Wholemeal Spaghetti Roast pumpkin Feta cheese and Red pepper pesto Pasta jars

 Ingredients:
. 200g whole meal pasta
. 100g Pumpkin
. 50g Feta cheese
. rocket salad leaves
. 50g Parmesan cheese
. 20g Pine nuts
. 20g pistachio nuts
. 1 red pepper
. 1 garlic clove
. 20ml olive oil
. 20g fresh basil
. juice of half a lemon
. salt and pepper
. 200ml water

 For the pesto:

. Toast the pine nuts and pistachio nuts

. Roast the pepper in the oven whole for about 15 minutes at 180 degrees until the skin goes a darker colour

. Remove and wrap in cling film for 5-10 minutes until the skin starts to fall off

. Peel the skin off and remove the inner of the pepper and add to a food processor along with the olive oil basil parmesan lemon juice pine nuts and pistachio nuts garlic and season

. Blend until smooth

 For the pasta:



. Boil the pasta for 15 minutes and drain

. Dice up the pumpkin and roast with olive oil salt and  pepper for 15 minutes at 180

. in a medium size pan add the pasta  roast pumpkin and pesto and toss

. Crumble the feta though the pasta and stuff into your jar

. Top with parmesan and toasted pine nuts

Gluten Free Aubergine Bruschetta with roasted herb tomatoes and feta cheese

Ingredients:

. 1 medium aubergine
. 50g Feta
. 50g cherry tomatoes
. Basil
. Thyme
. Rosemary
. 1 clove of garlic
. Salt and pepper

For the balsamic:

. 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
. 1/2 cup of sugar

what to do:

. Add the balsamic to a pan and simmer for 10 minutes

.  Add the sugar and reduce for a further 10 minutes

. Leave to cool

what to do:

. Slice the aubergine into small circles season and oil then griddle 

. Slice the tomatoes and dice the rosemary and thyme crush the garlic oil season and roast all together 

. Add the roast tomatoes feta and basil into a bowl mix and place on top of the grilled aubergine 

. Garnish with a side salad 

Mini Fillet Steak and Chips with Honey jack Daniels BBQ sauce

Ingredients:

.  One Fillet steak
. Two medium size potatoes
. Olive oil
. salt and pepper

What to do:
. peel the potatoes and slice into small size chips

. lay flat on a baking tray

. bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees

. While the chips are baking place the fillet steak into a smoking hot griddle pan and cook till medium rare

. remove steak and season well leave to rest for 5 minutes then slice into thin strips

. place three chips onto the steak and roll

For the BBQ sauce:
. 50ml Honey Tenesse jack Daniel's
. 2 tbs dark brown sugar
. 1 tsp yellow mustard powder
. 1 tbs tomato puree
. 1 tsp cayenne pepper
. 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
. 4 tbs water
. 1 tsp honey

What to do:
. Mix all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes

Buckwheat pizza with a pumpkin and thyme puree, roast parsnips,pepper, avocado and cottage cheese

For the Base:

1 cup buckwheat
1 tsp baking powder
Small bunch parsley
1 tbsp EVOO
7g dried yeast
170 ml warm water
Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

• Add the buckwheat in a food processor and blend until a flour like consistency
• Add all other ingredients except water and mix in food processor
• Remove ingredients and place into a bowl and add water and mix
• Remove from bowl and divide into two
• Dust with flour and roll out into a circle

For the pumpkin puree:

200g pumpkin
150ml water
Sprig of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable stock - half a cube

What to do:

• Dice up pumpkin and add to a pan with all other ingredients and simmer for 25 minutes
• Remove and puree using food processor, blender or hand mixer
• Spread onto the buckwheat base

For the topping:

Cottege cheese
1 avocado
3 small parsnips
1 yellow pepper
Sundried tomatoes

What to do:

• Roast parsnips for 15 mins
• Chop up all other ingredients and add to base of the pizza
• Top with fresh basil to finish
• Place the pizza in the oven on 180 for around 20 mins and you're done!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Quinoa, goats cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme balls with vodka lemon mayonnaise

Ingredients:                                                  

1/2 cup red quinoa                                    
1/2 cup white quinoa                                  
100g mild goats cheese                              
20g sun-dried tomatoes
Small bunch of thyme

