Lime and Coconut Scoffins

Put the oven on at 180 C (with fan) 

Measure out the following: 

8 oz plain flour

2 oz sunflower spread

2 oz of chopped pitted black olives

100 ml yogurt

100 ml milk

20g of chopped fresh basil

1 tbs Pesto 

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

 1 tsp cream of tartar

Rub the sunflower spread into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in the bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar

Add the olives, pesto and basil and mix 

Pour the milk and yogurt in and stir gently

Fill muffin cases to the top, and bake for 16 minutes (depends on oven)

Black olive and Basil Scoffins

Put the oven on at 180 C (with fan) 

Measure out the following: 

8 oz plain flour

2 oz sunflower spread

2 oz of chopped pitted black olives

100 ml yogurt

100 ml milk

20g of chopped fresh basil

1 tbs Pesto 

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

 1 tsp cream of tartar

Rub the sunflower spread into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in the bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar

Add the olives, pesto and basil and mix 

Pour the milk and yogurt in and stir gently

Fill muffin cases to the top, and bake for 16 minutes (depends on oven)

Bulgar wheat tray bake ( Kibba bil-sinya)

250 g Bulgar wheat

half a red pepper

half a green pepper

half a medium onion

half a medium courgetter

200 g Quorn mince ( or 100 g sulatnas and 50 g pine nuts for a vegan alternative)

2 tbs tomoato paste

2 eggs (2 oz of soft tofu)

1 tsp mild curry powder

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

250 g medium crushed Bulgar wheat washed and soaked in cold water until soft (or hot water for 20 min) then drained and excess water squeezed out.

half a red, half a green pepper and half a courgette chopped finely and stir fried with half a medium onion also chopped finely.

Mix all the ingredients: Bulgar wheat, fried veg, spices and seasoning, eggs and tomaotoe paste and place the mixture in an oiled oven proof dish, bake in the middle of a hot oven for 20-25 min.

Serve with soup and salad.

Baba Ghanouj

Bake one large aubergine (make long cuts in the aubergine skin to avoid it exploding in the oven)  in a hot oven for 30 min. 

Remove the skin, and blend the flesh with a garlic clove, juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt and 2-3 tbs of tahini

Cool in before serving.

Maqlouba

(Oops! I burnt it a bit, not all the black is burnt onion, most of it is the aubergine skins)

A layered veg & rice dish all cooked in one pot.

You will need: 

1 aubergine sliced in 0.5 cm slices

1 small cauliflower cut into large florets

2 medium carrots cut lengthways into 0.5 cm thick slices

2 large tomatoes cut into 1 cm thick slices (or a handful of cherry tomatoes)

4 garlic cloves

2 onions sliced

2 potatoes peeled and sliced thinly

200 g risotto or paella rice washed and drained

For the liquid:

500 ml veg stock (cube is fine!) heat it to boiling before using

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

The preparation:  

Prepare the veg and then fry in small quantities in deep pan with 1 cm of hot oil 

This is best done in a wide pan with a heavy base, oil the pan and line grease proof paper ( like you would for a cake) layer the veg in this order:

Onions, Aubergine, carrot's, potatoes, tomatoes & cauliflower

sprinkle the garlic

Cover with rice

Mix the stock with the spices and gently pour the liquid so as not to disturb the layers

Try and make sure the rice is covered, but if it's not wait before adding more water, as the veg cooks you can squash it down!

Bring the pan to the boil but not too vigorously (so you don't disturb the layers), then turn down, cover and simmer for 45-60 min, then turn off and leave with a clean tea towel over the top and put the lid back on for 15 min.

Place a large serving plate over the top of the pan and carefully turn the pan and plate over, with any luck the whole thing is now upside down with the layers of veg intact!

Goes well with homous and/or sweet chili sauce! 

Preparation time 30 min

Cooking time 60 min

Serves 4

Turkish Delight

500 g sugar
600 ml water
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp cream of tartar
100 g cornflour
25 g vegetarian gelatin
2 tsp rose water
1-2 tsp pink or red food colouring

Add all the sugar to 400 ml of water in a bowl and microwave (high) for 3 minutes

in a pan on a moderate heat mix the cornflour, vegetarian gelatin and 200 ml of water and stir continuously

Carefully add 50 ml of the sugar solution to the cornflour solutions and mix well, if it gets lumpy use a hand held mixer or blender to remove the lumps, then add al of this to the bowl of sugar solution and mix well.

Add the rose water and food colouring and mix.

Micorwave the mixture for 5 min then stire well, repeat 9-10 times until the mixture thickens and becomes stringy when you handle a bit of it.

You can also mix in 100 g of broken unsalted pistachos

Pour the mixture into a dish dusted with cornflour and dessicated coconut, cover the top with coconut too,  cool overnight and then cut with a hot knife (dip knife in hot water). Roll in coconut and place in paper cases. This home made Turkish Delight is softer and stickier than the type you buy in shops.

