My Baba Ganoush

It's an odd thing cooking a whole aubergine, but then again, it's pretty satisfying. Baga Ganoush is quite straight forward, tasty and healthy - however it's a bit of an effort too! Most recipes will ask for tahini, but I prefer to use peanut butter as it's less strong. One aubergine doesn't go very far, and then it's gone in a flash. So if you're making this dip for a lot of people, try double or tripling the quantities. 

Ingredients (makes a small bowl)

- 1 whole aubergine, washed

- 1 small clove of garlic

- 4 sprigs of mint, stalks removed and leaves kept

- a few drops of sesame oil

- 1/2 tbsp smooth peanut butter 

- juice of half a lemon

- salt and pepper

1. Turn the oven to 200c and cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Place your aubergine in the oven for 40-50 minutes, turning occasionally. *Some recipes say to prick the aubergine first, but this makes it harder to peel when it's cooked*

2. When the aubergine is charred and flattened slightly, take it out of the oven and peel off the skin.

*The aubergine will let off some water*

3. The water needs to be removed to form a smooth creamy texture. Put the aubergine in a sieve and push out the water with a spoon.

4. Mix all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

 

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds to add a little colour.

Naughty Chocolatey Brownies

A brownie recipe that never fails! I made these for 30-40 people in the summer and they were a huge hit. The brownie mix is extremely good, so expect to eat half the mix before cooking!

Ingredients (makes 8 very large pieces)

- 100g plain flour (I have made them using gluten-free flour and they're still very good. Next time I want to try ground almonds)

- 250g unsalted butter

- 300g caster sugar or soft brown sugar

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 75g good quality cocoa powder

- 4 eggs

- 100g plain chocolate or white chocolate (drops or from a bar - not too dark unless you like rich brownies), mashed into small pieces

1. Start by turning the oven to 180°c. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer for a few minutes and then gradually add the eggs one at a time.

2. Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and blitz until smooth. 

3. Stir in the chopped chocolate drops or pieces and then place in a suitable lined square cake tin.

4. Put the brownies on the floor of the oven for 25 minutes and then turn the oven down to 140°c (simmering oven) and bake for another 20 minutes in the centre of the oven.

* If you have doubled the mixture, then 40 minutes for baking and 35 for simmering * Try adding chopped nuts or raspberries for someting different *

Easy Chilli Chicken Pot with Peppers and Basil

This dish is so simple, delicious and quick. It's perfect for any dinner party as you can leave it to cook while attending to your guests. This was invented from fridge leftovers, so you can chop and change the vegetables as you wish. The radishes were a late addition, and I don't think I've ever cooked them before - but they really work!

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 4 chicken legs or thighs

- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes or similar

- 2 peppers (any colours), chopped into big slices

- 1 onion, thinly sliced

- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly sliced

- 1 whole red chilli, chopped

- two sprigs of basil with around 14 leaves, roughly chopped (I keep leftover basil in the freezer so that it doesn't go bad, and then get it out when I don't have it fresh. Any herb can be frozen and used this way, saving waste and money)

- a few good glugs of leftover red wine (or any wine if you don't have red)

- 1 chicken stock cube

- 100g radishes (optional), chopped in half

1. Firstly, brown the chicken in a little vegetable oil (it might be good to use a deep frying pan with a lid - to avoid spitting), for around 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Remove the chicken from the pan and fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes. When they begin to soften, add the wine and tinned tomatoes and cook until the sauce starts to bubble. 

3. Place the chicken, peppers and chilli in the pan and cook on a medium heat for around 20-25 minutes. Fill the empty chopped tomato can with 1/3 boiling water and the stock cube, and add that to the pan 10 minutes in along with the chopped basil. If you like lots of sauce, keep the lid on so that the juices don't evaporate away. Keep an eye on the heat too...it might need turning down a little.

4. If you're using radishes (or another alternative like peas or mushrooms) add these to the pan 5 minutes before serving.

Serve this dish alongside rice, potatoes or some delicious bread. Minimal effort and washing up, maximum tummy happiness!

Easiest Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cups for Valentine's Day

With very little prep and hassle, you can make these sweet tasty bites and wow the special someone on the receiving end. Unfortunately this post is going to ruin my surprise, but I wanted to share these with you before Valentine's Day on Saturday. They are probably the quickest tasty treat I have ever made...and cheap too, with only 4 ingredients! They are not the healthiest things however, but who doesn't like a naughty something once and a while.

Ingredients (makes 8 large chocolates)

- 400g chocolate, around 52% cocoa (very cheap from Lidl!)

- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter (or dairy free nut butter if preferred)

- 1 tsp maple syrup or natural sweet syrup such as 'Sweet Freedom'

- goji berries to decorate

You will need silicone moulds, so that the chocolates come out easily. Mini cupcake cases would also work.

1. Place all of the chocolate into a glass bowl resting on a saucepan with a little water in it. Heat up the saucepan to melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. When the choc is melted, after around 3 minutes, pour a little into your moulds - about 1 1/2 tbsp each depending on the size of your mould, or 1/2 tsp if using mini cupcake cases. 

2. Put the chocolate in the freezer for a few minutes while you prepare the peanut butter filling.

3. Mix together the peanut butter and sweetner. If you find it won't mix, heat it up a little in a pan. 

4. By this time, the chocolate in the freezer should be nice and hard. Remove is and spoon one tsp of peanut butter filling in the centre. Return them to the freezer for another few minutes.

5. If the chocolate that was heated up has gone a bit hard, pop it back on the hob to heat it up.

6. Finally, once the peanut butter filling has hardened, remove them from the freezer and place another 2 tbsp of chocolate on top, levelling the cups out as much as possible. Decorate with a few goji berries, nut sprinkles or rose petals before returning them to the freezer for a final set - around 2 hours. 

7. If you have used silicone moulds, the chocolates should pop out extremely easily. The outside should be nice and hard, and the centre all gooey and delicious.

Extremely quick and scrumptious - ENJOY!

Sundried Tomato and Basil Houmous

This is a super easy recipe. I have used peanut butter as an alternative to tahini, as I feel it gives a smoother, softer flavour. Plus, peanut butter lasts for ages and is always stocked up in my lader.

Ingredients (makes one large ramekin)

 - 400g tin of soft chickpeas (I like to use TRS Asia Boiled Chickpeas) with 1/3 chickpea juice

- 140g sundried tomatoes, drained (from a jar)

- 2 tsp smooth peanut butter

- 1/2 chilli, deseeded

- 8 basil leaves

- 1 clove of garlic

- juice of 1/2 a lemon

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- poppy seeds to serve (optional)

- salt and pepper

1. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or using a hand blender. 

2. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and a sprig of basil. 

Broad Bean, Coriander and Chilli Houmous Dip

This morning was spent picking runner beans from my mum's vegetable garden, and I thought I ought to make something delicious for lunch. I love it when you get half way through making something, only to realise that you don't have all the ingredients you want, because it calls for a little experimentation. From this slight blip, I concocted a new, exciting, and very healthy dip recipe. This has a kick, so if you're susceptible to spice, add less chilli

 Ingredients (makes two pots)

- 400g tin soft boiled chickpeas (I use TRS Boiled Chick Peas) with 2/3 chickpea water

- 2 handfuls of cooked broad beans (with skins)

- 1/2 a large clove of garlic

- juice of half lemon

- juice of half a lime 

- 1/2 a fresh chilli

- a handful of fresh coriander (stalks included)

- a good glug of olive oil

- pepper

1. Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz for a few minutes.

2. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more olive oil or lemon juice.

3. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, linseeds or poppy seeds to make it look pretty and serve how you wish. I'd like to try this smothered on pumpernickle bread and topped with smoked salmon.

Spring Salads with a Variety of Dressings

Quinoa and Barley Salad with Ratatouille and Roasted Nuts

Ratatouille is so simple to make, and I love putting it in salads. Add it to quinoa or barley, mix in some chopped coriander and a few squeezes of lemon juice, then top it with roasted nuts for a yummy alternative to standard salads. 

Cucumber and Pomegranate Salad with Mixed Nuts and Seeds

Pomegranates add that extra sweetness to salads, and if matched with a sour lemon dressing, you can't go wrong. Mix 2 tsp mayonnaise with 2 tsp dijon mustard, then add the juice or half a small lemon. Gradually pour in good quality olive oil until it reaches a good consistency.

Seafood Salad with Chicory, Grapes, Tomatoes and Fresh Coriander

Seafood mixes are a great way to bulk up salads and make them look and taste exotic. Use the dressing mentioned above, and add some honey to sweeten it up a little.

Mushroom and Pomegranate Salad with an Assortment of Nuts

Match the sweet pomegranate seeds with a balsamic dressing. Shake up 4 tbsp good quality olive oil with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, half a garlic clove (crushed), 1 tsp dijon mustard, a few dashes of worcester sauce and a pinch of sugar in a jam jar. If you shake it well, the ingredients won't separate. Add another sprinkle of vinegar if you want it extra tangy.

Easter Energy Balls

Happy Easter everyone! This is a few days late but we've had a busy weekend. I wanted to make a healthy alternative to Easter eggs as I knew we would be eating far too much chocolate over the Easter break. I had previously been put off by energy ball recipes that add honey, or a similar substitute. Knowing that dried fruit contains lots of natural sugar and goodness, I decided that no extra sweetener should be added, and winged my ingredients. Great as a snack or energy boost, it's amazing what you can make from very little.

Ingredients (makes 30 balls)

1st batch -

- 50g almonds

- 70g dates

- 80g prunes

2nd batch - 

- 100g prunes
- 70g figs
- 30g flaxseed (check out my flaxseed post to make your own)
- 10g chocolate (optional)

- desiccated coconut to coat

1. For the first batch, start by whizzing up the almonds in a food processor until they resemble large breadcrumbs. Then add the prunes and dates. Blitz the mix for a minute or so and then shape it into small balls.

2. For the second batch, place all the ingredients in the food processor and mix until smooth and combined. Using your hands, roll the mixture into small balls.

3. Finally, place a tbsp of desiccated coconut onto a plate and coat some of the balls in it by rolling them on the plate.  

Now to decorate...

Vegetarian Quiche with Goats Cheese and Tomatoes

Everyone seems to be scared of pastry, but it needn't be so daunting. It's one to wow the cavalry for sure. Quiche fillings are endless, so it's a great thing to try when you have a mish mash of ingredients in the fridge; and we all know using up leftovers will save the pennies. For those meat lovers, add some bacon bits or leftover roast chicken to the mix.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

for the pastry -

- 225g plain flour

- 100g butter from the fridge, cut into small pieces

- a pinch of salt

- 3-4 tbsp water

for the filling -

- 3 spring onions, chopped

- 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

- one handful of mangetout

- 2 large broccoli florets, chopped

- 6 mushrooms, chopped

- 2 eggs

- 100g soured cream or single cream

- 60g milk

- 100g grated goats cheese, cheddar or parmesan

- pepper

1. Set the oven to 180°c and then start making the pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl, then add the salt and pieces of butter. Using your fingertips (your palms should be clean), rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs and all the starch is mixed in. When adding the water, it is important to do it gradually so that the pastry isn't too wet. Once the pastry forms a ball, knead it for a minute in the bowl. This will also help pick up any excess pastry. Wrap the pastry in cling film and place it in the fridge for around 10-20 minutes. (If you are the organised type, you could prepare the pastry up to a day in advance).

2. While the pastry is resting, you can get on with the filling. Add a little sunflower oil to a frying pan and brown the spring onions. After a few minutes, put in all the other vegetables, apart from the mushrooms (as they need less time to cook). Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes on a medium/high heat.

3. Leave the vegetables on a low heat and begin to blind bake your pastry. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the pastry. Place it over a suitable shallow dish and gently cut the excess bits off with a pair of scissors. (The excess can be used to make a smaller tart or saved for another occasion). You will need some baking parchment to separate the pastry from your blind baking beans (as shown below). Cook the pastry in the oven for 10 minutes.

4. While the pastry is in the oven, add the mushrooms to the rest of the vegetables and cook for a few minutes.

5. In a bowl, mix the eggs, milk, soured cream, grated cheese of your choice and pepper. Then add the cooked vegetables to the mixture, and pour everything over the pastry once it had been blind baked.

6. Cook the quiche in the oven for 25 minutes until golden and delicious, and serve with a light salad.

Mmmmm Muesli and Apple Juice Porridge

I'd like to thank my good friend Olivia Brine for inspiring me to use muesli instead of porridge oats for an alternative, and more exciting breakfast. Often, I add dried fruit anyway, but pre prepared muesli is so much easier. Adding apple juice instead of milk or water adds a sweetness to this porridge, and therefore there's no need to drizzle sugar or maple syrup on top - making it a lot healthier!

Ingredients (serves 1)

- 1 1/2 handfuls of muesli, preferably with lots of yummy dried bits

- 1 tbsp plain porridge oats

- 4 tbsp apple juice

- 3 tbsp milk or water (I use milk for a creamier taste, but this can be substituted for almond milk or soya milk)

- 1 tinned pear, chopped

- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)

- toppings of your desire

1. Firstly, add the apple juice and milk (or water) to your muesli oat mix. Add the apple juice first and then top it up with whatever you are using, so that the muesli is just covered. If you like your porridge runny, it's best to add more liquid.

