Winter fruit salad

Ingredients

• 600g good-quality ready-to-eat dried fruits (such as prunes, pears, apricots, figs cranberries)
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 1 Earl Grey tea bag
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• mascarpone or Greek yogurt, to serve
•   Prep: 20 mins Cook: 10 mins
  Easy
  Serves 6 
   

  Method

  1. Tip the fruits and 700ml/11⁄4 pints cold water into a large saucepan. Add the honey and vanilla, scraping the seeds from the pod into the pan. Bring to the boil. Stir well, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy.
  2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the tea bag. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
  3. Discard the tea bag and vanilla pod, tip the fruits and liquid into a non-metallic bowl and pour over the lemon juice. Stir, then leave to cool. Cover and chill until ready to serve

Chocolate brownie cake

Ingredients

• 100g butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 75g light brown or muscovado sugar
• 125g chocolate (plain or milk)
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract /essence
• 100g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• Prep: 15 mins
  Easy
  Serves 6 - 8 
   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
  2. Place the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar, chocolate and golden syrup in the pan and melt gently on a low heat until it is smooth and lump-free.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat.
  4. Break the eggs into the bowl and whisk with the fork until light and frothy. 5 Add the eggs, vanilla extract or essence, flour, baking powder and cocoa powder to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly.
  5. Put the mixture into the greased and lined cake tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 25-30 mins.
  6. Remove and allow to cool for 20-30 mins before cutting into wedges and serving.
  7. Serve with cream or ice cream and plenty of fresh fruit.
   

Tuna melt pizza baguettes

Ingredients

• 2 part-baked baguettes
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 198g can sweetcorn, drained
• 225g jar tuna
• 100g cheddar, grated
• 1 tbsp tomato purée 
  Prep: 10 mins Cook: 20 mins
  Easy
  Serves 4 
   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Halve the 2 part-baked baguettes lengthways and cook directly on the oven shelf for 8 mins. Meanwhile mix the diced peppers, sweetcorn, tuna, and 75g of the grated cheddar.
  2. Transfer the baguettes to a baking tray, spread each with 1 tbsp tomato purée, divide the tuna mix over, then sprinkle with the remaining grated cheddar. Bake for 12 mins until melting and golden.

Tuna sweetcorn burgers

Ingredients

• 85g white bread, torn into pieces
• 198g can sweetcorn, drained
• 2 x 185g cans tuna in water, drained well
• 25g grated cheddar
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• wholegrain bread rolls, lettuce, salsa, to serve
•   Prep: 5 mins Cook: 10 mins
  
  Easy
  Serves 4 

  Method

  1. Whizz the bread in a food processor to crumbs, tip into a bowl, then whizz half the sweetcorn until finely chopped. Add the chopped corn, remaining whole corn, tuna, cheese, spring onions and some seasoning into the bowl with the bread and mix well. Add the egg, bit by bit (you may not need it all), until the mixture is sticky enough to be shaped into four even-size burgers.
  2. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then cook the burgers for 5 mins on each side until golden and hot through the middle. Stuff into wholemeal buns with your favourite lettuce and a good dollop of salsa.

   

Apple & blackberry crumble

Ingredients

For the crumble topping

• 120g plain flour
• 60g caster sugar
• 60g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces

For the fruit compote

• 300g Braeburn apples
• 30g unsalted butter
• 30g demerara sugar
• 115g blackberries
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• vanilla ice cream, to serve
•   Prep: 10 mins Cook: 25 mins
  Easy
  Serves 4 
   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured.
  2. Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut the apples into 2cm dice. Put the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add the blackberries and cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more. Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan.
  3. To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Apple scones with blackberry compote

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50g butter
• 4 tbsp golden caster sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 125ml milk, plus extra for brushing
• clotted cream and fresh or defrosted blackberry compote (see goes well with), to serve
•   Prep: 15 mins Cook: 20 mins
  
  Easy
  Makes 8
   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip flour into a large bowl with butter then rub in using fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in sugar and cinnamon, add apple and give everything a mix.
  2. Pour in milk and stir it in quickly, then fold dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Tip onto a lightly floured surface; pat into a round about 3cm deep.
  3. Dip a 6cm cutter into some flour then cut out scones, flouring the cutter each time. Squash offcuts lightly back into a round and repeat until all dough is used up. Brush tops with a little milk then place on to a lightly floured baking sheet and bake for 18-20 mins until risen and golden. Allow to cool on the tray.
  4. To serve, split scones then spread with a dollop of clotted cream and a spoonful of blackberry compote.

