Creamy Curry

This makes a large pan full of delicious, creamy curry.
Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 heaped tsp each of turmeric, coriander, ground cinnamon, and cumin
2 tsp of garam masala curry powder
1 small turnip, diced
1 large parsnip, diced
1 sweet potato, diced
8 new potatoes, quartered
a handful of French beans, chopped
1 courgette, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 red chilli (to taste), chopped
½ small cauliflower, diced
2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
80g sultanas
80g ground almonds
Method

Fry the onion garlic in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, coriander, ground cinnamon, cumin, and garam masala curry powder. Stir well and add more oil if required.

Now add the vegetables. Stir well and cook covered for 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Finally add the sultanas and ground almonds, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Carry on simmering for another 15 minutes.

Notes

Serve with basmati rice or chips! Delicious!

Zoë's Vegetarian Chili, Slow Cooker or Crockpot Recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked kidney beans, with 6 cups cooking liquid
• OR: 3 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed, plus 6 cups water or stock
• 1 cup bulgar or cracked wheat
• One 6 oz can unsalted tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Optional: 1 can crushed or chopped tomatoes
• Optional: Hot sauce to taste
• Optional: 1 medium red onion, peeled, quartered and diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 cup brown lentils

• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and minced - approx. 1 Tbsp ((add another for more heat)
• 1 - 2 Tbsp fresh ginger (2 - 4 thin slices) peeled & minced, OR 1 tsp dried
• 2 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (approx. 1 Tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder to make it mild, 1 tsp to make it hot, more to make it fiery
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp each: paprika, gr. cumin, coriander

• 1 tsp each: dried thyme, basil, oregano
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 c. minced parsley or cilantro
• 2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos, or low sodium soy sauce
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Kidney beans:

1. 1 cup dried dark red kidney beans
2. Soak 4 hours in hot water, or overnight
3. Drain, rinse, add 6 cups unsalted water
4. Bring to a boil, skim foam, cover and simmer 2 hours

Chili Directions:

1. Add bulgar & tomato paste to lentils and kidney beans + cooking liquid or water
2. Add bay leaf and cinnamon stick
3. Return to boil, cover and simmer
4. Preheat sauté pan or frying pan on medium-low and add oil
5. Prep veggies
6. Sauté minced garlic, ginger and jalapeno on medium heat for 5 minutes
7. Add remaining veggies and sauté 5 more minutes
8. Add remaining spices, sauté another five minutes
9. Transfer the veggies to the bean + bulgar mix, cook another 30 minutes
10. Add corn, parsley or cilantro, and braggs or soy sauce to taste
11. Cook for a few more minutes and serve

Slow Cooker or Crockpot Chili Directions:

1. Turn an 8 - 10 qt crockpot on high
2. Add cooked beans, cooking liquid or water, bulgar or cracked wheat, lentils, tomato paste, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to the crockpot
3. After sautéing the veggies & spices, transfer them to the slow cooker
4. Reduce crockpot heat to low, cover and cook 4 - 6 hrs
5. Add corn, minced parsley or cilantro, Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce to taste. Cover and cook for another 1/2 hr on high heat.

Cooking Tips

Vegetarian chili is a great vegan meal by itself, or with salad and cornbread. Good with sour cream or parmesan cheese - non-dairy or dairy. You can also use black beans in this recipe, or a mixture of red chili beans & black beans, as pictured.

Note: If you're going to soak and cook beans, it's worth making extra, to freeze in small amounts for future meals (think soup).

Yummy Vegan Chocolate cake

ingredients

Makes: 36 cupcakes or 1 x 23cm (9in) cake

420g plain flour

400g muscovado/ dark brown sugar

6Tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

500ml water

200ml sunflower oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180°C

method

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and stir together

Make a well in the centre and add the remaining  ingredients.

Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into cupcake cakes or a greased and lined tin

Bake – 20 mins for cupcakes or 1 hour for cake

As you can see the cake is very easy to bake – it’s also moist and delicious so why not give it a try!

