Quinoa salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs

Salads have become a little more interesting over the years with the use of fruit, nuts and different kinds of grains. I like to do a bit of an interesting salad with our BBQ food to bring some refreshing flavours to the sometimes heavy BBQ meat and this one we have used a lot - its an adaptation of a Mary Berry recipe.

This is delicious on its own - or as a side dish at a BBQ. It can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Quinoa Salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs

Serves 8

Packet of quinoa and/or mix with packet of ready cooked lentils/bulgar wheat or pearl barley

Vegetable stock

3 spring onions

1 block feta cheese

7 stalks of coriander leaves

7 stalks of mint

7 stalks of parsley

1 pomegranate - seeds

3 lemons - juices

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Handful of Olives halved - optional

Red pepper - diced - optional

1. Cook the quinoa with the stock and allow it to cool

2. Cut the feta into 1/2cm blocks and add

3. Take out the pomegranate seeds and add

4. Cut the spring onions into 1/2 pieces (add the diced peppers, halved olives if desired) and add

5. Remove the stalks from the herbs and finely chop the herb leaves (mint, coriander & parsley) and add

6. Squeeze the lemon juice and mix with the olive oil and salt and pepper

7. Gently mix all together and mix through the salad dressing

You can substitute the pomegranate for half slices of clementine and increase the mint

Take out the quinoa or grains and add watermelon for a more fruity salad

Coffee Semifreddo

Ice-cream/semifreddo/affogato are my most favourite desert dishes - I can eat ice-cream any season, any time, from the tube, or a cone, or a cup or a dish, and although rather late to the party, last year I started making ice-creams & semifreddo's and have been reluctant to buy any shop ones since!

Whenever we have made this for dinner-parties -  the guests always want the recipe! A simple, easy (takes 15 minutes to make by my 10 year old daughter!) and delicious dish

Coffee Semifreddo

Serves 8

1 tbsp instant coffee

1 tbsp Tia Maria or brandy (or 2 tbsp Baileys)

4 large eggs, separated

100g golden caster sugar

300ml pot double cream

100g pack of Crunchie/Toblerone/Mint or Orange Matchmakers (broken into pieces - however big or small you wish!)

Chocolate flake pieces to decorate (or chocolate coffee beans) and sieved cocoa powder

1. Line a 1-litre loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Put the coffee, alcohol, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and stir to dissolve the coffee then beat until thick and leaving a trail.

3. Put the egg whites in a large bowl and beat until stiff with an electric whisk.

4. Beat the cream until it holds its shape. 6. Fold the cream into the coffee mixture, then carefully fold in the whites.

7. Fold through the chosen pieces of chocolate and tip the mixture into the loaf tin.

8. Lightly cover the surface with cling film.

7. To serve, unwrap and turn onto a platter - 15-20 minutes before eating. Take off the cling film and greaseproof paper and serve topped with flakes of chocolate or small sparklers!

Add any chocolate to this that you (or your guests particularly enjoy) - smarties/pieces of flake/chopped pieces of snickers/dark chocolate orange....

You can spray edible gold spray on the greaseproof paper on the inside of the loaf tin before adding the mixture or even silver/gold small edible balls.

Wholemeal Cottage Rolls

There is something so satisfying about kneading bread, seeing it rise and then eating fresh home-made bread. And this recipe is perfect and easy to make with little cooks and the wholemeal flour gives it some depth and flavour as well as being more nutritious!

You can top these rolls with any kind of seeds; Poppy/Pumpkin/Sunflower/Linseed/Sesame seeds/Porridge Oats/Chia seeds)

Wholemeal Cottage Rolls

Makes 10 small rolls

250g of strong white flour (extra for dusting)

250g of wholemeal flour

1 x 7g sachet of easy blend (fast-action) dried yeast

300ml hand warm water

1.5tsp of salt

45g unsalted butter at room temperature cut into small pieces

Sunflower oil (for greasing)

1 egg beaten

Seeds for sprinkling on top!

1. Combine sieved flour, yeast with salt.

2. Add butter and rub it in with your fingers.

3. Make a well in the centre and pour in water in a steady stream. Mix together.

4. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

5. Put in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film and let it rise for 1 hour (or until doubled in size)

6. After its risen kneed again 3-4 times – cut the dough into 10 equal pieces and shape into a bun with smaller piece on top and larger bottom piece

7. Flour handle of a wooden spoon and put it in centre of each one.

8. Cover with a tea-towel and allow to rise until doubled in size (40-45 minutes)

9. Brush rolls with egg, sprinkle on seeds, bake for 5 minutes at 240c (220c fan)

10. Reduce temperature to 220c (fan 200c) and bake for further 10 minutes until rolls are golden brown and firm.

When its sunny I put my dough (covered up) outside in the sunshine to rise in the sun!

If you are not keen on the wholemeal flour just replace with plain flour for white rolls!