Cooking Recipes.

Chicken and Bacon Pie.

Ingredients. (2-3 people}

3 Cooked Chicken Pieces
4 Rashers Bacon
2 oz Butter
2 – 4 oz Mushrooms
2 tbs Flour
1/4 pint milk and 1/4 pint Chicken Stock (made with chicken stock cube)
Roll of Puff Pastry

Method.

Heat oven to 200° C.
Cut the chicken in to neat pieces, dice the bacon.
Heat 1 oz butter and fry the bacon and mushrooms for a few minutes. Remove from pan, add 1 oz of butter and flour and cook for a minute or so, add the milk and stock and seasoning. Bring to boil until thickened, add more milk if too thick, add the chicken, bacon and mushrooms and stir well.
Empty in to pie dish and cover with puff pastry, brush with milk and bake for approximately 30 minutes.

© Every Day Cook Book – Marguerite Patten, slightly modified by Tim.

Coffee & Walnut Cake.

Ingredients.

250g pack softened butter, plus extra for the tins
100ml strong black coffee (made with 2 tbsp coffee granules and 6 tbsp hot water), cooled.
250g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
280g self-raising floor
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g walnuts, remove 8 half’s walnuts for the top, 2 tbsp roughly chopped, the rest finely chopped

For the buttercream filling

If just filling the cake then –
100g softened butter
150g icing sugar
1 tbsp coffee mixture

If filling cake and spreading top then –
175g softened butter
300g icing sugar
1 1/2 coffee mixture

Method

• Heat oven to 180c, Butter and line 2 x 20cm cake tins
• Beat the butter then add caster sugar, bit at a time, beating. Beat the eggs and beat in to the mixture until pale.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and 2 tbsp coffee mixture and chopped walnuts.
• Now divide the mixture between the tines and roughly spread. Bake the cake for 25 – 30 mins in middle of the oven, until golden, risen and coming away from the sides of the tin and a skewer poked in comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in the tins, then turn out on to a rack and allow to cool.
• Make the filling, beat the butter, then add the icing sugar a bit at a time, beating and add 2 tbsp of coffee mixture, beat until smooth.
• Spread over one layer of the cake, put the other layer on top. Spread over the top layer if using and add the half walnuts.

© BBC Good Food and Nigella Lawson, slightly modified by Tim.

Lemon Curd Cake.

Ingredients.

225g softened butter
225g light soft brown sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2tbsp milk (if needed)
icing sugar, for dusting

Filling.

200g lemon curd
200ml double cream

Method.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm deep sandwich tins with a little butter and line them with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl until very pale, soft and fluffy. Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a separate boil.
• Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, one at a time, following each with a heaped tablespoon of flour. Once all the eggs are incorporated, fold in the rest of the flour, then add the lemon juice. The mixture should have a dropping consistency so add just a little milk if it is too stiff. If the mixture seems fine, don’t add the milk
• Divide the cake batter between the tins and smooth the tops as evenly as you can. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the cakes have shrunk away slightly from the sides of the tins and the sponge is springy
• Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for several minutes, then turn them out on to a cooling rack.
• When the cakes are cool, spread the top of one with the lemon curd. Whip the cream until fairly stiff and pile this over the lemon curd. Place the other cake on top, Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.

© The Hairy Bikers, Chicken & Egg.

Hunter’s Chicken.

Ingredients.

2 (or 4) x Chicken breasts
4 (or 8) x Slices of streaky bacon
60g (or 100g) Grated cheddar cheese

For the BBQ sauce

5 tbsp Tomato ketchup
3 tbsp Honey
2 tsp Mustard powder
2 tbsp Dark brown sugar
1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar Or white wine vinegar
3 tbsp Water

Method.

