Chocolate and Lime Cheesecake (Bigger)

Happy Birthday Birdspeed

Easter marks the Birthday of Birdspeed.  This year Birdspeed is 8 years old and my my my has she blossomed.  Will this be the year she soars?  I used citrus in my cheesecake to symbolise the bird of the tropics.

This recipe was adapted from the hummingbird bakery: Cake Days (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

220g chocolate digestive biscuits, 30 dark chocolate (broken into pieces), 100g unsalted butter, 800g full fat cheese, 150g caster sugar, 3 large eggs, zest and juice of 6 limes, chocolate curls (to decorate).

Method:

1. Line a deep baking pan with baking parchment min (8 inches).
2. Bash up the biscuits in a bowl using the end of a rolling-pin.
3. In a saucepan on a low heat melt the butter and chocolate together.
4. Mix the butter, chocolate and digestives into a large bowl.
5. Put this into the prepared cake tin pressing the crumbs down firmly into the base and level with the back of a spoon.
6. Leave in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes (minimum time).
7. In a big bowl whisk the cream cheese on a medium speed until smooth.
8. And the sugar and beat until combined.
9. Mix in the eggs ne at a time.
10. Mix in the most of the zest and lime juice.  Leave some of the zest for decoration.
11. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
12. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the set biscuit base.
13. Wrap the cake in tin foil and place in a roasting tin filled with roughly 5mm of water.

14. Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  The middle should have a slight wobble.
15. Allow it to cool in the roasting tin.
16. Remove the cheesecake from the water and let it cool at room temperature.
17. Decorate with zest and chocolate curls.
18. Place it in the fridge to chill overnight.
19. When ready to serve remove it from the tin.

Quorn Courgette Lasagne

Always Running Back

I was watching the end of this television programme about relationships and one of the final comments from a woman with low self-esteem reminded me about a dish very close to my heart.  I first made lasagne during my 2nd year of Uni.  It was one of the first dishes I learnt to cook and it has been one of my partner’s favourite meals by me ever since.  The show was about ex – partners, and the woman was saying that she kept going back to her ex because she kept falling in love with him all over again (even though she knew he wasn’t good for her).  This is the story of my lasagne, the only difference is that lasagne has always been good to me.  See there are some dishes that you will always make and will always be proud of.  So even though I love trying new recipes and I want to learn as much about cooking as possible,  I will never forget about the original recipes that made me the cook I am today.  I always run back to my favourites.  My partner and mother really enjoyed this lasagne, it was bursting with flavour and I used Red Leicester cheese as an alternative to mozzarella, which worked out really well.

This recipe was adapted from Sainsbury’s Everyday Easy Magazine (2012).

 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion (chopped ), 2 cloves (chopped), 300g minced quorn, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 200g chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, a handful of fresh chopped basil and parsley, 2 tbsps ketchup, 50ml vegetable stock, lasagne verde sheets,  25g flour, 25g butter, 20ml skimmed milk, salt and pepper, 2 courgettes (thinly sliced), 60g Red Leicester cheese (grated).

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for a minute.
2. Add the mince and cook for 10 minutes until it has browned.
3. Add the cinnamon in the final 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, tomato ketchup and stock.
5. Let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes to reduce it.
6. Start pre boiling lasagne sheets.
7. In a small pan heat on a low heat, the butter and flour.
8. Mix continuously until it forms a thick paste.
9. Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the milk mixing continuously.
10. Add more milk until a flowing, but thick consistency is reached.
11. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
12. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
13. Start layering.  Put half of the mince at the bottom of an oven proof dish.  (I used a round 20 inch dish and cut the lasagne sheets into round shapes.)
14. Level the mince, then place courgettes on top.
15. Layer lasagne sheets on top.
16. Top this with half the white sauce and cheese.
17. Repeat making the final layer white sauce, cheese and courgettes.
18. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
19. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Hopping  in the Kitchen

While I was waiting for this soup to simmer I was doing a dance called The Hop in the kitchen while dancing to a funny gospel song.  Carrots, hopping and cream.  A perfect activity and starter for Good Friday.

This recipe was taken from Vegetarian Cooking (Coombe Books, 1993).

Ingredients:

1 large onion (chopped), 2 garlic cloves (chopped), 1 tbsp olive oil, 450g carrots (peeled and chopped), 1 tsp mixed herbs, 3 cups of stock, 140ml soured cream, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Fry the onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, mixed herbs and stock.
4. Bring to the boil then let simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Cool a little and then liquidise.
6. Add the soured cream, season to taste and heat through before serving.

