Such a simple Summer choice. Prawns with Marie Rose Dressing*  Green Salad  with a simple French Dressing and Summer Jersey Royal Potatoes . With a nice glass of chilled Sancerre what could be nicer.

*Marie Rose Sauce for Prawns. Hellmans Mayonnaise, Tomato Paste and a little Cayenne Pepper, very little Salt all blended well with the  Prawns.

Wash and cut two aubergines length-wise and place in oven-proof dish face down and sprinkle with a little olive oil, and cooked in oven for twenty minutes. Meanwhile dice one medium onion and cook in saucepan with two cloves of garlic until nice and soft and transparent add some mince beef as much as the size of the aubergines will allow. Fry off and then add some tomato concentrate a generous tablespoon will do it, a good amount of basil, a desert spoon of cumin, a little salt and a generous amount of black pepper.  Now you can at this point add some cooked rice or as I do on occasions, some cooked pasta to the meat mixture. Check your cooked Aubergines in the oven and when a fork will pierce easily, bring from the oven and scoop out the insides carefully as not to damage the skins including the little seeds as well, they are very good for you. Add this pulp to the meat mixture and blend well together, then transfer the mixture back into the skins. Top with the Cheese of choice I like strong cheddar or Lincolnshire’s Poachers cheese or of course Parmesan. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes and serve with love.

Olive Oil  Roasted Chicken with new Jersey Royal Potatoes and Beefsteak Tomatoes, a little Basil, some good Mayo, and a Fresh Green Salad, just as simple as that!

Or how about a very tasty often forgotten Caesar Salad, with good green leaves, I like rocket  which is so great with  left over cooked chicken. Add  nicely baked multi-seeded wholemeal bread croutons, popped in the  oven with a sprinkling of  olive oil and baked until perfectly crunchy. Add some finely cut onions and chopped tomatoes and with a good Caesar dressing dribbled over the top, you can buy such good ones these days, hardly worth making and then with a generous amount  of finely sliced parmesan cheese, this salad is quite perfect, served with a nice cold white wine for a summer  meal what could be better?

Beetroot, onion, celery, nuts and slices of Parmesan cheese with garlic olive oil croutons – delicious lunch for a hot summer day.

1 lamb shank per person, some rosemary and thyme – fresh is best.1 clove of garlic per shank, carrots and onions , a good rich stock and at least half a pint of good red wine about 50/50, to cover the entire shanks.

Dust shanks in a little flour and brown on all side in a little olive oil, place in good large casserole pot. Then fry the onions in the same pan until a lovely golden brown  add the sliced carrots and chopped garlic and stir in with the onions and cook for a min or two further, then add generous amounts of rosemary and thyme, salt and black pepper.

Place this mixture on top of the lamb shanks in the casserole, add stock and the  red wine to cover and place in a pre- heated oven cook on high for  10 min’s then turn down to a low temperature about 150c and cook for as long as possible -  I usually cook them all afternoon. If you are doing a large number – separate into two dishes and use  appropriate amounts of carrots and onions.

Serve with love and a good bowl of  fresh spinach, lovely creamy mash or Baked potatoes , it makes a great hearty supper dish for colder days.

We were so lucky to receive many wonderful gifts at Hemingway this  Christmas. Among them all was this delightful ‘Panettone al cioccalte’ which we will enjoy so much during the coming weeks.  It is lovely just eaten as it comes, or warmed and spread with some good butter, or indeed made into the most  marvellous Bread and Butter Pudding for a wonderful Winter treat. The weather is really cold now, so how comforting this will be. Thank you kind givers X

225 grams plain flour, 75 grams of Icing Sugar, 150 grams butter, A pinch of  Salt.

Preheat oven to 160c/gas mark 4

Sieve dry ingredients into good size bowl, warm butter and pour into bowl and mix well until mixture forms a ball of dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll until about 15mm thick, then cut into shapes of your choice. Can at this point be decorated with sultanas or chocolate chips pressed into dough. Cook in oven until pale gold in colour,  Allow to cool then sprinkle with sieved icing sugar.

Great biscuits for little ones to make for Christmas. ( about 3p per cookie)

BABA GHANOUSH  3 Large Aubergines, 2-4 cloves of Garlic, a little salt,1/4 pint Tahina paste ( always sold in health food shops these days) Juice of 3 Lemons, 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin, 2 tablespoons finely chopped Parsley. A little Olive Oil. A few Black Olives to garnish.

Method: Wash and dry your aubergines and cut in half  lengthways, place in a baking tray with a little olive oil and baked in oven on a  medium heat until soft right through to the centres. Scoop out the aubergines and place in large bowl – discarding the skins.

Crush the garlic gloves with a little salt, Mash the aubergines with a fork and add the garlic cumin, salt and mash until smooth  can all be transferred at this point to an electric blender, but can certainly be done without.

