Simple Fragrant Chicken Casserole

DESCRIPTION: This is a really easy dish to cook and is very flexible, you can
more or less adapt it to your individual taste and you dont necessarily have to use chicken; maybe try it with tender cubes of beef steak, lamb neck fillet or pork fillet. The method I use is to cut the meat into bite sized chunks not too small and toss the pieces in seasoned flour to give the basic sauce consistency. If youre using chicken, I recommend using skinless and boneless thigh meat, its much tastier than breast meat and doesnt dry out so much; also if you can find it, get a bunch of fresh TARRAGON herb its magic with chicken!

INGREDIENTS:
to taste 8-10 Chicken Thighs Streaky Bacon 2 Carrots, diced or cut into batons 1 large Red Pepper 2 Red Onions 4 cloves Garlic two good handfuls Sliced Celery 1 tin Tomato, chopped half pints Cider Button Mushrooms Fresh Green Chilli Pepper, deseeded (optional) Tarragon Fresh Herbs, for garnish Plain Flour Salt And Pepper Good Cooking Oil

Difficulty: Easy Cooking Time: 30 mins 30 mins to 1 hour 45 mins Attribution: week 1

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Season the flour with salt and pepper, then lightly coat all the chicken pieces. In a large pan or casserole fry the chicken pieces over a moderate heat till they are lightly browned do this in batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan. When done put aside while you fry the diced bacon till almost crisp, then add the diced onion and garlic. You may need to add a little more oil to the pan at this stage and be careful not to burn the onions as they become bitter. Now return the chicken pieces to the pan followed by the diced carrots, the celery, the peppers and the tinned tomatoes, and a good handful of chopped Tarragon. Add the cider - or you can use a large glass of white wine and bring the pan up to a gentle boil to evaporate the alcohol and thicken the sauce now cover and cook for 15- 20 minutes till the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. During the last 10 minutes, add the button mushrooms or finely sliced larger ones. TIP if the sauce looks too watery, leave the lid off the pan and boil a little longer if it looks to thick, add a little hot water. While all this is finally cooking off, prepare some Rice or Potatoes or Pasta and some nice firm green vegetable or just assemble a green salad to go with this dish. Also prepare a good handful of fresh chopped herbs like PARSLEY, TARRAGON MINT, CHIVES or SPRING ONION for garnish. Above all else DONT PANIC! This is a really uncomplicated and forgiving dish to make and the best thing of all is that its cheap, fulfilling and nutritious. ENJOY!

Aloo Mattar ~ Potatoes and peas

INGREDIENTS:
2 2 2 4 4 2 2 6 3 4 4 large Onions, finely chopped cloves Garlic, finely chopped cups Tinned Tomatoes tsp Fresh Ginger, grated Green Chillies, finely chopped tsp Salt tsp Ground Turmeric tsp Ground Masala handfulls Coriander, chopped cups Fresh Or Frozen Peas Potatoes , peeled and chopped into small chunks

DIRECTIONS:

Difficulty: Easy Yield: serves 8 to 12 Cooking Time: 30 minutes Attribution: Week 3

METRICS:

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic. Fry until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds and then add the tomato, ginger, chillies, salt, turmeric, garam masala and half the coriander. Cook on a low heat until the mixture becomes shiny and the oil separates out. Add the peas, turn up the heat and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the potatoes and continue to stir fry for a couple of minutes so that the potatoes and peas are well covered. Add 5 cups of boiling water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Sprinkle with the remaining coriander to serve.

Banoffee Pie
INGREDIENTS:
250g/ 9oz Digestive Biscuits 100g/ 3.5oz Butter, melted 397g can Carnation Caramel 4 small Bananas 300mL carton Whipping Cream Grated Chocolate, to decorate For Carnation Carmel 100g/ 3.5oz Butter 100g/ 3.5oz Dark Brown Soft Sugar 397g can Carnation Condensed Milk Difficulty: Easy Attribution: Week 4

