Thursday 23 February 2012

Easy chicken Biryani

2tbsp veg oil
6 large chicken thighs,skin on
1 large onion,sliced
2tbsp curry powder
350g/12oz easy-cook long-grain rice
700ml/1 1/4 pints chicken stock
250g/9oz frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 200c/gas 6/fan 180c.Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chicken thighs,skin side down for 8-10 min until golden.Tip in onion and continue to cook for 5 min until onion softens.Sprinkle in curry powder and cook for 1 min more,then stir in the rice and pour over the stock.Bring the stock to the boil.Cover the pan and bake for 30 min until all the liquid has been absorbed and rice is cooked.Stir in the peas and leave the rice to stand for a few min before serving.Serve with naan.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Easy pasta with tuna and tomato

2tbsp oil
1 onion,chopped
2 cloves garlic,chopped
400g can tomatoes with herbs
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1tsp sugar
500g pack pasta bows
100g can tuna,drained

Heat the oil in a pan,add the onion and cook for a couple of min.Stir in the garlic,tomatoes,chilli,and sugar.Season and bring to the boil.Stir,then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 min.Meanwhile cook the pasta.Flake the tuna into the sauce and heat through.Drain the pasta,return to the pan and add the sauce.Serve with garlic bread.

Chocolate parfait

25g dark cooking chocolate
1 large egg,separated
25g icing sugar
75ml double cream
few drops vanilla extract
chocolate sauce and raspberries,to serve

Line two ramekins with clingfilm.Melt the chocolate and set aside.Whisk the egg white until stiff.Add the icing sugar a teaspoon at a time (whisking between each addition,until stiff again).Whisk the cream and vinilla until the cream starts to hold its shape.Stir in the yolk and chocolate until evenly blended.Fold in the egg white and divide between the ramekins.Freeze the ramekins for at least 3 hours.Turn out and serve with chocolate sauce and raspberries.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

One for the kid's:Valentines cake lollies

125g madeira cake,crumbled
300g white chocolate
25g butter,softened
50g icing sugar
few drops vanilla extracts
pink and white pearls and pink sugar glimmer
2 large potatoes

Ask a adult to trim 14 wooden skewers to 10cm.Break 40g of chocolate into squares.Microwave in a bowl on full power for 20-30sec until melted.In another bowl,mix butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract.Add madeira cake and melted chocolate and stir well.Press the mixture into Carefully turn the hearts out.Break the rest of chocolate and melt in microwave again,until melted.Dip the pointed end of the skewers into the chocolate and then push them into the hearts.Coat them in the melted chocolate.Decorate with the pearls and glimmer and then stick the skewers into the potatoes and leave in fridge to set.

Pancake day 21st Feb

               
                
Pancakes

2 eggs
2 dessert spoons plain flour
2 tsp caster sugar
300ml milk
pinch salt

Mix eggs,flours,sugar and salt to a paste.Slowly add milk mixing continuously until it becomes the consistency of paint.Then your ready to make your pancakes.

Mini chocolate pancakes

100ml double cream
50g 72%  chocolate
2 eggs
2 dessert spoons plain flour
2 tsp caster sugar
pinch of salt
300ml milk
25g cocoa powder

To make a simple chocolate sauce,warm the cream gently in a pan,break up the chocolate into small pieces and add in.Stir until the chocolate has melted into the cream.Mix eggs,flour,sugar and salt into a paste,slowly add milk until it becomes the consistency of paint add cocoa powder mix.Your ready to make your pancakes and serve with your chocolate sauce.

Banoffee choc pancakes

Spread a freshly made pancake with asda's banoffee duo spread.Cut a banana into slices and arrange onto a quarter of the pancake.Fold the pancake over in half,and then in half again to create a crepe-style pancake.Sprinkle with mixed chocolate curls and serve with whipped cream.

Tangy apple pancakes

Peel,core and thickly slice 2 eating apples.Put in a saucepan with 150ml apple juice,2tbsp raisins and 1tbsp honey.Bring to the boil,cover and simmer gently for 6-8 min.Remove the slices and set aside.Boil the juice until its evaporated,then add to the apples.Serve on freshly made pancakes and sprinkle with butterscotch pieces.

Steak wellington

50g mushrooms,chopped
1 tsp oil
1 tsp butter
300g beef fillet steak
50g brussels pate with garlic
250g ready to roll puff pastry
flour for rolling out
1 med egg,beaten
new potatoes with chopped parsley,and veg to serve

Preheat oven to 220c/200cfan/gas 7.Heat butter and oil in a pan.Add mushrooms,fry over a med heat,stirring occasionally,until they have shrunk and juices run out.Continue to cook until juices have evaporated.Tip into a bowl to cool.Cut steaks into 2 even-sized pieces.Heat the pan,add the steak and cook for a few seconds on each side to brown the outside-meat should be still raw.Put on a plate to cool.Mix the pate with the cold mushrooms.Spread on top of the steaks.Cut the pastry in half and roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin.Place a piece of steak,pate-side down,in the centre of each half.Dampen the edges of the pastry,then fold over to enclose the steak in neat parcels.Place the parcels on a baking sheet with the folds underneath.Brush with the beaten egg,then bake for 18-20 min until golden.Serve with the potatoes and veg.

