Potato Cheese Herb Scones

Ingredients

200 g self-raising flour

50 g wholemeal flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp mustard powder

2 tsp mixed herbs

1 tsp baking powder

40 g butter, cut into small pieces

150 ml semi-skimmed milk, or more as needed

170 g (6 oz) cold mashed potato (without any milk or butter added)

100 g cheddar cheese

To finish

milk or beaten egg to glaze

1 tsp paprika

50 g cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC . Sift the flour, salt, mustard powder and baking powder into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2.In another bowl, stir the milk into the mashed potato, mixing well. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork to mix, adding another 1–2 tbsp milk, if needed, to make a soft dough.

3.Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface for a few seconds or until smooth, then roll out to a 15 cm (6 in) round about 2 cm ( 3/4 in) thick. Place on a greased baking sheet. Mark the scone round into 8 wedges with a sharp knife.

4.Brush with milk or beaten egg, then sprinkle with the paprika and cheese . Bake for 15–20 minutes or until well risen and golden brown.

5.Transfer to a wire rack and break into wedges. Serve warm or leave to cool. The scones can be kept in an airtight tin for up to 3 days. If liked, reheat them for serving: set on a baking sheet, cover with foil and warm in a low oven for about 4-5 minutes.

Cajun Chicken

Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

Method

1. Dry chicken with kitchen paper, then butterfly.

2. Mix spices with seasoning, then tip onto a plate

3. Brush the chicken on both sides with the oil.then coat all over with the spice mix.

4. Cover, and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

5. Heat a frying pan then cook the chicken for 5-6 mins on each side until cooked through. Served with chips and a side salad.

Bangers and mash with onion gravy and peas

Ingredients For the sausages and onion gravy

6 sausages

1 onions, sliced

½ tsp dried mixed herbs

500ml chicken stock

salt black pepper

1 tbsp softened butter

2 tsp plain flour

For the mash

800g potatoes, peeled and cubed

50gunsalted butter

50ml double cream or milk

To serve 280g frozen peas

Method

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes or until soft.

2. Drain the potatoes and mash with the butter and the cream.

3. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook until soft.

4. Heat up a frying pan, add a little sunflower oil and fry the sausages cook until they have a good colour on the outside.

5. Preheat the oven to 180C 6.

6. For the sausages and onion gravy, mix the softened butter and plain flour together to form a paste. Add the sliced onions to the oven dish . Mix the sausages ,onions dried herbs and stock together.

7.  Return the oven dish to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through and the onion gravy thickened.

8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

9. Cook the peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or steam them for 1-2 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

10Serve the sausages, mash and peas with the onion gravy spooned over.

Salmon Fish Cake

Ingredients

400g potato cut into chunks

300g salmon

zest ½ lemon plus wedges to serve

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 cup plain flour

2 egg beaten

200g dried breadcrumb
6 tbsp sunflower oil
salad, to serve


Method
1.Place the potatoes in a pan of water, bring to the boil, cover and cook until tender. then mash. 2.Season the salmon and cook for 12-15 mins. Cool for a few mins, then break into large flakes
3.Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 shallow dishes. Dip the fish cakes into the flour, dust off any excess, then dip in the egg, and finally coat in breadcrumbs.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the fish cakes over a medium-low heat until deep golden and heated through. Serve with salad and lemon wedges.

homemade-mushy-peas

Ingredients
500g  frozen garden peas                                                                   
25g of butter 1 handful fresh mint (chopped)
Pinch ground black pepper and  salt

Method
Boil or steam the peas
Add the butter and mint
Mash with a potato masher and season to taste

Very Special Potato Bake, with Bacon Savoy Cabbage

Ingredients:

2 Large Baking Potatoes
100gm Small Prawns (cooked)
100gm Red Leicester Cheese, Grated.
1/2 Small Savoy Cabbage
4 Rashers of Smoked Bacon
Salt, Pepper, Butter, milk.

Method:

Wash the potatoes, pat dry then prick with a fork.
Place in oven at 160C (Gas Mark 5) for around 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred cabbage, place in boiling salted water and cook for 20 minutes.
Grill Bacon until well cooked (crispy) and cut into strips.
Drain the cabbage well, then mix in the bacon strips.
Take the potatoes and cut them in half. Scrape out the potato from inside into a dish, add a little salt, pepper, butter and milk and mash.
Mix the prawns with the potato and refill the potato skins with the mixture. Top with the grated cheese and place under a grill to melt the cheese.

Serve hot.

Poached Pears In Red Wine

Ingredients:

3/4 Bottle of red wine
4 dessert pears
100gms sugar
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Star Anise
Whipping cream

Method:

Peel the pears, leaving them whole, and stalks attached. Carefully core using an apple corer from the bottom of the pear, if you have one (leave uncored if not).
In a small saucepan, heat the wine and stir in and dissolve the sugar.
Break the Cinnamon stick into two, and add it as well as the Star Anise and the pears to the wine.
Simmer gently for about an hour, until pears are tender.
Remove the pears and Cinnamon, return liquid to the heat and reduce to about 1/3 by boiling.

To Serve:

Whip cream until very firm.
Place warm pear upright in dessert dish, spoon red wine sauce around it, and then add a dessert spoonful of cream to the dish.