Juice of half a lime
3 cups of boiling water
Pinch of salt and pepper
Vegetable stock


Pane Mix:

1 egg
50g flour
150g panko bread crumbs



Method:

• Combine white and red quinoa and add one vegetable stock and water and boil for 35 minutes
• Strain the quinoa, add half to a mixing bowl 
• Add the other half into a food processor along with the thyme, salt and pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and lime and blend all together
• Add the blended ingredients to the remaining quinoa and then combine the goats cheese
• Roll into balls
• Then roll the balls in the flour, followed by the egg and then the bread crumbs

Bake for 25 mins at 180 with a drizzle of olive oil

Now for the vodka lemon Mayonnaise:

 Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 lemon
50ml vodka
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
Pinch of salt and pepper
300ml vegetable oil

 Method:

• Combine all ingredients apart form the vegetable oil
• Blend and slowly add the oil until it becomes white and a thick consistency

They should look like this!

• 
  

Roast pistachio and sweet potato hummus with a zesty wholemeal herb and garlic flat bread

Flatbread Ingredients:

200g wholemeal flour

5g dried yeast

10g fresh parsley

10g thyme

10g basil

1 tsp minced garlic

100ml warm water

Pinch of salt and pepper

Zest of half a lemon

Method:

• Chop up fresh herbs and lemon zest
• Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and stir
• Make a small well in the middle and slowly add in the water and fold in the flour
• Remove from bowl and knead 
• Roll into even sized balls and roll flat
• Using a small amount of oil place each flatbread into a griddle pan and cook each side
• Alternatively bake in the oven

For the Hummus:

Ingredients:

1 tin of chickpeas
1 medium sweet potato
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp tahini paste
1 tsp cumin
40g pistachios
50ml water
Pinch of salt and pepper
Juice of half a lemon

Method:

• Wrap the sweet potato in foil and bake for 40 mins and leave to cool
• Roast the pistachios for 3 minutes in a pan on low heat
• Combine all the remaining ingredients into a food processor
• Skin the sweet potato and remove the inner, then add this into the food processor and blend

New herb pots

my hard day in the office

It was my day off today and seeing as it's coming into spring I decided to take myself off to the garden centre and plant some new herbs

To start with I just bought the staples that are mandatory in every kitchen:

Parsley

Thyme

Mint

Trio of Basil

Apricot and Hazelnut Oat Puffs

fruit and nut snacks 

I was feeling creative the other night but none of the shops were open so I decided to have a rummage in the cupboards and came up with these little squares. They're really healthy and perfect for when you're wanting something a little sweet, plus for a desert idea they go great with natural yogurt and fresh strawberries.

What you'll need:

20g rice puffs

40g rolled oats

30g hazelnuts

30g pitted dates

60g apricots

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon liquid stevia

Method: 

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until broken up
• Place into a baking tin lined with baking paper even mix out and then bake at 180 degrees for 12-15 mins until golden
• Cut into edible size pieces while still warm

eye fillet m/r saffron gnocchi parsley root puree caper butter and veal jus 

Nibbles at home

homemade pumpkin avocado and cous cous sushi with saffron wasabi

Ingredients (Serves 2)

100g wholemeal cous cous

100g pumpkin or butternut squash

1/2 avocado

1/2carrot

1/4 bunch fresh coriander

1 lemon wedge

70ml water

salt/pepper

2 sushi papers

For the Wasabi 

10g wasabi paste

pinch of saffron

Garnish

tomato

spring onion

Method 

• Dice the pumpkin into small cubes then put into a pan add water cook until soft
• Then add cous cous and take off the heat, leave in the pan with a lid on for 5 minutes until cous cous is cooked
• Then add salt, pepper, lemon and coriander
• Put the mix into a food processor and pulse until fine
• Slice avocado and carrot into small strips
• Add mix to sushi paper, lay it all out flat and add the carrot and avocado
• Roll it all up and use a small bit of water to stick the paper together
• Chill until firm
• For the wasabi add a small pinch of saffron to a 1/2 a teaspoon of  warm water then mix with wasabi paste 
• To finish slice into small round pieces and garnish

Enjoy!

new brew

table with a view please!

crossing bridges

sunsets

another day in paradise