Melt in the Mouth Shortbread

Ingredients

• 125g/4oz butter

• 55g/2oz caster sugar

• 180g/6oz plain flour

1. Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

2. Beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth.

3. Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Turn on to a work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm/½in thick.

4. Cut into rounds or fingers and place onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with icing sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack

Garlic, Chilli and Ginger Stirfry

1 large tsp Lazy Garlic

1 fresh Red Chill chopped and deseeded

1 tsp grated Ginger

6 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

4 spring onions

1 Red Pepper

2 breasts Chicken/3 pork loins/2 sirloin steaks(or whatever veg/meat/fish you wish)

Chop meat and vegetables and mix in garlic, chilli and ginger and the oyster sauce in a lidded dish and then pop in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours or longer.

Heat wok very hot and add in some fry light, pop marinaded dish into the wok and stirfry for around 10-15 minutes depending on the meat.

Serve with rice

Sweet and Sour Pork

Take-away food can be so expensive. To save money, make your own sweet and sour pork and vegetables for a special meal.

• 500g diced pork
• Small tin of pineapple in juice
• 125g mini corn cobs
• 150g sliced peppers
• 1 onion sliced
• 3tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4tbsp tomato puree
• 2tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 200ml water
• 2 x 125g bags boil in the bag rice
• Vegetable Oil

Heat the oil in a pan. Soften the onions, then remove them and brown the pork.

Add the onions back to the pan. Mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, tomato puree and water, and pour over the pork and onions.

Simmer for 15 mins, then add the frozen veg and the pineapple and simmer for another couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the rice as per instructions on the packet. Serve the sweet and sour pork on a bed of rice.

Apple and Raspberry Muffins

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup soft light brown sugar
• 1 large or 2 small eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped or grated
• 1 cup fresh raspberries or other soft fruit (such as blackberries)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 50g unsalted butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 200C°. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cases.

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.

Beat the milk and egg together lightly, add the melted butter and then add the apples and raspberries.

Mix gently into the dried ingredients until just combined (the mixture will look lumpy, but that's OK!). Spoon the mixture into the cake cases.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, well risen and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and cool in the tray for 5 minutes then remove from the tray and leave to thoroughly cool on a wire rack.

standard cup holds 250mls

Pasta Primavera serves 2

100g fresh pasta spirals or quills
1 tablespoon olive oil
Handful mixed mangetout, baby sweetcorn, sugar-snap peas, carrot sticks, red and green peppers, bean sprouts
2 teaspoon pesto sauce
4 teaspoons crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1 Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain and keep warm.
2 Heat the oil in a deep frying-pan or wok, and add the mixed vegetables. Toss over a high heat for 1 minute.
3 Add the pasta and the pesto sauce. Turn for 30 seconds.
4 Remove from the heat, add the crème fraîche, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Lemon paprika chicken with walnut

2 chicken breast fillets
Grated rind and juice of a lemon
½ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
50g broken walnuts
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
Vegetable oil, for frying
1tbs vinegar
A little crème fraiche, to combine

Method
1. Combine chicken, paprika, olive oil, garlic, lemon rind and juice and turmeric in a large bowl. Leave on hour or if you can, overnight. Turn chicken a couple of times.
2. Combine the cucumber ribbons with the walnuts and vinegar
3. Meanwhile, take out the chicken from the turmeric marinade. Cook in a large heated pan with a little oil, until browned all over and cooked through.
4. Cook the pasta according to directions, Drain and put immediately into a serving dish and keep warm.
5. Slice the chicken, add to the cucumber and walnuts, add the crème fraiche and mix. Serve straight away with a side dish of crisp sweetcorn and peas.

Tarragon Chicken

1 skinless chicken breast per serving
2 tbs half fat crème fraiche per chicken breast
Sliced onion
50g sliced mushrooms
Sprig of fresh tarragon or 2 tsp dried.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method
1. Sauté the onions and mushrooms with the butter in a large frying pan until brown and crisped. Add the chopped fresh or the dried tarragon. Sir through well. Remove and keep to one side.
2. In the same pan, cook the chicken breast(s) until thoroughly cooked inside - there should not be a hint of pink in the flesh.
3. Add back the cooked onions and mushrooms, then add the crème fraiche. Turn up the heat and cook through until the sauce turns slightly caramel in colour.
4. Serve with fresh vegetables or on a bed of brown rice.