Happy Baking

Fantastic (very rich) Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 and a half cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
half a cup of mixed, chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
half a cup cold water or soy milk
half a cup of orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vinegar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift dry ingredients into 8" square or 9" round baking pan. Mix liquids (except vinegar) and whisk into dry. When batter is smooth, add vinegar and stir quickly, until it is evenly distributed. Put it in the oven, don't let it stand around (that has something to do with the vinegar) Bake for 25-30 minutes...or longer until done. This cake is great served with Provamel's soya dream (cream like).

Bramley Apple Bread

A sort of cross between a hearty wholegrain loaf and a cake. It’s absolutely brilliant warm with butter and honey for breakfast, or with a slab of cheese and a bowl of soup for lunch or tea.

10 mins (prep) | 30 mins (cooking)

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

• 150g plain flour
• 200g wholewheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 large Bramley apple, peeled and coarsley grated
• 50g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 egg, whisked
• 250ml apple juice
• A few handfuls of chopped nuts and/or dried fruit (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
2. Brush a loaf tin with oil or butter. Coat with a dusting of flour – the old fashioned way to prevent it from sticking.
3. Combine dry ingredients. Fold in the grated apples. Top with the wet ingredients and nuts and/or dried fruit, if using, save some nuts to scatter on top.
4. Gently fold all the ingredients together, careful not to overmix.
5. Tip into the tin. Dot any reserved nuts over the top.
6. Bake for 30 mins, or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Let it cool for 10-15 mins before serving or trying to remove from the pan.

cocoa pudding cake

Ingredients

1 c All purpose flour 3/4 c Sugar 2 tb Cocoa powder 2 ts Baking powder 1/2 ts Salt 1/2 c Soya milk 2 tb Oil 1 t Vanill Nonstick vegetable spray 3/4 c Brown sugar 1/4 c Cocoa powder 1 3/4 c Hot water

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, 2 T of cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. 2. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla, mixing by hand untill smooth. 3. Pour into an 8x8x2-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. 4. Combine the brown sugar, 1/4 c cocoa powder, and water and pour over batter. 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Number of Servings: 8

Vegan chocolate cake

Vegan chocolate cake

 August 24th, 2008 |  Author: georgina

If you only bake one vegan cake, make it this one. It is definitely my favourite sweet vegan treat.

This basic sponge recipe works in a variety of ways. It can make a sandwich cake (two round/square tins sandwiched together with butter icing i.e. typical birthday cake), or loads of fairy cakes, or a single square/rectangle tray bake sized tin.

For some reason though it doesn’t seem to work in a loaf tin, too gooey and took ages to cook.

Anyhow, this cake was one of the first I made back in February and I can’t tell you how chuffed I was that good quality chocolate cake was back on the menu. Since then I’ve probably make this cake over ten times. The latest version was a birthday cake for my beautiful Mum and she loved it. Every one loves it. Make it now. Go on. I don’t care what time it is. Just do it. You’ll thank me.

I first got this recipe online at Cooking for Vegans so this is who I will credit, however I have seen this recipe doing the rounds on plenty of sites since which only goes to show how popular it is! I have used both castor and dark brown sugar and both work well. The brown sugar gives it a really fudgey taste and texture so I tend to opt for that if I can. I have tried it with wholemeal flour too as I’m always looking for a ‘healthy angle’ as an excuse to eat chocolate cake. But alas, although it was edible, it was a bit too worthy for me.

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 50g cocoa
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 250g sugar (castor or dark brown)
• 125g vegan marge
• 300ml soya milk (sweetened or unsweetened is fine)
• 2tbsp golden syrup

Instructions

1. Sieve flour, cocoa and bicarb then mix together in large bowl.
2. Add sugar now if using castor sugar. (If using dark brown sugar then add this to the wet ingredients).
3. Melt marge, syrup and milk in a saucepan. (Add dark sugar now if using).
4. When melted, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour batter into cake tins. (Mixture should be fairly runny, don't panic).
6. Bake at 170 for about 35mins.

