Fiona's Roasted red peppers and halloumi

A favourite in our house and one I don't have a written recipe for, so apologies for vague quantities!! Very easy and quick

Serves 4

4 red peppers
Couscous
Stock
Mushrooms (best are ones that are in a jar that are roasted and in olive oil, but I cant find these anymore so I roast some mushrooms in oven with olive oil, S+P for about 15 mins and use them instead)
Halloumi cheese
Parsley
Pine nuts if you`ve got any

Cut peppers in half, through the stalk, deseed and put on baking tray, cut sides up. Drizzle with olive oil, S+P. Roast at GM6 for 20 mins

Meanwhile...add stock to couscous, cover and wait for 5 mins till fluid absorbed. (no idea of how much! - ??maybe about 3cm couscous in measuring jug and add enough stock up to 5-6cm mark - ish)
Then combine couscous, chopped up halloumi, mushrooms, parsley and fill pepper halves, sprinkle with pine nuts if using and back in oven for 20 mins.
Enjoy!
Fiona

Liz' courgettes recipe

Ingredients:
Courgettes, garlic (as much as you want!), butter/margarine
Grate courgettes, prepare garlic and add to melted butter/margarine in saucepan.
Cook garlic for a few minutes then add courgette and stir/cook until heated..!
I taste to see when it's ready!!
Serve with anything!!

If you like garlic and courgettes this is absolutely gorgeous!!

from Liz

Marcel's 10 minute spicy tuna salad

Ingredients:
Fresh tuna
Tagliatelle (or any other pasta in fact)
Rocket lettuce
1 fresh red pepper
Good quality olive oil
Salt


Preparation:
Put the pasta on.
After washing the rocket, tear the leaves into smaller pieces.
Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut into shreads.
Cut the tuna in cubes.

Put the cubes of tuna in a large salad bowl and add the al dente pasta
on top of the tuna.
Add the fresh red pepper. Now toss the rocket leaves one by one though
the whole while adding drops of fine olive oil.
Depending on the amount of ingredients and dinner guests you can
determine how much green you want.
The hot pasta will somewhat cook the tuna.

Voila!

Enjoy.

Helen's salad dressing

1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup (I sometimes use a bit more)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp oregano
salt & freshly grd pepper


Whisk together and serve over greens


Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
1 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp liquid honey
1 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl.
Toss with salad greens.
Makes about 1/4 cup

Sacha's Overnight Buns!

This is a 10 minute recipe for breakfast buns! I make these all the time because they are SO easy - and nothing says love like fresh-baked bread in the morning ;-)

You will need:

2 cups warm water
1 tsp yeast (I use some fresh 'granules' type that's kept in the refrigerated section of my neighbourhood health food store)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I use sunflower oil, you could use canola or safflower, too)
Flour: any kind, white, whole wheat, mixed grains - whatever you like, feel free to experiment!

In a large mixing bowl, mix the water with yeast, salt, sugar, and oil. Then start stirring in the flour - I dump in a half cup at a time until I get a fairly good consistency: no longer runny, but not too stiff, either. I scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and sort of create a ball/mound in the middle of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave overnight.

In the morning, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F, and then line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper (or aluminum, or nothing!) and then place soup spoonfuls+ of dough, evenly spaced apart on the baking sheets. (I use two spoons to scoop up the dough and use one to scrape it off the other.) Depending on the day I get 10-12 buns.
Bake the buns for 10-12 minutes, basically until they are golden brown. Et voila, lovely warm bread - great with melting butter :), cheese, jam, peanut butter, honey.... Leftovers are the perfect size for school sandwiches (if you have kids needing them!) or sliced and toasted the next day. It is the easiest recipe ever and fail-proof. My Danish cousin gave me the recipe without any particular measurements and I just played around a bit until I got it 'right'.

Hope you enjoy them!

