Random Recipes

Royal icing, step by step

2011-12-22T17:47:00.000+02:00

(To cover a rich fruit cake, approx 20-25cm round)

2 large egg whites
Approx 450-500g icing sugar (US: a little over 1lb powdered/confectioners' sugar)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp glycerine (optional)

Short description:
Beat the sieved icing sugar into the egg whites gradually, using a wooden spoon, until it's all combined. Then add the lemon juice, and the glycerine (if used). Beat some more until the mixture is smooth and glossy, with stiff peaks that gently topple, and use.

Longer description:
Choose organic free-range eggs if you can, to avoid any risk of illness from raw egg white. If you can find powdered egg white with no additives, by all means use the equivalent amount. If using real eggs, the egg yolks make a good addition to short-crust pastry, or can be used in place of one whole egg in many other recipes.

Sieving the icing sugar is optional. If it has hard lumps, you might want to sieve it, but I never bother. Any slight lumps get beaten out. Theoretically two large egg whites will take 450g (1lb) icing sugar, but I find it varies. So have at least 500g available. Do NOT whip the egg whites - just put them in a large mixing bowl.

Then start adding the icing sugar and stirring it in with a wooden spoon. I don't know why it has to be a wooden spoon rather than an electric mixer, but that's what all the books say. It goes in pretty easily at first. This is what it looks like when you've added about 350g:

It gets a bit more difficult after that. If you have a willing assistant asking to do some stirring, this is the point at which you should probably accept their offer. Add another 50g of icing sugar, and then, when that has gone in, the last 50g. By that stage, it should be looking something like this:

Now add the lemon juice - probably not necessary, but it gives a pleasant taste. Don't bother if you only have bottled lemon juice. Glycerine supposedly it makes the mixture smoother and easier to cut, but I've never used it.

Then beat. And beat some more. Switch hands if you can. Enlist the help of as many other people as are willing, since this is hard work. Keep going, adding more icing sugar if necessary, for at least five minutes, until it looks something like this:

As you lift the spoon out of the mixture, it forms a soft peak, whose tip quickly topples over. You'll know that you need to add more icing sugar if this isn't happening after a few minutes of hard beating. You can just about see in the photo (click it to enlarge, if necessary) that the royal icing has, indeed, become quite glossy at this stage.

Now you are ready to ice your cake. I basically dump most of the icing on top of my cake (which should already have marzipan on it, or possibly a thin layer of regular icing) and then spread it out and decorate. A ruler makes a good way of smoothing the top down, a knife will work around the edges.

If you prefer, you can deliberately make the icing into little peaks, this is called 'rough-icing' and is much easier than trying to make a smooth surface.

Wheat Tortillas ('wraps')

2011-11-17T21:19:00.003+02:00

(makes 8)

1.5 cup flour (can be half wholemeal)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tblsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup hot water (not boiling)

Extra flour for rolling

Put the three dry ingredients in a bowl with the butter, and rub in until the mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs, rather as you would for making pastry or crumble. Alternatively, whizz for a short time in the food processor.

Add the water, and mix well until the mixture forms a slightly sticky ball. If it is very sticky you can add a little extra flour, but it should be quite pliable. Ensure that all the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, and knead for about twenty seconds. Then leave it to rest for five minutes or so.

Divide the mixture by hand into eight pieces, and roll into small balls. If possible, leave them to rest again for a few minutes. Then, one at a time, roll out on a floured surface,using a well-floured rolling-pin, until they are very thin. The dough is quite stretchy, unlike pastry, and although it seems impossible at first, they will roll extremely thinly if you keep turning and rolling gently, ensuring plenty of flour.

Heat a frying pan until it is very hot - so that a drop of water forms a ball and sizzles. Then cook each tortilla for about thirty seconds on each side. They are very easy to turn over. Wait until you can see little bubbles rising before turning, and watch to make sure they do not burn. A few brown specks are not a problem.

Stack in a clean tea-towel to keep them soft enough to fill for enchiladas or other Mexican-style dishes. If you want to freeze them for later use, do so as soon as they have cooled.

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These tortillas will not be as soft and pliant as the kind you can buy in the supermarket, but are considerably less expensive. They are a bit fiddly to make, but if you have an assistant it can work well to have one person rolling while the other cooks.

However, if you are in the kitchen on your own, it's possible to stack the uncooked tortillas roughly on something like a bread-board; they will not stick, due to the extra flour used in rolling.

Spanokopitta (spinach and cheese pie)

2011-09-06T19:51:00.004+03:00

(serves about 6-8)

1 pack frozen puff pastry (500g), thawed
OR
about 14 sheets filo pastry

filling:

1 large onion (or two small)
2-3 tblsp olive oil
400-450g feta cheese
100-150g cheddar or other hard cheese
4 eggs
400-450g frozen spinach
1/2 tsp ground nutmet
pinch of black pepper
extra egg or milk for glazing (optional)

Initial preparation: make sure that the pastry is thawed - preferably overnight in the fridge. Defrost the spinach, over a colander or large sieve, so that the liquid drains away. Chop the onion finely. Grease or line a flat swiss-roll type baking tin around 20x30cm size.

When you are ready to make the spanokopitta, heat the oven to 190C.

Gently fry the onion pieces in the olive oil over a medium heat, stirring, until they are softened and translucent. Allow to cool slightly, while you grate the hard cheese, and beat the eggs lightly.

Place the feta cheese in a large bowl, and use a fork to break it up roughly. Stir in the grated cheese and eggs, and mix well.

Press the spinach down in the sieve so that most of the remaining liquid drains out, then add it to the cheese mixture with the onions, nutmeg, and a little pepper. Mix again to combine.

Roll the puff pastry to a large rectangle, on a well-floured working surface, turning frequently. Roll it as thin as possible without breaking it, until it is a little more than twice the size of the prepared tin (or, if using filo pastry, place the sheets along the tin so that they overlap and form a large rectangle.

Spoon the cheese and spinach mixture evenly into the pastry base, leaving a gap of about 2cm around each edge. Take a little water, and dampen the edges, then fold the sides in, pushing the ends together, to form a parcel.

If you want to glaze the spanokopitta, use a pastry brush to cover it with milk or lightly beaten egg. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until golden brown and well risen.

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Spanokopitta is a traditional Greek or Cypriot pastry, readily available in bite-sized or single portion pies, ready-made. I prefer to make my own, which has a higher proportion of filling, and is ideal for a meal when entertaining vegetarians who are happy to eat dairy products and eggs. You can make your own puff pastry if you prefer, but I find it too much effort! Puff pastry works well so long as you can roll it thinly enough, although filo pastry is more traditional and does not need rolling!

The ingredient amounts are approximate, and can easily be adjusted to taste. You should not need to add any salt, as feta cheese is quite salty already. But you could use different herbs or spices to vary the flavours. If you prefer to use fresh spinach, you would need about 800g which should be prepared and lightly steamed before using.

Serve spanokopitta with cooked vegetables or a big green salad. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten cold.

Home-made granola

2011-06-18T19:39:00.004+03:00

(makes about 1kg)

basis for granola:

6 cups (500g) oats

flexible dry ingredients:

1/2 cup almond meal (or ground almonds or wholemeal flour)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flaxseeds
1 tsp cinnamon

flexible wet ingredients:

2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla essence

optional other ingredients:
raisins, chopped apricots, nuts, other seeds or dried fruit

Heat oven to 180C. Spread the oats in an ungreased roasting pan or similar large ovenproof dish, and cook, dry, for about 10-15 minutes, stirring about half way through to ensure they cook evenly, and to stop the edges burning.

Add about two and a half cups of dry ingredients, which can be altered to suit personal tastes (see notes below), and mix well. Mix the oil and honey together, and stir in, mixing well to ensure that the dry ingredients are well-covered. Spread out, and return to the oven. Cook for around 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden, stirring every two or three minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the pan inside, allowing it to cool without disturbing it - overnight is fine.

Store in airtight container. Add optional ingredients if wished, or add them when serving.

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I was given some home-made granola by a friend; it was in crunchy clumps, and looked wonderful. I asked for the recipe, and she gave it to me, pretty much as above. I've made it many times, but, alas, have never managed to make clumped granola: it's crunchy, with a few clumps, but mostly the consistency of toasted oats.

The measured quantity of the ingredients is significant, so it's not possible to give weights as they vary depending on what is used. If you don't have measuring cups, you can use a measuring jug; one American cup is eight fluid ounces or about 250 ml.

Any of the dry ingredients is optional, so long as the total amount is around two and a half cups, or 20 fluid ounces; you could try rye flour instead of buckwheat, for instance, or use a cup of sesame seeds instead of the coconut. I use almond meal that's left over from making almond milk, but if you don't have access to that (and don't mind wheat/gluten) then regular flour is fine. The great thing with this recipe is that it's entirely flexible.

I use olive oil, but any vegetable oil would be fine. I also tend to use half carob syrup rather than all honey; golden syrup would work, too, although it would be quite sweet. For a treacley taste, molasses or black treacle could probably be used instead of some of the honey - just make sure there's a total of around 2/3 cup of honey-like substances, and 2/3 cup of oil.

If you like toasted nuts in granola, then you can add any kind you wish before the second cooking part.

And if anyone makes this and finds that it clumps nicely, please let me know what you did!

I find this makes enough to last me about three weeks, eating it with extra nuts and fresh fruit and yogurt, and some fruit juice or milk to moisten.

Tomato ketchup (using fresh tomatoes)

2011-06-04T21:17:00.002+03:00

(makes about 700-800ml ketchup)

1.6-1.8lkg fresh tomatoes
1 large onion
4-6 garlic cloves
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp salt
30ml(1 tblsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
80ml (1/3 US cup) vinegar - any kind
75g (1/3 US cup) sugar

Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a large saucepan - preferably stainless steel. Peel and dice the onions reasonably finely, then peel and chop or crush the garlic cloves. Add onions and garlic to the pan, along with the paprika, pepper, turmeric and mixed spice.

Put over a fairly gentle heat, and stir a few times as the tomatoes start to make their own juice. Simmer uncovered for about half an hour or so. Switch off the heat when the onions look translucent and very soft, and the mixture has reduced significantly. Prod the mixture a bit with a spoon, and if any of it still feels hard, simmer for another ten or fifteen minutes.

Leave to cool for at least half an hour - it can be considerably longer. Then use a blender - preferably a hand-held one, as it's a great deal simpler to blend in the pan than having to transfer the mixture gradually to a standard blender and then into a fresh saucepan - and liquidise thoroughly. This is very important - make sure all the onions and tomatoes are very well blended.

Now switch the heat on again, and return the pan to the stove. Add the last four ingredients - salt, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar - and stir until mixed. Then leave to simmer for another 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the desired consistency is reached. Note that as it thickens, the mixture will bubble quite violently - this is to be expected, but can be a bit messy, and if it splashes on a hand it's extremely hot.

Cool in the pan after it has thickened, then transfer to suitable covered containers and refrigerate. Keeps for at least two months in the fridge, or can be frozen if you want to keep some of it for longer.

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My inspiration for this recipe came from 'The Loving Path' ketchup recipe, a few months ago. I was fed up of the preservatives in supermarket ketchup, and we have readily available inexpensive fresh tomatoes all year round in Cyprus; I can often find about 3kg for only a euro. A few of them may be squashy, but that doesn't matter at all. (I cut and freeze the rest of the tomatoes in 400g portions, to replace canned tomatoes in other recipes.)

I adapted the recipe gradually, simplifying greatly - for instance, I saw no reason to sieve the mixture to remove the tomato skins, or - as some other recipes suggested - to blanch and skin them first. However, if you like your ketchup smoother than even the best blender can make them, you might want to consider one of those options.

I added turmeric to the spices since it's considered a modern health food, and removed some of the others from the recipe, not wanting it to be too highly spiced. I found my first batch of experimental ketchup tasted too much of cinnamon for my preferences - so I simplified still further. I'm sure many more variations are possible; if you don't like garlic, for instance, you could simply omit it. If you like hot spicy ketchup, try adding some cayenne or even chili powder.

I've found that sometimes I stop the final simmering before it's quite thick enough; this doesn't affect the taste, but means that the texture isn't exactly like commercial ketchup. However, the taste - in my opinion - is out of this world. It tastes, I believe, as all ketchup ought to taste. That bubbly simmering at the end can be quite messy, but it's well worth the effort.

Toffee (caramel) ice cream

2011-03-10T17:05:00.006+02:00

makes about a litre of ice cream

one large can of sweetened condensed milk, unopened - about 400g/14oz
[OR one large can of dulce de leche, similar size]
50g soft brown sugar
400ml milk
250g whipping cream

Note: you need an ice cream maker for this recipe

Place the can of condensed milk on its side in a pan of water, which should cover the can completely. Bring to the boil, gently, then cover and simmer for about three hours. Check from time to time to ensure that the water level still covers the can, and top up with more boiling water as needed. Do NOT let this boil dry!

Turn off the heat, and leave the condensed milk in the water until it has cooled to room temperature. Inside, the milk will have turned into soft toffee, otherwise called dulce de leche.

(If you are in a hurry you can use a can of pre-prepared dulce de leche instead, and omit the boiling stage).

Several hours before you want to make the ice cream, open the can, and scoop the dulce de leche (soft toffee) into a saucepan. Add the soft brown sugar, and about 200ml milk. Stir gently with a balloon whisk, while heating gently on the stove. Stir constantly until the soft brown sugar has dissolved, and the toffee has softened and blended with the milk.

Add the remaining cold milk, stir well, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cool for about half an hour, then place in the fridge for at least three hours (or overnight).

When the mixture is well chilled, take another mixing bowl, and whip the cream until it stands in stiff peaks. Pour it all into the toffee mixture in the other bowl, and fold in very gently with just a few strokes. Don't worry about blending it completely - that will happen in the churning stage.

Carefully transfer the mixture to the ice cream churn. Switch on, and churn until the sound changes, or the mixture becomes too thick to churn (about 20-30 minutes). Place in a freezer-proof container, and freeze until needed.

