Tandoori Meatballs

Heres how I make my Tandoori Meatballs.... what a way to treat yer tastebuds!

Ingredients

lean mince 1.5lb
plum tomatos 1/3 tin (thats a third of a tin NOT 1 to 3 tins!)
tandoori masala powder - 4 tbls
egg
Onion finely chopped
garlic 3 cloves crushed
chilli (deseeded)
coriander or any herbs you fancy adding - 1 tbls
Olive oil 1 tbls


butter 3 tbls (for frying)


heres the ingredients minus the chilli and the tomatos (they were late for the photoshoot)

Method

use a blender/chopper to finely blitz the chilli, garlic and onion together - put this mix to the side for now

in a BIG bowl add the mince,tomatos, tandoori powder and the coriander/herbs
crack the egg into the BIG bowl
add the olive oil

Now also add the blitzed chilli, garlic and onion to the BIG bowl

mix as best as you can everything in the BIG bowl together with a big wooden spoon

now Wash your hands again and get ready to get ultra messy!

Using your hands massage the mix together well (if you dont want to touch the mix wear some gloves)

Divide the mix evenly into balls

Thats the messiest bit over - you may want to wash your hands again before you are enlisted into the red hand gang

heat the butter in a shallow frying pan and when melted fry the balls lightly browning the edges
transfer onto a greased baking tray and put in an oven for around 45 minutes at around 180c
(check on them around 30 mins to ensure they dont dry out too much)

serve them up on a bed of lettuce to get one of your 5 a day and enjoy
nice with a yoghurt/mint/honey mixture to dip 'em in

a great grate soup

Heres a really homey winter warmer of a soup for you to try

ingredients;

peeled beetroot x 1
washed carrots x 3
bouillion powder 1 tbsp
water

Method;

grate beetroot and place in saucepan
grate carrots (chop off ends you don't eat!) put in same saucepan
cover contents in water (fill until about 2cm above ingredients)
add bouillion powder

bring to boil and then simmer for about 1 hour or until beetroot has softened.
the water will turn a gorgeous dark burgundy colour and the flavours will have been drawn out.
make sure the heat is not too high during the simmering time or you could lose some of these pungeant flavours)

Thats all - serve and enjoy

I personally believe this soup has a quality that makes you think of Eastern European travel perhaps. I close my eyes, take a mouthful and imagine I'm having a fortnight's break in Prague. You can go wherever you wish :-)



"I'm not at my desk I am in Prague...
....I'm not at my desk I am in Prague"

Punch, Kick and Pick me up

Heres a little drink I like to cook up if I need a little pick me up during the cold winter months.

Ingredients

• ginger roots 2 plants peeled then chopped
• honey (4 Tbsp)
• sugar (0.25 lb)
• 1 lemon (grate off skin then chop into quarters)
• 1 orange (grate off skin then chop into quarters)
• third of a pineapple chopped into chunks (optional)
  
• 1 chilli (chopped finely) (only use if you like a bit of a kick!)
• 4 pts water

Method

put ginger, lemon and orange in pan
add 1 pt of water and bring to boil - boil fiercly for 10 mins
reduce to simmer
add rest of ingredients and remaining 3 pints of water(sugar will disolve almost instantly)
simmer gently for 30-40 mins stirring occasionly

strain liquid through a fine sieve.

serve hot,warm or chilled

enjoy and hopefully feel better!

Cake recipes from me mam

Large All-in-one Victoria Sandwich Cake



8oz(225g)soft margarine

8oz(225g)caster sugar

4 eggs

8oz(225g)self raising flour

2 teaspoons baking powder



For The Filling And Topping

About 4 tablespoons jam

A little caster sugar



Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.

Grease and base line 2x8in(20cm)sandwich tins with baking parchment paper.

Put margarine, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder into large bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level out.

Bake in pre-heated oven for about 25minutes or until well risen and tops of cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in tins for few minutes then turn out, peel off paper and finish cooling on wire rack.

When completely cold spread jam on top of one cake and sandwich together. Sprinkle top of cake with caster sugar.





Coffee Victoria Sandwich



Ingredients as above + 2 heaped teaspoons instant coffee diluted with 2 teaspoons of boiling water



For Filling And Topping

2oz(50g)soft marg or butter

6oz(175g) icing sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon coffee essence or strong coffee

1 tablespoon milk (optional)



Method as above but add diluted coffee to ingredients



To make coffee butter cream, blend together butter, icing sugar and coffee essence until smooth, adding milk (little at a time) if necessary. Use half of butter cream to sandwich cakes together. Spread remaining butter cream on top.





Chocolate Victoria Sandwich



Ingredients as above + 2 tablespoons cocoa and 3 tablespoons boiling water





For Filling And Topping

2oz(50g) butter

6oz(175g) icing sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon milk

coarsely grated chocolate to decorate top



Method

Blend cocoa and boiling water in large mixing bowl then leave few minutes to cool. Add rest of ingredients into bowl and beat well. Divide mixture between tins and level out.

Bake as above recipes.

