The humble crumble
They are the easiest things to make and I am always experimenting with the crumble topping to give some variety.
This is a crumble recipe using fruit & nut muesli. Mix all the ingredients and blend in a grinder to get a combination of grainy and chunky topping.
The ingredients below will yield 1 cup crumble mix enough to make crumble for 4 people.
· ¾ cup mixed muesli with fruit & nut clusters
· ½ cup almonds
· 1 tsp butter
· 1 tsp dark brown sugar
· ¼ tsp cinnamon
The baked end result is a gooey, crunchy and caramelised topping which is not too sweet and has just a hint of cinnamon to tantalise any taste bud. Spread over fruit of choice with orange juice and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the crumble is bubbling.
Sweet & Sharp yoghurt
I love yoghurt, sharp coulis and acidic jellies so I made this concoction which turned out to be quite pleasant!
Mix 1 cup of fat free Greek yoghurt with 2 tbsp sharp coulis like blackcurrant. Add ¼ boiling water to a sachet of orange jelly, cool for 5 minutes then pour over all yoghurt mix reserving ¼ cup of jelly. Whisk yoghurt & jelly until smooth and pour in a container (big enough to get 4 portions) and leave in fridge for 10 minutes. Pour the reserved jelly on top and chill for 2-3 hours before serving.
Coconut & Orange sponge
I use thick cut orange marmalade in the sponge mix which gives it a zingy flavour. Instead of a jam topping I put a layer of sharp coulis or lemon curd on top then sprinkle with coconut. It can be had cold with cream or warmed up with custard. Delightful!
Makes a large tray bake and can yield from 12-24 slices based on how generous or stingy you want to be!
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
230g butter
220g sugar
230g self-raising flour
3 medium eggs
2 heaped tbsp orange marmalade
150ml milk
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp grated coconut
Topping
½ cup blackcurrant coulis
½ cup grated coconut
Method
· Preheat oven to 180*C and butter and line a large baking tray with baking paper
· Put all the cake ingredients apart from coconut in a large bowl and whisk until everything is blended will.
· Add coconut, mix well then pour in baking tray. Level the batter and put in oven for 30 minutes turning the tray around halfway.
· Check after 30 minutes – when the sponge springs back on touching it is cooked.
· Let sit for 5 minutes then pour over coulis and spread all over the cake. Sprinkle grated coconut after 20 minutes as the cake will have cooled down a bit.
Chickpea flour and banana choc chip tray bake
I was looking for a gluten free recipe for a friend as I had some bananas to use up. This is what I came up with after getting some online inspiration!
Prep: 10 minutes Cook 40-50 minutes Serves 12 generous portions
Ingredients
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup rice flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
5 very ripe bananas mashed
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup dark choc chip
Method
· Pre heat oven to 180*C and grease and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
· Mix everything apart from choc chips with a whisk then stir in the chocolate chips and pour mix in baking tray.
· Bake for 40 minutes turning the tray after 20 minutes.
· Cake is cooked once a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
· Serve warm with ice cream or custard.
Chickpea Curry
I have made this curry before however I made the current recipe with some tweaks and this version got the thumbs up!
I prefer to soak dry chickpeas overnight then cook them rather than use tinned ones as the taste is definitely sweeter when made fresh. After the chickpeas have been cooked – about 30 minutes – the curry is assembled and dish ready in 20-30 minutes tops.
Serves 4 Prep time: 10 minute plus soaking overnight Cook time 1 hour
Ingredients
2 cups chickpeas soaked in cold water overnight
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium red onion chopped
1 tbsp garlic & ginger paste
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 x vegetable stock pot
500g tomato passata
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
· Cook chickpeas until tender – drain liquid and keep to one side
· In a medium sized pan, heat olive oil and cook onion until dark brown
· Add garlic/ginger paste, stir for 10 seconds then add cumin, coriander and chilli powder, adding a splash of water if the mix gets too dry while cooking
· Add tomato puree and vegetable stock then pour over the passata
· Let the stock pot dissolve in passata stirring all the time then add the chickpeas and stir to combine
· Add vinegar, increase heat until the liquid is boiling
· Add fenugreek leaves, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
· Add lemon juice, simmer for another 5 minutes and serve with garlic rice
Note: Quick garlic rice can be made by slicing fresh garlic pods and cooking in a little vegetable oil until brown. Mix into cooked rice & season with salt & pepper.
Quick & Easy Vegetable omelette salad
For this recipe I made a 2 egg omelette with pre-cooked roasted vegetables. Sprinkled grated cheese on top and served with a mix leaf and coleslaw salad. Yummy!
Just the ticket for a cold & rainy night. A generous portion for 1 which can be eaten hot or cold depending on time of day.
Caramelised Date & Cinnamon rice pudding
I love rice pudding and this is my version using dates to sweeten it rather than sugar. Baked in the oven for an hour the end result is a smoky caramelised pudding that was surprisingly light.
Makes enough for 2 large bowlfuls
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time 1 hour
Ingredients
100g dates chopped to small pieces
60g pudding rice
400ml semi skimmed milk
1 tsp runny honey
Pinch cinnamon
Method
· Preheat oven to 180*C
· Stir honey into the milk and add rest of the ingredients
· Pour in a pint size tin and bake in the oven for an hour stirring pudding mixture a few times.
· Serve with yoghurt or fresh berries
