BANANA Bread

March 10, 2022

I have made this recipe many times, and its delicious hot out of the oven. It keeps well and freezes really well. (Stops you eating it all too quickly if frozen)

Ingredients

  • Wet ingredients
  • Mash 4 large bananas in a very large bowl
  • Whisk 2 eggs in a separate bowl – until light, creamy and fluffy
  • Stir in 2 diced bananas
  • Melt 4 tablespoons butter (60g) and stir into banana mix
  • Gently stir in Whisked eggs until well mixed
  • Dry ingredients – mix and SIFT  together well before adding to wet ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups (232g all purpose flour in UL) flour
  • 1 level teaspoon BAKING SODA (USA) or bicarbonate of soda (UK) – (NOT baking powder)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup dark brown cane sugar (or 160g light muscovado sugar-UK)
  • optional –
    • sliced banana for lining baking dish
    • Chocolate chips
    • raisons soaked in brandy – (add 10minutes baking time)

+ greased dish lined with optional sliced banana

  1. Pre-Heat oven to 350f (177c PR02 in UK), Oven must be at tempperature as soon dry ingredients are folded into the to wet ingredients, to maximise rise.
  2. COMBINE all the wet ingredients as described above.
  3. Add optional chocolate chips or raisons
  4. THEN:-
  5. Mix  all the dry ingredients into separate bowl and Sift if sugar is lumpy
  6. THEN Prepare the oven dish :-
  7. Grease the Pyrex dish (preferred option) or 2 bread tins
  8. line the base/bases with well-spaced slices of 1 banana
  9. THEN
  10. Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mix
  11. Then immediately pour the mix (which is quite wet) into the baking dish(es)
  • Bake for 1 hour
  • Test if ready with skewer – its done when it comes out clean
  • *** NOTE  Might need to add 10mins to baking time, if adding chocolate chips or raisons

SERVE with Tea at teatime or with WITH Vanilla ice cream as dessert…

wet and dry ingredients ready for folding together
ready to pour over sliced bananas
Oven ready
1/2 eaten
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Anitas Pizza – May 2022

March 16, 2021

Best one yet!

Makes a large whole meal rectangular pepperoni pizza with all the trimmings

 

FOR THE TOPPINGS

  • Pizza sauce – about 1/2 small jar
  • Grated cheddar, grated parmesan – mixed together
  • Mozzarella – cut into chunks and seasoned with pepper and oregano and topped lightly with olive oil
  • Sliced shallots and sliced sweet peppers –  seasoned with pepper and chilli seeds and oregano, partially cook in microwave until softened
  • Pepperoni – sliced
  • Sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • Sliced olives, capers, jalapenos – drained and dabbed dry

FOR THE DOUGH 

Prepare the wet ingredients and the yeast

Sprinkle 3/4 (5.5-6g) of a 7g sachet of dried yeast to the top of the following mixed together – do not stir and leave for a few minutes until the yeast is activated, then stir

  • 1/3 tablespoon golden caster sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 245g luke warm water

Meanwhile weigh out 375g of flour into a large bowl

  • 100g Whole meal Very strong Flour
  • +
  • 275g White Very strong Flour
  • Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the flour and stir in

    1) Make a well in the flour and using a fork add the yeast mixture into the center

    2) Work in flour (with salt) with a fork from the edges into the center, then hands,, until a mass of dough is formed

    3) Relax the dough for 5 mins before kneading to absorb the liquids a little more

    4)Tip out onto a clean dry worktop and clean the bowl ready for proving the dough

    5) Knead for 10mins, rest a couple of times to relax gluten,

  • If the dough tears before it gets smooth let it relax for 3 minutes
  • Clean and dry worktop if it feels tacky
  • Using slightly dampened hands continue to knead and repeat cleanups until
  • Until dough is nice and smooth and springy

6) start the Rise,  for 40-60 mins in warmer, covered with cling film,  in medium bowl to allow dough to double in size ( or at room temperature if longer is needed before baking) 

7) at 30 mins since prooving started,  pre-Heat oven 250C with stone for at least 30mins ( gets smoky in there so open oven when hot with care)

8) at 50 mins since proving started, Roll out dough on greaseproof paper –  Stretch and roll out the dough into a rectangle, trying to leave the edges a little thicker, by pinching edges like pastry, to avoid over spill of toppings during baking, leave to rise a bit more while preparing the toppings.

