Ingredients:

4 x 200 grams white fish fillets, cut 2.5 cm. thick, skinned and pin boned
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and very finely chopped
zest and juice of 2 lemons
freshly ground black pepper
16 rashers of thinly sliced, smoked streaky bacon or pancetta
olive oil
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 large bunches of asparagus, trimmed

Procedure:

Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Season your beautiful fish fillets with the rosemary, finely grated lemon zest (no bitter white pith, please) and pepper – you don’t need to use salt because we’re going to wrap the fish in the lovely salty smoked bacon. Lay your rashers of bacon or pancetta on a board and one by one run the flat of a knife along them to thin them and widen them out. Lay 4 rashers together, slightly overlapping, put a fish fillet on top and wrap the rashers around it. Lightly heat a large ovenproof frying pan, add a splash of olive oil and lay your fish, prettiest side facing up, in the pan. Fry for a minute, then place the pan in your preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until the bacon is crisp and golden. While the fish is cooking, you can make your simple lemon mayonnaise. I do this by mixing homemade mayonnaise with a nice amount of lemon juice and pepper. Or, if you’d rather sit down for five minutes with a glass of wine, use some ready-made mayo instead! You want to add enough lemon juice to make the flavor slightly too zingy. This is because, when you eat it with the asparagus and the fish, it will lessen slightly in intensity. And don’t worry if the mayo looks a little thinner than usual when you’ve added the lemon juice – think of it as more delicate. The asparagus is a great accompaniment because, like the fish, it also loves bacon. You can either boil or steam it; either way it’s light and a nice contrast to the meatiness of the fish. When cooked, toss it in the juices that come out of the fish. Simply serve the fish next to a nice pile of asparagus, drizzled with the lemon-spiked mayonnaise. And if you’re feeling very hungry, serve with some steaming-hot new potatoes. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 kilogram meaty spare ribs
1 large onion (chopped)
1 green capsicum (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
2 tablespoons ginger (chopped fine)
2 tablespoons salted black beans (chopped)
fresh red chili (chopped fine)
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Procedure:

Cut the ribs into 4 cm pieces, place them in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle black beans, garlic, ginger and chili. Add light and dark soy sauce, sugar and water. Cover dish in aluminum foil. Bake in preheated moderate oven for 1 1/2 hour. Alternatively, place in steamer and cook over water for 1 1/2 hour.Remove and set aside. Heat oil in wok. Stir-fry onion and capsicum till soft. Add pork ribs and juices, cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon butter
1 pound broccoli rabe (rapini), cut into 3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
4 lemon slices (optional)

Procedure:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine breadcrumbs and pepper in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, juice, and butter to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in broccoli rabe; cover and cook 3 minutes or until broccoli rabe is tender. Stir in parsley and capers. Serve chicken over broccoli rabe mixture. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can navy beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 heaping cup raw cashews
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon amore pesto paste
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy or rice milk, or water
1 lb fresh asparagus
1 puff pastry sheet
salt, pepper, olive oil

Procedure:

Remove 1 puff pastry sheet from the freezer and let it defrost on the counter for 40 minutes on top of parchment paper. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400º F and make the filling. Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the work bowl of a food processor. Add of the remaining ingredients except the soy milk (salt through lemon juice). Pulse the food processor, stopping ever few pulses to scrape down the sides and pulse again. You want to break up the beans and the cashews. Once it’s as smooth as you can get it, dribble in the soy milk while the machine is running, as this should help further smooth the mixture. After 40 minutes of defrosting, carefully unwrap the puff pastry on top of your parchment paper. Roll the puff pastry out slightly into a rectangle. Then add the white bean pesto mixture, leaving a 1 to 1 1/2 inch border on all sides. Trim your asparagus so that it fits the tart width-wise. Press the spears into the white bean pesto, alternating their direction so that there are tips and bases next to each other; this one everyone is guaranteed every part of the asparagus after cutting. Trim your asparagus so that it fits the tart width-wise. Press the spears into the white bean pesto, alternating their direction so that there are tips and bases next to each other; this one everyone is guaranteed every part of the asparagus after cutting: Brush the spears with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Using the parchment paper, slide the tart onto a baking sheet (don’t remove the tart from the paper). Bake at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes until the tart is puffed and golden brown and the spears are tender. Serve while just warm. You can reheat this tart in the oven for a few minutes if you have leftovers, but it’s also good at room temperature. Fresh basil is a nice garnish. If you’ve never worked with puff pastry before, this is a great recipe to get your feet wet. It really is easy to use, just as delicious as phyllo dough with none of the stress. And it’s fun to watch it puff! Makes 8 servings as appetizer.