Semlor or cream buns are incredibly popular in Swedish bakeries. Traditionally they are eaten on pancake Tuesday know as fettisdag or Fat Tuesday in Sweden. During winter taking a break for “Fika” the Swedish word for taking a break from the day to enjoy some coffee, tea and something sweet would normally include one of these cream and almond paste filled sweet buns.

Makes about 18 buns
700g plain flour
140g caster sugar
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of freshly ground cardamom
350ml milk
2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
150g salted butter, softened
1 large free range egg

Almond paste:
250g of skinless, blanched almonds
225g caster sugar
A few tablespoons of milk
A little icing sugar to dust
750ml double cream, whipped

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and pour the milk in, heat until lukewarm. Mix in the yeast.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and the cardamom. Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ones along with the egg. Bring a dough together and knead on a clean floured work surface for 4 minutes. Place back in the bowl and cling film and a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm, dark place for 45-60 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, divide the dough into 18 pieces (80g each) and roll each into a ball. Put the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the buns with a little beaten egg or milk and bake in the centre of the oven for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire wrack.

Prepare the almond paste by blitzing the almonds and caster sugar in a food processor. Then add a few drops of milk until you have thick smooth paste. Place in the fridge to firm up and become solid.

Cut a triangle out of the top of each bun and scoop out some of the insides, to make a small hole for the filling. Save the breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl. Grate the almond paste into the breadcrumbs and bring together a creamy paste using a few tablespoons of milk. Fill the buns with tablespoons of the filling and then pipe whipped cream on top.

Place the the tops back on, dust the buns with icing sugar and serve.

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This simple little supper hardly calls for a recipe at all. It uses lots of storecupboard ingredients to pump up the volume and make the best of the fresh prawns. You could use cooked frozen prawns here or maybe some slices of smoked salmon. The fresh flavours of white wine and lemon juice really lend themselves well to seafood.

Serves 4
400g of spaghetti
6 prawns per person, peeled
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
200ml of white wine (about a wine glassful)
Juice of 1 lemon
90g of butter (about 6 tablespoons)
A generous handful of parsley, finely chopped

First things first, get the pasta on the boil, cook it according to the instructions on the pack. Drain and toss in a little olive oil and set aside. Place a pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil, gently fry the garlic and chilli for about one minute.

Add in the prawns and fry for three minutes, tossing until they have changed colour and are cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Pour the wine and the lemon juice straight into the saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer away for a minute or two and then stir in the butter until it’s melted and add half the parsley.

Add the prawns and the pasta and toss until everything is evenly combined.

Serve straight away with the remaining chopped parsley and a generous seasoning of sea salt and ground black pepper.

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Toast the pine nuts in frying pan for a minute or so until they turn a nice golden brown. Make sure to keep your eye on them as nuts cook really quickly, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burnt a pan of nuts and I still haven’t learned my lesson!

Serves 4
120g of rocket
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced wafer thin.
A good handful of parmesan shavings
50g of pine nuts, toasted

Dressing:
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

In a large salad bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.

Add the rocket and toss in the dressing until evenly coated.

Scatter the toasted pine nuts, parmesan shavings and pear slices on top of the rocket.

Serve straight away and enjoy!

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I use a microplane grater to mince the garlic and chilli, its a really handy kitchen gadget. To butterfly a Dublin bay prawn, run a knife from the head to tail, being careful not to cut all the way through, then gently flatten it out.

Serves 2
8 Dublin bay prawns or langoustines, butterflied
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red chilli, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
juice of 1 lime
lime wedges and chopped coriander, to serve

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss the prawns to coat.

Heat a large griddle pan, and add the prawns.

Cook for 2-3 minutes either side or until cooked through.

Transfer the prawns to a serving plate, sprinkle with a little chopped coriander and serve with some lime wedges.

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One of my favourite cocktails is a mojito and, you guessed it, this recipe was thought up after one too many! But it was an experiment that paid off.

Serves 4
4 chicken breasts
1 garlic clove
4–5 tablespoons of rum
Juice of 2 limes
2 limes quartered
1 tablespoon of olive oil
A small handful of fresh mint
A generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Chop the mint and garlic finely and place in a large resealable bag. Add the rum, lime juice, oil, salt and pepper to the bag.

