Banoffee Pie

Good evening,

Tonight's post is for a deliciously quick Banoffee Pie recipe that I found on the Carnation website, link here and details also pasted below.  This dessert is my husband's favourite and I definitely wouldn't turn my nose up at it either lol!

Quick Banoffee Pie

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 250g digestive biscuits, crushed
• 100g butter, melted
• 397g can Carnation Caramel
• 4 small bananas
• 300ml carton whipping cream, whipped
• grated chocolate, to decorate (or use a small crushed up Flake bar)

You will also need...

23cm loose-bottomed tart tin

Method:

Tip the biscuit crumbs into a bowl. Add the butter and mix in. Spoon the crumbs into the tin. Press into the base and up the sides of the tin. Chill for 10 minutes.

Spread the caramel over the base. Do not overbeat, simply spread with a spoon or spatula

Slice the bananas and scatter over the top. Spoon the cream over the bananas and finish with grated chocolate. Chill until ready to serve.

Mushroom Soup

Good morning,

Here's a lovely thick and creamy soup recipe I made last week but didn't get a chance to put on my blog.

I got the idea from a veggie cook book I had years ago but have added some more herbs and garlic along the way.

Mushroom Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

10g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 x 650g packs mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped (I used Asda Smart Price cheapies)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
2 med-large floury potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
750ml vegetable stock (I used 2 stock cubes)
5 tbsp double cream, plus extra to garnish, if liked
Salt & Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onions and cook over a low heat with the lid on for about 5 mins stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms, garlic and potatoes and cook for around another 5 mins stirring regularly.  Add the herbs and stock and bring to the boil.  Put on the lid and reduce the heat, simmer for around 30 mins.  Allow the soup to cool slightly then blend or liquidise.  I like the soup thick but if you'd prefer add some more stock or water at this stage.  Add the cream and reheat gently.  Season to taste then serve with some more cream swirled in the middle, if liked.

Spicy Bean Dip

Hello again,

Here's a quick wee dip recipe that I put together from leftovers from tonight's dinner. It really is super quick and perfect if you have the late night munchies with some raw veggie sticks and/or tortilla chips!

Spicy Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 small or 1/2 large can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 yellow or red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce (or more to taste)
1 small red chilli finely sliced (optional for garnish)

Method:
Blitz the beans and pepper together with a stick blender until smooth.  Stir in the mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce.  Garnish with red chilli if using.

Taco Chicken Bake

Good Afternoon,

What horrible wet weather we've been having here in Inverness, there's been lots of flooding in and around the city, thankfully it's mostly affected the roads and hopefully it hasn't got inside any homes.

It's just the weather for a comforting bake and this one has a wee bit of a kick to it with the Taco spices.  It went down a storm, with Iona declaring it the best meal I've ever cooked and Rab and I enjoyed it too!

The recipe is from a Woman Magazine Cookery Special I bought a couple of years back, with a couple of tweaks.

Taco Chicken Bake

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

500g chicken breast, diced

2 red onions, cut into chunky wedges

3 peppers, sliced

30g pack taco seasoning (I used Discovery/Santa Maria)

500g carton passata

400g crispy potato wedges, defrosted if frozen

6 tbsp soured cream

50g cheddar cheese, grated

1 large avocado, diced

Few sprigs fresh coriander, chopped

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

4 spring onions, sliced

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken, onion and peppers for 5 mins or until the chicken is golden.  Add the taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the passata and season to taste.  Mix with the potato wedges then spoon into a large ovenproof dish.  Spoon over the soured cream, scatter with cheese.  Bake for 15 mins until bubbling.  Meanwhile, mix together the avocado, coriander, cherry tomatoes and lime juice.  Season to taste and serve along side the bake.

Meatball Stroganoff

Good afternoon,

Today's recipe is one I found in last month's Good Food magazine which is now also up on their website.  The recipe was easy to follow and really tasty, possibly even better than my usual beef stroganoff recipe and it was a nice change to make it with meatballs.  We served it with tagliatelle but it would be just as good with rice or mash.

Meatball Stroganoff

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• drizzle of oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g pack small button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 beef stock cube, made up to 300ml stock
• 150ml pot soured cream
• small pack parsley, chopped
• rice, mashed potato or tagliatelle, to serve

Method

1. Season the beef and shape into walnut-sized meatballs. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the meatballs until brown on all sides. Scoop out of the pan and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for a few mins to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and fry for a few mins until the mushrooms soften and start to brown a little. Stir in the tomato purée, paprika and flour for 1 min, then add the stock, bit by bit, to make a smooth sauce. Return the meatballs to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 15 mins or until the meatballs are cooked through.
2. Stir in the soured cream and most of the parsley, and season to taste. Serve scattered with the remaining parsley, with rice, mashed potato or tagliatelle.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2014

Curried Parsnip Soup

Good Morning!