    • If dough is too tight to roll, leave for a couple of minutes to relax, then continue to shape out
    • Rest for further 10 to 20 mins until oven ready, and toppings prepared for loading

9) Add the toppings in the following order, LEAVING STONE IN OVEN

    1. Pizza sauce, spooned on thinly, spread with the back of the  spoon – it will begin to dry as the dough starts to cook on the stone, that’s fine, add a little more sauce, but don’t make it really wet
    2. Mozzarella slices – ADD
    3. Sliced sun dried tomatoes – ADD
    4. Capers  – ADD
    5. Pepperoni – ADD
    6. Olives, Jalapeños- ADD
    7. Grated cheese ADD

10) When oven and stone heated, remove stone, drag oven ready Pizza onto stone, and leave on stone for 3 minutes before putting in oven, to get a really crispy base (without burning topping during baking)

11) Bake at 250 for 10mins, remove as soon as crust is golden * it turns dark Very quickly after 10mins

12) Allow to stand for 5 mins before cutting and serving –

 WARNING: HOT CHEESE BURNS MOUTH

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Strudel (Filo Pastry)

December 31, 2020
  1. Oven 180c bake 30 minutes on bottom shelf 
  2. 100g melted butter, boil with grated zest of 2 clementines and the juice and 4 leaves of rosemary
  3. 1+ pack of FILO PASTRY (8 SHEETS)
  4. WORK FAST! prepare the filling first
  5. Filling :
    • mixture of apple chopped nuts, crumbled ginger biscuits, grated pear, raisons/sultanas, chocolate chips, 2-3  teaspspoons of honey etc
  6. Overlay 4 sheets on a tea towel, to cover the teatowel overlapping the pastry
  7. Seal layers with some of the melted flavoured butter and spread butter all over
  8. Add remaining 4 sheets,  coat with half of remaining butter
  9. Spread on the filling,  keep 1 inch clear from edges
  • RoLL the strudel as follows
  • Fold left in 4″
  • Fold right in 4″
  • Fold nearest edge in slightly then use tea towel to fold press fold press until rolled
  • Lift confidently onto buttered baking tray, pour on and rub in remains melted butter
  • Sprinkle on crystallised brown sugar for a 

 

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Traditional welsh cakes

July 13, 2019

Makes at least a dozen welsh cakes..

Ingredients

  • 175g plain flour plus teaspoon baking powder and a sprinkle of grated nutmeg
  • 85g butter diced chilled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 50g of currents
  • 1/2 free-range egg, beaten with
  • 50g  caster sugar
  • milk, if needed
  • extra butter, for greasing

Method

  1. Sift flour into a bowl and add the diced butter.
  2. Add the sugar to the1/2 egg and beat – leave to dissolve
  3. Rub flour and cold butter with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  4. Add the currents
  5. Add the  beaten egg with dissolved sugar,and mix well gently BY HAND to form by hand a ball of dough, using a splash of milk if needed. do not knead
  6. DO NOT OVERWORK DOUGH
  7. Roll the dough out on a heavily floured board to a thickness of about 1/2 cm thick or thicker if desired (up to 1cm)
  8. Cut into rounds with pastry cutter.
  9. Rub agriddle with butter, wipe away the excess and place on the hob until it is heated through.
  10. Cook the Welsh cakes a few at a time for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown. (electric hob setting 4-5 takes about 4+ mins each side – take care it doesn’t get too hot)

 

 

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Roasted Duck breasts in orange sauce

January 8, 2018

Duck brigarde

This is the original duck a’lorange! This classic French dish combines duck with a tangy and rich orange – or a brigarde sauce. Serve with kale and Cavolo Nero.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 large salt aged duck breasts, remove the fillet
25ml olive oil

For the sauce:

600ml Veal jus
400ml blood orange beer
2 oranges, rind removed and julienned and juiced
1 lemon, rind removed and julienned
25g butter
25ml sherry vinegar

For the vegetables:

100g Kale
100g Cavolo Nero
25g butter
100ml water
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220c.

