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Coffee Cake

If you like a bit of cake, you will find this one very hard to resist! Light and fluffy with a creamy butter icing filling. 😋

2 loose bottomed 20cm sandwich tins. Lightly grease the tins and line the bases with non stick baking parchment.

Pre-heat oven to 160c

225g Margarine at room temperature
225g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
225g Self Raising Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 tbsp Instant Coffee mixed with 1 tbsp Hot Water
80g Walnuts Chopped and a few for decoration.

Butter Icing
75g Butter Softened
250g Icing Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Instant Coffee dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp Hot Water

Measure all the ingredients for the cake into a mixing bowl, beat until thoroughly blended. It should look nice and fluffy. You can use a wooden spoon for this but I would recommend an electric mixer.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins – ensure you level the surface.

Bake for 30-35 mins. The sides should be coming away slightly and the top spring back when lightly pressed.

Allow to cool for 5 mins, then run a knife around the edge to loosen and turn them out onto a wire rack.

Peel off the paper and leave to cool.

For the butter cream icing put the butter, icing sugar and dissolved coffee into a bowl and mix well until nice and creamy and evenly blended.

Pick the best cake for the top. Spread the bottom layer with half the butter icing.

Place the second cake on top and spread with the remaining butter cream icing.

Ensure it is spread neatly and decorate the top with some walnuts.

Perfect for afternoon tea or a cheeky treat!

Chicken Chow Mein

if you want something quick and tasty and a healthier alternative to your Saturday night takeaway….this one is for you!

150g Medium Egg Noodles
Dash Toasted Sesame Oil
300g Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets, cut into strips
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Five Spice Powder
1 tsp Chilli Sauce(optional)
1 tbsp Cornflour
1-2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
1 Red Pepper, de-seeded and finely sliced
150g Bean Sprouts
1 Spring Onion, sliced lengthways
Black Pepper
Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or according to packet instructions.

Drain, then rinse under cold running water and drain again. Drizzle with a dash of sesame oil and toss through to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.

Place the chicken strips in a bowl and season with a dash of dark soy sauce, the five-spice powder and chilli sauce, if using. Mix well, then lightly dust the chicken strips with the cornflour.

Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the chicken and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is golden-brown and cooked through.

Add the red pepper and stir fry for one minute, then add the bean sprouts and spring onion and stir fry for 30 seconds.

Stir in the cooked noodles and season with the light soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil and freshly ground black pepper. Add a touch more depending on your own taste.

Pile the noodles onto a serving plate and serve immediately.

Aloo Gobhi (Potatoes with Cauliflower)

I have never been the greatest fan or potatoes or cauliflower as I find them both bland. This wee recipe is one way of ensuring that boredom does not set in!

Serves 4

3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
600g Waxy Potatoes peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces
2.5cm Root Ginger peeled and finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
2 Green Chillies chopped
1 Onion chopped finely
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Salt
600g Cauliflower broken into florets.
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
A Few Coriander Leaves

Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds. At that point the seeds should be spluttering, but don’t let them burn.

Add the potatoes, increase heat to medium high and stir for 6-7 minutes. The edges should begin to brown.

Bring 310ml water to the boil whilst the potatoes cook.

Add the ginger, chilli, onion and garlic to the potatoes, cook for a further 5 mins.

Add the turmeric, ground cumin and salt followed by the cauliflower, continue frying for another 3 minutes.

Pour in the boiling water and stir well.

Cover the pan and leave to simmer for 10 mins or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the garam masala and sprinkle with coriander.

Serve alongside another curry or simply on its own with chapatis.

Tandoori Chicken Kebabs

I decided as the weather was nice to do a family barbecue. I always like to have a bit of a theme for my barbecues as I get very bored of sausages and burgers! This went down a treat with kids and adults as it is not too spicy, just super tasty!