It's a lovely sunny morning here in Inverness but the last few days have been very Autumnal.  Just the sort of weather when you think about a nice warm bowl of soup!  This recipe is out of my Soil Association Soup Book and is an original one from the 70's by Jane Grigson.

Curried Parsnip Soup

Serves 4 

Ingredients:
1 heaped tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried red chilli or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 rounded tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, halved
675g/1 1/2 lb parsnips, peeled, cored and diced
30g/1 oz butter
1 tbsp plain flour
1 litre/1 3/4 pints vegetable, beef or chicken stock
salt & freshly ground black pepper
150ml/5fl oz cream
chopped parsley or chives to garnish (optional)

Method:
Whiz the first five ingredients in a coffee mill, or pound the whole spices in a mortar, then mix with the ground spices.  Put the mixture in a small jar - you will not need it all for this recipe.

Cook the onion, garlic and parsnips gently in the butter, lid on the pan, for ten minutes.  Stir in the flour and 1-2 tbsp of the spice mixture.  Cook for 2 minutes, giving it a good stir from time to time.  Pour in the stock gradually, stirring constantly.  Bring to the boil and leave to simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the parsnips are really tender.

Puree until smooth in a blender, then dilute to taste with water.  Season to taste with salt & freshly ground pepper, then reheat.  Add the cream and serve scattered with chives or parsley or with a swirl of cream as I've done here.

Salmon & Dill Traybake

Good Evening,

I'm back tonight with a rare second post and my recipe is a quick and delicious one I made for tea tonight.  The recipe is from Slimming World Magazine and I wouldn't hesitate to make it again!

Salmon & Dill Traybake

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
500g King Edward or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
Low-calorie Cooking Spray
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
2 red onions, thinly sliced
4 skinless and boneless salmon fillets
300g sugar snap peas
200g cherry tomatoes
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
A large handful of fresh dill, chopped

Preheat oven to 190C/170C (fan)/Gas 5.  Put the potatoes in a large roasting tin, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and season well.  Roast for 15 minutes then scatter over the onions and roast for a further 12-15 minutes.  Turn up the oven to 220C/200C (fan)/Gas 7.  Nestle the salmon, sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes between the veg.  Drizzle with lemon juice, sprinkle with the zest and dill and season with plenty black pepper.  Roast for around 15 minutes or until the salmon is golden, and everything is cooked through, before serving.

If you are following the Slimming Word Program it says Syns per serving: Extra Easy Free.

I'm not following the plan so I substituted a tablespoon of olive oil for the cooking oil spray and just used 3 salmon fillets but obviously if you did that it would probably alter the number of Syns.

Pizza Baked Potatoes

Good Morning

I'm back today with I quick recipe I made for tea last night.  Again, it's from the BBC Good Food website - my biggest source of inspiration!  We served it with Chicken Kiev and salad and it made a nice change from a plain baked potato with butter.

Pizza Baked Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 baking potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 60g pack sliced pepperoni, torn
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• ½ small pack basil leaves, shredded
• 100g grated mozzarella

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Scrub the potatoes and dry well, then prick several times with a fork. Bake directly on the oven shelf for 1-1½ hrs, until they feel soft. If you are short of time, prick each potato with a fork, wrap in a sheet of kitchen paper and microwave on High for 8-10 mins until soft inside.
2. While the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a small pan and sauté the onion for 5 mins to soften. Stir in the garlic and pepperoni, and cook for 1-2 mins, then add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Season and stir in half the basil. Spoon over the split potatoes and top each one with a good handful of cheese and the rest of the basil.**

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2014

**There were no further instructions for how long to cook the potatoes but I just put them back in the oven for around 10 mins until the cheese had melted.

Chocolate Brownies

Good morning,

This recipe is another one I made for Iona's birthday party and was one a work colleague gave to me.  Making these felt a bit like being on Great British Bake Off as there was no method just a list of ingredients so I had to wing it and I'm pleased to say I pulled it off!  They are really lovely and squidgy just like brownies should be!

