Salmon Like It Hot

That's a whole month now with no carbs or sugar. A whole month. And one that had Easter in it as well. It has been pretty tough watching the children stuffing their faces with chocolate, but I'm not going to give up now. I did have two helpings of coffee ice-cream on Easter Sunday, but I did it for Jesus.When you are having meals like steak with béarnaise sauce and asparagus, or you can eat your way through a whole spiced roast chicken, there is nothing to complain about. I've eaten out a few times too, and everywhere I went had sweet potato fries on the menu, which meant I didn't sound like a paranoid L.A stereotype when ordering. It seems places are cottoning on and I don't have to go Hunting High and Low for healthy food when socialising. Yes, I saw A-ha this week.This recipe is made up of simple ingredients and is quick to cook, but is so much more than the sum of its parts. For the salsa verde, there is a recipe here. (Leave out the rapeseed oil if you're doing the Whole 30). There are a few parts to cook, but prepare your pans and it will all come together beautifully. Make the salsa verde beforehand and you can keep it in the fridge for a few days. It's great on scrambled eggs.Ingredients (for two)2 salmon steaks, approx 150g each2tbsp salsa verde1/2 large bulb of fennel, sliced1 courgette, diced into 1cm cubes1 clove of garlic, crushed1/2 hot red chilli, thinly sliced1 spring onion, slicedCoconut oil for fryingSalt to seasonMethodBefore you start, sprinkle salt over the salmon and leave for 20 minutes so excess moisture is drawn out and the fish is a little firmer. This will also prevent protein leaking out when cooking.Heat a griddle pan until really hot and add a little coconut oil. Grill the fennel until soft and charred, season and set aside. Keep the pan on the heat.Sauté the courgette with the garlic in a little oil in another pan for two minutes, season well and set aside. I like this dish warm, so don't worry about keeping the veg hot.Rinse the salmon and pat dry then cook on the hot griddle for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how pink you like it.Divide the courgette between two plates and top with the fennel, salmon, spring onion and chilli. Spoon over the salsa verde and serve. 

Snack of the week

If you are hungry and need a quick pick me up, this snack has won my coveted 'snack of the week' award. It's an amazing, classic combination and if you have thirty seconds and the ingredients to hand, it's unbeatable. Unless you hate beetroot.Slice two gherkins, or as we always called them, pickles, one cooked and vinegared beetroot then add a tablespoon of creme fraiche, chopped dill and a pinch of garam masala. Really delicious.

Baked eggcellence

It has been a fairly uneventful week in the kitchen, which means it's been quite tidy. The children made their own tomato, sweet potato and carrot soup which they promptly refused to eat, even with the addition of grated cheese. They also refused to eat Bee's lentil chilli for her book group which was delicious. They normally eat most things put in front of them, so I'm assuming they were just being annoying.The one dish that stood out was the simplest and quickest, but the tastiest. We had it with chickpea pancakes as part of our low carb eating. You can make your own garam masala or buy it. Up to you. Mine at the moment is very heavy on cinnamon and cloves which worked really well here, so add a little more of that if you fancy and increase the other ingredients as you see fit, this served two.Ingredients1tbsp coconut oil4 eggs3 handfuls of baby spinachA handful of cherry tomatoes2 spring onions, sliced1tsp grated nutmeg1tbsp garam masala1tbsp chilli flakes1tsp chia seeds1tbsp toasted pine nutsSalt and black pepper to seasonA handful of chopped coriander leavesMethodHeat the oven to 200cHeat the oil in an ovenproof sauté pan and add the spinach and nutmeg and season a little. Let this cook for about a minute then add the tomatoes and crack the eggs, well spaced into the pan.Sprinkle over the garam masala and chia seeds and chilli flakes, season a little more then bake for 12-15 minutes depending on how well done you like your eggs.Add the spring onion, pine nuts and coriander and serve hot in the pan.    

