Ricotta, chickpea & rocket salad with lemon-anchovy dressing

(Serves 2)

·         400g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

·         sea salt and freshly ground pepper

·         1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

·         juice of 1 lemon

·         2-3 handfuls fresh rocket

·         150g fresh ricotta

Lemon-anchovy dressing

·         2 anchovy fillet, finely chopped

·         1 cloves garlic, finely chopped

·         freshly ground pepper

·         60ml extra virgin olive oil

·         1/2 tbsp lemon juice

·         1 handful basil leaves, torn

·         1 handful mint leaves, finely chopped

·         1 small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Method

To make the dressing, whizz the anchovies, garlic and a little pepper, oil, lemon juice and the herbs, until you have a thick green slush.

Mash 1/2 the chickpeas in a bowl.

Add salt and pepper, the olive oil and the lemon juice, and mix well, then fold in the remaining whole chickpeas.

Place some chickpea mixture on each of 4 plates.

Place the rocket beside the chickpeas and drizzle with half the dressing.

Divide the ricotta among the plates, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

Warm smoked salmon, pea & brussel sprout salad

Serves 2

Salad

·  200g smoked ocean trout or salmon

·  2 slices pancetta

·  150g small brussels sprouts

·  150g green beans, topped, not tailed

·  100g peas

·  2 poached eggs

·  Sea salt

·  Cracked black pepper

Dressing

·  1 tbsp wasabi paste/horseradish cream

·  Juice of 1/2 a lemon (or 1 Tbsp lime juice)

·  1 tbsp olive oil

·  2 tbsp mayo (or sour cream or yoghurt)

Method

Heat oven to 200C. Place fish on an oven tray lined with baking paper and cover lightly with foil. Arrange pancetta alongside and bake for 15 minutes, or until fish is just hot and pancetta is crisp. Whisk dressing ingredients together, season and set aside.

Cook brussel sprouts and beans in simmering salted water for three minutes. Add peas and simmer for two minutes, then drain well and strew over four warm dinner plates. Roughly flake fish into bite-size chunks and arrange on top. Add poached egg and pancetta, season well and serve with dressing.

To poach an egg

Fill a frying pan with water to 10 centimetres deep and bring to a simmer. Add one teaspoon of white vinegar. Break an egg into a small cup and slip it into the water, then repeat with remaining egg. Simmer for 3½ to four minutes, spooning hot water over the eggs once or twice to set the tops. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Mum's Pav

Oven at 120C

4 egg whites beaten until stiff,
add 1 cup of castor sugar slowly,
add 1 teasp of vinegar and 1/2 of vanilla.

Pile on a baking tray in a 8" or 20cm circle dragging knife up the sides sot form a pattern. Bake for 1 to 1.5 hours till crisp on the outside.  Top  with whipped cream, strawberries and passionfruit pulp.