Join in with the Great British Bake Off

GBBO seems to have gripped the nation again and taken over my Wednesday night. Again. It's given me the baking bug and I've been back in the kitchen after a bit of time away. Whenever I put aside the time to rustle something up, I always wish I make more of an effort. I love looking on the internet and seeing what type of recipes are out there. As well as my 50+ cookbooks... But sometimes I just go back to some of my favourites.

The Apple cider cake above is always a crowd pleaser. It has a great sweet taste and the added cider makes it so light and fluffy which is what you're always looking out for in a cake. If you fancy something a little bit more fruity then this coconut and lime loaf will be a winner. Taken from one of my favourite cookbook author Levi Roots,  the extra lime glaze helps to give it a bit more of a zing - which is always a good thing!

Not all baking treats are for those who have a sweet tooth. These savoury breakfast bars are great to make on a sunday and have throughout the week - much healthier than grabbing a bacon butty at the train station. They're substantial and really filling so won't make you reach for the biscuit barrel before lunchtime.

Finally if you want to make a showstopper then this ultimate chocolate cake is the one to attempt. The lashings of white and chocolate milk buttons paired with creamy milk chocolate fingers, makes it a chocoholic's dream. Set aside a good few hours over a lazy weekend for this one as it's no mean feat. But when the outcome is the below, you really don't mind putting the hard graft in!

Let me know some of your favourite bakes to make as I'm always on the look out for some new ideas! And some new blogs to drool over! If you run out of time to make your own creations, head to the Biscuiteer's discount page to to enter a completion - it ends on 23rd September.

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Recipe: cous cous, rocket and feta salad with harissa dressing

I've only recently become a salad convert. I used to avoid them like a plague but I think I just hadn't experimented much. Warm vegetables, cous cous or pasta, leaves and a good dressing is what works for me. A little bit of cheese makes everything ten times better too! Lakeland sent me a handy Kilner salad on the go airtight jar. With a small metal cup that slots in the top, it's the perfect trick to combat a soggy salad. No more sacrifices for lunch at work!

Ingredients:
1/2 bag of mixed salad leaves
100g sweetcorn
50g cous cous
100g feta cheese

For the dressing:
1/2 teaspoon of harissa paste
A pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

1. Cook the sweetcorn in a pan with boiling hot water. This should take about 10 minutes. Let it cool down.

2. Cook the cous cous according to packet instructions. Let it cool down.

3. Layer the heaviest items first. So start with the cous cous then the sweetcorn, and salad leaves.

4. Put the chopped feta cheese in a separate tub.

5. To make the dressing, mix all three ingredients together and pour into the silver dish that slots into the top of the jar.

It couldn't be simpler! It's a really filling salad for a work lunch - the salty feta cheese and spicy harissa work perfectly together. As always, I'd love to know if you make it so please do tweet me.

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Recipe: grilled avocado barley bowl with Lakeland

Lakeland got in touch to see if I wanted to try out the new Davina McCall range and test them out with a recipe. Always one for kitchen equipment, I said yes and soon a parcel arrived. Consisting of a pair of kitchen scissors, crinkle cutter, grater, peeler and a pairing knife, they were the perfect addition to my kitchen. I decided it was time to try out a recipe from one my favourite cookbooks at the minute, A Modern Way To Cook by Anna Phillips - the recipe called for most of the items to be used. So what did I think? I loved the bright colours as I think aesthetics are everything in a kitchen, they felt sturdy to withhold my clumsiness and were simple and quick to use whilst preparing a meal. Who has time for complicated equipment on a week night? The price point is great too - good quality at a really reasonable price.

Serves 2 with leftovers for lunch

Ingredients
1 large avocado
300g pearl barley
1/2 bag of baby spinach
50g chopped walnuts
Zest and juice of one lemon
100g feta cheese
200ml plain fat free Greek yogurt
A handful of roughly chopped fresh basil
A few pinches of sea salt
A pinch of black pepper

Method
1. Rinse the pearl barley under cold water then boil it in a saucepan. Include a good pinch of sea salt, the juice of half a lemon before putting the squeezed lemon half into the pan too. Cook for around 25 minutes.

