For many years I was privileged enough to have a house in Provence. It was a super happy place that was filled with lots of family and friends. It included mad amounts of entertaining and cooking, visits to markets and discovering lots of amazing local recipes. So loved it. This was one of those signatory “St Blaise” recipes. Tomato and Pesto Tart. I’ve played around with it for years, so this is my take!

Serves 8

Oven baked paella, absolutely scrummy and gives you all the time being with your family and friends and not stirring stirring stirring!  Based on Orlando Murrin, a total legend of mine, you know this is going to be delicious.  To me, like risotto, there are no rules as to what goes in this, add or take away, scale it up or down, but as Orlando says, only and yes only paella rice with do!  You can add chilli flakes,  mussels, chopped rosemary, add cherry tomatoes, you choose however, a good glug of sherry, and a knob of butter just before it goes on the table, was simply delicious.  I did this last night, as it was blowing a hurricane of snow, and wind... red wine and a crisp green salad, home made bread.  A perfect   Wednesday night xx

serves 4 generously

400 g tin chopped tomatoes

600 mls chicken stock

1 tsp smoked paprika

saffron

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

300g paella rice

4 boneless chicken thighs, halved

200g chorizo, sliced

150g raw prawns

handful of frozen peas

1 lemon, quartered.

Heat the oven, 220/220 fan c, gas 8. Put the chopped tomatoes, stock, paprika and a good pinch of saffron into a large saucepan and bring to the bowl for around 5 minutes.  Make sure it is steaming hot.

Tip the onion and garlic into a generous roasting tin or ovenproof dish, drizzle olive oil over, mix and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes or until just going brown.

Stir in the rice, chicken, chorizo, hot stock and tomato mixture, season well and return to the oven, uncovered.

After 20 minutes stir in the raw prawns and peas, and return to the oven for a further 5 - 10 minutes or until all rice, chicken and prawns are cooked through. Pop the lemon quarters on top, and a super delicious thing to do is pop it all back into the oven for another few minutes, enabling the lemons to be warm and juicy... serve immediately with a crisp green salad and fresh bread.

For years, since newly married, I think of a dinner for friends as rather me having a mini restaurant .... the menu, the table, glassware, crockery, linen, atmosphere, candles... the list goes on... a tiny restaurant in my home... no wonder my favourite restaurant holds only 14 people and is exactly my dreams ... @marieanne.  The food is exquisite, the room, my heaven and once, in another life, I was lucky enough to have a birthday there, 14 special people to share this experience with me... a total spoil.   

A real memory xxx

Many moons ago, when Masterchef begun, I was clearly, in my mind, there too. With Lloyd Grosman guiding us through with those brave amateur chefs, seeing their creations, it was me!  Every small paperback recipe book was brought every year, so I could re create and be, in my tiny world, on the show!  (Still that little girl really!). 

Much later, and firmly into John and Gregs realm, still Masterchef cookery books brought, I discovered my go to mushroom risotto recipe....  A firm favourite in my home,   It has taught both my daughters, risotto making, the slow and patience practise and fresh pesto making... you can never fail to spice up a last minute supper with a fresh pesto.  It’s now requested by many a tired, hungry teenager who are returning from school and university alike.  I serve this with a deliciously crisp green salad, (only proper old fashion lettuce for me), a few chopped eschalion shallots, (so they dont repeat on you for ever more) and a salad dressing, taught to me years ago by my french mother in law. Delicious xxx

Serves 4

Vegetable stock

200g chestnut mushrooms, chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped,

1 celery stick, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

1 sprig thyme 

1 bay leaf

Risotto

Christmas and me, me and Christmas...its my time.  Maybe because I am a Christmas baby, but its a time when you get all together, friends and family, and cook and laugh and drink.   I have had many a mad Christmas, cooking huge amounts of food, whilst drinking lashings of wine, being convinced that homemade  blinis were really necessary, goose, turkey, venison or capon... which to have... decorating the house, how many trees can you have in one place, and the table.. getting it all to look special and pretty, and then getting all your special people together... its me! Xxx

So of course mince pies, I love making them.  I make them ahead of the game, and freeze them, to then pop in the oven for a few minutes, as and when you need a little shot of gorgeousness.  Mine a bite size ones, although my gorgeous friend Amelia, told me today, that her mummy used to make them big, and then you gently prised the lid off and drip thimble full of brandy in before scoffing! YUM..

I am not a snob about brought pastry and actually buy it most of the time, especially that fabulous french ready rolled brand.  But for these mince pies the deliciousness is in the pastry I think.  It is a very short pastry so you can only handle a little at a time, but its so so worth it!  

Makes about 48

450g plain flour

375g chilled butter, cubed

175g icing or caster sugar

Grated rind of 1 large orange and 3-4 tbsp of juice

450g mincemeat

Put the flour and butter into a food processor with the butter and whiz to fine breadcrumbs 

Coq au vin