Spicy Potato Cakes

I adapted a recipe from BBC Food recipes, their version had a lot of chilli in it and, though we like spice we don’t always want the heat of the chilli. This is mildly spiced and we enjoyed it.

7 fl oz veg oil

1 lb raw potatoes, peeled and cut into smallish cubes

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp garam masala

2 garlic cloves crushed to a paste

salt and freshly ground pepper

7 oz boiled potatoes  mashed

plain flour, white or wholemeal

Pre heat the oven to 180C/350F. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan then grind to a powder.

Heat half the oil in a roasting pan, when it is smoking add the cubed potatoes and coat them in the oil. Add the spices and garlic and mix well the season with the salt and pepper.

Roast the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, allow to cool for a while as you are going to use your hands in the next stage.

Mix the cooled potato cubes with the mash and form into small balls then flatten slightly. Dip into the flour to coat all over.

At this stage you can set the cakes aside to be cooked when you are ready as they are best served hot with a variety of dips.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the cakes 3 or 4 at a time, cook on each side till golden brown and heated through. Drain on kitchen paper then serve.

Suggestions for dips – sour cream and chive, mango chutney, yoghurt with chives and cucumber, yoghurt with coriander (cilantro) etc

Crab Bites

3 1/2 oz fresh white breadcrumbs

2 large eggs, separated

7 fl oz crème fraiche

1 tsp English mustard powder

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1lb 2oz fresh white crabmeat

oil

salt and pepper

Put the crumbs in a bowl. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks with the crème fraiche and the mustard powder then add to the breadcrumbs with the crab and the dill.

Heat the oil in a non stick pan over a medium heat. Drop in the mixture in teaspoons full. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Flatten the cakes slightly and cook gently till brown and crisp, flip over and cook the other side the same.

Drain on kitchen paper the serve with lime wedges.

Pork, Cranberry & Herb Stuffing

1 tbsp oil

1 onion finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 lb pork sausage meat

1 3/4 oz breadcrumbs (can be wholemeal)

1 3/4 oz dried cranberries

2 1/2 oz fresh cranberries

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp fresh sage

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 large egg beaten

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and celery and cook fro about 10 minutes, till transparent.

Preheat the oven to 190C/ gas 5.

Break up the sausagemeat in a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs and dried and fresh cranberries and the herbs. Mix together then add the onion and celery, then the egg. Season well and mix thoroughly.

Form into balls, place on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. If you want you can put the mixture into 2 tins and bake for 45 minutes.

Break

Panettone in the bread maker

1 Tbs sugar
2/3 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
1/4 cup mixed fruit
1/8 cup raisins
1/8 cup candied peel
1 tsp anise or fennel seed
1 Tbs lemon zest, grated

Directions

Place the first 8 ingredients into the pan of your bread machine in order listed.
Select the dough cycle.
Add the chopped fruit 15-20 minutes before the last kneading cycle ends
When the nut or fruit signal sounds add the remaining fruit, lemon zest, and anise seed.
If you need to allow the dough to rise, place in a warm spot, covered with a cloth. Let rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until double in size.
When the dough is done place the pan in a preheated oven and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. A skewer should come out clean when done.

Green Tomato Chutney

With the large number of green tomatoes we have and the even larger number of red ones we already have in the freezer, I decided to make chutney. I looked at a number of recipes and mixed them up and came up with the following.

2 kg green tomatoes, chopped
500g apples, peeled, chopped and cored
*250g sultanas
*625 g onions, chopped
*500 g sugar - I mixed soft brown and granulated
*2 tsp salt
*500ml cider vinegar/white wine vinegar mixed (I find malt vinegar is too harsh)
*1 tsp ground ginger
*1 tsp ground red chillies

Now the easy bit. Chuck it all in a pan that easily takes the whole lot in one. Bring slowly to the boil giving it a stir every now and then to dissolve the sugar. When it is boiling well (careful it can spit and will be hot) turn it down to simmer for 30-45 minutes. By this time it will be reduced and starting to thicken, keep simmering until it reaches a consistency that is a little looser than you want the end product to be as it thickens as it cools. Pour into sterilized jars and cover and label. Leave to cool before putting away.

Now if you like that you can change things round to use what ever is in season or there is a glut of. Just make sure you use all the items marked with * and change the fruit to whatever is available.

If you have a smaller quantity of fruit reduce the other ingredients in the same proportion and watch the simmering time as it will be less.

Some suggestions: peaches, courgette or marrow, mango, plums, runner beans, pears, apples on their own

The best Tomato Ketchup

Makes 1.5 litres (approx)
3 kg ripe tomatoes
2 tbls salt
600 ml white vinegar
1 1/8 cups (250 g) 9 oz white sugar
1/2 tsp each of ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and Cayenne pepper
method

Quarter the tomatoes, place them in a preserving pan with the salt and vinegar, and simmer until they are soft and quite broken up.

Rub the mixture through coarse muslin or a fine nylon sieve; then return it to the pan and add the sugar.

Simmer until the ketchup starts to thicken, and then add the spices to taste, a little at a time, stirring thoroughly.

Meanwhile, heat enough bottles to hold the ketchup, and prepare seal, a boiled cork to fit the bottle and either waxed or covered with greaseproof paper tied securely over.

When the ketchup is thick enough, fill the hot bottles, leaving a head-space.

Seal immediately, or allow the ketchup to cool slightly; then fill up the bottles, leaving a headspace, and sterilize at 88°C for 30 minutes.

Seal immediately. Label when cold.

Note Remember that the ketchup will be thicker when cold, so do not reduce it too much.

Tomato sauce - 2

This one is from the BBC and looks quite easy.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions ,
1 thumb-size piece fresh root ginger , finely chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves , chopped
1 red chilli , deseeded and finely chopped
800g tomatoes , briefly whizzed in a food processor or finely chopped
100g dark brown sugar
100ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato purée
coriander seeds


Heat the oil in a large, deep pan, then fry the onions, ginger, garlic and chilli for 10-15 mins until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and some seasoning, then boil for 30 mins, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and is sticky.

Cool slightly, then whizz in a blender or food processor until smooth. If the sauce is a bit thick for your liking, stir in a dribble of boiling water. Sieve, then funnel into a bottle or jar while still hot. Cool completely before serving. Will keep for 3 months in the fridge.

Tomato Ketchup

Found this recipe online on the Southernfood site, I will be using it with our tomatoes which we have loads of this year.

This homemade ketchup takes time, but the final result is well worth the effort. I start this the day before, then I refrigerate the tomato pulp and liquid mixture to boil down and process the next day.
Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
* 2 teaspoons whole cloves
* 1 (3- to 4-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
* 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
* 12 pounds tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
* 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 small hot red pepper, finely chopped, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons pickling salt

Preparation:
Put the celery seeds, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and mustard seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Tie up and set aside.

In a small stainless steel or enamel-lined saucepan, combine the vinegar and spice bag. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 25 minutes. Remove the spice bag and discard. Set the vinegar aside.

In a large stainless steel or enamel-lined kettle (at least 8 to 12 quart size), combine the chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, and red pepper or cayenne. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue at a gently boil, stirring frequently, for 25 minutes. Add the spiced vinegar to the tomato mixture and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes longer.

Drain the tomatoes into a large stainless steel saucepan, then put them through a food mill to extract as much juice and pulp into the saucepan as possible. Discard the solids. Add sugar and salt to the extracted pulp and juices. At this point, you can refrigerate this mixture overnight and finish the next day. Bring the tomato pulp mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and boil for about 2 hours, or until reduced by about 2/3 and thickened to a ketchup consistency.

Meanwhile, prepare the work area, canner, jars, and lids. See Preparing Jars for Canning and Boiling Water Processing.

Fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Use a small plastic or stainless steel spatula to remove air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and fit with lids and seals.

Transfer to a rack in the canner and lower into the hot water. Add more water, as needed, so you have 1 inch over the jars. Cover, bring to a boil, and continue boiling gently for 15 minutes.

Makes 3 pints.

Red Lobster Biscuits

Our favourite restaurant in the US is Red Lobster and the main reason is their 'biscuits' which we would call cheese scones. They are light and so tasty but you must have them warm.

You can find Bisquick in larger supermarkets in the cake making section or with the batter mixes.

This recipe was posted in the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
2 Cups Bisquick
2/3 Cup milk
1/2 Cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Heat oven to 450 degrees (220C). Mix Bisquick, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cooking sheet. Bake 8- 10 min until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder. Brush mixture over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.

Chocolate Terrine

Low carb but high fat this is a recipe for a special occasion. It is yummy though.

Prepare this the day before you need/want it. Easier said than done because you will probably want it as soon as it is done!!



For the terrine
2 tsp vegetable oil, for greasing
250g/9oz white chocolate, broken into pieces
175g/6oz dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, broken into pieces
600ml/1 pint double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
2 free-range egg whites, whisked until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed

For the chocolate sauce
65g/2oz dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, broken into pieces
65ml/2fl oz double cream
½tbsp unsalted butter
75g/2½oz dark chocolate, grated, to serve

Brush a 900g/2lb loaf tin with oil, then line with cling film.

Bring a little water to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the white chocolate and stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Repeat the process in a clean bowl with the dark chocolate.

Fold a third of the whipped cream into the white chocolate until well combined then fold the remaining whipped cream into the dark chocolate until well combined.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the dark chocolate mixture until mixed in completely.

Spoon half of the dark chocolate mixture into the prepared tin. Pour over all of the white chocolate mixture, then top with the remaining dark chocolate mixture. Chill in the fridge overnight. When the terrine is ready to serve, make the chocolate sauce (This sauce should not be reheated.)

Bring a little water to a simmer in a pan. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the pan (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate and cream to the bowl and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth and well combined.

Add the butter and stir until it has melted and the mixture is glossy.

To serve, turn the chocolate terrine out onto a serving plate. Cut into slices. Place one slice into the centre of each serving plate. Pour over the chocolate sauce and sprinkle over the chocolate shavings.

You can of course serve this without the chocolate sauce - should you want to!

Mixed Berry Creamy Cake

I saw Simon Rimmer make this on Market Kitchen and I so want to try it when we have berries in the garden or freezer later in the year.

250g Butter
100ml double cream
1 vanilla pod
3 Eggs
275g caster sugar
550g Flour
1 lemon, zest only
2 tsp Baking powder
500g mixed frozen berries
icing sugar and whipped cream, to decorate

Grease and line a 20cm round springform cake tin. Melt the butter, cream and vanilla together in a saucepan over a low heat, then set aside to cool. Beat the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the butter and cream mixture to the eggs and sugar and stir to combine. Fold in the flour, lemon zest and baking powder, followed by the frozen berries. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake at 180C/ gas 5 for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

Serve as a cake or with a fruit coulis and cream as a dessert.

Warming, filling winter soup

This is so easy to make, and so versatile.


you will need

Bacon bits. I can get really chunky ones in our supermarket and I prefer the smoked ones for flavour.

1 Onion or leek
1 tin tomatoes - chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
root veggies of your choice, I always have carrots and parsnips then add whatever else I can find. e.g swede, celeriac. I rarely add potatoes but they can be added.

Cop the bacon into bite sized pieces and, if there is fat on the bacon fry it off in the large pan you will use for the soup. This will draw the fat and add to the flavour. Chop the onion (or leek) and add once the bacon bits have browned a bit. Stir every now and then while you peel and chop the root veggies into bit size pieces. Throw them in the pan, add the tomatoes and the puree and enough water to almost cover it all. Season and bring to the boil then simmer until the bacon is tender, can take about an hour but the testing is fun - you get to eat a bit of the bacon!

For a change you can add some small pasta bits and turn it into a rustic minestrone. Other additions can be kidney beans, chick peas, (I use canned in both cases) or een baked beans.

I sometimes serve with chunks of bread or dumplings.

Juicy turkey

I adapted Nigella Lawson's brined turkey recipe for this years turkey and it was the best we have had. The breast didn't dry out at all, even when it was cold it was moist.

The adaptations I made were because I didn't have some things and I either had powdered spices instead of whole or I couldn't get the whole ones in time.

OK so you need to have a bucket large enough to take your turkey and you need somewhere cold to store it for 24-36 hours before cooking time.

Ingredients - the list is long but shorter than the original.

The following is enough for a 12 lb turkey

turkey - remove any string, elastic bands etc
5 oz table salt
2 small oranges - satsumas etc, halved
1 lemon halved
1 lime halved
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns (I had these but 1 tbsp of ground black pepper would do
1 piece of thyme )
1 piece of rosemary ) 1tsp of dried of each wo9uld suffice
3 or 4 sage leaves )
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
2 tbsp mustard seeds
2 onions quartered - don't worry about peeling them
1 tbsp ground ginger
bunch of parsley - just the stalks

Put about 2 pints of cold water in the bottom of the bucket and add everything except the turkey, mix it all well with a wooden spoon then put in the turkey. Add enough cold water to cover the turkey. I found I needed to move the larger pieces of onion and the fruit so the turkey sat on the bottom, and I put a small plate on top to keep it under the brine mixture.

Put in a cool place for between 24 and 36 hours before cooking.

1 hour before it is due to go in the oven drain the turkey and let it stand to come to room temperature. Discard the brine liquid, it is no good for anything.

Preheat the oven to 200F, baste the turkey with oil before putting in then turn down to 180 and cook for 2 1/2 hours, make sure you test the thickest part of the leg to see that the juices run clear, or use a meat thermometer.

Take it out of the oven when cooked and allow to stand, with a foil tent over it, for 30-40 minutes before carving.

Chocolate cake with a twist

This is so rich - yum. Thanks to James Martin for this.

250g/9oz self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
300g/11oz caster sugar
2 free-range eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g/9oz butter, plus extra for greasing
175ml/6fl oz cola
250ml/9fl oz full-fat milk

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 24cm/9½in spring-form cake tin with butter and line it with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a bowl.Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and beat well to combine.

Place the butter into a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Add the cola to the butter and stir to mix, making sure the mixture does not boil. Stir in the milk and remove the liquid from the heat. Quickly whisk the cola mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix gently, but thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, remove the cake from the tin and discard the parchment paper.

Chocolate sauce

75g/3oz caster sugar
75g/3oz water
200g/7oz dark chocolate, chopped

place the sugar and water into a saucepan and cook until the sugar has melted. Add the chocolate and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring well until you have a glossy sauce

Yogurt Recipes

I have had an EasiYo yogurt maker for ages and I have used it quite a bit but I have now got a good, reasonable source of the powders so I will be using it more. I have just got some Greek yogurt to make and was searching for recipes. The following are from the website with some notes from me on what I think I can do with each one.

BLUE CHEESE DIP

• ½ cup drained EASIYO Yogurt (drained overnight)
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 pinch of salt

From preference I would use Stilton cheese and I would leave the salt out. Just mash the cheese in with all the other ingredients and leave for a few hours for the flavours to develop.

SALMON MOUSSE

• 425g canned salmon
• 1 1/2 tbsp gelatine
• 1 cup drained EASIYO yogurt (4-5 hours)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon rind
• 1 cup EASIYO yogurt
• dash of Tabasco to taste
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 sprig onions, finely chopped
• salt and ground pepper
• fresh basil to garnish

I would use smoked salmon offcuts for this, probably cheaper than canned salmon and certainly tastier.

