Simnel Cake

Happy Mother’s DayMy mummy loves marzipan, so I thought why not make her a Mothering Sunday traditional cake.  The Simnel Cake has a pretty interesting story to it, apparently the 11 marzipan balls are meant to represent the 11 apostles of Jesus minus Judas.  I bursted out laughing when I found this out so had to make it.

This recipe was adapted from ‘Good Housekeeping’ (April, 2011).

Ingredients:

225g (8oz) softened Butter (plus extra to grease), 225g Self – Raising Flour (plus extra to line cake tin), 2 tbsps. Ground Mixed Spice, 240g (8.5oz) Mixed Dried Berries, 150g (5oz) Light Muscavado Sugar, 50g (2oz) Golden Syrup, finely grated zest of 2 Lemons, 4 medium Eggs lightly beaten, (recommended) 500g (1lb 2oz) Marzipan, 3tbsps Blueberry Jam, 0% Fat Greek Yoghurt.

Method:1. Sift the flour in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the spice and the dried fruit.
3. Put the butter, sugar, syrup and lemon zest into another large bowl and mix.
4. Add the eggs in slowly and mix for roughly 3 minutes.
5. Fold the wet mixture into the flour mixture.
6. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C / 150 degrees fan / gas mark 3.
7. Prepare a cake tin with butter and flour, scatter the butter on the top of the butter then rub it in.
8. Pour mixture into tin.
9. Bake for 1 hour.
10. After 1 hour cover with tin foil and then bake for 25 minutes.
11. The cake will be done when the metal utensil comes out clean after being inserted into the cake. (Do not do this after a short amount of time or your cake will sink.)
12. Scatter icing sugar on table surface and roll out enough marzinpan to cover the cake and to crimp the edges.
13. Heat up the jam until it is runny and spread on the top of the cake, but leave enough to stick on the marzipan balls.
14. Break off some more marzipan from the pack and make 11 small balls. Use jam to stick these on the cake.
15. Serve to your mother whilst singing a happy song and with some low fat greek yoghurt.

Saffy’s Best Moments:

1. My marzipan decoration kept going wrong so from a birdseye view I wanted to make it look like a crown.

2.  The cake was moist and my decision to reduced the amount of dried fruit and sugar recommended by the magazine paid off, because I used extra spices instead.  It’s the Birdspeed/ West Indian Way 🙂

3. I enjoyed sharing funny Bible stories and singing to mum.

Spinach and Watercress Soup

Seasonal SoupThough this was meant to be a starter this seasonal soup became my main meal.  It was just so filling and tasty I had to go back for seconds.  I was a little shocked to hear that there was such as thing as watercress soup and it was only until I started making the recipe when I found out there is more than one type of watercress. Despite not using the giant watercress (and instead using the cress which kiddies use to make funny egg charachters) the soup still provided a strong flavour even amongst all the spinach.  This soup definately made me love soup again, it’s one of the best soups I’ve tasted …. plus I added creme fraiche South Park Stylie 🙂

This recipe was adapted from the ‘Good Housekeeping’ Magazine (April 2011)

Ingredients:

1tbsp Olive Oil, 1 medium Onion, 2 medium Garlic cloves (chopped into very small pieces), 2tbsps ground Nutmeg, 2 packets of fresh growing Watercress, 500g frozen Spinach, 1.6 litre of hot Vegetable Stock, 1tbsp Lemon Juice, 1tsp ground Coriander,1tsp Black Pepper, 2 tbsps Creme Fraiche, Wholemeal Seeded Baguette slice to serve.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion until it is soft.
2. Stir in garlic, coriander, black pepper and nutmeg. Cook this for literally a minute.
3. Add 1 and a half packets of watercress, and the frozen spinach and then pour over the stock.
4.  Bring this to the boil.
5. Once boiled remove from the heat and blend with a hand blender.
6. Start toasting seeded baguette rolls.
7. Reheat the soup if needed.
8. When ready to serve add the creme fraiche and lemon juice to the pot and stir in.
9. Pour into serving bowls and garnish with watercress.

Lemon Spinach with a Poached Egg

Good MorningThere is nothing like a good breakfast on the weekend.  A good breakfast puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day and definitely helps during the dissertation final stages. My mum taught me how to make a poached egg and reminded me that “practise makes perfect”, so I am glad that I have learnt another technique.

This recipe was adapted from Morrisons’ Magazine (Result Customer Communications, 2011).

Ingredients:

(This recipe can be doubled, I guess I had a small appetite.) 1 Egg, 1 slice of Wholemeal Bread, a little spread, 1 crushed Garlic clove, a load ofSspinach and 1 tbsps Lemon juice. (You can save the left over spinach for a snack.)

Method:

1. Start poaching the egg by using a little vinegar in the water, cook in the hot water for at least 3 minutes.
2. Toast the bread.
3. Put the spread in another pan on a medium heat.
4. When the spread melts add the garlic and lemon juice.
5. Stir for 2 minutes then add spinach until it has wilted.
6. Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg and drain excess water on paper towel.
7. Place spinach on toast and then place the poached egg on top. Serve immediately.

