The Big Veggie Pledge...

March sees the big veg pledge taking place and given that both men in the house are vegetarians, and I am eating a veggie diet 90% of the time I thought I'd sign up and go totally veggie for the month... Give me your support and I'll share our recipes in return! I'll be making the most of my weekly Abel and Cole veg box during March and hope to find some new recipes to inspire us all with and fill our bellies.

Love Cake (Vanilla and Raspberry Heart Shaped Cake)

We only exchange cards in our household to mark commercialisation of love day, but we'd also run out of cake today so I decided to bake something yummy to welcome my man home after a busy week working away on t'other side of the Pennines... This went down a treat. The soft, sharp raspberries contrasted nicely with the sweeter vanilla scented cake. The boy also appreciated licking out the cake mix bowl after breakfast, win!

For a heart shaped cake that serves 8-10 and also makes 7 cupcakes you need:
For the cake
4 eggs
8oz self raising flour
8oz vitalite
8oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
A handful of frozen raspberries

For the icing/topping
1 pack red fondant icing
6oz icing sugar
3oz vitalite
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Seedless raspberry jam

Begin by mixing the vitalite and sugar in a food mixer for 10 mins until light and fluffy.

Slow the speed of the mixer and add the eggs one at a time, alternating with a spoonful of the flour. Once all the eggs are added, incorporate the rest of the flour and the vanilla extract.

Pour into a greased heart shaped tin until it's 2/3 filled. Poke about 8-10 raspberries into the batter, evenly spacing them out.

Meanwhile put the rest of the batter into cupcake cases in a tin and add one raspberry to each in the middle.

Bake in a 180 degree oven till done - the cupcakes will take 12-15 mins and the heart cake about 20-25.

Leave to cool and make the icing. Mix the vitalite slowly in with the icing sugar and vanilla paste until throughly mixed. Increase the speed and mix on high for about 10 mins. This gives a lovely light texture to the icing once it's set. Roll out the fondant and cut/stamp into whatever shapes you want.

Once the cakes are cooled, pipe a swirl of icing onto the top of each cup cake and top with a heart stamped out of the red fondant. For the heart cake, slice in half and fill with jam and some of the buttercream. Use the red of the buttercream to decorate the top of the cake as you wish. Be as slushy or restrained as you like ;-) Happy Valentines :)

Norweigan Cinnamon Buns

I meant to blog this recipe over the weekend for a friend but was too tired, so apologies Diane for the delay!

These are really so simple to make. But they taste amazing and are very rewarding therefore to make and scoff. Be patient - the rising phase can take longer than you think if the dough is in a cold place, but it's worth the wait.

This is a slight variation of Nigella's cinnamon buns on p322 of her Domestic Goddess book.

For about 20-24 buns you need:
For the buns
700g plain flour
100g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
21g (3 sachets) of fast action dried yeast
100g butter
400ml milk
2 eggs

For the filling
150g soft butter
150g caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the topping

1 egg, beaten
1-2 tbsp demerara sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon

Begin by making the dough. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. I do all this in my food mixer with the dough hook but you can do it by hand just as easily. Meanwhile melt the butter and add to the eggs and milk. Mix thoroughly then mix into the flour mixture. This makes a VERY wet dough but don't be tempted to add more flour or the buns will have a very dense and close texture and what you want is all the magic yeast to do it's thang and make lots of air bubbles for light and airy dough. If you mix and knead by hand, oil your hand first!

Once combined, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until soft and elastic. Then cover the bowl (removing any dough hook if done by machine) with cling film and leave to rise for 25-60 mins until doubled in size.

Whilst the dough is rising, make the filling. Mix the soft butter with the sugar and cinnamon into a yummy smelling paste. Line a 33cm x 24cm baking tin with greaseproof paper.

When the dough has risen, tip it out on to a lightly floured surface and cut off 1/3. Pull into a rectangle the size of the tin and use this smaller piece of dough to line the bottom of the tin to form the base of the finished buns.

Pull the remaining dough into a rectangle again the same size as the tin. It's easier to shape it by hand than roll because it's such a wet sticky dough. Don't worry if you get messy doing this bit!