Mix gelatine with water and heat until dissolved.

Mash salmon and blend with drained yogurt, lemon juice, lemon rind, the extra EASIYO yogurt, Tabasco and nutmeg.

Fold in dissolved gelatine and spring onions. Season to taste.

Pour mixture into lightly oiled 1 litre mould. Smooth the top and refrigerate until set.

For serving, quickly dip the bottom of the mould into hot water to loosen, then turn onto serving plate. Garnish with fresh basil

Use a fish shaped mould for a special occasion.

LOUISIANA YOGURT DRESSING

2 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ½ cup Easi Yo Natural Yogurt


Crush, peel and finely chop garlic. Peel and finely slice shallots.
Mix garlic, shallots, tabasco sauce and vinegar and yogurt together.

Do you know I wouldn't change a thing with this, sounds wonderful.

YOGURT SATAY SAUCE

• ½ cup EASIYO yogurt
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ½ tsp chilli sauce
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger

Mix them all together and taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Chocolate Truffles

This is the easiest recipe I have found for an old family favourite

1 1/4 cups double cream (heavy whipping cream)
9 oz dark chocolate 79% cocoa solids

You can either chop the chocolate or throw it into a food processor and blitz it.

Heat the cream but do not let it boil. At the same time melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water, this needs to be done slowly or the end product will be grainy. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the cream stirring all the time.

Leave to cool then chill till it is firm enough to roll. This will take about 3 hours.

This is the messy bit and you may need to return the paste to the fridge if it gets too soft. Take small quantities of the paste and roll into bite size balls, place on a baking sheet. Continue until it is all done then chill for an hour before rolling in cocoa powder to finish. An alternative is to roll them in chocolate sprinkles before chilling.

Key Lime Pie

Though this is traditionally made with a crumb crust I like it with a pastry one. I have to admit to buying my pastry these days as it comes ready rolled as well ( cheat - well yes but a good one).

Ingredients

One pack of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
The grated zest of 3 limes
The juice of 4-5 limes, about 150ml
3 large egg yolks (save the whites for meringues)
1 tin condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 180C 350F. Line an 8 inch loose bottomed flan tin, a deep one is needed to take all the filing, with the pastry. Put a ring of foil or greaseproof paper in the base and fill with baking beans. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, remove form the oven and take out the foil and the beans and the return for another 5 minutes then remove and leave to cool slightly.

While the pastry is baking make the filling by putting the egg yolks and the lime zest in a bowl and mixing with an electric hand whisk for a few minutes, it will start to thicken. Add the condensed milk and whisk for a further 4 minutes then add the lime juice. The mixture will thicken readily when this is done.

Put all the mix in the pastry case and bake for about 20 minutes. It should feel firm in the middle. Leave to cool completely,cover with foil or cling film before popping in the fridge. Serve with cream or creme fraiche.

Cupcakes

I have been experimenting with cupcakes for ages, trying to find an easy and foolproof recipe. Here it is courtesy of BBC - Good Food

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g/4oz caster sugar
125g/4oz soft margarine
125g/4oz self-raising flour

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat them together until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in colour.
Line a bun tin or cupcake tin with paper cake cases and half-fill each case with the cake mixture.
Cook the cakes for 18-20 minutes. You can tell they are done when they have risen up, are golden in colour, and spring back into shape when lightly pressed.

Decorate as you wish, I have a number of different ideas for celebrations etc.

I also think the vanilla extract could be substituted with other flavourings, lemon oil, orange oil, cocoa and so on. Also chocolate chips could be added

Crabmeat cheesecake

While we were on the Outer Banks in North Carolina we had lunch in Roanoke, at a small, privately run restaurant. I had this amazing crabmeat cheesecake and asked about the recipe. It comes from the Palace Cafe, New Orleans and I have tracked it down so here it is. I have left out a sauce as I think it is just great served with a green salad. Also the original comes with a pecan crust but I am not fond of pecans, the one I had just had a basic crust. A simple pastry ring is what I will use.

Crabmeat Cheesecake

Serves 8

Base
Ready rolled pastry cut to fit the base of a 9" flan dish.

Filling
½ cup Onion, small diced
1 tbsp Butter
4oz Crabmeat
8oz Cream cheese, room temperature
⅓ Cup cream cheese or sour cream
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Hot pepper sauce
Rock salt and white pepper to taste

Garnish
2 Cups Sliced, mixed wild mushrooms
3 tsp Butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350°. Line the base of a 9" flan dish with the pastry, gently butter the sides of the dish. Cover the pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans then bake the crust for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Preparing the Filling
Sauté onion in butter until translucent. Add crabmeat and cook just until heated through, then remove from heat. Blend cream cheese until smooth in a mixer fitted with a paddle, or by hand using a wooden spoon. Add the cream cheese and mix well. Mix in eggs one at a time. Gently fold in crabmeat mixture. Stir in hot sauce and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Bake at 300° for 30-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

Onion Tart

This takes a while but is so delish hot or cold!

One sheet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
8 medium onions
3 oz butter
2 fl oz white wine vinegar
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp rock salt
2 oz grated parmesan

Heat the oven to 200C, gas 6. Take a sheet of ready rolled short pastry and put it on an 8" flan case, loose bottomed is best. Don't worry about the edges we will deal with them later. Line with parchment or baking paper and fill with ceramic beads or rice. Cook for 25-30 minutes, till golden. Remove the paper and the beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Take it out of the oven and trim the edges of the pastry.

While the pastry is cooking peel and chop the onions finely, a food processor is fine. The finer the onions the better. In a large saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat then add the onions. They need to cook slowly with a lid on, stir them occasionally. They must be completely soft before moving on to the next stage. This is the slow bit - it takes a bout 2 hours to get them just right, remember the heat must be low. OK so the onions are now really soft so you can add the vinegar, sugar and salt. Let the vinegar evaporate off, this again takes a while but you must let it happen. Once it as gone the mix will start to caramelise, just stir regularly and bring in the slightly brown bits. This stage will take about 25 minutes so be patient and don't leave it or it will burn.

Put the onion mix in the pastry case and smooth over, sprinkle with the cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

SLOW-ROAST LAMB

Lamb is a family favorite and just occasionally I get a whole leg for a treat. We find that the shoulder has the sweeter meat so this recipe is great to add flavour to the leg.

Ingredients

a leg of lamb say 4lb 1 large onion, roughly chopped
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary 4 cloves of garlic
1 Tbs sea salt flakes a pinch of sweet paprika
1 Tbs cumin seeds 3 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbs olive oil a large knob of butter

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 160C.

Peel the garlic cloves and lightly crush them together with the salt. Add the cumin, thyme and paprika then gradually add the oil so make a thick paste. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir into the paste.

Plae the lamb in a roasting tin and rub the spice paste all over. Hands are best here but a wooden spoon is fine. Make a few holes in the flesh with a skewer and insert the rosemary sprigs. Scatter the chopped onion around the meat and put the roasting tin in the oven for 35 minutes uncovered.

Pour in 250ml water (red wine if you are feeling generous) and baste the meat. Roast for a further three hours, basting every hour.

After the 3 hours is up remove from the oven, place the meat on a plate and leave to rest, covered with foil. Pour off as much of the fat as you can from the top of the juices. Use as it is as a gravy, check for seasoning.

The meat should just fall apart, serve with your choice of potatoes and veggies.

Pear and Lemon Jam

We have a big crop of pears this year so I have searched for recipes to use. I will be bottling some in plain syrup and there is the usual chutney but I found this recipe for an unusual preserve, on the Cottage Smallholder site and will definitely give it a try.

