Garden entertaining in the summer should be all about relaxing outdoors with friends and family, so the food needs to be kept simple. Here are a couple of quick recipes for busy Papapreneurs that you can prep ahead and are perfect for enjoying outdoors during barbecue season.

Sticky BBQ Pork Ribs with Tracklements Habanero Hot Ketchup and Slaw

Papapreneur Pit Masters can take their love of cooking over coals to a new level with these pork spare ribs. As meat cooked on the bone is often more flavourful and, the fact that ribs tend to be marbled with fat, more succulent, this is a real winner. No cutlery required! Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 5 tbsp Tracklements Habanero Hot Ketchup
• 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 large uncooked pork spare ribs (approx. 1.2kg)
• salt and pepper to season

For the slaw:

• ¼ white cabbage, finely sliced
• ¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, finely sliced
• ½ red onion, finely sliced

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp Tracklements Smooth Dijon Mustard
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Put all the ingredients, except the spare ribs, into a bowl, mix everything together and season to taste. Pour into a big plastic food bag, add the pork ribs and massage!

2. If possible, marinate overnight.

3. On the day – get the barbie started early – place the ribs bone-side down, on the cooler part of the grill (indirect heat). Cover and cook, rotating the ribs once, and basting with the leftover sauce, until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bones, about 2 hours.

4. You can also cook the ribs in the oven in a heavy based roasting dish at 180°C/350°F/ gas mark 4, turning every 20 mins for about an hour and a half.

5. In a large bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing together then stir in the slaw veg.

BBQ Aubergine with Tracklements Smoky Chilli Sauce

Al fresco dining doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes simple ingredients, grilled over coals or under the grill, make the most moreish of meals. In this vegetarian-friendly dish, the flesh of the aubergine efficiently absorbs the sauce delivering a hot, yet sweet and sour combo that, quite simply, tastes terrific. Serve with mixed salads and roast vegetable couscous. Serves 3.

Ingredients

• 3 aubergines, halved lengthways
• 150ml Tracklements Smoky Chilli

Sauce

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 35g salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. Light the barbecue (weather permitting, or use the grill)

2. Score the flesh of the aubergine. Mix together the Smoky Chilli Sauce and honey. Brush the skins of the aubergines with oil then brush half of the chilli sauce mixture onto the cut sides, making sure it gets into all of the crevices. Leave to marinate for 15 mins – no longer or you’ll get soggy aubergines!

3. Barbecue, skin side down, for 10 mins until the flesh is cooked and then baste the scored side with more of the chilli sauce mixture. Turn the aubergines over and barbecue flesh side down for around 4 mins until browned. Check the aubergines to make sure they’re not sticking to the BBQ grill.

4. Brush any remaining sauce mixture onto the aubergines and top with the nuts, spring onions and coriander

Tracklements Smoky Chilli Sauce RRP £4.05 for 230ml, Tracklements Habanero Hot Ketchup RRP £4.30 for 230ml and Tracklements Smooth Dijon Mustard RRP £2.50 for 140g are available from fine food delis and farm shops nationwide and online at www.tracklements.co.uk

On the first weekend of June, the Queen will be celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, marking an incredible 70 years on the throne. With the highly anticipated four-day bank holiday weekend, many are planning celebrations with family and friends and cooking up an array of special dishes to impress their guests.

British Apples and Pears (BAPL) are proud to join the celebrations, partnering with renowned celebrity chef, Raymond Blanc (Papa to 2 boys), to create a showstopping British apple mousse cake which rightly champions Britain’s national fruit – the apple.

Raymond Blanc and BAPL want to encourage the nation to try their hand at this impressive celebratory cake, whether it be at a Jubilee lunch or a local street party. This cake is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, making the perfect centrepiece for any celebration.

The cake incorporates three delicious varieties of British apples: English Bramley, Lilibet* and Royal Gala. English Bramleys and Royal Gala can be found in British supermarkets, Lilibet are a little harder to find, but you can easily substitute Lilibet with any other British eating apple.

Commenting on the special recipe development, Raymond Blanc says, “I am very proud to be part of this historical event, partnering with British Apples and Pears to celebrate the delicious taste and versatility of our national fruit.

“Britain produces some of the finest apples in the world and I believe this spectacular recipe is the perfect showcase for this wonderful fruit. With the vibrant red colour from the Royal Gala apple, the uniquely sweet flavour of Lilibet apples and the cloud-like fluffiness of cooked Bramley apples, the cake truly brings out the best of British apples.

“Food is at the heart of any celebration, bringing close family and friends together, and this remarkable cake will be sure to impress and delight your guests”.

Ali Capper, Executive Chair of British Apples and Pears says, “We are proud to share Raymond’s delicious British apple mousse cake recipe for everyone to make and enjoy. Apples are our national fruit and no Jubilee celebration should be without them.”

Royal Jubilee Apple Celebration Cake

This very special cake is the ultimate in celebration. Created by renowned chef, Raymond Blanc, it not only celebrates our monarch’s great accomplishment but is also a tribute to the British apple. In fact, there are three British apple varieties in the cake, each with its own special properties. You will no doubt be familiar with English Bramleys and Royal Gala, but the Lilibet apple – Prince Philip’s nickname for the Queen and the name of Harry and Megan’s daughter – is not as common. In fact, Lilibet is the only green-skinned eating apple grown commercially in the UK. Don’t worry if you can’t find Lilibet in your local supermarket, any other variety of eating apple can replace it in this recipe.

There are six parts to the recipe, but the instructions are straightforward, and Raymond’s Royal Jubilee Apple Celebration cake makes the perfect centrepiece to mark this national occasion.