To make butter cream, blend butter, icing sugar and milk until smooth. Use half to sandwich cakes together. Spread remaining butter cream on top and decorate with grated chocolate.

Melted chocolate can be used to put on top of cake instead of butter cream.

Kicking Ginger Wine

Ginger Wine.

ingredients

1 bottle Riddles 'Extra Hot' Ginger Compound bottle (100ml)

0.5 lb sugar

3 ginger-root plants (peeled and diced)(or jsut sliced if you can't be arsed to peel them)

1 unwaxed lemon sliced (if waxed peel it first)

1 or 2 red hot chilli's - optional - sliced

Method

put ginger-root, lemon, chilli and sugar in a big pan (big enough pan for 7 pints)

cover with 3 pints of water

Bring this mix to boil - boil rapidly for 10 minutes (sugar dissolves almost instantly but 1lb is ample - ignore the bottles instructions it is too sweet and weak)

simmer for 30-40 minutes

Do your best to squash the contents of the pan with a masher device (like you use for mashing potato's - its hard to break the ginger down but do your best to mash the chilli and lemon as it all adds to the flavour!)

Drain contents through a sieve into a separate container - you need to keep the 'spicy liquid' but you can discard the remains of the ginger roots and lemons caught in the sieve.

rinse out the big pan and put in 4 pints of cold water and the 'spicy liquid'
you now have a pure liquid mix in your pan (no ginger, lemon or chilli bits)

bring to the boil
turn heat completely off

when cold (takes about an hour to cool down or just do it the next day) add the

100ml of Riddles 'Extra Hot' Ginger Compound

pour the kicking ginger wine into bottles using a funnel

if you are storing it to drink in the future add a crushed campden tablet to each bottle.

this is a great healthy drink for christmas or anytime you need an alcohol-free 'kick' to pick you up

enjoy!

freezing soup tips

Soups are great to make when you have time, then freeze for fast future meals. Here are some hints for freezing:

* To cool soup quickly before freezing, place the kettle in a sink filled with ice water. When cool, transfer to airtight freezer-safe containers, leaving 1/4-in. headspace for expansion.


* Most soups freeze nicely. The exceptions are soups made with cream and potatoes. Those are better when eaten fresh.


* Pasta in soup can get mushy in the freezer. It's best to add the pasta when ready to eat, not before freezing.


* To help retain their fantastic flavor, don't freeze soups for longer than 3 months.


* Thaw soup completely in the refrigerator and reheat in a saucepan.

Haza'Honey Flapjacks

Mrs hazabaza loves em, Me Mum n Dad love em, the test team tigers loved em, Bairns love em, The Bhaji's loved em so heres how its done...

These Honey Flapjacks are adapted from a recipe that I saw on the web a few months ago (sent in by Mrs. Margaret Lindsey, Solihull, West Midlands)
(Thanks Margaret if your out there)

Ingredients -
6oz Demerara Sugar
6-8 tbsps Runny Honey
8oz Butter (If your not crazy about bingo wings)
4oz Sieved Self Raising Flour
8oz raisins*
8oz Organic Oats

*(substitute 2oz of the raisins with 1oz apricots, 1oz dates for a change or a straight swap for any dried fruits etc... go on knock yourself out you crazy fools)

Method -

Melt the Sugar, Honey and butter gently in a pan.(sorry no picture of this part of the process)

Add the rest of the ingredients to the melted mixture and mix thoroughly.


"I'm mixing it up man Im mixing it up!"

Line a baking tin (approx. 8-9 inches square)with 'Baking Parchment" which is basically a way to stop any of the flapjack mix sticking to the sides or bottom.
I cut it an inch bigger than the tin then make slits to allow it to be folded into the tin.


My parchment lined baking tin (with scissors)

Plonk your gooey mixture into the baking tin with a big wooden spoon/spatula - it should be quite a sticky stiff mixture but not too powdery

Keep Pressing the mixture down into the tin (I use a big silver spoon) and keep spreading here and there until you get it even - it should be just less than an inch high.


Pressing the mix down


There.... nice and flat and ready for baking

Bake for 15-20 minutes on the top shelf in a medium oven (gas mk 5/ 190c)


Golden Brown

Put the tin to the side of your kitchen and wash up all the bloody mess you've made so far - dont worry if it looks a bit puffed up at this stage... it will settle

When the tin is cool enough to touch put it in the fridge (yes the fridge)

leave it in the fridge overnight and resist the temptation of a quick nibble before bedtime

In the morning or the following evening pry the mixture out of the tin onto a chopping board - I use a sharp knife to get into one side, flip the tin carefully and waggle the knife till the mix loosens up enough to come out of the tin.
Because of the baking parchment the tin will not need cleaning (in fact you could keep you baking parchment for another batch if your feeling gung ho enough!)


One flapjack slab ready for the chop ("phonecall for you sir")

Chop the slab into biscuit sized portions or eat in one you greedy bast'd

mmm

Put them in a rustic looking tin and call yourself fanny adams.... You did it!


"Hi I'm Fanny Adams"