2 kilos of pears (peeled, cored and chopped
3 medium lemons (strained juice and zest)
1 kilo of granulated sugar
1 litre of water

Peel, core and chop the pears and place in a large covered bowl, to stop them browning.

Remove the zest from the lemons carefully to avoid adding the bitter pith. Set zest aside. Squeeze the lemon juice and strain.

Add the water, chopped pears, lemon zest and juice to a large heavy bottomed saucepan.

Simmer very gently until the pears are just soft. Pour in the sugar and stir, over a medium/low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Bring the heat up to a rolling boil . Allow to boil hard for ten minutes before testing for a set. If it has not reached setting point. Continue to boil rapidly, checking for a set every four minutes or so. When the jam has set remove from the heat.

Allow the jam to stand for a few minutes and pour into warmed sterilised jars. Cover with screw top lids or wax disks and cellophane tops. Label when cold. Store in a cool dry place.

Slow cooked lamb

shoulder of lamb
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 lb small onions, peeled but left whole
handful of thyme sprigs
1/2 pint red wine
chopped parsley to garnish

Heat the oven to 160C. Rinse the meat off and dry then season.

Heat the oil in a heatproof casserole - make sure it is big enough for the meat to go in whole. Fry off the onions until they are gently colored then remove them from the pan. Put the meat in the casserole and brown all over, add the onions and the thyme, cook for about a minute then add the wine. Check the seasoning and when right put a tight fitting lid on the casserole and cook for 3 hours. Remove the thyme before serving and garnish with parsley.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.

The oh so easy sponge cake

Yes I said easy - if you follow a few basics.

Once the cake is in the oven DO NOT TOUCH IT for at least 20 minutes or it will fail.

Remember a medium egg weighs 2 oz and you need equal quantities of flour, eggs, butter and sugar. You will need to work in pounds and ounces though as the conversion is not that simple.

Brush the tins with melted butter - all over, then line the base with a circle of baking parchment.

So to the recipe

6 oz butter at room temperature
6 oz flour
6 0z caster sugar
3 medium eggs (remember each one weighs 2 oz)

Heat the oven to 180C, 160C if you have a fan oven and Gas 4. Butter and line 2 7" sponge tins as above .

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mix evenly between the 2 tins and pop in the oven. Bake for 20 mins then check to see if it is cooked. If it is done the edges should just be coming away from the tin and the cake should be springy to the touch.

Take out of the oven and leave until cool enough to handle, turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack and leave until completely cool.

FILLINGS

Traditionally the filling was strawberry jam and the top sprinkled with caster sugar. I prefer the next variation.

Whipped cream and fresh summer fruit, put this in the middle and sprinkle the top with sugar.

Mocha cake - substitute 3 oz of the flour with the same quantity of good cocoa powder. For the filling use a tub of mascarpone cream, add 3 oz caster sugar and 4 tbsp very strong coffee. Use half in the middle and the other half on top. Grate some dark chocolate on top to finish.

Cheats Pizza

I love this, the pastry makes for a much lighter base than pizza dough, and it is so easy to make.

Take a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry and place on a baking sheet.

Spread the top with passatta or a tin of peeled tomatoes blitzed up and strained so you have a thick paste.

Top with whatever you want and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes till the edges of the pastry are browned.

Se I told you it was simple!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is a double tribute recipe, first it is my Husbands favorite desert and second it is from my favorite UK celebrity chef James Martin. It is not for anyone who is on any form of weight loss diet!!!!

Ingredients
55g/2oz butter 170g/6oz demerara sugar
2 tbsp black treacle 1 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs 200g/7oz self-raising flour
200g/7oz pitted dates 290ml/10fl oz boiling water
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the sauce:
110ml/4fl oz double cream 55g/2oz butter, diced
55g/2oz dark muscovado sugar 2 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp golden syrup

For the moulds:
30g/1oz soft butter 30g/1oz flour

Butter the moulds and dust with flour and preheat oven 200C/400F/Gas 6.2. Using a food processor cream the butter and sugar together. Slowly add the golden syrup, treacle and eggs. Continue mixing until the mixture looks smooth, then turn down to a slow speed and add the flour. Mix until everything is well combined.

Add the boiling water to the dates and tip into a blender. Secure the lid firmly and blend to a purée. Add the bicarbonate of soda and vanilla. Pour this into the batter while it is still hot and stir well.

Pour into the moulds and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are just firm to the touch.

Make the sauce: simply place all the ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil, stirring a few times and then remove from the heat. Put to one side until ready to use.

Remove the puddings from the moulds and place on plate. Coat with the warmed sauce and serve with good vanilla ice cream.

Crispy Chinese Pork

For the meat

3lb piece belly pork, boned but with skin on
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tsp coarse sea salt

For a dipping sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
grated fresh ginger (lazy ginger will do) about 2 tsp
1 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 sprign onion (scallion) finely chopped

Score the skin on the meat and rub in the 5 spice and the salt. Put in the fridge uncovered for at least 2 hours. It is important to leave it uncovered so the salt dries the moisture out of the skin. This helps the crispness.

Heat the oven to it's hottest , lay the meat on a rack in a roasting tin with the skin on top. Roast for 10 minutes then turn down to 180C Gas 4 for 1 1/2 hours. Take a look and if the skin isn't crisp turn the oven up to 200 and cook for another 30 minutes - keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. When done remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before chopping up into bite size pieces. Don't worry it will keep warm enough to eat.

To make the sauce simply combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water.

Lamb Souvlaki

This is mainly for my husband as he loves Greek food, but it is a great flavour and good to cook on the BBQ.

4 Lamb steaks
2 lemons
1 tbsp salt
Leaves from 2 springs of thyme
250ml Greek yoghurt
2 red chillies de seeded
small bunch of coriander (cilantro)
1/2 tsp each of cardamom, cloves and turmeric

Rub the meat with the lemon, slat and thyme and leave for a couple of hours to tenderise the meat. Out the yoghurt, chillies, coriander and spices in a food processor and whizz to a paste. Pour the paste over the lamb, rub well in and then refrigerate overnight.

BBQ the meat for about 20 minutes, turning frequently. Finish with a squeeze of lemon ad serve with flat breads and tsatsiki.

Things to do with Strained Yoghurt

I make my own yoghurt most if the time, I have an EasyYo which is so simple to use and I can get all sorts of different types including low fat, Greek style and lots of flavours which i rarely use. The plain ones can be strained overnight which makes it more like a curd cheese. The following ideas and recipes came with the strainers.

Sour Cream Substitute

1/2 cup strained yoghurt
1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives.

Mix all together and use on salads, jacket potatoes and other veggies.

Garlic & Herb Spread

2 whole garlic bulbs
12 black peppercorns
2 tsp rosemary
4 tbsp strained yoghurt
6 sundried tomatoes rehydrated and mashed
12 juniper berries (optional)

Take a slice off the top of the garlic bulbs, wrap them in foil and bake for 35 mins at 375F 180C. When cool enough to handle squeeze the flesh from the skin and mash well. In a grinder whiz up the rosemary, peppercorns and juniper berries if used. Put everything in a bowl and mix well. This is good on toast, crackers, jacket potatoes etc

Baked cheesecake

This really gorgeous, takes a bit of preparation in advance so you really need to start the morning before you need it. Get it all made that day and it will be perfect.

FOR THE BASE
1 1/4 ox unsalted butter
3 oz digestive biscuits finely crushed

THE FILLING
1 1/2lb soft cheese (Philly will do)
6 oz caster sugar
3 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
5 oz fromage frais

FOR THE TOPPING
1 oz caster sugar
8 oz soft fruit - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
4 oz fromage frais

Heat the oven to 180C Gas 4. Line an 8" (20cm) loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment and stand on a baking sheet. Melt the butter ans mix in the biscuit crumbs till they are all coated with the butter. Press this mixture into the base of the tin, make sure it is all covered evenly then bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and then turn it up to 240C Gas 9.