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We came across this recipe many years ago, when - as a joke - my father asked if I could make toffee ice cream. I searched online and found a recipe similar to this, which seemed fairly simple. I tried it, and we thought it excellent. Unfortunately I can no longer find that page - most of the online recipes for toffee (or caramel, as they call it in the USA) ice cream includes several egg yolks.

I usually buy and simmer about three cans of condensed milk together, then keep them in the cupboard for this or other recipes involving dulce de leche. Note that it must be the thick, sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk (which is unsweetened, and much thinner). We buy a brand of condensed milk called 'Nounou'. Please, please be very careful with the simmering stage. We have never had a problem using a low heat and gentle simmer, but if the water boiled dry, or if you boiled too rapidly, it could potentially explode.

This ice cream is much more compllicated than most of my ice cream recipes, which require little more than whipping a can of evaporated milk and adding some sugar and other optional ingredients before churning. But we feel it's well worthwhile for special occasions. The taste is quite amazing.

Slightly Spicy Chicken (crockpot)

2010-03-26T14:31:00.002+02:00

serves 8-10

2 onions, skinned and chopped
about 1.8kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
400g can tomatoes, drained (or 400g skinned, chopped, tomatoes)
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
300g mushrooms, chopped
100g dried apricots, quartered

Put the chopped onions at the bottom of the crockpot, and place the chicken thighs on top (if frozen they must be thawed first). Add the tomatoes, then the garlic and spices. Stir slightly to mix, and ensure the chicken is coated. If you like plenty of sauce, you can add more tomatoes, or some water, or leftover wine, but more juices are made during the cooking.

Switch the crockpot on HIGH; cook for about two hours, then remove the lid, and stir in the mushrooms and apricots. Turn the chicken pieces around in the sauce to make sure everything is mixed, and replace the lid. Turn to LOW, and cook for another 6-8 hours. If you're in a hurry, you can cook for less time on MEDIUM, but long low cooking leaves the chicken perfectly shredded and tender.

Serve with rice, pittas or potatoes, salad or vegetables, and top with yogurt and/or raisins if desired.

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When we first bought our slow-cooker, I was searching for crockpot curry recipes, and came across the excellent 'Year of Slow Cooking' blog, which has a recipe called 'Crockpot Indian Chicken recipe'. I wanted to make double their quantities immediately, since my slow-cooker is a large one, and I didn't like the idea of using chicken that was still frozen. Nor did I want yogurt as part of the recipe, since one of my sons is dairy-free, and I thought it would freeze better without. Oh, and I always put in way more garlic than any recipe says.

So that was my first adaptation. Then it seemed rather lacking in texture, so I added the apricots; since we had some mushrooms in the fridge, I added those too. I liked it a lot better that way. I adjusted the spices to suit our tastes, and then put in some turmeric too, since it's apparently one of the best spices around, and cures all kinds of health problems. And although the first time I used two cans of tomatoes, doubling the original, it made so much juice that I just used one. Actually I don't use canned tomatoes any more; I skin and chop inexpensive fresh ones and freeze them in 400g size portions to use instead, but the effect is much the same.

And since the spiciness is actually very mild - you could add more ginger and cayenne to make it hotter if you wanted - it's become known in our family as 'slightly spicy chicken'.

Chicken Curry for the Crockpot

2009-11-22T16:19:00.006+02:00

To serves about 8-12, depending on appetite:

about 1.2 - 1.5 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or other chicken pieces)
3 medium onions
6 large garlic cloves
200g mushrooms
2 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp butter
seeds from 3 opened cardamom pods
1 tblsp cumin seeds
small stick of cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1-2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne pepper OR chilli powder (or more, if you want it hotter)
1 tblsp garam masala
125g plain (unsweetened) yogurt - either cow's or sheep's.

Method:
In a large saucepan or frying pan, heat the oil gently, then brown the chicken pieces, a few at a time, turning so that all sides brown - they won't be cooked through, just lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon when done, and place in the crockpot, then continue with more pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, peel and finely chop the onions; peel and mince the garlic; wash and slice the mushrooms.

When all the chicken is in the crockpot, melt the butter in the same pan. Add the cardamom and cumin seeds, and the cinnamon stick, and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the chopped onions, mushrooms and garlic, and fry, stirring, until the onions are golden. Add the rest of the spices, cook for about 15 seconds, then stir in the yogurt.

Mix thoroughly, turn off the heat, and pour the mixture over the chicken pieces in the crockpot. It looks as if it will be quite dry, but actually creates quite a bit of liquid as it cooks.

I cook for about an hour on HIGH, to ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked, and then about six to eight hours on LOW. But cooking times depend on your crockpot; and are flexible.

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This recipe is based on the 'Authentic chicken curry' recipe at the Cooks.com site. The first time I made it, I followed the directions fairly closely (other than using chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken, olive oil instead of corn oil, and more garlic than the recipe suggested).

I thought the initial recommendation of blending the yogurt, garlic and onions in a liquidiser was messy and didn't really work well. We liked the resultant curry, but thought the cloves gave too strong a flavour which didn't quite work for our British tastebuds. We also thought the spices could have been stronger, and the whole was too meaty.

So the second time I made the recipe as above, other than forgetting the mushrooms, and it worked well. It would have been better still with the mushrooms!

We serve it with pitta bread or naan, mango chutney, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, with raisins, sunflower seeds and dessicated coconut to sprinkle over.

Tomato and Apple Chutney

2009-11-14T17:05:00.002+02:00

to make 5-6 340g jars (around 2kg):

1kg apples (any kind), peeled, cored and finely chopped
1kg red tomatoes, sliced thinly or chopped
350g onions, peeled and chopped into small pieces
3-5 cloves garlic, skinned and crushed
225g raisins or sultanas
350g demerara sugar
1 tblsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
25g salt
850 ml malt or wine vinegar

Method:

Put the apples in the preserving pan first, with a little water, and stew gently to soften. No need to do this if the apples are soft already,but if you use cooking apples or hard ones such as Granny Smith, it's worth doing.

While they are stewing, prepare the tomatoes, onions and garlic. Add to the pan, stirring, then put in all the other ingredients. Bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about an hour and a half or a bit longer, until there is a thick consistency with no extra liquid.

Put in hot, sterile jars and cover with non-metal lids.

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I looked at many different recipes for chutneys, wanting to make some using a bag of inexpensive tomatoes and some spare apples. Some of them required the tomatoes to be skinned first; I didn't want that extra step. Some of them insisted on malt vinegar, but that's quite hard to find in Cyprus. Some of them used more complex spices, or spiced vinegar. Some used mustard seeds in a muslin bag, but I don't have a muslin bag. None of them was exactly what I wanted.

But gradually I realised that there was a theme to all the chutney recipes: fruit, dried fruit, sugar, spices and vinegar. So long as the vinegar is good quality, it doesn't really matter whether it's malt or wine. I used white wine vinegar, but if you prefer a deeper colour, brown malt vinegar or red wine vinegar is fine. So long as one doesn't mind the (very soft) pieces of skin in the eventual mixture, there's no need to skin the tomatoes. And the spices come in so many possible variations that anything can be left out.

So I based my recipe on one I found in my ancient Good Housekeeping book (the version from the late 1970s), adjusted to take account of all the above, and tried it. The pan looked most unappetising when it had pieces of tomato and apple floating around in it at first, but gradually it took on a deep orange/red hue, and started to look like chutney. The taste is amazing. It goes extremely well with bread and cheese.

Mango and Apple Chutney

2009-11-07T17:56:00.003+02:00

To make about five to six 340g jars (around 2kg):

2 onions
2 apples - either cooking apples (not too huge) or granny smith or similar
1.8kg ripe mangoes (about five medium)
3-5 garlic cloves
125g raisins
350g demerara sugar
1 tblsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
0.5 tsp salt
600ml malt vinegar

Method:
Peel and chop the onions fairly finely. Put in a preserving pan or other large heavy-based saucepan. Peel the apples, cut into quarters to remove the core, then chop and add to the pan.

Then prepare the mangoes. This can be a bit of a messy process. I found the easiest way was to make several deep cuts into the fruit, up to the large stone, then remove a wedge at a time. Chop the pieces of mango, easing away from the skin, and add into the pan.

Peel and crush the garlic cloves, and add them. Then put into the pan the raisins, sugar, spices (yes, it really is a whole tablespoon of dried ginger!), salt and vinegar. Heat, stirring lightly, until the mixture starts to boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.

In the last twenty minutes or so of the cooking, it's important to watch the chutney and keep stirring, so that it doesn't stick. When ready, the excess liquid should have evaporated and the mixture will be dark and pulpy.

Spoon into hot, sterile jars with plastic or plastic-lined lids.

Once opened, a jars should be kept in the fridge and finished within around a month. Excellent served with curries, or any cold meat.

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The ingredients for this recipe came from the new 'Good Housekeeping' cookery book, but the explanation is my own. I made this when I saw fresh mangoes in the supermarket, and realised it would be a great deal less expensive than buying ready-made jars of mango chutney, which are quite pricey.

Getting the mango flesh was decidedly messy; if anyone has a fool-proof and simple method of removing the peel and stone so it can be used, please let me know.

The taste isn't quite the same as commercial sweet mango chutney, but we liked it anyway.

Vietnamese coconut chicken for the crockpot

2009-03-14T16:25:00.006+02:00

To serve about 6-8:

2 tblsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
about 1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 small thin green chillies, finely chopped
100g creamed coconut
500ml water
salt and pepper

Method:
Stir-fry the onions, garlic and chicken pieces in the oil for about five minutes or until the onions is softened, and the chicken starting to change colour. Put in the slow-cooker pot (crockpot). Next, put all the spices and the chillies in the same pan, with the coconut and water. Heat, stirring gently, until the coconut has dissolved, the pour over the chicken. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Cover, then cook for about three hours on High, or 6 hours on Low, stirring about half-way through, as the chicken thighs break up into smaller pieces.

Serve with rice or naan, thick yogurt, cashews, chopped cucumber, raisins, etc.

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This recipe was adapted from the excellent book 'Slow Cooking Curries and Spicy Dishes ' by Carolyn Humphries). Although the recipe claims to be sufficient for a 6.5 litre crockpot (which mine is) I felt the quantities were on the small side; for this recipe I have doubled the amount of chicken, and increased one or two other ingredients. It would be fine for a smaller crockpot; however, next time I make this, I will double everything, using 2kg chicken.

This would probably work in a conventional oven, cooked on low heat for about two or three hours, or even on the stove-top, although chicken thighs tend to be much more tender when cooked in a slow-cooker.

The original recipes uses a stalk of lemongrass, something I am unable to find, and fresh coriander which I don't like - so I left both out. It also uses cream, but I always prefer to use Greek yogurt.

The aroma while cooking is incredible!

Lemon chicken with carrots

2008-10-06T16:33:00.003+03:00

serves 12-14 people

3kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs
4 large onions, chopped
500g carrots, chopped
500ml lemon juice
250ml tomato ketchup
200g soft brown sugar
250ml water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

If using a crockpot (slow-cooker), you'll need one with at least 6.5 litres capacity. Place the onions and carrots at the bottom, then place the chicken thighs over them. Mix the lemon juice, ketchup, sugar and water in a bowl, then pour over. Season. Cook for about two hours on high, then reduce to medium or low, and simmer for around 7-8 hours.

Alternatively, you could brown the onions and chicken pieces in a large saucepan first, then add the rest of the ingredients. Either simmer, covered, for about 2-3 hours, or place in a large ovenproof casserole dish in a low oven and cook for at least three hours. Exact times depend on the oven; you could reduce the time by dividing into two or three smaller dishes.

Any leftovers will freeze and re-heat very well.

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I searched for crockpot recipes online, having recently bought the Morphy Richards 6.5 litre slow cooker. One of the ones that sounded appealing was Crockpot Lemon Chicken with Carrots at the busycooks.about.com site.

Unfortunately, the quantities given were far too small for our slow cooker - it has to be at least half full, preferably more. Moreover, frozen lemonade concentrate is one of those American things that I've never seen anywhere else. However, since lemonade in American is simply lemon juice and sugar in water, I thought I might as well use freshly squeezed lemon juice, since lemons are widely available and inexpensive in Cyprus. Not having a sweet tooth, I didn't add any extra sugar to compensate.

Nor do I know how baby carrots differ from regular carrots, if at all. It took quite some time to peel and chop 500g carrots, but seemed to work.

Finally, since I don't like the feel of cornflour-thickened sauces, I left that part out of the recipe entirely. And rather than multiplying everything by three (assuming the original served four people), I looked at what felt right. This did rather fill the crockpot more than I had expected, but it didn't boil over. When it was cooked the chicken was beautifully tender, and it was more than sufficient for the eleven people sitting around our table that evening, with about three portions left at the end, which I froze.

Dairy-free Chocolate Fudge

2007-12-18T21:28:00.003+02:00

½ cup soya milk
1¼ cups sugar
60g dairy-free margarine
½ cup plain chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract

Put the soya milk and sugar in a large pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 7 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan at all times and stir frequently.

Remove from the heat; immediately add the margarine, chocolate, and vanilla. Stir until the margarine and chocolate chips have melted, then beat for a couple of minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into an oiled 20cm x 20cm dish (or a a smaller dish for thicker pieces). Refrigerate overnight, then cut into squares.

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I would never have believed that fudge could be dairy free - I thought it had to use real butter in order to set properly. I also thought that all the ingredients had to be taken to very high temperature in order for the chemistry to work. In this, it's only the soya milk and sugar which are boiled to high temperature - but of course it's the sugar which is significant, as its structure changes when heated in this way.

My (adult) son is mostly dairy-free, since he gets glue ear if he has any cow's milk products, and he loves fudge. So I tried this recipe, not expecting very much. I was impressed that it did set to give the consistency of fudge, and it's delicious! Next time we will add the grated rind of an orange, to make chocolate-orange dairy-free fudge.

