Today I’m advocating adultery.

Not in the conventional sense of the word.

I want to you to cheat on your oven and make my microwave bakewell cake. It serves 2 people, not that you’re going to want to share.

More than likely your oven might be offended by this blatant neglect so I recommend covering it with a teatowel so it can’t spot you making sweet love to this moist gooey cake, with jam at the bottom and cream on the top with toasted almonds. You may even consider a more permanent baking solution based upon this recipe. Or not.

That microwave mug cake that does the rounds every now and again. I’ve tried it.

Yeuch.

How anybody can expect the gluten in flour to cook in such a short amount of time escapes me. While it’s entirely edible in a panic moment, it more than likely will give you a belly ache.

If you want to make a cake in the microwave, use ground almonds, not wheat flour.

Microwave Bakewell Cake – Wholesome Ireland – Irish Food & Parenting Blog

Anyway, enough dithering around.

Dalliances are often brief. We will keep it this way and make the cake in 10 minutes from start to finish.

Before commencing, wash and dry a 300g glass jam jar. Slightly bigger is also okay. Bear in mind I’ve a 900 Watt microwave so you may need to increase your cooking time accordingly.

Microwave Bakewell Cake

2013-05-17 10:08:04

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Ingredients

1 medium egg

50g caster sugar

3 tablespoons sunflower oil

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

75g ground almonds

2 tablespoons jam of your choice

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the egg, caster sugar, oil, almond extract and ground almonds with a fork. Just mix until you have a stiff batter and you don't have an oil slick on top!

Spoon the jam into the bottom of the jar. Carefully spoon the cake batter on top.

Microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds. Allow to rest for 2 minutes, then microwave on high for a further 1 minute.

Please note I have a very efficient 900W microwave. If your microwave is lower wattage you will need to cook the cake for 30 seconds longer each time for 750-800W, then 1 minute longer for 600-700W.

If in doubt at all as to whether the cake is cooked, insert a cocktail stick into the centre of the jar. If it comes away clean the cake is cooked. If still in doubt, blast in the microwave for a further 30 seconds.

Leave the cake to stand for at least 10 minutes before eating as it will be piping hot.

Notes

Serve with fresh whipped cream on top with toasted flakes almonds.

Eat with a spoon.

By Wholesome Ireland

Wholesome Ireland - Irish Food & Parenting Blog http://wholesomeireland.com/

Microwave Bakewell Cake – Wholesome Ireland – Irish Food & Parenting Blog

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We are but a few days away from the official launch of the allotments. The pigs arrived last weekend. They are generating an awful lot of interest amongst the other plot holders.  There have been more than a few requests to join the syndicate at this late stage but it is closed until the next time.

Between organising bits and pieces for the big launch and the “pig release” (I still chuckle inwardly everytime I say that phrase), the house, working on the book, and a number of other community projects that are bubbling along in the background the stress levels are high.  This may not be helped by the 18 month old putting on a growth spurt and waking for comfort feeds again in the middle of the night. We all know that sleep is vital for sanity!  Perhaps I shouldn’t be in the process of painting the kitchen either. Ah well, I’m a glutton for punishment.

Yesterday my Aunt took the boys so I could escape for a few hours which was very much appreciated.  Still when I got home I had half a cold roast chicken from Monday night and a hungry family. The hungrier they are, the more cranky they become.  That my friends is a proven fact in this house!

I know you’re probably thinking the blogpost looks a little different from the norm. That’s because after some feedback from my readers, I’ve made my recipes print friendly.  I’m hoping that it will make life a little easier for you and if you have any trouble please just let me know in the comments below, via Facebook or Twitter.  Also thanks Ken from AnyGivenFood for recommending the plugin.

Quick Warm Pasta Salad

2013-05-15 14:13:01

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Ingredients

100g farfallini pasta or similar size

1 carrot, shredded

1/4 cucumber, deseeded and chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

2 scallions/spring onions, chopped

2 tablespoons salad dressing of your choice

Instructions

Bring a large kettle of water, once boiled fill a large pot with the boiling water and simmer. Pour in the pasta and bring to the boil. This only takes 4 minutes so set a timer as it's very quick. Prepare all your vegetables by chopping or shredding and put them in a large bowl if you haven't done so already. Spoon the salad dressing on top.

