Pesto and Parmesan twists

Sometimes called cheese straws, these are an easy to make snack which are perfect to serve with drinks before dinner. I've made them here with pesto and Parmesan which will give you a milder flavour than my blue cheese puff pastries, but they are just as tasty. You could also simply use a mild or strong grated cheddar.

You will need -

a puff pastry sheet

a jar of Pesto alla Genovese

finely grated parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 220ºC and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Unroll your pastry sheet onto a board, cut it down the middle and spread half of it with a good layer of pesto. Then sprinkle the cheese on top and lay the other half of the pastry over it. Press down firmly at each end.

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut fingers of pastry (about an inch wide) and twist each one four times. Lay onto the baking sheet and pop into the oven for about 15 minutes. Best served freshly made.

Blue cheese puff pastries

Cheese and pastry are a winning combination especially if it's a light and airy puff pastry. Small bite sized tarts are ideal for a light lunch or snack and you may have already tried my savoury tarts.

So continuing the theme, I found this recipe for Feuilletées in my mother's Cordon Bleu Kitchen Book & Diary and yes, I had to look it up. It's a French term for a small puff pastry case with either a hot or cold savoury filling, and is usually served as finger food. This recipe uses Roquefort, one of the strongest of the blue cheeses but I went for Danish blue which has a milder flavour but is just as good with a glass of red wine!

You will need -

a puff pastry sheet

a slab of strong blue cheese (I used Danish blue)

1 egg (beaten)

Preheat your oven to 220ºC and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Unroll your pastry sheet onto a board, cut it down the middle and brush half of it with water. Cut your cheese into 'fingers' and lay onto the pastry, leaving a gap in between each slice. (My 'fingers' were about 20mm x 80mm and I left a gap of 20mm in between each one).

Cover with the other half of the pastry and press down between each piece of cheese in order to seal the pastry together. Then cut out your 'fingers' using a sharp knife, place onto the baking tray and brush with the beaten egg.

Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Best eaten warm.

Easy quiche ideas

As you may have gathered by now, I'm not a great one for making my own pastry. Instead, I've become adept at using the ready rolled variety available in the supermarket fridges and if you get a good brand, you can't go wrong. Here's a quick and easy way to make quiche with a store bought shortcrust pastry. Perfect for those alfresco summer lunches.

First of all, you need to blind bake the pastry base in your tin to provide a firm and crisp bottom which won't go soggy when you put the wet filling into it. I use a 20cm sandwich cake tin to make my quiche which not only gives a deep filling but is also easy to turn out as the tin has a loose bottom.

Line it carefully with the pastry sheet - you may need to roll it out a bit thinner to fit the size of your tin - and press it firmly against the base and the sides. Trim off the excess with a knife, prick the base all over with a fork and place it in the freezer for about half an hour. Preheat the oven to 190ºC and place a baking tray into the oven.

Take the tart case out of the freezer and put a sheet of greaseproof paper into the middle, making sure it goes to the edges. Fill with ceramic baking beans (or dried pulses or rice), place on the preheated tray and bake for 15 minutes. When the time is up, take it out of the oven, remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans and brush the base with a little beaten egg (use a bit from the filling). Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is golden. Allow to cool slightly before filling.

If you're filling the tart straight away, reduce the oven to 180ºC. Once you've added your filling, bake for about 35-40 minutes or until it looks set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes before you take it out of the tin. If you're using a tin with a removeable bottom, the easiest way to do this is to place it onto a small bowl (or tin of baked beans!) and carefully push the sides of the tin down.

Fillings -

Do experiment but remember that most of the ingredients will need to be cooked ahead of time and before you add the egg and cream mixture. Here's a few ideas ...

Quiche Lorraine, the traditional filling of crisp streaky bacon (cooked beforehand) and grated gruyere cheese. You’ll also need 2 large eggs and 250ml double cream whisked together with a little black pepper (no need for salt). Simply put the bacon and cheese into the tart case and pour over the egg mixture.

Ham and cheese, again with 2 large eggs, 250ml double cream, salt and pepper.

Mediterranean roasted vegetables - a combination of colourful peppers, courgettes, red onion and cherry tomatoes, chopped small and roasted in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. Once they're cool, put into the cooked tart case, pour over the egg mixture (2 large eggs and 200ml double cream) and sprinkle some grated parmesan or feta cheese on top.

Mushroom - a mixture of open cap and chestnut mushrooms, a couple of shallots, 2 large eggs, 250ml double cream, some thyme, salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms, shallots and thyme beforehand (this gets the moisture out of the mushrooms), tip into your cooked quiche base, add the egg mixture and sprinkle with grated cheddar or parmesan cheese.

Smoked salmon and asparagus - 200g of smoked salmon and 5-6 asparagus spears (woody ends snapped off and boiled for 5 minutes). You'll also need 2 large eggs and 200ml crème fraiche whisked together with a teaspoon of dried dill. You can add some black pepper but no salt as the salmon will be salty enough. Once you’ve filled the tart case, sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top.

Fresh salmon - Wrap 2-3 skinless salmon fillets in tin foil, add a splash of white wine, salt and pepper and cook in a 180ºC oven for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool and flake into your tart case. Whisk together 2 large eggs, 200ml double cream and a teaspoon of dried dill and pour over the salmon. Top with grated parmesan cheese as above.