Diane's Recipe Collection

Banana Chutney

2011-09-03T05:00:00.000+01:00

Ingredients

500g Bananas
325g Raisins
225g Sugar
20g Salt
12g Ground Cinnamon
25g Curry Powder
250ml Balsamic Vinegar
200ml White wine Vinegar

Method

Peel and cube the bananas into small cubes.
Add vinegar and boil until the mixture looks like porridge.
Add fruit and spices and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
Spoon into sterilized jars and leave to cool.

The longer you can leave Chutney before you use it the better it tastes, as all the flavours work together.

Mojo Salsa (Picante)

2011-02-17T20:03:00.001Z

This salsa can be keep for several weeks in the fridge, adjust the amount of chili to get the desired heat.

This is a hot Spicy Salsa great with Papas Arrugadas or as a dip for BBQ meats etc.

Ingredients

Tsp Pimento Ducle (Sweet pepper powder)
4 Gloves Garlic
1 Tsp Cumin
4 Tsp Paprika Picante (Hot pepper powder)
1 Tsp Turmeric
3 tsp Ground Chili's
3 dsp Stale Bread Crumbs
200ml Olive Oil
100ml Balsamic Vinegar
1 cinnamon Stick
1 Bay Leaf
1 Dsp Runny Honey
200ml Water

Method

In a blender blend the pimento dulce, garlic,cumin, paprika picante, turmeric, ground chilli's, bread crumbs, olive oil and balsamic vinegar,
Pour into a saucepan.
Add cinnamon stick, bat leaf, honey and water.
Bing to the boil
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove the bits.
Pour Sala into a sterilized jar.

Chow Mein

2011-02-17T19:27:00.002Z

You can make your own bean sprouts from lentils and most other pulses.

Ingredients
Photo by Sifu Renka

Tagallini Pasta
salt
4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Small Onion ( Finely Shredded)
125g fresh Bean Sprouts
3 tbsp Soy Sauce
Few Drops of Sesame Oil

Method

Cook pasta in a deep saucepan of salted boiling water according to instructions on the packet.
Drain well and rinse in cold water, drain thoroughly.
Transfer to bowl and toss in a little vegetable oil.
Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the frying pan until really hot.
Add the shredded onions and stir fry for a minute.
Add bean spouts and drained pasta to the pan and stir/toss for another minute.
Add soy sauce and sesame oil and blend well.

Finely cut chicken , beef , green beans or other vegetables of your choice can be added at stage 5, this dish need never be boring and is very quick and easy to make.

Serve immediately

Peach Ice cream

2011-02-14T13:12:00.003Z

This is an easy to make ice cream without the need for an ice cream maker.

Ingredients

150ml Condensed Milk
2 Egg Yolks
½ tsp Cornflour
1 tsp
1 850g Tin of Peaches
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
150ml Thick Cream

Method

Heat the condensed milk in saucepan on a low heat ( do not allow it to boil)
In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cornflour and water.
Pour the heated condensed milk on to the egg yolk mixture, stirring all the time.
Return the mixture to the pan and place over a low heat, stirring all the time until the mixture thickens like a thin custard.
Purée the peaches and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Mix the Puréed peaches with the custard.
Whip the thick cream until softly peaking.
Fold whipped cream into the peach mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a loaf tin or freezer proof dish of similar size.
Cover and freeze for 3 hours
Ice Cream should be just hard on the outside but soft in the middle.
Tip into a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.
Return to container, cover and freeze again.
Take out of the freeze 15 -20 minutes before serving.

Peach and Lemon Ice Cream

Flap Jack

2011-02-13T19:43:00.001Z

photo by Caroline C

Ingredients

200g Oats
10g Wheatgerm
10g Dried Apricots
40g Ground Walnuts
40g Ground Almonds
40g Sultanas
4tbs Honey
A little Water

Method

Mix the dried ingredients well.
Bind with the honey.
Adjust texture of mixture with a little water to make it soft but not runny.
Pour mixture into a lightly greased oven proof tray approx 7"x 11".
Bake in a pre heated oven 180ºC(350ºF), Gas Mark 4 for 20/25 Mins.
Leave to cool.
Cut into bite size pieces.

