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(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)

‘Blast From the Past’ Recipe

Roast Lamb & Cider served with Flageolet Beans (serves 6) 

I realised just the other day that despite being spring and the season for lamb, I haven’t shared a recipe for it recently! So I thought that I should remind you of this wonderful recipe which I shared back in 2020… Cider with lamb may sound like a strange combination, but believe me it works beautifully. This recipe is taken from ‘Pure, Simple, Cooking’ by Diana Henry (yes, her again!); she recommends that this dish is served with flageolet or cannellini beans (recipe below) – and of course she is absolutely right!

1 Leg of lamb (approx. 1.8kg -2kg), trimmed of excess fat

2 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers

2-3 sprigs thyme

50g unsalted butter, softened

250ml dry cider

A good slug of calvados or brandy

570ml chicken or lamb stock

175ml crème frâiche or double cream

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Make small incisions all over the leg and stuff with a slivers of garlic and a little thyme. Rub the butter all over, stuffing some down the incisions as you do so, season generously.
2. Place in a preheated oven, 220’c fan, roast for 15 minutes then turn down the heat to 180’c, and continue to roast for another 45 -50mins.
3. Remove the lamb to rest in a warm place covered with foil for about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile pour the cooking juices into a jug and skim off the fat and discard.
5. Set the roasting tin over a medium heat, add the cider and calvados, boil to reduce by two-thirds. Then add the stock and the reserved cooking juices, reduce this  by two-thirds, then add the crème frâiche (or cream). Boil until slightly syrupy.
6. Serve the lamb, sliced, with the sauce in a warm gravy boat and the flageolet beans on the side (below).

Flageolet Beans with Lemon and Parsley

So simple, yet so delicious!…

400g tin flageolet beans (or cannellini beans), drained

A generous slice of butter

Half lemon

Handful chopped parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Place the drained beans in a saucepan, gently heat with the butter.
2. Add the parsley, season with a squeeze of lemon juice and the salt and pepper.
3. Serve

Tuesday Treat

Chocolate Meringues with Chantilly Cream (Serves 6)

These are as good as they look – and so simple to make! One bite and you will be smitten, whilst crunchy on the outside they have a wonderful chewy centre, then of course there’s the addition of chocolate…plus Chantilly cream! They’re not for the faint-hearted and are rather messy to eat!

*The meringue shells will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container, just add the cream when you want to serve them!

3 egg whites

180g unrefined caster sugar

25g cocoa powder (I use ‘Green & Blacks’), sifted

1 teaspoon of cornflour

For the Chantilly cream:

300ml whipping cream

25g unrefined caster sugar

1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur

Dark chocolate shavings to decorate (optional)

1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 140’c fan.
2. Put the egg whites in a bowl. Uusing an electric hand whisk, start to whisk them slowly, gradually increasing the speed to high until the egg whites are stiff. Gradually add the caster sugar a little at a time, continuing to whisk on a high speed until thick and glossy. Finally, whisk in the sifted cocoa powder and cornflour.
3. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and scoop the meringue mixture onto the paper in 12 spoonfuls.
4. Place in the oven and straightaway reduce the temperature to 120’c fan. Bake for 1 hour then turn off the oven and leave to cool in the oven for a further hour.
5. When ready to serve, whisk the cream a little then add the sugar and Kahlua and continue to whisk until it stands in soft peaks. Sandwich the meringues together with the Chantilly cream.

(Need some music for you kitchen?.. Lend an ear to my latest playlist, ‘Music to Cook to…MenuMusic Twenty-Seven’… With its upbeat soul tracks it’s made for the brighter weather!)

April 2024

Yes, I’m smiling it’s April and finally, it’s officially springtime (plus it’s the month of my birthday!). If like me you’re feeling full of the joys of spring, you’re probably out and about making the most of the brighter weather. Consequently, that means less time at home in your kitchens; so I figured that this month we would need some quick recipes with some bright flavours to match the weather and our mood… I happen to have a couple up my sleeve!

Menu One is ‘Sausage & Charred Citrus Traybake’, I must admit that I would never have thought that the combination of these flavours would work as well as they do – but believe me they absolutely do! The charred citrus juices blend beautifully with the cooking juices to create a tasty, aromatic sweet and sour sauce while the chickpeas stirred in at the end of cooking make it a substantial one-dish bake. Menu Two,’ Bandari Monkfish Tails with Shiraz Salad’, is an Iranian recipe which uses a tasty spice mix to permeate the fish with wonderful aromatics and colour. Served with the Shiraz salad it delivers a flavourful dish! Finally, Menu Three is ‘Spaghetti with Pancetta, Parsley and Parmesan’. The sweetness of this buttery, red onion sauce is cut beautifully by the salty pancetta and a sprinkling of parmesan. Once the onions and pancetta are chopped, it’s an easy sauce to throw together – a week-night pleaser!

I hope that these recipes for April have made you smile and let’s hope the weather can match their bright flavours!..

Click here to go straight to this weeks Recipes

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!…

Have you made one of the recipes from Menu Mistress?…Why not take a photo and share it on Instagram, please mention @menumistress or tag menumistress!

