If you want to have a more formal meal on a budget, think about simple but delicious stews, pasta or vegetarian dishes. Entertaining doesn’t have to be fancy-but just a little thought, such as laying the table beforehand, can make it feel special. If you’re having a special celebration but don’t want to splurge on Champagne, try less expensive, but still delicious, Prosecco or Cava. Or make it go further by making Champagne cocktails such as buck’s fizz or Bellinis.

You also needn’t feel pressure to serve a lavish three-course meal-one lovely main and a dessert is just as special.

Drinks

Not everyone is a wine expert. In fact, most people can feel a little intimidated when it comes to serving the ‘right’ wine with their meals. The easiest way to get around the stress of what to serve is to go to a good wine merchant and ask them to suggest not only what to serve with your meal, but how much to serve per person-which is, of course, entirely subjective, but the experts will take this into account! If you’re planning a large party, wine merchants also often offer discounts on multiple bottles, so don’t be afraid to ask what deals they have going for bulk purchases. For bigger parties, they may also supply returnable wine or champagne glasses free of charge. Just ask!

If you choose to serve cocktails, try to limit these to one or two, unless you really enjoy acting as bartender and/or have a big budget.

Be sure to have soft options for those who don’t drink alcohol. Even if you just posh-up a big jug of ice water by adding lemon or lime, or mint-or even coriander.

Keeping calm …

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Nobody expects you to be a superhero, so if you need help chopping, recruit a friend or family member. If you’re having a big party, enlist a few people to be on standby to pass things around and pick things up as the evening progresses. You don’t have to do it all single-handedly.

One handy but easily forgotten tip when preparing is to clean as you go along so that your guests don’t arrive to a mess and so you have an easier clean-up afterwards. Chuck out packaging, put things in the dishwasher and wash-up bowls or utensils. It’ll also help keep your head clear if your space is as clutter-free as possible.

Try to remember that part of the fun of entertaining is the preparation itself. So crank up the music, pour yourself a glass, and go for it! Remember, everyone will appreciate your hard work and probably only you will notice if something isn’t quite as you expected. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s all about the having fun and sharing great times with those you love. Be prepared to have a few mishaps and you’ll have a much better time!

I hope this book helps you create many memorable meals. Above all, enjoy!

BRUNCHES AND LUNCHES

Getting together with friends and family doesn’t always mean ‘dinner’. You can have just as special a meal before the sun goes down. Birthdays, Mother’s Day, or just getting together with the girls are reason enough to plan a nice meal together. Brunch is one of my favourite meals- it allows you to put a little extra something into what is essentially a late breakfast, and it means you can have a sneaky glass of something fizzy or a Bloody Mary before noon! Here you’ll find many ideas for easy and special daytime meals.

BRUNCH

Baked eggs with creamy kale

This is delicious for brunch. If you can’t get kale, use spinach. I love to use the Irish farmhouse cheese Glebe Brethan for its delicious flavour and melting texture, but you can use Gruyère instead.

SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN

25g (1oz) butter

900g (2lb) kale with stalks removed before weighing

Salt and ground black pepper

350ml (12fl oz) single or regular cream

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

6 eggs

350g (12oz) Glebe Brethan or Gruyère cheese, grated

Six 100ml (3½ fl oz) ramekins or ovenproof dishes

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.

2 Add the butter to a large wide frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the kale and season with salt and pepper. As soon as the kale wilts and becomes tender, add the cream and nutmeg, then allow to bubble for 3–5 minutes until thickened.

3 Divide the kale between the ramekins or dishes, placing it around the inside of each dish and leaving a small well in the centre.

4 Break one egg into each dish and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for 8–10 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling around the edges. Scatter over a little pepper and serve immediately with a little toast on the side.

Wild mushrooms on toast with chive hollandaise

I like to use chanterelles or oyster mushrooms for this recipe. Chanterelles are one of my favourite mushrooms. They have a huge amount of flavour and their colour is like liquid gold. Here they transform what is essentially just mushrooms on toast into a luxurious breakfast treat.

SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN

3 generous handful of wild mushrooms

50g (2oz) butter, plus extra for spreading

6 slices of bread

100ml (3½fl oz) chive hollandaise (see below)

For the chive hollandaise

2 egg yolks

100g (4oz) butter, diced

Squeeze of lemon juice

1–2 tbsp chopped chives

Salt and ground black pepper

1 First make the hollandaise sauce following the instructions on page 159, stirring the chopped chives into the cooked sauce just before seasoning,

2 Next carefully clean the mushrooms. The best way to do this is to brush off any soil or debris with a pastry brush. Avoid washing them as this will make them soggy during cooking.

3 Place a large frying pan on a high heat and allow it to get quite hot. Add the butter and when it has melted and starts to foam, tip in the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3–5 minutes, tossing regularly.

4 Meanwhile, toast the bread and spread with butter.

5 When the mushrooms are cooked, taste for seasoning then arrange on top of the hot buttered toast, drizzle with the chive hollandaise and serve immediately.

Citrus honeyed fruit

The sweet-sour combination of lime juice and honey is a lovely way to enhance the flavours of some fruit. I like to add chopped mint for a fresh taste. This is ideal for serving at breakfast.

SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN

Juice of 1–2 limes

1–2 tbsp runny honey

2–3 tsp chopped mint (optional)

750g (1lb 10oz) mixed fruit, such as melon, bananas, raspberries, pineapple

1 In a large bowl, mix together the lime juice, honey and mint (if using). Peel any of the larger fruit (if necessary) and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add all the fruit to the bowl and stir to cover.

2 Leave to macerate for 10–15 minutes before serving.

Sweetcorn fritters with mango and avocado salsa

These gorgeous light fritters make a delicious brunch when eaten with the avocado and mango salsa, but they can be served on their own as a starter. You’ll need a good ripe avocado and mango for the salsa, which shouldn’t be made more than half an hour to an hour in advance or the avocado will discolour.

MAKES 15–20 FRITTERS SERVES 4–6 VEGETARIAN

2 eggs, separated

3 tbsp milk

50g (2oz) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

200g (7oz) tinned or frozen and defrosted sweetcorn (drained weight)

4–6 tbsp olive oil

For the mango and avocado salsa

1 avocado

1 small or ½ medium-large mango

2 spring onions

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and ground black pepper

1 First make the salsa. Peel the avocado and mango, remove their stones and cut the flesh into 1 cm (½ in cubes). Trim and finely slice the spring onions.

2 Put all the salsa ingredients into a large bowl, gently mix together and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

3 Place the egg yolks in another bowl and mix together with the milk. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix together until smooth then stir in the sweetcorn.

4 In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then carefully fold into the corn mixture.

5 Place a frying pan on a medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. (If using a large frying pan, you may need to add more oil-it should completely cover the base of the pan.) When the oil is quite hot, add tablespoon-sized blobs of the mixture, very lightly flattening these with the back of the spoon if they are too lumpy. Cook for 30 seconds–1 minute or until golden and crusty underneath, then, using a fish slice or palette knife, gently turn over and cook for a further minute or so on the other side. They are cooked when they are golden in colour and have a light spring to the touch in the centre.

6 Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. (You can do several at once, but be careful not to overload the pan or they will stick together. You will need to add more oil for each new batch.) Serve as soon as possible; kept warm in a baking tray in a low oven where they can sit for about 30 minutes, though they are best eaten straight from the pan!

Hot buttered oysters on toast

For a little bit of decadence these make a fabulous starter or a light meal.

SERVES 6

18 oysters (3 per person)

50g (2oz) butter, plus extra for spreading

6 slices of bread

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt (optional) and ground black pepper

1 Open the oysters one by one. Place an oyster on a tea towel, flat side up. Wrap your non-cutting hand in another cloth so you won’t get cut if the knife slips. Take an oyster knife, look for a chink in the shell at the narrow, hinged end, then insert the blade and, applying quite a bit of force, press, turn and lever upwards.

2 Put the opened oysters into a sieve set over a bowl and cut away the flesh from the shells. Discard the shells or wash them and use as salt and pepper holders. Tip the juices into a heavy-based frying pan, then, on a high heat, bring the juices to the boil. When they are boiling, whisk in the butter.

3 Add the oysters and, still on a high heat, toss for 1 minute or until the oysters are warmed through and have firmed up slightly and the sauce slightly reduced.

4 Meanwhile, toast the bread and butter it, and place on plates.

5 Just before serving, add the lemon juice and taste — it probably won’t need any salt. Place the oysters on the buttered toast, pour over the juices, add a grinding of black pepper and serve.

