Cookery
Book Two
Breakfast
Porridge
Omelette
Soup
Tomato & Basil
Lentil
Carrot & pepper
Chickpea & Vegetables
Leek & Potato Soup
Vegetarían
Vegetable Pasta
Macaroni Cheese
Fish
Fish cakes
Fish with a herb crust
Fish pie
Chicken
One pot Chicken with Tomato
Chicken Korma
Roast Chicken
Moroccan cous-cous with stewed chicken
Creamy Pesto chicken with roasted tomatoes
Meat
Home made burgers with potato wedges
Sausage hot pot
Cottage pie
Spaghetti bolognaise & Lasagne
Turkish lamb stew
Pork & Noodle stir fry
Italian shepherds pie
Paella
Meatballs with tomato sauce
Deserts / Baking
Mango delight
Apple crumble
Pear & Chocolat sponge
Microwave dumpling
Scones
Easy fruit loaf
Microwave flapjacks
Carrot cake
Miscellaneous
Salads
Guacomole
Hummus
Smoothies
Rice (how to cook)
The Perfect Omelette
Ingredients
3 eggs
2 tablespoon oil [olive or sunflower]
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork until smooth
2. Season the eggs with a little salt and pepper
3. Heat a non stick pan over a high heat and add the oil, when the oil is
smoking hot pour the eggs quickly into the pan.
4. Using a fork or spatula and working in a circular motion ,move the
eggs
in the pan around till lightly cooked
5. Place filling in centre and fold over and continue cooking for approx 2
mins
6. Tip the omelette on to plate and serve
Porridge to serve 2 generously
! cup rolled oats
1 cup semi skimmed milk
1 cup water
1. Place all ingredients in a small pot and bring to the boil
2. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring frequently
3. Either mix in ½ teaspoon salt and serve with milk (Scottish version) or
add a mixture if dried fruits eg ready to eat apricots or some chopped
fresh fruit for a healthy version
Tomato & Basil Soup
Ingredients
2x carrots sliced
2x sticks celery sliced
2 x onions chopped
2 x garlic cloves chopped
2 x tablespoons olive oil
2x chicken or vegetable stock cubes
2x tins whole plum tomatoes
6x large tomatoes
Small bunch basil
Salt and pepper
Method
1 .Peel and roughly slice the carrots and celery, peel and chop the onions and garlic.
2 .Heat the olive oil in a large pan, then tip in all your chopped and sliced veg. Cook
for around 10mins until the carrots have softened
3. Put the stock cubes into a jug and pour in 1.8 litres of boiling water from the kettle.
Stir until the stock cubes are dissolved and then add to the pan with your tinned and
fresh tomatoes. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer
for 10 mins with the lid on.
4 Add your basil leaves and season soup
5. Using a hand blender whizz the soup until smooth then bring back to boil
Serve with crusty bread
Lentil Soup
1 cup lentils
1 large or 2 medium carrots
1 large onion
1 leek
Piece of turnip
1 ltr. Vegetable or ham stock
If wished a little chopped bacon may be added
A little oil, salt & pepper for seasoning a little parsley to garnish
1. Chop onions and slice leek All remaining vegetables may either be chopped
into cubes about 1 cm square or grated.
2. Heat a little oil in a large pan and gently sauté vegetables for 5 minutes over a
low hear without browning.
3. Add lentils and continue to sauté for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add stock bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables and lentils
are cooked.
5. Check seasoning and garnish with a little chopped parsley before serving.
Carrot & Pepper Soup Serves 4
500g Carrots
1 large onion
1 pepper
500ml stock (one stock cube dissolved in hot water)
A little oil, if wished a little parsley to garnish
salt & Pepper to taste
1. Peel carrots and cut of tops chop into large chunks
2. Peel onions and chop finely
3. Wash pepper cut in half remove seeds and stock and finely chop pepper
4. Heat a little oil about 1 desert spoonful in a pot and add onions and peppers
fry gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot chunks and stir
cover with a lid. Lower heat and leave for 5 minutes.
5. Add stock then bring to boil, lower heat then simmer for 20 minutes until
carrots are soft.
6. Either use a potato masher and mash carrots or if available use a blender to
blend and give a smoother soup.
