Pina Colada Cocktail

Makes 2 cocktails

Pina Colada Cocktail

 

Sunshine in a glass! Sweet pineapple, creamy coconut and delicate rum.
Put your smoothie blender to good use and make a lovely cocktail or two.
It has been my quarantine cocktail of choice because it reminds me of being on holiday, it is easy to make and requires simple ingredients.
It’s the simple things in life that matter.

Ingredients
300ml pineapple juice
100ml coconut milk from a can
100ml rum (I used Malibu)
1 teaspoon coconut condensed milk (optional)
Ice

Method
1. Use your smoothie blender to mix all the ingredients for a few seconds until foamy.
2. Pour in two glasses over more ice and enjoy in the sunshine!
It’s the simple things in life!

Vegan nut roast with cranberries

Makes 8 servings

Christmas nut roast

Vegan nut roast with cranberries

I’m dreaming of a vegan Christmas this year!
If you are too, this nut roast is perfect for Christmas dinner.
It’s so delicious that everyone will want a piece of it!

This is one of my old vegetarian recipes that I have veganised this year. No one will know the difference!
I replaced the eggs with milled chia seeds mixed with water and removed the feta from the recipe. I did test making this with vegan feta, but the feta melted during baking and turned into a sauce, that didn’t return to solid state – not even after cooling down the nut roast. 

The roasted nuts give this dish a lovely texture; and the earthy flavour of mushrooms blends perfectly with the sweet cranberries. The fresh herbs are a must for this dish, so don’t be tempted to use dry herbs (unless that’s your only option). The flaxseed is optional, but I full of nutritional benefits.

You can easily make this dish in advance and reheat on the day. The nut roast cuts better once it cools down, so make sure you cut it before you reheat it.
Enjoy with your favourite roasted vegetables and gravy.

*Coming soon recipe for vegan Yorkshire Puddings to complete your vegan Christmas feast!

Ingredients
50g pecan nuts (roasted)
50g almonds (roasted)
30g pine nuts (roasted)
180g chestnuts (roasted)
Oil for frying
1 teaspoon lazy garlic
2 large leeks
200g chestnut mushrooms
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
3 fresh sage sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 small bunch of fresh parsley
4 tablespoons dried cranberries
100g bread crumbs
50g flour
1 tablespoon milled flaxseed (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons milled Chia seeds

Method

1. Roast the nuts, then add to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until roughly chopped. You don’t want a fine powder, the nuts will add texture and crunch. Add the nuts to a large mixing bowl.
2. Finely slice the leeks and fry with the garlic until soft (about 10 minutes). Once cooked add to the mixing bowl.
3. Finely slice the mushrooms and fry until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Add to the large mixing bowl.
4. Finely chop the fresh herbs and add to the mixing bowl.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl (dried cranberries, bread crumbs, flour, flaxseed, salt & pepper to taste) and mix until combined.
6. Make the Chia seed egg replacement: mix 3 tablespoons of milled Chia seeds with 9 tablespoons of water and leave to stand for 5 minutes, before adding to the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients. If the mixture is still too dry, just add splash of water to bind it together.
6. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5. Line an oven proof dish with baking paper and spoon the mixture in. Bake for 45 minutes and enjoy with your favourite roasted vegetables and gravy.

---

Thanks for the inspiration go to Delicious Magazine.

 

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Makes 15 muffins

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Intense dark chocolate muffins, that hide a sweet caramel heart, finished off with peanut butter drizzle.

These muffins are very moist and surprisingly light in texture.
Not only do the muffins taste out of this world, but they are also guilt free!
What makes the muffins guilt free is the low sugar and fat content.  Bananas and Greek yogurt make the muffins super moist and replace the oil or butter in traditional recipes. The sweetness comes mostly from the ripe bananas and honey.

I make these muffins more often than I probably should, but I love to have them as a snack. They are so easy and quick to make; and a healthier alternative to shop bought muffins.

Muffin liner tip: I found that paper liners tend to stick to the muffins, but they are easier to remove once the muffins cool down. Silicone muffin cases don’t stick at all!

