Salted Caramel Brownies

A fusions of sugar and salt. Easy to assemble, cut into squares for everyone to enjoy. Seriously give it a go.

Makes 25 Bite size squares

397g Carnation Caramel
200g Butter
200g Dark Chocolate
150g Golden Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
50g Cocoa Powder
125g Plain Flour
2 tsp Sea Salt




1. Grease a 20cm Square Cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted.

2. In a bowl mix 225g of the caramel with 1 tsp Sea Salt. Set a side.

3. In a pan melt the butter over a low heat. Then add the dark chocolate. Stir while melting until all completely melted and combined. Leave to cool on side.

4. In a mixing bowl, add the rest of the caramel, golden sugar and eggs. Whisk until combined. Then add the cooled melted chocolate and whisk further. Add the plain flour and cocoa powder. Give another mix. It should thicken.

5. Layer with half the brownie mixture. Then two thirds the salted caramel in tsp drops and spread evenly without disturbing the brownie mixture. Then tip the other half of the brownie mixture on top. Then spoon on the rest of the salted caramel on top. With a toothpick make a pattern on top, going from top to bottom.

6. Put in the oven for 35 minutes. Leave to cool and cut into squares.

Carrot and Coriander Soup (V)

Need something for work? Tired of those Cheese sandwiches? Blogger asking too many questions? Give this beaut a try. Vegetarian and Vegan (double whammy). Also super cheap as all you need to buy is coriander, a small potato, carrots and an onion (I'm assuming you have the rest at home but even if you don't it's cheap).

Serves 4

Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 tsp Ground Coriander
800g Carrots, peeled and chopped
1.2l Vegetable Stock
Handful of Fresh Coriander
Salt and Pepper

1. Put a large pan over a medium low heat. Add the oil and onions and cook until softened. Then add the ground coriander and potato. Cook for a couple of minutes

2. Add the carrots and stock to the pan and increase the heat until it begins to boil then reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Take off heat

3.  Add the fresh coriander to the carrots. Either use a hand blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Serve immediately or allow to cool for a work lunch.

Garlic Flatbread (V)

Who doesn't love garlic bread? If someone says they don't they are either lying or they are people you shouldn't associate with. Or you could tempt them with this recipe

Makes 1 (Can serve 2)

100g Plain Flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp Dried Yeast
1 tsp Salt
75ml Lukewarm Water
Olive Oil

25g Salted Butter, at room temperature
1/2 a Bulb of Garlic
A few Parsley Leaves, roughly chopped

1. Put the oven on 200c/180c fan assisted. Wrap the garlic bulb in tin foil and put in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

2. Mix the plain flour, dried yeast and salt. Make a well in the centre. Then add the lukewarm in the centre and mix, You should be able to form a ball shape. If too dry add more water, if too wet add more flour. Knead for 10 minutes. Then in a bowl rub olive oil around the bowl and add the dough and cling film. Leave to prove for 45 minutes - 1 hour. It should double in size.

3. While the dough is proving make the garlic butter. The garlic will be soft and can be pushed out of the cloves into a bowl. Mix with the butter and parsley. Season.

4. Once proved knead a bit to push out the air. Then roll thinly but don't let the dough rip. Then spread the garlic butter on top. But on a tray in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes. Serve as a side dish.

Salted Caramel (V)

It was caramel week on the bake off so I tried my hand at salted caramel. Plus this was used in another recipe.

200g Granulated Sugar
100g Salted Butter
150ml Double Cream
1 tsp Salt

1. Get a pan and put over a high heat on the hob add the granulated sugar and stir (never leave it and don't stop stirring, otherwise it will burn). Use a heat resistant spatula.

2. The sugar should begin to go golden brown and then eventually turn into a liquid. This will take some time and effort.  Once it does add the butter and keep stirring. It will spit so be careful. Reduce to a medium high heat. And stir until combined.

3. Then gradually introduce the cream. When all the cream has been added allow to boil for a minute. Then add the salt and give a final stir. Leave to cool before putting in a container.

Serving Suggestions

: Ice Cream, Apple Pie, Cookies. Literally anything you want.

Cider Battered Fish, Wedges and Mushy Peas

Enjoy this on a Friday! Or a Saturday or even Sunday if you don't want to cook a roast. It's up to you. If you want to cook for more people increase everything apart from the Sunflower oil.

