Victoria Sponge Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

8oz stork margarine
11oz flour
4 tsp baking powder
12oz sugar
1 cup of milk
4 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla essence

Strawberry jam

Buttercream icing:
 9oz butter
16oz icing sugar
Milky buttons



Method:

1. Preheat to oven to 160 C (fan oven). Combine stork margarine and sugar into a bowl and mix well using an electric whisk.  Beat eggs one at a time and add vanilla extract.

2.Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture.  Add the milk, and beat together for 3 minutes. Pour into two lined 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean. Press cake lightly to see if it springs back then you know its done.


3. Leave the cakes to cool completely and empty onto a wire rack.  To make the icing combine the butter into a bowl until fluffy and soft and whisk. Then add the icing sugar a little at a time until soft and fluffy.


4. Place one cake upside down onto a plate, then cream the middle of the cake. Add the jam,  then sandwich the cake together with the other 8 inch cake. Cream the entire cake using a palette knife use a little hot water if the buttercream is too hard. Cover the sides of the cake with the white chocolate buttons.

Mary Berry’s chicken with pesto, Taleggio and roasted tomatoes

This is not my recipe, but I saw it in one of the newspaper magazines and decided to give it a go. I must say Mary Berry knows her stuff. I had never even heard of tallegio cheese before and had to go on the hunt for it in the supermarket. Not vastly expensive either. It reminds me of brie, however it is a much stinkier cheese and gooier especially when placed in the oven. Absolutely delicious, enjoy! Recipe is below, let me know what you think.


Serves: 6
Preparation time:  10 minutes
Cooking time:  30 minutes

You will need
6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly gound black pepper
175g Taleggio cheese (straight from the fridge), cut into small cubes
3 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp freshly chopped basil
3 tbsp cream cheese
50g fresh breadcrumbs
A pinch of paprika
400g cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/Gas mark 7. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in an ovenproof dish or roasting pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Mix the Taleggio, pesto, basil, and cream cheese in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon on to the chicken breasts, spreading the mixture out to cover them completely. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and dust with a little paprika.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, then arrange the tomatoes around the chicken, pour the oil and vinegar over them, and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Be careful not to overcook it.
4. To serve, arrange a chicken breast on each plate with a few tomatoes, then spoon over some of the juices from the dish.

Pesto linguine with panko chicken

Pesto linguine with panko chicken

Ingredients:
280g linguine pasta
2 chicken breasts sliced
Parmesan cheese to garnish
Plain flour
1 beaten Egg
Panko breadcrumbs (japanese variant, can be bought in chinese supermarkets)
5 tbsp of pesto (homemade or store bought)



Method:

1. Get out three shallow bowls, one to put the beaten egg in, one with the flour and another with the panko breadcrumbs. Place the sliced chicken breast into a medium bowl and sprinkle enough flour to cover the chicken pieces (about 2 tbsp)

2. Cover the chicken breast into beaten egg and then cover in the panko breadcrumbs.  Shallow fry the chicken breasts in a frying pan over a medium heat and until golden brown. Leave to set aside and blot any excess oil.

3. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside. Stir in the homemade pesto serve with the chicken and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.


For a healthier alternative you can bake the panko chicken in the oven at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes. If you cannot find panko, breadcrumbs work just as well, but they are much lighter and airier in texture.

If you are not a fan of the pesto pasta, the panko chicken would make a good starter served with some mayonnaise or bbq sauce.

Falafel Burgers

Falafel Burgers

Ingredients:
400g tin of mixed beans drained
400g tin of chickpeas drained
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1 tablespoon of flour
Salt and pepper to season
Drizzle of olive oil
Bunch of fresh coriander
10ml lemon juice
Sesame seeds
1 garlic clove.
Pitta bread toasted


For the Salsa
2 chopped tomatoes
Bunch of coriander chopped finely
Salt and pepper

For the Tzatziki

Half a tub of greek yoghurt
1/3 of a cucumber diced and chopped
Handful of freshly chopped mint
Bunch of coriander chopped finely

Method:

1. Combine the mixed beans and chickpeas into a food processor. Add the coriander, ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder, seasoning, flour and the drizzle of olive oil. Blitz until it forms a paste, but not completely smooth.