• Heat the oven to 200C and oil or line a baking tray.
• Place the chicken breasts on the tray and wrap two slices of bacon around each. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes. (You may want to flip the chicken over as it cooks so the bacon underneath can crisp.) (If using large chicken breasts, may be another 5 minutes, test with temperature probe, or see below)
• While the chicken is cooking, mix the ingredients for the sauce and cook in a pan on the hob over a medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until thickened.
• After 30 minutes, remove any excess fat, then pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken, add the grated cheese and return to the oven for a further 5- 10 minutes.

Notes.

BBQ sauce: You could always use a shop bought BBQ sauce instead.
Chicken: If you have bought a pack of 3 large chicken breasts, you can slice these in half lengthways and make two stacks of chicken breast to wrap in the bacon.

© Sarah Rossi, slightly modified by Tim.

Healthy Orange Chicken.

Serves 2 hungry people, prep time – 10 mins, cooking time – 35 mins, total time – 45 mins.

Ingredients.

2 Chicken breasts
Steamed broccoli or green beans
2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil

Sauce.

2 cups Orange juice (1 squished orange made up with orange juice)
1/4 cup Chicken stock
1/4 cup Coconut aminos (soya sauce)
3 tbsp honey
1tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
1/2 tbsp orange zest
1/2 tsp pepper

Method.

1. Cut chicken into 1″ cubes.
2. In a large frying pan, heat sesame oil, Cook the chicken on a high heat until the edges are brown and slightly crispy. (approx 12 mins)
3. As the chicken is cooking, whisk together the sauce mixture in a separate bowl.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and place it off to the side in separate bowl.
5. Pour the sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the chicken in.
6. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring every minute or so until it starts to thicken. The sauce should be bubbling the entire time.
7. When the sauce has thickened, add the cooked chicken back in and stir to coat the chicken.
8. Serve with broccoli or green beans and rice.
9. Springle with sesame seeds.

© The Clean Eating Couple slightly modified by Tim.

Creamy paprika chicken.

Ingredients.

3 or 4 chicken breasts without skin (depending on how many people)
150ml double cream

For the marinade

1 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp grainy mustard

Method

1. Lay the chicken breasts on a clean work surface. Cover with cling film and gently beat with a rolling pin or meat mallet until lcm (0.75in) thick.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients on a large flat plate then lightly spread each chicken fillet with the mixture and season. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan. Add a little oil and gently fry the chicken breasts for just under two minutes each side or until just done, be careful they do not burn. To check if cooked, take a thin slice off one side of a breast. If the flesh is white it is cooked. Take care not to overcook.
4. Remove any surplus oil from the pan with kitchen paper, then measure the cream into a jug and mix with the leftover paprika mixture from the plate.
5. Pour the paprika cream into the pan around the chicken. Allow to bubble up and reduce slightly. Serve with young spinach and plain boiled rice.

© Mary Berry, BBC Good Food.

Frangipane Mince Pies

Makes 12 in a deep mince pie tin.

Ingredients.
For the pastry
175g plain flour
25g icing sugar
75g butter, softened, cut in to cubes
1 egg, beaten

For the frangipane
100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
100g ground almonds
1 level tbsp plain flour
1tsp almond extract

For the filling and topping.
430g jar of mincemeat
A few flaked almonds
Apricot jam, to glaze
Lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 200º C.
To make the pastry, measure the flour, icing sugar and butter into a food processor bowl, then process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Pour in the beaten egg and pulse with the blade until the dough starts to form a ball
Remove from the machine, knead lightly, wrap and chill for about 30 minutes if the pastry is not quite firm enough to roll out.
To make the frangipane, measure the butter and sugar in to the unwashed processor and blend until soft and creamy.
Scrape down the sides, add the eggs and continue to mix.
Don’t worry if the mixture looks cuddled at this stage.
Add the ground almonds, flour and almond extract and mix briefly.
Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured work surface and cut in to 9.5mm circles using the appropriate cutter. Now use to line the tins.
Spoon a teaspoon of the mincemeat into each tartlet and top with the frangipane mixture.
There is no need to spread the mixture flat, as it will level out in the oven, but do not over fill the tins.
Springle a few flaked almonds on the tops.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15 – 17 minutes
Remove from tins and allow to cool a little on a wire rack.
Dilute the apricot jam with a little lemon juice or water and bring to the boil.
Brush each tartlet to glaze.
best served warm, with cream.