Sacha

Hot gammon salad by Sarah

Quick fry gammon strips in a pan and when cooked through serve on bed of
salad (can be as plain or exciting as you wish). Make a hot dressing in
frying pan with olive oil, red wine vinegar, some chopped sundried
tomatoes and a little honey to taste. Pour over top of salad and
gammon. Serve with large glass of wine!

Have a nice day
Sarah

Cathy's Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

200g Bourbon biscuits 50g melted butter
200g chopped milk chocolate 2 tubs 250g mascarpone cheese
2 tubs 200g ricotta cheese 4 large eggs
100g caster sugar 2-3 drops vanilla essence
Cocoa/icing sugar to serve

· In processor whiz biscuits into crumbs and add melted butter
· Press into 20.5cm springform cake tin lined with baking paper
· Melt chocolate in bowl over boiling water
· Remove and cool a little
· Large bowl mix 2 cheeses, eggs caster sugar and vanilla
· Stir in melted chocolate
· Spoon over base and bake 1 hour until golden but slightly wobbly in the middle
· Turn off oven and leave inside to cool
· Serve with cocoa and icing sugar dusted over and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Savoury Sausages With Pasta

Serves 3


1lb cooked sausages (sliced). Use Quorn sausages if vegetarian.
pasta - any shape
tin of tomatoes (or jar of tomato pasta sauce)
3 teaspoons brown sugar (white will do)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Lea and Perrins (this is a key ingredient)
1 teaspoon mixed herbs or oregano
chopped vegetables (whatever your children will eat eg mushrooms, courgettes, carrots)

While the pasta is cooking, fry the veg until soft. Then add all of the other ingredients and simmer for 5-10 mins until properly heated through (its usually ready when the pasta is). Serve with the pasta and a little grated cheese if liked. (You can juggle with the seasoning ie more sugar if its too tart for you).

supplied by Alison Hutchins

Andrea’s pear and dolcelatta tart

No real recipe available as it was something I saw on the television “What to eat now” and adapted to a James Martin dolcelatta and fig tart we like. You can’t really go wrong and it can be changed to appropriate fruit in season, it might be nice with autumn apples!!!
Karina has got plenty of apples to give away at the moment...
Here goes: Enough pastry to line your tart tin, I have used both rough puff pastry and shortcrust and although the end result is different they both tasted lovely. Pop that in the oven with your grease proof paper and baking bean lining for about 10 mins on about 180 deg C. Take your pears and peel and core then in the meantime. Then pop them in a pan with a big chunk of unsalted butter and cook gently. When they start to go a lovely golden colour and smell lovely pop them in the warm pastry case. Then take about 2 to 4 ounces of any blue cheese you like, we just happen to love dolcelatta, and cut it into smallish chunks and dot it over and around the warm pears. Then mix one egg and one egg yoke with a really good dollop (or two) of double cream, mix together and pour over the pears and cheese in the tart. Then I just pop it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes but keep my eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too brown. I like it best straight away with all the cheese nice and gooey over the tart pears and with a good peppery salad but each to his own.
It is just a useful, quick and easy supper dish. Hope I have made it sound as easy as it is. If any one is looking for a good easy rough puff pastry recipe Michel Roux did a great one on Saturday kitchen and it is on the BBC food website.
Happy baking Andrea and Joe

Boston Baked Beans

Boston Baked Beans (healthier than tinned, but not to be used as part of a calorie controlled diet)
450g Dried Haricot beans, soaked overnight 2 Onions skinned and chopped 30ml Dijon Mustard 30ml Dark brown sugar 75ml Black treacle 450ml Tomato juice 450ml Lager 60ml Tomato puree 60ml Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce 30ml Chilli sauce 1 Garlic clove, skinned and crushed Salt and pepper Boil beans in a casserole for 10 mins, then simmer for 45. Drain and return to casserole with all the other ingredients. Cover the casserole and cook at 150 deg C Gas 2 for 4 hours or until tender. Trust me, it’s scrummy!! Serves 6-8 (or 2 servings for one gem, does freeze) Joe