Ingredients

• 3 small ripe bananas
• ½ cup honey or sugar
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup whole-wheat flour
• ½ cup plain four
• ½ cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 50g dark chocolate (chopped)
• ¼ cup caramel
• ¼ cup peanut butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas to a smooth paste. Add the honey, Greek yogurt, egg, vanilla extract and mix until combined.
3. Sift in the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix until combined, then fold in the chopped chocolate.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, but don’t overfill them. My muffin tin only makes 12 muffins, but I found that dividing the batter between 12 muffins causes them overflow. I use 3 additional silicone muffin cases to make 15 muffins instead.
5. Spoon caramel in each muffin and try to push it just underneath the surface. Drizzle melted peanut butter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Remove from the oven and leave the muffins cool down before trying to remove them from the liners. Enjoy!

Thanks for the inspiration go to Sally’s Baking Addiction

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Vegetarian Falafel Patties

Makes 8 patties

Vegetarian Falafel Patties

Delicious Falafel patties packed with all the goodness!
These Falafel patties are my favourite because they are quick to make, full of flavour, are a rich source of nutrients and packed with protein.

For a light lunch I will have them in a wrap with veggies and yogurt; or have them in a burger bun with a side of sweet potato fries. The Falafel patties make a great vegetarian burger.

I cook this dish very often and can never get enough of it, because it is so versatile, tasty and guilt free. I’d love to hear what is your favourite way to enjoy Falafel patties!

Ingredients

• 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 1 bunch of parsley (chopped)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon Harrisa paste
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon milled Flaxseed
• 1 egg
• ½ lime (juice)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying
• Flour for forming

For serving: wraps or burger buns, avocado, tomatoes, peppers, salad, yogurt, humus, cheese, sweet potato fries etc.

Method

1. Cook the chickpeas by boiling them in water for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water after cooking.
2. Use a food processor to combine all the ingredients until they turn into a fairly smooth paste. Shape into 8 patties using additional flour to prevent them from sticking to your hands.
3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the patties on medium heat, for about 5 minutes on each side (until golden).
4. Enjoy in burger buns or wraps, with your favourite toppings.

Thanks for the inspiration go to BBC Good Food.

Parmesan biscuits

Savoury cheese biscuits

Parmesan biscuits, or ‘cheesy puffs’ like my family calls them.

I make these Parmesan biscuits every year for Christmas to serve with aubergine dip. I use gingerbread men cookie cutters to make them look festive and top them with cumin seeds, sesame seeds and more Parmesan. The ‘cheesy puffs’ are also great with humus or sour cream.

Although Parmesan biscuits don’t have much to do with Christmas, during this time of the year I dedicate more time to baking and making them became a tradition. The recipe makes a big batch, so feel free to half it.  However, the biscuits are so buttery and delicious that they will disappear very quickly!

The biscuits are very easy to make, just keep in mind the following:
– It is very important that the butter is soft, so use room temperature butter or heat it in the microwave for a few seconds until soft, but not melted. Hard butter will be impossible to mix with the ingredients.
– The dough needs chilling for 4 hours or over night, so I recommend that you plan ahead.

The recipe is very special to me, because I have it from my mum (from a Romanian cook book by Silvia Jurcovan). I used to request these biscuits a lot as a kid and now my family do too, so the recipe is a real keeper.  Happy baking!

Ingredients

200g soft butter (at room temperature)
1 egg (egg yolk and white separated)
200ml sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
30g grated Parmesan
400g flour
50g flour for rolling the dough

For topping: 30g grated Parmesan, 30g sesame seeds, 30g cumin seeds

Method
1. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Cube the soft butter and add it to the mixing bowl with the egg yolk, sour cream, salt, ground cumin and 30g grated Parmesan. Mix until combined.
2. Next, add in the flour (400g) and mix until combined and the dough comes together. Roll the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, dust with flour, cover in cling film and chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
3. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5. Line a couple of baking trays with baking parchment. Whisk the left over egg white with a pinch of salt.
4. Take 1/4^th of the dough, dust a surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it reaches the thickness of a £1 coin, or even slightly thinner. The biscuits will puff during baking quite a lot.
5. Cut out the biscuits using cookie cutters and place in the baking trays. Brush with the egg white and scatter with seeds and Parmesan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. I bake two trays in the same time, on different levels and I find that the biscuits in the top tray cook faster, so I rotate the trays.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you finish all the dough. Enjoy with your favourite dips!Thanks for the recipe go to my mum. 