After 4 minutes, strain the water from the pasta and add the hot, cooked pasta to the large bowl containing your vegetables. Using 2 large spoons, stir the pasta in with the vegetables and salad dressing until everything is coated.

Notes

Serve immediately or wait until it has cooled before eating as a cold salad.

By Wholesome Ireland

Wholesome Ireland - Irish Food & Parenting Blog http://wholesomeireland.com/

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Confession time. Before this trip, I’d never actually stayed overnight in a holiday park.  Hands up. Who remembers Butlins? While I was a regular visitor in my childhood, with a family member who lived close by we never got to stay over so I really didn’t know what to expect at Hafan Y Mor.

Staying in a mobile home or chalet in a windy location close to the sea though is something very familiar to both myself and the hubby.  He remembers staying in a number of holiday parks in Wales in his youth. His mam was a font of information on the area which was great to have.

It only took us 1 hour and 11 minutes to get from the port in Holyhead to the gates of Hafan Y Mor. It was pretty much a straight run, but I think that our map took us on the scenic route as it was shorter on the way back!  Anyway the boys napped the whole way so we ended up not stopping for a picnic on the way.

On arriving I checked in, promptly forgot to get a travel cot (idiot moment) and we headed off to check out our mobile home. It was extremely well kitted out, clean and 3 bedrooms.  Now remember we’re talking small here. I was expecting it but if we had got a travel cot I think we would have had to put it in the living space as there was really nowhere else suitable.  There’s the wee man distracted for a few minutes!

We made a beeline for the swimming pool – no photos allowed for obvious reasons.  There are plenty of family changing rooms and various pools that you can hop into. This was one of the biggest hits of the trip, we went everyday and made the most of it. Can you tell we’ve no pool in our hometown?

Seriously this kitchen has more cupboard space than my own!

The first night was rough. I had piled pillows on the floor underneath the bed I’d put the 18 month old in. He fell out a few times, he was grand but of course I was in and out like a yo-yo settling him. Saturday morning I went to reception to rent a travel cot only to discover there were none left in the entire park. Eeek! We managed to buy a bed rail off park later on in the day but I wish I’d known to book one in advance as they are in high demand. There’s no way I’d have fitted one into the car.

The following morning hubby realised what a great landing spot the holiday park was for exploring and decided to go on a pilgrimage.

Not exactly how I’d planned to spend my Saturday but the two older men in the family were very happy and the scenery as we drove up and down the Menai Straits was amazing. The 18 month old caught up on his sleep by snoozing lots in the car.  Then we tired the kids out with a dip in the pool.

That evening we went to the kids’ entertainment show. Ordered pizza in the venue. Yes you can do that! I managed about 90 minutes before even the noise of a High School Musical mix wasn’t keeping me awake. The 4 year old sobbed his heart out leaving. He loved the show, the dancing, the entertainment and audience participation. Bad mammy.

Sunday was so much fun. I had heard that there was a Steam Railway in Porthmadog which was only up the road from Hafan Y Mor and I know that the characters from Thomas The Tank Engine are based upon the railways in the area. We took a quick spin up to discover that there was a Steam Festival going on.  There were people dressed in period costume, more often departures and a great buzz in the air, along with steam.

So we took the boys up the Ffestiniog Railway into Snowdonia.  What a treat! We stopped off at Tan Y Bawr station where there is a brilliant playground and coffee shop. The kids played, we got a lovely lunch and we got to see all the trains pulling in and out.

Sunday was our last evening in the holiday park.  We ate on site again, then took the kids up to the entertainment centre one last time. At this point the 4 year old was very aware we were going home the following day and the tears were kept at bay for a while as he jumped, bopped and overall had a great time.

We loved Hafan Y Mor for:

• Brilliant base for exploring North Wales and beyond. Good quality roads, lovely and central.
• Super swimming pool with ample family changing areas. No time limits apart from regular opening/closing hours.
• Loads of family friendly activities that are free. There are others that you have to pay for but they are optional.
• Fantastic free evening entertainment for children. It kept both their attention for hours.
• Top quality mobile homes to rent with modern fittings and central heating (very important in the recent weather), depending on the home you rent.

