Triple Chocolate Brownies

The best of the brownies that I've made.

• 150g unsalted butter
• 200g plain chocolate
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 75g sifted plain flour
• 100g white chocolate cut into small chunks
• 100g milk chocolate cut into small chunks
• cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat oven to 160C (140C fan).

Grease and line the base and 2 sides of a 20cm square cake tin.

Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl over pan of simmering water until melted, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat the sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture using electric beater. When well combined, add the sifted flour and beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for around 30 mins. It may take a few mins more but it will look a little under-done when it comes out ( a skewer should come out a little moist still).

When cooled, dust with cocoa powder.

Chocolate Fudge with Roasted Nuts and Raisins

• 400g dark chocolate
• 75g nuts (hazelnuts and almonds)
• 75g raisins
• 40g unsalted butter
• 100ml liquid glucose
• 340ml whipping cream
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 110g milk chocolate

Roast the nuts for 8 minutes, cool and chop.

Place them and the dark chocolate, raisins and butter in large heatproof bowl.

Place glucose, cream and sugar in saucepan over high heat (needs to be a large, wide saucepan).

Stir everything together until really hot and then stop stirring as will try to catch on the bottom and don't want to stir scorched bits in the fudge.

Place the sugar thermometer into the mixture and remove from heat when it reaches about 110C and resembles dark condensed milk.

Remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate/raisins/nuts.

Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and glossy.

Pour the whole lot into a baking tin (15 x 25cm) that is lined with baking parchment.

Allow it to cool and then cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 6 hours.

The next day, melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Turn the fudge out of the tin, and spread the chocolate over the fudge. Make a pretty pattern in the chocolate. Allow to set and then eat. Store in the fridge.

Mustard Pork Fillet with Lentils

Serves 2 Julias

• Pork fillet
• Dijon mustard
• Small bunch of tarragon, chopped
• 100g lentils
• 500ml veg stock
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
• Approx 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• green beans

Heat oven to gas 6 (200C).

Rub pork with olive oil and season. Then sear the meat in a frying pan quickly.

When done, cover it in olive oil and half of the tarragon. Put on a baking tray and cook in oven for 20 mins. When finished, remove from oven and cover with foil for 5 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils in the stock until tender (around 15-20 mins), then drain, add half of the lemon juice, the apple and some olive oil.

Separately, mix the mayo, garlic, lemon zest and remaining juice and tarragon. Season.

Serve the lentil mixture, with port slices on top and green beans (and fried potatoes) on the side. Dot the mayo mixture around the pork and lentils.

Quick beef goulash

• 1 tbsp veg oil
• rump steak, cut into strips
• chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tsp paprika
• potatoes, cut into fairly small chunks
• approx 500ml beef stock
• tin of tomatoes, jazzed up to make it more intense in flavour - you work it out
• chopped parsley
• natural yoghurt to serve

Heat half the oil and fry the steak until browned. Tip onto a plate.

Heat remaining oil in same pan and fry the mushrooms until start to colour.

Sprinkle paprika over mushrooms, fry briefly, then tip in potatoes, stock and tomato sauce. Stir, cover and simmer for 20 mins until potatoes are tender.

Return beef to pan with any juices and warm through.

Stir in parsley, a swirl of yoghurt and serve.

Lam Merguez Burgers

For the burgers:

• 500 lamb mince
• 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• 200ml greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp tahini paste
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1/2 cucumber, grated

To serve:

• pitta bread
• 1 tomato sliced
• green salad

Mix burger ingredients together well. Season.

Mould into 4 patties.

Brush with oil and fry or griddle until cooked.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl. Season.

Serve each burger in a pitta bread together with the yoghurt sauce, tomato and salad.

Gruyere and courgette muffins

• 225g self raising flower
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100g grated courgette
• salt and pepper
• 75g grated gruyere
• 175ml full fat milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 75ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to gas 4 (180C). Grease approx 9 holes in a muffin tin.

Mix flour, baking powder, courgette, seasoning and 50g of the cheese,

In separate bowl, whisk the milk, egg and olive oil together. Add this with the rosemary to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Divide the mixture among the holes and bake for 10 mins.

After 10 mins sprinkle them with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for a further 15 mins (may need a few mins longer (note that this is with gluten free self raising flour).

Seared tuna and mango salsa

Serves 4:

For Pak Choi:

• 200ml chicken stock
• 75ml plum sauce
• 25g butter
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 4 pak choi

Salsa:

• 2 mangoes, diced
• 2 red chillis, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing:

• 150 ml plum sauce
• 50ml rice vinegar
• 1 lime, zest and juice

Tuna:

• 4 tuna steaks
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt and pepper

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Preheat oven to gas 4.

Place chicken stock, plum sauce, butter and garlic in overproof dish and bring to boil on hob. Then reduce heat to simmer for a few seconds then remove from heat. Add pak choi and cover with foil. Put in oven for 15 mins.

Put salsa ingredients into dish and mix. Whisk together dressing ingredients and add to salsa.

Rub tuna with oil and season. Fry for 2 mins on each side for a perfect medium tuna steak.

Serve with boiled rice. Delicious!

Spiced Chicken

Serves 6

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 dessert spoon ground ginger
• 1 dessert spoon turmeric
• 1 tsp madras curry powder
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 1/2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 150g natural yoghurt
• 150 ml single cream
• watercress to garnish

A few hours before eating, place chicken in shallow casserole dish with lid. Season then mix the powdered spices together and sprinkle approximately 1 heaped teaspoon over the chicken.

Now put a little pice of the crushed garlic onto each chicken and drizzle one tablespoon of oil over.

Using your hands, rub the spices, oil and garlic into the chicken flesh. Pierce each portion with a skewer in several places to allow the flavours to penetrate. Leave the chicken covered in a cool place for several hours.

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Place the casserole in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the onions in the rest of the oil for 10 minutes, to soften. Mix the remaining spices with the yoghurt and cream. When the 30 minutes are up, take the chicken out of the oven, spoon the onion over them, then pour the yoghurt mixture over. Put on the lid and return the chicken to the oven to another 30 -45 minutes or until the pieces are tender, basting with the juices once or twice during the cooking.

Garnish with a few sprigs of watercress and serve with spiced rice and mango chutney.

Clafoutis

Serves 6
15 minutes to prepare
40 minutes to cook

• 680g blackberries/ raspberries
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 110g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 60g melted butter
• 60g plain flour
• large pinch baking powder
• 230ml single cream
• icing sugar (for dusting)
• double cream or creme fraiche to serve

Use a 1.45 litre baking dish, buttered.

Preheat oven to 200c

Toss the berries in the cornflour and cinnamon and cover the base of the dish.

Whist the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together until very pale, thick and creamy. Pour in the melted butter and whisk thoroughly. Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and beat again. Whisk in the cream for a thick and pale batter. Pour over the fruits.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until set, slightly risen and turning a pale golden brown. It can be left to stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with cream or creme fraiche.

Courtesy of Viv.