Italian Apple and Cream Cake

Only had 2 apples to use up and 120 ml of cream so did 2/3 of recipe - probably should have used my small loaf tin not the large one. Did not add the cinnamon. It was cooked in 30 minutes.

·         3 apples

·         270 grams self rising flour

·         3 eggs

·         150 grams sugar

·         200 ml cream

·        lemon juice

·         1 tsp cinnamon

·         brown sugar (for sprinkling)

Peel and thinly slice the apples

Cover with lemon juice

Whip the eggs with the sugar

Add cream and cinnamon

Stir the flour into the mixture

Spread mix into a lined cake pan

Lay apples on top and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon

Cook at 180 for 35-40 minutes

Having it with Rum Butterscotch Sauce made as follows:-
2/3 cup cream
5 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Put all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil; Simmer for 10 minutes;Allow to cool slightly and stir in 2 tbsp of dark rum

Sweet and Sour Mackerel

This should marinate for a minimum of 8 hours but can be up to 48 which does intensify the flavour. I did just for 8 hours today but normally do for 24 - lovely with fresh bread.

4 medium smoked mackerel fillets (peppered is ok)
1 large Spanish onion
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
7 fl oz white vinegar
14 fl oz water
2 bay leaves

Cut fillets into 3-4 diagonal pieces and lay in shallow dish
Top with thinly sliced onion
Sprinkle with brown sugar and tuck in the bay leaves
Mix vinegar and water and pour over fish
Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in cold place

Chocolate Courgette Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

I completely forgot the oil so think my cake may be a little dry although it rose quite well.

230g self-raising flour    

40g cocoa powder           

1 tsp mixed spice

100ml extra-virgin olive oil           

250g golden caster sugar             

2 egg                                                     

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract                         

1 grated courgette (fairly large) grated and squeezed dry

For the Chocolate Butter cream Icing

60 g softened butter

2 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup whipping cream

100 g white chocolate

For the Ganache

80 g dark chocolate, chopped

40ml double cream

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and 1 tsp salt. In another bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla essence and grated courgette. Mix the dry and wet mixture until just combined. 

Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper, then pour in your mixture. Bake for about 40-50 mins, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a board and cut in half. 

Melt the white chocolate first and allow to cool. 

Place softened butter in a bowl and sift half the powdered sugar over top. Starting slow, mix until incorporated and then beat until fluffy (about a minute or two). The add the cream and vanilla. At this point you can now stir in the melted, cooled chocolate. Add as much of the other half of icing until a good consistency to spread inside the cake.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a bowl with the cream and microwave on defrost to melt. Stir to mix until completely smooth and melted. Leave the icing to cool slightly and thicken, then spread it over the cake so it’s covered 

Comment after eating: If I do again will leave out mixed spice

Pan Fried Pork with Mushroom and Sherry Sauce

Quite a rich sauce but quite easy to do.

1 pork tenderloin cut into medallions or pork loins

2 -3 tablespoons oil (any vegetable oil is fine)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 -2 garlic clove, minced

salt and fresh black pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoon grainy mustard

3 tbsp crème fraiche

1. Season medallions on one side. Place in pan season side down. Season other side . Brown until golden and turn. When both sides are nice and golden, remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add more oil if needed and onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute until onion is soft and mushrooms are lightly browned.
3. Add sherry, dried thyme and salt and pepper. Cook till sherry is almost evaporated, 2 minutes.
4. Add stock (with cornstarch mixed in), mustard and cream. Bring to a boil.
5. Add meat back to pan.
6. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 -20 minutes.

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

Served with small potatoes and peas

2 Salmon Fillets
Fresh white breadcrumbs from 2 slices bread
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp sliced green onions OR 1 tbsp dried chives
1 zest of a lemon
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Vegetable Oil

Heat oven to 160 Fan / Gas 5. Spray shallow baking pan with cooking spray
Pat salmon dry with paper towel and place salmon, skin side down, in pan
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Mix bread crumbs, cheese, onions, lemon zest & juice and thyme in small bowl
Stir in oil to mix. Press bread crumb mixture evenly on salmon
Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork. Serve immediately

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker website

Sweet and Sour Pork Loins

This amount of sauce is supposed to be for 6 but I do it for 3 of us as I like a lot with rice.

