This delicious snack for one is rather like a cheat’s version of feuilleté of asparagus in cream.
125–225g / 4–8oz asparagus spears
15g / 1/2 oz butter
11/2 tsp cornflour
150ml / 5fl oz single cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
2 croissants
Trim the asparagus as necessary and cut it into 2.5cm/1 inch lengths. Keep the tips separate from the stems.
Cook the chopped stems in 2.5cm/1 inch of boiling water for 2 minutes, then add the tips and cook for a further 2 minutes, until they are beginning to get tender but are still crunchy. Drain.
Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the cornflour. Add the cream and stir over a moderate heat until it comes to the boil and thickens. Cook for 1–2 minutes then remove from the heat and stir in the asparagus. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Slice the croissant horizontally in half. Grill on both sides until crisp and lightly browned.
Serve the croissant halves with the asparagus, sandwiching them together with the mixture if you like, and letting the excess run on to the plate.
SERVES 2
GARLIC MUSHROOM ROLL
175g / 6oz button mushrooms
15g / 1/2 oz butter
1 tsp olive oil
1–2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 high, rounded, crusty roll, white or granary
Wash and roughly chop the mushrooms, then fry them in the butter and olive oil for 5 minutes or until they are tender. If they give off a lot of liquid, go on cooking them until this has evaporated; this may take as long as 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat the grill. Slice the top off the roll to make a lid; scoop out and discard most of the crumb. Warm through the roll and lid under the grill, turning it.
Spoon the mushrooms into the roll and replace the lid. Serve at once.
SERVES 1
CHUTNEY BEAN BURGER
Use whatever chutney or pickle you like in this; you could also add extras such as grated cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, sliced tomato and lettuce to make a kind of burger with everything.
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbls olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 × 225g / 8oz can butter beans, drained
1–2 tbls chutney or pickle
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 soft burger roll
Fry the onion in the olive oil, with a lid on the pan, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes longer.
Add the beans to the pan and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until heated through, mashing the beans to make a rough puree. Stir in the chutney or pickle and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the grill. Cut the burger roll in half and warm it through under the grill, then pile the bean mixture on one half, top with the other half, press down and serve immediately.
SERVES 1
BRIOCHE WITH VACHERIN AND APRICOT CONSERVE
An indulgent breakfast, brunch or pudding.
1 individual brioche
125g / 4oz Vacherin cheese
1–2 tbls best-quality apricot conserve
Warm the brioche in the oven or under the grill, then serve with the Vacherin cheese and apricot conserve.
SERVES 1
GINGER AND CREAM CHEESE BAGELS
125g / 4oz cream cheese, full fat or low fat
2 pieces of preserved stem ginger
6 walnut halves
a little milk (optional)
2 bagels
Put the cream cheese into a bowl. Chop the ginger and walnuts and heat into the cream cheese, adding a little milk it necessary to soften it.
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