Red Currant Streusel Bars

Red currants are quite tart, but very juicy and delicious and can be eaten raw right off the stems or cooked. They have a high vitamin C and B1 content, and perfect for jams, sauces, tarts or as a simple accompaniment in salads, garnishes, or drinks when in season.

• 200 g All-purpose flour
  
  
• 100 g Roll oats
  
  
• 100 g Dried coconut shreds
  
  
• 180 g Butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
  
  
• 175 g Caster sugar
  
  
• 1 tbsp Lemon zest, finely grated
  
  
• 80 g Almond, chopped
  
  
• 20 g Almond slices
  
  
• 250 g Red currants

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Line a 28cm square baking pan with paper. Tip the flour, rolled oats, coconut shreds and butter pieces into a mixing bowl. Use your fingers to work the mixture together to make coarse crumbs. Mix in the sugar, lemon zest and chopped almonds.
   
   
2. Place two thirds of the mixture into the base of the baking pan, spread it out and press down lightly. Scatter the cranberries on top, sprinkle the rest of the mixture over, then the almond slices and press everything down lightly. Bake for 40 minutes until pale golden on top. Transfer to a wire rack, cool slightly and cut into 12-16 pieces.

Kohlrabi Slaw / 凉拌甘蓝

Kohlrabi, also called "German turnip", is a member of the cabbage family but has a turnip like appearance. It tastes more like broccoli stem and is wonderfully crisp. The name comes from the German "Kohl" (meaning cabbage) and "Rabi" (meaning turnip). Smaller kohlrabi are sweet, tender, juicy and really delicious eaten raw.

This crunchy slaw is really quick and easy to make, it's a really nice and refreshing side dish to enjoy in these hot summer days.

Dressing
3 tbsp White wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground Salt and black pepper 5 tbsp Mazola corn oil	1 head Kohlrabi, peeled and grated 2 Carrots, peeled and grated 1 Red onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp Parsley or dill, chopped

1. Place white wine vinegar, mustard, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl. Gradually whisk in oil until well-blended.
   
   
2. Rinse kohlrabi with cold water. Cut top and root end from kohlrabi. Peel kohlrabi to remove the fibrous skin. Use a mandoline to grate the bulb finely. Peel and grate the carrot. Half the red onion, remove the skin and slice it thinly. Toss grated vegetables, chopped parsley with prepared dressing and chill for several hours before serving.

Parmesan Almond Crusted Chicken

A simply satisfying chicken dish with a very flavourful crust and tender interior. Parmesan cheese and almond meal make a delectable combination for these bland and boring chicken breast.

• 3 tbsp Plain flour
  
  
• 1 Egg
  
  
• 1 cup Fresh breadcrumbs
  
  
• 1/3 cup Almond meal
  
  
• 1/2 tbsp Lemon zest, finely grated
  
  
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
  
  
• 1-2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
  
  
• Salt and pepper
  
  
• 500 g Chicken breast, skinless and boneless
  
  
• Sunflower oil

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper on a large plate. Lightly whisk egg in a shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, almond meal, lemon zest, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper in a separate shallow dish.
   
   
2. Lightly coat chicken with seasoned flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, finally the breadcrumb mixture, pressing crumbs on gently with your fingertips to coat.
   
   
3. Fill a large skillet with oil up to 1cm deep and heat over medium flame until sizzling. Pan-fry the chicken, in batches, for 3 minutes each side or until just cooked through and lightly golden brown. Serve chicken with salad and lemon wedges.

Vanilla Yogurt Mousse with Strawberry Marshmallow

This is a really delightful summer dessert with smooth and creamy texture that uses fresh blueberries, vanilla yogurt and strawberry-flavoured marshmallow.

• 125 g Vanilla yogurt
  
  
• 60 ml Whole milk
  
  
• 80 g Strawberry flavoured mini marshmallow
  
  
• 50 g Fresh blueberries

1. Place strawberry marshmallows, vanilla yoghurt, and whole milk in a pot. Heat the mixture over the slow flame until the marshmallows are melted and all the ingredients are well-combined. Remove and cool.
   
   
2. Divide half of the fresh blueberries into two serving glasses, and slowly pour in the mousse. Cover and chill for an hour until set. Arrange the rest of the blueberries on the top of the mousse. Serve.

Vanilla Yogurt Mousse With Strawberry Marshmallow

Chicken and chorizo bake

Most people have a word or words they can't remember. My Dad can't remember the name of the computer operating system "Linux". My friend Dee couldn't for years tell the difference between "Accessorize" and "Claire's Accessories", calling them, always, "Accessories" and "Claire's Accessorize". It drove me fucking nuts.

When I first met my husband, I casually pronounced "chorizo" "chorit-zo". He quickly told me that that was for idiots who said "haitch" instead "aitch" and called "Ibiza" "Ibit-za".

