Choux

Choux

Ingredients:

* Cabbage
* Tinned tomatoes

* Chopped fresh tomatoes

* Onions

* Garlic

* Thyme

* Mixed herbs and salt/pepper to season

Method:

1. Thinly chop the cabbage 

2. Fry the onions and garlic

3. Add the thyme and fresh tomatoes

4. Add the cabbage and then the tinned tomatoes. Add half a tin of water. 

5. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer. Stir often making sure the cabbage is evenly cooked. When all cabbage is soft it is ready. 

Extra Tips:

* Add ginger at the same time as the onions for a stronger taste. 

Hummus (2 steps)

Hummus

Ingredients:

* 1 tin of chickpeas

* 4 tablespoons of water

* 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

* 1 tablespoon of ground cumin

* Paprika (to garnish)

* Olive oil

* 2 garlic cloves

* Salt

Method:
1. Apart from the paprika and oil, add everything together and blend with a hand blender

2. Add some olive oil in a swirl and sprinkle paprika on top. 


Comments:
- Serve with pita bread. 

- Blend in 1 small beetroot at the end to make Beetroot Hummus. 

- Keep tasting and add more salt/cumin etc to taste. 

Pea and Ham Soup

Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

*  Ham Shank
*  500g dried peas, soaked overnight

                                

Method:

1. Boil the ham shank in a large pan, until it starts to fall off the bone.
2. Skim off excessive fat as it cooks and turn regularly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Once cooked tip most of the water away as it can taste a little to salty, but retain some.
4. Cut the meat into smaller pieces, rinse the peas and add it all to the pan with water in. Add more water to cover.
5. Cook for approx 1 hour on a low heat stirring often.

Extra Tips:

* Taste before adding any seasoning.
* Add a swirl of cream if desired.

Victoria Sponge Cake

                       Victoria                         Sponge cake

Ingredients:

* 8 tablespoons self raising flour
* 6 spoons butter/margarine 
* 6 spoons caster sugar
* 4 large eggs

* Baking Powder

* Vanilla Essence

* Mixed berries

Method:

1.Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl.
2.Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add a little flour if it starts to curdle.
3.Fold in the sieved flour with a metal spoon.Place in a silicone baking tray.
4.Repeat the above so that you have two cakes to sandwich together.
5.Bake in silicone circle trays at 160 degrees for 35 minutes. Use the middle shelf.

Extra Tips:

* The filling for a Victoria sponge is usually Jam and cream with a light dusting of icing sugar on the top. You can vary the filling eg, Butter-cream or lemon curd. Please return to blog to see recipes for both of these recipes.

Bread Rolls

Ingredients:

* 16 tablespoons of strong bread flour
* A pinch of salt
* 1 ounce of fresh yeast
* 1 spoon of sugar
* 1 spoon of butter or margarine
* Half a pint of water

Method:
1. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Using your hands rub in the butter so it looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Add the sugar.
4. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
5. Add the yeast mixture a little at a time to the bowl, mixing slowly, until all the dry ingredients have formed a dough. (you might not use all of the yeast mixture).
6. Turn onto the worktop and knead well.
7. Return to the bowl, cover and place in a warm place until the dough doubles in size.
8. Portion into 12 equal pieces and place on a lightly greased tray. And then put back in the warm place to re-prove (will double in size again).
9. Bake at 200 degrees for approx 15 minutes.


Comments:
Before putting in the oven you can add toppings if your choice such as seeds or cheese. or simply egg wash the bread rolls for a glazed look.
If you lightly tap the bottom of the cooked bread roll it will sound hollow, this indicates it is cooked through.

Butter Icing

Butter Icing

Ingredients:

* butter
* Icing sugar

Method:

1. Place 4 heaped tablespoons of icing sugar into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 spoon of butter and mix in well with a fork.
3. The icing sugar should tun slightly yellow in colour and the mixture will begin to come together. 
4. Taste a little to check the balance of icing sugar to butter is as you like it and store in the fridge until time to use it.   

