I love having visitors, not least because I get to pull out all the stops and feed them well. We had some vegetarian friends over from the US for a long weekend visit last week, so I turned to some of my tried-and-true favorites: polpette di melanzane, ratatouille, lemon and pea risotto, and Moorish crunch salad with naan bread, plus roasted peaches with amaretti and Eton mess for dessert. My friend (the same friend who cracked his fridge shelf last year with a heavy pot of soup) was lamenting the fact that they’re tired of making the same old things from their small cookbook collection, so Adrian, here’s another fast and easy vegetarian recipe for you to add to your repertoire.

Do you have a favorite vegetarian recipe or a good vegetarian cookbook you could suggest for Adrian? Let us know in the comments!

Chili Bean Burritos with Corn Salsa
adapted from Every Day by Bill Granger

Serves 4

When serving this to my small children, I give them a tortilla on the side (because they still like to have what the grown-ups are having) and just put the bean mixture in a bowl with some corn salsa on top, which they can easily spoon up.

for the chili bean burritos:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can of chopped tomatoes
zest and juice of 1 lime
a small handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
freshly grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, to serve
tortillas, to serve
natural yogurt or sour cream, to serve

for the corn salsa:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups (300 g) corn, either fresh or frozen
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
a small handful of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the bean burritos, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Add the celery, onion and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic, chili and spices and cook for 1 minute more. Add the kidney beans and tomatoes and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the cilantro.

While the bean mixture is cooking, make the salsa. In a separate large pan, heat the oil over a high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes. Tip the corn into a large bowl and stir through the celery, onion, chili, coriander, lime zest and juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

To serve, spoon some bean mixture down the middle of each tortilla, sprinkle with the grated cheese and wrap up firmly. Serve with the corn salsa and a spoonful of yogurt.

I’m a little jealous of all the heat waves in America lately. After the best June in years here in Ireland, July is turning out to be cold and rainy a lot of the time and we’re lucky to even hit 70°F. But last month, when we had proper warm weather, I was making salads for dinner almost every night and this is one of my favorites. Served with some crusty bread, it’s a perfect main course for a hot (or even not so hot) summer’s night.

And if you’re being good and eating salad for dinner, it’s as good of an excuse as any to splurge a little with one of these biscuits. If you can rouse yourself from the heat enough to melt some butter on the stovetop, then all you have to do is press the dough into a baking dish and leave it in the fridge overnight, making this ideal for summertime baking. I made them for the Irish foodies’ cookie bake-off* at the start of the month, and while at first I was a little disappointed in them (I’d been expecting more flavor from the coffee and Crunchie bars), they grew on me. They’re a grown-up kind of cookie, the kind of thing that’s perfect with a cup of coffee after dinner (or anytime).

White Bean, Salami and Spinach Salad
adapted from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

Serves 2 as a light main course

for the salad:
7 oz (200 g) baby spinach (or about 4 big handfuls)
1/2 lb (225 g) salami, thinly sliced
a handful of basil leaves, cut into ribbons
2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup (100 g) black olives, halved
freshly grated Parmesan shards, to serve
crusty bread, to serve

for the dressing:
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the spinach into a large serving dish. Cut the salami into thin strips and add to the spinach along with the basil, beans and olives.

To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper together until thick and creamy (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar). Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together gently. Grate over some thick shards of Parmesan cheese and serve with plenty of crusty bread.

***

Italian Chocolate Fridge Biscuits
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook

Makes one 9 x 13 inch tray

3/4 cup (175 g) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (150 g) cocoa powder
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) ground almonds
3/4 cup (75 g) ground hazelnuts
1 tablespoon espresso or strong black coffee
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten together
6 oz (175 g) Petit Beurre, high-quality butter cookies or digestive biscuits, roughly chopped
6 oz (175 g) honeycomb, such as Crunchie bars, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups (175 g) hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Put the butter, cocoa, sugar, ground almonds and ground hazelnuts in a large pot and heat gently, stirring, until the butter has melted. Beat the coffee, egg and egg yolk into the mixture, then stir in the cookies, honeycomb and chopped hazelnuts. It will be very crumbly and rough looking at this stage.

