Page 63 of The Second Chance Supper Club

Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a deep frying pan, and gently fry the spring onions until tender.

Stir in the flour, and cook for one minute. Gradually stir in the milk to form a smooth, thick sauce.

Season to taste, and add the lemon juice and zest. Set aside. Cook the tagliatelle as per the instructions, and drain.

Put the sauce back on to a medium heat and stir in the prawns and cream to heat through, then mix with the cooked tagliatelle. Serve garnished with grated parmesan and a sprinkling of parsley.

Olive bread (or any freshly baked bread) and a crisp green salad would be wonderful with this! Bon appétit!

Andreas’s Honey, Fig and Feta Bake (Serves 4 as a starter)

200g feta cheese

4 figs, quartered

2 sprigs rosemary, 1 with leaves picked and chopped, the other left whole

A drizzle of olive oil

Salt and black pepper

2 tbsp honey (The heather honey from Chain Bridge Honey Farm, Northumberland, is delicious, but feel free to use your local honey.)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Line a baking dish with non-stick parchment, then add the whole feta, fig segments, chopped rosemary leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and black pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes, then take out and drizzle the honey over and lay the whole sprig of rosemary across the cheese. Bake for a further 10 minutes, until the feta is golden.

Serve with crusty bread and/or salad leaves.

Nikki’s Seventies Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail (Serves 4 as a starter)

Sauce

100g mayonnaise

Juice of ⒈／⒉ lemon

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 drops Tabasco sauce

25ml shot of vodka

250g cooked, peeled king prawns

2 baby gem lettuces, shredded

Sprinkling of crushed chillies and lemon wedges, to serve

Mix all the sauce ingredients together until smooth.

Add the prawns and coat well. Serve in glass dishes, on a bed of crispy shredded lettuce, with a light sprinkling of crushed chillies to decorate and a wedge of lemon.

Andreas’s Northumberland-Greek Honey Cake

150g plain flour

1⒈／⒉ tsp baking powder

1 heaped tsp grated orange zest

⒈／⒉ tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

150g caster sugar

170g unsalted butter, softened

3 eggs

Syrup

150g Northumberland (or your local) honey

100g caster sugar

100ml water

1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180°C/170°C fan. Grease and flour an 8-inch circular cake tin (I use a non-stick springform tin).

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Beat the caster sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture, and beat until smooth. Pour mix into the prepared tin.

Bake for around 30 to 35 minutes and test with a skewer to see if it comes out clean. Leave for a few minutes then remove from the tin and cool on a rack whilst making the honey syrup.

Combine the honey, sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then stir in the lemon juice. Pour into a small jug. Transfer the sponge to a plate. Make a few skewer holes in the top of the sponge and slowly pour two thirds of the syrup over the cake.

Serve cold or warmed, with a drizzle of the remaining syrup and some thick cream or vanilla ice cream. Delicious!

Cath’s Comforting Cheesy Leek Cottage Pie (Serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large (or 2 small) onion, chopped

500g lean minced beef

Salt and black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

300ml beef stock

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 level tbsp tomato puree

1 heaped tsp cornflour, mixed with a little cold water

Topping

900g Maris Piper/King Edward potatoes, peeled and cut into large even-sized chunks

50g butter

2 tbsp fresh milk

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 medium leeks, sliced

50g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Heat the oil to medium in a deep frying pan, add the onions and fry until golden brown.

Add the mince and toss to mix and brown well, breaking up any lumps that may form.

Add salt and pepper, thyme, then the stock and Worcestershire sauce if using, and stir in the tomato puree.

Simmer for 20 minutes. Add and stir through the cornflour mix to thicken.

Simmer on low for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep covered whilst you make the topping.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20–25 minutes until cooked right through (test centre with a knife). Drain well, add 40g of the butter, milk and seasoning, and mash (using a hand masher) to a smooth puree.

Fry the leeks in a large knob of butter until just tender Fork through the mash.

Tip the meat mixture into a medium baking dish, and then use the leeky-mash to top your pie. I use two dessert spoons to gently scoop the mix on top and a fork to level out, leaving a bit of texture. Sprinkle over the cheese, and a touch of black pepper.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and crispy. Serve with a seasonal green veg.

Lily’s Luscious Lemon Posset (Serves 6–10 in mini pots)

570ml double cream

155g caster sugar

Juice of 2⒈／⒉ lemons

10 blueberries, and a grating of lemon zest/dusting of icing sugar, to decorate

Bring the cream and sugar to the boil in a large pan, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. (Be careful, it boils up surprisingly high!)

Continue to boil rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat, whisk in the lemon juice, and pour into small glasses or cups/ramekins. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least four hours, or overnight, until set.

Decorate with a blueberry in the centre and a sprinkling of grated lemon zest/dusting of icing sugar. Serve with a shortbread round or thin caramelised biscuit. Scrumptious!

Will’s Easy Chicken, Pepper, Feta and Olive Bake (Serves 4)

750g Charlotte or new potatoes, cut in half if large

600g boneless chicken thighs, cut into large bite-size chunks

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 large onion, sliced into 8 wedges

1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

200g feta cheese, crumbled into chunks

16 pitted black olives

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

Parboil the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes.

Toss the chicken in the smoked paprika to coat. Place in an ovenproof dish. Add onion, red pepper and garlic. Drain the potatoes and add to the dish, season and toss together with the olive oil.

Cook for 15 minutes, take the dish out of the oven and toss, then return it to the oven again for a further 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and golden.

Add the olives and feta to the top and bake for 3 to 4 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the parsley.

Serve with a green salad and fresh crusty bread.