2. Cut the avocados in half - leaving the skin on but discarding the stone. Put them cut side down in a griddle pan and cook until they have black griddle marks.

3. To make the yogurt sauce, mix the chopped basil leaves with the zest and juice of the remaining half a lemon. Add a good pinch of sea salt and pepper for some extra flavouring.

4. Wilt the spinach in a frying pan.

5. Once the pearl barley is cooked, drain away the water and crumble in the feta cheese and chopped walnuts. Add the wilted spinach to the dish and mix it all together.

6. Divide between two bowls - remembering to keep some aside for lunch leftovers! Top with the grilled avocado and spoon on the yogurt mix.

As always I'd love to know if you try this recipe out, drop me a tweet to let me know!

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Recipe: Thai vegetable curry soup

Thai is fast becoming my favourite type of food to eat. It's always so quick to cook, packs a punch with the flavours and lets vegetables take centre stage. So when I found a Thai curry paste in the selection that Goldfish Sauces sent over, I knew I wanted to make some kind of soup. Packed full of my favourite veggies, it tasted quite similar to a red Thai curry. It was the perfect fresh, light summer dish for a warm evening.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pack of rice noodles
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 aubergine
A bunch of spring onions
1 pack of baby sweetcorn
1/2 of sugar snap peas
60g Goldfish sauces Thai Curry paste*
1 can of reduced fat coconut milk
1 litre of vegetable stock
A handful of chopped basil

Method
1. Heat up the olive oil in a large wok and place all the veg in it. Cook for around ten minutes.

2. Once tender, add the stock, curry paste and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the chopped basil.

4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

4. Once cooked, divide the noodles between four bowls. Then spoon in the broth before dividing the vegetables equally.

5. It's as simple at that! Tuck in and enjoy!

As always, let me know what you think or if you made it via a tweet. I'd love to know!

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Recipe: Japanese turkey katsu curry

Goldfish brand got in touch and offered me some curry concentrate sauces with a cooking challenge to rustle up some delicious meals. Challenge accepted! Goldfish Brand have been making curry sauces for over 30 years and were founded by Mr Lee for professional chefs. As soon as I spotted the Japanese style curry sauce I immediately had a kind of Katsu curry planned. I wanted to make it a little healthy so opted for lean turkey escalopes and a cornflake coating instead of bread crumbs. The curry sauces are delicious, it tasted just like my favourite Wagamama dish. We opted for a thick sauce like you get in the restaurant. They're really simple to use and you just mix with water. You just add more water depending on how thick or thin you prefer the sauce.

On another note, anyone else struggle to make curries look photogenic?!

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 turkey escalopes
1 egg
A handful of cornflakes
200g white rice
100g Japanese style curry sauce*
300ml water
1 tsp of olive oil

Method
1. Put the rice in a pan of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Crush the cornflakes into crumbs using your hands. Coat the turkey escalopes in the egg before coating in the crushed cornflakes. Put to one side on a white rack.

3. In a small saucepan, mix the curry sauce and water together until it has dissolved completely. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-3 minutes.

4. Fry the escalopes in the olive oil 3-4 minutes each side depending on their thickness.

5. Drain the rice, put on a plate and plate the escalope on top. Pour over the sauce.

As always I would love to know if you attempt this, make sure you drop me a tweet! Use the hashtag #curryoncooking

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Recipe: Apple cider cake

When Waddlegoose offered to send me some of their cider to try, I immediately thought of baking with it. Coming in two delicious flavours, crisp apple and fruity berry,  the first flavour seemed the perfect one to create a cake. The flavoursome new launch from Aspell, gave the cake a delicious flavour without being too over-powering. It's even better the next day served with a steaming hot cup of tea!

