Giant Jaffa Cake

The giant jaffa cake is made of no-added fat sponge (eggs, sugar, flour), spread with marmalade and topped with chocolate. It looks more like a digestive biscuit.

Creme Caramel

Lamb Chops and Pepper

5 lamb chops
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1cm ginger, minced
2 peppers, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp yellow bean paste
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp cornflour mixed with water

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the lamb chops and brown on both sides, push to the edge of the pan. Add the onions, garlic and ginger, cook until softened, add the peppers and continue to cook. Add the yellow bean paste and soya sauce, continue to cook for a few minutes more. Add the cornflour and water mixture and cook until thickened and the chops are cooked through.

Stir Fried Young Garlic and Pepper

Spicy Roast Lamb

1/2 rolled lamb shoulder
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chilli, deseeded and minced
1 can chopped tomatoes
250ml white wine
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Put the lamb in a heatproof dish and bake for 20 minutes at 220 degree centigrade. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions and garlic until softened, add the chilli and continue to cook. Add the thyme, bay leaf and wine. Bring to the boil and add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the lamb and tightly cover with foil. Bake for 2 hours at 160 degrees centigrade.

Peking 'Ja Jiang' Noodles

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices ginger, minced
400g beef mince
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp yellow bean sauce
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp cornflour

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion, garlic and ginger, fry until softened. Add the beef mince and continue cooking until brown, stirring to break up lumps. Add the yellow bean and soya sauce, mix well. Mix the cornflour with some water and add to the pan, cook until thickened. Serve over boiled wheat noodles.

Carrot Cake

I made carrot cake by following the pumpkin cake recipe but substituting carrots for pumpkin and omitting the orange juice and zest.

Double Ginger Cake

250ml self-raising flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g goldern syrup
100g preserved stem ginger in syrup, chopped
2 tbsp syrup from the jar of stem ginger
125g butter
125g dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
240ml milk

Line a 20cm square dish with baking parchment and butter the sides. Put the golden and ginger syrups and butter into a small saucepan and warm over a medium heat, add the ginger pieces and sugar. Sift the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the syrups, stir, add the milk and eggs, stir until combined. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees or until cooked through. Leave the cake to cool in the dish.

Little Frittatas

1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
8 olives, sliced
6 eggs
1 tbsp parsley
Splash of milk
Salt and pepper

Divide the onion, pepper and olives between a six non-stick muffin tin. Lightly beat the eggs with some milk, and parsley, season well. Pour onto the vegetables. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade or until the eggs are set.

Chicken in White Wine

1 chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
130g bacon lardons
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
250ml white wine
500ml chicken stock, hot
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp parsley
4 tbsp creme fraiche
Salt and pepper

Heat some oil in a pan, add the chicken pieces and brown on both sides, remove from the pan. Heat some more oil, add the onions, garlic and bacon, fry until onions are softened and the bacon is beginning to colour. Add the celery and carrots and continue cooking for a few minutes. Replace the chicken pieces, pour on the wine and let it sizzle, add the chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the creme fraiche and parsley.

Banana Bread

Beef and Celery Stir Fry

2 steaks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices ginger, minced
3 sticks celery, sliced
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp oyster sauce
vegetable oil

Marinade the steaks in soya sauce, rice wine and cornflour. Heat some oil in a pan, add the celery, stir for a few minutes until beginning to soften, remove from the pan. Add some more oil and add the ginger and garlic, stir. Add the beef and let it sear. Stir the beef until sealed on all surfaces, add the celery. Add the oyster sauce. Mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the pan. Bring to the boil until the sauce has thickened and the beef is cooked. Serve wtih rice.

Vanocka Buns

I made vanocka again but doubled the amount of fruit. Instead of plaiting the mix, I made it into eight individual buns.

Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

1/2 lamb shoulder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped1 can chopped tomatoes
250ml white wine
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper

Place the lamb in a large heatproof dish and bake for 20 minutes at 220 degrees centigrade. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and brown, add the garlic and stir for another minute. Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking. Add the wine, bring to the boil and add the tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Remove the lamb from the oven, pour the tomato mixture over and cover well with foil. Bake for 2 hours at 160 degrees centigrade or until the meat flakes off the bone easily.

Chicken and Bacon