Potato salad with attitude

As I write, there's a disconcerting chill in the air. This evening I've pulled on a jumper for the first time in a while. But I've not quite done with summer eating yet.

I hope that the sun will find its way out again soon. Either way, here's a potato salad that will add some excitement to even the dullest day. I like potato salad but all too often they can be bland, mushy and greasy. This one is light, low in fat and full of lively flavours.

Griddled courgettes with goats' cheese, couscous and beans

I confess to a slight love affair with griddled courgettes at the moment. Courgettes seem to be around in abundance, and griddling them in long strips gives them both sweetness and interesting charred notes.

With the help of some frozen vegetables, this easy dish took me less than 20 minutes to put together - ideal for a quick dinner after work.

The best chocolate mousse in the world

Usually I try to post recipes that are vegetable-centric, and healthy where possible. But we all need indulgences sometimes. On this occasion we were having people round to dinner and a dessert was required. In fact, a dairy-free dessert was required. But this dish is so rich and indulgent that it wouldn't strike you as free-from anything.

Chocolate mousse might sound complicated to make, but as long as you can separate eggs and have an electric whisk, it's not at all. The only slightly tricky part is mixing in the egg whites without knocking all the air out of them, but with patience and a gentle hand you should get there in the end. (It strikes me that this could equally be advice for bringing up children.)