Courgette Kinda Cookies

I managed to grow a marrow out of one of my courgettes and it's not really good for anything apart from grating so I made some cooking with it. These are a little bit healthy in that they include wholewheat flour, honey and courgettes and they are very tasty!

Courgette Kinda Cookies (from Time Out)
(Makes 20)

100g butter
100g honey
1 large egg
28g wholewheat flour
140g rolled oats
170g raisins
150g courgette, grated
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Melt the butter in a bowl and add the honey. Leave to cool and then beat in the egg.

Combine the flour, oats, raisins, courgette, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Stir in the wet ingredients.

Roll into balls, flatten and put onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins.

Parsnip and Maple Syrup Cake

This was the second cake I made for the staff meeting and it went down a treat. Everyone really loved it. I swapped out the pecans as I can't take nuts to school and added raisins instead. The frosting was delicious, a definite success and you can't taste the parsnips at all!

Parsnip and Maple Syrup Cake (from Good Food Magazine November 2009)
(Serves 8)

175g butter, plus extra for greasing
250g demerara sugar
100ml maple syrup
3 large eggs
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
250g parsnips, peeled and grated
1 medium eating apple, peeled, cored and grated
50g raisins
zest and juice 1 small orange
icing sugar, to serve

For the filling
250g tub mascarpone
3-4 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins.

Melt the butter, sugar and maple syrup in a pan over gentle heat, then cool slightly. Whisk the eggs into this mixture, then stir in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice, followed by the grated parsnip, apple, raisins, orange zest and juice.

Divide between the tins, then bake for 25-30 mins until the tops spring back when pressed lightly.
Cool the cakes slightly in the tins before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

When the cakes are cool, mix together the mascarpone and maple syrup. Spread half the mixture over one cake and sandwich with the other. Spread the rest of the mixture on top of the cake and serve.

Kale and Three Cheese Calzone

I made these a couple of weekends ago. I have given you the instructions for the original tomato sauce but I used some leftover tomato sauce from the Kale, Mushroom and Beetroot Lasagne. They were delicious and a lovely use of the kale from my veg bag.

Kale and Three Cheese Calzone (from Eats Well With Others)
(Serves 2)

1 packet pizza dough mix
3 cloves garlic, chopped
150g fresh mozzarella
1 bunch kale, chopped
4 tsp oil
1½ tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
200g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp raisins
100g ricotta
20g parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oven to 200C.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tsp of olive oil on a medium-high heat. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 30 secs. Add the Italian seasoning and chilli flakes and cook, stirring for 1 min. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-4 mins, or until warmed through. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

While the tomato sauce cooks, in a medium pain, heat 2 tsp of oil on medium-high. Add the remaining garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 30-45 secs, or until fragrant. Add the kale, raisins, and 2 tbsp water. Season. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3-5 mins, or until the kale has wilted and the water has evaporated. Try to cook out as much of the liquid as possible.

In a large bowl, combine the kale, mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan cheese, and ⅓ of the tomato sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Make up the pizza dough according to packet instructions. Sprinkle some flour on a clean, dry work surface. Divide the dough into 2 portions. Roll out each portion. Divide the filling between the pizzas covering half the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling. Press or crimp the edges of the dough with a fork to seal the calzones.

Sprinkle the remaining flour on a baking sheet. Carefully transfer the calzones to the prepared pan and drizzle or brush the tops with olive oil. Bake for 15-18 mins, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 2 mins. Serve with the remaining tomato sauce, which you can either serve cold or warm up.

Energy Bars

One of my friends gave me this recipe, she makes a batch a week for her and her husband. So I thought I'd try them and they are delicious. I actually used a 3 nut butter rather than peanut and I added chopped walnuts and pecans for my nuts and figs and raisins for the dried fruit and they are delicious. Definitely a keeper.

