Unlike other guacamole I have tasted before, this was not pureed (in to a consistency resembling baby food!) or an odd-shade of green, but chunky and fresh and has already received good reviews from friends during a picnic last week!

One ingredient used was a Mexican cheese, however, I have been unable to source this back home and so have removed it from the ingredients list below. I shall update this post when I locate a supplier!

Ingredients (makes a tub enough to serve 4 for a side salad, or 2 for a dip to much watching a film!):

• 2 Avocados (ripe)
• 4 or 5 small shallots, chopped finely
• 2 to 4 cloves of garlic (dependent on your taste preference) – crushed or chopped finely
• 2 tomatoes – chopped, but not too finely
• 1 Green chilli, chopped finely
• A good handful of chopped coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Juice of a lime

Method:

If you had a large enough pestle and mortar, I would recommend mixing and smashing up the ingredients in this, as you will extract more flavour, however, the method below assumes you do not.

• Slice the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh
• Slice the flesh relatively finely, but leaving chunky rather than down to a smooth paste
• Place the avocado in to a bowl and add the garlic, tomatoes and chilli
• Mix together the ingredients and season with salt/pepper to taste
• Add the lime juice and mix once more
• Taste – adjust seasoning and add further ingredients if you feel the balance is not right

This can be placed in to a sealed container in the fridge and kept for a couple of days, however eat straight away for the ultimate fresh taste!

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The Island of Korcula has a thriving fishing industry serving local restaurants, guaranteeing the finest and freshest ingredients the surrounding seas have to offer every time you dine, including squid, cod, shrimp, sardines, mussels and cuttlefish (if you have a chance, try Cuttlefish Risotto, which is coloured black with its ink!). The local dishes have Italian and Greek influences using similar ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, pasta and risotto rice.

We found a fantastic, family-run restaurant just off the centre square in Vela Luka, which served amazing home-cooked dishes, packed with flavour and generations of refinement as recipes have been passed down. A truly wonderful family – Mum is the Head Chef, Dad cooks on the grill and Son is the waiter. We ate here several times during our two-week stay, as the food was inspiring and the service was very friendly – we learnt much about local Dalmatian culture, general life and history during conversations with the waiter. On our final night in Vela Luka, I sat down with Mum and Son and they passed on a couple of recipes to me – Buzara with Langoustine (or shrimp as they called them!) and Seafood Risotto, both of which I have cooked back home. Buzara is a messy way to eat, however the flavours are just wonderful.

Ingredients:

• Langoustine – 4 or 5 per person (this could be substituted with large prawns, just adjust the quantity accordingly)
• 2 Cloves of garlic minced or chopped finely
• Skinned, deseeded and chopped tomatoes (you could use a tin of chopped tomatoes)
• 1 Onion, chopped finely
• Good handful of chopped parsley
• 1 Glass of white wine
• 50g of breadcrumbs (used to thicken the sauce, so you may alter to suit your preference)
• Olive oil
• 1 Teaspoon of Vegeta (powdered seasoning, like vegetable stock – I purchased some from a local Polish Deli)
• Ground black pepper to taste

And the fun bit:

• Heat the olive oil (not too hot, or you will burn the ingredients) and then tip in the breadcrumbs.
• Cook the breadcrumbs until they start to change colour and toast.
• Add the garlic and fry briefly until it starts to change colour, then add the tomatoes, wine and Vegeta and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add pepper to taste and place in the langoustine – cover and leave to simmer for 15 minutes (or until the langoustine has cooked)
• Remove the lid, add the parsley and stir in

Serve up with napkins, because you will need them! If you can find some, I recommend a bottle of Croatian Posip, a wonderfully crisp, dry white wine from Korcula.

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Ingredients:

• Minced chicken – approximately 250 grams
• 1/2 Onion, chopped in to medium-sized pieces
• Green beans – sliced in to bite-sized pieces
• Baby corn – sliced in to bite-sized pieces
• Holy basil leaves – a good hand full
• 1 Tablespoon of crushed garlic

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon of fish sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon of dark soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of sugar (palm or brown, preferably)
• Between 1 and 15 fresh, finely chopped red of green hot chillies (for example, Thai Finger Chillies) – obviously this is dependent on how hot you would like the dish to be

Add all of the sauce ingredients in to a bowl and mix.

