Pear and Chocolate Cake

I just used normal brandy, the cake took about an hour to cook and I topped with some chocolate sauce. This amount does a cake for 4-6 people

2 under-ripe pears

70g dark chocolate
85 g butter
2 eggs
60 g sugar
50 g ground almonds
1 tbsp Pear Brandy

1 Preheat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3½. Grease and line a 23cm round deep cake tin.

2 Peel, core and cut the pears into eighths. Arrange them core-side down in a fanned circle at the bottom of the tin.

3 Put a pan on the heat with a little water in it and set a heatproof bowl over it. Break up the chocolate and melt together with the butter in the bowl.

4 While that’s melting, beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Stir in the melted chocolate then carefully fold in the ground almonds.

5 Tip the batter into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes. Use a skewer to test the centre to check that it is baked through. As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour the Pear Brandy all over the top and leave it to cool in the tin.

6 To serve, gently loosen the cake all around with a knife then place a plate on top of the tin. Holding them together firmly with both hands, flip the tin and plate over so that the plate is underneath and the cake can slip down on to it.

Pork Marsala

I used garlic infused olive oil as this is a quick option to mincing garlic.

4 boneless thin pork loins

2 thinly sliced shallots

2 chopped garlic cloves

8 sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt and ground pepper

fresh thyme

1. On a plate or shallow bowl add flour, salt and pepper-mix. Toss your pork in the mixture to coat all sides and tap off the excess.

2. In a saute pan or similar add butter and oil to a medium high heat, when butter is melted, add pork to pan and cook, flipping over one time when sides get golden brown.

3. Lower the heat to medium-lowish and add your mushrooms, shallots, and garlic to the pan. Use tongs to toss them around so they are touching the pan.

4. Add in your Marsala wine and chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits at the bottom of the pan.

5. Add in fresh thyme (about a teaspoon-tablespoon)

6. Cover the pan and let cook for about 10 minutes

7. Optional- add in about a teaspoon of Dijon Mustard (pork and mustard are a match made in heaven) and let cook for another 3-4 minutes uncovered

8. It will be ready when the sauce has thickened into a gravy.

Upside Down Cheesecake Apple Pie

I only made half of this for 4 of us and if I do it again will do in a smaller dish so that the cheesecake part comes out thicker

Prepared pie crusts or your favourite crust recipe
2 x 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
6 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
caramel sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a pie pan with the bottom pie crust.
With mixer on high, combine cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and vanilla until fluffy.

Add in eggs and mix until combined.

Pour cream cheese mixture into the pie crust.

In large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, ½ cup sugar, flour and cinnamon.

Gently place apples on top of cream cheese mixture.

Top apples with second pie crust turning the crust inwards to bake. Cut a few small slits into the top of the pie.

Line a pan with parchment paper and place the pie on the pan. Cover loosely with a piece of foil and bake 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the apples feel soft when a knife is inserted. Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes.

Place a large plate over the top of the pie and flip it upside down releasing the pie onto the plate.

Cool 1 hour on the countertop and then refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold with caramel sauce and or cream.

Tesco Mixed Fish Pie

I added some prawns to the original recipe and it turned out well; just did half of this for 2 of us

3-4 medium Potatoes

400g Tesco Fish Pie Mix (Smoked Cod, Cod, Salmon)
100g Frozen Peas
120g Grated Cheese
80g Butter
8g (1 ¼ teaspoon) Salt
0.8g Pepper (¼ teaspoon) Ground Black Pepper
200mls Milk
8mls 1 1/2 Teaspoons Olive Oil (for greasing)


Method:
Pre heat oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Gas Mark 4
Place fish pie mix in a lightly greased dish.
Add milk
Peel the potatoes, put them in a pan and cover with water.
Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.
When the potatoes start to boil put the fish pie mix in the oven.
After 20 minutes take the fish pie mix out and take the potatoes off the hob.
Increase the heat of the oven to 220ºC / Fan 200ºC / Gas Mark 7
Pour the water off the potatoes and mash with butter, salt, pepper and the milk used for the fish pie mix.
Mix the frozen peas and mashed potato together with a fork.
Spread the mash over the fish pie mix and add the grated cheese to the top.
Put the dish in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the cheese has cooked to a golden brown.
Take out and serve.