Pass the buck(wheat)

 Another carb-free week goes by and I'm fine. I don't miss bread as much as I thought. Basmati rice though, is a little harder to give up, we had lunch at Lahore Karai in Tooting the other day and the children tucked into a big plate of it without loosening their belts.This week I've made a few dishes that are more springlike. A confit tuna Niçoise, a spring minestrone, smoked salmon with avocado and eggs, and a light spinach and apple soup among other things.Last night though, with a breaking boiler and the cold weather still biting, we fancied something cosy and comforting: risotto. Rice is out of the question, but I've been using buckwheat a lot recently. I used buckwheat flour to make the children galettes the other day for lunch and I also used it to make soba noodles to go in a prawn and tofu miso soup. In the past I've toasted it in a frying pan before cooking it, making kasha to serve with salmon steaks. So I used it in place of my favourite Vialone Nano rice to make this simple mushroom 'risotto'.IngredientsFor two150g buckwheat1 small onion, chopped1 clove of garlic, crushed1tbsp powdered, dried porcini mushrooms (you can make your own in a grinder)150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced400ml chicken or vegetable stock. I used homemade chicken stock.Olive oilSalt and pepper2tbsp butterGrated parmesanChopped parsley to serveMethodSauté the mushrooms in a little oil and set aside.Heat some oil in a saucepan and add the onion and buckwheat. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent and the grains are beginning to toast a little.Add the garlic, mushroom powder, season a little and stir well.Add a ladleful of the stock to the pan and stir well. Turn the heat down to a simmer and let the buckwheat absorb the liquid before adding the next. Keep on doing this until the stock is finished or the buckwheat is soft, but with a little bite.Add the cooked mushrooms and stir.Now for the 'mantecatura'. Add the butter and Parmesan and vigorously shake the pan while stirring with a wooden spoon. Put a lid on and leave to rest for a few minutes. Stir through some chopped parsley and serve with more Parmesan.

Love and hake

Still off the carbs and sugar, mealtimes are becoming much more interesting. While I have craved the odd sandwich or snack, and with weekends being particularly tricky with the spaghetti loving children around more, it's not been too difficult to keep on track.I've realised that we rely so heavily on carbs to fill us up, adding other ingredients to it, rather than focusing on vegetables as the main ingredient and building around that. We've also cut down on salt here, which goes against all my instincts in the kitchen. I'm having to really get as much flavour out of the ingredients as I can through spicing, and sleight of cooking. The jar of powdered dried mushroom now has a place at the front of the shelf.Still, as I float from room to room rather than bloat my way around, I feel a little lighter physically and a little more excited about fresh ingredients. I do half expect David Attenborough to peek out from behind the vegetation in the fridge at times —I also have crocodile meat in the freezer, so he may well be in there too— such is its lushness.Apart from the seven hour lamb leg with harissa, rosemary and garlic I cooked on Friday, this week has had a lot of fish in it. Including my favourite pickled herring in dill which is my snack of choice, I've cooked salmon, tuna, prawns and in this recipe, hake. I'm surprised it's not more popular here, it's soft and meaty like cod and has a lovely delicate flavour. It's a winner with coconut and Thai ingredients so please try this. Once you make the paste, which you can keep in an airtight container for a week, this recipe takes about ten minutes. I'm not going to give you a paste recipe here, by all means buy some ready made if you like. I used David Thompson's Panaeng paste recipe, which does involve boiling peanuts for half an hour, but that's up to you. I ate this on my own, by candlelight listening to The Beautiful South, but that, also, is up to you.IngredientsThis is for one person, so just add more veg and fish as you need.Coconut oil for frying (or olive oil if you don't have any)4tbsp Panaeng curry paste - homemade or bought. I'm sure green curry paste would be as delicious1 tin coconut milk125ml water1/4 savoy cabbage, inner leaves only, shredded1 small bunch of spring greens, trimmed2 small hake fillets, total about 180g, salted for five minutes and rinsedSoy sauce and lime juice to tasteA pinch of chilli flakes to tasteMethodHeat a little coconut oil in a deep, heavy saucepan and fry the paste gently for a few minutes.Add the coconut milk and water then bring to the boil. Now throw in the spring greens and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.Add the cabbage and cook for a minute, then add the fish, bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes depending on its thickness.Taste the broth and add lime juice and soy sauce to taste.Spoon the greens into a bowl then add the cabbage and fish. Pour over the broth and finish with chilli flakes.