Taken from a Paul Hollywood recipe

Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
100g unrefined light muscovado sugar
2 free range eggs
225g plain white flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
150ml of cider

For the glaze
Icing sugar
Cider

Method

1.  Heat the oven to 160 degrees - adjust the temperature if you don't have a fan oven. Grease a cake pan and line with baking paper.

2. Beat the better and sugar together using an electric hand mixer. Once fluffy, beat in the two eggs.

3. In a separate bowl, shift the flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda together.

4. Using a metal spoon, fold in a third of the flour into the beaten mixture. Then half the cider. Fold in another third and then the rest of the cider. Finally fold in the final third of flour.

5. Transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Cook for around 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it as mine was ready within 20 minutes.

6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before taking it out and leaving it to cool full on a wire wrack.

7. Once cool, it's time to make the glaze. Mix icing sugar and cider together to create a thin glaze. How much you use is depending on your taste. Pour over the cake before leaving to dry.

8. Tuck in and enjoy!

As always please do tweet me if you try this cake at home. It's definitely one I'll be trying again!

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Recipe: Prawn pad thai

Borderfields got in touch and asked me to put together a recipe using one of their oils. I racked my brains and decided to make something from one of my favourite cuisines. The garlic infused oil was the perfect accompaniment to use in a pad Thai. The flavour really came out in the vegetables and added a tasty spice to the dish. It would be great to add a subtle twang to a curry too.

This recipe was adapted from Fay Makes It Easy. Such a good book and all the recipes are so simple!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tbsp of Borderfields garlic infused oil*
1/2 pack of flat pad thai noodles
1/2 bag of beansprouts
1 pack of tenderstem broccoli
2 mini pak choi
Half a pack of spring onions
1 pack of king prawns
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
A handful of coriander
A sprinkling of chopped salted peanuts (optional)

Method:
1. Chop the spring onions and broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Shred the park choi.

2. Heat up the garlic oil in a wok and then add all the vegetables including the bean sprouts too. Cook for around 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the prawns and cook through.

4. Cook the noodles according to the packet instruction.

5. Add the soy sauce and fish oil to the dish. Give it a good stir.

6. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them in cold water and then add to the wok. Mix everything together.

7. Divide between two bowls. Sprinkle on the chopped coriander and some chopped peanuts if you wish - then tuck in!

As always I'd love to know if you made this, please do tweet me!

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Recipe: Ultimate mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my all-time favourite comfort dishes. It's so hard to get right but when it's cook to perfectly, it tastes heavenly. Just not the most photogenic of food dishes! So when I was kindly sent some Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese I decided to attempt it for the first time. I used a Jamie Oliver recipe as a base. Jarlsberg is a great cheese to use because it still keeps it's intense nutty flavour when it's melted.

Feeds 4

Ingredients:
20g butter
1.5 heaped tbsp plain flour
4 tsp of lazy garlic
3 bay leaves
1 pint of semi-skimmed milk
300g macaroni pasta
1 pack of cherry tomatoes
4 rashers of bacon
Splash of Worcester sauce
150g grated Jarlsberg cheese*
100g grated parmesan cheese
1 big handful of breadcrumbs
Olive oil

Method:

1. Grill the bacon under the grill until it is nice and crispy. Once cooked, put aside to cool down.

2. While the bacon is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat, add the flour then turn the heat up to medium. Keep staring until you get a paste like mixture.

3. Add the garlic and keep stirring until the garlic is nice and golden. Add the bay leaves.

4. Slowly add the milk and keep stirring until the sauce is lovely and smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave it to simmer. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Preheat the oven to around 200 degrees.

5. Boil some water and add the pasta. Cook to the packet instructions.

6. Meanwhile roughly chop the tomatoes and bacon. Season them with salt and pepper to your taste.

7. Once the pasts is cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce. Then add the grated cheeses, tomatoes, bacon and Worcester sauce.