Serves 4

5cm / 2in Piece Root Ginger, peeled and grated
4 Cloves Garlic Crushed
4 tbsp Double Cream
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp Natural Yoghurt
1 tbsp Tomato Purée
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
500g Chicken Breasts Cut into bite sized chunks

Mix together all of the ingredients (except the chicken) in a large bowl, stir until well combined.

Add the chicken pieces and ensure they are thoroughly costed in the marinade.

Cover with cling film for at least two hours, I would recommend 24 hour for maximum flavour.

Soak 8 wooden skewers for around 30 mins.

You can oven cook at 180c or grill or as I did, barbecue them.

Cook for 10-15 mins turning once or until chicken is cooked through.

If you decide to barbecue ensure there are no flames and cook gently, otherwise they will burning the outside but still be uncooked inside.

I served them with Aloo Gobhi (Potatoes with Cauliflower) and a spiced rice salad as part of my Indian barbecue.

Chicken Drumsticks with Five Spice and Honey

Chicken Drumsticks with Five Spice and Honey 🍗🍗

This is super cheap, super easy and super tasty…no excuses, anyone could rock this one up!
Marinade

3 Cloves Garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp Fresh Root Ginger finely chopped
1 tbsp Shaoxing Rice Wine or Sherry
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tsp Five Spice Powder
1 tbsp Groundnut Oil
2 tbsp Honey

1kg Chicken Drumsticks

Place all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and combine well.

Add the chicken to the bowl and ensure it is covered well in the marinade.

Leave overnight in the marinade, if you are short of time leave for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Place the drumsticks on a roasting tray and roast for 30 mins or until cooked and the skin nice and crispy.

Serve with rice and some steamed broccoli or Pak choi.

A Simple Chopped Salad with a Lush Dressing

A Simple Chopped Salad with a Lush Dressing 😋

The sun is shining…..ok, just about, but after months of casseroles I was craving a tasty wee salad. This is so wonderful and you could serve it with any meat or fish….or just on its own!

For the Dressing
1/4 Clove Garlic Crushed
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp Red or White Wine Vinegar
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Maldon Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Take all of the above ingredients and put in a clean jam jar and shake vigorously. Alternatively put all of the ingredients into a bowl and use a small whisk until the ingredients all come together nicely.

For the Salad
2 Baby Gem Lettuce Chopped
Some mixed Leaves, Chopped
A Couple of handfuls of Cherry Tomatoes halved
1/2 Block Feta Crumbled
A Couple of handfuls of fresh Cress

I simple chopped it all on a board and gave it a toss then drizzled over the salad dressing. Boom!

Any left over dressing keep in the jar in a fridge for a few days.

Feel free to add or takeaway ingredients. Radish or avocado would work well too!!

Christmas Dinner……at Easter??

I am a bit precious about my grub! It just seems too long to wait until next December for Christmas Dinner!! So I rolled out some of my lush wee Christmas number and hey presto! The full works…ham, roasties, parsnips, carrots and turkey!!

My stuffing recipe…

Herb Stuffing

I actually prefer the stuffing to the turkey!! The one I have for you is a basic herb stuffing, feel free to change it around, add or take away! Get creative.

Super thing is, you can make this ahead and put it in the freezer!

You could add 1 tbsp sage, 500g pork sausage meat, apricots or thyme.
1 x 800g Loaf Plain Bread (Nutty Krust) preferably a bit stale, crusts removed and broken into pieces
1 Large Onion skin and roots removed and cut into four.
175 Butter
70g Parsley (remove all the stems. This is roughly 2 supermarket packs)
Sea Salt and Black Pepper

You will need a nice large bowl!

In a food processor add the bread and blitz in batches. Tip each lot into your bowl.

Put the butter in a pot and place on a gentle heat to melt.

Add the onion to the food processor and blitz.

Stir the onion through the bread crumbs.

At this point I would season the stuffing with a generous amount of salt and pepper to ensure it is thoroughly incorporated.

Now blitz the parsley until it is nice and fine and stir it through your mixture.

