Beautiful, easy, no-cook sauce for pasta

Like summer in a bowl, no matter what time of year.

More specifically, like a summer in Italy brought to life in a bowl.

It’s like everything you ever imagined the Mediterranean diet would be.

Actually I’m now not sure about that as I think if I had to think of the quintessential Mediterranean diet dish it might be this sauce on top of a simple grilled white fish.

If you think tuna in a sauce for a fish is too much …. well, fish … you can leave the tuna out.

In fact, you can leave the tuna out anyway, to make this a vegetarian dish - and it’s still utterly gorgeous.

This sauce, with or without the tuna (ok, now I’m singing U2 ‘With or Without Tu’) is amazing with pasta of course but also delicious with crusty bread. If you have it on bread I’d suggest leaving it a few minutes before eating so the sauce has a chance to really soak in.

Here’s what you need - but the quantities are up to you and what tastes good …

Freshly squeezed lemon juice - it’s going to be more than you think. Keep tasting but at least 1 lemon if not two

Good olive oil and lots of it

Fresh sliced fennel bulb and some of the lovely leafy fronds too if you have them

Capers, drained and chopped

Pitted black olives, drained and sliced

Salt, pepper and a pinch of dried chilli flakes

Stir it all together, mix it up and then see what tastes good to you?

What does it need? Maybe a little more lemon? A few more chilli flakes?

Make it taste perfect for YOU.

Add to this mixture

1 tin of flaked tuna, preferably in oil, but do drain it first

Mix and leave for five minutes or so, so that the flavours can really meld together.

And THEN (and literally I’m practically salivating just typing this as I want to be eating it again RIGHT NOW …. scoop it onto bread or toast, stir into cooked pasta, or spoon over that previously mentioned plain grilled white fish.

This is so delicious, I can’t wait for you to make it too.

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Simplest spicy-sour steak salad

When you want healthy and light and fast … but also incredibly luxurious and special, this quick steak and salad is going to be perfect.

To make it for one, one gorgeous one who totally deserves a luxe delicious lunch, you’ll need:

1 steak of your choice - my favourite is rump

1 small dried red chilli, crumbled or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (you could use fresh chilli if you prefer)

1 small clove of garlic, peeled, crushed and finely diced

The juice of one juicy lime

A good slosh (maybe 1.5 teaspoons) fish sauce

1 teaspoon caster sugar (granulated will work too though)

A tablespoon of water

Dressing of lime, chilli, garlic, fish sauce, sugar and water.

A few cherry tomatoes, halved

A few spring onions, cleaned and sliced on the diagonal so you get nice long pieces

Take your steak from the fridge about half an hour before you’re going to cook it and toss it in a little light soy sauce and a little cooking oil. Massage it all in on both sides and leave until you’re ready to cook.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and taste. Adjust to see if you need any more of anything to make it perfect for you.

Add the tomatoes and spring onions to the dressing to kind of marinade and soak in all the lovely flavours while you cook your steak.

Cook the steak on a griddle or in a non-stick frying pan to your liking and then leave to rest on a chopping board for a minute of two.

Slice the steak, arrange on a plate and tip over the dressing and salad.

And that’s literally all there is to it!

You could add more salad ingredients if you wanted of course, or fresh herbs (parsley or coriander would be good) or even have this with rice to make it more substantial.

Easy, fast and feels luxurious as well - one of my favourite special lunches just for me.

I hope you love it too.

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