The Ultimate Hot Toddy (Serves 1)

Ok this isn’t exactly a cocktail but it’s a very good alcoholic beverage! And as it’s getting cold out there, I thought it was the right time to share this ‘Hot Toddy’; I have shared a recipe for a ‘Hot Whiskey’ before but I must admit that this new recipe is far superior! It has just the right balance of whisky and honey plus there’s a touch of cayenne pepper which gives it the perfect punch! It’s seriously good!

180ml water

60ml honey

30ml bourbon (I like Makers Mark)

30ml lemon juice

Pinch of cayenne

Thin slice of lemon (optional)

1. Place the water and honey in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Add the bourbon, lemon juice and cayenne. Whisk to distribute the flavours evenly.
3. Serve in a mug or heat-proof glass, topped with a lemon slice (if using)

Tarragon Pot Roast Chicken (Serves 4)

Scrolling through the recipes which I’ve shared with you, I was shocked to discover that I haven’t already re-shared this recipe as it’s probably one of my all-time favourite chicken recipes! So without further ado I’m posting it again… If you haven’t already, you must try it as it’s not only very good but is super easy; the sauce is created from the delicious juices which are caught under the chicken in the pot. Tarragon and chicken are, of course, a classic combination so you honestly can’t go wrong with this recipe! I serve it with Garlic Green Beans, which are amazing – try them – and also with either Concetta’s Potatoes or Roast Potatoes .

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

1 garlic clove, crushed

50g unsalted butter, softened

1 x 1.6-1.8 kg chicken

2 teaspoons oil

150ml chicken stock

30ml white wine

1 tablespoon plain flour (gluten free if required)

1 heaped tablespoon tarragon leaves, roughly chopped

150ml double cream

1. Mix together half the butter with the 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and place inside the cavity of the chicken, then tie the legs together.
2. Heat the remaining butter and the oil in a large casserole dish, and brown the chicken all over.
3. Add the wine and chicken stock. Cover the casserole and place in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
4. Remove the chicken to rest in a warm place, making sure that you drain any juices from it back into the pan.
5. Skim a tablespoon of the surface fat from the cooking liquid and put it in a small bowl. Skim off any remaining fat and discard.
6. Add the flour to the reserved fat and mix to a smooth paste.
7. Whisk the paste into the cooking liquid over a moderate heat until the sauce boils and thickens.
8. Strain the sauce into a clean saucepan and add the heaped tablespoon of chopped tarragon leaves, simmer for 2 minutes and then add the cream, reheating without boiling. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Carve the chicken, serve with the sauce spooned over and with Garlic Green Beans, Concetta’s potatoes or Roast potatoes (Click here for recipes).

Almond Amandines

These make such a tasty treat. They are quite sweet so you only need a small square although the problem is that they’re rather moreish! The recipe, from Claudia Roden’s ‘Med: A Cookbook’ is super simple. The recipe calls for a shallow baking tin around 30 x 30cm, I didn’t have a tin but used a pyrex square dish and they came out fine!

6 eggs

400g caster sugar

500g ground almonds

200ml whole milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

5 drops almond extract

100g pine nuts

150ml apricot jam, to glaze

*You will need a baking tin about 30x30cm (or dish – see my note above), lined with baking parchment

1. Using a fork, lightly beat the eggs with the sugar then add the ground almonds, milk, vanilla and almond extracts and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and bake in a preheated oven, 160’c fan, for 1 hour or until the top is brown and the cake feels firm. If it is browning too early cover the tin with foil.
2. While the cake is still warm, melt the apricot jelly with 1-2 tablespoons of water and brush it over the top. Leave to cool.
3. To serve cut into small squares and lift out the amandines from the tin one by one.

I particularly love winter food so although I’m a lover of the sun, the food that I cook in my kitchen over the winter months makes winter more palatable! We’ve been rather spoilt this year as the summer weather lasted well into our autumn days, therefore I’ve been a bit slow in embracing ‘winter-warming’ recipes but with the advent of November and the chill it will no doubt be bringing that is about to change!..

…I’d like to think I’ve chosen recipes to suit almost everyone this month. There’s pork chops for the meat lovers, a tasty cod and chorizo recipe for fish lovers and finally an ‘almost’ vegetarian recipe (there’s a touch of anchovy in it!) for those of us who are trying to be good. They’re all recipes with a robust, tasty edge so they’re rather warming. Menu One is a real ‘crowd pleaser’ from Diana Henry’s cook book, ‘Pure Simple Cooking’; as the name of the book promises, this recipe is effortless but with plenty of flavour! Menu Two is ‘Roast Cod with White Bean & Chorizo Mash’, it’s one of those recipes which sings with flavour despite being a quick- throw-together recipe. I particularly like the idea of mashed cannellini beans rather than traditional potato as it’s so much quicker to prepare, and, with the chorizo is super tasty. Finally, Menu Three, ‘Penne with Braised Courgette, Broccoli & Cauliflower’ is simply a combination of braised vegetables with anchovies, garlic and chillies, however, by slow-cooking the vegetables you create a wonderfully rich sauce. Unfortunately the vegetables do lose their lovely fresh green colour through cooking but all is forgiven when you taste the sauce!..

