White Bean and Spring Green Cakes

This recipe came with my veg bag a couple of weeks ago and they are delicious. I used red leicester for the cheese and that worked fantastically. I served them over salad with a tomato and aubergine salad over the top but they would be yummy with a poached egg or as a burger in a bun.

White Bean and Spring Green Cakes
(Makes 8)

350g spring greens, washed and trimmed
60g cheese (cheddar, Lancashire, Wensleydale etc), grated
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
20g butter
1 400g can cannellini beans
50g dried breadcrumbs
1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
1 medium egg, beaten

Blanch the greens in a pan of boiling water until tender, 2-3 mins. Drain and run under the cold tap. Leave to drip dry.

Mash the cannellini beans with a fork. Squeeze the greens to get rid of the excess moisture, then roughly chop and add to the beans along with the spring onions, cheese, breadcrumbs, mustard and egg. Taste and season. Shape the mixture into 8 evenly sized cakes and chill for 15 mins.

Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan and fry for 5-6 mins on each side until golden brown and heated through. Serve.

Pumpkin Korroke

These are one of my favourite Japanese things to eat out. We always have them when we go to Yo! Sushi. I didn't have any panko so I just used brown breadcrumbs. They were still really tasty served over salad.

Squash Korroke
(Serves 3-4)

500g squash/pumpkin
2 tbsp light soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 tbsp flour (if using normal pumpkin)
1 egg, beaten
70ml sake
70g flour
panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 200C.

De-seed and peel the pumpkin and cut into chunks. Roast in the oven for 30-40 mins until soft. Either puree of mash with the soy sauce and salt and pepper.

Make the pumpkin mixture into patties.

Whisk together the egg and sake. Add the flour and mix again.

Dip the croquettes into the batter, then cover in panko crumbs, making sure that they are evenly covered. Put onto a baking sheet and then into the fridge for 30 mins to chill slightly.

Heat the oven again to 200C. Bake the croquettes for 10-15 mins until golden and crunchy on the outside.

Sweet Aubergine and Tomato Spaghetti Cake

This is an absolutely delicious spaghetti dish. It didn't stay in a cake form for me once out of the pan, but I didn't cook it for 40 mins, it was gone 8pm and I really wanted to eat! It was really tasty tho and an interesting way to cook an aubergine!

Sweet Aubergine and Tomato Spaghetti Cake (from Super Food Family Classics by Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

1 large aubergine, 350g
300g dried wholewheat spaghetti
olive oil
4 sprigs fresh oregano
2 red onions, finely sliced
½–1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced
1 400g tin of plum tomatoes
300g cottage cheese
2 large free-range eggs
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
juice 1 lemon
70g rocket
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the whole aubergine in a large pan of boiling water. Sit something on top, like a colander, so the aubergine doesn't float to the top, cook for 15 mins, then remove to a board. Add the spaghetti to the water and cook according to packet instructions, then drain and place in a large bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, halve and roughly chop the aubergine about 1cm thick. Place a deep 26cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil and the aubergine, then pick in the oregano leaves. Add the onions and chilli to the pan. Cook for 15 mins, stirring often until golden and gnarly.

Pour in the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then just under half-fill the tin with water, swirl around and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 mins, or until thick. Taste and season.

Pour the tomato sauce over the spaghetti, add the cottage cheese, eggs, and Parmesan, then mix together really well. Pour the spaghetti mixture back into the pan, pushing it into an even layer and packing it up at the sides. Heat over a medium heat on the hob for 2 mins, then bake on the bottom of the oven for 40 mins, or until golden all over. Tip out on to a board, grate over the remaining Parmesan, and serve top with rocket, a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of balsamic.

Sriracha Pork Ramen

Yummy yummy noodle soup!

Sriracha Pork Ramen (from Waitrose Magazine September 2015)
(Serves 4)

4 pork shoulder steaks, finely sliced
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves torn
4 garlic cloves, chopped
40g ginger, grated
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
1 can sweetcorn, drained
2 sachets miso soup paste
2 nests egg noodles
4 eggs

Put the pork into a large bowl and toss with 1/2 tbsp veg oil and 4tbsp sriracha. Heat a wok and add the pork and stir fry for 8-10 min until sticky and charred, transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Add a splash of water to the pan and scrape up the sticky pits from the bottom of the pan, before pouring over the pork.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan. Cook the coriander stalks, garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onions for 2-3 mins, then stir in the miso, sweetcorn, stock, 2 tbsp sriracha and 1l of water. Add the noodles and the eggs, cover and bring to the boil, simmer for 6 mins. Remove the eggs and cool under the cold tap, peel and halve.

