Easy choc-choc muffins

OK, these aren’t really muffins – but my niece (aged 8) really enjoyed making them. They are simple and delicious!

 

Ingredients

• 120g self raising flour
• 100g soft margarine or butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 75g choc chips

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C or gas 6.

2. Beat the flour, margarine/butter, sugar and eggs together until fluffy.

3. Stir in the choc-chips.

4. Evenly divide the mixture between 12 muffin cases.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.

 

Top tips

*Add some walnuts or pecan nuts.

*Try chopped pineapple and coconut, or white chocolate and macadamia nuts.

*Make some butter icing and top for a treat!

*Don’t bother with the muffin cases – bake into 1 large cake.

Stilton Baked Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 4 large flat mushrooms
• 1/2 slice wholemeal bread
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• a few bits of fresh rosemary
• 1 Tb parmesan, grated
• 4 slices Stilton cheese

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C or gas 6.

2. Place the mushrooms in a shallow baking dish.

3. Blitz th

 

e bread, onion, garlic and rosemary in a food processor – so chop up yourself.

4. Stir in the parmesan into the bread mix.

5. Place a slice of Stilton on top of each mushroom.

6. Spoon over a little breadcrumb mix.

7. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

 

Top tips

*Just bake the mushrooms with the stilton – forget the topping, delicious!

*Try different types of cheeses.

*Use small mushrooms – perhaps for a starter?

Slow roasted tomato risotto

Ingredients

• 8-10 tomatoes
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 3 field mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 225g risotto rice
• 1 glass white wine
• 850ml stock
• 10-12 fresh butter beans
• 25g parmesan, grated
• a few twists of black pepper

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C or gas 4.

2. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, cut crosses on top, sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper and place in the oven for 50-60 minutes (longer if you have time).

3. Fry the onion and garlic for 5-8mins, until softened.

4. Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 5 mins.

5. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 mins.

6. Pour in the wine and stir. Add the butter beans.

7. Add a little stock, stir in and allow to cook. When the stock has been absorbed, stir in more stock. Continue this until the rice is al dente.

8. When the rice is cooked, stir in the cheese and pepper.

9. Place the tomatoes on top.

Meatballs with veggie sauce

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 30g breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 red chilli
• 400g minced beef
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1 Tablespoon oil

Sauce:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 glass red wine
• 1 Tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
• Black pepper
• 3 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 courgette, thinly sliced

 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C or gas 6.

2. Make the meatballs:

• Mix together the onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, chilli and meat.
• Divide and shape into 16 balls.
• Roll each ball in flour.

3. Place the oil in a large baking dish and roll in the meatballs.

4. Place in the oven while you make the sauce, turn a few times so they brown all over.

5. Make the tomato sauce:

• Fry the onion and garlic for 2 mins.
• Add the tomatoes, wine, tomato purée, herbs and black pepper.
• Add the mushrooms and courgette and allow to cook for 20 minutes.

6. Add the sauce to the meatballs and cook for another 20 minutes.

7. Serve with pasta and a sprinkle of cheese.

Choc-pear tray bake

Ok, another cake – but this one is a favourite at Easyknits HQ! Using a basic cake mix, it has delicious chunks of pear and chocolate for a hint of decadence!

 

Ingredients

• 150g SR flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g butter/margarine
• 2 eggs
• 25g cocoa powder
• 50g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
• 1 large pear, cored and chopped (keep some for decoration)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C or gas mark 6. Line and grease a can tin (shape, you decide!).

2. Mix the flour, sugar, butter/margarine and eggs into a smooth cake batter.

3. Divide the mixture in half.

4. In one half, mix in the cocoa and chocolate. In the other half, stir in the pear.

5. Dollop the cake mixes into the cake tin and roughly swirl together.

6. Bake in the oven for 40-50mins, until golden brown and firm to the touch.

 

Top tips

*Add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger to the pear cake mix.

*Go for other types of fruit, banana, apple and plums all work well.

Tasty pasta bake

Pasta bake is a great way to make the pennies go further, as well as still being delicious. Why not make more and freeze for another time?

 

Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tb oil
• 2 cans tomatoes (400g cans)
• 1 Tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs
• Black pepper
• 300-400g dried pasta shapes
• 1 large bag spinach
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 cooked chicken breast, chopped – optional
• 100-150g Cheddar cheese (or a smaller quantity of parmesan)

 

Method

1. Fry the onion, garlic and oil together for 5 mins – do not brown the onion.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, dried herbs and a few twists of black pepper.

3. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for about 40-50 minutes.

4. At the end of the cooking time, stir in the spinach.

5. Pre-heat the oven to 200C or gas mark 6.

6. Boil the pasta, according to the instruction on the packet.

7. Five minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the broccoli to the same pan.

8. Drain the pasta and broccoli.

9. Stir the tomato sauce, pasta and broccoli together (add the cooked chicken pieces, if using).

10. Pour everything into a large baking dish, top with the cheese and bake for around 20 minutes, until golden.

 

Top tips

*Add a glass of red wine to the tomato sauce (when you add the tomatoes).

*Add a fresh chopped red chilli or a few chilli flakes to the tomato sauce for a kick!

*Pasta bake works well with lots of different types of veggies, like courgettes, peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn and peas – try fresh, frozen and canned.

*Use canned tuna fish, strips of ham or cooked sausage in the bake.

Coconut-jam squares

These are a favourite of Roy Senior – a fun treat for all the family. Ideal at tea time or for dessert with a spot of custard! (Bringing back school lunch memories!)

 

Ingredients

• 150g SR flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g butter/margarine
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 5-6 Tablespoons jam
• 3-4 Tablespoons coconut

 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C or gas mark 6.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, butter/margarine, eggs and vanilla into a smooth cake batter.

3. Spread the cake mixture into a greased/lined square cake tin (about 20cm square).

4. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins, until golden brown.

5. When cooked, allow to cool completely.

6. Cut away the edges (keep for the kids or the birds!) – then cut the cake into squares.

7.Carefully spread the jam over the sides of the cake squares. (Sometimes its easier to warm the jam slightly, but this depends on the jam you’re using.)

8. Finally, roll the cake square in the coconut.

 

Top tips

*Change the jam for different varieties.

*Add other ingredients to the cake mixture, e.g. fruit, cocoa powder, coconut.