7. If wished garnish with a little parsley
Chickpea & vegetable soup
serves 6

1 can chick peas
2 carrots

2 onions
1 leek

A little turnip

1 ltr stock
any other vegetables you have
seasoning and a little oil pinch of mixed herbs if wished
1. Peel and roughly chop all the vegetables and sweat in a little oil for 5 minutes
2. Drain and rinse chick peas place half tin with vegetables, reserve remainder
3. Add stock and simmer until vegetables are cooked.
4. Blend until smooth and add reserved chick peas Bring back to boil
5. Serve sprinkled with parsley
Leek & Potato Soup
1large leek
1 medium onion
2 large potatoes
1large carrot
750ml stock (1½ pints) made with water and 1½ stock cubes
A little oil & Seasoning
1
.Cut leek into rings then wash in cold water, Chop onion.
2
Gently sweat leek and onion in a little oil for 5 minutes
3
Peel & slice carrot into rings.
4
Wash potatoes - only peel if necessary. Chop 1 into small chunks (about
thickness of finger) cut other into 2 or 3 pieces.
5
Add to pan along with stock and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are soft.
6
Mash large potato, check seasoning and serve garnished with parsley if
wished.
Vegetable Pasta
230g Dried Pasta
1 onion
1 Carrot
1 clove of garlic
100g rated cheese
1 small courgette
1 small green pepper
1 tin chopped tomatoes 450g
Any other vegetables you have
Mixed dried herbs or oregano A little oil, Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Peel and chop onion& Carrot, trim top & bottom of courgette and slice, cut
pepper in half remove seeds and stock and chop, crush garlic.
2. Place carrot in a large pan of water and bring to boil. When water is boiling
add pasta and cook for 10 minutes then drain.
3. Place a little oil in a pan add onion, pepper and garlic and gently fry for 5
minutes, add courgette slices and fry for another 5 minutes. –don’t let the
onions brown.
4. Add tomatoes to vegetables along with 1 to 2 teaspoonful of herbs
5. Add to pasta mixing in a little black pepper and serve.
6. It can also be piled into a dish sprinkled with grated cheese and placed under
a hot grill until the cheese is melted
This recipe also works well with grilled chopped bacon and a handful of sweet corn.
Or add a tin of drained tuna or salmon along with the tomatoes
Macaroni Cheese serves 4
200g/8oz Macaroni
½ pt milk
25g/1oz flour
25g/1oz margarine
Salt & pepper
1 or 2 tomatoes
100g/4oz strong cheddar
1. Bring a large pan of water to boil add macaroni and a little salt Return to boil and
simmer for 15 minutes until just soft then drain well.
2. In a small pan melt margarine and mix in flour cook jently for 2 minutes without
allowing it to brown.
3. Stir in milk a little at a time mixing well between each addition.
4. Add ¾ of grated cheese and seasoning and bring to boil stirring all the time.
5. Simmer for 3 minutes stirring all the time.
6. Add Macaroni place in a dish and cover with sliced tomatoes
7. Sprinkle rest of cheese over top and brown briefly under grill
Fish Cakes
1 large slice Smoked Haddock or 450g tin of Pink Salmon
500g / 1lb potatoes
1Small leek or 4/5 spring onions
1 egg
A little flour
Fish dressing or bread crumbs
Oil for frying
1. Peel potatoes and cut into small even sized chunks
2. Place in pan with water, cover with a soup plate or casserole lid. Place fish on plate
and cover with a pot lid.
Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are
tender.
3. Cut leek or spring onions into slices and fry until soft in a very little oil.
4. Drain and mash potatoes, flake fish and add with leeks. Mix together then leave to cool
slightly.
5. Beat egg adding a little milk in a soup plate. Place fish dressing on a paper towel.
6. Turn mixture onto a lightly floured board and flour hands.
7. Take large spoonfuls of mixture and shape into cakes.
8. Dip cakes first in egg then in fish dressing.
9. Fry in a little oil until golden or place on a lightly greased baking tray drizzle with a little
oil and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes
Fish Pie serves 2/3
½lb fish any type will do but a fillet of salmon and one of haddock work well
1 small leek
1lb potatoes
Small piece of turnip
½ pint milk
1 tablespoon cornflour
If wished a little frozen sweetcorn
A little oil & Seasoning
1. Peel potatoes and turnip if using cut into even sized chunks and place in pot with a
little water to boil.
