Mango and Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

60ml Nespray f/cream powder milk
125ml peach juice
1 large mango, peeled and cubed
1 banana peeled and chopped
160ml low fat plain yoghurt
125ml ice cubes

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend for 30-60seconds until smooth and thick.
3. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Makes 2-3 glasses.

Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

1 x 155g can Nestle' Cream
1 x 410g can Chilli Beans
125g Chambourcy Cream Cheese
10ml lemon juice
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1/2 bunch spring onions (chopped)

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender
2. Puree until smooth and well combined
3. Refridgerate until ready to use.
4. Makes 400ml of dip
5. Serve when ready and enjoy.

Apple Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
3tbs margerine
3 eggs
1cup flour
1tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1 large tin pie apples

Method:

1. Cream together sugar, marge and eggs.
2. Sift together flour and baking powder.
3. Mix all together with the milk.
4. Pour mixture into 2 pie plates.
5. Pack the pie apples on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
6. Bake for at 180c until dough is done.

Sauce:

1/4 cup sugar
1tsp caramel essence
1/4 cup milk

Method:

1. Boil all ingredients together for app. 3 minutes
2. Prick holes in pie and pour sauce over while pie is still hot.
3. Serve and enjoy.

Easy homemade Ice Cream

Image by joyosity via Flickr

Ingredients

2 cups Strawberry yoghurt
1tin Condensed milk
250ml Cream

Method:

1. Whip the cream until thick
2. Beat the yoghurt and condensed milk together.
3. Fold the cream in thoroughly
4. Freeze
5. Enjoy

Carrot Cake

Image by kevandem via Flickr

Ingredients:

500ml Cake Flour
500ml Grated Carrots
1 tin (385g) drained crushed pineapples
10ml Baking powder
10ml Cinnamon
4 Eggs
310ml Oil
100g Chopped Pecan nuts
pinch of Salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 190C
2. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl
3. Pour into a Large greased baking tin.
4. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
5. Take out and let cool

Topping:

125g Cream Cheese
180ml Margarine
480ml icing sugar
5ml Vanilla Essence

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients well together in mixing bowl.
2. Pour over cold cake and decorate.

Pineapple tart with condensed milk

1 tin (397g) condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cup crushed pineapples (drained)
1 pkt tennis biscuits
125ml cream
25ml caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Beat lemon juice and condensed milk till thick.
2. Add pineapples and mix in.
3. Place a layer of biscuites in a tart dish.
4. Pour micture over biscuits
5. Beat cream, sugar and vanilla till stiff.
6. Spread over mixture and place in fridge to set.
7. Serve chilled.

Grenadilla Pudding

Ingredients:

1 410gm tin Ideal Milk chilled
15ml gelatine
250ml grenadilla pulp
3 bananas
12.5ml lemon juice
190ml sugar
125ml water
1397g tin Condensed milk caramelised

Method:

1. Soak gelatine in cold water
2. Mix sugar and grenadilla pulp together and add dissolved gelatine
3. Beat Ideal milk until stiff, fold in the grenadilla mixture.
4. Cut bananas in slices, sprinkle with lemon juice.
5. Add bananas and condensmilk to mixture.
6. Place mixture into serving dish and chill
7. Serve chilled.

Avocado Dip

Image by Vanessa Pike-Russell via Flickr

Ingredients:

2 ripe mashed avocado pears
2tsp lemon juice
1 cup mayonaise
1 grated onion
salt,pepper and red pepper

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Serve with chips or with a fondue

Vitamin H (Biotin)

Vitamin H is essential for the release of food energy. It reduces symptoms of zinc deficiency. It functions in protein metabolism. Helps in the formation of fatty acids and it could relieve muscle pain and depression. Vitamin H, is considered part of the B complex group of vitamins.