Note: as someone mentioned in the comments, it's important to check ingredients in anything you buy. If you are allergic to dairy products (as opposed to simply cutting down) then obviously it's important to make sure there is no trace of dairy in the margarine and the chocolate chips. Using plain (semi-sweet) chips should be all right, but apparently some brands do contain some milk products. If so, perhaps carob chips would work instead; I haven't tried them but many people use them regularly as substitutes for chocolate.

Incidentally, the measurements in the ingredients are a slightly odd mixture. The cups are American cups (8 fluid ounces). But I can't measure margarine in cups; it's too messy. So I translated the original - which was probably 2 ounces, or half a stick - to 60g, as that's what my kitchen scales measure. However I left everything else in cups as it's simple to do and I have a full set of American measuring cups.

(I found this recipe online, when searching for dairy-free recipes. I made a note of it so I could try it - but, alas, have lost the reference. If it's your recipe, please let me know in the comments, and I'll link to the site where I found it)

Courgette (zucchini) and tomato soup

2007-12-12T18:36:00.001+02:00

serves 4-5

1 tblsp butter or oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
350g/12oz courgettes (zucchini), grated
1 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
600ml/2 1/2 cups chicken or veg stock
1 tblsp tomato ketchup or puree
1 tblsp dried basil

Cook the onion in the fat until soft. Add the garlic and grated courgette, cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add rest of ingredients, bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then blend in a liquidizer, a little at a time, until smooth. Return to the pan, reheat gently, adding salt and pepper if wished.

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This is very quick and easy; even someone who doesn't normally like courgettes (which are called zucchini in America) will probably enjoy this soup. It looks like canned tomato soup when it's smoothly blended, but of course the taste of home-made soup is always vastly superior to that in cans!

Serve with freshly-baked bread for a filling and nutritious lunch. If you make it with vegetable stock, it's suitable for vegetarians.

Simple fruit smoothies

2007-07-30T18:54:00.000+03:00

Serves: 2-3

Several pieces of fruit, such as peaches, strawberries, apricots, etc (2-3 types), fresh or frozen
About 250ml pure fruit juice, either fresh or from a packet or concentrate
A few ice cubes

Method:
Put the juice in a blender (liquidiser), then the ice cubes and any frozen fruit. Wash the fruit, remove any stones or stems, and chop into smallish pieces, then add to the blender. Switch on for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is smooth and well-mixed. Add extra juice if it's too thick and blend for a few seconds more. Refrigerate until needed. Serve in tall glasses, with extra ice and straws if liked.

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What can be better for a hot summer's day than a cold fruit smoothie? A year ago I tried looking for recipes online, but the majority of them contained either milk, or yogurt, or bananas. My teenage son gets 'glue ear' if he has any dairy products, and soya milk just doesn't taste right in a fruit drink. And he loathes bananas. Finally I was given a wonderful book - The Big Book of Juices and Smoothies - and learned that a recipe isn't really needed. You just choose fruit that you happen to have - even if it's getting a bit squashy - and add it to juice and ice. No sugar, no diary products, no additives.... just pure fruit goodness.

We particularly like smoothies made with peaches and strawberries, and freshly squeezed orange juice. When strawberries are in season, I buy a lot and open freeze them, so I can add a handful straight from the freezer to a smoothie. Four peaches and about eight strawberries gives an excellent blend.

Apricots and raspberries are a good mixture, too, in either orange juice or apple juice. Raspberries, too, can be frozen. And, of course, if you can't get any fresh fruit and don't have any in the freezer, you can always use canned fruit (in pure juice of course, not syrup) although it doesn't have the health benefits of fresh/frozen fruit.

Oh, and if your family does happen to like bananas, they make an excellent addition to a smoothie, in combination with almost any other fruit.

I tend to make a smoothie in the afternoon during the summer, while preparing our evening meal, and then keep it in the fridge for an hour or two, to ensure it gets really cold. We drink it after our meal, instead of a dessert.

One of the great things about smoothies is that you can use fruit that's going a bit soft and squashy, so long as it still smells all right and doesn't have any mould on it. I often buy bags of fruit that's on special low offer prices as it's a day or two old, since riper fruit are better for smoothies.

If you happen to have any left over, you can pour it into ice lolly (US: popsicle) moulds, and freeze. Much better for a quick snack than commercially made lollies or ice pops!

Stove-top barbecue chicken

2007-07-11T18:58:00.000+03:00

Serves 4

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 finely chopped onion
1/3 cup tomato ketchup
1/3 cup water
4 tsp vinegar
4 tsp dark soft brown sugar
1.5 tsp worcestershire sauce
.5 tsp chili powder
1 kg skinned chicken or turkey pieces

Method:
Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan, and cook the onion until soft. Stir in all the other ingredients except the chicken and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, spoon the sauce over. Bring to the boil again then reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn the meat, to coat in the sauce, then simmer for 20-30 minutes more.

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I'm not entirely sure why this is called 'barbecue' chicken, since it's not cooked anywhere near a barbecue. Maybe the sauce tastes somewhat like some barbecue sauces (nicer, though, as there are no artificial taste-enhancers or other such monstrosities). Anyway, it's a very simple meal to make in a short time, and tastes very good.

We usually serve it with baked jacket potatoes or potato wedges, but it would probably go equally well with rice or pasta, or even bread. Broccoli and sweetcorn go particularly well with this, but you could serve any vegetables or salad.

Apricot jam

2007-05-17T20:30:00.000+03:00

(makes about four 340g jars)

1 kg apricots or loquats
225ml water
juice of 1 small lemon
1kg sugar

Method:
Wash the fruit, cut in half and remove the stones. Crack a few stones to remove the kernels and blanch them by dipping in boiling water so the skins come off. Put the apricots in a large pan with the water, lemon juice and blanched kernels, and simmer gently until the fruit is soft and reduced (about 20-30 minutes). Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, and boil rapidly for about 15 minutes or until setting point is reached, stirring occasionally. Pot in hot clean jars, and cover.

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Apricots are only in season for a short time, but can sometimes be found very inexpensively. They don't need to be top quality for making jam - they can be a bit under-ripe, or even a bit over-ripe, although it's not so easy to remove the stones if they are becoming squashy.

Do ensure the pan is big enough! When you've added the sugar, the mixture should not come more than half way up the sides of the pan, or it is likely to boil over. A jam-pan is ideal; you can then double or even triple the quantities.

To test for setting, let a few drops of the jam fall onto a cold saucer, and leave it for a minute until it's cold. Then gently blow on it, or press with your finger. If it begins to wrinkle, the jam is ready. If it still reacts like a liquid, it needs further cooking. Use a large wooden spoon and stir occasionally as it nears setting point - this may provoke extra-violent stirring (hence the need for a LONG spoon!) but this jam is liable to stick if you don't stir at all.

When it's ready, turn it off and wait until the jam has stopped boiling. Then using a small jug or scoop (rinsed in boiled water to sterilise), put the jam in hot jars. These can be heated in the oven at about 100C, or put in the microwave with a little water inside, and heated until the water boils. Do not let the jars get too hot or they will crack when the jam is poured in. But they will also crack if it's too cold!

You can use special jam covers, or jars with metal lids, but I prefer to use plastic screw-top lids. Rinse them in boiling water and shake to dry, then put on the jam as soon as it's in the jars, and tighten when the jam is cool. This makes an almost airtight seal, and I find the jam keeps for at least a year.

Chocolate Crumb Cake

2007-04-17T18:06:00.000+03:00

(serves 4)

150g soft margarine
1 tblsp honey
1 medium (approx 410g) can apricots or peaches, drained
50g soft brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
100g dark cooking chocolate
75g self-raising flour
75g breadcrumbs
4 tblsp milk (or soya milk)

Method:
Heat the oven to 180C.

Beat the honey with 25g of the margarine, then spread over the base of a greased 1-litre ovenproof dish.

Using a wooden spoon, beat the rest of the margarine with the sugar (you can use the same bowl) until light and fluffy. Beat in half the egg, then the rest. Melt the chocolate gently, either over a pan of hot water or in the microwave (being very careful not to let it overcook), then add to the mixture with the flour, breadcrumbs and milk. Fold it all together with a metal spoon until well-mixed.

Roughly chop the drained fruit, and put in the pan. Then spoon the cake mixture of the top and smooth it down. Put in the oven, and bake for about 45 minutes until it feels firm to the touch (up to an hour, if you use a deep dish).

After about ten minutes cooling, you can turn the cake out onto a serving dish, or simply serve it straight from the cooking pan.

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Chocolate crumb cake is a fairly frugal recipe that goes extremely well with home-made ice cream. Use any breadcrumbs - we use the blender to turn leftover crusts or bread that's getting stale into crumbs, and then keep in the freezer for stuffings or other recipes such as this one. Of course, you may get a slightly odd taste if your crumbs are from bread made with chili or cheese!

If you want to add to the fibre and nutritional value, you can use self-raising wholewheat flour, or ordinary wholewheat flour with about a teaspoon of baking powder.

Chinese savoury beef

2007-03-19T17:17:00.001+02:00

Serves 4

1 tblsp oil
500g beef, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tblsp brown sugar
pinch of black pepper
2 1/2 cups water

Method:
Quick-fry beef in oil until brown, then add and quickly fry the onion, and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 3 hours, adding extra water if needed. Serve over rice.

If you have a crockpot/slow-cooker, just put all the ingedients inside (doubling or tripling if necessary, so the crockpot is at least half full), then cook on High for a couple of hours, followed by 8-10 hours on low (or 5-6 on high if you don't have all day).
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If you have a bit of leftover wine in the fridge, you can add it with the water. You can also add in some sliced red or green bell pepper with the onion, if you wish. The amounts used are approximate - and I usually leave out the black pepper. Do remember to check the pan frequently while it's cooking, and top up with extra water when needed. It can cook for more than three hours if you wish.

We eat this with brown basmati rice, and stir-fried vegetables. If there's a vegetarian in the house, I serve something else oriental that can be eaten with the rice and vegetables.

Chocolate chip oat cookies

2007-03-01T16:31:00.000+02:00

(makes about 30-40)

1/2 cup margarine [125g]
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tblsp milk or soya milk
7/8 cup wholewheat or spelt flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (US: baking soda)
1 1/4 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Beat margarine and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and milk, and beat well. Add flour and bicarb; mix in. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips gently, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 180C (approx 350F). Cool for about a minute, then move the cookies to wire rack using a spatula.

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Chocolate chip oat cookies are an easy and delicious variation of the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe which is a little healthier than some as it uses wholewheat flour and oats. You can use whatever margarine you like, so long as it's suitable for baking: avoid hydrogenated fats if you can. You could even substitute carob chips for chocolate if you wish.

Pre-heat the oven to the correct temperature; then ten minutes should be the correct cooking time. The cookies may look rather soft, but don't leave them in the oven for longer or they will over-cook. Take them out, but don't try to transfer to a wire rack until they have hardened for a minute, or they will collapse.

Teriyaki chicken

2007-02-20T16:30:00.000+02:00

(serves 3-4)

500g/1lb chicken breast or fillet
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tblsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground ginger

Mix all sauce ingredients to make marinade. About 6 hours before cooking, coat the chicken (cut into appropriate sized pieces) with the marinade and refrigerate, turning and re-coating occasionally. Half an hour before cooking, remove from the fridge. Bake, covered, for about 30 minutes in a hottish (350C/Gas 6) oven, then uncover and cook for a further 15-20 minutes.

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This is a Westernised version of a Japanese recipe. Teriyaki refers to a sweet, soy-based sauce which looks shiny when it's cooked. Turkey breast can be used in place of chicken, if wished.

I tend to add a little water during the final cooking, which probably makes it even less authentic, but I like a little sauce remaining - sometimes it can all get absorbed into the meat. We usually serve with baked jacket potatoes or potato wedges, and a couple of veggies, although it should probably be served with rice and a variety of other Japanese food.

Curried Carrot and Ginger Soup

2007-01-22T16:12:00.000+02:00

(serves 6-8)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5cm (2 inches) ginger root, peeled and grated
1 tblsp curry powder
900g (2lb) carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1.6 litres (about 2.5 UK pints or 3 American pints) stock or water and stock cube

Method:
Gently cook the onion and garlic in the oil in a large pan, stirring, until softened. Stir in the ginger and curry powder, and cook for another minute. Add the carrots and a little of the stock, and cook for another minute or two. Add the rest of the stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then blend in a liquidizer until it turns into a thick soup. Return to the heat and cook gently, stirring, until piping hot.

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This is a tasty soup which is quite spicy - if you don't like hot tastes, reduce the amount of the ginger and curry powder, or even leave the curry powder out. The ginger does give a pleasant tang to what would otherwise be quite a bland soup.

You can adjust other ingredients to taste - any kind of stock can be used, meat or vegetable, or even just water. If you have leftover wine that can be added too.

After the simmering, this looks most unappetising, with bits of vegetable floating in a sea of dark-coloured stock. Don't worry! The liquidizer turns it into a lovely orange soup that is excellent for a cold day, eaten with fresh bread.

French stew

2007-01-15T21:19:00.001+02:00

(serves 4)

750g stewing steak, chopped
150ml stock or water and marmite
1 large peeled, sliced carrot
1 cup french beans (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup water or wine
2 tblsp vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
pinch pepper
1 tsp mixed dried herbs

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a suitable-sized ovenproof dish with a lid. Bake in a slow oven (140C) for 4-6 hours, adding extra water if needed. Alternatively cook in a slow-cooker/crockpot for 8-10 hours on low. Excellent served with baked jacket potatoes and more veggies. Freezes well.

This can also be done in a slow-cooker (crockpot), doubling or trebling ingredients if necessary so the crockpot is at least half full. Place the carrots and onions at the bottom and the stewing steak on top, then the rest of the ingredients poured over. Cook for about an hour on high, then simmer on low all day. Even the cheapest stewing steak becomes tender with this method.