Add the Tahina paste and lemon juice alternately, beating or blending as you go, you may at this point add a little more olive oil to soften further and a little more salt and cumin if  liked. It should have the consistency of very thick cream.

Pour into a nice coloured bowl, garnish with a few black olives and serve with warm pitta bread or favourite crispbreads.

So lovely for a lunch break or as as a starter, an addition to other small bowls like Humous, Tzatziki,olives etc to form the basis of a Mediterranean Mezza

Nadrat. Alexandria  1979

Method.

Mix 500 ml of Mascarpone with 200ml of Creme Fraiche and 3-4 heaped dessert spoons of sieved icing sugar ( depending on how sweet you like it and how much brandy you will be using! ). Make up your best  coffee, good and strong,  allow to cool a little, and mix with 2-3 dessert spoons of good quality brandy. Dip Boudoir Biscuits in coffee  and brandy mixture ( not letting them get too soggy) enough to fill your selected dish,  layer up with the  Mascarpone mix, to the top of the dish. Chill  and before serving with love,  sprinkle with a little coco powder or chocolate curls, and perhaps a little angelica as decoration.

Ingredients as follows:

1 kilo of  lean lamb ( cubed ),   2 teaspoon ground cinnamon , 2-3 tablespoons of ground ginger,  a little butter, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 medium onions finely chopped,  300 grams of prunes ( the lovely  stoned ones in the sealed foil bags  are wonderful), 1/4 spoon of saffron ( optional ), 2 tablespoons of honey,  a good teaspoon of ground coriander, salt and black pepper.

Turn the meat in a little hot butter (olive oil if preferred) in a heavy based pan. When lightly brown, add onions cook gently, and cook for a minute or two until softened , add ground ginger, saffron, cinnamon,coriander and a little salt, and plenty of black pepper, stir gently until nicely covered. Transfer to a casserole dish, cover with a good beef stock and cook in oven until meat is tender, approximately 2 hours, starting at 180c for 10 minutes then turn down to 160c for the remaining time. Now add the prunes and honey and cook gently for a further 20 minutes or until needed. At this point it can be turned off and  reheated when required – so  great for dinner parties – just remember to make sure it’s piping hot before serving with love.

Egyptian,and Moroccan  cooks often sprinkle a little orange blossom water ( can now be found in health food shops or delicatessen ) and roasted sesame seeds over the meat before  serving.

Nice to serve with fluffy white rice or little crispy potatoes and a bowl of freshly cooked spinach.

This is a fragrant dish and can be prepared with various fruits, apples,quince, pears, or apricots, again the sealed foil bag ones, are best for the apricots. It is a great dish to prepare the day before as the flavour enhances .

I do hope you enjoy this classic Middle – Eastern dish.    

Quick tasty supper for two, crack five medium eggs in a bowl with a little milk and a splash of water, salt and black pepper and whisk well

In a flat based frying or omelette pan put a little olive oil and a little crushed and chopped garlic, lightly sauté, then add a  good handful of  ready washed spinach and wilt gently. Turn in oil and then add the  whisked eggs and cook until firm but do not overcook.

Serve with  crusty bread with lashings of good English  butter.

With Vegetable soup it’s always so easy, as it allows you to cook in the pot whatever vegetables you have to hand. It never really matters what they are but I do always think you need an onion or two and a parsnip or turnip to give a good strong flavour but apart from that any other vegetables will do.

Suggested Ingredients    1 or 2  good sized Onions,    2-3 good sized carrots,   2 parsnips,   1 small turnip,   1 – 2 courgettes,  2 medium potatoes,  1 medium Aubergine ,  1.5 litres of good chicken or beef stock, 1 cup of  prepared cous cous,  1, tablespoon of  basmati rice.      1   table spoon of mixed herbs ,    and 1 dessertspoon of cumin and if  you like a clove or two of garlic.

Wash all vegetables well and in a large saucepan  saute chopped peeled onions and the aubergine  (leave skin on) in a little oil, until soft. Place all other  vegetables, herbs, cumin and dry rice into the pan, cover with chicken or beef stock – either is nice, beef will give a richer stronger tasting soup, but both is good – bring up to the boil, then turn down to simmer for at least 1 hour 30 minutes but really for as long,  on a gentle heat, as you can.  Before serving add the prepared cous cous and then  liquidize in a blender, a little at a time and return to a fresh saucepan to warm again. Adjust now with salt and black pepper.

Only one rule, the more vegetables, the more herbs and cumin, and of course the more stock. Don’t forget any not  eaten! can be frozen.

Lovely with crunchy  garlic croutons – little cubes of bread  – mixed with a finely chopped glove of garlic and a little olive oil baked in oven for five to ten minutes.

