Recipe Sticky?

[calismum]

Spicey Chick Peas

I love this dish as I find it so versatile. It can be eaten hot or cold. If you prepare in advance it will keep in fridge for 24/36 hours without the chick peas, then just add and you have a great salad or buffet dish.

This version is a medium spiciness - add more or less to your own taste.

Ingredients
1 large onion roughly chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tblsp tomato puree
half tsp garam masala
half tsp mild chilli powder
half tsp ground cummin
1 tsp brown sugar
1 green or yellow pepper chopped and deseeded
1 tin chick peas
some olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Fry onion in the olive oil until clear.
Add tomato puree, cummin, chilli powder and garam masala, mix well but do not allow to stick and burn.
Add tomatoes and sugar, mix well and simmer for 10 mins.
Add peppers and simmer further 10 mins.

If dish is being prepared in advance then cool and refrigerate for up to 36 hours.

Add chickpeas and 2 tblsp of the juice from the tin. (retain remainder of juice from tin)

At this point you may need to either reduce the liquid or add a little more - the dish should not be runny or sloppy.

Season to taste.

Serve hot with chicken or beef strips or on toast or bagel.

Serve cold with salad leaves or as a buffet/barbecue dish.

For variety change the peppers for mushrooms, courgettes, celery, or leave out completely and just have the chick peas and tomatoes.

[alexgirl73]

Butternut Squash and carrot soup

Take around 8 decent size carrots, slice and put in a pan, along with half a chopped BS. Add a sliced red pepper, 2 veg stock cubes (or own stock if preferred), water, S&P. Bring to boil, then simmer for 45 mins (adding more water if required). Once veg is soft, liquidise and serve. Yum!

[EmmaG]

Fairy cakes/cupcakes

110g self raising flour
110g soft unsalted butter
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
1-2 teaspoons vanilla essence
pre heat oven to Gas 6 200c

Put all ingredients into a food processor and mix thoroughly. Or whisk using electric or hand whisk. Pour into cases and cook for approx. 12-15 mins.

Place on wire rack and leave to cool


For the topping

175g Icing Sugar
75g unsalted butter

Soften butter and add icing sugar a little at a time until all combined, add any food colouring/flavouring before decorating the cooled cupcakes.

If you want to make chocolate cupcakes, add some coco to the cake mixture and use a little less flour.

To make chocolate icing add coco to the butter but use a little less icing sugar.

[janey83]

Molten Chocolate Puddings

Ingredients
125g/4¼oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
150g/5oz chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
4 free-range eggs
75g/2½oz caster sugar
50g/2oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
mascarpone, to serve


Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4.
2. Place the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and allow the chocolate and butter to melt.
3. Once the chocolate and butter have melted, stir to combine, then set aside and allow to cool.
4. Place the eggs and sugar into a clean bowl and whisk for 4-5 minutes, or until pale and light.
5. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and gently fold together, taking care to maintain volume in the eggs.
6. Add the flour and cocoa powder and fold in.
7. Grease and flour six 200ml/7fl oz ramekins or dariole moulds.
8. Divide the chocolate mixture among the ramekins. Place onto a baking tray and transfer to the oven to bake for 7-8 minutes, or until set, but still with some wobble in the centre.
9. Loosen the puddings and very carefully turn each out onto plates.
10. Dust the puddings with cocoa powder and serve with a dollop of mascarpone on top.


Great with icecream or cream.

[yola]

Sicilian Vegetable Stew (copied from Waitrose.com)


Versatile, delicious and easy to make, caponata is probably Sicily’s best-known dish. Throughout the centuries, Sicily has been invaded and colonised by many different nations and these influences are plain to see in Sicilian cuisine. Here you will see hints of the French ratatouille, while the inclusion of raisins and pine nuts suggests some Arabic influences, too. Serve either cold or warm as a side dish or as a main course with bread.
Preparation time :30 minutesCooking time :45 minutesTotal time :1 hour 15 minutes

