Garlicky Potato Salad

New potatoes in skins

Real mayonnaise (or Hellmans if you don't make your own)

Garlic, finely minced

Chives, chopped

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Method

Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain, slice into halves or quarters, depending on size, and place in a tupperware bowl. Add garlic, chives, salt & pepper to taste and lots of mayonnaise. Mix in gently to avoid breaking the potatoes. Cover and chill until needed.

Note

Best made at least four hours before to allow the garlic flavour to develop in the mayo.

If you don't like garlic, you can make this with chopped spring onions (scallions).

Suzie's Seafood Salad

1 tub of taramasalata

1/4 tub of sour cream

Good double handful of cooked short pasta OR cooked rice

1 large tin of tuna, drained

Lots of prawns, cooked

1 lemon, sliced

Method

Mix the taramasalata and sour cream together in a big bowl. Add the pasta or rice, the tuna and prawns and mix. Decorate the top with the remaining prawns and slices of lemon.

Coronation Chicken

Recipe in Waste Not Want Not

Spinach, Ricotta & Sun Dried Tomato Parcels (For Six)

1 lb fresh spinach leaves, washed twice

4 oz Ricotta cheese

1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

3 tblsp sun dried tomato spread

8 oz frozen puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the spinach leaves and a little salt into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally until it has all wilted. Drain in a colander, pressing out the liquid with the back of a spoon. Put the spinach onto a board and chop finely, then place in a bowl with the ricotta and parmesan and salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Roll out the pastry thinly and cut into 6 squares. Put 1/2 tblsp of tomato spread in the middle of each square and top with some of the spinach mixture. Brush the edges of the pastry square with a little water and bring the four corners up to the top and pinch together, crimping the seams together. Brush with the beaten egg and place on a baking sheet in a pre-heated oven at 425ºF, 220ºC for about 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Souvlakia

Recipe in Here's One I Prepared Earlier

Lamb Kebabs

Lean lamb, cut in large cubes

Green pepper, cut in large squares

Onion, cut in chunks

Lemon, cut in wedges

Herbs de Provence

Olive oil

Method

Thread long skewer with cubes of lamb, alternating them with wedges of pepper and onion. Thread a lemon wedge onto each skewer last. Brush with olive oil and sprikle with the herbs.

Cook on a BBQ, turning occasionally until the outside is well done and the inside pinkish. Remove the lemon wedge and squeeze the juice over the kebab.

Chicken Kebabs

Chicken thighs, boned

Cup mushrooms, cleaned

Red pepper, cut in large squares

Olive oil

Method

If you're fussy, like me, remove the skin and fat from the chicken thighs before cutting each one in half. Thread the meat onto a long skewer, alternating with mushrooms and pepper. Brush with olive oil and cook on a BBQ until the chicken is well cooked.

Baked Chocolate Bananas

Bananas

Chocolate drops

Whipped cream

Method

Do not peel the bananas! Split the bananas lengthwise down the inside of their curve. Put lots of chocolate drops inside the split of the fruit and close up. Wrap in foil and place on the BBQ for about 5 minutes.

Be careful opening the foil -its going to be very hot inside. You can take it out and serve on a plate or eat it straight out of the foil with a dollop of cream.

Chocolate Strawberries

Fresh strawberries, washed and dried

Semi-sweet chocolate

Method

Break the chocolate into a bowl and melt in the microwave on Low or a bain marie. Holding the strawberries by their stalks, dip the berries into the chocolate to coat well. Turn upside down on a cooling rack and refrigerate until needed.