American style banana pancakes

American style banana pancakes. 

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup self raising flour

* 1/2  tablespoon sugar

* Pinch salt 

* Half egg 

* Half cup milk 

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

* 1 ripe banana, mashed

Method:

1. Take two bowls. In one add the flour, sugar and salt. In the other whisk half an egg, mashed banana, vegetable oil and milk. 

2. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture.

3. In a small pan, cook the pancakes using only a small label of the batter per pancake. (We used a one-egg wonder pan which gives the perfect shape

Extra Tips:

*  Serve with Maple syrup for a real American taste. 

* You could use a circle cookie cutter to make the shape. Put it in the middle of any pan and ladle the mixture inside the cutter, cook as usual. 

Toad in the hole

Toad in The Hole

Ingredients:

* 4 heaped tablespoons flour
*  pinch salt
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup milk
* 8 sausages 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Put the sausages with a little oil in an oven proof, deep dish and cook in the oven until cooked through. 
2. Meanwhile, make the batter. Add the flour and salt to a bowl and make a well in the middle. Break two eggs into the well and use a whisk to mix well. Add the milk, a little at s time, until a thick batter is made. 
3. When the sausages are cooked, pour the batter mix over the sausages in the dish and return to the oven. 
4. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the batter has risen and turned golden at 200 degrees

Extra Tips:

* Serve with gravy and vegetables of choice. 

Baked, stuffed Apple

Baked Stuffed Apple 

Ingredients:

* baking apple
* brown sugar
* raisins 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees 
2. Wash and core the apple
3. Fill the centre with raisins and sprinkle generously with brown sugar 
4. Stan on a piece of foil and bake in the oven until soft

Extra Tips:

* could stuff with other dried fruits

Salmon En Croute

Salmon en Croute 

Ingredients:

* 1 piece deboned salmon
*  fresh tomato
* small tin chopped tomatoes
* spinach
* short crust pastry (see recipe)

* lemon

* salt and pepper to season 

* olive oil

* garlic

Method:

1. Make the pastry as per the recipe. Roll out thinly and cut two pieces large enough to cover the salmon. (There must a at least a 2cm edge around the salmon so you can seal the pastry well - the top layer will need to be sightly bigger to give room for the filling.
2. Score the salmon and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper and lemon juice
3. Place the salmon on bottom layer of pastry. Fry the spinach with the garlic and layer on top. Add half tin tomatoes (drained to avoid soggy pastry) and sliced fresh tomatoe on top. 
4. Place the pastry top over the salmon and press the edged together with a fork. Cut three slits into the top of the pastry to allow air to escape. Egg was the top
5. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees until the pastry turns golden brown and the salmon is cooked through. 

Extra Tips:

* use any left over pastry to decorate the top of the pastry. 

Creamed Butternut Squash

Creamed butternut squash

Ingredients:

* 1 butternut Squash, peeled and cut into cubes
* 1 onion diced
* 4 garlic cloves
* 4 sticks of thyme

Method:

1. Put the diced onion, butternut squash and the garli into a pressure cooker
2. Add the thyme sticks
3. Pour some water into the pressure cooker, just enough to cover the food
4. Leave the pressure cooking workin on the stove until it makes a noise to signify that it's ready. (About 10 minutes)
5. Turn off the pressure cooker and leave until cool and safe to open. 

6. When open, leave on the hob and continue to heat until it's dry to your desired taste. 

Mini creamed corn quiches

Mini creamed corn quiches

Ingredients:

* shortcrust pastry (see recipe)
*  tin of creamed corn
* broccoli 
* tomatoes
* eggs

* milk

* Salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Make the pastry and leave in the fridge whilst you make the egg mixture. 
2. In a pan, boil the broccoli, meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and drain some liquid from the tin of corn
3. Beat the eggs and season, add a little milk and the tomato and broccoli 
4. Roll out the pastry and use a cutter to cut circles out of the pastry about 12cm wide. 
5. Put a small piece of baking paper in the bottom of the bun tins so the pastry doesn't stick and put the pastry in. Bake blind for about 5 minutes.

6. Pour in the egg mixture and leave a gap so that the egg can rise and not spoil over the pastry. 
7. Cook in the oven until the egg is completely cooked. 

Extra Tips:

* because the creamed corn is runny you need to drain it slightly so that the egg will still set well. 

