Apple Cake

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

225g plain flower
100g butter, room temp
50g sugar
50g caster sugar
1 beaten egg
90ml milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
350g chopped apples, strong flavoured


Pre-heat oven to 180C

In a bowl mix flour, sugar and baking powder. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the mix to create a "breadcrumb" effect.

Add in the egg & milk. Mix to form a wet dough.

Mix in the mixed spice

Grease a 22inch tin (or as close as you have)
Spoon 1/2 the dough into the base and spread. Cover with a layer of the apple. Depending on the tin size you should use ALL the apple.
Spoon on remaining dough and spread evenly. Sprinkle with sugar.

Pop into oven for 45 mins.

Serve with fresh cream

Chicken Aubergine Bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 chicken fillets, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
220g Aubergine(Eggplant), sliced thin
125g Mozzarella, sliced
350g Tomato Pasta Sauce, Jar or Homemade
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
3 tbsp breadcrumbs


Pre-heat oven to 200C

Press slices of aubergine between 2 sheets of kitchen paper towel. Absorb as much moisture as possible. In a pan brown both sides of each slice.

Brown Chicken in pan with olive oil.

In an oven proof dish, cover the base with chicken. Add a layer of aubergine, then a layer of mozzarella. Pour over the sauce. Top with breadcrumbs and parmesan.

Bake for 20 - 30 mins until centre is hot and the chicken is cooked through. There may be extra liquid to drain off at the end.

This was gobbled up by the whole family!

Green, White & Gold

OK so this ended up Gold instead of orange as planned because my ever opinionated 2 year old decided she wanted corn instead of pumpkin!

This is oven roasted pepper stuffed with rice, corn and sugar snap peas. Sugar snaps are a HUGE healthy snack hit in this house. My diva loves the crunch! A toddler MUST!

St Patrick's Cupcakes

Toddler Style!


Step 1: Chef Wear!




Step 2: Taste!



Step 3: Decorate!

Guinness Bread

Makes 1 2lb Loaf

Ingredients

350g Coarse Wholemeal Flour
100g Strong Bread Flour
2 tsp Bread Soda
4 tbsp Demerara Sugar (Brown Sugar)
20g Porridge Oats (Optional if flour is not coarse)
1 tbsp Treacle (Optional)
80ml Buttermilk
400ml Guinness


Preheat oven to 190C (375F)

Grease 2lb loaf tin and set aside

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Insure all are mixed well. Add in the buttermilk and Guinness. If you decide to use treacle add it now. It will make the bread sweater and darker in colour. Personally I'm not a huge fan of super sweat but my husband and father are :)

Mix together with your hands. Just like a real Irish Mammy!

You will end up with a wet mixture almost like cake batter. Don't worry! It's meant to look like this. Pour into the greased tin.

Place in the hot oven for an average of 50 - 60 mins. BE AWARE that cooking times for breads really depend on the oven. This is just an average! It may take 40mins or it may take 65mins. You can see it's done when it has risen and the top is crisp. Also when you tap the bottom of the tin it will make a hollow sound.
You can also check by piercing the centre. When it comes out clean it's done!


I want to remind that the cooking times are based on my own oven. This cooks in 50mins for me. There is a fast prep time of maybe 15mins. Plus the house will smell amazing!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit

Watch out for some fab St. Patrick's Day ideas this week!

Roasted Veg Couscous

Serves 2 - 4

Ingredients

1 box couscous
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper, deseeded, chopped
1 tbsp dried basil
Juice of 1/2 lemon


This can be eaten hot or cold.


Make couscous as instructed. There is a chart on the back of the box that tells you what proportion of couscous to water you will need. I would make no more than 1 cup (measured dried) but it all depends on weather you are using it as a side of as a main. Set aside when done.

Place all the chopped veg on a roasting tray with a dash of olive. Place into a hot oven for 15 - 20 mins. You want the veg to wilt slightly. If you chop the veg small remember to leave it in the oven for a shorter amount of time.

When roasted, mix in with couscous and add basil and lemon juice. This can be eaten now! Or you can heat briefly in the microwave.


I've served it with the Mediterranean Fish below

http://mybigredkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/mediterranean-style-fish.html

Hot Cross Pots

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 large hot cross bun
250ml custard
2 medium ramekins
2 tsp caster sugar


Break the hot cross bun into chunks and places into both ramekins. Don't compress them to much because you want to fill the gaps with the custard. I make my own custard but ready made works just as well here. Pour the HEATED custard equally over each ramekin. Leave for 5 mins and top up with remaining custard.

Sprinkle 1 tsp of caster sugar on top and place under the grill for 5 mins. Keep an eye on it. If you have a kitchen torch you can run the flame over to melt the sugar.

Serve warm.

Feeling Romantic?

Crepes with fresh cream and strawberry

Linguine Dish

A great vegetarian dish without the bacon

Serves 2-4

1 red pepper, diced
3 spring onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 bacon strips, chopped (optional)
Generous handful Rocket
230g Linguine
250ml cream
1 tsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper


Cook linguine as instructed on packet

Add pepper and bacon to a pan and cook for 3-4 mins in olive oil. Followed by garlic and spring onions and cook for a further 2 mins.

Now add the cream and rocket. You want the cream to reduce and thicken and the rocket to wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the cooked linguine and toss through until coated in the sauce.


Serve with topped with Parmesan and some fresh chives.

Low Cal Pizza

1 tortilla wrap bread
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 pepper, chopped
2 mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion
1 spring onion
1 slice ham, squared
10g grated cheddar


Make up like a normal pizza, easy as pie ;) If you like to can quickly sweat the peppers, onion and mushrooms in a pan until soft.

Pop into a pre-heated oven, 180C, for 10mins until cheese is melted.

Depending on what toppings you use the calories will be different but the exact one in the photo was a total of 359 calories. Much better than the average 2000 or so calories in a normal pizza! Eeek!