Put the curry powder into a dry saucepan and heat for 1–2 minutes until it smells aromatic. Remove from the heat and mix with the mayonnaise, yogurt, chutney and salt and pepper to taste.
Peel, stone and chop the avocado then put it in a bowl. Dice the tomatoes and add to the avocado with the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Put the poppadums on a plate, spoon the avocado mixture on the side and trickle the curried mayonnaise over it. Finish with a sprinkling of paprika pepper or a little chopped fresh coriander.
SERVES 1
RED BEAN BURRITOS
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 tbls olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chilli, de-seeded and chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tomatoes
l × 425g / 15oz can red kidney beans, drained
2 tbls chopped fresh coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tortillas
soured cream to serve
Fry the onions in the oil, with a lid on the pan, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and cumin and cook for 1–2 minutes.
Cover the tomatoes with boiling water for a few seconds, then drain and slip off the skins. Chop and add to the pan with the kidney beans. Cook gently for 5 minutes or until heated through, mashing the beans to make a rough puree. Add the coriander and season with salt and pepper.
Warm the tortillas one at a time in a frying pan over a moderate heat, or heat them under the grill. Spread the bean mixture on the warm tortillas, roll them up and serve with soured cream.
Although garlic bread is usually made in the oven, you can speed things up by using the grill instead.
Cheese and Garlic Bread makes a nice variation: simply put slivers of cheese (such as Gruyère) on the garlic bread before grilling it; or try herb bread, using 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley and chives instead of, or as well as, the garlic.
1/2 French stick or 2 crusty rolls, white or wholewheat
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g / 2oz butter, softened
Heat the grill. Cut the French stick on the diagonal into slices about 2.5cm/1 inch thick, or cut the rolls in half.
Mix together the garlic and butter then spread this over the cut surfaces of the bread.
Grill the bread until hot and sizzling on one side, then turn it over to heat the other side. Serve immediately, or cover with foil and keep warm.
SERVES 2
CREAMY ASPARAGUS CROISSANTS
This delicious snack for one is rather like a cheat’s version of feuilleté of asparagus in cream.
125–225g / 4–8oz asparagus spears
15g / 1/2 oz butter
11/2 tsp cornflour
150ml / 5fl oz single cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
2 croissants
Trim the asparagus as necessary and cut it into 2.5cm/1 inch lengths. Keep the tips separate from the stems.
Cook the chopped stems in 2.5cm/1 inch of boiling water for 2 minutes, then add the tips and cook for a further 2 minutes, until they are beginning to get tender but are still crunchy. Drain.
Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the cornflour. Add the cream and stir over a moderate heat until it comes to the boil and thickens. Cook for 1–2 minutes then remove from the heat and stir in the asparagus. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Slice the croissant horizontally in half. Grill on both sides until crisp and lightly browned.
Serve the croissant halves with the asparagus, sandwiching them together with the mixture if you like, and letting the excess run on to the plate.
SERVES 2
GARLIC MUSHROOM ROLL
175g / 6oz button mushrooms
15g / 1/2 oz butter
1 tsp olive oil
1–2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 high, rounded, crusty roll, white or granary
Wash and roughly chop the mushrooms, then fry them in the butter and olive oil for 5 minutes or until they are tender. If they give off a lot of liquid, go on cooking them until this has evaporated; this may take as long as 10 minutes.
