Beetroot, Goats Cheese and Honey Salad

Serves 2/3 (as a side):

2 cooked beetroot
2 tbsp of crumbled goats cheese
1 tsp of honey
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Slice the beetroot and place it in a bowl.
2. Crumble the goats cheese on top of the beetroot
3. Mix the honey, olive oil, salt and pepper and drizzle it on top of the beetroot.

Having recently been criticised for my shocking overuse of the phrase "simple and delicious", I am willing to take the hit and use it once more...

This dish is SO simple and SO delicious. It's true.

Serve with herb crusted cold roast beef (leftovers from Sunday lunch) and a cherry tomato and avocado salad.

DESERT ISLAND MEAL. It's a pretty big deal...

Big Portions Strong Flavours brings you the much acclaimed Sausage Sauce Pasta. A VERY naughty sauce packed full of delicious sausage meat, double cream and red wine. Do not eat this if you are on a diet. Sausage sauce has no time for diets. Only for greedy piggies such as myself and Hannah Weiland - a greedy piggy extroadinaire when it comes to this sauce. Adapted from a River Cafe recipe, Cherry (aka my dad's bird) has changed my whole pasta sauce outlook. Nothing compares. Tasting this sauce is like being slapped round the face with yumminess. Just see for yourselves...

Oh.. and a warning... fights may break out over sausage sauce. There have been many in our family over the years when some of us ate more than their fair share.

"Whenever I know for sure that we will all be together, it is fennel and sausages I buy." Cherry Wellesley, 2011.

Serves 10:

4 glugs of olive oil
20 sausages - Italian pork with a good fennel content is perfect. However you can use any good sausage and add a good spoon of fennel seeds. ALSO if you use 10 Italian sausages and 10 chorizo sausages it is really quite special.
3 small red onions, chopped
4-5 small red dried chillies, crumbled
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 Bay leaves
4 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
1/3 bottle of red italian wine
400g tin of peeled plum tomatoes X4
1 grated nutmeg
Parmesan, grated (lots)
Double cream - enough so that the sauce has a creamy quality to it, but not so much so that it dilutes the flavour too much.
Rigatoni

1. Heat the oil in a pan on a medium heat. Skin the sausages and crumble them into the pan.
2. As the sausage fat begins to run add the onions, garlic, chilli, rosemary and bay leaves.
3. Cook on a medium heat for about 30 minutes. Pour in the wine and turn the heat up.
4. Once most of the wine has evaporated add the tinned tomatoes. Simmer gently for 1 hour.
5. Take the sauce off the heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
6. Add the porky cream and fatty parmesan.

EAT WITH FRIENDS

Make enough to have in a sandwich the next day... if possible it gets even more delicious over night.

Fancy Pants Canapes

I have landed myself a preeetty sweet position as recipe tester for my lovely mother's next cook book, The Busy Mum's Vegetarian Cookbook (which I will be shamelessly plugging on this blog).
Last night Kate Towers and I, following Mary Gwynn's (aka my mum) recipe, embarked upon a canape extravaganza, and produced some incredibly tasty little morsels.

Minted Pea and Polenta Pieces

For the polenta
175g (6oz) instant polenta
25g (1oz) butter
25g (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan
large pinch dried chillies
1-2 large free-range egg, beaten
100g (4oz) dried white breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
200g (4oz) frozen peas
4 cloves garlic
sunflower oil for deep frying
juice of 1 lemon
mint leaves and pecorino shavings to finish

1 To make the polenta bring 750ml (1 ¼ pint) water to the boil, add a generous pinch of salt and the chillies then pour in the polenta, whisking continuously to prevent lumps forming. Lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the polenta is thick and leaves the sides of the pan.

2 Off the heat, beat in the butter and grated parmesan to give a glossy thick paste. Season to taste. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled shallow baking tin and spread to a thickness of about 1.5cm ( ½ in). Allow to cool and set. Cut out rounds using a 2.5cm (1in) plain round cutter and dip into the egg and breadcrumbs to coat. Cover and chill until needed.