Vitamin H (Biotin) is found in the following foods: egg yolks (cooked), meat like liver and calfs liver, chicken,fish such as Salmon, mackerel, tuna,Clams, veggies like beans,Green peas,Lentils, Mushrooms,Soybeans,split peas, whole grains such as brown rice, Oat bran, oatmeal,Bulgur wheat, nuts like Almonds,Walnuts,Cashew nuts,Peanuts, dairy products like butter, cheese,milk,and chocolate, bananas and peanut butter.

It is best to consume foods that have not been processed. Food processing can destroy Vitamin H.

Pineapple marshmallow mousse

Ingredients:

20 marshmellow
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
250g crushed pineapples

Method:

1. Heat milk
2. Cut up the marshmallows into pieces.
3. Pour hot milk over marshmallows and stir until dissolved.
4. Let it cool.
5. Whip the cream till stiff
6. Fold crushed pineapples and marshmallows when cool into cream.
7. Serve Cold

Fruit Cocktail Pudding.

Image by hoxtonchina via Flickr

Ingredients:

2 cups selfraising flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tin fruit cocktail
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180C
2. Mix all ingredients well.
3. Pour mixture in a greased square baking tin.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Sauce:

1 cup sugar
50ml margarine
1 1/2 cups Ideal milk
1 cup coconut
1tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Boil together for 5 minutes
2. Once the pudding is removed from oven pour over pudding.
3. Serve with cream of ice cream.

How to separate eggs.

Use a funnel instead of a egg separater its cheaper and does the same thing. All you have to do is crack the egg into the funnel, the white will slide out into a bowl while the yolk stays behind. You must be careful not to break the yolk when cracking the eggs.

Health Benefits of Pumpkins

Image via Wikipedia

The bright orange color of pumpkin indicates that it's an excellent source of that important antioxidant beta-carotene. Research shows that people who includes rich in beta-carotene in there diet are less likely to develop certain cancers than those who fail to include beta-carotene-rich foods in their diet. Pumpkin also has another carotenoid, beta-cryptoxanthin, which may decrease the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Pumpkin is also high in calscium, potassium Vitamin A and C, dietary fibre,carbohydrate.

Potato Salad with a twist

Ingredients:

800g new baby potatoes, halved or quartered
2tbsp Olive Oil
1tbsp white wine vinegar
1tsp coarse grain mustard
6 medium eggs
4tbsp natural yoghurt
4tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
100g bavarian Ham
110g german salami
10 baby gherkins, drained and chopped
bunch spring onions trimmed and sliced

Method:

1. Boil potatoes until just tender, then drain and put in a bowl.
2. Whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard and season well.
3. Add to the potatoes and toss until coated.
4. Leave until cold.
5. Boil eggs for 8 minutes, drain off hot water and cover with cold water.
6. Leave to cool. Shell and quarter.
7. Mix yogurt and mayonnaise together and then gently stir into the potatoes.
8. Cut the ham and salami into small pieces and add to the potatoes along with the gherkins and spring onions.
9. Serve wit the eggs on top

Chicken and couscous Salad

Ingredients:

225g Couscous
1-2tsp smoked paprika
2tbsp oil (reserved from the semi-dried tomatoes)
1tbsp red wine vinegar
2 sticks celery, trimmed and sliced
6 extra special semi-dried tomatoes (from a jar), drained
and cut into small pieces
4 extra special roasted red peppers (from a jar),
drained and sliced
6 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
405g pack cooked chicken breast
3tbsp chopped coriander

Method:

1. Put the couscous in a large bowl and stir in the paprika.
2. Pour on 300ml boiling water, then allow to cool.
3. Whisk the oil and vinegar.
4. Season, then stir into the couscous.
5. Add the celery, semi-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and spring onions.
6. Remove skin from the cooked chicken and cut the flesh into bite- size pieces.
7. Stir into the couscous along with the coriander.

How to fertilise tomatoes and other plants.