2. Then add the chopped pear to the bowl and place it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring it a few times.

I like my porridge dry, so here's what it looks like.

3. Now for the best part! Choosing your toppings. I went for raisins, dates, apricots, linseeds and goats milk yoghurt. Feel free to go wild.

Banana, Date and Yoghurt Smoothie

This made my morning! Inspired by Waitrose Kitchen Magazine, I adapted their recipe to make this easy, scrumptious and filling breakfast smoothie. To find out my recipe for homemade flaxseed, check out my previous posts.

Ingredients (serves 2)

- 1 large banana

- 4 medjool dates

- 30g plain oats

- 100ml plain yoghurt

- 100ml apple juice (I used Cawston's Apple and Carrot Juice as that's all I had)

- 1 tbsp homemade mixed seed flaxseed 

1. Simply whizz all the ingredients together in a tall blender until they are at the right consistency. Add more apple juice to make it more runny, or more yoghurt to make it thicker. 

Homegrown Roasted Beetroot with Runner Beans, Almonds and Chilli

Winter doesn't scare me when it comes to salads, I eat them all year round. This is a very late post as I actually concocted it up in September, before I went to India. There's something very therapeutic and rewarding about picking your own vegetables. Last year, we had masses of runner beans - I think I picked them at least 6 times. 

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

- 4 baby beetroot, chopped into quarters

- 10 runner beans, chopped

- a handful of almonds

- a sprinkle of chilli flakes (I used a grinder and ground a pinch in)

- 1 tbsp good quality olive oil

- juice of 1/4 lemon

1. Start by heating the oven to 200c. Once the oven is hot, put the chopped beetroot quarters into an oven tray and coat with vegetable oil. Cook them for 40-45 minutes, until soft and tender. (N.B. I cooked my beetroot the day before, thus giving me leeway to experiment).

2. Boil some water for the runner beans, and cook them for 3-5 minutes until tender and light green in colour.

3. Add the beans, beetroot, lemon juice, oil and chilli flakes to a bowl, and toss a few times. Finally, sprinkle over the almonds and season with salt and pepper. 

Serve this salad on it's own, with cheese and biscuits, or with a selection of other salads.

Easy Peasy Apple Tarte Tatin

I'm not sure where this recipe originated from, but I've been using it ever since I can remember. This time, I added one teaspoon of cinnamon and it definitely added something extra.

Ingredients (serves 8)

- 5 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced into half moon shapes

- 3 tbsp soft brown sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 50g unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
- 250g pack of puff pastry

1. Start by setting your oven to 180°c.

2. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon into the bottom of a round medium-sized flan dish. Then add the chopped butter evenly on top it. 

3. Arrange your apple pieces beautifully, working from the outside in. Remember, the tart is going to be turned upside down once it's cooked, so make the first layer look pretty.

4. Once you have covered the dish with apples, place it in the oven for 5 minutes to soften up a little.

5. Meanwhile, you can roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface to roughly 1cm. Not too thick and not too thin. 

6. Remove the apples out of the oven and lay the pastry on the top of the dish. Cut around the top of the dish so that the pastry fits neatly on the apples. 

7. Place the tart in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry turns golden brown.

8. At this stage, you'll probably just want to tuck in, but you must wait a few minutes before turning the tart upside down. Scrape around the edges of the dish with a knife or spatula to unstick any excess pastry. Then place a large plate (bigger than the dish) over the pastry and turn the tart back onto the plate.

This pudding is best served hot, so either eat is straight away or bang it in the microwave to warm up for a minute. Don't over do it though, or it'll go soggy. Enjoy with yoghurt, ice cream or creme fraiche.

Paprika Potato Salad

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 8 potatoes (I used homegrown ratte potatoes), cut in half or quartered

- 2 tbsp mayonnaise

- 2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika

- juice of half a lemon

- a handful of mixed seeds

- 4 spring onions, chopped

- 1 handful of chopped parsley or coriander

 - 1/2 tsp ground chilli flakes 

- pepper

1. Start by mixing the mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika and seasoning together in a bowl. 

2. Add the potatoes, mixed seeds and spring onions to the bowl and stir well. 

3. Finally, sprinkle over the seeds and top with the chopped parsley.