2. Combine into small burgers, the mixture will be a little sticky. Use a little flour to form patties and cover with sesame seeds on both sides. Put into the fridge to set.

3.  When ready to cook,  heat the frying pan with a little olive oil and place burgers into the pan on a medium heat. Cook until golden brown.

4. Meanwhile make the dips by combining the ingredients together. Toast the pitta bread on both sides and make sure to cut them in half and open them into pockets straigh away otherwise they will not open easily.  Serve immediately with the falafel and dips. Add some lettuce and carrot if desired.

Lamb Moussaka Meatballs

Made these tonight with the help of my good sainsburys magazine. Do love that subscription. However I tweaked it a bit and added few other things to make it super tasty enjoy!



Lamb Moussaka Meatballs


Ingredients:

400g lamb mince
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sprig of mint finely chopped
1 large onion finely diced
1 vegetable stock cube mixed with about 200ml hot water
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tsp cornflour mixed with a little water
400g rigatoni
1 tsp of sugar
Aubergine chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed herbs

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 220 or 200 if using a fan oven. Place the diced aubergine in a baking tray and drizzle with oil.  Leave in oven for 20 minutes and then set to one side to cool.

2. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan and cook the garlic,and onion until translucent. Set half of this mixture aside into a bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, mixed herbs, vegetable stock and sugar. Stirring every so often. Add the cornflour, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and leave to one side

3. Meanwhile combine the lamb mince in another bowl adding the cinnamon, onion, cumin, mint and salt and pepper. Ensure all herbs are combined into the meat and form into small balls. Place onto a plate and put in the fridge to set firm.

4.  Cook the meatballs in batches until golden brown, turning over frequently. Place into a pyrex dish along with the roasted aubergine and pour over the tomato sauce mixture.

5. Place this into a preheated oven of 200 degrees 180 if a fan oven for 1 hour.

6. Meanwhile cook pasta according to instructions and drain into a colander. Serve with the lamb meatball mixture. Serve immediately with grated parmesan if desired.

Prawn and lemon orzo with peas

Quite like the orzo, and this dish is nice and refreshing, great with some big fat juicy king prawns. Enjoy and let me know what you think. Easy to make when you have little time!

Prawn and lemon orzo with peas

Ingredients:
1 packet of king prawns deshelled
1 cup of frozen peas
1 packet of pour over lemon and herb sauce ( I use a brand called Ina Parmaan which you can get from ocado)
1-2 cups of orzo (dependent on how hungry you are!)
Salt and pepper to taste


Method:

1. Cook orzo according to packet instructions. Drain and rinse away any excess starch, I find that if you do not do this that, the orzo is rather too much like rice pudding, this could just be me though.

2. Place the orzo back onto the heat and combine the prawns, frozen peas and the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until completely heated through stirring occassionally.

3. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Courgette Fritatta

Was inspired to make this recipe when I saw it in a Sainsburys magazine. Give it a whirl, so easy to make, and yet so filling surprising considering its eggs but true, lots of protein there as well.


Courgette Fritatta Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 courgettes chopped and parcooked
1 onion finely diced
Roughly 75g good cheddar cheese grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed herbs to season
2 diced and cooked potato
6 eggs

Method:

1.  Place a tablespoon of oil into a frying pan and place over a medium heat Add the onion until translucent. Add the mixed herbs and salt and pepper. Add the cooked courgette and potato until golden and combined thoroughly.

2. In a jug combine 6 eggs and beat with a fork lightly. Add the egg mixture to the frying pan, and cook until just set. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and place under a hot grill until golden brown.

3. Serve immediately and enjoy!