Extra Tips:

* Can be used to fill butterfly buns, cake decorating or filling for a sponge cake.
* Add butter a little at a time as you can not remove it and you do not want the icing to just taste of butter.

Nann bread

Nann Bread

                                                    Nann Bread
Ingredients:

* 1 Pound flour
* 1 Teaspoon baking powder
* Freshly chopped coriander
* 2 cloves garlic
* Natural yogurt

Method:

1. Excluding the yoghurt, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Add the yoghurt, a bit at a time until it forms a dough.
3. form the desired shapes using your hands and press down in the centre.
4. Bake in the oven for a few minutes.

Comments: can be re-warmed in a hot pan just before serving.

Colslaw

Home-made Coleslaw

Ingredients:

* 1 small cabbage

* 1 large carrot

* small onion chopped into tiny pieces
* mayonnaise

Method:

1. Cut the cabbage into small pieces along with the peeled grated carrot and  chopped onion mix together in a bowl bowl.

2.  Add Mayonnaise

3.store in the fridge.

Extra Tips:

* Delicious served cold. 

* Can add any vegetables of your choice eg, sweetcorn spring onions or peppers. 

* Light Mayonnaise could be used if watching the calories

Blueberry and Peanut Butter Muffins

Blueberry and Peanut Butter Muffins

Ingredients:

* 3 spoons butter
* 3 spoons sugar
* 6 spoons self-raising flour
* Vanilla Essence
* Baking Powder
* 2 eggs
* Blueberries
* Peanut Butter

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon
2. Add the eggs one at a time (if the mixture scrambles, add one spoon flour in between) and the vanilla essence
3. Add the flour 2 spoons at a time, plus the baking powder
4. Roll the blueberries in flour (so that they done sick to the bottom when cooking)
5. gently stir in the blueberries and the peanut butter, don't stir too much just lightly fold them in.
6. Bake until golden on 160 degrees for approx 25 minutes

Extra Tips:

* Replace the fruit with jam for Peanut Butter & Jelly style muffins.

Egg and Bacon Quiche

Egg and Bacon Quiche

Ingredients:

* 6 tablespoons of plain flour

* 3 spoons of fat, 1 and a half margarine, 1 and a half lard

* pinch of salt

* water to bring pastry together
* grease-proof paper and rice bake blind

* 9 eggs

* 6 rashers of bacon 

*splash of milk

* salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Grease a large flan dish well with margarine/butter

2. Put sieved flour salt and fat in a bowl and rub in with fingertips, add tiny amounts of water to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for an hour.

3. Beat all eggs splash of milk salt and pepper together for the filling. Leave in fridge.

4. Lightly cook the bacon then cut into small pieces to put with the egg             mixture. (will finish cooking in the oven).

5. Roll the pastry out and line the dish. line with grease-proof paper (cover edges) and bake blind.

6. Remove rice and paper and pour mixture into the pastry.

7. Bake in the oven until firm to the touch.

Extra Tips:

* Delicious served hot or cold. Other fillings can be used e.g                cauliflower/broccoli, cheese and onion, peppers and tomatoes.

Syrup Sponge (made in the microwave)

Syrup Sponge

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoons of self raising flour

* 1 and a half tablespoons of sugar

* 1 and a half butter/margarine

* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon of syrup

Method:

1. Grease a small pudding bowl well with margarine/butter

2. Put 1 large spoonful of syrup in the bottom
3. place the butter and sugar together in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon
4. beat in the egg
5. Add the flour 

6. pour mixture over the syrup, bowl will be approx half full 

7. microwave for three minutes, test it is cooked with a knife as you would a cake

8. place a small plate over the top and tip out.

