Let’s Start Cooking!…
(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)
Welcome to Menu Mistress…
I love cookbooks and have an extensive collection! The idea of Menu Mistress is to share recipes from these books that I’ve tried and tested. This blog is essentially for people who love food but don’t have the time, energy or patience to find that winning recipe – that’s the job of Menu Mistress! Naturally I also enjoy eating out, so I’ve turned my hand to restaurant reviews too – check them out here!..
(Recipes are updated every week – scroll down and sign up at the bottom of this page to receive a weekly reminder)
Tuesday Treat
Apple & Coconut Cake
This is a delicious, flourless cake from the queen of baking, Mary Berry. I often find that apple cakes can be too moist and stodgy, but this is not the case with this recipe. The coconut helps to keep the ‘dampness’ of the apple under control, however, it’s flavour is by no means overpowering. In addition, the icing really is the ‘icing-on-the-cake’, making this cake a truly special one!
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
225g caster sugar
225g butter, softened
200g ground almonds
6 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free)
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut (plus extra to decorate)
For the icing:
100g butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
*You will need a 23cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin with deep sides, greased with butter and the base lined with baking paper.
- Put the diced apples in a saucepan, add the lemon-zest and juice and cook, stirring regularly, over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool.
- Measure the caster sugar and butter into a bowl and cream together, then add the almonds, eggs, vanilla extract and baking powder, and beat together with an electric hand whisk to combine.
- Carefully fold in the cold apple mixture and 2 tablespoons of the desiccated coconut. Spoon into the prepared tin, levelling the top, and bake in a pre-heated oven, 160’c fan, for 45 minutes until golden.
- Take out of the oven and set aside to cool down completely before removing from the tin.
- To make the icing, measure the butter and icing sugar into a bowl. Mix to combine, gradually adding the coconut milk and a tablespoon at a time and mixing carefully (if it starts to separate add an extra tablespoon of icing sugar).
- Spread the icing over the top of the cold cake and sprinkle with desiccated coconut.
June 2026
June! I think that calls for some recipes with a ‘lighter edge’. So I thought I’d share two fish recipes with you. I recently discovered these in a couple of my newer cookbooks; ‘French Classics’ by Matthew Ryle and ‘Ginger One Pot’ by Tom Wilson & Rebecca Seal. Menu One is Ryle’s take on the classic French dish, ‘Cod & Pea Fricassée’. His love for tartare sauce inspired him to add the tartare flavours to this dish, and believe me, it totally works. The peas and their sauce are delicious – you’ll be reaching for a spoon!.. Menu Two is ‘Crab & Leek Risotto’. I loved this recipe ‘on paper’, but I must admit that I found the crab flavour a little underwhelming. Therefore, I’ve played around with it to get the balance of crab just right – I think adding more makes it an all-round winner. Admittedly, it makes the dish a little more expensive, but if you’re splashing out on crab, you might as well do it with style!
Menu One
Cod & Pea Fricassée (Serves 4)
From the cookbook ‘French Classics’ this is Matthew Ryle’s take on the classic French dish, ‘Cod & Pea Fricassée’. His love for tartare sauce inspired him to add the tartare flavours to this dish, and believe me it totally works. Instead of cod you could use any white fish or even salmon. The peas and their sauce are delicious – you’ll be reaching for a spoon!..
4 x cod fillets, skinned (180-200g each)
50g butter, plus more to brush the cod
1 courgette, finely chopped
4 asparagus spears, finely sliced
200ml white wine
300ml stock; vegetable, fish or chicken
320g peas, fresh or frozen
120g mayonnaise
60g crème fraiche
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Baby Gem lettuce, shredded
4 teaspoons chopped dill
20g brined capers, rinsed
20g cornichons, finely chopped
Sea salt flakes and black pepper
- Fill a steamer base with water and bring to the boil, then brush the fish with butter, season with salt and pepper, place on baking paper and put into the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 6-8 mins. Once cooked, remove the fish form the steamer and set aside to rest for a minute or two.
- Meanwhile, quickly bring the sauce together. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and sweat the courgette and asparagus for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and rapidly reduce until almost completely gone. Add the stock and bring to the boil, reduce by half. Then, add the peas and simmer for 1 minute.
- To finish the sauce, add all the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and check the seasoning.
- Place the pea sauce on warmed plates followed by the cod. Serve with boiled potatoes or, if you’re feeling naughty, chips are good with it!
Menu Two
Crab & Leek Risotto (Serves 4)
This is a recipe from ‘Ginger One Pot’ by Tim Wilson & Rebecca Seal. I loved this recipe ‘on paper’ but, I must admit that I found the crab flavour a little underwhelming. Therefore, I’ve played around with it to get the balance of crab just right – I think adding more makes it an all-round winner. I use 250g white crab meat instead of the suggested 175g. Admittedly it makes the dish a little more expensive but if you’re splashing out on crab you might as well do it with style!
15g butter
1 leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
¼ head of fennel, cored and finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
A pinch of saffron threads
300g risotto rice
175g dry white wine
1 litre hot vegetable stock
250g which crab meat, cooked (*see note above)
Juice of a lemon, to taste
Grated zest of ¼ – ½ lemon, to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
Sea salt and black pepper
- Place a large pan (I prefer to cook risotto in a wide sauté pan) over a medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the leek, fennel and onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened but are not browning. Meanwhile, place the saffron threads in a small bowl with 3-4 tablespoons of boiling water and leave to soak for 5 minutes.
- Add the risotto rice to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to coat each grain in the butter. Add the soaked saffron and its liquid and then the white wine. Stir and allow it to bubble away before you add the stock gradually; a couple of ladlefuls at a time, waiting until each ladleful is absorbed before adding any more. Continue slowly adding and stirring for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender, the risotto thick and creamy and the stock is used up.
- Remove from the heat, add the crab meat plus the lemon juice and zest to taste, stir well. Taste again and add salt and pepper, as needed. Serve in wide bowls scattered with the fresh herbs.
A Little Bit of Housekeeping…
To find all the recipes from my blogs go to the Recipes page where there is a link to print them off.
Oven Settings – All my recipes presume that you are cooking with a fan oven, increase the temperature by 20’c for conventional ovens without a fan.
‘Staple Side Dishes’ – when you see this note beside a recipe, it indicates that I have previously published this side dish on Menu Mistress. I have re-published it so that you don’t have to trawl through my old recipe blogs to find it – Menu Mistress is about making your life in the kitchen easier!
Gluten-Free – I eat gluten-free, so all of my recipes have gluten-free options, although I must stress that if you have an allergy please double check all ingredients. If flour is used you can substitute it with gluten-free flour (I use Dove’s Free From range) and likewise with other ingredients such as pasta or soy sauce, you can use gluten free options.
Most of the recipes on Menu Mistress are courtesy of the creativity of cookery book writers, old and new. The recipes are an ‘amuse-bouche’ of those available in their books. Please go to my Cookbooks page for more information.
Music to Cook to….what I’ve been listening to in my kitchen!….Click on this link to listen to my playlists (listen without judgement – it’s just a bit of fun!)
Any feedback or recipe ideas? Leave your comments at the very bottom of this page… or feel free to contact me personally here!…
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