Broccoli Quiche

Ingredients
(serves 8)

Base
1 1/2 cups flour
100g marge
3 tbsps water

2 broccolis
1 leek
(or substitute other vegetables:
peppers, mushrooms etc)

4 eggs
300 mls double cream
100 mls milk
2 tbsps flour
salt, pepper, onion powder
3 tbsps grated cheese

Method

For the base, rub together the flour and marge until it forms crumbs. Mix in the water, then press the mixture into a large rectangle dish. Bake at 180 for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in boiling water for about 4 mins. Fry the leek in 1 tbsp oil until beginning to soften.

Whisk together the eggs, milk and cream, then mix in the flour and seasoning. Add the vegetables, and pour into the cooked base. Bake at 180 for about 45 mins.

Chicken Wraps - Fajitas

Ingredients

1 red pepper
 2 large shallot

Chicken
4 chicken breast fillets (for 8 servings)
dried parsley flakes
2 tsps crushed garlic
1 heaped tsp cumin
1 heaped tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
lemon juice
dried coriander
salt & pepper

To serve:
Tortilla wraps
Vegetables: lettuce/ avocado/ tomato
Techina

Method
Slice the chicken into thin strips. Mix together all the remaining ingredients for the marinade, then stir through the chicken and leave for 1/2 an hour.

Slice the red pepper, and cut the shallot into large pieces. Stir-fry with some olive oil in a large wok for 3-5 minutes until softened, then set aside in a bowl.

Heat some olive oil in the wok and stir-fry the chicken in two batches, for about 6-8 minutes or until cooked inside. Mix in the pepper and shallot and transfer into a dish.

To serve, fill the tortillas with the chicken, techina or sweet chilli sauce, and choice of vegetables.

Caramelised Apple Crumble

Ingredients

Apple filling
6 medium or 8 small apples, cored, peeled and cut into large pieces
80g sugar
40g marge

Crumble

150g plain flour

60g marge

100g brown sugar

60g flaked almonds

Sprinkle of cinammon

Method

Mix all the crumble ingredients together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Spread this out over a baking tray and bake at 200 for 10 minutes or until golden.

For the apple mix, heat the sugar in a saucepan until it dissolves and becomes caramelised. Stir in the apple pieces, then the marge, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the apple is softened.

Spoon the apple mix into a pie dish, cover and keep refrigerated. The crumble should be stored in an airtight container. Only sprinkle it over the apples right before serving. Serve hot with custard or vanilla ice cream.

Orange Almond Cake

Ingredients

2 oranges
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
2 cups sr flour

Orange syrup
1 orange - zest and juice
1/2 cup sugar

Method

Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover with water, then bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain, cover again with water and cook for another 15 minutes. Coarsely chop and remove any seeds, then blend until mostly smooth.
Whisk the eggs and sugar, then fold in the orange, flour and ground almonds.
Pour into a greased cake tin and bake at 170 for about 1 hour.
For the syrup, boil the zest in water until soft, then drain. Heat the zest, juice and sugar in a saucepan for about 3 minutes. When the cake is done, make holes in the top with a skewer and pour the syrup over.

Baileys Walnut Bars

Ingredients

Base
1 cup flour
80g marge
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsps water

Filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
4 tbsps melted marge
3 tbsps Baileys
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
150g chopped walnuts

Method

To make the base, mix the flour, marge and sugar until crumbs form. Add the water and press the mixture into a tin. Bake at 180 for 20 mins.
For the filling, whisk together all the ingredients aside from the walnuts, until smooth. Then stir in the walnuts. Pour this over the baked base, and bake at 180 for 25 mins.
Leave to cool, then cut into bars.

Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients

Pie Base
2 cups plain flour
175g marge
2 tbsps sugar
4 tbsps water

Caramel Sauce
4 tbsps marge
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon

6 small / 5 medium apples (not cooking apples)
3 tbsps flour

Method

To make the base, mix the flour and sugar with the marge until it forms crumbs, then add the water to make a dough. Divide by half, and press half of the dough into a large pie dish.

Peel, core and slice the apples, not too thinly, and stir with the flour.

Place the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then mix in the apples.

Pour it all into the pie base. Roll out the rest of the dough into a circle, and place it over the apples, sealing the edges. Cut slits in the middle, then bake at 190 for 45 minutes.

Serve hot, with custard or vanilla ice cream.

Toffee Nut Blondies

Ingredients

125g marge
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla essence
2 cups sr flour
1 cup / 125g chopped nuts (I used my new favourite, cashews)
1 cup chocolate chips

Method

Cream together the marge and sugar, then beat in the eggs with vanilla essence.
Mix in the flour, nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour into a large greased square pan and bake at 180 for about 40 minutes. Leave to cool, then cut into bars.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Ingredients

3 cups sr flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsps vanilla essence
4 tbsps marge, melted
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil

Cinnamon Filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
60 g marge
1/2 cup mixed ground almonds and/or walnuts

Glaze
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsps water

Method

Whisk the flour and sugar with the eggs, water, oil, marge and vanilla essence. Pour half of the batter into a large tin. Mix together the cinnamon ingredients and spoon over. Top with the rest of the cake batter, then swirl the cinnamon mixture through with a knife.
Bake at 180 for 50-60 mins.

When the cake is cool, mix together the ingredients for the glaze, and drizzle over.

Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

600g chicken breast, cubed
2 tbsps toasted sesame seeds

Batter
2 tbsps sr flour
2 tbsps cornflour
2 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp wine
2 tbsps water
1 tsp oil
Sesame oil

Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsps white vinegar
2 tbsps soy sauce
2 tbsps sesame oil
1 tsp harissa
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp cornflour
1/2 cup water

Method

Mix together all the ingredients for the batter, then stir in the chicken pieces until coated and refrigerate for 20 mins.

Heat some oil in a wok and fry the chicken pieces in batches, until they are golden brown and cooked inside - about 5-6 mins. Drain on paper towel-lined plates.

Put all the sauce ingredients except the cornflour and water into a saucepan, and bring to the boil. Dissolve the cornflour into the water and stir into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.

To serve, place the chicken in a large dish, pour the sauce over, and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Chocolate Fondant Souffles

Ingredients

Fondant
2 tbsps marge
1 tbsp sugar
3 oz chocolate

4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sr flour
1 cup water
6 oz chocolate

Method

For the fondant part, melt the marge and sugar in a saucepan, then stir in the chocolate until smooth. Pour this into a bowl and freeze for about 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg whites and sugar until stiff. In a saucepan over a low heat, whisk together the water and flour, then whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the chocolate until melted, then fold in the egg whites.

Grease 8 ramekins, put a scoop of the fondant mixture in each, then spoon over the souffle mixture.

Bake at 190 for 40 mins.

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