This is so easy to make, but it's something you have to keep an eye on as it can easily spoil. This is delicious on its own or with a piece of white fish or chicken breast 😋
25g butter
1 leek finely sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
1 green chilli chopped finely
2 carrots sliced
2 large mushrooms chopped into small chunks
1 handful of chopped kale
1 handful of spinach
600ml hot vegetable stock
200g Italian arborio risotto rice
75ml white wine
1/2 lemon
1)melt the butter in a large pan, fry the leek, carrot, garlic and chilli for 5 mins
2)add the rice and stir in well, cook for a minute
3)add the wine and bubble for a minute
4)add the kale, mushrooms and then the stock, a ladle at a time ensuring each one is absorbed before adding the next, stir regularly
5)with the last ladle and the spinach and lemon juice and stir through
6)cook for 2 mins then leave to rest for 5 mins before serving.
The banana and pears make this a really moist cake, you could always serve as a pudding! It will keep fresh in an air tight container form4-5 days. 🍌🍐
* 100g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
* 3 really ripe bananas
* 100g golden caster sugar
* 2 ripe but still firm pears, cored and chopped, dusted in a little flour
* 1 tbsp maple syrup
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 large free-range egg
* 150g plain flour
* ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1.Heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease and line a 1 litre loaf tin with baking paper
2.Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl, then stir in the melted butter and caster sugar until well combined. Stir through the pears, the maple syrup and vanilla extract, then beat in the egg.
3.Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda, then fold in using a metal spoon.
4.Pour the mix into the loaf tin, then bake for 45 minutes. The cake should be dark on top with a soft, moist sponge. Check it’s done by poking a skewer into the centre – if it comes out clean it’s ready. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out onto a wire rack to cool.
These are full of protein and can be eaten as a breakfast bar or as a treat during the day when you need a zap of energy!
* 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
* 120 g peanut butter
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 180 ml milk
* 85g brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp all spice
* 200g oats
* 140g flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 large cooking apple chopped into very small pieces.
1. In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients and mix very well.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
3. Spoon into a lined and greased baking tray and bake at 180 degrees C for 20-25 minutes.
4. Leave to cool completely before cutting into slices.
Enjoy!
This is a perfect Autumnal soup using a combination of apples and parsnips. It is quite a sweet soup, so if you don't like it too sweet, I suggest that you reduce the volume of apples and increase the parsnips - 800g parsnips to 400g of apples.
Ingredients
* 25g butter
* 1 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 medium onions chopped
* 600g parsnips cut into 2cm pieces
* 2 garlic cloves crushed
* 600g cooking apples peeled, quartered and cut into chunks
* 1 litre vegetable stock
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* salt and pepper
Method
1. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Gently fry the onions and parsnips for 15 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the garlic, cumin and apples and cook for a further two minutes, stirring regularly.
2. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the parsnips are very soft. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Blend the mixture in a food processor until smooth.
3. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
This vegetarian lasagne makes a tasty meat free dish. You can add mushrooms or peppers to the tomato sauce for extra vegetables.
Serves 3
*1 small butternut squash (approximately 500g)
* sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Olive oil
* 1 clove of garlic
* 1 small bunch of fresh basil
* 2x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
* 3 leeks
* 100g baby spinach
* 250g ricotta cheese
* 6 lasagne sheets
* 1 x 125g ball of mozzarella
1.Preheat the oven to 190C
2 Halve the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds
3. Peel an chop the squash into 3cm chunks and place in a roasting tray, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle well with olive oil, then toss together
4. Cook in the hot oven for 1 hour, or until soft and cooked through
5. While that is cooking peel and finely chop fthe garlic clove
6.Pick the basil leaves, discard the stalks
7. Put a saucepan on a medium heat add a glug of olive oil, the chopped garlic and basil leaves
8. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the garlic turns golden at this point, add the tinned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer for 10 minutes
9. Trim and finely slice the leeks and wash the spinach
10. Heat a large saucepan on a low heat and add a splash of olive oil
11. Add the leeks and sweat slowly for about 10 minutes, or until soft then add the spinach and cook until wilted
12. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes, then carefully drain off any excess liquid then mix the ricotta into the pan and season well with salt and pepper
13. Spoon half the tomato sauce into the bottom of an earthenware ovenproof dish and follow with a layer of lasagne sheets
14. Spread half of the creamy leeks over the lasagne sheets and poke in half of the chunks of squash, then top
15. Cover with another layer of lasagne sheets, then cover with the remaining creamy leeks and pieces of squash
16. Top with the remaining tomato sauce and tear the mozzarella into small pieces and dot over the top of the lasagne
17. Cover with tin foil and cook in the hot oven for 20 minutes then remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling
225g (8 oz) butter , softened
225g (8 oz) caster sugar
275g (10 oz) plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
CRUNCHY TOPPING
110g (4oz) granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons 🍋
1. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper, pushing it neatly into the corners of the tin. Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg c
2. Measure all the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes until well blended with an electric mixer.
3.Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top gently with the back of a spatula.