Spaghetti tetrazzini

This is plenty for 4 people

200g thin spaghetti or linguine

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or pre-coooked

1 lb button mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups equal parts milk & heavy cream
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

      1.   Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until aldente according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.

2.   In a large dutch oven pot or deep saute pan (if baking in a casserole dish), melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to cutting board to cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.

3.   In the same pot (no need to wash it), add 3 Tbsp oil then add sliced mushrooms and saute 2 min or until softened. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft and golden, 5-7 min. Add minced garlic and sautee another 1-2 min. Remove to the cutting board with chicken.

4.   In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in ⅓ cup flour until lightly golden (1½ min). Add 2 cups chicken broth, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper or season to taste and whisk until smooth. Add 1½ cups half and half and bring to a simmer.

5.   Return chicken, mushrooms, onions and pasta to the pot then season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle in chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella and bake at Gas 5 / Fan 160 for 20 min.

Shrimp Linguine

This makes enough for 2 people

100g linguine

8oz of cooked large shrimp or prawns

1/4 tsp paprika, or to taste

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 tbsp Butter

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Some diced tomatoes

⅓ cup white wine

1 cups heavy whipping cream

Milk to thin the sauce if required

⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus extra cheese for topping)

2 T. fresh parsley or 1 t. dried parsley

1.    Add pasta to a pot of boiling water with pinch salt and cook according to package instructions until al-dente. Drain without rinsing and set aside.

2.    While pasta is cooking, prepare the shrimp and sauce. Season shrimp with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and ¼ tsp paprika. Please a large, non-stick pan over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add shrimp in a single layer and warm through. Remove to a separate dish to prevent overcooking.

3.    In the same hot pan, add 2 Tbsp butter with finely chopped onion and sauté until soft and golden (3-5 mins), stirring often. Add diced tomatoes and minced garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant. Stir in white wine and boil for 3 minutes.

4.    Stir in cream and milk, bring to a light boil then simmer 2 min. Sprinkle sauce with ⅓ cup parmesan cheese and stir just until creamy and smooth. Let it come just to a simmer without boiling then turn off the heat and season sauce with more salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

5.       Stir in the drained pasta and cooked shrimp, tossing until noodles are well coated in sauce. Serve in warm pasta bowls with a generous sprinkle of finely chopped parsley, more parmesan cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper.

Raspberry Cheesecake Mess

Tasty different version of Eton Mess - you need to put it together at max 30 minutes before eating as the meringue dissapears

For the coulis

150g raspberries

1 tbsp icing sugar

For the cream:

200g full-fat cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp icing sugar

200ml double cream

To assemble

4 Broken Meringues nests

150g raspberries

4 ginger biscuits, crushed

1.   For the coulis, put the raspberries and icing sugar in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring so they break up. Sieve, discarding the seeds, then leave to cool.

2.   Beat the cream cheese with the vanilla and icing sugar until soft and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until thick, then fold into the cheese mixture.

3.   Crumble the meringues and layer in four large glasses with spoonfuls of the cream, raspberries, coulis and crushed biscuits. Serve.

Roast Potato and Bolonaise Bake

I made this for the two of us using fresh tomatoes instead of a tin and it turned out delicious. Original recipe used peppers but I substituted mushrooms.

For The Potatoes

2-3 Large Roasting Potatoes

Fry Light

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

60g Grated Cheese (optional)

For The Bolognese

200g Lean Mince

5 Mushrooms (chopped small)

1/2 Onion (diced)

1 Clove Garlic (minced)

Fry Light

1x Beef stock pot

1 Pint Boiling Water

1x Tin Cherry Tomatoes

1tbsp Tomato Puree

1tsp Mixed Herbs

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1.     Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

2.     Chop the potatoes into cubes and boil for 6 minutes.

3.     Tip out onto a baking tray and spray with Fry Light, season with salt& pepper; shake to make sure they're evenly distributed, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Make sure to turn the potatoes half way through and check regularly towards the end.