© Independent newspaper.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients.
For the pastry.
6 oz plain four
3 oz butter

For the filling.
1 packet of Greens Lemon Pie mix
1 egg

For Meringue.
2 eggs
4 oz caster sugar

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 180º C.
2. Using the mixer, add the flour and butter and pulse until crumbly, now add water a little at a time until the pastry forms a ball, put in fridge for 10 mins. Roll out and line a 20cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Be careful not to stretch the pastry as you tuck in to the corners. Cover with clingfilm and leave in fridge for 30 mins.
3. Take the pastry-lined tin out of the fridge and trim of excess pastry and press the top edge of the pastry so that it stands slightly higher than the top of the tin.
4. Line the pastry case with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for around 10 mins, remove beans and paper and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 160º /170º C.
6. For the filling, pour contents of one sachet of Greens Lemon Pie mix in to a saucepan with 280ml of cold water, add one egg yoke. Stir over a low heat until mixture bubbles and boils, simmer for 1 min and remove from heat and allow to cool
7. For the meringue, whisk two egg whites until stiff, add caster sugar a bit at a time until meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
8. Pour lemon mixture in to pie casing, now spoon meringue over the filling and create a swirl on top.
9. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 25 mins until meringue is lightly goldern and crisp.

Chicken Breasts stuffed with Goats Cheese wrapped in Parma Ham.

Serves 4

Ingredients.

4 chicken breasts
250g goats cheese
Fresh herbs, parsley, tarragon and dill, chopped
8 slices of Parma ham
Freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200º C
Using a sharp knife, make a deep incision down the side of each chicken breast to form a pocket in each.
In a bowl, mix together the goats cheese and chopped mixed herbs, then stuff the chicken breasts with the mixture.
Wrap two slices of Parma ham around each stuffed chicken breast and season with ground black pepper.
Place the stuffed, wrapped chicken breasts on to a baking tray and put in to the oven. Cook for 20 – 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve with carrots, French beans and/or asparagus.

© Gordon Jones at Virgin Cooks

Steak and Kidney Pudding

Ingredients.

For the Filling
600g stewing beef and kidneys
1 medium onion
Bottle of Guinness/ Tin of Doombar

For the suet crust
8 oz self raising flour
4 oz shredded suet
salt and pepper

Method

Trim the fat from the meat, skin the kidneys and remove core, cut in to 1″ pieces.
Place the meat in to the pressure cooker, without the trivet along with a bottle of Guinness and the chopped onion add salt and pepper.
Put on lid and bring to H pressure and cook for 15 minutes, reduce pressure quickly.
To make the suet crust, mix suet, sifted four and salt and pepper, add enough water to make a soft but not sticky dough.
Rollout 3/4 and line a two pint basin. Add the meat and stock to fill two thirds, thicken with a little Bisto or cornflour if desired. Keep the rest of the stock to make the gravy.
Roll out the rest of the suet to make a lid, wet the edges and place over the edge and press sides and lid together.
Cover with double layer of foil and tie with string.
Wash out cooker, add 1 1/2 pints of boiling water and the trivet, lower in the pudding.
Put on lid and then lower the temperature until steam just escapes from the centre vent for around 10 minutes. Turn up the hear and steam for 35 minutes at L pressure. Reduce the pressure quickly.
lift out pudding and turn out on to a plate.
Make gravy from the unused stock with Bisto and an Oxo.
Serve with new potatoes and broccoli.

© Prestige Pressure Cooker Book, slightly, somewhat modified by Tim.