2. Add a little oil to the pan on a medium heat and add the duck breasts skin side down.
Season. When the skin is brown and crispy, flip over and put in the oven for 6-8
minutes. Allow to rest.

3. To make the sauce: add the sugar to a non stick pan and heat until it turns a deep
caramel colour. Add the orange juice and stock, beer and zest then bring to a boil
and reduce to a third. Stir in the sherry vinegar, add the butter and season.

4. For the vegetables: melt the butter in a large pan, add the water and bring to the boil.
Add the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes.

5. To serve: slice the duck and serve on top of the vegetables. Pour sauce over the top.

Duck Brigarde | Saturday Morning with James Martin
http://www.itv.com/saturdaymorning/saturday-morning-recipes/duck-brigarde

Sent from Samsung tablet

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Baklava pics

December 19, 2017
  • Sheets of filo pastry
  • 300g chopped walnuts (and almonds and pecans and pistachios)
  • Sugar
  • Honey
  • 1 lemon
  • butter

Brush 1st sheet with melted butter, place another on top, then butter that one (buttering layers softens pastry and helps to avoid breaking when rolling)

Add a row of copped nuts mixed with sugar

roll fairly tight and create spiral, add more rolls until spiral as big as the base of the tin.

Bake @ 170 for 30minutes

Meanwhile make the Syrup with

Water

Honey

Sugar

Zest of whole lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

Simmer for 10 minutes until gold and thickened

Pour onto hot baked spiral

Best eaten anytime after a couple of minutes

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Victoria raisin segments

September 20, 2017

1 beaten egg
2oz sugar
2oz butter
2oz SR flour
1/2 cup soaked raisins

Soak the raisins in boiling water, strain and pat dry
Whisk one egg
Add to creamed butter and sugar and whisk if its curdled
Fold in flour with silicon spatula until smooth
Grease microwavable dish
Spread mix into dish
Sprinkle on raisins
Cover dish with cling film

Microwave for 2+1 minutes at 600
Transfer to oven tray And brown under grill until golden

Sent from Samsung tablet

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Fish Bake with Mashed Potato topping

April 8, 2014

This is a dish that can be prepared the day before.Fish Bake

All you have to do on the day is put it into a pre-heated oven about 45 minutes before serving and make the side dishes

I’ve never made fish pie before and this dish is a mixture of a few recipes, from which I picked the best ideas and put them all together.

The only problem I encountered with this pie, is that it could have fed an army of people (at least 8) instead of the four it was intended for. Not a real problem, it was great re-heated and eaten over the next couple of days. This dish I will definitely make again.

Ingredients

  • 1kilo cod
  • 1/2 kilo smoked haddock
  • prawns – cooked and peeled – enough to cover the base of the ovenproof dish.
  • 1 cup of frozen peas
  • fresh spinach (for a thin layer under mashed potato topping)

For poaching the fish

  • 1 litre semi skimmed milk for poaching
  • 2 teaspoons Bullion stock
  • 2 large sprigs of tarragon
  • 1 finely chopped leek or onion
  • teaspoon whole peppercorns

For the White sauce

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • strained juices from poaching fish
  • extra milk if required

Mashed potato with spring onions

Instructions

  1. Heat the poaching ingredients in a large pan
  2. Poach/simmer the fish (in batches if necessary) until opaque (about 6-8 minutes) taking care it doesn’t boil over
  3. Drain the fish well and set aside returning the drained juices to the pan
  4. When all the fish has been poached, strain the poaching juices and pour into a pouring jug
  5. Break the fish into large bite sized chunks
  6. Heat butter in a large pan, stir in the flour
  7. Slowly add the poaching juices stirring all the time, season to taste with extra bullion or salt and pepper
  8. Simmer (still stirring) the white sauce until its gloopy, adding more milk if required
  9. Make the mashed potatoes with spring onions in the microwave – see recipe
  10. Place the cooked, peeled prawns into the base of the oven proof fish pie dish
  11. Add the poached fish by crumbling it over the prawns layering it with the frozen peas
  12. Pour over all the white sauce, and move fish gently to allow the white sauce to sink down to the prawns
  13. Top the sauce with a thin layer of fresh spinach so that when adding the mashed potato to the very top it does not sink into the white sauce
  14. Add the mashed potatoes one spoon full at a time from the outside edges of the dish working inwards
  15. Level the top gently, but rough it up with a fork for texture
  16. cover and chill if preparing this the day before and remove from fridge a few hours before cooking
  17. Preheat oven to 200F
  18. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 minutes –  could take an hour if its a deep dish.
  19. Place a baking tray on the lowest rack in case the pie overflows a little
  20. Serve with steamed vegetables

