Butterscotch Blondies

Eating these as I post - lovely and warm and scrumptious. I made half of the recipe as I was in a "cake fix" mood and used 2 eggs instead of 3 egg whites. They also only needed 20 minutes to cook.

2 cups plain flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
5 oz Butter
6 egg whites

Melt butter in pan for about 8 minutes until it goes brown and butterscotch like
Whisk sugar and eggs until thick and creamy
Mix flour and baking powder with melted butter
Stir egg mix into flour
Put into a greased baking tin

Bake Gas 160 for 25 - 30 minutes

Recipe adapted from CookingLight.com

Rosemary Chicken

This is my take of Jamie Olivers 15 minute version - it took about 35 minutes as I made bubble and squeak instead of doing polenta. Very Tasty - I would do again without the tomato sauce and use green beans instead of asparagus. I ground the fennel and fresh rosemary in a pestle. My sauce came out quite thin due to frozen tomatoes.

For the Sauce:
1 big pinch dried porcini mushrooms ( I used a pinch of beef oxo)

400g ripe vine tomatoes (I used some frozen ones)
1 heaped tbsp tomato puree (I used sauce)
1/4 fresh red chilli (I used chilli flakes)
1 bunch fresh basil (I used dried basil)
2 cloves garlic (I used garlic granules)

For the Chicken:
Rapeseed oil
2 x 200g skinless chicken breasts
Fresh rosemary, a few sprigs
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
4 rashers pancetta (I used bought cubes)
150g oyster mushrooms (I used plain white)
Balsamic vinegar

Instead of Polenta I made Bubble & Squeak

2 large potatoes

200g Baby Spinach

20g parmesan
Knob of Butter

Bunch of Asparagus – Boiled or steamed

1. Put the dried mushrooms in the blender with 150ml boiling water, the tomatoes, tomato puree, chilli, basil and garlic and whizz until smooth.

2. Pour the tomato sauce into a medium pan and boil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Make bubble and squeak and place under grill to char, top with asparagus to serve.

4. On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with salt, pepper, rosemary leaves, fennel seeds. Fold the paper over the top, then bash and flatten the chicken to about 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin. I cut into strips to cook.

5. Put the chicken into the frying pan with 1tbsp oil, turning after 3 or 4 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Toss the pancetta and mushrooms into the pan when you turn the chicken and cook till nice and brown.

6. Serve Sauce, Bubble & Squeak, Asparagus and drizzle chicken mix with balsamic vinegar.

Serving Size: Makes 4 servings

Greek Chicken

This is my take on Jamie Oliver's 15 minute version - I did herb bread and a salad with it as I am not keen on couscous. My chicken was lovely and cooked on the outside but needed 10 minutes to finish off in the oven after slicing

Greek Salad

• Little gems lettuce (quartered)
• Tomatoes (red & yellow)
• Few Radish sliced
• Small Onion sliced
• Feta cheese cubed
• Black Grapes - as I don't like olives

Greek Chicken

• 2 skinless chicken breasts pounded flat
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp Allspice
• Lemon zest
• Oil to fry

Tzatziki

• 1/4 cucumber
• 200g Greek Yogurt
• tsp lemon juice
• pinch garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp mint (from jar)

Mix all salad ingredients
Chop cucumber without the seeds and mix with other ingredients - chill
Toss chicken with spices and lemon zest; Fry in oil for 8-10 minutes; slice and if still pink in middle cook in the oven

Chicken Dim Sum

This is my version of Jamie Olivers 15 minute meal - Very yummy

I made the coconut buns using 200ml coconut milk (from dried coconut) and 250g Self raising flour - steamed for 15 minutes

The Chicken and mushrooms were cooked in the Wok with 3 tbsp hoisin sauce and juice of half a lime

The broccoli was cooked for 15 minutes

I pickled cucumber strips and sliced onions in soy sauce and sherry

Spanish Orange Cake

I made half of this recipe to take away as I had 2 oranges to use up

For the Cake
4 eggs, separated
50g/2oz golden caster sugar
150g/5oz self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
juice of 2 oranges

For the syrup
zest of 2 oranges, finely grated into long strips
juice of 2 oranges
1 tbsp arrowroot

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Line a 20cm/8in cake tin with non-stick baking parchment.

2. Place the egg yolks, caster sugar, sweetener, self-raising flour, baking powder and orange zest and juice in a bowl and whisk until thick and pale.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until softly peaked then fold them into the egg yolk mixture. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.

4. Meanwhile place all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan with 90ml/3fl oz of water and bring to the boil, whisking constantly. When it starts to thicken, remove from the heat.

5. Drizzle the syrup over the cake and decorate with raspberries and grated orange zest. Cut into wedges to serve. 

Lemon Jelly Cheesecake

6oz digestive biscuits

3oz melted butter

2tbsp light brown sugar

Lemon Jelly & 300ml boiling water - leave to cool and slightly set

8oz med-fat soft cheese

2oz castor sugar

rind and juice 2 small lemons

150ml double cream OR 6fl oz evaporated milk chilled and whipped

Crush biscuits,mix with melted butter and brown sugar. press down in flan tin

Whisk cheese,castor sugar,lemon juice and rind. whisk in jelly leave to set

on the point of setting whisk in the cream. turn into flan tin and chill

Pork in Onion Sauce

This smelt wonderful while cooking (lovely onion tang); had with a jacket potato and fresh green beans

• 4 pork chops  boneless
• all-purpose flour
• seasoning salt 
• black pepper 
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 2 small onion (sliced)
• Packet white sauce made with half pint milk
• Margarine & Oil

Coat pork loins with flour, seasoning and garlic powder

Fry in the margarine & oil  till golden on both sides 12-15 mins

Remove chops and fry onion add more oil if required

Add made up sauce mix and thyme and scrape meaty bits up from pan

Add pork loins back to pan and simmer for about 15-20 minutes

Optional add sliced mushrooms