Cooked with love and served in warmed bowls with a generous swirl of cream this soup is delicious,

  As there are so many Apples on the trees right now and many windfalls as well, I thought it was time for my chutney making to begin, storing some jars away for the winter season.  The following recipe has been devised by me and makes a very good  delicious tasting chutney that is very simple to make and lasts well.

~Major Moursi’s Chutney ~

Garden Apples (as many as you can peel, well at least 8 large ones )windfalls are good for chutney if not too damaged and a great way to use them.

Ingredients: 4 -5 large onions -   4-5 cloves of garlic – 2 tablespoons of good honey, 2 tablespoons  golden syrup – small cup of  soft brown sugar – at least 250 grams of  pitted prunes ( 500 grams  would be better) – cup of sultanas – 3 good teaspoons of  ‘Madras’ curry powder – 2 teaspoons of  all spice – 1 good dessert spoon of  Dijon mustard – good quality vinegar to cover.

Chop apples, onions and prunes to med size about 1″ ( not too tiny – not too big ) chop garlic. Place in a good solid saucepan . Add everything else and bring to gentle boil and stir. Then turn down to lowest heat and cook for at least 3 -4 hours stirring occasionally. When everything is soft and of a good dark rich colour, take from the heat and allow to cool.

When chutney is cool place in very clean sterilized jars pushing down to get rid of air spaces. Cover with greaseproof  paper lid pushed closely on chutney to get rid of any air bubbles then seal with screw lid.  Looks nice  to cover with pretty cotton lids made from scraps of  material.

Enjoy with any cold meats or chicken, curries or fabulous with cheese. This chutney last for ages and even better when cooked with love.

This well used recipe has been used by us for as many years as I can remember.

4 egg whites ( room temperature)

8 oz’s caster sugar

1 heaped teaspoon cornflower

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Whisk egg whites until stiff. Whisk in sugar half at a time until stiff and glossy. Whisk in cornflower and vinegar.

Turn onto baking sheet ( lined with bakewell ( baking)l paper) and shape roughly and slightly hollow out centre. Bake @  150c  ( 300f/MK2) for one hour. Turn off oven and leave to cool. Do not  open oven door until really cool.

When cool, gently peel back baking paper and set on pretty plate or tray and pile high with whipped double cream and decorated with your favourite fruit of the season. Simply wonderful with poured- over  blackberry puree. ( made from blackberries washed well and drain and cooked gently with a little sugar and mashed through a sieve until smooth and thick.) Made with Love it always turns out well…

Larger Pavlova needed  – just double the quantities

As a child our Mother used to make Lentil soup so I suppose my love of this rich delicious pleasure was laid down early on in my memory of  favourite tastes. Then as an adult I made it often as a winter warmer for my family but I have never tasted one so good as the Lentil soup served at the Hilton Hotel in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi. I sneaked into the  restaurant kitchen one  evening after having their sensational lentil soup yet again as a starter. Of course the very nice chef was not about to give his secret recipe away but with some gentle persuading I manage to  glean the little tips that make all the difference to achieving  a really great lentil soup. My recipe is now as follows.

3 tablespoons of butter – Salt and black pepper.

1 large onion chopped -    Juice of 1 lemon.

1 stalk of celery chopped – 3 carrots chopped.

3/4 lb lentils rinsed and soaked over night – 2 teaspoons of cumin.

3 pints of good rich meat stock -  1  beef meat bone ( optional).

Small garlic flavoured croutons.

Now either red, yellow, green or brown lentils can be used -see the two photos – I do like to soak mine overnight after rinsing well, these days the quality of lentils is so good this  may not be necessary still I feel it makes a difference. Never soak your lentils in salted water as this makes the skins hard .

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and cook the onion slowly, until soft  and a golden colour. Add the celery, carrot and saute for a few minutes. Add the lentils and the meat bone ( if using) and the rich meat stock. Bring up to the boil and then turn down to simmer for at least  1 &  1/2 hours, longer if possible, gentle long slow cooking makes this soup . When the lentils are soft and cooked, season the soup with salt and black pepper. Then add your lemon and cumin, we like rather a lot of cumin but I have suggest 2 teaspoons to start,  Remove the meat bone and simmer for a further  5 minutes. Allow to cool a little and then blend in an electric blender – or squash with a potato  masher until a smooth puree.

Return the soup to your pan and bring gently to the boil once more and then down to a simmer – ready for serving. – I serve with a little  Creme Fraiche, and some sprinkled  chopped chives and we like ours rather thick, but you can adjust with a little more stock or further blending should you choose.

Serve with croutons of  bread fried in olive oil,  to which a  clove or two of crushed garlic has been added. This soup is still a very cheap option and is great for  lunch with crispy french bread or makes the perfect starter particularly on a cold winter’s evening.

Remember, cooking with love, it makes a difference you know . I do hope you enjoy it.