Recipe Collection Thread (recipe board)

8oz (225g) SR flour (wholemeal is nicer, or used 7oz SR flour 1oz of bran)
1tsp baking powder
2tsps cinammon
6oz (175g) chopped dates
3oz (75g) light muscavodo sugar (though any will do)
1 tbsp pear/apple spread (stewed apples/apple sauce or any pale jam will do)
4 fl oz apple juice (120ml)
2 eggs
6tbsps vegatable oil (sunflower is nicest) (90ml)
2 eating apples cored and grated (medium sized) can use pears
1 tblsp chopped nuts (walnuts) topping
Oven 180c/350f/gas 4
tin 8" round greased and lined.
place dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well mix the wet ingredients together (including grated apple) then add to dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and spoon into tin. top with chopped nuts.
bake for 60-65 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
can make it as two loaves needs about 35-40 mins then and tastes great without the nut topping.

Chocolate Oaty Cake

4oz white & 4oz milk chocolate broken into pieces
4oz marg
40z sugar
1 egg
6oz porridge oats
4oz s.r. flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 fl.oz milk

Cream marg & sugar, add egg, oats, flour & baking powder.
Mix well then add chocolate and milk and stir 'til evenly mixed.
Pour into greased cake tin (i use a oblong tin about 8 x 10 inches approx)
Bake at 190 c, Gas 5
Should look golden brown when cooked, slice before popping in fridge, but also really tasty when warm,as chocolate is all melted.

Choc Chip Muffins


Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
85g caster sugar
240ml buttermilk (or 50:50 yoghurt/semi-skimmed milk)
100ml vegetable oil
300g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
50g white chocolate, broken into pieces
50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces


Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Line a 12-bun muffin tin with paper cases.
Mix the egg, sugar, milk and oil in a large bowl.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and then add the chocolate.
Roughly mix but don't overdo it.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden.
Cool on a wire rack.

I made this one up on Friday night, and it was a huge success!!!

2oz brown TVP mince (dried textured vegetable protein / soya mince)
2oz green lentils
2oz red lentils
1 medium onion
1 medium red pepper
a large couple of handfuls of mushrooms (depending on how much you like them - I think you can't have too many; but you could equally do without)
4 large potatoes, boiled and mashed with milk, butter and seasoning.
2 cloves of garlic
1 vegetable stock cube
2 teaspoons marmite
2 teaspoons bisto gravy browning
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chopped dried parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place green lentils to boil on the hob. Without soaking they will probably take about 40 minutes from dried.

Place chopped potatoes in pan to boil / steamer / pressure cooker. If they are ready before needed below, leave somewhere they will retain some heat until needed.

Place red lentils on hob to boil in a little water. When boiling, turn them to a simmer and add a little water as necessary, but they will boil down to a rough paste, all of which you will use so you don't want TOO much water.

Make half a pint of gravy in a saucepan, using the stock cube, dissolved in cold water (or in a little hot water then made up to half a pint with cold), with the bisto added to the cold water as you bring it to the boil, stirring continuously. Pour this gravy over your TVP, in a separate dish. You will probably need to add more water, as the TVP absorbs it all, but you don't want it to start too runny, as you don't want to end up with too wet a mixture. Keep adding water a little at a time until it's all absorbed.

Gently fry your finely chopped onion and pepper until soft. Add the chopped mushrooms (again, fairly fine), and the chopped garlic cloves, paprika, parsley,

When the red lentils have become a puree, stir them into your gravy / TVP mixture, along with the marmite (ensure this is well stirred in!), so they can absorb the flavours.

When the green lentils are soft enough to use, drain them and add them and the gravy/TVP mixture to the onions and peppers, and simmer gently together for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the potatoes. You want the mixture to be moist but not too runny (if it IS too runny, some liquid should simmer off, but you may have to simmer for a little longer).

Mash the potatoes well with a little milk and butter, salt and pepper. You'll not want the mix to be too stiff, as you need to be able to spread it over the base mixture.

Turn the base mixture into a large caserole type dish, and spoon the potato over the top, as evenly as you can. For an authentic just-like-when-I-was-a-child touch, I "plough" the top of the potato with a fork, and place in the oven. It will be cooked and hot through after about 20 minutes on 180C, but may still need browning under the grill.

I served this with gravy and garden peas. Carrots would do well - yum!

I have been planning to create my own veggie shepherd's pie for a long time, and on first attempt, both I and boyfriend were delighted! I will make this again! :j

This should serve four easily. My boyfriend and I had a large portion each, I had some for lunch the next day, and have frozen myself a ready-meal portion.

(This could be made in advance earlier in the day, or the night before for a Sunday lunch, or made into individual freezable portions)

I found this online some time ago, and am tempted, but haven't got around to it yet! I've credited the chef (I think it was from UK Food). If any of you make it before I do, I'd be happy to hear how it turned out!...(still seems quite a lot of sugar considering that the parsnip is supposed to sweeten too...).

I've posted it because some of you may have a glut of parsnips in your garden or veg box some time, and be looking for a different way of using them!

Parsnip, Lemon and Walnut Cake
by Jenni Muir

Servings: 8-10
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
Preparation Time: 20 minutes, plus cooling time
Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Parsnips were used as a form of sweetening before granulated sugar was invented. You'll be amazed at the flavour they bring to this hearty cake for healthier tea times.

Ingredients

320-350g parsnips
2 eggs
125ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
250g caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
375g self-raising flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
60g walnut pieces, chopped
icing sugar, for dusting


You will need:

Square cake tin, brush, cutting board, knife, box grater, 2 large mixing bowls, whisk, wooden spoon, citrus zester, measuring spoons, scales, sifter, wire rack, sugar dredger

Method

1. Grease a square cake tin by brushing it lightly with neutrally-flavoured oil. Line it with baking parchment, then oil lightly again. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

2. Peel and trim the parsnips, then coarsely grate enough to give 250g of grated vegetable. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the oil, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and grated parsnips. Stir to combine and set aside.

4. Sift the self-raising flour, cinnamon and salt into a second large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the parsnip mixture. Add the chopped walnut pieces and stir just enough to combine the ingredients and make a stiff batter.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, spreading it out fairly evenly into the corners. Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 20 minutes or until the cake is well risen, the top is firm and brown, and a metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tin before lifting it out to a wire rack to cool completely. Dredge with icing sugar before serving.