Goat's cheese & chorizo omelette

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• handful chives, snipped
• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• few slices chorizo or spicy salami
• pinch chilli flakes or sliced red chilli, optional
• 1 slice goat's cheese crumbled, or 2 tbsp soft goat's cheese
•   Prep: 5 mins Cook: 5 mins
  Easy
  Serves 1 
   

  Method

  1. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then stir in most of the chives and season. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the chorizo and chilli for 3 mins or until crisp. Tip into a bowl and mix with the cheese.
  2. Put the pan back on the heat, pour in the eggs and cook for 1 min or until set to your liking, swirling the eggs with a fork a few times as they start to set. Spoon the cheese mix over one half of the omelette, top with the remaining chives, then flip the other side over the filling. Leave for 30 secs more until the cheese starts to melt at the edges. Serve straightaway.

Barney's Monday night rice

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten with about 2 tbsp water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 heaped tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• a large handful of frozen peas (about 85g/3oz)
• 250g leftover cold cooked rice (any type) or a 250g pouch of ready cooked rice
• 175g cooked chicken or pork, shredded into strips
• a good splash of soy sauce 
  Cook: 25 mins - 35 mins
  Easy
  Serves 2 - 3 
   

  Method

  1. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a highish heat. Pour in the beaten egg, swoosh it around the pan and leave it to set for a minute. Flip it over like a pancake and let it cook for a minute more on the otherside, then tip it out flat on to a plate.
  2. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Tip in the onion and sizzle for 3-4 minutes until it’s starting to brown, then stir in the garlic, curry powder and ketchup. Add the peas and cook for a minute or two until they start to defrost. Tip in the rice, cooked meat and a glass of water (100ml/31⁄2fl oz) and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring as you go, until everything’s piping hot and the rice has taken on the colour of the curry powder.
  3. While your rice is frying, shred the omelette into long strips. Toss the omelette and soy sauce through the rice and cook for a moment more. Scoop the rice on to plates straight from the pan and serve with extra soy sauce for sprinkling over.

Creamy salmon with chunky ratatouille

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 aubergines, cubed
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• family pack mixed peppers (5 total), deseeded and cut into large chunks
• 3 large courgettes, cut into chunky batons
• 680g bottle passata
• 300ml vegetable stock
• small handful basil leaves, most chopped, a few leaves left whole to serve

For the salmon

• 125g tub garlic cream cheese (we used Boursin Light)
• 100g low-fat cream cheese
• 40g fresh breadcrumbs
• 40g pine nuts, roughly chopped
• 8 skinless salmon fillets
• crusty bread, to serve (optional)
•  
  
  Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1 hr, 20 mins
  Easy
  Serves 8 
   
   

  Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick wok or pan, add the aubergines and cook for 5 mins, stirring, until starting to soften and brown. Add the garlic and stir for a few secs. Tip in the peppers, courgettes, passata, stock and half the chopped basil. Season, cover and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the veg is just tender. Cool, stir in the remaining basil and spoon into 8 x 250ml shallow ovenproof dishes or foil containers.
  2. For the salmon, beat together the cheeses. Mix the breadcrumbs and pine nuts on a plate. Spread the top of the fish fillets with the cheese mix, then dip in the nutty crumbs to coat the cheese. Put a fillet on top of each ratatouille-filled dish.
  3. Put the dishes inside freezer bags and seal. Use within 6 weeks. To serve, unwrap the dishes, put on a baking tray in a cold oven, then set to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Bake for 55 mins until bubbling and the fish is cooked. Check after 30 mins – if the crumbs are getting too brown, cover the fish with foil. Serve scattered with basil, with bread, if you like.
   