 

 

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Toad in the Hole and Onion Gravy

June 20, 2011

Ingredients 

6 large sausages
1 tablespoon flavorless oil (eg groundnut)

For the Yorkshire pudding batter
75 g plain flour
1 large egg
75 ml semi-skimmed milk
55 ml water
salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Gravy
250 g Onions
2 teaspoons flavorless oil
1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 dessertspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 rounded dessertspoon plain flour
1 pintt hot vegetable stock made from Boullion powder

You will also need
1 x 2″ deep roasting tin about 9″ x 6″ for the Toad in the hole
1 baking tray to roast the onions

  1. Turn on the oven to 200C 425F
  2. Place pricked sausages on another baking tray and bake until some fat is released (about 20-25 minutes from a cold oven)
  3. Toss the sliced the onions in the oil and sugar and place on a baking tray
  4. Place on top shelf and bake till edges are blackened (about 20 minutes), turning once
  5. For the batter
  6. Sieve to air the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center
  7. Break in the egg and add seasoning
  8. Using an electric whisk begin to whisk in the center adding the milk and water slowly
  9. When all the liquid and flour has been incorporated it is ready for use…
  10. Remove the sausages and onions when ready and add oil to turned sausages if necessary and spread to coat whole of baking tray
  11. Heat tray of sausages on direct heat until searing hot
  12. Add the batter around the sausages very quickly
  13. Place sausages in batter on the top shelf
  14. Cook  for 30minutes without opening the oven door during cooking
  15. For the Gravy
  16. Place the onions with a teaspoon of oil into a pan and brown more if necessary
  17. When hot add the flour and stir
  18. Using a whisk add the stock, mustard and worcestershire sauce gradually until its all in the pan
  19. Simmer and stir until ready to serve, it will brown as it simmers
  20. The Toad is ready when it is puffed, brown and crisp, and the center should look cooked and not too squidgy.
  21. Try not to open the oven door while cooking.
  22. Serve immediately with mashed potato and peas

Notes : First time I found the batter not cooked in the center – this was for two reasons, the pan sides were too high and secondly I didnt realise until too late the oven temperature was set to 180 instead of 200. It looked great but when I took it out of the oven – it sank.. Better luck next time- Or perhaps I’ll use my yorkshire pudding trays and make individual puds.

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Meringues – Petite Mont Blancs

June 20, 2011

For the meringue nests see my Meringue recipe 

Ingredients For the fillings
8 meringue pockets
2 tins of sweetened chestnut puree
250 g Mascarpone
200 ml 8% fat Fromage Frais
1 rounded dessert spoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

  1. Whisk the Mascarpone and Fromage Frais with the sugar and vanilla
  2. Spoon a layer of chestnut puree into the meringue
  3. Add Mixture over the top
  4. Dust with icing sugar
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Roasted Chicken Quiche with onions, bell pepper and garlic

June 18, 2011

This is the first Quiche I have ever made from scratch, making the base the custard and the filling, and I can proudly say it was much easier than I thought it would be.. And it looked and tasted great…

This recipe can easily become a vegetarian dish by substuting the chicken with beans or Tofu

see recipe for Quiche shortcrust pastry for creating the casing/ see  Other Quiche custards  for more egg mixtures

Ingredients

Custard
4 whisked eggs
1 – 1½ cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 small onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 orange or red bell pepper
1 side of breast from a roasted chicken, diced quite small
Seasoning to taste
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

