TIGER's MILK

It you have tried the ceviche you should definitely try this recipe. It has a real kick and it is claimed that it makes you become a tiger (I'll leave it at that). Particularly recommended for any non-tiger mums who have recently been put in the spotlight.  It is the revival of the  'Blame the Mum' club (from non tiger mums to muslim mum). My children  - and, regardless of the type of mum you are, I bet you that also yours…- have been members of that club pretty much since they were born!

You need:
- 150 ml of the leftover liquid of ceviche
- 150 ml fish stock (you do this just by boiling fish bones and an onion for 30 minutes - just ask a fishmonger to give you a few bones. it is best if you do it with flat white fish. After 30 minutes get rid of the bones and sift through  colander)
- the juice of an orange
- 6 leaves of celery (the leaves, not the stalk)
- 200 gr red onion
- a spring onion
- the juice of a lime
- a teaspoon of coriander leaves
- a red chill
- 6 raw prawns (much better if shelled) - you can also substitute the prawns for 120 g of white fish.
- sea salt

Boil the prawns (2-3- minutes in hot salty water). Take the shells off and mix the prawns, heads (squeezing them a bit) and shells with the orange and lime juice and a pinch of sea salt. Let them rest for 5 minutes in the fridge.  Take the heads and shells off. Put the juice, prawns, ceviche liquid, fish stock, celery leaves, onion, spring onion, coriander leaves and chilli in a blender and blend until smooth. Put back into the fridge until you serve it (it only lasts for a few hours). If you find it is too strong then add a few ice cubes.

You can serve it as a cold soup in bowls. Or in glasses as an aperitif (in which case it is good to shift it through sieve so that the liquid is smooth).

CEVICHE

Peruvian food is one of my favourite cuisines. It became very fashionable in Madrid a few years ago, and there are some great Peruvian restaurants in London as well. This recipe comes from a friend who spent various years living there. You need:

- 400 gr of white fish - we used sea bass, but you can use lemon sole, monkfish, tilapia…the only requirement is that the fish should be very fresh as it is easy to get food poisoning from raw fish.
-  4 limes
- 3 lemons
- 3 cubes of ice
- a green chilli (sliced thinly - we did it with red chilli, which is also very nice, simply because the green ones I found in our corner shop were far too hot for the children)
- a spring onion (sliced thinly)
- half a clove of garlic (minced)
- a teaspoon of coarse salt
- a red onion (sliced thinly)
- coriander leaves (be generous)

Cut the fish into small cubes and put it in the fridge. Juice the lemons and lime ( do not press hard so that you do not get the bitter juice of the rind). Mix the garlic and salt with the juice. Put the red onion into the juice and leave it for 5 minutes. Take the onion out of the juice and put the fish into the juice together with the three cubes of ice. Put it back into the fridge and wait for 3 minutes. Add the sliced chile and spring onion and serve ( get rid of the ice if any bits of ice remain)

One of my sons loves it, but the other two find it too sharp. I dilute the juice with two tablespoons of very cold water for them.

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BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

This is a Thai flavoured soup. You need:
- 350 gr butternut squash and sweet potatoes (diced - some supermarkets sell this already diced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- half a teaspoon grated garlic
- a teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of half a lime
- salt
- 1 tin of coconut milk
- water
- coriander

Heat the oil, add the garlic and ginger and let it fry for a minute. Then add the onion (medium heat) and wait for 3-4 minutes until it gets soft. Add the butternut squash and sweet potatoes and let it fry for 3 minutes. Add the salt and then the coconut milk. Fill in the tin with water and add it to the pan. Let it all simmer for 15-17 minutes until it gets soft. Blend it all with a hand-held blender. Add the lime juice and the coriander just before you are going to serve it.

My children prefer this without the ginger.