Chicken and Mango Curry

Simple and Full of FlavourWhen I first saw this dish I was a little apprehensive because it just seemed so simple.  I always thought that curries needed lots of ingredients, but  I was gladly wrong as  the flavours were fantastic together.  Also I love mango curries, the sweetness of the mango just reminds me of beautiful Bim.  It is so important to use fresh herbs as well because it adds a delightful  fragrance, it is quite nice to know the garnish actualy adds to the dish rather than making it look pretty.  I also used lightly toasted almonds to add a  little crunch.  Overall a great healthy meal.

This recipe was adapted from Morrisons’ Magazine Jan/ Feb 2012 (Result Customer Communications, 2011).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Olive Oil, 1 large Onion (chopped into small pieces), 2 Chicken breasts, 1 Garlic clove (chopped into small pieces, or crushed), 1 tbsp Ground Ginger, 1 tbsp Tomato Puree, 150ml Vegetable Stock (1/2 cube), 1 small Mango (diced), 25g reduced – fat Creme Fraiche (I had to do it!), fresh Coriander, 10g toasted flaked Almonds, Brown Rice to serve.

Method:

1. Before you start cooking put on the brown rice and cook according to the instructions.  (You usually bring brown rice to the boil but then let it simmer for 30 – 40mins.)  Wash and prepare chicken by chopping into small cubes. (Make sure you wash you hands after and do not put the chicken on the table surface to prevent contamination.)
2. Heat a pan over a medium heat.
3. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and when hot add the chopped onion.
4. When the onions are soft add the chicken breasts.
5. Keep cooking till the chicken breasts are white.  Though many recipes say cook for 2 minutes I always cook for longer to be safe, but not too long because I did not want over done chicken in the curry.
6. Stir in the garlic clove and tomato puree. Let this season the chicken for 2 minutes.
7. Add 150ml of stock, bring this to the boil then let it simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add the mango and cook for about 3 minutes.
9. Remove from the heat and then stir in the creme fraiche.
10. Serve with brown rice.
11. Garnish with fresh coriander and the toasted almonds.

Tofu Szechuan Stir Fry

New Chinese SauceI felt like being adventurous and I had a craving for tofu and kidney beans, so on my shopping trip I found some random ingredients that I thought would work in a stir fry.  I was browsing through the sauces and spotted one I had never seen before.  The Szechuan Chinese stir fry sauce,  I had no idea what is used for or how it smelt but I felt like taking a risk.  It payed off, my stir fry tasted great.  Full of flavour, cheap and easy.

Ingredients:

1/2 pack of Tofu, 1 small pack of Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce, 1 can of Kidney Beans, 1 small can of Sweetcorn, 1 small green Chilli and 1 small red Chilli (both chopped and deseeded), 1 small Courgette (chopped), a little Sunflower Oil for frying, 4 plain Olives or chilli green Olives (stoned) and Brown Rice to serve.

Method:

1. Heat a little oil in a wok.
2. Drain tofu, and when oil is hot fry for 3 minutes pressing down on it.
3.  Add kidney beans and  chillies.
4.  After roughly 3 minutes add the sweetcorn, chopped courgette, olives and sauce.
5. Fry until everything is cooked through.
6. Serve with brown rice.

Aloe Banana Raisin Breakfast Bars

Health Booster I am always looking for innovative and fun ways to pack my diet full of nutritional goodness.  My strict dieting can sometimes mean that I am low on energy and brain foods.  I have always been an excellent flapjack maker so I new I could be creative to make  a healthy twist on a comfort classic.  There are two versions for those of you who can’t find my super special ingredient which I purchased from a special health market.  I stumbled upon it during a walk and was so lucky as it was only on for a day.

Recipe 1 – Ingredients:

40ml of aloe vera sap, 160g dried oats, a handful of raisins, 2 bananas (blended), 1 spoonful of runny honey, 4 tbsps flaxseed.

Recipe 2 – Ingredients:

160g dried Oats, a handful of Raisins, 2 Bananas (blended), 1 spoonful of Honey, 100g Butter, 4 tbsps Flaxseed.

Method:1. If using the first recipe mix all of the ingredients together and put into a small baking tin which has been greased with a little butter and sprinkled with a little wholemeal flour to stop the bars from sticking.

2. If using the second recipe melt the honey and butter in a pan then mix with the rest of the ingredients.

3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

4. When done wait until the mixture is cool before cutting it into slices.

Chocolate Coconut Cake

 Baker in the making

I am finally confident at making basic cake recipes, when I made basic mistakes I was able to correct them easily.  The cake was really moist and delicious and the coconut was not too overpowering, I did not want to make it sickly.  This was important, especially as I made a chocolate topping.