3 For the pea puree cook the frozen peas into boiling water with four peeled cloves of garlic for 2 -3 minutes. Drain well and run under cold water to cool. Drain again. Pulse quickly in a blender with seasoning form a coarse puree.

4 When ready to serve, heat the oil in a deep heavy based pan or fryer to 190C and fry the polenta in batches for 2 -3 minutes each until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Use a teaspoon or piping bag to pipe on the puree. Top with a mint leaf, squeeze of lemon juice and shaving of pecorino.

Caponata Filo Cups

3 large aubergines, cut into 1.5cm ( ½ in) cubes
4 – 6 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
small handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp tarragon vinegar
400g can Italian tomatoes
2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
1/2 jar stoned green olives, roughly chopped
100g (4oz) pine nuts
4 sheets filo pastry
50g (2oz) butter, melted
100g (4oz) dolcelate or similar soft blue cheese (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped chives to finish

1 Sprinkle the aubergine with a little salt and leave to stand in a colander for 10 minutes. Rinse under running water then pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergine in batches till golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

2 Clean the pan, add a tablespoon of oil and cook the onion and garlic over a lowe heat for 3 -4 minutes until softened. Return the aubergine to the pan and add the tarragon vinegar. Stir in the tinned tomatoes and add 1 tbsp brown sugar. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until the aubergine is cooked through and the sauce thickened. Stir in the remaining sugar, balsamic vinegar, capers, olives, oregano, parsley and seasoning and simmer for a further minute or two. Add the pine nuts right at the end then cool, cover and store in the fridge. The flavours will develop and the pine nuts will soak up the excess oil and give a good extra texture to the caponata.

3 Preheat the oven to 170C/fan oven 160C/gas mark 3. Lay out a sheet of filo pastry on a chopping board and brush liberally with melted butter then gently lay another piece of filo over the top. Brush again and then use a large knife or cutter to cut the sheet into squares roughly 4cm (1 ½ in) square. Do the same once more. Push the squares into mini muffin tins and bake for 8 – 10 minutes until golden. Turn out onto a baking sheet to cool. Store in airtight containers.

4To assemble, use a teaspoon to fill each case with a little of the caponata mixture then top with a teaspoon of dolcelate if using. Sprinkle chives over the top. Arrange on a plate, slate or tray.

I LOVE PLATTERS

Firstly, I love the word 'platter'. Secondly, WHY are they so delicious!? People often underestimate the power of a very well put together platter. I think an important (but not essential) element for me is the combination of hot and cold. A warm Reblochon cheese tart with a selection of cold cured meats, gherkins, salad and more cheese. Honestly it makes me salivate just picturing it. Not only does it taste sensationally good but it looks beautiful too.

This is one of the finest platters I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, at L’Edelweiss, a mountain restaurant on a run down to Le Fornet in Val d'Isere. That white thing which looks like a dead mouse in the middle of the board was a mini saucisson. Very tough but very delicious.

Mmmm...platters...

Kate's Chorizo and Bean Stewy Soup

1 carrot
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 celery stick
400g tin tomatoes
Vegetable stock
Cooking chorizo
400g tin of cannellini beans
1 tsp fennel seeds
3/4 bay leaves
1 tsp paprika

Finely chop the garlic and thinly slice the carrot, celery and onion. Heat some oil in a pan and cook the garlic, onion, celery and carrot until softened. Add the tomatoes, half a small jug of vegetable stock and the spices and bay leaves. Whilst simmering, fry the chorizo in a separate pan and then add it (with yummy chorizo juices) to the stew with the cannellini beans. Simmer and reduce until thickened (I think kate left it simmering for about 2 hours on a very low heat).
This was made in Kate's new Le Crueset which, according to Kate, hugs the dish and makes it feel happy and tasty.