In a large bowl beat the cheese with an electric hand mixer till smooth, add the sugar gradually then the cornflour. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice, zest, vanilla extract and then the eggs. Scrape the edges of the bowl then add the fromage frais. By this time the mixture should be quite runny. Pour it over the crumb base and make sure it is level, break any air bubbles that come to the surface (gentle shaking helps to bring them to the top). Bake for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 110c Gas1/4 and bake for another 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and then leave in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and run a knife round the edges and return to the now cold oven for 1 1/2 hours to finish cooling.

Spread the fromage frais over the top of the cheesecake then chill, covered, for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Make the topping by putting the sugar in a pan with 3 tbsp water, bring to a simmer then leave to bubble for 1-2 minutes to make a thin syrup. Add the fruit and poach gently for a couple of minutes, do not over cook at this stage. Add the lime zest and stir gently then leave to cool.

Take from the fridge about 1 hour before serving, loosen the sides and put the cake on a serving dish. Serve each slice with some of the fruit sauce.

Pavlova

My mum used to make the most wonderful meringues so this one is for her.

FOR THE MERINGUE
5 egg whites (I use the yolks to make home made mayo with)
10 oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cornflour

TO FINISH
1/2 pint double cream
3 1/2 fl ox creme fraiche
4 oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Selection of fruit - see notes at the end

Heat eh oven to 140C/gas 1. Make the meringue by whisking the whites till they are really, really stiff. Use a perfectly clean bowl as the slightest bit of grease will stop them from whipping properly. I usually wipe the inside of the bowl with a bit of kitchen paper and a few drops of lemon juice. When the whites are stiff add half the sugar and the vanilla extract and beat in. Mix the cornflour with the remaining sugar and then add to the egg whites. Whisk again until stiff peaks form.

Take a baking sheet and cover with baking parchment. Spoon the mixture on and shape into a circle with a dent in the middle. Cook in the oven for about 1 hour until the meringue is crisp and just starting to change colour. Remove from the oven an allow to cool completely before moving on. You can make this up to 2 days in advance as long as you store the meringue in an airtight box once it is cold.

When you are ready to serve whip the cream until it is stiff, add the creme fraiche, sugar and vanilla extract and whip again until stiff. Spread over the hollow in the meringue then top with fruit.

FRUIT SUGGESTIONS

Summer berries - strawberries, raspberries, currants, blueberries. Any combination or just one.

Tropical fruit - mango, banana and passion fruit

any other fruits that you like, a bit of colour is good but the flavour is the most important

Roast lamb with garlic and herbs

6 cloves of garlic (more if you like!)
1 bunch oregano
zest and juice of a lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
1 leg large lamb (the timings are for a 6lb 8 oz or 3 kg leg)

Heat the oven to 240C/gas 9. Cream the garlic with half the oregano, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Either use a pestle and mortar or a blender.

Stab the meat all over with a sharp knife then rub the garlic mix all over and massage into the holes in the meat.

Roast for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 180C/gas 4 for 1 1/2 hours. Chop the remaining oregano and sprinkle over potatoes before you roast them to serve with the meat.

Adjust the time of the cooking for the lower oven temperature for a smaller piece of lamb.

Herby cheesy roast chicken

1 chicken about 1 1/2 kg or 3 1/2 lb
150g/6 oz pack garlic and herb soft cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Carefully loosen the skin of the chicken from the breast and the legs as much as possible. Push the cheese between the skin and the flesh, smooth well so it is evenly spread over the breast and legs as much as possible. Put into a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil then roast for 1 hr 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes before serving with your choice of veggies.

Veggie moussaka

Everyone seems to be saying we need to eat to 7 portions of fruit and veggies a day, this goes a good way towards that in one portion.

2 peppers, yellow, red, green doesn't matter. Cut into chunks
2 red onions quartered
2 courgettes (zucchini)
1 large aubergine (eggplant) cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil 3 oz feta cheese
1 egg
200 ml Greek yogurt
700 g (about 1 pint) bottle passata or minced tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried

Heat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Put the veggies in a roasting dish, pour over the oil and season. Mix well then roast for 25 minutes till cooked.

Break up the cheese with a fork then mix in the yogurt and the egg. Pour the passata over the veggies and sprinkle the herbs over the top then pour the cheese mix over. Turn up the oven to 220/gas 7 and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is brown and bubbling.

Serve with crusty bred

Quick and easy banana ice cream

This is so simple but you do need a food processor.

4 bananas
¼ tsp vanilla essence
3-4 tbsp sugar or sweetener, to taste
150ml/5fl oz buttermilk or creme fraiche

Peel the bananas and cut into chinks then freeze. Once totally frozen place in a food processor with all the other ingredients and whizz. There you go, perfect and delicious ice ream.

This can also be done with frozen raspberries, blueberries, in fact any soft fruit but you may need to adjust the amount of sweetener to taste.

Cheeseburger Casserole

This comes all the way from North Carolina, thanks Glenda.

I have changed a few words to fit the UK version and I may need to change the name of the croissants when I have been to do the grocery shopping.

1 lb minced beef (ground beef)
BBQ sauce
Chopped onions
2 packs of Pilsbury croissants
Sliced cheddar cheese

Cook the beef completely, drain grease. Mix with your favorite bbq sauce until covered completely (but not soupy). You can also add chopped onions if you like them.

Take can of Pilsbury croissants, open and roll out, but do not separate.
Lay it on the bottom of a casserole dish, covering the bottom completely.
Top with the ground beef mixture. Top that with slices of cheese.
On top of all that, put the other can of crescent rolls (rolled out, but not separated). Make sure it covers the top completely.

Bake according to the directions on the crescent roll can. I think it is about 375 for 15 or 20 minutes.

Banana Ice Cream

4 firm but ripe bananas
juice 1 orange
juice 1 lemon
2 tbsp sugar or sweetener
1/4 pt/150ml whipping cream

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend till smooth. Put into ice cream maker. When done turn into a container and pop into the freezer. Remove for 15 minutes before serving.

If you don't have an ice cream machine the mix into a freezer proof container and freeze until half frozen then remove from the freezer and mix really well to break up any ice crystals and return to the freezer till required.

Prawn cakes

3 slices of wholemeal bread
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
14 oz/400g raw peeled prawns - for alternatives see at the end
freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
2 tbsp sunflower oil

Put all the ingredients except the oil, in a food processor and blitz until well blended. Shape into 12 - 18 rounds then chill for anything up to a day then fry gently a few minutes on each side until golden.

ALTERNATIVES
If raw prawns are not available use the same quantity of white or smoked fish or fresh or tinned crab

Cheesy Potato Puffs

Lovely to serve as an accompaniment to a roast.

1 oz/25g butter
1lb 2 oz/500g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 spring onions
2 oz/50g mature cheddar finely grated
3 tbsp milk
2 eggs separated
grated nutmeg (optional but nicer)

Heat the oven to gas 7/fan 200C/220C. Grease a 6 hole muffin tin, do the bits in between as well so the buns don't stick if they rise out of the tin.

Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with water with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. They need to be soft but not breaking up. Drain and return to the pan and mash well. Mix in the finely chopped onions and the cheese. Melt the butter and milk together and add to the potatoes and mix well. Season with salt pepper and nutmeg if used. Beat in with the egg yolks.

Whisk the whites to form soft peaks then gently fold into the potato mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

Vodka Blancmange with warm rasperries

Courtesy of James Martin, a grown up dessert

1 vanilla pod, split
600ml Milk
4 tbsp cornflour
3 pared strips lemon zest
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 splash vodka, to taste
600g fresh Raspberries

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add to the milk along with the pod. Blend the cornflour to a smooth paste with a splash of the milk.

