All recipes serve 4
CROQUE-MONSIEUR
A classic, slightly simplified version.
8 slices bread
4 slices good quality ham (Bayonne or Parma)
4 slices Gruyère, Desmond or Gabriel cheese
butter
2 eggs, beaten
125ml full-fat milk
Put one slice of ham and one of cheese in the middle of four slices of bread. Season with salt and pepper, place another slice of bread on top and press together. Combine the eggs and milk, season it with salt and pepper and dip the slices in the mixture. Melt some butter in a frying pan over a moderate heat and fry the bread until golden brown on both sides. Take care not to let the heat get too high or the butter will burn.
CORN AND POTATO PANCAKES WITH TOMATO RELISH
1 small tin sweetcorn, rinsed and drained
450g floury potatoes (eg Maris Piper)
2 small shallots
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
vegetable oil
TOMATO RELISH
4 tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
Grate the potato and shallots and combine with the sweetcorn. Squeeze out any excess moisture. Mix in the parsley and flour. Season with salt and pepper and combine with the eggs. Scoop up a handful of the mixture, mould and flatten and fry it in a hot pan with a little vegetable soil until golden brown on both sides. Serve with the tomato relish.
For the tomato relish, combine all the ingredients, season with salt and pepper.
MUESLI
4 tbsp vegetable oil
150ml honey
450g rolled oats
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp rye flakes
4 tbsp shredded coconut
4 tbsp blanched almonds
2 tbsp each dried figs, raisins, apricots and dates
2 tbsp wheatgerm
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas four. When the oven is hot, gently toast the almonds for around five minutes. Watch them; they burn easily. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. Combine the vegetable oil and honey and heat until the honey goes runny. Combine the oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and rye flakes in a bowl. Pour the honey mixture over these dry ingredients, mix well and spread it out on a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during that time. You are aiming for a golden tinge, nothing more.
Once this mixture has cooled, combine it with the coconut, roasted almonds, all the fruit, wheatgerm and sugar. Mix well and store in an airtight jar.
BAKED MUSHROOMS WITH PARMA HAM AND FETA
8 large field mushrooms
8 tsp butter
8 slices beef tomato
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
small bunch thyme
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 slices toast
4 slices Pama ham
4 tbsp crumbled feta
Preheat the grill. Divide the garlic up among the mushrooms. Dot them with the butter, season with salt and pepper and grill for five to eight minutes, or until the mushrooms start to wilt and release their juices.
Place a slice of tomato on each mushroom. Sprinkle the thyme and parsley over the top, add the Parma ham and then the feta. Flash the mushrooms briefly under the grill to just start to melt the feta. Toast the bread, spread with butter, top with the mushrooms and serve.