 

Chocolate banana bread

Makes 8-10 servings

Chocolate banana bread

Chocolate banana bread with caramel drizzle – this is what dreams are made of!

So easy and quick to make, plus you probably already have all the ingredients you need in the house. For me this was an impulse Friday night bake. I’ve been wanting to try this recipe from the Good Housekeeping for a while and I had some over ripe bananas ready to be transformed into a masterpiece! Another impulse decisions was to use a bundt cake tin instead of the loaf tin.

This chocolate banana bread is moist and dense; great served warm with ice-cream and caramel drizzle. Great on its own too! Once I had a slice I couldn’t stop going back for more. I like that you can really taste the banana and that the chocolate is not overpowering.

Top tip for this recipe: use your favourite chocolate chopped instead of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are usually very high in sugar, so using good quality chocolate instead makes all the difference.

Ingredients

• 4 small ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 125g melted butter
• 70g white sugar
• 70g brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 125g flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 40g chopped milk chocolate
• 40g chopped white chocolate

Serve with caramel sauce and ice-cream.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4. Coat the bundt tin in butter and flour.
2. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Chop the bananas add to the mixing bowl and mix until they turn into a paste. Add the egg and melted butter and mix until combined. Next, add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
3. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
4. Spoon into the bundt tin and bake for 50-60 minutes (test with a skewer). Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a plate and serve warm, or allow to cool down. Enjoy with caramel sauce and ice-cream!

Thanks for the recipe go to Good Housekeeping.

Lemon and blueberry cake

Makes 10 servings

Lemon and blueberry cake

The lightest lemon cake sponge with sweet Chantilly cream, zesty lemon curd and juicy blueberries!

All you need to do is master the art of making the sponge cake and everything else will fall into place to make this heavenly cake. I made my own Chantilly cream, which is just a fancy way of saying whipped cream, so don’t be intimidated; I used shop bought lemon curd because I didn’t have the time to make my own; and topped it all up with fresh blueberries.  What a great way to get some antioxidants after the Christmas holidays.

The inspiration for this cake was my mother in law, who’s birthday is in January. After all the Christmas chocolate and cakes, this combination felt like a welcome breath of fresh air. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients

Lemon cake sponge

• 1 tablespoon butter & 1 tablespoon flour (to coat 2 x 8”cake tins)
• 6 eggs
• 10 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons flour
• 1 lemon (zest)

Chantilly cream

• 500ml double cream
• 2.5 tablespoons sugar
• A few drops of vanilla extract

320g lemon curd
200g blueberries

Method
1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6. Butter and coat in flour two 8inch round cake tins.
2. Separate the egg whites and yolks form 6 eggs. Place the egg whites in a large mixer bowl and mix on high speed until white and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix on high speed until the sugar melts and the egg whites are stiff and shiny. From this point onwards, it is very important not to over mix the cake batter and keep the air in the mix, so I recommend using a balloon whisk. Add the vanilla extract, zest from one lemon, oil and egg yolks and whisk just enough to incorporate. Sift the flour and gently incorporate in the cake mix. The resulting consistency should be like a light mousse.
3. Pour half of the cake batter in each cake tin and level. Place both cake tins on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes at gas mark 6, then reduce the heat to gas mark 5 and bake for another 10 -12 minutes, until the sponges are risen and slightly shrunk away from the edge of the tin. Do not open the oven door before 20 minutes of baking, as this will cause the cakes to collapse.
4. Take the cake tins out of the oven and remove the sponge cakes straight away by turning the tins onto a wooden board. I recommend you use a wood surface or a surface covered with baking parchment, otherwise the cake will stick to the plate or other surfaces while cooling down (so don’t let them cool down in the tin). Once cold, slice each sponge in half using a sharp knife. This should give you four sponge layers to work with.
5. To make the Chantilly cream, add in a bowl the double cream, sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until thick.
6. Now to the fun part! Get your serving plate/stand ready for assembling and decorating the cake. Start with a sponge and layer with lemon curd, Chantilly cream and blueberries. Top with the next sponge cake and repeat until you have four layers of sponge cake, lemon curd, Chantilly cream and blueberries. Enjoy!