Beef, Tomato and Red Wine Casserole

ingredients

1 1/4 kg casserole beef
1/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
2 (450 g) cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1 kg potato, peeled, cut into pieces
40 g butter
3/4 cup milk
4 green shallots, finely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat leaf parsley (optional) 

 

Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Directions:


Trim excess fat from beef and cut into 3cm pieces. Combine flour and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Toss beef in flour to coat lightly. Heat 1 tbs oil in a large heatproof casserole dish. Cook beef in batches, until well browned, adding more oil as required. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
Add onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 4 mins or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and wine. Bring to the boil. Return beef to pan. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until meat is very tender.
Meanwhile, place potatoes into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil over a high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 mins or until tender. Drain. Add butter, milk and shallots then mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with casserole and sprinkle with parsley.

DIY kofta burgers

Ingredients

For the burgers

• 1kg lamb mince
• 2 onions, coarsely grated
• 1 garlic bulb, broken into cloves and finely chopped or grated
• 6 tbsp garam masala
• bunch coriander, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp chilli sauce, plus extra to serve

To serve

• 8 pitta breads
• 4 tomatoes, halved and sliced
• half a red cabbage, shredded
• 1 red onion, sliced (optional)
• small pot plain yogurt 
  Prep: 30 mins Cook: 20 mins
  Easy
  Serves 8 
   

  Method

  1. Tip the mince into a large bowl (use a clean washing-up bowl if you don’t have anything big enough) with all the other burger ingredients and a good pinch of salt. Roll up your sleeves, get your hands into the mix and squelch everything together through your fingers until completely mixed. Pat the mix into 16 small burgers. These may now be frozen for up to 1 month or chilled up to a day ahead.
  2. To cook, heat grill to its highest setting and lay the burgers in a single layer on a baking tray (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your tray is). Grill on the highest shelf for 5-6 mins on each side until browned and cooked through. Pile burgers onto a platter and serve with all the accompaniments, so everyone can construct their own sandwich.

Sake Sunrise

 

ingredients

1 1/2 ounces sake
ice
1 cup orange juice
1/4 ounce grenadine

Directions:

Pour sake over ice in a tall glass.
Fill glass with orange juice, use as much as you like.
Pour grenadine on top.

Beef Tomato Japanese

 

ingredients

1 lb boneless round steak, sliced in thin strips 2-inch x 1/2-inch
3 -4 Tomatoes, quartered
3 -4 green peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
1 green onion, cut in 1-inch lengths
1 round onion, cut in 1-inch wedges
2 stalks celery, diced diagonally 1-inch wide

Marinade

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon wine
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil

Gravy ingredients

1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon catsup
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:


Put meat in marinade for 30 minutes.
Brown meat in 2 T hot oil and turn into bowl.
Add 1 T oil to pan and when hot put in vegetables and stir=fry until veges are just tender. Do not Overcook.
Put beef back in pan and add gravy ingredients. Cook for 1 minute.

Steak, roasted pepper & pearl barley salad

Ingredients

• 85g pearl barley, rinsed
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
• 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges, leaving root intact
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
• 1 large lean steak, around 300g, trimmed of any excess fat
• ½ x 100g bag watercress, roughly chopped
• juice ½ lemon, plus wedges to serve (optional)
•  
  Prep: 10 mins Cook: 30 mins
  Easy
  Serves 2 
   

  Method

  1. Put the pearl barley in a large pan of water. Bring to the boil and cook vigorously for 25-30 mins or until tender. Drain thoroughly and transfer to a bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6. Put the peppers on a baking tray with the onion wedges, toss in 1 tbsp olive oil and roast for about 20 mins until tender.
  3. While the peppers are roasting, rub the steak with a little bit of oil and season. Cook in a non-stick frying pan for 3-4 mins each side, or to your liking. Set aside to rest for a few mins. Mix the cooked peppers and onions into the barley. Stir though the watercress, lemon juice and some seasoning. Thinly slice the steaks, place on top of the salad and serve with lemon wedges, if you like.