  1. Saute the onions and peppers until translucent
  2. Add the garlic and saute a little more
  3. Add the chicken, rosemary and season to taste
  4. When all hot and liquid soaked into chicken, take off heat
  5. Add all of it  into base  just as it comes out of the oven
  6. Pour half the egg custard over the top
  7. Place into oven on shelf and gently pour remaining custard on top
  8. Do not fill as the egg will rise a little
  9. Bake for 25 minutes max at 190 C
  10. Leave to settle for 10 minutes which will make it easier to cut into portions
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Uncooked Mascarpone and Lime Cheesecake

June 18, 2011

This one is quick and very easy and one of my very favorites

The Base
200g pack of crushed Ginger Snap or Shortcake biscuits
75g (3 oz) melted butterTopping

 

Topping 
2 0z melted dark chocolate
green grapes rolled in caster sugar

 

Filling
2 x 250g tubs mascarpone Cheese
1 1/2 oz (40g) sifted icing sugar
2 limes – juice and zest

  1. Grease base of spring sided cake tin
  2. Put biscuits in a zip lock back and bash with a rolling pin.
  3. Mix crushed biscuits into melted butter and place into cake tin
  4. Press down firmly.
  5. Mix Maxcarpone, icing sugar, lime juice and zest in a bowl and whisk or beat
  6. Put mixture in tin and chill for 30 minutes
  7. Decorate with chocolate leaves made by dipping green leaves into chocolate, chill and peel off when cold
  8. Decorate with frosted grapes by wetting and rolling in caster sugar
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Potato and Rosemary Gratin

June 18, 2011

Layers of potato, onion and rosemary make this a light accompaniment to many dishes

Ingredients

10 g fresh rosemary, stripped from the stalks and bruised
1.15 kg (2lbs) Desiree or Romano potatoes, peeled, and sliced
2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
275 ml vegetable stock
150 ml semi skimmed milk
40 g butter
seasoning

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C (350F)
  2. Grease an ovenproof dish
  3. Bruise the rosemary and chop 2/3 of them finely, slice the onions (very finely), and the potatoes (not so finely)
  4. Layer potatoes, onion, rosemary, seasoning, finishing with a layer of overlapping potatoes
  5. Mix the stock and the milk together and pour over potatoes
  6. Season the top layer and scatter with the remain 1/3 rosemary leaves.
  7. Put little flecks of butter all over
  8. Place on top shelf and bake at 180C for 60 minutes until golden brown on top and creamy and tender underneath.

Other Potato Gratins
Bramley, leek and Potato Gratin

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Chilled Lemon Souffle

June 18, 2011

This is one you don’t bake, it rises in the fridge


Ingredients

3 eggs
6 tablespoons icing sugar
3 lemons – juice only
1 sachet gelatine
1/2 pint whipping cream

TIPs : Use ingredients at room temperature to avoid curdling, use very clean bowls for whisking the egg white

  1. Follow the instructions on the gelatine packet using as little water as possible, set aside, use later only when completely dissolved
  2. Whisk the egg yolks and icing sugar until light and creamy
  3. Stir in the juice of 3 lemons which will make the mixture very runny
  4. Stir in the dissolved gelatine
  5. Whisk the cream until thick and fold it into the mixture
  6. Whisk egg whites and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon
  7. Pour into a Souffle dish lined with greaseproof paper as it will rise above the edge of the dish
  8. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight

 

 

 

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Fatfree Sponge for Tangy Upside down Cake

June 18, 2011

Top fatless sponge with tangy clemantines and marmalade for a healthier treat

Ingredients 

4 tangy clementines, peeled and cut into horizontal slices
3 tablespoons Thin cut marmalade
2 eggs
75g caster sugar
1 clementine juice and zest
75g self raising flour, sifted

Serve with :

250g low fat Fromage Frais
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
  2. Place slices of clementine into a non-stick cake tin, up to 4cm deep
  3. Melt marmalade in a pan and spoon over slices
  4. Blend eggs and sugar using electic mix for 4-5 minutes until pale and creamy and leaves a trail
  5. Gently fold in zest, juice and flour until thoroughly combined
  6. Pour into tin, and bake for 23-35 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch
  7. Cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a plate
  8. Stir the ground ginger into the fromage frais and serve
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Apple Strudel with almonds and cinnamon

June 18, 2011

I’ve seen an alternative for a tropical filling which sounds delicious too (use pineapple, pear, banana, macadamia nuts and chocolate drops) but I haven’t tried it yet.

