Easy Garden Pea Soup

On the mend

There is nothing like a good soup to help you through your body’s natural recovery mode.  My poor feet were aching and my body in general really wasn’t feeling 100%, so I made a quick batch of nice pea soup and relaxed for the afternoon and evening.  I do not usually give in to resting, but when I do I make sure I have good food and no check lists in sight.  You can’t go wrong with a lightly seasoned pea soup.

This recipe was adapted from Ainsley Harriott’s just five ingredients (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

1 medium onion (finely chopped), 1 tbsp sunflower oil,  450g frozen peas, 8 fresh mint leaves, 750ml vegetable stock, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Fry the onion until soft.
3. Add the frozen peas and mint.
4. Stir for 4 minutes, when the peas are well coated add the stock.
5. Bring to the boil.
6. Leave to simmer for 3 minutes and simmer to taste.

American Apple and Apricot Cake

Finally Apricots!

It really is not an easy task using dried apricots in baking for when apricots burn they are so unpleasant.  I finally found a recipe in which baked dried apricots are a delight rather than an annoying surprise.  Mary Berry’s American Apple and Apricot cake at first seemed dry when I noted the ingredients.  However, once I loosened the mixture with a little water (the same could be done with milk), the cake mix immediately became a better quality.  The cake turned out to be light with delicate sweet flavours.  I included chopped almonds as a topping to make a more appealing design.

This recipe was adapted from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

250g self – raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 225g caster sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 150g butter (melted), 225g cooking apples (peeled, cored and thinly sliced), 100g dried apricots (chopped into small pieces), chopped almonds.

Method:

1.  Prepare a deep round cake tin.
2. Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees C.
3. Beat together the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs almond extract and butter.
4. Gently fold in the fruit.
5. Pour the mixture into a baking tin.
6. Sprinkle some almonds over the top.
7. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes until the cake is firm to the touch.
8. Leave the cake to cool a little before serving.

Saffy’s Serving Ideas:

1. Greek Style Yoghurt and stewed apples.
2. Warm custard with walnut halves.
3. Apple and Cinnamon sauce.

Lemon Tea Time Dainty Snacks

“Oh Hell No!”

A friend of my mother’s was very down so I decided to make her feel better by telling her funny and real life stories about ridiculous encounters I’ve had over the last few weeks with other people.  It may have been a few hours but it was those moments that allowed her to be happy, and for that she was thankful.  I also wanted to make her a lovely treat.  She said one of her favourite cakes was lemon drizzle.  I only had the ingredients to make a Lemon Swiss Roll and so I designed the roll to make it looks like lemon drizzle cakes.  Mummy’s friend loved them and appreciated the effort I had put in.  It feels good to do nice things for yourself but it feels even better to do things for others.  When girlfriends get together you should have a really good time and be there for each other.

This recipe was adapted from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books 2009).

Ingredients:

4 eggs, 100g caster sugar, zest of 1 lemon, 100g self – raising flour, lemon curd.

Method:

1. Prepare a swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
2. Whisk the eggs, sugar and lemon in a large bowl.
3. When the mixture is light, frothy and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted out sift in the flour.
4. Carefully fold in the flour and lemon zest.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
6. When level pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
7. Bake for 15 minutes until the sponge is golden brown and begins to shrink from the edges of the tin.
8. While the cake is cooling, place a piece of baking parchment a little bigger than the size of the tin onto a work surface and then sprinkle it with caster sugar.
9. Invert the cake onto the sugared parchment.
10. Leave to cool slightly then cut out rectangles and stack the cakes using lemon curd to make 3 layers.

Quick Banana Bread

Over Ripe Banana

When you have over ripe bananas in your house do not throw them away because the sweetness is so wonderful it has to be used in a recipe.  This banana bread is a quick solution to using up those bananas.  Caribbean food usually require the bananas to be over ripe to produce a sweet result.  So try this cake (called bread, confusing but there you go!) For a delicious tea time treat.

This recipe was adapted from Ainsley Harriott’s just five ingredients (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

4 over ripe bananas, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 225g self – raising flour, 200g caster sugar, 100g butter, 2 eggs.

Method:

1. Mash up the bananas with the lemon juice.
2. Beat the butter and caster sugar together.
3. When creamy beat in the eggs.
4. Sift in the flour.
5. Fold in the mashed bananas.
6. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
7. Pour into a prepared cake tin.
8. Bake for an hour, until risen and firm to the touch.

Saffy’s Serving Ideas:

1. Ice Cream
2. Thick Custard
3. Pecans and Walnuts
4. Blueberry Compote

Lemon Chicken Rice

Every Season

I was reading through a cookbook which divided various recipes into different seasons.  There is one meal I found in another cookbook though which I felt could be used in any season.  This one pot meal can be served with a variety of side dishes and helps you to save a great deal of time in the kitchen.

This recipe was adapted from Silvana Franco’s The Really Useful Ultimate Student Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2007).

Ingredients:

250g basmati rice,  1 tbsp dried mixed herbs, 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped), roughly 7 pieces of chicken breast (washed and prepped), 2 cubes of Maggie seasoning dissolved in 400ml water, gravy and vegetables to serve.