Chocolate Brownies

Makes approx 30

Ingredients:

125 ml vegetable oil
3 large eggs, beaten
200 g dark molasses sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
30 g cocoa or drinking chocolate
75 g self raising flour
200 g mix of dark and milk chocolate, melted
150 g white chocolate, chopped

Method:

Mix together flour, cocoa or drinking chocolate, sugar and white chocolate in a large bowl.  Mix the oil, eggs and vanilla together and gradually fold into the flour mix.  Finally, add the slightly cooled melted chocolate and fold in.  Turn the mixture into a 9 inch square greased and lined tin.  And bake at 170C (Fan Assisted) for approximately 45 mins or until the top 'cracks' but the cake still feels like it has a bit of give.  Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Cut into small squares to serve.

Malteser Crunch

Hello,

This is the first of two recipes that I made for my daughter's birthday party yesterday.  I've made this recipe lots of times since I first discovered it as it's so quick and easy but also really tasty - who doesn't like Maltesers!!!  The recipe is from the BBC Good Food website.

Ingredients

• 100g Milk Chocolate
• 100g Butter
• 200g Crushed Digestive Biscuits
• 200g Maltesers ( Leave a dozen aside for the top )
• 3 tbsp Syrup
• 200g White Chocolate

Method

1. Grease and line a swiss roll tin (approx 8"x10")
2. Melt together the milk chocolate, butter and syrup.
3. Add crushed biscuits and whole maltesers to chocolate mix.
4. Press into tin and place in fridge to chill.
5. When mix is firm, melt the white chocolate and pour on top. Finally crush up the left over maltesers and sprinkle on top.

Plum Crumble

Good Morning,

I'm back today with my first dessert recipe.  My sister-in-law brought us some plums from her garden so it was rude not to make this delicious crumble which I discovered around the same time last year.  It's from the BBC Good Food website which, along with the magazine I subscribe to, is a great source of inspiration to me.  This is really simple to make but is the tastiest crumble I've ever come across.

Ingredients

• 800g ripe cooking plums, such as Victoria or dessert plums, halved and stoned
• 50g light brown sugar
• finely grated zest 1 orange
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp plain flour

For the crumble

• 250g plain flour
• 150g butter
• 80g caster sugar
• 80g demerara sugar
• 50g ground almonds

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the plums into the base of a shallow gratin dish about 28cm long. Mix together the sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and flour and sprinkle over the plums. Trickle over 2 tbsp water.
2. Put all the crumble ingredients into a food processor, and using the pulse button, whizz until the mixture just starts to clump together. Take care not to over process at this stage. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour using your hands and then stir in the other ingredients.
3. Scatter the crumble over the plums and bake in the oven for 30–40 mins until golden brown. Leave for about 15 mins before serving with custard or cream.

Recipe from bbcgoodfood.com, October 2012

Notes: if you don't have a food processor, cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the remaining crumble ingredients.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Hello,

Today's recipe is one taken from an ancient Marks & Spencer Pasta Recipe Book and tweaked over the years.  It's great comfort food and I often make it if I have a glut of eggs.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
200g smoked bacon lardons
250g chestnut mushrooms, prepared and finely sliced
250g dried spaghetti
2 eggs
150ml double cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, cook the bacon for around 5 mins until well coloured and starting to go crisp.  Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for approx 5 more minutes.  Put to one side.  Beat together the eggs and cream and season well.

Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to a large pan of boiling, salted water then cook according to packet instructions until al dente (approx 8-10 mins).  When the pasta has almost finished cooking reheat the bacon and mushrooms.  Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan.  Toss everything together then quickly add the egg mixture stirring all the time until the pasta is well coated and the eggs are cooked.  If you don't stir enough at this stage or cook for too long it will turn like scrambled eggs.  Personally, I like it quite well cooked at this stage rather than just runny with the eggs lightly cooked.

Serve immediately with more black pepper and parmesan cheese sprinkled over.

Shona xx

Blueberry & White Chocolate Muffins

Good Evening,

Tonight's recipe is one I cut out of a local newspaper recently and was keen to try.  The recipe is by one of the chefs from the renowned Three Chimneys Restaurant on the Isle of Skye and uses blaeberries (also known as bilberries) which grow wild around the countryside.  Here I've used some of our own blueberries from the garden which are a very close relation.

Blueberry & White Chocolate Muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients:

10oz self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

6oz caster sugar

200ml milk

1 large egg

3oz melted butter

3oz white chocolate, chopped, plus 1oz

200g blueberries

Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and white chocolate in a large pan.  Beat the egg and milk together, add slightly cooled melted butter.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients.  Mix very lightly for about 30 seconds.  Do not over-mix.