"Either chorrrr-eeee-tho," he said, glaring at me, "or chorrr-eeee-zzzoh. Just not 'choritzo'. Please."

But from that moment on I was so stressed about not getting it wrong, that I got it wrong. It got to a point where when I wanted to say the word in front of my husband I would start and say "chorrrrr-iiiii-eeeee" hedging my bets a bit, looking at him from under my eyelashes, willing him to help me out.

"eeee-zoh?" He would finish off.

He was always pretty patient about it, given that my husband is at times such a lazy thinker that he'll say sentences like "If you ask me, if you buy a roof over a restaurant you've got to expect noise from the pub" and consistently presses "reply" on emails when he wanted to press "forward" (if you think about it, this has the most potential for disaster of any mis-type on an email).

Anyway, I've nailed it now. So much so that I have CHOR-EEEEE-ZOH in my fridge almost at all times. Yesterday, I baked it in a pan with chicken thighs, mushrooms and sour cream, which worked really well, with the added bonus that it was damned easy.

For 2

4 chicken thighs
2 in of CHOR-EEEEE-ZOH, diced into 2cm ish cubes
a large handful of button mushrooms, if you've got some
four large tablespoons of sour cream
salt and pepper

1 Brown the thighs really well in some groundnut oil. If you get the skin quite brown and crispy at this stage, it will go crunchy and lovely in the oven
2 Place in an oven dish, scatter over the CHOR-EEEE-ZOH and then mushrooms and then dollop the sour cream around the chicken, not on top
3 Season the thighs well with salt and pepper
4 Shove in the oven at 180 for 1 hr

Pan Seared Scallops

Scallops can be prepared in a variety of ways...used in soups, stews, chowders, breaded and fried, or wrapped in bacon, then broiled. Besides sauteing these meaty scallops with seasonal greens and XO sauce, my other favourite way is sear them quickly in a hot pan so that the outside gets a crisp, golden brown crust and the inside remains succulent and tender.

• 5 Scallops
  
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  
• 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
  
  
• 50 ml Dry white wine
  
  
• 1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  
  
• Some salad mix to serve
  
  

1. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle them with a bit of salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add scallops and cook until they are golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
   
   
2. Add wine and vinegar to pan. Cook 2 minutes until slightly thick and stir in the scallops. Turn off the heat and remove. Serve with some salad mix.

Pan Seared Scallops

Fish Piccata

"Piccata" translates to piquant or piquancy, which in one definition means tart or zesty. When used in reference to a way of preparing food, particularly meat or fish, it means "sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon juice, white wine and capers. Fish piccata can be served with rice or pasta as a side dish.

Recipe Source: Great Chefs Cook Italian

• 2-3 Fish fillets, cut into half
  
  
• 2 tbsp Plain flour
  
  
• Salt and pepper
  
  
• 15 g Butter
  
  
• 50 ml Olive oil
  
  
• 60 ml White wine
  
  
• 1 tbsp Capers, drained
  
  
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice

1. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, a little of salt and pepper. Dredge the fish lightly in flour mixture.
   
   
2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add fish and cook until fish just begins to flake. Remove fish from pan and keep warm.
   
   
3. Add white wine, lemon juice, and capers to the skillet. Stir well and heat the sauce thoroughly. Serve fish with sauce and pasta.

Rigatoncini with Fresh Tomatoes and Chickpeas

A simple tossed dish of spelt pasta, fresh tomatoes, basil and Parmesan is satisfying, healthy and filled with natural flavours. The addition of chickpeas ensure a healthy and nutritiously balanced meal.

• 100 g Wholemeal spelt rigatoncini
  
  ©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
  
  
• 150 g Canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  
  
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
  
  
• 250 g Ripe tomatoes, diced
  
  
• 10 Olives, pitted and chopped
  
  
• Some fresh basil
  
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  
• 2 tbsp Parmesan, grated

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until tender, yet al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
   
   
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chickpeas and garlic, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas are just heated through. Add diced tomatoes, chopped olives, fresh basil, salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. To serve, divide the pasta among 2 serving plates and top with sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Rigatoncini with Fresh Tomatoes and Chickpeas

A big thanks to Claudia from Foodessa and Brian from A Thought For Food!

Chilli tacos

The internet is a funny place for an old print hack like me. I don't really understand the concept of "networking" with other blogs in order to increase my "traffic", although other people seem to, because I get an awful lot of comments these days that leave a random compliment, followed by the address of their own blog.

I mean, don't get me wrong - I'm not annoyed by it or anything, but is this what we're all doing now? And why? So that Highland Spring will email us offering to advertise on our sites? Is that the dream?

It's not like that in newspapers. In newspapers you only have to please one person: your commissioning editor. I have four commissioning editors at the moment: Hannah, Amy, Nicola and Vanessa, (I do not believe in working for men), which is a 400% increase on the number of commissioning editors I had this time last year. They are to me what volcanoes are to small, sun-worshipping island communities in the South Pacific, in that if they asked me to toss a virgin into a furnace, I would.