8. Make sure the sauce isn't too thick as it will thicken in the oven. Add some water if you need too.

9. Transfer the mixture into a oven-proof casserole pan before popping in the oven for around 30 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and golden brown.

10. Whilst it cooked, heat some olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat before popping in the breadcrumbs. Stir and toss the breadcrumbs around until they're crispy but not too burnt!

11. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the finished mac and cheese for a lovely cranky topping before tucking in. Enjoy!

As always, please do let me me know if you give this a whirl and drop me a tweet!

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The £3.50 ASDA wonky veg box - what can you make?

ASDA got in touch and challenged me to rustle up three recipes using their new Wonky Veg box. Priced at just £3.50, the cardboard box is full off seasonal vegetables. With the only snag being the fact they're all a little bit misshapen. But they taste perfectly fine! It's to encourage the public to waste less food and trying the imperfect vegetables that usually get thrown away.

So what did I make? Well I put together three different recipes and still have so much left over! The below menu fed five people comfortable. The only vegetables pictured below that were bought separate was the radishes and the spring onions and I didn't have many salad items. 

Prawn cocktail

Ingredients:
Half a cucumber
3 peppers
1 bag of radishes
1 pack of cooked king prawns
8 spring onions
5 heaped tbsp light mayo
4 tbsp tomato and chilli chutney
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp creamed horseradish
A splash of lemon juice

Method:
1. Mix the mayo, chutney, Worcester sauce, horseradish and lemon juice together to make the seafood sauce.

2. If you have one, used a spiralizer to create cucumber ribbons. Place the chopped salad nicely in a small glass bowl.

3. Place 5-6 prawns in the middle before pouring a couple of tablespoons of the sauce over the top.

Cottage Pie - taken from Hairy Bikers Dieters cookbook with a few weeks

Ingredients:
800g potatoes
3 leeks
150g low fat creme fraiche
500g extra lean mince
1 can of chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp of tomato puree
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 parsnip
2 carrots
3 small onions
500ml of beef stock made with one stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cook the mince, parsnip, carrots and onions in a large dish for around ten minutes - until the meat has browned.

2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil and then let it shimmer for around 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

3. Once the meat has been shimmering for around 20 minutes, peel the potatoes. Chopped into small chunks and cook them until they are soft.

4. Once the potatoes are nearly done, sautéed the chopped leeks for five minutes. They must be softened but not coloured.

5. Drain the potatoes, tip back into the pan and add the creme fraiche and leeks. Mash everything together until it is smooth. Preheat the oven to 200 - adjust accordingly.

6. Pour the beef mixture into an ovenproof dish and layer with the mashed potato.

7. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until the topping is lovely and golden. Serve with savoy cabbage or a veg of your choice!

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

I've actually made this before and posted the recipe on the blog.

Overall I was so impressed with the box and really couldn't believe just how many different types vegetables were in it. It's fantastic value for money and a great way to encourage people to eat healthier.

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Recipe: Coconut and Lime Cake

Loaves are fast becoming my favourite thing to bake! This time it's a Coconut and Lime cake from Levi Roots. I added my own lime glaze to keep it even more of a zingy kick and changed a few of the ingredients. You can never have too much citrus in a cake!

Ingredients:
175 self-raising flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
175g baking spread
175g caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
50g desiccated coconut
Finely grated zest and juice of two limes

For the glaze:
125g icing sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of one lime
4 tsp of water

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Adjust depending on your oven if you have too.

2. Put the flour, butter, bicarbonate of soda, eggs, coconut, caster sugar and lime in a large mixing bowl.

3. Use an electric whisk, start off slowly and then gradually increase the speed. Mix together until the batter looks light and fluffy.

4. Pour the batter into a lined and greased loaf tin before popping in the oven for around 40 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on it as it cooked very quick!

5. Once baked, take it out and leave it to cool for ten minutes in the tin before popping it on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:
1. Pop all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until you get the desired thickness.

2. Pour over the loaf once it has cooled.

Let me know on Twitter if you decide to make and I'd love to see a picture. Happy baking!

