I love potato skins, i know they’re tacky and awful and the kind of food that we associate with TGI Fridays and other such American chains but i don’t care. I also know that i probably should have grown out of such things long ago but this love seems to be an enduring one so I’ve decided i might as well just embrace it. I think part of the reason they’re so maligned is that, more often than not, they come out soggy and so greasy that you could fry and egg on what’s left on your plate. This is what i set out to change. If you think about it, they should be healthy, they’re the skin of a potato, and wasn’t that what your mum always told you to eat because it had all the goodness in it? What makes them so unhealthy usually is the fact that they’re deep-fried which is just totally unnecessary, all they need is a mere lick of oil and a very hot oven and they come out deliciously crispy and salty and (dangerously) moreish. They’re also remarkably hassle free, simply bake them as you would a normal jacked potato, then scoop out the middle, cut into wedges and pop back in the oven and hey presto; perfect, healthy potato skins. They might take a while in the oven but the hands on time is minimal. Also, by making these yourself it means that you really stretch these potatoes, save the middle and you have instant mash.

The toppings are endless for these: sour cream and chive, garlic mayo, sweet chilli, guacamole, baba ganoush, cheese-bacon-spring onion. You could dip them in chilli con carne, soups, stews. Make them with sweet potatoes instead, whatever you like.

Crispy potato skins-serves 2

• 3 large baking potatoes
• olive oil
• salt

I told you that was all there was to it. Now, pre-heat your oven as high as it will go, coat the potatoes in a little oil and sprinkle with salt. You only need a little oil and if you’re concerned about salt intake then you can leave it off entirely. Personally I’m hoping it’s not something i have to worry about too much yet so on it went. Pop them on a baking tray and cook until the outside is crispy. If the skins are crisp but the middles aren’t quite cooked, turn the heat down to about 170C until they’re cooked through.

Remove from the oven and put the temperature back up to full whack, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving a cm or 2.

Drizzle the insides with a little more oil- if you have an oil spray, even better. Put back in the oven until the insides have dried out and everything has crisped up.

Now you’re ready to dip to your heart’s content. I went for sour cream and chive as it was in the fridge and just heaped on some more fresh chives for extra flavour.

I don’t know about you but when I’m a bit ill and feeling a bit sorry for myself, what i want is comfort food. A bowl of something that’s going to pep me up and make my taste buds do a little jig as everything has a tendency to taste bland and boring. It also needs to be quick. This dish is perfect for such a mood. It’s also great if you’re tired/rushed for time/feeling a bit lazy or just want something light and fresh that feels so right with this gorgeous weather we’re having.

I’m getting my garden furniture this week and i can’t wait to start having dinners outside. I think I’m just a little paranoid that this may be our summer (which is what happened last year) so I’m going to cram in as many long, lazy, alfresco dinners (and lunches, breakfasts, afternoon teas and brunches) as possible before it goes away. The time that we allocate to cooking in the warmer months is always significantly less than in the winter months. You want to be having cocktails in the garden or reading your book in the sun, not slaving over a hot stove. In the winter it’s perfect, it’s cold and rainy so there’s no temptation to leave the house and we quite happily while away the evenings making hearty soups and stews but not now. Now is the time for quick, light, punchy flavours that can be thrown together in the merest of moments.

I’m not really giving a lot of measurements for this dish as it’s something you can play around with, substituting the veg for whatever you have on hand. If you don’t like broccoli or cauliflower, this would also be good with peas/asparagus/spinach. I would try to get the lemon in there if you have it as it really lifts the whole thing, stopping it from being too rich but obviously it’s totally up to you. Also feel free to omit the chilli entirely or use full fat crème fraîche

Creamy lemon, garlic and chilli pasta-for 2

• An overflowing handful of pasta per person
• A handful of chopped veg per person (i used broccoli and cauliflower)
• 1/2-1 fresh red chilli (i used one and it had quite a kick)
• 1 plump garlic clove
• zest of half a lemon
• a nice big dollop of half fat crème fraîche
• a couple of handfuls of freshly grated parmesan
• basil to serve

First up, get a big pan of salted water on to boil for your pasta. It’s really important to put quite a bit of salt in your pasta water- there’s an Italian saying that your pasta water should be as salty as the Mediterranean. If you don’t do this, your pasta will be bland and dull and you’ll end up having to put far more salt in your sauce, all of which you’ll eat- most of the salt in the pasta water being poured away after the pasta has taken all that it needs.

