Peanut butter cookies

http://www.popularcookierecipes.com/PeanutButter.html

Very tasty. I didn't leave the dough to firm up, I just spooned the mixture onto the baking tray.

Simple Suppers 2

More to try from

Grilled prawns with yoghurt and mint - try the paste with chicken too

Fried tomatoes (halves) and goats cheese (on top of the tomatoes) with a little garlic. Serve with bread.

Nigel Slater's simple suppers

Recipes to try from Simple Suppers (3rd Nov 2010)

Turkey and squash bake

Hand made pesto with watercress (and pasta)

Aromatic mackerel

Everyday roast chicken

Butter bean tomatoes

Large tomatoes the size of a baked potato are what I use, but a few smaller ones can be used instead. In that case I would swap the butter beans for a smaller pulse, such as haricot beans. If you have some mixture left over then put it around the base of the tomatoes in the dish, then scoop it up and serve it alongside the tomatoes. Serves 4 as a main dish.

olive oil
onion 1 medium-sized
garlic 3 cloves
bay leaf 1
beefsteak tomatoes 4
chopped tomatoes 400g can
butter beans 400g can
red-wine vinegar 1 tbsp
basil leaves 8 large

Warm a couple of glugs of olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Peel and finely chop the onion and let it cook in the olive oil for 10 minutes or so, until soft and pale. Peel and finely slice the garlic, then add to the onion with the bay leaf and continue cooking for 5 minutes, until all is fragrant.

Slice the tops off the beef tomatoes and reserve. Loosen the inside of each tomato with a small knife, then, using a teaspoon, scoop the seeds and flesh out without tearing the skins. Put the empty tomato shells on a baking sheet. Chop the insides of 4 of the tomatoes and add to the onion mixture together with the canned tomatoes. (You can use the insides of all the tomatoes, but you may find yourself with too much stuffing.) Season generously with salt and pepper then leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.

Stir the butter beans, drained of their liquid, into the mixture. Add the vinegar and basil leaves, torn or shredded. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes. Top with their lids. You will have too much mixture, so spoon it around the tomatoes. Bake for 40 minutes, until they are on the verge of collapse.

Recipe by Nigel Slater in the Guardian.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 1½ tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 x shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in chunks (about 1.1kg/2½lb meat in total)
• 2 large onions, grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp argan oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 570ml/1 pint tomato juice
• 2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 115g/4oz dried apricots, cut in half
• 55g/2oz dates, cut in half
• 55g/2oz sultanas or raisins
• 85g/3oz flaked almonds
• 1 tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water
• 600ml/1 pint lamb stock
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  
  
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2.
  
  
  2. Place the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
  
  
  3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of argan oil in a large casserole dish. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes
  
  
  4. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides then add the browned meat to the casserole dish. De-glaze the frying pan with ¼ pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the pan.
  
  
  5. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender
  
  
  6. Place the lamb in a tagine or large serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Serve.

Very tasty tagine. Tomatoey but very good.

Recipe by Anthony Worrall Thompson from BBC.

Courgette and leek frittata

Ingredients:

• 3 medium courgettes
• 1 leek
• An onion
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup of cheddar
• 3 rashers of bacon
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Fry up the potatoes in butter. In a separate pan fry up the leeks, bacon, courgettes and onion in a separate pan. When the potatoes are cooked, arrange them over the base of the pan and remove the rest. Layer the veg and bacon mix with the remaining potatoes and the cheddar. Whip the eggs with seasoning and pour over the top. Put a lid on the pan and cook over a medium heat until the egg is set and cheese melted.

Chevre and thyme roasted gem squash

Tomme de Chevre and thyme-roasted gem squash is a simple recipe for squash stuffed with creamy potatoes, topped with goat's cheese and baked in the oven. This is really warming comfort food - if you like stuffed marrow you will love this vegetarian stuffed squash.

Serves 4 as a starter
Ready in 1¼ hours

Ingredients

• 150ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 300g King Edward potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 fennel, halved and sliced
• 4 gem squash
• 175g Tomme de Chevre cheese (from Waitrose or Tesco), roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

Method: How to make thyme-roasted gem squash

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan°160C/gas 4. Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan, add the garlic and 2 bay leaves and season well. Add the potatoes and fennel, slowly bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Remove from the heat and lift out and set aside the bay leaves.

