Potato Skins (serve with the 3 dips below)

Preheat oven to 200c/fan 180. Prick 6 large baking potatoes with a fork and rub with olive oil. Place direclty on the oven shelf and bake for 45mins, until slightly soft. Leave to cool for 15mins. Cut each potato in half lengthways, then cut in half again. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a layer of potato at least 1cm thick.

Brush lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake, skin-side down, on a roasting dish for 30mins, until crisp. Turn over after 15mins.

Also serve some tortilla chips or toasted pitta bread.

Soured cream and chive dip

Place 1 x 142ml carton of sour cream in a bowl and add 1 crushed garlic clove, a large pinch of cayenne pepper and season with salt. Mix together and sprinkle 1 tb snipped fresh cives on top.

Chunky Guacamole

Halve 1 large avocado, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash with 1 crushed garlic clove, juice of 1/2 lime and 1 tb olive oil, then add 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and diced, 2 spring onions, finely sliced and a handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly torn. Add a little salt and mix well before serving.

Spicy tomato and red onion salsa

Mix together 2 tomatoes, and 1/2 red chilli, both deseeded and finely chopped, with 1/2 red onion, finely chopped and 1 tb olive oil.

Finger Food - Thai-Style Prawn Shots

Dehead and peel 12 raw prawns, leaving the tail shell attached. Split the prawns lengthways and remove any dark veins. Wash and dry. Lay the prawns on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season, then cook under a hot drill for 3-4 mins, until the prawns are just opaque. In a bowl, mix together 1/2 tsp sugar, 3 tb thai fish sauce, 4 tb sweet chilli sauce, juice 2 limes, 1 chopped fresh chilli, 1 tb chopped fresh coriander and 1 tb chopped fresh mint.

Spoon the dip into 12 shot glasses. Drop a prawn into each glass and serve immediately.

Creamy chicken cobbler

1 tb olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced and washed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
2 tb fresh thyme leaves
1 tb plain flour
1/2 chicken stock cube
300g frozen peas
75ml double cream

For the cobbler
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 small egg, beaten
75ml buttermilk

Preheat oven to 220. Heat oil in a large pan over a med heat. Add the onion and leek and gently fry for 5 mins until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the chicken and thyme and brown the chicken all over. Stir in the flour, cook for 30sec, then crumble in the stock cube and stir in the peas and cream. Season well.

In a bowl, mix together the boddler ingredients and season. Pour the creamy chicken into 4 small (about 300ml) ovenproof dishes and dollop tb of the cobbler mixture onto the edge of each dish. Bake for 15-20 mins, until cooked and the cobbler is risen and golden brown.

For kids - Spinach and Onion Tortilla

5 medium eggs, beaten
2 tb olive oil
1 large spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
250g fresh spinach leaves
40g cheddar, grated

Preheat the grill to high. Crack the eggs into a large bowl, season and beat briefly with a fork.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan with an ovenproof handle and fry the onion until soft and pale golden. Add the spinach and saute for a couple of mins to wilt the leaves.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan, turn the heat down to its lowest setting and cook the tortilla, uncovered, for about 8mins, until there is only a little runny egg left on top.

Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and melt under the preheated grill for 1-2 mins, until the top is golden and bubbling. Use a palette knife to slide the tortilla out onto a plate. cut into wedges. leave to cool and store in the fridge, ready to box up for lunch.