Recipe finder

Lemony chicken and leek

2007-07-21T08:14:00.000Z

I had some chicken left over the other day from a roast dinner and I fancied something different so I made this recipe up and it was gorgeous! To my surprize the kids also enjoyed it.

You need

1 leek
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 yellow pepper
1 carrot
400ml creme fresh
salt and pepper
juice of half a lemon
zest of about quarter lemon
about 10 mushrooms
Leftover chicken!
Butter / margerine - an ounce or two
Chicken stock - about a cup full

Chop onion and garlic up finely and cook gently in the butter or margerine until soft.

Chop leek, carrot, mushrooms and pepper and add to the onions and garlic keeping it over a medium heat. ( need to cut the carrot up quite thin!)

Cut lemon zet up very finely and add to the pan along with the lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Add the stock to the pan and continue to cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until the stock has reduced.

Add the chicken and creme fresh and cook until hot.

Serve with scrummy Basmati rice.

Picture to follow!

Index

2007-07-19T22:47:00.000Z

Mini Pizza's

Princess birthday cake

Caramel Bites

Carrot soup

Sausage ratatouille

Spaghetti with bacon and cheese

Fish pie (on a budget)

Chicken breasts stuffed with mushroom

Chilli and rice

Warm beef salad

Beef in black bean sauce

Lovely fresh curry

Tuna Carbonara

Low fat chocolate sponge

Chicken and mushroom risotto

Banana Cake

Roast pepper soup

Chicken in yellow bean sauce

Flapjacks

Easy pan pizza

Scones (lunchbox)

Chocolate fairy cakes

Pasta Salad

Lancashire Hotpot

2007-07-01T09:26:00.000Z

I wanted to make something different for the kids to try, I found a Lancashire Hotpot on the Internet. This dish incorporates lambs kidneys, which only one of them liked! But at least they have tried it.

Its a recipe by James Martin Lancashire Hotpot and its delicious.

Mini pizza's - great party food

2007-06-18T11:45:00.000Z

I have been making these for quite a while now, thought I would share them!

This mixture makes about 15 5 inch pizza's

Bread Dough (base)

9 fl oz warm water
1lb strong bread flour
2tbs milk powder
2tsp caster sugar
1tsp yeast
1oz butter
1 tsp fast action dried yeast

I usually put all of these ingredients in my bread maker but you can mix them by hand, just put all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix to a dough and then knead well, leave to prove for about 45 minutes.

When dough is ready cut and shape into mini pizza bases, cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove again in a warm place for about 40 minutes. Make sure you grease the tray's you put them on really well.

When they have risen after 40 mins or so you can add the toppings:

Cheese - Lots of!!
Tomato sauce or tomato puree or both.
Mushrooms, peppers, chilli, peperami, anything you like really.

I use tomato sauce and tomato puree together, put on the cheese, I find mature is best for this.

The ones I made last night were really tasty, I used mushrooms, chilli and sweetcorn.

Also taste great cold!

Pics to follow soon!!!!

Here's another one, this time its Garfield

2007-05-07T08:40:00.000Z

My son is mad on Garfield so this seemed perfect, and we made this one by ourselves!!

What an achievement!!!

Details to follow soon!

Birthday cake fit for a princess!!

2007-05-07T08:35:00.000Z

I have turned my hand to birthday cakes for my kids!!

I had a bit of help with this one

This is made using a madeira sponge cake.

Here is the basic recipe for an 8 inch round cake;

350g / 12oz self-raising flour

285g / 10oz caster sugar

285g / 10oz margerine

5 Eggs

45ml / 3 tbsp milk

Method

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 2 / 150 C / 300F

Grease and line the 8 inch round tin.

Sift the flour into the mixing bowl and add the other ingredients.

Mix together on a slow spead either in your mixer or I used a cheap hand mixer from TescosLike this one!

Increase the speed and beat for 1 minute

Spoon the mixture into the greased tin and smooth down the top.

Cook in the centre of the oven for 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hrs

There are a couple of ways to test if it is cooked - if you depress the top gently it shoud spring back up, or to be really sure you could insert a skewer into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean then you know that it's cooked.

Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.

We put jam and buttercream in this cake.

Butter Icing

250g / 9oz unsalted butter (softened)

500g / 1lb 2oz Icing sugar (sieved)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1tbsp hot water

Method

Place butter in a bowl and mix until light and fluffy

Carefully mix in the other ingredients an beat well.