Date and Walnut Teabread

 by Nicki of Respect for Animals
Ingredients.
175 grams dates, roughly chopped (not sugar rolled)
125 grams raisins
150 ml hot, strong but not stewed tea
125 grams vegan marg, allowed to soften, but not melted
50 grams chopped walnuts
125 grams muscavado sugar (either dark or light)
225 grams of plain flour
150 ml soya milk
1 teaspoon (5mls) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5mls) bicarbonate of soda
Optional: 1 teaspoon (5mls) of ground cinamon, 1/2 teaspoon (2.5mls) ground nutmeg
Soak the dates and raisins in the tea for at least one hour but up to 8. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat together, an electric mixer is easiest but not a food processor as you lose all the texture. When thoroughly mixed pour into a lined 2lb loaf tin (sorry don't know the metric measurements!) loaf tin and bake for about 1 and 1/4 hours at gas mark 4 or 350 f. Check after an hour and cover with foil if browning. It is done when a skewer or piece of uncooked spaghetti stuck in the middle comes out clean. Leave to go completely cold in tin.
Can be eaten at once but is even better if wrapped in foil and stored in a tin for up to one week. It is surprisingly tasty without the spices but nice with them too. This works with wholemeal flour but will give a dense loaf, our preference is half and half.

Sandra's Versatile Fruit loaf

This is one of my dad's favourite fruit loafs, he absolutely loves it.

This can be eaten just as it is, or sliced and spread with vegan margarine, or marg and jam, and if you get fed up of it then use it as a pudding with custard or vegan cream poured over (that is why it is called "versatile" because it is).

Ingredients.
12oz/350g/2 and a half cups self raising flour (or 12 oz plain with 3tsp baking powder added.)
12 oz/350g./2 and a half cups mixed dried fruit
1/2 pint/1 cup/250 ml. tea
4 oz/100g./1 cup sugar (white is ok, brown better and muscavado is the biz)
2 tablespoons soya flour mixed with enough water to make a "single cream" type consistency (sorry about using the C for cream word, but don't know how to describe it otherwise).


Soak the sugar and fruit in the tea for a minimum of 2 hours, but the longer the better and overnight is ok.
Put oven on at between reg.2 and 3/150C/300F.
Grease a loaf tin with vegan margarine.
Add the flour and soya mix, till all incorporated, then put in the tin and bake for about 2 hours. I test to see if it is cooked by putting a skewer or thin blade knife in, and if it comes out clean the cake is done. Turn out on rack to cool.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apple

A little sugar and spice makes our red cabbage ever so nice. Swoony with Laverstoke sausages, mash and roasted onion gravy.

Prep: 15 mins / Cook: 1 1/2 hrs
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium red cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly shredded
• 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2-3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• A bit of freshly grated ginger (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp sugar (demerara works nicely here)
• 3-4 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• A bit of fresh rosemary, to finish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3.
2. Mix everything bar the rosemary together. Put in an ovenproof casserole or large roasting dish. Huge cabbage or small pans? Halve the recipe or divide between two dishes to make a shallow layer – no higher than finger deep. Loosely cover with foil.
3. Bake for 60-90 mins. Check every 30 mins. Taste. Add some more balsamic and sugar if needed.
4. Cook till the cabbage is tender, juicy and sweet. Finish with a scattering of fresh rosemary, if you like.

Once cool, the cabbage can be kept in fridge and reheated. It can also be frozen.

Easy peasy tuna pasta

This is a favorite with Caden.

Ingredients

1 tub of Quark

1 tin of tuna chunks in salt water, drained

pasta

pinch of any Italian herbs you may have knocking around 

As you can see this recipe is also virtually fat free so the Garlic Bread that you have with it won't give you dieting nightmares.

Method

Simplicity itself.

Cook the pasta and drain.

Toss in the  Quark, tuna and herbs.

