Mouth Watering Recipes

STORECUPBOARD ESSENTIALS

Japanese miso (fermented soybean paste), for instant soups, sauces and marinades.

Lemons, to bring food to life.

Dijon mustard, for vinaigrettes and to add flavour to fish, lamb and chicken before roasting.

Oats, for porridge in winter and Swiss-style muesli and crunchy granola in summer.

Dark chocolate: one square is better than any heavy pudding.

Yogurt instead of cream.

Avocado, to use on sourdough bread instead of butter and to add creaminess to salads.

Pistachio nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and Swedish crispbreads for snacking.

Seaweed - dried sea vegetables such as wakame, nori and arame are packed with nutrients and add flavour to soups and salads.

Bananas: the best breakfast there is, mixed with oatmeal, yogurt, grated apple and mixed seeds. Freeze them on sticks for healthy ice lollies, or whizz them with porridge oats, dates, yogurt and apple juice for breakfast smoothies.

SIZZLING HALOUMI WITH PRAWNS

Serves 4

Haloumi is a rich, salty Greek-Cypriot cheese that is rubbery and dull when cold, but delicious when sizzling hot.

7oz/200g haloumi cheese, rinsed 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 7oz/200g cherry tomatoes 16 small or 12 medium raw prawns, peeled 1 lemon, quartered For the dressing: 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp green olives, crushed 8 caper berries (or use 1 tbsp drained capers in vinegar) 1 tbsp roughly chopped dill Cut the haloumi into ½in/1 cm thick slices. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Remove and add the remaining olive oil. Cook the prawns over a high heat until they are no longer translucent, turning them once. Wipe out the pan and return to the heat. Fry the cheese until it is golden, turning once. Arrange the prawns, tomatoes and haloumi on four plates. Mix the dressing ingredients together and spoon over the top. Serve with lemon wedges. SPICED YOGURT CHICKEN Serves 4 Yogurt makes a good, quick marinade because it not only tenderises the chicken, it carries the spices into it as well. Serve with lemon-scented rice for a quick, simple supper. 7oz/200g natural low-fat yogurt 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger 1 small green chilli, finely minced 2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp turmeric A pinch of cayenne powder 1 tbsp vegetable oil 4 chicken breasts, skinned A handful of rocket leaves For the lemon yogurt: 1 tbsp preserved (salted) lemons, rinsed 4oz/110g plain natural yogurt 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, chilli, spices, vegetable oil and half a teaspoon of salt in a non-reactive bowl and mix well. Cut a few slashes in the thicker part of the chicken breasts, and toss well in the marinade. Leave for at least 30 minutes, turning once or twice. Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Place the chicken on a rack set above a foil-lined baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Dice the preserved lemons and mix with the yogurt and coriander. Serve the chicken on the leaves, with the lemon yogurt. Scatter with coriander and serve with steamed rice. LEMON CUPCAKES Makes 10 "Cupcakes are just a cute form of portion control," says Jill. These are dense and surprisingly satisfying. All the same, it's best to invite nine friends to tea so you're not tempted to eat another one. 4½oz/125g butter, softened 4½oz/125g caster sugar 3 eggs, separated 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp grated lemon zest 6oz/180g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 7floz/200ml plain, natural yogurt 3 tbsp icing sugar Lemon juice 10 blackberries Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and set 10 paper muffin cases into a large muffin tray. Beat the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well. Beat in the lemon juice and zest. Sift the dry ingredients and fold them into the mixture, alternating with the yogurt. Beat the egg whites until stiff and peaky. Fold into the batter. Fill the paper cases and bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. When cool, mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make thick icing. Spread a little on each cake, add a berry and leave to set.