Divide the noodles before 4 bowls. Pour over the broth, top with the eggs, pork, spring onion tops and coriander leaves. Scatter with sesame seeds.

White Chocolate Blondies

One of my friends has just had a baby so I went to see her last week and took some of these blondies with me. They are delicious and super easy to make!

White Chocolate Blondies (from The Recipe Critic)
(Makes 12)

280g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
170g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
150g light brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
265g white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with baking parchment and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugars and vanilla extract until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg.

Add the flour , baking powder, bicarb and salt and mix with a metal spoon until just combined. Using a spatula, stir in chocolate chips until combined. Press dough into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20-23 mins or until edges are lightly golden brown. Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Spicy Sweetcorn Fritters

Spicy Sweetcorn Fritters (from Hairy Bikers Fast Food)
(Makes 12)

300g frozen sweetcorn
3 eggs
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
60g plain flour
1 tbsp coriander stems, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 spring onion, finely chopped
cooking spray
salt and pepper

Dipping sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
juice 1 lime
1/2 tsp sugar or honey
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Boil the kettle. Put the sweetcorn into a bowl and pour over the boiling water, leave for a minute or so for the sweetcorn to defrost. Drain and Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat. Add the soy sauce and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the plain flour and whisk to combine until there are no lumps. Add the coriander stems, garlic, spring onion and sweetcorn to the batter and stir thoroughly.

Heat a large frying pan and spray with oil. Add heaped tbsps of the batter into the pan, spacing them out well. Cook the fritters for 2-3 mins until well browned underneath, then flip them and cook the other side. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

While the fritters are cooking make the dipping sauce. Put the soy sauce and lime juice in a small bowl, add the sugar or honey and stir until completely dissolved. Add the chilli flakes and garlic and stir to combine. Serve.

Ham and Pea Fritters

I loved these fritters. They are so easy to make and very tasty. I served them on a bed of salad leaves with a poached egg. Yum!

Ham and Pea Fritters (from Hairy Dieters Fast Food)

(Makes 12)

300g frozen peas

60g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 tbsp milk

100g cooked ham diced

cooking spray

salt and pepper

For the mustard sauce

1 tsp mustard

4 tbsp natural yoghurt

Put the peas into a saucepan and pour over a just boiled kettle of water. Leave to sit for 2-3 mins. Drain the peas and then mash or puree them roughly - you want a mixture of whole and crushed peas.

Put the flour and baking powder in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Break in the eggs. Using a fork break up the eggs and then mix into the flour until it is all mixed together. Add the milk and whisk to make a smooth batter. Stir in the peas and ham.

Heat a large frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Add tbsp of the batter spacing them well out. Cook for 2-3 mins until they are browned underneath, then flip over and cook the other side. Remove and keep warm whilst you cook the rest.

Stir the mustard into the yoghurt to make the sauce and serve with the fritters.

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Hash

One use for those leftover brussels sprouts!

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Hash (from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, finely diced
225g mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme, chopped
450g brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
salt and pepper
4 eggs

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their moisture, it evaporates and the mushrooms start to go brown, about 15 mins.

Add the garlic, thyme and brussels sprouts, saute until tender, about 5 mins, let sit until the bottoms start to caramelise, about 5 mins, then mix everything up and season. Make small wells in the hash, add the eggs and cook until you're happy wth them.

Jerusalem Artichoke Latkes

I got some Jerusalem artichokes in my veg bag and I was hunting about for interesting things to do with them. These latkes were what I found. They are quite tasty, but they don't hold together all that well! This is also a massive amount for 2 people!! I served it with cottage cheese too.

Jerusalem Artichoke Latkes (from Naturally Ella)
(Serves 2)

225g Jerusalem artichokes, grated
225g potatoes, grated
112g parsnips, grated
1 large egg
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp chopped chives
salt and pepper
2 to 3 tbsp oil for frying

For Serving
2 poached eggs
sriracha
chives

Put the grated Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes and parsnips in a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out all the excess liquid. Place in a bowl and add the eggs, flour, chives, salt, and pepper and mix.

Heat a medium, frying pan over medium-low heat. Add a tbsp of the oil and swirl around the pan. Wet your hands and measure out about 3 tbsp of the Jerusalem artichoke mixture. Pat into a patty that’s about ¼in thick. Place in the heated pan and fry for three mins. Flip and fry for another three mins. The outsides should be golden and crisp while the inside should be hot.

Repeat with remaining mixture. Add more oil as needed. Divide between four plates and serve topped with poached eggs, sriracha, and chives.

Creamed Corn with Baghdad Eggs

Another yummy vegetarian lunch or breakfast. I didn't bother to cook the spinach, but you could if you felt like it. 