Digestive Cakes

What If?

I was once told that great minds ask questions and when it comes to cooking I ask myself questions all the time.  For example… Can black bananas be used as an alternative for mushy peas?  Can carrots become chips? And… What if there was a cake made out of digestives rather than cornflakes?  I asked myself this very question before I made my digestive beauties.  The turned out to be really nice.  This is definitely something I could develop, but I would recommend this to those of you who want an extra treat using left over digestive biscuits from cheesecake making.

Ingredients:

125g butter, 125g sugar, 2 eggs, 150g digestive biscuits (crushed), 50g self – raising  flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda.

Method:

1. Beat the butter and the sugar together until creamy.
2. Beat in the eggs beating well after each addition.
3. Pour 125g of the biscuits into the mixture.
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
5. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
6. Divide into muffin or cupcake cases in a tin.
7. Sprinkle the remaining crushed digestives on top.
8. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes depending on the size at 180 degrees C.
9. The cakes are done when browned and firm to the touch. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chewy Chocolate Oat Treats

Mighty Morphing Snacks

Okay so I am really getting into my Power Rangers.  Watching the show has really cheered me up during my recovery and when I watch it I don’t think about the snowy weather at all.  Anyone who has watched the original Power Rangers would know that when they defeat great forces of evil their only option of fighting back is by morphing their dinasaur powers together.  Naturally I applied this concept to my food.  Lately I have been making lots of small treats and I thought it would be quite interesting to combine two very popular snacks together. The flapjack and the brownie.  I think this is a really nice alternative for people who don’t want the full on chocolate flavour of the brownie and want a slightly healthier option too.

This recipe was adapting from Good Housekeeping Magazine (April, 2012).

Ingredients:

75g butter (and extra to grease), 175g light brown sugar, 125g runny honey, 3 medium eggs, 125g oats, 175g plain flour, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 125g white chocolate cubes, a little combination of chocolate to drizzle over the top (melted).

Method:

1. Lightly grease a baking tin and line with baking parchment.
2. In a large bowl mix the butter and sugar until creamy.
3. Add the honey and mix until well combined.
4. Stir in the eggs beating well after each addition.
5. Add the oats and mix.
6. Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
7. When everything has been stired together.
8. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
9. Pour the mixture into the tin.
10. Bake for 35 minutes, the food is done when the skewer comes out clean after being inserted into the centre.
11. Leave to cool before drizziling chocolate over the top.
12. Leave to set and then cut out and serve.

Healthier Alternative:

Swap the white chocolate chunks with 2 tbsps of cocoa powder and 2 tsps of flaxseed.

Tomato and Basil Soup with a kick

Confused Weather

It is official the seasons have officially changed.  Just a few days before Easter Sunday and it was snowing.  The day was colder than my birthday which is in December.  In the morning the sun was shining and I was feeling hopeful but then I saw it at about 12pm, the first snowflake.  The great willow tree in the back garden held onto it’s leaves for sheer life against the raging winds and people were trying to tread carefully outside to stop themselves from slipping.  I made this lovely soup with a fiery kick so I could feel comforted as the weather continued to make up it’s mind.  Just because I have tantrums it doesn’t mean the weather has to have mood swings too.  When I said the world revolved around me I wasn’t actually being serious.

This recipe was adapted from Cooking Light Magazine (2002).

Ingredients:

2 tsps olive oil, 3 garlic cloves (chopped), 2 cups of vegetable stock, a dash of salt, 300g passata, 2 handfuls fresh basil leaves (chopped), 2 tsps hot pepper sauce.

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat.
2. Fry the garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Add the stock, salt and passata.
4. Bring to the boil.
5. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes, then add basil leaves and hot pepper sauce.
6. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Green Monster Soup

Big Ugly Monsters

I named this soup after the big ugly monsters on the Power Rangers.  I was having a relaxing afternoon and I just felt like watching a childhood favourite. I made this super healthy green soup and the look of it resembled the monsters featured in the episode unfortunately.  Luckily the soup tasted good so I wasn’t put off.  I really love my vegetables so I didn’t feel this to be a big a challenge as fighting the forces of evil.  Don’t fight the vegetables people there are more important things to worry about.  This soup is for the hardcore!