Apple cake

2007-01-08T15:02:00.000+02:00

(makes one large flat cake,can be cut into many pieces)

4 cups chopped apple (leave the skin on - just remove the core!)
1 1/2 cups sugar (or subst ½ cup honey)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 cups plain flour (can be half wholewheat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons bicarb (baking soda)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Blend the sugar with the chopped apples and stand for a half hour. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Add the beaten egg, honey (if used), oil and vanilla essence to the apple/sugar mixture, and beat in with a wooden spoon. Then add all the dry ingredients and stir well. Pour in to a greased, lined roasting pan and put in the preheated oven. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Cool a bit, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely before cutting into pieces.

Vegetable and Nut Cobbler

2007-01-02T16:08:00.000+02:00

(Serves 3-4)

1 tblsp olive oil
1 small cauliflower in florets
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
1 parsnip, sliced (optional)
180g green beans, sliced
vegetable stock cube or 1 tsp marmite
450g skimmed milk or soya milk

100g grated cheese

For scone topping:
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
100g butter or margarine
120ml milk
50g chopped walnuts

Method:

Cook the vegetables in oil, stirring, for about ten minutes. Add stock cube, milk and seasoning. Put in a covered casserole and bake for 15 minutes at 200C.

Meanwhile sift the flour with the baking powder, rub in the butter, and add the nuts. Stir in the milk and mix to a soft dough. Leave to rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Roll out on a floured work surface to about 1cm thick, and cut into 12-15 rounds.

Remove the casserole from the oven, sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables, the place the scone rounds on top. Brush with milk. Return to oven for a further 15 minutes, then lower heat to 180C and continue cooking until the scones are golden brown.

Christmas pudding

2006-12-21T16:47:00.000+02:00

(Serves 6-8)

120g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch salt
150g shredded suet
120g breadcrumbs
60g ground almonds
120g demerara sugar
120g raisins
120g sultanas
120g currants
90g chopped mixed peel
1 lemon, grated rind and juice
4 eggs, beaten
330ml brown ale or beer

Grease 2 600-ml basins. Sift flour, spices and salt into a bowl, then stir in rest to make soft dropping consistency. Put into basins, leaving 2cm gap at top. Cover each with a double layer of greasefree paper with pleats to allow the pudding to rise.

Secure with string round the rim. Place in a pan with water to come half way up the sides, or a steamer, and simmer for 6 hours, checking the water frequently to ensure it does not dry out.

Either serve immediately, or cook and then simmer a further 2 hours before eating.

Gingerbread

2006-12-21T16:42:00.001+02:00

( makes 1 14x10 inch tin full)

450g plain flour (or substitute 100g for wholemeal flour)
4 level tsp ginger
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda (US: baking soda)
1 level tsp salt
100g sultanas or raisins
200g soft brown sugar
150g margarine or butter
175g molasses or treacle
175g golden syrup or corn syrup
300ml milk or soya milk
2 eggs

Method:
Line a 14 x 10 inch dish such as a roasting pan with greased greaseproof paper. Mix flour with ginger, bicarb and salt. Stir in sultanas. Put sugar, butter, treacle and molasses in a pan, and heat gently until melted together.

Warm the milk and beat in the eggs. Mix the butter mixture into the flour, then the milk and egg. Pour the gingerbread into the prepared pan. Bake at 170C for about 45 minutes or until cooked. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Apricot (or loquat) crunch

2006-05-02T20:26:00.000+03:00

(serves 4)

120g/4oz margarine or butter
120g/4oz soft brown sugar
120g/4oz rolled oats
40g/1.5oz sultanas or raisins
15oz/428g can apricot halves (or stewed sweetened loquats or apricots)
1 tblsp lemon juice

Method:
Cream the butter and sugar, then stir in the oats and sultanas, mixing well. Drain the apricots, then tip the fruit into a 600ml/1 pint ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over a little apricot syrup mixed with lemon juice. Gently spoon the topping over the fruit and firm it with a knife. Cook for 30-40 minutes at 350F/ 180C/ Gas 4 until golden brown on top.

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This is a very flexible dessert, ideal for the family or doubled when there are guests. The oven temperature isn't vital - it can be cooked along with anything else, although it's better to have it lower rather than higher.

Since we have a loquat (mespila) tree, I pick several kilograms each year and then freeze them in a light syrup, to use in this dessert. About 500g frozen fruit is right for this - I tip it straight into a saucepan, simmer until soft, and then use as if it were from a can. Sometimes when doubling I use a large can of pears mixed with loquats or apricots for a little variety.

This is excellent served with evaporated milk, or home-made ice cream or yogurt.

Tomato and Rosemary Bread

2006-05-01T17:13:00.000+03:00

(makes a 1kg/2lb loaf)

50g sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 tblsp oil (from the sundried tomato jar)
1 tsp dried rosemary
320ml lukewarm water (or half milk)
200g granary or malted flour
150g plain white flour
150g white bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp instant dried yeast

Method:
Place the ingredients in a breadmaker in the correct order - usually liquids, then flours, then salt and yeast. Switch to the lightest crust, regular white bread setting.

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It took me a while to get the ingredients in the correct quantities for my breadmaker; for some reason the first few times I made it, the mixture was rather too wet and the result heavy and not very well-risen, though still tasty. I tend to use half soya milk when making this; for some reason the bread is a little firmer and easier to cut than when I use all water.

Jars of sun-dried tomatoes in oil which I've found seem to contain about 150g actual tomatoes, so I use about a third of the jar each time. The rest keep well in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks, perhaps more. The tomatoes can be added right at the beginning with the other ingredients, since the initial kneading chops them a little more and distributes them well.

We find this particularly good with cheese and marmite, or egg mayonnaise. It's also extremely good lightly spread with butter or Bertolli, when still warm.

I haven't tried this without a breadmaker, but it should work in the traditional way, with mixing, kneading, rising, knocking down, re-rising in a 1kg bread pan, and baking in the oven.

Stifado

2006-04-29T20:17:00.002+03:00

(Serves 2-3)

500g (1lb) stewing beef, in chunks
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 tblsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tblsp vinegar
300g (10 oz) can or pack chopped tomatoes or puree
1 tsp cinnamon
wine and/or water
salt and pepper

Fry the meat and onions gently in the oil until the meat is sealed and the onions are soft. Add the garlic and vinegar; boil well for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, seasonings, and enough wine or water to cover the meat. Cover and cook the stifado very gently for about three hours, adding extra liquid as necessary.

This can also be made in a crockpot (slow cooker), though you may need to double or treble the ingredients, depending on the size, so that it is at least half full. No need to do the initial frying, unless you wish to; I just put the onions at the bottom of the crockpot, the stewing steak on top, and then the rest of the ingredients. I cooked on high for about two hours, then reduced to low and simmered for around eight hours more, and it turned out very well. But the cooking times do depend, somewhat, on the slow cooker.

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This is a very easy version of a traditional dish served locally in Cyprus. It's more correct to use tiny onions for stifado: frying them at the start, removing them, and adding them back towards the end, but we prefer it with regular chopped onions and it's simpler this way. It's best to have reasonably lean stewing beef, but any type will do; the long, slow cooking ensures it should be very tender. If you're in doubt, cook for even longer.

If we happen to have some wine leftover in the fridge I pour it in, and then top up with water. Otherwise I just use water, and the taste isn't much different. If you like garlic, you can add more than one clove, but it's a bit bland if you leave it out altogether.

We like to serve stifado with baked jacket potatoes and some veggies such as broccoli and peas, but it can be eaten with bread, pittas, rice, potato wedges, even pasta. It's an excellent dish to serve when guests are expected, since the time schedule is approximate; if they're late, it's all the better.

If there is any left over it freezes well, and the meat is even more tender after thawing and reheating.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

2006-04-28T14:41:00.000+03:00

(serves 4-6)

240g/8oz cooking or plain chocolate
1 tblsp golden syrup
50g/2oz butter
4 tblsp milk or thin cream
240g/8 oz digestive biscuits
50g/2oz sultanas or raisins
50g/2oz chopped glacé cherries

Lightly grease a 22.5cm/10 inch round flan tin. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium heat, or over hot water in a large bowl, then add the syrup and cream. Stir until smooth. Break up biscuits into small pieces but don’t fully crumble them; Mix into the chocolate with rest of ingredients and stir gently until well coated. Press into the greased dish, smooth and chill for at least an hour.

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This is a really easy dessert that uses store-cupboard ingredients, and is quick to prepare - ideal for unexpected guests, or when your planned dessert doesn't work. It's fairly soft, so doesn't work in a loaf pan and sliced like some other variations on this recipe, but is nonetheless delicious. If you use Bournville chocolate instead of cooking chocolate, and cream instead of milk, it's even better!

Other biscuits can be used instead of digestives: American 'graham crackers' would probably work, or any bits of leftover biscuit mixed with digestives. Chopped nuts can be added, or substituted for either the cherries or the sultanas if you like them. The nearest American equivalent to golden syrup is corn syrup, but honey could probably be used instead to make it slightly more nutritious.

Excellent served with home-made ice cream, or yogurt, or pouring cream or evaporated milk.

Strawberry Jam

2006-04-22T19:29:00.000+03:00

To make about 1kg (2lb) jam

1.15kg strawberries, hulled and washed
2 tblsp fresh lemon juice
1kg sugar

Method:
Place the strawberries in a jam-pan or other large saucepan, and chop lightly if they're big. Sprinkle the lemon juice over, then cook gently over a low heat for about 30 minutes until the fruit is very soft, stirring occasionally.

Add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is fully dissolved, then turn up the heat and boil until the setting stage is reached, stirring occasionally - this takes around 15-20 minutes but depends partly on the temperature of the hob.

Leave to cool for about ten minutes, then put in hot clean jars and seal.

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Note that this really does need a LARGE pan. After the sugar has been added, the jam gradually creeps higher and higher in the pan as it boils, and is in danger of boiling over unless there is a lot of room.

To test whether the jam has set, put a few drops on a cold plate, leave for a minute, then push your finger gently over the surface. If it's still runny, then it needs more boiling. If it's set, the blob of jam should feel slightly different, and will wrinkle a little as you push your finger over it. Don't leave it too long, however, or the jam will start to burn on the bottom of the pan.

Chili con Carne

2006-04-13T18:10:00.000+03:00

(serves about 4)

500g (1lb) mince - meat or vegetarian
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 chopped green or red bell pepper
2 medium cans crushed tomatoes in puree (or 1 can tomatoes and one can puree)
¼ - ½ tsp chili powder, depending on strength
125g (4 oz) dried kidney or pinto beans (or 1 medium can, drained) - optional

Method:
If using dried beans, soak them overnight in cold water, then boil rapidly for at least ten minutes, then simmer gently for half an hour.

Cook the mince with the pepper, onion and garlic in a large pan, stirring until the mince is brown and the onion transparent. Add a little water if it starts to stick, or about a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the rest of the ingredients with the drained kidney beans, if used, and a little extra water if the mixture looks too dry. Simmer for about half an hour, adding extra water if necessary.

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A quick and easy recipe for the whole family which is almost infinitely flexible. You can adjust the ingredients to suit your family's tastes. Serve with rice and sweetcorn, or baked potatoes topped with natural yogurt or tsatsiki, or with tacos and salad. Use any kind of mince: ground beef or turkey are particularly good, or vegetarian mince (where it technically becomes 'chili non carne'). Use chili powder sparingly, as a small amount goes a long way, or leave it out altogether for a mince and tomato meal.

Lemon Cream Crunch (Key Lemon Pie)

2006-04-13T16:03:00.000+03:00

(serves 4-6)

Base:
100g (4 oz) butter or margarine
200g (8 oz) digestive biscuits (or American graham crackers)

Filling:
400g (14 oz) can condensed milk
300ml (12 fl oz) whipping cream
3-4 lemons, juice and grated yellow part of rind

Method:
Melt the butter in a covered container in the microwave, or very gently in a pan on the hob. Crush the digestive biscuits and stir into the melted butter. Press in the base of a greased 22cm (9-inch) flan tin or serving dish, and cool.

Whip the cream, then fold in the condensed milk until blended. Add in the grated lemon rind and juice, stir quickly, then pour into the base. This sets extremely fast once the lemon juice has been added. Refrigerate. If you like you can sprinkle grated chocolate or sugar strands over the top before serving.

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This is a quick, easy and highly calorific dessert, very similar to what is called 'key lime pie' in the USA. I find the digestive biscuit base makes it taste a little like cheesecake, although there is no cheese and no cooking required to make it set! I used to make it over a base consisting of melted chocolate, melted butter and rice crispies. This was popular with small children but rather messy, and did not keep more than a day in the fridge as the rice crispies became soggy.

Use unwaxed lemons, and scrub well to get rid of any dirt before grating. If the lemons are large, you may want to use less of the juice. I find about 200ml juice is about right - much more than that leaves the filling a little runny, although lemony and delicious.

Cheese and Lentil Bake

2006-04-13T15:59:00.000+03:00

(serves about 3-4 people)

1 cup lentils, rinsed
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
pinch of sage, marjoram, thyme
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup canned tomatoes, tomato juice or water
2 large carrots, sliced
1 tblsp dried parsley
1 cup grated cheese

Method:
Put all the ingredients except for the carrots, parsley and cheese in an ovenproof dish, cover, and bake at 175C for about half an hour. Stir gently, add the sliced carrots, cover again, and bake for a further 30 minutes. Sprinkle over the parsley and cheese, then bake uncovered for about five minutes until the cheese is melted.

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This is a simple vegetarian meal based on lentils. Added cheese makes this a good source of protein: use rennet-free cheese for strict vegetarians. Serve with vegetables, and perhaps some garlic bread or baked potatoes if you have hungry teenagers.

