Review of ginger simnel cake

Recently for Easter I made this recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3339/ginger-simnel-cake-with-spring-flowers.jsp from bbcgoodfood.com

Warning - you need lots of bowls! quite fiddly!

Overall 9/10

Very gingery but added a nice twist

Here are my pictures of it:

Beef and Leek Stew

Serves 3

Quantity of leftover roast beef, about 2 handfuls say 450g
1 Large leek
1 onion
2 sticks celery
50g pearl barley
1 clove garlic
1 kallo organic veg boulion cube
1 tbsp beef gravy granules
1.5 pints boiling water

1) Rinse the pearl barley and place in a bowl (or microwave steamer) and cover with boiling water generously, microwave for 18 mins, stirring half way (not needed if slow cooking, just add a little extra liquid)

2) Make up the stock using the bouilion and gravy granules

3) Dice the onion and garlic, slice the celery chunkily

4) Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan, add the onion and fry for 2 mins, add the garlic and celery, cover and fry for 5 mins, add the (drained) pearl barley, transfer to a casserole dish and cover

5) Warm through & brown the beef for 4-5 mins in the empty veg pan, add about 1/4 of the stock to simmer for a couple more mins, add to the casserole pan and mix well, cover with remaining liquid and transfer to the oven for 2 hours, starting on 200 elec and drop down to 150 elec*

Serve with fresh bread

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

*Can be done in slow cooker as well, about 5-6 hours on high, up to 10 on low.

Lamb and Spinach Bhajee

This is a rather lovely adaptation from one of my indian cook books! Great way of using up leftover lamb!!

Serves 3 ish
Easy

Ingredients:

Leftover roast lamb, about 2 handfuls diced / roughly shredded
1 bag spinach
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cumin seed
1 onion
3 waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1.5cm apx pieces
Veg oil

1) Heat a couple of tbsp veg oil in a large shallow but lidded pan

2) Add a sliced onion, and brown for 5 mins,

3) Stir in the spices and add the cubed raw potatoes and cover

4) after about 10 mins add the cubed / shredded (cooked) lamb

5) Wilt the spinach in another pan, drain well and add to mix,

6) Add a little bit of veg stock to moisten and cook for about 15 mins more until the potatoes are just cooked through,

OH actually enjoyed it and would definately make again, was very comforting and warming food!

Recomended Recipes from others:

The Cranberry Sauce from Nigella Lawson's recipe for Cranberry Bakewell, even better with a slug of sloe whiskey in :-) Keeps for months and best we have made and tasted!

Bacon and New Potato Salad from BBC Good Food magazine July 2006, perfect summery salad, actually making again this week now that summer is almost upon us! Have swapped watercress instead of the rocket and even better! (they now publish a certain amount on-line but this has not featured yet :( )

Chinese Style Salmon

Serves 6

Get some nice fresh salmon fillets, skin on, allow one per person

Marinade them in a bowl for about 30 mins or so in the following (have left it a few hours before and is fine, just make sure has some marinading time!):Kikkomans Teryaki sauce liberally added so that they 'sit' in it!.
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 dessert spoons 'gourmet garden' liquid ginger or 1 d.spoon grated ginger
2 dessert spoons sweet chili sauce
1 small green chili, de-seeded and finely sliced (optional)
1 d.spoon runny honey if you have any


Line a deep baking tray with foil and place salmon fillets skin side up, grill on medium heat for about 12 mins until the flesh breaks away easily, turn over carefully and grill for about 2/3 minutes more, serve immediately with mixed wild rice (is a mix of wild and normal white rice, allow about 75g per person) cooked in water and a tin of coconut milk.

If you wish to serve any veggies mange tout goes nicely or baby corn but normally serve on its own.

Also if you don't like ginger / chili then just simply leave it out or adjust to your tastes!

Requires minimal effort and virtually no prep leaving you more time to be with your guests! :)

Low-fat Cauliflower Cheese

I recently done an alternative cauli cheese which turned out a surprise hit!

1 cauliflower
250g (small tub) low fat creme fraiche
1 large egg
50g apx grated mature cheddar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1) Cut up the cauli into florets and either boil or steam for about 15-20 mins or until tender

2) Transfer to a small oven proof dish or roasting pan.

3) In a bowl mix the creme fraiche, egg and a 2/3 of the cheese, black pepper and pour / spoon over the cauliflower evenly, sprinkle over remaining grated cheese and bake in the oven for about 25 mins till golden.

Was really delicious and light, not heavy like it can be normally. discovered by accident and will be staying!! Served this with roast lamb and trimmings, all went! Feedback from BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbfood/F2670471?thread=2717002&post=31778424#p31778424

Authors note: A year on and have made this countless times! Always loved and raved about and now requested if making a roast (or anything else for that matter!) is so light and gorgeous you cannot go wrong with it!