Limeade

I recently went to buy some limes and when I got to the shop they were selling HUGE bags of them for very little money....so of course I had to buy them! Literally, there were so many limes in this bag I had no idea what to do with them, however on the next sunny day I decided to make some delicious and refreshing limeade – a twist on traditional lemonade.

Asparagus, Pea & Chorizo Salad

When I first made this it had been my plan to crumble over some feta and a sprinkle of chilli, however that day I received some beautiful, fresh and local eggs and so I just couldn't resist cooking a couple of eggs and topping the salad with them. It is a delicious version of this salad as the yolk spills onto the asparagus and pea shoots mixing with the dressing to create a rich and utterly delicious salad.

If you would rather not serve this with eggs then crumbled feta is delicious or you could try some goats cheese or even some creamy buffalo mozzarella.

This is a delicious salad that screams of spring. Ideal for lunch or a light dinner, served with some crusty bread.

Serves 2

½ bundle of Asparagus (roughly 250g)

85g sugar snap peas

1 tbsp olive oil

125g chorizo

Juice of ½ lemon

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper

50g Pea shoots

4 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus a few smaller leaves to garnish

2 basted {or poached} eggs*

A handful of freshly podded peas, if you can get them! (optional)

Variations:

100g feta cheese {or other cheese of your choice – see above)

1 long red chilli, finely diced (optional)

Bring a pan of slightly salted water to a boil then blanch the asparagus for 1-1 ½ minutes depending on their thickness. Remove from the pan and place in an ice bath to stop them from cooking. Return the water to a full boil then add the sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute. As with the asparagus remove from the water and plunge into ice cold water. Drain both the asparagus and peas and set aside, allowing to dry.

Once cooled cut the delicate tips off the asparagus and set aside (if you want, at this point you could add them to the large mixing bowl you need for assembling the salad). Using a vegetable peeler 'peel' the asparagus so that you get long thin ribbons of asparagus. When you can't peel anymore cut the remaining 'core' into pieces the same size as the tips. Set aside along with the asparagus tips.

Cut the sugar snap peas in half diagonally and set aside with the asparagus.

Cut the chorizo into roughly 2 inch pieces (at a diagonal) then cut each into 4. In a frying pan heat the olive oil then fry the chorizo pieces until golden and just starting to turn crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside, allowing them to cool slightly.

If you want to baste your eggs reheat the chorizo infused oil in the frying pan and once hot crack in your eggs. Once the whites have started to set add a little water to the pan (a couple of tablespoons should be enough) then cover with a tight-fitting lid. For runny yolks (which I highly recommend for this recipe) cook until the yolks have just started to get a very thin covering of white so that the top is sealed but inside is a delicious, oozy golden yolk. Remove the lid immediately to stop them for cooking any further and take off the heat.

While the eggs are cooking assemble the salad. In a large bowl add the asparagus ribbons and tips, sugar snap peas, pea shoots, mint and chorizo. Gently toss together using your fingers then dress with 2/3 of the salad dressing. Divide the salad onto 2 plates, scatter over the fresh peas if using then crown with the eggs. Finish by sprinkling over some Maldon sea salt (or other finishing salt that you have) then break open the yolks and let them dribble all over the salad! Light, incredibly refreshing and very fulfilling!

*Before I moved to Canada I had never heard of 'basted' eggs – it was another thing that my husband introduced me to. Now, I wish I had known about them my whole life! They are so easy to make and you never (well very rarely) have to worry about over-cooking the yolk if you, like me, like a very soft, runny yolk. Basically for those of you that are questioning what a basted egg is, it's a cross between a fried egg and a steamed one! It may sound a little strange but you start cooking the eggs as you would when frying them then you add some water to the pan then clamp down a tight-fitting lid, allowing the yolks to gently steam. This results in a soft egg, much like a poached egg without any stress or worry. If you have never had your eggs like this, please do me a huge favour and try it – you'll love it!!

Artichoke & Pesto Dip

This dip is so versatile and in the summer is something that I love to make over and over as it takes no time, I always have the ingredients on hand and everyone loves it! It makes a perfect starter for a relaxed evening meal or lunch, and is even fantastic to take with you on picnics since you serve it at room temperature. I like to serve it in a bowl with plenty of toasted ciabatta on the side and let people help themselves, but if you prefer you could make it in advance and then just before serving spread it onto the toasted ciabatta for a quick and easy artichoke and pesto crostini. Delicious, light and all the flavours of summer!

1 large jar (or tin) of artichoke hearts (approx. 14fl oz/390g)

1 small clove of garlic

3 heaped tbsp basil pesto, either homemade or bought

Squeeze of lemon juice

2 tbsp parmesan cheese, finely grated

Salt & pepper

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Fresh basil leaves to garnish

Toasted ciabatta slices to serve*

Drain the artichoke hearts and wash gently. Place in the bowl of a food processor or in a jug that you can fit a hand held blender in. Add the garlic, pesto, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper then blitz in pulses until you have a consistency you like – you want to keep some texture to this pesto. Add the grated parmesan and stir so that it is well mixed. Taste to check the seasoning then transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with a little extra oil then garnish with a few basil leaves. Serve at room temperature with the toasted ciabatta.

*Of course you don't have to serve this with ciabatta – it's just my preference. Crudites, pita chips and even plain tortilla chips all work well with this dip.

**For an extra special treat you could also use this as a pasta sauce, just thin it down using some of the cooking water from the pasta! Yum!

Mojito Cupcakes

What can be better than a refreshing, crisp and clean Mojito in the summer?....A Mojito Cupcake! You heard me, the perfect little treat for adults. I made these for my friends birthday at the weekend which we celebrated with a perfect garden party on a beautiful sunny day. Everyone needs cake on their birthday so this was the perfect time to treat ourselves with cake and of course a Mojito or two!

I used the syrup to keep the cakes moist since I had to make them 2 days before they were being eaten – however it also packs a nice rum punch into the cake! You can miss it out if you don't want the alcohol or you have made the cakes on the same day as they are being eaten.

Rigatoni with Sausage & Rosemary

Although sausage and rosemary sounds like a hearty and robust pasta sauce, this version is actually quite light and fresh due to the addition of the lemon zest. If you would prefer a heartier version omit the lemon zest and use red wine instead of the white. Either way both versions equal a delicious meal!

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

1lb good quality sausages of your choice, skins removed

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp fennel seeds

500ml approx. passata*{or if you prefer you can use chopped tomatoes}

100ml white wine

1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh lemon thyme

1 tsp sugar

Salt & pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

400g rigatoni

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Heat the oil in a pan then break up the sausage meat into small pieces and add to the pan and cook for approximately 8 minutes until they resemble delicious golden brown nuggets. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for another 5 minutes or so until softened. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for another minute before adding the passata, wine, rosemary, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently for 30 minutes until reduced slightly.

Cook the rigatoni in boiling, salted water until al dente. Add the lemon zest to the sauce for the last 5 minutes or so of cooking then taste to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Drain the pasta once it is ready, reserving a few of tablespoons of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss well so that it’s all coated. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle over some fresh Parmesan shavings.

*I find jars of passata vary in size so for the recipe although I suggest 500ml, just use whatever size of jar you have. The ones I buy come in 670ml so I don't bother keeping the extra 170ml – it would no doubt just get forgotten about, so just add the whole jar – it's a pasta sauce so there is definitely no need to be exact about the quantities of ingredients!