Mexican Chicken

2006-04-12T17:02:00.000+03:00

(Serves about 4-6)

450g-900g (1lb - 2lb) boneless chicken or turkey pieces
1-2 tblsp vegetable oil (olive oil is best)
2 large onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed, or 1 tsp garlic
2-3 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium can chopped tomatoes in juice or puree
1 medium can or packet (about 1-1½ cups) tomato sauce or paste
1 tsp basil
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼-½ tsp chili powder, depending on strength and preference

Method:
Fry the chicken pieces in the oil, turning constantly, until browned on all sides. Set aside. Fry the onion and garlic in the same pan, adding the chopped carrots and pepper after about a minute. Cook until softened, stirring all the time. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and bring to a gentle simmer, still stirring. Add the browned meat and the spices.

Either cover with a loosely fitting lid and simmer gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally, or place the contents of the pan in an ovenproof dish, and bake (covered) in the oven for about an hour.

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If you cook this in the pan on the stove, serve with rice or mashed potatoes; if you cook in the oven, serve with oven-baked potatoes in jackets. This also goes well with sweetcorn, or mixed green salad, and can be topped with natural thick yogurt or tsatsiki.

It's important to use chicken or turkey pieces without bones. Usually I buy individual filletted meat; alternatively you could buy a large turkey breast, and cut it up. The amount you need will vary depending on your family's appetite! This recipe can easily be doubled to serve guests. Adapt quantities of ingredients depending on sizes available, and personal tastes. For instance, if you don't like strong spices, omit the chili powder. We made it once without chili, onion or garlic and it was still a tasty chicken-tomato casserole.

If you have a vegetarian in the family, you can cook the basic sauce and serve it with some cooked beans to serve at the same time as the rest of the family eats this dish.

Nut Roast

2006-04-09T17:10:00.000+03:00

(Serves 3-4 people).

1 onion, chopped
25g olive oil
225g mixed nuts, eg almonds, walnuts
100g bread
150ml vegetable stock or water
2 tsp marmite/yeast extract
1 tsp mixed herbs (thyme and parsley work well)
1 beaten egg
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cook the onion gently in the oil until transparent. Grind the nuts and bread together in a liquidiser until they are quite fine (or do them separately).

Heat the stock and yeast extract until boiling, then combine all the ingredients and mix well. The consistency should be like porridge, not too stiff. Turn the mixture into a shallow greased baking dish, or loaf pan; level the surface, sprinkle with a few extra breadcrumbs, and bake at 180C for about half an hour until golden brown. Turn out and serve sliced.

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This is an excellent meal for vegetarians (and many meat-eaters enjoy it too!) It works well to serve as a veggie alternative to roast meat, as it goes well with roast potatoes, mint sauce, cranberry jelly, yorkshire puddings etc.

Use a mixture of nuts, according to preference. We generally use about equal quantities of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts, but you could use just one variety for a more pronounced flavour. Note that peanuts (even in small quantity) tend to give a strong peanut-butter taste, which is fine if you like peanut butter. If not, don't put peanuts in this.

Vegemite would probably work instead of Marmite, or even Bovril if serving to people who are not vegetarians. But it's rather bland if you don't include this at all.

Sweet and Sour Cheese

2006-04-06T19:18:00.001+03:00

(serves about 3-4 people)

2 carrots, sliced
¼ pint vegetable stock or water
12oz can pineapple pieces in syrup
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp tomato puree
1 level tsp sugar
2 tblsp vinegar
1 level tblsp cornflour
8 oz cubed cheese (cheddar or mozarella work well)

Method:
Put the carrot in pan with stock. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the pineapple, including the syrup, with the garlic, tomato puree and sugar. Blend the vinegar with the cornflour in a small bowl, then stir into the pan slowly. Bring to the boil stirring well, until thickened - this takes about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese. Serve at once.

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A quick and easy light meal suitable for vegetarians. Use rennet-free cheese if you have a strict vegetarian. If serving to meat-eaters, you can use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. We like this served over rice, with cooked green vegetables or a salad.

Banoffi Pie

2006-04-05T15:08:00.000+03:00

(to serve 4-6)

Base:
175g/6 ounces digestive biscuits (US: graham crackers)
85g/3 ounces melted butter margarine

Centre: (use one of these options)
Easy method:
420g/14oz can sweetened condensed milk, previously boiled (see below)

Second method:
420g/14 ounce (large) can sweetened condensed milk
175g/6 ounces butter
175g/6 ounces sugar

Topping:
2-3 bananas
lemon juice
200ml/5 fluid ounces whipped cream to decorate (optional)

Method:
Crush the digestive biscuits and mix with melted butter; press onto the base and sides of a 20cm (8-inch pie) plate or flan tin.

For easy method, simply open the can of boiled condensed milk (so long as it is cool!) and scrape out the contents into the base.

For second method, pour unboiled condensed milk into a non-stick saucepan with the butter and sugar. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil for about five minutes, stirring constantly, to make a light golden caramel. Wait until the colour changes, but do not over-boil! Pour into the crumb crust and leave to cool. (If you didn't boil for long enough, the mixture will stay rather runny, and will be messy to eat but still delicious!)

For the topping: slice the bananas and sprinkle the slices with lemon juice, so they won't go brown in the air. Arrange over the toffee centre. Decorate with whipped cream if liked. Refrigerate before serving.

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Banoffi pie is one of the easiest desserts to make, relying on store-cupboard ingredients and bananas. The easy method for the centre relies on previously-boiled cans of condensed milk, which will keep in your cupboard for several months.

To boil a can of condensed milk, place on its side in a large saucepan, with water to cover. Bring to the boil, then put on a lid and simmer gently for about three hours, adding extra water as necessary to ensure that the pan does not boil dry (this is important!!).

When finished, cool to room temperature before opening, as the contents will be extremely hot. The condensed milk will have turned to soft toffee. I usually do about three cans at a time, and then label them, since they will keep for several months in a cupboard.

The second method is not quite so straightforward, but is a great deal quicker if you don't have a previously boiled can of condensed milk, and don't have time to boil and cool one.

Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake

2006-04-05T14:00:00.001+03:00

(makes about 24 squares, serves 6 as dessert)

½ cup oil
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups flour (plain, or half wholewheat)
2 cups applesauce
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp baking soda
3 tblsp unsweetened cocoa

Topping:
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tblsp sugar

Method:

Mix oil, sugar and eggs with a wooden spoon in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients except those for the topping, and mix until blended. Pour into a 9x13 inch greased pan. Sprinkle on the topping, then bake at about 350F for 35-40 mins. When ready, the cake will be firm but not burned and the topping will make a light sugary crust. When cool, cut into squares.

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A simple dessert which can be mixed in a few minutes. As all the measurements are in American cups, it's simple for a child to make. If you don't have a set of measuring cups, you can approximate with any mug or glass that holds 8 fluid ounces of liquid.

I was given this recipe by a friend in Chicago, many years ago, and have used it frequently in the USA, UK and now Cyprus. It's fairly low in fat, other than the chocolate chips. The original had one and a half cups of sugar in the main cake, but we found that a bit too sweet so I reduced it to one and a quarter. You might find just a cup is sufficient - partly it depends on the sweetness of the apple sauce. I make my own from raw apples, which can vary in sweetness. If you use cooked apple purée, and don't sweeten it, you may find that you need more sugar in the cake.

Chocolate chip applesauce cake can be eaten alone as cake, or with thick yogurt or ice cream as a dessert. Freezes well.

Lemon Curd

2006-04-05T13:15:00.003+03:00

(To make about 1kg (2lb) lemon curd)

4 medium lemons: squeeze the juice and finely grate the yellow part of the rind
100g (about 4 ounces) unsalted butter [do NOT use margarine]
450g (about 2 cups) sugar
4 largish eggs (or 6 small), beaten

Method:

Mix together the lemon rind and juice, then put with the butter and sugar in a tall pyrex or other suitable container, uncovered. There should be about 300ml lemon juice altogether, although it doesn't matter if there's a little less. If the lemons are very juicy and there is more than this, the result will be quite runny.

Microwave on full (high) for about four minutes, stirring after two minutes. Stir well to dissolve the sugar fully, and make sure the butter is completely melted. Microwave a little longer if necessary.

Add the beaten eggs, stirring in thoroughly. Microwave for a further five to six minutes, stirring well after every minute, until the mixture is thick and creamy. Do not over-cook - stop when it thickens and give a final stir.

Cool slightly, then put in clean, warm jars with lids. Refrigerate when cold.

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Note: ensure the mixture comes less than half-way up the sides of your microwave container, or it will boil over! If you don't have a large enough jug, you can make it in two halves.

Lemon curd is a sweet preserve, used like jam on bread and butter, toast, or muffins (the English variety!) It's also good spooned into little pastry cases and baked in the oven. In some places it's known as 'lemon butter' - but this can cause confusion as lemon butter may also be a savoury, salty spread.

Lemon curd used to be time-consuming to make, needing a large pan of simmering water over a low heat, stirring constantly in a heatproof bowl. But with a microwave oven, it becomes quick and easy. It's best kept refrigerated and used within a couple of months.

Lasagne

2006-03-20T14:41:00.000+02:00

(serves 4-6)

1 packet lasagne pasta

Meat sauce:
500g/1lb minced beef (or other ground meat)
2 medium onions, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed, or 1tsp garlic powder
125g/4 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tblsp parsley
1 large can chopped tomatoes in puree
or: 1 medium can chopped tomatoes and 1 medium packet tomato puree or sauce

Cheese sauce:
2 tblsp butter or margarine
1 tblsp flour
about 300ml / 2 cups milk
about 200g / 6 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Method:
If the lasagne pasta require pre-cooking, boil a large pan of slightly salted water and add a few drops of cooking oil. (This stops the pasta sticking). Check the packet for the quantity required for 4-6 people, then add the pasta one sheet at a time, and boil for the time recommended on the packet. Drain.

Meanwhile, fry the meat gently in a large non-stick pan, stirring all the time. You shouldn't need to add any fat as it will produce its own, unless you have very low-fat mince. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms when the fat starts to appear, and fry with the meat, stirring constantly until softened and the meat is browned all over.

Add the rest of the meat ingredients and heat, stirring, until simmering. Boil gently for about ten minutes, adding a little water if it seems to thicken too fast. Those outside the USA and Canada can add a teaspoon of Marmite or Vegemite at this stage, for added flavour and nutrition. (These products are not generally available in North America).

While the meat is simmering, put the butter in a large microwavable jug, or a non-stick saucepan, and heat until just melted. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the milk very gradually, stirring after each addition, so that no lumps appear. If you are using a saucepan over the stove, keep the pan on the stove on a low heat while you add each bit of milk, and stir all the time as you bring it to the boil. It should thicken to give a pouring sauce. If you are using a microwave, add all the milk gradually, then cook on High for a minute at a time, stirring well after each minute, until the sauce is thickened. Add half of the grated cheese.

Now take a large rectangular lasagne dish or similar, and grease it lightly with a butter wrapper. Spoon a very small amount of the meat sauce into the bottom, then cover with a layer of lasagne pasta, cutting as necessary to fit. Cover with another thin layer of meat, and then another layer of pasta, and continue until both are used up, ending with a layer of pasta. Pour the cheese sauce over the top, and then sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese on top. Place in a medium oven and cook for about half an hour, until the cheese is well melted and the meat bubbling. (If you use pasta which requires no pre-cooking, you may need to cook for longer - check on the packet).

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This is my most basic recipe for lasagne. It sounds complicated but is much easier than it sounds, particularly if you use a microwave for the cheese sauce. You can use any kind of minced meat - or vegetarian mince - and adapt the herbs to suit your family's tastes. For speed, use lasagne pasta that does not require any pre-cooking.

The same meat sauce is good by itself with spaghetti, topped with parmesan or grated cheddar cheese for a quick meal. Either way, it's good served with buttered french bread, or garlic bread, and mixed green salad or cooked vegetables.

If you particularly like cheese sauce, and don't mind the extra fat, make twice as much and then pour half of it over the second layer of meat. If you're cutting down on dairy products, you can use soya milk and goat's cheese, although you might want less of the cheese!

For a low-fat version of this meal, use half-fat cheese, low-fat chicken or vegetarian mince, and low-fat margarine. You can add in finely chopped peppers and/or carrots to increase nutritive value.

For a very quick version (although it won't taste as good), use a large jar of spaghetti sauce, lasagne pasta that does not require pre-cooking, and ready-made cheese sauce. Put together as described and top with grated cheese, then cook in the oven for the time recommended on the pasta packet.

Enchiladas

2006-03-15T14:33:00.001+02:00

(serves about 4 people)

8 flour tortillas

1 tblsp olive oil

250g (1/2lb) minced beef or other ground meat
OR 150g frozen spinach, thawed and drained

400g can pinto or black beans, drained
OR equivalent cooked dried beans (any kind)

1-2 onions, chopped
2-3 clove garlic, crushed
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼-½ teaspoon chili powder
1 medium can (about 1 cup) tomato puree, fresh or processed
100g (4 oz) grated cheese (about 1 cup when grated)

Method:
Gently stir-fry the onions and garlic in the oil, until almost translucent. Add the chopped pepper with the cumin and chili powder, and stir for a minute, then add the mince, if used, and mix in over the heat until cooked.

Add in the beans and mix well, crushing a few of them, and then the spinach, if used. Simmer together for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until well-mixed without any extraneous liquid.

For each tortilla, put a generous heaped tablespoon of the mixture lengthways in the centre. Roll up and place in a greased or non-stick dish with the end of the roll at the bottom. Repeat for all the other tortillas, using up all the meat or spinach mixture. They should fit fairly tightly in the dish, so the enchiladas do not unroll.

Cover with the tomato puree or sauce, and then top with grated cheese. Put in a hot oven (about 180C) for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas heated thoroughly.

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If you do not want to use ready-made tortillas, you can make your own wheat tortilla wraps; they are a bit time-consuming, but worth the effort. If you make the dough before starting the enchiladas, you can then roll them while the meat or spinach mixture is simmering, and then remove that from the heat while you cook the tortillas.

