Month: July 2026

Summer Cooking

It is summer and we have decamped to the French Alps where it is certainly cooler than in London, where the temperatures have reached 36 Centigrade!

I’ve set myself the challenge of using food that is in the freezer and so in over two weeks we have not had the same meal twice! It seems that I have a fair amount of fish stashed away, hence we seem to be eating a lot of it! No bad thing actually, but is challenging to come up with a daily variation, but that is part of the fun! I allow myself to buy all the extras, fruit and vegetables but NOTHING for the main ingredient!

So far we have had whole Sea Bass cooked on a BBQ, , Skate wings grilled, flaked and used in Tortillas, Skate wings sautéed in butter and served with Beurre Noisette ( browned butter) and capers, Cod Goujons breaded , fried and served in a wrap with salad ingredients, small Cod or Haddock Goujons, served cold on a Caesar Salad and Blackened Haddock fillets. This was the first time that I had made this, and if you love fish and spice, then this one for you. The other problem was time ! What? No time? When here we are with no commitments, visitors gone and time on our hands! But we have become obsessed with The Tour de France. There is a one hour highlights programme on TV at 8 pm and we have to play scrabble before that! Therefore we can play scrabble up to 7 pm as the recap programme starts at 8 pm. Therefore we can pack this into our day by having a TV dinner !

Cajun ( the word comes from Arcadian, French settlers in Canada who were forced out by the British and subsequently settled in Louisiana, where it was shortened to Cadien and then slurred to CAJUN )

Blackened or Cajun Fish

A mixture of spices I used a mixture of the following, as it will keep you can mix it and then keep the rest for future use.

A dessert spoon more or less of the following Paprika, Piri Piri, Celery salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cajun spice mix ( if you can find it) Chili powder, salt and a dessert spoon of English mustard powder.Very Simply mix all together.

You will need a fillet of fish per person and as such the skin needs to be removed. Light your oven on a lowish heat ( this to keep your fish warm whilst subsequent fillets are being cooked.) Pat the fish dry with some paper towel, heat some oil I use olive oil but sunflower oil is fine) in a frying pan. Spoon some of the spice mix over the upper side of the fillet ( press it down) and when the oil is hot, place the fish in the pan, spice side down, and then spoon more spice on naked side of the fish and press down. After about 4 mins of cooking, flip the fish over and cook for another 4 minutes. The fish should look black.

Skate smothered in spices and being fried.

Serve with a simple salad or perhaps a salsa. Of course a simple salsa of tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, a bunch of coriander (cilantro), juice of a lime and salt to taste is fresh and simple to make. Using ripe but firm tomatoes, cut into chunks, the same with the cucumber and onions. Chop the coriander and mix all the ingredients together .

Another version is Mango and Avocado salsa, using a ripe mango, a ripe but not too soft Avocado , a spring onion or two chopped, bunch of coriander, juice of a lime or lemon and salt to taste, chop / slice mix as above.

And here is the version that I made using ingredients which were at hand. I used sliced nectarines, a fresh grapefruit, an avocado and some chopped spring onions. It was not necessary to add the lime or lemon juice as I used the juice from the grapefruit.

Meanwhile I have been making ice cream. I have made Mango, which was very easy just adding chopped ripe Mango to my basic ice cream recipe. Then I made vanilla with caramel swirled into it as it was freezing, for this I made my own caramel but of course you can buy it ready made. And finally I tried my hand at frozen yogurt. It seems to be the flavour of the summer, but again easy to make and you don’t really need an ice cream machine

The basic ice cream recipe is 3 large eggs beaten together with 1/2 cup(100 grams) caster sugar and 450 mls heavy / double cream and 225 mls whole milk.

To this basic recipe chopped soft fruit can be added, such as peach, banana,melon, kiwi,raspberry strawberry etc. To this basic ice cream I added my caramel which I stirred in periodically whilst the ice cream was freezing.

To make your own caramel ( and I’m sure that most of you already know this) is to boil cans of condensed milk milk. They need to be covered with water in a deep saucepan and brought to the boil, and simmered for about 3 hours. A careful watch eye is needed to ensure that the cans are always covered with water. After 3 hours remove from the water and leave to cool. As they are now cooked they can be stored until needed, as it makes sense to boil several cans at once.