Carb bored. Cut out.

I'll explain the ginger later, but this week, we have decided to stop eating refined carbs and sugar for the foreseeable future. So I did what any sane person would and have stuffed my face full of cake, crumpets, pancakes, sandwiches, potatoes in their various, seductive guises, ice cream and chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although my stomach may have had a few complaints.In my daily life working with food, I often munch and graze my way through the day like a goat eating a coat sleeve just because it's there. And while a lot of the recipes are not too unhealthy, when you combine that with three meals a day it's easy to see why my clothes from ten years ago have inexplicably shrunk.When I'm out, I find it very difficult to buy food on the go that isn't stodgy and carb heavy. Now, I think hard about snacks and what I'm eating. It's shocking how much rubbish food we buy. I'm not going to turn into a health nut, but I feel excited by the thought of returning to eating how we were designed to. I will, on occasion, allow myself to revel in a burger, or have a great pile of steamed basmati rice with a curry, or some silken home-made pasta with ragu in a seaside Italian restaurant, or hot, salty chips with vinegar on the beach. I'm not a freak.So, I've stunk the house out with chicken stocks and chinese spices bubbling away in mysterious pots. I've worried about where I can store all the veg in addition to the fruit and veg I was already buying for my morning Nutribullet. These days, a liquid breakfast or lunch means a very different thing... Breakfast this morning, as an aside, was some sliced roast pork from the weekend, two fried eggs and a pile of steamed spinach with herb salt and chilli flakes. It took a little while longer than toast, but not much.This week, apart from the soups and stocks, and leftover meat, I am making a batch of ginger beer. My usual brand, 'Granny Steads' has sugar in it. And while I love its warming ginger heat, it's time to say goodbye. I'll use date syrup in this one. Adjust the quantities as you see fit. Bottoms up! (and with hope, smaller too...)Ingredients:2 large ginger roots, scrubbed and grated2tbsp date syrup250ml water1tsp yeast1 small red chilli1tsp turmericJuice of up to one lemon2l waterMethod:Heat the ginger, syrup, chilli, turmeric and water in a pan until just below the boil, simmer for a few minutes then turn off and leave to cool completely.Strain the syrup and add the yeast. Divide between two litre bottles and fill up with water (I'd use plastic ones at this point, just until you're ready to decant into glass and store in the fridge. You don't want to risk having to redecorate the kitchen. Add the lemon juice and shake well.Leave these for a week at room temperature, checking occasionally for excess gas buildup then transfer to glass bottles in the fridge. This will stop any further fermentation.

Herb Salt, or Amkräuter salz

Not much happened in Suffolk last week. I'm not sure it ever does. That's what made our stay in the cottage so rejuvinating. Lighting fires, reading books, walks on cold, winter beaches with hot, salty chips shared between the four of us. That's how we spent the days. And in the evenings, with the children asleep, we cooked simple food and read. Although, to be fair, we did watch Midsomer Murders one evening to really get into the spirit of the countryside.