Things to be aware of:

• The food on site was a mix of take away options and pub grub. I reckon you’re best cooking your own meals to keep costs down even more and eat better. Otherwise it’s pizza, fish & chips, burger & chips or pub grub. Okay every now and again but it would get tiresome and it’s not particularly healthy.
• You need to bring everything with you. Depending on your choice of mobile home, you may get your bed linen included, check before you go.
• When the weather is bad it gets cold at night, consider renting a home with central heating.
• I should have brought our own food from home but wasn’t thinking straight and we went to the local Asda to stock up on provisions (breaking one of my golden rules).  If you’ve been travelling all morning and part of the afternoon you’d be better off stocking up the next day after a rest.
• Items available to rent (like travel cots) book up quickly at peak times so book before you get there!

Overall would we go back?

Definitely. Again, this is a trip on a tight budget. Compared to holiday parks or package holidays on mainland Europe it is great value combined with a ferry trip.  I’m already doing my best to save up to bring the whole family over in Summer 2014.

If you want to book a combined ferry and holiday park trip, here is a link which will get you a discount of €100 on your accommodation for a limited period.  My top tip is that if you are intending to make the combination trip, keep your Tesco Clubcard vouchers to save even more again.

Please Note: We stayed at Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park as guests of Haven. My opinions are my own and I’m not paid to give them.

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Friday morning we boarded the Stena Adventurer. The 4 year old wanted to know why we were going on an “Adventure Ship” so we got plenty of laughs out of that. He was fascinated by “driving into a tunnel” but not so enamoured with the lift. We are still working on that phobia but he is getting better thank goodness.

As we had “Stena Plus” tickets we were first to board and disembark. There was loads of space for the kids to roam in the designated family area, which on our outbound journey was a real relief as there was a couple of busloads of very raucous schoolkids on board. Particularly when both of us are used to dealing with gangs of kids, it’s nice to just to have to focus on your own every now and again!

Table service, no matter where we were sitting in the Plus area was excellent. Juggling a buggy, a 4 year old and a rotten sense of balance on a ship is not conducive to trays and self service. Mind you I barely noticed any swell on either crossing and it was relatively choppy on the return journey.  There were endless cups of tea & coffee on tap, drinks and treats for the kids, magazines, newspapers, a Nintendo Wii (the 4 year old is actually standing in front of his Daddy in this picture, I swear).

I know that food on ferries comes in for a lot of criticism but honestly this was the best food that we ate over the whole weekend.  Himself was particularly taken with the freshly made Eton Mess (featured photo) that he enjoyed on the return trip.  The fry/mixed grill was quite nice too, but I confess I’m not sold on having loads of thyme in a pork sausage, apart from that it was a good start to a day of travelling.The open prawn sandwich with chilli and lime on the return was far nicer in my humble opinion.

We used the Port Tunnel to get to and from Dublin Port which meant that we were home less than 35 minutes after disembarking on Monday evening. Well I say home but of course somebody had to go and check on the allotment.

So the overall verdict?

Travelling by Ferry is the way to go with small kids. We loved it. The kids were well entertained and we had loads of space to relax in comfort or stretch our legs if we wanted to.

The cost is the real bonus.  If, like me, you save your Tesco Clubcard points, a mere €20 (!) worth of points will get you €80 of Stena Line vouchers before you even book.  Compared to travelling by air, it is very inexpensive for a family car with 1 child + 1 infant and if you elect not to go “Stena Plus” then a return trip it will cost you €412 without a discount.* That is not even the cheapest option as other sailing times are cheaper and there are also economies depending on your choice of ferry.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know how much I love a bargain.  Compared to travelling by air, this is a serious bargain.

The 4 year old gives this journey a smiley face. We’ll be travelling this way again sooner rather than later with the family. It is far less stressful than taking the plane. We will also be choosing to travel Stena Plus in the future as both of us felt it was a great help when travelling with children. There is an extra cost but I feel it would be worth it.

Please note: Stena Line provided us with a return Stena Plus journey for the purposes of this review. My opinions however remain my own and I am not paid to give them.

We travelled onwards from Holyhead to Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park and I’ll have a further review on how we got there tomorrow. In the meantime though if you are considering combining a ferry journey with a Haven holiday, here is a €100 discount for stays between the 31st of May and the 27th of June booked before 20th May 2013.

*I priced the exact same sailings on Friday next (17th May) and returning on Monday (20th May) that we took.  Prices do seem to vary according to high-demand days like bank holiday weekends and school holidays so don’t forget to shop around!

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I’m only at the beginning of the journey to find out how to do it and she has some great gems of advice for those of us who are struggling with the guilt and finding time for ourselves.  I’ve started to go one evening a fortnight to our local Toastmasters group and I have to say it is a brilliant way to shed the worries of the day and immerse myself in an adult activity.