Ingredients

1kg     Apples, peeled and cored and finely sliced
2 tablespoons raisons
1 tablespoons slivered toasted almonds
1/2 lemon   juice and finely grated zest
2 tablespoons caster sugar (more if apples are sour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
75 g butter
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
350g packet of filo pastry (can be bought frozen)

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 200C
  2. Butter a large baking sheet
  3. Add Apples slices, raisons, almonds, lemon juice, zest, sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and mix well – (I heat this mixture in a microwave )
  4. Melt 25g butter in a pan and saute the breadcrumbs until crisp. Keep till later
  5. Clarify the remaining butter, (discard the milky residue).
  6. Unwrap the filo pastry and lay 40x60cm onto a tea cloth lightly dusted with flour.
  7. Brush pastry with clarified butter, place another layer of pastry on top
  8. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over all the pastry except the edges
  9. Spread filling down your  nearest long edge, leaving a margin at each end
  10. Fold ends of pastry over mixture and lift cloth to roll strudel away from you, allowing it to curl over itself.
  11. Pick up the strudel in its sling, and place it onto the greased baking tray
  12. Brush strudel with butter and sprinkle on some drops of water.
  13. Bake for 40 minutes at 200C until the pastry is crisp and brown and the filling tender.
  14. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with sweetened whipped cream.

 

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Meringue

January 23, 2011

Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • 200 g white caster sugar (use 220g if eggs are large)

Choice of Fillings

    • 250 g  Mascarpone cheese – This topping is used in the Petits Mont Blanc recipe
    • 200 ml 8% fat fromage frais
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
    • 1 full desertspoon caster sugar – hand whisk all together

or

  • 1/2 pt double cream

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • handfull of fresh rasberries – hand whisk together
  • handfull of diced strawberres – fold in to mixture

Toppings

  • Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
  • pureed fresh rasberries with a little icing sugar
  1. Pre-heat oven to 150C/300F
  2. Whisk 4 egg whites  (no hint of yolk) on low for about 3 minutes until bubbly
  3. Whisk for a further minute on meduim
  4. Then Whisk from here on, on high,  until stiff and stands in stiff peaks
  5. Add sugar one desertspoonfull at a time until smooth
  6. Test by pinching a little between fingers – if gritty, then whisk until sugar is dissolved
  7. Stick grease proof paper, parchment paper or silicon sheet to a baking tray with little dobs directly on the tray.
  8. Make a large rectangle on the paper about 1/2 to 1 1/2″ think with peaks and troughs /Bake at 150 for one hour
  9. OR Make dollops and push out from center with the back of a spoon to make hollows for filling (individual servings)/Bake at 140 for 30 minutes
  10. Leave in oven until cool, usually 4 hours or overnight

Notes : use golden unrefined caster suger for alarge rectangular golden meringue –

For the large rectangle you can use golden unrefined caster suger for a golden look –  See Meringue with Pears, chocolate orange and ginger sauce, and cream dessert recipe

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Beef MEATBALLS in Tomato Sauce on Mash with Leaf Spinach