There are many variations on this basic enchilada recipe. Adjust the chili powder to taste, of course. You can use cooked lentils in place of the mince or spinach if you prefer, or you can can add some tomato sauce into the cooked mixture. If you have some leftover bolognese or chili con carne, either meat-based or vegetarian, you can use those in place of the filling. If you have leftover vegetables in the fridge, they can mix in too.

You can make a simple tomato sauce by taking about 800g fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped, or the contents of two 400g cans of tomatoes, and simmering with a little chili powder and garlic until well reduced. At the other extreme, you could use a jar of ready-made pasta sauce instead of tomato puree over the enchiladas before topping with cheese. As with any recipe, it's best to adapt to your family's tastes, whatever they are.

This is good to serve with a green salad, sweetcorn and tzatsiki, or with stir-fried cabbage and peas.

Quiche

2006-03-13T20:44:00.000+02:00

(To serve 2-3 people)

200g flour
100g margarine
cold water to mix

1 onion, sliced
olive oil
few mushrooms, sliced (optional)
50g cheese, thinly sliced
3 medium eggs
200ml milk (regular or soya)

Method:
For the pastry: rub the margarine into the flour with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or use a food processor). Add a small amount of cold water (preferably refrigerated) and mix with a knife until it goes together roughly. With floured hands, gather together into a ball and knead for a few seconds. If possible, put in the fridge for half an hour to rest, but this isn't necessary.

Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface using a floured rolling pin, until it's the right size for a large quiche dish or pie plate (or two smaller ones). Line the dish with the pastry and trim the edges.

For the filling: cook the onions (and mushrooms, if used) gently in the oil, in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave, until the onions are soft. Spread them over the pastry. Put the sliced cheese on top.

Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, then stir in the milk. Pour over the top of the cheese and cook at about 200C (400F) for half an hour or a bit longer, until firm, risen, and slightly brown on the top.

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We usually just serve this with some vegetables, such as broccoli or stir-fried courgettes, and it serves two hearty appetites. For three (or even four) people it could be served with baked potatoes and more veg. Alternatively it's very good eaten cold with a salad. Sometime we double the recipe so as to have some cold for the next day!

I usually use 50g wholewheat flour with 150g plain flour in the pastry. This gives a slightly crunchier texture and is of course more healthful than using just white flour. Any sort of margarine can be used (we ensure we use one without hydrogenated fats). Indeed, any other pastry recipe could be substituted, or even shop-bought frozen pastry, thawed.

Marinated Chicken

2006-02-13T16:22:00.000+02:00

(serves about 3-4)

approx 450g (1lb) boneless chicken, cubed
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Method:
Mix the sauce ingredients to make a marinade. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl or dish and pour the marinade over it, then refrigerate. This should ideally be for about six hours, turning every hour or so to re-coat, but it still works if you forget to do this earlier in the day, and only leave it for half an hour or so!

To serve, either cook directly in the oven, covered, for about 30-40 minutes at a fairly high temperature, or remove from the marinade and barbecue or grill (US: broil), turning frequently. You can heat the marinade in a small pan, or in the microwave, and serve over the meat. Do ensure that you cook this thoroughly, so that it boils, as it has been used to marinade raw poultry!

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This recipe can be used with skinless boneless chicken or turkey breast, and also works well with chicken kebabs, which you can sometimes buy ready-threaded on skewers. The amount of meat to use depends on family appetite and preference: we find that about 400-500g of raw meat is right for 3-4 people, but it's better to cook too much the first time, and freeze anything left over, than to have too little.

If you leave (or thread) your meat onto kebab skewers, this is easy to serve in warmed pittas with mixed salad and coleslaw. Alternatively serve with any kind of potatoes and vegetables. We like this with oven-cooked potato wedges, corn and french beans.

If you have a vegetarian in the family, you could serve something like halloumi cheese fried in olive oil at the same time, paticularly if you are eating this as a quick meal with pitta bread and salad.

Note: a 'cup' measure is 8 fluid ounces. You may be able to buy sets of American measuring cups to make this easier, or use a jug with measurements. Alternatively you could just guess, using an ordinary cup or mug. The exact quantities do not matter and can be adjusted to taste.

Pineapple Chocolate Fudge Pie

2006-02-09T17:02:00.001+02:00

(serves 3-4)

Base:
100g digestive biscuits (US: graham crackers), crumbled
25g coconut (optional)
75g butter or margarine, melted

Filling:
100g butter or margarine
75g soft brown sugar
150g plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
25g cocoa powder
225g can pineapple slices or chunks
50ml milk, approx

Method:
Make the base by mixing crumbs (and coconut if used) into melted butter, and pressing into a greased 20cm/8 inch flan dish or pie plate. Cook at 190C/Gas 5 for 5 minutes, and remove from oven.

Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar, then stir in all the dry ingredients alternatively with milk and the juice from the pineapple. Arrange the pineapple pieces in the crumb base, then spoon the topping over them. Cook for about 30 minutes at 170C/Gas 4, until the top is firm to touch. The inside should still be slightly gooey but not sufficiently that it will collapse.

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Here's a close-up showing how it looks after a few pieces have been cut, showing the softer inside:

We sometimes make this dessert for a special occasion, and serve with thick yogurt or ice cream. It works well if you double all quantities, to serve six to eight people; use a 28-30cm round flan dish if you do so.

To convert to imperial measurements, treat 25g as approximately 1 ounce (or a little under). To make it suitable for dairy-free eating, use soya milk instead of ordinary milk, and dairy-free spreads such as Pure soya or Flora dairy-free instead of butter.

Basic wholewheat and oat loaf

2006-01-05T18:32:00.000+02:00

Makes 1 medium loaf

1 ½ cups warm milk or milk and water
¼ cup molasses or honey
2 ½ tsp yeast or 1 package
1 egg
3 cups wholewheat flour
1 cup plain flour
½ cup rolled oats
1 ½ tsp salt
1/3 cup sunflower seeds

Method:
Mix all ingredients other than sunflower seeds in food processor and process for a minute, or combine in a bowl and knead for ten minutes. Leave to rise for an hour in a warm place. Punch down, then roll in the sunflower seeds and form into a loaf shape. Place in a greased pan and leave to rise for about half an hour. Bake at 180C until done, about 30 minutes.

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Alternately, use a breadmaker on the setting for 1kg (2lb) with light crust, making sure the liquid ingredients are added first and the yeast last. I find the setting for white bread works better than the wholemeal setting, though I'm not sure why, and it needs 2tsp yeast rather than a whole package. The sunflower seed addition doesn't really work with a breadmaker, so instead I add flaxseeds when the machine beeps after the first kneading, telling me that extra ingredients can be added.

The photo above is for this loaf made on the medium breadmaker setting (for a 750g loaf) which is just right for our family of four for lunchtime. I use one-and-an-eighth cups of warm milk (soya milk sometimes), a good dessertspoon of honey, one-and-three-quarters teaspoons of yeast (added last), two cups wholewheat flour, one cup white flour, just under half a cup of oats, an egg, 1 tsp salt, and flaxseeds if I remember. Too much yeast makes it rise too fast and then sink in the baking, since a breadmaker isn't as flexible as hand baking. But it's much less trouble!

Shepherds' Pie

2006-01-05T15:00:00.000+02:00

(serves about four people)

500g (1lb) minced meat such as lamb or turkey, or veggie mince, or cooked lentils
1-2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried cinnamon
1 cup water
1 tsp marmite (for Brits; vegemite for Australians; ignore this for Americans!)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tblsp brown sauce
1 medium can baked beans in tomato sauce
1 kg (2 lb) potatoes
milk for mashing

Method:
Peel the potatoes and chop into medium sized pieces, then boil until soft. Drain, then mash thoroughly, mixing in sufficient milk to make a smooth consistency.

While the potatoes are boiling, heat the mince in a pan with the onions, stirring until the mince is browned and the onions translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients, other than the baked beans, and stir gently until just boiling. Simmer until the liquid is reduced, then stir in the baked beans and put the mince mixture in a large ovenproof baking dish.

Top with the mashed potato, and run a fork over the top to smooth it down and leave a pattern. Place in a fairly hot oven and cook for at least half an hour or until the top of the potato is crispy. If you like it very brown, place under the grill (broiler) for a few minutes but watch it the whole time or it will burn.

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A warming meal for chilly winter evenings - this is a traditional British dish. Serve with peas and other vegetables, and lots of tomato ketchup! Technically, it should use lamb mince; the beef mince equivalent is really called Cottage Pie. But it can be made with chicken or turkey mince, or vegetarian mince such as the Linda McCartney variety, or lentils instead of any kind of mince. To make this for a vegan, use soya milk to mix the mashed potatoes.

Lemon Meringue Pie

2006-01-04T17:33:00.000+02:00

serves 4-6

pastry:
160g flour
pinch of salt (optional)
80g margarine
1-2 tsp cold water

filling and topping:
4 tblsp cornflour
300ml water
25g butter
grated rind and juice of two lemons
2 eggs, separated
150g sugar

Method:
Make the pastry in a food processor, or by hand (rub fat into flour then bind with water). Roll out on a floured surface, and use it to line a 20cm flan dish or shallow cake tin. Bake on its own at 190C for about 15-20 minutes.

Blend the cornflour with a little water in a small pan. Add the remaining water and butter, and bring to the boil slowly, stirring all the time. Cook, stirring, for three minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the lemon juice and rind, egg yolks, and 50g of the sugar. Pour into pastry.

Whisk the egg whites stiffly, then whisk in 50g of sugar and fold in the rest. Spread over the filling. Bake at 160C for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

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Not, perhaps, the simplest of desserts but one of the most delicious, particularly with fresh lemons picked from the garden! If you buy lemons, make sure they're unwaxed (preferably organic) and wash well prior to grating the rind. Just grate the yellow bit, not any of the white pith.

The easiest way to make pastry is to throw the ingredients in a food processor, then process (with metal or plastic blade) until a ball is formed. If it doesn't go together, add a tad more cold water until it does. Too much water makes it difficult to roll, so just add tiny amounts. By hand it's much messier: use fingertips to rub the margarine in the flour gently between the fingers and thumbs, shaking every so often until the whole looks a bit like breadcrumbs. Then use a knife to mix in the water - again, add just a little at a time, and try to gather it into a ball. If it goes together, knead it slightly and it should be slightly pliable.

Of course you could always buy a 250g pack of ready-made pastry and use that instead. It won't taste so good, and may have some additives, but it's less messy than making your own.

Roll the pastry on a well-floured surface using a floured rolling-pin. Turn it so it rolls evenly and makes an approximate circle.

When whisking the egg whites to make the meringue topping, it's much easiest to use an electric whisk. If you don't have one, a hand-whisk with a handle to turn will work but takes longer. A balloon whisk without a turning-handle might possibly work but would take ages!

Chicken in Gunge

2005-12-29T17:20:00.000+02:00

(to serve about 4)

Approx 600g chicken breast
OR approx 1kg chicken drumstricks

Sauce Ingredients:
2 generous tblsp brown sauce (such as HP)
4 generous tblsp tomato ketchup
2 tblsp spicy or fruity sauce (such as Daddies)
1 tblsp soy sauce
1 tsp worcester sauce
¼ cup water

Method:
Cook the meat in a large ovenproof dish on medium heat (around 350F) until it starts to brown, or on the stove, or in an electric frying pan. If using large chicken or turkey breasts, cut (scissors are the easiest) into smallish pieces before cooking.

Add the sauce ingredients - no need to mix first, just pour over the meat, and turn to coat them well. Cover dish or pan and cook for about half an hour, then stir to turn pieces of meat and cook for another 15-20 minutes uncovered. Times will vary depending on the size of the meat, so watch that you don't overcook.

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One of the easiest kinds of meat to cook is chicken. Once a week we have chicken breasts (boneless and skinless) in some kind of sauce or marinade. Ready-made sauces are expensive and usually contain additives such as monosodium glutamate, so I prefer to make my own. If chicken breasts are very expensive in your area, you could use turkey breast, or chicken drumsticks, or chicken thighs - depending on preference.

Choose (and thaw if necessary) your meat, in appropriate portions for your family's appetites. The quantities given are very approximate. The sauce is sufficient for about four average portions - but you can adapt and increase or decrease as appropriate. I have given quantities in American cups as this is the quickest way of measuring. A 'cup' is 8 fluid ounces. You can either use a measuring jug, or find a mug which is approximately correct - but none of the quantities matter much.

Serve this dish with your favourite kind of potatoes, or over rice or pasta, with plenty of salad or vegetables. We like to have it with potatoes, baked in their jackets in the oven, chopped raw tomatoes, and corn.

Easy Beer Bread

2005-12-13T15:26:00.000+02:00

(makes 1 medium loaf)

3 cups self-raising flour
3 tblsp sugar
1 300 ml can beer (any sort)

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, place in non-stick medium bread tin. The mixture should roughly half-fill the tin. Place in medium hot oven (about gas mark 6 or 180C - but it can go with anything else that is cooking at the time) for about 30-40 minutes until well-risen.
Turn out after a few minutes, slice and serve.

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This is probably the easiest bread to make at home if you don't have a bread-maker. It's ideal for children to make, so long as you don't mind them using beer! It doesn't keep well, but then it rarely gets the chance. Delicious with butter and any spread, or with salad, or with a full meal.

I often use 2 cups white self-raising flour and 1 cup wholegrain bread flour rather than 3 cups white self-raising. Find what combination of white/wholegrain suits your family best. For added protein and nutrition, you could also substitute 1/2 cup soya flour or rice flour. If you can't get self-raising flour, use plain flour with 2 tsp baking powder.

Variations:
There are many variations you can try, depending on your family's tastes. Here are just a few possibilities:.
- Add in 1/2 cup sultanas or other dried fruit for a quick fruit bread. Add a little ginger or cinnamon if liked
- Reduce sugar to 2 tblsp; add 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1tsp mustard for a cheesy bread
- Reduce sugar to 2 tblsp, add 1 tblsp chives or herbs.

