Ingredients (makes about 10 eclairs):

• 25g butter
• 40g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 170ml of double cream
• 70g of dark chocolate – broken into pieces

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C while you prepare the mixture for the eclairs.

Melt the butter in a pan and add the water then bring to the boil and remove from the heat soon after.  Stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed together.  Lightly whisk the egg and add it to the butter, water and flour mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly.  When the mixture is smooth and doesn’t stick to the sides, transfer it to a piping bag.

Pipe out 5cm lengths of the mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Don’t worry about them being perfect, they’ll taste just as good even if they’re wonky! 🙂  Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes until they become golden coloured then remove them and make a slice down each one.  Return them to the oven for up to a further 5 minutes, making sure that they don’t over cook.  Remove them and allow them to fully cool.

While the eclairs are cooling, you can make the filling and melt the chocolate topping.  Whisk the cream until soft peaks form and either spoon of pipe the cream into each of the eclairs.  To melt the chocolate, place the pieces into a bowl sat over a pan of simmering water and stir until completely melted.  Spoon the chocolate over the eclairs and allow it to cool and solidify.

Enjoy the eclairs once the chocolate has set, or before if you can’t resist! 🙂

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 2 gammon steaks
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• Small knob of butter
• Fresh ground pepper

In an oven dish mix together the honey and mustard along with a good grind of pepper.  Melt the butter either in a microwave or in a pan and add it to the honey mustard sauce.  Take each gammon steak and turn it oven in the sauce several times to make sure that they’re well coated in the sauce then place them side by side in the dish.

Place the oven dish until a medium heat grill and cook for 6-8 minutes either side until nicely cooked.  Baste the steaks when you turn them.

Serve up with seasonal vegetables simply boiled and then tossed in butter.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
• 3-4 chicken boneless chicken thighs – cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons of chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons of water
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 2 carrots – finely sliced
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 1 small bunch of broccoli – cut into small chunks

Heat some oil in a pan and fry the chicken over a medium heat until cooked through.  While the chicken is cooking prepare the sauce in a bowl by combining the chicken stock, water, sugar, vinegar, ketchup, chilli flakes and cornstarch.  Add the carrots and then the onion to the chicken and stir fry for 3 minutes or so.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables and fry for a further couple of minutes.  Add the broccoli and stir fry for a further couple of minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve up over some freshly boiled rice.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 1):

Peppercorn sauce:

• 2 tablespoon of mixed peppercorns – crushed
• 20g of butter
• 2 shallots – finely chopped
• 40ml of brandy
• 50ml of double cream
• Salt to taste

Other ingredients:

• 1 x ribeye steak
• Handful of salad
• Balsamic vinegar
• New potatoes
• Knob of butter
• Mixed dried herbs

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the potatoes.  Cook until done to your liking and then add in the knob of butter along with the mixed herbs and give the pan a shake until the potatoes are nicely covered in the butter and herbs.

Whilst the poatoes are cooking, season your steak and pan fry it to your liking (Get the pan nice and hot and rub some oil onto the steak before frying it for a couple of minutes per side).  Remove the steak from the pan, wrap in tin foil and keep warm in the oven while you make the peppercorn sauce.  You can make the sauce in a separate pan whilst you are cooking the steak and potatoes if you prefer.

To make the peppercorn sauce, start by sauteing the shallots in the butter over a medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Add the brandy and saute for a further 3 minutes, stirring throughout.  Just before serving, add the cream and peppercorns and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Don’t allow the sauce to boil at any point.  Once you’re happy with the sauce, season it with salt to your taste.

Serve up the buttery potatoes, steak and salad (dressed with the balsamic vinegar) and pour the peppercorn sauce over the steak.  Enjoy with a nice glass of red! 🙂

You can serve the peppercorn sauce with veggie burgers or other meats also.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 carrots – finely chopped and sliced
• 1 large onion – chopped
• 800ml of vegetable stock
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 200g of frozen peas
• One pack of tortellini – your choice of filling
• Grated parmesan

Heat the oil up in a pan and fry the carrots and onions for around five minutes until the carrots just start to lose their bite.  Add the stock and tinned tomatoes, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for five minutes.  Add the frozen peas and continue to simmer for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the tortellini in to the sauce and simmer for 2-4 minutes until the pasta is cooked.  Serve up straight away with some grated parmesan over the top to finish the dish off.  Enjoy!

You can reduce the sauce further by simmering it for a little longer before putting the peas in to give a sauce consistency rather than a soup one.  Adding a little chilli is always an option too!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 25g of butter
• 1 small to medium sized onion – chopped
• 1 garlic clove – finely sliced
• 200g of new potatoes – chopped into small chunks
• 100ml of single cream
• 2 leeks – sliced
• 300ml of vegetable stock
• 85g of blue cheese

Heat the oil and butter in a pan until melted and fry the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes.  Add in the potatoes and leek and continue to fry for a further five minutes.  Add the stock to the pan and bring it to a gentle simmer.  Simmer the mixture for ten minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream and half of the cheese then blend until perfectly smooth.

Return the soup to the heat and bring to just before simmering then serve up straight away with some crumbled blue cheese on top.  Enjoy!