Classic Waldorf Salad

Waldorf Salad originates from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City and was created in 1893 by the maître d'hôtel Oscar Tschirky. The hotel website tells us the original dish was made with 'apples, celery, grapes and walnuts tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing and served on a bed of lettuce'. Some say that the grapes were added later and in fact, I've left them out of the recipe below. Others use the original as a 'base recipe' and add raisins, dried cranberries, seeds, herbs and even cooked chicken.

A musical note - Cole Porter lived in a suite at the Waldorf Towers for many years and in 1935, Waldorf Salad featured in the lyrics of his song 'You're the Top'.

Serves 4 as a starter

3 celery sticks, washed and thinly sliced

2 green apples (I recommend using crisp Granny Smiths which are not too sweet)

50g walnuts, toasted and chopped

Dressing

3 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt

juice of 1 small lemon

Romaine or Little Gem lettuce to serve

Chops the walnuts and toast them either in a dry frying pan for 3-4 minutes, or in a 180ºC oven for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them and shake the pan occasionally so they don't burn. Then set aside to cool.

Core the apples and cut into cubes or batons. Put into a bowl and toss with a splash of the lemon juice. This will stop them from going brown. Slice the celery straight across or on the diagonal.

In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt and the remaining lemon juice. Add the chopped celery, apples and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine making sure everything is coated in the dressing. You can now refrigerate this for an hour or so before you're ready to serve. (It will also keep in the fridge for a few days as long as you keep the walnuts separate)

Now simply arrange your lettuce leaves onto a serving platter, or four individual plates, and spoon on the salad mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted walnuts before serving.

Marmalade muffins

These delicious muffins are a great breakfast treat and so light in texture that you should really allow yourself more than one. I've used my Seville orange marmalade which gives a tangy orange flavour without being too sweet.

This recipe was saved from a weekend newspaper although I have tweaked it slightly by increasing the amount of marmalade. It also helped to finish up the final jar from last year's batch of marmalade which had been languishing at the back of the fridge.

I think Paddington Bear would approve!

2 medium eggs

100g caster sugar

75ml sunflower oil

190g marmalade

200g plain flour

50g oats

(plus extra for sprinkling on top before cooking)

2½ tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Grease your muffin tins or use muffin liners. This amount makes six muffins with a small amount left over, or you can make 12 cupcake size 'muffins'. Be careful not to overfill the cases or they will overflow when cooking. (I am talking from experience here!)

Measure out all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a bowl or measuring jug. In a separate bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs and marmalade until light and fluffy. Then add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until combined.

Spoon the mixture equally between the muffin tins or cases and sprinkle a few oats on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your tins. Serve warm with fresh butter.

Veggie rolls

These tasty vegetarian rolls are packed full of goodness and perfect for a summer picnic or the school lunch box throughout the year. They're quick and easy to make, using sliced leeks and grated root vegetables as a base. You can use whatever root veg you like (not potatoes though as they are too starchy) and simply peel them and grate them into the mix. As with sausage rolls, they freeze well.

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 leeks, washed and finely sliced

1 shallot, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, grated

200g root vegetables, peeled and grated (eg. parsnip, carrot, celeriac, squash, sweet potato)

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp of parsley, finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp hot mustard

100g mature cheddar, grated

salt and black pepper

1 egg (beaten)

Take the pastry sheet out of the fridge at least an hour before you want to use it. Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a tray with baking parchment.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the sliced leeks and chopped shallot. Cook on a gentle heat for ten minutes. Then add the grated garlic, root vegetables and fennel seeds, mix it all together and cook for a further five minutes. Turn off the heat and put the mixture into a large bowl to cool.

When the mixture has cooled, add the chopped parsley, lemon zest, mustard and grated cheddar. Mix together and season with salt and black pepper.

Unroll the pastry sheet onto a board and cut it in half lengthways. Then divide the veggie mixture in half and make two sausage shapes to lay down the middle of each pastry length. Brush one side of the pastry with your beaten egg and roll up from the other side. Now chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When the time is up, cut each length into six slices and place on your lined baking tray. With a sharp knife, score two little lines across the top and brush with the remaining beaten egg. Pop into your oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.