Lightly oil a shallow 9 x 13 inch baking dish and firmly press the mixture into it (the mixture should be about 3/4 inch thick). Leave it to set in the fridge overnight, then turn out and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

*Looking for more cookie inspiration? Check out all these recipes from some other Irish foodies:

• Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
• Chocolate crinkle cookies
• Chocolate melting moments
• Chocolate orange cookies
• Cinnamon butterfly cookies
• Cranberry pecan cookies
• Double chocolate pecan cookies
• Lemon rind heart cookies
• Lemon sugar cookies
• Messy choc chip mallow block
• New York Times chocolate chip cookies
• Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Peanut butter button cookies
• Sugar-dusted wedding cookies
• Toffee apple cookies
• Vanilla sugar cookies
• World peace cookies

When you travel, what do you remember afterward? I remember the food. I have a better memory of eating quiche Lorraine for breakfast on a bench by the Seine in Paris than I do of seeing the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. Of course I remember the big-name sightseeing highlights, but I also remember the Nutella and banana crepe we bought from a stand near the Eiffel Tower; a brioche aux praline in Lyons that was so good we changed our return travel plans back to Paris just so we could eat it one more time; chocolate mint gelato in Florence served by a man in what looked like a crisp white lab coat and perfectly Brylcreemed 1950s hair; kriek cherry beer in Amsterdam, glögg in Copenhagen and a harsh, peaty whiskey in Edinburgh that I downed after (foolishly, in my case) taking the ghost tour of the city; conch chowder in the Bahamas; hot chocolate and a gingerbread man with my little girl in London; and a ploughman’s pub lunch in Canterbury. In Barcelona we spent more time eating tapas and drinking sangria than sightseeing. In the US, I still have clear memories of bratwurst being grilled on the Memorial Union Terrace in the summertime in Madison, Wisconsin; whole crabs in Baltimore, complete with a newspaper-covered table and hammers; lobster in Boston with flimsy plastic bibs and pitchers of beer; a post-wedding brunch at the Ritz in Washington, DC with scallops and bacon, caviar and waiters who seemed to top up my glass of mimosa after every sip; sopapilla and honey in Santa Fe; scoops of ice cream in waffle cones so freshly made on the spot in Bellingham, Washington that they were still warm; and a nondescript hot dog somewhere outside of Charlottesville, Virginia that I remember only because I couldn’t understand a single word the man behind the counter said when he rattled off all the toppings because his Southern accent was so thick, so I just said I’d have what my friend was having.

As for this salad, I had it for lunch on a rooftop café in Tuscany on my honeymoon eight years ago, looking out over rolling countryside that was hazy in the middle of the heat wave they were having at the time. Earlier during that trip, walking across the city on our way to stand in line in the hot sun for an hour to see Michelangelo’s David in Florence and wilting just at the thought of it, I turned to my husband and said, “Will seeing David really make us better people? How about we just go back to the garden at the hotel and drink beer and eat olives instead?” Which is exactly what we did.

What are some of your memories of food and travel?

White Bean and Tuna Salad with Lemon Pepper Dressing
adapted from How to Cook Book Two by Delia Smith

Serves 4 as a light main course or 6 as a starter/light lunch

for the salad:
2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of cannellini beans
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few handfuls of arugula (rocket), stalks removed
2 x 7 oz (200 g) cans of tuna, drained
1 red onion, peeled, sliced thinly and deflamed
crusty bread, to serve

for the dressing:
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt
1 heaped teaspoon mustard powder, such as Colman’s
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 large lemon (3 tablespoons juice)

To make the dressing, first crush the garlic and salt using a pestle and mortar until the garlic is pulverized into a paste, then work in the mustard powder and pepper. If you have a large pestle and mortar, add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice directly into it and whisk everything together thoroughly. If your pestle and mortar is small (like mine), then scrape the garlic paste into a larger bowl and whisk in the olive oil, lemon zest and juice in that.

Place the beans in a bowl and pour the dressing over, stirring to make sure all the beans are coated. Season generously.

To serve the salad, arrange three-quarters of the arugula (rocket) leaves over the base of one large serving dish (or you could assemble the salad on individual plates), spoon the beans on top and add the tuna fish in chunks. Add the rest of the arugula, pushing some of the leaves and chunks of tuna right in amongst the beans. Arrange the onion slices on top and serve straight away.

Last Tuesday was one of those days that turned out to be warmer than predicted (not that I’m complaining!), so much so that whatever it was that I had planned to cook that night, I suddenly didn’t want to anymore. Add to that the fact that I had a plumber and a loss adjuster in my kitchen while I was trying to make dinner, talking about having to rip up and replace all the flooring throughout the house because of a mysterious water leak we have, and I wanted to cry, not cook. But this is one of those recipes that takes almost no time to cook and is made of pantry staples that I always have around, so I was able to quickly change my plans, throw this together and avoid resorting to takeout.

