Pineapple Fruit loaf

8oz self-raising flour
2 level tsps baking powder
4oz demerara sugar
4oz soft margarine
2 eggs
8oz can pineapple slices
4oz sultanas
warmed syrup or honey to glaze

1. Set oven 325 F, 160 C, Gas mark 3. Grease 2lb loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper; grease paper.
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, margarine and eggs in a bowl.
3. Drain syrup from pineapples and measure 6 tablespoons into bowl. Reserve 1 and a half pineapple rings for decoration and finely chop remainder.
4. Mix ingredients in bowl together with a wooden spoon, then beat for 2/3 mins until mixture is smooth and glossy.
5. Fold in chopped pineapple and sultanas with a metal spoon until evenly mixed. Spread mixture in prepared tin and level top with back of spoon.
6. Cut reserved pineapple rings in halves through thickness, then each whole ring in half to give 6 thin semi- circles. Arrange 6 pineapple semi- circles down the centre of cake slightly overlapping each other.
7. Bake in centre of oven for 1 hour 50 mins. Remove from oven and brush cake with syrup or honey. Leave to cool in tin. When cold, turn out and remove paper. Wrap in tin foil, will keep moist up to 2 weeks in tin (not airtight).

Ciabatta Toasts with tomato & mozzarella cheese

1 large ciabatta loaf
1 garlic clove, peeled & halved
2 tomatoes, sliced
ball of mozzarella, dried with kitchen paper & sliced
extra virgin olive oil
basil leaves to garnish
Serves 2
1. Preheat the grill
2. Spilt ciabattas in half horizontally, then cut each half into two.
3. Place under grill until lightly browned.
4. Rub each piece with the cut side of a garlic clove. Drizzle with the olive oil.
5. Divide the tomato slices onto each ciabatta quarter, season, then top with a few slices of mozzarella cheese.
6. Place under grill again for a few minutes until the cheese is melting. Sprinkle with the basil leaves and serve.
Good on it’s own or served with a green salad.

Pizza Dough

Makes 6-8 pizzas

Ingredients:

• 500g Type 00 Flour
• 500g Semolina Flour
• 1tbsp salt (maybe 2 depending on taste)
• 1tbsp honey (for rocket-fueled yeast)
• 2 sachets of Easy Blend Yeast
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 625ml tepid water

Method:

1. Mix flours in bowl and heat in microwave for 20-30secs
2. Dissolve honey into half the water
3. Add salt and yeast to flour
4. Add water and oil to well, and bring together
5. Want soft, not sticky dough, but honey kinda obliterates that objective to a degree
6. Knead
7. Prove dough once (double in size), knock back, knead
8. Prove dough again, knock back, knead.
9. Divide dough into 6 or 8 balls (8 ideal for 1 person servings/9 inch pizzas)
10. Roll out each ball until _very_ thin (about 1-2 mm)
11. I put these on oiled sheets of tin foil
12. Leave these to rise again for 20-30 mins – it won’t be obvious that they’re doing much
13. Put in pre-heated oven for five mins to part bake (200deg fan/220deg non-fan)
14. I freeze them at this point, wrapping the cooled bases together in foil, maybe cooking one for dinner.
15. Take 10-12 mins to cook with toppings

Bean Burritos

Delicious, filling and quite simple to prepare.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Pinto Beans:
  • 125g of dry beans soaked overnight and cooked until tender, or
  • 410g tin of pre-cooked beans
• 4 Flour Tortillas
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1/2 Red Pepper
• 1/2 Green Pepper
• Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Jalapenos
• Home-made Salsa:
  • 1 Fresh Tomato
  • 1/2 Red Onion
  • 1 Green Chilli (de-seeded)
  • Small bunch of Fresh Coriander
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
  • Pinch of Salt

Method:

1. Make the salsa several hours in advance.  Finely chop all whole ingredients and mix everything in a small bowl; cover and store in refrigerator to allow flavours to mingle.
2. In a medium sized frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil.  Thinly slice the peppers and briefly sauté.  Remove from pan.
3. In the same pan, add the beans (drained and rinsed after cooking).  Add spices, such as Chilli, Cumin and Coriander powder, and mix together with beans, using a fork or sturdy spatula to crush them into a thick, lumpy paste.  Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Finely chop the red onion and jalapenos.
5. Heat tortillas in a microwave for about a minute on full power.
6. Assemble burritos by laying each tortilla out flat on a plate; spreading one quarter of the refried beans onto it as if following a line from just beneath the centre point to the 12 o’clock position.
7. Layer the peppers, onion, jalapenos, salsa, cheese and sour cream on top of the beans.
8. Fold the bottom half of the tortilla upwards, partially covering the top half.  Fold over the remaining right-hand side towards the left and repeat in the opposite direction for the left-hand side.  You should have a neat parcel that does not allow anything to dribble out when held aloft.
9. If the burrito flaps open, some sour cream can be used to ‘glue’ the tortilla folds together.
10. Serve with a light salad and tortilla chips, with any leftover salsa and sour cream as dips.

Notes:

• Make sure you have ample space to assemble the burritos – a kitchen table is highly recommended.
• If you are making a large batch, store prepared burritos in a low-temperature oven
• The salsa will keep for a few days if refrigerated.

Iberian Hotpot

Spicy and comforting casserole with lots of Spanish flavour.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 each of Chicken Thighs, Drumsticks and Wings (all with skin)
• 1/3 Chorizo Sausage
• 1 400g tin of Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Onion (thinly sliced)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 Fresh Green Chilli (finely chopped)
• 1 400g Tin of Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• Stock:
  • 300ml Boiled water
  • Chicken Stock Cube
  • 2 tsp Chilli Powder
  • 2 tsp Coriander Powder
• 100ml Red Wine
• Fresh Coriander
• Olive Oil

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a casserole pot.  Fry chicken until golden on both sides.  Remove from pan and keep warm (e.g. between 2 heated plates).
2. Fry the sliced onion until translucent.  Add the chopped garlic and fresh chilli to the onions then cook for a minute or two.
3. Add the tomatoes, puree, stock and wine to the pot and mix well.  Let this mixture simmer for 5 minutes.  After this, taste the sauce and season as necessary.
4. Chop the chorizo into small chunks and fry in a separate pan with olive oil.  Once it begins to go crisp (but not burnt), tip the chorizo and its oil into the casserole pot, stirring well.
5. Return the chicken to the casserole pot and finally add the rinsed chickpeas and some freshly chopped coriander (both stocks and leaves).
6. Keep the casserole on a low heat, and simmer until sauce begins to reduce and thicken. This may take 20-40 minutes and consequently will need to be stirred occasionally.
7. Serve with hot bread and tortilla chips.

Notes:

• The base of the sauce could be bulked out with finely chopped celery and carrots, and half of the chickpeas could be crushed to thicken the dish.

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 leeks, washed and chopped. (I don’t use the green leaves as they tend to be bitter)
• 1/2 a small turnip, chopped into small cubes
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 a cup of red lentils
• 1 dried or fresh chilli, chopped and seeds removed 
• 2 garlic cloves. chrushed
• 2 teaspoons of bouillon powder
• 1 and half litres of water
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil

Method:

1. Cook the chopped leeks in olive oil for about 1 min on medium heat. Stir in the lentils, add the water with the bouillon powder also the remaining ingredients. 
2. Bring to the boil and then simmer on a low heat until the vegetables are soft.
3. Use a potato masher to blend all together or put into a blender for a smoother soup. If the soup is too thick more liquid can be added.
4. Return to the heat again before serving.

