Salad
Always eat fresh strawberries at room temperature, as they lose their delicate flavour and natural sweetness when chilled. For sheer extravagance and a romantic dinner for two, you could use fraises de bois – cultivated ‘wild’ strawberries which are only available at exclusive stores.
Serves 4
100g/3½ oz/4 large handfuls of fresh, ready-to-eat baby rocket (arugula) leaves
1 large bulb of fresh fennel, trimmed and tough outer layers removed
300g/10½ oz/2 heaped cups of fresh strawberries, wiped clean and hulled
1 teaspoon of crushed coriander (cilantro) seeds
1 teaspoon of mild (GF) Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 small mild red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
The juice of 1 large sweet orange
Arrange the rocket (arugula) leaves on each plate.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the fennel in half and then into wafer thin slices. Divide the fennel slices between the salads.
Cut the strawberries into thick slices and arrange them over the salads. (If you do succumb to the temptation of fraises de bois then keep the strawberries whole.)
Make the dressing in a small bowl by mixing together the coriander (cilantro) seeds, mustard, vinegar, chilli and orange juice. Whisk the dressing until it is smooth, drizzle it over the salads and serve.
Potato Skins and Hummus Dip
An almost instantaneous starter at any time of the year. Brilliant for barbecues, hungry teenagers and vegetarians. Use ready-made wafers (chips) (GF/WF/DF) if you are in a real hurry!
Serves 8
Home-made fried potato skin quarters, or 500g/17oz of (GF/DF) ready-made fried potato skins, or 200g/7oz of (WF/GF) ready-made wafers (chips)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
840g/30oz/4 cups of canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 tablespoons of light tahini paste
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
A few drops of (GF) chilli sauce/oil
The juice of 2 large lemons
297g/10½ oz of silken tofu (firm)
At least 3 tablespoons of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
Cayenne pepper
A little chopped parsley for decoration
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6
Place the potato skins on a non-stick baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy.
Meanwhile, mix the chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini, garlic, chilli sauce/oil, lemon juice, tofu, salt, pepper and coriander (cilantro) leaves together in the food processor until smooth.
Scoop into an attractive bowl. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and parsley.
Place in the centre of a large oval plate and arrange the potato skins around the dip.
Serve immediately.
Roast Artichoke, Fennel and Onion Salad
Once laborious to peel, Jerusalem artichokes have now been perfected into a less complex shape.
I have now been converted to these underrated vegetables as an alternative to potatoes.
Serves 4
500g/17oz of fresh Jerusalem artichokes (washed, peeled and left in a bowl of cold water and a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to prevent discolouration)
(GF) chilli oil and olive oil
2 heads of fennel, trimmed and quartered
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
Fresh marjoram
The juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6
Cook the artichokes in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Sprinkle a large non-stick baking sheet with the oils. Mix the vegetables together and spread over the sheet. Sprinkle with more of the oils, salt and pepper, crushed garlic and the marjoram. Place the tray in the centre of the oven and roast until golden, about ¾ –1 hour.
Carefully spoon the vegetables into a salad bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Serve with warm (GF) bread, or cover and chill until needed.
Prawn and Pepper Terrine
This terrine is bright and colourful, so there is no need to feel gloomy if you have to give a low-fat dinner party! If you entertain a lot, you can substitute other low-fat seafood or fish, and the peppers can be swapped for any suitable and complementary vegetables. You can also use a ring mould instead of a terrine tin and fill the centre with the salad leaves.
Serves 8
2 × 22g/¾oz sachets of (GF) aspic jelly powder
900ml/32fl oz/4 scant cups of boiling water
100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup of dry sherry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few drops of (GF) chilli sauce/oil
55–85g/2–3oz/1 cup dwarf French green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1 yellow pepper, cored and seeded
A small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
400g/14oz/2 generous cups of fresh, large peeled prawns (shrimp)
3 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and cut into eighths
Rocket (arugula) and watercress leaves
Fresh lemon juice
30.5cm/12
