Rich tomato sauce

This is absolutely lush, and well worth the time it takes!

2 tsp cooking oil 

1 large onion

3-4 cloves garlic

1 tin tomatoes (ideally tinned cherry tomatoes, if you can get them)

1/2 tub soft cheese, ideally garlic and herb

Seasoning to taste - I find it doesn't need salt, just pepper.

Place the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently.  Peel the onion, and chop it as finely as you are able.  Put the chopped onion into the saucepan and stir well to coat. 

Let them cook gently to soften and go translucent.  Meanwhile peel the garlic, and either chop, crush or grate it -  I always use a crusher, but I know other people have other ways.  Add this to the onion and oil, and again, allow to cook gently for a few minutes.  Now add the tinned tomatoes and about 1/3 tin of water.  Stir thoroughly and bring to a simmer.  Cover, and let it simmer for about 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Then add the half-tub of cream cheese and stir thoroughly to mix.  Delicious with pasta, either as is, or as a pasta bake.  I also made a roast vegetable bake with it earlier in the week, which was lush!

Hollandaise sauce

This is incredibly easy, really.  I always think it's going to be harder than it is - but it's no worse than mayonnaise, which is also massively easier than I think it's going to be!

1 egg

Juice of 1 lemon

About 125 g butter (1/2 packet)

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter - I use the microwave, and melt it in a little jug so that it is easy to pour.  Put the egg and lemon juice in a blender and process for a minute or two until smooth.  Leaving the blender running, pour the butter in a very thin stream.  When it's all in there, continue to run the blender until it thickens and is smooth.  Season to taste, and give a last whizz to mix the seasoning in.

Serve with fish and/or vegetables, especially things like purple sprouting or tenderstem broccoli, or asparagus.  It will keep, covered, for a couple of days in the fridge.

(The sauce in this photo is coating a salmon fillet and some new potatoes)

Strawberry-watermelon lemonade

 I have just made some "yelm", and one of my favourite drinks, when I can get it, is Lidl's raspberry lemonade.  Or, indeed, their strawberry lemonade.  They are not selling it in my branch at the moment, but they had a coupon for money off strawberries.  And I have (as I frequently do) a craze on watermelon just now, and as boxes of watermelon chunks are expensive, I thought I'd buy a whole watermelon.  I used some in a salad, but used the rest in our drink.

All measurements are approximate - I basically eyeballed it!  

Chunk of watermelon (about 30 grammes, I think; it wasn't a huge chunk)

1/2 punnet strawberries

2 tbs "yelm" concentrate (or a commercial lemon squash)

Iced water

Cut the melon into chunks, and hull the strawberries.  Put them in a blender with the yelm, and whizz until smooth.  Top up with iced water and shake or blend again.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

I think it needed the lemon to cut the sweetness a bit, but do experiment.  Maybe a spoonful of lemon juice instead might be nice....