So I’m going to hand things over to the sage one and here’s what she has to say:

“I was thinking back the other day to when my first child was about nine months old and I had aged about the same number of years in that short period of time. I spent inordinate amounts of my day dreaming about having just one cup of tea in peace and quiet, the house all to myself. In fact I would have settled for two minutes on the toilet without a cry of outrage disturbing me each time.

But sadly neither was to be.

As I bemoaned my state to my older, wiser and three childrened sister she told me in no uncertain terms that I must claim that time for myself – because sure as hell nobody else was going to give it to me. ‘Yes, yes, You’re absolutely right’ I agreed, and then proceeded to martyr on for another four years.

Strangely the offer of a quiet afternoon on my own whilst the kids were whisked away for some fun activity never actually came, and so I began my claim game.

I started to book myself the odd facial and said a loud and slightly manic ‘YES!’ to each and every invite that came my way.

Initially I would only leave the house during the day if I had pre-prepared the lunch \ dinner \ snacks \ activities in advance. A full run down of what needed to be done and when was relayed to their Father. (Don’t worry – the irony of that last sentence is not lost on me here).

For night-time departures I would only go once I had managed to get all the little ones to sleep – which inevitably meant that none of the little ones would go to sleep. This resulted in me being stressed to the hilt by the time I actually left the house with probably a ‘domestic’ thrown into the mix too. Then, once out, I would worry, panic and check my watch and phone repeatedly until it was time for me to go home.

On the flip side my husband would disappear frequently for week-long work trips or weekends away without a second thought. The odd phone call to the kids, a few presents on return and that was that. ‘How does he do it?’ I wondered to myself, finding it more than a little irritating. Clearly he loved his kids but somehow he was able to compartmentalise, or distance himself, or whatever it was that he did, have a great time away and then come back. No big deal.

It took a long time for me to get anywhere close to his infuriating breeziness , but finally after eight years, three kids and lots of practice, I now find myself gliding out the door on a Saturday night with a peck on each of their cheeks and nothing but a waft of perfume left behind.

And I must say – I’d highly recommend it.”

You can find Kate on Twitter, Facebook and her blog, Kate Takes 5.  Thank you so much for guesting on the blog today Kate. xxx

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My page on Facebook is getting busier and busier, and I regularly get asked for recipes to meet with special diets. In particular my gluten-free recipes are in high demand.  I don’t eat a gluten-free diet but I do believe in minimising the amount of wheat that you eat on a daily basis. So today I’ve a new recipe for you to try out.

Rice flour is far more absorbent than regular (wheat) flour so you do need every single bit of the syrup from the tin of cherries to stop the cake from being dry.  Please assume for all the ingredients that I’ve used gluten-free products (saves me typing it so often!).

Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cake – Wholesome Ireland – Irish Food & Parenting Blog

Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cake (serves 8 generously)

Ingredients

• 75g butter, softened
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tin of black cherries in syrup
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 50g Cocoa Powder
• 100g Rice Flour
• Chocolate for decorating (optional)

Method

Preheat your (fan) oven to 160 degrees Celcius. Grease a 7 inch round baking tin (I use a loose bottom for ease of baking), then dust well with cocoa powder.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Pour approximately 1/3 of the syrup from the tinned black cherries into the butter and sugar and beat well.  Crack the eggs in one by one, beating very well after each addition.  It may curdle a little but don’t worry, add the baking powder and cocoa powder, then beat again. Pour in the rice flour and mix in well.  The batter will become stiff.  You need it stiff to get it to hold the cherries in the cake rather than them all sinking to the bottom like a stone.

Remove half the cherries from the tin, leaving the syrup behind and stir them loosely into the cake batter.  Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 minutes.

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and using a cocktail stick, poke holes into the top and pour the remaining syrup from the black cherries slowly onto the cake while it is still warm.  Leave to cool slightly before carefully removing from the cake tin.  Spoon the cherries on top and then chocolate shavings to decorate.

Perhaps a spoon or two of whipped cream might finish this off with a cup of tea?  Or even a shot of Kirsch?

Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cake – Wholesome Ireland – Irish Food & Parenting Blog

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The beauty of a Bank Holiday weekend is that it gives me a chance to make a big roast dinner on the Sunday. I rarely cook a family dinner on Sundays, it’s the one day of the week when I try to take a break from big meals and catch up on batch cooking and baking. Sure I can do that on Monday! Lamb is in season so why not make the most of it with my slow roast leg of lamb?

May in primary school when I was growing up was an exciting time. We all added to the May “table” in turn. We kept it decorated with flowers and other offerings to the Virgin Mary. Yes most schools at the time were very Catholic (I’m not sure that much has changed). The songs at Mass would change to some very uplifting devotions and the flowers would start to blossom.

Nowadays at this time of the year I’d simply be celebrating the impending Summer harvest but as the ground has been very slow to warm I’m still waiting! I might as well nudge along my optimism with a great Spring roast.

This is not so much as a recipe but a timeline so that you can prepare your dinner in advance with minimal fuss. Add whatever vegetables you like. If you’re serving peas, add a teaspoon of mint jelly to them before serving. It’s a great way of getting kids to try them. If you really want to make life easy on yourself then use frozen peas and sweetcorn as your additional vegetables. They only need heating right through which won’t take long at all (about 5 mins plunged into boiling water then drained) and they are often higher in vitamins and minerals than fresh because of the freezing method.

Slow Roast Leg Of Lamb, serves 4 people generously

9.45am

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celcius. Boil a kettle of water.

Peel 4 medium potatoes and slice them into thick slices (about 2cm depth). Spread them evenly over a deep roasting dish. Remove the leg of lamb from the packaging and rest on top of the potato slices. Using a sharp knife, poke a few holes over the flesh and shove in about 7 garlic cloves. If you don’t like garlic don’t bother with this step. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper, salt and dried herbs. I know some people don’t like dried herbs but it’s very hard to find fresh local herbs after the cold Spring so dried are fine. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh, go right ahead! Pour approximately a pint of hot water into the roasting dish. Carefully seal the top of the dish usinga few layers of tinfoil.

10.00am

Stick the leg of lamb in the oven. Close the door.

2.30pm

Remove the lamb from the oven. Carefully lift the leg to a warm serving dish. Cover with tinfoil and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Lift the (now smushy) potatoes from the roasting dish. Pop them in with any mashed potatoes you’re preparing to give them an extra lamb flavour. Strain the juices from the bottom of the roasting dish into a small saucepan and reduce the juices by simmering on medium until the quantity has halved. While still simmering, stir in a little cornflour that has been dissolved in cold water and stir well until the juices thicken. Season to taste and this will be your gravy.

3pm

Serve Dinner.

PS: If you’ve got any meat at all left on the leg, even crumbly bits you might want to consider making my leftover lamb pasta.

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Because Irish Soda bread has no yeast, it means you don’t have to wait for it to rise.  I don’t make mine with salt, it’s something I’m very concious of when working out our meals for the week. The lack of salt then means that the bread doesn’t preserve.

You don’t really want to preserve bread anyway, it’s best eaten fresh or the leftovers frozen for breadcrumbs.  However I often find that recipes for Irish Soda Bread tend to be on the big size.  I like to make just enough to feed my family for 1 day so I’ve adjusted the quantities for a smaller amount.

There is something very special about the smell of baking coursing through the house.  By the time the bread is baked, I normally have everybody underfoot waiting for it to cool.  Or if you’re my hubby you’re clamouring for a crusty piece while it’s still warm!

Anyway here is my interpretation of an Irish Soda Bread Recipe that feeds a family of 5 for 1 meal with no leftovers and no waste.

Ingredients

• 100g strong white flour
• 100g coarse wholemeal flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 25g salted butter, softened100ml buttermilk
• Extra buttermilk for dabbing on top & some seeds of your choice.

Method

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius and line a baking tray.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda & butter until you get small breadcrumbs.
Pour in the buttermilk and loosely mix until it all comes together in a dough.  If it’s a little dry add a small amount of water.

Once you have a loose dough, shape into a round with your hands.  Put the dough lightly onto a baking tray and using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the bread but don’t cut through the whole way. Brush the top of the bread with extra buttermilk and sprinkle with seeds of your choice.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the bread from the tray and wrap in a damp tea towel then return it to the warm oven to cool.  This gives you a soft crust.  If you like a hard crust then leave to cool on a rack with no damp tea towel.

PS: This recipe originally appeared on Mod Erin Design‘s blog in March 2013.  If you’re looking for contemporary Irish design inspiration, it’s the place to go so do check it out!