2. Slice the tops off the squash and remove and discard the seeds inside. Season well. Stir 100g of the goat's cheese into the cream mixture along with the thyme. Divide the filling among the squash cavities, then top each with the remaining goat's cheese and a bay leaf.

3. Wrap each squash in baking paper, then wrap tightly in a double layer of foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil, open out the baking paper and return to the oven for 10 minutes, until bubbling. Set aside to cool slightly before serving.

A Channel 4 recipe

Buttery Leeks or Cabbage

From the Abel and Cole website:

Sometimes we forget how good the simple things can be. If you're working with fresh organic veggies, you don't need to get all elaborate. A dab of butter and a pinch of salt is sometimes all you need, like here. This works gorgeously with leeks and cabbage. Or both. Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Serves: many or few

• A head of cabbage or a couple of leeks
• A few pats of butter
• A little splash of olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Shred the cabbage into 1-2cm thick ribbons, or cut your leeks into 1-2cm thick rounds. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil and a dab of butter. Add your veggies just when the butter starts to froth. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over. Gently cook, adding a bit more butter and/or oil, until the veg is nicely softened and has a glossy, vibrant shine. Taste and season further, if needed. Serve alongside meat, fish or pile into a jacket potato and top with cheese.

Pink Pancakes

From the Abel and Cole recipe site, recommended by Rebecca Catterall.

Beetroot for breakfast may feel like sunbathing in the rain but on a really warm day! Makes about 6 medium-sized pancakes (a perfect breakfast for 2)

• 1 egg
• 1 mug of plain white or wholewheat flour
• 2 heaped tsp of baking powder
• ¾ mug of apple juice
• ½ mug of finely grated raw (or cooked) beetroot
• ½ tsp of mix spice
• Olive oil
• Butter and honey, to serve

Whisk the egg until frothy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Pour in the apple juice. Give it all a good whisk. Fold in the beetroot and spice. Warm a frying pan over high heat. Brush on a bit of olive oil. Drop in dessert spoonfuls of the pancake batter into the centre of the pan. Grab a spatula. As soon as the pancake starts to bubble up in the centre, flip it over and cook for 2 minutes or so, until cooked through. Don't be tempted to press the pancake down in the pan as it cooks as this will press out all the lovely air bubbles that make it nice and fluffy. When all your pancakes are cooked, add a dot of butter on the top of each, and then serve with a drizzle of honey and a nice cuppa.

Juicer nut butter ideas

My favourite juice is:

a piece of lemon (including rind)
half an apple
spinach
celery
6-8 basil leaves
2-4 carrots
small beetroot (optional)

Simply divine! Once you're done, with one twist you can remove all the parts in one go and separate into the washing up bowl with hot water. Then you can choose whether to clean up immediately or later. It comes with a nifty little toothbrush and thorough cleaning takes me 2.5 minutes.

Please try making nut butter. You pour in the nuts (say, whole almonds with skin) and out comes a mini sausage of nut butter. Store this in the fridge and you can blend pieces of it with water in your blender to make instant nut milk. I've now stopped buying milk! I also made a banana smoothie with a banana, cashew butter and water - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! Also, try putting through some cashews and dates alternately. Out comes this sweet paste which you can roll into 'sweet balls'. Eat as is or roll in cocoa powder or dessicated coconut to quieten any sweet cravings healthily.

Juicing Recipes

Juice, sauce, soup and dip recipes from Oscar Vitalmax

Other juice recipes

Matcha Green Tea recipes

Matcha green tea recipes from Do Matcha

Vegan cooking links

Links from Erin Corber - vegan baking is cheaper and less cholesterol!

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the Kitchen Blog, Cupcake cookbook ( highly recommended by Erin), also Cookie cookbook

Post Punk Kitchen They have a cookbook called Veganomicon

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tasty cookies but the dough was too sticky to roll into a log as stated... Just spooned into onto the baking tray.

BBC recipe

Yotam Ottolenghi's cakes, cookies and tart recipes

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/28/yotam-ottolenghi-cakes-cookies-tarts-recipes

Jamie Oliver pizza dough.