Chocolate with Salt & Pistachios

Melt 150 g of cooking plain cooking chocolate in a microwave oven
- it takes about 2 min

Stir in 1 tsp of sunflower spread and a tsp of Rose or orange extract/oil.

Place the mixture in small paper cases

. 

Sprinkle some salt and pistachios over the top

Allow to cool

Sweet Potato & Feta Pasties

I only made one pasty out of left over pastry, feta, sweet potato and some fresh Rosemary from making a tart,

Cheese and Marmite Scones

 

8 oz (225 g) Flour (white or wholemeal or half & half)
 

2 oz (50 g) Margarine (or butter)
 

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda 

1tsp Cream of tartar
 

150 ml Milk ( I used soya) 

 1-2 tbs Marmite (or similar)

 2 oz (50 g) Grated cheddar cheese

Add Bicarb and cream of tartar to flour and mix
Rub margarine into flour
Add the Marmite
Add the milk and mix quickly and lightly, don't kneed it like bread- that makes the scones 'heavy'
Have a piece of greaseproof paper with a handful of flour on it ready, put the scone mixture onto it and shape into a a circle or oblong (depending on what shape scones you are making), cut into shape with a cutter.

Place on tray, put in the oven right away, cook for 15-20 min depending on you oven

 

Marmite Scones

8 oz (225 g) Flour (white or wholemeal or half & half)
 

2 oz (50 g) Margarine (or butter)
 

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda 

1tsp Cream of tartar
 

150 ml Milk ( I used soya) 

 1-2 tbs Marmite (or similar)

Add Bicarb and cream of tartar to flour and mix
Rub margarine into flour
Add the Marmite
Add the milk and mix quickly and lightly, don't kneed it like bread- that makes the scones 'heavy'
Have a piece of greaseproof paper with a handful of flour on it ready, put the scone mixture onto it and shape into a a circle or oblong (depending on what shape scones you are making), cut into shape with a cutter.

Place on tray, put in the oven right away, cook for 15-20 min depending on you oven

Stuffed Potato Cakes

 

Peel, boil, mash and cool around 400 gm of floury potatos.

For the filling chop and fry one medium onion until soft, then add 200 gm of Quorn, a handful of raisns and sunflower seeds.

 

Allow both the potato and the filling to cool.

Take ball of potato around the size of a small apple and shape it into a flattened ovel shape, place a heaped spoon of the filling in the middle. Fold over and join the edges. Wet your hands to enable the shaping.

Brush with oil and bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes. Serve warm with salad. Keeps well in the freezer.

Recipe coming soon

Red Pepper, artichoke and basil Tart

Prepare a 10 inch shortcrust pastry case (6 oz flour, 3 oz sunflower spread) you can blind bake the pastry first if you like, I don't always do that.

Slice and fry 1 medium onions with a bit of olive oil and a generous splash of balsamic vinegar.

You will also need: 

1 litre of soya milk

4-6 eggs

1 block of vegan cheese

4 roasted red peppers with skins removed, and cut into pieces

6 pieces of sun dried tomoatoes

 4 pieces of marinated artichoke.

A handful of fresh basil

(I slightly undercooked this one as I intedn to keep it till tomorrow and reheat it in the oven. I was in a rush as well and didn't arrange the veg prettily!)

Mix the cheese, eggs and milk in a jug

Once the onions have softened place them in the pastry case

Arange the peppers, sundried tomoatos, artichokes and basil in the pastry case. 

Pour the milk, egg etc mix over the onions

Bake in a hot oven (180 C with fan) for 30-40 min

Eat hot or cold, keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days

Stuffed Rice

Boil 300 gm of rice (not basmati) with a pinch of turmeric until well cooked, then mash with a potato masher to form a thick paste.

For the filling chop and fry one medium onion until soft, then add 200 gm of Quorn, a handful of raisns and sunflower seeds.

Allow both the rice and the filling to cool.

Take ball of rice around the size of a small apple and shape it into a flattened ovel shape, place a heaped spoon of the filling in the middle. Fold over and join the edges. Wet your hands to enable the shaping.

Brush with oil and bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes. Serve warm with salad. Keeps well in the freezer.

Roasted Chesnut & Brazil Nut Roulade

250 g cooked, peeled and finely chopped/blended chestnuts

100 g chopped Brazil nuts

100 g chopped and softened onions

20g chopped fresh coriander or parsley

150 ml of veg stock

Mix the above together using a food processor, or by hand.

Roll out 150 g ready made puff pastry into an oblong shape approximately 15 cm x 30 cm.

Place the filling along the centre of the pastry, fold the edges over. Transfer the roulade onto a baking tray with the pastrey join on the underside.

Slash the top of the Roulade with a knife and stab it with a fork to allow steam to escape and prevent the pastry from rising too much.

Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.

Serve hot with vegetables or cold with salad.