1. Pain d’épices

The pain d’épices (spiced bread) is commonly known as gingerbread. It originates from France and was specific to Reims. As a beautiful base it adds spice and texture to this cake. Should you wish to make the cake in advance Pain d’épices will freeze well.

Makes Two cakes using two tins, each 16cm diameter x 4.5cm deep (8 slices per cake)

• ½ tsp Five spice powder
• ½ tsp Vanilla puree
• 2g Orange zest, finely grated
• 160g Clear honey
• 80ml Whole milk
• 2 x Large eggs
• 35g Caster sugar
• 100g Rye flour
• 60g Plain flour
• ½ tbsp Baking powder

Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, and place the cake tins on the tray.

In a small saucepan over a low heat, warm the spice, vanilla, orange zest, honey and milk to about 50ºC. Do not boil. (This is the right temperature to activate the baking powder and start the infusion.)

In a large bowl, lightly beat together the eggs and sugar. Add the warm spiced milk and whisk well.

In a separate bowl mix the baking powder and flour and, using a whisk, fold them into the egg-milk mixture. When the mixture is smooth, divide it equally between the two rings.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and leave to cool on the tray. Release from the ring, sliding a knife blade around the edge. Trim the pain d’épices to make them level and about 1½ cm thick. Clean the rings and replace them around the pain d’épices.

Slide a thin cake board under each pain d’épices and lift onto the work surface. Reserve.

2. For the caramel crémeux

• 75g Caster sugar
• 25ml Hot water
• 235ml Whole milk, brought to a simmer
• 4 x Egg yolks
• 25g Caster sugar
• 20g Cornflour
• 75g Butter

In a small saucepan on a high heat, cook the 75g sugar to a smoking point. You will now have a dark caramel.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the hot water followed by the hot milk (to prevent the milk from curdling), then stir to ensure it is fully dissolved.

In a medium bowl, mix the yolks with the remaining sugar and cornflour.

Whisk in the milk caramel and return to a clean saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a spatula.

Remove from the heat, pour into a small jug and leave to cool to 45-50ºC. Using a hand blender, blend in the butter until completely smooth. This will give a perfect creamy texture.

Place two 13cm rings on a tray lined with greaseproof paper or a silicone baking mat. Pour the crémeux 1cm deep into 2 x 13cm rings. Freeze for 2-3 hours to set. Once frozen, remove the crémeux from the rings and return to the freezer until required.

3. For the caramelised apple slices and glaze

• 5 x (800g) Royal Gala apples
• 60g Butter, cold diced
• 250g Caster sugar
• 2tbs Calvados

Peel, core and slice the apples into ½ cm slices.

In a large saucepan on a medium heat, bring the sugar to a golden caramel and add the cold butter. It will emulsify and bind with the hot caramel. Carefully pour in the Calvados.

Add the apple slices, cover with a lid, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the apples are soft.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

Divide the apples and caramel into two bowls. In a jug blender, blend the first half to a smooth purée and reserve for the glaze.

Keep the remainder of the apples and cooking liquid to build the cake.

4. For the poached apple slices

• 1 Lilibet apple
• 30g Caster sugar
• 100ml Water
• 1 pinch Vitamin C powder

Cut the apple from top to bottom 1cm either side of the core. This should leave you with two perfect semi-circles of apple, free from any core.

In a small, covered saucepan on a medium heat, bring the water, sugar and vitamin C powder to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the freshly sliced apple, cover and leave to cool for 15 minutes. The apple slices must be barely cooked. Drain and reserve.

5. For the mousse

• 300g Bramley apples
• 20g Caster Sugar
• 100ml Whipping cream
• 80g Water
• 5 x Gelatine leaves
• ½ tsp Vitamin C powder (or lemon juice)
• 1 Lemon, juiced
• 190g Caster sugar
• 4 x Egg whites

Start by peeling, coring and cutting the apples into 1cm chunks.

Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water and leave them to soften.

In a medium saucepan on a medium heat, cook the diced apple with the vitamin C, 20g sugar and lemon juice for 10 minutes until the apples are completely soft.

In a jug blender, purée the apple until smooth. Cool the purée in a bowl sitting on iced water for 8-10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks and fold in the cold apple purée.

In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining sugar and water to the boil and cook to 120ºC (check this with a thermometer).

Using an electric whisk on a high speed, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Reduce the speed and add the syrup, pouring it between the side of the bowl and the whisk. Whisk for 1 minute at full speed. Squeeze the water from the gelatine leaves and add them.

Continue to whisk on a medium speed until cool, then fold the meringue into the apple purée and cream mixture.

To build the cake

Drain off the poached apple semicircle slices and place against the insides of each ring, with the cut ends resting on the pain d’épices.

Arrange the caramelised apples with their caramel across each pain d’épices, leaving a 1½cm gap around the outside.

Half fill the cake rings with the apple mousse; then place the caramel crémeux discs in the middle of each cake.

Add the remainder of the apple mousse.

Using a palette knife, smooth the tops to within 2mm of the top of the rings. Freeze for a minimum of 3-4 hours so the mousse can set before the glaze is added.

6. For the glaze

• 2 x Gelatine leaves
• 250ml Caramelised apple puree reserved

Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for at least 5 minutes, until the leaves have softened.

In a small saucepan on a medium heat, warm the apple purée, but do not boil. Add the softened gelatine and stir for 1-2 minutes. Pour the glaze over the cakes and level with a palette knife, using the edges of the rings as a guide.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to set.

When ready to serve, warm the rings using a blowtorch and lift them off the cakes. I promise you will be the envy of all your guests when you present this cake to them!