Strawberry and lemon verbena salad with lemon sorbet
I love adding lemon verbena to desserts – either infused in a syrup or scattered fresh as a herb. It brings a lovely citrusy lift, but if you can't find fresh lemon verbena, mint leaves are a great stand-in. You can go with any good-quality shop-bought sorbet or ice cream that complements the strawberries (think berry-flavoured or citrus), or of course use homemade. Oh – and you have to try salted fresh Kampot peppercorns. They're so good you could snack on them straight, but they're especially amazing sprinkled over strawberries. I get them from stonygroves.co.uk.
Ingredients
350-400g strawberries, hulled
handful of lemon verbena leaves (alternatively you can use mint, lemon balm, sorrel or lemongrass)
1 tbsp salted fresh Kampot or green peppercorns
4 scoops of lemon sorbet
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for Thai-style tossed walnut and tempeh noodles
Up until now, I was sceptical about viral recipes. Is anyone still making the baked feta pasta from 2021? Has the 'marry me chicken' resulted in an uptick in matrimonies? But the tossed noodles (guay tiew klook) currently doing the rounds on Thai social media platforms really whet my appetite. In short, they're noodles tossed with mince, garlic oil and a dark, sweet, salty and tangy hot sauce, and they just make so much sense that they really couldn't not be great. I love them, so I'm passing on the baton to you using a combination of crumbly tempeh and walnuts instead of the mince. Black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar) and Laoganma crispy chilli in oil can be found in south-east Asian supermarkets or online, while Thai Taste makes a great and widely available vegan fish sauce. You'll need a food processor to blitz the tempeh and nuts. Prep 10 min Cook 30 min Serves 4 200g tempeh, cut into chunks75g shelled walnuts 200g folded rice noodles 7 tbsp rapeseed oil 150g beansprouts, rinsed and drained6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced3 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp black vinegar 1½ tbsp vegan fish sauce 1½ tbsp brown sugar 1½ tbsp lime juice (from 1 lime) 8 spring onions (100g), trimmed, whites and greens finely sliced1½ tbsp Laoganma crispy chilli in oil sediment 20g fresh coriander, chopped In the small bowl of a food processor, blitz the tempeh and walnuts to a coarse rubble the size of peas or smaller. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions, then lift out, drain, rinse under the cold tap. Coat with a tablespoon of the oil and put to one side. Put a wide frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the beansprouts and a splash of water. Stir-fry for two minutes, then tip into a colander. Put three tablespoons of rapeseed oil in the same wide frying pan and set it on a medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, fry for about two minutes, until crisp, then tip into a small heatproof bowl. Stir the soy sauce, black vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice into the garlic bowl. Put the remaining three tablespoons of oil in the same frying pan, keep the heat on medium and, when the oil is very hot, add three-quarters of the spring onions and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the tempeh and walnut mixture and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until it turns crumbly and golden. Put the noodles in a large bowl, and top with the tempeh and walnut mixture, the beansprouts, the remaining raw spring onions, the chilli oil sediment and the coriander. Pour on the dressing, toss well and serve.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
From brownies to Biscoff rocky road – 8 simple and delicious one-tin bakes
COFFEE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES These cheesecake brownies strike a fine balance. The coffee manages to give a mocha vibe, with the creamy cheesecake element providing the means of marbling. SERVES 24 260g salted butter, roughly cubed, plus extra for greasing 475g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 2 tbsp instant coffee 4 eggs, beaten 330g soft light brown sugar 70g self-raising flour 1 tsp flaky sea salt For the cheesecake 1 tbsp instant coffee 150g full-fat cream cheese 50g caster sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour 1 Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (if you prefer, you can do this in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one). Mix to form a smooth sauce, then add the instant coffee, stir through and set aside to cool. 3 Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until thick and pale in colour (about 3-4 minutes; 8-10 minutes by hand). Pour in the butter and chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined, then sift in the flour and fold through. Stir in the salt, then spoon the batter into the prepared tray. 4 Now prepare the cheesecake mixture. In a separate bowl, add 1½ tablespoons of boiling water to the instant coffee and stir to dissolve. Add the cream cheese, sugar, egg and flour, and use a balloon whisk to gently beat it all together. Using the back of a tablespoon, make dents in the brownie mixture, and spoon the cheesecake mixture into the indents. Swirl through the brownie mixture with a skewer for a marbled effect. 5 Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top has a crust, while only a slight wobble remains in the middle. Leave to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before slicing and serving. This will ensure very fudgy brownies. VANILLA SPRINKLE CAKE This cake gives you licence to raid the sprinkle drawer (or is it just me who has one?). A simple vanilla sponge with a nice thick coating of icing, this bake will transport you back to the days of school dinners, complete with a soaking of custard. SERVES 12-18 250g salted butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing 250g caster sugar 5 eggs, beaten 60ml whole milk 2½ tsp vanilla extract 250g self-raising flour 1 tsp fine salt custard, to serve (optional) For the topping 280g icing sugar 50g sprinkles 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. In a jug, mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla extract, then slowly pour this into the butter and sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Once combined, sift in the flour and salt and fold through. 