Enjoy!.. See you next Tuesday for my ‘sweet treat’!..

Menu One

Pork Chops with Plum and Chinese Spices (Serves 4)

This is a real ‘crowd pleaser’ from Diana Henry’s cook book, ‘Pure Simple Cooking’; as the name of the book promises, this recipe is effortless but with plenty of flavour. All you need to accompany it is some rice and greens – I particularly like a watercress salad or tenderstem broccoli.

450g (about 8) plums, preferably crimson-fleshed ones

4 pork chops, bone in and partly trimmed of fat

5 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 teaspoon ginger

1 medium fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice of ½ orange

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1. Halve and pit the plums and if they are quite large cut them into quarters. Lay the chops in a shallow ovenproof dish and tuck the plums in around them where they can lie in a single layer without overlapping.
2. Mix together the honey, five-spice powder, ginger, chilli, garlic, orange juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over the chops, turning everything to make sure they are well coated. Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven, 190’c fan, until cooked through.

Menu Two

Roast Cod with White Bean & Chorizo Mash (Serves 4)

This is one of those recipes which sings with flavour despite being a quick- throw-together recipe. I particularly like the idea of mashed cannellini beans rather than traditional potato as it’s so much quicker to prepare, and, with the chorizo is super tasty.

4 x 175g thick cod fillets with skin (or another white meaty fish)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to oil the fish

Salt and black pepper

2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, strained (retain the liquid)

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped

125g chorizo, quartered lengthways and sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons white wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves

Lemon wedges and parsley sprigs to serve

1. Rub the cod with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan warm the olive oil, then add the rosemary, chorizo and garlic and cook gently until softened but not browned.
3. Mash the beans and season, add the white wine or sherry and a few tablespoons of the reserved liquid from the tins to create a soft mash.
4. Pour off some of the chorizo oil and reserve then add the contents of the chorizo pan and the parsley to the mash, mix and gently heat through.
5. Meanwhile cook the cod skin side up on a hot (almost smoking) ovenproof frying pan until golden underneath, then turn the fish over and place the pan in a preheated oven, 220’c fan, for 4-8minutes until just cooked through.
6. Place a dollop of the bean mash on a plate, top with a piece of cod and drizzle with the reserved chorizo oil. Serve with a leafy green salad.

Menu Three

Penne with Braised Courgette, Broccoli & Cauliflower (Serves 4)

This sauce is simply a combination of braised vegetables with anchovies, garlic and chillies, however, by slow-cooking the vegetables you create a wonderfully rich sauce. Unfortunately the vegetables do lose their lovely fresh green colour through cooking but all is forgiven when you taste the sauce!..

400g penne pasta (gluten free if required)

4 large courgettes

100ml olive oil, plus extra

12 anchovies

5 garlic cloves, sliced

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

200g tenderstem broccoli, cut into 3cm lengths

125g small cauliflower florets

Parmesan cheese

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Grate the courgette and reserve.
2. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the anchovies, garlic, chilli flakes and a pinch of sea salt. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until the anchovies start to melt into the oil. Add the courgette, broccoli and cauliflower and a dash more oil. Cover the pan and braise the vegetables slowly for about 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are well cooked and soft.
3. Meanwhile cook the penne until al dente, according to the packet instructions. Drain and toss the pasta through the sauce and cook for a further minute. Serve with lots of Parmesan grated over the top.

Fig Leaf Martini (Serves 1)

Earlier this year we celebrated Nick’s birthday at a wonderful restaurant, Aulis (see my review here!). It was a wonderful gastronomic experience, I took home many good memories and one of those was this cocktail! It has a fresher, sweeter flavour than a ‘straight’ martini and is dangerously moreish! At Aulis they infuse their gin with fresh fig leaves, it was such a good martini that I was tempted to find some fig leaves and do the same. However, fortunately, I discovered Fig Leaf Liqueur. It’s a great liqueur not only for making this martini but also it’s pretty good with tonic or simply neat over ice. I’ve tried a couple of brands and I particularly like ‘Gibsons Organic Fig Leaf Liqueur‘.

50ml Gin

15ml Fig Leaf Liqueur (See note above)

5ml Dry Vermouth

A handful of ice

Lime peel to garnish

1. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake until the mixture is well chilled, 15-20 seconds.
2. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with the lime peel.