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As a parent, I spend most of my day keeping calm.

The baby wakes at 5am, I keep calm. I find toothpaste squirted into the overflow of the sink, I keep calm. I walk 4km in the sun only for it to rain on the return and I discover I’ve no raincover for the buggy, I keep calm. I take the baby down from the table for the 17th time before 10am and, yep you’ve guessed it, I keep calm.

All of this keeping calm builds up inside. Particularly when you’re at home with 2 small kids, limited contact with the outside world apart from said long walk everyday to the school and the occasional terse phone call while the 18 month old climbs all over me and tries to hang up the phone and the 4 year old finds it the perfect time to discuss his body parts. Yes those parts.

When it gets to 5 O’Clock and the kids are getting to that ratty stage of the day, I consider putting the clocks in the house forward and convincing them that bedtime is just around the corner.  I wish I drank something stronger than tea, just to take the edge off.  Just to make being at home with 2 mad yokes slightly more fuzzy than pointy-edged reality.

After my eleventy-seventh cup of strong tea I’m wondering if it was such a good idea to feed my tea addiction as I’m not sure I can leave the pair of them for longer than 20 seconds without some calamity happening. It all builds up. I don’t mean the need for a loo break without a running commentary either.

Bedtime comes. Bliss. It’s quiet-ish.

The “keeping calm” that has been resting somewhere between my heartburn and itchy nose is bubbling, ready to spill over.

So I step into the store cupboard (a fancy name for the press under the stairs) and let fly a couple of choice swear words.  Which may, or may not include the word “arse” amongst others.  The best swear words comprise only 4 letters in my experience.

Keeping calm is over rated. Swearing is far more satisfying.

PS – He’s not really a baby anymore, he’s nearly 18 months but he’ll always be MY baby.

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Mam was at her most practical this week and arrived down with a bag full of tins and jars that she knew I’d be using for my recipes over the next couple of months. To cap that she also brought me a fresh bouquet (garni) crammed full of bay leaves and rosemary that she’d picked from her own herb garden. So thoughtful!

As she was leaving I spotted a familiar and distinctive yellow lid in the bag. I shuddered. Marmite and I aren’t the best of friends. It is such a strong flavour and I never buy the stuff.

Mam explained that she had come across the jar in her cupboard when she was getting the bits and pieces together for me. Apparently it was nearly past it’s best before date so she figured I’d find a use for it. Has my mother confused my life with an episode of “Ready Steady Cook”? I wonder myself. What I cook any day depends on seasonality, yellow sticker availability and price!

One sunny day does not a Summer Spring make but even if the temperature is “brass monkeys” I am starting to break out the recipes that evoke a light filled day. In fact it is gloriously sunny here today, if a little chilly.

I bought 10 chicken wings in my local butcher’s shop for this recipe. There is a joint in the wings so before I marinated (thanks Edible Ireland for the grammar lesson) I cut each wing in half, giving me 20 wings. Himself would probably argue that he could eat all 20 wings in one sitting but as a starter or as part of a main course, 20 will feed 4 adults. I served mine with sesame and broccoli noodles if you’re interested!

BBQ Marmite Chicken Wings, serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Marmite
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 10 chicken wings, jointed (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)
• 1 lemon for squeezing and garnish before serving

Method

Take a large bowl and pour in the Marmite, soy sauce, black pepper and vinegar. Stir well. Add the chicken wings and coat well in the marinade. Cover the large bowl and leave to one side for at least 2 hours. I normally prepare BBQ wings in the morning and BBQ in the evening, allowing about 8 hours. Give the covered bowl a shake every hour or so to make sure that the wings stay coated well.

BBQ Instructions

Don’t put these chicken wings on a high heat on the BBQ. If possible cook them on a higher rack for 12 minutes each side. You want a slow, medium heat so that they cook through evenly. Always test 1 piece by cutting it open before serving. If in doubt or uncomfortable cooking chicken on a BBQ, then follow the oven instructions below and pop them on the BBQ for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Oven Instructions

Preheat your (fan) oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Place the chicken wings onto a grill rack over a baking tray (your grill pan works perfectly here). Make sure that they are not touching each other. If need be, use a second grill rack.

Once the oven is to temperature, cook in the oven for 25 minutes before serving. 20 minutes if you intend to finish them on the BBQ.

Just before eating, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top.

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