A well-stocked pantry can be a busy cook’s best friend, as Anita writes in her Dinner on a Deadline series. (And check out this well-stocked, well-organized pantry — it makes my Virgo heart happy just to look at it.) Some of the things you’ll rarely find me without are canned chickpeas, cannellini beans, black beans and tomatoes (whole and chopped), rice, pasta, couscous, tortillas, onions, garlic, lemons, olives, tuna and a jar of pesto in the pantry, as well as a good variety of dried herbs and spices and all the staples for baking; some fresh herbs, chorizo, eggs, Parmesan and cheddar cheese, potatoes, carrots and apples in the fridge; and frozen peas, frozen berries, chicken breasts and homemade chicken stock in the freezer. With just that short list of ingredients, I can make pasta with Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce, pasta e ceci, roasted garlic and pea soup, red chile chicken and rice with black beans, chicken bouillabaisse, a white bean and tuna salad, a ploughman’s lunch, homemade pizza, cheese quesadillas, a potato frittata or this dinner with hardly any planning ahead.

What pantry staples do you always have on hand? What are your store cupboard stand-by dinners? Let us know in the comments or come join the discussion on our Facebook page, under the Discussions tab!

Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes and Olives
adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

If you don’t have fresh herbs, just use some dried basil instead. Olives can become bitter if cooked too long, so you should add them in at the end of a recipe.

14 oz (400 g) pasta, such as penne, farfalle or spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can of chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 6 oz (170 g) can of tuna, drained
3 basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
a few handfuls of black olives, halved

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the tuna, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon. Add in the basil, parsley and olives and simmer for a few minutes more, then remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add some of the pasta cooking water to help the sauce coat the pasta if necessary. Serve immediately.

When I attended the Bord Bia Irish food bloggers event last month, I first and foremost met loads of fantastic people, some of whom are bloggers I’ve been reading for awhile, and some who I happily discovered thanks to this event. I also saw a few cooking demos, including a don’t-try-this-at-home handsaw-wielding butcher; heard talks on raising your blog’s profile from Damien Mulley and how to land a book deal from Eoin Purcell; learned some tips on food styling from Erica Ryan and food photography from Jocasta Clarke; and ate pork belly and its fabled crackling for the first time.

And I got some free grub.

I left the Bord Bia offices laden down with potted thyme and sage plants from Living Flavour; a jar of chutney for cheese from Sheridans Cheesemongers; a box each of Pu-erh and South African Roobios tea from Barry’s Tea; a pack of Biltong Irish beef jerky; a pack of lentil, pea and bean shoots from Good4U; a homemade Macroom oatmeal ginger biscuit made by fellow blogger Lilly Higgins; and last but not least, two fillets of hot smoked Irish trout from Goatsbridge. (And not forgetting, of course, the 4 lb pork loin sent out by Bord Bia before the event that I brined and served with a rhubarb compote.)

We scoffed most of the lot fast enough, but I let the trout sit in the fridge for a week while I decided what to do with it. I can’t claim to be the first of the Irish bloggers to come up with the idea of pairing the trout with pasta and peas — Darren at Supper Satisfaction and Aoife at Babaduck Babbles have both posted similar versions already, and I was inspired by Gizzi Erskine’s recipe for spaghetti with smoked salmon and peas that Donal Skehan featured on his blog last month and which my kids loved when I made it. The top-quality trout did most of the work for me in this recipe, but some lemon, crème fraîche and white wine didn’t hurt either. If you can’t find smoked trout, this recipe would work just as well with smoked salmon.

But I left with more than just a bag full of free food. I came away from the event inspired to try some new recipes thanks to the producers’ generous donations, with new friends and with a sense that I’m part of a buzzing little Irish food blogging community. Now that’s what I call a good day out.

Creamy Penne with Smoked Trout and Peas

Serves 4 to 6

The folks at Goatsbridge suggested adding a pinch of dried chili flakes to this recipe for a little kick. If you can’t get crème fraîche, try taking a leaf out of Gizzi Erskine’s book and using 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream and 1/2 cup (120 ml) Greek yogurt instead, in which case you might not need to add the pasta cooking water at the end.

1 lb (450 g) penne
2 cups (200 g) frozen peas
1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
4 small shallots, finely chopped
juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup (240 ml) white wine
1 cup (240 ml) crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 oz (200 g) smoked trout (or smoked salmon), roughly chopped
1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh dill
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the frozen peas in with the pasta.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over a medium-low heat in a large frying pan, one that’s big enough to eventually hold all the cooked pasta. Add the shallots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the lemon juice and wine and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the lemon and wine have reduced a little. Add in the crème fraîche and stir well, then season with salt and pepper. Add in the smoked trout and continue to simmer until the trout is heated through.