6 fresh corn cobs
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
½ tbsp chia seeds
400g young spinach leaves
8 eggs
1 tsp sumac

For the spice mix
3 tbsp finely chopped shallots
4 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 garlic clove
large pinch smoked paprika
2 pinches dried chilli

To prepare the spice mix, put a small frying pan on medium heat, cook the shallots in the olive oil until soft then add the remaining ingredients. Turn the heat to low, stir well and leave for another 2 mins. Leave to cool.

Cook the corn cobs in salted water for about 10 mins. Drain and, once cool enough to handle, strip the kernels from the cob with a knife. Place three quarters of the corn in a blender with the olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning.

Process to a very fine texture and add the remaining cooked corn and the chia seeds. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

Cook the spinach in 3 tbsp boiling water until wilted, then drain in a colander. When ready to serve, fry the eggs in a little oil with the spice mix. Divide the creamed corn between four plates, dot with the spinach and slide the eggs on top. Sprinkle with sumac and serve with flatbreads.

Turkish Eggs

I had these delicious eggs for lunch on New Year's Day and they were fab. Really easy to make and tasty, something different to do with eggs!

Turkish Eggs (from Hairy Dieters Fast Food)
(Serves 4)
(5 WW SmartPoints)

cooking spray
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika or chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 medium tomatoes, diced or 200g can chopped tomatoes
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
50g feta, crumbled
parsley or mint, chopped

Heat a frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Add the onion and peppers and cook over a medium heat for about 7-10 mins, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle over the paprika and oregano. Add the tomato puree and cook for a further couple of mins, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins.

Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Add then to the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs have combined with the tomato mixture and are just cooked through. Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle with feta and herbs. Serve.

Tuna Burger

This is a yummy tuna burger. Add as much or as little chilli as you like depending on your tolerance. Lovely Asian flavours.

Tuna Burger
(Serves 2)

150g tuna steak
1 egg
15g fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
1 cm ginger, grated
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1/4 red chilli, chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
squeeze lime juice
2 wholemeal buns

Put the tuna in a food processor and whizz until quite finely chopped but not pureed.

Mix the salmon with the egg, lime zest, ginger, coriander and chilli. Shape into 2 large flat burgers.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. Add the burgers and cook for 4-5 mins per side.

While the burgers are cooking, mix together the mayonnaise, chilli sauce and lemon juice.

Lightly toast the bun and spread the sweet chilli mayo on both halves. Top with the tuna burger nd some lettuce and serve.

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes

I'm loving pancakes at the moment, in all sorts of varieties. I made slightly larger pancakes and I served them with hummus, yoghurt and cherry tomatoes. Yum!

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes (from Little Grazers)
(Makes 10 little pancakes)

100g butternut squash, cubed
100g plain flour
120ml milk
1 egg
45g frozen sweetcorn
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
vegetable oil

Add the butternut squash to a steamer over some boiling hot water and steam until softened. Add to a bowl and mash, set aside and allow to cool.

Add the flour and egg and whisk until you have a smooth slightly thick batter. Stir in the cheese, sweetcorn and paprika.

Grease a frying pan over a medium high heat with some vegetable oil. Add heaped tbsps of the mixture to make mini pancakes and cook until golden on both sides.

Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot Frittata

This was a delicious fritttata, it's along time since I've made one, but this was definitely a success. Yummy!

Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot Frittata (from The Times)
(Serves 1)

1 cooked beetroot, diced
1 smoked mackerel fillet, flaked
oil
3 eggs
1 tsp sage

Preheat the grill to high. Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the beetroot and smoked mackerel and cook for 2-3 mins.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour them into the pan, making sure all the ingredients are well spread out and are covered by the eggs. Sprinkle over the sage and cook over a medium heat for about 4 mins, until the underside is cooked.

Transfer the pan to the grill and cook for 4 mins, until the eggs have set. Serve.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

I made this chocolate beetroot cake for a staff meeting a couple of weeks ago. I had a lot of beetroot that needed using and this was perfect. This is a picture before I added the icing. It was very rich and you'd definitely only need a small piece!

Chocolate Beetroot Cake (from Delicious Magazine)
(Serves 10-12)

250g plain chocolate, broken up
3 large eggs
200g light muscovado sugar
100ml sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
50g ground almonds
250g raw beetroot

For the icing
150g plain chocolate
100g icing sugar
100g soured cream

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin with a little butter and line the base with baking paper.

Place the plain chocolate in a bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly until smooth, then set aside to cool.

Place the eggs, sugar and sunflower oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk together, using an electric hand whisk, for about 3 mins until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in vanilla extract, then sift over self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and gently fold in, together with the ground almonds.

