Crunchy apple pots

These are a de-constructed apple crumble, for days when you fancy a change or haven't got an oven.

Stew some cooking apples (3 big ones for 6 people) by placing peeled and sliced apples, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water into a pan and simmering until soft.

Place stewed apple in the bottom of 6 ramekins.

Make real custard (see recipe). Pour a layer of custard into each ramekin.

Sprinkle each ramekin with granola.

That's it - real simple and very yummy.

Apple veggie burgers

2 tart apples (like Granny Smith), grated, peel on

½ onion, grated or very finely chopped

1 cup bread crumbs

1 pepper, de-seeded and very finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 cup brown or white rice, cooked and cooled (leftover is fine)

6 tablespoon rolled oats

½ teaspoon salt

plenty of black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable, groundnut or light olive  oil

Place grated apples in a bowl with onions, half of the bread crumbs, pepper, ginger, rice, half of the oats, salt, and pepper. Mix well. 

Shape mixture into patties, adding more bread crumbs if necessary to get a sticky but firm consistency. Press into a ring mould, if you want to be all cheffy. Chill in the fridge for an hour if you want them to firm up. Coat with the remaining oats.

Heat the oil in the frying pan, over medium heat. Fry over medium heat until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. DO NOT MOVE OR DISTURB THE BURGERS UNTIL THEY ARE BROWNED.

Courgette and cheese soup

2 tablespoons vegetable (or light olive) oil

1 large onion (or 2 shallots) chopped

1 clove garlic

3 or 4 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped into small chunks

1kg courgettes, chopped

2 litres chicken stock (see recipe)

250g hard cheese (that will melt without going grainy), grated

Salt and pepper

In a large pan, gently soften the bacon, onion and garlic, without browning them. Add the courgettes, and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes (or until the courgettes are soft).

Add half of the cheese, and blend well in a liquidiser of with a wand blender. Check and adjust the seasoning, and add more cheese to taste. The cheese shouldn’t overpower the flavour of courgette.

Serve with a swirl of double cream, if you prefer.

Escalope of pork in honey mustard sauce

4 pork escalopes

A little vegetable (or light olive) oil

2 shallots, chopped finely

A splash of white wine

250ml double cream

1 tablespoon grainy honey mustard (or 1 tablespoon grainy mustard and 1 teaspoon runny honey)

Salt and pepper

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Oil and season both sides of the escalopes. Reduce the heat to medium. Place the pork in the griddle pan and fry (without moving them) on one side until you can see they are cooked halfway through. Turn them, and repeat on the other side. Remove the escalopes from the pan, wrap them in foil, and set them aside.

Gently fry the onions in the oil that remains in the pan, until they are glossy. Add a splash of wine to ‘de-glaze’ the pan. Add the cream and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to low. Add 2/3 of the honey mustard. Return the pork to the pan, with any juices that have seeped out. Check the seasoning and adjust. Add a little more mustard, to taste. Baste the pork with the sauce.

Serve with mash or new potatoes, and the veg of your choice. I like finely sliced cabbage, sautéed in a little butter for 2-3 minutes.

Best ever burgers

500g lean beef mince (chuck steak mince is best)

One large onion, grated or very finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or ½ teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 egg yolk

1 packet salted peanuts, finely chopped

1 tablespoon good olive oil

Black pepper, coarsely ground

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix thoroughly (with your hands is best). Form into 4 burgers.

Grill or shallow fry for 10-15 minutes. You can serve these ‘medium’, if the mince is good quality and lean.

Serve in bread buns, with mayonnaise and a bit of salad.