Ingredients:

350g unsalted Butter (almost melted), 160g Desiccated Coconut, 350g Self- Raising flour, 350g Caster Sugar, 6 large lightly beaten Eggs, 200g milk chocolate ( I chose 150g milk chocolate and 50g white chocolate), 40g White Chocolate melted.

Method:

This recipe is for a 23cm round cake tin.
1.  Mix up the sugar and butter in the bowl until it is creamy. (Leave a little bit of the butter to line the tin.)
2. Add the eggs and mix, until blended.  Then add some melted white chocolate.
3. Sift the flour into the bowl and mix in with the eggs, butter and sugar.
4. Add 150g of the coconut.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / Gas 4.

6. Line chosen cake tin with a little butter and sprinkle some flour over it.
7. Pour in the cake mixture.
8. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes (Check after 40 mins)
9. The cake will be done when it is firm, golden, risen and the skewer comes out clean.
10. Leave the cake to cool.
11. Melt chocolate and make chocolate decoration on topping.
12. Sprinkle extra coconut over this.

Saffy’s Top TipLeave out the chocolate in the mix to make the cake less chocolatey and be creative with the design, you can even put chocolate over the whole case to make a hard chocolate shell casing.

Toasted Pita Chips with Yoghurt Mint Dip

Quick Study Snack When you are working long hours it is really important to snack and eat often, otherwise you wll run low on energy and your brain will not be able to function properly.  But when you are on the go it doesn’t mean that you need to eat unhealthy or substitute freshness for unsatisfying quick fixes.  This snack is tasty and has great nutritional content. Warning! This is very garlicky 🙂

Ingredients:

This recipe was adapted from fitnessmagazine.com

8 dollops of Low- Fat Plain Yoghurt,  1 handful of finely chopped fresh Mint, 1 tsps Lemon Juice, 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, 1 minced or finely chopped Garlic clove, 1 large Pitta bread, 2 tsps Olive Oil.

Method:

1. Stir in a bowl yoghurt, mint, lemon juice, black pepper and half of the garlic. (This can be chilled for up to 8 hours.)
2. Cut the pita bread into wedges and drizzle with oil and the rest of the garlic.
3. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes at 350 degrees until pita is crispy and browned.
4. Eat with the dip.

Saffy’s Top Tip

You can substitute the bread for vegetables such as raw carrots.

Courgette and Goat’s Cheese Spaghetti

Minty FreshnessI have never used fresh mint in my food before, it tasted really fresh and healthy.  Next time I think I will add some dried tomatoes because it was missing a sweetness.  Also the recipe says include 1 chili and 1 clove of garlic between four people, this is definitely not enough as this dish needs as much flavour as possible.  Overall it is refreshing from heavy meals, but my tweaking definitely makes it more appetising whilst maintaining the minty freshness.

This recipe was adapted from ‘Good Housekeeping’ (April, 2012).

Ingredients:

Wholemeal Spaghetti, 1tbsp Olive Oil, 2 finely chopped Garlic Cloves, 4 small Chillies or 1 really really big one :), 1 and 1/2 medium Courgettes chopped into strips, grated zest of a Lemon and 1/2 of the juice, a little soft Goat’s Cheese, small handful of shredded Mint.

Method:

1. Cook spaghetti.
2. When spaghetti has been boiling for about 3 minutes, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok.
3. Fry the garlic and chili for a minute max.
4. Add the courgettes and fry for roughly 2 minutes.
5. Season at this point to taste with any extra herbs and spices.
6. Drain the pasta then place in a medium sized bowl.
7. Add the amount of the stir fry that you want and mix up together.
8. In the bowl add some lemon juice and zest to taste.
9. Do not wast food.  Save the stir fry and lemon juice for another time.
10. Add some of the goat’s cheese to taste and a handful of the shredded mint.
11. Serve in a bowl and enjoy.

 

Saffy’s Top Tip

 If there is an ingredient which you have not had before or have not had in a long time and have forgotten the taste, eat a tiny bit before you add it to your food.  For example, too much of a strong cheese is quite overwhelming when someone is not used to the taste.  So test your limits.  As chef Richard Corrigan says “You can never add too little but you can always add too much.”

Speedy Tomato Sauce

Useful RecipesThere are certain recipes which everyone should know, tomato sauce is one of them.  It can be used and adapted for lasagnes, stews, pizzas or pasta.  I added quorn balls to my spaghetti sauce and served it with wholemeal pasta, it tasted lovely.

You can use herbs of your choice and your own spices depending on your recipe.

Ingredients:

1tsp Oil, 1 large Onion, 1 chopped up Garlic Clove, 400g tinned Chopped Tomatoes, 2 tbsps Tomato Puree, 2 tsps dried Mixed Herbs, 2 tsps Oregano, 1 handful of chopped Basil, 1 tsp of Cayenne Chilli Powder.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan.
2. Fry onion for 4 minutes until it is soft.
3. Stir in the garlic and fry for a minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and herbs and spices.
5. Let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes.