Strawberry and Banna Muffins

ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 100g (4 oz) apple sauce or purée
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 175g (6 oz) dark brown soft sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 225g (8 oz) wholemeal flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 225g (8 oz) frozen sliced strawberries

preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C / Gas mark 5. Grease muffin tin, or line with paper muffin cases.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple sauce, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and bananas. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon; Stir into the banana mixture until just moistened. Fold in the strawberries until evenly distributed. Spoon batter into prepared tin.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed lightly. Cool before removing from the muffin tin.

Cookies

Ingredients
350g/12¼oz unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
225g/8oz butter
175g/6¼oz caster sugar
175g/6¼oz soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
350g/12¼oz dark chocolate, crumbled

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in the eggs. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate.
4. Split the pliable dough into two halves, rolling each out into sausage shapes, approximately 5cm/2in in diameter. Wrap them in cling film and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
5. When you are ready to bake the cookies, simply cut the log into slices 2cm/¾in thick and lay on a baking tray, widely spaced apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
6. Serve.

Banna and Blueberry Muffin

ingredients

• 250g wholemeal flour
• 5 tablespoons dark brown soft sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 dessertspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150g fresh blueberries

preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Lightly grease a muffin tin, or line with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. In a separate bowl, mix the bananas, egg whites and vanilla extract.
3. Mix the banana mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
4. Bake 15 minutes in preheated oven, or until a cocktail stick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Various Muffin Recipes

Basic muffin recipe with chocolate chips

Ingredients

115g butter at room temperature

70g caster sugar

2 eggs at room temperature

215g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

125ml milk

170g plain chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F, 190C gas 5

Grease ten muffin cups, or use paper cases.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Sift together the flour and baking powder, twice.

Fold into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cups.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of each muffin batter, then spoon over some more muffin batter to cover.

To ensure even baking - half fill any empty cups with water.

Bake until lightly coloured, - about 25 minutes. Let the muffins stand to cool for 5 minutes before turning the chocolate muffins out of the tin to cool further.

Triple choc chip muffin recipe

Ingredients

400g plain flour

15ml baking powder

30ml cocoa powder

115g dark muscovado sugar

2 eggs

150ml soured cream

150ml milk

60ml sunflower oil

175g white chocolate, chopped into small pieces

175g plain chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350F, 180C gas 4; place 16 muffin cases in a muffin tin.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl and stir in the sugar.

Make a well in the centre.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the soured cream, milk and oil. Pour the liquid mixture into the well of the flour mixture. Beat well, slowly incorporating the flour until you have a smooth, thick and creamy batter mixture.

Stir the white chocolate and plain chocolate pieces into the batter mixture.

Spoon into the paper muffin cases, filling almost to the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until well-risen and firm to the touch, then remove from the oven.

Let the triple chocolate chip muffin tray cool on the side before removing the muffins from the tray to place on a wire rack.

Strawberry and white chocolate chip muffins

Ingredients

225g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

100g granulated sugar

125g butter, melted

125ml milk

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

270g white chocolate chips

160ml strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350F, 180C, gas 4. Prepare a 12-holed muffin tin with muffin paper cases.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar.

Beat the butter, milk, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl, until well blended.

Stir the liquid mixture into the mixed dry ingredients, and mix well until a smooth batter is formed. Add in the chocolate chips.

Spoon in some batter until each of the muffin cases is half full. With a spoon, indent a small hole in the batter, and then spoon in a teaspoon of jam. Cover with remaining batter till each muffin is covered to nearly the top of the muffin case.

Cook in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the white chocolate chip muffin on a rac

Turkey Burgers

454g/1lb extra lean minced turkey
1 small onion, grated
3 small courgettes, grated
1 tsp soy sauce
1 level tsp grated fresh root ginger
1 egg yolk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Divide the mixture into four and shape into burgers using your hands.

2. Preheat the grill to a medium setting. Line a grill rack with foil and arrange the burgers on top. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side until cooked through.

3. Serve with a tomato and red onion relish and crisp salad leaves or a selection of Free vegetables.

Stuffed Peppers

Stirfry babycorn, onions, mushrooms, pepper and courgette with garlic and chilli flakes, then adding a vegetable oxo cube and curry power and quorn mince and simmering until all liquid is gone.

Mix with plain cooked rice

Remove the top of the pepper and remove the seeds and middle, put the mixture in and then top with cheese.

Bake in a moderate oven for 20 mins

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms!!

• Take the skin off large field mushrooms and take the stalk out.
• Part-fry the mushroom (both sides) in olive oil & set aside
• Finely chop an onion, mushroom stalks and extra mushrooms (not the ones you just fried lol)
• Fry the onion until soft, then add the chopped mushrooms. Add garlic if you want (tis very nice with or without). Fry until cooked
• Add enough breadcrumbs to bind it together (dried or fresh crumbs)
• Use the mixture to fill the field mushrooms
• Top with cheese (we use cheddar normally but use whatever you like). They are nice without cheese too....
• Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes.

Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

9 tbsp tomato ketchup

· 3 tbsp malt vinegar

· 4 tbsp dark muscovado sugar

· 2 garlic cloves , crushed

· 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

· 1 small onion , roughly chopped

· 2 red peppers , seeded and cut into chunks

· 227g can pineapple pieces in juice, drained

· 100g sugar snap peas , roughly sliced

· handful salted, roasted cashew nuts, optional

In a bowl, put the ketchup, vinegar and sugar and mix well.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Gently fry the onion in a little oil. After a minute or two, add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, stirring now and again. Add the vegetables and cook for a minute and then pour the sauce over. Heat through for a few minutes, then serve.

We're having this tonight.

I also add water chestnuts. When I have some, I also add baby corn...