Cider & wholegrain mustard chicken

Tender chicken thighs in a creamy, cider sauce with a wholegrain mustard & parsley tang.

Best served with rice and tenderstem broccoli

Serves 2

- olive oil

- 250g chicken thighs

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 garlic clove, crushed

- 200ml cider

- 100g crème fraiche

- 2 generous tsp wholegrain mustard

- handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1. Fry the chicken thighs in the olive oil in a deep pan until cooked, then remove and set aside.

2. Fry the onion and garlic in the same pan then add the cider and bring to the boil.

3. Return the chicken to the pan and cover and simmer for ten minutes, or until reduced.

4. Stir in the crème fraiche, mustard and parsley - bubble for 5 minutes then serve on a bed of rice.

Enjoy :)

Creamy mustard pappardelle with leek and green beans

This is a bit of a cheat, because I didn't actually make this - my mum did - but we put together our ideas to whip this up as a quick but delicious dinner. As I've mentioned before, I love adding green vegetables like green beans to pasta because it's a yummy way to incorporate the nutrients. Having said that, this meal is not particularly healthy since it has double cream in it... I like how the creamy mustard sauce just coats the pasta rather than being an actual sauce, which shows how not much cream is actually used - it would be too rich with lots of sauce. This is a really delicious meal, and will impress even though it only takes about 15 minutes to make!

Serves 2
- 200g pappardelle pasta
- knob of butter/margarine
- 1/2 leek, chopped
- handful of fine green beans, cut in half
- 100ml double cream
- 2-3 tsp wholegrain mustard
- handful of parmesan, finely grated

1. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to packet instructions (about 10-15 minutes)
2. Melt the butter in a pan, and cook the leeks.
3. Add the green beans to the pan with the pasta in when there is about 5 minutes of cooking time left.
4. Drain the pasta and green beans and add to the pan with the leeks, stirring.
5. Pour in the double cream and the mustard and mix together until combined and the pasta is coated in a sauce.
6. Serve with fresh parmesan on top!

Enjoy :)

Cheesy broccoli pasta bake

I made this the other night - it's nothing too special, I just really fancied some comfort food and a pasta bake is the ultimate comfort food for me. I made a simple cheese sauce and although I'm not a huge broccoli fan, I do love it in pasta bakes (what doesn't taste good when it's coated in cheese sauce anyway?) We also had some bacon in the fridge, and of course I always like to use onions and garlic with pasta so voila, this dish was born! And it is scrummy...

Serves 2-3

- 200g whole wheat penne

- olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic

- 1 small onion

- 3-4 rashers bacon, cut into chunks

- 150g broccoli florets

- 20g butter

- 20g plain flour

- 200ml milk

- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

- 75g cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for sprinkling

- pepper, to season

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 / 200 degrees. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, and add the broccoli florets around 5 minutes to the end of the pasta cooking time. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, soften the onion and garlic in the olive oil, then add the bacon until beginning to brown and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Using the same pan, to make the cheese sauce melt the butter and stir in the flour over a low heat until it forms a paste. Gradually add in the milk, stirring constantly until the sauce begins to thicken. (Be patient, it may take a while!) Once the sauce is coming together, add the mustard and the cheese; at this stage the sauce should be thick and smooth from the cheese. You can always add a little more milk if it is too thick 0 keep stirring!

4. Return the pasta and broccoli to the pan, add the bacon and onion and stir through the cheese sauce. Pour into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar. I added some brie too because we had a bit leftover. Parmesan would work too and add breadcrumbs if you want a crunchy texture.

5.  Season with pepper and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown and crisp on top.

Enjoy :)

Simple potato salad

Hope everyone is enjoying the hot, sunshine weather - this potato salad is a perfect side dish for a barbecue, or any other summery meal. I made this last night to go with sausages in buns, salad, kettle chips and scotch eggs - last minute thrown together BBQ style food! We had a few leftover potatoes from the night before, which is why I decided to make this. Usually I would make a potato salad with new potatoes (with the skins still on) and fresh chives, but we didn't have any fresh herbs in the house, and the potatoes we had cooked the night before were Sainsbury's taste the difference Vivaldi potatoes and were peeled. But this was still really yummy and the best part is that all the ingredients are ones which almost every household will already have!

Serves 2
- about 6 potatoes (depending on size), cut into chunks
- 1 heaped tbsp of mayonnaise (I used Hellman's light mayo)
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard (or any other mustard you prefer)
- few pinches of paprika (probably about 1/4 - 1/2 a tsp)
- fresh herbs, chopped such as chives OR dried herbs (I used thyme)

Simply mix the potatoes with all the other ingredients until combined. Season to taste.
You could also add bits of cooked bacon, or chunks of hard-boiled egg to make this more substantial and interesting!
Enjoy :)

Honey and balsamic salad

Ah my two favourite ingredients! I'm like Winnie the Pooh, I pretty much eat honey out the jar... so I love making my own salad dressings because I can make them nice and sweet with honey and balsamic. I know many people that are sceptic of salads because 'who wants to eat leaves!?', but you can make them taste great while still being healthy. Although they do not make the most nutritiously balanced dinner, they are perfect for lunches or as a side dish, or even a snack. I made this salad last summer on a warm(ish) day and it went down a treat. I will not put exact quantities because you can just put as much of each ingredient in as you like - the same goes with the dressing - the best way to get it right is to keep testing it and to add more of what you think it needs for the flavour and consistency that you want.

Ingredients in the salad:
- Lettuce, torn (I used some picked from the garden but you can use romaine or little gem etc.)
- Mixed leaves (spinach, watercress etc.)
- Cherry tomatoes, sliced
- Red onion, sliced
- Cooked chicken breast, sliced
(You can add anything else you like, such as pepper, cucumber, mushroom etc. but don't forget that certain flavours may not go with this sweet dressing, but feel free to experiment)

Ingredients for the dressing:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp mustard (preferably wholegrain)
(These are just rough measurements, as said before, you can use more or less of whatever seems to work with the flavour and consistency you prefer)

Simply put the salad ingredients you want in a large bowl, and toss with the dressing until coated.
Enjoy :)

Beef Stroganoff (Valentine's Day main)

Beef Stroganoff served with pappardelle pasta

I got this recipe from here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8828/beef-stroganoff-with-herby-pasta

I love this recipe, this is the second time I have used it - most people would think stroganoff is best served with potatoes or rice but I love it with this thick, herby pasta. It sounds silly but I find that pasta can often make things more luxurious, so it's brilliant for a special occasion, and it is just more filling and satisfying too.

 I also add more parsley and soured cream than it says - I guess this is just personal taste though!

Enjoy :)