Warm brandy cherries with ice cream

Following on from Wednesday’s post on quick and easy recipes that can be thrown together after a hard day at work, here are some more hassle free dishes for you to try.

I have included a couple of desserts that could be thrown together at the end of a dinner party when you don’t want to spend anymore time in the kitchen. Enjoy.

Asparagus, feta and smoked salmon salad

Cut raw asparagus thinly at an angle up to the tip, then mix with crumbled feta cheese, cooked chilled peas and broad beans, watercress leaves and a white wine and olive oil vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and serve with smoked salmon.

Steak with warm new potato and rocket salad

Boil two handfuls of new potatoes in salty water until just tender. Meanwhile, grill a large, thick-cut slab of rump or rib-eye steak as briefly as you can stand, leaving it rare or medium rare. While the steak rests, slice then dress the still-warm potatoes with a handful of capers, two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, a shake of balsamic vinegar and a small bunch of tarragon. Carve the steak into thin slices across the grain. Toss it through the potatoes with rocket, salt and olive oil.

Fresh strawberries with almond crème anglaise

Put 100g chopped almonds in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until beginning to toast, about three minutes. Add 200ml each of milk and cream, 120g sugar and four egg yolks, and whisk well to combine. Cook, whisking almost constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. While the sauce is still hot, strain it through a sieve and let cool a bit. To serve, put a handful of washed and quartered strawberries in each dish, drizzle with the warm sauce and garnish with 50g slivered almonds.

Berries with meringues

Take a punnet each of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Boil up some sugar, water and vanilla and star anise and pour it over the berries, then chill and eat with crushed meringue and clotted cream.

Warm brandy cherries with ice cream

Place a handful of ripe cherries in a pan with a large knob of butter and a tablespoon of caster sugar. Stir well. Add two tablespoons of brandy and leave to caramelise. Serve poured over a good vanilla ice cream.