Mincemeat

2005-12-05T15:17:00.002+02:00

To make about 2kg (4lb)

500g cooking apples (about 1lb, or four medium apples)
350g raisins (about 12oz)
225g currants (about 8oz)
225g sultanas (US: golden raisins)
225g shredded suet - real or veggie
225g mixed peel
225g soft brown sugar
2 lemons (or 1 orange and 1 lemon)
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
150ml brandy or whisky

Peel, core and grate or finely chop the apples, then place in a large bowl with the dried fruit (can vary dried fruit quantities so long as the total is a little over 1kg/2lb). Add the suet, sugar, grated rind and juice of lemons, and spices. Stir well. Add half the brandy or whisky and stir again. Pack loosely into jars or plastic tubs, pour over the remaining whisky or brandy, then seal. Keeps for at least two weeks, but may need to be refrigerated if kept longer in a warm climate.

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This is so easy to make, I've no idea why anybody ever buys ready-made mincemeat! You can adjust it to suit your family's preferences, and avoid unpleasant additives. If you can't find dried currants or sultanas, just use more raisins. If you prefer to use bags of ready-mixed dried fruit, do so. If you want to cut down on sugar, use less. If you want extra fruit or moister mincement, add extra grated apple. If you can't find cooking apples, use crisp eating apples such as Granny Smith. If you don't have any brandy or whisky, or prefer not to use them, just leave them out and add extra orange or lemon juice - but note that it won't keep so long, so you should definitely keep non-alcoholic mincemeat in the fridge.

Oh, and the suet... when we lived in the USA we couldn't find packets of dried suet, so we had to buy the stuff from the meat market, cook it, strain it, and chop it. What a palaver. I expect it could have been left out altogether, although the consistency wouldn't have been so soft when cooked. These days dried veggie suet is widely available in supermarkets - at least in Europe - and as it has less fat content than meat suet, and so many people are vegetarians these days, that's what I always use. This is what you should look for:

As for what you do with mincemeat, the most popular recipe is mince pies. Shortcrust pastry rolled thinly and cut to fit patty pans or cake tins, filled with a teaspoon of mincemeat, covered with another round of pastry, cooked for about 15-20 minutes. Again there are many variations: you can make the pastry with half wholewheat flour, you can glaze the tops with egg or milk, you can add extra ingredients to the mincemeat such as dessicated coconut or chopped glacé cherries...

Easy Chicken Curry

2005-11-13T17:14:00.000+02:00

(serves 3-4)

1 tblsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 heaped tsp curry powder (or more for a stronger flavour)
1 level tsp ground ginger
juice of 1 small (or 1/2 large) lemon
1 cup water, stock or tomato juice
meat or vegetables (see introduction)
2 tblsp sultanas or raisins (optional)
1 chopped apple (optional)

Method:
Cook the onion and garlic gently in the oil, then stir in the curry powder and ginger, stirring until the onions are fully coated. Add the lemon juice and stir in thoroughly. Gradually add the rest of the liquid, stirring all the time. If you are making separate meat and vegetable curries, transfer an appropriate amount of the sauce to another pan; add meat to one and vegetables to the other.

If you're using fresh chicken, you'll need to cook it gently for about an hour; leftover meat or veggies only need to cook for about 10-15 minutes, so adjust timings appropriately.
When almost ready to serve, add sultanas and/or chopped apple, if you like them, or serve them as extra garnishes over the curry.

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This is a very adaptable meal (albeit not very authentic) which can be made with fresh, cubed chicken, or any sort of leftover meat or even vegetables. I often make it when we have meat left from a roast chicken, or roast lamb.

For a vegetarian meal, an excellent curry can be made using chopped cauliflower and carrots instead of meat. If you have a mixed family of meat-eaters and vegetarians, make the curry sauce in one large pan, then divide appropriately with another pan before adding meat to one and vegetables to the other.

Curry is traditionally served with boiled rice; brown rice is healthier and more nutritious than white rice. You can also serve with naan bread, yoghurt, dried coconut, sunflower seeds, etc, and other vegetables such as green beans.

Rice Pudding

2005-11-07T21:54:00.000+02:00

(Serves about 4)

3 tblsp short grain rice
2 level tblsp sugar
knob of butter
1 tsp nutmeg
1 pint/500ml milk*

Method:
Grease a 1.5 pint ovenproof dish with butter, put in rice (washed if necessary) and sugar. Pour on milk, top with shavings of butter and nutmeg. Bake in the oven at 150C (300F, Gas 2) for about 2 hours, stirring after one hour.

Microwave method:
Use a deep dish with plenty of room as the milk will boil and the rice will expand! Place ingredients in non-metallic bowl as for regular oven, then cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked and beginning to thicken, stirring every 10 minutes. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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*Note for people in the USA: a pint in the UK is 20 fluid ounces, which is two-and-a-half US cups.

This is a traditional British dessert, which I used to love as a child. Unfortunately none of my family like it, and we don't tend to eat desserts very often anyway so I haven't made it for about 25 years. But if you like this kind of thing, it's ideal for chilly winter evenings.

Sausage Bean-Feast

2005-11-06T19:52:00.000+02:00

(serves about 3-4)

450g/1lb sausages
450g can baked beans in tomato sauce
2 tblsp tomato ketchup
1 level tblsp soft brown sugar
1 level tsp mustard

Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a casserole or other large deep dish, and bake covered for about 30-40 minutes in a hottish oven (350F/180C).

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Use your favourite type of sausages - meat or vegetarian - in this quick recipe which is particularly popular with some children, and can easily be made by a young child. You could serve it with mashed or potatoes, or fresh crusty bread. A salad served with it would add to the nutritional value.

French Bread Pizza

2005-10-15T14:50:00.000+03:00

(Serves 4)

One long french loaf
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tblsp vegetable oil (preferably olive)
1 medium can or packet of chopped tomatoes in puree
(or 1 can chopped tomatoes and 1 small can puree)
mixed herbs (we like basil, oregano and parsley)
about 100g/ 3 oz grated cheddar cheese
Other toppings to taste, eg: chopped green pepper, chopped mushrooms, sliced peperami or
chopped ham

Method:
Fry the onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes (and puree if used) and herbs, and simmer gently for about ten minutes, stirring from time to time, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Cool slightly.

Carefully cut the french loaf lengthways, horizontally, so you have two long flat surfaces. Then cut each piece into two or three pieces. Place crust-side down on a large baking sheet, lightly greased. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly over the cut surfaces, covering completely. Add toppings of your choice if wanted, and then sprinkle grated cheese all over.

Cook in a medium oven for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

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Serve this with various salads or cooked vegetables. It has to be one of the quickest, easiest, and most popular recipes I know. You can adapt it to suit your family's tastes. It's fresher and nearly as quick as buying ready-made french bread pizza which must be cooked from frozen, and considerably less expensive.

Variations:
Use 2 smaller loaves (baguettes), or 6 large hot-dog buns, or several bread rolls. This freezes well, so either make the tomato sauce in advance and freeze separately, or - if you have room - make the whole thing and freeze instead of putting in the oven. Cook from frozen, for about 20 minutes, or thaw and cook as above. You can also freeze left-overs and reheat in the microwave, or thaw and eat cold.

Toad in the Hole

2005-10-05T14:50:00.000+03:00

(to serve 3-4)

12-16 thin sausages - any type you like, meat or vegetarian
15g (about 1tblsp) margarine or oil
250g (about 2 cups) flour
2 eggs
600 ml (about 2½ cups) milk

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to about 200C. Cook the sausages with the fat in a large fairly shallow dish, such as a lasagne pan, in a hot oven until lightly browned. Alternatively, if you're in a hurry, fry them lightly in a little olive oil on the stove then transfer to an oven-proof dish.

Put the flour in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre, beat in the eggs then the milk. When the sausages are ready, pour the milk mixture into the baking dish with sausages, and cook for about 30-40 mins until the mixture is well-risen and lightly browned.

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People from outside the UK often wonder what this recipe is. Don't worry, there are no frog's legs! Use whatever brand of sausages your family likes best - it works well with pork, or pork and beef, or even vegetarian sausages. If you have some meat-eaters and some vegetarians in the family, simply cook meat and veggie sausages as preferred in appropriate sized dishes, then divide the egg/flour mixture between them. If you have people who are lactose intolerant, soya milk works as well as ordinary cow's milk.

I usually serve this with green vegetables or baked beans, baked potatoes (if we're feeling hungry) and tomato ketchup. Some people like it with gravy.

Tzatsiki (aka yogurt-cucumber dip)

2005-09-18T19:04:00.000+03:00

500g Greek-style thick yogurt
1 small cucumber or 1/2 large
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 tsp dried mint

Method:
grate the cucumber (unpeeled), crush the garlic if used, and stir into the yogurt. Transfer to a dish and sprinkle the mint on top. Give a couple of swirls with a spoon to mix it in slightly.

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This is a traditional Middle Eastern dish which is often served in Cyprus as a dip, with pitta bread. It goes well as a side dish with many main courses too. It can be bought ready-made at supermarket delicatessans, but is quick and easy to prepare at home. In Cyprus the cucumbers are small, about the size of courgettes, similar to the size of American cucumbers but with softer skin. However British ones are a lot bigger - hence you would probably not need a whole one unless making double quantity.

As with most recipes, exact quantities can be adjusted to suit personal tastes. If when it's made there doesn't seem to be much cucumber in the mixture, add some more. If you like garlic a lot, put in two or three crushed cloves.

Sausage Tomato Bake

2005-09-18T18:53:00.000+03:00

sausages - meat or vegetarian, about 3-4 per person
oil for cooking (olive is best)
onions, chopped - one large for each 3-4 people
canned chopped tomatoes - one 400g can per 2-3 people
worcestershire sauce (optional) - a few drops

Method:
Cook the sausages in a little oil until lightly browned, either in the oven in an ovenproof dish or on the stove in a frying pan. Meanwhile, fry the onions gently in a saucepan pan until softened and translucent, then stir in the tomatoes and bring to the boil.

Put the sausages in an ovenproof dish if you cooked them over the stove, and pour the tomato mixture carefully over. Sprinkle on a few drops of worcestershire sauce, if used, and cook in the oven at about 180C for 20-30 minutes.

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This is such an easy recipe! I discovered it about 25 years ago on a cookery card, and have made it many times over the years. In our family two of us prefer veggie sausages, and two prefer meat; I buy (frozen) Walls pork sausages and Linda McCartney vegeterian sausages, and cook them in separate dishes then divide the tomato-onion mixture between them. A strict vegetarian wouldn't use worcestershire sauce.

I tend to serve this with baked jacket potatoes, broccoli and peas.

Simple soft-scoop vanilla ice cream

2005-08-05T15:14:00.001+03:00

To make 1 litre (approx 1 American quart):

1 large can evaporated milk (approx 400ml), chilled overnight in the fridge
100g sugar (about 1/2 US cup)

1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)
(or other flavourings - see below)

Method:
Put the evaporated milk into a large bowl or food processor, and whisk with an electric whisk until it's very thick, with the beaters leaving a clear trail. It takes about 30 seconds, usually, depending on room temperature and the effectiveness of the whisk.

Add the sugar and essence and beat that in too for a few seconds. Transfer to an electric ice cream maker and churn for about an hour, then put in a plastic container with a lid and freeze. No need to thaw before serving as the whipped evaporated milk makes it soft-scoop style.

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If you don't have an electric churn, put the bowl in the freezer, then take it out after an hour and beat with a hand whisk. Repeat this several times until it's firm. I find the ice cream churn is well-worth having. I found mine at a thrift store, but they're not too expensive new. Just make sure the capacity is at least a litre.

Don't even try this if you don't have an electric whisk or food processor, however. Beating evaporated milk with a hand whisk would be extremely hard work.

Other flavours: for an excellent chocolate ice cream, mix a heaped tablespoon of cocoa powder with a little cold water, to make a smooth paste, then mix in a little more cold water to get to pouring consistency. Add this after the sugar has been whisked into the evaporated milk, and stir gently with a metal spoon. No need to mix in thoroughly, as the ice cream churn will do that.

For fruit ice cream, mash or purée about 100g fruit, and stir in after the sugar has been whisked in. If you use bananas, use soft brown sugar rather than white. Canned peaches work well (drain before mashing) as do raspberries. Strawberries are better with a cream-based mixture, in my view, however.

Frappé

2005-08-05T14:59:00.000+03:00

To serve one:

1 heaped teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
ice cubes
COLD water (refrigerated)
cold milk (optional)

Method:
Put the coffee, sugar if used, ice cubes and about 3/4 cup cold water in a large jar with a well-fitting lid (such as an empty coffee jar). Screw the lid on tightly, then shake hard up and down for about 30 seconds. This creates a slightly thickened, frothy mixture. Pour into a tall glass.

Put about the same quantity of milk (or more water) in the same jar and shake a few times more, then add to the glass, topping up with more milk or water as needed.

Drink with a straw.

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Most Cypriots use frappé-makers, which are like little electric whisks to make the coffee mixture froth up quickly. We've tried them, but prefer the old-fashioned method above. The taste is much the same either way. It's very important to use cold water. Lukewarm, even with extra ice cubes, doesn't seem to work.

Although I don't have sugar in coffee normally, I do like frappés with about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. If you normally have sugar in coffee, you may find you want a bit extra for a frappé. You might also want to use more coffee; the person who initially taught us to make this used two heaped teaspoons per person. If I have that much caffeine after lunch, I can't sleep at night so I find one is just fine. We use Maxwell House granules, the ones said to taste like filter coffee. They don't, but they're smooth and rich without any bitterness, ideal for frappés. The de-caffeinated variety work equally well although I don't suppose a Cypriot would dream of drinking a de-caff frappé!

Apparently Greeks often add cardamom. We've never seen this done and it's not a taste I particularly like. But it could be worth trying. Chocolate powder or syrup can be added for frappucino taste, and a scoop of ice cream can be added to make it more like a milk-shake. There are probably many variations on this, which is one of my favourite drinks for straight after lunch in the summer.