Energy Bars (adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)
(Makes 12-16)

100g honey
250g nut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
127g whole wheat flour
80g oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
120ml milk
90g chopped mixed nuts
70g dried fruit, chopped if big
1 tbsp stem ginger, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 20cm x 20cm baking dish with greaseproof paper.

Using an electric mixer, beat the honey and peanut butter together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Turn the mixer down to medium and add in the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarb and salt. The dough will be very thick and clumpy, but it will come together.

Slowly add the milk, mixing until a dough forms. Fold in the nuts, dried fruit and ginger until evenly distributed.

Press the dough lightly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 25-30 mins until the bars are lightly golden and set. Allow to cool completely and cut into squares. They will keep for about 2 weeks.

Sausage with Warm Red Cabbage and Beetroot Slaw

The beetroot and red cabbage slaw was delicious and went really well with the sausages. Slightly sweet, slightly sour it was just perfect. I served it by itself, but it would be lovely with crusty bread as the original recipe suggested.

Sausage with Warm Red Cabbage and Beetroot Slaw (from Good Food Magazine May 2012)
(Serves 4)

8 pork sausages
100ml balsamic vinegar
100g soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp cumin seed
140g mixed dried vine fruit, such as currants, raisins and sultanas
1 red cabbage, about 800g 12oz, shredded
4 beetroot, about 350g, grated

Heat oven to 200C. Put the sausages on a baking tray and cook for 30-35 mins or until cooked through and golden.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar, sugar, cumin and dried fruit into a large pan and gently heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then bubble for 3 mins or until slightly reduced. Tip in the cabbage and beetroot, stir well, then cook for 10 mins more.

Serve with mustard.

Healthy Flapjack

I'm not sure about this flapjack, I found it a little dry. I substituted dates for prunes which didn't quite have the same binding effect! I'm not sure healthy flapjack is worth it!

Flapjacks (adapted from Good Food Magazine December 2012)
(Makes 12)

150g ready-to-eat stoned dates

100g low-fat spread

3 generous tbsp agave syrup

3 tbsp mixed seeds

100g raisins

150g porridge oats

Heat the oven to 190C. Line an 18cm square tin with baking parchment. Put the dates into a food processor and process until they are finely chopped and sticking together in clumps.

Put the low-fat spread, agave syrup and dates into a saucepan and heat gently. Stir until the low-fat spread has melted and the dates are blended in. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir until well mixed. Spoon the mixture into the tin and spread level.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave in the tin until cold then cut into squares and serve.

Apple Crumble Pie

I went to a friends house for dinner before I went on holiday and I made pudding. We had scrummy chicken fajitas with all the trimmings and then this gorgeous pie to follow. I had to make a huge pie as those are the only pie dishes I had, so I took home leftovers and gave some to my next door neighbour! It was delicious, but I think I would stick to either pie or crumble next time. We had cookie dough ice cream to go with it, you can't go wrong with a bit of cookie dough ice cream!

Apple Crumble Pie (from BBC Food)
(Serves 8)

375g pack ready-made sweet, all-butter shortcrust pastry
4-6/800g Bramley apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
1½ tbsp plain flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g caster sugar
50g raisins or sultanas

For the crumble topping

85g plain flour
85g butter, cut into small cubes
4 tbsp caster sugar
handful porridge oats

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Lightly flour the work surface, then roll out the pastry until it is about 3cm larger than the pie dish.

Lift the pastry over the dish. Press it into the tin, then trim the edge with a sharp knife. Put the pastry into the fridge to chill while making the filling.

Preheat the oven to 190C and put a baking sheet on the middle shelf.

For the crumble topping, sift the flour into a large bowl, then add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mix looks like rough breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar and the handful of oats. Chill the crumble topping in the fridge while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples, cut them into quarters, remove the core, then cut into slices. Toss the apple slices with the lemon juice in a large bowl.

Sift over the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well to coat. Tip in the sugar and raisins. Mix well.