Drain the pasta and peas, reserving some of the cooking water. Add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water to the sauce to thin it a little. Add the pasta and peas directly to the sauce in the frying pan, stirring well to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce. Add more cooking water if needed. Sprinkle with fresh dill and toss to combine. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

There are two events that mark the start of summer for me — the first day I see a van on the side of the road selling Wexford strawberries or when I cook something from Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer cookbook.

Once I dust off that cookbook, this linguine is invariably the first thing I make from it, since I’ve made it so often that the book now falls open naturally to this well-thumbed, cooking-splattered page. As for Eton mess, it was invented at Eton College in England in the 1930s and is now traditionally served there today, on June 4th, but we don’t stand on such ceremony in my family — we eat this as soon as Irish strawberries hit the shops and roadside stands, then make it more often than I care to admit all through the summer (certainly more than can be good for us). I’m lucky in that you can buy meringues in practically any grocery store in Ireland, which is what makes it so easy to whip together, but if you want to try making meringues yourself, this is the perfect recipe to have as a back-up plan. Because you crush the meringues anyway, it doesn’t matter one bit if they look pretty beforehand. And I’m willing to bet that once you try this, you’ll be getting plenty of practice honing your meringue-making skills by making this irresistible summer dessert (far too) often.

Linguine with Chili, Crab and Watercress
adapted from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

By all means use fresh crab if you can, but canned works just fine. The original recipe calls for watercress, but arugula (rocket) or even spinach would work too.

1 lb 2 oz (500 g) linguine or spaghetti
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 scant tablespoon Maldon sea salt (or 1 teaspoon regular sea salt)
1 large red chili
about 11 oz (310 g) crab meat
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
a handful of watercress, leaves only, roughly torn

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, in a pestle and mortar, mash the peeled garlic cloves with the salt, so that it makes a smooth paste. Add the chopped and seeded chili and crush again until you have a red-tinged mixture.

Put the crab meat in a large bowl, breaking it up gently with a fork. Pour the oil, lemon zest and juice into another bowl or measuring jug and whisk together. Scoop in the garlic and salt paste, then whisk everything together. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain, then add to the crab mixture and pour the dressing over, tossing well to combine. Add in the parsley and watercress, toss again and serve.

***

Eton Mess

Serves 4

For a grown-up boozy twist, marinate the strawberries in a generous splash of orange liqueur (like Cointreau or Grand Marnier) for 30 minutes before stirring them into the whipped cream (you could also try creme de cassis, Framboise, grappa, kirsch, or even a little orange juice and vodka). If you can’t find meringues in the store or you want to make your own, try Delia Smith’s recipe, who also has a great step-by-step tutorial on how to make them here.

You can make Eton mess with strawberries, bananas or any summer fruit, though strawberries are considered to be traditional.

Pureeing the strawberries makes this dessert more attractive and heightens the strawberry flavor, but you could be lazy and skip this step (I often do) — simply chop all the strawberries and fold them in with the cream and meringues and it will still be delicious.

1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon confectioners’ (icing) sugar
1 tablespoon granulated or caster sugar (optional)
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cream
4 store-bought meringue nests

Cut the strawberries into halves or quarters, depending on their size (you want them to be bite sized). Place about one-third of the berries and the confectioners’ (icing) sugar in a food processor or blender and process until just pureed (or you can mash them with a potato masher or fork). Place the remaining strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with the granulated or caster sugar only if you think the berries need a little boost to bring out their natural sweetness (or add some liqueur instead; see above). Set aside to macerate while you whip the cream.

Whip the cream just until soft peaks form. Break up the meringues into bite-sized pieces and add them to the whipped cream, along with the chopped strawberries, reserving a few for decoration. Gently fold in all but a few tablespoons of the puree, marbling it throughout the cream mixture. Spoon into individual serving dishes and drizzle with the remaining puree and reserved strawberries. Serve immediately.