Suckling Piggies and Other Thingies

Saturday night was the culmination of 21 years of devout piggy worship. It took place at St. John restaurant in Smithfield. A Curtis family celebration is first and foremost about one thing... Food. You have to order the pig a month in advance, which my sister took upon herself to do. I should clarify that I come from a family of complete pork fanatics. From the sweet little piggies running around in a pen to the scrumptious meat, I can safely say the Curtis family love everything about pigs. We love pigs so much that we found a pet that is as close to a pig in appearance as possible (Agnes, an english bull terrier. We have often talked about which part of Agnes would taste the most delicious).

My sister Lucy instructed me to visit the St. John's website and help her choose the starters for the night. The menu on the restaurant's site was titled 'Feasting', a great start. We ended up choosing Roast bone marrow & parsley salad and Whole crab & mayonnaise. They brought the bone marrow and crab out on huge platters (why does food look infinitely yummier on a platter?). Before the meal I had in my mind an image of literally picking marrow from a cows bones... And that is exactly what we did. It turns out bone marrow spread on toast with a sprinkling of salt is quite the most delicious thing. The crab was equally yummy. It was served whole which meant a considerable amount of snapping and cracking and picking and, at one point, actually sucking crab flesh from a claw, the whole messy process making it even more tasty.
The suckling pig was then brought in to loud cheers and much drooling. It was when I thought how delicious the pig's head looked that I realised I really do have no qualms when it comes to eating pigs, however sweet they might be. The head was cut off and placed ceremoniously in front of my sister, far better than any birthday cake I've ever seen. No one seemed particularly surprised when Lucy started nibbling the ears as we sang happy birthday... The look of pride on my father's face was immense.

Unsurprisingly, a whole pig which has been roasting for 10 hours is completely delicious. Thank god for my supreme gift of a second 'pudding' stomach. A gift I know many of my friends are blessed with. After the pig had been demolished and swept away to be wrapped up into a mouthwatering doggy bag, the waitress brought in the puddings on yet more platters. Sticky toffee pudding and profiteroles. Too much? Almost. There was a considerable lull in conversation after a few minutes as people realised the extremity of what we had taken on. Bone marrow, crab, a whole pig and two puddings. Greediness is a trait which is prided in our family. Holding back is frowned upon. It is safe to say I am very proud to call myself a Curtis.

Chicken Pie (Flora Davidson)

1 chicken
720ml chicken stock
125ml cream
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
100g smoked streaky bacon
50g butter
75g flour
packet of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper

Poach chicken in 1 litre of water. Add carrot and onion and bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Take the chicken off the bone and break it up into fork size pieces. Sweat onion and bacon until soft, then add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in 750ml of poaching liquid (stock) and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and season. Fold in chicken pieces and pour into pie dish. When cool, cover with puff pastry and glaze with the egg. Cook for 30 minutes until pastry is golden.

Sticky toffee pudding cupcakes with a salted caramel frosting (Kasia Kirkland)

The future of British baking, Miss Kasia Kirkland has kindly shared her original cupcake recipe. This particular batch is for a Macmillan cancer charity coffee morning.

180 g dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
180 g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
80 g unsalted butter
150 g muscovado sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the caramel
3 - 4 tbsp dulche de leche
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream
1 tsp vanilla extract
160 g butter
200 g icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan170ºC/gas 4.

2. Place the paper cases into a 12 hole cupcake tin.

3. In a heatproof bowl, pour 180ml boiling water over the dates and leave to soak
for 20 minutes. with a fork, gently break up the dates and stir in the vanilla.

4. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and set aside. Cream together
the butter and sugar for a good 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs
gradually, beating between each addition, slipping in 1 tbsp flour about halfway
through to prevent curdling.
Lastly, fold in the remaining flour and then the date mixture.

5. Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for 15-20 minutes (the tops should spring
back when pressed with a finger). Remove and leave to cool.

6. Mix the dulce de leche with the salt and vanilla.

7. For the buttercream Cream the butter and icing sugar for at least 5 minutes with
an electric mixer and add the caramel or the dulce de leche.

8. Put the buttercream into the piping bag fitted with the star nozzle and pipe it
on to the cakes, or spread it on with a palette knife.

Spiced chickpea salad with mango yoghurt

This is a recipe from Mary Gwynn's new cookbook (aka my mum!). I made this for lunch today and it is bloody delicious. It requires no cooking and improves in flavour as it sits.