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
You will need a 23cm (9in) loose-bottomed tart tin. To make the base, process the biscuits until like fine crumbs then tip into a bowl (or put biscuits in a plastic bag and turn them into crumbs using a rolling pin). Stir in the melted butter and when well mixed use a spoon to press the mixture into the base and up the sides of the tin to make a pie shell. Spread the caramel over the base do not over beat or the caramel will become runny, simply spread with a spoon or spatula. Chill until ready to serve. Before serving slice the bananas and arrange over the caramel. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon over the bananas. Top with grated chocolate or cocoa. IF YOU CAN'T BUY CARNATION CARAMEL READY MADE YOU CAN MAKE IT AS FOLLOWS Place the butter and sugar into a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Add the condensed milk and bring gently to the boil, stirring continuously. When the caramel has started to boil, remove from the heat and pour over the biscuit base. Cool, and then leave to chill for about 1 hour, until firm.

Cashew and prawn rice

DESCRIPTION: This is a very simple and quick dish to make
for lunch.

INGREDIENTS:
8 Tbsp Vegtable Oil 4 tsp Cumin Seeds 2 Onion, thinly sliced 800 g Prawns/Shrimp , cooked and peeled 8 Tomatoes, diced large handful Coriander, chopped 2 cups Cashew Nuts 2 tsp Dried Red Chilli Flakes 2 tsp Salt 2 cups Basmati Rice, rinsed with cold water 4 cups Water

Difficulty: Easy Yield: serves 8 Cooking Time: 16 minutes Attribution: Week 3

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds 2. When sizzling, add the onion and fry until translucent 3. Add the prawns, tomatoes, coriander, cashews, chilli and salt stir fry for 30 seconds 4. Add the rice and stir fry for a further 30 seconds 5. Add the water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down very low, cover and steam for 15 minutes.

Chilli bean fajitas

DESCRIPTION: Fajitas are always a hit and this vegetarian option is a
great way eating more vegetables and beans. Try eating at least one vegetarian meal a week and introduce more beans and pulses.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tins Mixed Bean Salad, or your favourite beans 2 tins Cannellini Beans 2 White Onion 2 Sticks Of Celery 2 Yellow Peppers 2 tsp Smoked Paprika 2 tsp Ground Cumin 2 tsp Oregano 1 tsp Mixed Herbs 2 cloves Garlic 1 tsp Chilli Flakes, optional 4 Tomatoes 4 tsp Olive Oil 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree Juice Of 1 Lemon, optional

Difficulty: Easy Yield: makes 8-12 fajitas Attribution: week 4

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
- Chop your onion, celery and red pepper into slithers and drain and rinse your two tins of beans. - Into a frying pan or wok add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat on a high heat then add the onions, celery and pepper and fry on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, constantly stirring. - Next add all your spices to the pan (Chopped garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano and mixed herbs. The chilli is optional) with 2 table spoons of water to stop the spices from burning. Cook for 1 minute. - Now chop your 2 tomatoes roughly keeping the skins and seeds, and add to the pan with 1 tablespoon of tomato puree. Cook for 30 seconds. - Finally add your beans which have been drained and rinsed. Cook this on a low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down. Keep stirring the mix to help the process.

- You are now ready to serve. It is great to make your own at a table. So put your bean mix in a warm bowl and squeeze the juice of a lemon over. Warm your tortillas and serve with salsa, guacamole and salad.

Cumin Raita
DESCRIPTION: This dip goes well with curries and spicy
food. It is quick and simple to make and also goes well with salads and meat dishes. ENJOY !!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 tub Natural Yoghurt 1 Cucumber 2 Tomatoes 1 Red Onion 1 tsp Cumin Seeds handful Fresh Mint, chopped handful Fresh Coriander, chopped

Difficulty: Easy Attribution: week 4

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
1. Put the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan, heat until they smell like they are toasting. Becareful not to burn as they burn easily. 2. Once toasted grind in a pestle and mortar and allow to cool. 3. Meanwhile chop the cucumber and tomatoes and add to the yoghurt. 4. Add the cumin seeds, mint and coriander. 5. Season with salt and sprinkle some garam masala and turmeric to serve.

Delicious Fish Pie

DESCRIPTION: The beauty of this dish is its simplicity and adaptability you
can use any combination of fish that is good, plentiful and cheap in the supermarket.