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 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 am 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’ for those available in the books. Please go to my Cookbooks page for more information.

Menu One

Sausage & Charred Citrus Traybake (Serves 4)

I must admit that I would never have thought that the combination of these flavours would work as well as they do – but believe me they do! We have Ixta Belfrage’s incredibly inventive cookbook, Mexcla, to thank for this recipe. The charred citrus juices blend beautifully with the cooking juices to create a tasty, aromatic sweet and sour sauce while the chickpeas stirred in at the end of cooking make it a substantial one-dish bake. It’s very important to use good quality Italian style sausages for this recipe as their fatty juices will run into the veg and sauce and not dry out.

300g carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

1 red onion, cut into sixths

5 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 large mild red chillies, halved lengthways

3 tablespoons olive oil

1½ teaspoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon chipotle flakes

½ teaspoon Aleppo chilli or pul biber

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon fine salt

8 good quality, fatty sausages, preferably Italian style (gluten-free if required)

90g water

1 lime, halved

1 tangerine, halved

200g tinned chickpeas, drained

For the Cucumber Salsa:

½ cucumber, peeled, halved, seeds removed

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons olive oil

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

5g fresh coriander, finally chopped

5g fresh chives, finally chopped

1. Place the first 12 ingredients (everything from the carrots to the sausages) in a large roasting tin. Mix well, then spread the sausages out. Pour the water into the tin, around the sausages making sure that you don’t get them wet!
2. Roast in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 35-40 minutes, turning the vegetables (but not the sausages) a couple of times, until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are golden brown.
3. While the sausages are in the oven, place a large frying pan on a high heat. Once very hot place the citrus halves, cut side down in the pan and char for 3-4 minutes or until the cut sides are nicely charred.
4. For the salsa, chop the cucumber into 1cm cubes and mix together with the lime juice, oil, and salt. Then, just before serving stir in the chopped herbs.
5. Transfer the contents of the roasting tin to a platter and squeeze over the charred citrus then stir in the chickpeas. Top with some of the cucumber salsa, serving the rest on the side.

Menu Two

Bandari Monkfish Tails with Shiraz Salad (Serves 4)

This Iranian recipe from Sabrina Ghayour’s cookbook Persiana uses a tasty spice mix to permeate the fish with wonderful aromatics and colour. Served with the Shiraz salad (recipe below) it delivers a flavourful dish!

4 monkfish tails or loins, about 175-200g each, skinned and cleaned

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 fat cloves, crushed

5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

A handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped plus extra to serve

A handful of fresh dill leaves, finely chopped

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

Olive oil

1 teaspoon salt flakes

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Mix all the dry spices together in a bowl and add the garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, lime zest and juice, yogurt and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir well. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the spice paste to rest.
2. Place the monkfish tails in a shallow dish. Give the spice mix a good stir and pour over the fish. Use your hands to work the paste into the fish, ensuring all sides get an even coating. Once again cover with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and bring the fish to room temperature.
3. Preheat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, drizzle with a little olive oil. Gently lay the monkfish in the pan and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until opaque and firm. Transfer to a serving plate and leave to rest for 1-2 minutes then serve, sprinkling with a little extra coriander and the Shiraz salad (recipe below) on the side.

Shiraz Salad (Serves 4-6)

Taking its name from the city of Shiraz in Iran, this is a popular Iranian salad. It’s the perfect accompaniment for spiced meat and fish dishes.

1 cucumber, finely diced

6 vine-ripe tomatoes, cored, deseeded and finely diced

1 red onion, halved and sliced thinly into ‘half moons’

Olive oil

3 good pinches of sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

2 heaped teaspoons of sumac

200g pomegranate seeds

1. Place the cucumber, tomato and red onion in a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with the salt and pepper and pour over the lemon juice then give everything a good mix. Finally, sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and sumac and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, as it’s best served chilled. 

Menu Three

Spaghetti with Pancetta, Parsley and Parmesan (Serves 4)

The sweetness of this buttery, red onion sauce is cut beautifully by the salty pancetta and a sprinkling of parmesan. Once the onions and pancetta are chopped, it’s an easy sauce to throw together – a week-night pleaser!

8 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped (I use my food processor to save time!)

200g pancetta, finely sliced, then cut into 5mm pieces, plus 6 thin slices

400g spaghetti

150g butter

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

120g Parmesan, freshly grated

1. Gently heat the butter in a pan. Add the onion and cook steadily for 15-20 minutes, then add the chopped pancetta and garlic. Turn the heat down, stir and continue to cook to blend the flavours for a further 10 minutes. Season generously with salt, pepper and dried chilli. The mixture should become quite dark. Add parsley and stir.
2. Heat a small frying pan, brush with oil and fry the extra slices of pancetta until crisp.
3. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, keeping back 2-3 tablespoons of cooking water. Mix the spaghetti into the warm parsley mixture and toss together, adding a little pasta water to help the sauce coat the spaghetti. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan and a slice pancetta on each portion.

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