Serves 1

Fish

175g Self Raising Flour

25g Cornflour

150ml Cider

1 Fillet of Sustainable White Fish (I used Plaice)

Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp Self Raising Flour
600ml Sunflower Oil

Wedges

1 Large Potato

2 tbsp Olive Oil

½ tsp Dry Mint

½ tsp Dry Rosemary

Salt and Pepper

Mushy Peas

Mug of Frozen

2 New potatoes, cut in half

Hanful of Fresh Mint, chopped

Knob of Butter

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan assisted. To make the batter, sift the 175g Self Raising Flour and cornflour into a mixing bowl. Then gradually introduce the cider while whisking. You should have a thick consistency. Leave to prepare the rest of the meal.

2. Cut the potato into wedges. Par boil in a pan for 5 minutes. Then drain, add the oil, herbs and salt and pepper and shake in the pan. Then tip onto a baking tray. Cook for 40 minutes in the oven. Turn after 20 minutes.

3. For the peas. Boil the new potatoes and peas in a pan until cooked. In a deep pan add the sunflower oil and heat up to 200c. If you haven't got a thermometer drop a bit of batter in the pan and it should start to cook when dropped in the pan.

4. Put 2 tbsp of Self Raising Flour on a plate and cover the fish with the flour. Give the batter another stir. Then dip the fish in batter. Add to the pan with the sunflower oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes then turn over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the fish is golden brown all over. Place (Plaice get it) on paper towel so the excess oil comes off.

5. Mash the peas with mint, butter and bit of salt and pepper. Plate all parts of the meal on the plate and enjoy with a good cider.

Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup (V)

Days are getting colder and we need to keep warm. This is a very good recipe to take to work and it's simple to make. Make it on the Sunday and it can last you for the month.  Or maybe have as a starter.

Serves: 5/6 Servings of Soup

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 celery stalked, roughly chopped

20g Basil, roughly chopped

1kg Tomatoes

1 Carrot, chopped

100ml Single Cream
Knob of Butter

Salt and Pepper

2 Pints Vegetable Stock

1, In a deep large pan melt the butter and soften the onions, garlic, celery and carrot. This should take a couple of minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and basil, stir and heat through for a minute. Then add the stock to the pan, increase the heat so it boils. Once it begins to boil reduce to a simmer. Put the lid on and leave for 10-15 minutes, until everything is softened.

3. Take a hand blender and blend until everything is smooth. Add the cream and blend. Taste and season if needed.

Work: If having for lunch leave to cool completely and put in microwave containers. At work, put in a microwave to warm for a minute stir then heat for a further minute. Take a crusty roll into work to dip.

Starter: Serve immediately, drizzle with single cream and top with basil leaves. Have with some crusty bread

If you need something to take soup into work I would recommend these:

Salt and Pepper Wedges (V)

As you can see from my ribs recipe, there were homemade wedges. You only need 4 things for this. Could be for a side for burgers, hot dogs or whatever you want.

Serving 2

2 Baking Potatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Plenty of Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 220/200c fan assisted. Fill a pan and put over a medium heat. Add the potatoes to the pan and boil for 5 minutes (if they are bigger they may need longer). They just need to be parboiled.

2. Drain the water and add the olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper and give a shake in the pan so the potatoes are covered. Tip onto a baking tray (I lined mine with tin foil to make the washing up easier), then add more salt and pepper if needed. Put in the oven for 30 minutes but halfway through turn.

Personally a better alternative to chips (health and taste wise)

Wedges work well with breaded fish and beans

Slow Cooked Cola Ribs

My slow cooker feels neglected recently. So I put him to work today and created this lovely summer dish. Can do the last part on the BBQ instead on the grill. If you want to feed more people then get a bigger rack and make more marinade.

Serves 2

Rack of Ribs (Went to my local butcher and I go for about 3 per person, as local butchers have a lot of meat on them)

650ml Pork Stock

250ml Coca-Cola 

Chinese 5 Spice Powder

Marinade

4 tbsp Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder

1 tbsp Honey

1 Garlic Clove

Salt and Pepper

1. Rub both sides of the ribs with the spice powder. Then put Cola and stock in the pan. It needs to cover the ribs. If the ribs aren't submerged then top with more cola, stock or water. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. 

2. For the marinade mix all the ingredients with 2 tbsp of the stock/mixture in the slow cooker. Take the ribs out,  meat side up and put on a tray and lather with 3/4 of the marinade on the ribs. Then put under a grill for 10 minutes. Flip over then use the rest of the marinade and grill for 5 minutes. 

