Ingredients

Method

1. Heat oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan). Grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Put the dates and milk in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside for 15 mins to cool.
3. Whizz the date mixture to a smooth purée in a food processor or blender, then scrape into a large mixing bowl.
4. Tip in the butter, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, eggs, mixed spice and vanilla. Set aside while you prepare the apples.
5. Quarter and core the apples, then slice quite thinly, tossing in a little lemon juice as you go.
6. Quickly beat together the cake ingredients with an electric whisk until smooth, then scrape into the baking tray.
7. Arrange the apple slices, overlapping in rows, on top of the cake - you should be able to get 3 rows lengthways down the tray.
8. Bake for 45-50 mins until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tray.
9. Put the toffees in a small pan with a good splash of milk and gently melt, stirring until runny.
10. To finish, dust the cake with a little icing sugar. Drizzle the sauce all over the cake. Cut into squares or slices to serve.

Ingredients

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
2. Melt the butter and allow to cool a little. Add the sugar for the dough and the beaten egg and mix well. Stir in the flour to make a soft dough.
3. Put half the dough in the bottom of a lined deep cake tin.
4. Mix the sugar for the fruit, cinnamon, ginger & apples together and spread over the dough.
5. Top with the remaining mixture
6. Bake for 40-45 mins at 180°C

• Serve hot with clotted cream, or cold and sliced.
• Goes nice and crispy on the outside.
• Don’t slice the apple too thickly as it needs to cook inside the cake.

You will need

Method

1. Marinade the chicken for at least an hour (or overnight) in the fridge.
2. Cook on the BBQ until white all the way through OR put in a non-stick frying pan with some of the marinade (avoid using a pan that isn’t non-stick as the marinade sticks!).
3. Cook until the marinade evaporates (it doesn’t smell great whilst this happens) and the chicken is white all the way through.

The flavour is much more intense with the pan method.

Good with rice or in bread roll.

You will Need

Method

1. Put the marinade ingredients in a plastic bag (in the proportions 1 olive oil to 2 lemon juice to 2 soy sauce).  Include the garlic, if wanted, at this stage.  Vary the quantities (teaspoons, tablespoons, etc.) according to the amount of meat.
   
2. Mix it all up well, add the meat and seal the bag securely.
   
3. Put in the fridge for at least 20 mins (ideally overnight).
   
4. Cook gently over the BBQ, or alternative put in a dry, non-stick frying pan and cook until cooked properly.  The flavour in a pan will be much more intense than on a BBQ.  If in a pan, cook until the liquid turns to a sticky goo.  If there is too much to evaporate, pour some off.
   

Background

Ingredients

Method

1. Crush the biscuits either in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor.
2. In a small pan, melt together the butter and sugar. When bubbling nicely, take off the heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs.
3. Line a cake tin with foil and press the biscuit mixture into it to form a base. Chill in the fridge to set.
4. Put the tins of condensed milk (unopened) into a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 2 hours. Keep an eye on the pan and ensure that the tins are aways covered by water. Top up with boiling water, as required.
5. Allow the tins to cool for just 5 minutes. Open very carefully (the hot filling may ooze or explode out and is very hot). Spread over the base. Allow to cool.
6. Slice the bananas and layer over the toffee.
7. Whip the cream until thick and spread over the banana. (Uncovered banana will turn black to make sure to cover it all.)
8. Crush the Flake in the packet then spread the crumbs over the top of the cream.
9. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Method

1. Fry the onion, until soft and golden.
2. Mix the corn flour with a little of the water to make a paste.
3. Add all the ingredients to the pan, with the onions.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer until the flavours are nicely mixed.

Ingredients

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 230℃.
2. Roast the ribs in the oven for 30 mins.
   
