5 Delicious Recipes to Bring a Little Wow Factor to the Dining Table
Searching for some foodie inspiration?
These easy and delicious recipes may just get your taste buds singing with delight!
All featured in an exciting year-round guide to fantastic food from the team behind My Weekly magazine.
Here are 5 delicious recipes to try at home, starting with a delicious Creamy Spinach and Broccoli Soup.
1. Creamy Spinach and Broccoli Soup
Creamy Spinach and Broccoli Soup
A refreshing soup to put a spring in your step.
Recipe and Styling: Sue Ashworth
Photography: Jonathan Short
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 6 spring onions, chopped (or use 1 small onion)
- 200g broccoli, broken into florets
- 800ml vegetable stock
- 150g spinach, thoroughly washed
- 100g low fat soft cheese
- 1-2tbsp milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Put the spring onions, broccoli and stock into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10-15min.
2 Reserve a few spinach leaves for garnish. Add the rest to the saucepan and stir them in – they will wilt down.
3 Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. Reserve 2tbsp soft cheese. Add the rest to the blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, use a hand-held stick blender to purée the soup.
4 Re-heat the soup and season to taste. Mix the reserved soft cheese with the milk. Serve it spooned on to the soup, garnished with spinach leaves.
2. French Toast with Poached Apricots and Strawberries
French Toast with Poached Apricots and Strawberries
Where has this dish been all your life?
Recipe and Styling: Sue Ashworth
Photography: Jonathan Short
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 3 apricots, pitted and quartered
- 2tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 100g strawberries, halved
- 2 thick slices sourdough bread, cut in half diagonally
- 1 egg
- 150ml milk
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 25g butter
- Icing sugar, for sprinkling
- Greek-style yogurt or crème fraiche, to serve
- Mint leaves, to decorate
1 Put the apricots into a saucepan with 100ml water and the muscovado sugar. Simmer for 5-6min, or until just tender. Remove from the heat and add the strawberries.
2 In a large shallow bowl, beat together the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Add bread and leave to soak, turning once.
3 Melt the butter in a large pan. Fry the soaked bread for 1-2min until set and golden brown. Turn and cook the other side for a further 1-2min.
4 Share between two bowls. Top with the warm fruit, then garnish with icing sugar and mint. Serve with Greek yogurt.
3. Salmon Tagliatelle
Salmon Tagliatelle
This dish is spring in a bowl!
Recipe and Styling: Janette Marshall
Photography: Jon Whitaker
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 2 x 110g salmon fillets
- 150g tagliatelle
- 150g fresh or frozen peas
- 1tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 100ml half fat crème fraiche
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Poach the salmon pieces for about 15min in a covered pan with enough water to come half way up the fish. Drain and flake the fish
2 Boil the pasta for about 12min until al dente, adding the peas for the final 5-6min.
3 Drain the pasta and return to the warm pan to stir in the crème fraiche, lemon juice and parsley. Season and stir in the flaked salmon.
4. Chicken Roasted with Indian Spices
Chicken Roasted with Indian Spices
A roast to make your taste buds sing!
Recipe and Styling: Sue Ashworth
Photography: Jonathan Short
Ingredients (Serves 2, with leftovers!)
- 1 medium chicken
- 2tbsp vegetable oil
- 1tsp ground turmeric
- 1tsp ground coriander
- 1tsp cumin seeds
- 2 limes, sliced
- 1 red or green chilli, deseeded and sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6. Put the chicken into a roasting tin.
2 Mix together the oil, turmeric, coriander and cumin seeds. Rub all over the chicken. Season with salt and black pepper.
3 Cover the bird with foil and roast for between 1½hrs and 1hr 40min. Around 20min before the end of the cooking time remove the foil and add the lime wedges, chilli and garlic.
4 Check that the chicken is fully cooked by inserting a sharp knife into the thickest part. There should be no trace of pink juices. If necessary, cook a little longer.
5 Cover the chicken with foil and allow it to rest for 10min before carving. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with turmeric potatoes.
5. Naked Whisky Mac Gateau
Naked Whisky Mac Gateau
A grown-up, contemporary showstopper
Recipe and Styling: Kathryn Hawkins
Photography: Stuart MacGregor
Ingredients
- 300g plain flour
- 10g bicarbonate of soda
- 4tsp ground ginger
- 2tsp ground mixed spice
- 300g soft light brown sugar
- 3 medium size eggs, beaten
- 300ml buttermilk
- 175g unsalted butter, very soft
- 3 small oranges
- 300ml double cream
- 5tbsp whisky
- 2tbsp clear honey
- Frosted rosemary sprigs and orange wedges, to decorate
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/Fan Oven 160°C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line 3 x 18cm sandwich cake tins. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a bowl and stir in the brown sugar. Make a well in the centre.
2 Add eggs, buttermilk and butter and mix well to a smooth, thick batter. Divide between the tins, smooth the tops and bake for 30-35min until golden and firm to the touch. Cool for 5min then turn on to a wire rack to cool completely.
3 To decorate, grate the rind from one of the oranges and set aside. Slice off the tops and bottoms from all the oranges and peel away the rind and pith keeping the oranges whole, then slice them thinly.
4 Whip the cream until just peaking and then whisk in the orange rind, 2tbsp whisky and honey. Prick the cakes with a cocktail stick and sprinkle with the remaining whisky, then spread 2 of the cakes with whipped cream. Drain the orange slices and arrange over the top of the cream.
5 Stack the cakes on top of each other and transfer to a plate. Very thinly spread some of the remaining cream round the edge of the cake using a palette knife – you should still be able to see the cake layers. Carefully spread the rest of the cream on top, decorate with the frosted rosemary and orange wedges, and serve.
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