Serve with salad, wedges/chips, sweetcorn or coleslaw

Serving Suggestions

Chicken Parcel with Summer Potato Salad

The days are getting warmer and the food is more lighter. So here is the start of the summer season. Chicken is a good staple for any summer dish and the potato salad is a good accompaniment.  A meal done in under 30 minutes!

Only cooking for yourself? Leave the other prepared breast
for another day

Serves 2

2 Large Chicken Breasts
1 Ball of Mozzarella Sliced
8 Streaky Bacon Slices
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Rocket

Potato Salad
6-8 New Potatoes, cut in half
2 tbsp Mayo
1 ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
Handful of Chopped Chives
Salt and Pepper


1, Heat the oven to  200c/180c fan assisted. The take a chicken breast and make a cut in the middle of the chicken, on the side half way deep. Put the mozzarella slices in the chicken. Then lay 4 rashers of bacon down and lay the chicken on top. and wrap the chicken in bacon and season. Repeat this for the second breast.

2. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Fry the chicken breast one at a time starting with the side where the bacon strips meet. Flip after 4-5 minutes or when the chicken goes white then cook other side.

3. Then put the chicken on a tray and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

4. For the potato salad. Boil the potatoes until they are just cooked. Leave to cool. While cooling, mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Then when the potatoes are cool mix with the mixture.

5. Plate the chicken, potato salad and rocket.

Dough Balls and Garlic Butter (V)

A good side or starter. Got the idea from having them from a packet by a famous restaurant chain (you know the one).

Makes 20 Balls

Dough Balls
500g Strong White Flour, plus extra for dusting
1tsp Yeast
1 tsp Caster Sugar
1½ tsp Salt 
300ml Warm Water
1 - 2 tbsp Olive Oil

Garlic Butter
100g Salted Butter
Handful of Chopped Parsley
2 Large Garlic Cloves, crushed

1. For the dough balls in a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar, yeast. Then make a well in the bowl and pour the water and give a good mix. It should stick together. If too wet add flour and if it isn't combining add a bit more water. 

2. Take out of the bowl and dust a work surface with flour and knead for 10 minutes (gives those shoulders a workout).

3. Clean the bowl and cover the bowl with olive oil by rubbing it to the side. Add the dough to the bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to prove for an hour or until it doubles in size.

4. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan assisted. While the bread proves, mix the butter, garlic and parsley together in a ramekin.

5. Put greaseproof paper on baking trays. Take the dough give a final knead and split into 20 balls (roll between your hands to get the shape). Then put in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Serve Warm.

Cheese Twists (V)

Quick and easy snack food. Ideal for dinner parties, buffets, pre dinner food etc. Little effort but maximum flavour.

Makes 12-14

375g Roll Out Puff Pastry
1 Egg
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1-2 tsp Oregano
2 Handfuls Gran Padano or vegetarian alternative
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200 fan assisted. Roll out the Puff Pastry and lie on the baking sheet.

2. Beat the egg and add the garlic cloves. Wash the pastry with the egg and garlic mix. Sprinkle the cheese and oregano. Then grind salt and pepper over the pastry. Slice pastry with 1-2cm depth and slice leghtways. With each strip take either end and twist 4 times then lay back the greaseproof paper.

3.  Put on baking tray and put in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve by themselves or a sour cream and chive dip.

Chocolate Paradise Brownies (V)

Want to impress a date? Night in alone? Need an accompaniment for your ice cream? Then give this recipe a go. All gooey when warm. But always moist.

Makes a Square Cake Worth (Cut into smaller squares)

Resist the urge to eat the mixture (Difficult, I know)

200g Butter, cubed at room temperature
100g Plain Flour
50g Cocoa Powder
200g Dark Chocolate, broken to small pieces
100g Milk Chocolate, cubed
Pinch of Salt
3 Eggs
250g Golden Caster Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180/160 fan assisted. Line a square 20cm (8 inch) with greaseproof paper. Heat water in a pan. Place a bowl over the pan, add the butter and dark chocolate. Mix well until combined. Leave to cool.

2. While the mixture cools, in another bowl sift the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl then add the sugar and salt. Mix until combined. Add the eggs and stir.

3. When the chocolate mix has cooled enough, gradually add the melt dark chocolate mix to the flour mix. Stir until all has combined.

4. Either mix in the milk chocolate pieces and pour into the cake tin OR pour the mixture into the cake tin and scatter the milk chocolate. Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. You should be able to poke the centre of the brownie with a toothpick and it should come out clear. Enjoy by themselves or with ice cream and/or cream.