2. Place a casserole lid or deep soup plate on top of potato pot , add fish and a little milk.
Cover with pot lid and simmer until potatoes and turnip are cooked.
3. Wash leek and cut into circles Gently fry in a little oil for 5 to 10 minutes until
cooked.
4. When potatoes are cooked so also will be the fish. Drain milk from fish and add to
leeks along with most of the remaining milk. Mix milk that is left with cornflour
5. Bring milk & leeks to simmering point and add cornflour. Return to boil and simmer
for 2 minutes stiring all the time. If using add sweetcorn now
6. Break up fish and add to sauce along with a little salt & pepper. Pour into a deep
casserole.
7. Mash together potatoes and turnip anf pile on top of fish.
8. Either brown under grill or place in oven for 15 minutes to brown top
9. Serve with green beans or peas.
FISH with a HERB CRUST serves 2
2Fillets of Fish Haddock, trout or salmon all work well
For the crust
30 g fresh breadcrumbs (about 1½ slices of bread)
1 desert spoon. olive oil plus a little extra for cooking
½ teasp mixed herbs
1spring onions finely sliced
5gm parsley roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
1teasp. Lemon zest
1tabsp. Lemon juice.
1 Place salmon fillets on a lightly oiled baking sheet and season, preheat grill to
medium.
2 Mix the breadcrumbs with the herbs, spring onions, lemon zest olive oil,
lemon juice and seasoning. Sprinkle salmon with a little lemon juice then
cover with breadcrumbs.
3 Drizzle with a little olive oil and place under gril for 8 to 10 minutes until top
is golden and fish cooked through. Or place in preheated oven for 20min at
180°C
One Pan Chicken with Tomatoes
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs
1 red onion sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can mixed beans
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Method
1. Heat a little oil in pan and fry the chicken thighs skin side down until
golden, turn over and fry for 5 mins
2. Add the red onion and fry for 5 mins, add the tomatoes, mixed beans
and balsamic vinegar
3. Cover and simmer for 10- 12 mins until piping hot.
Serve with potatoes or rice and green vegetable
Chicken Korma serves 2
2 Chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs
1 onion
1 carrot
1 heaped teaspoon mild curry powder or (you can grind together ½teasp chilli,
3 cardamom seeds, ½teasp turmeric 1 inch root ginger peeled & chopped & 1 garlic)
½ block creamed coconut
Small cartoon natural yogurt
1 tablespoon oil
1. Chop chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and fry in oil for 8-10 minutes until golden.
Remove from pan and drain on kitchen towel.
2. Finely chop onion & grate carrot. Add onion to pan along with curry powder and fry for 5
minutes. Add grated carrot, chicken and ¼ pint / 150ml water.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cut creamed coconut into pieces and add to curry cook for 5
minutes.
4. Just before serving add yogurt and heat gently DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
5. Serve with rice or nan bread and finely sliced tomato & onion mixed together. Finely sliced
cucumber mixed with a little crushed garlic and natural yogurt is also nice.
Moroccan Cous Cous with Stewed Chicken
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (tbsp) of olive oil
1 chilli, de-seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 handful of basil leaves, roughly choped
1 teaspoon (tsp) of cumin seed
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tin of kidney beans (or other beans)
1 pepper, de-seeded chopped in to bite size chunks
1 handful of frozen peas
1 chicken fillet, chopped
250 grams of cous cous
Boiling water
2 lemons, halved
Salt and Pepper
Method
1. Season cous cous in a large bowl with the juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper. Add the
boiling water, cover with a lid or plate and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat. Add chilli, garlic and basil leaves.
Crush the cumin seeds with the cinnamon in a pestle and mortar. Add spice to pan and stir.
3. Stir in the chicken and allow to cook in the spices for a couple of minutes. Add tin of
tomatoes, bring to the boil, add peppers, beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Squeeze in some
lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste.
Creamy pesto chicken with roasted tomatoes
Ingredients
 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp from a jar or homemade pesto (see recipe below)

85g mascarpone

4 tbsp olive oil

100g breadcrumbs , preferably from day-old bread

175g baby tomatoes , on the vine

handful pine nuts

handful basil leaves

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Use a small sharp knife to make a slit
along the side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Mix together the pesto
and mascarpone, then carefully spoon a quarter of the mixture into each
chicken breast and smooth over the opening to seal.

