Strawberry and Ginger with Toasted Almonds

Strawberries and Ginger with Toasted Almonds

250g Strawberries
10 whole almonds

50ml Fresh Orange Juice
1tbsp Crystallised Ginger

1 tbsp Caster Sugar


Cut strawberries into slices

Roughly chop the almonds and dry fry over a medium heat for 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown

Combine strawberries, fresh orange juice and caster sugar in a large bowl. Stir together and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Divide strawberries between bowls and sprinkle with almonds.

Whiskey and Coke Cupcakes

Whiskey and Coke Cupcakes

1 cup cola
2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
at room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream at room temperature

Ganache Filling

8 ½ ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons whiskey

Whiskey buttercream frosting

6 cups confections sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
6 tbsp Jack Daniels, or other whiskey

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. 

Bring 1 cup cola and 2 sticks butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. 

Allow to cool for at least fifteen minutes.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. 

Using electric mixer, whisk eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. 

Add the sugar and whisk to combine.  

With the mixer on, pour in the cola-chocolate mixture and beat just to combine. 

Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. 

Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.

Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. 

Be really careful about not overfilling them – this cake rises and will spill over.  

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. 

Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. 

Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate.  Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth.  

Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.
Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

Meanwhile, using a 1-inch round cookie cutter, an apple corer, or a paring knife, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes.
Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Frosting Method
Whisk the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. 

Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.  It does make a difference.  The frosting will be less grainy, and require less sugar to thicken them up.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the whiskey and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin, beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.  Don’t worry about trying to use all 6 cups, just use your intuition and stop when it seems thick enough.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Honey and Mustard Cocktail Sausages

Honey and Mustard Glazed Cocktail Sausages

1 tbsp Honey

1 tbsp Dijion Mustard 

Combine ingredients in a bowl, add the cocktail sausages and toss.

Cook in the oven for 5 minutes to warm.

Serve.

Crispy Bacon and Mushroom Salad

Crispy Bacon and Mushroom Salad

2 Red peppers
60g Lean back bacon
4 Hard boiled eggs
Large bag mixed lettuce leaves
4 Tomatoes, sliced
60g Croutons
Mushrooms

Dressing:
4 tbsp low-fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt and black pepper


Cut peppers
Grill Bacon until crispy
Remove shell from hard boiled eggs and cut in half
Fry mushrooms and leave to cool
Arrange lettuce in bowl and add tomatoes, peppers, bacon, egg, mushrooms, and scatter with croutons

Mix together parsley, yogurt and lemon zest and season
Drizzle over salad and serve

Homemade Coleslaw

Homemade Coleslaw

• 3 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar

Carrot, Shredded

White cabbage, shredded

Red Onion, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve

Vegetable Lasagne

Vegetable Lasagne

2 large onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
120g mushrooms
225g courgettes, sliced
225g broccoli, small florets
1 bay leaf
Thyme leaves, chopped
270g Lasagne sheets
4 tsp grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Black Pepper

Cheese Topping:
2 Eggs
4 tbsp skimmed milk
300ml low-fat plain yoghurt
100g low-fat soft cheese

Tomato Sauce:
2 onions, chopped finely
1 garlic clove
300g canned tomatoes
1 tsp honey
A large handful basil/parsley



Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.  Gently fry the onions and garlic until softened  add the canned tomatoes, salt, pepper and honey.

Cook for 20 minutes and then stir in the basil and parsley.

Preheat oven to gas mark 6/200c

Heat oil in a frying pan.  Saute onions and garlic for 4 minutes, adding 2 tbsp water if they stick.

Add the mushrooms, courgettes, broccoli, herbs and seasoning.

Cook for 4 minutes with the lid on, then stir in the tomato sauce.

To make the cheese sauce

Beat the eggs, milk, yogurt and soft cheese.
Season and pour over the top of the lasagne
Sprinkle with parmesan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until golden

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars Adapted from DomesticFits.com

For the Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup golden brown sugar
¾ cup smooth peanut butter
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Jam for filling

Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl or jug, set aside.

Add the peanut butter, butter and sugar in a bowl, mix until well combined. 
Add the egg and vanilla, mix well until combined.
Sprinkle with flour mixture, stir to combine.

Split the dough roughly in two, leaving more for the bottom crust.
Put one half in the freezer to chill whilst pressing the other half into a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Cover the dough with the jam (I put the jam in the microwave to soften slightly for easier spreading)

Retrieve the remaining crust from the freezer, break into pea-sized pieces and layer over the jam filling. 

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees (gasmark 4) for 30 minutes, until the top crust starts to turn golden brown.  


Allow to cool before serving.