Spread the cinnamon butter over the dough and then roll up like a swiss roll. Cut into 20-24 slices and place then in the tin onto the pre- dough lined base.


Brush the buns with beaten egg then sprinkle over the sugar and remaining cinnamon. Leave the buns to puff up a bit for 15 mins whilst you preheat the oven to 210 degrees.

Bake for 20-30 mins until the buns are risen and golden. Try not to let them catch too much, but a little colour is fine. Lift out of the tin and leave to cool slightly before tucking in with a lovely cup of real coffee. Utter decadence and deliciousness :)

New(ish) Year, New Beginnings, New Blog Title!

I've been dithering about what to call this blog ever since I moved away from Becka Eats. How I wish I hadn't ;-) But a lovely friend came up with this as an idea for a title and I loved it so here it is! I promise to start blogging again soon, life has been very hectic, but the food has continued to be made and enjoyed!

Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms with Herb Crust

A simple lunch dish to use up some field mushrooms we didn't eat for breakfast... And a good way to use up some of the cheese mountain left over from Christmas along with some bread that was going stale. Oh I am full of good intentions me.

For two people you need
3-4 field mushrooms
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated cheddar
4 tbsp cream cheese
salt and pepper
fresh herbs of you choice (I used sage)

Peel the mushrooms and place in a baking dish. Cut out the stalk and chop leaving to one side for the moment. Spread 1 tbsp cream cheese inside each mushroom and then top with the reserved chopped stalk and some salt and pepper.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese and herbs (I just blitzed all mine in a food processor for speed). Top each mushroom with some crumbs and then bake in a hot oven for 15-20 mins until the topping is golden brown and crispy and the mushrooms are tender and juice. Serve with a salad. An attempt at healthy(ier) eating in the new year...

Butternut Squash Raviloi with Crispy Sage and Brown Garlic Butter

I went back to work in September, and coincidentally I haven't blogged since. Time to restart I think, and what better than a delicious recipe I've never made before eh?! I adore this ravioli and will always order it if it's on a menu somewhere. We gave Fuz's sister and her boyfriend a pasta machine for Christmas and it inspired us to dust ours off and use it for the first time in yeeeeeears. The pasta itself is a cinch to make. The rolling takes a little time (Fuz makes an awesome commis chef :)) but if you fancy a lazy afternoon in the kitchen, this is a lovely recipe to make. Don't be put off by the different stages, none of it is hard. Stick some tunes on and get stuck in :)

For enough ravioli for 2-3 people you need
Ravioli Dough
3 eggs
300g pasta (type 00) flour
1 tsp salt

Butternut Squash Filling
1 butternut squash cut into 1cm cubes
2 red onions sliced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Sauce
7-8 sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbsp butter

Parmesan cheese to serve.

Begin by making the pasta dough. Blitz the ingredients in a food processor till a dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 10 mins until it goes all smooth and elastic. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 30 mins.

Meanwhile roast the squash. Toss the suqash cubes in the oil and seasoning and roast in a 180 degree oven for 25 mins. Add the sliced onion and roast for a further 10 mins until the onions are soft and the squash is nicely coloured and soft. Puree to a rough consistency and leave to one side to cool.

Once the pasta dough has rested, cut it into three sections and roll through a pasta machine until it's on the thinnest setting. Leave to rest for a few mins once rolled and then assemble the ravioli. Place a scant tsp on a piece of dough, wet the edges and then place more pasta on top and stamp out a shape (there are numerous ways to do this, we had a ravioli stamp we used but cookie cutters will work equally well). The trick is to ensure no filling oozes out and the sides are completely sealed to keep the filling in once it's cooked.

Leave the ravioli to rest on a floured surface for a few mins.

When you're ready to cook, heat a pan of boiling water and cook the ravioli in batches for 3-4 mins until the pasta is al dente. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan with the garlic. When the butter foams, add the sage leaves and cook for 3-4 mins over a low heat until the butter browns and the garlic and sage crisp.

Drain the pasta and serve with the sauce spooned over and some cheese grated on top. Utterly delicious and you did it all yourself!