If you mix it for long enough the mixture should turn almost white - this is perfect butter icing!!

I made too much of this but it kept really well in the fridge - you just have to remember to let it get to room temperature before you can spread it!

Now you need some ready to roll icing (I used 1 1/2 packets) - this is the fun bit!

To colour my icing I used food colour paste which I bought from an ebay shop Words and Wishes
You basically start with a small amount of paste and your icing and you just have to work it in and add more colour if you need it.

Keep a bit of the icing white to cover the sides of the cake first.

Its a bit like playdough but stickier and very tasty!!

The sides of the cake were covered in white icing first to ensure that no air could get into the cake and spoil it

When you have your desired colour roll it out to the correct size, this has to completely cover the top and sides and have a bit extra.

The top of the cake was cut of so that it was flat, then it was cut in half and on one side jam, on the other butter icing, the cake was then put back together and put in the fridge for an hour to harden the icing and make it easier to work with (this prevents the top of the cake from sliding around when you are putting on the roll out icing!).

Next the cake was completely covered in butter icing. The white icing was rolled out big enough just to cover the sides.

Then the pink icing was rolled out to drape over the cake like a tablecloth, trimmed to the right size and decorated around the edge. You can buy paddles to smooth down the icing which are very useful.

Next we put jelly tots around the edge of the "table" - these are stuck on with the buttercream.

Now for the mini cakes

I just used a Victoria sponge recipe for these:

4oz butter
4oz SR flour
2 eggs
4oz caster sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract

Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy

Add the eggs one at a time and beat well

Add the vanilla extract and the flour (sieved) and fold in gently.

You need some very small fairy cake cases and you literally put a teaspoon of mixture in each one and bake in a moderate oven 180C for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

When they are cooked and cooled you can decorate them however you want to - I used glace icing - (just icing sugar and a few drops of water mixed to a nice paste) and various sweets and cake decorations - the Barbie cake decorations were liked very much!!

When the icing on the little cakes has set you can start putting them on the cake, I stuck the bottom layer of cakes on with butter icing but the rest were just balanced together.

My daughter loved it!!

Caramel Bites

2007-04-04T07:38:00.000Z

You will need;

11" x 7" tin - greased

For base
4 oz margerine
2oz caster sugar
6oz SR Flour

For filling
1 small tin condensed milk
2tbsp golden syrup
4oz caster sugar
4oz margerine

For topping
1 large bar of chocolate!

Pre-heat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4

Method

Rub margerine into flour and sugar until it resembles a sticky dough.

Press the mixture onto the greased tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the filling - put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and cook on a moderate heat until the sugar had dissolved. Now turn the heat up to high and boil the mixture for 6-7 minutes stirring continuously. This mixture should thicken and darken.

Now spread the mixture over the base and leave to cool.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water.

Now spread the chocolate over the caramel.

Cut into bite size portions before the chocolate sets.

These are little chewy pieces of heaven!!

Carrot soup

2007-02-18T23:04:00.000Z

Winter warming carrot soup

You will need:
14oz carrots (roughly)
1 small onion
1 stick celery
1 small leek
1 1/2 pints stock (any)
Juice of 1 small orange
1oz margerine
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Melt the margerine in a saucepan.

Finely chop the onion and add it to the margerine, cook gently until soft.

Add the stock

Add the carrots, leek and celery all chopped.

Bring to the boil and them simmer for about 20 minutes or

until the carrots are tender.

Blend until smooth

Add the orange juice and then bring back to the boil.

Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Best served with fresh crusty white bread!

Tastes great and good for you!

Sausage ratatouille mix

2007-02-04T10:09:00.000Z

Another simple and quite healthy meal.

You will need (to feed 4)

8 sausages
2 tins ratatouille
Rice.
Salad

Boil some rice - as much as you need!
While the rice is boiling grill the sausages and put the two tins
of ratatouille on to simmer.

When the sausages are cooked chop them into bite sized pieces
and add to the ratatouille.
Rinse and drain the rice and add it to the ratatouille mix, add
just enough to make it a nice mixture without being stodgy.

Assemble on a plate with a bit of salad - and thats it - simple.

Spaghetti with bacon and cheese

2007-02-04T09:58:00.000Z

I have just discovered this, it is the most simple meal ever!

You will need:
Spaghetti
Bacon (about 12 rashers)
Cheese (as much as you like!)
2 cans chopped tomatos
Salt and pepper
Mixed herbs
Pine nuts (optional)

Boil as much spaghetti as you need.

While the spaghetti is boiling grill the bacon and chop into
bite sized pieces.

Grate some cheese - I did quite a lot of it, at least a dinner plate full.

Toast the pine nuts if you are using them - you don't need many
because they have a really strong taste.

Put the chopped tomatos into a saucepan with some mixed herbs -
as much or as little as you like. Add some salt and pepper and
blend. Then cook it for about 5 minutes.

Assemble the spaghetti on a plate, put the bacon, cheese and
pine nuts on top, add the tomato sauce and enjoy, it's delicious!

Fish Pie (on a budget!)

2006-11-05T13:09:00.000Z

This is a lovely healthy dish and very cheap to make.

I used to blitz it up and freeze it for baby food too.

To serve 4 you will need:

4-5 peices of fish - I use the value white fish but you can use anything you like
4 eggs
Broccoli or spinach (or both)
Carrots or swede (or both)
Milk
Salt and Pepper
1oz grated cheese
Potatos
2oz plain Flour
2 oz butter

Method

Peel and chop the potatos and boil them for mashing. (I would probably use about 5-6 medium to large potatos)

Chop the vegetables, just use whatever you like, I use broccoli, carrots and swede, probably 3 carrots, half of a small swede and a medium florrett of broccoli. These need to be par boiled or steamed - whichever you have.

Put the fish in a large pan and put enough milk in to cover them. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes taking care not to let the milk boil over! Remove the fish from the pan and leave to drain and cool. Leave the milk to cool too.

Next boil the eggs until firm (about 8-9 minutes) Remove from the pan and leave to cool in cold water (this stops them from cooking anymore)

When the fish is cooled break up and check for bones, then put it into an oven proof dish along with the par-boiled vegitables.

Remove the eggs from the shell and chop into quarters. Put into the dish with the fish and vegitables.

The sauce
Melt the butter in a pan and add to it the flour, stir well and cook for about 2 minutes stirring continuously- this will cook out the taste of the flour.
Next add to it the milk that you cooked the fish in and bring to the boil. If the sauce has gone too thick you can add some more milk.

When the sauce has boiled, season to taste and pour it over the fish, veg and egg mixture. Just enough to cover the mixture is fine.

Mash the potatos and put them on top of the fish dish, sprinkle with cheese and put in a pre-heated oven (200C) for about 20-25 minutes.

And there you have it .

Fish pie on a budget!

I hope you like it.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

2006-11-01T22:40:00.000Z

This is a lovely tasty dish

To serve 2 you will need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium chicken breasts
250g or 8oz mushrooms
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
250g or 8oz streaky bacon
2 cloves garlic
250ml double cream

Method:

Finely chop the onions and the garlic.

Add the olive oil to a moderatly hot pan and add the onions and garlic. Fry gently until soft.

Chop the mushrooms and add to the pan with the lemon juice and zest.

Cook for about 5 minutes and then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Slice a pocket into the chicken breast and stuff with about 1/2 of the mushroom and onion mixture.

Wrap the chicken with the streaky bacon and place on an oiled baking tray.

Cook in a pre-heated oven (190C) for about 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thouroghly.

To make the sauce:

Put the other half of the mushroom and onoin mixture into a sauce pan with the double cream and using a hand blender blitz until smooth.

Heat until it bubbles and pour over chicken

I serve mine with new potatos or rice.

Chilli and rice

2006-11-01T22:23:00.000Z

This is a firm family favourite especially when served with warm tortillas

To serve 4 you will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
500g beef mince (fresh or frozen)
2 medium onions
2 medium carrots
250g mushrooms
1 425g tin baked beans
1 425g tin chopped tomatos
1 green chilli
1/2 teaspoon tobasco sauce or 1 heaped teaspoon chilli powder
300g rice

Method:

Finely chop the carrots and onion and fry gently on a low heat until soft.

Turn up the heat and add the mince, fry until the mince is browned

Turn the heat down to moderate

Finely chop the chilli and add to the meat mixture along with the tobasco sauce or chilli powder

Add beans and tomatos.

Slice the mushrooms and add to the mixture.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about an hour or longer if you have time. Stirring occasionally.

Serve with rice and tortillas

I cook mine for about 5 hours in the slow cooker and its lovely!

Sometimes I will blitz up some vegitables such as a pepper or some carrots and add it to the mixture with the beans. Just to add a bit of extra goodness to it, and this way the children don't know it's there!

Warm Beef Salad

2006-11-01T22:07:00.000Z

A lovely light and very easy meal

To serve 2 you will need

2 6-8 ounce rump steaks
1 bag ready to eat salad

Optional dressing - A choice of 2 or none at all

Dressing 1 - Honey and mustard

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons honey

To make: Add the two ingredients to a bowl and mix well

Dressing 2 - Sweet chilli and red wine

1 glass red wine
1 chilli
1 tablespoon caster sugar

To make: Mix the three ingredients together and add to the pan in which you have cooked the steak. Heat on a high heat for 2-3 minutes until it has reduced by two thirds.

Method:
Fry your steaks however much (or little!) you like them cooked. For a well done steak it takes about 7-8 minutes a side and for a rare it takes about 3-4 minutes a side.

Once cooked leave to rest for 5 minutes while you arrange the salad on a plate.

Cut the steak into thin strips and arrange over the salad.

Drizzle with dressing if you wish and serve immediately

It's sometimes nice to add something different into the salad such as cheese, apple, grapes, carrot, anything you like really.

Enjoy

Beef in black bean sauce

2006-11-01T21:46:00.000Z

This is gorgeous! Quite similar to my chicken in yellow bean sauce recipe.

To serve 4 you will need

1lb or 500g beef steak - any kind will do- sirloin is the best but the most expensive!
One small jar sharwoods black bean sauce
One fresh green Chilli
2 medium sized carrots
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornflour
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz or 100g cashew nuts
12oz or 300g rice, white or brown

Firstly put on your rice to boil

Cut the beef into thin strips trying to keep them as even as possible so that they cook in the same amount of time.

Cut open the chilli and remove the seeds. Now cut into fine rings

Peel the carrot and cut into very thin slices lengthways. This is very easily done with a peeler.

Mix together the black bean sauce , the honey and the soy sauce. Then mix the cornflour with 6 tablespoons water until smooth, and add it to the black bean mixture.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the cashew nuts on a low heat until lightly toasted. These can burn very quickly so keep your eye on them. When they are cooked remove them from the pan.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in a pan and on a high heat cook the beef and the chilli for 3-4 minutes until the beef is sealed on all sides.

Now add the black bean mixture to the pan and stir over a medium heat until all the beef is glazed and the sauce is thickened.

How long you cook it for depends on how well you like your steak! I cook mine for a good 10 minutes because I like it well done.

Add the cashew nuts and serve with the rice.

Enjoy

Lovely fresh curry

2006-10-13T18:19:00.000Z

This is a lovely fresh curry. You can make up the curry sauce and basically add to it anything you want to put in it.

You can add as much fresh chilli as you like, add remember that the smaller the chilli, the hotter the taste!

What we have done on occasion is make up about 4 times the amount of curry sauce and freeze it in sandwich tubs for a quick fix on busy day!

1 tblsp olive oil
2 Large onions grated
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp english mustard powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 packet coconut milk
1 fresh Chilli
1 400g tin chopped tomatos
3 large chicken breasts or any meat, fish or vegetables

Heat olive oil in a pan and fry cumin seeds until they start to pop.

Add chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin, mustard powder and tumeric and fry for about 30 seconds.

Add finely chopped chilli and grated onion, cook until browned.

Turn down the heat and add the tinned tomatos, simmer until the fat rises to the top.

Add coconut milk and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add meat, fish or vegetables and simmer until the meat, fish or veg is cooked.

Serve with rice and/or naan bread.

Easy Peezy tuna carbonara

2006-10-02T21:18:00.000Z

This I can make in 15 minutes! Great if you are in a hurry

To feed 4 you will need:

Pasta - enough to feed 4! I never seem to have time to measure mine!
2 Large onions
4 cloves garlic
600ml creme fresh
2 small tins tuna
1 medium tin sweetcorn or frozen sweetcorn
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Firstly put on your pasta to boil - the best way of cooking pasta on a fairly high heat with plenty of water and the lid off.

Finely chop the onoins and the garlic and add to frying pan, cook on a medium to high heat until they are tender - about 5-7 minutes.

Add the creme fresh, drained tuna and sweetcorn to the pan and heat steadily stirring constantly for a couple of minutes

When the pasta is cooked add to the pan and stir well, season to taste and serve immediately.

This is a big hit with the kids. And is the creme fresh is especially good for my youngest who wont drink any milk.

Low fat chocolate sponge cake

2006-10-01T18:38:00.000Z

Gorgeous chocolate sponge cake and the best part is...it's LOW FAT!

You will need:

A 1 pint pudding basin
2 eggs
3oz or 75g caster sugar
3oz or 75g flour
1oz or 25g cocoa powder
2oz or 50g low fat drinking chocolate
Milk

Whisk the eggs and sugar (an electric whisk would be the best thing!) until thick and creamy. This should take at least 5 minutes. The consistancy should be thick and should leave a track when you move the whisk through it.

Fold in the flour and the cocoa powder.

In a seperate bowl mix the drinking chocolate and enough milk to make a paste, put this mixture in the bottom of your pudding basin.

Put the cake mixture on top and cook at 180C for about 30-35 minutes. Or you can cover it and steam it for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Best served hot with custard, cream or ice cream.

Chicken and mushroom risotto

2006-09-30T22:08:00.000Z

For a beautiful creamy chicken and mushroom risotto for 4 you will need:

8oz or 225g cooked chicken
2 medium onoins
2 cloves garlic
8oz or 225g Italian risotto rice
3/4 pint or 450ml chicken stock
1/4 pint or 150ml dry white wine
6oz or 175g mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Chopped parsley

Finely chop the onions and the garlic

Slice the mushrooms

Dice the chicken

Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onions and the garlic until tender.

Add the mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Then add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the wine and cook until it has all been absorbed by the rice.

Add half of the stock and bring to the boil.

Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently and adding the rest of the stock very slowly, bit at a time.

When all of the liquid has been absorbed add the chicken and cook gently for about 5 minutes until the rice is creamy but still firm when you bite it.

Season to taste and serve immediately sprinkled with a little chopped parsley.

Banana cake

2006-09-25T20:02:00.000Z

Scrumptious warm banana cake. Perfect for using up those last few bananas that never seem to get eaten.

You will need:

A 1lb loaf tin
Greaseproof paper

4oz / 100g butter or margerine
8oz caster sugar
3 eggs
3 ripe bananas
10oz plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder dissolved in 3 teaspoons cold water
2oz chopped blanched almonds (optional)

Grease and line the loaf tin

Cream together margerine and sugar.

In a seperate bowl beat the eggs

In another bowl mash the bananas

Now add the beaten eggs and the mashed banana to the margerine and sugar mixture

Add the baking powder, the flour and the almonds

Pour mixture into the loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven (180C) for about an hour or until cooked

This is at its best when it is warm but tastes great cold too.

It is a flexable mixture. I have made it with only 2 eggs and with more or less bananas. You could add some roughly chopped chocolate.

The riper the bananas are the sweeter the cake will be.

Roast pepper soup

2006-09-25T18:45:00.000Z

This is a really good winter dish , it is a fabulously thick warming soup

To serve 6 you will need:

3 red bell peppers
1 orange bell pepper
6 large carrots
3 leeks
3 large onoins
3 cloves of garlic
2 sweet potatos
1-2 red chillis
1 litre or 2-3 pints vegitable stock
Salt and pepper
Double cream (optional)

Chop all vegitables and roast until tender

Put roasted veg into a saucepan and using a hand blender blitz adding stock to required consistancy

Season to taste

Swirl a little cream into soup if desired and serve with fresh crusty bread

Chicken strips in yellow bean sauce served with brown rice

2006-09-25T18:23:00.000Z

This has got to be the nicest chicken dish ever, it is like nothing you have ever tasted before!

To serve 4 people you will need:

1lb or 450g skinless and boneless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 jar sharwoods yellow bean sauce
1 fresh green chilli
4 teaspoons cornflour
2 tablespoons olive oil
4oz or 100g cashew nuts
12oz or 300g brown rice
Water

Firstly put your rice on to boil

Cut the chicken in thin strips trying to keep them as even as possible so that they cook in the same amount of time.

Cut open the chilli and remove the seeds. Now cut into fine rings

Mix together the yellow bean sauce or paste, the honey and the soy sauce. Then mix the cornflour with 3 tablespoons water until smooth, and add it to the yellow bean mixture.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the cashew nuts on a low heat until lightly toasted. These can burn very quickly so keep your eye on them. When they are cooked remove them from the pan.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in a pan and on a high heat cook the chicken and the chilli for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is sealed on all sides.

Now add the yellow bean mixture to the pan and stir over a medium heat until all the chicken is glazed and the sauce is thickened. At this point I would recommend cutting open a piece of chicken to check it is cooked properly.