With only a few weeks left until summer officially arrives in the US, I’ve thrown myself into spring cleaning. The kitchen is my most used, most tidied, but least organized part of my house. It’s hard to thoroughly clean out a room that always seems to have someone in it. In an attempt to use up my food odds and ends so I could wipe down shelves, I took a stab at this admittedly strange-sounding pork chop recipe. I’ll admit that I probably wouldn’t have tried the dish if I didn’t need to use up two aging green apples, a can of tomatillos bought on clearance, a frozen chipotle pepper and a package of pork chops. But necessity is the mother of invention, and in this case, genius. The sweetness of the green apple lends just the right amount of zing to the spice of the chipotle and sour of the tomatillos. It’s pretty enough to serve your mother and unique enough to make for your foodie friends.

To liven up the Israeli couscous, I cooked the couscous according to the package directions, making sure to toast it before adding the liquid. Once cooked, stir in a few tablespoons of minced fresh parsley, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese. Don’t forget to season to taste with salt and pepper. I used an Israeli couscous, lentil and quinoa blend, but plain Israeli couscous tastes just as good.

Pork Chops with Tomatillo and Green Apple Sauce
adapted from Gourmet, June 2004

Serves 4 to 6

for the pork chops:
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 x 1-inch-thick loin pork chops

for the tomatillo and green apple sauce:
12 oz (340 g) canned, whole tomatillos (or 1/2 lb/225 g fresh tomatillos)
2 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup (10 g) loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) water or apple juice
1 tablespoon mild honey
1 minced canned chipotle chile in adobo

Stir together the coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add the oil and stir until combined well. Rub the spice mixture all over the chops. Let the chops marinate while making the sauce.

If using fresh tomatillos, remove the husks and rinse the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos in water, uncovered, until the tomatillos are just soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and cool for 15 minutes.

Peel and core the apples and cut into 1/4-inch dice.

Purée the canned (or cooked) tomatillos with the remaining sauce ingredients except the apples in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the apples.

Heat a heavy cast iron skillet or ridged grill pan. Lightly oil the surface of the pan, then sear the pork chops over a moderately high heat, turning over once, until well browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Alternatively, you can grill the pork chops over medium heat until done, about 15 minutes total, depending on the thickness of the chop. Serve with the sauce spooned on top.

The trouble with being a two-year-old who still doesn’t talk much is that your older sister takes liberties when translating for you. When I asked my little boy what he wanted for dinner for his birthday last week, my daughter piped up and proclaimed that he wanted “that pasta with the peas and white sauce” — what is, in fact, one of her favorite dinners. But since I knew he loves it too, I went along with it. This comes from the “Kiddiefeast” chapter in Nigella Lawson’s Feast cookbook, and while it’s a winner with kids, grown-ups love it too (bacon and cream — what’s not to love?). It’s certainly not a dish for every day, what with all that cream, but it’s one of my favorite comfort food recipes, and if I have some leftover ham, I almost always wind up making this and using the ham instead of bacon.

Keeping with the kiddie theme, I’ve hit on the perfect play date treat with these banana, cherry and white chocolate cupcakes. Unusually for a cupcake these days, they’re not smothered with any frosting, so they’re not messy to eat and don’t make for sticky fingers. Plus they don’t have too much sugar in them, relying on the bananas for sweetness instead, and I always feel like any treat with fruit keeps it on the right side of indulgence. Friends, you’ve had fair warning now — next time you invite me and my kids over, I’ll be bringing a batch of these.

Pasta with Bacon, Peas and Cream
adapted from Feast: Food to Celebrate Life by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

In her book The Dinner Lady, Jeanette Orrey makes a version of this where instead of the cream and Parmesan, you could add 10 oz (280 g) grated cheddar cheese and 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk to the drained pasta at the end, stirring until the cheese has melted.

14 oz (400 g) farfalle (bow ties) or other short pasta
1 1/2 cups (200 g) frozen peas
1/2 lb (225 g) bacon, diced (or use leftover diced ham)
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in plenty of boiling salted water. After 5 minutes, add the peas to the pasta to cook them together in the one pot.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a separate pan until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

When the pasta is cooked, drain along with the peas. Put the pot back on the heat with the bacon, cream and Parmesan. Stir well and warm it through. Add the drained pasta and peas back to the pan and toss everything together. Season to taste and serve with extra Parmesan grated on top.

***

Banana, Cherry and White Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

Makes 12 cupcakes

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (125 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream or natural yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups (300 g) plain flour
1/3 cup (40 g) dried cherries, chopped (you could substitute dried cranberries or even raisins)
1/4 cup (50 g) white chocolate, chopped, or use chips or buttons

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone cases.

