Slow Cooked Pulled Pork with spices

SLOW-COOKED PULLED PORK

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

3-4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup chicken stock (I used Knorr jelly stock)

1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar (I used heaped)

1 tablespoon chilli powder (I used extra hot, not too heaped)

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Boneless or bone-in-pork shoulder (remove twine/netting)

Optional – 2 cups barbecue sauce (I did not use this)

Method

  1.  Mix the onions and garlic and place in the bottom of the slow cooker, pour the stock on top.

  2.  Mix the sugar, chilli powder, salt, cumin and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Pat the pork dry with kitchen roll and rub the spice mixture all over the pork. Place the meat on top of the onion/garlic mix.  Cover and cook until the pork is tender (approx 6-8 hrs on high or 8-10 hours on low).   (I did 6 hrs on low and last 2 on high, depends on your cooker).

  3. Once cooked, turn off the cooker and place the pork on a board.  Strain the onion mixture and put the stock to one side.  Put the onion      mixture back into the slow cooker (this will be mixed with the meat, I did not do this as we are not lovers of lots of onion – use/not use depending on your personal taste).

  4. If you have a boned joint, remove the bone. Use 2 forks to shred the meat (remove any fat whilst you do this).  Return the meat to the slow cooker (mix with the onion mix if  used).  If using barbecue sauce, mix into the meat then serve.  If not using the barbecue sauce, skim any fat off the discarded stock and add a little of the stock at a time to the meat, stirring gently.

Cheese Scones

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 55g/2oz butter
• 25g/1oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 150ml/5fl oz milk

Preparation method

1. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
3. Stir in the cheese and then the milk to get a soft dough.
4. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on the baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
5. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Simple Slow Cooked Chicken Curry

Ingredients

4 chicken breast diced or thighs.

1 large onion roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped...

2 fresh green chilies, chopped

1 x 400g tin/jar of passata

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 or 2 red or green peppers roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

 2 whole fresh red chillies (optional)

 2 teaspoons garam masala

 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

CHUCK IT ALL IN THE SC ON LOW FOR 6-7 HOURS.

Tesco's Millionaire Shortbread with Malteasers

• For the base
• 180g plain flour
• 125g salted butter
• 50g caster sugar
• For the filling
• 150g unsalted butter
• 150g dark soft brown sugar
• 397g condensed milk
• For the topping
• 200g milk chocolate
• 135g Maltesers

Preheat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan/Gas 3. Line a 20cm shallow square cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Pop your flour, butter and sugar into a food processor and blend. When the mix comes together, remove and press into your tin.

Bake in your oven for 30 mins. Remove and allow to cool, and resist having a bite!

For the upper layers

Put the butter and sugar into a non-stick pan and heat, stirring until melted. Add in the condensed milk and stir continuously until the filling has thickened slightly. Immediately pour over the baked shortbread base.

Pop that in the fridge and while it sets, carefully melt the chocolate in the microwave, let it cool a little, then pour over the set caramel.

Top with loads of Maltesers®. Leave to set on the side, cut into squares and enjoy!

Slimming World Pancakes

1 vanilla muller light
40g quaker oats
3 eggs

 Method:
 The night before you want the pancakes, mix the muller light into the quaker oaks, then leave in the fridge overnight.

 In the morning, crack the 3 eggs into something and whisk them up until the yolks and whites are well mixed, then mix that in with the muller light and quaker oat mix until it looks like a thick batter.

 To cook, place a fairly large (10-15cm diameter) biscuit cutter into a fairly hot frying pan, then pour in some batter until it's roughly 4-5mm thick (the pancakes will come out a bit like scotch pancakes) remove the biscuit cutter when you think it's cooked enough on the bottom, then flip when ready to cook the other side, remove from frying pan and serve.

No Cook Truffles

Ingredients

 18 Digestive Biscuits
8 table spoons of drinking chocolate
1 tin condensed milk.
5 table spoons of dessicated coconut if desired Crush the digestive biscuits.
Mix with the drinking chocolate & if desired dessicated coconut. then stir in the tin of condensed milk. Roll into little balls and then roll in more dessicated coconut or chocolate sprinkles.
 Put in the fridge to chill.

Banana Muffins

200g (7 oz) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
1 egg
75g (2 1/2 oz) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Place 12 paper baking cases in a muffin tin.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Combine mashed bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold into the flour mixture, and mix until smooth.
Spoon evenly into baking cases in muffin tin.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly tapped.

Gingerbread Men

350g plain flour
1-2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
100g butter or margarine
175g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
4 tablespoons golden syrup
Makes about 20 biscuits.

Put the flour, ginger and soda into a bowl and rub in the butter.

Add sugar and stir in the syrup and egg to make a firm dough.

Roll out to about 5mm thick and cut out your gingerbread men. If you don't have a gingerbread man cutter then use whatever you have - stars and hearts are just as tasty.

Bake at 190 C /Gas 5 on greased baking trays (spaced out, as they will spread) for 10 to 15 mins until golden brown. Leave to firm up for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack to cook.