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine (2013).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil, 2 large leeks (chopped), salt and pepper, 2 garlic cloves (chopped), 2 tsps dried marjoram, the florets from one broccoli, 2 cups of vegetable stock, 4 chunks of frozen spinach, low – fat yoghurt.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan ove a medium heat.
2. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper.
3. After frying them for 2 minutes add the garlic and marjoram.
4. Fry for 30 seconds before adding the broccoli.
5. When the florets are bright green add the stock and spinach.
6. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Let the soup cool for 5 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt.

Tuna Courgette and Pepper Scramble

A Great Woman

The day I made this scramble was the day that I learnt what it truly means to be a great person.  If you are great it won’t matter what is on the outside because your greatness will always shine through.  If you are truly loving, honourable and good then it isn’t necessary to constantly try and  prove to people how good you are.  Everybody makes mistakes but spending your whole life trying to correct mistakes won’t do you any favours.  I learnt that I have to focus on my greatness and if I am truly a wonderful person others will see it and I won’t have to force it in their faces.  So when I’m not cooking, dancing or showing off my other talents I hope people see the good in me.  This scramble does not look like a gourmet meal but looks are very deceiving.  I am 5 ft 3 but inside I am tall and strong, this meal is unattractive but it tastes like it was fit for a warrior princess.  I loved this meal.

This recipe was adapted from gluten free cooking for health (Anness Publishing Ltd, 1998).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 onion (chopped), 1 courgette (thinly sliced), 3/4 red pepper (seeded and sliced), 4 eggs, 30 ml skimmed milk, 1 can tuna (drained and flaked), 2 tsps herbes de provence, 75g red Leicester cheese (grated), salt and black pepper.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
2. Add the onion, courgette and red pepper.
3. Cook for 8 minutes stirring frequently.
4. In a bowl beat the eggs with the milk.
5. Season the vegetables with the herbes de provence and add the tuna.
6. Continue to stir and after 2 minutes add the egg.
7. Cook over a medium heat until the eggs begin to set.
8. Allow the uncooked egg to run onto the pan by tilting it.
9. Continue cooking until frittata is cooked underneath.
10. Pre heat the grill.
11. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
12. Grill the frittata for 10 minutes or until the top is melted and the eggs are cooked.

Indian Spiced Salmon

Reading

On the day that I made this beautiful healthy light meal I was reading as if my life depended on it.  I love books that just take you on an incredible journey.  A journey so magnificent that you take your mind off of all the foolishness around you and force you to make express meals because the book is too good to put down.  This quick grilled salmon is for those of you doing something so wonderful you can’t stop doing it for too long.  The salmon spices are exciting but provide a gentle depth so the salmon is still king.

This recipe was taken from Cooking Light Magazine (2011).

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, dash of salt, dash of black pepper, 1/4 red pepper (diced into small pieces), 2 salmon fillets.

Method:

1. Place the salmon on baking tray which has been covered in foil.
2. Mix the herbs, spices, red pepper, salt and pepper in a bowl.
3. Rub over the salmon.
4. Grill on a medium heat for 20 minutes or until salmon is opaque.

Served With:

I made an easy flavoursome cous cous.  I poured vegetable stock about an inch over my cous cous in a heat – proof bowl.  I also added a handful of chopped fresh parsley.  I left the cous cous for about 15 minutes and flaked it with a fork.  I knew the cous cous was done when it was light and fluffy.

Chewy Currant Brownies

I Got It Bad

I can now confirm it was not a fluke.  I CAN  make delicious brownies.  When I finished making these I was so overjoyed I just wish my partner was around to taste them.  I can’t wait to redeem myself and make him the most delicious brownies I have ever tasted.  Much better than the dry shop brought ones.  I added currants to the original recipe,  they were so glorious they felt sinful. OOOOOO I sure do got it bad!!!!!!!!!!!!

This recipe was adapted from Fine Cooking (August, 1999).

Ingredients:

4oz unsalted butter, 4oz dark chocolate, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, a dash of salt, 2 tsps vanilla extract, 1 cup plain flour, 2 tbsps cocoa powder, 1/2 cup dried currants.

Method:

1. Prepare a square baking tin and line with baking parchment.
2. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan over a low heat.
4. Stir and wait for the chocolate to melt.
5. Pour into a mixing bowl. (I prefer to make brownies in a bowl.)
6. Add the sugar and salt then mix well.
7. Gently fold in the flour and cocoa powder until evenly distributed.
8. Gently stir in the currants.
9. Pour into baking tray then level.
10. Bake for 40 minutes.
11. Cool completely before cutting.

Saffy’s Temptation:

Serve the warm brownies with homemade ice cream mixed with cherries.