Family Shakshuka with Chorizo and Eggs

1 large Brown Onion

1 Red Pointed Pepper

1 x 200g Spanish Chorizo Ring

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Green Chilli, approx. 10g

1 heaped tsp Paprika

1 tsp Ground Cumin

35ml Olive Oil

2 x 400g tins Chopped Tomatoes

5g Fresh Parsley

5g Fresh Coriander

4 Organic Eggs

Poached Eggs on Toast with Avocado and Feta

2 slices Bloomer Bread

2 ripe Avocados

80g Feta Cheese

2 large Eggs

½ tsp Paprika

10ml Lemon Juice Butter

Cut the avocados in half lengthways, remove the stones and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

Put into a bowl, add the lemon juice and lightly mash with a fork.

Toast the slices of bread and spread with a little butter.

Poach the eggs.

Divide the avocado between the toast slices and thickly spread.

Break up the feta cheese and sprinkle over the avocado.

Top with a poached egg, sprinkle over the paprika and serve.

Lemongrass Pork Kebabs

2 x Pork Fillets, approx. 500g each

2 x packs 2 Fresh Lemongrass stalks

100g Grandessa Smooth Peanut Butter

50ml Grandessa Squeezy Honey

30ml The Pantry Lime Juice

1 tsp Stonemill Garlic

½ tsp Stonemill Turmeric

20ml Asia Soy Sauce 

Trim the pork fillets and cut into medium size chunks.

Put the peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, turmeric, garlic and lime juice in a bowl and mix well. Add the pork and mix well to coat.

With a sharp knife, cut the lemongrass stalks in half lengthways. Divide the meat into 4 portions, and using the lemongrass stalks as skewers, thread the pork onto them.

Pre-heat the grill to high. Grill the pork for about 10 minutes, turning a few times as you cook. Serve on a bed of Bilash rice. 

Savoury Multi-Flavoured Monkey Bread

600g Strong Flour

4 tsp Baking Powder

400g Plain Yogurt

200ml Olive Oil

2 tsp Salt

1tsp Caster Sugar

Flavours:

20g Green Pesto

30ml Rapeseed Oil

20g Pine Nuts, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

60g Butter, melted 6g

Fresh Parsley, chopped

60g Butter (melted)

15g Spring Onion (finely sliced)

15g Vegetarian Cheddar, finely grated

20g Tomato Purée

30ml Olive Oil

5g Chilli Flakes

 

20cm Bundt Tin (lightly greased with butter)

1. Make up the flavours and put into small bowls:

- Mix the pesto with the rapeseed oil

- Mix the garlic and melted butter

- Mix spring onion with the melted butter

- Mix the tomato purée with the olive oil.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the yogurt, baking powder, olive oil, salt and sugar.

4. Add the flour and mix into a dough.

5. Turn out dough onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

6. Divide the dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into 12 and roll into small balls.

7. Brush 12 of the dough balls with the pesto mix and sprinkle with the pine nuts.

8. Brush 12 balls with the garlic butter and sprinkle with the parsley.

9. Brush 12 dough balls with the melted butter and spring onion then sprinkle over the cheddar.

10. Brush 12 dough balls with the tomato mix and sprinkle with the chilli flakes.

11. Put the balls into the prepared tin, alternating the flavours.

12. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until risen and golden.

13. Leave in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and serve warm.

Real tomato soup

• 2 tbsp olive oil 
  
• 1 onion
  
  , chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g can chopped tomato
• handful basil leaf
• pinch bicarbonate of soda
  
• 600ml milk

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan, then tip in the onion and garlic. Cook over a moderate heat until the onion has softened, about 5 mins. Stir in the tomato purée, then pour in the chopped tomatoes and basil leaves, and bring up to the boil. Turn the heat down and leave to simmer for about 15 mins until thick and full of flavour. If you like a smooth soup, whizz the mixture at this point to form a smooth sauce. Can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.

• To finish the soup, tip the tomato mixture into a pan. Spoon the baking soda into a small bowl and pour over 1 tbsp or so of the milk. Mix together until there are no lumps, then tip into the tomato mix and pour over the milk. Bring up to a boil (the mixture will froth, but don’t worry – it will go away). Gently simmer for about 5 mins until ready to serve.

  

Tuna & sundried tomato pasta bake

• 500g dried rigatoni (or any other short pasta)
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 4 thyme sprigs, leaves only
• 300ml double cream
• 280g jar sundried tomatoes, drained and quartered
• 198g can no-added-salt sweetcorn
  
  , drained
• 3 x 120g cans tuna
  
   in spring water, drained
• 100g cheddar
  
  , grated
• 50g parmesan
  
  , grated

1. Heat the grill to its highest setting and put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Tip in the pasta and cook for 1 min less than the pack suggests.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by simmering the tomatoes in a pan with a little seasoning and the thyme for about 5 mins. Pour in the cream, stir and simmer for another 4-5 mins.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and tip back into the saucepan. Pour over the creamy tomato sauce, the sundried tomatoes, sweetcorn and tuna. Layer into a baking dish (ours was 22 x 29cm), scattering over the grated cheddar between layers. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and put under the grill for 5 mins until bubbling and golden.

wholemeal flat bread

• 350g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
• 4 tsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Put the flour in a medium bowl and rub in the oil with your fingertips. Stir in 225ml warm water, mix thoroughly, then knead until the dough feels smooth and elastic.

Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into eight balls. Sprinkle the work surface with a little more flour and roll out one of the balls very thinly, using a floured rolling pin, to around 22cm in diameter. Turn the dough regularly and sprinkle with a little more flour if it begins to stick. Set aside and make the other flatbreads in the same way. If making ahead, freeze before cooking.

Put a medium non-stick frying pan over a high heat and, once hot, add one of the flatbreads. Cook for about 30 secs, then turn over and cook on the other side for 30 secs. Press the flatbread with a spatula while cooking to encourage it to puff up and cook inside – it should be lightly browned in patches and look fairly dry, without being crisp. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads, keeping them warm by wrapping in a clean tea towel until needed.

my daughters rainbow cake

 

Ingredients

125g butter, softened, plus a little extra for greasing

225g plain flour

150g golden caster sugar

3 medium eggs (very important to use the correct size)

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

edible food colouring - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, plus optional pink (see below

 

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip all the sponge ingredients, apart from the food colouring, into a mixing bowl, then beat with an electric whisk until smooth.

2. Working quickly, weigh the mixture into another bowl to work out the total weight, then weigh exactly half the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Pick 2 of your colours and stir a little into each mix. Keep going until you are happy with the colour – the colour of the batter now will be very similar to the finished cake, so be brave! Scrape the different batters into the tins, trying to spread and smooth as much as possible – but try not to waste a drop of the batter – a rubber spatula will help you. Bake on the same oven shelf for 12 mins until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean.

3. Gently turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Wash the tins and bowls thoroughly, and start again from step 1 – this time using another 2 colours. Unless you’re making the optional pink layer, repeat one more time to get 6 sponges, all of different colours. Leave them all to cool.

4. To make the icing, very briefly beat the vanilla and cream cheese or mascarpone with an electric whisk until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and gently fold in with a spatula. Be careful – the more you work it, the runnier it will get, increasing the chance of splitting.

5. Smear a little icing on your cake stand or plate – just a splodge to stick the first sponge. Start with the red, then spread with some icing right to the very edge. Repeat, sandwiching on top the orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple sponges. Spread the remaining icing thickly all over the sides and top of the cake. For more tips and expert advice on how to create the perfect rainbow cake, check out our tips, below

6. MY DAUGHTER ENDED UP MAKING JUST ONE CAKE WAS REALLY TASTY AND THE COLOURS LOOKED GREAT

   
   
   
   

7. 
   
   

AT THE SEASIDE

Chilli & Lime Whitebait

800g Sprats (from the fishmongers)
200g Plain flour
2 limes,zested,1cut into wedges
2tsp garlic granules
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1ltr veg oil for frying

Clean the sprats under cold water,running water for a few secs,drain, then dry completely with kitchen paper.Mix the flour,half the lime zest,1tsp salt,1tsp black pepper,the garlic and cayenne pepper.Pour the oil in a deep,heavybased saucepan,no more then half full.Heat over a medium-high heat until it reaches 180c on a digital thermometer.In small batches,toss the sprats in the seasoned flour.Shake off any excess,then gently lower into the oil with a slotted spoon and fry in batches for 4-5 min until golden and crisp.Remove drain and fry thr remaining fish.When all cooked sprinkle over a little more cayenne pepper and salt,and squeeze over the juice of 3 lime wedges,serve with dips.

Pint of prawns

500g pack cooked whole shell-on prawns,defrosted for 8 hrs in fridge
2 little gem lettuce,cut into wedges
crusty bread to serve
1 lemon,cut into wedges to serve

Rinse the prawns under cold water to remove any broken shell,then pat dry with kitchen
paper.Transfer to a glass or platter and serve with dips ,lettuce,bread and lemon wedges.


DIPS

Thousand Island : Mix together 3 parts mayo with 1 part tomato ketchup.Stir in a little Dijon mustard,a splash of white winevingar and a pinch of paprika

Bloody mary ketchup: Add a few tsp worstershire sauce,a few dashes of tabasco and a pinch of celery salt to a ramekin of tomato ketchup.

Cheat's tartare: Mix mayo with enough lemon juice to loosen slightly,then stir in finely chopped capers,cornichons and flat-leaf parsley to taste.

Thai red curry with prawns

1tbsp rapeseed oil
3tbsp Thai red curry paste
400ml can light coconut milk
1tbsp light soy sauce
1 heaped tsp light brown soft sugar
150ml chicken stock, made with 1/2 stock cube
1 lime
2 x 160g packs cooked king prawns
150g pack sugar snap peas
125g pack baby corn, halved
150g baby button mushroom, sliced
Rice to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the curry paste for 2 mins. Stir in the coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken stock and 2 strips of peel from the lime. Bring to the boil , cover, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 mins. Stir in the prawns, sugar snap peas, baby corn and mushrooms, then bring back to the boil. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 6 mins, until the prawns are heated through and vegetables are tender .Remove the lime peel from the pan and discard. Squeeze in the juice from the lime. Serve the curry with rice.

  

Easy Brownies

175g butter,plus extra for greasing
200g milk chocolate,broken into pieces
225g light soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
30g cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to gas 4,180c,fan 160c.Grease 20cm square baking tin and line with nonestick
baking paper.
Put the butter and 150g chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water,stirring often,until completely melted.Remove and set aside to cool a little.
Put the eggs,sugar and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.Stir in cooled chocolate,then sift in flour and cocoa.Add the remaining chocolate ;mix well.
Pour the mixture into the lined tray and bake for 20-25 mins,until a thin crust forms on the surface with a silght wobble.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30 mins,before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.Cut into 36 squares and chill until ready to serve.