4.     Meanwhile, fry the onions in a deep based frying pan along with Fry Light until they're soft and going golden.

5.     Add the garlic and stir.

6.     Add the mince and stir until browned.

7.     Add the chopped mushrooms and fry until these begin to soften.

8.     Mix the stock pot with half a pint of the water and add it to the mince. Simmer until the stock has thickened and then add the tin of tomatoes along with the rest of the boiling water.

9.     Season with the herbs and salt & pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes or until it begins to thicken up nicely.

10.    Add the tomato puree two minutes before the end and then remove from the heat.

11.    Pour the mince into your baking dish.

12.    Cover with the roasted potatoes, making sure they're spread evenly, and sprinkle on the cheese if you're using it.

13.    Bake for a further 10 minutes until the cheese is totally melted and has begun to get some colour on top.

14.   Serve with a crack of black pepper and some freshly steamed vegetables, or salad!

Iced Lemon Pound Cake

Using up some lemons; had a slice before freezing the rest - yummy.

·         1 cup SR flour 

·         1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

·         1/2 cup caster sugar

·         2 large eggs, at room temperature

·         2 tbsp yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature

·         3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

·         zest of 1 ½ lemon

·        2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

·        2 Tablespoons lemon juice

·         2 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk

1.      Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2.    Beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.

3.    Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed.With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour until just combined. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat for 10 seconds to rid any large lumps. Do not overmix.

4.      Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Pound cakes are dense and, therefore, take awhile in the oven. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean. A couple moist crumbs may remain.

5.      Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour, then carefully remove from the loaf pan.

6.     Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and pour over slightly warm cake. Allow cake to cool completely before serving.

7.      Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for up to 5 days.

The cake freezes well up to 3 months.

Bacon and Tomato Quiche

A recipe from James Martin; looks lovely but it is going in the deep freeze for later in the year.

Shortcrust pastry case
200g smoked back or streaky bacon
200g grated cheddar
Sliced Tomatoes
4 eggs
80ml milk
160ml cream
salt and pepper
Fresh Thyme

1. Put oven on gas mark 4
2. Fill pastry case with cheese
3. Arrange sliced tomatoes on top
4. Cook bacon till crispy then cut into pieces and arrange on pastry
5. Beat eggs, milk, cream and seasoning and pour over bacon
6. Sprinkle thyme on top and cook for 30-40 minutes until firm

Pork Loin Steaks in Creamy Shallot and Mushrooms Sauce

Turned out quite tasty; I did thicken the sauce with some white granules

·         4 pork loin steaks

·         1 tbsp olive oil

·         2 shallots, chopped

·         2-3 large field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms, chopped

·         2 rosemary sprigs, chopped

·         a splash of cognac or brandy (optional)

·         ¼ cup stock, pork or chicken

·         1 tbsp whole-grain mustard

·         200 gr/ ⅔ cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

·         salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1.    Rub your pork loin steaks with some sea salt.

2.    In a cast iron pan or a stainless steal pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and brown your steaks in it for no longer than 2 minutes on each side.

3.    Remove your meat on a separate plate and set aside.

4.    To the same pan add shallots and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning for 3 minutes, than add mushroom and chopped rosemary and cook for 5 more minutes.

5.    When shallot and mushroom juices evaporate and the pan is dry, hit it with a shot of cognac while scraping the burnt bits with a wooden spoon.

6.    Add stock,whole grain mustard, creme fraiche and stir to combine.

7.    Return pork loin steaks to the pan, bring to a boil and let it simmer for 2 minutes longer and take the pan off the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy with rice or potatoes.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Upside Down Cake

I used some of my frozen strawberries which made a fair bit of syrup; cake was done in a loaf tin

1 punnet strawberries (approx. 250 grams) hulled and halved

1 bunch rhubarb stalks, trimmed of leaves (approx. 380 grams) cut into 1cm pieces

125 grams butter or margarine, room

1.5 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or essence

1/2 cup milk

METHOD

Toss strawberries and rhubarb with 1 tbsp sugar and leave for a few hours for liquid to form.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Grease a 20cm cake tin with a removable base.

