chicken and bacon terrine

prep: 15 min cooking: 50 min  serves: 6

For the terrine:
•     250g sliced low fat  unsmoked streaky bacon
•    7 large chicken breasts, skinned
•    6 freshly cooked artichoke hearts, of the larger variety
•    6  shallots, finely chopped
•    1 tbsp olive oil
•    pinch thyme
•    4-5 tarragon leaves
•    1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
•    1 glass white wine  , about 100ml
•    1 small glass madeira, about 50ml

For the green beans
•    150 g French beans
•    1 tbsp olive oil
•    1 tsp red wine vinegar

Method
1.    Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
2. Line a terrine dish or loaf tin with some of the slices of unsmoked streaky bacon), leaving them hanging over the edges.
3. Cut the chicken breasts and artichoke hearts into 3 pieces each. Cut up the remaining bacon into pieces.
4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the shallots with the thyme until softened. Cool.
5. Mix together the chicken and artichoke pieces, the bacon and the softened shallots. Stir in the remaining herbs, wine and Madeira and season with salt and pepper. Heap into the lined terrine and fold over the  bacon so that the mixture is enclosed. Cover with a piece of baking parchment and then a lid (or foil if using a loaf tin).
6. Sit the terrine in a deep baking tray and pour boiling water around it to come half way up the sides of the dish. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. To check if it is ready, poke the tip of a knife into the centre, it should come up hot.
7. Once cooked, weigh down the top of the terrine with something heavy and keep for a day in the fridge before serving.
8. For the green bean salad: cook the beans in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and refresh in iced water.
9. Toss the beans with the olive oil, vinegar. Season with salt. Serve with
slices of the terrine.

Salmon crêpes

prep: 10 min  cooking: 15 min  serves: for two crepes so you can double the proportions to make as many crêpes as you want

Ingredients

1 egg white
1 tbs of cornflour
2 tbs of skimmed milk powder
2 tbs of skimmed milk
handful mixed herbs, such as parsley, chives, chervil, dill
Salt and pepper

Mix egg white with the cornflour, skimmed milk powder
Add some skimmed milk and  herbs
Bake in a nonstick skillet.

For the filling
•    1/2 cucumber
•    225 g  smoked salmon, finely diced
•    300 ml low fat buttermilk
•    Dill to garnish
Peel the cucumber, remove the seeds and cut into dice. Place in a bowl and stir in the smoked salmon and butter milk
6. Place a generous spoonful of the filling on one half of each crepe. Fold the other half over, to make a half moon shape. Place 2 crepes on each plate, lining up the straight sides together, so that they make a full circle.
7. Garnish with dill and serve.

Easter lamb

Prep : 20 min  cook: 2 hours  serves 4

Ingredients

•    1.4kg lamb leg, trimmed
•    handful dried camomile (or contents of 4 camomile teabags)
•    ½ bunch fresh thyme, leaves only or one tbsp of dried thyme
•    4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only or one tbsp of dried rosemary
•    12 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped or one tbsp of dried sage
•    1 tbsp dried  oregano
•    salt and freshly ground  black pepper
•    1 lemon, juice only
•    1 tbsp honey flavouring mixed with one tsp of sweetener
•    2 tbsp olive oil
•    125ml  water

•    Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
•    With the tip of a sharp knife, make shallow scores through the outer layer of skin and fat of the lamb leg, but not into the meat, cross-hatching the entire surface.
•    Mix the dried camomile, the thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano together in a bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
•    Press a handful of the herb mixture into the skin of the lamb, massaging it in well all over the flesh of the lamb.
•    Sprinkle some of the herb mixture across the bottom of a casserole with a lid. Place the lamb into the casserole, then squeeze the lemon juice over the top, before sprinkling with any remaining herb mix.
•    Drizzle the honey mixture over the top of the lamb and pour over a little olive oil.
•    Pour the water into the casserole, then put the lid on. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2½ hours. Check the dish after one hour - the lamb should be taking on a little colour. If the water has evaporated, add a little more to maintain the dish's moisture.
•    After the 2½ hours cooking the lamb meat should pull away easily from the bone.
•    Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 4-5 minutes.
•    To serve, using a knife and fork, pull large pieces of meat away from the bone and arrange on a large serving place. Drizzle the meat with any pan juices and allow guests to help themselves.