3. Drain off excess fat.
   
4. Reduce the oven temp to 180℃.
   
5. Pour the BBQ sauce over the ribs.
   
6. Cook for 1 hour, basting frequently.
   

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Make sure the outside of the squash is scrubbed clean. Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and soft fibres.
3. Put in an ovenproof dish, put a little chopped garlic and a small nut of butter in each cavity, brush with olive oil and season well.
4. Bake for about an hour, until the flesh feels very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
5. Carefully scoop out the soft flesh, and the buttery, garlicky juices, into a bowl, leaving a 1cm-thick layer of flesh still attached to the skin, so the squash holds its shape. Roughly mash the flesh.
6. Fold the feta and basil into the soft squash, along with some more salt and pepper.
7. Spoon the filling back into the two empty squash halves, return the squashes to the oven.
8. Bake for a further 15 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (fan 160℃).
2. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18 cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
   
3. Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs.  Lightly mix with a wooden spoon.
   
4. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.
   
5. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl.  Lightly mix all the ingredients until evenly amalgamated.  The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.
6. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy.
   
7. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack.
   (You can freeze the cake at this point.)
   
8. Cream cheese frosting:  For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in the cream cheese. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake.
   

Notes

• Ingredient amounts don’t need to be exact.
  
• May need to bake longer and at a lower temp in a loaf tin.  Two small loaf tins cook for same amount as a large square tin.
  
• Tested successfully with gluten free flour
  

Vegetarian. Serves: 4 (easily). Prep. and cooking: 35 mins.

Always a reliable filling meal.

Ingredients

Technique

Wash the cauliflower and separate into small florets.  Boil gently in salted water for 10 minutes.

Prepare the Béchamel sauce:  Melt 50 g of butter in a saucepan and blend in the flour gradually, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps.  Pour in the milk slowly, stirring all the time.

Bring to boil and leave to look for 5 minutes.  Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Remove from the heat and blend in the fresh cream.

Heat the oven to 230℃.  Strain the cauliflower.  Butter a gratin dish with the remaining 25 g of butter.  Arrange the cauliflower florets on it and pour over the Béchamel sauce..  Scatter with grated cheese and cook in the over for about 15 minutes before serving immediately.

Note:  Cheddar cheese can be substituted for the Gruyère quite happily and can also be mixed into the sauce, if desired..

A good use for left-over chicken.

Ingredients

Method

1. Shred the chicken meat into bite sized chunks.
   
2. Mix all the ingredients together.
   

Serve in sandwiches or on baked potatoes, etc.

Can be frozen but, if freezing, wait until thoroughly cooled and freeze in smallish portions.  Don’t keep longer than six weeks in the freezer.

Ingredients

225g 8oz Chicken livers

175g 6oz Butter at room temperature

50g 2 oz Butter for melting

30ml 2 tbsp Brandy

10ml 2 tsp Mustard Powder

¼ tsp ¼ tsp Mace powder

¼ tsp ¼ tsp Thyme (or 1tsp if fresh)

2 Cloves of crushed garlic

Method

1. Melt 25 g of the butter in a heavy frying pan and fry the chicken livers for about 5 mins until cooked through.
   Keep stirring and turning.
2. Remove from the pan and transfer to a blender or sieve, and process to smooth.
3. Melt 150 g of the butter and add to the blender.
4. Rinse out the pan with the brandy, then add that to the blender too.
5. Add the mustard, mace, thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
6. Tip into a pot and melt the remaining butter to pour over and seal the top of the pot.
7. Leave to get cold until serving with hot toast.

A very quick and simple yet tasty recipe.

Ingredients

Technique

Chop the herbs and sun-dried tomatoes with a little of their oil, on a board.  Add the crushed garlic, feta and lemon zest.  Mix well.

Make a pocket in each of the chicken breasts.  Stuff each pocket with a quarter of the stuffing mix.  Spear shut with the rosemary sprigs.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan.  When hot, put in the chicken breasts.  Cover lightly with greaseproof paper lightly scrunched around.  When golden, turn and cook the other side.

Cut into slices and serve.