Gently re-warm 

Bread Maker Pizza Dough

This is a work in progress but I needed the dough recipe online 

Ingredients for one 12-14 inch crust:
3/4 cup water (80-90ºF)
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
For the tomato sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1x400g can chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Add water and vegetable oil to pan. Add flour, sugar, and salt. Tap pan to settle dry ingredients, then level ingredients, pushing some of the mixture into corners, to cover water. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add yeast.

Lock pan into bread maker. Program for dough and start bread maker. When done, remove pan from bread maker. Place dough onto floured surface. Knead 1 minute, then let rest 15 minutes.

Roll dough out to fit 12-14 inch pizza pan. Place dough onto greased pan which has been sprinkled with cornmeal. (If you use a stone leave it ungreased, just put on the cornmeal). Press dough into pan, forming an edge. Let rise in warm draft free place for 20-25 minutes.
Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes.


Spread pizza sauce evenly over crust, then top with cheese and favorite toppings.

Bake in preheated 424ºF oven for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned on top. Let rest 5 minutes and enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are the perfect crowd-pleaser, whether it's a typical family dinner or a slumber party for the soccer team. The ingredients are simple and these can be ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

 2 lb ground beef 

 1 Tbsp cooking oil 

 1 cup onion, chopped 

 6-8 hamburger buns 

 FOR SAUCE: 

 1 cup ketchup 

 ½ cup water 

 2 Tbsp sugar 

 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 

 2 Tbsp mustard 

 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

 Brown the meat in a saute pan. 

 Remove meat from pan and set aside. 

 Heat oil in the pan and saute the onions over medium-high heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes. 

 Return meat to the pan with the onions. 

 Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. 

 Add sauce to the pan with the meat and onions. 

 Simmer 10-15 minutes. 

 Pour over toasted hamburger buns and serve.

Deep Lemon Tart

If you want to serve it warm you can prepare everything in advance – and pour the filling in just before you bake it.

serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the pastry base:
6 oz (175 g) plain flour
1½ oz (40 g) icing sugar
3 oz (75 g) softened butter
pinch salt
1 large egg, separated
For the filling:
6-8 lemons
6 large eggs
6 oz (175 g) caster sugar
7 fl oz (200 ml) whipping cream
To serve:
a little icing sugar
crème fraîche

Method

The best way to make the pastry is in a food processor. To do this add all the pastry ingredients (except the egg white) to the bowl with 1 tablespoon water and process until it forms a firm dough. Then turn it out and knead lightly before placing in a polythene bag and leaving in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. To cook the pastry base, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C) and place a solid baking sheet inside to preheat as well. Now roll out the pastry as thinly as possible and carefully line the quiche tin, pressing the pastry around the base and sides so that it comes about ¼ inch (5 mm) above the edge of the tin. Then prick the base with a fork and brush it all over with the reserved egg white, which you should lightly beat first. Bake on the baking sheet on the middle shelf for 20 minutes, then, as you remove it, turn the temperature down to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C). To make the filling, grate the zest from 6 of the lemons, and squeeze enough juice to give 10 fl oz (275 ml). Now break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk to combine, but don't overdo it or the eggs will thicken. Next add the lemon juice and zest followed by the cream, and whisk lightly. Now pour it all into a 2 pint (1.2 litre) jug. The easiest way to fill the tart is to place the pastry case on the baking sheet in the oven, and then pour the filling straight into the pastry (this avoids having to carry the tart to the oven and spilling it). Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tart is set and feels springy in the centre. Let it cool for about half an hour if you want to serve it warm. It's also extremely good served chilled. Either way, dust it with icing sugar just before serving and serve with well-chilled crème fraîche.

Dhal Curry

Dhal is simply the Indian word for lentils.

Serves 2

Ingredients

8oz (225g) red lentils

2 level tsp ground ginger

1 level tsp ground cumin

1 level tsp turmeric

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 tbs butter

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

1 small green pepper, de-seeded and chopped

1 level tsp madras curry powder

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 tin)

salt

Method

In a saucepan containing 1½ pints (850 ml) of water add one teaspoon each of ginger, cumin, turmeric and salt, then bring it all to the boil. Stir in the lentils, let it come back to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. After that add the diced potato and continue cooking until the lentils have turned mushy (making sure the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan by giving it a stir now and again).

