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This month it was our wedding anniversary and we usually cook each other a special meal. My husband cooks the starter and main course, while I cook the dessert. This year I didn’t have much time to plan ahead and decided to make chocolate trifle which is a favourite of both or ours. Earlier in the day we had gone for a walk and picked blackberries so I planned to use them as the fruit for the trifle.

When it came to prepare the dessert it had gotten late and it coincided with trying to put Baby G to bed, I didn’t have time to make a proper trifle so I made these little individual ‘mock’ trifles – something I came up with there and then so I could get upstairs to my crying boy! They turned out to be totally delicious and much quicker so I am recommending this recipe to you.

Serves 2:

Ingredients:

These measurements are approximate, they filled the two small champagne glasses I decided to serve them in (add more of less accordingly)

• 100g blackberries
• 2tsp sugar
• 2 trifle sponges
• 150g custard
• 50g chocolate (or more if you love chocolate!)

Method:

1. Gently heat the blackberries with the sugar until they are soft and slightly liquid.
2. Place the trifle sponge in the bottom of glass/dish, you may need to cut the sponge to fit.
3. Pour the blackberry mixture over the sponge and leave to soak in
4. Break chocolate into small pieces and place in microwave proof bowl with custard, heat on a low temperature for 30 seconds at a time stirring until chocolate has completely melted and mixed with custard.
5. Pour chocolate custard over sponges and place in fridge for custard to set.

Frittata is such a good dinner for so many reasons:

1. It tastes delicious!
2. It is really easy to make.
3. Eggs are the main ingredient so it is an inexpensive meal.
4. You can add lots of different fillings to make a different meal everytime.

I first tried frittata when my school friend Sarah Shear made it for me, then several years later I read a Delia Smith recipe and started cooking frittata myself. A few years ago I taught my Mum how to make frittata and now she often cooks it for dinner as she finds it so quick and easy, plus my Dad loves it! Now my 89 year old Grandfather said he would like to make it so here is the recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• some olive oil
• 1 large onion sliced into rings
• 1 large potato sliced and cooked
• 1 large handful cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 large handful of chopped fresh herbs (basil, thyme, parsley) or 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 100g peas
• 4 slices of ham (roughly chopped)
• 100g grated cheese
• 6 eggs

Method:

1. Pre-heat the grill to 180
2. Pour a little olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onions.
3. Place the eggs and the cheese to one side and add all the other ingredients to the pan with the oinons, cook on a low heat for approx 5 mins.
4. Whisk the eggs in a jug, beat them well and pour into the frying pan. Increase the heat underneath and sprinkle the cheese evenly on the top.
5. Cook the mixture on the hob, on a low heat, for roughly 10 minutes. While the mixture is still wet on the top but showing signs of cooking at the edges remove to the grill (if you continue to cook on the hob it will burn underneath before you have been able to cook it on the top!).
6. Watch the frittata and when it is set slice and serve.

Serving suggestion:

Cous cous and salad.

You can add lots of different fillings to a frittata so experiment and enjoy!

This is a great lunch or starter for a dinner party. As with everything I do it is very quick. It took 2 minutes to whiz it all together in my food processor and a few minutes to make it look pretty in the bowl. Mackerel is a good fish to use as it is full of fish oils which aid with a whole range of health issues from arthritis to depression! Here is my recipe:

Serves 4 for lunch, 6 for a starter

Ingredients:

• 2 smoked mackerel fillets
• 250g cream cheese
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Whiz everything together in a food processor until smooth.
2. Serve with toast.

I really love homemade Lamb Curry. Here is a quick recipe that I sometimes use:

Lamb Curry
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 spring onions finely chopped
• 1 glove garlic
• 2 tsp curry powder (or make own mix of 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tumeric, 1/4 ginger powder, 1/4 dried chilli flakes)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 4 lamb chops
• 2 tbsp dried red lentils

Method:

1. Fry onion, garlic and curry powder in frying pan on medium heat, add lamb chops and sear on both sides.
2. Pour tinned tomatoes and lentils into pan, allow to bubble and then turn down to a low heat and place on a lid*.
3. Allow to cook on a very low heat for 20 mins.

Serving suggestions:

Serve with a tasty rice:

1. Heat a potion of mixed vegetables in the microwave, stir veg into a packet of cooked microwave rice.
2. Add sultanas and chopped fresh coriander to the rice.

*Use a large heatproof plate if you do not have a lid with your frying pan.

My Mum loves to cook tomato pasta. Last time she cooked for me she made a delicious pasta using chorizo. She used her Bacon & Tomato Pasta recipe that features on my Meal Plan page and simply substituted the bacon for chorizo. It was really yummy and really quick as she made it in under 30 minutes.

Here’s the recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1tsp oil
1 pack sliced chorizo (approx 150g)
1 onion, diced
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp chopped rosemary
2 tsp mixed herbs
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tin of chopped tomatoes 400g
1 glass of red wine
1 tbsp sliced olives or a handful of whole olives
100g grated cheese

Pasta (any type) 75g per person (however hungry you are serve more or less pasta)

*(2 tins makes lots of yummy sauce, but 1 tin will stretch to serve 4)

Method:

1. Heat oil, over a medium heat, in a large frying pan. Cut chorizo into small pieces and add to the pan with onion, herbs, fennel seeds, ground pepper (as much as you like) and last the garlic (as it can burn); stir.
2. Brown the ingredients , add all of the chopped vegetables, continue to cook for approximately another 2/3 minutes.
3. Add the tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, wine and olives; stir.
4. Reduce the heat under the sauce to your lowest setting and pop on a lid (use a plate if your frying pan does not have a lid). Cook for approx 10 mins.
5. Put pasta on to cook.
6. Simmer sauce until the pasta is ready, but do check on it and add a little liquid if it is reducing more than you would like.
7. Pour cooked pasta and grated cheese into the frying pan and stir.

Serving Suggestion:

Watercress and rocket salad.