Recipe Collection Thread (recipe board)

DOTTY CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

6oz Marge
6oz Caster Sugar
9oz Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs
4 teaspoons Camp Coffee
1 pkt (4oz) choc chips

Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix together with a food mixer. Put into a 2lb loaf tin (or 2 x 1lb tins.) Bake on Gas 3/170C for about 1 hour.

Surprise cake
(another choc chip recipe!) This one is a much richer recipe I used to make quite often for birthdays when the kids were younger.

5oz butter
5oz castor sugar
3 eggs
8oz self raising flour
4oz (1 pkt) chocolate chips
1 tablespoon milk
icing
4oz butter
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
4oz (1 pkt) chocolate chips
1lb sieved icing sugar

Cream the butter and sugar until soft and light.

Gradually add the beaten egg, stir in a little sieved flour if the mix shows signs of curdling.

Fold in the sieved flour and the chocolate chips, lightly dusted with flour, also tablespoon milk.

Put into a greased and floured 7" cake tin and bake for 1 + 1/4 hours at Gas 3/325F/160-170C until cake is firm to touch.

Allow to cool while making the icing:

Put all the icing ingredients except the icing sugar into a basin or the top of a double saucepan over very hot water. Heat until the chocolate is melted. Allow to cool and then beat in the icing sugar.

Spread over the top and sides of the cake, then swirl with a small flat bladed knife.

This cake keeps well for several days and you only need a small slice at a time.
This recipe is from my very old and well used Marguerite Patten recipe card set.

Chickpea Pate
Ingredients
250g can of chickpeas (or 125g soaked for 8 hours and then cooked for an hour)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of wholewheat plain flour
1 serving of yeast (I use stuff that comes in a 7g sachet)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium potato (grated)
4 spring onions (finely chopped)
1 stick celery (grated)
1 medium carrot (grated)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon thyme (dried)
1 teaspoon basil (dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the mix into a baking tray (preferably 1"/2cm deep and approximately 9"X9" or 23cmX23cm). Use a fork to level it out in the tray. Bake at 180C/350F for approx 1 hour until it has risen and the top is a crisp golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
I cut mine into four pieces, put two in the freezer, one in the fridge and served the other piece right away. It goes well with crackers or as a sandwich filling.

I know there have been a variety of beef stew recipes already posted but I wanted to share with you all the one I made today as, even though I say it myself, it was cooked to perfection and absolutely deeeeeliscious!!!


Ingredients

1 kg cubed braising/stewing steak
approx 1 cup of plain flour
salt 'n' pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
knob butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 leek, sliced
3-4 carrots, cubed
3-4 parsnips, cubed
small butternut squash, de-seeded and cubed
dble handful baby new potatoes, left whole or halved depending on size
1/2 bottle red wine
3/4-1pt beef stock
2 tsp dried herbs (rosemary, thyme & sage are good)
3-4 bay leaves
slug of worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato puree


Method

Heat 2 tbsp oil and butter in large pan and gently fry onions and leeks for 5 mins, adding the rest of the vegetables and frying for further 5 minutes before placing in crockpot of slow cooker.

Season flour well and thoroughly coat each piece of meat. Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil and brown meat over high heat. Pour the wine over the beef and cook further 2-3 minutes to de-glaze pan, before placing in stockpot with veggies.

Add the rest of the ingredients and sufficient stock to just cover meat & veggies, but not drown them! Remember liquid doesn't evaporate in a slow cooker. Cook on low according to you cooker's instructions (5-6 hours in MR 6.5L). The flour from the meat should nicely thicken the gravy by the time it's finished cooking so no need to add anything further!


The above quantities make enough stew to feed approx 8 people, and leftovers freeze perfectly well, so ideal for batch cooking!

Obviously ingredients can be changed and adapted to suit and I've tried several variations before hitting on what I think could be the perfect recipe

Chilli Con Carne (serves 4-6 hungry people!)

This is a recipe that has evolved over the years. It's pretty good now

450g good minced beef (none of that el cheapo stuff!!)
1 large onion
1 pack button mushrooms
3 large peppers
1 little pack of mini corn on the cobs [optional]
2 tins of chopped tomatoes (economy is ok)
1 tin of kidney beans (economy is ok)
1 tin of baked beans (economy is ok) [optional]

Sounds a little wimpy for a chilli… I continue

¾ tsp cumin
½ tsp hot chilli powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp white pepper (ready ground stuff is fine)
½ tsp lazy garlic
¾ tsp lazy chillies …crikey!!
½ tsp sugar
And ½ tsp rock salt (less if already ground)

These measurements create a pretty hot chilli, so alter as required.

1. Chop onions, peppers and corns.
2. Get a really large pan. No, not that one, the really big one. This recipe makes a serious amount of food.
3. Brown the mince in a little oil the pan, and then drain in a colander. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t believe that there is much good in the juice. It’s water and fat (and lets face it, we can all do with cutting out the fat!)
4. Fry the onions in a little oil, until translucent.
5. Add the peppers, mushrooms (whole) and mini corns, and fry for another minute.
6. Return the beef and mix.
7. Drain and wash the kidney beans, then add to the pot.
8. Add all other ingredients and stir – what a lazy recipe!
9. Place on a very low heat for about 40 minutes with the lid on.

During cooking, you may need to add a little water if the mixture is a little thick, or reduce with the lid off to thicken up. It all depends upon the tinned tomatoes!

Serve on a bed of plain rice with some greek yoghurt. Also very good along side a margarita or two (recipe to follow)!