Baked chocolate orange cheesecake

Makes 10-12 servings

Chocolate orange cheesecake

Baked chocolate orange cheesecake

A perfectly creamy and zesty cheesecake, with a chocolate biscuit base.
I can’t take credit for this recipe, or for even discovering it, but I am sharing it because it is amazing. My husband came across this delicious recipe in a 2012 Good Housekeeping baking book that his mum passed to us. He baked it for me as a welcome home surprise on my return from Barcelona a few years ago.  I have ever since baked it numerous times for us and family to enjoy.

The original recipe involves making your own biscuits for the biscuit base, but we use Bourbon biscuits instead and it works great. Don’t be tempted to scrape off the cream from the Bourbon biscuits (like my husband did initially :).
The consistency of the raw cheesecake mix will be very runny, but don’t worry, it will set perfectly during baking and while cooling.
The cheesecake is at its best after it has been cooled over night in the fridge, but you can get away with cooling it for a couple of hours in the fridge

Most important of all, I will share the steps to prevent a baked cheesecake from cracking:
1. Once baked, turn off the oven and immediately run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to help detach it from the tin. The cheesecake will shrink slightly when it cools down, and if the edges are stuck to the tin this will cause it to crack in the middle.
2. Leave the cheesecake cool down in the oven, with the oven door cracked open. This will slow down the cooling and prevent cracks. Also the cheesecake will continue to cook and set.
3. Over baking the cheesecake will also cause it to crack.

Enjoy the perfect cheesecake!

---

Biscuit base ingredients

• 400g Bourbon biscuits
• 50g melted butter

Cheesecake ingredients

• 800g cream cheese
• 250g mascarpone
• 225g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons corn flour
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 oranges (zest and 150ml juice)

Decorations: Terry’s chocolate orange slices and real orange segments.

Method
1. Use a food processor to pulse the Bourbon biscuits to a breadcrumb consistency.  Pour in the melted butter and combine well.  Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a 10 inch cake tin and refrigerate.
2. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine all the cheesecake ingredients, except the orange zest and juice. Once all the ingredients are combined, add the orange zest and juice and mix until combined.
4. Pour the cheesecake mix over the biscuit base and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. When the cheesecake reaches the desired golden colour on top, cover with aluminium foil to prevent it from browning and continue to bake until the time is up.
5. After 1 hour and 30 minutes of baking: turn off the oven, run a knife around the cheesecake edge to help detach from the tin and prevent it from cracking; leave the cheesecake slowly cool down in the oven with the oven door cracked open for 30-60 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, cool completely at room temperature and chill in the fridge over night, before decorating and serving. Enjoy!

Thanks for the recipe go to the 2012 Good Housekeeping book.

Black Forest Cake

Makes 10 servings

Black Forest Cake

Juicy cherries, rich chocolate and fluffy Chantilly cream – what a way to impress your guests!

I first made this cake for the birthday of my sister in law this year. It was a surprise birthday cake and I was looking to make a cake that was special, but also a safe choice for all to enjoy.

It also had to be quick and easy to make as I only had the night before to make it, after a long day at work. Although the cake has numerous layers and looks quite impressive, the elements are basic and quick to put together. It’s all about planning! Start by making two chocolate sponge cakes and let them cool down while making the Chocolate Ganache; next make the Chantilly cream, drain the cherries and mix the cherry syrup with Cherry Brandy. Slice the sponge cakes in half and you are all ready to assemble the cake.
Have fun with it!

If you plan ahead, you can spread the work load by making the chocolate sponge cakes the day before (cool and store in an air tight container) and make the rest of the elements on the day.

*Now veganised! New recipe for vegan Black Forest.

Ingredients

Chocolate sponge

• 1 tablespoon butter & 1 tablespoon flour (to coat the cake tins)
• 6 eggs
• 10 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoon cocoa powder

Chocolate Ganache

• 200ml double cream
• 95g dark chocolate (chopped)
• 95g milk chocolate (chopped)
• 15g butter