Variations: Swap the ginger for cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla essence if you don't like ginger. Swap golden syrup for treacle, if preferred.

Easy Microwave Fudge

This recipe for microwave fudge has a crumbly texture (like butter tablet), rather than a chewy one, and is much quicker and easier to make than traditional fudge.

100g (4oz) milk or plain chocolate, broken into pieces
100g (4oz) butter, melted (not low fat spread)
450g (1lb) icing sugar
45ml (3tbsp) milk
a few drops of vanilla or other flavouring essence (optional)
Place the chocolate into a glass heatproof bowl and heat on medium for 2-3 minutes. Stop the cooking time and stir every 30 seconds or so, until just melted.

Add the butter, icing sugar, essence and milk, mix well.

Heat on high for 3-4 minutes, take out of the microwave and beat well every minute.

The mixture and bowl will be very hot, so take care.

When the mixture starts to set around the edges of the bowl and becomes thicker, it's ready to pour into a greased, 20cm x 15cm (8" x 6") dish.

Allow to set for a few minutes before marking into squares using a knife, and leave to cool before removing from the tin.

Place in paper sweet cakes and keep in an airtight container for upto a week.

POTATO AND CHICKPEA CURRY

4 medium potatoes cut into large chunks
2 tins of chickpeas
2 medium onions chopped finely
2tsp garam masala
48
3tsp curry powder
1tsp turmeric powder
1tsp cumin seeds
2 pods of garlic crushed
1tsp fresh ginger roots grated
frylight spray
1/2 tin of tomatoes
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1/2 pint of water


Method


Put onions cumin seeds in non stick pan add frylight and cook till brown.

Add garlic, ginger then fry for 2 min.

Add all spices then tin tomatoes, cook again for about 5min on low heat.

Add potatoes and a 1/2 pint water cook 10 mins.

Then add chick peas cook till potatoes are cooked, watching the water at all
times.

Sprinkle with fresh coriander.

Chicken and Chickpea Curry

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 900 g boneless chicken thigh fillets
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 2.5 piece root ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 tbsp Tikka Masala or medium curry paste
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 225 g frozen chickpeas
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Cut each chicken thigh fillet into four. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the chicken and sauté over a high heat for 10mins or until golden. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the remaining oil, onions and peppers to the pan and sauté for 3 mins or until soft.
3. Stir in the ginger, garlic, tikka masala and tamarind pastes and cook for 1 min.
4. Add the chicken, tomatoes, chicken stock and chick peas, then bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20mins or until the chicken is tender.
5. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for a further 10mins or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
6. Stir in the yogurt, sugar then season to taste. Stir in the coriander and serve with rice.

Cupcakes

For the Chocolate Cake (makes 24 cupcakes)

185g butter
2 teaspoons vanilla essence (or 1 tsp extract)
380g caster sugar
3 eggs
300g self raising flour
100g cocoa
250ml water

Put 24 cupcake cases into muffin trays and preheat oven to 175oC.

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and using an electric mixer, beat on a low speed until just combined, then turn the mixer up to a medium speed and beat until the mixture is smooth and lighter in colour.

Divide the mixture into 24 cases and bake for about 20 minutes or until the centre of the cake springs back when lightly pushed. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then put the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the chocolate buttercream:

250g butter, softened
500g icing sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
125ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the butter with electric beaters until well softened. Add half the icing sugar, half the cocoa and half the milk. Beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the remaining ingredients (you might not need all the milk though, I never do). Beat again until the mixture is light and smooth. Spread onto the tops of the cooled cupcakes, or pipe blobs on using a plain large nozzle.

For the decoration:

Mini marshmallows
toffee popcorn
fudge, cup up into little chunks
dark chocolate

Start piling the ingredients up on the top on of the buttercream, pushing them into the icing slightly so they hold. I always use 3 pieces of popcorn on the bottom, about 5 mini marshmallows in the gaps and about 5 pieces of fudge to fill in the rest of the gaps, but just play around with it!

Melt the chocolate then drizzle over the tops of the cakes and let it set.

Mixed Bean Bake

This is a good protein-packed meal for vegetarians. I tend to prepare it earlier in the day then it is ready to put in the oven later on.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 pepper (any colour), chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 3 tins beans (I use 1 tin kidney beans, 1 tin butter beans, 1 tin cannellini beans but you can use any)
• Mixed herbs and black pepper (optional)
• Grated cheese

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion, garlic, leek and pepper and fry until soft. Add the carrot, tinned tomatoes and beans. If you like you can put some mixed herbs and pepper in too. (I also sometimes put a courgette in).
Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Transfer into an oven proof dish and cover with grated cheese then bake in the oven at Gas 5/190 C for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is going brown.

Serve on its own or with salad, crusty bread or garlic bread.

Variations: Add 1 tsp of mild chilli powder or cumin for extra flavour.

Slow cooker method: Add all ingredients (except the oil and cheese) to the slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve sprinkled with the grated cheese.

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.