While that's cooking, heat up the butter in another pan and fry the onion and pepper in it (over a fairly high heat) until the onion has browned – then lower the heat and stir in the Madras curry powder (if you like your curries hotter, you can add more), the garlic, the remaining ground ginger and the chopped tomatoes. Cook for a minute before adding the lentil mixture, then taste, season with more salt and cook gently for a further 5-10 minutes (stirring from time to time). Serve this with rice and yoghurt.

Lasagna al forno

This is for Caden, he loves LASAGNE

Lasagna al forno

By: Tamasin Day-Lewis


Prep time:
30 min
Cook time:
3 hrs 55 min
Serves:
8


Method
1. Warm the oil and butter in a heavy-based casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and gently fry for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the celery, carrots and garlic, and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring to coat well.

2. Stir in the beef with a large pinch of salt and several grindings of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the beef has lost its raw pink look.

3. Add the bay leaves and milk, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes, until the meat has absorbed the milk. Season with a pinch of nutmeg.

4. Pour in the wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes with their juice and stir thoroughly.

5. Cook, uncovered, at a lazy simmer with just an intermittent bubble breaking through the surface, for 3 hours or more. The fat will have separated, but the sauce will not be dry. Taste and correct the seasoning.

6. About 45 minutes before the meat is ready, make the béchamel sauce. Pour the milk into a saucepan with the bay leaf, onion and a generous pinch of nutmeg. Bring to just below the boiling point, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15-20 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease a shallow baking dish.

8. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Strain the milk, then gradually stir it into the flour mixture to make a thick smooth sauce. Season to taste.

9. Pour some béchamel into the baking dish - enough to just cover the base. Place a layer of lasagne sheets on top, followed by a layer of meat sauce, another layer of béchamel and a good handful of Parmesan. Continue with two or three more layers until both sauces are used up. Add a final sprinkling of Parmesan.

10. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until bubbling all over and a knife slips easily through the layers of lasagne.


Ingredients
2-3 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 sticks celery
2 carrots, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1kg fresh fatty minced beef, such as chuck
2 fresh bay leaves
225ml milk
1/3 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
225ml white wine, 225
400g canned chopped tomatoes, roughly chopped
9-10 sheets pre-cooked dried lasagne sheets
90g parmesan, freshly grated
black pepper

For the béchamel sauce:
600ml milk
2 fresh bay leaves
1 onion, halved
freshly grated nutmeg
60g butter
60g plain flour
black pepper

cocoa pudding cake

Ingredients

1 c All purpose flour
3/4 c Sugar
2 tb Cocoa powder
2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 c Skim milk
2 tb Oil
1 t Vanilla essence
Nonstick vegetable spray
3/4 c Brown sugar
1/4 c Cocoa powder
1 3/4 c Hot water

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, 2 T of cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

2. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla, mixing by hand untill smooth. 

3. Pour into an 8x8x2-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. 

4. Combine the brown sugar, 1/4 c cocoa powder, and water and pour over batter. 

5. Bake at 350/180 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Real custard

Real Custard or Custard Sauce is the most common accompaniment to English Puddings. Ask anyone what their favourite English Pudding is and they will nearly always tell you and then add "and custard". Here is a simple recipe to make the real thing.

Method

Keep back three tablespoons of the milk and put the rest into a saucepan with the vanilla pod. Brink the milk almost to the boil and then take it off the heat. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes to give the vanilla time to infuse into the milk.

