Carrot & Coriander Soup

Ingredients
1½ oz butter
6 oz trimmed and sliced leeks
1 lb sliced carrots
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp plain flour
2 pints vegetable stock
¼ pint single cream
salt and ground black pepper
a few coriander leaves, roughly torn (optional)

1. Melt butter in a large pan. Add leeks and carrots, stir then cover pan and cook gently for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften but not colour
2. Stir in the ground coriander and flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute
3. Add the stock, and bring to the boil, stirring. Season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
4. Leave the soup to cool a little, then puree in a blender until quite smooth. A blend-stick can be used alternatively
5. Stir in the cream. Re-heat gently, but do not boil. Adjust seasoning. Serve after placing torn coriander leaves in bowl. 

In memory of Barbara, RIP 6 October 2020

Chicken soup

Ingredients
3 chicken thighs
2 vegetable or chicken stock cubes
Large stick of celery
Carrots
Onions
Turnip
Pearl barley
Lentils
Savoy cabbage leaves
Large potato
Salt & pepper
Parsley

Put 3 chicken thighs into large pan

Add the stock cubes and cover with water

Add a coarsely chopped stick of celery

Large chunks of carrots

A large or two small onions, chopped in large chunks

Bring to the boil and simmer for one hour

Leave to cool

Strain

Remove the vegetables

Remove the chicken

Heat up the stock

Add finely chopped carrot, onion, turnip &c

Add 2 tablespoons of pearl barley

Add 2 tablespoons of lentils

Simmer gently until vegetables are cooked

Add 4 finely chopped leaves of (savoy) cabbage

Add one potato, chopped into large chunks
Season with salt and pepper 

Boil for another ten minutes

Add chopped chicken

and parsley

Potato salad, egg mayo and spring onions

Boil 5 eggs from cold water for at least 15 minutes, simmering gently.
Run them under the cold tap until completely cold.

Boil a potato, big enough to dice when cool.

Mix mayonnaise and cream or crème fraîche to taste

Chop up spring onions, removing outer layer of skin if necessary

Macaroni & cheese

6 ounces of macaroni
1½ oz butter
1½ oz plain flour
1 pint milk
1 full teaspoon of mustard
6 oz grated cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

1. Boil the macaroni in a large pan according to pack instructions; commonly for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute
Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk.
Bring to the boil and cook, stirring until the sauce thickens
Remove from heat.
Season to taste
Add nutmeg or mustard

3. Drain the macaroni and add to the sauce, together with ¾ of the cheese. 
Mix well and put into an ovenproof dish

4. Place on a baking tray and into a hot oven, pre-heated to 200°C / 400°F, for 20 minutes.

Portuguese chicken with pepper and almond sauce

Portuguese chicken with pepper and almond sauce
By Ainsley Harriott

Ingredients
Black peppercorns
Garlic
Smoke paprika powder
Thyme leaves, chopped or dried
Zest of one lemon
Olive oil
Fillets of chicken breast
100 grams of blanched, whole almonds
Chargrilled red peppers
Red wine vinegar
One chorizo sausage
New potatoes
Salt
Pepper

Marinade
Crush some peppercorns. Add two sliced cloves of garlic, one tablespoon of smoked paprika, chopped (or dried) thyme leaves, zest of one lemon. Mix this all into some olive oil, sufficient to coat fillets of chicken.

Marinade two or three fillets of chicken breast in this mixture for at least 30 minutes

Meanwhile, prepare the

Almond and pepper sauce
Blitz some whole, blanched almonds (about 100 g), two cloves of garlic, two or three chargrilled red peppers and a little juice off them, two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and plenty of olive oil.

Fry the marinated chicken fillets on a grill or on a griddle pan for about 5 minutes each side

Chorizo and potatoes
Boil some new potatoes for 5-10 minutes
Fry the sliced chorizo sausage for 5 minutes each side in a little oil.
Slice or halve the potatoes and fry them in the oil left by the chorizo
Season with salt, pepper and thyme

Serve with chicken and the almond and pepper sauce

Steak and whisky sauce

• Steaks
• Cream
• Cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• Sliced onions
• Chips
• Whisky

Fry the onions, prepare the chips
Remove packaging from steaks, heat oil until very hot
Cook steak for 1 minute on each side
Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2 minutes (or more) on each side
Put on warm plate and place in warm oven for 5-10 minutes
Put 25 ml of whisky on pan until it bubbles
Add cream
Pour over steaks

Minestrone soup

Ingredients
Olive oil
Rashers of bacon
Clove of garlic
Onion
1 or 2 carrots
Stick of celery
Courgette or a leaf or two of green cabbage
450 g tin of finely chopped tomatoes
ham stock
chicken stock
bouquet garni sachets [herbs]
2 ounces of rice
pasta
salt and pepper
water

• In a large pan put a few spoons of olive oil .
• Chop up 6 or 7 rashers of lean bacon and a clove of garlic and an onion.
• Gently fry in the oil until softened.
• Add a finely chopped carrot or two and a stick of celery, a courgette or some green cabbage, all finely chopped
• Gently saute for a few minutes.
• Add a tin of finely chopped tomatoes and then a litre of stock (namely 500 ml of ham stock and another 500 ml of vegetable stock).
• Into this mixture add a couple of sachets of bouquet garni, 2 ounces of rice and a little chopped up spaghetti or any suitable pasta.
• Salt and pepper - not too much and add water as required
• Simmer gently until everything is cooked and serve with some garlic bread, garished with fresh basil.