Italian cottage pie

Ingredients

• 700g floury potatoes, sliced
• 25g butter
• 50g grated parmesan
• 140g pancetta or streaky bacon, cut into strips
• 2 oregano sprigs, leaves stripped, or 2 tsp dried oregano
• ½ quantity beef with red wine & carrots (see 'Goes well with')
•   Prep: 10 mins Cook: 40 mins
  Easy
  Serves 4 

  Method

  1. First make the Beef with red wine & carrots (see 'Goes well with'). You will need half the finished stew for this recipe.
  2. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water for 10 mins until almost done. Drain well, then mix with the butter and half the Parmesan.
  3. In a large saucepan, fry the pancetta or bacon until golden. Stir in the fresh oregano leaves or dried oregano, then add the beef stew and heat through. Tip into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheesy potatoes, overlapping. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and bake for 20 mins until golden and crisp on top. Serve with a green salad.

Cheeseburger & chips

Ingredients

• 1¼kg lean beef mince
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 140g breadcrumbs
• 100g mature cheddar, grated
• small bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork
• 1 tsp mild chilli powder
• 2½ kg bag of potatoes, cut into chunky chips
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 10 tsp olive or sunflower oil
• burger buns, lettuce, sliced red onion, tomatoes, gherkins, and sauces or relishes, to serve
  
  Prep: 25 mins Cook: 45 mins
  Easy
  Serves 10 
   

  Method

  1. Tip the mince into a large bowl with the onion, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, chilli powder, ½ tsp salt and some pepper. Mix together well with your hands, then divide the mixture into 10 and shape into burgers.
  2. Bring 2 large saucepans of water to the boil (or prepare the chips in batches if you don’t have enough big pans). Add the chips, bring the water back to the boil and set your timer for 3 mins. After 3 mins, drain the potatoes well and tip onto one or two large kitchen-papercovered trays. Scatter with the flour and some seasoning and gently toss to coat.
  3. Freeze the burgers and chips (see freezing tips, below) or, to cook straight away, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a baking tray, toss the chips in a little oil, then roast for 35-40 mins until crisp and golden. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan, grill or barbecue until hot, then cook the burgers for about 5-8 mins on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Sandwich the burgers in toasted buns with salad and sauces, then serve with the chips.
   

Whatever Floats Your Boat" Brownies!

 

 

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT ADDITIONS

1 -2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet, white, butterscotch, peanut butter)
1 -2 cup raisins
1 -2 cup chopped maraschino cherry
1 -2 cup chopped nuts
1 -2 cup M&M'
1 -2 cup Reese's pieces
1 -2 cup miniature marshmallow

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8 inch square pan or line with foil.
In a medium bowl combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved.
Add sugar and mix well.
Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined.
Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not overmix).
Fold in "WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT"!
Spread in pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.
DO NOT OVER-BAKE -- your brownies will come out dry. Adjust time/temp accordingly for your oven. If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.
  For vegetarian omit the marshmallows.
For double recipe, bake in 9x12 pan and add 5 minutes to baking time.

All-in-one roast chicken & veg

 

Ingredients

• 8 baby new potatoes, halved
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 courgette, sliced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 tsp each chopped thyme and rosemary, plus a sprig or two
• 2 small skinless chicken breasts
• 150ml low-sodium chicken stock
• Prep: 10 mins Cook: 50 mins 
   
  Easy
  Serves 2 
   

  Method

  Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a small roasting tray toss the potatoes with the oil, carrots, courgette, leek, herbs and seasoning. Roast for 30 mins until starting to brown. Remove from the oven and give the veg a stir, nestle in the chicken, then return to the oven for 15 mins. Pour over the stock, then cook for 5 mins more or until the chicken and veg are cooked through
   
   
   

Bourbon Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce 

 

Total Time: 35 mins

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet.
Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
Remove chicken.
Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.
Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve over hot rice and ENJOY.

Best Ever Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups icing sugar

Garnish

chopped walnuts 

 

Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hrs

Directions:

  Preheat oven to 275°.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
  In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
  Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Stir in banana mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
  Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
 Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
Spread on cooled cake.
Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.