Put the apples into the pastry lined tin, scatter with the crumble mix and then sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top. It might seem a little full and piled up but it will shrink down with cooking. Bake for 30 mins, or until the pastry and crumble are golden and crisp.

Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Courgette Chutney

One of the other recipes I made back in the summer with the glut of courgettes was Courgette and Tomato Chutney. Like most chutneys it benefits from being left for at least a month before eating to allow the flavours to develop. I ate some with cheese and biscuits last week and it was really good, I was worried that it might be too vinegary but it wasn't, it had a lovely flavour and went really well with the cheese.

Courgette Chutney (from What Do I Do With All These Courgettes? - Elaine Borish)
(Makes 2.5kg)

1kg courgettes, chopped
1.5kg tomatoes, chopped
700g onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
600ml vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika
450g brown sugar
4oz raisins

In a large pot, heat the courgettes, tomatoes, onions and garlic with half the vinegar and simmer uncovered until the vegetables are soft, about 30 mins.

Add the rest of the vinegar and all the remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. It should be thick and reduced to a pulp, with no watery juices left. Pour into sterilised jars, put the lid on and leave to cool.

Courgette and Ginger Cake

I had a staff book group just before half term and I made a courgette and ginger cake for something to nibble on. It went down really well and there wasn't a slice left by the end of the session! It was really tasty, you could add more ginger if you wanted to make it more gingery.

Courgette and Ginger Cake (from Old Fashioned Zucchini and Squash Recipes)

245g self-rising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
113g butter, softened
113g caster sugar
200g brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 courgette, grated and drained
150g raisins
100g walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C.

In a bowl cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the egg and stir in the grated courgette. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into the wet ingredients. Add the raisins and nuts and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into a 1lb loaf tin and bake for 50-60 mins until golden on top.

Apple and Raisin Flapjacks

I made flapjacks for Mad Hatters, my Mum has had so many apples on her trees and brings some down to me, some I give away to friends and others I find a use for! I think I made these the second or third week of term so I'm now really behind! As I ate out of the freezer for the week I was sick hopefully I might catch up a bit! I made this in a bit of a crazy weekend, I had some leftover chocolate and thought I'd drizzle it over the top. However, I managed to put the chocolate on before I baked them! It was fine but apparently if you're 11 the more chocolate the better so I'll try and stick to more chocolately things!!

Apple and Raisin Flapjacks
Makes 24

325g butter
220g soft brown sugar
8 tbsp golden syrup
750g oats
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
2 large apples
160g raisins

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Melt the butter, sugar, and golden syrup in a saucepan. While the butter is melting, core the apples and chop them into small pieces.

Stir about half of the oats, and the cinnamon, into the melted butter mixture. Add the chopped apples and the raisins and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining oats and stir until all the oats are coated in butter.

Line a 25x35cm, deep-sided tray with greaseproof paper, and press the mixture into the tray, smoothing with a spatula.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown.

Allow to cool in the tray until they are set hard enough to cut, then slice up and move to a wire rack to cool.

Eve's Pudding

The next thing that I made with the apples from my Mum's garden was Eve's Pudding. I'd never heard of this traditional English pudding but I'm very glad I'd found it. This was really delicious, it's pretty much what Americans would call a cobbler; cake batter on top of fruit, an English cobbler is something slightly different, but I definitely prefer American cobbler anyway, so there was no way I was going to dislike this!

Eve's Pudding (from Good Food Magazine February 2010)
(Serves 4)

6 large cooking apples, finely sliced

1 tbsp lemon juice

200g unsalted butter

140g raisins

100g soft brown sugar

4 eggs

200g self-raising flour

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a large serving dish, about 2.5 litre/3 litre with 25g of the butter and tip in the apples. Scatter the raisins over the top.

 

In a separate dish beat the remaining butter and sugar together until the butter turns pale fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then carefully fold in the flour with a large spoon. Spread the batter over the apples, then bake for 45 mins until golden.