Chocolate Brownies… a little on the naughty side but that won’t stop us!!! 

Ingredients: 

• 175g Cream Plain Flour
• 225g Butter
• 125g Chocolate
• 325g Caster Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence
• 4 Eggs (beaten)
• ½ Tablespoon Baking Powder

Method:

• Melt butter and chocolate together on a low heat
• Off the heat, add sugar and mix well
• Add vanilla and eggs
• Sieve the flour and baking powder together & stir into the mixture
• Pour into roasting tin (25cm x 10cm) lined with greaseproof paper
• Bake for 45 minutes at 160˚C

Summer Pudding

A Lovely soup for the Summer, great starter idea.

1 vegetable stock cube
800ml warm water
2 medium Courgettes (zucchini), sliced
1 x chopped Red Pepper
1 x chopped onion( medium)
1 x clove of crushed garlic
Salt and black pepper, to taste
250ml Cream
Snipped parsley

Method:
In a 2l saucepan dissolve the stock cube with warm water, add the garlic, courgette, Red Pepper and onion. Cover and bring to a simmer then cook for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the soup to cool then purée in food processor or blender until smooth. Add to a pan, bring to serving temperature, stir-in the cream and serve garnished with parsley and crusty bread rolls.

Barbequed Greek Style Chicken with Mediterranean Potato Salad

120 ml olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 g chopped fresh rosemary

2 g chopped fresh thyme

6 g chopped fresh oregano

2 lemons, juiced

1820 g chicken, cut into pieces

Method:

In a glass dish, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice. Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat Barbeque for high heat.

Oil the Grill grid on the barbeque. Place chicken on the grill, and discard the marinade. Cook chicken pieces up to 15 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Smaller pieces will not take as long.

Salmon & Herb Fishcakes

Serves 4

600g skinless salmon fillets

2 bay leaves

small bunch herbs ( Parsley and /or Dill), stalks and fronds separated

600g potatoes , peeled and chopped into even sized chunks

zest 1 lemon

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard

4 tbsp capers , rinsed and dried

flour , for dusting your hands

1 egg , beaten

100g breadcrumbs

4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

lemon wedges to serve

Poaching the Salmon in a little water with the bay leaves and the stalks from the herbs for  about 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes then drain the liquid. Flake the salmon into large chunks and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 10 mins, or until tender. Drain well, and then leave to cool in a colander for 2 mins. Mash the potatoes. Stir in lemon zest, mayonnaise, mustard, capers and some seasoning.

Pat away any liquid from the fish, and then carefully lift the pieces into the pan with the mash. With your hands, gently mix together until roughly combined; it should take just a few movements or the fish will break up.

Dust hands and work surface with flour.

Shape a handful of the mix into a patty-shaped cake, about 2.5cm thick.

Repeat to make 8 cakes.

Dip the cakes into the egg, then press into the breadcrumbs all over.

Heat half the oil in a frying pan until very hot.

Fry the fish cakes for 5 mins each side until golden.

Repeat with the rest, adding extra oil if neccessary

Serve with lemon wedges & Mayonnaise.

Easy Christmas Pudding

Ingredients:

500g Raisins

500g Sultanas

125g Dates, chopped

125g Currants

125g Mixed Peel

125g Glace Cherries, chopped

½ Cup Brandy

500g Softened Butter

500g Brown Sugar

10 eggs

4 Carrots

1 tsp Mixed Spice

3 Tbl sp Golden Syrup

500g fresh breadcrumbs

125g plain flour

1 ½ tsp salt

This is a very simple recipe for the microwave oven, and makes 2 Christmas puddings.

Place the fruit in a large bowl. Pour the brandy over the fruit and allow to soak covered, overnight.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add one lightly beaten egg at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining ingredients.

Grease and line a 2.5 litre pudding basin. Pour in half the mixture ( to 2.5cm/1” from the top of the basin) and smooth over the top.

Cook on medium for 28 muinutes. Remove from the microwave oven and allow to cool slightly. Repeat the procedure with the remaining half of the mixture.

Turn the pudding out of the basin and remove the paper lining. Serve hot or Cold.

Chocolate Fondant with Honeycomb Ice Cream

450g Dark Chocolate

225g Butter

½ Cup of Plain Flour

1 Cup Sugar

5 Eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, Place over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt. Do not allow to get too hot.

Cream the eggs and sugar together, either by hand or in a food processor.

Add the flour and beat in.

Beat in the melted chocolate and butter mix. Place the mix in the fridge,

Brush 4 ramekins with soft unsalted butter and dust with cocoa powder or flour.

When the mix has slightly set, pipe or spoon the mixture into the moulds.

Cook in a hot oven 190ºc/Gas 4½ for 8-10 minutes. When cooked the fondants should have risen but still be runny in the middle, served with Honeycomb ice cream.

Quick & Easy Honeycomb IceCream

1 lt Vanilla Ice Cream

2 x Crunchie Bars, broken into chunks

~ Slightly melt the Ice Cream and stir in the Chunks of Crunchy.

Apple & Berry Crumble

Serves 6

6 Granny Smith Apples, peeled & cores removed

¼ cup Caster Sugar

2 cups Frozen Mixed Berries

60g Butter, chilled, cubed

¾ cup flaked Oats

½ cup Flour

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ cup Breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp of Honey

1 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon

Method:

• Preheat oven 180°C, grease 6 small ovenproof dishes / ramekins.
• Thinly slice apples & place into a saucepan over medium heat. Add caster Sugar, stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the apples are tender.
• Stir in the Berries and spoon the mixture into the dishes.
• Rub the butter into the flour util the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add in the oats, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon & Honey and mix well.
• Spoon the crumble mixture over the fruit, bake for 30 minutes until crumble is golden.
• Served warm with Whipped Cream or Ice Cream.

Stuffed Breast of Chicken with Pudding over Caramelised Red Onion & Whiskey Mushroom Sauce

Serves 2

2 Chicken Breasts

100g of Black Pudding,

2 tsp Wholegrain Mustard

1 tsp Chopped Parsley

Quarter pint of Cream

2 red Onions

200mls of Port Wine

50g of Brown Sugar

Salt & pepper

6 Mushrooms

Half pint of Demi-Glace Sauce (Gravy)

100mls Whiskey

To Make the Stuffing

• Put into a mixer the black pudding, the mustard parsley and half of the cream, season with salt and pepper. Mix it together until it forms a paste.

To Stuff the Chicken

• Make an incision on the side of the breast of chicken to make it as a butterfly shape. Stuff with the black pudding stuffing and close it back together. Cook it in the oven for 20mins at 175°C.

To make the Caramelised Red Onion

• Cut the onions in half and slice it into thick slices. Place in a saucepan with the port wine and sugar. Sauté over a  low heat until caramelised

To Make the Whiskey & Mushroom Sauce

• Slice the mushrooms, Fry them with a bit of butter into a saucepan, deglaze with the whiskey and reduce the liquid to ¼ , then pour the Demi-glace into it and reduce to 3/4. Pour the rest of the cream and boil for 2 min.

To Serve

• Put the Caramelised Onion in the middle of the plate, place the Chicken on the top and surround with the Sauce.