I am just loving summer with all of it's fresh fruit and vegetables! It is by far and away the best time of year for fruit and veg just packed with flavour!
The supermarket shelves (not to mention my garden) are a dancing parade of delicious colour and taste, and I am love, love, lovin' every moment of it!
I especially love the abundance of fresh berries! Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, red and black currants, gooseberries, . . . oh so lovely. And the stone fruit . . . English cherries, early plums, apricots and fresh peaches from the continent . . . oh so yummy!
There is so very much you can do with them and we have been enjoying our fair share of them fresh and eaten out of hand and then in some pretty scrummy desserts . . . but you know what?
They just aren't for dessert! They also make lovely fruity salsa's that are just perfect with grilled chicken, lamb and pork.
Today I did some lovely grilled chicken breasts, all moist tender and flavourful . . . accompanied by a fruity yet zesty fresh berry salsa.
Each mouthful was a delight . . . the berries sweet and yet at the same time tangy from the lime juice and a bit salty from the salt and the pepper, chili and cilantro gave it a nice zip! And let's not forget the rich creaminess from the avocado!
All in all a truly wonderful combination that I hope you will want to try out for yourself! (I am thinking it would also be wonderful in a wrap with either sliced roast turkey or chicken, and perhaps a gutsy lettuce like Baby Gems or even rocket.) Watch this space!
This is light, fresh, colourful and delicious!
*Grilled Chicken with a Summer Berry Salsa*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Berries aren't just for dessert! Moist tender chicken with a delicious berry salsa that has a bit of a bite!
3 TBS olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
the juice and zest of one unwaxed lime
100g of fresh strawberries, roughly chopped (6 large berries)
100g of fresh blueberries (about 3/4 cup)
100g of fresh raspberries (23 raspberries)
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped (do be careful not to touch your nose, face or eyes when
working with fresh chilies)
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 ripe avocado, skinned and diced
20g of fresh coriander leaves, chopped (Cilantro) (a handful, leaves only, discard stems)
Heat a griddle to medium heat. Brush 2 TBS olive oil over the butterflied chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on the heated griddle, turning halfway through the cooking time, until cooked through and the juices run clear. (4 to 5 minutes per side.)
While the chicken is cooking, whisk the remaining oil with the lime juice and zest. Season to taste with some salt and pepper.
Put the berries into a bowl. Add the dressing along with the onion, chili, avocado and coriander. Toss gently together.
Serve the griddled chicken with the berry salsa spooned over top. Serve immediately.
Some days this can be something as simple as a thin schmear of marmite. Marmite gives it a nice salty meaty quality, and you don't need much of it to have an impact. When you are talking marmite less is definitely more.
Other times I will add a schmear of mustard. Dijon is a favourite, but my absolute favourite is a good grainy Dijon. Filled with lots of mustard seeds and texture. Honey Dijon is also very good.
Do try it with that extra schmear of something and let me know what you think! I think it just makes something which is pretty amazing to begin with even more delicious.
This makes a great snack, or light lunch. Its also really nice with a hot bowl of tomato soup. Mmmm . . . now I am wanting some all over again! 😋😋😋
Bacon & Cheese On Toast

Ingredients
- 1 thick slice of lightly toasted bread
- 1 TBS of your favourite spread (marmite, mango chutney, grainy mustard, etc.)
- 4-6 TBS of your favourite cheese grated (I like strong cheddar)
- 3 slices of streaky bacon, cooked to semi-crisp
Instructions
- Preheat the grill on your oven to high. Spread your toast on one side with your desired spread. I love mango chutney. But I am also rather fond of grainy mustard. Both go very well with cheese.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top, almost to the edge of the toast, but piling it higher in the centre. (Remember cheese will spread as it melts.)
- Top the bread with your bacon slices.
- Pop under the heated grill until your cheese has melted and your bacon is crisp.
- Cut in half and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
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My Todd is a real meat and potatoes man. He doesn't care what else is on the menu, as long as it contains some meat and potatoes somewhere along the line. He will tolerate rice every so often instead of potatoes, but a hefty plate of mash is his first love . . .