Black treacle toffee

Ingredients:

15 tablespoons of granulated sugar

150 ml water

3 tbs black treacle

3 tbs golden syrup

2flat tbs butter

Method:

1) Grease an 18 inch shallow tin

2) Put sugar and water in a pan, heat gently to dissolve sugar

3) Add all other ingredients and bring to the boil

4) With a pastry brush put cold water above the level of the mixture 

5) Boil for 10 to 15 mins

6) Test if it is ready by dropping a little of the mixture into a bowl of cold water, if syrup separates into threads which are hard but not too brittle it is ready

7) pout into the greased tin 

8) allow to cool and set overnight (not in a fridge) 

9) turn the set toffee upside down at pat with a toffee hammer. Then break the toffee into smaller pieces 

Roasted Seeds

Roasted Seeds

Ingredients:

* seeds from any vegetable
* 1/2 tablespoon oil
* salt
* pepper

Method:

1. wash the seeds well, removing all stringy and slimy bits 
2. pat dry with paper towel
3. in a bowl, add the oil, salt and pepper and mix well making sure that every seed is coated well
4. roast in the oven on ovenproof paper for appx 20 minutes at 200 degrees (or until the seeds start to pop.

Extra Tips:

* can add anything instead of salt and pepper like chilli for seeds with a kick!

French Toast

French Toast

Ingredients:

* 2 slices bread (normal or brioche
* tablespoon cinnamon
* 1 egg - beaten

Method:

1. add the cinnamon to the beaten egg and mix well
2. soak the bread in the egg until it has absorbed a much as possible
3. in very little oil, fry the eggy bread until the egg has cooked through
4. when cooked, sprinke icing sugar over the toast and serve to preference (plain or with nutella etc)

Dauphinois Potatoes

Dauphinois Potatoes

Ingredients:

* 8 large potatoes sliced very thinly (3-4mm)
* 500ml double cream 
* 500ml milk
* 3 garlic cloves
* salt and pepper to season
* cheese

Method:

1. mix the garlic (whole cloves), milk and cream in a large sauce pan and bring to a simmer whilst mixing. season
2. add the potatoes and cook on a simmer until the potatoes soften
3. when soft, separate the potatoes and sauce. layer an ovenproof dish with the potatoes.
4. gently pour over the sauce and add a top layer of grated cheese 
5. Put in the oven at 270/290 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is browning

Extra Tips:

* 

Sushi

Mini Shepards Pies

Mini Shepards Pies

Ingredients:

* short crust pastry (see pastry recipe)
* bag frozen vegetables
* pepper
* potatoes
* cheese

* gravy

* mince meat (quorn)

* onion

* garlic

* button mushrooms

Method:

1. In one frying pan, fry the onion, garlic and then pepper. Add the mince and then the button mushrooms 
2. In a second pan, boil the potatoes
3. Make the pastry and roll it out. Use a cutter to cut out 12 circles to fill the cupcake tray
4. Bake blind for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mash the potatoes with a little milk and butter and make the gravy (thick)
5. Fill the pastry cases to the brim with the mince mixture and then top with the mash. Put cheese on top of the mash and put back in the oven to cook through. 

Extra Tips:

* put small disks of baking paper in the bottom of each of the 12 holes so the pastry cases can't stick

Chicken with cheese and bacon

Chicken with cheese and bacon

Ingredients:

* Chicken breast
* Philadelphia cheese

* 1 slice of bacon

Method:

1. Cut the chicken breast almost in half, spoon the cheese inside 
2. Wrap the bacon slice around the whole thing
3. Place on a piece of foil and fold and seal loosely
4. Cook on 175 degrees 

5. Open carefully and check the chicken is cooked through 

6. Serve with vegetables or rice

Extra Tips:

* You can secure the bacon in place using a cocktail stick but make sure to remove it before serving 

Aubergine Winter Veg Feast

Aubergine Winter Veg Feast

Ingredients:

* 
*  
* 
* 
* 

Method:

1. Cut the aubergine in half score the inside with a knife drizzle with oil and roast on a medium heat. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare the inside. fry the peppers, carrot, onions and garlic in a pan
3. Add the mince and cook through. 

4. Add the tinned tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach
5. When the aubergine is cooked through. Scrape out the inside but keep the shell in tact. Mix the inside of the aubergine with the mixture in the pan and then spoon the mixture back into the aubergine skins. Too with feta cheese and put back in the oven to heat through and melt the cheese. 

Extra Tips:

* can add anything to the inside of the aubergine skins. Equally, you can use a different veg (like a courgette) for the outside. 

