Crab & tangled asparagus on toast
Shaving asparagus into ribbons isn’t something you see that often but it’s a lovely way to serve it, and leaving it in the dressing for a few minutes helps it to soften.
SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 3 mins EASY
4 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp olive oil small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped 1 small gherkin, chopped
6 tbsp good-quality thick mayonnaise
200g white crabmeat
4 small slices of sourdough
4 small handfuls rocket (about 50g)
1 Use a swivel blade peeler to shave the asparagus into ribbons. Put in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, then dress with the lemon juice and olive oil and set aside.
2 Mix the parsley, capers, gherkin and lemon zest into the mayonnaise in a small bowl, then gently fold through the crabmeat. Toast or griddle the sourdough and top with the crab mixture. Toss the rocket in with the asparagus and top each crab toast with a tangle of the asparagus salad. Season with flaky sea salt and serve.
PER SERVING 532 kcals • fat 43g • saturates 4g • carbs 19g • sugars 3g • fibre 2g • protein 16g • salt 1.3g
Rib-eye with steak pan potatoes & peas
Cooking the potatoes in the steak pan means cutting down on the washing-up, but you’re also getting all the flavour from the steak onto the potatoes. As we’re cooking against the clock, there’s no time to make a sauce, but if you slice the steak once it has rested, season and drizzle with olive oil, you’ll get a lovely, meaty dressing on the board for drizzling over at the end.
SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins COOK 15 mins EASY
2 rib-eye steaks, about 300g each and 2cm thick
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 new potatoes, quartered
4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
25g butter
50g frozen peas or fresh
8 radishes, sliced, any leaves picked and washed
1 Flatten the steaks out slightly with your hands. Mix the garlic with the vinegar and a large pinch of salt and rub over both sides of the steaks and set aside.
2 Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 8-10 mins until just tender, then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat and sizzle the steaks for
5-6 mins on each side until nicely seared, then sit on a board to rest. Add the potatoes and pan-fry until starting to brown.
3 Pour some boiling water over the peas, then drain and add to the pan with the sliced radishes to heat through for 2 mins, then toss in the radish leaves (if you have them) for 30 secs.
4 Carve the steaks into thick slices and drizzle with a bit more oil and some seasoning to make a dressing with the juices. Fan out the meat and serve with the potatoes in a bowl on the side.
GOOD TO KNOW gluten free
PER SERVING 573 kcals • fat 41g • saturates 16g • carbs 19g • sugars 2g • fibre 3g • protein 29g • salt 0.5g
Peach & raspberry fruit salad with mascarpone
This recipe is just a case of getting the best out of fresh produce. There isn’t any actual cooking involved, just layers of flavour. I love lemon thyme with summer fruits, but if you’ve got a supply of lemon verbena that would work beautifully as well.
SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins NO COOK EASY V
2 ripe peaches or nectarines 50g caster sugar
1 tsp lemon thyme leaves 100g mascarpone 100ml double cream drop vanilla extract 16 raspberries, halved small handful pistachios, roughly chopped
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 Stone and finely slice the peaches or nectarines and arrange the slices over four plates. Sprinkle over a little of the sugar and scatter over most of the thyme leaves.
2 Whisk together the mascarpone, cream, vanilla extract and the remaining sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Spoon or pipe blobs of the mixture over the peaches or nectarines and arrange the raspberries over the plates. Finish with a scattering of pistachios, the remaining thyme leaves and a drizzle of maple syrup to serve.
GOOD TO KNOW gluten free
PER SERVING 337 kcals • fat 26g • saturates 16g • carbs 21g • sugars 20g • fibre 2g • protein 3g • salt 0.1g