Crab quiche

Crab quiche

serves 4

ingredients For the pastry 175g/6oz flour, sifted 75g/3oz butter, cubed pinch of salt

For the filling

225g/8oz cooked crabmeat 2 eggs

300ml/5fl oz double cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh fennel

1 spring onion, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.

•Put the flour, butter and pinch of salt in a bowl, and work with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 2 tablespoons water, and mix to a dough. Knead the pastry on a floured surface until smooth. Form into a slightly flattened disk, wrap in cling film and chill for 30–45 minutes.

•Roll out the pastry and use to line a 20cm/8in pie dish. Break up the crabmeat with a fork, and scatter over the bottom of the pastry shell.

•Put the eggs, cream and parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Beat together until the mixture is smooth, then pour over the crabmeat.

•Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the filling is set and the top is golden. Serve hot or warm, garnished with the spring onion.

Cajun chicken pasta

 serves 2

ingredients

• Cook the pasta in lightly salted

100g/4oz linguine boiling water until al dente. Drain.

2 skinless chicken breast fillet

• Meanwhile, put the chicken and halves, cut into thin strips

Cajun seasoning in a bowl. Toss to 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning coat. 

In a large frying pan over a 25g/1oz butter medium heat, sauté the chicken in

1 green pepper, sliced the butter for 5–7 minutes until

1 red pepper, sliced almost tender. Add the peppers,

4 mushrooms, sliced mushrooms and onion, then cook,

1 onion, sliced stirring for 2–3 minutes.

1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil cream, basil and seasonings. Tip in

1⁄4 teaspoon lemon pepper the linguine, and toss gently. Heat

1⁄4 teaspoon salt through and serve immediately.

1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder  

1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper  

Leek pie

serves 6

ingredients  

225g/8oz shortcrust pastry

3 egg yolks

900g/2lb leeks, thinly sliced 300ml/10fl oz crème fraîche

450g/1lb button mushrooms

salt and freshly ground

50g/2oz butter black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. 

Roll out the pastry and line a greased 20cm/8in pie tin.

•In a frying pan, sweat the leeks and mushrooms in the butter until tender. Spoon into the pie tin. In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks and crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture onto the leeks.

•Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until the filling is set. Serve warm.

Onion tart

serves 6

ingredients  

For the pastry 4 rashers streaky bacon, diced)

25g/1oz self-raising flour 50g/2oz butter

50g/2oz butter 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

pinch of salt 2 egg yolks

  50ml/2fl oz double cream

For the filling salt and freshly ground

6 onions, sliced black pepper

150ml/5fl oz boiling water  

•Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Grease a medium-sizedbaking tin.

•To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter. Add a pinch of salt to 50ml/2fl oz water, then gradually add to the bowl until the mixture forms a ball. Roll out and use to line the bottom of the tin.

•For the filling, sweat the onions in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain.

•Fry the bacon in a little of the butter until crisp. Add the remaining butter, onions, mixed herbs, salt and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes.

•Beat the egg yolks and cream together. Add to the onion mixture, and pour into the baking tin. Bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes. Serve hot.

Spinach tart

  serves 4

ingredients  

900g/2lb spinach leaves 1 teaspoon finely grated

25g/1oz butter lemon zest

4 eggs 1 teaspoon ground coriander

375ml/13fl oz double cream pinch of ground nutmeg

50g/2oz granulated sugar 450g/1lb shortcrust pastry

•Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

•Blanch the spinach for 1 minute in boiling water. Put in a colander, and refresh under cold running water. Drain, squeeze out the excess water and chop. In a frying pan, melt the butter and add the chopped spinach. Sauté for 2 minutes.

•Whisk 3 of the eggs, the cream and the sugar together in a bowl. Add the lemon zest, coriander and nutmeg. Add the mixture to the frying pan, and stir through.

•Roll out two-thirds of the dough to line a baking dish, reserving the extra third to form a lattice top. Fill with the spinach mixture and cover with strips of the remaining dough. Beat the yolk of the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the lattice top with the mixture.

•Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned.

Cheese pie

  serves 6

ingredients  

200g/7oz puff pastry 1 egg, beaten

275g/10oz Camembert or Brie freshly ground black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas mark 8.

•Roll out half of the pastry into a 20cm/8in round. Put the cheese in the centre, and sprinkle with black pepper.

•Roll out the remaining dough, cover the cheese and seal the edges to make a parcel. Brush the surface with the egg. Jake a hole for the steam to escape by cutting a short slit in the pastry with a sharp knife.

•Put on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve hot.

Anchovy tart

ingredients serves 6

butter for greasing 10 anchovy fillets in oil, drained

350g/12oz shortcrust pastry 7 black olives, pitted and halved

300g/11oz onions, chopped 1 teaspoon dried fennel

90ml/31⁄2fl oz olive oil freshly ground black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Grease a baking sheet with butter.

•Roll out the dough to a 20cm/8in square, 5mm/1/2in thick. Place on the baking sheet and roll the edges to make a rim. Prick the dough all over.

•Fry the onion in 75ml/3fl oz olive oil until golden and spread over the dough.

•Soak the anchovies in water for a few minutes, then rinse and dry them on kitchen paper.

•Arrange the anchovies over the onion in a diamond shape. Decorate each diamond with the halved olives and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, the fennel and the remainder of the olive oil.

•Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve immediately with a tomato salad.