Extra Tips:

* tastes delicious served hot with custard

Spanish Omlette

Spanish Omlette

Ingredients:

* lots of potatoes

* at least 8 large eggs

* olive oil

* onions
* garlic

* lots of salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Chop everything into small pieces

2. In a large pan, fry the potatoe. (Potatoe pieces must be completely covered by the oil
3. When the potatoes are soft, drain them and fry the onion and garlic (and any other veg) in the same pan. 
4. When the onions are soft, add the potatoes
5. Add the eggs that have been beaten and seasoned to the pan

6. With a spatula, move the mixture whilst the eggs are cooking. When it starts to look like wet scrambled egg, pat the mixture down and leave to cook without stirring from the last half. 

7. In order to not burn the bottom, finish the omlette in the oven, grilling the top so that the omlette is evenly cooked. 

Extra Tips:

* you can add any veg to this if you want to use something up. We added peppers but you can use peas or carrots.. Anything. 

* we used baby potatoes so we didn't have to peel them as a time saver. 

Sam and Terri's Butternut Squash Tart

Sam and Terri's butternut squash tart

If you like butternut squash you will LOVE this. Terri and I are SO proud of our creation

Ingredients:

* Half a butternut squash

* Filo pastry

* Red onions

* Tinned tomatoes

* Feta cheese

* Caramelized onion chutney

* Garlic
* Herbs to season

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:

* If this doesn't need to be a vegetarian dish, add chicken or bacon.... Or both, to make it more filling. 

* Serve with a nice side salad to keep this dish healthy

Pimms

Pimms

Ingredients:

* Pimms alcohol
* Lemonade
* Mint
* Fruit! We use: Apple, Orange, Strawberries and Cucumber 

Method:

1. Mix all together adding the lemonade at the end

Extra Tips:

* Keep tasting the drink as you add the lemonade. That way you can stop when you reach the taste/strength that you prefer.

Las Iguanas Cosmo

Las Iguanas Cosmo

Ingredients:

* 2 shots acai berry vodka
* 1 dash raspberry syrup
* 1 shot tripple sec
* Pomegranate juice

Method:

1. Mix all together adding the juice at the end

Extra Tips:

* We like to serve this with a cherry. Add the syrup at the very end to create a colour block.

Mauritian Tuna Salad Baguette

Mauritian Tuna Salad Baguette

Ingredients:

* red onions
* chillis
* tuna
* tomatoes
* baguette

Method:

1. chop everything and add it to a bowl
2. add a bit of oil and salt to season
3. serve on a warm baguette

Extra Tips:

* in the winter make the baguette hot and add cheese.. melt under the grill for a warmer option.

Chow Mein

Chow Mein

Ingredients:

* chicken or beef
* mushrooms
* carrots
* onions
* peppers
* garlic & ginger
* sauce
* noodles

Method:

1. Fry the onion and peppers
2. Add the carrots and fry until softened
3. add the rest of the ingredients (meat first if using meat)
4. add the sauce and simmer
5. boil the noodles
6. mix well

Extra Tips:

* can do a vegetarian option if preferred just add more vegetables

Millionaire’s Shortbread

Millionaire's Shortbread

Ingredients:

(Shortbread)

* 250g plain flour
* 50g caster sugar
* 150g unsalted butter

(Topping) 
* 1 tin of condensed milk
* 75g light brown sugar
* 175g butter
* 250g milk chocolate

Method:

1. Mix all the shortbread ingredients together and use the rubbing method to make crumbs. Press crumbs together to make a ball.
2. Press the mixture into a tin. The tin must have high walls so that the caramel and chocolate can set inside it. 
3. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes and then put in the oven at 170' for 20 minutes approx.
4. Take the shortbread out of the oven and leave to cool. When cool add to the fridge for 20 minutes whilst you make the caramel.
5. To make the caramel, add the condensed milk, sugar and butter to a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring continuously, for 10 minutes until thick.
6. Cool the caramel slightly and then top the shortbread. Leave to cool again.
7. When the caramel has hardened, melt the chocolate and pour over the top. 

Extra Tips:

* Dark chocolate is usually used but I used milk chocolate as I prefer it. I also drizzled melted white chocolate over the top for a nice finish.