Finally add the butter bit by bit to bind it all together. You may not need it all but it should be moist but still quite crumby looking.

Rock on tomorrow!! 😜🍷

p.s. No more Christmas chat until November!! Entirely uncalled for!!

Pan Fried Hake with a Bean Salad

I find nothing more satisfying than finding something that is fabulously health but tastes superb! It is a golden moment. As if a combination of healthy and tasty is not enough….it is seriously easy 🎉🎉🎉

Serves 1

2 x Hake Fillets (skinless and boneless)
200g Butter Beans (about 1/2 can. Use a can as it keeps it easy)
A couple of handfuls of Green Beans
Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Malden Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Bring a pan of water to the boil add the green beans and simmer rapidly for 3 mins. Tip in the drained butter beans and cook for a further minute.

Drain and put into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and a glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Add the parsley and toss.

Season with Malden Sea Salt and Black Pepper.

Set to one side and serve warm.

For the fish, heat a touch of olive oil in a frying pan until really hot.

Add the hake and cook for about four mins each side (longer if very thick)

Put some of the bean salad in a bowl and place your fish on top.

Serve with a wedge of lemon. Lush!

Fabulous Fresh Pesto

So simple, yet it oozes flavour…..you will never go near a tub or jar again! Plus after a long, hard day, you can pound your frustrations into your pestle and mortar!! ☺️

1/2 Clove Garlic Finely Chopped
3 large handfuls Fresh Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A Large Handful Fresh Parmesan
A Squeeze Fresh Lemon Juice

Large Handful Lightly Toasted Pine-nuts

Malden Sea Salt

In a large pestle and mortar (or a food processor) add the garlic and a touch of salt and pound to a pulp.

Add the basil and pound again, until it is nice and fine.

Add the pine nuts and grind them down too.

Scrape out into a bowl and mix in the Parmesan.

Loosen with a few glugs of olive oil until it is the desired consistency.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice and Malden Sea Salt to taste.

Hey Pesto!! Ha ha!…a wonderful super easy tasty pasta sauce. Delish with chicken and fish too. To be honest it is soooo yum, you could just eat it off a spoon.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

La Pièce de résistance of cupcakes! The very name is luxury. I don’t do huge volumes of baking as I am firmly focused of healthy eating. However, you gotta live a little and they were for a cake sale in my little mans primary school!

Equipment

2 x 12 hole Muffin Tin
Piping Bag and Nozzle

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

250g Plain Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
100g Soft Unsalted Butter
200g Caster Sugar
1 Heaped tbsp really Red Paste Food Colouring
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
175ml Butter Milk
1 tsp Cider Vinegar

For the Buttery Cream Cheese Frosting

500g Icing Sugar
125g Cream Cheese
125g Soft Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Cider Vinegar
Chocolate sprinkles and Red Sugar for Decoration

Preheat oven to 170C. Line the muffin tins with paper cases

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and sift into a baking bowl.

In another bowl cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

Best in the lush red food colouring and the vanilla. Beat this thoroughly.
Now add a bit of the dried ingredients and beat again.

Add an egg, beat.

Add another few spoonfuls of the dried ingredients. Combine thoroughly.

Add another egg, followed by the remainder of the dried ingredients mixing well.

Lastly best in the butter milk and the vinegar and divide between the cases.

Bake for 20 mins and then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Ensure they are totally cooled before icing.

For the Frosting

Sift the icing sugar to remove lumps, then add to a food processor. Add the cream cheese and butter and whizz to mix. Pour in the cider vinegar and whizz again.

Ensure it is smooth.

Use a piping bag to pipe the icing nicely onto the cupcakes. You could spread it on with a small spatula or spoon.

Decorate with some nice red sprinkles.

Cupcakes can be make 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container (un-iced)

Frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated – remove 2 hours before you are going to use it and beat again briefly.

They are best iced and eaten on the same day but can be refrigerated for a day (serve at room temperature)❤️

A Restaurant in my Kitchen

Create restaurant food easily at home!