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5 of my favourite cookbooks

Cookbooks are my jam. I don't even want to count how many I have. I absolutely love buying them, settling down in bed flicking through the pages and rustling something up that looks vaguely like the picture. I am addicted. But these five are my current favourites.

1. Levi Roots Reggae Reggae Cookbook
Caribbean food is up there with one of my favourite cuisines and this cookbook is perfect for beginners. The recipes are so simple to make, ingredients aren't too tricky and everything tastes utterly delicious. I love the fact the book tells you all about Levi Roots and the journey he's made to get to where he is today. The Jamaican Ginger Cake recipe is perfection. Next on my list is the coconut cake and sweet potato pudding. Best start baking!

2. Lola's Forever
Every single recipe in this book looks mouth-watering. I've had a Lola's cupcake before in London so was over the moon when I was kindly treated to this book from the mother. It has every different type of cupcake, tray bake and loaf you can imagine. And then some more. Some recipes are quite time-consuming so it's best to set aside a lot of time for the kitchen. But they always come out perfectly and taste great. The rocky road cupcakes are bookmarked for my next baking session.

3. Mary Berry's Baking Bible
How could I not include the Queen of baking eh? The recipes always use simple, wholesome ingredients - nothing worse then wondering where the hell to get certain bits and pieces - and Mary always break down exactly what you need to do perfectly so there's not room for error on your part. She has everything covered. The cakes aren't anything too fancy but they're old favourites and always hit the spot. The Frosted Walnut Layer Cake has been calling my name for a while!

4. Jamie's Ministry of Food
I have a soft spot for Jamie Oliver but sometimes he gets a bit too fussy and includes recipes that take forever. That's ok on a lazy Sunday but who has time for that midweek when you feel like your stomach is about it eat itself? This is an oldie but a goodie. It's got some great British classics and lots of hints and tips to help you get to know your way around a kitchen. It's a fantastic option for those who are just starting to experiment. I still can't believe I haven't made the Baked Camembert Pasta. I'm slacking.

5. The Hairy Bikers' family Cookbook Mums Know Best
I wish I could employ the Hairy Bikers to be my full time cooks. These men are my heroes! They always create such hearty dishes with a slight twist to help keep them feeling fresh. After all, how many times can you have Shepherd's Pie eh? This one features all different types of cuisines but they all have a slight British twist to them which means they'll suit even the fussiest of eaters. Nothing to too intense. The cheesy cottage pie is such a crowd pleaser and always gets a nod of approval from guests. I think the curried salmon will be my next dish I tackle!

What are your favourite cookbooks? I'm always after suggestions! 

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Recipe: Fruity breakfast bars

Breakfast is the most important meal of a day but so easily missed. A quick slice of buttery toast, a flaky croissant from the coffee shop or a plastic bowl of cereal hurriedly eaten on the train are often the choice for busy commuters. But you can be healthy and still eat something substantial on the go. Flahavan's challenged me to #betteryourbreakfast and put together something a little different for the morning. Make these simple fruity breakfast bars on a Sunday night and you'll have something tasty and filling for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:
50g desiccated coconut
250g Flahavan's Irish Porridge Oats Multi Seed*
100g chopped dates
1 can of condensed milk
125g mixed nuts
75g apricots

Method:
1. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan. Pre-heat the oven at 130 degree - adjust if you're using a fan oven.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl before pouring in the milk. Give a good sure to ensure everything is coated.

3. Line a 9x13 inch pan with greased parchment paper before pouring on the mixture. Make sure it's all evenly spread and pat it down with a spatula.

4. Pop in the oven for around 30 minutes or so. Keeping checking them as some ovens cook quicker or slower.

5. Leave in the dish for around 15 minutes.

6. Cut into 16 chunky slices and let them cool down completely. Store them in a cake tin to help keep them fresh.

As always please do send me a tweet if you make them, I'd love to know!

Inspiration for the recipe taken from Queen Nigella!

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