It’s Cherry Season!

It’s Cherry Season!

Who doesn’t like cherry season? They seem to have been in great abundance this year. My local supermarket ( small like a 7-11) has been selling them for £5 a kilo box! I nip across the road and buy 2 kilos, one which we eat and one he de- pips and I freeze and today it is Hot Hot Hot ( about 95 Fahrenheit). And we live in LONDON! Thank goodness the bedroom has A/C. So I am going to make Ice Cream! ( I hasten to add Not making it in the bedroom!)

This is going to be a play on Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, but I can’t call it that as it is Trade Marked, so mine is going to be called “Chocolate Cherry Delight !

I used the following:-

2 Kit Kat chopped into smallish chunks, or 2 chocolate flakes

1/4 Cup ripe cherries cut into 1/4’s ( can use tinned cherries but discard the juice)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup of caster sugar

2 Cups ( 470 mls) heavy/ double/ whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

Refrigerate the cherries and the chocolate, so that they are really cold.

In a food processor put the eggs, sugar, milk and cream. Whisk for about a minute to thoroughly mix.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker ( or plastic box if you are prepared to stir the mixture from time to time)

When the mixture begins thicken , stir in the cold chocolate bits and the cherries. The ice cream might need stirring again from time to time, to ensure that the extra ingredients do not just sink to the bottom.

When frozen, the ice cream can of course just be served as ice cream, but here is a chance to be more adventurous. How about a Knickerbocker Glory ( yes that it is what it is called) or something a little more simple, an Ice Cream Sundae. Using bought sauces is absolutely fine , just be your creative self! And of course any available summer fruit can be used as well.

I diluted the cherry preserve with some flavoured gin !
A cherry stoner
A healthy? Chocolate sauce !

Moving on from Ice Cream ( himself once had the nickname of Ice Cream Mouse), but in any case he does like desserts. I almost never eat desserts but am more than happy to make some for him! However, making dessert for one is difficult so, I usually portion them, wrap them in cling film and freeze, so that he can have whenever he wants. This is particularly true of crumble, with rhubarb being the favourite. However this time around we have cherries and Clafoutis springs to mind.

Clafoutis is a classic French dessert made by baking fruit—traditionally whole cherries—in a light batter that’s somewhere between a custard and a pancake. The result is tender, lightly sweet, and creamy, with a golden top

Traditionally it is made with fresh cherries, eggs, cream,milk , flour and sugar.Some recipes include cream cheese whilst others add potato flour. In fact Google recipes for Clafoutis and there are many variations on a theme.

Other fruits such as plums, apricots, pears, or berries can be used, although technically those versions are often called flaugnarde rather than clafoutis.

It’s typically served warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar or icing sugar.

I tend to use a recipe from my once upon a time Au Pair, which her parents sent to me whilst we lived in Texas, ( they were Belgians) or I use a mishmash of recipes, as that one doesn’t include cream cheese, which I like to add.

For a dish 17×25 cms ( approximately) you will need:-

  • About 500 grams stoned cherries ( other fruits are allowed)
  • 2/3 cup/ 125 grams caster sugar
  • 70 grams softened unsalted butter
  • 100 grams full fat cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup / 80 mls double cream
  • 3large eggs, beaten
  • 4 heaped tablespoons of flour ( if using plain add a teaspoon of baking powder)
  • 2 tablespoons of Kirsch ( optional, but why ?)
  • Grated zest of a lemon

In a food processor or or with an electric whisk, blend the butter with the cream cheese and the cream. Add the eggs, sugar, flour, kirsch and grated rind.

Butter your baking dish, put in just half of the mixture, add the cherries ( or other fruits) across the the batter, pour on the remainder of the batter.

Bake at 400 F/205C /180 Fan for about 30 mins, the custard should be just set bd lightly golden. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes, it is best served tepid. At this point I will portion it and freeze, to be defrosted and maybe heated just a tad in the microwave before eating. However, it has been known to that himself likes frozen crumble. So who knows !

Bon Appetite everyone !