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)

Related articles by Zemanta

• Recipe: Southwest Meatloaf with Salsa (thekitchn.com)

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)