Albondigas -

2011-02-10T21:25:00.006Z

Albondigas - is the Spanish word for meatballs, although this recipe is made with lentils, they tend to be a little more spicy than normal, but you can adjust to taste.

They are often served as a 'Tapas' dish in the center of the dining table or you will find them on the counter in the local 'Tapas' bar/restaurant.

They also work well as part of a 'Plato Combinado' especially if you serve them with Papas Arrugardas.
photo by lesleyk
Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped
3 Gloves Garlic finely chopped
2 tbs Veg Oil
350g Cooked Lentils

2 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp Pimento Picante
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
85g Bread Crumbs
2 tbs Grated Cheese
1 Egg - Beaten
2 Tbs Red Wine
500g Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tsp Rosemary
1Tsp Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

In a frying pan, cook the onion and garlic in 1 tbs of the oil, until the onion is just turning transparent.
Add the cooked lentils, thyme, turmeric and tomato paste.
Cook for a few minutes to combine all the flavors.
Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
Take off the heat and add the breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
leave to cool a little.
Mix in the beaten egg, to help bind the mixture.
This mixture will make approx 12/15 little albodigas balls, which you can form either with your hands or with spoons.
In the frying pan heat the rest of the oil.
Cook the abondigas for several minutes until brown all over.
Add the wine, tomatoes,basil and rosemary
Simmer very gently for 20 minutes.
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

Can be served as a dish on it's own, or a smaller portion with spaghetti.

Apricot Recipe - Apricot & Banana Compote

2011-02-07T19:47:00.002Z

Ingredients

50g Dried Ready to eat Apricots
200ml Apple Juice
200ml Water
2 Bananas
50g Sultanas
1tbs Lemon Juice
2 tbs Ground Almonds

Method

Dice the apricots into bite size pieces
Put apricots, apple juice and water into pan.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Take off the heat tip into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Peal and then chop the bananas into bite size pieces.
Put banana into a bowl and add the lemon juice, making sure that the banana is well coated.
Add bananas and sultanas to the cooled apricot mixture.
Sprinkle ground almonds over the top to serve.

Notes.

This recipe can be made in advance as far as stage 4. Finish the dish off just before serving.
Can be topped with Natural Yogurt, ice Cream or Cream.
Just as tasty served hot or cold.

Apricot & Banana Compote

Garbanzos - Chickpeas

2011-01-27T14:44:00.005Z

A very popular Canarian Dish, served in a large dish set in the centre of the table so that everyone can help themselves, can be served with papas arrugardas or fresh crusty bread to soak up the delicious gravy.

In gredients:

Few pieces of meat for flavouring.
250g Cooked Chickpeas.

1 Meat Stock cube
2 Chopped onions
2 Chopped Tomatoes
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Tsp Dulce
1Tsp Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
Salt to taste
200ml Vegetable Stock

Cooking instructions

Place chick peas, Stock Cube and meat into a saucepan.
Add enough water to well cover and bring to the boil.
Simmer gently.
In a separate pan, fry all other dry ingredients until well blended.
Then add to the chickpeas and meat and simmer for 1 hour.
Add more vegatable stock when necessary .

Although you can serve them straight away with a few Papa's Arrugadas, I prefer to let stand over night and let the flavours mingle.

Garbanzos - Chickpeas

Lemon Pasta

2011-01-26T19:38:00.003Z

This is a recipe that Ray-Ray has kindly given me permission to put on my blog.

I thought it was unusual, I love pasta and am always looking for new ideas, this one tastes great.

Linguin or linguini are a form of pasta, a bit flat like trenette and fettuccine, but narrow like spaghetti. So if you can't get linguin, then try it with another pasta.

Ingredients

120ml Olive Oil
200g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Freshly Squeezed Lemon juice (1-2 large lemons)
225g linguine
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
50g fresh basil chopped
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
a few thin lemon slices for garnish

Method

In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, Parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
Cook linguine to al dente and drain.
Transfer back to pasta pan and toss linguine with lemon sauce mixture.
Add salt, pepper, lemon zest and basil.
Stir to coat pasta well.
Transfer to bowls
Garnish with lemon slices and serve.

This will make enough for 2 main servings.