Arrange strawberries and rhubarb attractively in cake in. Drizzle over remaining syrup.

Put flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl and combine with a spoon.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat 125 grams butter and sugar  in a large bowl until light and creamy (about 4 minutes).

Add vanilla extract or essence and then add eggs, one at a time, being sure to beat the mixture well after each egg.

Add half flour mixture and half milk and then beat again for another minute.

Add remaining flour and milk and beat again for another 2-3 minutes until mixture is well combined and airy.

Pour over fruit mixture in cake tin and even out top with an offset spatula (or  tap the tin a few times on the kitchen bench).

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius and then reduce heat to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for another 25-35 minutes. Check with a skewer to see if the cake is cooked – if it’s not give it a few more minutes and try again.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Run a spatula around the edge of the cake tin and then gently turn the cake out onto a cake platter or plate.

Serves 8-10.

Somerset Pomona, apple & almond cake

Made 2/3 of this recipe in a small loaf tin for 5 people.

4 medium dessert apples

knob of butter, plus extra for greasing

200g / 8oz butter, softened

200g / 8oz golden caster sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

140g / 5oz self-raising flour

50g / 2oz ground almond

2 tbsp Somerset Pomona, plus extra to drizzle

For the glaze

2 tbsp apricot jam

1 tbsp Somerset Pomona

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin. Peel, core and slice the apples to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Melt the knob of butter in a large frying pan then tip in the apples. Cook over a medium heat, stirring every so often till softened, but not soggy, about 5 mins. Splash in the Pomona and leave to cool. Tip onto a plate to cool more quickly if you like.

Using an electric whisk or wooden spoon, beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating after each addition, then fold in the flour and almonds. Finally, fold in half of the cooled apples. Spoon the mix into the prepared tin, smooth the top and scatter with the rest of the apples, pressing down lightly into the batter.

Bake for 1 hr, until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after 45 mins, cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly. To make the glaze, warm the jam and Pomona in a small pan until the jam melts.

Once the cake is out of the oven, prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle over a little more Pomona. Cool for 10 mins, then turn out of the tin and transfer to a wire rack. Brush the glaze over the apples and serve sliced, with dollops of Pomona cream. Best eaten on the day it’s made, or warmed through the next.

Rum Donut with Chocolate Glaze and Chantilly Cream

I didn't make the choclate glaze but bought a jar of Belgium Chocolate sauce and covered the donuts.

·         3/4 cup flour

·         2 Tbsp cornstarch

·         1/3 cup sugar

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1/4 tsp salt

·         1/2 tsp cinnamon

·         1/3 cup greek yogurt

·         1 egg

·         1 Tbsp melted butter

·         1 tsp vanilla

·         275 g caster sugar

·         125 ml rum

·         75 ml sugar syrup (reserved when making the rum syrup)

·         100 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

·         300 ml double cream

·         50 g icing sugar

·         Few drops of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod

1.    Whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.

2.    In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Add to the dry mixture and stir till just combined. If too thick add tbsp of milk.

3.  Spoon batter into a ziplock bag and snip off the corner. Squeeze the batter into a well greased donut pan. Divide the batter evenly into the six donut wells so the donuts will bake evenly.

4.    Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a couple minutes, then remove to cooling racks.To make the rum syrup, pour 350ml of water into a saucepan, add the sugar and bring to the boil. Boil for two minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

5.    Pour 500ml of the sugar syrup into a separate pan (reserving the rest of the syrup to make the chocolate sauce), add the rum and gently warm over a low heat for one to two minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

6.    When the rum syrup has cooled, insert a fork into each donut and dunk it in the syrup, leaving it in the mixture until no more bubbles appear, then remove and place on a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining donut’s and set aside.

7.    To make the chocolate sauce, heat the sugar syrup in a saucepan to gently warm. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces, stirring until melted, then pour into a jug for serving.

8.    Now make the Chantilly cream. Whip the cream in a clean bowl until soft peaks are formed, then fold in the icing sugar and vanilla extract and serve with the warm donut’s and chocolate sauce.