When I want ice cubes for a drink I use some of the frozen citrus slices instead – it cools the drink and doesn’t dilute it.  You can also use the frozen slices to make your water more palatable.  Just put a jug of water in the fridge and add a few of the slices of fruit – when you want to quench your thirst just grab a glass of the lightly flavored water, you will find it more refreshing than just water and you can monitor how much you have drunk in the day quite easily at the same time.

You can use any fruit that is available – I find it brilliant for using up fruit that might otherwise go to waste.

Ingredients:-

20 gms (¾oz) Powdered gelatine or a packet of sugar free jelly crystals
750 mls (25 fl ozs) unsweetened apple juice – or any juice of your choice
300 gms mixed fresh fruit of your choice

Method:-

Mix the gelatine with 75 ml (5 tbsps) of water in a heatproof bowl and leave it to soak for 5 minutes or so, or follow the directions if using a sugar free jelly. Put the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering warm water until the gelatine dissolves. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes before gradually stirring in the fruit juice. Mix well.

Prepare the fruit by peeling, coring, dicing etc into bite sized pieces or smaller. Divide amongst four individual dishes or place into one large mould as required.

Gently pour over the gelatine mixture and chill until set.

Serve with a spoonful of Greek or low-fat natural yoghurt.

Serves 4

I have just been on holiday in France for a few days and I love the French style of eating. One of my favourite things are the delicious salads, which often have Walnuts in them. I love walnuts tossed in a little honey and gently roasted but they are a treat I don’t often have. The crunchy salads reminded me of a quick and easy recipe that I like to make now that picnic season is upon us. I like lush Pates and Dips but they aren’t always the best thing as they can be high in fat but this one uses low fat soft cheese and is full of minerals and vitamins. It is delicious, and ideal scooping with crusty bread or even spreading!

Ingredients

1 lb (400 gms) low fat soft cheese
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh herbs (or substitute 1 tbsp dried)
3 ozs (75 gms) fresh walnuts – pieces are fine
Bread or Carrot and Celery Sticks to serve.

Method

Put all the ingredients into a bowl or food processor and mix until well blended.

Put the mixture into a dish and smooth the top.

Cover and put into the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes

Serve with chunks of bread or vegetables to scoop up the pate.

Serves 3 or 4 as a Starter sized portion

1 Round (about 1lb or 400 gms) Sprue Asparagus
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 mls) Olive Oil
1 tbsp (15 gms) plain flour
30 fl oz (300 mls) light vegetable stock
30 fl oz (300 mls) milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the tips off the Asparagus and put to one side, cut the rest of the stems into pieces about 1 inch long.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the finely chopped onion, cook gently until softened but not brown.
Add the cut asparagus spears, but not the tips and cook for a few minutes.
Add the flour and continue to cook for one or two minutes.
Add the stock slowly, stirring gently, then add the milk.
Cook gently until the asparagus is softened.
Pass the mixture through a blender and then pour through a sieve into a clean pan to remove any stringy bits of asparagus – or you can just use a mouli, it takes a little longer but you get a better texture.
Add the asparagus tips and heat through gently.
Season to taste.

Serve with Brown Bread and Butter.

Serves 6

For more Asparagus recipes you can try Chris Sheehan’s wonderful book – A Passion For Asparagus

This baked egg dish is a real favourite of my family, either just as it is or if we are promoting it to ‘Brunch’ after a long lie in perhaps, I might add some crisply grilled lean bacon, or maybe some fresh muffins.  I like to use Tarragon but you can substitute any favourite herb.

Serves 4

Ingredients:-

2 tsp olive oil
4 ozs (100 gms) sliced mushrooms
2 large ripe tomatoes – chopped
1 – 2 tbsp chopped fresh Tarragon (2tsps if using dried)
4 eggs
Black Pepper to taste

Warm the oil in a pan and gently cook the mushrooms for two or three minutes.
Add the tomatoes, tarragon and pepper and remove from the heat
Pour everything into an oven proof dish and make 4 hollows in the mixture
Break an Egg into each hollow
Put the dish into a large roasting tin with sufficient hot water to come half way up the sides of the oven proof dish
Bake at 180C, 350F or Gas mark 4 for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked toyour taste.
Serve!

