Asparagus with Poached Egg

For the asparagus, bring a large pan of salted water to boil. To get rid of their fibrous base, bend them slightly and it should just pop out. Peel them half way down from the heads and blanch them in the boiling water for about 1-2 minutes (depending on the thickness). You want them still crunchy, al dente. Transfer them to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. In another pan, bring about 10cm of water (the height is more important than the volume) to boil and turn down the heat to a simmer. Stir in the vinegar. Break your eggs separately in a little bowl, bring them very close to the water and let them fall gently over a bubble stream. With a spatula or spoon, try to help the egg whites not to spread so much. Cook them for 3 minutes exactly, so that the whites are cooked and the yolks are hot, but still soft.

If you want, you can gently brown the asparagus in butter and adjust the seasoning, before serving them under the poached eggs.

Aubergine, Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Greek Roll

Slice the aubergines lengthwise as thin as you can (it helps if you have a mandolin). Brush each slice with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides and grill it in a very hot frying pan. Set them aside to cool. Cut the cheese into 5x3x1cm bricks. Top each one with a sun dried tomato and roll it with a grilled slice of aubergine. Drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and serve 2 per person.

Baba Ganoush

Wash the aubergines, but leave them whole. Place them directly over the fire, turning as soon as the skin is charred. Once they are completely charred on the outside – in about 5 minutes – close them in a plastic bag for 5-10min, so that its own steam softens the skin. In this quick process, the aubergine absorbs a smoky flavour and doesn`t have time to darken. Let cool a bit until you can handle it. Slice into the aubergine and scrape the flesh off the skin, into a bowl. Mix it well with the remaining ingredients and adjust the seasoning to taste – if you like, you can mix it in a food processor to get rid of the seeds. Serve with pita bread or as a spread for sandwiches.

Baked Apples

Core the apples with an apple corer. Mix together all the other ingredients. Stuff the apples with the mixture and brush with any leftover mixture. Bake for approx. 45 minutes, in a preheated oven at 190C. Drizzle with the juice from the tray and serve with ice cream.

Chocolate Fondant

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar until pale. Mix in the chocolate mixture. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Brush 4 small ramekins with butter, pour in the mixture and dust with cocoa powder. Bake for 7 to 10 min in maximum heat. Always make more than you need, so there’s one left to test that the inside consistency is right. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Mousse

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Leave to cool. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Mix the yolks in the chocolate butter mixture. Fold in a third of the egg whites, then fold in the rest. Transfer to moulds and chill until set.

Chocolate Salami

In a microwave, melt the chocolate and butter. Beat the eggs with the sugar and coffee until light and pale. Add the chocolate mixture and salt and beat a touch more. Mix in the graham crackers (roughly chopped) and the marshmallows. Open a 50cm piece of cling film over the counter and spoon on the mixture making a line of batter in the centre of the film, leaving around 10cm on each side. Fold the film over the batter and roll it once. Twist the ends, so that the filling won’t leak through the sides, hold them and roll the sausage to make it tight. Leave it to cool in the fridge for 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

In a microwave, melt the chocolate and butter. Leave to cool slightly. Line a 23x33cm tray with baking paper. Mix the eggs, sugar and salt and add the chocolate butter mixture. Sieve the flour over the batter. Roughly chop the walnuts and add them. Mix until smooth, but do not beat. Pour into the tray and bake for between 45 to 60 minutes in preheated oven, at 190C. A cocktail stick should come out moist and crumbly. Serve warm with ice cream.

Cod Fish Couscous

Soak the cod for 24h, changing the water every 6h (or buy it already desalted). Boil a pan of water, turn off the heat and add the cod. After 5-10 minutes, it should be cooked, the flesh should fall easily off the skin and bones. Flake the flesh and set aside, discarding the rest. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve. Seed and dice the peppers. Sauté them in olive oil in batches in a very hot pan for 1min at a time, seasoning with salt and pepper. Leave to cool over a strainer, so they are not soaked in their own juices. Boil 1 cup (250ml) of the cod’s cooking liquid and pour it over the couscous, in a bowl. Cover with cling film and leave for 5 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the cod flakes, bell peppers, olives, chopped parsley and adjust the seasoning, especially adding more black pepper. Serve on a platter, hot or cold.

Couscous

In a bowl, add the water to the levelled couscous and cover it tightly with cling film. Wait 3-5min until the liquid is absorbed. Add the butter and loosen it with a fork.