Fruity French Bread Pizza

2 Small baguettes
1 Jar of Tomato Sauce or Pizza topping
75g Sliced cooked ham
4 rings canned pineapple, drained and chopped
½ Small green pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
75g Mature cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

1 - Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/GM6. Cut the baguettes in half lengthways and toast the outsides under a grill until crisp and golden.

2 - Spread the tomato sauce or pizza topping over the toasted baguette halves.

3 - Cut the ham into strips and arrange on the baguettes with the pineapple and pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

4 - Grate the cheddar and sprinkle over the top. Bake or grill for 15 - 20 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve immediately.

Carrot Topped Beef Pie

450g Lean ground beef
675g Potatoes (floury)
½ pint Beef stock
25g Butter
1 Onion, chopped
1 Garlic clove, crushed
1 Celery stick, chopped
2 Carrots, diced
1 tbsp Plain flour
2 tbsp Tomato puree
3 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Skimmed milk
Salt and pepper

1 - Dry fry the beef in a large pan set over a high heat for 3-4 minutes or until sealed. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring.

2 - Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the beef stock and tomato puree. Stir in the celery, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbsp of the parsley. Season to taste.

3 - Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Spoon the mixture into a oven dish.

4 - Meanwhile cook the potatoes and carrots in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and mash them together.

5 - Stir the butter, milk and the remaining parsley into the potato and carrot mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the potato on top of the beef mixture to cover it completely.

6 - Cook the carrot-topped beef pie in a pre-heated oven for 45 minutes on 190C/375F/GM5. Serve piping hot.

Vegetable Fried Rice

125g Long-grain white rice
60g Green Beans
60g Cooked peas
25g Bamboo shoots, chopped
3 tbsp Peanut oil
1 tsp Sesame oil
2 Garlic cloves
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
4 Baby corn cobs, sliced
3 Tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
　
1 - Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the long-grain rice to the saucepan and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain the rice well, rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly again.

2 - Heat the peanut oil in a preheated wok. Add the garlic and five-spice and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

3 - Add the green beans, chopped pepper and sliced corn cobs and stir-fry in wok for 2 minutes.

4 - Stir in the bamboo shoots, tomatoes, peas and rice into the mixture in the wok and stir-fry for a further 1 minute.

5 - Sprinkle with sesame oil and transfer to serving dishes.

Crispy Seaweed

1kg Pak choi
850ml Groundnut oil
50g toasted pine kennels (nuts)
1tsp Salt
1tbsp Caster Sugar (superfine)

1 - Rinse the pak choi leaves under cold running water and then pat dry thoroughly with absorbent kitchen paper.

2 - Discarding any tough outer leaves, roll each pak choi leaf up, then slice through thinly so that the leaves are finely shredded. Alternatively, use a food processor to shred the pak choi.

3 - Heat the groundnut oil in a large wok or heavy-based frying pan.

4 - Carefully add the shredded pak choi leaves to the pan and fry for about 30 seconds or until the shrivel up and become crispy.

5 - Remove the crispy pak choi from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

6 - Transfer the pak choi to a large bowl and toss with salt, sugar and nuts. Serve immediately.

TIP: Discard the tough outer leaves of the pak choi as these will spoil the overall taste and texture of the dish. You can use Savoy cabbage instead of pak choi.