Pour the rest of the vanilla milk into a saucepan, add the lemon zest and slowly bring to the boil. Pick out the zest and vanilla pod then mix in the cornflour paste. Cook, stirring continuously, for 3-4 minutes.

As the mixture thickens, add the sugar and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add a little vodka, to taste, and remove from the heat.

Pour into either one 750ml mould or four individual moulds and leave to set in the fridge overnight.

When you're ready to serve, heat a quarter of the raspberries in a pan, this should take less than a minute, then crush with a fork. Tip in the rest of the berries and heat through to make a chunky sauce.

Turn out the blancmange and serve with the warm raspberries on the side.

Tomato Ketchup

1kg of ripe tomatoes 4 onions diced
2tsp of fennel seeds 2tsp of coriander seeds
4 cloves 2 thumb sized ginger
4 cloves of garlic 1-2 chilli
pepper/salt 1L of tinned tomatoes
250ml of red wine vinegar 200g of raw brown sugar
handful of basil

Fry onion in the pan for about 15 minutes to sweeten
In a pestle and mortar, bash together the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and cloves.
Add the ginger, garlic, and chilli to the pan.
Shake the herb mix into the pan also. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the tomatoes, and the finely chopped stalks of the basil.
Add the tinned tomatoes along with the red wine vinegar and raw sugar. Cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes till it’s shiny.
Turn the heat off, and stir chopped basil leaves in.
Blend the mixture in portions, pour through a sieve.
Bottle in sterilized bottles.

Low Carb Almond Bread

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup butter - softened
4 eggs
2 tablespoons Splenda

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons flax seed meal

Makes 12 Servings

Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare a 2 lb loaf pan with spray oil.

Combine wet ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

Mix dry ingredients together and then fold in wet ingredients. Pour evenly into baking pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert on a serving plate.

Keep refrigerated.

Total Net Carbs: 31
Per Serving: 2.6

Lamb Pasanda

This has to be one of the nicest Indian recipes I have had that is not in the slightest bit 'hot'

	500 gm. good quality Lamb
	For Marinade:
	100 gm. or 4 tbs. thick, natural yoghurt
	Salt to taste
	2 level tsp. coriander powder
	1 level tsp. turmeric powder
	1/4 tsp. or to taste, chilli powder
	1 tsp. sweet paprika powder for colour
	2-3 green chillies, chopped (optional)
	* 1 medium onion, peeled and grated or ground to a paste
	*3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or ground
	*1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated or ground
	2 tbs. ground almonds
	*These 3 can be ground together in a blender.
	For cooking:
	2-3 tbs. ghee
	1 tsp. cumin seeds
	1/2 tsp. mint (optional)
	2-3 large cardamoms
	2 bay leaves
	1-2 inch piece cinnamon stick
	5-6 cloves
	1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced/chopped
	1/2 cup water
	1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
	A handful of chopped coriander leaves

Cut the lamb into pieces.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and add the meat, massage the marinade into the meat then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, over night if possible.

Heat the Ghee in a heavy based frying pan. Add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cardamoms, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves. When they start to splutter add the sliced onion and stir fry until golden brown. Add the lamb, marinade and water. cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat until the meat is tender. Stir from time to time to stop it catching.

Towards the end of the cooking time raise the heat to reduce the sauce, the ghee will separate. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required, add the garam masala and the coriander leaves and serve.

Cabbage

No-one would eat cabbage when I first came into the family so I decided to make it the way my Mother made it. It is so easy and everyone eats it now - no more overcooked sloppy cabbage!

You will need a cabbage finely shredded
an onion finely chopped
butter (oil doesn't work)

Melt the butter in a thick based pan, add the onion and cook gently till it is softened. Add the cabbage and stir well, it may need some more butter at this stage as the onion absorbs quite a bit. Pop a lid on the pan and turn it down low. Let it cook gently for 15 minutes, give it an occasional stir.

Ready to serve

Things to put on toast

Well there is the obvious, beans, cheese, eggs but how about these.

1. Roast for 15 minutes at 200C, 4 large flat mushrooms drizzled with olive oil and 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic. Place on 2 slices of toast and top with a few pine nuts and chopped parsley.

2. Mix blue cheese with creme fraiche and spread on the toast, put under the grill until bubbling.

3. Fancy a sweet option. Butter 2 slices of toast and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with sliced apples and a drizzle of honey. Bake for 15 minutes in the oven at 200C. Top with nuts if you like.

4. Another sweet one. Heat 12 oz mixed berries, fresh or frozen, with 2 tbsp caster sugar for 3-4 minutes, the sugar should have dissolved and the juices starting to run. Pour over the toast and top with whatever topping you fancy. Creme fraiche, yogurt, cream, ice cream etc.

Sticky pork with spring onions

Note: Spring onions are also know as scallions

This is a lovely low carb recipe.

4 pork steaks
bunch of spring onions thinly sliced

MARINADE
2 tbsp rice wine
6 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tsp brown sugar

Put the marinade ingredients in a large poly bag, add the pork, shake and refrigerate for at lest 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Heat the grill (BBQ is good) and cook until the meat is sticky and glazed, turn after about 4 minutes, adding some of the marinade every now and then.

Remove the meat and leave it to rest while reducing the rest of the marinade to a sticky sauce.

Slice the pork, spoon over the sauce and sprinkle with the onions then serve.

Raan of Lamb

I had a recipe for this some years ago and it is wonderful. It has taken a long time to find one that comes up with the same spices and instructions. This recipe is credited to the Bombay Palace Cookbook

5 lb Leg of lamb
3 Cloves garlic; mashed, AND
1 Piece fresh ginger, size of a walnut; minced
1 ts Salt
1 ts Turmeric
1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
1/2 ts Ground cardamom
1/2 ts Cayenne
1/4 ts Ground cloves
1/2 ts Saffron threads
3/4 c Yoghurt
2 tb Blanched almonds
1 tb Honey

Trim all fat from lamb, and, using a sharp knife, make slits all over the leg.

Combine the garlic/ginger paste and the salt with the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, cloves, and lemon juice to make a paste. If paste seems too thick, add more lemon juice. Spread the paste over the meat, forcing into each slit.

Soak the saffron threads in hot water for five minutes.

In a blender or food processor put the yoghurt, the blanched nuts and the saffron threads with their water, and puree. Coat the lamb with the puree. Drizzle honey over the meat.

It is best to marinate the meat for two days in the refrigerator. Cover loosely.

Preheat oven to 450 F and roast lamb in a covered baking dish (use foil wrap if necessary) for 1/2 hour. Reduce heat to 325 F and cook at 25 minutes to the pound, about 1-1/2 hours, until meat is tender, and it will be tender.

Serve with rice and peshwari naan, or plain naan

Serve the sauce/marinade in a jug separately.

Spiced Peaches

A final Nigella recipe, perfect with hot or cold ham.

4 cans peaches in syrup (do NOT use those canned in juice)
1 tsp black peppercorns
6/7 cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli flakes
2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and thinly sliced (do not grate)
4 half cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp rice vinegar (white wine vinegar will do)
Open the tins and put the contents in a large pan. Add all the other ingredients and heat. Gently boil for 1 minute. Pack into preserving jars, with the spices evenly distributed. Cool then refrigerate.

This quantity makes several jars so goof if you want to make them as presents. For your own consumption half or quarter the ingredients.

Gingered Ham

Yet another Nigella recipe and the one I am using this year for our ham.

Put your chosen piece of ham in a pan, having first weighed it and calculated the normal boiling time. Cover with Dry ginger ale. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until there is just 1/2 hour left of the cooking time.

