Penne Fiorentina

Ingredients

750g pasta
2 tbsps oil
2 red peppers, chopped
350g spinach
Grated cheddar

Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
400g chopped tomatoes
400g sieved tomatoes (passata)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley/oregano/basil

Method

To make the tomato sauce, fry the onion and garlic in the oil  in a saucepan until the onion is soft. Add the remaining ingredients except for the herbs, and cook uncovered for 15 mins. Stir in the chopped herbs.
Fry the peppers in the oil, and add them to the sauce.
Meanwhile cook the pasta. When it's done, add the spinach to the pan and leave for a minute. Drain and return to the pan, then stir in the sauce.
Transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, and grill until browned.

Caramel Chicken

Ingredients

3 chicken breast fillets, cut into strips
1 tsp oil
Spring onion, chopped

Sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tbsps duck sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsps crushed garlic
1/2 tbsp grated ginger

Method

Whisk together the sauce ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Heat the oil in a wok and stir in the chicken.
Pour 1/3 cup of the sauce over the chicken and cook for 6-7 mins. Add the remaining sauce and cook for another 5 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the spring onion pieces, and serve with rice.

Malaysian Beef Curry

Ingredients

Curry Paste
3 tbsps oil
1 onion, chopped
grated ginger
3 tsps crushed garlic
2 chillies, sliced
1 tsp turmeric

1 kg beef, cubed
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cardamom
200 mls stock
400 mls coconut milk
Rice, to serve

Method

Cook the onion in the oil until softened, then blend with the other paste ingredients.
Cook the paste in a pan for a couple of minutes, then add the beef, curry powder and cardamom. Cook for 2-3 mins until the beef is browned. Add the stock and half of the coconut milk, then cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the rest of the coconut milk and cook open for another 1/2 an hour.
Serve over rice and garnish with coriander.

Caramel Apple Blondies

Ingredients

Caramelised Apples6 small apples or 1 lb (not cooking apples) - cored, peeled and cubed, should make 2 3/4 cups
60g brown sugar
3 tbsps water

150g marge
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup syrup
2 eggs
2 cup sr flour
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom

Caramel Glaze40g marge
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsps syrup

Method

Cook the apple pieces in the water for a few mins until softened, then mix in the sugar. Drain, reserving the liquid.

Beat together the marge, sugar, syrup and eggs. Mix in the flour, cinnamon and cardamom, then fold in the apple pieces.

Spread into a greased square dish, then drizzle over the sauce from the apples. Bake at 180 for 40 mins.

Melt together the ingredients for the glaze, and drizzle it over the blondies.

Variation: 
Caramel Sauce (instead of the glaze)
50g marge
100g brown sugar
100mls double cream

Melt the marge and sugar in a saucepan, stir in the cream and bring to the boil.

Black-bottom Cookie Bars

Ingredients

175g marge
1 1/4 cups sugar (use a mixture of brown and granulated)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips

Method

Cream together marge and sugar, then mix in eggs, vanilla and flour. Transfer half the mixture into a separate bowl and mix the cocoa and chocolate chips into one half.
Spread the chocolate mix into a greased square dish, and smooth the vanilla mix on top. Bake at 180 for 30 mins then cut into bars.

Moussaka

Ingredients

3 aubergines
1 tbsp oil
2 tsps crushed garlic
2 large shallots
600g beef mince
390g can chopped tomatoes
4 tbsps tomato puree
2 tsps oregano
cinnamon
salt and pepper
1 tsp stock powder

400 mls dairy-free yoghurt
1 egg
salt and pepper
matza meal

Method

Slice the aubergines into 1/2cm rounds and stir in a large bowl with a little oil to coat. Arrange the slices on lined trays and bake at 190 for 25 minutes, turning over half-way.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan and fry the shallot and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the minced beef and cook, stirring constantly, until it browns. Stir in the tomatoes and all the seasoning, then cover. Simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile beat the egg into the white sauce with a fork, then add salt and pepper.
Layer a third of the aubergine slices in a large ovenproof dish, then pour half of the mince over it. Repeat with another layer of aubergine then mince, and finish with a layer of aubergine. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with matza meal.
Cook in the oven at 180 for 40 minutes.

Stir-Fried Noodles

Ingredients

Medium egg noodles
Sesame oil
Crushed garlic
Soy sauce
Sweet chilli sauce or duck/plum sauce
Vegetables of your choice: mange-tout, baby corn, peppers, mushrooms, carrot, beansprouts, spring onion

Optional - chicken
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into strips
2 tsps crushed garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
lemon juice
coriander, parsley
salt and pepper

Method

If you are making chicken as well, prepare it first. Mix the ingredients for the marinade, then stir through the chicken strips and leave for 1/2 an hour. Stir-fry in batches for 6-8 mins or until cooked inside.
Heat the sesame oil in a large wok, add the crushed garlic. Chop all the vegetables and stir-fry in the wok with some soy sauce for up to 5 minutes, or until softened.
Make the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, then add them to the wok.
Mix together equal amounts of soy sauce and sweet chilli, then stir it through the noodles and vegetables.

Challah

Makes two challot

Ingredients

21g dried yeast
225mls warm water
3 tbsps sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsps oil
2 tsps salt
500g all-purpose flour
Sesame seeds

Method

Place the warm water into a bowl, briefly stir the yeast and leave for 10 minutes. Beat in the sugar, eggs, oil, salt, and half of the flour. Add the rest of the flour and knead for 10-15 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, knead in some more flour. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and leave for an hour to rise.

Divide the dough by half, then each half into three pieces. Roll the pieces into long ropes and plait together to make two braided loaves. Leave covered for half an hour. Glaze with some beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds. Bake at 190 for about 30 mins.

Aubergine Parmigiana

Ingredients

3-4 aubergines
4 tbsps olive oil
Grated cheese

Tomato Sauce1 tbsp oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
400g chopped tomatoes
400g sieved tomatoes (passata)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley/oregano/basil

Method

Slice the aubergines to 1/2 cm thick and mix with the olive oil to coat. Arrange the slices on baking trays and bake or grill on both sides until beginning to brown.
Meanwhile to make the tomato sauce, fry the onion and garlic in the oil  in a saucepan until the onion is soft. Add the remaining ingredients except for the herbs, and cook uncovered for 15 mins. Stir in the chopped herbs.
Spoon some tomato sauce into a large baking dish. Layer over a third of the aubergine slices, top with more sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Repeat the layers twice more.
Bake at 180 for 40 minutes.

Baked Shakshouka

Ingredients
(serves 6)

Tomato Sauce (use 2 cups of it)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
400g chopped tomatoes
400g passata/sieved tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
Salt & pepper
1 tsp sugar
Parsley/oregano/basil

12 eggs
Fresh chopped parsley
Grated cheese
Olive oil
Cream or milk, to drizzle
Salt & pepper
Pitta bread

Method

To make the tomato sauce, fry the onion in the olive oil in a saucepan until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened. Lastly, stir in your choice of chopped herbs.

Pour the tomato sauce into a large baking dish, then sprinkle the parsley over. Crack each egg into a glass, then pour onto the sauce, spaced evenly apart.

Sprinkle over a layer of cheese and drizzle over some olive oil and cream; then season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 200 until the yolks are just set, about 12-15 mins. Serve with toasted pitta quarters.