Dianne's Mushroom Tempeh Paté with sage

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 oz tempeh, cubed (available from health food shop or from Dianne via the Skills Exchange)

1 small onion, chopped

4 oz mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 tbsp red wine or soy sauce

1 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Open cup mushrooms will make a dark paté, if you want a lighter paté use button mushrooms. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add tempheh and mushrooms, continue cooking, stirring often until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in sherry, wine, sage and allspice. Cook, stirring constantly until the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool then pureé. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

This one is from "The Vegan Gourmet" by Mindy Toomey and Susann Geiskopf-Hadler: From Dianne

Red wine and nut Paté

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/8 pt vegetable stock
1/8 pt red wine
2 oz chestnuts, cooked and ground (I use canned chestnut pureé)
2 oz walnuts, ground
2 oz pecan nuts, ground
1 oz breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried parsley or 2 tbsp fresh, chopped
1 crushed garlic clove
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp brandy (optional)
1 egg, beaten salt and pepper to taste

Grease 1 lb loaf tin or oven-proof bowl. Saute the onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until softened. Add spices and herbs, stir for 1 minute. Add stock and wine, bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in nuts, bread crumbs, soya sauce and brandy. Mix well, stir in the egg and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into the baking tin and level the surface. Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes, until just firm when pressed. Cool in the tin then turn out.

From Dianne

Pear and Ginger Muffins

250gr flour

2 tsp baking powder

150gr castor sugar

1 tsp ginger

142ml double cream

125ml vegetable oil

15ml honey

2 eggs

1 large pear, peeled cored and cut into 5mm pieces

Preheat oven to 200 Celsius.

Mix dry ingredients together. Whisk cream, oil, honey and eggs together and fold into dry ingredients. Lastly mix in pear and divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cases Best eaten still a little warm.

From Nicola

Hummus

400 gr chickpeas
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp tahini
s+P
125ml olive oil
1 tsp freshly ground cumin. Put all ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Then add oil in a steady stream. Regards Karina

Braised Red Cabbage And Apples

1 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb red cabbage, shredded
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and onion and cook, stirring, until it is softened Add the cabbage, apple, vinegar, caraway, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and wine and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, adding a little water if it's too dry. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

From Dianne

Apple Crumblies

As requested here is the recipe for this.

Ingredients: 6 oz margarine

6 oz self raising flour

6 oz semolina

3 oz sugar

Filling:

1 lb of apples

4 oz sugar

2 oz sultanas

1/2 level tablespoon of cinnamon

Use 7 1/2 in sandwich tin

Cook on gas mark 200 deg centrigrade

Instructions:

Melt the margarine;stir in flour,semolina and sugar;spoon half the mixture into the tin and press down evenly. Put the apples and sugar in a pan;cover and cook until breaking up;add sultanas and cinnamon. Boil for 3 minutes, or until thick. Spread over semolina mixture leaving 1" edge; crumble rest of mixture over the top. Bake for 30 mins until golden brown. Leave 10 mins.

Can be served warm with cream.

From Monique

Quick and easy fat free fruit loaf

400 g mixed dried fruit – sultanas, raisins etc
A few chopped glace cherries
1 mug hot fruit tea – red berry sort works well – raspberry, strawberry etc but any will do – ordinary tea will do
1 mug soft brown sugar
2 mugs self raising flour
1large or 2 small beaten up eggs

Soak the fruit in the fruit tea overnight.

Next day, add everything else and put in a 2lb loaf tin or about 8inch round tin. Line with greaseproof if you want but I just grease the tin and dust flour all around the inside of the tin. Cook for about 2 hours at 160degrees centigrade/325 degrees Fahrenheit or gas mark 3 - tap bottom of tin and it sounds hollow or stick skewer in to make sure it is cooked. I sometimes switch oven off and leave in to finish cooking through slowly. Serve hot or cold – can be frozen.

Dead easy and great for packed lunch for children

From Cath Mears