Cous Cous with Mackerel, Mixed Beans and Chilli

I love Cous Cous and Mackerel and often make up a batch of this to take to work for my lunch.  It's quick and easy and it tastes really nice.

Ingredients:
1 x Packet Cous Cous, prepared according to instructions
1 x tin Mackerel, flaked
1 x tin mixed beans, drained
1 x Birdseye Chilli, chopped
1 x lemon Juice
2 x Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Add the mackerel and mixed beans to the prepared Cous Cous.
Add the chilli, lemon juice and olive oil.
Season to taste.

Avo, Tomato and Mozarella Salad



I found some ripe Avocado's when I did my weekly shop at this week - end and decided to make a Salad and Avo Salad.  I served this with Minty Lamb Ribs.

Ingredients:
1 x Handful Lettuce
1 x Tomato
1/2 x Avo
1 x slice Mozarella

Method:
Assemble

Caprese Salad

A caprese salad or a insalata caprese is a simple salad consisting of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. The caprese salad was really good! It was nice and fresh and tasted like summer.


Ingredients:1 fresh ripe tomato (sliced)
1 ball fresh mozzarella (sliced)
1 handful fresh basil leaves

Method:
1. Assemble salad.

Choux Buns

Choux Pastry - or any pastry for that matter - is my nemesis!  I try but often fail.  I won't let it get the better of me though. Practice makes perfect  - or so they say.

Ingredients
150g plain flour
1 teaspoon each sugar and salt
100g unsalted butter
4 eggs

Method:
Sieve the flour, sugar and salt onto baking paper. Put the butter and 250ml cold water into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then quickly slide the flour mixture off the paper and into the pan. Stir well.
Once cooked, it is important to prick the base of each one to release the steam that has helped it to rise. If left to go cold unpunctured, the steam turns back to water resulting in soft or soggy buns.
 Remove the saucepan from the heat. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture off the heat until it forms a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. This should take just a few minutes.
Beat the eggs together in a bowl. Still off the heat, beat the eggs into the mixture, a little at a time, until smooth. At first, the egg will seem like it doesn't want to amalgamate, but keep beating and it will mix in smoothly. You may find it easier to hold the pan in one hand and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon in the other.
Keep beating until all the egg mixture is used up and you have a paste that is thick and shiny. The mixture should drop off the spoon when tapped lightly on the side of the pan. Pipe or spoon the mixture onto a greased baking tray and bake at 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 until golden brown. Remove from the oven and make a small hole in the underside of each bun to release any steam. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.
Assemble with whipped cream or anything you fancy.

Makes about 25 éclairs, 16 buns or 30 mini buns

Pork Stir Fry

Being a single mom who works full time, I often make stir fries for dinner.  They are quick and easy to make and they tast delicious.

Ingredients:

1 x pack of pork fillet, cut into strips

1 x tablespoon oil

1 x teaspoon garlic, crushed

1 x teaspoon chilli, chopped

1 tablespoon mixed herbs

1 x packet mixed vegetables, blanched

1 x packet wok ready noodles

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok.

Add the beef and cook until brown

Add the garlic and chilli

Cook for 2/3 mins

Add the veg.

Add the noodles.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Foccacia

I adore focaccia, but I’ve only ever made it twice.  This recipe is quick and simple and the end result is delicious.

Ingredients:
225ml lukewarm water

2 tablespoons oil

½ teaspoon salt        

3 tablespoons dried rosemary

400g bread flour

1 ½ teaspoons dried active baking yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Place half the flour in a large bowl and add the salt and mix briefly.

Tip in the yeast and mix well. Pour in all the water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until the flour is incorporated. If you’re doing this by hand, just beat the mixture together with your hand.

Gradually work in, spoonful by spoonful, enough of the remaining flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. I’d estimate that I had about 50g of flour remaining when I made this, but the amount left over will depend on what flour you use, and also the conditions on the day.

Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and silky.

Leave to rise until doubled in size at cool to normal room temperature in a lightly oiled mixing bowl covered with a damp tea towel or cling film. This will take about 45 mins.

Preheat oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7.

Once risen, knead for a further 5 mins

Either press into a greased baking dish or shape into a ball.

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. The bread should be golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Curry, Pino Colada's, Banoffee and Special Friends

In need of some cheering up, my friends, Kelly and Darren, came to visit me last week and I made them dinner.  We had Chicken Curry, the daddy of all Banoffee Pies and Pino Colada's.

Kelly & Darren

Ready

Chicken Curry with Rice and Potatoes





Plating up



Home made Rosemary Foccacia



The daddy of all Banoffee's





Banoffee Pie and Chocolate Hearts





Cajun Pork Chops

Cajun Pork Chops are so'ooo nice and this Cajun mix works well with chicken aswell.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon oil
4 pork chops

Method:
Combine paprika, salt, sage, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne on a plate. Coat chops with seasoning mixture on both sides.


Heat butter and oil over high heat in a large pan until very hot. Place chops in pan, reduce heat to medium and cook 8 to 9 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time.

Serve with baby new potatoes and mixed veg.

Cosmopolitans, Chihuahua Chicken, Chocolate and Friends

I invited some friends over for dinner last Saturday night.

I made Chicken in a Basket (whole baby chicken and chips), Salad with garlic and chilli sauce and a double layered chocolate mousse for dessert.

Cosmopolitans

Ready to rock and roll

Chicken and Chips

Plating up

Double layered chocolate mousse

So much chocolate so little time..

I made a garlic, lemon and herb marinade for the chicken and I thought it was really nice.

I called it “Chihuahua Chicken” because my daughter decided that the chickens were small – just like Chihuahua’s!  Don't you just love the innocence and sweetness of children?

We had a lovely evening and consumed lots of alcohol - apple sours, tequila, cosmo's and mimosa's... :-)

Banoffee Pie

This is so'ooooo easy to make and my children love it!

Ingredients:
350g digestive biscuits (plain)
100g butter, melted
1 tin Caramel
3 Banana’s sliced
Cream, whipped
Chocolate sprinkles


Method:
Crush the digestives and mix it with melted butter.
Press the biscuit mixture into a baking dish. Chill.
Take the biscuit base out of the fridge.
Mix the banana and caramel together
Spread the sauce over the biscuit base,
Top with whipped cream.
Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles
Put back into the fridge for about half an hour.
Enjoy!