I think he loves chops most of all when it comes to meat meals . . . lamb chops are quite tasty, but he especially loves pork chops! The Waitrose in Chester is a small shop, but it sells very tasty Hampshire bred rack pork chops and the flavour is just wonderful. Succulent and meaty. We both love them . . . they're the best!
There is something very comforting and homey about a breaded pork chop. When I was a child my mom would sometimes treat us to "Shake & Bake" pork chops. We loved them. (Shake & Bake is a North American Crumb mixture that you can get for pork, chicken or fish. You just dampen the meat, and shake it in the plastic bag included to coat with the crumbs, also included.)
These delicious pork chops are a thousand times better. Tender and tasty and coated with a delicious sage and Parmesan flavored soft bread crumb mixture. Ohhh . . . these are some good. The crumbs get all crispy and golden brown . . . the meat stays succulent and moist beneath that golden crust . . . nothing on earth tastes better . . . truly . . .
Well . . . applesauce is mighty good with them . . . mighty good, all tangy and sweet at the same time . . . just perfect . . . especially if it is made with fabulous Bramley Apples, which are fabulous this time of year and cook up so fluffy. If you really want to impress, with just a tiny bit of extra effort, you can make a tasty chutney to serve with them!
A tangy, sweet and spicy Cranberry Chutney on the side makes this a really special dinner. You don't even need to have any fresh cranberries around, coz this chutney is made completely out of dried fruit! I always have dried cranberries, sultanas and apples in the larder. They come in ever so handy! You just never know when you are going to need a handful or two. Your family will love this meal. It's special enough to make them feel like they are having a real treat . . . and special enough to feed to company!
You will end up with about 2 1/2 cups of the chutney, but I am sure you will find it so delicious that you won't have a problem using it all up. It is great with pork, ham, chicken or turkey. Try it as a tasty relish in sandwiches!! Stir it into some chicken salad for a wonderfully scrummy sandwich filling. It's also quite, quite special served with a good white farmhouse cheddar and a crusty loaf for a deliciously different ploughman's lunch!
*Sage Pork Chops with Cranberry Chutney*
serves 4
Printable Recipe
Mmmm . . . comfort food at it's best. A tasty crumbed pork chop, tender and juice and accompanied with a tasty Cranberry Chutney.
75g plain flour (3/4 cup)
3 large free range eggs
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
4 to 6 sage leaves, finely chopped
50g fresh bread crumbs (scant cup)
100g fresh finely grated Parmesan Cheese (generous 1/2 cup)
4 good quality pork chops
60ml vegetable oil (1/4 cup)
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
For the chutney:
250g sweetened dried cranberries (1 2/3 cup)
375ml boiling water (1 1/2 cups)
25g of dried apples, diced (about 1/4 cup)
25g of sultanas (about 1/4 cup)
1 TBS minced crystalized ginger
85ml white wine vinegar (generous 1/3 cup)
3 TBS sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp of ground ginger
2 heaping dessertspoons of seedless raspberry jam or red plum jam
First make the chutney. Put the cranberries, apples, sultanas and crystalized ginger into a bowl. Pour the boiling water over and let sit for 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, combine the vinegar, sugar, cayenne, allspice, cinnamon and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Add the berry mixture. Bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the jam and remove the mixture from the heat. Cool to room temperature. (You can even do this the day before if you wish.)
Put the flour for the chops onto a flat plate. Beat the eggs and worcestershire sauce together in a shallow pie plate. Combine the sage leaves, bread crumbs, and Parmesan together in another shallow pie plate. Trim the fat from the pork chops and season them well all over with some salt, pepper and garlic powder. Press a pork chop into the flour, coating the meat evenly and shaking off any excess. Dip the floured pork chop into the beaten egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Press the egged pork chop firmly in the crumb mixture to coat evenly all over. Repeat with the other 3 chops.
Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, in a heavy bottomed skillet large enough to hold all four chops. Once heated add the chops and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, so they gently sizzle in the oil and a golden crust forms. Flip them over and cook for an additional 5 minutes on the other side.
Serve immediately with some of the chutney on the side of each portion of pork.
It goes without saying the Toddster likes plenty of potatoes with his, mashed, baked or fried. He's a happy camper just so long as he's got some potato to go with his chop!

















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