Peachy

Green 

Do not be fooled by the colour of this drink, it is one of the loveliest homemade juices I have ever tasted.  Watching these American food documentaries has been a lot of fun, it’s basically confirmed my theory that all food is good within reason and that Americans are crazy so it’s better to eat what you trust and pretty much live in England where pizza is not considered to be a vegetable.  This juice is great for a morning boost and post workout refresher.  There is no excuse not to get more vitamins into your body, just get the ingredients and blend.

This recipe was taken from Fern Green’s Green Juices & Smoothies (Octopus Publishing Books Ltd, 2015).

Ingredients:

2 large handfuls of spinach, 2 peaches, a sprig of mint, a tbsp of honey.

Method:

Blend together and drink up positively.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Real Soup

In the Caribbean a soup is not soup unless it features dumplings.  Dumplings are gorgeous dough balls with a lovely texture that people usually save for last unless they haven’t had them in a long time in which case they gobble them up as they are irresistible.  This soup does not feature dumplings which is a shame because it was oh so close to perfection otherwise.  If you are a West Indian you will miss the dumplings, if not you will be more than satisfied.

This recipe was taken from Helen Aitken’s The Really Useful Ultimate Student Vegetarian Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2000).

Ingredients:

375ml vegetable stock, 1/2 tbsp oil, 1/2 onion (peeled and chopped), 1/2 tbsp grated ginger, 500g carrots (peeled and chopped), 1 tbsp chopped coriander.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy base pan and add the onion and ginger to cook for 2 minutes.
2. When the onion has softened add the stock and the carrots.
3. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
4. Use a hand blender to smooth the soup a little.
5. Return the pan and season to taste.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne

Shut up and Cook

Preparation can be really boring, the endless chopping and never ending strips of vegetable peel, but if you keep complaining and procrastinating the meal will never be cooked.  Better to just put on some music and try to enjoy the preparation of the meal.  These days all you have to do is pop some clingfilm and shove the food in the microwave, but that doesn’t really give a strong sense of satisfaction.  Don’t be lazy, shut up and cook.  This is a vegetarian lasagne,  it is very filling and uses high quality fresh ingredients.

This recipe was taken from Helen Aitken’s The Really Useful Ultimate Student Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2000).

Ingredients:

125ml olive oil, 2 tbsps red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp finely capers (chopped), 1 tbsp parsley (finely chopped), 1 garlic clove (finely chopped), 1 tsp tomato paste, salt and pepper, 1 red pepper (deseeded and finely chopped), 1 large aubergine (sliced, rinsed and well drained), 2 large courgettes (thinly sliced), 400g sweet potato (slightly cooked peeled and sliced), 1 plum tomatoes (quartered), 375g lasagne sheets (pre cooked), 90g pesto, olive oil, 100g freshly grated parmesan cheese, 150g mozzarella cheese, a handful of cherry tomatoes (halved).

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Combine the first 7 ingredients and whisk thoroughly.
3. Grill the skin on the red pepper.
4. Peel discard the skin and use the flesh.
5. Place red pepper and remaining vegetables in a large baking dish.
6. Coat half of the vegetables with the whisked marinade.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Turn and coat again with the remaining marinade.
9. Cook for another 15 minutes.
10. Start ordering the lasagne in an oven proof dish.
11. Lasagne sheets then vegetables.
12. Once there are 5 layers ending with lasagne sheets brush with the rest of the olive oil, top with cheese and cherry tomatoes.
13. Bake for 20 minutes until heated through.

Tomato and Bread

Uncreative much

This is the worst name for a recipe I have ever seen.  Yes it is literally tomato and bread but Silvana Franco couldn’t have come up with a more interesting name.  This food is good to keep people waiting for the main event,  and it’s also romantic.  Imagine your date is sitting at the table waiting for their meal and nibbling on their appetizer as the parfait sets and the rice fluffs up.

This recipe was taken with not much effort from Sivana Franco’s The Really Useful Ultimate Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2007).

Ingredients:

1 ripe tomato, a thick slice of rustic country style bread, 2 fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, corse sea salt.

Method:

1. Cut the tomato in slices and place on the slices of bread.
2. Crush the bread slices down a little so the juice seeps into the bread.
3. Roughly tear the basil leaves and scatter over the top.
4. Drizzle over a tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Quick Quorn Burgers

Burgers

Quorn hamburgers do need extra work to make because of the texture of quorn which is hard to form into patties.  The sauce will help the formation. Do not be stingy on the flavour either, quorn is super bland at its worse.

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

Ingredients:

500g quorn mince (pre cooked on a low simmer), 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, 1 tsp mixed herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, 1 tsp tabasco sauce.