Next, chop your veg into bite sized chunks and finely slice your chilli and garlic. Cook your pasta, throwing the veg in for the last couple of minutes. Gently fry the sliced chilli and garlic in a little oil until soft and then chuck in the cooked pasta and veg. Keep a mugful of the pasta water as it’s perfect for loosening your sauce so it’s the perfect consistency. Add your crème fraîche, lemon zest and a grind or 2 of black pepper.

Stir everything together, adding pasta water as needed until the sauce is silky smooth and coating everything. Then turn the heat off and add your parmesan.

Now just plate up and finish with a smattering of fresh basil leaves. Grab a glass of cold white wine and maybe a simple green salad and head for the garden.

 

 

 

I got a message the other week from a friend simply saying “I’m coming to London on Wednesday, cancel all your plans”. A dinner was promptly planned at a friends house and (shockingly) i was asked to bring along dessert. My original plan was to make a dark chocolate and salt caramel tart but then i remembered i had made the somewhat impulsive decision to give up chocolate for lent so that idea had to be scrapped. I’m quite glad of this actually as i decided to go for something altogether lighter, an apple tart. I’ve had this recipe knocking around for a couple of years now and it’s been ages since i last made it, although, having tasted it, i’m at a loss as to why, it’s really light and fresh tasting, whilst also feeling quite indulgent. There are still pretty cheap apples to be had everywhere as well which is always handy. It’s also very easy considering how impressive it looks and needs nothing more than a dollop of creme fraiche to go with it. You don’t have to use two different types of apples but it is nice to have to contrast, the bramley apples for the filling have a tartness and texture that you want for the cooked apple and the braeburn being much sweeter and prettier for the top decoration.

This recipe makes 1, 8inch tart which serves 8

Tart aux Pommes (french apple tart)

• For the pastry:
• 125g unsalted butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 200g plain flour
• pinch salt
• zest 1/2 lemon
• splash vanilla extract

• Apple Compote:
• 4 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 50g caster sugar
• vanilla extract
• zest 1/2 a lemon
• 50g unsalted butter
• Decoration:
• 2 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and finely sliced
• 30g melted, unsalted butter
• 30g caster sugar

For the pastry, beat the butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest together until creamed together.

 

Then add in the egg and a splash of vanilla extract and combine.

Once everything is mixed, add the flour all in one go and bring together. You don’t want to overwork your pastry or it will go tough so as soon as it comes together in a ball, cling film it and put it in the fridge to rest for half an hour – an hour.

For the apple compote, melt the butter and add the caster sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, add the bramley apples, the lemon zest and the vanilla.

Make sure all the apples are coated in the butter and sugar and cook over a low heat until the apples have broken down, then allow to cool. This is what you want to end up with:

Preheat the oven to 190C. Take the pastry out of the fridge and smoosh together with your hand so that it’s pliable and all the same temperature (the outside gets colder than the middle so the smooshing together will even things out and make it easier to roll). Dust the surface and the pastry with flour and roll the pastry out to about 2-3mm thick and gently ease it into a loose bottomed tart tin, carefully pressing it in.

Stab the pastry base and sides all over with a fork, this will allow steam to escape during cooking, preventing the pastry from shrinking and puffing up on the base. Put back in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Next you need to blind bake the pastry, this involves covering the pastry with some parchment paper and weighting it down (this is also to prevent shrinkage, you won’t end up with a tart case if you skip this step, just a flat disc of tough pastry). You can buy ceramic baking beans for this but the best thing is to use rice/lentils/dried beans, anything you have knocking around your cupboard- these can be used over and over again.

Bake until the sides are turning golden, then remove the baking beans and put back in the oven until light golden all over. You don’t want it to get too much colour.

Once it’s cooked, fill with the cooled apple compote

and top with the sliced braeburn apples. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle over the caster sugar. Turn the oven up to 230C and put the tart back in the oven until the top is lightly golden-keep an eye on it (do not wonder off to go and do your make up).

And that is why i’m saying keep an eye on it! If that happens, don’t freak out, it happens to the best of us, just scrape it off and carry on, no one even batted an eyelid and it was still yum.

Now all you have to do is serve up with a pot of creme fraiche and let everyone dig in.