Easy tomato sauce

1 red onion,chopped
3tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves,crushed
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
3tbsp tomato puree
2tsp sugar
4 fresh basil leaves

Gently fry the onion in the oil,over a low heat,until soft.Add the garlic and cook for another min,then add chopped toms,puree and sugar.Simmer gently,for 15 mins.Add basil and cook for another 5mins.

Pasta Idea's

Sausage meatballs
Skin some lincolnshire sausages and shape into small ball's.Brown in a pan,had your tomato sauce and simmer for 8 mins.Serve with pasta
Chorizo & bean
Simmer a handful of green beans in a pan of boiling water for 1 min,then drain and chop.Chop up some chorizo into small cubes and fry in a dry pan until the fat runs out.Add your tomato sauce,green beans,some drained and rinsed cannellini beans and heat through.Serve with pasta bows.
Prawn & mascarpone
place your tomato sauce in a pan,then add some frozen pea's and simmer for 1 min.Stir in a large spoonful of mascarpone and some prawns and heat through.Serve with pasta.
Bacon & chilli
gently fry some bacon lardons and slices of deseeded red pepper in a dry frying pan until lardons are crisp and peppers soft.Heat your sauce,then add to the lardons and peppers,along with a large pinch of crushed dried chillies.Serve with pasta.
Puttanesca
Heat your tomato sauce in a pan,then add some chopped anchovies,kalamata olives,capers and some crushed dried chillies.Serve with pasta.
Tuna & sweetcorn

Heat your tomato sauce in a pan,then add canned flaked tuna,canned drained sweetcorn and some chopped flat-leaf parsley.Serve with pasta.

Roasted tomato soup

1kg vine-ripened tomatoes
1 red onion,cut into wedges
2 red peppers,deseeded,quartered
2tbsp oil
175g potatoes
1 veg stock cube
4tbsp tomato ketchup
4tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 200c,180c fan,gas 6.Make a cut in the skin of each tomato,put in a bowl and pour over boiling water to cover them.Leave for 1 min.Drain off water and remove skins.Halve tomatoes and put on a baking tray (cut side up) with the pepper and onions.Brush with the oil and cook for 50 mins.Meanwhile,slice the potatoes and put in a pan with 500ml water and the stock cube.Cover,bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins or until tender.Remove from heat.Carefully peel the skin off the peppers.Puree the potatoes and stock and roasted veg in a blender until smooth.Add the ketchup and sweet chilli and balsamic vingar.Reheat in a pan and serve with crustie bread.

Rhubarb and strawberry Eton mess

400g rhubarb
2 1/2tbsp caster sugar
400g strawberries
300ml double cream
1/4tsp vanilla extract
2 x 150ml rhubarb yogurt
8 meringue nests,broken into large pieces

Preheat oven to 160c,140c fan,gas 3.Was rhubarb and cut into pieces.Put in a baking tray and cover with tin foil.Cook for 20 mins.Leave to cool completely.Drain juices and reserve.Cut the green tops of the strawberries and halve.Whip the cream with the vinilla until it just starts to thicken and hold its shape.Add the yoghurt and continue to whip slowly until it holds its shape.Stir in the broken meringues into the cream mixture,then fold in three quarters of the fruit,taking care not to break up the meringues too much.Spoon into 6 glasses and put the remaining fruit on top.Drizzle a little of the reserved cooking juices before serving.

Mini marzipan cherry cakes

125g glace cherries
50g marzipan,cut into cubes
25g ground almonds
115g self-raising flour
100g butter,softened
100g caster sugar
100g icing sugar
2 med eggs

Preheat the oven to 180c,160c fan,gas 4.Grease six holes of a silicone muffin fray.Set aside 6 whole cherrys and half of the marzipan.Halve the remaining cherries and mix with the almonds and 1tbsp of flour.Mix together the butter,caster sugar and remaining flour,and beat until creamy.Stir in the cherry and marzipan mixture.Divide between the muffin holes and bake for 20mins.Cool on a wire rack.Mix the icing sugar with 2-3tbsp water.Spoon onto cakes and top with the reserved cherries and marzipan.

Fillet steak with Bearnaise sauce

2 fillet steaks
salt and pepper
oil,for brushing
For the bearnaise sauce
2tbsp white wine vinegar
2tbsp water
1 large shallot,peeled and roughly chopped
6 black peppercorns
1 small bay leaf
2 large egg yolks
150g/5oz unsalted butter,melted & hot
1-2tbsp fresh chopped tarragon

To prepare to bearnaise sauce,place the vingar,water,shallot,peppercorn and bay leaf in a small pan and simmer over a low to med heat for 2-3 mins until 1tbsp of liquid remains.Strain.Heat a large,non-stick frying pan,season the steaks and brush with the oil on both sides.Cook the steaks according to preference.Remove the steaks from the heat,transfer to a warm serving plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.To finish the sauce,transfer the vinegar mixture to a blender,add the egg yolks and whisk until frothy.While the blender is still running,slowly add the melted butter,1tbsp at a time,unil the sauce is smooth and creamy.Season with salt and stir through the herbs.Serve with the sauce and chunkey chips and salad.