Serves 2-3

1 medium red onion, finely chopped
400g can chickpeas, drained
1 carrot, diced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (parsley or coriander also go nicely)
2 tbsp mango chutney
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
salt and pepper

Mix the onion, chickpeas and carrot together in a bowl. Add the spices, lemon juice, mint and seasoning. Spoon into a serving bowl. Mix together the mango chutney and yoghurt and drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Serve with naan bread or pitta. The lovely Adie Towers served it as an accompaniment to a chicken curry and it went perfectly.

Tuna, Cannellini bean and White onion salad

Serves 2/3

400g tin of cannellini beans
200g of tinned tuna
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into 6 segments
small handful of flat lead parsley, roughly chopped
cherry tomatoes

Dressing:
Extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt + pepper

Drain the cannellini beans and rinse them. Mix the tuna, beans, chopped onion, eggs, tomatoes and chopped parsley in a bowl. Pour the dressing over.

Serve with bread.

Victoria Sponge (Kate Towers)

3 eggs
7oz Caster Sugar
7oz Self-raising flour
70z butter
1 teaspoon of baking powder
A good slosh of milk
Zest of 1 lemon
300ml whipped cream
Strawberry jam
Strawberries
Icing sugar

2 x 18cm (7in) sponge cake tin

Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter the tins and line the base of each with greaseproof paper. Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar. Beat until soft and light and quite pale in colour. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Sieve the flour and baking powder. Add the lemon zest. Mix all together lightly and add the milk to moisten. Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 tins. Bake for 20 minutes, they should be golden with a slight wobble. Turn out and allow to cool. Sandwich together with the jam and whipped cream. Cut the strawberries into quarters and place on top, lightly sprinkling with icing sugar.

SERVE WITH TEA.

Hummus with ground lamb and pinenuts

Serves 4

200g chickpeas
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 large Spanish onion, very finely diced
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
juice of 1emon
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with salt
3-4 tablespoons of tahini paste
170g lamb, minced
2 tablespoons of pinenuts, lightly toasted
1 medium bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves picked from the stalks
a sprinkling of paprika
sea salt and black pepper

Heat half the olive oil over a low to medium heat and fry the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden and sweet. Remove and add the ground cinnamon.
To make the hummus, drain the chickpeas, keeping aside the cooking liquid, and blend in a food processor with a little cooking liquid to help the chickpeas on their way. When smooth add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini and the rest of the olive oil. Add salt, pepper and some more liquid if necessary. Taste for seasoning and spread the hummus on to a plate so it is ready to receive the lamb.
Place a frying pan over a high heat and when it is hot add the caramelised onion and its oil followed by the lamb. Use the back of a fork to break up the lamb as it sizzles and season with salt and pepper. When the lamb begins to crisp, add the pinenuts and transfer immediately to the hummus. Serve with the parsley leaves and paprika sprinkled on top. Serve with warm flatbread or pitta bread.

Raw Fish and Jellyfish

Last week I was mostly eating raw fish and jellyfish. Raw fish at Zuma in Knightsbridge and jellyfish at Mr Kong in Soho. And the two restaurants could not be more different...

Zuma serves contemporary Japanese cuisine, and is widely regarded as one of the most fashionable restaurants in London - one reviewer described it as 'a playground of the rich'. The decor is achingly trendy - no windows, dark wood and low orange lighting create an ambience that is reminiscent of a nightclub rather than a restaurant. If, for a moment, you can tear your eyes away from the glamourous, designer-clad (and only marginally ostentatious) clientele, take a moment to gaze at the open kitchen in the middle of the room, where serious skill and meticulous attention to detail is demonstrated by the chefs. All of this may already have you reaching for the phone to make a reservation, or alternatively, making a furious mental note to avoid it like the plague... Please, reserve judgment until I've told you about the food...

