Buttery chilli prawns

Spicy seafood is a really versatile dish for sharing - make sure there's plenty of bread for the juices 

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 oz butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 1 red chilli , seeds left in and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 12-20 large raw king prawns with shells
• juice 1 lemon , plus a few slices for a finger bowl
• ½ x small bunch parsley , roughly chopped
• small loaf crusty bread , warmed to serve

Method

1. Melt the butter and oil together in a frying pan. Add the garlic, chilli and paprika, then fry for 1-2 mins until starting to turn golden. Turn up the heat, throw in the prawns and fry for a few mins, stirring, until all the prawns turn pink. Take off the heat, season and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
2. Add some lemon slices to a finger bowl of warm water, grab a bowl for the shells, then dig straight in with your fingers and hunks of crusty bread.

Roasted vegetable & feta tostada

A Mexican-inspired crispy, oven-toasted tortilla with roasted vegetables and a zingy tomato and avocado salsa a great sharing dish idea for summer eating 

Ingredients

Serves 2

• pack frozen grilled vegetables (we used Ocado essentials)
• 1 tsp Mexican seasoning
• 1 small avocado , peeled, stoned and chopped
• juice 1 lime
• 21/2 oz cherry tomatoes , halved
• 2 small flour tortillas
• 2 handfuls rocket
• 2 tbsp light feta cheese , crumbled

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a roasting tin, season the frozen vegetables and toss with the Mexican seasoning, then roast in the oven for 15 mins, until hot. Meanwhile, mix the avocado, lime juice and tomatoes with some seasoning, then set aside.
2. Put the tortillas on a baking sheet and cook above the vegetables for the final 5 mins of cooking time until crisp. Transfer the crispy tortillas to plates, scatter with rocket and top with the roasted vegetables. Add some of the avocado salsa and sprinkle over the feta

Chicken Feuilletes

This is good, homely, comfort food but, served in individual portions, it's elegant enough to serve at a supper party. It's also incredibly easy to make, especially if you use fresh or frozen bought puff pastry.

Ingredients
For the filling:
1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 oz (25 g) butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 rashers dry-cure streaky bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/4 inch (5 mm) strips
1 oz (25 g) flour
10 fl oz (275 ml) chicken stock
2 oz (50 g) chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
2 fl oz (55 ml) creme fraiche or double cream
11/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the pastry:
9 oz (250 g) block of fresh or frozen and defrosted puff pastry
2 large egg yolks, beaten Method First of all, you need to trim the chicken into even-sized pieces - roughly 1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes. Then melt the butter in a medium, deep-sided frying pan and fry the chopped onion over a medium heat until it has turned pale gold - about 4 minutes. Then, using a draining spoon, remove it to a plate. Now turn the heat up to high and add the strips of bacon and fry these, tossing them around a few times, for about 4 minutes, until they are really crisp. After that, transfer the bacon to join the onion on a plate and start to fry the chicken in the bacon fat. You'll need to do this in three batches, and each batch should take about 3-4 minutes to turn golden on all sides. Now return the onion and bacon and all the chicken to the frying pan. Then, using a wooden spoon, and keeping the heat at medium, sprinkle in the flour and stir it in to soak up all the juices. After that, add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring as you add until all the stock has been incorporated. Then, as it comes to simmer, it will have thickened to a creamy sauce. At this stage, add the mushrooms, season well and then let it simmer at the lowest possible heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes, giving it a stir from time to time. Then, finally, stir in the creme fraiche or cream and the parsley, taste to check the seasoning and then leave it aside until it is completely cooled. Chill in the fridge. All this can be done well ahead of time, but when you want to make the feuilletes, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400F (200C). Allow the pastry to come to room temperature - this will take about 10 minutes, then roll it out until it measures 16 x 16 inches (40 x 40 cm) and then trim it to give four 7 x 7 inch (18 x 18 cm) squares. Gather up the trimmings and reserve these until later. Now divide the cold filling among the four pieces of pastry, placing it in the centre. Next, brush the edges with the beaten egg yolk, pull up the opposite corners to meet in the centre so that what you have is in fact an envelope. Then pinch the seams together carefully, as you don't want them to burst open. Now make a small hole in the centre of each one to allow the steam to escape, then re-roll the pastry trimmings quite thinly and cut them into leaf shapes, making veins in the leaves with the back of a knife. Then arrange the leaves to decorate the parcels. You can make the feuilletes up to this stage well in advance and chill them. Either way, they will need to go on a greased baking sheet, then brush the whole lot thickly with beaten egg yolk and bake on a high shelf in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are a rich golden brown. All this needs is a lightly cooked green vegetable or a salad.

Homemade chicken nachos

A tasty Snack great for these lovely summer evenings in the Garden enjoy with a Margarita or three!!

Ingredients

Serves 4

• plain corn tortilla chips
• 2 cooked chicken breasts , shredded into small pieces
• 6 spring onions , thinly sliced
• Red Leicester cheese, grated
• 1 small jar red or green sliced pickled jalapeño peppers
• small bunch coriander , leaves roughly chopped
• your choice of salsa , hot pepper sauce (like Chipolte Tabasco), crème fraîche, guacamole or extra jalapeños, to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Layer up the tortilla chips in an ovenproof dish or baking tray with the chopped chicken, spring onions, cheese and pickled jalapeños. Bake for 8 mins or until the cheese is melted.
2. To serve, sprinkle with the coriander and eat with your favourite accompaniments.

Smoky chicken with warm corn & potato salad

This chicken dish is full of fresh summer flavours, perfect for a quick and healthy midweek or quick weekend meal.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 lb bag new potatoes
• 2 large corn cobs
• ½ red onion , thinly sliced
• juice 1 lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• ½- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 4 skinless chicken breasts , each halved across the middle to make 2 thin escalopes
• small bunch coriander , leaves roughly chopped
• lime wedges, optional, to serve

Method

1. Bring to the boil a saucepan of water big enough to hold all the potatoes and corn. Cook the potatoes for 12 mins, adding the corn after 6 mins, until both are tender. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, mix the sliced red onion with the lime juice and half the oil in a large salad bowl. Mix the remaining oil with the garlic, paprika and some seasoning in a shallow bowl, then toss in the chicken until thoroughly coated.
3. Heat a griddle pan, then griddle the chicken for 3 mins on each side until cooked through. Tip the potatoes into the bowl with the onions. Stand a corn cob on one end on a chopping board, then slice down the length, cutting off the kernels in strips. Mix into the potato salad with the coriander and seasoning, then serve alongside the smoky griddled chicken, with lime wedges, if using.

You can use regular Paprika, but try and get the smokey sweet type as it leaves a slight smokey flavour to the chicken, which works really well.