It's hard to find everyday food that isn't fried or carb-heavy in many lunch places, especially empty February ones. Vegetables never seem to be a priority, so evening meals were our refuge. At home we'd eat simply. Some grilled monkfish with spinach and herb butter, a plate of sautéed king prawns with garlic and chilli, a bowl of padron peppers, some lemon and butter broccoli or green beans simply tossed in garlic olive oil. These suppers were an antidote to our lunches out. We fell on them gladly.In the kitchen cupboard I found a small jar  labeled 'Almkräuter salz'. I still have no idea what an almkräuter is. But 'salz', and the herby, medicinal smell that came from it meant I didn't need to call DCI Barnaby. It was great on the morning's eggs, it shone in the salad but really stood out when I used it with the monkfish and through the wilted spinach. It's so easy to make at home and will keep for ages. It's best to use harder herbs such as rosemary, thyme and so on, but adding basil or the softer leaves is fine. Just make sure they don't strangle your blender blades. The version I have made here is fairly strong on the taragon so really suits fish or steak. Adjust the quantities as you see fit. The same goes for the type of herbs.Recipe:20g chivesLeaves from 4 sprigs of rosemaryLeaves from 8 sprigs of tarragon1tbsp dried oregano (I would have used fresh, but I didn't have any)750g coarse, natural sea salt.Pour the salt into the food processor (I used my nutribullet) and add the herbs. Blend until the herbs have disappeared leaving you with a vivid green powder. Store in an airtight jar.

Roast chicken with mashed potato, creamy leeks, fennel seed and peas

I think it far better to buy a whole good chicken and roast it all than buy expensive packaged bits. At the very least you can make a really good chicken stock, let alone all the other dishes you can get from one bird. Try making three meals from two chicken breasts. Good luck.Chicken soup is one of my top five dishes and if I don’t have the time one week to make stock, I just freeze the roasted bones for later. We used this as the base for Ramen last week.This dish is so tasty and its simplicity is really rewarding. Slowly coking the leeks in butter makes them melting and rich, really comforting with the mash.Ingredients2kg whole chicken stuffed with onion, lemon and rosemary or tarragon. Season well1 large leek, slicedA handful of petits pois1tbsp fennel seeds2tbsp butter and a dash of olive oil2 large baking potatoesMethodRoast the chicken until the juices run clear and leave to rest, covered, for about 20 minutes.While roasting, chop and boil the potatoes until soft, drain and leave to steam dry.Slowly cook the leeks in a large sauté pan with the butter, oil and fennel seeds, Season well with salt. Cover with a circle of parchment and leave on a low heat for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and cook for a few minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of cream and check the seasoning.To make the perfect mashed potato, heat some cream, butter and milk in the pan the potatoes were cooked in. About 350ml in this case. Season well and add the potatoes. I leave the skins on for cooking and mashing for a better flavour, but feel free to peel them if you prefer. Mash them well and keep warm. If you want a really smooth mash, put them through a ricer before adding to the liquid.Carve the chicken, I always go for the leg and thigh, and serve on top of the mash and leeks. Pour over some of the roasting juices, add a sprinkle of parsley and serve with wholegrain mustard.

Vietnamese deep-fried summer rolls

Our long-lost family restaurant, The Mekong in Pimlico (disclaimer: I snorted when I first went and now claim it as my own) closed perhaps a year ago with what seemed like no warning. Mostly we'd go on special occasions, the most notable being the Westminster Cathedral Christmas carol service.It was the scene of pregnancy announcements, quick takeaways and family gatherings, recipe requests and stories of the businesses that occupied the same space. I emailed them recently asking for a few recipes, I'm determined to recreate them for Bee, but this one was a stab in the dark.So don't take this as anything but an attempt at recreating a memory. The oil needed to be hotter, the pancakes needed to be less filled and many other things. This is a guide for me to work on. Essentially, though, it's pretty close.IngredientsFor the dipping sauce (nuoc cham)Juice of 2 limes4 tbsp fish sauce1 red chilli, sliced1 shallot, finely chopped1 tsp palm sugarSome chopped corianderFor the summer rolls8 rice paper sheets1 carrot, julienned1/2 cucumber, julienned2 spring onions, finely sliced1/2 red onion, finely sliced1 long red chilli, sliced16 coriander leaves16 cooked prawnsLoads of iceberg lettuce and mint leaves to serve1l rapeseed oilMethod:Make the dipping sauce by heating the lime juice and sugar until it dissolves. Leave to cool then add the fish sauce. You may need more, so taste until it is balanced between sweet, sour and salty. Add the rest of the ingredients and set aside.Wet one rice paper sheet at a time with cold water and leave for ten seconds to soften.Add a mint leaf and top with a pinch of each ingredient finishing with a couple of prawns.Fold over at the bottom, in at the sides, then roll up into a parcel and give a final wash all over with water to seal, then set aside.Continue until all are finished.Heat a wok or deep fat fryer half full with rapeseed oil until it reaches 190c.Using a slotted spoon, lower one roll at a time until you have about four or five in the pan.Turn them over when golden on the underside then drain on kitchen paper.Repeat until all are cooked and serve with the dipping sauce, extra mint leaves and Iceberg lettuce.