Nice Warm with Cream

Crempog (V)

Made these on Shrove Tuesday. Different from your average pancake. They are surprisingly light and fluffy. Serve with your favourite fruit and golden syrup.

Makes 10-12 Pancakes

Mixture
450ml Buttermilk
50g Unsalted Butter
275g Plain Flour
75g Caster Sugar
1tsp Bicarbonate Soda
2 Eggs
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Vinegar

Knob of Butter

1. Heat water in pan and place a bowl over the water. Add the butter and buttermilk. Heat through until the butter has melted and mixed together.

2. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the flour and mix well. Leave the mixture till it has cooled down.

3. In a separate bowl add the remaining ingredients and beat well until combined. Add this to the mixture and mix until you get a smooth batter.

4. To cook the pancake take a baking stone or frying pan and heat a bit of butter. This should be over a medium heat. You will need about half a serving spoon of mixture for a pancake (don't want the the pancake too thick). Cook until each side is golden brown (roughly about 5 minutes on each side).

5. You can have them with lemon and sugar, Nutella or my personal favourite blueberries and golden syrup (or whatever you want, your pancakes, your way)

Stack them Up!

Dauphinoise Potatoes (V)

I said a good serving suggestion for my Beef Wellington was dauphinoise potatoes. Made those too and here is the recipe. Try having this as a single serving is difficult but if you have any left save it for another meal. 

Serves 2/3

800g Potatoes (ones you could use are; King Edwards, Marfona or Maris Piper), peeled and sliced (about a half centimetre thick)

Butter

3/4 Garlic Cloves

300ml Double Cream

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan assisted. Rub some butter on an ovenproof dish.

2. Part boil the potato slices for about 5 minutes. Drain and line the dish with the potato slices. 

3. Then add the garlic and pour the cream over. Then season with salt and pepper. Put in the oven for 40 minutes or until golden like the picture below. Enjoy this side with steak or anything because it is gorgeous. 

Strawberries and Cream Scones (V)

I am here with a Summery baked good which can be enjoyed with tea or a nice cold glass of lemonade. Remember to stay hydrated this Summer.

Makes 10
400g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
100g Butter
200ml Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg, beaten
Pinch of Salt
3 tbsp Icing Sugar
3 tbsp Caster Sugar

Filling
150ml Double Cream/Clotted Cream
200g Strawberries
Strawberry Jam

1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200c Fan assisted. Put a greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar

2.  Make a well in the middle of the bowl. Warm the milk over the hob (Don't let it boil). Gradually mix the milk with the crumbs. If too sticky add more flour and if too dry add more milk.

3. Sprinkle flour on the work surface, rolling pin and hands. Then cover the dough with flour and begin to roll and then fold the dough over. Do this about 3 times so that dough is smooth. Then finally roll out the dough so its thick (probably about 3-4 cms).

4. Take a cutter, about 5-6cm in diameter (if you don't have one, use the rim of a large glass/wine glass). Cut them out and once you have cut as many as you can out roll the dough out again and repeat the process until you run out of dough.

5. Place the dough onto the baking tray with the greaseproof paper. Brush each of the pieces of dough with the beaten egg.

6. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. The crumpets will have risen and will be golden on the top.

7. While leaving to cool, if using double cream, whisk the double cream until thick and add 2 teaspoons of icing sugar. Slice the strawberries into quarters.

8. When assembling a scone you the scone in half and layer with cream, strawberries and jam. Then sprinkle with icing sugar. Serve. 

Blueberry Pancakes (V)

Shrove Tuesday is almost among us and thought I would give you one of my healthier options for the day. Blueberries are such a lovely fruit and if you have any left are perfect in a Greek yoghurt with some honey.

Serves 6-10 Pancakes

200g Self Raising Flour

1 Large Egg

150g Blueberries

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

250ml Whole Milk

Pinch of Salt

Knob of Butter

Maple Syrup/Golden Syrup

1. Add the Self Raising, baking powder and pinch of salt to a mixing bowl and stir. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and whisk the egg with the flour mixture. Then gradually add milk into the bowl, continuously whisking. The mixture should be a thick consistency (If too thin, add more flour and if too thick, add more milk). Then add most of the blueberries (keep some aside to put on the pancakes) and vanilla extract to the bowl and stir.