INGREDIENTS:
500 g Mixed White Fish 300 g Smoked Fish (Cod Or Haddock) 200 g Salmon Fillet, (ensure the fish is skinless and has all bones removed) 500 ml Full Fat Milk 4 Eggs, hard boiled 6 Cherry Tomatoes , finely diced Handful Of Finely Chopped Parsley 100 g Butter 1 Tbsp Flour 1 Tbsp Capers, (optional) few Mushrooms, finely chopped (optional) 1 cupful Shrimp, (optional) 1 Kg Potatoes , mashed, for pie topping Grated Cheese

Difficulty: Easy Yield: serves 6 to 8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Attribution: Week 6

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Poach the fish bring the milk to a gentle boil in a large pan and put all the white and smoked fish in to gently simmer for about 8 mins. Lift the fish onto the serving dish, reserving the milk cooking liquor. Lightly flake the fish mix and double check for any bones. While you do this, hard boil the eggs for about 8mins, cool under running water, peel, slice or quarter and the put onto the fish mix. Make the sauce In a smallish pan, gently melt the butter then add the flour and cook over moderate heat (this is called a ROUX and is the base for a white sauce). Slowly add the milk poaching liquor, spoonful at a time stirring constantly until you have a smooth sauce, then bring to the boil and simmer for a further 5mins until it thickens slightly. At this stage you can add the optional Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Capers, Shrimp stir in for a couple of minutes then add the Parsley. Pour the sauce mix over the fish and eggs this part is done. Meanwhile you should have prepared your mashed potatoes we will talk this through in class! Top the pie with the mashed potatoes grate some cheese over if liked, then bake in a hot oven 200C 0r Gas 6 until you get a good golden crust should take about 30mins.

Serve with lots of side salads especially crunchy ones!

NOTES: Suggested fish is Cod, Haddock, Hake, Coley, Tilapia fillets, but avoid very oily fish such as Herring, Mackerel
or Sardines. The magic ingredient is Smoked Fish which should be at least a third of the mix.

Eton Mess
DESCRIPTION: This recipe, inspired by the strawberry-and-cream dessert
traditionally served at Eton College on 4 June, is great for nervous meringue makers because the meringues are broken up, it simply doesn't matter if they weep, crack or collapse. So, you can practice making them over and over with this dish until you get them perfect and, at the same time, enjoy this amazingly good summer dessert. Don't forget, though, to make the meringues the day before you want to serve the pudding.

INGREDIENTS:
ingredients for meringue 175g/ 6oz Caster Sugar 3 large Egg Whites to assemble the Mess 450g Fresh Strawberries , (or a mixture of strawberries and raspberries) Sugar To Taste 1 pint Whipping Cream Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour Attribution: week 8

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
First, have the caster sugar measured out ready, then place the egg whites in a scrupulously clean bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks that slightly tip over when you lift the whisk. Next, add the caster sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, and continue to whisk until each tablespoon of sugar has been thoroughly whisked in. Now simply take rounded dessert spoonfuls of the mixture and place them in rows on the lined baking tray. Place the baking tray in the oven on the centre shelf, turn the heat down to gas mark 1, 275F (140C) and leave the meringues there for 1 hour. After that, turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven to dry out overnight, or until the oven is completely cold. Before serving whip the cream until its at the floppy stage (you dont want it to be too stiff or you wont be able to incorporate everything). Wash the fruit, and mash half the strawberries with a fork to make them mushy and juicy. Sweeten the cream to taste, remembering that the meringues will also make it sweet. All the above can be done in advance, but when you are ready to serve, break up the meringues roughly into pieces (1- 2 inches), place them in a large mixing bowl, add the chopped & mushed up fruit, then fold in the cream to make a nice mix. Finally, pile the whole lot into a serving dish, spoon the rest of the pure over the surface and serve as soon as possible. **I added a few random teaspoonfuls of lemon curd when I was mixing it up, just to give a hint of lemon. You can be as inventive as you like, its very forgiving. But dont assemble any longer than an hour before serving or the meringue will have dissolved into the cream! **This recipe is for purists who want to make their own meringues. It will work equally well using shop bought meringue nests. ** You can also make it in individual serving dishes, adjusting the ingredients in proportion. You really cant mess it up! Pardon the pun..