8ozs (200gms) stoned, washed and roughly chopped dates
5 fl oz (125 mls) unsweetened Apple juice
2 oz (50 gms) Walnut pieces
4 ozs ( 100 gms) polyunsaturated margarine
4 ozs Plain Wholemeal flour
2 ozs (50 gms) Porridge Oats
1 Egg lightly beaten
2 ozs (50 gms) Plain chocolate or carob.

Lightly oil a 7 inch (18 cm) square tin
Put the dates and apple juice into a pan and bring up to the boil.  Simmer gently for 4 -5 minutes until the dates are soft.
Cool slightly before adding all the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate or carob
Press the mixture into the tin and bake at  180C, 350F Gas Mark 4 for around 30 minutes or until it comes away from the side of the tin.
Turn out and cool on a rack.
Melt the chocolate or carob over hot water and spread over the top of the cake.
Cut into 16 Bars.

Delicious with Coffee!

1lb 8 ozs (600 gms) Rhubarb cut into small chunks
4 tbsp (60 ml) Orange Juice – unsweetened
3 tbsp (45 ml) thick honey
10 fl oz (250 ml) natural yoghurt
6 ozs (150 gms) Quark

Put the Rhubarb, orange juice and honey into a covered saucepand and cook gently for about 15 mins until soft, stirring occasionally.
Put aside until cool
Place the Rhubarb mixture and quark into a blender and process until smooth
Gently fold in the yoghurt
Put the mixture into four serving dishes or glasses and chill for at least one hour
Serve with a light, crisp shortbread biscuit.

3 Leeks, trimmed and cut into thick slices
3 Courgettes cut into thick slices
1 oz (25 gms) Polyunsaturated margarine
1 oz (25 gms) plain flour
15 fl oz (400 ml) skimmed milk
2 x 14 oz cans (400 gms) Butter Beans, drained and rinsed
6 tbsp (90 mls) chopped fresh parsley
1 oz (25 gms) wholemeal breadcrumbs
3 oz (75 gms) mature cheddar cheese, grated

Cook the leeks and courgettes in a little boiling water until just tender
Melt the margarine in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the flour and cook for about one minute. Slowly add the milk, stirring all the time and heat until it begins to thicken. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and season if desired
Add the leeks, courgettes and beans to the sauce, then add about 4 tbsps of the parsley. Mix well and put into an oven proof dish
Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese and remaining parsley and spread evenly over the top of the vegetable mixture
Bake for about 30 minutes at 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6

4 firm pears, peeled but leave the stalks if possible
8 ozs (200 gms) fresh or frozen mixed berries such as Blackcurrant, Blue Berry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Redcurrant
2 ozs (50 gms) light muscovado (soft brown) sugar
4 fl ozs (100 ml) Water – you may need a little more

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring slowly to the boil.

Cover, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the pears are just soft. Turn once or twice during cooking.

Remove the pears and place in individual dishes

Increase the heat and reduce the fruit sauce by about 25%. Pass through a sieve to remove skins and pips if you wish. Pour over the Pears and serve hot or cold with Yoghurt or Ice Cream (or both!)

12 oz (350 gms) Plain Wholemeal Flour
4 ozs (100 gms) Plain white flour
4 ozs (100 gms) Walnut Halves – Optional!
2 tbsp (30 gms) Mixed seeds – linseed, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame
Pinch salt
1 tsp (15 ml) soft Brown (muscovado) sugar
1 tsp (15 ml) bicarb of soda
3 tsp (15 gms) sunflower margarine
2 tsp (10 gms) cream of tartar
10 fl ozs (300 ml) milk plus a little extra to brush on the top

Mix together the flours and walnuts if using (hold back a few for decoration), seeds, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Rub in the margarine

Dissolve the cream of tartar in the milk and mix with the dry ingredients to make a nice soft dough. If need be, add a little extra milk

Put onto a lightly floured surface and knead and shape into a roughly 7 inch round. Mark the top with a cross if you want to be traditional and glaze with the remaining milk and sprinkle with the last few walnuts.

Bake on a lightly floured Baking Sheet at 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6 for about 40 minutes or until done.

Cool and eat – if you can wait that long!