Mascarpone Dreams

Roast squash with mascarpone, Parmesan & sage
For lazy days - so easy to make

1. Spoon olive oil into each half of butternut squash, add the dried sage and finely chopped garlic. Salt & pepper.
2. Roast at 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 for 40-50 minutes or until tender and toasted around the edges.
3. Spoon the mascarpone into the hollows and stir, season and scatter with Parmesan. Stick in the oven for another 15 minutes till cheese melts nicely. Add fresh chopped parsley on top and serve. Chives work too.

Fruity Indoors BBQ

Exotic Quinoa

Mango Blueberry & Quinoa Salad is inspired by a similar salad available at M&S
but with more ingredients added.
It is an absolute winner and friends keep asking for the recipe.

Quinoa Salad:
• quinoa
• cucumber
• red rice
• 1 red pepper finely chopped
• lemon & basil oil dressing (see recipe below)
• beans, chickpeas or similar - optional
• blueberries
• 1 mango
• rocket well chopped
• dried cranberries
• a few coconut pieces
• sunflower seeds or mixed seeds


Lemon & Basil Oil Dressing:
• basil infused oil
• lemon juice
• garlic puree
• honey
• lemon zest
• salt & pepper
you can add crushed chilies (optional) for a spicier version
Simply prepare the quinoa and rice and combine all the ingredients. adding the dressing in the end.

Winter in the Med

Mediterranean stuffed peppers in the oven are quick, easy, yummy and comforting.

Here is what you need:
• 50g brown basmati rice
• 1 each red, orange and yellow pepper
• 1 bag watercress, roughly chopped
• a handful of baby plum tomatoes chopped
• 50g/2oz pitted black olives, chopped
• 50g/2oz drained sun-dried tomatoes
• 50g/2oz cheddar cheese, grated
• feta
• 25g grated Parmesan

Cook the rice in boiling salted water for 20 mins or according to pack instructions and drain.
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan180C/gas mark 6. Cut the peppers in half , length-ways and cutting through the stalks. Remove the seeds and discard; place them in a roasting tin, cut side up.
Mix the rice, watercress, olives, feta and sun-dried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes together with half the cheddar cheese. Season to taste. Spoon the mixture into the peppers and scatter over the remaining cheddar and all parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Serve with salad.

Swedish Chef

People have different opinions about IKEA and I respect them all.
I also understand the love-hate relationship others have with the place and what it represents.
But we have to congratulate the IKEA chaps on their new coffee table book. It is so clever and beautiful and inspiring.
Have a look here: www.demo.fb.se/e/ikea/homemade_is_best/index.html