Pasta with Cabbage and Chickpeas (v)

A really tasty and satisfying yet very quick supper dish, and one where the pasta doesn't get cold even tho there's no 'wet' sauce covering it. Everyone loved this, even the boy who porports to "hate cabbage". I think the garlicky oil, flecked with spicy chilli heat, is what made him over come his cabbage consternation... This is another from River Cottage Veg Everyday.

For three portions you need

225g pasta, we used rigatoni 

1 can chickpeas, don't bother to drain them

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 chilli, finely chopped

1 onion, finely sliced

5 tbsp olove oil

4-5 cavolo nero cabbage leaves, tough stems removed and finely shredded.

Cook the pasta. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion over a medium heat until lightly golden. Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a few mins longer.

3 mins before the pasta is done, lob in the chickpeas (juice an' all) and the cabbage. Heat for 3 mins then drain. Toss into the onion pan and mix thoroughly. Serve in warmed bowls and add some cheese if you're not vegan. Delicious. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars (v)

This recipe is adapted from Mary Berry's Baking Bible. It's dead simple, very yummy and makes cooked banana taste nice (I usually can't stand it cooked in anything unless it's well and truly mushed up). It's a bit crumbly and liable to disintegrate round the edges but it's perfect with a morning coffee and is a reasonably healthy energy boost.

For about 8 bars you need
75g wholemeal flour
11/4 tsp baking powder
75g demerara sugar
75g porridge oats
100g vegan spread or butter if you're not vegan
1 banana, sliced into 5mm slices
25g plain chocolate chips

Blitz everything apart from the chocolate chips in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Line a 2lb loaf tin and put half the shortbread mix in the bottom. Press down. Lay the banana slices on top and then cover with the remaining shortbread. Press down firmly and scatter over the chocolate. Bake in a 180 degree oven for about 25 mins. Leave to cool and then carefully slice and scoff.

Carrot and Potato Soup with Ginger and Chilli (v)

A lovely friend made us a delicious bowl of soup to replenish our bellies after a walk round the Holmfirth countryside a few weeks ago, so I decided to recreate the flavours and use up some limp carrots from the bottom of the fridge. You can flavour this soup with whatever you like, but the warming ginger and chilli work well with the sweet carrot.

For 3-4 portions you need

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, roughly chopped, no need to peel

2-3 potatoes, roughly chopped, no need to peel

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 small chilli, destalked and cut into a couple of sections.

1.5 litres vegetable stock

Fresh parsley and coriander to serve

Heat the oil in a pan and sautee the veggies for a few mins. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and then top up with the stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 15 mins until the potatoes are cooked.

Blitz to a smooth consistency, adding more water if necessary and then serve topped with chopped fresh herbs. Yummy.

Meal Plan

I'm having a fresh new start, and one of my aims is to actually plan meals on a weekly basis to ensure we eat healthily, don't buy too much each week and use up everything we have. And I know other people are trying to do the same so along with recipes I am going to blog my meal plans too. If nothing else, it will provide a nice bank of foodie ideas to refer back to at a later date.

So, this week we are having the following...

w/c 6 Sept 2013	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Friday	Cereal and Toast	Quinoa with Courgettes and Onions  (p279 River Cottage Veg)	Home made fries with yogurt dip and salad	Courgette Cake
Saturday	Vendetta Eggs and Beans	Green Beans, Potatoes and Halloumi  (p222 River Cottage Veg)	Pasta with Cabbage and Chickpeas  (p261 River Cottage Veg)	Courgette Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sunday	Pancakes	Vegetable Soup and Bread	Cheesy Jacket Potatoes, Bean Stew and Salad	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Monday	Cereal and Toast	Peanut Vegetable Noodles  (p261 Nigella Express)	Bean Stew and Rice and Salad	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tuesday	Cereal and Toast	Peanut Vegetable Noodles  (p261 Nigella Express)	Moroccan Roasted Vegetables with Cous Cous	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Wednesday	Cereal and Toast	Roasted Veg Soup and Bread	Spinach, Penne and Cheese Spouffle  (p43 River Cottage Veg)	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thursday	Cereal and Toast	Cheese and Chutney Sandwiches with Salad	Fuz Fried Rice	Courgette Cake Flapjack Chocolate Chip Cookies

Courgettes and Onions with Quinoa (v)

I have a large collection of cookery books. Some might argue too many. And often I admire them in my living room and then head to the kitchen to create something myself. But I am on a mission to cut my shopping bill in half, and to use up everything we buy along with getting out of the food rut we are currently in. My recipe book of choice at the moment is therefore River Cottage Veg Everyday as we are working our way through our weekly veg box and I am already bored with some of the contents (namely courgettes!!).