Pumpkin Pasta Bake

2011-01-24T11:10:00.000Z

Ingredients

700g Pumpkin chopped and pealed
2 Large Carrots chopped and pealed
2 Large Onions, chopped and pealed
250g Pasta - Small Shapes
200g Tomato frito
400g Crated Cheese
200g Spicy Tomato Salsa
1 Large Tomato Sliced
Salt and Pepper for Seasoning
3 Tbs Vegetable Oil

Method

Pre heat oven to 180 Degrees
Cook the pasta according to the instruction, drain and put to one side.
In a large pan add the oil and the chopped onions, cook until just going translucent.
Add the Pumpkin and the Carrot, cook until soft.
Add the cooked pasta, mix well.
Add the Tomato Frito and the Tomato Salsa.
Cook for 10 minutes, to blend the flavours.
Season to Taste.
Place the mixture in a large baking dish, pressing it down into the corners.
Cover the top with the grated cheese.
Decorate with the sliced Toamto.
Place in the pre heated oven for 30 minutes.

It's best to make it, cook it and serve it straight away, if left to stand the pasta soaks up the sauce and it becomes to dry.

This recipe will serve 6 people, if served on it's own, having the pasta and the vegetables, it is a complete meal, but if you are like me, you will enjoy it with a baked potato or a few chips, in which case it should serve 8 people.

2011-01-22T17:02:00.006Z

Couscous Salad
Couscous salad, is delicious served hot or cold, quick and easy to make.
Ideal for picnic's, BBQ's, Plato Combinado's etc.

Quesillo (Spanish Egg Caremel Dish)

2011-01-13T21:40:00.002Z

This is a recipe for quessillo, it is the Spanish version of an English Egg Custard, but it is a lot thicker and richer. It is very easy to cook, only takes 9 minutes in the microwave.
It is served as a dessert in a lot of Canarian restaurant 's, it can be served in slices topped with fruit and cream,
or you can break it up to look like scrambled egg and again cover with cream and fruit. Even better just eat it as it comes.

Ingredients

250ml Milk
250g Condensed Milk
2 Eggs
Pinch of Cinnamon
Caramel Sauce

Method

Put all ingredients in a bowl, barring the Carmel sauce.
Mix well until well blended.
Pour into a microwave dish.
Microwave on 580w for 10 minutes.
Without opening the microwave door, let stand for 10 minutes.
At this point it should be cooked, if not, cook for a few minutes more.
Place plate over microwave dish, tip over so that the quesillo falls on plate.
To serve top with caramel sauce.

Alternative toppings can be used, such as freah fruit and cream.
The quesillo in the above picture is the large version and you need to double the quantities and cook 0n 580w for 30 minutes and leaving for 10 minutes to stand. If it is not cooked at this stage put it in the microwave for an extra 5 minutes.

Canarian Stew

2011-01-10T20:48:00.003Z

I was served this at a neighbours house and really liked it, as always the Canarian people are always pleased that you want to try their recipes, so paper and pen were provided and below is what I was told, all their recipes are pasted down from one generation to another, so it's difficult to get any weights, they just tell you a hand full of this and a pinch of that....

This is a Canarian Dish, made from left overs, so it works well if you use the basic recipe, but add what ever vegetables you have. I have made this and worked out the quantities to my families liking, it's very adjustable.

Ingredients

750g Potatoes
4 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 Onion
2/3 Cloves of Garlic
1 Medium Sized Bunch of Parsley
2tbs Olive Oil
5cm Chorizo ( or peices of bacon or sausage)
1 Bay Leaf
1L Water
Salt to Taste

Method

Peel and Slice the potatoes.
Slice the Hard Boiled Eggs
Put 1 tbs of Olive oil in A shallow frying pan and sauté the potato slices until just turning a golden colour.
In a saucepan, place alternate layers of the potato and egg slices, starting with the potato.
Chop chorizo into very small cubes.

Chop onion, finely.
Peel and chop finely the garlic and parsley and pound together.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan.
Gently fry the chorizo, onion and Garlic/parsley until well blended.
If you have any other vegetables, chop them into small pieces and fry gently with the above.
When well blended add to the saucepan containing the potatoes and egg.
Add bay leaf
Pour water over the mixture.
Add salt to taste.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

The above serves 4 people.