Half fill muffin cases then place 5 or 6 blueberries in each then add more mixture to 3/4 fill the cases.  Add a few more blueberries and some of the remaining white chocolate to each.

Bake at 200C/190C fan assisted for approx 25 mins.  Sprinkle with vanilla sugar or icing sugar as I have done here.

Broccoli & Smoked Cheese Soup

Hello again,

I'm back with another soup recipe today.  This one originated as a recipe in a vegetarian cookbook I got as a present many years ago.  The original recipe used stilton but I'm not a big fan of blue cheeses so I adapted it by using mature cheddar.  Making it with smoked cheese has been a recent variation but I really like it.

Broccoli & Smoked Cheese Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:
10 ml spoon olive oil
knob of butter
1 onion, chopped
1 head of broccoli (approx 300g), cut into small florets
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 litre veg stock
100g smoked cheese (I used Applewood), grated or crumbled
3 tbsp double cream
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan, add the onion and cook for a few mins until softened.  Add the broccoli and garlic and continue to cook for a few mins more, stirring regularly.  Add the thyme and stock.  Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins or until the vegetables are tender.  Blend the soup then reheat in the pan with the cheese until melted.  Add the cream and heat through.  Check the seasoning you will probably not need to add salt with using the smoked cheese but you'll need a good grind of pepper.

This is just as good made with mature cheddar or stilton if you like it.

Shona x

My Bolognese Sauce

Good evening,

Tonight's recipe is one of my own, well it probably started life as a recipe from somewhere long ago but I've added to it and adapted it to suit our tastes.  It's great with the old staple spaghetti but just as good with a baked potato.

Bolognese Sauce

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
450g minced beef steak
2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
200g mushrooms, peeled and sliced,
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
100ml white or red wine
500g carton passata
1 tbsp tomato puree
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large saute or frying pan with a lid.  Add the mince, bacon, onion, carrot and celery and cook without fat, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened and the mince is starting to brown.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 2-3 mins more.  Add the wine and bubble over a high heat until it has almost evaporated.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 mins.  Check the seasoning then serve with spaghetti or a baked potato and freshly grated parmesan.

English Onion Soup

Hello again,

Here's a recipe I tried a few weeks back - English Onion Soup!  Just like French Onion but made with cider instead of wine!  Again, I made it using the onions hubby grew in our garden.  The recipe is from the Asda website.

English Onion Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 15g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 500g large brown onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 15g plain flour
• 500ml reduced-salt beef stock
• 500ml cider
• 1 small baguette
• 75g mature Cheddar

1. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and stir until they're well coated. Cook over a low heat, stirring often, until soft.
2. Stir in the sugar and continue to cook over a low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until they're a deep golden brown. As you stir, make sure you take the spoon right into the base of the pan to ensure the onions don't catch in places.
3. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring all the time, for a further 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock and then the cider. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes.
4. Preheat the grill. Slice the baguette and put in a single layer on a grill pan. Grill until toasted on one side. Turn over and sprinkle with the cheese, then grill until it melts.
5. Divide the soup between 6 bowls and top each one with slices of bread. Sprinkle with black pepper, to serve.

That's all for tonight, see you again soon.

Shona xx

Raspberry & Blueberry Cake

Hi there,

Welcome to my very first post on my new cooking and baking blog.  Tonight's recipe is one I found in the current (August 2014) Asda Magazine.  I thought it would be a perfect recipe to use some of the blueberries my husband has been growing in the garden.  The raspberries were grown locally at Wester Hardmuir and the eggs are also from a local farm.  I love using local produce when it's available.

Raspberry & Blueberry Cake

Serves 10 approx 

Ingredients:

175g butter

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs

225g self raising flour

Finely grated zest 1 orange

75g fresh raspberries

75g fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.  Line a 2lb  loaf tin with baking paper.  Beat the butter and sugar until soft and creamy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and adding a little flour if the mixture begins to split.  Fold in remaining flour and the orange zest.  Wash and pat dry the fruit with kitchen towel to absorb as much moisture as possible.  Gently fold in the berries.  Turn into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Leave to cool on a wire rack.  This will keep for a few days in an airtight tin.

Please come back and visit soon, I hope to keep adding to my blog as I make and photograph some of my favourite recipes.

Shona xx