Healthy breakfast (aka pear stuff)

2005-08-03T12:13:00.000+03:00

To serve about 3-4 people for two days, depending on appetite:

(all ingredients are optional, and others can be substituted or added, but this is our version)

3/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1 cup raisins or sultanas
4-5 medium pears, washed
1-2 apples, washed
1 cup fresh orange or lemon juice (or half of each)

Method:
Put the nuts and seeds in a food processor with the metal cutting blade. Wear earplugs if you have sensitive ears, and switch on for about 20 seconds to grind them. Add the rasins and process for another few seconds.

Cut the fruit into quarters (no need to peel) and remove the cores. Add to the food processor with a bit of the citrus juice and process some more. It should make a porridge-like consistency. If it's too thick, add some more juice. Transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate.

Serve by itelf, or with natural yogurt, or other sliced fruit (bananas or strawberries are particularly good). If you feel the need for some grains, soak some oats or rye flake and add those.

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This recipe was inspired by the book 'Raw Energy'. One of us wanted to experiment with being dairy-free for a while, due to blocked ears. One of us wanted to eat all raw foods in the morning. One of us felt it was important to have some protein at breakfast-time. All of us thought it was a good idea to avoid wheat in the morning. Pears were appearing in the supermarkets in vast quantities, and being sold very cheaply.

We chose these particular nuts because we also (roughly) follow the blood group eating theories. Walnuts are supposedly beneficial for all, and almonds are neutral for our types. Strong-tasting nuts (such as peanuts) aren't recommended in this as they tend to destroy all other flavours. But you could use any nuts in place of the ones we chose, and indeed any seeds. We use sunflower seeds for vitamin E and flaxseeds for the Omega-3 oils. Sesame seeds are also good and we sometimes add those.

As for the fruit: you could use all pears (we do sometimes) but find the consistency slightly better with a couple of apples. You could add in other fruit with the processing if you want to: when strawberries are in season, I sometimes add a handful of them. Raspberries or blackberries could also make a nice change.

Oh, and don't expect it to LOOK appetising. The recipe above comes out sort of greeny-grey with flecks in it, and gets slightly brown after a night in the fridge. The version with added strawberries looks pinkish, and worse. But the taste is awesome, and we find it fills us for the morning and gives us more energy than almost any other breakfast we've found.

Citrus chicken

2005-08-02T14:24:00.000+03:00

To serve 3-4 as a main course:

3-4 chicken breasts, or about 600g chicken strips
1 tblsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 red pepper chopped
2 tblsp dark soy sauce
juice of an orange
1 tblsp honey
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tblsp sesame seeds

Method
If using chicken breasts, cut into thin strips. Marinade in the fridge with the olive oil and lemon juice, for a few hours, stirring occasionally.

Stir-fry the chicken for about five minutes in a fairly big saucepan or deep frying pan (or wok), using a little extra olive oil if needed. The chicken should all be cooked through. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute.

Mix the orange juice, soy sauce and honey together, then pour over the chicken, and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Continue cooking for about ten minutes, stirring to ensure the chicken is well-coated.

Serve over rice.

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Notes:
While the marinading is nice, it isn't essential. I often forget, and nobody notices the difference.

Cutting fresh chicken breasts into strips isn't all that easy; use a fork to hold it and a sharp serrated knife. I find the simplest method is to start with frozen chicken breasts, thaw for a couple of hours (or a couple of minutes in the microwave) until it's the consistency of ice-cream. Then it slices much more easily.

Juice from fresh citrus fruits is of course best, but it's entirely possible to use orange juice from a packet, and lemon juice from a jar. So long as they're pure juice with no additives.

Don't worry if the garlic pieces turn light blue while cooking! I found it very disturbing the first time that happened, but research taught me that garlic will sometime go blue in the presence of acids such as lemon juice. By the time you've added the soy sauce, the blue colour should mostly have vanished.

If you forget the sesame seeds it doesn't matter, but they do add a pleasant crunch.

Easy home-made yogurt

2005-08-02T13:01:00.000+03:00

Yogurt is very easy to make if you have an electric yogurt-maker. I've found several over the years at jumble sales or thrift stores. You can also get a thermos-type, or even use a regular thermos flask to maintain the temperature. But I'd personally recommend an electric one, which comes with five or six little containers to make the yogurt in.

Assuming you have an electric yogurt maker, this is what you need for the simplest possible plain yogurt:

2 heaped tblsp natural live yogurt, or about a third of a container of the previous batch - this is the starter
1 heaped tblsp dried milk powder (optional)
1 large (about 400g) can evaporated milk - either whole or reduced fat
water

Method:
Switch the yogurt maker on!

Put the yogurt starter in a large measuring jug, then stir in the dried milk powder if used. This isn't essential, but makes the yogurt thicker and more nutritious.

Slowly add the evaporated milk, stirring all the time to mix in.

Add water (at room temperature) to make the quantity of liquid up to whatever the capacity is of the containers. You'll need to work this out before you make the first batch. Simply fill one small yogurt container with water, leaving about 1cm space at the top, and then measure the capacity. Multiply by the number of containers. My current yogurt maker has five cups, each of about 160 ml , so I make the milk mixture up to 800ml. My previous one had six cups, each of 150ml, so I made the milk mixture up to 900ml.

Pour the milk mixture carefully into the containers, put on the lids, cover with the larger lid and leave for 4-6 hours. Try not to move or jerk the machine while the yogurt is setting. After about four or five hours, carefully check one of the containers to check whether it's thickened and set. If so, switch the machine off, remove the containers and cool for about half an hour, then transfer to the fridge.

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Made with evaporated milk, and eaten within a few days, this is naturally quite sweet and I don't find it needs anything added. It's good on its own, or mixed with fruit of any kind, or as a topping on a sweet dessert.

You can make an even more inexpensive version using just dried milk mixed with water according to instructions, although it will be much thinner. You can also use UHT milk. However don't use ordinary pasteurised milk without first boiling it and then cooling.

Lemonade (lemon squash)

2005-08-02T11:54:00.001+03:00

To make about 3 - 3.5 litres of concentrate:

10-15 medium lemons, unwaxed and thoroughly washed
1kg sugar (2.2lb)
>water for cooking and cooling

Method:
Use a potato peeler or lemon parer to remove just the outer yellow part of the rind of about ten lemons. Place these yellow parings in a large saucepan with about 500ml water, or a bit more. Bring to the boil then gently simmer for about ten minutes. The water should become yellow and smell of lemon as the oils are released.

Add the sugar, and stir gently over the heat until it's all dissolved. Turn off the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Now cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. This is easiest with an electric juicer or suitable food processor attachment. Keep squeezing lemons until you have about a litre (which is roughly an American quart) of juice, including the pips and 'gunk'. With reasonable sized lemons each one yields around 100ml; with smaller ones you'll need to squeeze more. Occasionally when our home-grown lemons have been small, I've needed 20 or more to produce a litre of juice.

Add all the juice (and gunk) to the pan, stir roughly, and leave to cool.

Use a nylon sieve to strain the lemonade over a large jug, and decant into bottles. Add extra water as necessary to squeeze the last of the lemonade out of the bits left in the sieve, and to make the resulting lemonade up to about 3 litres or a bit more, depending on the size of your bottles.

Put straight in the fridge. To use, dilute as necessary with cold water. I usually put about 2cm lemonade in the bottom of a tall glass and fill up with water. Others might have more of the concentrate.

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Notes:

This is a great recipe for those in warm countries with a glut of lemons on their trees. Or if you can find unwaxed lemons at the market for a good price. Alas, it would be terribly expensive if you bought organic shrink-wrapped lemons at one of the big UK supermarkets. You'd be better off just buying cartons of fruit juice.

But it's still a great recipe, even though the amount of sugar needed is rather frighteningly high. You might get away with less if your family doesn't have a particularly sweet tooth, but experimentation showed this to be about the right amount for us. It's much like British-style lemon squash of the high-juice variety, with no artificial additives at all. Or like the lemonade that can be made from frozen concentrate in the USA. It does need to be refrigerated after making, and won't last more than about ten days at most, so make less if you don't drink much of this kind of thing.

If, like us, you find you have far too many lemons to use in the spring, try freezing some. I prepare the yellow outer parings and put them in a freezer bag, then squeeze a litre of juice and put it in a suitable container. This is very useful for the summer when (a) we don't have any lemons growing and they're not widely available in the supermarkets (b) it's far too hot to do much in the kitchen anyway.

Recipe Index

2005-08-01T14:55:00.006+03:00

Chicken or turkey meals

Chicken curry for the crockpot - fairly authentic curry that simmers all day, using inexpensive boneless skinless chicken thighs
Chicken curry - use fresh or leftover chicken - or any other meat, or even vegetables - to make an easy mild (though not authentic) curry
Chicken in gunge - small pieces of chicken or turkey breast, in a 'gunge' made mainly of ketchup and HP sauce
Lemon chicken with carrots - ideal for the crockpot; this recipe is for a large number of people, a British version of an American recipe
Marinated chicken - kebabs or cubes of chicken marinated for a few hours to give a quick and easy meal
Mexican chicken - using filletted chicken or turkey, in a spicy tomato sauce with lots of veggies
Slightly spicy chicken - adaptable crockpot recipe for chicken thighs, with light spicy flavour, in a tomato sauce
Sticky citrus chicken - quick to make, chicken breast strips with fresh citrus juices, excellent with rice
Stove-top barbecue chicken - using any kind of chicken, this is cooked on the stove top with a barbecue-like sauce
Teriyaki chicken - a simple, Westernised version of a Japanese dish in a soya sauce based marinade
Vietnamese coconut chicken - a mildly spicy chicken dish that simmers gently in the crockpot a with wonderful coconut aroma

Beef meals

Chinese savoury beef - simple to prepare, serve with rice and stir-fried veg
French stew - very quick meal using stewing steak that bakes gently for four hours
Stifado - easy version of a Cypriot speciality, gently cooked using inexpensive stewing steak

Sausage meals (use any meat or veggie sausages)

Sausage bean-feast - quick and easy to prepare
Sausage tomato bake - sausages, onions and tomatoes in a tasty casserole
Toad in the Hole - traditional British meal with sausages in batter

Mince meals (use any ground meat, or veggie mince)

Chili con carne - a spicy dish, quick and adaptable depending on taste
Enchiladas - use packaged tortillas for speed, to make this simple version of a 'Tex-Mex' dish
Lasagne - layers of tomato sauce, cheese and pasta for a traditional Italian meal
Shepherds' pie - a traditional British dish topped with mashed potato

Vegetarian meals

Cheese and lentil bake - simple high protein recipe using red lentils
French bread pizza - very quick and easy to prepare, popular with children
Nut roast - ideal to serve as veggie alternative to meat roast
Quiche - simple cheese and onion quiche
Sweet and sour cheese - tasty and unusual recipe for a quick meal
Vegetable and nut cobbler - cauliflower and other veg with a walnut scone topping

Desserts and cakes

Apple cake - bar cake that uses apples which don't even need to be peeled
Apricot (or loquat) crunch - soft fruit with flapjack-like topping
Banoffi Pie - biscuit crumb base, condensed milk 'toffee' filling, banana topping
Christmas pudding - steamed dessert, served with cream, custard or brandy butter
Chocolate biscuit cake - a quick uncooked dessert using chocolate and broken biscuits
Chocolate chip applesauce cake - Simple to prepare, this is even low in fat as apple sauce replaces most of the fat
Chocolate chip oat cookies - a reasonably healthy variation of a classic biscuit recipe
Chocolate crumb cake - a frugal cake with canned fruit underneath
Gingerbread - traditional gooey cake or dessert that gets better with keeping
Lemon cream crunch - A rich lemon filling on a digestive biscuit base. Similar to American 'key lime pie'
Lemon meringue pie - A traditional favourite, not quick to make but worth the effort
Pineapple chocolate fudge pie - A smooth chocolate pie in a crumb base
Rice pudding - old traditional British dessert made in the oven or microwave
Soft-scoop vanilla ice cream - evaporated milk is the basis for this simple ice cream. Requires an electric mixer
Toffee ice cream - not quick to make, but tastes wonderful, using dulce de leche and whipped cream.

Bread

Beer bread - quick and easy, with no kneading - just flour, sugar and beer make this bread
Tomato and rosemary loaf - a pleasant savoury flavour - ideal for a breadmaker
Wholewhat and oat loaf - a basic light loaf, with part wholemeal flour. Works well in a breadmaker

Soups

Courgette and tomato soup - looks and tastes rather like canned tomato soup, but fresher and healthier
Curried carrot and ginger soup - delicious with warm bread on a cold day

Jams and Chutneys

Apricot jam - a basic recipe for using apricots in season, which keeps well
Lemon curd - microwave recipe for this sweet preserve, known in some countries as lemon butter
Mango and apple chutney- not too difficult, much less expensive than the bought variety if you can find fresh mangoes at a reasonable price
Strawberry Jam - very simple, great when strawberries are in season

Tomato and apple chutney - excellent with bread and cheese, simple to prepare

Miscellaneous

Dairy-free chocolate fudge - uses soya milk, dairy-free margarine and dairy-free chocolate chips; fairly simple and extremely tasty
Frappé - chilled coffee drink popular in Cyprus in the summer
Fruit smoothies - pure fruit, with juice and ice - perfect in the summer
Lemonade - refreshing drink to make when you have copious lemons growing, or when they're inexpensive in the supermarket
Mincemeat - sweet mixture using mainly dried fruit. Make in November and store for Christmas mince pies
Pear-based healthy breakfast - ripe pears, nuts and seeds ground together to make a delicious
mixture
Tsatsiki - a simple yogurt/cucumber dip popular in the Middle East
Yogurt - based on evaporated milk, easiest with an electrical yogurt maker

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2004-11-05T13:44:00.000+02:00

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2000-04-01T16:14:00.002+03:00

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