Method:

1. Pour the basmati rice into an oven proof dish.
2. Mix in the herbs and garlic.
3. Place the chicken pieces over the top.
4. Pour over the maggie seasoning in liquid.
5. Bake in the dish for an hour.
6. Remove from the oven when the rice and chicken has cooked.
7. Serve with gravy and vegetables.

Quick Nachos

Let them be

This is a snack for when you just cannot be bothered anymore with people who annoy you and you just want to have a day to yourself shutting out the world.  You only need a few simple ingredients to make this quick snack, and when you are really in a mood you are excused from not making your own guacamole.

This recipe was adapted from Silvana Franco’s The Really Useful Ultimate Student Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2007).

Ingredients:

Tortilla Chips, mild cheddar cheese (grated), jalepenos, guacamole, sour cream and salsa to serve.

Method:

1. Pour a load of tortillas into an oven proof dish.
2. Scatter the cheese over the top and sprinkle a few jalepenos.
3. Heat the nachos in the oven at 120 degrees C for 20 minutes.
4. Share with those you love and eat with the condiments.

Pancakes with Pineapple and Desiccated Coconut

Raiding the cupboard

The morning I made these pancakes I raided the cupboard and found a combination which could not be more perfect.  Pineapple and coconut, a perfect breakfast on the hottest day of the year.

This recipe was adapted from Silvana Franco’s The Ultimate Student Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2007).

Ingredients:

125g plain flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 egg (beaten), 300ml milk, vegetable oil for frying, pineapple pieces (drained), desiccated coconut, icing sugar.

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix the flour and salt.
2. Beat in the egg and milk until a smooth batter is made.
3. Heat the oil in the frying pan at a medium heat.
4. Fry the pancakes in batches and then drain the pancakes on paper towels.
5. Divide the pancakes onto plates and serve with pineapple pieces, desiccated coconut and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Ham, Leek and Mushroom Fusilli

Injury

The problem with living an active lifestyle is that I get injured every so often.  My latest injury was pull in my hamstring.  There was no way I was going to be able to stand up for a long time to cook dinner so I needed to cook something quick.  Pasta is the perfect foundation for a  main meal to keep you full for a long time when you do not have the time to be spending hours in the kitchen.  No sauce needs to be made with this pasta all you need is vegetables and light cream cheese.

This recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping Magazine (September 2012).

Ingredients:

300g fusilli, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 large leek (finely sliced), 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped), 250g mushrooms (finely chopped), 150g ham (finely chopped), 170g light cream cheese.

Method:

1. Start cooking the pasta in lightly salted boiled water.
2. Heat the oil in the pan.
3. Fry the leeks, garlic, mushrooms and ham.
4. When the leeks and mushrooms are soft remove from the heat.
5. When the pasta has cooked drain then return back into the saucepan.
6. While still hot mix in the vegetables and cream cheese before dividing onto serving plates.

Ginger Based Cheesecake

Let it go

I made this dessert when I was very angry and conflicted. Rather then bashing heads I bashed biscuits, rather than beating up my dreams I beat cream cheese.  It is called cooking therapy and it works…for a full 2 hours.  The ginger biscuits gave this vanilla cheesecake a nice twist and I was in a spicy mood.  It is good to take your anger out on doing something creative.  I really do not like people to see the worse sides of me and I am sure many others feel the same way, so why not do something creative and let it all go.  Let out all the anger and resentment.  The worse thing you could do is keep it in and let it eat you on the inside.  Eat ginger based cheesecake instead and block the world out while doing so.

This recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping Magazine (May 2012).

Ingredients:

50g melted butter, 25g chocolate sauce, 200g ginger biscuits, 250g mascarpone cheese, 250g full fat cream cheese, 100g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract, 150ml double cream.

Method:

1. Bash up the ginger biscuits with all your might.
2. Mix the biscuits with the butter and sauce.
3. Press into an oven proof  baking tin.
4. In a large bowl mix the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and double cream until thick.
5. Spread over the ginger chocolate biscuits and chill for a few hours.

Scotch Pancakes

Practice makes Perfect

I am so confident at making pancakes now. Pretty soon I will be flipping them like a pro.  Until then I would like to work on making my own flavours and combinations. I envy those who own crepe stalls and spend their entire day making people happy.  Scotch pancakes are pretty awsome as well.  They are big and fluffy and can be eaten for breakfast and dessert.

This recipe was adapted from Silvana Franco’s The Really Useful Ultimate Student Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2007).

(This can make about 15 pancakes in a medium frying pan.)

Ingredients:

250g self – raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 30g sugar, pinch of salt, 2 eggs (beaten), 300ml whole milk, 45g melted butter, oil (for frying), chocolate sauce and icing sugar to serve.

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix the flour, powder, sugar and salt.
2. Beat in the eggs and half of the milk until smooth.
3. Beat in the rest of the milk.
4. Heat a little oil in the frying pan.
5. Fry the pancakes in batches for about 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
6. Drain the pancakes in paper towels.
7. Serve with chocolate sauce and icing sugar.