Chicken Jalfrezi

Simple and fairly hot curry.  Similar to a Chinese stir-fry, requiring more preparation effort, but brief cooking time.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Onion
• 1 Green Chilli
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1-2″ Ginger
• 1 Green Pepper
• 1 tsp Curry Powder
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 200ml Water
• 2 tbsp Olive/Veg Oil
• Fresh Coriander

Method:

1. Thinly slice the onion, pepper, ginger, garlic and chilli
2. Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces
3. Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan, add onions, garlic and chilli.  Cook for 5 mins
4. Stir in all spices, salt and tomato puree.  Cook for a minute or less
5. Add the chicken and coat with the spices.  Cook until chicken becomes opaque
6. Pour water into pan and stir well
7. Add sliced green pepper and ginger
8. Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until sauce thickens
9. Serve on top of rice and garnish with coriander

Notes:

• If you are suitably prepared, the chicken can be improved by marinading over night.
• Butter or ghee can replace the cooking oil for a richer flavour
• The sauce can be bulked out with chopped tomatoes

Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas

Simple, fresh and healthy Mexican dish.  One way to think of quesadillas is like a Mexican filled and toasted sandwich. I’m not the biggest fan of courgettes, but this dish is starting to change my mind.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 Courgette
• 1 Pepper
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1/2 Green Chilli
• Grated Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Salsa
  • 1 Tomato
  • 1/2 Red Onion
  • 1/2 Green Chilli
  • Fresh Coriander
  • Tomato Puree/Sauce
  • Tabasco Sauce
  • Lime Juice (optional)
• 4 Flour Tortillas
• Mexican Rice or Refried Beans

Method:

1. To make the Salsa, finely chop the Tomatoes, Onion, Chilli and Coriander.  Mix together in a small bowl with the Tomato Puree (or Tomato Sauce if a sweeter flavour is preferred), Tabasco Sauce and Lime Juice. Season with salt and pepper. If possible, make the Salsa in advance and refrigerate to let the flavours mingle and mature.
2. Put a heavy grill pan over a medium heat, giving it plenty of time to fully heat up.
3. Meanwhile, slice the Courgette and Pepper in broad strips.  Toss in some olive oil before laying on the grill.  Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes.  Whilst this is cooking, thinly slice the remaining Onion and Chilli.
4. Remove Vegetables from the grill, and set the first Tortilla on the grill.  Add a piece of Courgette and Pepper onto one half of the Tortilla.  Cover this with chopped Onions and Chilli.  Add a generous dollop of Salsa and Sour Cream before topping off with some grated Cheese.
5. Fold the uncovered side of the Tortilla over the other, and press down.  Flip the Tortilla packet over to grill the other side and melt the Cheese.  Grill until cheese begins to melt.
6. Repeat for the remaining Tortillas.
7. Serve with Mexican Rice or Refried Beans.

Simple Sweet & Sour Chicken

Incredibly quick and easy, without the need for ‘readymade’ sauce.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Onion
• 1 Pepper
• 2″ Ginger
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Fresh Green Chilli
• 220g Pineapple Rings in own juice
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 1 tbsp Distilled Vinegar
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Noodles

Method:

1. Slice onion, pepper, and ginger into very thin strips (a sharp cleaver is very handy)
2. To make the sauce, reserve juice of pineapple rings in a small pot.  
3. Mix in finely chopped green chilli, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and tomato puree. Taste it, ensuring flavours are balanced and season if necessary.
4. Quarter pineapple rings.
5. Bash each chicken breast with blunt edge of a cleaver to flatten it and slice into small strips.
6. In a very hot wok, add olive oil and stir-fry chicken in oil until lightly cooked
7. Crush garlic cloves into pan and stir well.
8. Add ginger and cook for 1 min. Repeat for onion, peppers, and pineapple.
9. Steep noodles in a pan of simmering water
10. Add the sauce from pot to the wok and cook for a further 5 min.
11. Serve on top of noodles with some prawn crackers.

Butter Bean and Avocado Salad

Very simple flavours that works well as a starter or light lunch with a fresh baguette.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of Butter Beans
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Mozzarella Ball
• Small bag of Spinach
• Small bag of Rocket
• Olive Oil

Method:

1. Mix salad leaves together in a large bowl.
2. Drain butter beans and rinse well, and add to the bowl.
3. Slice avocado lengthways, twist until halves separate and remove the stone.  Scoop out small chunks with a teaspoon into the bowl.
4. Rip mozzarella ball into small pieces and add to bowl.
5. Toss salad in a generous amount of olive oil.
6. Season only when serving.