French Dressing / Vinaigrette

DESCRIPTION: These ingredients can be tailored to choice, omit the garlic or
increase it, use different flavour vinegar if preferred - but if you use balsamic you will need much less as it is very intensely flavoured. Don't be afraid to use plenty of salt, particularly if you are using chopped tomatoes in the salad as they will sweeten it. Consider adding lemon juice, honey or maple syrup. All will give a slightly different flavour to your dressing.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Clove , optional Fresh Garlic, to taste generous tsp Salt generous tsp Dijon Mustard 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar 4 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Difficulty: Easy

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Put sea salt and peeled garlic in to a mortar and pestle and grind to make a paste. Add mustard, pepper and continue to mix, then slowly add vinegar. Transfer to a larger container and mix in the olive oil, whisking well with a fork. Pour over salad just before serving.

Guacamole
INGREDIENTS:
2 Very Ripe Avocados 1-2 Fresh Red Chillies, finely chopped a few Sprigs Fresh Coriander, finely sliced A Red Onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 Tomato, chopped Juice Of 2 Limes

Difficulty: Easy Attribution: Week 4

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Squeeze the avocados out of their skins into a bowl, removing the stones. Add most of the chilli and coriander, the onion, tomato and lime juice. Mix everything up with a spoon, hacking up any bigger bits of avocado as you go. Have a taste to check the balance, and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Hot Chickpea Salad

DESCRIPTION: This is a middle eastern style salad which
takes minutes to make. This is lovely to eat with warm pitta bread.

INGREDIENTS:
1 dessert spoonful Mild Olive Oil 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced 5 cloves Garlic, finely chopped 3 cans Chickpeas, drained Salt And Pepper To Season pinch Ground Nutmeg 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder generous dash Lemon Juice small handful Coriander, chopped 4 Spring Onions, finely chopped 4 Tomatoes, finely chopped

Difficulty: Easy Yield: serves 6 Attribution: Week 3

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. When softened add the chickpeas and stir fry lightly for a couple of minutes, adding all the remaining ingredients.

Karahi Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Vegtable Oil 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated 2 Tbsp Fresh Garlic, crushed 4 Green Chillies, finely chopped 6 Tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp Turmic 800 g Chicken, diced 5 cm Fresh Ginger, cut into sticks 6 tsp Garam Masala 2 tsp Salt 1 Onion, finely sliced 2 Green Peppers, thinly sliced 4 Tomatoes, quartered Fresh Lime Juice, squeezed Fresh Coriander

Difficulty: Easy Attribution: week 8

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a wok, then add grated ginger and garlic and fry til golden brown. Add the chillies, chopped tomatoes and turmeric. When the oil has separated out, add the chicken and stir fry until the chicken is cooked. Continuing to stir fry, add the ginger sticks, garam masala, salt, 1 cup of water and keep stirring until you have a thick, rich sauce. Add the onion, pepper and tomatoes and stir fry quickie on a high heat so that the vegetables are slightly softened. Add lime juice and coriander to taste before serving

Kipper Pate
DESCRIPTION: This keeps in the fridge for several days INGREDIENTS:
3 190g cans John West Kipper Fillets In Sunflower Oil 2 300g tubs Philadelphia Cream Cheese Lemon Cream, to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Difficulty: Easy Attribution: Week 7

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Open the cans of fish and drain off as much oil as you can, then transfer to a plate covered with absorbent kitchen paper. Using a small sharp knife remove as much of the black skin from the kippers as you can. This is purely for aesthetics, it won't really affect the taste. Flake the fish into a bowl and break up using a fork, then add the cream cheese and mix well. You can use an electric whisk for this, but it works equally well using a fork. Add lemon juice to taste, and cream to loosen the mixture. Serve on crackers or hot toast.

