Katie Kingsley serves up some quick and easy dishes which you can (hopefully) enjoy al fresco.

Cheat’s paella

This is a really flavoursome, sweet and smoky savoury rice that would perk up anyone’s weekday night and will be ready in under 10 minutes if you are using refrigerated leftover rice. It also makes an excellent choice for a barbecue as it goes
well with meat, fish and salads, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Cook one cup of rice according to packet instructions and refrigerate until required (this works best if the rice is cooled before using). Finely chop an onion and fry in 1 tbsp of olive oil, adding 100g of diced cooking chorizo once the onion has softened. Weigh out 150g of frozen peas in a small bowl (if using fresh peas, add with the peppers), add a chicken stock cube and pour over 150ml of boiling water.

Mince two cloves of garlic and add to the chorizo once it has released its oils with 2tsp of smoked paprika, cooking for one minute then adding the rice and stirring to coat. Add your stock and peas with 150g of drained and sliced roasted red and yellow peppers, cooking over a high heat until almost all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Serve with lemon wedges and sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Herby halibut skewers

These work fantastically on a barbecue; use any firm fleshed white fish and be sure to get a generous char. Leftover salsa is delicious with lamb or spread over fish in a tray bake with roast tomatoes, peppers and olives.

To make your salsa verde, either finely chop or blitz everything together depending on your tastes and time frame. You will need a handful of mint and parsley, the juice and zest from one lemon, 100g of roasted salted pistachios, one garlic clove and enough extra virgin olive oil to obtain your desired consistency. Refrigerate until required. In a larger bowl, finely chop a small handful each of fresh chives, oregano and mint then add 3 tbsp of olive oil and season well.

Take two large fish fillets and cut into bite sized chunks then add to your bowl with the herbs and oil before threading onto skewers with alternating ribbons of yellow and green courgettes. Season skewers before cooking on a hot barbecue or ridged grill pan for a few minutes on each side so you get charred edges. Serve with your salsa verde dotted on top and in sauce pots.

Raspberry and pistachio mess

The very essence of summer and worthy of concluding the most champion of barbecues with just a few extra flourishes. It’s an ideal dessert to prepare in advance and throw together as you are ready to serve it.

Whisk 250ml of double cream to soft peaks. Sieve 100g of icing sugar into the cream then add ¼ tsp of vanilla extract and fold to combine. Refrigerate until required. Place 300g of frozen raspberries into a small pan adding a few tbsp of icing powder and squeeze of lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then simmer for five to 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

Adjust lemon and sugar to taste then when you are happy with the balance, place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and use a spatula or wooden spoon to push the coulis through so only the seeds are left in the sieve then refrigerate the coulis until required. Finely chop a handful of unsalted roasted pistachio nuts and roughly break meringues into chunks. When you are ready to assemble the desserts, first dollop in cream then meringue then fresh raspberries with coulis then repeat. Finish off with chopped pistachios and edible flowers or sugared petals.

Watercress season is upon us!

If you are lacking inspiration then I hope these simple but effective recipes from Katie Kingsley will motivate you to acquaint it with your dining table. This mysterious vegetable is known to harbour powers beyond tantalising taste buds. Whether it be a cure for baldness, mental stimulant or aphrodisiac you are after, surely failing to make the most of it this season would be reckless!

Curried egg and watercress sandwich

Boil eggs for seven or eight minutes (you want them in between soft and hard-boiled), I allow two eggs per sandwich. Peel under cold running water and chop eggs before transferring to a bowl and leaving to cool. Add 2 tbsp of mayonnaise (1 tbsp per egg) then add 1 tsp of curry paste and season with pepper. Mix and leave in the fridge to cool until required. I like to serve in between buttered brown seeded bread with plenty of watercress.

Potato, fennel and lemon wedges

Heat oven to 200°C. Cut three or four Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes in half and then into wedges and place in a large bowl. Cut two fennel bulbs into wedges (reserving fronds) and a lemon into six wedges then add to the bowl. Drizzle over about 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil, season with salt flakes and use your hands to toss everything together and coat it before placing on a baking tray and into the oven for about 40 minutes, or until crisp and golden. You will need to give them a shake halfway through cooking. Sprinkle over the reserved fennel fronds and serve with more flaked sea salt and mayonnaise.

Roast salmon and watercress mayonnaise

Heat oven to 180°C and line a shallow baking dish with foil. Thickly slice a lemon and fry in a little oil until golden then season and leave to one side. Pat dry using kitchen paper and rub olive oil into as many salmon fillets as people you desire to serve. Season the fish with salt and pepper and lay your lemon slices on top before placing into the oven.

