Serves 4-6 Time taken 1 hour.

· 100 g short crust pastry

For the Filling:

· 450 g fresh spinach;

· 225 g cottage cheese;

· 3 eggs;

· 25 g grated Parmesan cheese;

· 4 tablespoon salt;

· freshly milled pepper;

· pinch nutmeg;

· cream.

Roll the prepared pastry out thinly and use to line a 20-cm quiche tin or a flan ring set on a bating tray. Trim the edges and prick the base of the flan with a fork. Fill the centre with a piece of crumpled kitchen foil to hold the shape while baking. Place above centre in a hot oven (200 degree C) and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the foil a few minutes before the end of the cooking time. Meanwhile, wash the spinach in several lots of cold water to clean thoroughly. Tear away the centre stalk from each leaf and place the spinach in a saucepan. Cover and cook over moderate heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until tender. No water is required, sufficient will be clinging to the spinach leaves. Drain the cooked spinach well and press to get rid of excess moisture. Chop the spinach finely. Sieve the cottage cheese into a mixing basin and add the spinach, eggs, Parmesan cheese and cream. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper and add the nutmeg. Spoon the mixture into the pastry case and spread evenly. Replace in the oven at moderately hot (190 degree C) and bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is set and lightly browned. Serve warm with sliced tomatoes tossed in oil and vinegar dressing.

London Particular (Pea and Ham) Soup

The thick blankets of fog known as «pea-soupers» that used to descend on London are now a thing of the past since the introduction of the «Clean Air Act» and smokeless fuels. This soup is named after those fogs and it will still keep you warm on a misty autumn evening!

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

· 15 Gram Butter ( 1/2 oz);

· 50 Gram Streaky bacon, rinded and chopped plus extra fried or grilled pieces for garnish (2 oz);

· 1 Medium Onion, chopped;

· 1 Medium Carrot, diced;

· 1 Sticks Celery, chopped;

· 450 Gram Split dried peas (1 lb);

· 2.3 Litres Ham stock (4 pints);

· 4 Tablespoon Natural yogurt.

Melt the butter, add the bacon, onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables have begun to soften. Add the peas and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the peas are cooked. Liquidize thoroughly. Add the yogurt and reheat gently without boiling. Serve garnished with bacon pieces (and croutons if you like).

Crab Salad

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

· 2 Tablespoon Lemon juice;

· 2 Tablespoon Mayonnaise;

· 2 Tablespoon Natural yogurt;

· 450 Gram Crab meat (1 lb);

· 1 Cucumber, diced;

· 4 Tomatoes, skinned and cubed;

· 110 Gram Pasta shells, cooked (4 oz);

· 1 Lettuce, shredded;

· Cucumber and lemon slices, to garnish.

Mix together the lemon juice, mayonnaise and yogurt. Combine the dressing with the remaining ingredients except the lettuce. Serve the crab salad on a bed of shredded lettuce. Garnish with cucumber and lemon slices and accompany with brown bread and butter. If you are using fresh crabs in their shells you will need two large crabs to produce the weight specified. The dish looks good garnished with crab claws.

Traditional Beef Stew

Bitter beer is best for this dish, failing that, try a Brown Ale or Stout.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

· 900 Gram Chuck steak (2 lb) trimmed and cubed;

· 25 Gram Lard (1 oz);

· 2 Medium Onions, diced;

· 225 Gram Button mushrooms (8 oz);

· 2 Carrots, sliced;

· 1 Sticks Celery, sliced;

· 1 Teaspoon English Mustard;

· 360 Ml Beer (bitter) (12 oz);

· 1 Sache Bouquet garni;

· 2 Tablespoon Plain flour;

· 25 Gram Butter, melted (1 oz).