Tasty :)

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pizza-recipes/pizza-dough

Quick, tasty and easy pudd

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bananas-Foster-II/Detail.aspx

Cinnamon loaf

Great recipe- I doubled the topping and mixed it through like one of the reviewers suggested

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cinnamon-bread-i/Detail.aspx?washelp=1&rid=195769#195769

Yeast free pizza dough base

http://www.sweetandsavoryfood.com/2010/03/yeast-free-pizza-dough-award-and-winner.html

Mezze recipes from the Observer

Easy grilled peppers- These were very tasty but I didn't have any non-dominant tasting vinegar so I used balsamic and it was still very good. I also put some olive oil on.

Grilled sweet peppers are a typical Turkish mezze. What makes this version interesting is the dressing of vinegar and garlic (but no oil). As it is the dominant flavouring, the choice of vinegar here is important. I use an aged Greek vinegar made from Corinthian grapes. It has a delicate fruity flavour. Otherwise I use champagne vinegar, which has a light colour and an even lighter taste.

Serves 4-6

8 red peppers

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

6 tbs good vinegar

1 tbs thyme leaves

sea salt

Preheat the grill (or barbecue). Grill the peppers, turning them to expose all sides, for about 30 minutes until the skin is charred and the peppers are soft. Lift onto a board and peel off the skin. Cut the peppers open, discard stems and seeds and slice the flesh into wide pieces. Place on a serving platter.

Mix the garlic, vinegar and thyme leaves, saving some for garnish. Add salt to taste and pour the dressing over the peppers. Leave to stand for about half an hour. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled, garnished with the reserved thyme leaves.

Grilled aubergine dip

There is some confusion over the Arabic name of this dip. In Syria it is mutabbal, while baba ghannuge is used to describe a salad. In any case it is exceptionally good, provided the aubergines are chargrilled, or better still, barbecued over an open fire so they take on a smoky flavour. It is also important to mash the aubergines by hand - if you use a food processor the dip won't have such a good texture.

Serves 4

6 large aubergines, about 250g each
4 tbs tahini
juice of a lemon, or to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
sea salt

For the garnish:

extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs chopped mint or pomegranate seeds, ideally the sour type

Preheat the grill to high. Prick the aubergines in several places with a small knife (to stop them bursting under the grill) and place on a sturdy baking sheet or grill rack. Grill until the aubergines are very soft to the touch and the skin slightly charred, turning to expose all sides evenly to the heat (or cook on a barbecue). This may take up to 45 minutes.

Transfer the aubergines to a board, halve each one lengthways and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Put the flesh into a colander and leave for at least half an hour to drain off excess liquid.

Tip the aubergine flesh into a wide bowl and mash, using a potato masher or the back of a fork. Don't crush it too much - you want the dip to have texture. Add the tahini and salt to taste and mix well, then stir in the lemon juice and crushed garlic. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl and spread it with the back of a spoon as with the hummus, so that you have a shallow groove in the dip.

Drizzle a little olive oil in the groove and sprinkle the mint or pomegranate seeds in the centre and at regular intervals around the edge.

Serve with pitta bread.

Mezze recipes from the Observer

Salmon with honey and mustard

1 tbsp Lime juice
1 tsp Grainy mustard
1 tsp Honey
Salt and pepper

Mix together and paste onto the salmon fillet.

LASKIAISPULLA

LASKIAISPULLA

SOFT PULLA DOUGH

Makes: 16 buns
Time: about 90 minutes
Source: Based on recipe in The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th Edition(note: recipe doubles well)

• 25g fresh compressed yeast
• 250ml warm whole milk (105-115F/40-46C)
• 3oz or 85g superfine granulated sugar
• 7,5g salt
• 1 tablespoon or 8g ground cardamom
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1lbs 5oz or 600g all-purpose or 'erikois' flour
• 7 tablespoons or 100g melted butter
• 1 egg white and a dash of milk (for egg wash)

Melt butter in the microwave. Set aside to cool. Weigh and measure out all ingredients and arrange near your workspace. Warm milk in a 2 cup measuring cup for about 1 minute in the microwave. Check the temperature with a thermometer and confirm that it is about 40C/105F. Crumble yeast into the warm milk and stir until it has fully dissolved. Stir in the sugar, salt, cardamom, eggs and a few tablespoons of flour. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the flour completely incorporated. Set aside for a couple minutes until it begins to bubble.

Pour the yeast mixture into a larger, room temperature, bowl and begin adding flour a few tablespoons at a time. Stir with a whisk or dough whisk until it begins to thicken. From this point on, knead the dough with your hands. Continue adding flour a few tablespoons at a time until the dough is soft but still slightly sticky.You may have a bit of flour remaining, but resist the temptation to add it all if the dough has the right feel. The amount of flour you need to use to reach the point of soft, yet slightly sticky, dough will vary depending on the type of flour, the age and moisture content of the flour and the humidity in the air.

Knead in the butter (it is important that the butter does not come in contact with the yeast before the yeast has had a chance to start expanding.) until it is fully incorporated. Again, resist the urge to add more flour in lieu of kneading the dough until the butter has been absorbed. Sprinkle a wee bit of flour over the dough if it is a bit too soft and tacky once the butter has soaked in, but be conservative. You want a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead dough for a couple of minutes and place into a bowl that has been lightly greased with vegetable oil or butter, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm spot for about 20 minutes to rest(Don't leave it for an hour thinking more is better since you don't want to over-proof the dough as this will make it tough). While the dough is resting,clean and prepare your workspace and baking sheets.

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a silpat mat, countertop or other smooth surface. Do not flour your workspace or the dough. Knead dough lightly and divide dough into two parts. Roll each half into an 8-inch rope and cut into 8 1-inch pieces. Take each piece, place it on your workspace cupped in the palm of your hand and, with a reasonable amount of pressure, press down while moving your hand in a circular motion until the dough has formed a smooth, tight round ball. [see also diagram] If your dough isn't a little sticky or you are having trouble forming a smooth ball, rub your workspace with a wet (but not dripping) towel and try again. Arrange balls on baking sheet lined with baking paper leaving an inch or so between them. Lightly brush with egg wash (you can sprinkle the tops with pearl sugar or slivered almonds at this point, but personally I think that they don't complement the soft texture of the bun). Cover with a clean linen dishtowel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes or so.

Heat oven to 200C/390F. Bake buns for 10-12 minutes until they are a light golden brown. Place on cooling rack and allow to cool.

FILLING(S):

CREAMY ALMOND FILLING:

• 2-4 tablespoons (50-100g) pastry cream (see below)
• 150g-200g almond paste, room temperature

Grate almond paste into bowl. Beat until smooth. Add pastry cream and beat until smooth, thick and creamy.

PASTRY CREAM

Makes: about 600g
Time: about 20 minutes
Source: The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th Edition (note: recipe doubles and halves well)

• 1 pint or 480ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ounce or 30g (about 1/2 dl) cornstarch
• 4 ounces or 115g granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 stick or 55g butter

In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch, sugar and salt together. Gradually whisk in the eggs and mix until smooth.

Place milk in a saucepan or double-boiler. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining milk.

Place saucepan on a medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Let it bubble for a few seconds and remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and butter until completely incorporated.

Pour pastry cream into a bowl and allow to cool a bit. When cool, use for filling or cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to avoid condensation and to keep it fresh. It will keep refrigerated for up to four days.

TRADITIONAL ALMOND FILLING:

• 200g almond paste
• 1,5 dl or 3/4 cup milk
• bits of bun scooped out for filling

Grate almond paste into bowl. Beat until smooth. Blend in milk. Add pulla and beat until smooth.

WHIPPED CREAM:

• 3-5dl whipping cream, cold
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Pour cream and sugar into a completely dry, cold bowl and whip to stiff peaks. Place cream in a pastry bag fitted with a #7/14-mm star tip.

ASSEMBLING:

1. Slice top off of buns. Take the tops of the buns and cut into heart, star or other shapes if you like. For the strictly traditional, use a pair of scissors held at a 45-degree angle to make a triangular cut on top of the bun about 2cm or 3/4-in deep. Trim excess bread from the underside of the triangular divot.
2. Spread almond mixture (or strawberry jam and/or plain pastry cream if you don't like almonds) onto the buns or into the triangular hole.
3. Pipe whipped cream generously over the tops.
4. Place top of bun over the whipped cream.
5. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

From: www.axis-of-aevil.net