Meatballs
INGREDIENTS:
500 g Minced Meat 1 Raw Egg 1 Medium Sized Onion, finely chopped Herbs To Flavour Oregano, Thyme, Or A Mix Of Dried Herbs From A Pack Or Jar 1 Small Fresh Chilli Pepper, deseeded and finely chopped METRICS: small handful Grated Parmesan Cheese Difficulty: Easy Seasoned Flour, ( this is a couple of handfuls of plain flour Yield: serves 4-6 Attribution: Week 2 into which you have added a good pinch of salt and a few twists of a pepper mill) ( this is a couple of handfuls of plain flour into which you have added a good pinch of salt and a few twists of a pepper mill)

DIRECTIONS:
Choice of meat is yours choose between fine quality PORK, BEEF or VEAL. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and squish the whole lot together. Now take a heaped teaspoon of this mix from the bowl and form into round balls, then roll in the seasoned flour mix and set aside in a wide dish to settle. Then, heat a heavy frying pan with some vegetable or groundnut oil until hot. Now fry the meat balls until browned and no red juices flow keep warm in your oven.

NOTES: WHAT TO SERVE WITH THESE GORGEOUS LITTLE BABIES?

Well, you could just put them in a bun or a pitta bread pocket with some relish of your choice and a simple salad, or you could be more adventurous and make a pasta dish with a tomato sauce and put the meatballs on top with a garnish of Parsley or Basil. We will be making salad and garlic bread. Buon appetite!

Mexican style minced beef served with Tacos

INGREDIENTS:
4 Red Onions 6 cloves Garlic 1 Red Pepper 3 tins Kidney Beans 4 tins Tomatoes, chopped Fresh Red Chilli Chilli Powder Ground Cinnamon Ground Cumin Fresh Coriander Minced Beef Salt And Pepper To Season

Difficulty: Easy Attribution: week 4

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
1. Finely chop the onions, garlic, red pepper and red Chilli 2. Fry the onion & garlic until soft 3. Add the minced beef fry until it is cooked right through 4. Add the chilli powder, cinnamon, cumin and Coriander 5. Add the pepper and chilli and stir fry for a minute

6. Add the Kidney beans and stir fry for a minute 7. Add the Tomatoes and stir add water if required 8. Season to taste 9. Allow to cook until all the flavours infuse and meat softens. 10. Heat tacos in oven and serve

MINESTRONE SOUP
DESCRIPTION: The beauty of this dish is that it is incredibly
adaptable you can use pretty much any vegetables that are fresh in season or frozen such as peas or green beans.

INGREDIENTS:
3 4 2 2 5 large Carrots, diced Celery Sticks, chopped large Potatoes , cut into small dice large Onions, diced cloves Garlic, roughly chopped

Difficulty: Easy Yield: serves 6 to 8 Attribution: Week 5

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot heat 2 tablespoons of oil until hot then put in all the above ingredients to cook for about 5 10 minutes until tender but not browned. While this is cooking, make about 2 litres of stock with boiling water I use Marigold Vegan powder, but any good quality stock cube will do. Then add to stock to the pan and simmer for another 10 minutes. Then add: 1 tin of Haricot or Cannellini beans drained. 1 tin of chopped tomatoes. 4 good handfuls of small pasta, such as Spaghetti snapped into small lengths or whatever you have in your store cupboard. Some herbs, such as Oregano, Thyme and chopped Parsley Simmer gently for 10 minutes and then add some green vegetables such as finely shredded CABBAGE or frozen PEAS or BEANS. Allow all to heat through, then serve in soup bowls with some grated PARMESAN cheese on the side and for those of you who like it, some BACON or PANCETTA finely chopped which you will have cooked in a separate pan till crisp and drained of surplus oil on some kitchen roll. And dont forget loads of freshly chopped PARSLEY or BASIL for that final touch! Oh, and some good crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices.

Nigella's (Linda's Famous) Brownies

DESCRIPTION: The richest (and nicest) brownie I've ever eaten! INGREDIENTS:
374 g Unsalted Butter 350-375 g Best Quality Dark Chocolate 6 large Eggs 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract 500 g Caster Sugar 225 g Plain Flour 1 tsp Salt Walnutes, optional

Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 25 - 30 min Cooking Time: 25 - 30 min Attribution: Week 1

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4 Line your approximately 33 x 23 x 5 12cm brownie pan with foil or baking paper. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy based saucepan or in microwave In a large bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla. Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt. When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar mixture, and then fold in the nuts (if using) and flour. When well combined pour into the lined brownie pan and bake for about 25 minutes. When its's ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey. Keep checking the brownies as they cook; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.

