Courgette cake

Courgettes! In a cake!  Trust me, it is delish! 

Preheat oven to 160c.  Line a 2lb loaf tin.

Whisk together 2 eggs, 125 ml vegetable oil and 85g soft brown sugar.  Add 350g grated courgette.

In another bowl, mix 300g plain flour, 2tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder.

Then add 140g sultanas and 85g chopped walnuts (I've also used chopped almonds).

Add dry ingredients to wet, mix, then put in loaf tin. 

Bake for about an hour. 

Delicious warm, or cold with butter.  Or without. And with a cup of tea.

Curried butternut squash and apple soup

This is from the Hairy Dieters eat for life book.  Just 152 calories per portion!

Heat 1tbsp sunflower oil in a large saucepan, add 2 chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add a peeled and chopped squash (approx 1kg) and cook for 5 minutes.

Add 2tbsp medium curry powder, 2 chopped garlic loves and 4 peeled and thickly chopped apples. 

Stir for a minute.

Add 1 litre chicken stock and a bay leaf.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until the smash is very soft.

Blitz with stick blender until smooth. Add 200ml pressed /cloudy apple juice.

Reheat before serving. 

Ps the veg all came from Drumhill Farm Fresh - locally grown and delivered.  Check them out! http://www.drumhillfarmfresh.co.uk 

Carrot cake

This delicious carrot cake is from Avoca.  It makes two quite large cakes.  Neither lasted very long.....

Line your baking tins with baking parchment. 

Whisk together 14oz sugar, 4 eggs and 400ml sunflower oil until thick and pale, then mix in 14oz self raising flour and 1tsp mixed spice.

Stir in 14oz grated carrots and 1tsp vanilla essence.

Bake at 170c for 1 hour or until done. 

Leave to cool for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the topping:

Beat 6oz cream cheese, 2oz butter, 12oz icing sugar and the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Spread on top. 

Make a pot of tea and enjoy!

Lemon drizzle cupcakes

Fancy something a bit different?  These are great!

Pre-heat oven to 180c and line a 12 hole bun tin with paper cases.

Using the all in one method, beat together 4.5oz butter, 4.5oz sugar, 4.5oz self-raising flour, 2 eggs and the zest of one lemon.

Spoon into cases and bake for around 20 mins.

Transfer to a wire rack and prick with a fork.

Mix the juice of a lemon with 2oz sugar and spoon over cupcakes while still warm.  The lemon juice sinks into the ponge while the sugar stays on top.

Enjoy with a cup of tea.

Cappuccino Cake

I was channelling a bit of Mary Berry on Saturday.  Apparently this cake is best eaten fresh, which wasn't really an issue here.

Measure 2oz cocoa powder with 6tblsp boiling water.  Add 3 large eggs, 50ml milk, 6 oz self raising flour, 1tsp baking powder, 4oz butter and 10oz caster sugar.

Beat until combined - the mixture will be like a fairly thick batter.

Divide mixture between two cake tinned (greased and lined bases) then bake for 25-30 mins at 180c until well risen and beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin.

Cool on a wire rack.

For the filling, dissolve 1tsp coffee in 2tsp hot water.  Whip 300ml double cream until it just holds its shape then stir in the dissolved coffee.

Sandwich the cake together with half of the cream and spread the rest on top.

Dust with sifted cocoa powder or drinking chocolate.

Rhubarb and yoghurt cupcakes

Trying to use up the rhubarb....I discovered this recipe. 

Mix 6oz chopped rhubarb, 12 oz sifted self raising flour and 10oz caster sugar.

Add 2 beaten eggs, 5oz plain yoghurt, 5oz melted butter and 1.5 tsp vanilla essence.

Beat well with a wooden spoon and spoon into prepared cupcake cases.  Makes loads - 18-20. 

Bake at 180c for 15-20 minutes until well risen and golden.

Cool on a wire rack....if you can wait that long.

Devilled pork ribs

This was my first time cooking a rack of pork ribs and this recipe courtesy of Delia.

First of all, lay the ribs in the base of the tin, brushing them with oil and seasoning with black pepper.

Then make the sauce by crushing two cloves of garlic then whisking it together with two tablespoons of oil, 275ml red wine, two tablespoons each of Worcester sauce, red wine vinegar, tomato purée; two teaspoons each of mustard powder, runny honey, freshly grated ginger; and one teaspoon ground ginger.

Pour the sauce all over the ribs, making sure each one gets a good coating. Then pop them on to the highest shelf of the oven, bake them for 45 minutes at 180 degrees then give them all a basting and cook for a further 25 minutes.

Serve the ribs with the lovely thick reduced sauce spooned over.