INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoons salt
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg thick pork short ribs (cut into 7-8 rib portions)
1 large onion (thinly sliced)
1 stick celery (sliced)
4 bay leaves
200g chopped tomatoes
400ml chicken stock

Garnish:
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
1 lemon (zest of)
2 garlic cloves (very finely chopped)

DIRECTIONS:
In a pestle and mortar, grind together the peppercorns, salt, garlic, almond meal and paprika into a thick paste. Mix with the wine and set aside.

Preheat oven to 170ºC
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat and brown the ribs on all sides. Place the ribs in a heavy based roasting tin. Add the onions, celery and bay leaves to the frying pan and gently fry for 5 minutes until golden brown. Add the ground spice paste to the pan and stir well for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and stir well. Bring to a simmer then remove from the heat and pour over the pork ribs. Cover the tin with foil and roast for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes to reduce the sauce and brown the meat a little.

Meanwhile to make the garnish, mix together all the ingredients and set aside.

SERVING:
Arrange the pork ribs on a serving platter and spoon over some of the sauce. Sprinkle generously with the garnish and serve. I served mine simply with lashings of mashed potato and some green vegetables.

RECIPE for 2 people:

INGREDIENTS:
Marinade:
2 racks of pork ribs
160ml sherry
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 shallot (grated) or 1 tablespoon grated onion
120ml white wine
1 tablespoon Italian parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika (smoked or sweet)
1 lemon (juice of)
salt & pepper

Other:
1/2 cup sherry vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
Mix well all the marinade ingredients together and then either in a large bowl or plastic bag, coat the ribs. Leave them in the fridge to soak up all the flavour for at least an hour, but the longer the better.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200ºC. Pour the sherry vinegar plus 1/2 cup warm water into the bottom of a large roasting tin. Put the ribs meaty side down into the tin. Pour over all the marinade. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, basting the meat with the juice every 10 minutes.

Turn over the meat to meaty side up. Bake for a further 1 hour, basting the meat regularly to keep it juicy. Remove from the oven and rest the meat for a minute or so, then with a sharp knife cut into individual ribs and serve.

SERVING:
Pile the ribs high and scatter over a handful of chopped parsley. I served with a salad which neither of us ate – we were too busy chowing into the ribs.

INGREDIENTS:
1 small cauliflower (separated into florets)
1 spring onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large ripe tomato (peeled, seeded and very finely chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Cook the cauliflower in boiling salted water for 5 minutes until cooked. Drain and refresh with cold water. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.

In a pestle & mortar, mash together the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley into a smooth paste. Stir in the tomato, lemon juice and olive oil. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and combine well with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

SERVING:
Works well as part of a larger spread – I made mine to accompany barbecued meat.

INGREDIENTS:
400ml milk
2 cloves
8 black peppercorns
1 shallot (peeled)
1 piece fresh parsley stalk
1 bay leaf
125g plain flour
50g unsalted butter
100g Spanish proscuitto (very finely chopped)
2 eggs (beaten)
125g fine breadcrumbs
vegetable oil (for deep frying)

DIRECTIONS:
Pour the milk into a saucepan, add the cloves, peppercorns, shallot and bay leaf. Bring to a light simmer over a moderate heat. Simmer for 10 minutes then add the proscuitto. Cook for a further 2 minutes then remove from the heat.

In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over a moderate heat. Stir in the flour to create a crumbly texture. Cook, stirring constantly for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat Then pour in half the ham/milk mixture. Stir well. Pour in the remaining mixture and stir again. Spoon the sticky mixture onto a plate and smooth out. Leave to completely cool.

Arrange 2 shallow bowls, one with the beaten egg, the next with the breadcrumbs. Take a small golf ball sized piece of the ham mixture and mould into a croquette shape. Dip into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Arrange on a plate as you contnue, using up all of the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 our to firm up.

Heat the oil in a saucepan until hot. Drop in 4-5 croquetas and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or cold.

SERVING:
The perfect tapas dish eaten either hot or cold. They can also be made in advance and warmed in the oven for about 15 minutes. Serve with a little mayonnaise or home made alioli.

INGREDIENTS:
Capsicums:
4 red capsicums (halved and seeded)
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Mushrooms:
250g button mushrooms (cut into quarters)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon aniseed seeds (or fennel seeds)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
cup white wine
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Pine nuts:
¼ cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Place the capsicum on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil and season with a little salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes until soft. Remove from the oven and place in a plastic bag for 10 minutes then take out and slide off the skins. Chop into large chunks.