Breakfast smoothie

I use a nutribullet for my smoothies. The great thing here being that your bananas may be on their way out, your spinach may not be at its freshest, but there is no need to waste them. Blend it all and you've got five a day in one go. (Don't quote me on that, but it's still very good for you...)The spice, by the way, is turmeric. One of the most amazing things. Antioxidant, antibiotic, cheap, yellow...

Five minute fish curry

Fry the curry spices in the coconut oil, add the fish chunks. Cook for a few minutes then add the remaining ingredients and a little coriander. You could use coconut milk rather than almond if you prefer or have it.

Quick barbecue sauce recipe

Chorizo tortilla - lunch and leftovers

I've never really been excited by Spanish food. I say that knowing full well I've only been subjected to poor paella and limp tapas and the two times I've been it seems that we couldn't get past tinned peas and carrots in tourist restaurants.I want to be proven wrong. I love Padron peppers, charred and salty, good ham and fresh large garlic prawns.I want someone to teach me how good it can be. I know saying "Spanish food" is like saying "Italian" or "Indian". So many regions and so many varieties of cooking can't be summed up in one word. So what is the defining characteristic?I was thinking about all this the other lunchtime while making - a rare occurrence in this house - a tortilla.I love eggs and happily eat them every day. This recipe, while it has a few stages is really simple, and delicious served with crisp gem lettuce leaves dressed in a sharp, mustardy, tarragon vinaigrette. I fed what we couldn't finish to the children for their supper. They loved it.Ingredients:5 large eggs1 medium white onion, finely slicedA large handful of cubed cooking chorizoA bag of baby spinach leaves1 medium Maris Piper potato, finely sliced, almost like crispsA dash of sherry vinegarOlive oilSalt and pepperMethod1: Wilt the spinach in a sauté pan then squeeze as much water out as possible and set aside.2: Add some oil to the pan and fry the potatoes in batches until crisp and golden. Set aside to drain on kitchen paper.3: In the same pan, sauté the onions very gently in oil until soft and starting to turn golden, then add the chorizo and cook until it starts to colour. De-glaze the pan with the sherry vinegar and swirl around well until it reduced a little. Pour everything into a bowl, chop the spinach a little and add this with the potatoes. Mix well.4:Heat the grill. Lightly beat the eggs with a splash of milk, salt and pepper. Heat the pan again, add a little oil then pour in the eggs.5: Gently add the mix from the bowl and leave to cook until the mix begins to set.6: Put under the grill and cook for a few minutes more, until it begins to turn golden but still has a little wobble. Remove from the grill and leave to cool a little. It should be served at room temperature. Turn out from the pan and serve with a salad.