Check the fillets after 10 minutes, they are ready when the fish flakes easily with a fork. Use a food processor to make the mayonnaise. Zest and juice one lemon, add 1 tsp of juice to the bowl with the zest, three egg yolks, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard and blitz until combined. With the motor running, add 150ml of rapeseed oil in a thin steady stream until emulsified. Add 50g roughly chopped watercress and blitz again then add seasoning and more lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate until required.

Dress some fresh watercress and serve on a board for people to help themselves or separate plates then flake the salmon into large chunks and serve over the watercress with dollops of mayonnaise.

Banana split

Place a handful of pecans in a bowl and toss through enough maple syrup to coat. Transfer to a lined baking tray and toast in a heated oven for a few minutes until they are crisp and glossy. Roughly chop and set aside. Whisk a small 170ml tub of double cream to soft peaks and chill until required.

Make a chocolate sauce by breaking up 100g of good quality dark chocolate into small pieces and placing in a heatproof bowl with 15g of butter. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally over barely simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl). Remove from the heat when smooth and let it cool to room temperature before stirring in 1 tbsp of golden syrup and 2 tbsp of double cream, or cream to taste.

Gently heat some caramel so it loosens up enough to drizzle. Assemble your splits by slicing bananas lengthways and placing in a dish with two scoops of vanilla ice cream between the slices, a good dollop of whisked cream, scattering of maple pecans, drizzle of caramel and chocolate sauce then finish off with a cherry on top!

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The garden looks abundant again! Katie Kingsley brings us these recipes that are all fresh, feel-good and perfect for entertaining over the Easter holiday.

Spring fritters

These are so quick to put together and look irresistible laid on a platter with dollops of radish raita and pesto. Serve with dressed watercress for an ideal starter or light lunch, very “Garden of Eden”. Use whichever vegetables and herbs, cheeses, seeds or spices you have to hand and design your ultimate personalised perfect patty. Heat a grill pan to very hot then char two bunches of spring onions on both sides until soft. Blanch a few handfuls of peas in salted boiling water until just cooked then drain and add to a bowl with one tin of drained white beans (such as cannellini or butter).

Chop your charred onions and add them to the bowl then mash together until combined but still chunky. Add a handful of chopped fresh mint leaves, the zest of a lemon, a handful of crumbled feta, 2 tbsp of plain flour, a good pinch nigella or black onion seeds and one beaten egg then season and mix together until just combined. Heat rapeseed or vegetable oil in a frying pan to about 1cm deep. Check the oil is at the right temperature by dropping a bit of mixture into the pan, if the oil sizzles quite fiercely it should be ready. Spoon dollops of your mixture into the pan and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon so the patties are about 2cm thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden and crisp then transfer onto kitchen paper whilst you finish cooking the rest.

Slice four radishes thinly then place three or four of them in a small bowl with 4 tbsp of plain yoghurt, a small handful of mint leaves finely chopped and 2 tsp of dried mint. Prepare your pesto (if you are making your own) and lay your patties on a serving platter then spoon over dollops of yoghurt mixture, green pesto, fresh radish discs, fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Risotto primavera

Once this gets going, there’s no stopping to measure or slice so I’d recommend preparing all ingredients. Weigh out 200g of frozen broad beans, drop into boiling water and leave for 1 minute before removing with a slotted spoon and dropping into cold water to peel off the skins. Snap off and discard the woody ends from a 200g bunch of asparagus and slice into four parts.

Finely chop a brown onion and mince three cloves of garlic, chop four spring onions, measure a large glass/250ml of white wine, a cup of risotto rice and 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock. Use a saucepan to heat the stock until just simmering and a large heavy-based pan to prepare the risotto. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the onion and spring onion until translucent then add the minced garlic for the last few minutes and add your rice, stirring through. Add your wine and let this bubble rapidly for a few minutes until absorbed into the rice then add, one ladle at a time, stirring often and keeping at a simmer. When the stock is almost all absorbed again, ladle in more stock and taste as you go checking seasoning to ensure the rice is cooked to perfection – it should be softened with just a bit of bite in the centre.

About four minutes before the risotto is cooked, add the broad beans to the rice and asparagus to the simmering stock. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the asparagus to the risotto just before you take the pan off the heat. Add 50g of grated parmesan, a splash more stock to keep it moist and a knob of butter then put the lid on and leave to rest for three minutes before serving with more parmesan.

