Courgette Cake

Preparation 10-15 min; Cooking time 45-60 min

 

100g butter (room temperature)
100g caster sugar  
100g plain flour (sieved)
100g courgettes (1 small one) (grated coarsely)
75g small apple (grated coarsely)
1 egg separated
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Some grated nutmeg (optional)
2 drops of vanilla extract (optional)
40g pecans or chopped mixed nuts
40g sultanas
Zest of 1 orange (optional)

Preheat oven at 180C/gas mark 4.
Grease a baking form – I used a 16cm round foil form.
If you have a small hand chopper – mix and chop the nuts and raisins.

Whisk the sugar and egg yolk until smooth; then add the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and orange zest. Now add the butter and whisk again until the butter is thoroughly intermixed; then add the flour (keep mixing). Gently squeeze the excess water/juice from the mixed grated apple and courgette; and fold this into the cake-mixture. Finally beat the egg white and fold it into the cake-mixture.

Transfer to your baking tin and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

If you are cooking Gluten-free use “Buckwheat” instead of flour and gluten-free baking powder as well!

Basic Apple Crumble

Preparation time about 7 minutes – for 1-4 people

175g plain flour (or Buckwheat) 100g butter 100g caster sugar 1-2 spoons of mixed nuts - 4-5 large Apples (see below)

Briefly whizz in a food processor the mixed nuts so that they are still coarse not all flour like. Then add flour, butter and sugar and blend until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs (looking like “small pebbles”) store this in the fridge or freezer (for 5min) while you prepare the apples.

4-5 cocking apples (pealed, cored, dices and parboiled) or
4-5 large eating apples (pealed, cored and diced)
Place into 1 or more ovenproof containers/dishes.
Then firmly cover the apples with 1cm crumble (use a knife to make some ‘breathing holes’ for the fruit) and sprinkle over a little water, to ensure a lovely crusty top on the crumple.
Into the oven at 200C and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and crisp, by which time the juices of the apples have started bubbling through the topping and caramelised promisingly on the surface (rather than on the oven floor).

Carrot Cake

Prep.time 10 min  Cooking time 75 min
4 Large Eggs – separated 200g Cleaned & Grated Carrots 200g Sugar a pinch of Salt 200g Peeled and grated Almonds    (or use 100g chopped nut mix +100g grated almonds) Butter to grease the form * 40g Flour (or use 1 tsp potato flour) * Clove powder (grind 1 clove, use ½) * Nutmeg * 1 small glass of Kirsch                                 * optional – to taste

Whip the egg-whites until stiff.
Whip sugar, yolks and kirsh until smooth (sugar nearly dissolved), then add the remaining ingredients.
Gently fold in the egg-whites and place the mixture in a greased (or lined) tray.
Bake for 1¼ hours at 210 degree; cover the cake for the 1st hour to prevent the top from burning.
When cool sprinkle with icing sugar; NO glazing or extra decoration needed. Max. a marzipan carrot

Diced Pork with vegetables

Preparation time about 7 minutes – for 1-2 people

150-300 g diced pork (any) 1 onion 1 garlic clove (optional) 75-150 g Frozen Peas 75-150 g Frozen Sweetcorn Herbs to taste: Salt, Pepper, Mixed Herbs, Paprika, what ever you like Chopped Parsley and Chive Oil or Butter for frying

Saute the finely chopped onion and garlic;
add the diced pork and fry for 2 minutes constantly turning the meat; now add the herbs and stir.
Then add the sweetcorn and peas and 2 spoons of water.
Turn heat down, cover with a lid and let simmer for 2 more minutes.

Serve with cooked potatoes or rice or pasta.

Raw Courgette Salad

Preparation time about 5 minutes – for 2 people

 

½ a Courgette pealed and finely julienned

Dressing:

2 spoons mayonnaise
2 spoons natural Yogurt
1 spoon extra virgin Olive oil
½ Spoon sweet vinegar
Salt & freshly ground Pepper
Some chopped Parsley

 

Peal the courgette and cut finely Julienne style on a mandolin.

Then mix the dressing using all ingredients.

Gently toss the salad making sure to cover the entire courgette and let it rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature before serving.

Cheesy Beef Burger

 

250g minced meat

3-4 thick slices of strong cheese

Flour

Salt, pepper and other herbs to taste

Butter/margarine/oil for frying

 

 

 

Shape the burger into a solid 7-10 cm burger. Gently cut the burger in half so that you have 2 burgers.