Crispy fried squid with green chilli and salt, and seared tuna with chilli daikon and ponzu sauce to start. I had to remind myself that one must not clean the plate with one's finger in this sort of classy establishment... Then, a selection of nigiri sushi (cooked rice topped with fish), sashimi (sliced, fresh, raw seafood), california maki (fresh crab and avocado) and softshell crab spider rolls, the quality of which have made it impossible for me to consider eating at YoSushi again (and I am no sushi snob). Amazingly, the main courses surpassed their predecessors. The whole native lobster tempura with spicy ponzu, the wagyu beef and the flakes of succulent, creamy, black cod (meal of the night) were enough to guarantee that I had utterly forgotten about the table of intimidating blondes to my left, abandoned my cautious reserve, and had resorted to clearing the table with my usual gusto, totally unembarrassed by my closed eyes and 'mmmmmm' noises.

Special mention must go to the grilled asparagus with wafu sauce and sesame and the 'secret' chocolate fondu (it's not on the menu).

So, onwards to Mr Kong. From a secluded backstreet in Knighstbridge to the hustle and bustle of Chinatown. The restaurant is on Lisle Street, smelly, noisy and slightly seedy. From the outside you would be forgiven for thinking this Chinese restaurant is nothing out of the ordinary - small, forgettable, nothing to make it stand out. Once inside, there is much of the same. Although over two floors, it feels cramped: there's only room for about 40 diners on each floor, and the tables (covered in a lurid pink chintz) are very close together. So, you sit down and take a look at the menu. Again... more of the same... this menu looks no different to any other standard Chinese takeaway. And if you were foolish enough to stick to prawn toast, crispy seaweed, sweet and sour pork and duck pancakes, you would go home feeling satisfied and full (the portions are large), but not inspired, and certainly not as if you had just experienced something special.

So, instead of ordering your average takeaway fare, take a look at the Chef Special Menu - (on their website it is called The Chief's Specials, which I love...) It reads like a dictionary of bizarre ingredients. Braised turbot with bitter melon and beancurd sticks in a black bean sauce. Braised eel with clove of garlic and roasted pork in hot pot. Spicy pig's knuckle with jelly fish (served cold). Deep fried pig's intestine with spicy salt. And for a finale, sauteed dragon's whiskers with dried scallops.

I have a confession to make... I didn't order the jelly fish. And I did order crispy chilli beef. Call me boring, call me a hypocrite, but the beef is delicious and the jellyfish is served cold. Maybe next time...

Guilt-free eating

If there's one thing that both my parents have taught me throughout my ongoing food education, it's that one can never have a guilty conscience when it comes to eating. Do what you must do, and be proud of it. And always think of yourself before others. My first brutal induction into this ideology came from my Uncle Iain at a very early age. Every Sunday lunch he would successfully divert my concentration away from my roast to some non-existent bird or creature in the garden with an exclamation of surprise. It only took him that split second to swoop in, hawk-like, and extract the most delicious part of my lunch - always the crackling, if there was any. Many, many of the choicest morsels have been lost to my Uncle Iain, but do I resent him? Don't be ridiculous. Instead I have admired and learned from his quick-wit and deftness, and have since reaped the benefits of his example from the plates of my younger brother and sisters.

My mother has always presented herself as a fine example of a guilt-free eater. Her weakness (or should I say strength?) is chocolate. Most notorious of all, is the time that she bought a box of Lindt bunnies as a gift for a friend, and nibbled the ears off in the few hours between purchasing the chocolates and handing them over. When confronted about it now, she makes no apology, merely shrugs and says, 'They're my favourite'.

My sister and I have learned never to be embarrassed about our attitude towards food. If you are in Argentina, the home of the steak, and you want to have it for both lunch and supper, then you must do so. At Christmas, count out the canapes so you know exactly how many each person should get, and be quick to scold those who are having more than their fair share. If no-one wants to share the cheese-fondue for two, have the whole thing to yourself. Grab the last brownie, serve yourself first, always lick the bowl, and most importantly, do it with pride.