Easy Fudge

Easy Fudge Recipe

Ingredients
oil, for greasing
300 ml milk
350 g caster sugar
100 g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. Grease an 18cm square cake tin.

2. Put the milk, sugar and butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.

3. Bring to the boil and boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring all the time.

4. When the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (115°C on a sugar thermometer), remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

5. Beat the mixture with a spoon for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and the gloss disappears.

6. Pour into the prepared tin and leave to set at room temperature (do not put it in the fridge).

7. Once set, cut the fudge into small squares and store in a sealed container.

Jules' Hot Chocolate Cake

· 1 cup* sugar
· 3 eggs
· 1 cup* plain flour
· 2 heaped Tablespoons cocoa powder
· 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder
· 1 pinch salt
· 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
· 1/2 cup* milk
· 1 rounded tablespoon of butter

Cream the sugar and eggs together until pale.
Add all the sieved dry ingredients and the vanilla essence and mix well.
Place the milk and butter in a pan and heat until just before it starts to boil (it will go frothy around the edges)
Pour it into the mixture and beat well.
Pour into two greased cake tins and bake at 200 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.

Cool then sandwich with chocolate fudge icing and serve.

*I used an ikea kiddies cup for the ingredients.

Banana Cake

• 2 ripe bananas (overipe is best)
• 170g caster sugar
• 170g self raising flour
• 170g soft margarine
• 3 eggs
• Fewdrops vanilla essence

1. Use a food processor Pre heat oven to 160C / gas mark 3
2. Add all ingredients and blend until well mixed
3. Pour into lined loaf tin
4. Bake for 1 hour
5. Cool and enjoy

Tea Loaf

Tea Loaf Recipe

Ingredients
350g Mixed Fruit
200g Soft Brown Sugar
270g Self Raising Flour
3/4 Pint Freshly Made Tea
2 Medium Eggs

DIRECTIONS
Make the tea,
Pour over the Fruit and Sugar, and leave to soak as long as you want.

After the Fruit and Sugar has soaked in the tea, for however long you like, mix the Flour and beaten Eggs with the Fruit and Sugar and cook in a greased 2lb Loaf Tin in a pre-heated oven at 150ºC (300ºF, Gas Mark 2) for 1.5 hours. Cool on a Wire Rack

Chocolate Fudge Icing

• 5 oz of butter
• 5 oz of icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons of milk

(If you’re a proper choccy monster use double – I tend to make half as much again.)

Method

Slowly and gently melt the butter in a pan (skim it if you want to to remove excess salt and impurities).

Add the cocoa and up the heat, cooking it gently for a minute or so, then add the icing sugar.

Add the milk gradually (you’ll know when to do this, as the icing sugar will eventually make your cocoa and butter the consistency of cement) and keep stirring until you have a glossy, smooth paste.

Allow it to cool, and then use half to sandwich your cake together, and half for the topping. It looks fabulous and tastes divine.

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Chicken Potato Layer

• leftover cooked chicken
• onion
• mushrooms
• bacon
• garlic
• potatoes
• mixed herbs and black pepper
• cheese sauce

Line a greased ovenproof dish with thinly sliced potato.

Lightly fry some chopped onion, mushrooms and bacon (cut into little squares). You can use low fat bacon to make it even healthier. Add some finely chopped garlic at this stage if liked. Mix together with the cooked left over chicken, add a pinch of mixed herbs and a dash of black pepper if liked.

Spoon the mixture over the potato slices and top with another layer of potato slices and a cheese sauce made from semi skimmed milk and low fat cheese.

Pop in oven (180 C/Gas 4) for about an hour and a half or until potato is cooked. Just before serving add a sprinkle of low fat cheese on the top and pop into the oven to melt. If liked, you could add sliced tomatoes on the top too for more vitamin value and colour.

This is nice eaten with green vegetables for a winter meal or with a leafy salad for a summer meal.