Steamed vegetables and mint sauce

Prep: 5 min  cook: 10 min serves 4

• 400g broccoli florets
• 200g fine green beans, trimmed
• 175g baby carrots, trimmed
•    6 tbsp cider vinegar
•    1.5 tbsp granulated sweetener
•    5 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
•  For the mint sauce, bring the cider vinegar and sweetener  to a simmer in a non-sticky  pan. Add the chopped mint and stir until well combined. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
•    •  For the vegetables, bring a pan of salted water to the boil, suspend a steaming basket over the pan, then add the broccoli florets, green beans and baby carrots and cover with a lid. Steam for 5-8 minutes, or until just tender.

Hot cross buns the Dukan way

Enjoy these home made hot cross buns and give these a try even if the recipe sounds complicated, well it is not don't worry!

Prep: 2 hours  cook: 10 to 40 minutes  for 12 buns

For the buns
•    200 gr of oat bran reduced into flour
•    200 gr of corn flour
•    200 gr of wheat bran reduced into flour
•    1 tsp salt
•    2 tsp ground mixed spice
•    45gr  unsalted butter
•    85gr granulated sweetener 
•    1 lemon, zest only
•    1½ tsp fast-action yeast
•    1 egg
•    275ml tepid  milk
•    125g soaked Goji berries

For the topping
•    2 tbsp wheat bran reduced into flour
•    1 tsp rapeseed oil, for greasing
•    1 tbsp of water and granulated sweetener mixed, gently heated, for glazing

1.    For the buns, sieve the bran flours and corn flour, salt and ground mixed spice into a large mixing bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingertips. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the sweetener, lemon zest and yeast.
2.    Beat the egg and add to the flours with the tepid milk. Mix together to a form a soft, pliable dough.
3.    Turn out the dough onto a lightly  corn floured work surface. Carefully work the mixed  Goji berries into the dough until well combined. Knead lightly for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
4.    Grease a large, warm mixing bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the prepared bowl, then cover with a clean towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour to prove.
5.    Turn out the proved dough onto a lightly corn floured work surface and knock back the dough. Shape it into a ball again and return it to the bowl, then cover again with the towel and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rise.
6.    Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a bun shape using the palms of your hands. Cover the buns again with the towel and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
7.    transfer the buns to a  silicone sheet on a tray. Wrap the tray with the buns on it loosely in greaseproof paper, then place inside a large polythene bag. Tie the end of the bag tightly so that no air can get in and set aside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise.
8.    Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8.
9.    Meanwhile, for the topping, mix the wheat bran flour to a smooth paste with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
10.    When the buns have risen, remove the polythene bag and the greaseproof paper. Spoon the flour mixture into a piping bag and pipe a cross on each bun.
11.    Transfer the buns to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, brush them with the sweetener hot syrup, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Rhubarb crumble

Prep: 15 min  cook: 30 minutes serves 4

•    10 sticks of rhubarb
•    4 tbsp water
•    10 tbsp granulated sweetener
•    1 tsp powdered ginger
•    200 gr Dukan caramel clusters, crushed

•    Preheat the oven to 180C
•    Cut the rhubarb into 7½cm/3in long sticks and place on an oven tray, sprinkle with 8 tbsp  of  granulated sweetener and water and and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
•    Once cooked, remove from the oven, sprinkle over the ginger and mix well.
•    Fill an ovenproof dish about 4cm in deep with the rhubarb.
•    Mix the crushed clusters and the rest of the sweetener to make the crumble topping. Sprinkle over the rhubarb and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the crumble topping is crisp and golden-brown and the rhubarb filling has softened and is bubbling.
•    Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving with sweetened fromage frais or low fat buttermilk