Broccoli and Stilton Soup

 This was quite tasty - even though I don't like Stilton - made 1/2 for 2 of us

• 800 g (1.7 lb) Broccoli , Fresh or frozen
• 1 potato
• 1 stick celery
• 1 Onion, Peeled and chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
• 750 ml (3.25 cups) Stock
• 160 g (6 oz) Stilton cheese, Grated or crumbled
• Optional Milk to make more creamy

1.                 Wash and chop the broccoli into large chunks. Chop potato and celery, finely slice your onion and crush the garlic. (If you’re using frozen, simply put everything in the pan.)

2.                 Put the broccoli, potato, onions, garlic, stock and plenty of salt and pepper into a large saucepan.

3.                 Bring to the boil with the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked through.

4.                 Remove from the heat. Add the milk and Stilton and blend until smooth.

5.                 Heat through again before serving

Baked Balsamic Chicken

 Makes the chicken very tasty. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

4 chicken breasts or chicken tenders

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup (65 ml) balsamic vinegar
• 5 tbsp / 50 ml soy sauce, all purpose or light (not dark soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup (85 g / 65 ml) honey
• 1/4 cup (45g) brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste from jar)

Instructions

1.                 Mix together Sauce in a bowl. Place chicken in baking dish making sure the pan is big enough so the chicken is not squished up next to each other and pour over sauce. Marinate overnight or at least 2 hours.

2.                 Preheat oven to 180C/350F Gas 5.

3.                 Pour off most of sauce into saucepan. Bake 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, spoon over sauce and cook for further 10-20 minutes depending on size of chicken.

4.                 Heat sauce in pan till it has thickened (add cornflour if required). Stand for 5 minutes, then spoon Sauce over chicken and serve.

Cheese & Bacon Turnovers

 These were a definite success

• Tomato paste
• All-purpose flour, for surface
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
• 12 rashers smoked bacon
• Grated cheddar
• 1 large egg

 

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 400° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.
2. Step 2On a lightly floured surface, working one at a time, roll out puff pastry to a 15" x 10" rectangle. Cut each into 6 squares for a total of 12.
3. Step 3Rotate square to a diamond shape and brush with tomato paste. Top with a slice of bacon and grated cheese.
4. Step 4Fold left side of pastry over filling and brush with egg wash. Fold right side of pastry over and brush top and sides with more egg wash; optional - sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Arrange on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining puff pastry.
5. Step 5Bake bundles until golden about 15 minutes.

 

• Freezing Raw (Best Method): Assemble the turnovers, but skip the egg wash. Place them on a baking tray in the freezer for 3-4 hours until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container.
• Freezing Baked: Allow the turnovers to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. 

How to Cook/Reheat from Frozen:

• From Raw: Bake straight from frozen at 180°C–200°C (355°F–400°F) for 25-30 minutes. You can apply the egg wash just before baking.
• From Baked: Reheat in the oven at 180°C–200°C for 10-20 minutes, or until warmed through and crispy. 

 

Rhubarb and Custard Cake

 This was a very light and tasty sponge - I made in a loaf tin

8oz rhubarb cut into bite-sized pieces

4 oz self-raising flour

4 oz caster (superfine) sugar

4 oz butter or margarine

3 fl oz ready-made custard

2 eggs

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

Icing sugar to dust 

Instructions

Mix sugar and rhubarb and boil together for 5 minutes

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Put 3 tbsp of the custard into a small bowl and add the rest into the batter. Mix.

Add in the vanilla essence and sift in the baking powder and flour. Mix well.

Spoon one third of the batter into a greased 8″ (20 cm) cake tin and spread evenly.

Add about a third of the rhubarb, then one third more cake mix and spread it out as well as you can. Add another third of the rhubarb then spoon over the remaining cake mix. Scatter the rest of the rhubarb over the cake and dot the remaining custard over.

Bake at 170°C for 30 mins until risen and golden.

Cover with foil and bake for a further 5-10 mins. The cake is cooked by when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cook for longer if necessary. Cool the cake in the tin, then dust with icing sugar.