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat grill to high and lightly oil a shallow heatproof dish.
2. Put the chicken in the dish, skin side down, and season with salt & pepper. Grill for 5 mins.
3. While the chicken is grilling, cut 4 thin slices from the lemon.
4. Turn the chicken fillets over and put a slice of lemon on top of each one.
5. Sprinkle over the thyme and a little more seasoning. Drizzle the honey over the top and squeeze over the remaining lemon and spoon around 2 tbsp water.
6. Return to the grill for 10 mins more until the chicken is golden and cooked all the way through.

You will need:

Method

1. Add the oil to a frying pan and heat gently with the chilli flakes or fresh chopped chilli.
2. Chop the onion and crush the garlic.  Add to the frying pan and fry gently until soft (about 5 minutes).  At this stage any other diced vegetables that you want to add can be added (e.g. pepper, carrot, celery)  Cook for another 5 minutes if adding veg.
3. Add the mince and fry on a medium heat until cooked through and no longer red.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and kidney beans, turn the heat down and simmer until some of the liquid has been absorbed (about 10 minutes)  If more liquid is needed, add a beef stock cube in a little boiling water.
5. Check the seasoning and add Tabasco, if needed.

Serve with rice.

Ingredients

Method

1. Mix the flour, baking powder together and rub in the butter to “breadcrumb” texture.
2. Stir in the sugar, vanilla and beaten egg.  
3. Mix to a smooth dough and knead for 2 minutes.
4. Add in the chopped chocolate.

This may be eaten as 'dough', or...

1. Refrigerate for 15 mins, in a 5cm diameter roll.
2. Preheat the oven to 190℃.
3. Chop into slices, and place on a greased baking sheet.
4. Sprinkle with a little sugar.
5. Cook in the oven for 10 mins or until brown.
   

Ingredients

Method

(Very simple to make but looks impressive.)

1. Whip the cream.
   
2. Lightly crush the biscuits.
   
3. Put the jar of jam into the microwave to heat, with the packet of broken dark chocolate.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.
   
4. Layer each of the ingredients in a bowl (or individual glasses) until all are finished.
   
5. Top with a few left over raspberries.
   

Ingredients

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a mug.
2. Microwave on full for about 40 seconds. (It should still be a bit gooey afterwards.)

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 165℃.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
4. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
5. Mix in the quick oats and chocolate chips.
6. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
7. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients

Method

Prep: 10 mins. Cook: 15 mins.

1. Preheat the oven to 170℃. Grease baking trays or line with parchment.
2. Sift together the flour, bicarb and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar until well blended.
4. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy.
5. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
7. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared baking trays, with each cookie around 4 tablespoons of dough (for smaller cookies, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful and adjust baking time as necessary). Do not flatten the dough. Cookies should be about 8cm apart.
8. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted.
9. Cool on baking trays for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Ingredients

Method

1. Put the sugar and evaporated milk into a pan. Bring it gently to heat, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Bring to the boil.
3. TAKE OUT THE SPOON and boil without stirring for 6 mins.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the broken chocolate.
5. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

• Leave to cool before using.
• Stirring causes granulation, which make the mixture feel gritty.
• If doubling the amounts, boil for an additional one or two minutes.
• Best warm.

(Amounts can be halved and you'll still get plenty!)

You'll need a large mixing bowl (with a mixing spoon) plus a baking tray (and tea spoon).
A wire cooling rack would also be useful.

Ingredients

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C.

