Ingredients:
1 whole large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp english mustard
juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
6 fl oz ground nut oil
pinch of sea salt
Method:
In a small blender lightly mix together the eggs, mustard, lemon juice and salt
With the blender running at a slow speed, slowing pour the oils into the top of the blender
If there is a hole in the top of the blender lid, pour through this
Once all the oil is added the mayonnaise should have thickened
Add more salt/pepper to taste
I used half of the batch of mayonnaise to make a new potato salad, using 8 small new potatoes which had been boiled, cooled and cut into cubes, along with a few chopped fresh chives
Ingredients:
6 oz light muscovado sugar
6 oz olive oil spread
grated zest of one lemon
12 oz dried mixed exotic fruits
2 oz glace cherries - roughly chopped
7 oz self raising flour
1 oz ground almonds
1 tsp ground mixed spice
3 large eggs
1 passion fruit
6 oz natural marzipan
To decorate:
1 pack ready rolled natural marzipan
1 pack ready rolled regal/fondant icing
1-2 tbsp apricot jam
Method:
Cream together the muscovado sugar and olive oil spread
Stir in the grated lemon zest
In another bowl mix together the flour, ground almonds and mixed spice
Add one egg to the creamed mixture, and a third of the dry/flour ingredients and stir
Repeat this stage twice until all 3 eggs and all the flour mixture are incorporated
Fold in the mixed dried fruit and chopped cherries
Scoop the flesh from the passion fruit and stir into the cake mixture
Roll out the marzipan into a circle and cut to the exact size of a 20 cm, loose bottomed cake tin (using the loose bottom as a template)
Butter and line the cake tin with greaseproof/parchment paper
Spoon half of the cake mixture into the tin and smooth it level
Place the marzipan disc on top of the mixture
Spoon the rest of the cake mixture on top of the marzipan
Cook at 170 degrees for 25 minutes and then turn the oven temperature down to 150 degrees and continue to cook for another 1 - 1 1/4 hours
Cover the cake with greaseproof paper if it is browning too quickly
Leave the cake to completely cool before removing from the tin
To decorate:
Melt the apricot jam and spread over the top and sides of the cake
Cover with a layer of marzipan (as per the pack instructions)
Slightly moisten the marzipan with a small amount of water and cover with the regal/fondant icing (as per the pack instructions)
Simnel cakes always have 11 small balls of marzipan/icing on the top to represent 11 apostles. I used some of the excess icing which was trimmed from around the cake.
For my exotic fruit mix I used raisins, apricots, papaya, pineapple and sultanas
I have never before used ready rolled marzipan or icing. They both needed to be warmed in the hand before unrolling so that they did not crack. My icing did crack a little bit at the very end of the roll. I was a bit disappointed that both packs were slightly uneven and there were ridges in both layer. Perhaps if I used these more regularly I would learn the knack of smoothing them out a bit more.
I sprayed the cake with a small amount of edible golden shimmer
This made 11 very big slices, each slice had a ball on top. The cake could easily have been cut into at least 15 slices.
Ingredients:
2 medium sized potatoes - peeled, boiled and mashed
2 salmon fillets - grilled and skinned
2 spring onions - thinly sliced
1 red chilli - finely chopped
3 stems of dill - roughly chopped (discard the hard stem)
Method:
In a bowl mix together the mashed potato, dill, spring onion and chilli
Flake the salmon and fold into the mixture
Take a heaped dessert spoon of the mixture, roll into a ball and then flatten into a patty shape
Continue making patties until all the mixture is used
Refrigerate for about an hour before cooking to allow the mixture to firm up
Place on parchment/greaseproof paper on a baking sheet
Cook at 180 degrees for 8 minutes, carefully turn fishcakes over and cook for a further 8 minutes
My mixture made 8 small fishcakes
Serves 2
Served with potato wedges, petit pois and dill mayonnaise
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz dried green lentils - prepared and cooked as per the packet instructions
3 medium sized potatoes - peeled, boiled and mashed
1 small leek - thinly sliced
1 stick celery - finely diced
1 medium carrot - finely diced
1/2 pt vegetable stock (I use one cube)
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 oz olive oil spread
Method:
Place the leek, celery and carrot in a pan with the vegetable stock and bring up to the boil
Simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender
Stir in the lentils, garam masala and tomato puree
Bring back to the boil and then simmer for a further 3-4 minutes to reduce the stock
Place the lentil mix in an oven proof dish and then cover with the mashed potato
Dot small amounts of olive oil spread on to the top of the potato
Place into the oven, at 170 degrees, to cook for about 15 minutes until the potato starts to become golden brown
Serves 2
I used two small individual pie dishes rather than one larger dish
Ingredients:
2 medium leeks - sliced
2 medium to large sized chicken breasts - diced
1 unsmoked gammon steak - diced
4 large closed cup mushrooms - cleaned and each cut into 6-8 large pieces
1/2 pt vegetable stock (I used one stock cube)
1/2 tsp plain flour
1 pack ready rolled short-crust pastry
1 egg - beaten
Method:
Soften the leeks in a small amount of hot water in a pan
Add the diced chicken and cook for a few minutes to seal all sides
Add the diced gammon and cook for 3-4 minutes
Add in the mushrooms and the stock, bring up to the boil and then turn down to simmer for about 15 minutes
Remove a small amount of the stock from the pan and place into a cup, whisk in the flour and then return the mixture to the pan and stir well
Bring back up to the boil for one minute and then remove from the heat and allow to cool for a short while
Line a pie dish with just over half of the pastry (I usually roll it out slightly to make it a little bit thinner)
Add in the filling and then brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg so that the lid will stick
Cover with a pastry lid
Cut a couple of small holes in the lid to allow steam to escape
Brush the pastry lid with beaten egg
Cook at 170 degrees for 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown
Serves 2
Served with cauliflower florets, carrot batons and asparagus tips.
This pie could serve 3-4 people if served with more vegetables, potatoes etc.
I soaked the gammon steak in water for 5 minutes before rinsing and dicing so that it wouldn't taste too salty.
Ingredients:
