Simple and delicious chocolate cookies

These are the easiest cookies to make, as they don't require me to lift down the kenwood chef from the high shelf, as they are made in a saucepan. 

Ingredients: 

• 125g butter
• 175g soft light butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 100g white, milk or dark chocolate chopped (I used a bag of chocolate chips)

Method

Preheat oven to gas mark 5 (180 degrees) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Melt butter in a large saucepan, then add the sugar and take the pan off the heat. Beat in the egg, add the vanilla extract, then sift in the dry ingredients, giving it a good stir so that you don't start cooking the egg. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

These spread well, so leave a good gap when you spoon onto the baking sheets. 

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Leave for a few minutes to settle before sliding them on a wire rack to cool

Bread machine white bread

I love my bread machine, there is nothing nicer than the smell of freshly baked bread. It tastes better than shop bought and you know exactly what is in it. If it's good enough for David Cameron, then it is good enough for me.

Ingredients

• 500g  Strong White Bread Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 15g soft butter or 15ml vegetable oil
• 7g sachet of yeast
• 300ml warm water

Method

Add ingredients to bread pan in order of the list, select basic white bread setting, mine takes about 3 hours. Keep in an airtight container.

Dover sole, vegetable rice and spinach and kale with toasted pine nuts

I am trying to cook more fish in my household. I totally recommend the book, 'Japanese women don't get old or fat'. In it she talks about the benefits of the Japanese diet and eating fish several times a week. Japanese people have the world’s highest expectancy, with men living to be 78 and women’s average 85. Even though there are high levels of pollution, stress, smoking and drinking, they still outlive the rest of the world. Why is this? If you’ve lived for any length of time in Japan, you know that it’s all about the diet. The Japanese diet has changed in recent years, but it’s still among the healthiest in the world, and one of these reasons - is the amount of fish consumed. So what better reason than to try my dover sole recipe.

This recipe is for Dover sole, spinach & kale with vegetable rice topped with toasted pine nuts.

Dover sole:

In a large frying pan melt a tbsp of butter, add 2 fillets of fish (I used Dover sole, but cod, plaice, haddock and salmon would be nice too). After a few mins add some seasoning, I used a sprinkle of fish seasoning, but some lemon or lime zest and juice would work well too. It's cooked when white fish is white and not opaque, about 8-10 mins. Serve with some toasted pine nuts 

Vegetable rice 

In a frying pan, add a little olive oil - about a tbsp, when hot,  add some veg, what ever you may have hiding in the freezer or fridge. I used some frozen stir fry veg and  some frozen mixed veg - of peas, sweetcorn, chopped green beans and carrots. Frozen veg is great to keep for a simple and quick supper like this.

Stir until cooked, add some cooked rice, you can add a beaten egg if you wish, add a little light soy sauce. A sprinkle of chopped spring onion would finish it off nicely.

Kale & spinach

In a large saucepan add a little olive oil and a clove of chopped garlic, add some chopped kale and a large handful of baby spinach. Put the lid on for a few mins until wilted. Turn off the heat.

Enjoy

Check out: japanese-diet

japanese-diet

Low GI Oaty vegetable bake

The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

High GI foods

Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating. High GI foods include:

• sugar and sugary foods
• sugary soft drinks
• white bread
• potatoes
• white rice

Low and medium GI foods

Low or medium GI foods are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time. They include:

• some fruit and vegetables (but not dried fruit)
• pulses
• wholegrain foods, such as porridge oats 

A wholesome winter bake, serves 4-6, lovely with some crusty bread and a green salad 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped 
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped (I use the frozen cubes!)
• I tbsp fresh thyme leaves 
• 1 tea spoon dried chilli flakes
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes 
• 400g tin beans (I used mixed beans, but any would work)
• 125g porridge oats 
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach/kale 
• 125g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 50g grated cheese 
• 4-6 tbsps wholemeal breadcrumbs

You can alter the beans and veg depending on what you have around the kitchen. Courgette, aubergine and kale works well.                                     Method                                                  In a pan add the oil and fry the onion for a few mins, add the garlic, chilli and thyme, fry for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes, beans and oats. Bring to the boil, simmer and add the spinach/kale, soy sauce, peas. Mix together then transfer to an oven dish - a lasagne dish works well.

Season and top with cheese and bread crumbs, grill until brown and crispy.

Note: I always find it difficult when a recipe calls for bread crumbs, so the last time I had a few crusts and a couple of slices to spare. I threw them in the food processor and then into some tupperware and froze it, so I have some to hand when ever I need some.

LOW GI Spiced tabbouleh with mackerel, Kale and spinach

Here is a recipe for a very healthy low GI salad recipe. I took the idea from a GI cookbook, as hubby is trying to be extra fit this month, so thought this would help in his training.

The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

High GI foods

Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating. High GI foods include:

• sugar and sugary foods
• sugary soft drinks
• white bread
• potatoes
• white rice

Low and medium GI foods

Low or medium GI foods are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time. They include:

• some fruit and vegetables (but not dried fruit)
• pulses
• wholegrain foods, such as porridge oats 

I know there seems like a lot of ingredients, but you can substitute for anything suitable that you might have lying around.

Ingredients 

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seed
• 2 roasted red peppers, sliced (I used the ones from a jar)
• 2 red red chillies deseeded and thinly sliced 
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 courgette, diced
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly chopped
• Tin chick peas drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• Handful of baby spinach
• Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lines 
• 175g bulgur wheat, rinsed, well drained, then left to soak in 200ml cold water 
• 25g toasted flaked almonds 
• Handful of chopped mint leaves
• 100g smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flaked

Method 

• Dry-fry the seeds in a small frying pan until fragrant, then crush and set aside.
• In the same frying pan, add a little olive oil and when hot cook courgette until soft.
• In a large salad bowl combine all ingredients and mix together gently 
• Check seasoning
• Serve with lime wedges 

Vegetable lasagne

A tasty way to get the children to eat more veggies. There are many ways to make this, using jars, packet mixes or all from scratch, I slightly cheated with a packet cheese sauce!  It's also nice with 3 leeks and a pack of chestnut mushrooms.

In a large frying pan cook your veggies, whatever you have hiding in the bottom of the fridge. I used 2 sliced red peppers, a sliced leek, 3 sliced courgettes and half a chopped aubergine. During cooking I added a tin of chopped tomatoes, freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of chilli flakes (leave out if you don't like spicy).

Pour half into a lasagne dish, top with a layer of lasagne sheets (dried is fine), top with cheese sauce and some torn up buffalo mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of vegetables, lasagne sheets, cheese sauce and mozzarella.

Cook at around 220 degrees for 20-30 mins until brown and bubbling. Can be frozen in smaller portions once cooled . 

Lovely served with a green salad.

Slow cooker vegetable soup

This is the first time I've made soup in the slow cooker, but it was so easy and delicious.        My slow cooker fries, if yours doesn't, use a pan first.  Add a little oil to the pan, then some vegetables, whatever you have. I used sliced celery, sliced leek (washed), sliced carrot, half a bag of soup mix lentils. With these I never bother soaking over night, I rinse them and then boil them in cold water, and then add to the soup. Add stock to cover the vegetables and seasoning to taste. If for children use low salt stock and don't add salt.

Slow cook for around 3-4 hours until vegetables soft. I put this on this morning prior to baby group and was ready in time for lunch

Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry

I'd recommend a slow cooker to any busy parent, I know the idea of cooking something for 4-8 hours may seem like a waste of time. But personally I find it a life saver! I put the dinner on when the little people are having their afternoon nap. Then when I've finally put them to bed, tidied up their mess, the last thing I want to do is start cooking, which is why the slow cooker works so well! It's great for meat eaters, you could put on beef casserole in the morning and it would be lovely and succulent by the evening. 

However my husband doesn't eat red meat - and I'm not keen on chicken, therefore I mostly do veggie meals, and finding veggie recipes for slow cookers isn't that easy. Check out my stuffed peppers in the slow cooker. Stuffed peppers

Here is my vegetable curry recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (use powder if not available)
• 1 onion. sliced
• 2 curry leaves (not always so easy to find in a supermarket - I have some growing in the garden which i had found in a garden centre.
• 1 in piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 2 tbsp curry paste (any according to your preference, I used tikka
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 cauliflour, cut into florets
• 3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• pinch tumeric
• 250mls hot vegetable or chicken stock
• 85g frozen peas
• 115g mangetout

My slow cooker fry's, if yours doesn't you may want to use a frying pan first. 

• Heat the oil in the slow cooker on fry setting.
• Add cumin to the pan, if using seeds, when it start popping add the curry leaves and then the onion slices. 
• Stir for a few minutes until the onion has softened.
• Add the ginger and chillies and cook stirring occasionally for a minute
• Stir in the curry paste, cook and stir for a few minutes
• Add the cauliflower and carrots, cook for 5 mins 
• Add the tomatoes, turmeric and season with salt and pepper if required
• Cook for a few minutes, then add stock and bring to the boil
• turn to slow cooker setting, low, medium or high, depending on how quick you need it. I found 2 hours on high was works, but probably best 5 hours on low for the best flavour
• I added the mange tout and peas near the end of cooking, as I found that the mange touts wilt and they both lose their colour.

Here are how I served it for my 11 month old and my 2.5 year old, went down very well.

Check out my stir fry veg rice: stir-fry-vegetable-rice-

Stir fry vegetable rice - great for little people

My favourite food is rice, I should have been born in a different continent - I could eat it all day and all night. 

This is a very quick and easy dinner for little people - and full of healthy veggies.

I made a large batch of rice in the rice cooker (I actually have a slow cooker/ rice cooker in one - fab for making family meals).

In a pan cook some stir fry veg - I usually have a pack in the freezer, or any veg will do (carrot sticks, peas, sweetcorn, courgette sticks, mange tout). Add rice, and some soy sauce if you what, bear in mind soy sauce is high in salt, but you can get low sodium versions. If it's for a very young child, I'd leave out the soy sauce. 

Easy Yummy Fish Pie

It's cold outside, so thought I'd make something warm and tasty for dinner. I don't actually measure anything, I'm once of those throw it all in the pan cooks and hope it all works out. It did on this occasion, but didn't a few days ago when I put too much bicarbonate in my cookies!

Anyway this easy fish pie:

Poach some fish, I used a small skinless boneless fillet of salmon and 2 skinless fillets of cod. Cut into bite size peices and cooked in a pan with a little butter and covered with milk. Cook about 10 mins. Can also use a pack of fish pie mix.

I peeled and chopped into medium sized pieces about 4 large potatoes. Boil for about 20 mins until soft. Drain water, mash with a little butter, pepper if you like (I don't add salt to anything, but you can if you wish), and a little milk to bind. When the fish is cooked I threw in a couple of handfuls of frozen mixed veg - peas, sweetcorn, carrot and chopped green beans, and some pepper. Cook for about 5 mins.

Pour mixture into a large dish and top with potato. I added a little more pepper and sprinkling of grated cheese.

Cook at about 200 degrees until brown and bubbling - about 20 -30 mins.

Lovely served with a green salad.

Great for the whole family including little people