January 17, 2011

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • For the MEATBALLS
  • 2lbs – Organic Ground Beef at room temperature
  • 1 pack – Hot Chilli Spices
  • 2-3 tablespoons – Olive oil
  • ground sea salt
  • For the SAUCE
  • Saute
  • 3  – Maui Onions
  • 3 large – Garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon – Butter
  • Blend next four ingredients in a blender
  • 1 can  – Diced Tomatoes, Organic
  • 1 can   – tomatoe Puree
  • 1 cup  – Roughly chopped Basil
  • 1 teaspoon – light cane sugar
  • 1 cup  – White wine (Pinot Grigio)
  • For the MASH
  • 3 large   – Russet Potatoes, peeled and chunked, then rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup –  Milk (not heated)
  • 1 tablespoon – Butter
  • Salt to taste
  • For the SPINACH
  • 1 pack  – Frozen Leaf Spinach
  • 2 tablespoons – Sauted Onions and Garlic from above
  • Season to taste
  1. Pre-Heat the oven ( and a large shallow ovenproof dish )to 420 degrees
  2. Peel and chop then rinse and drain the pototatoes and microwave them for 10-15 minutes, turning at least twice, until cooked
  3. Saute onions and pressed garlic in butter on medium heat, turn heat down when starting to brown, remove 1/3 for spinach and remove from heat when translucent
  4. Put ground beef into large mixing bowl, sprinkle in the pack of hot chilli spices while mixing in by hand, and leave to blend flavors
  5. Blend Sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth, and to Sauted onions in the pan.
  6. Add wine to blender and give it a quick whizz to rinse the sauce, and add that to the sauce, stir well.
  7. Cook sauce (with lid) on low heat until ready to add to semi cooked meatballs later (max 20mins)
  8. Remove dish out of the hot oven, add the Olive oil, and sprinkle in gound sea salt
  9. Use hands to make meatballs about 1 1/2″ diameter. Place them into the prepared hot dish. Space them evenly
  10. Place meatballs into oven for  15 minutes or until cooked half through, basting once after about 10 minutes.
  11. Add sauce around the meatballs, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Turn heat down to 400 if they are browning too fast.
  12. Remove Pototatoes from microwave when cooked, and replace with the spinach, and cook about 5-8 minutes until cooked
  13. Meanwhile add the butter and 1/2 the milk to the pototoes and use Mixer to make the Mash adding the remaining milk (more if needed)
  14. Before serving : Blast Mash in Microwave for at least 2 minutes and the Spinach for 1 minute if cooled
  15. Add the saved sauted onions to the hot spinach
  16. Remove meatballs from oven, turn off oven and hob…
  17. and serve…
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Glazed LEMON Sponge Cake

January 16, 2011

This makes 2 Bread Tins plus a little extra which I pour onto a sheet of Waxed Greaseproof paper and bake with the bread tins but I remove the extra after about 15minutes as soon as its turned golden brown.

Ingredients

  • For the Sponge
  • 1 cup                          softened unsalted butter
  • 2 cups                        sugar
  • 3                                 large eggs
  • 2 cups                        plain natural low fat yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon             lemon rind (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons           lemon juice, fresh (2 UK lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon             pure vanilla essence
  • 3 cups                        all purpose flour (or self raising flour and no baking soda and no baking powder)
  • 1 1/4 heaped tspn   baking soda
  • 1 1/4 heaped tspn   baking powder
  • For the Glaze
  • 1 cup                       lemon juice (6 UK lemons, or 2 Maui Meyer lemons)
  • 3/4 cup                       powdered icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons           pure vanilla essence
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F or 175C
  2. Grease tins with butter and flour
  3. Grate the lemons for the  zest for the sponge if using, and juice the lemons for the sponge (3 tablespoons) and the glaze (1 cup)
  4. Blend glaze ingredients together and leave to dissolve, stir occasionally until ready to use.
  5. Whisk the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl, with a mixer until just mixed, leave for sugar to disolve a little while..
  6. Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a small bowl and mix ingredients well
  7. Now continue to whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy and the sugar is no longer gritty.
  8. Whisk in one egg one at a time until the third egg is mixed in well.
  9. Add all the yogurt, peel, lemon juice and vanilla into the center
  10. Whisk for about one minute until well blended and aired
  11. Do not over whisk, stop whisking if it begins to curdle
  12. Add the dry ingredients immediately, and then quickly fold in and then whisk in until well mixed.
  13. Scrape mixture into oiled and floured bread tins, spread so the center is slightly higher in the center.
  14. Bake at 350F (175C) 50-55 minutes.
  15. When cake is done, cool for 15 minutes in pan.
  16. Invert if you want to,  pierce cake all over and pour glaze slowly over cake so all it absorbs
  17. If the cake looks a little sunken in the center, Store upside down so it flattens the top a little
  18. If making ahead wrap in cling film while still warm and store up to 1 day. It freezes well.
  19. Delicious served warm with Vanilla Bean Haagen Daas Ice, or fresh whipped cream and strawberries

NOTE : Glaze can be poured on while cake still in baking trays – quicker and less messy

This is my version of Lindas Glazed Lemon Pound Cake, to see her original recipe view it on her website at www.LindasFavorites.com

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