Slow roasted vegetable cous cous with minted yogurt dressing.

Add same parts cous cous and boiling water together in bowl, cover for 5 mins – fluff with fork – add other
ingredients. Can use chicken stock instead of water to make for a delicious mix. Add butter. Herbs – flat leaf
parsley and coriander. Pine nuts and lemon zest – cinnamon

Cherrie tomatoes
Potato
Sweet potato
Baby carrot
Red onion
Garlic
Asparagus
Lemon
Zucchini
Parsley
Corriander
Chicken stock
Cinnamon
Pine nuts
Butter

Minted Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients
150g carton natural yogurt
1 squeeze lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp of freshly chopped mint

Method
1. Mix a 150g carton natural yogurt (wholemilk or low-fat) with a squeeze of lemon juice,
about 1 tsp olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper and 1 tbsp (or more, if
you like) of freshly chopped mint.
2. This deliciously simple dressing can then be used to bind cold new potatoes with lightly
cooked and cooled peas or petits pois. Add a bit of watercress too to create a summery
salad. Alternatively, use the minty mixture as a light dip for crunchy crudités, or add a
cooling dollop to a plate of grilled fish or meat.
 © David Loftus

ingredients
CHICKEN
• a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• a small bunch of fresh basil
• 8 jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 2–3 cloves of garlic
• 100g feta cheese
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 x 180g chicken breasts, skin on and
bone in, if possible
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

stuffed cypriot chicken

main courses | serves 4
TO START Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Turn the oven on to
220ºC/425ºF/gas 7 and put 2 large frying pans on a medium heat. Put the thick slicing disc
attachment into the food processor.

CHICKEN Pile the parsley, basil and sun-dried tomatoes, with a drizzle of their oil and a
pinch of pepper, on to a chopping board. Crush over 2 or 3 unpeeled cloves of garlic, then
finely chop everything together, mixing with the knife as you go. Crumble over the feta,
finely grate over
the lemon zest and mix again.
CHICKEN Tear off a big sheet of greaseproof paper and line up the chicken breasts, skin
side down, on top. Use a small knife to carefully fold back the fillets and cut a little pocket in
each one, slitting and cutting down until you can open each breast out like a book. Divide the
filling from the board into the middle of each chicken breast, pat it down, then fold the
chicken back over to cover (watch the video on how to do this).Wash your hands. Add 2 lugs
of olive oil to the empty frying pan. Using tongs, lay the chicken skin side down. Scrunch up
a sheet of greaseproof under the tap. Flatten out and tuck over the chicken, then leave to
cook, shaking the pan every now and again.

CHICKEN By now the chicken should be golden underneath, so carefully turn each breast
over and add 4 small sprigs of rosemary to the pan. Re-cover with the greaseproof. Put a
medium frying pan on top of the chicken to push it down a bit and help it crisp up.

CHICKEN Transfer the golden chicken to a wooden serving board and slice a chicken breast
to check it’s cooked through. Pour over the juices from the pan and take to the table so
everyone can help themselves.

© David Loftus

ingredients
• 300g strawberries, hulled and cut into 0.5cm slices
• good-quality balsamic vinegar
• juice of ½ a lemon
extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• a few sprigs of fresh basil, leaves picked
• 250g halloumi cheese, cut into 8 thin slices
• a few sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked
• a handful of mixed salad leaves, washed and spun dry
• 8 slices of speck

strawberry salad with speck and halloumi

snacks and sides | serves 4
Most people think of strawberries as something they’d only eat for dessert, but they work so
well in salads. Especially when paired with halloumi cheese, which I just love. It’s a Cypriot
cheese made from goat’s or sheep’s milk and you can get it from all good supermarkets. It’s
like a chewy feta but one you can cook with. When fried or grilled it goes all crispy on the
outside and soft and slightly chewy on the inside. A brilliant thing to eat.

In a bowl, drizzle the sliced strawberries with a good splash of balsamic vinegar, the lemon
juice and some extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. This will draw out and
flavour the lovely strawberry juices.

Preheat a large non-stick frying pan to medium hot and add a splash of olive oil. Press a basil
leaf on to each slice of halloumi. Place the slices, leaf side down, in the frying pan and fry for
a minute. Turn over carefully and fry for another minute until the halloumi is light golden and
crisp.

Get yourself four plates and place a couple of pieces of the crispy halloumi on each. Put the
mint, the rest of the basil leaves and the salad leaves into the bowl with the strawberries and
toss together. Pile some of the strawberry mixture in the middle of each plate and drape the
speck over the top. Finish with more salad leaves. To serve, drizzle with balsamic vinegar
and extra virgin olive oil.
 © David Loftus

ingredients
• 455g best-quality cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• 50ml hot espresso or good strong instant coffee
• 125g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 6 eggs, free-range or organic, separated
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g rice flour
• 1 small handful chopped hazelnuts, toasted

baked chocolate pudding

dessert recipes | serves Serves 6
This pudding is chocolate heaven! The original recipe idea for it came from my mate Ben,
the head chef at Monte's. I've changed it round a bit to make it easier to make at home.

Melt 125g chocolate with the coffee, then pour into small ice-cube moulds and freeze until
hard. Take 6 small 3 inch pastry rings, dariole moulds or cappuccino cups and grease well
with some butter. Place in the fridge while you make your sponge mixture. Melt the
remaining chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, then in a separate
bowl whisk the egg whites with the sugar until firm. Fold the yolks into the cooled chocolate
and butter mixture, then add the almonds and flour. Finish by carefully folding in the egg
white mixture. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Take your moulds out of the fridge
and spoon a little mixture into each one, then push in a cube of the frozen coffee and
chocolate mixture. Cover with the rest of the sponge mixture so each ice cube is completely
enveloped. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18–20 minutes, then remove carefully from
the moulds while hot. Serve immediately sprinkled with hazelnuts.