Mustard thyme beef roast

Ingredients

1 kg beef blade, fat trimmed

For the marinade:

2 tbsp seeded mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp thyme sprigs
60 g sliced shallots
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Combine marinade ingredients and spoon over beef.
3. Roast with the vegetables for 50 minutes or beef is cooked to your liking.
4. Cover beef with foil and rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Serving Suggestion:

Roasted pumpkin wedges (skin on), whole baby brown onions, garlic halves and potatoes and choice of green vegetables (peas, snow peas) if desired

Berry Yoghurt Slice

Ingredients

200g butternut biscuits crumbs
2 tablespoons (40g) Butter, melted
3 cups Vanilla Yogurt
1 tablespoon gelatine, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
2 sachets (16g) diet berry flavoured jelly
2 cups boiling water


Instructions

1. Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press into a 28 cm x 18 cm lamington pan.

2. Combine yogurt and gelatine and pour over the prepared based. Chill for 1-2 hours or until set.

3. Dissolve jelly in boiling water, allow to cool to room temperature. Pour jelly over set yogurt and chill until set. Cut into 15 slices to serve.

Creamy Cucumber Dip with Crispy Pita Chips

Ingredients

1 x 80g whole meal pita bread
10g butter, melted
Paprika, for sprinkling
Salt and pepper, to taste
400g natural yogurt
1 Lebanese cucumber, grated, liquid drained
2 tablespoons finely snipped chives
1 small clove garlic, crushed


Instructions

1. Toast, grill or oven bake the whole pita bread until crisp. Cut or break into serving size pieces.

2. Combine yogurt, sour cream, garlic and chives to make a dip.

3. Serve with pita chips

Classic Bloody Marys

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) vodka
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Tabasco to taste
1 celery stick for garnish
1 lemon wedge for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine the vodka, the tomato juice, the lemon juice, the Worcestershire sauce, the Tabasco, 1 cup ice cubes, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. Shake the mixture well, and strain it into a tall glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish the Bloody Mary with the celery stick and the lemon wedge.

Gin & Tonic Jellies

Ingredients

100g (4oz) caster sugar
4 leaves Fine Leaf Gelatine
110ml (4fl.oz) gin
150ml (5fl.oz) Indian tonic water - ( low cal, if preferred )
4 thin wedges lemon


Instructions

1. Put the sugar in a saucepan with 250ml (8fl.oz) water and heat, stirring until dissolved.

2. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

3. Place 45ml (3 tbsp) water in a small heatproof bowl. Using a pair of scissors, snip the Fine Leaf Gelatine into the water. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Stand the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat gently until dissolved. Alternatively, heat in the microwave for about 25 seconds on High. Do not allow to boil as this prevents a proper set taking place.

4. Mix the gin, tonic water and gelatine together with the sugar syrup, and pour into 4 drink tumblers.

5. Chill for about an hour until just beginning to set, but still soft in texture. Gently push a piece of lemon into the centre of each jelly. Continue to chill until fully set. Serve straight from the tumbler.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients

1 small French stick
50g margarine
2 cloves crushed garlic

15ml spoon chopped parsley

Equipment

Foil, garlic press, small bowl, chopping board, bread knife, spreading knife and mixing spoon


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.
2. Mix margarine, garlic and parsley together in a small bowl.
3. Cut the French stick into slices.
4. Spread garlic butter onto each slice.
5. Wrap the stick in foil.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Peel foil back and bake for a further 5 minutes until crunchy.

Chelsea buns

Ingredients

1. strong white flour 250g

2. salt ½ teaspoon

3. margarine 15g

4. milk 125ml

5. quick acting yeast 1 sachet

6. margarine 25g

7. currants or raisins 75g

8. mixed peel 25g

9. demerara sugar 25g

10. mixed spices or cinnamon 1 teaspoon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7.
2. Grease a deep-sided roasting tin or Swiss roll tin.
3. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
4. Rub in 15g margarine.
5. Add the yeast.
6. Warm the milk until lukewarm.
7. Pour warm milk into the flour mixture.
8. Mix into a soft dough.
9. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
10. Roll out into a square (25cm x 25cm).
11. Melt butter in a small saucepan, than brush over the dough.
12. Sprinkle the currants, mixed peel, spice and sugar over the dough.
13. Roll up the dough like a Swiss roll.
14. Cut into 9 slices.
15. Arrange slices in baking tin, cover and leave to rise (until doubles in size).
16. Bake for 20 minutes.

Tips

Equipment: Mixing bowls, sieve, mixing spoon, measuring jug, rolling pin, weighing scales, round or square cake tin, knife and pastry brush

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

150g wild mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 glass white wine (about 125ml/4fl oz)

200g/7oz risotto rice per person

1 litre of vegetable stockknob of butter

50g/2oz grated parmesan, plus extra shavings to serve

Inatruction

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and sauté the onion and mushrooms until golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

2. Add the white wine and rice and stir well.

3. Add the stock, ladle by ladle, waiting for each addition to be absorbed by the rice before adding any more. Stir constantly. As the rice cooks the risotto will start to thicken. After about 20-30 minutes the rice should no longer be crunchy and the risotto will be creamy.

4. Continue adding more stock in this way until you are happy with the consistency (you may not need all the stock). Add the butter and parmesan and serve in bowls with extra shavings of parmesan.

Herb Roasted Pork

Ingredients

1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.

3. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C), depending upon your desired doneness.

4. Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Brush roast with glaze 3 or 4 times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.

Delicious Ham & Potato soup

Ingredients

270 g peeled and diced potatoes
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons diced celery
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
45 g diced cooked ham
385 ml water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
35 g butter
20 g all-purpose flour
235 ml milk

Instruction

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Mint Tea Punch

Ingredients

3 cups boiling water
12 sprigs fresh mint
4 tea bags
1 cup white sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 cups cold water
3 orange slices for garnish (optional)
3 lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Place the tea bags and mint sprigs into a large pitcher. Pour boiling water over them, and allow to steep for about 8 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags and mint leaves, squeezing out excess liquid. Stir in sugar until dissolved, then stir in the orange juice and lemon juice. Pour in the cold water. Serve over ice cubes, garnished with orange or lemon slices.

Tips.

* Serves 10

* Goes great with Cajun or spicy foods.