Preheat the oven to 220

Remove the ham and remove the skin if necessary. Put the ham into a foil lined tin (to save the washing up as the glaze is sticky). Mix together 250g Ginger preserve with 2 tbsp English mustard, 100g dark muscovado sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cloves. Spread this mixture all over the ham and pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

All done!

Quick and easy fudge

Another Nigella recipe,she used pecan nuts but I think any nuts will do. This is such a simple recipe too.

35g dark chocolate
400g condensed milk

Melt together and then add 150 g fruit or crushed nuts and stir well. Pour into a foil tray and leave to cool. When completely cool pop in the fridge until set. Cut into bite size pieces and it is done.

This makes a lovely gift, wrap a few pieces in a pretty see through bag and tie with a ribbon.

Hot Cake

This is a Nigella Lawson recipe and is simply delicious, though it sounds weird to make!

150g plain flour
100g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp baking powder
125ml milk
60 ml unflavoured oil

Pre heat the oven to 220

Mix all the above ingredients together and pour into a lightly buttered ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle over the top another 100 g light muscovado sugar, 1 tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp mixed spice. Dot 6 tsp butter over the top then gently pour on top 1/2 l boiling water. Put into the oven and cook for 30 minutes. When done remove and leave to stand for 1 minutes to allow the mixture to settle. Serve with whipped cream.

Bread & Butter Pudding

Another one for DH this, with some variations as well.

Basic recipe

6 large but thin slices of buttered bread. It really must be butter for flavour
2 oz raisins or sultanas
2 eggs
1 oz sugar
1 pint of mixed double (heavy) cream and milk make it as creamy as you want
Grated nutmeg

Turn on the oven and heat to 170.Butter an oven proof dish, 6-7 inches in diameter and about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into triangles

Beat the eggs into the milk and cream mixture with the sugar and drop the triangles of bread in to briefly soak. Then place them in a buttered ovenproof dish in layers with the dried fruit sprinkled between the layers. (See the picture for one way of arranging). Gently pour over the layers the rest of the milk/cream and leave for 10 - 15 minutes. Sprinkle some nutmeg over the top and pop in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove and leave to stand for a short while before eating, or leave it to cool and eat it cold.

Variations

1. Chop up some ready to eat dried apricots or peaches and add them with the dried fruit.

2. Stew some apple and puree it and spread between the layers with the dried fruit

3. Use a spiced fruit bread instead of the plain bread

4. Add some powdered chocolate to the milk/cream mixture to make a chocolate version. Also add some choc chips instead of the fruit

Bubble & Squeak

DH requested that this be included.

Mashed potato
Left over cabbage or Brussels sprouts or a mix of the 2
1 egg
freshly ground pepper

If you use the sprouts they need chopping up first.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Heat
a large frying pan with a little oil in the base. When it is hot add
the mix and spread evenly over the base. Allow to cook on high for 4-5
minutes. Now comes the fun, you need to turn it over. Don't worry if it
looks messy, there should be burnt (sorrycaramelised!) bits, they really make the flavour so much better. Once it is turned over cook again for 4-5 minutes. It is now ready to serve. It is lovely with cold meat.

White cabbage

My husband wouldn't eat cabbage till he tried this, now he asks for it!

1 white cabbage (it will work with others but not as well)
1 onion
2 oz butter

Melt the butter in a saucepan
Finely chop the onion and add to the melted butter, and cook gently till the onion starts to go opaque.
Shred
the cabbage and add to the onion. Mix well and turn the heat up high,
stir until it starts to sizzle just a bit. Turn the heat down and put a
lid on the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes, when the cabbage is just
soft. You will need to stir it occasionally so it doesn't burn at the
bottom.

Any left overs can be use din Bubble & Squeak - see next recipe.

Peppermint Creams

This is for Jackie - special request.

Dead easy to make!

1 lb (450g) Icing sugar
2 egg whites
peppermint essence

Optional extras
Food colouring
Dark Chocolate

Sieve the icing sugar.

Beat
the egg whites until they are broken up,and add half to the icing sugar
stir until mixed well then add the rest of the sugar and the essence
and beat in, you need a mixture that is suitable for rolling so quite
firm.

If you are going to make different colours now is the
time to divide the mixture and colour however much you want. Personally
I like plain white but pastel colours look nice as well.

Roll
the paste out on a board dusted lightly with icing sugar. Use a cutter
in any shape you like, again I have a preference for plain and simple
circles. Lay the cut shapes on greaseproof paper and leave to dry. Re
knead the leftovers and roll and cut till the mixture is all used.

When dry the sweets can be put into airtight boxes and stored.

Option:
I love these half covered with chocolate. Melt some dark chocolate over
hot water and dip the sweets in, place on greaseproof until the
chocolate is set.

My Curry

It is not easy to give quantities for this as I normally guess but I will do my best. This is not a 'blow your head off' curry but one full of flavour.


The one thing I have found is that it is so important to have freshly ground spices. I have a small electric grinder that is kept just for my curry spices and all I do is wipe it out after use. All my spices start whole and I buy small quantities so they don't develop 'off ' flavours. This is my spice mix.

2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
a small piece of cinnamon stick
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp onion seeds (optional)
1 tsp mustard seed (optional)

Put the cumin and coriander (and any other seeds you use) but NOT the cinnamon, into a heavy based frying pan and gently heat until the aroma starts to release. Put everything, including the cinnamon, into a grinder and grind to a fine powder.


I use beef, chicken or lamb but it can be done with veggies as long as they are ones that hold their shape when cooked for a while.

This will feed 2

1 lb meat
1 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp ginger - I use ready prepared from a jar
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Fry the onions and garlic gently in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the cubed meat and fry gently for 3 minutes, turning the meat regularly. Add the ground spices and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the tomato puree and stir well. Add the sugar and seasoning (plenty of pepper). Transfer to a casserole and cook for 1 to 3 hours depending on the meat.

Serve with plain boiled rice, naan bread and poppadoms. A dollop of yogurt on top finishes it off.

Fondant Icing - yes it is easy to make

Can you tell I am starting this is the run up to Christmas!

You can get liquid glucose from a Chemists in the UK, not sure about anywhere else. When I find out I will amend this

1 lb (450g) icing sugar
1 medium egg white
2 oz (50g) liquid glucose

Icing sugar to knead and roll.

Sieve the sugar into a bowl, add the egg white and the glucose and mix until it is workable by hand. Turn out onto a kneading board dusted with icing sugar and knead well until very smooth. At this point the icing can be put into an airtight container and kept for a couple of weeks.

When you are ready turn the icing onto a board dusted with icing sugar and roll until you can easily move it to the cake. Drape it over the rolling pin to make it easier. Smooth all over, you will find it will take the shape of the cake with a bit of work. Use any left over to make decorations.

You can colour fondant easily but it can be messy. Add colour a drop at a time and work right in till the colour is even and smooth (unless you ant a marbled look). You will have stained fingers so if you are making more than one colour make sure you clean your hands thoroughly or you will end up with a muddy mess!

Finally there are lots of cutters and tools for moulding and decorating this. There are also some amazing examples on the Web. The one above is from Deliaonline.com

Trifle

The family have a sweet tooth and a love of cream, thick, whipped cream, the more the better. So here is one of the desserts that always leave the bowl clean.

Black Forest Trifle

You will need

1 packet of sponge fingers or trifle sponges
1 tin black cherries
2 tbsps cherry liqueur if you like, this can be left out if kids are having this
custard - if I make it I use 1 pint of liquid made up from half evaporated milk and half ordinary
Double (heavy) cream
sprinkles

You can make this a day in advance but no longer.