Also works well if grated cheese is sprinkled on top before serving.

Serve with warm crusty bread .

Lentil Cottage Pie

2010-12-29T15:56:00.001Z

This recipe is a great twist on the English Shepherds Pie/ Cottage Pie, I am not really sure what the difference is, but which ever one is on the menu I always choose it. It is ideal for home cooking and entertaining as it is a little different and takes people by surprise. It can be classed as Vegitarian as you will see from the ingredients, but alot of people will believe that they are eating mince meat, so it is an ideal recipe when you have a group of friends around for a meal which include vegitarians.

Ingredients

175g Puy Lentils
100g Potatoes
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 onion Chopped
1 Leek Sliced
2 Large carrots chopped finely
150g Squash Chopped Finley
3 tbsp Soy Sauce puree
3 tbsp tomato
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Vegetable Stock Cube
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Cook lentils in a pan of boiling water with stock cube for 20 - 30 minutes until soft.
Cook potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 20 minutes until soft.
Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and cook onion until soft.
Add leeks cook for 5 minutes until just starting to go soft.
Add carrot and squash, continue cooking for a further 10 minutes on a low heat.
Cover pan so that the juices from the vegetables do not evaporate.
Stir in the cooked lentils, then add the soy sauce, tomato puree, herbs and enough cooking fluid from the lentils to make the mixture moist but not sloppy.
Simmer for 10 minutes, adding more liquid if necessary.
Spoon the mixture in to an oven proof dish.
Cover with mashed potatoes
Bake in pre heated oven 180ºC(350ºF) for 30 minutes or until the potato is crisp and brown.

Ropa Vieja (Canarian Stew)

2010-11-21T14:42:00.000Z

This is a Canarian/Spanish/Cuban dish, the name translates to Old Clothes. It's basically a left overs dish, so any vegetables or meat that you have can be added, again it is one of those dishes that can taste better cooked the day before, so that all the flavours mingle.

Ingredients

500g Ready cooked meat, any kind.
3 large Potatoes
2 large Carrots
1 large Onion
250g Cooked Chick Peas
3 Cloves Garlic
1 litre Stock
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Dried Oregano
2 tbs Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste.

Directions

Put Olive Oil in a large pan and heat gently.
Add coarsely chopped onion and garlic and add to pan, fry gently until soft and just starting to go golden.
Remove from pan and reserve.
Peel and cut potatoes into small chunks and add to pan.
Peel/scrub carrots, cut into chunks about the same size as potatoes and add to pan.
Fry the potatoes and carrots on a medium to high heat until lightly browned.
Add chickpeas to pan and fry for a couple of minutes.
Add the onions and garlic mix, oregano and turmeric and stir everything together.
Add the stock bring, briefly to the boil then lower heat cover pan and simmer until potatoes and carrots are almost cooked.
Whilst Potatoes etc. are cooking, shred the cooked meat by pulling apart.
Finally add the shredded meat and simmer with pan covered until potatoes and carrots are cooked.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tapa Recipes

2010-09-15T18:37:00.006+01:00

The word ‘Tapas’ comes from the Spanish word ‘Tapa’ which translates to ‘Cover’ or ‘Bar Snack.

The climate in Spain, Balearic's and Canary Islands has largely formed the eating habits and hours of the Spanish people. Work stops at 1pm or 2pm when lunch is had followed by ‘siesta’,because it is far too hot to do anything else. When the heat subsides work begins again until 8pm. Hence diner is rather late, so the habit of snacking evolved, known as ‘Tapas’.

Tapas Bars can be found in almost every street in Spain. They are ideal for the foreign traveller,being able to try all the different dishes. The choices are displayed in covered counters and you only need point to the dishes required. They are only small portions, normally served with fresh crusty bread and a glass of the local wine.

The choice of Tapas can be very varied, hot or cold, seafood's, meats, vegetables, little sandwiches, ensaladilla ( Potato,egg,tuna & mayonaise salad), Albonigas ( Small meatballs), Mussels, Squid, Octupus, Grabanzos ( chickpeas),Carne con Papas, Papas Arugadas, Quesillo, Ropa Vieja (Canarian Stew).