4 Aubergines (about 800g)
1 Large onion
2 tbsp Olive oil
3 Ripe tomatoes, cut into chunky cubes
1 tbsp Tomato purée, diluted with a little water
1 tbsp Caster sugar
1 tbsp Salted capers, soaked to remove some of the salt
1 Celery head, leaves and stalks chopped
1 tbsp Raisins
1 tbsp Pine nuts
20 Green pitted olives
1 tbsp White wine vinegar

1. Cut the aubergine into 3cm cubes, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain. This will stop it from absorbing too much oil.
2. Fry the onion in the olive oil in a large pan for a few minutes, to soften. Add the aubergine chunks to the pan and fry until soft and tender – about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, capers, olives, vinegar, celery leaves and stalks, raisins and some salt and pepper, and stew slowly until everything is soft – about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in the pine nuts and serve.

** My notes: I substitute honey for the sugar as I find it gives a richer flavour. I'm also more generous with the capers, olives and raisins than the recipes suggests. I don't use pine nuts, but that's simply because I'm allergic to them!

I use 2 tins of chopped tomatoes instead of the fresh/puree and find it works just as well.

Quantities - the amount suggested make 2 main course dinners for 2 (greedy) adults when eaten with hot bread . . .enjoy!!

[dandysmom]

Not-Quite-Ministrone soup for Angie

I've been making this for so many years I don't have exact measurements; just toss things in by eye, so excuse the imprecision.

small white beans
green and yellow split peas
carrots
onions
clove of garlic
shredded cabbage
lentils
barley
celery
some sweet corn
some lima beans
coarsely chopped tomatoes
small pastas (I use the mini shells)
bits of ham if I have some
a clove and peppercorns to flavor the broth
chicken broth
finely shredded mozzarella cheese


Soak the beans and split peas either overnight or the quick soak. Add everything but the tomatoes and pasta and simmer slowly; then add the rest about 5 - 10 minutes before it's finished. Sprinkle the cheese.

Edited: forgot to say you can add a bit of freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil too.

[angieh]

Thanks Eileen - quite different from mine. Sounds very hearty and warming.

[MrsH]

Braised red cabbage

This is a Delia recipe that I found a few years ago

2lb red cabbage
1lb Bramley (or any cooking) apples
1lb onions
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
1/4 whole nutmeg freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons dark brown soft sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 ounce butter
salt & pepper

You need a large (6pint) lidded oven-proof casserole
Set oven to gas 2, 150C, 300F

Cut cabbage into quarters and remove hard stalk, discard tough outer leaves, and shred the cabbage finely
Peel and core the apples and chop into small pieces
Chop onions into small pieces
(Delia suggests layering the cabbage, apples and onions, sprinkling each layer with garlic, sugar spices and seasoning, but honestly it works just as well if you bung it all in together!)
Pour in the vinegar and dot the top with the butter
Put the lid on and cook for about 2h 30-3h, stirring everything around once or twice during cooking.

It freezes well just defrost and warm through again before serving.

[Kazz]

Pan Pork Chops with Butternut and sage.

Tried this the other week and liked it so here it is. This one serves two but could easily be done with one pork chop as I
did it for me...

Pork Chop
Sea salt and black Pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
450g butternut squash
leaves from one good sprig of sage
Small knob of butter
250ml white wine.

Rub chop with salt, pepper and oil, rubbing in extra salt to the fat. Set aside. Peel and chop the onion and garlic, peel and deseed the squash and cut into cubes 2cm approx.
Heat large frying pan on the hob,Sear the chops until nicely touched with brown, about 2 mins each side to crisp up the fat. Remove keep covered on warm plate.
Add butter to the fat in the pan and fry the onion, garlic and sage until the onion has softened about 5 mins, stirring in squash about halfway through. Pour in wine and 150ml water, cover and gently bubble until the squash us almost tender and the sauce reduced, about 10 minutes.
Take off the lid, return the chops, snuggling them doqwn between the squash cubes and cook uncovered for about 3 minutes or until heated through.

Then eat....

[Kazz]

See how bored I am cooped up I am doing receipes....