3 pork loin chops
3 Oranges juiced
3 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tbsp minced onion - I use chopped spring onions
1 tsp garlic granules
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cornflour or granules to thicken sauce

1. Mix all ingredients for sauce and marinade pork for at least 2 hours
2. Turn and baste pork
3. Bake covered in oven Gas 5 Fan 160 for 1 hour
4. Thicken sauce 15 minutes before serving
5. Decorate with orange slices

Mimosa Eggy Prawns

You are supposed to cook extra eggs and use the cooked yolks crumbled as decoration (mimosa) but I use chopped cucumber

for 4 people
3 hard boiled eggs quartered
Good helping of prawns
6 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 1/2 tbsp Worcester Sauce
1 tsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients for sauce
Arrange quartered eggs on plate with prawns
Top with sauce
Scatter chopped cucumber on top

Baked BBQ Pork Loins

Had with jacket potato and corn on the cob very tasty

1 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp Worcester Sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
3 medium thick pork loin or chops

Preheat oven to Gas 5 Fan 160

In a small bowl, thoroughly blend soy sauce, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ketchup.

Place pork in a medium baking dish and spread with half the sauce.

Bake pork chops for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Turn over and spread with remaining sauce. Continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. 

Adjust cooking times if you have thicker chops or pork loins.

Recipe originally inspired by AllRecipes

Banana Cookies

I did put them too close together on the baking sheet so they all merged. I ended up having to cut out 12 large cookie sizes from my big blobby mess :) They were a little doughy so I would probably not do again.

1/2 cup sugar
3oz butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup banana; mashed well
1 Egg beaten
1¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1) In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
2) Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3) Add egg and beat well. Stir in banana.
4) Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet. Chill 30 minutes in refrigerator.
5) Preheat oven to 400 F.
6) Drop teaspoon sized balls of dough two inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture; if desired.
7) Bake 8-10 minutes or until browned. Cool 2 minutes, then transfer to racks.
8) Decorate with icing if desired.

Chocolate Mud Cake

This recipe makes a cake for 14-16 so I did cheat and use a bought cake mix instead and just made up half the icing and ganache as my cake should do 8.

·         250g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

·         200g dark chocolate

·         1 tbsp espresso powder

·         100ml whole milk

·         250g self-raising flour

·         40g cocoa powder

·         250g caster sugar

·         4 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         150ml soured cream

For the fudge icing

·         4oz milk chocolate

·         1/2 cup butter

·        4 cups icing sugar

·        1/2 cup double cream

·         2 tsp vanilla essence

For the ganache

·         2oz dark chocolate

·         2-3 tbsp double cream

01. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3. Grease and line a deep, 23cm round loose-bottomed cake tin, then set aside. Melt the chocolate, butter, espresso powder and milk in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.

02. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl, then add the caster sugar. Fold into the chocolate mixture along with the eggs, vanilla extract and soured cream.

03. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with some moist crumbs sticking to it but not any raw cake batter. Set aside to cool completely in the tin then cut into two.

04. To make the fudge icing, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally, in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or microwave. Set aside to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix icing sugar with cream and vanilla then beat in the chocolate. Spread evenly all over the middle and top.

05. To make the ganache, melt the ingredients together, stirring occasionally, in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or a microwave. Make sure it is runny and swirl across the cake. Top with chocolate curls.

Pork and Potato Casserole

I adjusted this and did for 2 of us but used 2/3 of the milk & soup mix. I found the mushroom a bit strong and would do it again with maybe cream of celery.

Oil or 1Cal spray
4 Pork Loins
1 small onion chopped
4 medium potatoes
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can milk (fill tin from soup)
grated cheese to cover

Heat oven to Gas 5 Fan 160
Season pork loins with salt & pepper and fry till nice and brown on both sides (8-10 minutes)
Thinly slice potatoes and boil for 10 minutes
Remove pork from pan and add chopped onion, cook till lightly brown
Place pork loins in casserole with onion on top
Cover with drained potatoes
Mix soup and milk and pour over casserole dish till potatoes almost covered
Top with grated cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes till well done