Lazy weekend Bloody Mary

This refreshing tipple is strictly for Sunday mornings. Celery salt isn’t essential, but it goes to perfection, so do get hold some if you can.

SERVES 10

50ml (2fl oz) Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 tsp celery salt (optional)

5 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated horseradish

1 tsp peeled and finely chopped shallot

1.8 litres (3 pints) tomato juice

2 tbsp dry sherry

300ml (½ pint) vodka

10 small sticks of celery, to serve

1 Whiz all the ingredients in a blender, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Serve in glasses over ice with a stick of celery.

Isaac’s frittata

A frittata is a thick and almost endlessly versatile Italian omelette. It can be flavoured with just herbs and cheese or almost a whole fried breakfast!

SERVES 4–6 VEGETARIAN

(with non-vegetarian variations)

8 eggs

50ml (2fl oz) milk

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tbsp chopped chives or parsley

110g (4oz) Gruyère cheese, grated

25g (1oz) butter

25cm (10in) diameter ovenproof frying pan

1 Preheat the grill on a medium setting.

2 Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together with the milk, seasoning with salt and pepper. Next gently mix in the herbs and grated cheese.

3 Place a large non-stick frying pan on a low-medium heat. Add the butter and when it has melted and starts to foam, add the egg mixture to the warm pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the cooked mixture from the bottom, from the outside in, filling its space with liquid egg by gently tilting the pan. Do this 5–6 times, then allow the mixture to cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until the bottom of the frittata is golden — you can tell this by lifting it slightly up at the edge using a palette knife or fish slice.

4 Take the pan off the heat and place under the grill, making sure that you leave a gap of a few centimetres between the frittata and the grill element. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the mixture has fluffed up nicely and is beginning to turn golden brown on top, by which stage the frittata will have cooked through to the centre.

5 Using a palette knife or fish slice, loosen the edges and slide onto a plate. Serve immediately or allow to cool to room temperature.

VARIATIONS

Make the recipe as above, adding the following to the basic egg mixture just before cooking:

Breakfast frittata: 150g (5oz) sliced mushrooms, fried in a little butter and seasoned with salt and pepper, and 10 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into 1cm (½in) pieces and fried until crispy.

Frittata ranchera: 150g (5oz) peeled and chopped onion, sweated in a little sunflower oil or butter, 4 small tomatoes cut into 5mm (¼in) dice, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped and deseeded red chilli (or more to taste) and 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander.

LUNCH

Spinach soup with rosemary oil

The aromatic flavour of rosemary, drizzled as an oil over this soup, works to perfection with spinach. Instead of making the rosemary oil, you could add 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary leaves to the soup just before blending, or a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg.

SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN

For the rosemary oil

1 sprig of rosemary, broken in half

50ml (2fl oz) olive oil

For the spinach soup

15g (½oz) butter

110g (4oz) peeled and chopped onions

150g (5oz) peeled and chopped potatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock

600ml (1 pint) milk

275g (10oz) spinach (any large stalks removed before weighing), chopped

1 Put the rosemary in a small saucepan with the olive oil and heat gently on a low heat until tepid. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rosemary infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the oil through a sieve into a jug.

2 For the soup, melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onions and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook on a very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and again.

3 Meanwhile, pour the stock and milk into another saucepan, bring to the boil and add to the vegetables. Bring the mixture back up to the boil, then tip in the spinach and cook, uncovered, over a high heat for 1–2 minutes or until the spinach is just cooked.

4 To preserve the fresh flavour, blend the soup straight away, in a blender or using a hand-held blender. Serve in individual bowls with a drizzle of rosemary oil over the top.

Skirt steak with spicy potatoes

A lunchtime steak is not for the faint hearted, so this is one to save for the weekend. Skirt steak is wonderfully tender and has a great flavour, though it needs to be cooked very quickly or it can overcook and toughen.

SERVES 6

750g (1lb 10oz) potatoes (unpeeled if small), cut into 1–2cm (½–¾in) dice

Salt and ground black pepper

75ml (3fl oz) olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated

1–2 red chillies, deseeded and finely diced

2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground (see tip below)

6 generous tbsp chopped coriander or parsley

6 thin skirt steaks (each weighing about 110g/4oz)

1 Place a saucepan of water on a high heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 3–5 minutes or until they have slightly softened, then drain thoroughly before tipping onto kitchen paper to dry completely.