How to cook:

1. Add a little olive oil (or vegetable oil) in to your wok and fry the garlic until it starts to change colour and look yellow
2. Add the chicken and cook
3. Once the chicken is cooked, add the onion, green bean and baby corn and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute
4. Add the sauce
5. Check the taste and adjust if required
6. Add the holy basil leaves and cook for 10 – 20 seconds
7. Serve and enjoy!

This can also be made using Thai Sweet basil, which gives a completely different perspective of flavour and is fantastic, especially if you like aniseed flavour!

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Every year, our trusted BBQ becomes my kitchen for the spring and summer. From straight forward, simple fish; mackerel, scallops, sea bass, river cobbler, tuna, bream or good old-fashioned meat; pork chops, steak, sausages, ribs, home-made burgers or chicken, whatever the ingredient, nothing in the culinary world gives me greater pleasure than chilling in the garden with a beer or glass of wine in my hand, cooking over the heat and aroma of charcoal. Whether cooking for just my wife and I, family or friends, I truly think this is one of the most sociable and enjoyable rituals of the summer months. What always makes me laugh is that every time we spark up the barbie, it’s always the males of the party that congregate around the embers….I suppose it’s a simple equation really; meat+flames+beer/wine+laughs=happy blokes!

Anyway, I’m rambling now so I’ll move on to the main course; this simple and straightforward recipe is a great compliment to any BBQ feast and is really straightforward to prepare and cook. Our greenhouse is now laden with fresh, home-grown fruit and vegetables and it’s time to take this fantastic array of produce and put it to good use. In and around the greenhouse, we’ve managed to grow (goodness knows how though, I can only put this down to beginners luck!) courgettes, spring onions, strawberries, pak choi, lettuce, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and amongst others, tomatoes….and an abundance of them!

So, simple, quick ‘n’ easy bruschetta; I take a couple of hand-fulls of cherry tomatoes (you can use any type, but these happened to be ripe and crying out to be eaten) and chop them in half. Place these in to a baking tray with some chopped garlic, pine nuts, drizzle with olive oil and tip in a good splash of balsamic vinegar. Place these in the oven at approximately 180 degrees and cook for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, garnish with some ripped basil leaves and spoon over the top of  some sliced, toasted/grilled fresh french stick (baguette)…..oh yes!

Enjoy!

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Equipment needed; Shallow Baking tray, Large Sauce Pan, Sharpe Knife, Tin opener and whisk.

Ingredients

• 600g Potato
• 300ml Olive Oil
• 1  Onion
• 1 Fresh Chilli
• 400g Tin chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 1 pinch Pimenton
• 2 tbsp Sherry vinegar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Clove garlic

Method

1. Heat oven to 200c, Put 100mls of oil in a baking tray and place into hot oven  Peel potatoes, cut into 2cm square pieces. Put potato into oil and shake around, leave for about 40 minutes whilst making the tomato sauce.
2. Put 50mls of oil into pan and heat, peel and finely chop onions, finely chop chilli place carefully in oil and  cook until onions are translucent and soft, add tomatoes, sugar and pimenton, simmer for 20 minutes at the end add the sherry vinegar
3. To make garlic mayonnaise you can either make your own by combing the garlic and egg with 1tbsp of oil by whisking together then a further 150mls of oil drizzled in whilst whisking, or cheating and buying a good quality shop bought maynoaise and adding crushed garlic.
4. Plate up tomato sauce place potatoes on top with a dollop of mayonnaise.
5. Enjoy!

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Cazuelas Earthenware Casserole Bargain Prices $12.50

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During a long weekend trip with my wife and daughter to Barcelona, a passion for the Spanish tradition of Tapas was enlightened.  A chance discovery of the La Boqueria food market (one of the largest in Europe} was an experience I will never forget.  The market is definitely not just there to provide a tourist attraction but to provide the people of Barcelona with the freshest, best quality, locally-sourced produce. The senses were bombarded in en

Within the market there are a number of Tapas stalls cooking small, exquisite dishes from the produce that is being sold around them. The freshness of the ingredient’s is unsurpassed and the variety of options seeming to be almost endless.