You only need order a few at a time, then order more if needed, the waiter will keep a running total of the bill and you pay when you have finished the meal.

A lot of ‘Tapas Recipes’ can be found on ‘Diane’s Recipe Collection’ they are easy to make and are a good idea for a themed party at home.

Another idea is to have a ‘ Bring a Tapas’ party, with everyone bring a Tapas dish with them, it’s all good fun and doesn’t create a lot of work for anyone.

Have You Any - Vinegar Health Benefits, Cures or Cleaning Ideas

2010-09-10T09:44:00.002+01:00

I have been investigating vinegar, very interesting subject, I had read quite some time ago how useful it was for a wide range of uses, but was amazed when browsing the Internet how many, so thought it would be a great idea to see how many different we could list.

I love cooking and use a good variety of vinegars, which is how I became interested, I wanted to know how come Balsamic Vinegar tastes so different, but as you will all know, it's fatal to look anything up on the internet because you get side tracked, which is what happened.

I found out that Balsamic Vinegar is traditionally produced in Italy in the region of Emilia-Romagna, made from wines brewed under controlled conditions that have been allowed to acetify, that is a simplified version. But then I was side tracked into reading the different uses for vinegar, of which there seems to be no end to.

I thought it would be good to see how many uses we could gather together, so I started to list them, some of them are quite useful in modern times, some seem to be from an age well past and some I just don't fancy trying at all.

But here are some of the interesting ones, please add your own by the way of comments, could be fun to see what we can come up with.

Rinsing your dishwasher - with the cost of dishwasher cleaning products and keeping in mind the environment I thought this one sounded excellent. Pour I cup of white vinegar into the bottom of your empty dishwasher and run on a cycle of the hottest temp. It's recommended to do this once a month.
Ant repellent- I am sure that those of you with gardens have been frustrated with these little insects, try this - mix a solution of half water and half vinegar and wipe down the effected area.
Hard paint brushes - forgot or was too tired to clean your paint brushes, then try boiling them in undiluted vinegar and leaving them to soak for an hour, then wash them off in hot soapy water.
Chewing Gum - got chewing gum on the bottom of your shoe and then walked it on to your carpet, then try applying hot vinegar to the gum, apparently this works on any material.
Cut flowers - apparently they keep longer in water containing a solution of - add 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar to 570ml hot water.
Ink Stains - Soak the stained fabric in milk for 1 hour, make a paste with vinegar and cornflour, cover the stained area, when dry, wash in the normal way.
Perspiration Stains - Dab the stains with white vinegar and wash in the normal way.
Tea & Coffee Stains - Soak in china and glassware in hot vinegar, then wash in the normal way.
Windows, Mirrors and Glass - I hate this kind of cleaning, but this does work and makes it less frustrating - 2 tablespoons of vinegar into 2 litres of warm water, use this to clean the item in question, then buff with a clean dry cloth or paper kitchen roll.
Sore Throat - Mix together 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey and slowly sip the syrup when needed.
Preservative - vinegar makes a good preservative as an alternative to 'E' numbers in recipes for chutneys, bread etc

Carne Con Papas

2010-08-27T14:22:00.002+01:00

This is a Canarian/Spanish dish as with a lot of Canarian Recipes they match their life style, everything done at a slow pace.

Ingredients:

500g Stewing Meat
I Onion Chopped
1 Red Pepper Chopped
2 Tomatoes Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tsp Thyme
1/2Tsp Picante (Hot Chili Pepper)
Pinch Saffron
Salt
2 Potatoes Chopped
Water
Wine

Cooking instructions

Fry onions and meat until brown to seal the meat.
Add rest of ingredients except wine, water and potatoes.
Fry gently for 5 minutes.
Cover with wine and a little water.
Simmer for ages until the meat is melt in your mouth tender. This can take up to 2 hours or longer.
Add more water and wine when necessary.
Add potatoes at the end of the cooking, either par boil or saute before adding.

This can be made the before needed and can be successfully frozen.