Brush a little oil, about 1 tsp, all over each chicken breast and season well.
Tip the breadcrumbs onto a large plate and season. Place each breast on the
plate and press all over with the breadcrumbs. Place in a lightly oiled shallow
baking dish along with the tomatoes (kept together on the vine in a couple of
bunches). Drizzle over the remaining oil.

Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until the chicken starts to turn golden and is
cooked through. Scatter over the pine nuts if liked and cook for 2 mins more.
Serve with potatoes or crusty bread.
Why not try
HOMEMADE PESTO
In a small food processor, whizz together a large handful basil leaves (about
40g), 25g toasted pine nuts, 25g finely grated Parmesan, 1 crushed garlic clove
and 3 tbsp olive oil. Keep in the fridge for 1-2 days or cover with a layer of oil
and keep for 3-4 days.
Turkish lamb Stew
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
400 gms lean lamb in cubes
1 red onion peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove peeled and chopped
1 potato peeled and quartered
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper seeded and sliced
200 gms tin chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 aubergine cut into chunks
1 lamb stock cube in 200ml water
Fresh herbs choped optional
8 black olives optional
Method
1. Heat 1 tablspoon oil in pot and brown the lamb on high heat, reduce heat
and add the onion, garlic cook for 5 minutes then add potato, tomatoes, red
pepper, chickpeas, aubergine, stock, vinegar and herbs
2. Cover pan and bring to boil then simmer till lamb is tender about 1hr
3 . Serve with green veg
Roast Chicken
Ingredients
• 1 x approximately 1.6kg chicken,
2 medium onions
• 2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
• 1 bulb of garlic
olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
a small bunch of fresh thyme, rosemary, bay or sage, or a mixture
To prepare your chicken
• Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven
• Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F/gas 9
• There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop
them
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled
• Pile all the veg and garlic into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with
olive oil
• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it
all over the bird
• Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife (if you have a
microwave, you could pop the lemon in these for 40 seconds at this point as this will
really bring out the flavour)
• Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs
To cook your chicken
• Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the
preheated oven
• Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook the chicken for 1
hour and 20 minutes
• If you’re doing roast potatoes and veggies, this is the time to crack on with them –
get them into the oven for the last hour of cooking
• Baste the chicken halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add a splash of
water to the tray to stop them burning
• When cooked, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board to
rest for 15 minutes or so
Cover it with a layer of tinfoil
Homemade Burger and Potato Wedges
Ingredients
Burgers
500g lean beef mince
2 tablespoons (tbsp) of olive or vegetable oil
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 stick of celery, grated
1 egg (or two egg yolks), whisked in a cup or bowl
(Optional) Mixed herbs, e.g. thyme, parsley etc
Salt and pepper
Wedges
2 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil
6 potatoes, cut into wedges
(optional) Mixed herbs, e.g. rosemary thyme etc
1 garlic love, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
Side
Selection of vegetables boiled or salad
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
2. Using your hands, mix all burger ingredients in a bowl. Make them into small
burgers. Cover them on a plate and put in fridge for 20 minutes.
3. Put potatoes in pot, add boiling water and salt. Boil for about 6 to 8 minutes (This
is called par-boiling). Drain water and put back into pot. Season wedges with the
salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic and oil.
4. Place seasoned wedges on baking tray or in oven proof container (try to have one
even layer and not overlapping) and roast for 25 minutes – turning them half way.
5. Fry or grill burgers, add toppings and serve with wedges and sides.
Sausage hot pot serves 2
4 thick link sausages or 4 sliced sausages or as many as you would like
2 large potatoes
1 onion
1 carrot
Piece of turnip
Any other vegetables you like
A little bisto
1.Peel carrot onion and turnip and cut into chunks
2.If using links prick each one 3 times then place in a dry pot over a gentle heat and gently
fry until fat runs off. Drain away and discard fat
3. Chop & vegetables and about one small cup of water. Bring to boil and leave to simmer for
about 10 minutes.
4.Meantime, Wash potatoes (peel if wished) and cut into thick slices Add in a layer on top of
sausages and vegetables
5.Simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are cooked.
6.Drain gravy into a jug and leave to stand for a few minutes pour away any fat.