Sandwich the cheese between the 2 halves of burgers.

Make sure all edges are closed and that there are no holes in the burger.

Season the burger on both sides.

Sprinkle the burger in flour (both sides and the edges).

Gently fry for 7 minutes on each side.

Spatchcocked Chicken

Spatchcocking is a fowl slit lengthways, opened out, and cooked (usu. grilled) flat.

Place chicken breast-side down, with the tail towards you.

Using sturdy scissors or poultry shears, cut up along each side of the backbone to remove it, cutting through the rib bones as you go.

You could also remove the breastbone by simply cutting through the soft-bone at the top of the neck then run your thumb along the bone – into the chicken meat – on both sides to lift the breastbone out easily.

Turn over the chicken and flatten it with the heel of your hand (over the breast bone or where the breastbone used to be) so that the meat is roughly an all over one thickness.

If you don’t like the fat at the rear of the chicken just cut it off

Bend the wing-tips under the chicken.

Use two long skewers to secure the legs, by running them through the thigh and then diagonally through the breast and wing.

Marinate to taste and griddle or grill for 15-20 mins per side or roast for 40 minutes (depending on size of bird).

You could just par-cook the chicken – and freeze it for later use.

Microwave Cooked Apple

You will need a microwave oven. This quick cooked apple is ideal for breakfast or as a snack during the day. I find that by cooking the apple I remove the acid and I can eat the apple that way.

1 Washed and dried Apple

Quarter the apple and core the quarters. Then quarter each quarter and place in a microwave container. Cook on max for 2½ minutes. That’s it. Indulge yourself by serving it with ice-cream or custard.

Fish Gratin

4-5 peeled and slices potatos 1 large leek cut diagonally ½cm thick slices 2-3 haddock filets cut into 1cm pieces 200-300 ml white gravy (white Bisto) 100g grated extra mature cheddar 1 stock cube Herbs to taste

Add the stock cube to hot water and add some herbs to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, mixed herbs, paprika) and parboil the potatos for max 3 minutes. Remove potatoes but add the leek just in and out don’t let it boil.
While the potatos are cooking make the gravy and add the cheese ensure its not too tick.
Grease the gratin dish then lay 1 layer of potatos (use ½), 1 layer of fish (use it all), 1 layer of leek (use it all). Poor ½ the gravy over the dish; then finish the last layer of potatoes. Add the remainder of gravy but don’t let it run over.
If you don’t have a lid put some foil over and place in a 200° oven for 45 minutes, then remove the lid or foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Served with peas or broccoli.

Sundried Tomatoes

1kg large Tomatoes Salt, Pepper and Herbs to taste Olive Oil

“Sundried tomatoes” can be made from tomatoes with or without skin – that is up to the individuals taste.

Procedure for peeling tomatoes:

You need a big pan of briskly boiling water and a big bowl of iced water or very cold tap water.

Lightly score tomatoes at the blossom end — that is, opposite the core end — with a shallow and small “x”. Using tongs or slotted spoon, lightly drop your tomatoes into the boiling water so that they are completely covered for 10 seconds. Remove tomatoes and immediately transfer into the cold water. Don’t leave the tomatoes in the cold water any longer than is needed to cool them down, a minute or two maximum.

It is this sudden change of temperature that will cause the skin to peel off really easily. The skin should quite literally come away just using your fingers to peel, if it doesn’t, pop them back into the boiling water for a few more seconds and then dunk them back in the cold water.

Procedure for making “sundried tomatoes”:

Preheat the oven to the lowest heat setting. Slice the tomatoes in half vertically and scoop out the seeds and the pulp. Keep the scoop-out for sauce/soup. Salt the insides and turn cut side down on a wire cake tray – leave to drain for about half an hour, then rinse and dry with kitchen towel.

Mix the crushed garlic with the oregano and black pepper. Spread this mix over the cut side of the tomatoes. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up in (on baking paper) a roasting tray and dribble over olive oil into the tray. Do not allow the tomatoes to touch one another.

Cook in a low oven at 100C/200F/Gas mark-1 for from 3-6 hours but may take up to 12 hours depending on size. Check the tomatoes from time to time: They should remain rather flexible, not at all brittle and not wet or sticky.

(Smaller tomatoes will dry more quickly than larger ones.) Once dried, remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow them to thoroughly cool on cake racks.

Transfer the tomatoes to zipper-lock bags. The tomatoes will last indefinitely.