Cheese, paprika and olive twists

Our friends Russel and Adam came up on the weekend for Tapas and Strictly Come Dancing. Apart from the croquetas, chorizo, patatas bravas and all that, I made these cheese twists from a sheet of ready-rolled puff-pastry I had in the fridge. Took about five minutes to prepare and then about 20 to bake. Really easy and a tasty snack to have with some wine and olives.Ingredients1 sheet of ready-rolled puff-pastryA handful of slice olivesA big sprinkling of smoked paprikaA load of grated ParmesanSalt and pepperOlive oilMethodDust some flour on the bench and lay the pastry sheet on it. Roll it out a little thinner in each direction.Pour over some olive oil and sprinkle the paprika and Parmesan all over. Really cover it with a load.Scatter the olives over and press them into the pastry a little. Season carefully then fold it in half and roll it out a little more.Cut into strips and roll up into twists by turning from opposite ends. Bake them on a tray in a 200c oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Leave to cool and serve.

Quick children's meals and how to get them to eat vegetables

How times have changed. Wasn't it only yesterday I was able to stay up past 10 in the evening and function the next day? My friends and I would get up to all sorts of mischief. Pub-talk would be ridiculous and we were convinced we could change the world.Well, we've grown up a little since then, and while we still have enormous fun, the conversations have changed a little. Last week I was with an old friend in an old London pub full of bright young things shouting over pints after work. Apart from chatting about the glory days of our rock and roll band super-stardom, talk turned to food, as it often does.Two grown men in the pub trying to look cool talking about quick fifteen minute suppers you can make your young children and how to get extra veg into fussy eaters tummys. Oh yes, that's how we roll.So, for my friend's benefit, and anyone else who wants some ideas, here are three very quick tasty recipes that aren't beans on toast or pasta.Wholewheat tortilla 'pizzas'Ingredients:2 wholewheat tortillas1 tin of chopped tomatoes1tsp dried oregano1tsp paprika2 carrots1 red pepper1 clove of garlicThe white of a leek1/2 ball of mozzarella or a handful of grated cheeseA few olivesA few slices of torn hamMethod:1. Heat the oven to 180c2. Slice the leek, carrot and pepper and sauté with the garlic for a few minutes until softened. Add the tomato and oregano and bring to the boil.3. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth.4. Place the tortillas on a baking tray and spread over some of the tomato sauce. Keep the rest in the fridge for 5 days, or freeze.5. Top with the cheese, olives and ham and cook for 6 minutes, or until the cheese is melting, golden and bubbly.Chicken 'kievs' with cauliflower riceIngredients:1/2 a cauliflower, florets only2 chicken breasts, bashed slightly flat with a rolling pinOlive or rapeseed oil for cooking2tbsp butter1 clove of garlic2tbsp chopped parsley40g breadcrumbsMethod:1. Blitz the cauliflower in a food processor or use a grater until it looks like rice. Heat covered in the microwave for 5 minutes.2. Heat a sauté pan with a little oil and add the chicken. Cook on each side for five minutes. Add the butter and garlic and continue to cook gently for a few minutes.3. Add the parsley and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the chicken.4. Serve the chicken and garlic butter with the cauliflower 'rice'. If you can get some green beans on the plate too, so much the better.Sausage and bean stew with sweet potato mashIngredients:4-6 sausages1 tin of chopped tomatoes (or leftover tomato sauce from the tortilla pizzas)1 onion, chopped1 carrot, chopped1 courgette, diced1 tin of mixed beans such as borlotti, cannellini and red kidney1tbsp tomato puréeA handful of grated Cheddar1 sweet potatoMethod:1. Heat the oven to 180c2. Heat an ovenproof casserole with a little oil and sauté the onions, carrot and courgette then add the sausages until browned. Pour in the beans, tomato and purée and stir. Put in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.3. Meanwhile, pierce the sweet potato all over and microwave for 6-8 minutes. Remove and mash with a little butter and milk.4. Remove the sausage and beans from the oven and sprinkle over the cheese.5. Serve with the mashed potato