A Spanish waiter explained Tapa means lid or cover and the cuisines origins comes from inn keepers placing a slice of bread with ham or cheese on top over drinks being served, to keep out flies. The theory goes that the food offerings became more and more  elaborate with rival inn keepers competing to entice in clientele.

Modern Tapas is a mixture of small tasty dishes served in the earthenware (Cazuelas) or paella pan it’s been cooked in. Tapas can be eaten alone, shared one portion or as many dishes as you care to eat over any amount of time. All the traditional flavours of Spain can be found within tapas dishes. Wonderful fresh seafood, vegetables, meat, manchego cheese, Iberian Chorizo, Serrano Ham Paella, paprika, olives and tomatos. It is the ultimate in social relaxed eating. I hope to share with you some of my favourite recipes I have experienced whilst exploring this exciting cuisine.

Gambas pil pil

This dish is very simple but a really good way of showcasing large fresh prawns.  I love the simple pleasure of dipping bread into the oil the prawns have cooked in the combination of flavours is divine.

Equipment needed; individual Earthenware dishes (Cazuelas), knife.

Ingredients per individual dish

• 3-4 Tbsp of good quality olive oil
• 6-10 large prawns
• Clove of Garlic
• 1 Dried Red Chilli
• 1 Lemon
• Pinch of Pimenton (paprika)
• Basket of Bread

Method

1. Peel and devein Prawns.
2. Peel and thinly slice Garlic.
3. Add Garlic, chilli, and paprika to oil inside earthen ware dish. Place dish directly onto  hob, heat until hot but not smoking.
4. Carefully add prawns, cook  for 2-3 minutes till prawns are pink and starting to curl
5. Serve immediately in same dish being careful of hot oil, lemon wedges for garnish and bread for dunking
6. Enjoy

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Cazuelas Earthenware Casserole Bargain Prices $12.50

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Equipment Needed; Potato peeler, Sharp Knife, Large Roasting Tray, Large Sauce Pan, Colander, Long Handled Spoon.

First place the roasting tray with the duck/goose fat in it on the highest shelf of the oven while it pre-heats. Thinly peel the potatoes using a potato peeler, cut the potatoes into fairly even-sized pieces, leaving the small ones whole.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, pour over boiling water from a kettle, just to cover, then add salt and simmer. After 10 minutes lift out one of the potatoes and check the outer edge is fluffy, Ideally you’d like the potatoes to be just cooked so there not to soft and disintegrate into the water. If still sides are smooth place back into water and give a few extra minutes.

Drain off the water, reserving some for the gravy. Place the lid back on the saucepan, and, holding the lid on firmly with your hand protected by a cloth or oven glove, shake the saucepan vigorously up and down. This shaking roughens up the cooked edges of the potato and makes them floury and fluffy – this is the secret of crunchy edges once the potato is cooked.

Remove the hot roasting tray containing its sizzling fat and transfer to the direct heat (medium) on the hob. Then use a long-handled spoon and quickly lower the potatoes into the hot fat. When they are all in, tilt the tray and baste each potato so it’s completely coated with fat. Now place them back on the highest shelf of the oven and leave them unattended for 40-50 minutes or until they are golden brown. There’s no need to turn them over at half-time – they will brown evenly by themselves. Sprinkle them with a little crushed salt before serving straight away; they lose their crunch if you keep them waiting. If they’re ready before you are, turn the oven off and leave them inside.

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To make a lovely creamy potato dauphinoise, you need to buy a waxy potato variety that will retain its texture as it absorbs liquid I like to use desiree . A traditional gratin is cooked entirely in the oven, but I prefer to simmer the potatoes first in milk on the hob, then finish the dish in the oven. This method cuts the cooking time and gives you a more dependable result. The potatoes should be of a similar size.