3 Spoon into the prepared baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool. 4 For the icing, sift the sugar into a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of water, a little at a time, to make a pourable consistency. Spread the icing on the sponge, then scatter the sprinkles. Leave to firm up for an hour then serve – with custard, if you like. PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE Full. Retro. Vibes! This sponge was my gateway to cake-baking – the simplest batter, piled on top of syrup, pineapple and (of course) glacé cherries. I love to serve this cake warm, particularly when you get an edge where the syrup has started to caramelise and tastes more like toffee. SERVES 18 300g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 2 x 432g cans of pineapple rings, drained 230g golden syrup 100g glacé cherries (about 12) 300g golden caster sugar 6 eggs, beaten 300g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp fine salt 3 tbsp whole milk 1 tsp vanilla bean paste cream, to serve (optional) 1 Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. Arrange the pineapple rings on a plate spread with paper towels and leave them to dry a little. 2 Pour the golden syrup into the prepared baking tray, then put it in the oven for 2 minutes so it starts to melt and spreads out evenly. 3 Remove from the oven and arrange as many of the pineapple rings as possible in the base of the baking tray (you should be able to fit 4 along and 3 down). Break up a couple of the leftover rings to fill any gaps; you might end up with a couple spare. Place a glacé cherry in the middle of each complete pineapple ring. Set aside. 4 Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, whisking continuously. Once incorporated, sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and fold in, then add the milk and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. 5 Spoon the batter over the top of the pineapples in the tray and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 6 Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Delicious eaten warm or cold – with a drizzle of cream, if you like. PEACH MELBA CAKE This cake is as beautiful as it is delicious. Fresh, juicy peaches (or nectarines) and plump, seasonal raspberries come together to create a sponge that tastes exactly like summer. SERVES 18 300g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 300g golden caster sugar 6 eggs, beaten 250g self-raising flour 75g ground almonds 3 peaches, 2 stoned and chopped into 1cm dice, 1 stoned and sliced 200g raspberries For the glaze 3 tbsp peach or apricot conserve 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, sifting in 2 tablespoons of the flour if the mixture starts to split. Once combined, sift in the remaining flour and add the ground almonds, then fold through until incorporated. Carefully fold in the chopped peaches. 3 Spoon half the batter into the prepared baking tray, then scatter half the raspberries on top, pushing them down gently into the mixture. Top with the remaining cake batter, followed by the rest of the raspberries, again pushing them gently into the mixture. Arrange the peach slices on top, pushing them gently into the mixture. 4 Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool to room temperature. 5 For the glaze, put the conserve in a small saucepan over a low heat and add 2 teaspoons of water, stirring until combined (this may be done in a bowl in the microwave). You can pass the glaze through a sieve to get rid of any chunks, if you like. Brush the glaze over the cake. Leave to cool completely before serving. BISCOFF ROCKY ROAD I truly think Biscoff is one of the best things since sliced bread. Combined with white chocolate it's utterly magical – and this is a really worthwhile upgrade on traditional rocky road. It also lasts up to a week stored in an airtight container in the fridge. SERVES 24 75g salted butter, plus extra for greasing 500g white chocolate, broken into pieces 400g speculoos biscuits such as Biscoff, broken up into pieces 600g smooth biscuit spread, such as Biscoff, melted 100g dried cherries, roughly chopped 125g mini marshmallows 1 Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Melt the white chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until it has all melted together and is smooth (if you prefer, you can do this in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one). 3 Meanwhile, put the Biscoff biscuits into a large bowl and use the end of a rolling pin to break into different-shaped pieces so that you have some that are coin-sized and others that are smaller and more crumb-like. 4 Stir 150g of the melted Biscoff spread into the white chocolate mixture, then stir again to combine. Pour this mixture over the crushed biscuits and stir to combine completely. Add the dried cherries and marshmallows and stir again. Transfer this mixture to the prepared tray, spreading it out with the back of a spoon. Spread the remaining melted Biscoff over the top in a thin layer. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. STRAWBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE This gorgeous summery cake tastes absolutely amazing with sweet and ripe strawberries in season. The melted white chocolate gives a slight fudginess, a bit like a blondie. You're welcome. SERVES 18 250g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 200g white chocolate, broken into pieces 200g caster sugar 2 egg whites 3 eggs 150g soured cream 2 tsp vanilla-bean paste 250g self-raising flour 400g strawberries, hulled and diced into rough 1cm chunks For the topping 200g white chocolate, broken into pieces 140g cream cheese 70g salted butter, at room temperature 300g icing sugar 5 strawberries, sliced 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20 × 30cm baking tray. 2 Melt the chocolate in short bursts in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (you can also do this in short bursts in the microwave, if you prefer, stirring between each one). Once melted, set aside to cool slightly. 3 Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk until fluffy and pale, then add the egg whites and continue to whisk for a few more minutes, until fully incorporated. 4 In a separate bowl or jug, combine the 3 eggs with the soured cream and vanilla-bean paste. Add this to the mixture in the bowl or stand mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and whisk to combine. Don't worry if it curdles slightly. Whisking continuously, pour in the melted chocolate. Once incorporated, sift in the flour and fold it through, then fold through the strawberries. Transfer the batter into the prepared baking tray and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool completely. 