Image via Wikipedia

To fertilise your tomato plants just follow these instructions:
For each 30cm in height tomato plant, add one tablespoon of Epson Salts. Do this once a week and the tomatoes will flourish. You can even use Epson Salts as a fertiliser for houseplants, roses, gardenias and other flowers and trees.

Health Benefits of Melons

Image via Wikipedia

Melons provide a good source of potassium and vitamin C. Melons are also fat and cholesterol free. It has a high water content and is very low in calories. Watermelons is not just delicious and has lots of health benefits which includes high blood pressure kidney disorders, heart care and diabetese, this is only mentioning a few. Other Benefits: Lypocene is found to be effective in preventing cancer, prostrate growth and repair damaged tissues. A cup of watermelon provides 24.3 per cent of the daily value for Vitamin C, and, through its beta-carotene, 11.1 per cent of the DV for Vita. So that is why watermelon and melons are great for you.

Thai fish cakes with chilli sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber
1 small carrot finely diced
3 spring onions finely chopped
1 large chilli deseeded and finely chopped
100g caster sugar
75ml white wine vinegar
550g white fish cubed
1tsp thai fish sauce
2tbsp thai red curry paste
grated zest and juice of 1/2 a lime
1tsp soft brown sugar
25g fine green beans, sliced into thin rounds
1tbsp chopped fresh coriander
oil for frying.

Method:

1. Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds. Dice the flesh.
2. Put the flesh in a bowl and add the carrot and 2/3 of the spring onions and the chilli.
3. Put the caster sugar ina pan with the vinegar and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.
4. Boil for 1 minute and pour over the cucumber mixture and set aside.
5. Whizz the fish, fish sauce, curry paste, lime zest and juice and brown sugar to a paste in a processor.
6. Put in a bowl and stir in the green beans, coriander and the remaining spring onions.
7. Shape the mixture into 20 cakes, about 6cm across.
8. Fry a few at a time in the oil in a wok for 1 minute on each side.
9. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Health benefits of Cabbage

Cabbage is not an enticing or attractive veg especially where children is concerned. But cabbage is rich in the following nutrients: Vitamin A,B,C and E. Vitamin A is responsible for the protection of your skin and eyes. Vitamin B helps maintain integrity of nerve endings and boosts energy metabolism. Vitamin C is an all important anti-oxidant and helps the mitochondria to burn fat. Vitamin E is a fat soluble anti-oxidant which plays a role in skin integrity. Cabbage is also famous for a specialized, naturally occurring, nitrogenous compound known as indole -3-carbinol, an anti-cancer compound. ... Research indicates that indole can lower the risk of various forms of cancer.

Traditional Beef Stew

Ingredients:

40g flour
675g stewing beef
1 dessertspoon vegetable oil
5 carrots
Pepper
salt if desired
2 beef stock cubes dissolved in 575ml water
1 onion

Method:

1. Fry the meat on both sides until browned.
2. Remove from the frying pan and place in a saucepan.
3. Chop the onions and carrots and fry lightly.
4. Remove from the frying pan and place with the meat in the saucepan.
5. Sprinkle the flour into the frying pan and stir well.
6. Add the stock cubes, water and seasoning.
7. Continue stirring.
8. Add this to the meat and vegetables and cook gently over a low heat for 60 - 90 minutes until the meat is tender.

(recipe by little steps)

Stir fried pork

Ingredients:

1 dessertspoon oil
2 carrots
chicken stock 150ml 1 cube
2 carrots
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 onion
1 garlic clove
6 mushrooms
Pepper
450g pork pieces
1 onion
soy sauce

Method:

1. Cut pork into thin slices.
2. Cut onions into thin slices and chop garlic.
3. Slice mushrooms and cut carrots and pepper into thin strips.
4. Mix the 150mls chicken stock with the soy sauce.
5. Blend in the cornflour and mix to a smooth paste.
6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the pork and fry until well browned.
7. Add onion and carrot to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes.
8. Then add mushrooms and pepper to pork mixture and continue frying for 2-3 minutes.
9. Pour the stock mixture into the pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
10. Simmer for 5 minutes.
11. Serve immediately with boiled rice.