7.For every ¼ pt of gravy mix 1 heaped teaspoon of bisto with a little water and add it to the
gravy. Return to pan and simmer for 2 minutes until thick.
8.Serve with a green vegetable such as cabbage or broccoli.
Cottage pie serves 4
400g mince
1 onion
Small piece turnip
A little bisto
1 carrot
500g potatoes
1. Chop onions & fry in a little oil until golden then add mince and brown
2. Peel & cube carrot & turnip and add to mince. Add about 1 mug of water
and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Peel potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until soft. Then mash.
4. Thicken mince with a little bisto and simmer for 2 minutes Place in a
suitable container. Top with mashed potatoes and if liked brown under
grill
This Mince and Tatties Recipe is the favourite meal of the Scottish recipes
team. Scotland's favourite cartoon character, Oor Wullie, is a great fan or mince
and tatties. It’s Braw! Some argue mince and tatties is not healthy whilst others
think it is relatively healthy if eaten as part of a balanced diet and good
quality ingredients are used. Try using low fat mince, quorn or draining as
much of the mince fat as possible after browning.
Ingredients For Mince And Tatties
500g of minced beef or quorn
Four large potatoes for the mash
3 carrots cut into small cubes
One large onion chopped
1. Peel the potatoes and carrots.
2 Make your mashed potatoes as normal. The water is then drained and a
small amount of milk and low fat spread is added before mashing the
potatoes. This can be done as the mince is cooking and the mashed tatties
made ready to time with the mince being ready.
3 The mince should be browned in a pot at a medium heat along with the
chopped onions, .and drain off any mince fat.
4 Add the chopped carrots then add some water. and bring to boil then turn
down and simmer for 30 mins.
5 Add a little gravy browning to thicken and bring back to boil
6 Serve with green veg and mashed potatoes
Spaghetti Bolognaise
300g mince
2 rashers of bacon (if wished)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 small courgette
1 stick of celery
A few mushrooms
1 small pepper
(any combination of vegetables may be used but onion pepper and carrot are musts)
1 clove garlic
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 to 2 teaspoons oregano
A little oil
Seasoning to taste
1. Finely chop onion, pepper & garlic and sauté in a little oil for 5 minutes
2. Push vegetables to one side and brown mince and chopped bacon if using
3. Chop other vegetables into cubes about thickness of your finger quarter
mushrooms if using.
4. Add to pan along with tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and oregano
5. Simmer for about one hour stirring occasionally. Check seasoning
6. Serve with spaghetti.
The above mixture is the basis of lasagne and can be turned into this very easily
Lasagne
Bolognaise mixture as above
Sheets of lasagne
½ pint milk
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1.
100g grated cheese
Mix cornflour with a little of the milk.
1. Bring rest of milk to boil add to cornflour then return to pan and simmer for 2
minutes
2. Add ¾ cheese and a little salt & pepper.
3. In a suitable casserole place a layer of lasagne half of bolognaise mixture then
half of cheese sauce
4. Repeat layer then sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 20 – 25 minutes
at 190°C
Pork and Noodle Stir Fry
Ingredients
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 in piece fresh root ginger peeled and grated
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ red chilli finely chopped
450gms stir fry pork strips or chicken or turkey
2 red peppers seeded and roughly chopped
Packet baby sweet corn
200gms sugarsnap peas halved
300 gms bean sprouts
250 gms rice noodles
Method
1. Put oil in large bowl add ginger,soy sauce,fish sauce,chilli and pork strips



Heat a large wok until hot and add the pork strips and stir fry over a high heat
for 5 mins then add the red pepers,corn,sugarsnaps,bean sprouts and rest of
marinade and stir fry for further 2-3 min until pork is cooked
Bring large pan of water to boil and cook noodles according to the packet
instructions
Drain the noodles, tip into wok and toss together then serve
Italian Shepherd’s pie
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
70g button mushrooms, halved
500g minced beef
1 glass dry red wine (optional)
500g tinned chopped tomatoes
6 fresh basil leaves
700g sweet potatoes, chopped
30g salted butter
50ml semi skimmed milk
freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Preparations
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions, carrots and
mushrooms for 10 minutes until softened. Add the minced beef, season
with salt and pepper and stir frequently with a wooden spoon for 5
minutes, separating any clumps of meat.
