Tomato, Thyme & Spinach Tartlets

Ingredients:

500g ready-made puff pastry

1 pepper, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

2 handful of fresh spinach

fresh thyme, chopped finely

16 cherry tomatoes, halved

225g goats cheese.

Olive oil

225g chorizo, chopped finely (Optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7 or 220C.
2. Slice the pepper and onion.
3. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, chopped thyme and peppers together.
4. When the pepper and onion are soft add the spinach and stir until it has cooked through.
5. On a clean, dry work surface sprinkle some plain flour and roll out the pastry until it is approximately 0.5cm thick.
6. Cut into rounds approximately 10cm in diameter or squares approximately 10x10cm.
7. Place onto a baking sheet and spread the cooked onion, pepper and spinach mix onto each square, leaving about 1cm around the edge.
8. Top with the halved cherry tomatoes, goats cheese, chorizo (Optional) and sprinkle with extra thyme, if necesary.
9. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and the edges of the pastry have all puff up.

Can be served hot or cold, delicious either way. 

NB Chorizo can be added for those meatarians amongst you, but for a vegetarian option it is just as tasty without chorizo.

Rock Cakes

I remember baking rock cakes with my dad when we were young in the old tiny kitchen we used to have. Unfortunately my rock cakes have gone quite flat, and don't remember my dad's doing that, so might have to play with this recipe until I get the desired rock cakes I remember from my childhood.

Ingredients:

225g self raising flour

110g sugar

110g margarine

110g currants

1 egg and a little milk, beaten together

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200C.
2. Mix flour and sugar in a bowl.
3. Rub in the margarine.
4. Mix in the currants.
5. Mix to a stiff dough with the egg and milk.
6. Place in rough heaps on a baking tray.
7. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Orange Marmalade Cake

Orange Marmalade Cake

Ingredients:

110g butter

110g soft light brown sugar

110g orange marmalade

225g self raising flour

2 eggs

110g raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 3 or 170C.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
4. Grease a loaf tin.
5. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin.
6. Bake for 1hr to 1hr 30 until it is golden brown. (If necessary stick a skewer into the centre of the cake to ensure it is cooked through, if it comes out clean it is cooked through).
7. Remove from the oven and spread orange marmalade over the top of the cake, leave in the tin for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from tin and place onto a wire rack until totally cool.

Slow-cooked Moroccan Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

Leg of lamb

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1 onion

400g tin of tomatoes

350g chicken stock

dried coriander

olive oil

Method:

1. Add the spices and chopped onion to the bottom of the slow cooker casserole dish.
2. Add the tomatoes and stock and place the joint into the casserole.
3. Sprinkle the skin with dried coriander and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Put the slow cooker on high for the first 2 hours and then another 6 hours or until cooked through on low heat.

Enjoy with some delicious couscous or rice and green beans.

Midnight Cookies

Ingredients:

125g butter

175g caster sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

125g plain flour

35g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Balls of cookie mix about to go in the oven

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180C.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat the egg and vanilla essence together and then add to the butter & sugar mixture. Mix well until smooth.
4. Mix together the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda.
5. Add the dry mix slowly to the wet mix, constantly mixing until all the dry ingredients are added and it is well combined.
6. Make small walnut sized balls in your hands and place onto a baking sheet, well spaced out.
7. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
8. Cool on the baking tray before moving to a wire rack to cool.