Aubergine & Green Bean Curry

Ingredients

• Aubergine
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Chilli
• Lemon-grass
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Turmeric
• Passata
• Coconut Milk
• Green Beans

Method

1. Fry Aubergine on high heat (10 mins), set aside
2. Blend Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Chilli, Lemon-grass, Coriander, Cumin and Turmeric into a paste
3. Fry Paste (5 mins)
4. Add Aubergine (2 mins)
5. Add Green Beans, Passata and Coconut Milk and simmer (20 mins)

Orange Soufflés

Ingredients

• Butter
• Caster Sugar
• 250ml Orange Juice
• 125ml Milk
• 3 Eggs Yolks
• 6 Eggs Whites
• 10g Plain Flour
• 10g Cornflour
• Orange Zest
• Icing Sugar

Method

1. Line ramekins with Butter and Sugar
2. Reduce Orange Juice by half
3. Bring Milk to boil and add Orange Juice
4. Whisk Yolks and 20g Sugar, add flours
5. Add Orange mixture and Orange Zest and whisk over gentle heat
6. Cover and set aside
7. In clean bowl whisk Egg Whites and 50g Caster Sugar
8. Beat in 1/3 of Orange mixture
9. Then gently fold in remaining 2/3
10. Pour into ramekins and run you thumb around the edge
11. Bake @190ºC (8 mins)
12. Sprinkle over Icing Sugar

Spinach Filo Pie

Ingredients

• Onion
• Garlic
• Spring Onion
• Parsley
• Spinach
• Eggs
• Ricotta
• Feta Cheese
• Parmesan
• Lemon Juice
• Nutmeg

Method

1. Fry Onion (10 mins)
2. Add Garlic, Spring Onion, Parsley (10 mins), set aside to cool
3. In another pan wilt spinach (5 mins), allow to cool and pat dry
4. Mix Eggs, Ricotta, Feta, Parmesan, Lemon and Nutmeg
5. Add Spinach and add Onion Mix
6. Line a greased dish with sheets of Filo
7. Fill with mixture
8. Scrunch up remaining Filo on top
9. Bake @ 180ºC (40 mins)

Squirrels!

We like going over to Brownsea Island (Google Maps) because there’s lots of wildlife to photograph – including Red Squirrels. The red squirrels are quite elusive. You can sit in hides and get pretty close to the wildlife. I find I start to get lens envy sitting in these hide though – as there are lots of other wildlife photographers there all with massive lenses, which makes you feel inadequate! Here are some of my best Red Squirrels – and some less exciting Grey Squirrels.

Nikon D5000 | 55-200mm | @ 200mm | ISO 200 | 1/80 sec | f/5.6

Nikon D5000 | 55-200mm | @ 145mm | ISO 200 | 1/60 sec | f/5.0

Nikon D5000 | 55-200mm | @ 200mm | ISO 200 | 1/125 sec | f/5.6

Nikon D5000 | 55-200mm | @ 200mm | ISO 200 | 1/640 sec | f/5.6

Ginger Crème Brulee

Ingredients

• 250ml Cream
• 90ml Milk
• 60g Caster Sugar
• Vanilla
• 3 Eggs Yolks
• Ginger Syrup
• Demerara Sugar

Method

1. Bring Cream, Milk, Half the Caster Sugar and Vanilla to the boil, and set aside
2. Mix the other half of Caster Sugar with Eggs
3. Stir Eggs and Ginger Syrup into Creme
4. Pour mix into ramekins
5. Bake in Water bath @120ºC (1 ½ hours)
6. Before serving sprinkle with Demerara Sugar and caramelise with blow torch

Mushroom Risoniotto

Ingredients

• Varied Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Crème Fraiche
• Lemon Juice
• Orzo Pasta

Method

1. Fry Mushrooms in olive oil (10 mins)
2. Add Garlic and Vinegar (5 mins)
3. Boil Pasta (10 mins)
4. Stir in Parsley, Crème Fraiche & Lemon Juice to Mushrooms
5. Stir in Pasta

Nicoise Salad

Ingredients

• Lettuce
• Green Beans
• New Potatoes
• Bread
• Cornichon
• Olives
• Tomatoes
• Egg
• Parsley

Dressing:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Dijon Mustard
• White Wine Vinegar
• Lemon Juice

Method

1. Boil Potatoes (10 min)
2. Add Green Beans and Eggs (6 min)
3. Set aside and cool
4. Fry bread to make Croutons, leave to cool
5. Peal Eggs and chop Parsley, Cornichon, Olives & Tomatoes
6. Mix all ingredients in large bowl
7. Drizzle over Dressing

Potato, Cheese & Onion Pie

Ingredients

Pastry:

• Plain Flour
• Salt
• Butter
• White Wine Vinegar
• Egg

Filling:

• Onion
• Potato
• Sugar
• Stilton
• Gruyère
• Crème Fraiche
• Double Cream
• Nutmeg

Method

1. Fry Onion, Sugar on a low heat (30 mins)
2. Boil sliced Potato (10 mins)
3. Combine Pastry ingredients and line a buttered dish with 2/3 of pastry and chill (20 mins)
4. Bring Double Cream, Crème Fraiche, Nutmeg and Cheese to simmer
5. Layer Potato, then onion then Cheese Sauce into pie dish and repeat
6. Top pie with remaining 1/3 Pastry
7. Brush eggs over lid and Bake @200ºC (25 mins)
8. Serve with Salad

Coffee & Walnut Battenburg

Ingredients

• Butter
• Caster Sugar
• Eggs
• Self-Raising Flour
• Baking Powder
• Almonds
• Vanilla
• Milk
• Coffee
• Walnuts

Mushrooms and Polenta

Ingredients

• Mushrooms
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Red Wine
• Vegetable Stock
• Rocket Leaves

Polenta:

• Milk
• Onion
• Bay Leaf
• Thyme
• Peppercorns
• Garlic
• Polenta
• Rosemary
• Butter
• Parmesan

Method

1. Bring milk to boil with Onion, Bay Leaf, Thyme, Peppercorns and Garlic
2. Set aside to infuse (20 mins)
3. On high heat fry Mushroom and Thyme (10 mins)
4. Add Garlic (5 mins)
5. Add Wine and Stock and simmer, until reduced by half
6. Sieve Milk and bring to simmer
7. Add Polenta and stir
8. Add Finely chopped Rosemary, Butter and Parmesan
9. Serve with Rocket Leaves