2. Add the wine and simmer for about ten minutes, stirring
occasionally, until the alcohol has completely evaporated. Add the
tomatoes and the basil, taste for seasoning and cook, uncovered, over a
medium heat for 30minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Cook the
sweet potatoes until soft. Drain and mash well adding the butter, milk
and 100g of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, then stir
vigorously with a wooden spoon over a low heat for 2 minutes to give a
creamy texture.
4. Pour the meat sauce into a pie dish and carefully spread over the
mashed potato, ensuring the meat is completely covered. Use a fork to
create small peaks and then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top.
5. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes until the topping
is crisp and golden. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Meatballs with a tomato Sauce. Serves 4
450g/1lbMinced pork
1 onion
A little oil
Sauce
1 small tin condensed tomato soup
1 carrot
½ small courgette
50g/2oz breadcrumbs (2 slices bread)
1 egg
2 teasp Thyme or mixed herbs
1 onion
1 stick celery
1 teaspoon Thyme or mixed herbs
1. Make meatballs first. Lightly oil a large baking tray or dish and heat oven to 180°C
2. Finely chop onion and mix with mince, breadcrumbs, herbs and egg..
3. Form into 16 small balls and place on tray . Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
Sauce.
1. Peel and roughly chop all vegetables and place in pot with herbs, soup and half a tin of
water.
2. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are soft.
3. Blend until smooth
4. Drain away any fat from cooked meatballs and add to sauce.
5. Serve with pasta or rice.
Paella
Serves 5 - and the dog!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green and red pepper, de-seeded and chopped into cubes
2 tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
1 handful of frozen peas
500 grams of Arborio rice (normal long grain rice also works well)
1 litre of chicken stock (boiling water plus 2 stock cubes)
Salt and pepper
1 large chicken fillet, chopped into small pieces
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
(Optional) 1 teaspoon of saffron strands
Method
 Heat olive oil in paella pan on a medium heat (wok or large frying pan will do fine)
 Add the onions, garlic and peppers to the pan, cook for 4 minutes
 Add the chicken (season with salt and pepper), then add the chorizo. Allow to cook
for 10 minutes
 If using saffron, soak in a cup of the chicken stock and add to pan, then stir the rice
into the pan (If you are not using saffron simply add 1 cup of chicken stock)
 Add the rest of the stock to the pan, bring to the boil and leave simmer gently for
about 20 minutes (try not to stir it – it will cook better on its own)
 About 5 minutes before the end, add the tomatoes
 You can stir at the end to fluff up the rice if you like
 Garnish with some fresh parsley (optional)
Seafood option (Paella Valenciana)
It is common to use mussels and prawns in a paella. To do this, simply scrub the mussels
under cold running water and discard any that open at this stage. Add the muscles and
prawns 5 minutes before the end. Don’t eat any muscles that don’t fully open as they will
give you food poisoning.
Mango Delight
Serves 4
1 large ripe mango
1 ball of ginger in syrup & 1 tablespoon of syrup
500ml Greek yogurt (a large tub)
1. Stone and chop mango reserve 4 pieces for decoration
2. Finely chop ginger and mix with mango
3. Divide between 4 wine glasses or small dishes
4. Mix yogurt with syrup and divide among wine glasses decorate with reserved
pieces of mango
5. This dish also works well with pears but you need to add a little lemon juice
to pears to prevent them going brown
Apple Crumble serves 4
4 eating apples or 500g of other fruit eg. rhubarb or gooseberries These will
need about 100g sugar added
A handful of sultanas or raisins if using apples (don’t use with other fruit)
110g/4 oz wholemeal flour
55g/2oz porridge oats
55g/2oz sugar plus a little extra for sprinkling.
55g/2oz margarine
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Heat oven to 180°C
Place flour and margarine in a bowl and rub in with finger tips until it
looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Add Sugar and porridge and mix together
Peel and core apples and slice finely mix with sultanas and a little
cinnamon.
Place in a well greased casserole and add two tablespoons water.
Cover with crumble and sprinkle with a little sugar.
Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until golden
Serve with custard, yogurt, cream or icecream
Custard made in Microwave
½ pint milk
1 tablespoon custard powder
1 desert spoon Sugar or to taste
1. In a 1 pint jug preferably pirex mix the custard with a little milk until smooth
2. Add rest of milk and mix well.
3. Place in microwave at 800 watts for 2 minutes stir well. Then microwave for a further
minute add sugar, stir well and serve.