This recipe is very easy to do and tastes delicious hot, warm or cold. It makes a lovely light lunch on its own, or a yummy side dish. If you're not vegan, add some feta to it for a salty tang. It'd also be delicious served up alongside a lamb cutlet or similar.

For two people you need
2 medium courgettes, sliced on the diagonal in 5mm thick slices
2 red onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 sprigs of thyme leaves (not the stalks!)
juice 1/2 lemon
100g quinoa
25g pine nuts
salt and pepper
large handful of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

Begin by sauteeing the thyme leaves, onions and courgettes in a pan with the oil. Keep the heat medium so that after 20 minutes or so the onions and courgettes are nicely golden. Add the garlic at this stage and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Meanwhile cook the quinoa in 200ml of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for about 8 mins. Turn off the heat and leave to steam until all the water is absorbed (about another 10 mins).

Toast the pine nuts until golden.

Toss everything together in a large bowl, season to taste and then eat hot, warm or cold. Nom nom nom.

Broccoli with Rice Noodles (v)

It's the start of a new term and I am on a new regime again. To blog again, now the horror of being really ill is behind me, and to revive my go-to recipes again and cook more interesting things with vegetables. The River Cottage Veg Everyday book gave me inspiration for broccoli.

For 2-3 people you need
One large head broccoli
Handful rice noodles
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
freshly ground pepper
3 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Cook the broccoli and noodles in boiling water for about 5 mins. Drain and leave to steam for a few minutes to get rid of any excess water.

Gently toast the sesame seeds until lightly golden.

Place everything in a large bowl and toss to mix. Scoff.

Rice and Peas (v)

This is proper Indian kichiri, with none of the Anglo-Indian trimmings. Just rice and peas and spices. It's a fab side dish to any curry and the pulses in boost the protein content making it a good whole meal in itself.

For 6 portions you need
1/2 cup moong dhal, rinsed clean and soaked in cold water for 4 hours
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed clean and soaked for an hour in cold water
3 tbsp butter or oil
2 indian bay leaves
2 cloves
1 tsp whole coriander
1 tsp whole cumin
3 cardamon pods, crushed to release the seeds
1" piece of cinnamon bark
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tsp salt

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the spices for 2-3 mins until the aromas are released. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until browned and crispy. Add the drained rice and peas and stir fry to coat in the oil and spices.

Add 2 and 2/3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and reduce the heat to very low. Cook for 20-25 mins until the rice is light and fluffy and the peas are cooked.

Mixed Vegetable Makhanawala (v)

I am slowly working my way through Rick Stein's India, a very fine book on curries and Indian food. This recipe caught my eye as I was meal planning over the weekend, and Abel and Cole obliged by providing most of the ingredients for it in their weekly box this week. The curry is delicious, rich and creamy but not heavy. Spiced and fragrant with a little kick of heat but not searingly hot. It might look complicated but it's not, it was very easy to make and was definitely worth the effort.

For 4-6 portions you need
800g mixed vegetables - I used potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and french beans
50g butter or oil
1 medium onion, sliced
5 large garlic cloves, finely minced
5cm stick of ginger, finely grated
400g fresh tomatoes pulverised to make passata (don't use tinned or a jar, you want the lightness of fresh tomatoes)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, garam masala and tumeric
1 tsp desiccated coconut
1.5 tsp salt
25g cashew nuts
1/2 tsp sugar
75ml yogurt/soya yogurt
4 tbsp double cream/soya cream (or coconut cream)
Handful of fresh coriander leaves to finish

Begin by boiling the carrots and potatoes until just cooked. Drain and leave to one side.