5 Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Melt the chocolate as before, then set aside to cool slightly. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, then sift in the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour in the chocolate and give it a final whisk. Spread the topping over the cooled cake and scatter the sliced strawberries to decorate. RHUBARB AND GINGER CAKE Using three different types of ginger, this bake has layers of warmth, all of which complement the tartness of the rhubarb. I summer use regular rhubarb, but in the winter months, use the more tender forced rhubarb for wonderful pops of pink. SERVES 18 250g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 250g soft light brown sugar 5 eggs, beaten 250g self-raising flour 1 tsp ground ginger 400g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into rough 1cm chunks 6 stem ginger balls in syrup, finely chopped, plus 5 tbsp of the syrup 40g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped cream, to serve (optional) 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20 × 30cm baking tray. 2 Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Sift in the flour, then add the ground ginger, rhubarb and chopped stem ginger, along with 2 tablespoons of the syrup, and fold through. Spoon into the prepared baking tray. 3 Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool, then brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons of ginger syrup. Scatter with the crystallised ginger before slicing and serving with cream, if you like. SALTED CARAMEL AND ALMOND CHEESECAKE The crushed amaretti dotted in the digestive base make this almondy from the bottom up. With a portion of the salted caramel running through the cream cheese filling, and the rest drizzled on top, it's so simple but so decadent. SERVES 20-24 For the base 200g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 200g digestive biscuits 300g amaretti biscuits For the filling 400ml double cream 560g full-fat cream cheese 200g caster sugar ½ tsp almond extract 260g jarred salted caramel 1 Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 To make the base, place the biscuits into a sealable plastic food bag and bash with a rolling pin until finely crushed. (Alternatively, blitz the digestive biscuits in a food processor to form a crumb.) Add the amaretti biscuits and continue to bash or pulse until they are broken down, but don't overmix or they will start to become greasy. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter, then transfer the mixture to the prepared tray, pushing it down with the back of a spoon to create a nice compact base. Refrigerate while you make the filling. 3 In a mixing bowl, whisk the cream to soft peaks using a handheld mixer. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, almond extract and half of the salted caramel, and mix well with the handheld mixer. Fold through the cream, then smooth the mixture on to the biscuit base. 4 Gently melt the remaining salted caramel in a saucepan over a low heat, then spoon it on to the cream cheese base. Drag a skewer through the caramel to make a swirly pattern, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. NOW BUY THE BOOK Our recipes are from Foolproof Traybakes by Katie Marshall, with photographs by Rita Platts (Quadrille, £14). To order a copy for £11.90 until 13 July, go to or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- The Guardian
Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for Thai-style tossed walnut and tempeh noodles
Up until now, I was sceptical about viral recipes. Is anyone still making the baked feta pasta from 2021? Has the 'marry me chicken' resulted in an uptick in matrimonies? But the tossed noodles (guay tiew klook) currently doing the rounds on Thai social media platforms really whet my appetite. In short, they're noodles tossed with mince, garlic oil and a dark, sweet, salty and tangy hot sauce, and they just make so much sense that they really couldn't not be great. I love them, so I'm passing on the baton to you using a combination of crumbly tempeh and walnuts instead of the mince. Black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar) and Laoganma crispy chilli in oil can be found in south-east Asian supermarkets or online, while Thai Taste makes a great and widely available vegan fish sauce. You'll need a food processor to blitz the tempeh and nuts. Prep 10 min Cook 30 min Serves 4 200g tempeh, cut into chunks75g shelled walnuts 200g folded rice noodles 7 tbsp rapeseed oil 150g beansprouts, rinsed and drained6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced3 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp black vinegar 1½ tbsp vegan fish sauce 1½ tbsp brown sugar 1½ tbsp lime juice (from 1 lime) 8 spring onions (100g), trimmed, whites and greens finely sliced1½ tbsp Laoganma crispy chilli in oil sediment 20g fresh coriander, chopped In the small bowl of a food processor, blitz the tempeh and walnuts to a coarse rubble the size of peas or smaller. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions, then lift out, drain, rinse under the cold tap. Coat with a tablespoon of the oil and put to one side. Put a wide frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the beansprouts and a splash of water. Stir-fry for two minutes, then tip into a colander. Put three tablespoons of rapeseed oil in the same wide frying pan and set it on a medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, fry for about two minutes, until crisp, then tip into a small heatproof bowl. Stir the soy sauce, black vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice into the garlic bowl. Put the remaining three tablespoons of oil in the same frying pan, keep the heat on medium and, when the oil is very hot, add three-quarters of the spring onions and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the tempeh and walnut mixture and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until it turns crumbly and golden. Put the noodles in a large bowl, and top with the tempeh and walnut mixture, the beansprouts, the remaining raw spring onions, the chilli oil sediment and the coriander. Pour on the dressing, toss well and serve.