Equipment needed: Potato peeler, Mandolin, Large Saucepan, Colander, Large Bowl, Large Ovenproof Dish, Shallow Baking Tray

Ingredients:

• 600g waxy potatoes (such as Desiree)
• 350ml milk
• 350ml double cream
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced
• 1 thyme sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 90g Gruyère cheese, grated
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas 6. Peel the potatoes, thinly slice ideally with a mandolin to thickness of about a pound coin. Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a large saucepan and add the garlic, herbs and seasoning. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
2. Slide the potatoes into the pan and stir gently. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the potato slices are only just tender; they should hold their shape and retain a bite. Drain the par-cooked potatoes in a colander over a bowl to catch the milk.
3. Layer the potatoes in a shallow ovenproof dish, sprinkling two thirds of the cheese and seasoning in between the layers. Trickle a little of the saved milk over each layer too.
4. Pour a little more of the milk around the sides, but not too much – just enough to moisten. Sprinkle over the last of the cheese.
5. Place the dish in a shallow roasting tin and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is beginning to bubble and turn golden brown. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
6. Enjoy!

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Mash is always a firm family favourite with its ability to go with so many other foods, always popular with my children, who have been known to be a little lazy with chewing at times. If like me you like lump free mash then follow these instructions, use a potato ricer and I guarantee  a perfect lump free result every time.

Equipment needed: Potato peeler, Large Saucepan, Colander, Large bowl. Potato ricer, Wooden spoon

1. Peel and cut potatoes into1 inch cubes, I think a floury variety such as Maris Piper or King Edwards is best for mash. Put potatoes in water that is simmering for about 15 minutes, or until they’re tender enough to crumble if pressed with a fork or your finger. Drain potatoes, and transfer them to a bowl.
2. Make sure your ricer is fitted with the appropriate disk (the disk with the widest-diameter holes should be fine), then spoon a few chunks of potatoes into the bowl of the ricer.
3. Working over the pot you used to cook the potatoes, or another bowl, push the handles of the ricer together, making sure that the top of the ricer fits into the bowl and presses the potatoes through the holes into the disk. The potatoes will press through the holes in noodle-like strands. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, making sure not to overcrowd the ricer by adding too many potatoes.
4. Add butter, warm milk, salt and pepper and other seasoning (f0r example, chives, spring onions etc) to your potatoes, and stir them with a wooden spoon to combine. This can be done over low heat to re-warm potatoes.

Enjoy!

Next time, best roasties…..

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I chose to make this soup using meaty fish, which won’t flake during cooking and opted for Monkfish; you can use any other derivative, chicken or even tofu if you fancy it, although I haven’t tried this yet. I also decided to add prawns, as my wife loves them!

Ok, so here’s the ingredients and as with any recipe, these are just suggestions so feel free to use your gastronomic-artistic license to experiment!

• Monkfish (amount of which depends on how much you wish to eat, or spend!)
• 1 Onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Large tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Approx. 30g of mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces*
• 1 Tablespoon of galangal, thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoon of lemon grass, thinly sliced
• 2 Kaffir lime leaves, rolled and cut into small slices
• 2 Spring onions, sliced into approx. 1 inch pieces
• Fish or chicken stock (you can get good quality, pre-made in the shops, approx. 400-500ml)

*For authenticity, I purchased some Thai mushrooms which look like ears(!) from the local Thai supermarket. Ok, so they don’t look the most appertising, but they do taste good

Place the following in to a bowl and stir to make a sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons of lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons of fish sauce
• Between 1 and 15 dried chillies cut into small pieces (depending on how hot you like it, I use about 4 or 5 and it’s hot!)
• 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar (palm or brown)

Ok, th fun bit:

1. Place the stock into a pan with the lemongrass and galangal and boil for a couple of minutes – this will start and infuse the stock with those fresh flavours
2. Add the monkfish and this will start to cook pretty quickly
3. Once the monkfish has changed colour, add the onion and mushrooms and cook until bubbles start to appear in the middle of the pan – do not stir at this stage as you will lengthen the time prior to boiling and leave the vegetables over-cooked
4. Now add the sauce you prepared earlier
5. Now add the tomato
6. Turn off the heat, add the kaffir lime leaves, spring onion and serve immediately
7. Enjoy!

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