Lemon and poppy seed Easter loaf

Carefully pluck the petals from a yellow rose. Beat one egg white until frothy and brush on to each petal before coating in caster sugar, shaking off any excess and leaving on baking paper to dry and stiffen (this will take a few hours). Heat your oven to 150°C and grease and line a loaf tin approx 20 x 12cm. Use an electric hand whisk to beat 175g of butter at room temperature then add 175g of caster sugar and beat again until pale and creamy. Measure out 250g of self-raising flour and add three eggs, adding 1tbsp of flour and beating well after each addition. Add the remaining flour with 40g of poppy seeds, four heaped tbsp of natural yoghurt and pinch of salt. Fold until combined then transfer to your tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, checking after one hour.

The cake is ready when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting. Measure out 270g of cream cheese, 90g of natural yoghurt, 100g of sifted icing sugar and beat together using a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice to taste and spread thickly atop the cooled loaf then scatter with your crystallised petals.

The garden looks abundant again! Katie Kingsley brings us these recipes that are all fresh, feel-good and perfect for entertaining over the Easter holiday.

Spring fritters

These are so quick to put together and look irresistible laid on a platter with dollops of radish raita and pesto. Serve with dressed watercress for an ideal starter or light lunch, very “Garden of Eden”. Use whichever vegetables and herbs, cheeses, seeds or spices you have to hand and design your ultimate personalised perfect patty. Heat a grill pan to very hot then char two bunches of spring onions on both sides until soft. Blanch a few handfuls of peas in salted boiling water until just cooked then drain and add to a bowl with one tin of drained white beans (such as cannellini or butter).

Chop your charred onions and add them to the bowl then mash together until combined but still chunky. Add a handful of chopped fresh mint leaves, the zest of a lemon, a handful of crumbled feta, 2 tbsp of plain flour, a good pinch nigella or black onion seeds and one beaten egg then season and mix together until just combined. Heat rapeseed or vegetable oil in a frying pan to about 1cm deep. Check the oil is at the right temperature by dropping a bit of mixture into the pan, if the oil sizzles quite fiercely it should be ready. Spoon dollops of your mixture into the pan and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon so the patties are about 2cm thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden and crisp then transfer onto kitchen paper whilst you finish cooking the rest.

Slice four radishes thinly then place three or four of them in a small bowl with 4 tbsp of plain yoghurt, a small handful of mint leaves finely chopped and 2 tsp of dried mint. Prepare your pesto (if you are making your own) and lay your patties on a serving platter then spoon over dollops of yoghurt mixture, green pesto, fresh radish discs, fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Risotto primavera

Once this gets going, there’s no stopping to measure or slice so I’d recommend preparing all ingredients. Weigh out 200g of frozen broad beans, drop into boiling water and leave for 1 minute before removing with a slotted spoon and dropping into cold water to peel off the skins. Snap off and discard the woody ends from a 200g bunch of asparagus and slice into four parts.

Finely chop a brown onion and mince three cloves of garlic, chop four spring onions, measure a large glass/250ml of white wine, a cup of risotto rice and 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock. Use a saucepan to heat the stock until just simmering and a large heavy-based pan to prepare the risotto. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the onion and spring onion until translucent then add the minced garlic for the last few minutes and add your rice, stirring through. Add your wine and let this bubble rapidly for a few minutes until absorbed into the rice then add, one ladle at a time, stirring often and keeping at a simmer. When the stock is almost all absorbed again, ladle in more stock and taste as you go checking seasoning to ensure the rice is cooked to perfection – it should be softened with just a bit of bite in the centre.

About four minutes before the risotto is cooked, add the broad beans to the rice and asparagus to the simmering stock. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the asparagus to the risotto just before you take the pan off the heat. Add 50g of grated parmesan, a splash more stock to keep it moist and a knob of butter then put the lid on and leave to rest for three minutes before serving with more parmesan.

Lemon and poppy seed Easter loaf

Carefully pluck the petals from a yellow rose. Beat one egg white until frothy and brush on to each petal before coating in caster sugar, shaking off any excess and leaving on baking paper to dry and stiffen (this will take a few hours). Heat your oven to 150°C and grease and line a loaf tin approx 20 x 12cm. Use an electric hand whisk to beat 175g of butter at room temperature then add 175g of caster sugar and beat again until pale and creamy. Measure out 250g of self-raising flour and add three eggs, adding 1tbsp of flour and beating well after each addition. Add the remaining flour with 40g of poppy seeds, four heaped tbsp of natural yoghurt and pinch of salt. Fold until combined then transfer to your tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, checking after one hour.

The cake is ready when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting. Measure out 270g of cream cheese, 90g of natural yoghurt, 100g of sifted icing sugar and beat together using a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice to taste and spread thickly atop the cooled loaf then scatter with your crystallised petals.