Peel and grate the beetroot, then squeeze out the excess liquid. Fold the beetroot into the mixture with the cooled chocolate, until thoroughly mixed.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 50 mins-1 hr. Cover with foil if the cake browns too quickly. Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre to see if it comes out clean. Cool for a little while, then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the icing, place the plain chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Allow to melt gently until smooth. Set aside to cool, then beat in the icing sugar and soured cream until you have a thick, creamy and spreadable icing. Spread it over the top and sides of the cooled cake and serve.

Smoked Salmon and Spelt Kedgeree

This is absolutely delicious. I had it for lunch, so I left the spelt to cool before topping with the salmon and egg. It's a great big hit of vitamin D too.

Smoked Salmon and Spelt Kedgeree
(Serves 2)

1 leek, sliced
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp curry powder
100g pearled spelt
500ml chicken or veg stock
2 eggs
100g green beans, chopped
juice 1/2 lemon
handful chopped dill
100g smoked salmon

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the leek, cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 min. Add the spelt and stock and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 mins, until the liquid has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, put the eggs in a saucepan full of water bring to the boil and boil for 9 mins, adding the green beans for the last 2 mins of cooking time.

Peel and quarter the eggs. Season the spelt and stir in the juice 1/2 lemon, the beans and the dill. Top with the smoked salmon and eggs. Serve.

Pasta with Bacon, Spinach and a Poached Egg

Really simple pasta dish, full of flavour and quick to whip up.

Pasta with Bacon, Spinach and a Poached Egg
(Serves 1)

60g spaghetti
2 rashers bacon, chopped
30g cream cheese
1 egg, poached
handful spinach leaves
grated parmesan

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon until crisp and poach your egg.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and then add back to the pan along with the cream cheese, bacon and spinach. Stir to combine. Put into a serving bowl and top with the parmesan and egg. Serve.

Courgette, Tomato and Cheshire Cheese Bake

Almost the last of the courgettes from the garden. Delicious tomatoey bake, a little time consuming as you have to grill the courgettes the first but really tasty.

Courgette, Tomato and Cheshire Cheese Bake (from The Guardian)
(Serves 2-3)

4 medium courgettes, cut lengthways in thin slices
oil
500ml passata
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
200ml Greek yoghurt
1 egg
100g Cheshire cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 220C. Heat a griddle pan. Brush the courgettes with oil, then chargrill and season lightly.

Build the dish in a frying pan: start with a good layer of tomato passata in the base, top with a thin layer of red onions, and add a tightly packed layer of courgettes, sprinkled with oregano, salt and pepper. Repeat, and finish with a thin layer of passata.

Mix the yoghurt and egg, season, then spoon on top of the passata. Cover with cheese, sprinkle with oregano and bake for 20 mins until golden.

Artichoke and Spinach Scones

I had some leftover artichokes and spinach from meals last week and I came across these scones and thought they'd be a fab way of using up my leftovers. They are delicious and a great accompaniment to soup.

Artichoke and Spinach Scones (from Gold Medal Flour)
(Makes 12)

360g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
60g butter, cut into cubes
50g parmesan cheese, grated
4 artichoke hearts, chopped
100g spinach
250ml milk
1 egg, divided

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Leave to cool, then squeeze out the excess water and chop.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and garlic powder. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the cheese, artichokes and spinach, stirring to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, you might not need all of it, so add gradually.

Place dough on a floured surface and form into a disk, 3/4 to 1-inch in thickness. Cut out into circles with a cutter. Place the scones onto a lightly greased or lined baking sheet.

Brush the top of each scone with the leftover milk and egg mixture or just egg.

Put into the oven and bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Leave to cool.

Blueberry, Oat and Chia Seed Muffins

These muffins are a bit dense but they are very tasty. They used up lots of stuff I had in cupboards and they are slightly more complicated than a straight forward muffin but tasty.

Blueberry, Oat and Chia Seed Muffins (from Time Out)
(Makes 12)

75g wholemeal flour
125g plain flour
200g rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp chia seeds
2 really ripe bananas, peeled
2 large eggs, separated
250 milk
2 tbsp runny honey
3 tbsp oil
125g blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a muffin tray with paper cases.

Cobmine the flours, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, chia seeds and a pinch of salt in a bowl, the create a well in the middle.

Mash the banana in a separate bowl, then add the egg yolks, milk, honey and oil. Mix well, then pour it into the well. Mix everything gently until a wet batter forms.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the muffing batter with the blueberries until evenly mixed.

Divide the muffin mix between the paper cases and bake for 25 mins or until cooked through and golden.