Cheats Christmas Puds

Cheats Christmas Puds

Ingredients:

* Standard Fruit cake, moist
* Icing sugar
* Milk
* Decorative topping

Method:

1. Cut the cake into small even pieces
2. Using your hands, mould into balls. Don't handle too much of the mixture will crumble
3. make the icing sugar using a little milk and dribble over the tops of the balls
4. Add the decorations and leave to set in the fridge

Extra Tips:

* we used non-edible decoration but you can buy leaf and berry style sprinkles around Christmas time

XL Chocolate Brownie Cake

XL Chocolate Brownie 

Cake

This is absolutely without a doubt the BEST DESSERT I have ever... EVER made. 

Ingredients:

* 1 Cup Plain Flour

* 1 Cup Sugar

* 3 or 4 large eggs (separated)

* 250 approx Cooking Chocolate (mix of dark and white)

* Nuts (optional)

* Vanilla Extract

* (125g) Half Cup Butter

1. On a low heat, melt half the chocolate, sugar, vanilla extract and butter in a pan. leave to cool
2. Whilst the chocolate mix is cooling. mix the flour and egg yolks together

3. Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl

4. The chocolate should be cool now. so add it to the mixture to the bowl with the four. add the rest of the chocolate pieces and nuts too if desired

5. Gently fold in the egg whites to the mixture

6. Put the mixture into a cake tin which has been lined with baking paper

7. Cook for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees

Extra Tips:

* Cake is ready when the top feels solid. DONT use the fork test as you want the cake to be gooey inside.
* If you don't want to add nuts you can add pretty much anything else. dried cherries.. raisins.. more chocolate... marshmallows...
* Put a little butter in the bottom of your cake tin before lining it with baking paper. this will stop it from moving around. 

Terri's Beef Casserole

Terri's Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

* 2 small beef casserole steaks
* 1/2 onion

* 2 leeks
* 2 carrots
* 2 celery sticks
* 5 mushrooms
* handful of frozen peas
* handful of frozen sweetcorn
* tin of kidney beans in water
* tin of butter beans in water
* chicken stock
* beef oxo cube
* smoked paprika
* salt and pepper
* water
* spoon of gravy granules
* oregano

Method:

1. Put the beef in a big pot on a low heat
2. Cut up all the vegetables and add to the pot as you go
3. Let it cook for a few minutes before adding the oxo cube and spices
4. Add the chicken stock followed by the water
5. Add the gravy granules
6. Add the drained beans
7. Bring to the boil and then immediately turn to a low heat to simmer for at least 2 hours.

Extra Tips:

* Don't have all the ingredients? Don't worry, just use whatever veg you have and want to use up.

* Even easier... why not buy a bag of mixed frozen veg?

Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

* 1 onion diced
* 2 cloves of garlic 
* 6 carrots diced small
* Oil to fry in
* Packet of minced beef 
* 1 tin chopped tomatoes
* Salt and pepper
* Tomato purée
* Worcester sauce
* Salt and pepper
* Oxo cube or gravy granules

* 2 pound bag Potatoes

* Milk (splash)

* Butter 1 tablespoon

* Cheese

Method:

1. Fry the onions,carrots and garlic in the oil. use a large deep fry pan.
2. Add the minced beef and gently fry until brown.
3. Drain off all the excess fat.
4. Return to the pan and add the tomatoes, tomato purée, salt      and pepper, Worcester sauce.
5. mix the oxo or granules in a quarter of a pint of water and stir into the pan.  Simmer, stirring often.
6. Boil the potatoes until cooked through
7. Mash them in the pan, add milk and butter.
8. Transfer the contents of the fry pan to an oven proof dish. Spoon the  mashed potatoes over the top. 

9. Add the cheese and place in the oven (200 degrees) until the cheese is melted.

Extra Tips: 

*   Serve with vegetables of your choice.

Garlic Butter

Garlic Butter

Ingredients:

* 5 cloves of garlic (to taste)
* 1 Cup of very soft butter with salt
* Generous handful of parsley

Method:

1. Blend all of the ingredients together. 
2. When completely blended, lay out on cling film and roll up.

Extra Tips:

* Add small quantities of butter and garlic at a time and smell/taste until you get the flavor you want. (some people prefer a hint of garlic and other prefer an extreme garlic taste)
* You can refrigerate this for approx 2 weeks or freeze it for up to a year.

Fried Rice with soy sauce & vegetables

Rice with Soy Sauce & Veg

Ingredients:

* 1.5 cups of rice
* 2 chicken breasts
* 1/2 bag of frozen vegetables
* soya sauce & Oyster sauce
* 2-3 eggs

Method:

1. Cook rice until half-way. Leave to cool
2. Fry chicken and vegetables seperately. (Add some soy sauce, salt and pepper to the chicken before frying)
3. Fry eggs seperately and shred to pieces
4. Heat a pan/wok, add oil
5. Stir-fry everything together. add soya sauce and oyster sauce to it. Mix all together.