Chantilly cream

• 500ml double cream
• 2.5 tablespoons sugar
• A few drops of vanilla extract

1 jar Morello cherry compote (400g)
50-100ml Cherry Brandy

Method
1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6. Coat in butter and flour two 8 inch round cake tins.
2. Separate the egg whites and yolks form 6 eggs. Place the egg whites in a large mixer bowl and mix on high speed until white and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix on high speed until the sugar melts and the egg whites are stiff and shiny. From this point onwards, it is very important not to over mix the cake batter and keep the air in, so I recommend using a balloon whisk. Add the vanilla extract and egg yolks and whisk just enough to incorporate. Sift the flour and cocoa powder and gently incorporate in the cake mix. The resulting consistency should be like a light mousse.
3. Pour half of the cake batter in each cake tin and level. Place both cake tins on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes at gas mark 6, then reduce the heat to gas mark 5 and bake for another 10 -15 minutes, until the sponges are risen and slightly shrunk away from the edge of the tin. Do not open the oven door before 20 minutes of baking, as this will cause the cakes to collapse.
4. Take the cake tins out of the oven and remove the sponge cakes straight away by turning the tins onto a wooden board. I recommend you use a wood surface or a surface covered with baking parchment, otherwise the cake will stick to the plate or other surfaces while cooling down (so don’t let them cool down in the tin). Once cold, slice each sponge in half using a sharp knife. This should give you four sponge layers to work with.
5. To make the Chocolate Ganache: in a small sauce pan, over low heat, add the double cream and constantly stir until it starts to slightly simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in the roughly chopped chocolate. Slowly stir through the cream until the chocolate melts and forms a Ganache. Mix in the butter and leave the Ganache to cool.
6. To make the Chantilly cream: in a mixing bowl add the double cream, sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until thick.
7. Drain the cherries and save the cherry syrup in a bowl. Mix the cherry syrup with the Cherry Brandy. You will use this syrup to soak the sponges with.
8. You now have all the elements to assemble the cake. Place sponge no. 1 on a cake plate and soak with 1/4^th of the cherry syrup. Add 1/4^th of the Chantilly cream (you can pipe the cream or use a knife spread over the sponge) and 1/4^th of the cherries. Top with sponge no. 2 and soak the sponge no 2. with 1/4^th of the cherry syrup, top with  ½ of the Chocolate Ganache, 1/4^th of the Chantilly cream and 1/4^th of the cherries. Top with sponge no. 3 and repeat. Top with sponge no. 4 and repeat. The end! Enjoy 🙂

Feta and cranberry nut roast

Makes 8 servings

Christmas nut roast

Feta and cranberry nut roast

I’m dreaming of a vegetarian Christmas!
If you are too, this feta and cranberry nut roast is perfect for Christmas dinner.
It’s so delicious that even meat lovers will want a piece of it!

The roasted nuts give this dish a lovely texture; and the earthy flavour of mushrooms blends perfectly with the salty feta and sweet cranberries. The fresh herbs are a must for this dish, so don’t be tempted to use dry herbs (unless that’s your only option). The flaxseed is optional, but I full of nutritional benefits.

You can easily make this dish in advance and reheat on the day. The nut roast cuts better once it cools down, so make sure you cut it before you reheat it.
Enjoy with your favourite roasted vegetables and gravy.

* You may also like this Vegetarian Christmas Wellington recipe.

---

Ingredients 

50g pecan nuts (roasted)
50g almonds (roasted)
30g pine nuts (roasted)
180g chestnuts (roasted)
75g butter for frying
1 teaspoon lazy garlic
2 large leeks
200g chestnut mushrooms
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
3 fresh sage sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 small bunch of fresh parsley
4 tablespoons dried cranberries
100g bread crumbs
50g flour
1 tablespoon milled flaxseed (optional)
3 eggs
200g feta cheese (chopped)
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
1. Roast the nuts, then add to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until roughly chopped. You don’t want a fine powder, the nuts will add texture and crunch. Add the nuts to a large mixing bowl.
2. Finely slice the leeks and fry with half of the butter and garlic until soft (about 10 minutes). Once cooked add to the mixing bowl.
3. Finely slice the mushrooms and fry with the rest of the butter until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Add to the large mixing bowl.
4. Finely chop the fresh herbs and add to the mixing bowl.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl (dried cranberries, bread crumbs, flour, flaxseed, eggs, feta cheese, salt & pepper to taste) and mix until combined.
6. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5. Line an oven proof dish with baking paper and spoon the mixture in. Bake for 45 minutes and enjoy with your favourite roasted vegetables and gravy.

---

Thanks for the inspiration go to Delicious Magazine.