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Take a half ladle full of mixture and pour into the frying pan. It should be a small round shape, you don't want them too thin though. You can do them in batches of 2 or 3 depending on the size of the frying pan. Fry on the first side for about 5 minutes. Then with a spatula flip and fry for another 5 minutes. You can stack them and pour with syrup and add the rest of the blueberries.

Chunky Spanish Omelette

So we are taking the classic and uping the game a bit. This takes minutes to make but still has different flavours to make for an enjoyable meal.

Serves 2

1 Onion, finely sliced
75g Chorizo, cut into medium slices
1 Red Pepper, sliced into strips
4 Eggs
250g New Potatoes, sliced
Bag of Salad
Knob of Butter
Salt and Pepper

1. Add the butter to a small/medium sized frying pan. Fry the onions in the pan until they begin to soften.

2. Add the pepper and chorizo to the pan. Don't worry about the pan running out of butter, the chorizo will give you plenty of oil to fry the potatoes. Fry for a couple of minutes.

3. Add the sliced new potatoes to the pan and fry until they begin to brown. While the potatoes are in the pan, crack the eggs into a seperate bowl and whisk with a fork and season.

4. Once the potatoes have cooked add the egg to the frying pan. Fry on the one side for about 5 minutes. Then using a spatula flip onto the other side and fry for a couple more minutes. Serve with salad

Parsley Sauce (V)

A new recipe for a new year. So here it is, a great accompaniment with fish, ham or gammon.

Serves 350ml Delicious Parsley Sauce

50g Unsalted Butter
3 heaped tbsp Plain Flour
Good Handful of Fresh Parsley, chopped up
Salt and Pepper
250ml/300ml Whole Milk

1. Get a pan and melt the butter.

2.  When the butter has melted in the pan add the flour one tbsp at a time. Stir in thoroughly.

3. Gradually add the milk (by about 50ml at a time) to the pan and stir into the butter/flour mix.

4. Once it has add combined add the chopped up parsley to the white sauce. Stir in. Taste. Season to taste. Serve.

Tip: For a creamier taste use cream instead of milk

Minestrone (V)

So you have just been out Christmas shopping or you have spent too much before your next pay cheque, you need something quick and cheap. This recipe is for you. All the ingredients here, you can find in your cupboards, bottom of fridges or freezers.

Serves: 4

100g-200g Pasta (Broken Bits, some left at the bottom of the bag)
2 tsp Red Pesto
1 Litre Veg Stock (If not got, use other stock in cupboard)
300ml Passata or Chopped Tomatoes
1 Mug of Frozen Peas
2 Mugs of Frozen Mixed Veg (3 if it includes Peas)
Can of Beans/Pulses (Brollotti, Cannellini etc)
Bit of Grated Cheese (Parmesan/Cheddar/Whatever is available)
1 Onion/4 Shallots
Knob of Butter/Knob of Garlic Butter (If any left from French Onion Soup Recipe)
Pinch of Thyme
Pinch of Sage
Salt and Pepper

1. Get a pan and add the butter and fry the onion/shallots for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and passata/chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to simmer.

2. Add the pasta and frozen vegetables to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the red pesto to the pan with the can of beans. Heat through for a couple of minutes. Add the herbs to the pan and stir. Taste and season. Serve with grated cheese


Tip: Just see what's in your cupboard or what you have lying around. Make this your own recipe and be creative.

Mushroom Stroganoff (V)

A variation of the Russian classic, Mushroom Stroganoff is creamy and tasty. Perfect with either Tagliatelle or rice.

Serves 4

250g Flatcap Mushrooms, sliced

250g Chestnut Mushrooms, quatered

1 Small Glass of White Wine

1 Onion, finely sliced

2 Garlic Clove, crushed

2 tsp French Mustard

2 tsp Paprika

Handful of Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

200ml Double Cream

300g Tagilatelie or Rice

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Shake of Worcestershire Sauce

Squirt of Lemon Juice

1. Put a large pan of water on to boil and boil the paste or rice for the instructed time.

2. While the pasta/rice is boiling, get a large frying pan and heat olive oil in the pan. Add the onions and garlic, fry until softened. Add the mushrooms and paprika and fry for 5 minutes.

3. Add the cream, wine, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and French mustard to the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste and add the parsley to the pan for 30 seconds while stirring. 

4. Drain the pasta/rice from the pan, serve onto the plate and add the sauce on top. Serve.

Tip: If the sauce hasn't thickened, get a teaspoon of cornflour and put it into a glass and mix with a dash of water. Add to the pan, leave for a couple of minutes and the sauce should thicken.