Pineapple Delight
INGREDIENTS:
1 cups Digestive Biscuits , Crushed 1 cups Melted Butter 2 ounces Butter 1 Egg 4 ounces Icing Sugar 1 Small Can Of Pineapple pint Whipping Cream

Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 minutes Attribution: Week 6

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Reserve 14 cup of the crushed digestive biscuits. To the remaining one cup add melted butter and press into a greased (swiss roll) tin and leave to firm. Soften 2 oz butter and blend in icing sugar. Break in the egg and beat well. Spread on top of crumb mixture. Drain and chop the pineapple. Whip the cream and sweeten to taste. Mix drained pineapple with then cream and spread on top of the mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining digestive crumbs. Note to self: 8 ounces is 1 cup

Prodigious Pavlova
INGREDIENTS:
8 Egg Whites 500 g Caster Sugar 4 tablesp Cornflour 2 teasp White Wine Vinegar teasp Vanilla Extract For the topping: 1 pint Whipping Cream Fresh Or Tinned Fruits Of Choice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180 C/ Gas Mark 4 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a circle (approx 10 inches) with a non toxic pencil. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed, then whisk in the sugar, one tablespoonful at at time until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Sprinkle the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract over the egg white, and fold in lightly with a metal spoon until everything is well combined Use a drop of the meringue mixture under the edges of the parchment paper to adhere it to the baking sheet, then carefully spoon the meringue into the marked circle. Using a spatula, flatten the top and smooth the sides to make a nice even pavlova. Place into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 120C/250F/Gas . Cook for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave to cool completely. It's useful to know that when you make pavlova, you are effectively drying the meringue out, rather than cooking it. I often leave it in the oven (turned off of course) overnight to achieve this. Once cool, remove the meringue base from the oven (you can keep the meringue in an airtight container for a couple of days or store in the freezer for up to one month). When you are ready to assemble the pavlova, invert the cooled meringue disk onto a large plate or a serving stand, and peel off the baking parchment.

Difficulty: Easy Yield: 12 Cuisine: home baking Prep Time: 30 mins to 1 hour 30 mins to 1 hour 45 mins Cooking Time: over 2 hours Attribution: week 3

METRICS:

FOR THE TOPPING In a mixing bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Spoon the cream onto the meringue base, spreading it onto the edges in a swirly fashion. Add fruit of your choice - if you like you can grate chocolate over the top.

The Best Pasta Salad

DESCRIPTION: This dish goes well with marinaded Chicken and pitta breads
especially if you are having a BBQ.

INGREDIENTS:
310g/110oz Small Shell Shaped Pasta 3 cloves Garlic 255g/9oz Yellow Cherry Tomatoes 255g/9oz Red Cherry Tomatoes 1 handful Black Olives, pitted 2 Tbsp Fresh Chives 1 handful Fresh Basil Cucumber 4 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar, or to taste 7 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sea Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Difficulty: Easy Yield: serves 4 Attribution: Week 7

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Throw in the pasta and cloves of garlic, simmer for 5 min or until al dente, and drain. Put the garlic to one side to use for the dressing. Put the pasta in a bowl. Chop the tomatoes, olives, chives, basil and cucumber into pieces about half the size of the pasta and add to the bowl. Squash the garlic cloves out of their skins and pound in a pestle and mortar. Add the vinegar, oil and seasoning. Drizzle this over the salad, adding more seasoning to taste.

Vanilla Apple Cake

INGREDIENTS:
250 g Unsalted Butter 250 g Caster Sugar 4 Eggs 250 g Self Raising Flour 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 3 small Bramley Apples, Peeled, Cored And Cut Into Wedges 2 Tbsp Demerara Sugar tsp Cinnamon

Difficulty: Easy Cooking Time: 1 hours 5 minutes Attribution: week 7

METRICS:

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to Gas 4 (180C - 160 Fan). Butter a 20cm spring form tin and line base with parchment paper. Beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy, then one by one add the eggs (I recommend beating them a little in a cup and then pouring in a little at a time). Finally add vanilla and gently fold in the sieved flour. Tip the mixture into the tin and lay the apples on top, poking them in halfway (you can crowd them as they will shrink). Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Serve warm with custard or cream.