Hello May! I hope you are all very well and had a lovely April and a wonderful Easter. I hope you enjoyed last month’s recipes too and had lots of fun making them. Did you like the maple syrup granola? Isn’t it delicious?
Did you know that the 21st of May is national strawberries and cream day? May is also the month where peppers and tomatoes come into season. So in honour of that, two of my recipes this month are based around these ingredients, they are picnic friendly and are just perfect for those warmer days ahead.
My first recipe is absolutely delicious. They are strawberries and cream Eton mess fools. They are wonderful for a dinner party but also can be made picnic friendly and made portable too.
My second recipe is one of my family’s favourites. It is harissa chicken with a parmesan and piquanté pepper oven baked risotto. It only takes around 35 minutes to make and is definitely a crowd pleaser. It is a little bit spicy from the harissa and piquanté peppers (really very mildly) and is super creamy thanks to the parmesan.
My third recipe this month is mini lemon meringue tarts. They are so quick and easy to make as I have used shop bought pastry cases because making mini pastry cases can be so fiddly. I have used my lemon curd recipe that I wrote for you last year, but if you don’t have the time to make it you can simply buy a jar. These are brilliant as a last minute picnic sweet treat and they are super tasty.
Everything can be made in advance, so with only the meringue to make at the time, they can be rustled up in 5 minutes! I really hope you like all my recipes this month and have fun making them.
Have a lovely May! See you soon and have fun baking!
Strawberries and Cream Eton Mess Fools
Makes 6
Ingredients
600ml double cream
600g fresh strawberries
1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
12 mini meringues
2 tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Method
First save 6 strawberries to finish. In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks with 1 tbsp of vanilla extract. Set aside. Slice and dice the strawberries, then place in another large mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the caster sugar and remaining 1 tbsp vanilla extract and mix well. Stir ⅓ of the strawberries through the cream mix along with 6 crushed mini meringues, only enough to marble the cream, then place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Once chilled, start layering into 6 glasses. Start with the cream first, then strawberries, then cream again and then a final layer of strawberries. Crumble over the remaining meringues and top with a fanned strawberry to decorate. Serve immediately for a scrummy bank holiday treat. These can also be layered in reusable jars for a picnic. Just leave the crushed meringues off the top until you want to serve.
Harissa Chicken with Parmesan and Piquanté Pepper Oven Baked Risotto
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs
150g harissa paste
200g shallots
2 pointed peppers
10 Piquanté peppers
300g basmati rice
400g chopped tomatoes
2 chicken stock cubes in 1 pint of water
100g parmesan
Bunch fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Method
To start, marinade the chicken thighs with the harissa paste and leave in the fridge for 6 hours. Once you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to gas 6. Next place a little olive oil in a wok or large frying pan and lightly warm. Place the chicken thighs in the wok and season well. Cook until the chicken is virtually cooked and the skins have browned. Take out of the wok and place on a plate with some kitchen roll to soak up any fat juices.
Next place the chopped shallot, piquanté peppers and pointed peppers in the wok and fry off until tender. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the rice and the stock, then stir through the parmesan and parsley.
Cook for 1 minute before transferring to an ovenproof pan and place the chicken thighs on top. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender and the stock has absorbed.
If the rice is a little tender, remove the chicken, add some boiling water, stir and replace the chicken before returning to the oven and cooking for 10-15 more minutes. Once cooked, dish up and serve for a delicious dinner.
Quick and Easy Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
Makes 18
Ingredients
18 mini pastry tart cases
1 large egg white
60g caster sugar
Lemon Curd
2 large lemons-zest and juice
100g caster sugar
50g butter
2 eggs-beaten
Method
To make this delicious lemon curd, place the lemon zest, juice, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted, then whisk in the beaten eggs. Gently keep whisking the mixture over the heat for around 10 minutes until it has thickened to the consistency of custard. Carefully pour the curd through a sieve, then spoon into a sterilised jar. Cool. Keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge.
To start, make the meringue. In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg white until light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the sugar until all the sugar has been incorporated and continue whisking until you reach stiff peaks. Set aside. Fill the mini pastry cases with enough lemon curd to level with the pastry case but don’t overfill or the lemon curd will seep out when you top with the meringue. Repeat until all the pastry cases are filled with lemon curd. Next spoon on the meringue. Gently use the meringue to seal the lemon curd in and then using a cooks blow torch, lightly brown the meringue. These little lemon meringue tarts are so quick and easy too and are just perfect for a summer picnic.
Shopping list for all 3 recipes
Check your cupboards first as you may have a lot of these already
600ml double cream
600g fresh strawberries
160g caster sugar + 1.5 tbsp
12 mini meringues
Vanilla bean paste or extract
8 chicken thighs
150g harissa paste
200g shallots
2 pointed peppers
10 Piquanté peppers
300g basmati rice
400g chopped tomatoes
2 chicken stock cubes
100g parmesan
Fresh parsley
Olive oil
18 mini pastry cases
3 eggs
2 lemons
50g butter
