Marsala Mushrooms with Herby Toast

 

This is a quick and lovely starter 

serves 4

4 oz butter

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

4 slices ham chopped

8 Tbs marsala wine

4 tbsp cream

garlic granules

salt and pepper

4 slices bread, buttered both sides and sprinkled with mixed herbs baked in oven (Gas 5 / Fan 160 ) on foil tray turn once - takes about 8-10 minutes

heat butter in a saute pan over medium heat.

add garlic and saute for a few minutes.

add mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5-8 minutes.

add ham and stir.

add marsala and let simmer for another 3 minutes.

add cream, salt and pepper to taste.

serve with herby toast

Courgette Soup

 Cheap and Tasty

Serves 4

30g (2 tbsp) Butter

1 Large onion, chopped

2 Garlic cloves, minced

2 sticks celery chopped

2 medium courgettes (zucchinis), halved lengthways and sliced.

1 litre (4 cups) Vegetable / Chicken Stock

120ml (½ cup) Cream OR Milk

Tbsp Shredded Cheddar

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter, over a medium heat, in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for approx. 5 mins (until lightly golden)

Add the celery and courgettes, reduce the heat and allow the vegetables to sweat for 10 mins

Add the stock and simmer for 20 mins, until the courgettes are very soft then add cheese and cook for a few more minutes

Blend until smooth

Add cream or milk

Add these for a difference

• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pinch cayenne, optional
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, (or Worcestershire sauce)
• 1 Russet potato
• 
  

Lo Dough Cheese Flan

 This is good with ham and mushroom or you could use onion & tomato. Website also 4 varieties of Quiche.

1 piece of Lo-Dough

Tsp English Mustard

4 slices Thin Ham

4 Mushrooms sliced

100g shredded cheddar cheese

150ml of half-fat crème fraiche

2 eggs

Sprinkle of herbs or chives

Butter for frying

 

1. Preheat the oven to Fan 160C/Gas 5. Grease a shallow 20cm quiche tin or dish.

2. Push the Lo-Dough into the tin evenly.

3. Spread the mustard over the bottom and cover with some of the grated cheese.

4. Fry the mushrooms slightly and then arrange in the Lo-Dough case with the chopped ham.

5. Whisk the eggs and half-fat creme fraiche in a bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper and add the grated cheese. 

6. Carefully pour over the ham and mushrooms. Top with a sprinkling of chives or herbs.

7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Chicken in Cider Sauce

 This also works well with pork loins

• 4 Chicken Breasts halved
  
  
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 Smoked Bacon Rashers, chopped
• 330ml Cider
• White Sauce Granules to thicken
• 200ml Double Cream
• 1 Eating apple sliced
• Cheddar Cheese, grated
• Chives to garnish

 

1.   Fry the chicken pieces in a little oil until brown. Spoon onto a plate then fry the onion and garlic until soft.

2.  Add the bacon and fry for a few more minutes then pour in the cider and cream. Stir through the sauce granules to thicken slightly and pour into a casserole dish.

3.  Add the sliced apple with the chicken pieces and top with the cheddar and chives.

4.  Cook in the oven Gas 5 / Fan 160 for 30 minutes.

Rhubarb and Custard Eton Mess

 This was a definite hit.

·         400g rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces

·         3 tbsp caster sugar

·         300ml double cream

·         2 tbsp icing sugar

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         6 ready-made meringues, crushed

·         300g ready-made vanilla custard

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the rhubarb in a large baking dish, scatter over the sugar and cover with foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until just tender. OR use a saucepan till tender.

 

Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract.

 

Layer up the cream, rhubarb, meringue pieces and custard in four glasses (adding any syrup from the rhubarb dish).

Berry and Custard Pudding

Tasty and quick dessert. Lovely with fresh cream.

Frozen Mixed Berries

Frozen Apple Slices

2 pots Ambrosia Custard

2 Aunty's Golden Syrup Steamed Puds

Put a generous amount of the frozen fruit in a saucepan and cook for 5-10 minutes until defrosted

Butter a pudding dish

Slice the puddings into 5 slices and place in bottom of dish

Spread fruit over puddings

Pour Custard over fruit

Sprinkle 1 tbsp demerara sugar on top (optional)

Bake Gas 5/ Fan 160 for 30-35 minutes

Pan Haggerty

 I used some left over ham from a ham hock joint and a leek instead of the onion

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

250g/9oz streaky bacon

4 potatoes, thinly sliced into rounds

1 Onion, thinly sliced

4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

500ml/17½fl oz chicken stock

150g/5oz cheddar, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.    Heat the vegetable oil and fry the bacon for 3–4 minutes, or until golden-brown and slightly crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

2.    Cook the carrots and onion in the stock until tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. I did in a slow cooker for 7 hours.

3.    Boil the sliced potatoes for 15 minutes till tender.

4.    Place vegetables, stock and bacon in a casserole dish. If stock is too runny add some gravy granules to thicken.

5.    Layer sliced potatoes over the top and cover with grated cheese.

6.    Cook in oven Gas 5 / Fan 160 for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden-brown.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

 A recipe by Mary Berry (Serves 8)

Ingredients

• 100g caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 175g softened butter
• 3 eggs
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 level tsp baking powder

For The Lemon Drizzle Topping:

• 100g granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon

 

1·         Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas 4. Beat together the eggs, flour, caster sugar, butter, baking powder and lemon zest until smooth in a large mixing bowl and turn into the prepared tin.

2·         Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 40 mins, or until golden brown, shrinking away from the sides of the tin and springy to the touch.

3·         While the cake is still warm, make the lemon drizzle topping. Mix together the sugar and lemon juice, and pour over the warm cake. Leave to cool a little and loosen the sides of the cake, then lift the cake out of the tin. Slice to serve.

Butternut Squash Soup

Makes 4 portions, tasty but quite runny. You can thicken by adding cauliflower or Xantham Gum

500g Frozen Butternut Squash

3 pints water

1/2 Onion

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 1/2 tsp Curry Powder

1/2 Cup Coconut Milk

2 Tbsp Cream

1) Fry onion in a little oil till translucent, add garlic and curry

2) Add water, S&P, coconut milk and squash

3) Cook till squash soft

4)  Add cream and allow to cool

5) Liquidise

Calories 133 / Net Carbs 6