Classic Victoria Sponge

Ingredients

200g caster sugar
200g softened butter chopped in to small pieces
4 medium eggs at room temperature, well beaten
200g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2tbsp milk

For the filling

110g softened butter chopped in to small pieces
140g icing sugar, sifted
couple drops vanilla extract
half a 430g of strawberry or raspberry jam
icing sugar to decorate

Method

1. Heat oven to 190º C. Butter two 20cm sandwich tines and line with non-stick baking powder.
2. In a measuring jug beat the 4 medium eggs well. In a large bowl, beat the 200g softened butter, add the 200g caster sugar, beat, now add the 4 beaten eggs a little at a time, beat together until you have a smooth, soft batter. Now fold in the self raising flour, baking flour and milk.
3. Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes in the middle of the oven, until golden and the cake springs back when pressed and cake is coming away from the sides.
5. Turn out on to a cooling rack and allow to cool
6. To make the filling, beat the 110 softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in the 140g shifted icing sugar and the vanilla extract.
7. Spread the buttercream over the top of one of the sponges, now spread over the jam and add the second sponge on the top.
8. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving.

Simple Mincemeat Tarts

Ingredients

8 oz flour
4 oz butter – chilled and cut in to pieces
cold water
Jar of mincemeat

Method

Add butter and flour to mixing bowl.
Using the pulsator setting and mix until looking like breadcrumbs, now add a little water and continue to process until pastry forms a ball, don’t over mix. Need slightly and leave in fridge for 20 – 30 mins.
Roll out and cut in to circles to fit 12 pie tin, put in to tin, add some mincemeat, then cover with lids made from pastry a bit smaller, maybe star shape, just to cover mincemeat. Wash with milk or eggwash, if wanted, to add a glossy top.

Bake in oven at 200º C for around 20 mins. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving.

Passion Fruit and Orange and Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the base

150 gm digestive biscuits
75 gm butter, plus extra for greasing

For the topping

3 passion fruit, halved
250 gm full-fat mascarpone cheese
85 gm Lemon Curd
80 gm Thick Orange marmalade, thin sliced
200 ml pouring double cream, lightly whipped.
Zest of one orange.

Method

1. You will need a 20cm (8″) round, spring-form cake tin, greased and base linned with a disc of baking paper.
2. Place biscuits in a freexed bag and crush with a rolling pin into fine crumbs. Melt the butter, remove from the heat, add the crushed biscuits and mix well. Press into the base of the tin, place in to fridge.
3. Place the flesh of two of the passion fruit in a sieve over a bowl and press with a spoon to push the pulp and juice in to the bowl.
4. Add the mascarpone and the lemon curd, orange mamalade and zest of orange to the bowl and mix togeter using an electric hand whisk until well combined, now fold in the whipped douple cream.
5. Spoon the mixture into the tin on top of the biscuit base and level the top. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hrs, to firm up.
6. Decorate the top of the cheese cake with the seeds and pulp of the remaining passion fruit plus thin strips of orange peel. Carefully release from the tin. Serve with raspberry coulis.

© https://maryberryrecipes.co.uk/mary-berry-passion-fruit-and-orange-cheesecake/ – slightly, somewhat modified by Tim.

Easy Chocolate Flapjacks

Ingredients

600 g Porage Oats
200 g Unsalted Butter
200 g Goldern Syrup
100 g Dark Milk Chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C.
2. Place the butter, sugar and goldern syrup in a pan and melt together over a low heat until the sugar has completly dissolved.
3. Pour in the oats and mix them together well. Ensure all the oats are covered in the butter mixture.
4. Line and grease a 20 x 25cm baking tin with greaseproof paper. Leave the paper to hang over the top of the tin to create an easy way to lift the flapjacks from the tin later.
5. Tip the mixture into the lined tin and press down firmly and evenly, with a spoon or bottom of a glass.
6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the tin from the oven, the mixture will still appear slighty soft, leave the mixture in the tin to cool to room tempature and harden.
8. Melt the chocolate over a low heat, pour over the top in an even layer and allow to set almost completely.
9. When the mixture has hardened, but not completly set, lift out of the tin, using the greaseproof paper and place on a chopping board.
10. Using a sharp knive, slice the flapjacks into the desired size. Put in to fridge to completely cool.