2 Set a large frying pan on a high heat, pour in 50ml (2fl oz) of the olive oil and, when hot, add the potatoes and cook, tossing frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chillies and cumin and cook for a further 3–5 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and crispy, then tip in the chopped herbs.

3 While the potatoes are cooking, fry the steaks. Place a separate frying pan (cast iron if possible) on a high heat and allow it to get very hot. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper, add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the steaks for about 1 minute on each side. (If you overcook them, they will toughen.)

4 Remove the steaks from the pan and serve straight away (they can be kept warm in a low oven for 5–10 minutes, if needed) with the sautéed potatoes on the side.

RACHEL’S TIP

To toast and grind nuts or seeds, place the nuts or seeds in a frying pan on a high heat and cook, tossing frequently, for about 1 minute or until the nuts/seeds are browned. They toast very quickly, so take care not to burn them. To grind them into a powder, use a pestle and mortar, a coffee grinder dedicated to the purpose, or place the nuts or seeds in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

Oven-baked courgette tortilla

In Spain, a ‘tortilla’ describes a large omelette that usually contains fried potatoes. Add to it practically anything you like, within reason, depending on what is in season. Here there are nuggets of softened feta and moist courgette with the cooling refreshment of mint.

SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN

150g (5oz) new potatoes

Salt and ground black pepper

300g (11oz) courgettes

2 tbsp olive oil

8 eggs

2 tbsp single or regular cream

2 tbsp chopped mint

150g (5oz) feta cheese, roughly crumbled

25cm (10in) diameter ovenproof frying pan

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.

2 Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil, then cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain, then peel and cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks and set aside.

3 Halve the courgettes lengthways and slice into 1cm (½in) pieces. Pour the oil into a large ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat, add the courgettes, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5–7 minutes or until softened, tossing occasionally.

4 Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk the eggs together with the cream and mint and season with salt and pepper.

5 Add the potatoes and feta to the courgettes in the frying pan and lightly mix together. Pour in the whisked eggs and cook for 5 minutes or until golden underneath, then cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes or until just set in the centre. Serve immediately with a fresh green salad.

Stir-fried tofu with noodles

Tofu is a social butterfly, at its happiest when surrounded by lots of flavourful friends, literally soaking up anything you want to pair it with. This is an extremely quick and easy dish to make, as well as being very healthy and nutritious.

SERVES 3 VEGETARIAN

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp peeled (see tip below) and finely chopped root ginger

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

400g (14oz) firm tofu, cut into 1.5cm (⅝in) cubes

2 small pak choi, shredded into 1cm (½in) slices

250g (9oz) thin rice noodles or soba noodles

4 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp chopped coriander

1 Set a wok or large, non-stick frying pan on a high heat and pour in the sesame oil. When it is very hot, add the ginger, garlic, chilli and spring onions and stir-fry quickly for 30 seconds or until the garlic begins to turn golden.

2 Add the tofu cubes and stir-fry for a further 4–5 minutes or until they begin to brown around the edges, then add the pak choi and stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes or until the pak choi is wilted.

3 Meanwhile, cook the rice or soba noodles following the instructions on the packet.

4 Add the soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry to the tofu mixture, along with half the sesame seeds and half the coriander. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Divide the cooked noodles between individual bowls, spoon over the tofu mixture and sprinkle with the remaining coriander and sesame seeds.

RACHEL’S TIP

To peel root ginger, try using the tip of a teaspoon rather than a peeler; this is not only easier, but you also remove less of the ginger flesh in the process.

Celeriac soup with roasted hazelnuts

Celeriac has a surprisingly subtle celery-like flavour considering its aggressively gnarled appearance. The hazelnuts in this soup provide a gorgeous crunchy contrast to the smooth creamy finish.

SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN

25g (1oz) butter

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 potato, peeled and chopped

1 celeriac, peeled and chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

About 900ml (1 pint 12fl oz) vegetable stock

75ml (3fl oz) single or regular cream

Handful of chopped mixed herbs

To serve

Handful of roasted, peeled (see Rachel’s tip below) and roughly chopped hazelnuts

2–3 tbsp chopped parsley