English cooking apples seem to be abundant this year, so now is the perfect time to make this simple autumnal dish. 

As usual it is the sauce - in this instance - creamy rich and delicate that turns an otherwise ordinary supper into something more memorable. Better yet, the sauce doesn’t contain any cream and is low in fat which means you can spoon it on with abandon and not feel guilty!

Serve with couscous, wild rice or saute potatoes, plus some crisp seasonal vegetables for added texture and colour.
N.B: You can of course elevate this dish to dinner party status, by replacing the water with cider, then adding 1 tbsp calvados at the puree stage and stirring in 2 tbsp single cream with the parsley just before serving. Delicious!

Serving Size: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approx 25 minutes
Effort Level: easy

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts – approx 200g each
1 large white onion
1 large cooking apple
2 sticks celery
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp Knorr concentrated liquid chicken stock
30g unsalted butter
10g (dessertspoon) soft brown sugar
handful of fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Equipment:
Chopping board and sharp knife
Large frying pan
Food processor (optional)
Blender stick or liquidiser

Here’s What You Do:
Finely chop the onion, apple and celery or pulse in a food processor

Pour 2 tbsp sunflower oil into the frying pan and place over a medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then lay in the pan and sear each side for 2 minutes or until lightly golden before transferring to a plate.

Now melt 30g butter in the frying pan with the remaining chicken juices then stir in the prepared fruit/vegetables and cook gently for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Next, pour 500ml boiling water over the softened fruit/vegetables, add 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp liquid chicken stock. Increase to a high heat and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile finely chop the parsley.

Next, remove the frying pan from the heat and puree the contents to a smooth consistency.
 
Return the frying pan to the stove and heat the sauce up until bubbles break on the surface.  At this point, add the seared chicken breasts, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 8-10  minutes using 200g breasts. 

Check the chicken by pressing into the thickest part of the flesh, it should have a slight spring to it still. If you’re not confident using this method, make a small incision instead - scissors are best - the flesh should be white and succulent looking and the juices running clear.  (overcooked and it will have a dense fibrous texture). It’s easy to overcook chicken, so bare in mind the breasts will continue cooking in the heat of the sauce.

Next, thin down the sauce with a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper. Lastly, sprinkle on the chopped parsley, take off the heat and serve.

For best results, allow the fruit to mature until the skins darken and in return you will be rewarded with a glistening, ruby red jewel of a sorbet with an intensely plummy taste.

N.B: Don’t forget with sorbets it’s all about ratios, too much sugar and alcohol and your sorbet will be soft, too much water and it will be rock solid.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Freezing Time: 2-3 hours
Effort Level: easy
Shelf Life: 1 month in freezer.

Ingredients:
250g dark skinned plums
75ml sloe gin (or substitute with regular gin)
100-125g granulated sugar (depending on sweetness of plums)
250ml water

Equipment:
Wide shallow dish
1 small heavy based saucepan
Liquidiser or blender stick
Fork
Slotted spoon
Sieve

Here’s What You Do:
Wash the plums and tip into the saucepan with the sugar and water. Cover with a lid, place over a medium heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Lift the plums out with the slotted spoon and put aside to cool.

Now  increase the pan to a high heat and rapidly boil the plum liquid for 1 minute.

When the plums are cool enough to handle, remove the stones and return to the pan. Add the sloe gin and blend to a smooth puree.

Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a shallow dish and once cool, place in the freezer for several hours to set.

Once the sorbet has set, break up the ice crystals using a fork until the mixture is smooth adding a capful of sloe gin if liked, then return to the freezer for 30 minutes before serving. If you’re not planning to eat the sorbet immediately, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to use .

Homemade sorbet is best eaten immediately but will keep for up to one month in the freezer.

Just Call Me The Bionic Woman!

Because I’ve recently been kitted out with 2 titanium discs and a brantigan cage around the vertabraes in my neck. This means I can now scale tall buildings and lift giant trucks with my bare hands!  Joking aside, it does mean that I’m almost as good as new.

I was fortunate to have eminent neurosurgeon Professor Steven Gill perform the operation. Apparently he did the exact same op on actor Richard Le Parmentier, better known as Admiral Motti from ‘Star Wars’ so I’m in good company.

My time on the computer is limited, which means I can’t dish up any new recipes just yet. However, I have got a few salads ideas up my sleeve you might like to try, plus 4 recipes below that were already typed up . Sorry there aren’t any images, but I’m sure under the circumstances you’ll understand.

Tabbouleh

Tomato Cucumber & Dill Salad

Insalatona Pantesca

Fattoush

For special occasions make a statement with fresh fig, thinly sliced fennel and pecorino shavings tossed in a tangy pomegranate dressing. Or for a fruity starter try papaya, melon and mango, scattered with pine nuts poppy seeds and drizzled with a citrusy lime dressing.

Salads - Think Outside The Box !

But even with everyday salads it’s good to get adventurous.  If in doubt, think colours – what goes well together in nature is likely to go well together in food. The key is to use ripe seasonal ingredients bursting with flavour and add plenty of fresh herbs. Dill, mint, parsley and basil all work well and are capable of lifting a salad out of the ordinary into something spectacular.

As always, a snappy dressing is key and it’s always worth using top quality oils and vinegars over cheaper ones. To give your dressing some pazzazz, try squeezing a little wasabi paste into the mix, it works particularly well on salads containing oranges and apples.  
 

Ingredients:
3  beef tomatoes
1 small  cucumber
1 large red onion
1 ripe avocado
25g fresh mint
25g flat leaf parsley
1 large lemon
2 pitta bread
1 clove garlic
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sumac
salt

Here’s What You Do:
Wash all the vegetables, cut into small chunks and put in large bowl.
Shred the mint and parsley and add to the salad. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Toast the pitta both sides then tear into small pieces and add to the salad.
Finely mince the garlic and mix together with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, sumac and drizzle over the salad.
Serve.

Ingredients:
1 romaine lettuce
200g small new potatoes
4 large tomatoes
100g black pitted olives
2 tbsp baby capers
2 red onions
8 anchovy fillets
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Classic Dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch sea salt
 

Here’s What You Do:
Cook the potatoes.

Roughly chop the lettuce and place in a large salad bowl.
Slice the potatoes, tomatoes and onions and add to the bowl.
Rinse the capers and add with the olives and finely chopped anchovies and coat with my classic dressing.

Sprinkle with oregano and serve.