© Somewhere from internet.

Crispy Sesame Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

600g Chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm pieces
2tbsp Cornflour
5tbsp Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
Pepper, large pich
1 Egg, beaten
2tbsp Sunflower or Vegetable Oil, for frying
2 Spring Onions, finely sliced, to serve
Cooked Noodles, to serve

For the sauce

2tsp Cornflour
2 unwaxed Lemons, zested and juiced
2tbsp Honey
2tbsp Soy sauce
2tsp Sesame seeds
2tsp Sesame oil

Method

1. To make the sauce, tip the cornflour into a bowl and whisk in the lemon zest and juice until any lumps disappear. Add the honey, soy, sesame seeds and sesame oil and mix again. Set aside.
2. Combine the cornflour, flour, baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, the pepper, beaten egg and 4 tbsp water in a large bowl. Tip in the chicken pieces, gently tossing to coat.
3. Heat the vegetable oil over a high heat and fry the battered chicken pieces in batches for 6 mins per batch until golden and cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken and transfer to a plate or tray lined with kitchen paper.
4. When all the chicken has been cooked, return all of it to the pan, still over a high heat, pour in the sauce and toss to coat – the sauce will thicken and cling to the chicken. Scatter with the spring onions and serve with noodles.

© https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/crispy-sesame-lemon-chicken

Waitrose Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Cherries and Mascarpone

Ingredients

For the cake

300g 65% cocoa solids chocolate, melted
150g unsalted butter
6 large free-range eggs, separated
55g golden syrup
40g caster sugar

For the mascarpone

200g mascarpone
50g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or essence
milk to soften, if required

For the cherry compote

400g cherries, halved and stone (retain a few for garnish)
2 – 3 tbs caster sugar, depending on the tartness of the cherries
50ml port
5ml good balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp cornflour, dissolved in l tbs cold water

To serve
some cherries with stalks
dark and white chocolate for shavings

Method

1. To make the cake, melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl either using a low setting in the microwave or over a bowl of simmering water.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with the golden syrup until pale and foamy, then fold into the chocolate mix.
3. Whisk the egg whites with the caster sugar to just stiff peaks and stir 1/3 into the chocolate mix then gently fold in the remainder
4. Pour the mix into a lightly greased springform (Blue one) 21cm / 8” cake tin.
5. Bake on a heavy baking sheet at 170⁰C for around 20 mins then reduce the oven to 150⁰C and cook for another 10 mins. The cake wants to be well-risen and starting to crack slightly. It should feel firm to the touch but a skewer inserted into the centre will come out sticky.
6. Transfer to a cooling wire and release the spring on the tin.
7. Beat the mascarpone with the sugar and seeds from the vanilla pod and soften with a little milk if still too stiff to spread.
8. To make the compote, combine three quarters of the cherries in a pan with the sugar, port and vinegar. Cook over a medium heat until the cherries are tender and the juices have thickened. If the cherries are cooked before the liquid has thickened, spoon them out into a bowl with a slotted spoon and continue to reduce the liquid. Once reduced, return the cherries to the pan. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for 30 minutes. More juice will be released from the fruit. Re-warm and thicken the juices with the cornflour. Chill and then add the remaining raw cherries.
9. Once the mousse cake is completely cold, spread or pipe the mascarpone over the top and then spoon over the compote. Decorate with the whole cherries and some chocolate shavings. Any leftover compote or mascarpone can be served on the side.

© Russell Brown

Hazelnut Meringue Roulade with White Chocolate and Clementine.

© Mary Berry, BBC Good Food.