Next, fry the pine nuts for 2-3 minutes in the olive oil until lightly golden. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

To prepare the mushrooms, heat a frying pan with the olive oil over a moderate heat. When hot add the aniseed and fry for 5 seconds, then add the garlic and fry for a further 5 seconds before adding the mushrooms. Stir well for 1-2 minutes before adding the white wine, salt & pepper. Deglaze the pan and stir until the water comes out of the mushrooms. Turn down the heat slightly and cook until all the moisture has evaporated from the mushrooms (about 10 minutes). Remove from the pan and stir in the capsicum, fresh herbs, pine nuts and vinegar. Leave to cool completely before serving.

SERVING:
This dish is perfect alongside roast chicken or meat dishes of lamb or goat.

INGREDIENTS:
2 large oranges
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup plain olive oil (not extra virgin)
2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 175ºC
Lightly grease an 8″ baking ring.
Zest one of the oranges and set aside.
Squeeze the juice from the oranges until you have 250ml (1 cup) of juice. Drink the rest!

Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy then add the sugar gradually, beating with a wooden spoon. Add the orange zest and olive oil and beat further, then the orange juice and beat some more. Add the flour, a cup at a time and beat thoroughly to make sure it’s well combined. Finally, beat in the baking powder.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes then turn out to a wire cooling rack.

SERVING:
Dust with a little icing sugar and/or ground cinnamon if you feel the urge – but it’s pretty damn tasty all on its own with the obligatory cup of coffee.

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)
2 x pork chops (250-300g each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 shallots (grated)
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (finely chopped)
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Season the pork chops with salt & pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan until hot, then fry the chops for 5-6 minutes each side until cooked. Remove and rest the chops. Pour off the excess oil then return to a medium heat. Add the butter and when bubbling, add the garlic and shallots. Fry gently for 2-3 minutes then pour in the brandy and deglaze the pan for 1 minute. Add the cream and 1-2 tablespoons water and bring to a simmer. Stir for 1 minute then remove from the heat then stir in the thyme. Serve immediately.

SERVING:
I like to add whatever juices have collected from the chops back into the sauce, stir in then pour all over the chops. I like to serve with rice or vegetables.

INGREDIENTS:
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
400ml tomato base sauce (or tomato passata)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon chilli powder
salt & pepper

For the potatoes:
500g potatoes (2cm cubes)
500ml sunflower oil

DIRECTIONS:
To make the sauce, heat the oil until hot. Add the cumin and chilli and fry for 10 seconds. Add the passata and bring to a simmer. Add the salt & pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover.

In a medium non-stick frying pan, pour in the oil and heat until hot. Tip in the potatoes and fry for 8-10 minutes until cooked through and crunchy. Drain on paper towels.

SERVING:
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer then pour over the sauce. Serve immediately!!

INGREDIENTS:
1.5kg bonelsss pork shoulder
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 large bulbous spring onions
2 sticks celery cut into 5cm pieces
1 small bunch fresh tarragon
300ml fino sherry
300ml dry white wine
6 cloves garlic (skin on – gently bruised)
2 garlic cloves (cut into thin slithers)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 200ºC.
Stab the meat all over (about 10-15 times) with a sharp knife and insert pieces of tarragon and garlic slithers into the holes. Chop the remaining tarragon and set aside. In a large ovenproof lidded pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Gently fry the pork on all sides till brown then remove from the pan and add the onions, celery and garlic and 1 stem of tarragon. Fry for 1 minute then reduce the heat to very low.

Place the meat on top of the onions and garlic in the pan then pour over the sherry and wine. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and half the remaining tarragon then cook in the oven for 20 minutes with the lid off. Reduce the heat to 140ºC, baste the pork with the juices, then put on the lid and cook for a further 3 hours, basting every half hour. Remove the pork from the pan and fry separately in a little oil until the skin becomes browned and crisp.

Serve hot!

SERVING:
Cut into thick slices and drizzle over some of the pan juices. Serve with the onions and celery as a side dish alongside steamed vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes or celeriac.

INGREDIENTS:
200g canned tuna in spring water
1 tablespoon capers (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon black olives (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon jarred roasted red capsicum (finely chopped)
2 spring onions (very finely chopped)
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3-4 tablespoons home made alioli (or shop bought mayonnaise + 1 crushed clove garlic)

shop bought short-crust pastry
olive oil for deep frying

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together all the filling ingredients, then cut the pastry into circles using an 8cm circular cutter. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling into the centre of each circle then bring the edges together to create 1/2 circle packages. Press together the sides with a fork to seal properly and arrange on a plate while you repeat until all the filling is used up. You should manage about 35-40 empanadillas.

Heat about 4cm of olive oil in a non-stick pan until a little of the excess pastry cooks in about 2 minutes. Drop a few empanadillas into the oil (being careful not to crowd the pan). Cook for about 2 minutes each side then drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining empanadillas. Serve immediately or cool and heat in the oven for 5 minutes when you want to eat them. They’ll not become as crunchy if you eat them later, but I personally don’t think that matters a bit!