Thick Cut Orange Marmalade

2010-08-05T20:10:00.001+01:00

There's nothing quite like Thick Cut Orange Marmalade made from oranges that have just been picked from the orange tree.

Fortunately I have a friend who has orange trees and had an abundance of oranges, so I decided to try out

this recipe that was given to me some years ago.

Once tried you will never want shop bought Orange Marmalade again.

Photo by shivery

Ingredients

4 Large Oranges
Juice of 1 Lemon
700 ml Water
600g Sugar

Method

Wash and slice the oranges in half.
With a metal spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving the pith behind.
Put the flesh, juice and pips into a blender and blend until smooth.
Push through a fine sieve into a pan, disregarding the bits left in the sieve.
Remove the pith from the skins of 2 of the oranges. I found the easiest way was to scrap the pith with a metal spoon.
Slice the skins thinly or a thick as you like them in your marmalade.
Add sliced skins to pan.
Pour in lemon juice and water.
Bring to the boil.
reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the fluid has reduce by half and the rinds are soft.
Over a low heat add the sugar.
Stir until sugar has dissolved.
Cook for a further 10 minutes.
Mean while place a small plate in the refrigerator.
After 10 minutes cooking the marmalade, take the plate out of the refrigerator, spoon a little onto the cold plate.
Return plate to the refrigerator.
If the marmalade on the plates sets after about 2 minutes, then the marmalade is ready.
If not cook for a further 10 minutes and try again.
When cooked pour marmalade into sterilised jars.

This recipe should make around 600g of Marmalade, it's not worth making a bigger batch unless you are like me and give a lot away, because it has no preservatives, so doesn't keep a long as shop bought marmalade.

Thick Cut Orange Marmalade

Garlic and Parsley Spaghetti

2010-07-19T20:53:00.000+01:00

Ingredients

300g Spaghetti
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Large Bunch of Fresh Parsley
4 Tbs of Vegetable Oil
Salt
Parmasen Cheese

Method

Place Spaghetti into a pan of boiling salted water.
Bring to the boil and cook for 15 min or until spaghetti is soft.
Whilst Spaghetti is cooking finely chop the garlic and parsley.
Drain the cooked Spaghetti, put to one side.
In the pan which you cooked the spaghetti, pour in the vegetable oil.
Heat the oil over a medium heat, when the oil is hot add the garlic.
Cook the garlic for a minute, keep moving the garlic so it doesn't burn and taste bitter.
Add the cooked spaghetti, mixing with the oil and garlic until they all combined.
Take off the heat.
Add the chopped parsley, make sure to combine it well with the parsley.
Serve and sprinkle the parmasen cheese on top.

Notes.

The amount of garlic is down to taste, but you do need it to flavour the spaghetti.

This should serve 2 people as a main dish.

Easy Food Recipes

2010-07-09T16:12:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Diane's Recipe Collection, if the recipe is on this site it must be easy, I don't do hard and I haven't got a lot of patience, so if you want some easy food recipes have a good browse.

When I first started this blog, I just went through all the recipes I had and put them on here, it was my first blog, I have learn't a lot since then !!

I am at present working through the indexing and trying to get the recipes better organised and better presented, this is taking time, so please stick with me while I do this and keep popping in to have a look.

You are very welcome, to copy, print or use any of the recipes, if you use them on another web page or blog etc. please link back to this page.

Suggestions on how to make recipes better will always be received with thanks or if you are looking for a recipe that I might be able to help with, just ask, by using the comments form at the bottom of this post.

Curry Pasta Salad

2010-07-05T19:56:00.000+01:00

The quantities for this recipe are down to taste, it's a great recipe to experiment with. Any variety of fruit can be used. Carrot, onions and lemon juice also work very well.
Ideal to serve at a BBQ or Buffet.

Ingredients

100g Uncooked Spiral Pasta
30g Raisins
Pine Nuts
50ml Pineapple Juice
Apple cored and finely chopped
1 Tsp Curry Powder
Salt to taste
30g Pineapple Chunks
Mayonnaise

Cooking instructions

Cook pasta for 8 - 10 minutes or until soft.
In a large bowl combine the curry powder, salt, mayonnaise, pineapple juice.
Add cooked pasta, toss to coat.
Add apple, raisins and pine nuts.