Sugar and dairy-free gelato heaven

I don't remember anyone ever having said a bad word about Italian ice-cream. Its texture is creamy and rich, soft and smooth on the tongue. The flavours sing purely, as if an opera could be transformed into taste.There are many other fine ice creams in the world, especially home-made, but they never really match the heights of pistachio gelato eaten on a passegiatta in an Italian square. I've been trying to recreate it for a while now, and I'm getting close, albeit without the cathedral bells ringing in the background. Not quite being there yet means lots of further experimentation, which can no be a bad thing when it comes to ice cream.This recipe is different as it contains no dairy, uses Xylitol in place of sugar and arrowroot powder as the thickener. It's really quick to make, if you take into account the chilling time, and is very simple too. Add whatever flavourings you like to the base. Cinnamon perhaps, or passion fruit and mint? The simplicity of the mixture means the flavour really shines through.For the strawberry version, I just blitzed a punnet of them with a stick blender and added them to the cooling mixture. The pistachio one was a little more involved, blending 150g shelled nuts in a food processor until the became a purée, much the same way as you'd make almond butter. You can buy pistachio purée online although it's pretty expensive. Try and get bronte pistachios if you can, they're the best.Ingredients:150g shelled pistachios, puréed500ml almond milk2 tbsp arrowroot powder65g xylitol1/2 tsp lemon juiceMethod:1. Mix the arrowroot powder with a little of the milk and set aside2. Heat the remaining milk with the xylitol in a pan until just below boiling, then stir in the arrowroot mix and simmer very gently for about 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Set aside and leave to cool before whisking in the pistachio or whatever ingredients and flavours you're using, then chilli in the fridge. You can spread it onto a tray and chill it quickly in the freezer if you're pushed for time.3. Churn the mix in an ice cream machine until ready, then serve. If you don't have one, put it in a bowl in the freezer and whisk every 30 minutes until it's set. It's best served in a sugar cone, but I'm quite capable of eating the lot in one go from the machine...

Sweet mango, lime and chilli

It’s August here in London, the height of summer. Looking out of the window, the unrelenting monsoon makes me wonder if it will ever get light.Instead of turning to slow cooked, rich dishes more suited to this weather, I’m sticking two fingers up at it and dreaming of sunshine.Fruit at its ripest and sweetest is heavenly. A peach, juices on your chin, sticky fingers. A nectarine, nectar. Strawberries at the height of the summer season. They need no accompaniment. And I would say the same for Mango, especially the Alphonse variety. But there is something amazing that happens when you add lime juice and chilli. It cuts through the sweetness perfectly and has a warm tingle at the end. If the summer isn’t what it should be, eat this, close your eyes and imagine.Ingredients1 seriously ripe mango per person1 lime per personA sprinkle of chilli flakes or chilli powder. You can also add sliced red chilli if you’re feeling braveMethodCouldn’t be easier. Slice your mango, squeeze your lime and sprinkle with chilli.

Cauliflower, turmeric and garlic mash

I love cauliflower raw in salads, pickled, picalillied, turned into 'cous cous' or 'rice' or comforting cauliflower cheese. It also makes a great mash. You can top cottage pie with it, add more cream to it and serve it as puree with seared scallops or spice it with garam masala and chilli and serve with monkfish. There's always something delicious to do with it.While sausage goes with mashed potato like a horse goes with a  carriage, you don't always want to fill up on starchy vegetables, especially if you are avoiding carbs. And while my children are pretty good eaters, they can be capricious and suddenly declare an aversion to a previously loved ingredient. Here's a cheeky swap to get some veg into them.You can make it plain with just a little butter, leaving out the garlic if you like. The turmeric isn't a strong flavour in this dish and gives it a great golden glow as well as helping you live forever. Ish.Ingredients1 large cauliflower, leaves removed2 cloves of garlic peeled1 tsp turmeric powder2l vegetable stockA large knob of butterSalt to seasonMethod1. Fill a large saucepan with the stock and bring it to the boil.2. Roughly chop the cauliflower and cook in the stock for about ten minutes or until soft but with a little bite. Drain and set aside.3. Add the garlic, a ladleful of the cooking stock, the butter turmeric and cauliflower to a food processor. Season well and blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.4. Serve with some good sausages, peas and onion gravy. And a good blast of ketchup too.