(recipe from little steps)

Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 green pepper
10 mushrooms
Pepper
1 yellow pepper
vegetable stock, 1/4 pint (1 stock cube)
1 onion
225g french peas / string beans
3 carrots
225g Broccollli

Method:

1. Peel and slice the carrots.
2. Slice the peppers, onion and mushrooms thinly.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the mixed vegetables and stir well.
4. Add the stock. Keep stirring.
5. Cover the vegetables and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.
6. Add the peas/beans and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.
7. Serve with boiled rice, pasta or potatoes.
(recipe from little steps)

Beef Hot Pot

Ingredients:

2 carrots, sliced
pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tin cream of celery soup
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
4 potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
275mls milk
salt if desired
450g minced beef

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
2. Put minced beef and finely chopped onion into a large frying pan and fry until the meat is browned and onion is cooked (about 5 minutes). Keep stirring.
3. Stir in the soup mixture, milk and worcestershire sauce.
4. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add pepper and salt, if desired.
5. Spoon mixture into casserole dish and top with sliced potatoes and carrots.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

(recipe from little steps)

Yummy Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

175g light brown sugar
175ml sunflower oil
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
140g grated carrots (about 3 medium)
100g raisins
grated zest of 1 large orange
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated nutmeg

Frosting:
175g icing sugar
1½-2 tbsp orange juice

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C.
2. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin.
3. Put the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs.
4. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon.
5. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.
6. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl.
7. Lightly mix all the ingredients - when everything is evenly mixed stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre.
9. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack.
10. Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth - The mixture must be runny.
11. Set the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.

(Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2002.)

Baked Garlic & Lime chicken breasts

Ingredients:

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh lime juice (about 2-3 limes)
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
large zip-lock bag
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 chicken breast halves with skin and bones

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Mix the lime juice, olive oil and garlic together in a large zip-lock plastic bag.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the chicken to the bag and seal it, removing as much air from the bag as you can.
5. Marinate chicken, turning bag over once or twice, for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in refrigerator.
6. Remove chicken from marinade and throw away the marinade.
7. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in a roasting tin. Leave some space between each piece.
8. Season chicken with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Once the chicken is cooked, transfer the roasting tin to the grill (or if your oven has a grill just turn it to the grill setting).
10. Grill the chicken until the skin starts to get crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
11. Serve with baby potatoes and green vegetables (broccoli, mange tout, French beans or peas).

This recipe is from: http://www.cooksrecipes.com

Beef Loaf

Ingredients:

2 beef stock cubes crumbled and dissolved in 150ml hot water
salt if desired
pepper
1 large onion, very finely chopped
450g minced beef
2 dessertspoons tomato sauce
1 egg, beaten
110g brown breadcrumbs (4 slices)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly together.
3. Brush a large loaf tin with oil and fill with the mixture.
4. Smooth the top with a palette knife and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
5. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 1.25 - 1.5 hours.

(Recipe from little steps)

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Cauliflower cheese with pasta

Image by ndrwfgg via Flickr

Ingredients:

150 g pasta
1 medium-sized cauliflower
600 ml milk
1 packet of cheese sauce powder

Method:

1. Wash the cauliflower
2. Chop the cauliflower into small pieces
3. Put the cauliflower and pasta into a saucepan
4. Boil for 15 minutes
5. Drain and leave to cool

(Sauce)

1. Follow the instructions on the packet to make the cheese sauce (using the milk)
2. Pour the sauce over the pasta and cauliflower
3. Serve

(cheese sauce powder is high in salt, so do not give it to babies if they are under one year old)

Cooking Tips : How to Boil Crab Claws

This is good and a quick way to cook crab claws. Wish I new it before. Always thought it was to much work and now I see what I have been missing.