Method:

1. Place all of the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
2. Shape the mixture together into 4 large round patties.
3. Pop under a medium grill for around 8 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Sliders

Sliders

These mini burgers are so cute and delightful they are so easy to make.  You can make them as spicy as you like and serve them with your favourite sides from sweet potato fries to courgette chips.  I love to eat out at restaurants but I am definitely more satisfied making my own burgers.

This recipe was adapted from Love Food’s The Burger (Parragon, Books, 2012).

Ingredients:

450g fresh beef mince, 2 onions (peeled and chopped), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 3 tsps mixed herbs, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, mozzarella cheese, salad leaves, burger buns, condiments of choice.

Method:

1. Place the beef, onions, salt and pepper, mixed herbs and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
2. Mix altogether and shape into small burgers.
3. Heat a pan and lightly coat with all.
4. Cook through for about 5 minutes on each side.
5. When cooked to your liking place the burgers in the buns with some cheese, salad and anything else you like on your burger.

Method:

Soft Tutti Fruity

Sunshine Breakfast

A sunshine breakfast is a breakfast which is supposed to help you start your day off with a smile and my juices will most certainly add to that boost.  Rather than the loaded sugar drinks at the supermarket my juices contain natural sugars and if you do need the juices sweeter you can choose how much sugar, syrup or honey to add.

Ingredients:

12 strawberries, 1 apricot (de stoned), 2 peaches (chopped and de stoned), 1 small tsp honey.

Method:

Blend well and drink up with a smile.

Orange Bubble Puffs

Lovely

These biscuits are lovely and easy and quick to make just in time for a movie starting in less than an hour.  Being satisfied with food and comforted doesn’t mean waiting a long time.  It just needs creativity and the right ingredients.  The orange flavour blossoms in every bite but not as a tarty flavour.  Enjoy and you might want to double up on the recipe.  These biscuits run out fast.

Ingredients:

150g butter, 200g plain flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsps baking powder, 1 large egg beaten, 200g caster sugar, 1tsp vanilla essence, 2 tbsps grated orange rind.

Method:

1. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.
2. Put the butter and sugar into another bowl and beat until creamy.
3. Stir in the beaten egg and vanilla.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with the zest.
5. Form into a dough and knead onto a lightly floured surface.
6. Cut out biscuit shapes and place on a baking tray.
7. Heat the oven at 200 degrees C.
8. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes until browned.
9. Leave the biscuits on a wire rack to cool before serving.

Easter Biscuits

Oogly

“Oogly” is a new word I adopted a year or so ago from South Park.  It represents a lovely warm feeling of a juvenile nature.  I like saying it in a childish voice and it is truly adorable and reminds me of all the lovely things which bring a smile to my face.  These biscuits remind me of the word.  They are cute, full of love and are soft but chewy inside so your cheeks bubble when you eat them.

This recipe was taken from Good Housekeeping Cook’s Year (Ebury Press, 1995).

Ingredients:

125g butter (softened), 75g caster sugar, 1 egg separated, 200g white flour, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 50g currants, 1 tbsp mixed peel, 2 tbsps brandy, soft brown sugar for sprinkling.

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg yolk.
3. Sift the flour and spices and salt together over the mixture.
4. Stir well then add the fruit and mixed peel.
5. Then add brandy to give a fairly soft dough.
6. Knead lightly on a lightly floured surface and shape into small round shapes to desired size but keep at east an inch apart on the baking tray.
7. Bake at 200 degrees C for 10 minutes.
8. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle a little brown sugar on top.
9. Return the cookies back to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
10. Transfer on a wire rack and then leave to cool.

Turkey with Lemon & Hazlenuts

With Wine

I have actually only added wine to a dish when making a bolognese.  I do not know much about wine and I am not yet impressed by its taste.  I think it is something you have to have the stomach for and have some knowledge about pairing the right ingredients.  This meal works excellently when infused with a dry white wine.  There is real depth in this meal,  I am very glad I built up the courage to make it.  I like food that is not only tasty but has interesting textures. Turkey escalopes can be used instead of turkey fillets, whatever is easiest for you.

This recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping Cook’s Year (Ebury Press, 1995).

Ingredients:

100g turkey thigh meat (pre cooked until golden brown), 175g finely chopped hazlenuts, 75g butter (diced), 125ml dry white wine, 30ml lemon juice, 1 tbsp tarragon, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Add the wine to a hot pan and boil rapidly until reduced by half.
2. Add the lemon juice and tarragon and seasoning to taste.
3. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the diced butter to thicken the sauce slightly.
4. Adjust the seasoning and add the turkey.
5. Serve when the turkey has been heated through.