Melt the butter in a saucepan big enough to eventually hold all the batter. Off the heat, add the sugar, vanilla and mashed bananas. Stir in the sour cream or yogurt and the eggs and beat to mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the baking soda and baking powder, then add the flour, cherries and chocolate. Mix until everything is just blended (don’t overmix!), then divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cases. Cook for 20 minutes, until golden and springy on top and a tester comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes in their papers to a wire rack and leave till cool.

Sometimes I’ll try a new recipe and find myself shocked that it isn’t already part of my regular recipe rotation. You know the ones — quick, easy, cheap. This is one of those recipes. In the time it takes to preheat your grill, you can make a fabulously fresh-tasting paste of fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic to top the chicken. Serve the chicken with already cooked slow cooker baked potatoes (another I-can’t-believe-how-easy-this-is preparation) and fresh steamed vegetables for a light but memorable dinner. If you have an extra half hour, you can whip up the equally quick, equally fabulous coconut cake. I knew it was a successful dessert when I noticed my usually sugar-avoiding mother-in-law sneaking slivers of it before dinner the following night.

Grilled Chicken with Gremolata
adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

1/4 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lb (900 g) skin-on, cut-up chicken (breasts, thighs, and/or legs)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, oregano, thyme, and garlic. Set the gremolata aside.

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill for medium heat. Rub the olive oil over both sides of the chicken. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken over medium heat until it’s just cooked through (10 to 15 minutes for breasts, 15 to 20 minutes for legs/thighs). Transfer the chicken to a platter. Immediately spoon the gremolata over the chicken and serve.

***

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

baking potatoes (as many as your slow cooker can hold)
aluminum foil

Wash the potatoes and prick them with a fork in a few places. Wrap each potato with aluminum foil. Place the wrapped potatoes in your slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook the potatoes on low for 8 to 10 hours.

I gussied these up in the picture above by dicing the cooked potatoes, leaving the skins on, then topping them with melted butter, salt, pepper, and freshly chopped chives.

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Key Lime Coconut Cake
adapted from Gourmet, March 2008

Serves 8

1 cup (90 g) sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest
2 extra-large eggs
1 3/4 cups (210 g) self-rising flour
3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) plus 1 tablespoon fresh Key lime juice, divided
1 1/4 cup (150 g) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with the rack in the middle. Generously butter a springform cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Toast the coconut in a small baking pan in the oven, stirring once or twice, for 8 to 12 minutes, until it’s golden. Cool. Leave the oven on.

Beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and zest with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Stir together the flour and 1/2 cup coconut (reserve the remainder for the topping). Stir together the milk and 2 tablespoons lime juice. At low speed, mix the flour and milk mixtures into the egg mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake to warm, then turn out of the pan and remove the parchment paper.

Whisk together the confectioners sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons lime juice, and rum (if using) and pour over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Sole meunière had its five minutes of fame last year when the movie Julie and Julia was released, which renewed interest in Julia Child. The story did the rounds of how it was Julia’s first (and ultimately life-changing) meal in France, which she described as “a morsel of perfection.” Who am I to disagree? It’s simple and delicious, a true classic.

This is an all-Ina menu from three different cookbooks, and everything comes together to make an elegant and easy springtime dinner that’s ready in half an hour. In the “Easy French” episode of her TV show, Ina Garten suggests serving the sole with a French apple tart, which would elevate this menu into something nice enough for company.

Note that this sole recipe serves 2 while the asparagus and potatoes serve 6, so adjust the recipes according to how many people you’re serving. You could also try green beans dressed with lemon and olive oil or lemon roast potatoes instead of the roasted asparagus and herbed new potatoes.

Easy Sole Meunière
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Serves 2

When I make this recipe, I add a little olive oil along with the butter to stop it from burning.

1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 x 4 oz (110 g) fresh sole fillets
6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 200°F (100ºC). Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready.

Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.

Heat 3 tablespoons (45 g) of butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat until it starts to brown (add a little olive oil as well if you’re worried about the butter burning). Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan. Carefully put the fish fillets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they’re done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

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Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

Serves 6

2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) fresh asparagus (about 30 large spears)
2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan
2 lemons cut into wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus stalks and discard. Lay the stalks in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for 1 minute more. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Herbed New Potatoes
adapted from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten

Serves 6

4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter
2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) baby or new potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh green herbs, such as parsley, chives, and dill

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole potatoes, salt and pepper and toss well. Cover the pot tightly and cook over a low heat for 15 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when tested with a small knife. From time to time, shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom potatoes from burning. Turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another 5 minutes. Don’t overcook! Toss with the herbs and serve hot.