Place the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl with the reserved milk and mix together until creamy. If using vanilla essence add this now. Take out the vanilla pod and gently add the warm milk to the egg mixture and stir. Put the mixture into a clean sauce pan and cook gently until it coats the back of a spoon and acquires the thickness of single cream. Serve the finished custard in a cool jug. Can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Beano sweet potato pie

I was stuck for an idea for tea one day. I knew I wanted baked beans but I didn't fancy them straight out of the tin. This is what I came up with. It is so rich and filling, pure comfort food. Definitely a winner that will grace our table regularly. Ingredients

500g (1lb) pumpkin (or butternut squash), peeled, deseeded and chopped

1 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 green pepper, deseeded diced

1 tin mushroom soup

2 tins baked beans

mixed herbs

150g (5oz) cheese, grated

butter (dollop to taste lol)

sunflower oil spray

topping

1kg (2¼lb) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
75g (2½oz) Cheddar, grated 

Method

Place the pumpkin or butternut squash in a large pan with about 600ml (1pt) water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 mins until tender. Using a hand blender or food processor, puree the pumpkin with the cooking liquid so that you have a fairly thin puree.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic and peppers and cook over a moderate heat for 5 mins.

Add the basil, canned soup and baked beans. Bring to the boil, stirring, and then simmer for 10-15 mins. Stir in the pumpkin puree, cheese, butter and mixed herbs. Mix till it's all melted and thickened. Spoon the bean mixture into a baking dish. 

To make mash: Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 10 mins until tender. Drain.

Mash the sweet potatoes and stir in half the cheese and seasoning to taste. Spoon mash over the bean mixture and sprinkle with rest of the cheese. 

To serve now: Set the oven to Gas Mark 5 or 190°C. Bake the pies on a baking sheet for 30 mins until piping hot and the cheese has melted. Serve with green vegetables, if you like.
To freeze: Freeze pies uncooked or baked. Cool the pies. Openfreeze,
then pack individually in freezer bags. Use within 2 months.
To serve from freezer: Thaw in the fridge. If pies are unbaked, cook as above for 30-40 mins. If already baked, reheat each pie in the microwave for 3 mins until piping hot. 

Yellow Tomato Salad with Shallots and Lemongrass

Ingredients

1 stalk lemongrass 1/4 cup (50 mL) finely chopped shallots 1/4 tsp (1 mL) grated lemon rind 2 tsbp lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt pinch cayenne pepper 6 yellow tomatoes Coriander leaves

Preparation:

Cut off bottom third of lemongrass; peel off outside layer and slice stalk paper-thin. In small bowl, whisk together lemongrass, shallots, lemon rind and juice, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; whisk before using.)

Cut each tomato into 8 wedges. Place in large bowl; pour dressing over top and gently toss to coat. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Dilled Cucumber Tomato Salad

3/4 tsp (4 mL) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) white vinegar
1 mild white onion (such as Vidalia), sliced
4 cups (1 L) coarsely chopped peeled English cucumber 2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp (50 mL) canola or vegetable oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp/5 mL dried dillweed)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt, pepper and celery salt

Preparation:
In large bowl, dissolve sugar in vinegar; add onion and mix. Marinate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Make-ahead: Cover and marinate for up to 4 hours.)

Add cucumber and tomatoes. Stir in oil, dill, salt, pepper and celery salt.

mexican street salad

ingredients

• ½ a small white cabbage
• ½ a small red cabbage
• a small bunch of radishes (about 10), trimmed and finely sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced
• a large bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
• 2 large jalapeño chillies (or other green chilli), to taste, finely sliced
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 2–3 limes
• sea salt

servings
4-6

method

This simple little salad can be quite extraordinary, but you’ve got to season it with that Mexican spirit by being brave with the lime juice, salt and chilli, until it’s singing in your mouth. It does a great job of waking up the other things it’s served with – a few spoonfuls of this next to a grilled chicken breast or pork chop would be an absolute celebration.

Veg-wise, the onion, coriander and white cabbage are non-negotiable, as they form the base of this salad, but feel free to have a play with the other ingredients and use things like fennel or asparagus. Basically whatever’s in season and available should be a nice addition.


The easiest and quickest way to make this is to use a food processor with a slicer attachment or a mandolin. If you don’t have either of those, use a speed peeler, or simply grate everything finely.

