Garden Vegetable Soup

Ingredients 2 Medium Carrots Small onion 2 gralic cloves, crushed 500ml vegetable stock 100g dwarf beans 1 tbsp tomato puree 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 courgette, diced

Method

1. Spray a saucepan with low fat cooking spray, heat.
2. Saute the carrot, onion and garlic over a low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add stock, beans, tomato puree, basil, oregano and salt.
4. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.
5. Stir in courgette and heat for 3-4 minutes.
6. Serve hot.

So we are starting the whole dieting thing, as is most of the UK I reckon!!! So I am trying the Weight Wathers thing so I shall let you know the Weight Watchers points on things I make (if I know them) for anyone else who may be interested. This is ZERO point soup!!! Yes, eat as much as you like people!!!

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Milk Loaf

	Ingredients 1 tsp Yeast 475g Strong White Flour 1 1/2 tsp sugar 25g Butter 1 1/4 tsp Salt 340ml milk

Method

This is a bit of a cheat as I have a Bread Machine (thank you wedding gift list!!). But the ingredients are the same if you are making the bread by hand.

1. Preheat the oven to 210C/410F/Gas 6.
2. Place the yeast and milk into a large bowl and whisk together.
3. Add the flour and salt and mix with your hands to bring together as a soft, sticky dough.
4. Melt the butter and pour over. Mix this into the dough with your hands, then cover the bowl and leave to stand for ten minutes.
5. Grease your hands and a flat clean surface with olive oil. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for ten seconds, then form the dough into a smooth round ball. Wipe the bowl clean and grease with olive oil, then return the dough ball to the bowl and leave for a further ten minutes.
6. Repeat this ten-second kneading and resting process every ten minutes twice, then leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Grease a deep 12x19cm/5x8in loaf tin and dust with flour. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape into two balls and place side-by-side into the loaf tin. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise for one and a half hours, or until almost doubled in height.
8. Brush the top of the loaf with a little milk and place into the preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and bake for a further 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is a shiny dark brown and the loaf has come away from the sides of the tin.
9. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
   

So we are getting healthy, what better way than making your own bread. I have been playing with my new bread machine, still getting the hang of it!! I have perfected the standard loaf now I am trying something new with this. It isn't as rounded as I expected but it was sure yummy!!! I love the steam coming off it, this is FRESH bread!!!

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?

Raspberry And Blueberry Roll

Ingredients 30g cocoa powder 40g self-raising flour , plus extra for dusting 1/2 tsp baking powder 3 large eggs 50g caster sugar Icing Sugar for dusting Filling 1 punnet raspberries 1 Punnet blueberries 142ml double cream

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line a 15x20cm swiss roll tin with baking parchment, butter and dust with cocoa.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl. Beat the eggs and caster sugar with an electric mixer until thick, pale and trebled in volume, about 8 minutes. Fold in the flour mix with a large metal spoon - the less air you squash the better, so do this carefully but quickly. Pour into the tin, tipping the tin as your pour so the batter is even. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm to the touch.
3. Cool the sponge for 2 minutes then turn it out onto a piece of baking parchment dusted with caster sugar. Peel off the lining paper and roll the sponge up using the paper underneath. It may crack a bit but don't worry. Cool.
4. Whisk the double cream until it is stiff.
5. Gently unroll the sponge and dot the raspberries and blueberries over then cover with the cream. Spread out gently. Reroll the roulade as tightly as you can, using the paper to help you, without squashing out the filling.
6. Dust the top with the icing sugar. Use a few of the reaspberries and blueberries to decorate.

I know I said that all the posts would be healthy from now on but I had to just slip this great pudding into the mix!! It is so light all your guests will have room! And they will definately be after seconds!!

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?

So Very Very Long!!

I am sorry! It has been so long since I last posted and I had so many amazing plans for the Christmas period! But then I came down with a Respritory Infection and haven't been well so no cooking :( I have got a recipe that I made for New Year's (and my birthday) which I will share with you tomorrow!!

This year we have got some healthy recipes appearing. Yes it is that time of year again when we all go off on diets!! And by gum do I need to!! Well, I am hoping to find some great recipes that mean you can enjoy your food while still getting into that healthy lifestyle!! Remember, it is easier to stick to a diet if you don't deny yourself some pleasures so treat yourself occassionally, just don't go over board!!

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?

Mince Pies

Ingredients 225g cold butter , diced 350g plain flour 100g golden caster sugar 280g mincemeat 1 small egg , beaten icing sugar , to dust

Method

1. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C.
   
3. Roll out the pastry and cut out large circles and line the cupcake tin. Make the lids by cutting smaller circles. Add 1 teaspoon of mincemeat to each pie base. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).
4. Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
5. The number of pies made will depend on the size that you make but this recipe should make approx 16 mince pies.
   

Made these with the mincemeat below and they are great and very quick and simple to make, and I still have loads of mincemeat left!! That aught to be goo as I don't think they are going to last very long!!

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?