Pre-heat oven to 150 °C / 300 °F / Gas 2. Heat the lard in an oven proof casserole and brown the beef. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and mustard, cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the beer, bring to the boil and turn off the heat. Add the bouquet garni, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours, checking and stirring every 40 minutes. Add a little water if necessary. Mix the flour and butter, stir into the stew to thicken and remove the bouquet garni.

Bramely Crunch

The Bramley apple is the perfect ingredient to turn everyday recipes into quick and easy dishes with a healthy difference. Here they make a simple tangy dessert.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

· 450 Gram Bramley apples, peeled, cored & sliced (1 lb);

· 2 Tablespoon Water;

· Sugar, to taste;

· 1-2 Teaspoon Cinnamon;

· 75 Gram Butter (3 oz);

· 75 Gram Fresh white breadcrumbs (3 oz);

· 25 Gram Rolled oats (1 oz);

· 50 Gram Demerara sugar (2 oz);

· 50 Gram Hazelnuts, chopped (2 oz);

· Greek style yogurt.

Place the apples and water in a heavy-based pan and cook over a moderate heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cool and mash or blend to a smooth purée. Sweeten to taste. Mix the apple purée with half the cinnamon. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the breadcrumbs, oats, demerara sugar and remaining cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently until golden brown, Cool and add hazelnuts. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the crumb mixture, then layer the apple purée with the breadcrumbs into individual glasses, finishing with apple topped with yogurt and reserved crumbs.

Grilled Hamburger Steaks

Ingredients:

· 1 slice (about 1 ounce) French bread;

· Water;

· 1 1/2 pounds ground round steak;

· 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives;

· 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley;

· 2 teaspoons mixed dried tarragon, oregano, thyme and marjoram;

· 1 teaspoon salt;

· 1/2 teaspoon sea salt;

· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper;

· 1 egg.

In a large mixing bowl, soak the bread in enough water to cover. Squeeze out and discard the water. Add the ground beef and herbs, salt and pepper. Break in the egg and mix well with hands or fork. Shape the meat into 4 large patties, each about 1 inch thick. Place the burgers on a greased grill about 4 inches above hot coals. Grill about 10 to 15 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Omit French bread or replace with crushed pork rinds or ground almonds to make this a low carb recipe.

Mushroom Stuffed Burgers

Ingredients:

· 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef;

· 1/4 cup finely chopped onion;

· 2 eggs, slightly beaten;

· 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs;

· 1/4 cup ketchup;

· 1/2 teaspoon salt;

· 1/8 teaspoon pepper;

· 2 tablespoons butter;

· 8 ounces sliced mushrooms;

· 6 slices Cheddar, Mozzarella, or American cheese;

· 6 split buns, toasted.

Combine ground beef, onion, eggs, bread crumbs, ketchup, salt, and pepper; shape into twelve thin (about 1/4-inch thick) patties. In a skillet, melt the butter and saute the mushrooms until just tender. Place mushrooms on 6 of the patties. Top with remaining patties and seal edges. Broil or grill the burgers to desired doneness. Top each with a slice of cheese and let melt. Serve on split toasted buns.

The French Toasts

Ingredients:

· 2 egg whites;

· 1 egg;

· 0,5 cups of skim milk (1 %);

· 0,5 teaspoons of vanilla, salt;

· 2 teaspoons of margarine or oil;

· 8 pieces of bread;

· the fresh bilberry, a blackberry, a raspberry (at will).

Preliminary warm up an oven to 200 degrees. Shake up egg whites, egg, milk, vanilla and a salt teaspoon. In a small frying pan melt 1 teaspoon of margarine. Deep bread slices in the shaken up mix so that it is good to cover both parties. Fry bread on a frying pan to golden color (6-8 minutes). To keep the roasted bread hot, hold it in warmed furnaces while will fry other slices. Submit a toast with a syrup or fresh berries.

Apple and Cheese Pudding

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

· 450 Gram Eating apples, sliced (1 lb);

· 25 Gram Butter (1 oz);

· Few drops Vanilla essence;

· 150 ml Milk ( 1/4 pint);

· 100 Gram Curd cheese (3 1/2 oz);

· 2 Eggs;

· 25 Gram Caster sugar (1 oz).

