Tuna Creams

Makes a good starter for 4 people

150 ml natural yogurt - I use Greek Zero Fat
4 tbsp thick light mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper
2 tsp gelatine
2 tbsp hot water
4 spring onions
1 hard boiled egg
1 small gherkin
1 7oz can Tuna

Flake tuna and mix with finely chopped onions, egg and gherkin
Dissolve gelatine in hot water and allow to cool slightly
Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and season with Salt & Pepper
Mix gelatine mixture with mayonnaise
Mix tuna mixture with mayonnaise
Spoon into ramekin dishes and chill till required

Ramsworth Crab

Original Recipe for this says to do them in 1/2 an avocado but I do them in shell dishes

Can of white crab meat
4 oz peeled prawns or shrimps
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped chives
2 tsp red wine vinegar
 large egg white

Drain crab and mix with all the ingredients except the egg white
Just before cooking whip the egg white till stiff and fold into the crab mixture
Pour into shells and bake for 30 minutes Gas 5 Fan 160 till nice and brown

Slow Cooked Pork Loins

Made this with pork chops which I bought by mistake instead of loins - I took them out of the slow cooker just before serving and pan fried for 5 minutes till the outside went brown and crispy. I then used the juices to make the glaze. I noticed later that comments on the website said to pre-cook the pork to get a nice brown colour. The pork was so tender it fell of the bone.

4 pork loins

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar **

2 tablespoons honey **
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce

1 tsp freshly grated ginger  or Allspice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper Kosher or sea salt to taste

** Can sub balsamic vinegar for these

In a large mixing bowl combine all marinade ingredients. Trim away all visible fat from the loins and discard. Place the pork loins in the marinade, ensuring all sides are coated. Cover and allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Place loins and marinade in slow cooker, cook on low 4-6 hours, or until it shreds easily with a fork. Remove from the slow cooker and place on a serving platter.

Glaze: (optional) Combine in saucepan and heat for 5 minutes till thickened

·  2 tablespoons honey

·  2 tablespoons lite soy sauce

·  2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

·  2 tablespoons ketchup

·  1 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil

·  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Read more at http://skinnyms.com/

Apple Cocktail

This is a starter I have had for a long time; this amount serves 4

1 red apple cubed
2-3 large slices of cheese cubed
Good helping of prawns
6 tbsp light mayonnaise
2-3 tsp curry powder

Mix curry powder and mayonnaise together till blended
Add apples and stir until well coated
Add cheese and prawns

Galaktoboureko

a  bit fiddly but so very egg custardy and served with lemon syrup :)

•  3 oz unsalted butter
•  3 free-range eggs, separated
•  4 oz golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 oz semolina
•  1 1/4 pint full-fat milk, warmed
•  7 sheets filo pastry

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease a 20cm/8in springform cake tin.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, golden caster sugar and vanilla extract with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the semolina and the warmed milk. Put this mixture into a clean pan and cook over a low heat for up to 10 minutes until thickened, stirring constantly.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites using an electric whisk until stiff but not dry peaks form when the whisk is removed. Loosen the semolina custard with a spoonful of the egg whites, then fold in the rest.

Brush each sheet of filo pastry with the melted butter and lay in the springform tin, alternating the direction the excess will drape over the sides (don’t trim it off), use 6 sheets.

Pour the custard mixture into the pastry-lined tin and fold the overhanging sheets over the top, tucking in the ends. Place the final sheet of filo, buttered and folded in half, on top. Tuck in the sides and butter the top.

Bake for 45–50 minutes until the custard mixture has set. Check after 30 minutes and cover with foil if the top is getting too brown.

Lemon syrup

·         ¼ cup water

·         75 g sugar

·         1 lemon, zested and juiced

To make the syrup, place the water, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a saucepan over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar, then gently bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Leave to cool. 

Pea and Ham Soup

Kept the stock and some meaty bits from cooking the Christmas Ham

knob of butter

1 onion , chopped

1 litre ham or pork stock

1 medium potato , peeled and diced

500 g frozen petits pois

300 g thickly sliced ham, trimmed of any fat and diced

Heat the butter in a saucepan and when lightly foaming gently cook the onions until softened, but not coloured.
Tip in the potato and stir to coat in butter, then pour over the stock. 
Simmer until softened.Tip in the frozen peas and bring back to the boil. Cook for a couple of mins. 
Remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Stir in the diced ham and serve.