Roasted broccoli and carrots with coriander seeds. - Photos by Emma Sharp

It was to be a small dinner party, but I was up to my eyeballs with work. I had to think of something different to cook for the famous five who are always sampling my culinary experiments!

I had no intention of spending hours slaving in the kitchen, and at last came up with the solution - use the oven. It didn't take me long to prepare the dip, make fragrant tomato sauce, set vegetables in a pan ready to roast, and bring chocolate soufflés to the point just before whisking the egg whites. Meanwhile, chicken stock simmered away, and I was fortunate enough to have made chocolate ice cream the night before.

As my guests arrived, I placed the dip in the oven while I served drinks. When that was ready, in went the chicken and vegetables, and on went my rice cooker. An hour later, all were gleefully chomping away.

I completed and served my souffls as everyone wondered in awe how I'd managed to execute such a magnificent meal with such little slogging ...

The truth is, I'm lovin' my oven!

Menu

Emma's Menu:

Baked Artichoke and sweet corn dip

Fragrant tomato baked chicken

Turmeric rice (cooked in home-made chicken stock)

Roasted broccoli and carrots with Coriander seeds

Hot chocolate soufflés with home-made chocolate ice cream

Baked Artichoke and Sweet Corn Dip

INGREDIENTS1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 scallions, finely sliced

1/2 scotch bonnet, finely chopped

Fresh thyme leaves

1 tin sweet corn, drained

8oz. marinated artichoke hearts (drained weight)

Salt and black pepper

1 x 170g pot of plain yoghurt

1oz. pecorino or parmesan cheese (grated)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven at 400F.

2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add onion and cook until soft.

3. Add garlic, scallions, scotch bonnet, thyme, corn and artichokes.

4. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, mix in yoghurt and pour it all into a shallow oven-proof dish.

5. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, then place under the grill for 3-5 minutes until golden. Serve immediately with crackers.

Fragrant Tomato Baked Chicken:

INGREDIENTS

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tbsp. mustard seeds

2tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves

2tbsp water

1tbsp olive oil

2 onions, halved and cut into wedges

3 sticks celery, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 tins whole tomatoes

2 chickens, jointed into 8 pieces each, leaving the back and breast bones to make stock

METHOD

1. Preheat oven 400F.

2. Place coriander and mustard seeds in a pan and dry fry for a couple minutes.

3. Once the seeds stop 'popping', remove from the heat and cool.

4. Place them in a mini food processor, along with 2tbsps. each of olive oil and water, and garlic. Blend to a paste.

5. Heat 1tbsp. olive oil in a frying pan, add the onions and celery, and cook until they soften.

6. Add the fragrant paste and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Pour in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for three minutes.

8. Place the chicken in a large oven-proof dish, pour over the fragrant tomato sauce.

9. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Serve with turmeric rice and roasted vegetables.

Hot chocolate soufflés with Home-made chocolate ice cream:

INGREDIENTS

4oz. semisweet chocolate

4fl oz. heavy cream

3 eggs, separated

2tbsps. Appleton rum

1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

2 egg whites

3tbsps. white sugar

Butter for greasing ramekin dishes

Home-made chocolate ice cream

METHOD

1. Preheat oven 425F.

2. Place chocolate and cream in a saucepan and heat slowly until warm and smooth.

3. Add egg yolks one at a time, whisking well between each addition.

4. Cook on a low heat for three minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and whisk in rum and vanilla.

5. Grease six ramekin dishes with butter. In a clean bowl, whisk all the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff.

6. Sprinkle in the sugar and whisk again until shiny. Add 1/4 of the meringue mix into the chocolate and mix well.

7. Pour this chocolate mixture into the remaining meringue and use a metal spoon to fold gently so that the two are incorporated.

8. Divide between ramekins and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately. It's delicious with a dollop of home-made chocolate ice cream!

Hot chocolate souffle with home-made chocolate ice cream.