Cook the apples gently in butter and vanilla essence until slightly soft, place in a buttered ovenproof dish. Beat together the milk, cheese, eggs and sugar. Pour over the apples. Bake at 190 °C / 375 °F / Gas 5 for 25 minutes. Serve hot. If you cannot get curd cheese, try this recipe with another soft cheese instead.

Banana Cream Pie

This is a lovely dessert, nice enough to serve at a dinner party.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4-6

· 150 Gram Shortcrust pastry (5 oz);

· 2 Eggs, separated;

· 175 Gram Caster sugar (6 oz);

· 1 1/2 Teaspoon Cornflour;

· 1/2 Tablespoon Butter, melted;

· 300 ml Milk ( 1/2 pint);

· 1 Teaspoon Vanilla essence;

· 2 Bananas, sliced;

· Single cream, to serve.

Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface and use to line a 15 cm (6 inch) flan tin. Fill with baking beans and bake blind at 200 °C/ 400 °F/ Gas 6 for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and cook for a further 10 minutes until crisp. Beat the egg yolks, 50g (2 oz) sugar, cornflour and butter in a heatproof bowl, until pale in color. Bring the milk to the boil then gradually whisk into the egg mixture. Cook the bowl of custard over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly until thick. Cool. Stir in the vanilla essence. Arrange most of the banana slices in the bottom of the pastry case, reserving a few for decoration. Pour the custard over the banana slices. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, beat in half the remaining caster sugar and fold in the rest. Pipe meringue on top of the custard, leaving the centre uncovered. Bake at 150 °C / 300 °F / Gas 2 for 15-20 minutes until the meringue is golden. Arrange remaining banana slices in the centre. Serve cold with fresh cream.

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

· 25 Gram Butter (1 oz);

· 225 Gram Carrots (8 oz), diced;

· 225 Gram Parsnips (8 oz), diced;

· 1 Onion, sliced;

· 2 Potatoes, peeled and diced;

· 1 Green pepper, seeded and diced;

· 50 Gram Lentils (2 oz);

· 450 ml Vegetable stock (15 fl oz);

· 450 ml Milk (15 fl oz);

· 1 Bouquet garni;

· 1 x 213 Gram Can red kidney beans (7.5 oz), drained;

· 1 x 213 Gram Can butter beans (7.5 oz), drained;

· Sprigs Fresh parsley – to garnish;

· Bread rolls – to serve.

Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan and add the prepared vegetables and cook until softened. Add the lentils, stock, milk and bouquet garni and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Add the beans and heat through. Garnish with parsley and serve with bread rolls.

Cornish Crab Soup

This soup is delicious and extremely filling. If possible, add a few strands of saffron, which will give it not only a gorgeous golden color, but also a honey-like taste.

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

· 225 Gram Crab meat, fresh or frozen (8 oz);

· 50 Gram Butter (2 oz);

· 50 Gram Plain flour (2 oz);

· 900 ml Creamy milk (1 1/2 pints);

· 1.2 Litres Chicken stock (2 pints);

· Salt and white pepper;

· 1/4 Teaspoon Grated nutmeg;

· A few strands Saffron (optional);

· 2 Tablespoon Dry sherry;

· 150 ml Double cream, or whipping cream ( 1/4 pint).

Separate the white and dark crab meat. Heat the butter until foaming, stir in the flour and allow to cook for a minute, then add the milk, stirring well, then the chicken stock. Add the dark crab meat, salt, pepper and nutmeg and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes. Add the saffron if liked, stir and then put in the white crab meat and the sherry. Bring to just under boiling point, simmer for 5 minutes and check for seasoning. Transfer to a soup tureen as it is, with a swirl of cream, or it may be sieved or liquidised if preferred.