Add the cashew nuts and serve with the rice.

Enjoy!

Flapjacks

2006-09-24T08:09:00.000Z

Flapjacks are good if you need a filling snack and the oats are very good for you but they have got a lot of sugar and fat in.

You will need

An 11 by 7 shallow tin

4 oz golden syrup
4 oz margerine
2 oz brown sugar
6 oz oats

Melt golden syrup, margerine and sugar in a pan over a low heat

When it has all melted together take off the heat and stir in the oats

Spread out in your tin, you can grease if it you want to although I never have with flapjacks

Cook in a preheated oven (180C / 350F/ Gas 4) for 25-30 minutes

When it is cooked leave for about 5 minutes and then cut it into peaces

If you like you can put some melted chocolate on top.

There are many variations to plain old flapjacks , you could try adding some chocolate chips to the mixture or / and some orange rind.

You could try lemon and honey, sesame seeds, nuts.

Try a few little experaments , see what you like!

Easy pan pizza

2006-09-23T20:12:00.000Z

This is soooo easy!

You will need;

8oz flour
5 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
Herbs and/or spices

Cheese
Tomato puree and/or chopped tomatos
Toppings of your choice

Measure out your flour in a mixing bowl, add to it some salt and pepper and some herbs or spices of your choice or you could add onions , garlic, cheese, mustard anything, if you add nothing then it will be tasteless!

Next add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 5 tablespoons of water. Mix this into a dough and knead lightly then roll it out to about 10 inches.

Add to a 10 inch frying pan 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat on a medium heat. When this is hot enough put in the pizza base and cook for about 5-7 minutes on a medium heat.

Turn this out onto a plate and heat another 1 tablespoon of olive oil to cook the other side of the pizza base.

While it is cooking you can add the topping to it. Either use tomato puree or a mixture of chopped tomato's (blended) and tomato puree.

Put on the cheese - as much or as little as you like.

Next add to it any other topping that you like . My favourite is mushroom and bacon!

When the other side of the pizza is cooked put it under a fairly hot grill until the topping is cooked.

And thats it an easy delicious homemade pizza in less than half an hour!

Delicious Scones ( lunchbox)

2006-06-29T22:05:00.000Z

These are great because they contain little sugar or fat.

You will need
8 oz (225g) self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2oz (50g) margerine
1oz (25g) castor sugar.
7 tablespoons milk

A little extra milk for glazing.

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl until it forms a dough .
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly.
Cut into rounds and place on a greased baking tray
Brush the tops with milk and bake in a preheated oven (220C, 425F, gas 7) for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
This mixture makes about 10 scones if you use a 2 1/2 inch cutter.
They taste great while still warm with jam or margerine on .

For fruit scones add 2-3 oz (50-75g) currants, sultana's etc to the mixture

For cheese scones leave out the sugar and add 4 oz (125g) finely grated cheese .
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of Cayenne pepper .

Sambo's chocolate fairy cakes!

2006-06-26T20:36:00.001Z

Gorgeous fairy cakes with a magic ingredient!

You will need
6 oz margerine
6oz sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 oz self raising flour
1oz cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vanilla milk (this is the magic ingredient!)

Preheat oven to 180 C

Cream together with a fork the margerine and the sugar until pale and fluffy
Beat the eggs in a seperate bowl and stir them into the mixture .
Seive together the baking powder, flour and cocoa powder, add to the mixture.
Add in the milk and then stir until fully mixed .
Put the mixture into fairy cake cases and bake for 10-15 minutes or until they spring up when depressed.
When cool you could eat as they are or ice them. Here is my recipe for chocolate butter icing.
8 oz icing sugar
2 oz margerine
2 oz drinking chocolate
few drops of milk

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until fully mixed . Put on as much or as little as you fancy! I usually top mine off with some sugar flowers or jelly diamonds

These also make a sort of biscuit if you cook them on a shallow tray for a few minutes longer, I did this by accident at the weekend! But they turned out great!

Pasta Salad

2006-06-26T19:05:00.000Z

This is one of my childrens favourite meals .

You will need some or all of these ingredients, whichever takes your fancy!
Pasta
Sweetcorn
Salad
Peanuts
Cucumber
Cherry tomatos
Cheese
Seeds
Spring onions
Grated carrot
Tuna

What I do is put all of these foods in seperate bowls on the table and everyone helps themselves and it always dissapears before my eyes!