham, which you can easily get from your delicatessen….and of course….

…with love….xoxo

A Lovely Little Crayfish Cocktail

My father used to make prawn cocktail served in half an avocado as a treat on weekends.  He taught me how to make Marie Rose sauce from scratch, and contrary to common belief it does not involve ketchup and mayonnaise! 

Daddy used single cream, although I use half fat single cream, and quite happily nobody can tell the difference.  I also like to use crayfish tails as an alternative to prawns – I think they’re slightly meatier, like mini lobster tails if you will, and I think the twist brings the 70’s classic up to date.

This salad is super super easy, takes a matter of minutes, and if that wasn't appealing enough, it is also man and child friendly.

Here’s what I used:

Little gem lettuce

Ripe avocado

Cucumber

Lemons

180g pot of cooked crayfish tails

170ml (the small pot on the supermarket shelves) of half fat single cream

1 tbsp of tomato puree

5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

4 dashes of Tabasco

Juice of half a lemon

A few twists of black pepper and a pinch of salt

Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl with a mini whisk or a fork, until combined.  Have a little taste, if you would like it a little spicier add more Tabasco or more Worcestershire sauce.  If it needs more lemon juice add more lemon juice, the same for seasoning.  The beauty of making your own sauce is you can make it to YOUR own taste.

Do not over whisk the sauce, as a lighter sauce is much more appealing than a thick, gloopy sauce like its lesser mayonnaise and ketchup counterparts.

Now assemble the salad, remembering that the bright colours are what make this dish look so appetising.  I like the greens at the bottom and the bright jewel like colours of the crayfish scattered over the top, with the Marie Rose sauce drizzled over.  Not too much now – remember you can always add, but you can never take away.

Serve with fresh granary bread, a wedge of lemon.....

and of course….with love….xoxox

Speedy Cobb Salad

This salad is a sure fire winner with everyone, and that includes Alex.  Yes the blue cheese dressing is a little naughty....(but makes for another man-friendly salad)...so I'm very cautious when drizzling this over my plate!

It takes under 15 minutes to prepare, and even less to devour....

This is what I used:-

Iceberg lettuce - shredded

1 avocado - sliced

Cucumber - thick chunks

Cherry tomatoes - halved

8 slices of streaky bacon

1 turkey breast sliced thinly

For the dressing:

Blue cheese + half fat sour cream + chives + parsley + squeeze of lemon + salt & pepper

Grill the streaky bacon until good and crispy, then drain on kitchen paper, dabbing any excess fat.

Season turkey slices, and griddle for about 3 minutes turning halfway. 

Any more and the turkey will go rubbery, and we certainly don't want that.

Mix the cheese, (I used St. Agor), sour cream, herbs and lemon juice. 

Have a little taste, and guage how much seasoning is needed.

Build the salad on the plates, top with turkey, crispy bacon and drizzle over the blue cheese dressing.

Serve with love...xoxo....

Fig & Bresaola Salad

Today, I was particularly exhausted after a 6km power walk, and I really didn't fancy making anything remotely complicated for lunch.  Luckily for me, there is a little M&S supermarket practically opposite my gym, so I stopped by and picked up the ingredients for this hearty, man friendly salad.

This is what I used:

1 packet of mozzarella di bufala

1 packet of Bresaola (air-dried, salted beef)

1 packet of rocket, spinach and watercress salad

4 ripe ready to eat figs

2 beetroots

for the dressing:

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

dash of water

All you have to do is wash the leaves and assemble on a large plate or bowl

Tear up mozzarella and bresaola and arrange over the leaves

Add sliced beetroot, and sliced figs

Sprinkle with parsley

Drizzle with the dressing

Serve with warm crusty bread.....

.....and love.....xoxo