Here, the reader is everything. I can measure my popularity (or at least, how often I post) by a weekly mail-out, which tells me how many visits I've had, from where and how long they stayed, and by the quantity and enthusiasm of my comments. And I do it all for free.

But in newspapers no-one cares about the readers. The readers don't matter and they never really have. Anyone who writes to or emails a newspaper, even someone with a legitimate point, is a "green inker", most probably an escapee from a mental asylum, and readers never, ever know best. They are like naughty schoolchildren who need to be told what they like - Summer Reads AGAIN, some feature on how to get a good night's sleep (my God insomniacs must gnash their teeth at those) and 10,000 items a week on working mothers.

It never helps my attitude towards newspaper readers that they're always mean about whatever I've written in those "Have your say" boxes at the end, whereas on blogs, everyone is nice. And anyway, the reader has probably bought the paper to read someone else anyway, and stumbled across my piece on horseshoe making in southern Ukraine (p.56) quite by accident.

So all that considered the reader can get stuffed, as long as my comm ed likes it. Because if they like it, there's a chance they'll remember to put through my 15p per word payment to finance department, so that an undercover Russian spy, who doesn't want to give herself away by ever speaking intelligible English, (in an elaborate double-bluff), can lose my payslip, delete my account and then deny all knowledge of the piece when I ring her in six months' time to complain.

And that, ladies and gents, is why newspapers are going to die.

I made chilli tacos last night for my husband, because he was watching the World Cup final and I thought that chilli tacos and beer were suitable football food.

I've never managed to make chilli really taste like chilli, only like extra tangy bolognese, so I consulted a Tomasina Miers recipe and ripped it off. It went something like this.

500g ground beef
2 small onions
3 garlic cloves
1 red chilli SEEDS IN - don't be such a wuss for god's sake
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
25g chorizo, chopped
2 bay leaves - don't panic if you haven't got these
2 cans of plum tomatoes

1 Brown the meat and the chorizo in a pan and then set aside

2 Put the onions, garlic and chilli in a blender and whizz until chopped. I've never done this before, always instead painstakingly chopping everything up. I am never chopping onions again - it's going to be blended garlic and onion for everything from now on

3 Cook the blended onion mixture in a frying pan for about 10 minutes over a very low flame with the cumin, bay leaves and spices. Season with a pinch of salt and a few turns of pepper.

4 Add the plum tomatoes, the ketchup, vinegar and sugar. Mess this around for a bit and then pile the meat back in. Cook this up for about 5 minutes and then taste. If you want more or less of anything chuck it in now. You'll probably find you need more salt. If you want this really fucking spicy, wham in some tabasco.

5 Cook all this for about 40 minutes over a low heat.

6 Serve with tortilla wraps (Waitrose), guacamole (mash up some avocado and add lemon and salt - you don't need to add any chilli because the chilli ought to be hot enough as it is), shredded lettuce and sour cream. Sprinkle over jalapeno peppers - if you're a glutton for punishment - while pondering whether or not the paywall is going to work.

Chicken Medallions And Fruit Salad

I am sending this to Girard's Salad Dressing Giveaway at Living the Gourmet.

• 200 g Chicken breast, skinless and boneless
  
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
  
  
• 1 Onion
  
  
• 1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, shredded
  
  
• 1/2 Tomato, thinly shredded
  
  
• Some fresh pineapple wedges
  
  
• 6-8 Fresh strawberries, cut into wedges

1. Cut the chicken breast into medallions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Peel and cut the onions in half, and then slice the onions lengthwise to desired thickness.
   
   
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet until sizzling hot. Drop medallions in the skillet and let them sear until tender and lightly golden. Remove and drain. Use the remaining oil in the skillet to caramelize the onions. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
3. Arrange the salad, tomato shreds, caramelized onion, and fruits into two serving plates. Top with chicken medallions. Serve.

Chicken Medallions And Fruit Salad

Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

This recipe was really easy, quick to make and tasted wonderful. The combination of the delicate flavour and pleasant tartness of the strawberries with the creaminess and sweetness of the marshmallows is unbeatable!

• 280 g Fresh strawberries, halved if large
  
  
• 25 g Vanilla sugar
  
  
• 100 ml Water
  
  
• 140 g Mini marshmallows
  
  
• 200 ml Double cream

1. Put all but 3 strawberries into a pan along with the water and the sugar. Over a medium heat, cook strawberries until soft enough to mash, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat and squash the berries, using a fork, until pulpy. Add the marshmallows, then stir them into the hot strawberries until they dissolve. Leave to cool.
   
   
2. Whip the cream until it holds its shape. Fold the cream into the cooled strawberry mix, then spoon into one bowl or separate pots and chill for about 2 hours, or until set. Cut the reserved strawberries in half and use to decorate.

Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse