Strawberries and cream the skinny way with 0% Greek yoghurt

Around this time every year I start to look forward to the summer holidays and get excited that I'll soon be feeling the sun on my skin and will be completely chilled out in a devil-may-care sort of way that I always do while on holiday. It doesn't matter that the only thing we've got planned this year so far is a week in Dorset - I'm still hoping for fine weather! The thing that bothers me though, is that the excited anticipation can be clouded by a familiar nagging worry in the back of my mind. Will I fit into my summer clothes? And if I do what'll I look like? 

It's mad really! I'm too much of a realist to know that it's far too late now to join a gym and half kill myself trying to get that sculpted figure I covet. About 20 years too late! So I'll simply make a few minor adjustments to my diet to shed a couple of pounds just to make sure that I'll still be able to squeeze into that little blue cotton dress that cost me a fortune last year so MUST come out for a second season.

This recipe is one of those adjustments. Strawberries and cream are one of my favourite summer treats but when I'm trying to be good and eat healthily it isn't the best idea. This delicious recipe uses 0% Greek yoghurt sweetened with honey instead of double cream and will save me a few calories that will help me to look my best while on holiday!

Strawberry and Greek Yoghurt Dessert Recipe

Notes: This recipe uses a small amount of gelatine to firm up the yoghurt a little but feel free to omit it if preferred - the dessert will be softer and the strawberries may sink further into the yoghurt but it will taste just the same. Also, the amount of honey in the recipe can be adjusted to taste depending upon how sweet you like it - but more honey will add more calories!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
150g 0% Greek yoghurt
1 tsp honey
½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp gelatine powder dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water (optional)

200g strawberries

1 tbsp caster sugar

Mint leaves for decoration (optional)

Method:

1. Mix together the yoghurt, honey and vanilla extract in a bowl. Add the gelatine, if using, and stir in quickly to ensure it is well mixed and no lumps have formed. 

2. Divide the mixture between two serving glasses and refrigerate for approx 2 hours until the yoghurt has set slightly (if you're not using gelatine then you don't need to do this).

3. Prepare the strawberries by removing the stalk and halving them. Put them in a saucepan with the sugar and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. The sugar will dissolve and the strawberries will emit their juice. When the strawberries are soft (but not mushy) turn off the heat and allow to cool.

4. Just before serving divide the strawberries between the 2 serving glasses and place them carefully on top of the yoghurt. Add a couple of mint leaves for decoration if you have them available. Serve and enjoy!

Pimm's Picnic Jelly Jars - for adults only!

Pimm's Cup is the classic summer drink as far as I'm concerned - it's so refreshing, fruity and just a little bit alcoholic! I wouldn't dream of drinking it in the winter but as the weather is warming up nicely and the Wimbledon tennis tournament is looming on the horizon I think now is just about the right time to kick off the Pimm's season. 

I love Pimm's (mixed with fizzy lemonade and pieces of strawberry, apple, cucumber and mint) so when I came across the idea of making jelly deserts with Pimm's I couldn't resist trying it out!

These alcoholic jellies are so easy to make and I think they really capture the fruity, summery essence of Pimm's. Poured into a glass and eaten with a spoon, they look just as beautiful and taste as refreshing as the real thing. They make a light and delicious end to a summer outdoor meal and can be made portable by pouring the jelly into a glass terrine jar, or other lidded jar, so become a fantastic way to round off a lazy picnic. 

Pimm's Picnic Jelly Jars Recipe

Notes: 

This recipe makes 600ml of jelly. Add the quantity of fruit stated in the recipe to the jelly and it fills 5 x 200g terrine jars (approx 1.25 litres) in total and produces a jelly packed with fruit. Feel free to adjust the fruit / jelly quantities to suit your taste. 

I used 4 Dr Oetker gelatine leaves which works out at approximately 7g in weight.

Please note that as Pimm's is alcoholic these gorgeous jellies should be kept strictly for adults only. 

Ingredients:

200ml fizzy lemonade or 7up

200ml Pimm's No 1

200ml orange juice

juice of half a lemon

60g caster sugar

4 leaves of leaf gelatine (see notes) 

4-5cm piece of cucumber, diced finely

350g strawberries, hulled and sliced

1tsp fresh mint, finely chopped

Method:

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water in a bowl for 10 minutes or according to the packet instructions.  

2. Mix together the lemonade, Pimm's, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan. Heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.

3. Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatine and add the leaves to the hot liquid. Stir well until the gelatine has dissolved completely.

4. Pour the liquid into a jug and allow to cool until cold but not set.

5. Divide the strawberries, cucumber and mint between 5 serving glasses (see notes) and pour in the cold jelly mixture.

6. Transfer the jelly to the fridge and leave to set overnight.

Inspired by Sainsbury's Magazine

Summery Vanilla and Lemon Rice Pudding with Blackcurrant Jam Sauce - comfort food at its best

Love it or hate it? Rice pudding is like Marmite in that it elicits very strong feelings in us Brits - there are those of us who absolutely adore it and those who can't stand the sight of it but there are very few of us who fall in between. I have a theory that this emotional response is somehow related to the old days of school dinners when bowls of luke-warm gloopy mush were served up with a dollop of (usually cold) jam by terrifying dinner ladies who would stand over you and make you eat every last disgusting grain of the stuff.  

Although the thought of those days still makes me shudder I have to say that I now fall into the love it camp but that's only because I've found out that rice pudding can be a yummy, creamy and comforting dessert that seems light years away from the revolting, grey and lumpy mass I was served as a child. 

This version is made as you would expect with milk, cream and sugar but has vanilla and lemon added which gives the rice a lovely summery, cheesecake-like flavour. I like to top it off with a simple sauce made from blackcurrant jam.

It can be eaten warm or cold but does firm up quite a bit if allowed to cool so more milk / cream may be needed when serving.

Summery Vanilla and Lemon Rice Pudding

Notes: This recipe is for a stove-top version of rice pudding but if you'd prefer to bake it, after stage 1 pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish and place it in a preheated cool oven at 140°C/ 275°F/ Gas Mark 1 for 30 minutes, take it out and stir it then put it back in for another hour. 

I've included the instructions for the blackcurrant sauce at the end of the rice pudding recipe - this really can be made with any kind of jam / preserve you choose.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

500ml milk

150ml double cream

Zest of 1 lemon

1 vanilla pod

15g caster sugar

150g short-grain pudding rice

Method:

1. Put the milk, cream and lemon zest into a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and add this to the pan. Heat gently to a simmer then add the caster sugar and rice.

2. Simmer for approximately 25 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Try to squeeze most of the seeds from the vanilla pod into the rice as it cooks. When it is ready, the rice should be thick with a creamy consistency.

3. Remove the vanilla pod and serve either on its own or with the blackcurrant jam sauce below. If serving cold, spoon the rice into a bowl, cover with cling film and allow the rice to cool before chilling in the fridge.

Blackcurrant Jam Sauce

Ingredients:

1tbsp blackcurrant jam

1tsp lemon juice

2tsp water

Method:

Put the jam, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan and heat until the jam has melted and the lemon juice and water have combined with the jam to make a fairly thin sauce. Drizzle over the rice pudding before serving.

Crunchy and Aromatic Rhubarb, Apple and Ginger Crumble

I love to eat rhubarb at this time of year. As it's one of the first fruits to appear in spring it reminds me that winter is behind us and summer is on it's way (hooray!). It also has to be one of the easiest fruits to grow too - although it's not the most attractive. 

When we had our house in France we had a large rhubarb plant in the garden and although we didn't really look after it at all it would spring to life every year from nowhere, give us tons of fruit and then disappear back into the ground again as the summer went on. This meant we had a short window to use as much of it as possible before the supply ran out. Jams, jellies, tarts, compotes, sauces, cakes crumbles, trifles - you name it and I've probably made it with rhubarb!

I like to stew rhubarb with some sugar and a splash of orange juice which makes a really simple compote to have with yoghurt or rice pudding (or just on its own) but, for me, the most delicious complement to rhubarb is ginger. It doesn't matter if it's fresh, crystallised, ground or bottled, I just love the gorgeous aromatic and tongue-tingling effect of these two ingredients when they're put together.

This recipe for rhubarb, apple and ginger crumble is really simple and produces a lovely crunchy crumble to top off the soft, sweet, fragrant fruit.

Crunchy and Aromatic Rhubarb, Apple and Ginger Crumble

Notes: Serves 4. I've kept this really simple as I don't think it needs anything else but if you want to you could add orange juice in place of water when stewing the fruit. For extra gingeryness (if such a word exists) add ½ tsp ground ginger to the crumble topping.

Ingredients:

6 stems rhubarb

3 eating apples

3 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp water

1 inch (2½cm) piece fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)

100g plain flour

75g butter

50g porridge oats

100g demerara sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6.

2. Cut the rhubarb into chunks approx 1½ inches (approx 3½cm) in length. Peel and core the apple and cut it into chunks approx ¾ inch (approx 1½cm) in size. Peel and grate the ginger.

3. Put the fruit into a medium sized saucepan with the caster sugar, water and ginger. Heat over a medium heat until the sugar  has dissolved and allow the fruit to stew gently for approx 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The fruit should be soft but still retaining its shape. When done, put the fruit into an ovenproof dish.

4. To make the crumble topping, put the flour and butter in a food processor with a chopping blade and process for a few seconds until the butter has been chopped finely and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the oats and demerara sugar until well combined and sprinkle over the fruit to completely cover.

5. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.

Serve with custard, cream or as it is. 

Ready to pop into the oven.