3. Bake in the middle of the pre-heated oven for about 50 mins or until the cake springs back when pressed lightly with a finger or a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
4. Allow the cake to cool in the a few minutes then lift out of the tin still in the lining paper. Carefully remove the paper and put onto a wire rack placed over a tray (to catch drips of the topping).
5. To make the crunchy topping, mix the lemon juice and granulated sugar in a small bowl to give a runny consistency. Spoon this mixture evenly over the cake whilst it is still just warm.
6. Leave to cool completely
This is my take on Delicious Magazine's Spicy Moroccan chicken. I substituted the chick peas in the original recipe for dates, for those who don't like chick peas. It gives it a much sweeter taste. Really easy to prepare and you could always adapt to cook in a slow cooker. Enjoy!
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 red onion, sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp harissa paste
400g diced chicken
300ml chicken stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp caster sugar
100g pitted dates (or 200g tinned chick peas, or a bit of both)
Squeeze of lemon juice
6 tbsp natural yogurt
Small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1. Gently heat the oil in a casserole over a medium-high heat, add the onion and cumin and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken and fry until browned. Add the harrisa paste and stir well. Add the stock, tomatoes, sugar and dates (or chick peas if using)
2. Season, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice, yogurt and coriander.
Serves 4
- 500g minced beef
- 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 onions (I use 1 red and one normal), peeled and finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 handfuls of chopped green beans
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
- 1 tsp chilli oil
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 150ml beef stock
- 100 ml white wine
- 2 - 4 tablespoons milk
- 1kg potato, peeled and cut into small even sized pieces
- 50g butter
- 150g mature cheddar cheese, grated
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fry the onions and carrots gently in the oil for 5 mins.
- Add the minced beef and cook for about 10 to 20 minutes or until the onion and carrot have browned and the minced beef has browned.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree
- Add a stock cube, and season well with salt and pepper, then add the mixed herbs, chilli oil and coriander, mix well
- Stir in the flour, and mix well again.
- Add 100ml wine and green beans and the water and bring to simmering point until the stock has reduced
- Set aside whilst you make the topping.
- Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until they are soft
- Drain and then mash them well adding the butter and the milk gradually. Season to taste.
- Put the meat mixture into a separate baking dish.
- Evenly spread the potato mixture over the top of the filling and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
- Put into a pre-heated oven, 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for about 25 to 30 minutes until the topping is crusty, golden and bubbling
- Such an easy cake to bake and getting some of your fruit and veg intake too!
- 175g wholemeal self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- pinch of salt
- 150ml (1/4 pint) sunflower oil
- 175g soft light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 100g apricots
- 250g carrots, peeled and grated
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Prepare a 1kg (2lb) loaf tin, buttered and lined with a strip of baking parchment.
- To make the carrot cake: Tip the flour into a bowl and stir in the baking powder, spice and salt.
- Then stir in all the remaining ingredients until well mixed. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
- Bake in the centre of the oven until it is firm to the touch (a skewer should come out clean after being inserted into the middle).
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Now that it's Autumn we are into butternut squash season! This soup is perfect to warm you up now that the days are getting cooler.
1 onion chopped finely
30g butter
1 small butternut squash cut into 1 inch pieces
1 litre boiling water
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt & pepper to season
1)gently heat the butter in a large pan then add the onion and cook for 2-3 mins until starting to soften
2)add the butternut squash and stir in with the onion and gently fry for another 5 mins then cover with the hot water and crumble in the stock cube and coriander and stir well
3)bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and let it bubble for 15-20 mins until the squash has softened
4)pour the soup into a blender and blitz until completely smooth. Return to the pan, warm through and add salt and pepper to taste.
✔️Top tip:for a different flavour use chicken stock and or add chilli flakes for an added kick