Spicy Tomato soup

Spicy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

* 10 tomatoes
* 1 red pepper 
* 1 garlic clove 
* cayenne pepper / chilli pepper
* salt and pepper to season

* 2 table spoons butter

* vegetable stock cube

* tomatoe pure

Method:

1. Melt the butter with the garlic and chilli. 
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and diced red pepper and cook on medium heat for around six minutes until they have softened. 
3. Add the stock that has been melted in half pint boiling water. 
4. add tomato pure to thicken and simmer with the pan lid on for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. 
5. Use a hand blender to bend until all the bits have blended and you have a smooth soup. 

Extra Tips:

* Can add cream on top or sprinkle  basil. 

* can also add carrot and/or celery to the soup for more flavour.  

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:

* 250g flour
* 125g butter - cut into cubes 
* 50g icing sugar 
* 1 egg
* dash milk

* 1 lemon, zest grated and juice

Method:

1. Sieve the flour from a height into a bowl. 
2. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and the grated lemon zest
3. Add the butter cubes and use fingertips to make the dough like breadcrumbs 
4. Add the egg and dash of milk. And use fingers to bring the dough together. 
5. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to chill. 

Extra Tips:

* don't use warm hands, keep them cold for the best dough outcome. 

Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup

Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup

Ingredients:

* 1 red pepper
* 1 butternut squash
* 1/2 packet bacon
* garlic
* onion

* herbs and pepper to season

* 1/2 stock cube with boiled water

Method:

1. Cut the butternut squash into cubes, peeled. Dice all the other vegetables. 
2. Put everything into a roaring tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season well. Cook in the oven u til the squash is soft. Mix half way through. 
3. When everything is roasted, transfer to a pan. Add the stock (a little at a time to get the texture you prefer) 
4. Use a hand blender to blend together. 
5. Serve with feta cheese and bacon cubes sprinkled on top. 

Extra Tips:

* don't season with salt as the bacon and stock will make it salty enough. For the same reason, don't use more than half a stock cube. 

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

* 3 large cooking apples
* 2 regular apples
* 3 tsp muscavado/Demerara sugar
* raisins 
* sweet shortcrust pastry (see sweet pastry recipe)

* ginger

* 1 lemon

Method:

1. Prep the apples.  Peel and cut into chunks
2. Prep the pastry and put in the fridge for 20 minutes. 
3. Put the apples, ginger, sugar, raisins, lemon rind and some lemon juice into a pan and simmer on a low heat. Keep stirring until the apples go tender. Then, leave to cool. 
4. Whilst the apples cool, get the pastry ready, split the dough that has been in the fridge in half. Roll out one half and line the base of a greased tin. Roll the other half and make the pie lid and decorations
5. Spoon the apple mixture and put the pie lid on sealing around the edges. Make two cuts into the pie lid so the steam can get out. 

6. Cook for approx 30 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees. 

Extra Tips:

* Can add cinnamon to taste. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

* 100g brown sugar
* 125g unsalted butter
* 200g chocolate chips
* 1 egg
* 225g self raising flour

Method:

1. mix together the sugar and the butter
2. add the egg
3. sift the flour and mix again
4. add the chocolate chips
5. press onto a surface and roll into a thick dough
6. use a cookie cutter to make the cookies and place on baking paper. Cook until slightly golden but still moist.

Extra Tips:

* the more chocolate chips the better. I used broken up galaxy and galazy caramel pieces.

Tuna Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

* 2 tins tomatoes
* 2 tins tuna
* Tomato puré
* 2 peppers, chopped
* 2 onions, diced

* garlic to taste

* button mushrooms

* handful fresh plum tomatoes

* mozzarella cheese 

* half bag pasta

* salt, pepper and other herbs to season (I used mixed herbs, smoked paprika and fresh parsley)
* flour

Method:

1.half boil the pasta
2. add the garlic and onions to a pan with a little oil and cook on a low heat
3.add the peppers, tomatos (fresh) and then mushrooms
4.SAUCE: in another pan, heat the tinned tomatoes and add flour to thicken, add tomato puré and then the tuna, cook on low heat
5. combine the pasta, fried vegetables and sauce in a casserole dish. top with parsley and mozzarella and cook in the oven until the pasta is soft and the mozzarella melted. (approx 20 minutes) 

Extra Tips:

* this makes a large casserole dish of tuna pasta bake. Halve the quantities for a dish that would still serve 2 very generous helpings.