Saturday 5 January 2013

Yoghurt Cake

This cake is so easy to make and children will love to help in the kitchen. It is called yoghurt cake as it uses a 125ml yoghurt pot to measure out all the ingredients.


Yoghurt Cake
Ingredients
1 x carton natural yoghurt (also works well with flavoured yoghurt - just choose your favourite)
1 x carton sunflower oil
2 x cartons sugar
3 x cartons SR flour
3 cartons mixed ried fruit
3 eggs

Method
1.  Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper
2.  Pre-heat the oven to 160C/Gas 3
3.  Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well creamed together - use either a wooden
     spoon or electric mixer
4.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for one and a half hours until the cake is risen, golden and springs back when touched.  a skewer inserted should come out clean.
5.  Leave in the tin to cool
6. Store in an airtight tin  - will keep for a few days


You could vary the ingredients and add cocoa to make it chocolate, or add different mixed fruits with some nuts. 
Whatever you choose enjoy this quick and easy cake to make.

Friday 4 January 2013

Fake-Away Chinese Food

Love Chinese food? but hate that false taste with high fat, high sugar and salt, then make your own in just 15 minutes.  I love this easy recipe and you could make the sauce to go with any meat or fish you like.  I use Chicken as it is low in fat.

Sweet and Sour Chicken - (Fake-away)
1 tabsp. oil (I use olive oil, but you can use veg oil)
1 onion - peeled and diced
1 green pepper - de-seeded and sliced
1 yellow peper - de-seeded and sliced
thumb piece of fresh ginger - peeled and grated
1 can pineapple pieces
1 can water chestnuts - cut in half
2 chicken breasts - cut into chunks (I use scissors, it's easier)
Sauce
100ml pineapple juice - drained from can
150ml water
2 tabsp. tomato sauce
2 tabsp. brown sugar
2 tabsp. white wine vinegar
2 tabsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. cornflour
Rice - I use sticky Jasmine or Egg Fried Rice (bought from supermarket)

Method
1. Drain the juice from the pineapple into a bowl, add the water, tomato sauce, white wine vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar.
2. Mix a drop of water and the cornflour together to make a paste, add to the bowl and mix well.
3.  Heat the oil in a large frypan and fry the onion and peppers for 3 - 4 mins
4.  Add the chicken and continue stirring until changes colour and starts to brown - don't over cook
5.  Add the grated ginger, water chestnuts and pineapple - stir well
6.  Add the sauce mixture and continu to stir until it starts to boil.
turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 8-10 mins until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has started to thicken.
7.  Microwave the rice according to the instructions - I use 1 tub or 2 if we are really hungry.

Place the rice on a plate and heap the Sweet and Sour over it.

This is such a great recipe and I know what all the ingredients are.  You can of course make your own rice, but I buy it on a Friday night ready for our Fake - Away.

Enjoy!

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Cheese, Leek and Onion Pasties

So much rich food over the past week that I thought I would share this recipe with you.  Make it from those store cupboard items and eat cold as a snack, or serve with a green salad.  Whatever you choose enjoy!

Cheese, Leek and Onion Pasties (makes 8)
Ingredients
400g potatoes - peeled and roughly chopped into small chunks
300ml cold water
vegetable stock
2 me3dium leeks - trimmed and cut into 5mm slices
1 onion - peeled and finely chopped
500g white bread mix
100g mature Cheddar cheese - grated
black pepper

Method
1.  Put the potatoes into a large pan with the cold water, crumble over the stock cube and bring to the
     boil and cook for 5 minutes.
2.  Add the leeks and onion and continue to cook for a further 5 - 10 mins until the vegetables are
     cooked.
3. Leave to cool
4.  Make the pastry by following the instructions on the packet of bread mix - until you reach the
     stage of shaping the dough.
5.  Divide the dough into 8 pieces, flatten out and into rounds.
6.  Stir the grated cheese into the vegetables, add some seasoning to taste.
7.  Pre-heat the oven to Gas 6/220C
8.  Divide the vegetable mixture onto the shaped dough.
9.  Brush with milk and seal the edges.
10  Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and hot inside.

Serve warm or cold

NOTE
I sometimes use packet pizza mix, which works just as well