1. Cream the butter (or margarine) and sugar in a large bowl then blend in the eggs and vanilla.
2. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and stir the mixture together.
3. Stir in the nuts, if desired.
4. Drop the mixture, by teaspoon, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
   Do not over bake. The cookies will be soft. They puff up while baking and flatten while cooling.
5. Cool on the cookie sheet until completely set (about 10 minutes) then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients

Method

1. Put the whole oranges in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours or until soft.
2. Drain.  When cool, cut the oranges in half and remove any big pips.
3. Pulp the entire oranges in a food processor.
4. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C.  Butter and line a 20cm springform tin.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the orange in the food processor.  Mix until you have a cohesive cake mixture, but slightly knobbly with the flecks of puréed orange.
6. Transfer the mixture into the cake tin and bake for an hour (by which time a cake tester should come out clean). Check after 45 minutes and, if necessary, cover with foil to prevent the cake burning before it is cooked through.  In a hot or fan assisted oven it may need a little less than an hour.
7. Leave the cake to get cool in the tin, on a cooling rack.  When the cake is cold you can take it out.
8. Decorate with strips of orange peel or coarsely grated zest.

Ingredients

Method

1. Put the sugar and vanilla essence in a saucepan with most of the milk. Mix the cornflour with the remaining milk and add.
2. Continue stirring over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
3. Increase the heat and boil briskly until the sauce has thickened.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the broken chocolate and butter. Beat together until glossy.
5. Pour into a suitably sized jug or gravy boat and serve with ice-cream and/or warm vanilla sponge.

Ingredients

Method

1. Weigh the mixing bowl and spoon and make a note of it.
2. Pre-heat the oven to ???.
3. Mix all the cake ingredients except the colours together and add the milk until the right consistency is reached.
4. Reweigh the mixture.
5. Work out the following:
   (second weighing – first weighing) / number of layers wanted.
6. Put the weight of the answer into a small bowl, and mix in a small amount one of the colourings thoroughly. Put it in the greased/lined cake tin, and cook for 15 mins or until cooked through. Repeat for all layers.
7. Wait until cool. Trim the cakes if lopsided to make them easier to stack.
8. Mix together all the cream cheese and butter with most of the icing sugar and taste, adding more icing sugar if needed.
9. Layer some frosting between the cakes, then slather the rest over the top and sides.
10. Pin all the way through with a couple of skewers to stop it sliding around. Refrigerate to set the icing.
11. Take out the skewers and eat!

You will need

Method

1. Fry the chicken pieces about a dozen at a time in some oil in a non-stick pan.  Drain and put in a dish.  Fry the next batch until all finished.  If you cook more than 12 at a time the steam prevents the chicken from frying well.  It should be golden or at the very least white all over before you lift it out.
2. Add a spoonful of thai green curry paste to the empty pan and stir for 2-3 mins.
3. Add a half a can of coconut milk and the rest of the chicken. If you haven’t got coconut milk, use the equivalent of stock, but add some cream just before serving to make it nice & creamy.  Don’t add the cream until close to the end or it might curdle.
4. Simmer for 15 mins or until the sauce has thickened.

Serve with a naan and lots of rice.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Fry the onion until nicely soft and golden.
   
2. Add the finely chopped ginger, garlic and chillies.  Sauté for another few minutes.
   
3. Add the spices and cook for another 5 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile... wash the lentils thoroughly until the water runs clear.
   
5. Boil the lentils up in a separate pan with more turmeric and salt.
   
6. When it is nicely boiling add it to the frying pan with the onions and spices.
7. Add the tin of chopped tinned tomatoes and simmer until ready.
   

Serve with rice and yoghurt.

Ingredients

Simply...

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped onion, green pepper and garlic. Fry gently for about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the chilli and cumin powders, along with the oregano and Tabasco sauce. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add the tomatoes. Turn up the heat and let the mixure cook uncovered for another 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have reduced to a thick pulp. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Make four shallow indentations in the mixture and break an egg carefully into each of them.
5. Sprinkle the cheese to cover the eggs. Cover the pan with a close fitting lid or plate. Lower the heat and simmer very gently for 10 to 15 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
6. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

You will need

Method

1. Fry the chicken in a non-stick frying pan with a little oil, until golden.  Remove and drain. 
2. Fry the onions and then add the peppers.  The peppers should still be a little crunchy.
3. Add a packet of fajita mix and add the chicken back in.  Stir for about 3 mins.

Serve with tortillas, sour cream, guacamole and salsa.