Baked bananas with custard

Image by Suzanna Maas via Flickr

Ingredients:

4 banana
8 tablespoons custard powder
600ml milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
2. Peel the bananas and slice lengthwise in twos
3. Put into a dish that can go into a hot oven
4. Cover the dish with tin foil or a lid and bake for 10-15 minutes until the bananas is soft
5. Put the milk and the custard powder into a saucepan and stir on a low heat until the custard thickens - do not let the mixture boil
6. Pour over the banana and leave to cool
7. Serve

Nice for the Kids

(recipe provided by Easington NHS Primary Care Trust)

Green Bean Casserole

Image by kevindooley via Flickr

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup sour cream (low-fat or non-fat is okay)
3 14 oz. cans green beans
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 6 oz. can French fried onions

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. Heat butter in a medium pan over medium heat.
4. Add onions.
5. Cook 2-3 minutes.
6. Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until browned.
7. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook a minute or two to allow the raw flour taste to cook off.
8. Season with garlic powder and pepper.
9. Stir in vegetable broth and sour cream.
10.Cook until thickened.
11. Remove from heat.
12. Place green beans in a large mixing bowl.
13.Pour mushroom sauce over green beans.
14. Toss to coat well.
15. Stir in the cheese and half of the french fried onions.
16. Pour into prepared casserole. Bake 20 minutes.
17. Sprinkle remaining fried onions over top.
18. Bake another 5-10 minutes until bubbly.

Baked rasberry cheesecake

Ingredients:

8 digestive biscuits
50g butter , melted
600g cream cheese
2 tbsp plain flour
175g caster sugar
vanilla extract
2 eggs , plus 1 yolk
142ml pot soured cream
300g raspberries
icing sugar

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
2. Crush the biscuits in a food processor.
3. Mix with the butter to form a crust and press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for 5 minutes, then cool.
4. Beat the cream cheese with the flour, sugar, a few drops of vanilla, eggs, the yolk and soured cream until light and fluffy.
5. Stir in half the raspberries and pour into the tin.
6. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre.
7. Leave in the tin to cool.
8. Keep a few raspberries for the top and put the rest in a pan with 1 tbsp icing sugar.
9. Heat until juicy and then squash with a fork.
10.Push through a sieve.
11. Serve the cheescake with the raspberry sauce and raspberries.

Recipe from olive magazine, March 2007.

Cooking Tips : How to Make Tortilla Chips From Scratch

Just watch this video and see all the tips and recipe you get for making your own torrilla chips from scrap. Its easy and fun.

Cooking Tips : How to Make an Icing Bag

This is a very interesting way of making your own bag. Just watch and see how quick it is done.

Crunchy Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh broccoli
1 small head cauliflower
3 carrots
1 medium green pepper
3 stalks celery

Method:

1. Wash all vegetables thoroughly.
2. Remove all florets from broccolli and cauliflower and cut into bite-size pieces.
3. Peel and then slice carrots diagonally.
4. Chop pepper and celery.
5. Place all vegetables in a lorge bowl.
6. In a separate bowl, mix ingredients for marinade:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, grated
1 teaspoon poppy seed
7. Mix ingredients together and pour over vegetables, cover, and marinate for about 3 hours of overnight in the refridgerator.
8. Serve and enjoy.

Baked pears with yoghurt

Image by xtrarant via Flickr

Ingredients:

4 ripe pears
200 g Greek-style yoghurt
1 dessert spoon sugar
50 g butter or margarine

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4
2. Peel pears, cut in half, and remove cores
3. Put pears hollow side up in a baking dish.
4. Sprinkle over sugar and dot with butter or margarine.
5. Do not add more sugat - the pears are sweet enough.
6. Put a spoonful of yoghurt on top of each pear half
7. Bake for about 10 minutes
8. Serve its delicious

How to store bananas

Image via Wikipedia

Never store bananas in the fridge. The skin will go black, but the flesh will still be edible. So keep bananas stored at a cool room temperature.