Mix well.

Food Pyramid

2010-06-07T04:05:00.000+01:00

If you are like me, you try and be a bit good and eat a healthy diet, so you you read up on what you should eat and it tells you a portion of this and a portion/ration or serving of that, but they never tell you how much a portion/ration or serving is.

I have managed to find a list which is a little more helpful, I hope that you find it so as well, not that I am trying to get everyone to eat healthy, but a little knowledge never hurts.

What Counts As A Serving?

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
1 slice of bread

1 oz. of ready-eat-cereal

1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta

Vegetable
1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables

1/2 cup of other vegetables cooked or chopped raw

3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Fruit
1 medium apple,banana, or orange

1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit

3/4 cup of fruit juice

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
1 cup of milk or yogurt

11/2 ounces of natural cheese

2 ounces of processed cheese

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish

1/2 cup of cooked Nuts, dry beans

1 egg

2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of lean meat

Grains:

At the base of the pyramid are breads, cereals, rice and pasta.

These foods, all from grains, should provide the foundation or largest portion of your meals. They provide energy and key nutrients the body needs every day. When you use whole-grain products, they also provide dietary fiber which is protective against both heart disease and cancer.

Fruits and Vegetables:

The next level includes fruits and vegetables.

Most people need to eat more of these foods. They are rich sources of vitamins and minerals but are very low in calories and fat, and are cholesterol free. Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants and other substances that are now recognized as helpful in preventing heart disease, cancer and other many other health problems. The majority of your food should come from these first two levels.

Meat and Dairy:

As you rise higher in the food pyramid, notice that the area or size of the higher levels are smaller. The milk and meat (better called protein foods) groups are important but should be used in smaller portions because that are higher in fat, calories and cholesterol. When using milk and cheese, look for the nonfat or low-fat products. If you don't drink milk or use milk products, be sure to get adequate calcium and vitamin B-12 from other foods or from dietary supplements. If you eat meat, choose those that are lowest in fat: skinless chicken, lean meats, fish.

Vegetable Proteins:

Adequate protein can also come from vegetable protein sources if you eat a variety of them. Good examples of vegetable protein sources include: legumes (e.g., peas, beans, garbanzoes, kidney beans, split peas), tofu, nuts and peanut butter, and meat alternates made from combinations of these products such as "vegeburgers", meatless hot dogs and steaklets (made from soy, gluten, and other ingredients).

Fats and Sweets:

The tip of the pyramid is small and indicates these foods should be used sparingly. These are the foods that are high in fat, sugar, and calories and lowest in nutrients (just the opposite of what most of us need). Limit fats, oils and sweets to a minimum for the best health and to maintain a healthy weight.

Beetroot and Honey Juice

2010-06-01T22:11:00.002+01:00

This is a healthy and refreshing drink, any time of the day.

Ingredients

450g Cooked Beetroot
750ml Pure Orange Juice
250ml Water
5 Tbs Runny Honey

Method

Place beetroot into the blender, blend for 2 minutes.
Add the water and blend for a further minute.
Add Orange juice and Honey.
Blend until smooth.
Pour into a jug with lid.
Keep in refrigerator.

This juice will keep for several days if kept refrigerated.

Couscous Salad with Dried Fruit

2010-05-26T19:51:00.002+01:00

This is a healthy snack to have in fridge, for when you are tempted to go for the unhealthy options, or ideal to serve with a salad or on a buffet table.

Ingredients

300ml Water
2 Desert spoons of Runny Honey
100g Dried Apricots, Chopped
100g Raisens
250g Couscous
Fresh Basil

Method

In a medium sized saucepan on a medium heat combine the honey and water.
When the honey has dissolved into the water add the dried fruit and bring to the boil
Stir constantly for about 2 minutes
Stir in the Couscous.
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid until the couscous has absorbed the water.
This should take about 5 - 7 minutes.
Using a fork fluff the couscous to break up any lumps.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Notes

This dish can be served hot or cold. Will keep in an air tight container in a fridge for a few days.

Chopped Roasted nuts such as almonds or walnuts also add a delicious flavour and different texture.

Any kind of sweet dried fruit can be used.