Put the sponge in the bottom of a pretty dish that you will serve the trifle in. Drain the cherries and pour the juice all over the sponge. Put the cherries on top and spread evenly. Top with the (cold) custard. Whip the cream until it is really thick then spread over the top. Chill until just before serving then add the sprinkles before taking to the table.

You can vary the fruit just change the liqueur to match.

Stuffing for Turkey (or chicken)

I don't stuff the cavity of poultry any more, current advice is not to, to avoid food poisoning. I do stuff the neck end of turkey but it just isn't big enough on a chicken.

We have loads of herbs in the garden so whenever I plan stuffing my first trip is to find out what I have that is at it's best. Then I just adapt.

To make enough for 6 people.

1 lb sausagemeat
1 medium onion chopped
1 egg
a good handful of fresh herbs, sage, thyme and rosemary being the main ones but any with a good flavour will do. Just don't add too much of any one as they can overpower the others.

Put the herbs in a blender and chop finely, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pack into a baking tin so you have at least an inch thick, more is good less is not as it dries out.

Bake in a medium hot oven for 35-40 minutes, depending on how thick it is.

To this I sometimes add apricots or apples (lovely with roast pork). Lemon or lime juice and zest are good too.

Savoury Pastry Whirls

These come courtesy of my Mother who was a great cook. Really easy to make it is easy to change the filling and make lots of different flavours.

The original ones - normally made up to a week in advance to be kept in an airtight container or up to a month if you want to freeze them.

Turn on the oven and set to hot

Melt some butter in a pan, I start with about 4 oz and top up if necessary.
Take a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry (no don't make it, too much like hard work), spread out and brush all over with the butter then, when the butter has started to set, spread Marmite or Vegemite thinly over the top.

Roll the pastry up into a long sausage then cut across into slices about 1/4 inch thick and place them onto a non stick baking sheet and leave room between each for them to expand.

Pop in the oven and cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a rack and then put in the container and store until you want them. To warm them through they need about 5 minutes in a hot oven if they are not frozen and 8 if they are.

WARNING : They go so fast, make about twice as many as you think you need!

Variations - I have tried all sorts of things instead of the Vegemite but the following are the ones that have been the ones that have done the best.

Stilton - crumbled all over
Grated Cheese - all over, with chopped chive as another option
Tomato ketchup - went down a storm last year
Ham - using wafer thin cut ham and sometimes a bit of sweet chutney as well


This year I am going to try some sweet ones with mincemeat. I am going to dredge them with icing sugar once they are warmed up and probably serve them with some whipped cream.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Chris has asked that I include this, even though it is ages since I have made it. Maybe he is trying to tell me something there.



First make or buy a plain sponge cake, you don't want cream or jam in the middle it just doesn't go! If I am making the sponge I make a square one as it cuts into better portions. Buying - I get whatever I can that is big enough!

Place the cake on a plate and make up the following mixture. This is for a 6 - 7 inch round sponge.

3 oz granulated sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Mix well together and pour evenly over the top of the cake, letting some drizzle down the sides. It sets quickly and, if you leave it for an hour or more, gets quite crunchy. (If the weather is humid it may not go crisp but will still taste wonderful.

Roasted veggies and pasta

OK so this is a family favourite and is so easy to do and so flexible. If I remember I make it the day before as it is even better reheated.

For the veggies take a mix of the following

courgettes (zucchini) red pepper, seeds removed
aubergine (eggplant) green pepper, seeds removed
tomatoes, the fresher the better small onion
mushrooms, halved or quartered olives
garlic, finely chopped olive oil

Chop all the veggies, except the garlic, into chunks about the same size, remember this is a rustic recipe. Mix in a bowl with the garlic and the oil. Roast in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes.

While they are roasting make a cheese sauce from

1 pint milk 1 1/4 oz plain flour
1 1/4 oz butter 3 tbsp grated cheese
seasoning

Put all except the cheese into a pan and put on a medium heat, whisk continuously until thick and bubbling gently. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese

Cook the pasta of your choice. I use about the same amount as the total veggies an I use something that is medium in size, fusilli, rigatoni, tubes whatever I have.

When the veggies are done (they should be slightly singed for flavour), put into a bowl, add the cheese and the pasta and mix well. Turn the oven down to medium.

Take some more grated cheese and sprinkle over the top and pop back into the oven and cook until heated through and the cheese on top is bubbling.

Flavoured butters for veggies

Another traditional addition to out Christmas veggies but also for any meal to make the veggies a bit different. They are soooo easy to make.

First take some ordinary good quality butter and bring it to room temperature. Pop it into a blender and add the flavouring of your choice and blend well. Turn out onto foil and make into a sausage shape and twist the ends. Label and pop into the freezer until you need it then just cut off a knob and either add to the veggies before you steam or microwave them or add a knob to the cooked veggies before serving.

OK so now the flavours:

For peas add lemon zest, lemon oil and black pepper.
For carrots add orange zest, orange oil and thyme, cumin seeds are optional
For Brussels sprout you need to prepare some crispy bacon in advance and make sure it is cold and crumbled before adding it to the butter with some sage and chestnuts and black pepper.
For cauliflower black pepper and Stilton

Christmas Cake

Using a family twist this is the recipe I have used for years, it keeps moist and has a great flavour and is also open to a lot of variation in the choice of fruit used. There are some suggestions at the end. This cake has been used for Christmas for as long as I can remember, it has also been used for Weddings, Christenings, special birthdays and anniversaries as well.

For an 8 inch square or 9 inch round cake you will need

10 oz butter
10 oz soft brown sugar, muscovado if you prefer a more treacly flavour
5 eggs
5 oz plain flour
2 1/2 oz ground almonds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
2lb 6 oz mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, glace cherries, candied peel)
5 eggs

Line your baking tin with baking parchment. Set oven to heat to 150C 200F.

Weigh the flour and almonds in a bowl and add the mixed spice and cinnamon, set aside.
Put all the fruit in a bowl, if you are buying separate ingredients you need equal quantities of currants, raisins and sultanas, the rest is to personal preference.

Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy then gradually incorporate the eggs and the flour mixture. Adding a bit of each at a time to void the mixture splitting. Turn into a large mixing bowl and stir in all the fruit. Mix well until all the fruit is coated with the mix. Turn into the tin and spread evenly, make sure it is pushed well into the corners. Make a shallow dip n the middle to avoid to much of a rise.

Bake in the oven for 3 - 3 1/2 hours, test with a skewer after 3 hours to see if it is done, if it comes out clean the cake is cooked. Turn the oven off and leave the door open until the oven is cool. Leave the cake in the oven to cool, preferably overnight.

Once the cake is completely cool turn the cake out and make a load of holes in the base with a skewer. Take 2 capfuls of whatever alcohol you like and pour gently all over the cake and let it soak in. Whisky and brandy are traditional, I like Kirsch or an orange liqueur as an alternative.

Double wrap the cake in foil, make sure all the corners are sealed. Then put the cake away till you are ready to marzipan it. This can be up to 4 or 5 months but 2 will do if you forget. Any less than that and the flavours will not mature as well though it will still be fine.

Notes of the fruit. Any dried or candied fruit can be used, some can make a subtle difference to the flavour. Just remember it is the main 3 , currants, raisins and sultanas that should make up the bulk of the fruit. As a general rule I would use 1/4 currants, 1/4 sultanas and 1/4 raisins with the remaining fruit making up the final quarter. That quarter will always have glace cherries along with anything else I can find like crystallised ginger, crystallised pineapple, candied peel etc. For a special cake I will search out some special candied fruits to chop up and add.

3-4 weeks before you need the cake it will need to be marzipanned, then 7 - 10 days before it is needed the icing can be added. If you are using rolled fondant icing then you can get away with doing it nearer as it doesn't need to dry out like royal icing.