Low-carb suppers: Seared tuna with warm bean salad

If you were to find me in a restaurant in the early 2000s, chances are I would be eating seared tuna on a ‘bed’ of le Puy lentils. I couldn’t get enough of it.It seemed to be the height of sophistication and was pretty much the dish de nos jours, as it were. But, as fashions come and go, so did my taste for it. I got bored. I’ve not been eating so much tuna since then, save for the occasional one with salsa verde so I thought, as we are currently trying to eat a low-carb diet ­­–as well as a sugar-free diet as much as possible– I’d revisit it.I replaced the lentils with a warm bean salad, cut through with leeks, red onion and lemon. Use a thick slice of tuna from nearer the tail, it makes the cooking easier as you can watch it colour from the side.Ingredients2 thick tuna steaks, about 170g each4tbsp sesame seedsSalt and pepper to seasonFor the beans400g mixed cooked beans such as borlotti, kidney and cannellini1 small leek, thinly slicedZest and juice of a lemonA small bunch of slim asparagus spears1 red onion, finely choppedA good handful of fresh parsleyOlive oilSalt and pepper to seasonMethodGently cook the leeks and red onions in some olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Add the beans once the leeks are soft and stir in the lemon zest. Warm through and taste. Stir in the parsley and add more olive oil and lemon juice if it needs it then put this in a bowl and set aside and keep at room temperature then cook the asparagus until tender in salted, boiling water just before you cook the tuna.To cook the perfect tuna steak, take it out of the fridge about 45 minutes before cooking. Coat the tuna in a little olive oil then season with plenty of salt and pepper. Roll it in the sesame seeds. Bring a griddle pan to smoking hot then cook the tuna for about a minute on each side. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes then serve with the beans and asparagus.

Grilled steak, cucumber and nectarine salad

I get upset if I don't have a salad of some kind on the table every evening. Be it a simple one of baby gem with vinaigrette (my favourite), tomato and shallots with parsley and oil or an onion and cucumber one with my popadoms.These are, mostly, accompaniments to a meal. With a little effort they can be transformed into the main event and satisfy the hungriest appetite. There's no need to be disappointed, especially when there are so many flavours you can add. Panzanella, Som Tam, Kachumba and Caesar salad are some examples that come to mind.This salad uses seared sirloin, cooked with the fat on, then trimmed and thinly sliced. Be careful to not overcook it, you want that bright pink to shine through against the green. The sweet, charred and juicy nectarines go well with the meat and are a real taste of summer. Make sure you taste the dressing as you go, bearing in mind how it balances with the finished dish. It should be nutty, slightly sour and a little sweet.Serves 2Ingredients1 sirloin steak, or rump if you prefer3 spring onions, finely sliced1 red onion, cut into eight wedges2 ripe nectarines, quartered1 cucumber, thinly sliced lengthways on a mandoline1 red chilli, sliced (remove the seeds for a milder heat)1 tbsp quinoa seeds, toastedCoriander leaves, choppedFor the dressing4 tbsp walnut oil1 tbsp Jerez vinegar2 tbsp lime juicea pinch of chilli flakesSaltMethodHeat a grill pan until smoking hot and season the steak with salt and pepper. Cook it for three minutes either side then set aside to rest. Add the red onion to the pan and cook in the juices.Add the nectarines, and while they're cooking, toss the cucumber with the spring onion and chilli. Mix the dressing ingredients together and taste. Adjust as necessary with more lime juice or salt.Thinly slice the steak, add to the cucumber with the peaches and red onion, scatter over the coriander and quinoa then drizzle with the dressing and serve.