Red lentil and vegetable dahl

1 small onion,finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 red chilli,deseeded and chopped
2 tomatoes,chopped
200g red lentils,rinsed
500ml veg stock
250g frozon broccoli,cauliflower and baby carrots
100gfrozen peas
4 naan breads and 2 boiled eggs to serve

Fry the onion in the oil until soft but not coloured.Add the ground spices and 2tbsp cold water.Cook over a low heat for a min.Add chilli and tomatoes and cook for 3-4 min,stiring,until the tomatoes have softened.Add lentils and 450ml stock and heat until simmer.Cover.Simmer for 20 min,stirring often.Stir in the frozen veg and rest of stock.Return to a simmer and cook for 5 min.Serve with naan and quarted boiled eggs

Cheats moussaka

400g new potatoes
1tbsp oil
1 large onion,finely chopped
500glean steak mince
400g can chopped tomatoes with garlic
3tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lamb or beef stock cube
1 aubergine,cut into cubes
4 tsp cornflour
200g fat free greek style yoghurt
200g greek style yogurt
2 med eggs
25g parmesan,grated
salad to serve

Preheat oven to 190c/170cfan/gas 5.Boil the potatoes until tender.Drain,slice and keep warm.Heat oil in pan and gently fry onions,stiring often.Add mince,stiring to break up the clumps,until browned.Add tomatoes,tomato ketchup,oregano and cinnamon,then crumble in the stock cube.Cover and simmer for 10 min.Add the aubergine,cover and simmer for 5 min.Mix 2 tsp cornflour with 1 tbsp water and stir in.Heat until thickened.Put in a ovenproof dish.Cover with potatoes.Stir the rest of cornflour into the yogurts,add the eggs and lightly beat to evenly mix.Season,pour on top of potato and sprinkle with parmesan.Bake for 20 min until the topping is just set and golden.Serve with salad

Easy chicken and vegetables with mini puffs

470g pack chicken fillets
1tbsp oil
150g mushrooms,quartered
2 x 295g cans batchelors condensed cream of chicken soup
200g frozen sweetcorn
200g ready to roll puff pastry
1 med egg
mash and carrots to serve

Preheat oven to 220c/200cfan/gas 7.Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and fry in the oil until lightly browned.Add mushrooms and cook for 5 min,stirring.Transfer to a saucepan and add the can of soup,sweetcorn and 150ml water.Cover and simmer gently fo 10 min.Cut out 16 small rounds from the pastry.Put on a baking fray,brush with beaten egg and bake for 10 min.(freeze any leftover pastry).Share the chicken mixture between 4 dishes,top with the pastry rounds and serve with mash and carrots.

Easy Tiramisu

Mix some mascarpone and fresh custard in a bowl.Pour strong coffee and coffee liqueur into a shallow dish,then soak some sponge fingers in the mixture.Layer the sponges and mascarpone in glasses.Dust with cocoa and sponge finger crumbs.

Monday 6 February 2012

Spinach and mackerel salad

2tbsp walnut oil
2tbsp mild olive oil
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 ripe avocado
180g bag baby spinach
8 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes,halved
1/4 cucumber,thinly sliced
285g pack mackerel fillets,skinned and torn into bite-size pieces.

To make the dressing,whiskthe oils with the vinegar in a bowl and season.Skin and stone the avocado and cut into thin slices or cubes.Toss gently in the dressing.Wash the spinach in a large bowl of cold water.Drain and dry and pat dry with kitchen paper.Toss the spinach with the tomatoes,cucumber,mackerel,avocado and dressing,and serve with freshly ground black pepper.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Easy Braised beef in tomato sauce

565g beef braising steak in slices
1 large onion
400g can chickpeas
250g jumbo mushrooms,thickly sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes with chillies
600ml hot beef stock
2tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Preheat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.Put the slices of braising steak in a roasting tin.Halve then slice the onion,then add to the tin along with the chickpeas (drained and rinsed) and mushrooms.Add the tomatoes,stock and sweet chilli sauce.Cover the tin with foil tightly,and cook for 4 hours.Serve

Aldi's Banana Ghosts

500g Greek Yogurt 100g Desiccated Coconut 25g Milk Chocolate Chips 4 Large Bananas (firm, not overly ripe) Method Peel the bananas and cut i...