Extra Tips:

* Quantity of soy sauce and oyster sauce depends on taste. recommended 2 spoons.
* Can also use different meats

Pancakes (2 Steps)

Perfect Pancakes

Ingredients:

* 1 cup plain flower
* 1 cup milk (mixed with a dash of water)
* 2 eggs
* pinch of salt

Method:

1* Whisk the eggs and flour (and pinch of salt) together to form a gooey mix
2* Add the milk little by little until you are happy with the consistency. should be as thin as single cream

Extra Tips:

*  The pan must be VERY HOT before you add the mixture
* Do you prefer your pancakes fluffy or wafer thin? Adjust the amount of four and milk to your preference.
* Add a splash of olive oil to the mixture at the end if you want. it stops it clumping, stops it sticking to the pan and also helps it keep longer in the fridge if you have left over mix for the next day.

Julia's Mum's Salmorejo Cordobés

Salmorejo

Ingredients:

(based on four people as a starter)

* 8 tomatoes
* big handful of old, crusty bread
* 1 cup olive oil
* a splash of vinagre
* 1 garlic clove (or more to taste)
* salt & pepper
* 1 egg

Method:

1. Blend the peeled tomatoes.
2. Add the oil and a splash or vinagre
3. Add the salt, pepper, bread and garlic. Blend again.
4. Add the egg to the mixture and continue to blend
5. Taste the salmorejo, adding more garlic, salt, etc. to your taste.

Extra Tips:

* TOPPINGS are just as important as the salmorejo. You would never have a salmorejo without a boiled egg or Spanish ham (jamon) But other alternatives are apple, celery or whatever you feel like.
* Don't use too much vinegar. In large quantities it's very bad for you!
* As long as you taste as you go along you really cant go wrong with this really simple Spanish dish
*Many people choose not to use a raw egg in their Salmorejo. From our experience it tastes just as good with or without.

Chili Con Carne

Chilli Con Carne

Ingredients:

* mince meat or Quorn mince
* tinned tomatoes
* chilli powder
* kidney beans

* peppers

* onions

* baked beans

Method:

1. Fry the onions and peppers first. 

2. Add the mince to the pan

3. Add tomatoes to cover and the spices (chilli powder, salt, pepper)
4. Add the tinned beans

5. Continuously keep stirring
6. Add water (approx half a tin full) if too thick and leave to cook until completely cooked through and the preferred consistency

Extra Tips:

* you can add mushrooms if you have them and curry powder can also be added for an extra kick. 

* serve with rice or tortillas

A Simple Roux / Cheese Sauce

A Simple Roux / Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

* Plain flour
* Butter
* Milk

* salt and white pepper to season
* Cheese (if making cheese sauce)

Method:

1. Using the same quantity of flour and butter, melt the butter in a pan and then add in the flour.

2. Mix until the mixture becomes like a paste, take off the heat. 

3. Add in milk gradually mixing slowly and constantly. It may seem thin but it will thicken considerably as you mix. 
4. When you have added enough milk to get the consistency and quantity you want return to heat to quickly finish off.

5. If you are making cheese sauce, add grated cheese gradually until you have the desired taste. 

Extra Tips:

* I put my cheese sauce over broccoli and put it in the oven for 10 minutes to thicken up. Alternatively can be served in a small jug as with gravy. 

Lemon Curd Made in Microwave

Lemon Curd from a Microwave

Ingredients:

* 1 Cup of Sugar

* 3 Eggs

* The Rind and Juice of 3 Large Lemons

* 3/4 cup of melted butter (without salt)

Method:

1. Whisk the sugar and the eggs

2. Add the butter, the lemon juice and the rind and whisk again

3. In a microwavable bowl, microwave the mixture on medium/high for one minute then whisk well

4. Repeat step 3 as many times as necessary until the mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon. 

Extra Tips:

* Note the lemon curd will set harder overtime so do not make too thick

* Why not replace lemons for any citrus fruit to make other 'Curds'

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

* 4 Old, mashed up bananas
* 6 Heaped spoons of plain flour
* 2 Eggs
* 1 Cup of caster sugar
* Large dash of milk mixed with lemon juice
* 1/2 cup melted butter
* 1 tbsp vanilla extract
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

Directions:

1.Set oven to 180 degrees

2. Cream the butter and sugar

3. Add everything to the butter and sugar mixture. No special order, just get it all in the bowl
4. Add nuts if desired. We ALWAYS add nuts but you could add raisins, chocolate chips, anything you have in your cupboard.

5. Put in a baking tin/bread tin/cake tin and leave for approx 1 hour. 

Extra Tips:

* Note the banana bread is ready when it is firm on the outside. DON'T rely on the fork test as the bread should be moist inside due to the bananas.
* Also makes good banana buns.
* sprinkle seeds onto the top of the bread/buns before baking for an extra touch

Mum's Mooney Pastry

Pastry

Ingredients:

* 6 heaped spoons of Plain flour (sieved)
* Pinch of salt
* 1 large spoon of margarine/lard
* small cup of cold water

Method:

1. Set oven to 150 degrees

2. Using the rubbing in method combine the dry ingredients until they     resemble breadcrumbs 

3. Add a small amount of water at a time to bring the mixture together
4. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for half an hour

5. Remove from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured worktop. place in the ovenproof dish and trim to size (leave a little extra to allow for shrinkage). save some for the top
6. Bake blind until the pastry begins to look half baked. remove from the oven add the contents of your choice, roll the next lot of pastry and return to the oven to cook.

Extra Tips:

* herbs of your choice may be added to the dry ingredients at step two.