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.