Mince and Sweet Potato Pie

• 500g Mince - beef or lamb (beef is the cheaper option)
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 Large onion - peeled and chopped
• 2 Large carrots - washed and chopped
• 1 Cup frozen peas
• 1 Stock cube (optional)
• 1 Tin of baked beans
• 2 Large sweet potatoes (more nutritious than white potato)
• Handful of grated cheese to top (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 190 C/Gas 5.
Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into chunks. Heat a large pan of water, and add the potato chunks when boiling.

In a large pan, heat the oil and add the chopped onions and chopped carrots and gently fry for 3-4 minutes until the onions have softened. Add the mince and fry off, ensuring it's browned all over. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 - 12 minutes.

Crumble in the stock cube and stir thoroughly. Add the peas and tin of beans and continue to cook for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.

Check the sweet potatoes and see if they are tender. Drain (but keep a small amount of water to help you mash if needed) and mash.

Empty the mince into a large ovenproof dish and spread the sweet potato mash on top. Sprinkle cheese over the top if desired, and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes.

Beef and Brocoli by Jamie Oliver

• 200g purple sprouting broccoli
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 x 300g good-quality sirloin steaks
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
egg noodles, to serve
finely sliced red chilli, to serve

Place the broccoli spears into a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Add a good pinch of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Drain and put to one side.

Slice the steaks into finger-sized strips and season with salt and pepper. Pound the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, then sprinkle over the meat so they stick to it and give it a lovely, fragrant flavour.

Heat a wok or large frying pan until very hot. Pour in a splash of olive oil and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Fry for a couple of minutes until the onions have softened a little. Drop in the seasoned pieces of beef and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the broccoli spears and fry for a further 2 minutes, stirring all the time.

Pour in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss in the pan until everything is well coated. Serve with egg noodles or steamed rice, with some sliced red chilli sprinkled over the top.

Chilli Con Carne

2 medium onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 2 red peppers
• olive oil
• 1 heaped teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon
• ground cumin
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 500g good-quality minced beef
• 1 small bunch of fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Peel and finely chop the onions, garlic, carrots and celery – don’t worry about the technique, just chop away until fine
• Halve the red peppers, remove the stalks and seeds and roughly chop
• Place your largest casserole-type pan on a medium high heat
• Add 2 lugs of olive oil and all your chopped vegetables
• Add the chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon with a good pinch of salt and pepper
• Stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes until softened and lightly coloured
• Add the drained chickpeas, drained kidney beans and the tinned tomatoes
• Add the minced beef, breaking any larger chunks up with a wooden spoon
• Fill one of the empty tomato tins with water and pour this into the pan
• Pick the coriander leaves and place them in the fridge
• Finely chop the washed stalks and stir in
• Add the balsamic vinegar and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper
• Bring to the boil and turn the heat down to a simmer with a lid slightly askew for about an hour, stirring every now and again to stop it catching

Garlic and Chilli Beef

Ingredients

• 200g beef fillet, sliced into even-sized thin strips
• Few pinches Chinese five-spice
• Light soy sauce, to season
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 150g ong choi, washed, leaves and stems cut across the stem in equal 10cm lengths (or use spinach or watercress)
• 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Toasted sesame oil, to season

1. Season the beef with the Chinese five-spice and a few dashes of soy sauce, toss together and set aside.

3. To serve, season to taste with light soy sauce, salt and a few dashes of sesame oil. Serve immediately.2. Heat a wok over a high heat. When hot, add the groundnut oil and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the beef and stir-fry for a few minutes, until browned. Add the ong choi and chilli and stir-fry until the leaves have wilted slightly. Remove from the heat.

Apple and Raspberry Muffins

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup soft light brown sugar
• 1 large or 2 small eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped or grated
• 1 cup fresh raspberries or other soft fruit
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 50g unsalted butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 200C°. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cases.

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.
Beat the milk and egg together lightly, add the melted butter and then add the apples and raspberries.
Mix gently into the dried ingredients until just combined (the mixture will look lumpy, but that's OK!)

Spoon the mixture into the cake cases
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, well risen and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and cool in the tray for 5 minutes then remove from the tray and leave to thoroughly cool on a wire rack.