A Chorizo Emergency

I really love chorizo. I know, I know...so does everyone. But I really love chorizo. Whenever my father used to go away, he used to bring my sister and I back little gifts: Moomin books from Sweden, hand painted dolls from Prague or emergency Toblerone bars from whichever airport he found himself at minus a present. But if he went to Spain, he knew it was only worth him returning home if he was laden with one thing: delicious, juicy, mouth-watering, scrumptious Spanish chorizo. Once, when I was about 9, he brought back a wonderful dry cured specimen which I hung on a little nail above my bed - perfect for nibbling at whenever I felt the need... which was frequent, I can assure you. Unhygienic? Probably... but here lies the problem. I tend to find that I have very little common sense where chorizo is concerned.

First of all, there is my uncontrollable use of it as an ingredient... I literally cannot help myself. Rationality and Greg Wallace from Masterchef tell me time and again that chorizo has an incredibly strong taste which can easily overpower subtler flavours. I know this. But quite frankly, when the porky, garlicy, paprika flavour is so delicious, who cares if I can't taste the scallops or the leeks in the risotto? From my point of view, they should be happy to take a backseat to such a king of ingredients.

My father (Mark) also tends towards a slightly unbalanced adoration of chorizo. Over the last week, I have been home alone, as he and his girlfriend (Cherry) and my naughty little sisters and brother (Honey, Lily and Billy) have been on holiday on a remote Scottish island. Having been warned that I would be unable to contact them for a week due to absolutely no signal on the island, I was slightly surprised to hear from Dad mid-week.

'Can you hear me?' (I could just hear him through the crackling of very little signal)

'Yes - is everything alright, why are you calling?' (slightly panicked...)

'Everything's fine here...crackle crackle...but there's a slight emergency that I must... hello?... tell you about...'

'Dad?? hello... what? hello?'

'There's some excellent quality... CHORIZO...in the fridge...NEAR ITS SELL BY DATE... you must use it... DON'T LET IT GO TO WASTE...'

And with that he was gone. Heart beating fast, I raced to the fridge to check that the cause of my father's stress was still edible, that his phone call hadn't been in vain... (and more importantly that I would be able to eat my favourite thing for supper...) All was well. I promptly rang a fellow chorizo aficionado and together we concocted the following recipe:

Chorizo and Pork Lentil Stew

Serves 6-8

2 red onions
3 cloves of garlic
2 sticks of celery
3 dried red chillis
4 red/yellow peppers, cut into strips
a packet of cherry tomatoes
a bunch of fresh parsley
400g tinned tomatoes
a splash of red wine
4 pork chops, cut into 5cm chunks
1 large cooking chorizo
1 tbsp picante (spicy) paprika
puy lentils
salt and pepper

This couldn't be easier... throw the onions, garlic, celery, peppers and cherry tomatoes into a casserole pan and fry until softened. Then add the chorizo and chopped up pork. Fry until the pork is browned.

Add the tinned tomatoes, a splash of red wine, the paprika, chillies and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then turn it down to a simmer and cover. Let it bubble away until it looks all stewy, squishy and yummy... about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put on your lentils, following the instructions on the packet. They will take about 20 minutes. When they are done, pour them into the casserole pan and mix it all together. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

I have about one hundred favourite chorizo recipes (mainly because I think it can be added to anything), but here is a real lunchtime treat from Mary Gwynn's new cookbook:

Avocado and chorizo ciabatta sandwich

Serves 1

4 - 6 cherry vine tomatoes
1 ready to bake ciabatta roll
1/2 avocado, halved, stoned and peeled
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 mini cooking chorizo, halved down the centre (or 4 -6 slices of good quality chorizo)
1 clove garlic, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C Gas Mark 6. Place the tomatoes in a small roasting tin. Cook for 10 minutes until starting to shrivel. Add the ciabatta to the oven for the last 6 minutes.

Heat the oil in a griddle or non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes a side until cooked through. Remove and keep warm

Split the ciabatta and add to the pan. Cook on both sides until crisp then rub with the garlic. Arrange the chorizo in one piece then add the roasted tomatoes and sliced avocado. Season and top with the other half of the ciabbata. Squash together to mix the flavours, cut in half and serve.