Using cornflour instead of custard and omitting sugar you can make a white sauce. Add a
little cheese, cooked mushrooms, cooked leeks or parsley to vary the flavours
Pear & Chocolate Sponge
serves 8
3 to 4 pears & a few glace cherries
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar
4oz/110g SR Flour
4oz/110g castor sugar
4oz/110g Margarine
2 eggs
2oz/55g Drinking chocolate
1 teasp Baking powder
A little milk
1. Set oven to 180°C. Grease a deep 8inch /20cm cake tin thickly with margarine
and sprinkle Demerara sugar over base.
2. Peel pears cut in half and remove core place a glace cherry in core and place cut
side down in tin.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, drinking chocolate and sugar into a bowl.
4. Add margarine and eggs and beet well either with a hand mixer or wooden
spoon. If necessary add a little milk.
5. Smooth mixture evenly over pears and bake in oven for 30-40 minutes until
golden and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Loosen sides of cake with a knife and turnout upside down onto a serving
plate. Serve with custard, cream or ice cream
Instead of pears you can use tinned pineapples and make a plain sponge with out the
drinking chocolate to make pineapple upside down cake.
The sponge mixture is a basic Victoria sponge and can be baked without fruit in an
8inch tin and filled with jam for a tea time treat.
Easy Fruit Loaf
1½ cups SR flour
½cup sugar
50g soft margarine This can be missed out but it helps loaf keep longer
1 cup raisins or sultanas
1 tablespoon syrup
1 egg
½cup milk
1. Heat oven to 180°C
2. Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin with grease proof paper
3. Put all ingredients except for a little of the milk into a bowl and beat well for
about 2/3 minutes until all combined
4. Place in tin and make a small hollow in the middle
5. Bake for 45/50 minutes until well risen and a knife or skewer comes out clean.
6. Remove from tin and leave to cool serve with butter
Variations
CHERRY
Use ½cup of cherries cut in half instead of sultanas
APRICOT & ALMOND
Miss out sultanas and add 1 cup ready to eat apricots cut in half and 1 tablespoon of
ground almonds
GINGERBREAD
Use treacle instead of syrup and add 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1 teaspoon mixed spice
Microwave Dumpling
150ml water
110g Self Raising flour
110g brown sugar
2 teasp cinnamon
110g margarine
1 egg beaten
225g sultanas
or mixed fruit
(I often add 1 teasp mixed spice
as well)
½teasp bicarbonate soda
1 desert sp treacle
2
1. Gently melt first 6 items in microwave at 600watts for 2 min ( don’t allow to
get too hot
2. Add flour cinnamon and egg and mix well
3. Line a large bowl ( at least 2 pints) with cling film fill with mixture and cover
with a plate
4. Cook at 800watts for 6 minutes.
5. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out.
6. Wrapped in foil will keep for 5 to 6 days but also freezes well. Heat for 1
minute in microwave if serving hot
Scones
8oz/225g/2 cups
1 rounded teasp
2oz/55g
2oz/55g/1/3rd cup
1 egg
125ml milk
Self Raising flour
Baking powder
Soft margarine
Sugar
1. Hear oven to 220°C
2. Sift together flour and baking powder into bowl and add sugar
3. Rub in margarine using finger tips and trying to get as much air as possible into
mixture
4. Mix together milk and egg and add most to flour mixture mixing with a knife to
bring it all together
5. Turn on to a lightly floured worktop and cut into 8/12 scones using a cutter or
small glass, place on greased tray and if you have any egg mixture left brush
tops with this or a little milk
6. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes at top of oven until golden.
7. Cool on wire rack covered with a clean teatowel and serve with butter, jam or
cheese.
8. If wished a handful of currents or raisins may be added after step 3.
Carrot Cake
175g light muscovado sugar
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
(Optional) 100g raisins
grated zest of 1 large orange
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground nutmeg
For the Icing
175g icing sugar
1½-2 tbsp orange juice
175ml sunflower oil
3 carrots
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of
an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. The easiest way to do this is
to cut two long strips the width of the tin and put each strip crossways,
covering the base and sides of the tin, with a double layer in the base.
2. Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly
mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.
3. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly
mix all the ingredients - when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing.
