When planning a meal it is nice to have some different ideas for tasty starters to whet the appetite for the main course. Here are a couple of ideas.

The first is a lovely light pear and Roquefort salad (if you do not like Roquefort use another blue cheese, or feta goes well with this).

For four people you will need:

1 tbsp cider vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ tsp English mustard
2 ripe pears
100 gr Roquefort cheese, crumbled
Handful roughly chopped walnuts
Mixed salad leaves

Make the dressing by putting the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and mustard into a screw topped jar and shake well to mix.

Peel and core the pears and brush with lemon juice to stop them going brown. Scatter the salad leaves onto four plates, slice the pears length ways and divide between the plates. Scatter the cheese and walnuts over each plate, shake the jar with the dressing and drizzle over the pears etc and serve straight away.

The next is my chicken liver pate which can be made the day before and put into separate ramekins ready for each person.  For four people you will need:

180g chicken liver, finely chopped
120g bacon finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp port or brandy
Salt and pepper
45g butter

1. Heat a small amount of sunflower oil in a pan and add the liver, bacon, onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the liver and bacon are done.

2. Take off the heat and add the mustard, seasoning and port or brandy, mixing well. Melt half the butter and mix into the pate mix.

3. Leave to cool a little and then put into a liquidiser and mix until the pate is smooth. Spoon into individual ramekins and put into the fridge to set.

4. Melt the remaining butter and pour onto the top of each ramekin and decorate with some sliced green and red pepper.

5. Serve with toast and a salad garnish.

COOKING TIPS

 * For a juicer hamburger add cold water to the beef before grilling
    (1/2 cup to 1 pound of meat).

 * To keep cauliflower white while cooking -
    add a little milk to the water.

* Για ένα ζουμερό χάμπουργκερ προσθέσετε κρύο νερό στον κιμά πριν το γκριλάρετε (1/2 κούπα στο μισό κιλό κιμά).

* Για να κρατήσετε το κουνουπίδι λευκό όταν ψήνετε προσθέσετε λίγο γάλα στο νερό.