Melt the butter in a large heavy based pan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Add the spices, salt, coconut and 100ml of water and cook for a further 10 mins.

In a mini food processor blitz the cashew nuts with a little water until smooth. Add this to the pan along with all the vegetables apart from the potatoes. Add another 100ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes until the veggies are cooked. Add the yogurt, cream and potatoes and heat through for 2-3 mins. Serve garnished with the coriander. It's truly delicious.

Goldilocks Tarka Dhal (v)

So called because I have made it three times... The first time we used scotch bonnet chillies and it was too cold. The second time I used thai chillies in quantities as per the recipe and it was too hot. The third time I used Indian chillies and it was juuuuuuust riiiiiiiight. You do need to soak the chana dhal for a good couple of hours beforehand or it will take ages to cook. This recipe is from the very fine Rick Stein's India, a fabulous book about Indian food!

For 4-6 portions you need
For the dhal
200g chana dhal, rinsed and soaked in cold water for 1-2 hours
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, chopped
2 green chillies, left whole and slit, seeds left in
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric

For the tarka
1 onion, thinly sliced
large knob of butter/vegan spread
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
Small handful of fresh curry leaves
Fresh coriander leave to serve

Place the soaked chana dhal in a pan with the rest of the dhal ingredients. Cover with water to about 2cms above the level of the chana. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about an hour until the chana is cooked. Mash a little to break up some of the dhal but leave some texture in.

For the tarka heat the oil and butter/spread until hot. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida and cook until the seeds pop. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat until brown and crispy, but take care not to burn it!

Pour the tarka into the dhal and serve with bread or rice or whatever you fancy.

Celebration Chocolate Cake

This cake has done the rounds on an internet forum I am a member of, and I book marked it as one to make to welcome Lex home after he'd spent the summer with his dad this year. It looks impressive but is actually a doddle to make and decorate, and any kid (or adult for that matter!!) that sees it can't resist breaking out into a huge grin. You can put whatever you want round the sides and on the top. I was under strict orders from the boy with what I included but let your imagination run wild!

Our cake is a chocolate orange marble cake with chocolate orange buttercream icing and milk and orange chocolate kitkats. For other flavours, amend the recipes below to suit your tastes :)

For 8-12 slices you need
Orange cake batter
3 eggs
zest and juice of one orange
6oz self raising flour
6oz caster sugar
6oz vitalite

Chocolate orange cake batter
3 eggs
zest and juice of one orange
4oz self raising flour
2oz cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
6oz caster sugar
6oz vitalite

Chocolate Orange Buttercream Icing
225g vitalite
475g icing sugar
50g cocoa powder
zest of one orange

To Decorate
1 pack of 8 x 2 finger orange kitkats
1 pack of 8 x 2 finger milk chocolate kitkats
1 packet peanut M&Ms
1 packet yorkie chocolate drops
Jelly stars
Edible silver stars

You will also need
A ribbon to decorate
2 x 8 inch round cake tins, lined and greased
Cake stand or plate

Begin by making the cake batters. In separate bowls cream together the vitalite and sugar, beating for 10 mins until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with the flour or flour and cocoa mixture. Finally add the zest and juice and thoroughly incorporate.

Dollop spoonfuls of each mixture across both tins, and once all the batter is in, swirl to mix lightly for the marbled effect.

Bake at 170 degrees for about 25-30 mins until the cakes are well risen, starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin and fully cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to finish cooling completely.

Beat the icing ingredients together for 10 mins until light and fluffy. Use to sandwich the cakes together and then cover the outside of both cakes with a good layer of icing. Once you have done this, start to stick your kitkats (or chocolate finger biscuits or whatever else you have chosen!) to the outside.

Then add your decoration of choice. Some people like to just cover with maltesers or other sweets, but my cakes were very deep, and there wasn't a lot of overspill room above the kitkats so I used giant chocolate buttons and then filled the inside with other sweets.

Finally, tie the ribbon around the outside of the cake (this helps to ensure the kitkats don't fall off as well as giving an extra wow factor ;-)) and scoff. I recommend palming the children off on to grandparents once the sugar rush hits mwahahahaha!