I butterfly the chicken breasts so they cook quicker and the garlic doesn’t burn.

To do this, place one hand on the breast and with the other slice through the thickest part, making sure the breast stays attached on one side.

Put the chicken in the bag and seal. Toss the chicken around in the bag and make sure the breasts are covered in the mint and garlic mixture.

Leave in the fridge preferably overnight, or you can make in the morning and leave for the day.

To cook the chicken, heat a pan over a high heat and fry the breasts and marinade for about 3–5 minutes on either side, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

Tumble in the lime quarters after you turn the chicken and allow to caramelise on all sides. Serve straightaway with a tasty side salad, couscous and a final squeeze of juice from the caramelised lime quarters.

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To be honest, even though I served this on a hot day, I think this dish would work better on colder one, as I find it’s a little bit heavy for the summer sunshine. You can replace the fruit with whatever is in season so feel free to experiment!

Serves 4-5 people.
50g of flour.
3 eggs.
100g of sugar.
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
1/4 teaspoon of salt.
250ml of milk.
450g of stoned sweet cherries.
Icing sugar for decoration

Preheat the oven 190oC/Gas Mark 5.

Whisk the eggs with the sugar, vanilla extract and salt. When they are combined sift in the flour and whisk to combine.

When the mix is smooth, add the milk and whisk through to form a light batter.

Add half the batter to a floured and buttered dish then add the cherries, arranging them nicely in the dish.

Cover the cherries with the rest of the batter and place in the oven to bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the batter fluffs up and goes a nice light golden brown.

Sift a little icing sugar over the top and serve warm with some vanilla cream.

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Good homemade bread never fails to impress. There is just a freshness that you can’t compare to store bought, plus the the smell of a freshly baked loaf wafting around the house, just can’t be beaten!

Makes 2 focaccia loaves
750g of strong white flour
2 teaspoons of salt
15fl oz of lukewarm water
1 x 7g sachet of dry yeast
2 tablespoons of olive oil

For the topping:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 garlic cloves, very finely minced
1 red onion, sliced into half moon pieces

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and with the back of a spoon make a well. Pour the water into the well, and stir through the yeast and oil. Allow to stand for 10 minutes and then slowly combine the wet ingredients with the flour, incorporating in small amounts at a time, until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Oil the mixing bowl, place the dough back in, cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch down the dough and knead for a further 2-3 minutes.

Seperate the dough into two pieces and form into a flat rectangular bread, place into two oiled baking trays. Mix the garlic with the olive oil and spread over the surface of the the bread dough. Poke parts of the dough with your thumb and then pres the onions on top. Place in an oven at 220oC/425oF/Gas Mark 7 for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness.

When the bread is done drizzle with a little extra olive oil and enjoy!

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When it comes to snack foods, everyone has their weakness, mine just so happens to be these homemade potato chips.

Makes enough for 4 portions, or one giant selfish one!
5 rooster potatoes cut into chips
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of paprika
1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200oC.

Cut the potatoes into chips about 1cm in thickness. Spread the potato chips evenly over two large non stick baking trays. Try and give the chips as much space as possible, this will make them extra crispy.

Drizzle the oil over the chips and toss until they are all combined.  Sprinkle over the paprika, pepper, salt and toss again.  Place in the oven and roast for 40-50 minutes or until crispy and golden.

Serve straightaway as a tasty snack or alongside a main meal.

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With just a few simple ingredients this is an easy dish to create and is really tasty.

Serves 2 portions
1 head of brocolli chopped into florets
2 duck breasts
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
5 tablespoons of soya sauce
3 tablespoons of honey

In a small bowl, mix the soya sauce, sesame oil and the honey until combined.

Place two duck breasts in a small roasting tray and brush over half the soya honey marinade. Place in the oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of the cooking time brush over the rest of the soya honey marinade, sprinkle with half the sesame seeds and finish cooking.

When the duck is ready, remove from the roasting tray and allow to rest on a chopping board. Keep the roasting tray which should still be full of tasty duck flavours as this makes a great dressing for the broccoli, try to spoon off as much fat as possible. While the duck is cooking steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes and remove from the heat.

Tumble the broccoli florets into the roasting tray and toss gently until they are completely coated. Slice the duck thinly and serve with the broccoli.  Sprinkle over some extra sesame seeds and enjoy!

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