Black Olive Tapenade

I have recently developed some what of an obsession to olives. I love them and can't get enough of them, so when I saw a giant jar of pitted Kalamata olives in a local shop I couldn't resist buying them. Having a jar of olives in your fridge is a great thing as you can put them on so many things....I love throwing a small handful onto pasta for a little variation (see my Sausage, Olive & Tomato Pasta), or of course on top of a crispy and slightly charred pizza that I have cooked on the barbecue. They are perfect in Salads and if you always have olives in your fridge then you can always make up a quick batch of my favourite Marinated Olives – ideal to serve with drinks for any unexpected guests, and perfect as part of an Antipasto lunch. And then when you really want a hit of salty, briny olive goodness there is Tapenade. Originating from France this beautiful glossy black spread made from olives, capers and anchovies is fabulous on crostini or crackers as a quick and simple lunch or snack. And it doesn't stop there! Once you make it you will find so many options for using it....on pizza instead of tomato sauce, tossed through hot pasta for a quick and easy meal, used to stuff chicken with for a delicious and perfect meal for entertaining or thinned down with a little extra olive oil for a fabulously tasty salad dressing. The options are endless so if you are an olive fan why not give this deliciously easy and fast recipe a go. And to think I didn't like olives up until a couple of years ago and now I can't get enough of them!

The 12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 11: Smoked Salmon Dip

Day 11 of my 12 Days of Christmas and it's back to savoury with my Smoked Salmon Dip. Like a lot of people we always have Smoked Salmon at Christmas and so this is just a slightly different way to serve it. Even better, you can make it in advance so it's one less thing to do on Christmas Day! This is a perfect addition to your lunch or it makes an elegant and beautiful starter, especially when served with some extra smoked salmon on the side. Delicious.

100g cream cheese, softened

50g sour cream or Greek yogurt

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 tsp horseradish

1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 heaped tsp fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

Salt & Pepper

125g Smoked Salmon

Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a KitchenAid (or other electric mixer) and beat using the paddle attachment until completely softened and creamed. Add the sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lemon juice, horseradish, parsley and dill and beat until everything is well mixed. Finely chop the smoked salmon then add to the cream cheese mixture along with a little salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Mix one last time so that the salmon is evenly mixed in with everything else then taste to check the seasoning. Adjust if necessary, adding more lemon if needed then put into a serving bowl and keep in the fridge until needed. Serve with a little extra dill sprinkled on top and some crudites, crackers or even some thinly sliced crostini on the side. Perfect!

Or how about my Smoked Salmon on Spring Onion Pancakes,

or my hot and oozy Spinach and Artichoke Dip.