I vote for just skipping the meal and eating dessert - a bowl of sorbet with a generous amount of vodka on top.

Unfortunately won't work for the kids.

Yes, I am actually. PM me.

Yes. Just give them the vodka and you'll get them to bed early

We re-discovered guacamole this week:

-2 ripe avocados (mashed)
-one large tomato
-1/2 red onion
-2-5 cloves of garlic
-salt & pepper to taste
-lime juice.

Serve with pita wedges or grill bread.

My favourite for hot summer days: tomato tart with creme fraiche & mascarpone

Buy ready made dough (Blätter- or Kuchenteig) and pre-bake it "empty", i.e. without anything on it at 200c for about 10min.
slice tomatoes and arrange on dough
make a mix of creme fraiche and mascarpone, plus one egg, herbs plus salt and pepper

put it into oven and finish the baking process for another 10min.

Tuscan Salad from Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook. It is filling and not strictly speaking a salad, very tasty and easy to make. Tried last weekend with a piece of grilled fish and was lovely.

Here is what you need:
• 1/2 a ciabatta loaf
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• a few sprigs of oregano or rosemary
• 1 tablespoon small capers
• 1/2 a 30g tin of anchovies in oil
• a small bunch of fresh basil
• 6 jarred red peppers (I made without and worked just fine)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 vines of cherry tomatoes, red and yellow if you can get them
• 3 large tomatoes
• red wine vinegar
• Parmesan cheese, to serve

SEASONINGS
• olive oil
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt & black pepper

Here is how to make it:

Part 1 - Quickly tear the ciabatta into 2cm pieces. Put into a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, and toss with the fennel seeds, a few sprigs of oregano or rosemary and a pinch of salt. Mix so the bread is coated, then put under the grill on the middle shelf for around 10 minutes, or until golden. Once golden and crisp, tip into a large bowl and set aside.

Part 2- Get a large chopping board and roughly chop and mix 1 tablespoon of capers with ½ the tin of anchovies, most of the leaves from the bunch of basil and 4 of the jarred peppers. Crush over an unpeeled clove of garlic and add all of the tomatoes and hack everything up. Sweep it all into a large serving bowl, add a splash of red wine vinegar, a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good pinch of salt & pepper.

Add the croutons, then tear in the remaining 2 peppers and scrunch and squeeze everything with your hands. Taste and tweak as necessary, adding more red wine vinegar if needed. Top with the rest of the basil leaves, then finely grate over a little Parmesan and take to the table.

Excluding shopping time, it does take 30 min to make this....

Yes you can! PIMMS!!!!!!

So wodjer get in the end?

I made confit duck, pear and blue cheese salad to celebrate my husband being home (he's been in the US for a week for work). All up it only took the time to get the duck out of the jar and heat up in the oven

You warm the jar and remove the duck from the fat, place the duck on a heatproof tray in the oven at 220 degrees until the skin is crispy and the bulk of the fat drains off.

Meanwhile, arrange salad greens, slices of pear, crumbled blue cheese and dressing made of olive oil (to taste), dijion mustard (1tsp) and sherry vinegar (1 tbsp).

Place shreded crispy duck on top and voila! A dinner fit for a king for about 20chf for two.

Decadent, delicious and cooking free!

I think I went for Pot Noodle. Chicken and Mushroom.

Class, pure class!