Divine Chocolate and Peanut Butter Hearts

With very little prep and hassle, you can make these sweet tasty bites and wow the special someone on the receiving end. 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 it and spoon 1 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!

Twinings - Chicken, Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry With Jasmine Infused Rice

After something to warm you up on this miserable weekend? 

Curries are a perfect thing to cook when it is grey and cold outside, the smell can make you feel like you’re immersed in India! They're also very simple and cost effective when you have all the spices and ingredients ready in the cupboard, as well as being much healthier than buying pre-made sauces. It’s useful to keep chillies in the freezer, so they’re available when you need them. The sweet potato can always be swapped for butternut squash or aubergine and the good thing about curry is it doesn't matter what vegetables you use. Don't be afraid to experiment.

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2016/january/chicken-sweet-potato-and-spinach-curry

Prune and Almond Tart with Raspberry Jam

I have made this super simple recipe a few times now, and it always seems to blow people away. Unfortunately I can't take credit for it, as it was in one of my mum's old cookbooks. Hope you like it!

Ingredients (serves 8)

for the frangipane -

225g unsalted butter

225g caster sugar

175g ground almonds

50g plain flour

4 eggs

4tbsp brandy

for the tart - 

200g shortcrust pastry

2 tbsp raspberry jam

225g soft pitted prunes

10g flaked almonds

frangipane mix (above)

1. Firstly, pre heat the oven to 180°c. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer to make the frangipane, until almost white. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and ground almonds. Add one egg to the butter and sugar, one at a time, with a tbsp of ground almond and flour mix. Once all the eggs have been added, drizzle in the brandy and continue to add the rest of the ground almond and flour mix.

2. Grease a 9-10" flan dish with a little butter, roll out the pastry and fill the dish. Spread the raspberry jam over the bottom and then pour in the frangipane mix. Finish by sitting the prunes on the top.

3. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Half way through cooking, sprinkle the frangipane with almond flakes and return it to the oven.

Allow to cool before serving. Try it with yoghurt, cream or ice cream.

Any leftover pastry or frangipane (depending on the size of your dish) can be used to make a smaller frangipane.

Healthy Nutty Granola with Coconut, Rice Puffs and Goji Berries

This granola is perfection! The amount of syrup has been reduced to just the right quantity, making it nice and healthy, whilst retaining its deliciousness. The gluten free rice puffs are a must.

Ingredients (makes 15 servings)

to bake -

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp sweet freedom syrup or agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract

300g oats

50g sunflower seeds

50g pumpkin seeds

4 tbsp sesame seeds

100g almonds, roughly chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

to add at the end -

2 handfuls of puffed rice

1 handful of brazil nuts

3 tbsp linseeds

2 tbsp goji berriess

6 tbsp desiccated coconut

1. Set the oven to 150°c. Line two baking trays with parchment or baking paper and set aside.

2. Pour all the wet ingredients into a large bowl and stir well. Add the rest of the baking ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined. (Leave the last 5 ingredients until the granola has cooked.)

3. Spread the mixture even between two baking trays in a thin layer and cook for 20 minutes.

4. After 20 minutes, remove the trays from the oven and move the granola about so that it does not burn. Place them back in the oven for a further 15 minutes until golden.

5. Allow the granola to cool for at least 10 minutes, and then combine the two trays together in a bowl.

6. Add the final ingredients, mix thoroughly, then pour into a suitable airtight container.

Eat this delicious granola for breakfast, with yoghurt or milk, or simply sprinkle on salads and other food to add a sweet crunch.

Sweet Minced Lamb with Aubergine and Apricots

If you're bored of bolognese, this sweet, curry inspired dish is the one for you. It can be made a few days in advance (which lets the juices flow) and served with boiled rice, couscous, or a baked potato. Perfect for dinner party preparation as it re-heats really well and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

for the sweet beef - 

- 1 tbsp groundnut oil (or veg oil)

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

- 500g beef or lamb mince 

- 1/2 an aubergine, chopped into small pieces

- 2 tsp curry powder

- 1/2 green chilli, chopped

- 2-3 tbsp mango chutney

- 2 tbsp tomato puree

- 10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half

- 100ml chicken or vegetable stock

       - 8 dried apricots, chopped

   - 50g sultanas or raisins

- salt and pepper

for the couscous - 

couscous (roughly 280g - see instructions)

240ml chicken or vegetable stock

1 small handful of coriander, finely chopped (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp good quality olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Fry the onion and garlic in the groundnut oil for a few minutes and then add the chopped aubergine. Stir for another couple of minutes and then add the meat and start to brown it, stirring constantly. 

2. Next, stir in the curry powder, tomatoes, tomato puree and chutney. Cook for a few minutes and then add the stock, followed by the apricots and raisins. Season with salt and pepper and let the dish simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.

3. When the lamb has been cooking for 20 minutes, start to make the couscous. Place the couscous in a clear bowl and just about cover it with stock. Leave it for around 4 minutes with a lid or plate on top, and then fluff it up with a fork. Next add the chopped coriander (if using), lemon juice, sugar and oil, and season well. *For less faff, make rice not couscous*.

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 *

Rhubarb and Almond Cake

 

Just nipped out to get some rhubarb from the garden and made two of these delicious rhubarb and almond cakes. I adapted the original recipe (http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/4529/almond-rhubarb-tea-cake.aspx) a little, to make two delightfully moist and almondy cakes.

Ingredients (makes 16 slices) 

- for the cake

- 300g soft brown sugar

- 150 ml sunflower, or vegetable oil

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

- 300g plain flour

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp bicarbonate or soda

- 225 ml milk

- 200g rhubarb, chopped

- 50g ground almonds

- for the topping

- 25g ground almonds

- 50g flaked almonds

- 2 tbsp caster sugar

- 1 tbsp butter

1. Heat the oven to 180°c and prepare two similar sized cake dishes, either round or square. If you are using glass dishes there is no need to grease them, but cake tins will need to be greased with butter or greaseproof paper.

2. In a mixer, beat the sugar, egg, vanilla essence and oil. Then add the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Gradually pour in the milk until smooth, finishing off with the ground almonds. 

3. Take the knife out of the mixer and fold in the chopped rhubarb. Once everything is combined, separate the mix evenly between the two dishes.

4. For the topping, stir the almonds and sugar together and rub the butter in with your fingers. Share the topping over your two cakes and pop them in the oven for 35 minutes.

Serve with yoghurt, creme fraiche, or soured cream. Hot or cold, this is a delicious dessert or afternoon tea snack.

Rhubarb is in season between April and September. It can be kept for up to two weeks in the fridge, and freezes well when cooked. An ideal purchase for you over the next few months!

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. 

January Seville Marmalade

I have always relied on my mum to make delicious marmalade, but I thought it was about time I attempted my own. It's safe to say now that it's not as easy as it looks! Don't expect it to be the same process as other jams, it's a tedious and long journey...but so worth it in the end. If it's your first time (like me), don't rush it, or the marmalade won't set properly. I'm not going to lie, that's what happened to this batch - it wasn't fun! I will now cherish every pot of homemade marmalade like it's gold. I owe this post to my wonderful mother for teaching me the ways of marmalade making.

Ingredients (makes roughly 6 odd sized jars)

- 1kg seville oranges

- 3 large lemons (100g each)

- 2.3kg cold water (equal quantity of water to fruit)

- 2.6kg granulated sugar (double the quantity of fruit)

- 6-8 suitable jam jars, clean and hot

- jam jar wax discs

- cellophane jam pot covers and elastic bands or jam jar lids

1. Start by turning on the oven to 130°c for your clean jam jars later. Place the oranges and lemons into a large pressure cooker (preferably stainless steel). Cover the fruit with the measured water and place on the hob on a high heat with the lid on. When the steam vent starts spinning round, turn the heat down to very low and simmer for 10 minutes. Take it off the heat after 10 minutes and spoon out the fruit, preserving the citrus flavoured water.

2. Now for the tedious process of dealing with the fruit. Start by cutting each piece of fruit in half and spooning out the middle. Put the middle pulp into a sieve on top of a measuring jug or bowl and place the skins aside into another bowl. Gradually pulverize the pulp through the sieve using a spoon, until you've got all the juice out, and then throw away the contents of the sieve. Continue this process until you have dealt with all the fruit.

3. Before you go any further, you need to put your clean jam jars (N.B. these can be made clean in the dishwasher) in the preheated oven to warm up. It's time to cut up the fruit skins into small pieces or to your desired size. Some people use a mixer to cut up their orange peel, but mum has always advised me to do it by hand.

4. Measure out the fruit pulp and top it up with the fruity water until it measures the right amount (equal quantity of water to original fruit - in this case 2.3kg).

5. Pour the pulp, fruit water, orange peel pieces and sugar back into your large pressure cooker. Heat the ingredients slowly on a low heat (without the lid) until the sugar is dissolved, and then turn the heat to full. 

6. Cook the marmalade on high, stirring frequently so that it doesn't stick to the bottom, for about 20-25 minutes after it starts bubbling. Make sure you don't try to take it off before it's set, otherwise you'll have to re-cook it all! To see if it's properly set, stick a wooden spoon in and lift it up so you can see it drip. The very last drip should start to drip but rest half dropped. You should be able to waggle the spoon without the half drip dropping off. The marmalade should also be darker in colour than at the beginning. If you're like my uncle, who likes his marmalade very dark, just cook it for longer.

7. Take the jam jars out of the oven, and remember to be wary, as they're very hot! Carefully pour your marmalade into a plastic measuring jug so it's easy to pour into the jam jars. Make sure you do this slowly, or it might splatter everywhere. 

8. Now you can pour the marmalade into the hot jam jars. Make sure you fill each jar to the top, otherwise it'll go off rather quickly. It's inevitably going to spill a bit, so have a wet cloth nearby to clean the jar sides. 

9. It is important to cover your marmalade jars as soon as possible. Place suitable sized wax discs on top of the marmalade. If you're using jam jar lids, make sure they are clean and dry, and screw them on tightly. If you're using cellophane jam pot covers, wet them one at a time, individually with a cloth before stretching them over each jar. Use a rubber band to secure them and pull the cellophane tight to form a flat lid. 

You can either leave your marmalade pretty and natural, cover the lids with round pieces of material, or make special labels.

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.

My Alternative Houmousy Dip

I have come to love using peanut butter instead of tahini for my homemade houmous as I find it gives a sweeter taste and I always have peanut butter in the larder. The greeny coloured dip is one I put together yesterday -sweet and super healthy, it's delicious (if I say so myself)! 

Ingredients

for the plain houmous -

- 1 400g tin of boiled soft chickpeas

- juice of half a lemon

- 1 clove of garlic

- 2 tsp smooth peanut butter

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- salt and pepper (I only use pepper)

for the green houmous -

- 1/4 of the plain houmous mixture

- juice of half a lemon

- 1 handful of mixed spinach, watercress and rocket (or just a handful of which ever you prefer)

- 1 medium tomato, chopped in half

- 2 medjool dates, de-stoned

1. Start by making the plain houmous as you'll need 1/4 of it to make the green one after. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz to form a smooth paste. If the mixture is a little thick, it might need more olive oil.

2. Once the houmous is ready, remove 3/4 of the mixture and place it in a suitable bowl. There's no need to wash the machine, just add all the green houmous ingredients into the processor. Blitz one final time to form a deliciously sweet, unique dipping sauce.

Top it with some seeds to make it look pretty...

Extremely Light and Healthy - Gluten Free Lemon and Almond Cake

This one's an old favourite. Passed to me by a dear friend who is gluten intolerant, it always gets great feedback. I made it for my parents to take on a shooting weekend, hence the flying bird. Sadly there was none left for me...

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

for the cake -

- 6oz almonds, blitzed in a food processor to your required consistency (I like to leave them slightly crunchy and not like breadcrumbs) or ground almonds

- 5oz caster sugar

- 4oz butter

- 3 large eggs

- 1/2 tsp almond essence (pretty essential)

- zest of 2 lemons

for the icing -

- 3oz icing sugar

- juice of 1/2 a lemon

1. Heat the oven to 170°C.

2. Beat the butter and the sugar together in a bowl or food processor and then add the eggs one at a time. 

3. Finally, spoon in the ground almonds, lemon zest, and essence to form a good cake consistency.

4. Pour the mixture into a cake tin and bake in the oven at 170°C for 25-30 minutes, until it is cooked right through.

5. When the cake is cooked, take it out of the oven and leave it to cool for a few minutes. Place it onto a large plate, or straight into a cake tin and pour on the icing (juice of half a lemon added to the icing sugar) while the cake it still warm. 

6. Serve either cold or hot.

Dairy-Free Carrot Cake

I've made this cake a few times and it's super scrumptious. Usually I top it with a yoghurt glaze but I wanted my dairy-intolerant friend to be able to eat it. This is a tweaked version of a recipe my mum found.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

for the cake -

- 6oz caster sugar

- 6oz vegetable oil

- 3 eggs

- 5.4 oz plain flour

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 1/3 tsp baking powder

- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 12oz grated carrot, roughly 3 large carrots

- 1oz walnuts (or more!)

for the icing - 

- half cup thick soya yoghurt or Total yoghurt for those that can eat dairy

- 2 tsp golden syrup

- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1. Heat the oven to 170°C.

2. Mix the sugar and the oil in a bowl and then add the eggs one at a time. 

3. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon into another bowl and mix well. Add the flour mix to the egg mix and stir until combined.

4. Then fold the grated carrots and walnuts into the cake mix and place in a suitable round cake tin. 

5. Cook the cake at 170°C for 25 minutes and then turn the heat down to 160°C and cook for a further 20/25 minutes.

6. This cake is delicious with or without icing, so it's up to you. If you're opting for icing, put the yoghurt, syrup and essence together and leave it in the fridge until the cake is ready and has completely cooled. It is important to leave the cake to cool, otherwise the yoghurt will melt on top of it.

7. Cover the cake with the icing and decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon, walnuts or grated carrot.

It is however perfectly good without icing, and much healthier! The plain version would serve as a great tea accompaniment.