Mock Duck Noodle Soup (v)

There was a bit of a shopping fail this week, as I'd planned to make fake chicken noodle soup for lunch on Sunday but upon opening the freezer realised that we had no quorn chunks left, d'oh. I did however remember that there was a tin of mock duck languishing in the cupboard where it had lain for months. It made for an excellent and very tasty soup. So now I need to buy another tin to replace the one I used!

For three portions you need
1 tin mock duck (available from larger supermarkets or Asian/Chinese grocers), gluten sliced into bite sized pieces
3 nests noodles
1 litre vegetable stock plus the sauce/liquid from the mock duck tin
1 onion, halved and then sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
125g closed cup mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 cup frozen sweetcorn
1 inch ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp soya sauce

To garnish
3 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped
chilli flakes, tabasco sauce and soya sauce to serve

Place the stock into a large pan and add the noodles, onion, garlic and ginger. Season with soya sauce and the chinese five spice powder. Add all the other ingredients, apart from the pepper and mushrooms, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the noodles are done. Add the mushrooms and pepper and heat through for a further two minutes. Serve in large bowls garnished with the coriander and chillies to taste. Delicious.

Macerated Strawberries with Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar (v)

Last time Abel and Cole delivered us strawberries, they went mouldy as soon as the box was opened. I didn't want that to happen to this batch, so I macerated them to help preserve them. Not that I needed to worry about them hanging about, Lex couldn't get enough of them!

For one punnet of strawberries you need
1 tsp sugar
Few twists of black pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

De-hull the strawberries and slice into thirds. Sprinkle over the sugar, vinegar and pepper and leave to macerate for 30 mins or so. A lovely syrupy sauce will form from the strawberry juice. Serve as you wish, I like mine with good quality ice cream. Bring on Wimbledon!

'Suprise' Lemon and Orange Pudding

I think this is the perfect Sunday dinner pudding. It's light, airy, tangy and delicious. And it's also a doddle to make, using ingredients from the cupboard. As it cooks, a sponge lighter than a cloud develops on the top, with a tangy, creamy almost lemon curd like sauce forming underneath. A friend (hello Kim!) has suggested adding fresh blackberries to it just before baking which I think is a genius idea and will be trying that next time I make it.

For 3-4 portions you need
25g soft butter/vitalite
100g caster sugar
150ml milk
zest of one orange
juice and zest of one lemon
25g plain flour
2 eggs, separated

Begin by whisking the egg whites to stiff peaks in one bowl using a handheld mixer. Then cream the butter and 25g of sugar in another bowl using the same mixer (doing it this way saves washing up ;-)

Add everything else to the creamed butter and sugar mix and mix thoroughly. Finally fold in the egg whites and gently turn into a souffle or similar oven proof dish.

Place in a bain marie and bake in a moderate (180 degree) oven for about 30 mins until the sponge is risen and lightly golden and there is a delicious layer of sauce underneath. To bake this in individual ramekins, reduce the cooking time to about 15-20 mins.

Laab

Lip tingling, tongue searing, tastebud rocketing yumminess! This salad is so simple to make but it sings off the plate. Beware, it is VERY hot! I serve with sticky rice to help calm the chilli burn, but sometimes you need to numb your lips with spice! My sister gave me a packet of laab mix
which is what I used tonight and it was the most authentic tasting one I have made to date. I just cannot get enough of thai food right now!

For two people you need
300g pork mince (use quorn mince if you're veggie or crumbled tofu)
1 packet laab seasoning
1/4 cup water
fresh mint and coriander to serve
as many thai chillies as you want, thinly sliced as a garnish (I used two!)
a thinly sliced shallot or red onion
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp fish sauce or mushroom soy sauce if veggie/vegan
Thai sticky rice to serve

Heat a wok and stir fry the protein in the water until completely cooked and hot. Add the packet of laab seasoning and mix well. Turn out onto a serving dish and garnish with the shallot/onion, spring onions, chillies, coriander and mint. Serve with the rice and prepare for a taste sensation!