BBQ:Char-grilled Tuna with fiery pepper puree

4 tuna steaks
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime
2tbsp olive oil
salt & black pepper
FOR THE PEPPER PUREE
2 red peppers,seeded & halved
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic,crushed
2 red chillies
1 slice white bread without crusts,dried
3tbsp olive oil,plus some for brushing
lime wedges,to serve

Place the tuna in a dish.Sprinkle over the lime rind,juice,oil and salt and pepper.Cover and refrigerate until needed.To make the pepper puree,brush the pepper halves with a little oil and cook them,skin-side down,on a hot bbq,until the skin is blackened.Place the onion in its skin on the bbq and cook until browned,turning occasionally.Leave to cool slightly,covered with a clean cloth,and then remove the skins from the peppers and onions.Place the peppers,onion,garlic,chillies,bread and oil in a food processor.Process until smooth.Add salt to taste.Lift the tuna steaks from the marinade and cook them on a hot bbq for 8-10 mins,turning once,until golden brown.Serve with the pepper puree,lime wedges and crusty bread.

Victoria sandwich

225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
4 large eggs
2tsp baking powder
FOR THE FILLING & TOPPING
4tbsp strawberryjam
a little caster sugar for sprinkling

Pre heat oven to 180c,fan 160c,gas 4.Grease two 20cm sandwich tins then line the base of each tin with baking parchment.Put the butter,sugar,eggs,flour and baking powder into a bowl and beat until smooth.Divide the mixture between the tins and level out.Bake in the oven for 25 mins or until top of cake springs back when lightly pressed.Leave to cool and turn out.When completely cold,sandwich the cakes together with the jam.Sprinkle with the sugar and serve.

Apple and cherry scones

225g self-raising flour,sieved
1tsp baking powder,sieved
75g low fat spread
2tbsp sugar
2 eating apples,peeled,cored and cut into small pieces
150g fresh cherries,halved and de-stoned
100ml milk

Preheat the oven to 210c,fan 190c,gas 7.Add the flour and baking powder to a large bowl and mix.Now add the low fat spread and rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.Now stir through the sugar,apple and cherries,then begin to pour in the milk slowly and using your hands gather it together to form a dough.You may not need all the milk.Now turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board.Roll the dough out so it is about 2 1/2 cm thick and cut out rounds using a cutter.Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and put in the oven to cook until risen and golden,about 15 mins.Remove and cool on a wire rack.Serve with jam and clotted cream.

Cheat's Piri Piri pork stir-fry

2tbsp oil
500g pork fillet,trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
2 carrots,peeled and cut into batons
4 spring onions,trimmed and sliced
135g pack babycorn,halved lengthways
155g pack mangetout,halved
6tbsp Piri Piri sauce

Heat 1tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the pork for 4-5 mins until cooked.Drain off the meat juices and reserve.Add 1tbsp oil and the carrots.Stir-fry for 1 min.Add the remaining veg and stir-fry for another 2-3 mins.Stir in the Piri Piri sauce,reserved meat juices and 2tbsp water and heat throgh.Serve with rice or noddles.

Chocolate smartie cake

200g self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder
50g cocoa,plus 2tbsp for the icing
4 large eggs
300g butter,softened
225g light soft brown sugar
4tbsp milk
300g icing sugar
2tsp golden syrup
smarties,to decorate

preheat oven to 180c,160c fan,gas4.Line a 33x23cm shallow tin with baking paper.Sift the flour,baking powder and 50g cocoa into a large bowl.Add the eggs,225g butter,the brown sugar and 2tbsp milk and beat until evenly mixed and creamy.Put into the tin and level the top.Bake for 35-40 mins or until top springs back when lightly pressed.Leave to cool on a wire rack.Sift the icing sugar and 2tbsp cocoa into a bowl.Put the rest of the butter in a small pan with the golden syrup and 2tbsp milk and heat gently until melted-don't boil.Add to the icing sugar and stir until smooth,spread on top of cake and decorate with smarties.

Smoked salmon,double cress & potatoe salad platter

400g small new potatoes
100g green beans
12 quail eggs
2 packs smoked salmon
5 spring onions,trimmed
2 avocados
1 head of chicory,broken into leafs

1 pot mustard cress,trimmed
For the dressing
1tbsp wholegrain mustard
1tsp clear honey
3tbsp cider vingar
8tbsp olive oil

To make the dressing,whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl with some seasoning.Cook potatoes in boiling water until cooked but still with a slight crunch,drain,refresh in iced water to stop them cooking futher,then drain again.Cook the quail's eggs for 3 mins.Drain,place uder cold water,then peel and halve.Flake the salmon into large chunks into a bowl and slice the spring onions.Just before serving,halve,peel and slice the avocados.This is a layered salad rather then a tossed salad,so start by scattering the watercress and chicory over a platter.Scatter different handfuls at a time of all the other ingredients so that they are evenly distributed.Drizzle over the dressing and serve with crustie bread.