The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it
feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5
minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can
freeze the cake at this point.)
5. Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth - you want
the icing about as runny as single cream. Set the cake on a serving plate and
boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it
drip down the sides.
Microwave Flapjacks
75g Margarine
40g brown sugar
1tablespoon honey
175g porridge oats
Optional extra
50g dried fruit (apricots are nice and also raisins)
1. In a large bowl place margarine , sugar & honey and melt in microwave for
about 1 minute. Don’t let it boil
2. Add oats and if wished some dried fruit and mix well
3. Place into a lightly greased 20cm round microwave safe dish (The lid of a
medium casserole works well) and press down smoothing the top.
4. Microwave on full power for 3 minutes Remove from microwave with care, it
will be hot.
5. Mark into 8 wedges and allow to cool before serving.
Houmous with veg sticks
Ingredients and Method
1. Put 2 can x 400gms rinsed and drained chickpeas, 2 garlic cloves in blender and
whizz till smooth
2. Add juice of 1 lemon, ,2 tablespoon tahini paste (optional )and whizz again till
smooth
3. Serve with sticks of carrot, cucumber, peppers, cherry tomatoes and some pitta
bread
Guacamole
smooth
1 lime, juiced
½ fresh chilli, seeded and chopped, or to taste
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
3 ripe avocados
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
3 Put half the lime juice in a bowl with the chilli, garlic and coriander.
4 Halve, stone and peel the avocados. Chop roughly and add to the bowl.
5 Roughly mash with a fork or potato masher then season with salt and freshly
ground black pepper.
6 Add more lime juice to taste, along with more chilli, garlic and coriander if
you wish.
7 Pack into a small container and keep in fridge
Mackeral houmous
1 tin mackeral in tomato sauce
1x carton low fat cream cheese
Lemon juice
White pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve with wholemeal bread and salad
Rice
Rice can be boiled in two main ways
5. Boil a large pan of water, add salt then rice and boil for 12 to 15 minutes until tender.
Drain and rinse with boiling water before serving.
6. Measure rice into a colander (1 teacup serves 2 generously) rinse in cold water. Add
twice as much water as rice (eg for each cup of rice add 2 cups water) Bring to boil
then turn down heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until all the water is used up
and rice is dry. Always check frequently after 10 minutes.
Salads
Cole Slaw
250g White cabbage
½ onions or a few syboes
1small carrots
1 red Apples
50g Sultanas if wished
a little lemon juice
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Natural Yogurt
1.
Cut cabbage finely then wash & leave to drain
2.
Shred carrots and onions finely
3.
Core apples chop and mix with a little lemon juice
4.
Mix all ingredient together with mayo & yogurt
Waldorf Salad
2sticks celery
1 red apples
50g cheddar
A few walnuts
A few black Grapes
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
1. Slice celery, half grapes
2. Core and cube apples
3. Cube cheese
4. Mix everything with Mayonnaise
Carrot & Lemon
1 carrot
Pine nuts
Lemon Juice
1.
Grate carrots and mix with lemon & pine nuts
Apple & Orange
1 red apple
1 orange
1 carrot
A handful sultanas or raisins
1. Core and cube apple place in bowl
2. Using a knife peel orange and cube, add to apple with any juice
3. Grate carrot and add
4. Mix in a handful of raisins or sultanas and leave to stand for 20-30 minutes so that dried
fruit swells in juice
Tuna Mayonnaise
1 tin tuna
200/300g dried pasta
1 large tomato
small piece cucumber
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
if wished a little pepper
1. Cook pasta until just ready (not too soft) drain and rinse under cold water
2. Drain tuna, chop tomato and cucumber and pepper if using
3. Mix all together with mayonnaise
Simple smoothie recipes
Banana
2large bananas
250 ml / ½ pint milk
125ml / ¼ pint orange juice
125ml / ¼ pint natural yogurt
Pinch nutmeg
1. Slice bananas into a jug
2. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth
3. Pour into 4 small glasses and serve
Strawberry and banana
8-10 large strawberries
1 large banana
250 ml / ½ pint milk
125ml / ¼ pint apple juice
125ml / ¼ pint natural yogurt
1. Wash strawberries and remove husks cut in half and place in a jug
2. Slice bananas and add to jug
3. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth
4. Pour into 4 small glasses to serve