Shred your white and red cabbage into two separate piles. Put just the white cabbage into a large bowl with the radishes, carrots and most of the coriander. Mix everything together really well, then kick up the flavours by adding almost all the chopped chilli, the sliced red onion and a good few lugs of extra virgin olive oil. Add most of the lime juice and a good pinch of salt, then toss together and have a taste. Just keep adjusting everything, adding more fragrance with the coriander, heat with the last of the chilli and acid with another squeeze of lime juice, until it’s just right for you.

When you’re happy, fold in the red cabbage right before serving so it doesn’t stain everything, and tuck in.

Orange and apricot spread

 This is a quick, healthy alternative to normal jam or marmalade. It keeps well in the fridge for 8 days. The apricots need to be soft.

Ingredients

3 1/2 oz apricots

2 oranges

1 vanilla bean

2 tbsp honey

Directions

1 chop the apricots

2 squeeze juice from 1 orange and peel and chop the other one

3 blend chopped apricots, orange, juice, seeds from the vanilla bean and honey untill smooth

4 store in an airtight jar in the fridge

Yogurt spiced chicken

This recipe can also be cooked on a barbecue
Ingredients150g yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tsp coriander
4 chicken breasts or 4 quorn fillets
600g basmati rice
vegetable stock cube
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium chopped pepper
1 deseeded and sliced chilli
fresh coriander
salad to serve

Method
Mix the yogurt and curry powder together, add the coriander.
Place the chicken or quorn into the yogurt and marinate overnight.
Preheat oven to 175 C or 350F
Cook the rice with the stock cube. Drain and rinse to cool quickly.
Add the carrot, chilli, red pepper and coriander.
Take the chicken out of the yogurt mix and bake untill done, 45 minutes.
Serve with the rice and a nice green salad.
9 ProPoints for chicken and 6 for Quorn fillets

Tomato and Cheesy pasta

Looking for something quick and easy to do for our tea today. Found this, had to tweak it a little tho. Hope it works.

This is a  low-fat version of macaroni cheese. 

You can add a tin of drained tuna or chopped boiled eggs when you reheat this dish for a tasty alternative. Don't forget to add the ProPoints.

Ingredients

200g pasta

1 medium onion, chopped

100g green beans

1 tin chopped tomatoes

mixed herbs

200g cottage cheese

salt and pepper

Method

Boil the pasta according to the pack instructions, adding the chopped onion and tomatoes to the water at the same time as the pasta. Stir in the beans for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Drain everything together.

Add the herbs as well as the cottage cheese.

Season to taste and reheat. 

Serve hot.

Serves 4

ProPoints/serving = 6 

Baked vegetable frittata

 I have decided to finally get fit, now that I am well I intend to be healthy (does that make any sense?) Several years ago I lost a load of weight by going to my local  WeightWatchers meetings but now due to the miracle of the Internet I can do it all on-line. Don't worry though because the rest of the gang at the Mad House I call home will not be watching their food intake. This means I will still have to cater for their high calorie, indulgent tastes in food (why do you think that I need to diet in the first place). So more of those recipes to follow as well.
To help me lose weight I will include in my recipes the ProPoint value for each delicious creation. If you like me are struggling with the size of your assets then I hope that this may help you as well.

Ingredients

I hate aubergine with a vengeance but if you like you can add an aubergine and treat it the same as the courgette. 

1 medium courgette

10 sprays cooking spray (or oil if not watching your points)

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

2 peppers

6 medium whole eggs

4 tablespoons skimmed milk

 2 teaspoons dried oregano

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the grill. Arrange the slices of courgette on the grill rack.Coat lightly with spray oil (or use a little oil). Grill each side for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray a non-stick frying pan with spray oil (or a little oil) and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 190, gas mark 5.

Spray a 23cm (9 inch) round baking dish with cooking spray (or grease with butter). Add a layer of half the courgettes, half the peppers. Sprinkling each layer with some of the onion and garlic mixture. Then all the remaining courgette, and all the remaining peppers. Again sprinkle with onion and garlic.

Beat together the eggs, milk and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. 

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until set and golden brown.

Serve warm or cold. 

Serves 4
ProPoints value per serving is 3